While France Wants Chad in Mali, Deby Rejects MNLA, & UN's Ladsous Refuses to Answer Press Question on MNLA

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 27 -- While French Defense Ministere Jean-Yves Le Drian pressures Chad to keep its troops in Mali, the head of UN Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous, the fourth Frenchman in a row in the post, on April 25 refused to answer the Press on who would disarm the MNLA. 

 Ladsous told Inner City Press, which asked about the MNLA, "I don't respond to you, Mister."  UN Video here

  Meanwhile Chad's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ahmad Allam-mi, told Inner City Press that Chad does not want to stay in northern Mali with the MNLA. So it becomes crucial that the question be answered: who will disarm the MNLA? How can the UN refuse to even take this question?

  A related question, that arose at the UN on April 26, is why isn't Ladsous disciplined or fired for refusing to answer Press questions, for example for four months on the 126 rapes in Minova by the Congolese Army, his partners? Click to see November 27, December 7, and December 18.

  The answer is that Ladsous was put in by France, a Permanent Five member of the Security Council with that power over Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

  In fact, the only reason France “owns” UN Peacekeeping is a deal it stuck to remove its veto block on Kofi Annan ascending from Peacekeeping chief to Secretary General. The quid pro quo was France would get Peacekeeping.

  They put in Bernard Miyet, then Jean-Marie Guehenno (after Ladsous was rejected by Annan), then Alain Le Roy. They prepared to put in Jerome Bonnafont in 2001, but he bragged about getting the job (much the way the Brazilian General Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz has bragged of being Congo mission Force Commander before the UN announced it.)

  And so Ladsous was foisted on the UN, a candidate previously rejected. In 1994 records show he defended the flight of genocidaires into Eastern Congo. Now he represents UN Peacekeeping there?

  That, it seems, is why he began refusing to answer any Press questions. But why does Ban Ki-moon accept it? Because Ladsous was put in by France, and France has the veto. So it is up to France to do something, not only for the UN's good, but for its own. Watch this site.