By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 19 -- While UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous has stonewalled about the 126 rapes in Minova by the Congolese Army, which the UN supports, new rapes have been committed on a hill outside the Mugunga III camp, a hill controlled by the Congolese Army.
Ladsous has refused Press questions about the Minova rapes on November 27, December 7 and December 18 -- when he had his spokesman seize the UNTV microphone so the question couldn't be asked, video here. Ladsous has not done a stakeout since.
On January 19, Inner City Press asked both Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky and top UN humanitarian Valerie Amos about these rapes, and about how Ladsous is (not) implementing Ban's supposed Human Rights Due Diligence Policy of not working with army units which engage in rape of other abuse.
Amos insisted that the UN has a zero tolerance policy -- since Ladsous has been in change, some call it a "zero truthfulness" policy -- but she did not provide any of the previously promised details about Minova.
Here is the UN's transcription of what Inner City Press asked Nesirky, followed by the MONUSCO answer added to the transcript, never e-mailed to Inner City Press but perhaps read over the squawk to those sitting in their offices (or waiting to be spoon-fed by Ladsous, as in the November 27 video here):
Inner City Press: ...Between 3 December and 5 January, there were numerous rapes around Muguna III Camp. It’s noted that around that camp [inaudible] took place, 27 of them in just a single day. There is no M23. In fact, that hill is controlled by the Congolese Army soldiers. So, related to this Minova question, what’s the UN response to its partners, at lease in part, controlling the hill in which 27 rapes took place in a day? What’s the United Nations going to do about this MSF report? And I wanted to ask, back on Minova, I appreciated what was sent to me two days ago. But it didn’t address this idea of the UN human rights due diligence policy. It basically said the Congolese are investigating and 11 people have been arrested. I wanted to know how many of these 11 were for rape, for 126 rapes. And also, in both of these cases, DPKO’s [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] stated policy of not working with Army units which have committed rape. How do they apply? In this case of Minova long after the event took place?
Spokesperson: On the last part, I don’t have anything to add. Simply to say that an investigation is under way and therefore we need to wait to find out what the result of that is. With regard to the report from MSF, we are obviously aware of it and we’ve asked the mission to brief us on that particular matter. But I don’t have anything at the moment. Should that change, and I would anticipate that it will, then obviously I will let you know.
[The Spokesperson later said the mission, MONUSCO, had advised that it is aware of the reports. As mandated, the mission will investigate these incidents.]
Again this last was added to the transcript, never e-mailed to Inner City Press but perhaps read over the squawk to those sitting in their offices -- or waiting to be spoon-fed by Ladsous, as in the November 27 video here. We'll have more on this.
