By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 4 -- With the UN Security Council delegation in Kinshasa dining tonight with that city's diplomatic community and officials of the UN Mission MONUSCO, at UN Headquarters a vague summary of their first meeting was given.
Inner City Press asked UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky for more, to say what topics were discussed with the EU's Political and Security Committee. Nesirky, whose Office and France "in consultation" rejected Inner City Press to accompany the trip, now twice advising Inner City Press to "ask Council delegations."
Well, we have. And while some have yet to explain why, it appears that unlike on Syria the Security Council will not meet with any opposition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Back in Brussels with the EUPSC, Inner City Press is informed that the discussion was almost entirely about the DRC, that the Kampala Talks with the M23 should be concluded and PSC Framework implemented, that Security Sector Reform should be pursued in other to allow development projects.
One would think this vaunted Security Sector Reform would include action on the 41st and 391st Battalions implicated in 135 rapes in Minova in November 2012, with the US-trained 391st being implicated since in the desecration of corpses. We'll wait to hear from Security Council members on that.
While it is sometimes true that a picture is worth a thousand words, tweeted photos of the UN Security Council's meeting with the EUPSC don't show that the International Criminal Court came up, and that it was counter-explained that the ICC is increasingly controversial in Africa.
This was clear from speeches (and no-shows) at the UN General Debate in New York last week. But it seems some int the EUPSC didn't understand it.
To many, the ICC is viewed as politicized, not only because of its over-focus on Africa but also because it dispenses victor's justice. Were are the prosecutions of the supporters of Ouattara in Cote d'Ivoire? Of extremists among those who overthrew Gaddafi?
Similarly politicized, in many's view, was the US announcement just as the trip began of child soldier recruitment penalties on Rwanda. These are denied, as to the Rwandan military.
Meanwhile for example Chad's Army is on the UN's list of child soldier recruiters -- and was accepted by UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous into the UN's Mali mission MINUSMA. Did HRW speak out against that, and Ladsous? We'll have more on this. Watch this site.
