By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, December 4, updated -- The Kososo representative of the UN Farid Zarif, when after delays he briefed the UN Security Council on December 4, said that “the corruption allegations made recently against current and former members of the EULEX mission have drawn a considerable amount of public and media attention. The new EULEX Head of Mission, Ambassador Gabriele Meucci, has confirmed that investigations into the allegations have been, and remain, ongoing since 2013."
Apparently the length of time the investigations have been ongoing -- at least eleven months -- is supposed to give assurances that it is a serious investigation.
But in the UN, at least, what so often happens is that things are investigated so long that they get forgotten about, or no accountability is possible. This happened for example with rapes in Minova in the DR Congo by units of the Congolese Army which the UN still supports; UN Peacekeeping is doing it again now in Darfur, and in South Sudan on a helicopter shoot-down.
The Darfur allegations of cover up, by whistleblower Aicha Elbasri, are echoed in the allegations of EULEX whistleblower Maria Bamieh. But in the Darfur case, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon largely dismissed the whistleblower's allegations -- in a UN prepared report of which he released only the executive summary, only to the Security Council, which considered but did not act on it on December 4.
The UK's Ambassador Tatham, when his turn on Kosovo came, said “the allegations in the press about the EULEX mission need to be looked into. The High Representative has announced an external, independent investigation into EULEX, which we fully support.”
Others went a bit further, with Luxembourg for example arguing that the allegations -- which, yes, are being investigated, as they have been since 2013 -- should not be allowed to undermine support for EULEX.
But if things are allowed to proceed as they have with UN Peacekeeping, where results are rarely made public and those in charge don't take or answer press questions, undermine it well might.
Inner City Press, which earlier on December 4 sought without success an answer about the Darfur cover up from UN Peacekeeping's Herve Ladsous, video here, while covering the Kosovo debate made just that point, on Twitter.
In welcome responses, both the Missions of Germany and Luxembourg reiterated their support for the EU High Representative's move to investigate.
But again, if it's already been ongoing for more than 11 months, where does it stand? Will the results be made public? When? We'll have more on this.
Update: Inner City Press is informed that the UN's High Representative Mogherini asked the investigator to revert with report and recommendations within four months, and that in recent meeting in Brussels all EU member states stressed need for transparency and open communication strategy. Here's hoping.
Update: Inner City Press is informed that the UN's High Representative Mogherini asked the investigator to revert with report and recommendations within four months, and that in recent meeting in Brussels all EU member states stressed need for transparency and open communication strategy. Here's hoping.
