By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, November 25 -- While there was much talk at the UN about the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25, that morning a range of Darfur groups wrote to the UN to protests its inaction on, and cover up of, mass rape in Tabit. Click here for that.
Inner City Press asked Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, what the UN is doing. She said that things are difficult in Sudan, with “limited” civil society, but that the UN's presence is helpful. That's something that the Darfur groups' letter contests, at least for now.
The UN signed an agreement on the topic with New York City, and Inner City Press asked Maya Wiley, Legal Council to Mayor Bill De Blasio, about domestic violence victims not having the highest priority for those few vacancy in the NYCHA housing projects. She spoke about other housing programs; perhaps we will hear more.
As to the UN, the cover up of rapes in Tabit in Darfur is part of a pattern. The head of UN Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous for months refused to answer Press questions about rapes in Minova in the DR Congo by his partners in the Congolese Army, video here. So there is more than a little “orange-washing” going on at the UN today. Watch this site.
