By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 9 -- After the South Sudan meeting of the UN Security Council, the head of UN Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous came out to the media stakeout. Inner City Press asked him, twice, whether the UN is providing any support to Salva Kiir's SPLA. Ladsous turned to leave. Video here.
In the past while Ladsous as now refused to answer any Inner City Press questions, in a normal fashion or at all, Inner City Press pursued the question with the UN Spokesperson's office until it belatedly admitted that the UNMISS mission had provided the SPLA with fuel. From the Inner City Press archives:
Subject: Your question on South Sudan
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Mon, Jul 22, 2013 at 3:15 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Mon, Jul 22, 2013 at 3:15 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com
Regarding your question today about any request for aviation fuel by South Sudan, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has the following information:
UNMISS received such a request from the SPLA in late 2012. On the basis of the human rights due diligence policy, a task force reviewed the request for aviation fuel, which was premised on the SPLA's need to reach isolated groups of civilians at a time of escalating military operations by armed elements loyal to David Yau Yau. The request was granted and the fuel was delivered in November and December of last year to help the SPLA carry out its protection-of-civilians mandate and deter violence.
Such support is subject to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's stated "Human Rights Due Diligence Policy," that support should not be given to human rights violators. Now with allegtions of SPLA and even Kiir involvement in abuses against Nuer civilians, can the UN continue such support to the SPLA?
Inner City Press said, more loudly, "Human Rights Due Diligency Policy."
Ladsous, returning to the stakeout microphone, said "Someone asked if we are supporting the SPLA," which led to some laughter. He then denied that his Department of Peacekeeping Operations is supporting the SPLA.
Some in South Sudan beg to different. But, trying to be positive, at least an answer was given. It is better than Ladsous' dodging and refusal of Human Rights Due Diligence questions about mass rape by the Congolese Army Battalions 41 and 391 in Minova.
On that, Ladsous refused questions for months -- video here -- including taking Agence France Presse, Reuters and Voice of America out into the hallway, video here.
On January 9, Ladsous' apparently outgoing spokesperson Kieran Dwyer made a point of giving the first, and what was going to be the only, question to AFP. (Ladsous thanked the scribe for the question, leaving other specific questions about particular troop contributing countries unasked and unanswered.)
Each time Ladsous refuses to answer, or answer in this strange way -- he has also said, "I have a policy of not answer you Mister" before looking elsewhere and obliquely answering -- it leads to questions: when and why did this start? For today it seems senseless to again repeat it. Today the question is: is it true that the UN in South Sudan, UNMISS, does not support the SPLA? Watch this site.
