By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, November 20 -- With Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army being discussed Wednesday in the UN Security Council in New York, and in passing by US Ambassador Samantha Power at a Politico function, here is aparagraph from the UN's most recent report on the LRA:
"In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the majority of the attacks continued to occur in the Haut-Uélé and Bas-Uélé districts of Orientale Province... During the third quarter of 2013, a total of 29 presumed attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army, including 2 deaths and 21 abductions, were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Water, health, protection and food remain the priority needs in these areas. During the third quarter of 2013, attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army and related deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo declined by 3 per cent, but the number of reported abductions increased. An estimated 256,000 people remain displaced in Orientale Province."
This comes amid major UN military support to the DRC Kabila government, through its Force Intervention Brigade, to "neutralize" the M23 militia, and staged celebration of Kabila's assertion of governance and sovereignty.
What may be another shadow-play: a full year after 135 rapes in Minova, today in Goma in a military court 41 lower-level soldiers were put on trial. The higher ups are not named, and after the case has been put back to December 4. But as we have all year, we will cover and pursue it. What does the UN's Human Rights Due Diligence Policy mean, under Herve Ladsous?
The UN is a run-around. At Wednesday's UN noon briefing, Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's acting deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq what the UN is doing to try to ensure that the Kabila government actually inks an agreement with the M23. Haq deflected the question by telling Inner City Press that UN official Abou Moussa had addressed it in his statement.
But there, it's only half a sentence: "un accord de paix n'a toujours pas ete signe," an accord of peace has still not been signed. Very helpful. Watch this site.
