By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 28 -- When the UN Security Council held a day-long debate on UN Peacekeeping on July 28 more than forty countries spoke, from India warning of an unsustainable shift into internal conflicts to the US citing reports of UN Peacekeeping missions failing to protect civilians.
But during that US speech, the head of UN Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous left the debate. Earlier in July he refused to answer about peacekeepers killing civilians in the Central African Republic. Video here.
Before that for months Ladsous refused to answer on his partners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo committing more than 130 rapes in Minova in the DRC,video compilation here.
More recently Ladsous has refused to answer the complaint of Rwanda, which organized the July 28 meeting, that his mission in the DRC flew the leader of the Hutu FDLR militia from Eastern Congo to Kinshasa despite him being on the UN's sanctions list, and the rejection by the Security Council's sanctions committee of the request for a waiver from Ladsous - with his own history in the region, here.
There are without question many courageous and committed UN peacekeepers. But when the person in charge refuses to answer basic questions, there is a problem.
There are without question many courageous and committed UN peacekeepers. But when the person in charge refuses to answer basic questions, there is a problem.
These are questions that should be answered. Inner City Press will continue to pursue answers.
A representative of NATO spoke, without addressing the aftermath of its “peacekeeping” in Libya.
Egypt, speaking for the Non-Alignment Movement, said the UN Secretariat should not begin “streams of policy” without first getting approval. As Inner City Press reported, Ladsous had push-back, not approval by the C-34 group of states for his proposal to use drones, but proceeded with it anyway.
When Inner City Press reported this, and Herve “The Drone” Ladsous as a nickname, Ladsous began to refuse to answer any Press questions, saying “I do not respond to you, Mister.”
Will he respond to the critiques made during the July 28 debate? Watch this site.
