As Five Peacekeepers Killed in South Sudan, Doubts of Ladsous and Ban Ki-moon's Policy

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 9, updated -- In South Sudan, five Indian peacekeepers and seven civilians working with the UN Mission were killed in an ambush “by unidentified assailant,” the UNMISS mission announced on Tuesday.

  The UN Security Council was meeting about Central African Republic. On his way in, French Ambassador Gerard Araud said he didn't know who might give a briefing about South Sudan, or if a press statement would issue.

  Inner City Press asked around and learned, not surprisingly, that a press statement would come after some background work. But what is going ON, in South Sudan?

  Under envoy Hilde Johnson, UNMISS is extremely close with the South Sudan government. Since the South Sudan Army killed four Russian pilots in December, nothing has been done; the “investigation” is not finished, she told Inner City Press on March 11.

  Here, UNMISS has been shadowing South Sudan's Army offensive against the David Yau Yau rebels. Inner City Press asked if this was the type of UN support to an army which triggers Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's supposed Human Rights Due Diligence Policy.

  Yes, came the answer -- even though how this Policy is implemented under UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous is not all all clear, since he refuses to answer Press questions about its application to two Congolese Army battalions involved in 126 rapes in Minova in November.

  With today's UN, of Ban, Ladsous and Johnson, if the UN's friends commit murder or rape, investigations can take long or never be completed. But will things move faster in this newest South Sudan case? Watch this site.

Update of 3 pm -- after asking, this came in:

Date: Tue, Apr 9, 2013 at 2:58 PM
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Subject: Your question on UNMISS
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress [dot]com

Regarding your question at noon today about whether any Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) forces were nearby when UNMISS peacekeepers were attacked, we can say that the attack hit a civilian convoy escorted by peacekeepers, who were not accompanying any SPLA forces.