By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 26 -- What's wrong with the UN, its Department of Peacekeeping Operations and mission in the Congo, MONUSCO?
More than 24 hours ago, the BBC began promoting its interview with Brazilian general Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz, saying he is now the UN Force Commander for MONUSCO.
At Friday's noon briefing, Inner City Press began to asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky how dos Santos Cruz was selected -- both in light of his record in cracking down on Cite Soleil in Haiti in 2007, and given the southern African composition of the new MONUSCO Intervention Brigade.
But Nesirky cut in -- “Let's just stop it right there.” He said that announcements about appointments come from the UN in New York, and that no announcement has been made.Video here from Minute 18:25.
Inner City Press asked, but what about what Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz told the BBC?
Nesirky said, “with respect,” the UN makes its announcements, not the BBC.
So did dos Santos Cruz jump the gun, so to speak? Is James Mwakibolwa, on whom the UN's own Radio Okapi reported, still only the commander of the Intervention Brigade? Or is he more?
Inner City Press also asked what role, if any, the UN is playing in the Kampala talks between Congolese authorities and the M23. Nesirky said he would check. Five hours later, nothing.
Bad communications, especially from DPKO under Herve Ladsous, have become the rule.
Ladsous outright refused to answer Inner City Press questions about the 126 Minova rapes by his partners in the Congolese Army, and refused again on April 25, including on Mali, Western Sahara and Cote d'Ivoire. The current UN accepts this. Watch this site.
