As UN Flew FDLR, Shouldn't Ladsous' 1994 History and Refusal to Answer Quetions Disqualify Him?

By Matthew Russell Lee, Follow up on Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, June 28 -- Three days after Inner City Press reported Rwanda complained to the UN Security Council that UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous and his MONUSCO mission flew FDLR leader Gaston Iyamuremye / Rumuli Michel on UN aircraft even as Ladsous travel waiver request was denied, the New York Times has  spun Ladsous' request - without naming him.

   Here's the problem with that: it is undoubtedly newsworthy that the UN, or really France, chose to put at the helm of UN Peacekeeping in the Great Lakes a person who in 1994, in the Security Council, argued for the escape of genocidiares from Rwanda into Eastern Congo. Inner City Press story here; sample 1994 memo by Ladsous here.

  Ladsous' history has caused needless problems; when asked about it, rather than answering Ladsous has adopted a policy of refusing that and any related question.  Video compilation here.

  Now in the Congo Martin Kobler, who works for Ladsous, has not answered the simple question of flying Rumuli inside the DRC; instead MONUSCO tweets photos of Kobler singing in a choir in Kinshasa. Ladsous has turned the UN into a joke -- and it keeps getting worse.

  That the French government is in denial about its role in 1994 in the Rwanda genocide is one thing. But why aren't they told they have to appoint a chief of DPKO - a position they claim to own - without this pernicious baggage?

   A bare minimum: shouldn't this official at least have to answer questions?
  
   The NY Times story quotes UN Great Lakes envoy Russ Feingold as essentially against negotiating with the FDLR.

  Something doesn't fit: when Inner City Press on June 27 asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric on what basis Ladsous' MONUSCO started flying FDLR leader Rumuli without any approval, Dujarric said it was at "at the request of a group of special envoys." Click here for transcript.

  That either includes envoy Feingold - or the other envoys are working around Feingold and the US. Which is it? And why didn't the New York Times in its not-uninteresting story even ask, or hold Ladsous accountable? The UN has become a joke on this.

  Inner City Press obtained Rwanda's complaint letter, on which it first reported on June 26, and put it online here. At the June 27 briefing, to Inner City Press' questions, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric replied "not aware," transcript here, video here:

Inner City Press: why did MONUSCO [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] fly him to Goma to Kisangani and then to Kinshasa when, in fact, I think there’s an arrest warrant for him?

Spokesman Dujarric: I’m not aware of any other services provided to him by MONUSCO.

                                                             Since the complaint to UNSC members says Rumuli was flown on MONUSCO aircraft, and given Ladsous' history of refusing to answer Press questions, Inner City Press has twice asked Kobler and MONUSCO the simple question: did they fly Rumuli?
  
   While they tweeted photographs of Kobler singing with a MONUSCO choir, still no answer. This is the Ladsousificiation of UN Peacekeeping.