By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, September 12 -- The UN Security Council's trip to South Sudan, with Riek Machar out of the country and questions about the UN's failure to protect civilians including aid workers in the Terrain Apartment in Juba still unanswered, began; Inner City Press has obtained and uploaded this audio of co-lead Fode Seck of Senegal, at the Juba airport.
Before a joint statement that doesn't address the targeting and ouster of Machar, the UN issued Power-heavy footage, which Inner City Presstook Beyond the Vine, here.
Now a new study by The Sentry details looting by South Sudan's two main leaders, and Paul Malong about whom Inner City Press has reported and, virtually alone, asked about at the UN. The report is here.
While the report makes no criticism of the UN, even given UNMISS' inaction amid killings in Malakal and rapes in Juba - but some find in it a “First World” echo in the getting-over not only of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's son in law, promoted without recusal by his own father in law to the top UN post in Kenya, but also Ban's nephew “Dennis” Bahn.
Ban's nephew Ban has reportedly used the name of his uncle and the UN to make money; Inner City Press exposed that he's worked for the company which manages UNDP's building on 45th Street in Manhattan. Now this update. We'll have more on this.
On September 7, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: after this Security Council trip and the sort of the joint communiqué that was issued, what is DPKO's (Department of Peacekeeping Operations) understanding on what countries can… will be allowed by the Government of South Sudan to contribute troops to this 4,000? And also, the commitment that was made to humanitarian access, some people are saying that there've already been aid convoys blocked around Wau since the visit. And so that's kind of an OCHA matter. What is… what's…
Spokesman: The humanitarian access continues to be very challenging for us in South Sudan. We're not getting the access that we need. As far as the protection force, I think, you know, that process is under way. We saw the joint statement from the Security Council and the Government. We also saw some of the clarifications that were given by the Government afterwards. What we know is that the situation in South Sudan is critical. We do need to see progress on the political front, and we would like to see all the Security Council resolutions implemented.
ICP Question: But who is actually going to speak to potential TCCs (troop-contributing countries)? Is it DPKO or is it the US? I guess I…
Spokesman: Well, I think it is… you know, it is… It is, from what I gather, an IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority for Development)-led process. They will be placed under the overall command of the peacekeeping mission. I'm sure we will have a role, but this is not a traditional peacekeeping force… a UN peacekeeping force, in a sense.
ICP Question: And just one last thing on this? I just wanted to… before too much time goes by. At the time that Riek Machar crossed into DRC, some people are saying that the Government… the Salva Kiir Government communicated to the UN that it would shoot helicopters if MONUSCO helicopters came in to save them, and I wanted to ask you just to clarify…
Spokesman: I'm not aware of those threats. The UN operations were done within the DRC.
At the end of the Security Council's trip, AP reported that Kiir demanded that the 4,000 new troops do not come from any neighboring country, making full deployment less likely, and that Machar “can't return to the country until the next election cycle.” So the US sold out Machar. And Reuters, handpicked to travel, either didn't get or didn't report this story -- ignored by a now-affiliated NGO. The lines are all blurring.
Reuters quoted without analysis Minister Martin Elia Lomoro that the government “had no objection to who contributes soldiers.”
Now Martin Elia Lomoro says the government “must agree on the number of troops, the countries they come from and the arms they carry.”
We'll have more on this.
Seck emphasizes the UN is in South Sudan to accompany, not impose; he speaks of a protection force, not an intervention force. The resolution was not unanimous: there were four abstentions, including Egypt. Audio here.
Inner City Press asked the UN to live-stream the full Security Council's press conference on September 4 but was told by the UNMISS mission they can't do it, which seems strange. Inner City Press' questions to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric about civilians being subjected to teargas in the UN's camp have been referred to UNMISS.
Meanwhile Ban Ki-moon's spokesman's office didn't inform Inner City Press of the trip, click here for that. What is the US' role? We'll have more on that. For now, this audio.
The UN judged the Terrain Apartments in Juba, South Sudan to be safe and well-protected in October 2015, documents obtained and exclusively published by Inner City Press show.
Now Inner City Press is reliably informed that when the UN Mission in the DR Congo, MONUSCO, first considering exfiltating Riek Machar it was told that South Sudan would shoot down its helicopter(s). This is the government that UN continues to work with - and in instances, cover up for.
In July 2016 the UN did nothing while those living there were rapes and, in the case of journalist John Gatluak, killed.
Now what?
On July 11, 13 and 14, Inner City Press asked the UN about its lack of response to rapes and killing in the Terrain Apartments in Juba, South Sudan, having been contacted by sources there shocked at the lack of response by the UNMISS mission and others. Video here, including the UN on August 15 claiming after a month to STILL be investigating its negligence.
On August 16, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued a statement that he “has decided to launch an independent special investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding these incidents and to evaluate the Mission’s overall response.”
On August 23, Ban named Patrick Cammaert to head it. Inner City Press asked, UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: About South Sudan, when you mentioned that Mr. Cammaert had previously done the Malakal one, I wanted to know, has that resulted in any accountability? I went back. He did the study of Gaza in 2015. He was sent to Sri Lanka in 2009. I want to know, overall, is the goal of this exercise, particularly given the Terrain events but also rapes outside the gate, to actually hold someone accountable or to write a Malakal-style study?
Spokesman: You know, I think the Malakal report was fairly… was fairly clear. I think it’s important that we be able to assess, not only the facts on the ground, but the role of the mission, how the mission responded, how the various contingents responded. And from that, obviously, if there are further steps to be taken, they will be taken.
ICP Question: Right, but I guess I’m asking as an example, in the Malakal case, have any steps yet been taken?
Spokesman: Well, I think, you know, obviously, we have seen how various contingents responded, and we hope that also what we’ve learned from Malakal will be able to better prepare us for similar situations that may happen in the future.
ICP Question: Relatedly…
Spokesman: Okay. I’ll come back to you.
What's “come back” is Cammaert. With all due respect, Ban for his “independent” investigations picks the same people again and again, or people who need or want a UN post - it creates an incentive to deliver a report that doesn't lead to accountability, in order to get the (next) job: a cover-up cadre.
On the morning of August 17 Inner City Press reported that the UN Department of Safety and Security's Chris Du Toit is said by staff to be the one who adjudged the Terrain Apartments to be “safe,” and had gone “on leave,” like Ban Ki-moon.
On the morning of August 22 Inner City Press exclusively published: The UN Department of Safety and Security's MORSS - Residential Security Survey Report of October 29, 2015 says that “the residence is recommended to UN personnel,” that “UN PK [Peacekeepers]” are “present in the area... guarding the UN House,” and that the gates are in good condition. At noon on August 22, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric, Beyond the Vine here, UN Transcript here:
Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you about the Terrain Apartments in South Sudan. Back on 14 July, you'd said that the UN was already then starting to look at its role and I have since then obtained what was the UNDSS certification that it was safe. And it says things like the residents is recommended to UN personnel but it also says that there were CCTV cameras covering the area 24/7, that the gate was fine, and it recommended some mitigating measures. I guess my question is, if a month ago... more than a month ago, you'd said from here that the UN was investigating its role, what happened in that month? Is it true that, as was said in this DSS certification, that there are close… you know, closed-captioned TV running the whole time? And if so, why didn't the…
Spokesman: Again, I think you have access to documents that I don't have access to.
ICP Correspondent: Well, you can get this.
Spokesman: Well, I'm not… obviously, I'm not on the distribution list of the same documents that you are on. The… there was a preliminary work that was done, I think, as Farhan announced last week. A special investigation will be conducted. I expect to be… to be able to announce more details on that investigation either later today or at tomorrow's briefing. Obviously, they will take a look at all the circumstances, what decisions were taken by… by the UN, and, obviously, the fact that the perpetrators of these attacks will need to be brought to justice.
In South Sudan, UN DSS Called Terrain Apartments Safe Before July 2016 Rapes and Murder of Journalist John... by Matthew Russell Lee on Scribd
At the August 17 noon briefing, Inner City Press asked Ban's deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you about is whether the head of, my understanding is he is or was the head of the UNDSS [Department of Safety and Security] in South Sudan, Chris Du Toit, I'm told that he had in writing deemed the Terrain Apartments to be "safe" for UNFPA [United Nations Population Fund], FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] and other staff to live in and that he's now just recently gone on leave. Was such a determination made? And how does the UN, in places like Juba, determine and certify off-site places for its personnel to live? [Vine here.]
Deputy Spokesman: Well, first of all, I'm not going to get into the specific facts of the case, which are being determined, like I said, first, by the body that's from the UN Mission that's already been working on this and now by a special investigation that will be formed in the coming days. What I can say more generally is simply that we do rely on our Department of Safety and Security to determine, in any country, where places are that are safe for UN staff to stay.
ICP Question: Right. So, it's fair to say that this was… this place had been determined to be safe? That's why people were living there…
Deputy Spokesman: No, that's not fair to say. I'm not… like I said, I'm not going into any specific facts. Those remain to be determined by the groups who are looking into it.
ICP Question: And I also want to ask one thing. I've heard that… that staff of UNFPA in particular, but other UN system staff were discouraged of speaking with the media in the month since this event took place. And I wanted to know, is that… what is the UN's… does it feel that it has a right to tell its staff not to speak about things that… that… in which they themselves were the victims, or are they free at all times to speak about what happens to them?
Deputy Spokesman: No, people are free to speak to the media. Obviously, as staff are aware, when there's an investigation under way, we don't want to prejudice the course of an investigation. [Vine here.]But that… and that is what's happening. But, as a general rule, yes, of course, they're free.
ICP Question: But, it seems like this investigation is really triggered by the AP report. That's why I say it's sort of a chicken-and-egg problem. You were doing your own report. Then the AP ran a story where people spoke to it anonymously, and now you're doing a special investigation. Is that…?
Deputy Spokesman: I don't think that that's fair. I think part of what was happening is that the facts uncovered by the UN Mission prompted the people here at Headquarters to believe that something more is needed...
Inner City Press: I've gone back and looked at it. On 11 July, I asked Stéphane [Dujarric], as it happened, about the Terrain. And he said he hadn't heard anything about it. And then, two days later, Ellen Løj was on the TV screen, and I asked her about Terrain. And she said she acknowledged that she was aware of it and that they'd sent… they called the army to go. And then, on 14 July, Stéphane said more about it. That's what you're referring to. Was there any other statement that you guys proactively put out? When?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. Exactly. We got those… those were the details we shared over the days as we got them.
Also, who is going to DO Ban's belated (second) investigation? Will the investigation involve DPKO's “conduct & discipline unit” under Mercedes Gervilla, or OIOS' Michael Dudley - the spouse of Mercedes Gervilla? It's “all in the family,” as is so often the case in Ban's UN, where Ban's mentor Han Seung-soo is given a UN post while on the board of Standard Chartered Bank, with two contracts with the UN. We'll have more on this.
On August 16, Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Farhan Haq what was done in the last month, other than cover up. Video compilation here; Vine here, UN Transcript here:
Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you again about the Terrain Apartments. I went back and looked not only at what Ms. [Ellen] Løj said, but the day after that, Stéphane [Dujarric], on 14 July, when asked about what she said, said that the UN was already at that time investigating its own role. So, I wanted to know, in the intervening month, what has the UN found out? Like, yesterday, it was said sort of like the UN, based on the AP report, is going to be looking into it. In the month since 14 July and now, [16 August], what did the UN find out about its role?
Deputy Spokesman: Like I said, we are investigating this. That investigation has not concluded. We may have more to say on this in the next day or so in terms of what will be done in terms of any further investigation, but at this stage, the point is it's ongoing.
ICP Question: But, when did the investigation start, I guess, having now looked at what was said on 14 July? Did it start then or did it not start until now?
Deputy Spokesman: It started very rapidly upon the first awareness of this incident, which, as you're aware, we reported to you at the time.
Not so much - when Inner City Press asked, Ban's lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric said he knew nothing; it took a question to SRSG Loy to get the first admission, see below.
On July 11, Inner City Press received video about the attack while in the UN Press Briefing Room; many including on Capitol Hill in DC were asked about it. But only on August 15 did the US, through its Ambassador Power, say anything.
Is this is a(nother) joint UN and US Administration cover-up?
Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric on July 11 said he didn't know anything about it. UN Envoy Ellen Loj on July 13 told Inner City Press UNMISS had called the SPLA to go to Terrain. But, Inner City Press pointed out, there were already there.
On July 14, when Inner City Press asked ask, Dujarric claimed the UN was looking into its own role. Video here. Then, nothing.
Now after a detailed report by AP, Inner City Press on August 15 asked Ban's deputy spokesman Farhan Haq about what Loj has said. Beyond the Vine here. Haq said everything is being investigated, including the UN's role. But what happend with the investigation Dujarric claimed a month ago?
On the evening of August 15, US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power put out a statement, which rightly if belatedly noted that "We are deeply concerned that United Nations peacekeepers were apparently either incapable of or unwilling to respond to calls for help. We have requested and are awaiting the outcome of an investigation by the United Nations and demand swift corrective action in the event that these allegations are substantiated."
But the US was told of this more than a month ago. And what follow up has there been on the UN's "investigations" of inaction in Malakal in South Sudan, and on the rapes in the Central African Republic? On UN abuses in Haiti and in its own headquarters? We'll have more on this.
- this while refusing to answer for example which corporate boards of directors Ban's mentor and Special Adviser on Water and Disaster Risk Reduction Han Seung-soo is on. This is a new low for the UN - watch this site.
