By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 22 -- In the Central African Republic, the planned UN mission MINUSCA is not slated to take over until September 15.
Until then, when Inner City Press has asked questions about killings and disappearances by the current MISCA force, the UN has either refused to answer, or has said, “Ask MISCA.”
But for the most part, MISCA will be “re-hatted” as the UN mission on September 15. On July 22 Inner City Press asked Mia Farrow, back from her recent trip to the Central African Republic as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, about the “UN” mission MINUSCA being mostly MISCA, re-hatted.
"If that's what it morphs into," Mia Farrow said, "that would be like Darfur, [UNAMID]... it's never going to be the answer."
Recently in Darfur, the UNAMID mission has been exposed for withholding information about the level of killing. MISCA / MINUSCA seems already headed down that road.
Inner City Press also asked Mia Farrow if during her time in CAR, her fourth trip to the country, she had seen any visible work there by the UN Peacekeeping Commission “configuration,” in the UN jargon. No, she said. And that too is telling.
Mia Farrow was asked an open ended question about what she would like the Security Council to do for CAR and other countries.
She said she'd prefer to keep her July 22 briefing focused on the too-often ignored and forgotten Central African Republic, but that UN improvements are needed. We agree - that is what the new Free UN Coalition for Access is working for. Watch that site, and this.
