By Matthew Russell Lee, Video
UNITED NATIONS, April 16 -- Six UN cases of sexual exploitation by peacekeepers were disclosed on the UN's website at 5 pm on Friday 13 April, in what can only be described as a dirty data dump. One involves alleged child rape by a UN civilian contractor in South Sudan, four involve Nigerian soldiers in Liberia, and one a soldier from Nigeria in the Central African Republic. This last is dated April 20, which hasn't yet arrived. The data, and the UN, is dirty in at last two ways. As this batch was being released, UNSG Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric left whistling; he does not answer Inner City Press' written or even some in-person questions. (This may be his boss' orders, see Guterres' non-answer on April 13, here.) On April 16, Inner City Press asked Dujarric in person, as it had on April 14 in writing without response, about the discrepancies. He at first dodged, then dissembled. From the UN Transcript: Inner City Press: I'd wanted to ask you, it seems like, on Friday, at just after 5 p.m. the UN disclosed a new set of sexual exploitation and abuse cases. So, I'd… I'd asked you immediately thereafter why one of them is dated 20 April. And it seems like, since we haven't reached then yet… maybe they're reading into the future, but that's a case in the CAR [Central African Republic], which you were just talking about, Niger, sexual exploitation. There's a case of child rape, alleged child rape, by a civilian UN contractor in UNMISS [United Nations Mission in South Sudan] and several cases from UNMIL [United Nations Mission in Liberia], I guess from the past. One… so, what can you say about these cases? What's being done on them? Two, why is one of them dated in the future? And then I have a question about UNAIDS [Joint United Nations Programme against HIV/AIDS]?
Spokesman: I don't know why the dating issues…
Inner City Press: I'm looking at it.
Spokesman: I'm not debating the veracity of what you're telling me. I'm just saying I don't know, which happens to be a fact on a lot of things, in fact. The UNMISS case relates to allegations of rape of a 15-year-old minor, implicating a local contractor from the UN Mission in South Sudan, which resulted in a pregnancy. We're, obviously, deeply concerned about the serious allegation which was reported in late March. Through the support of our partners and the victim rights advocate on the ground, the victim has received immediate medical and psychosocial assistance. The allegations are being investigated by OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services], and the local authorities are also informed of the allegations.
Inner City Press: But… so, do they have immun… I guess my question is, it says OIOS, but it seems like, if this is a… a local staff that's presumably allegedly raping a local citizen, is it subject to local law?
Spokesman: It's a local contractor. I think we're… it's being investigated.
Inner City Press: And on UNAIDS?
Spokesman: I'll come back to you on UNAIDS.... [Later]
Spokesman: I don't know why the dating issues…
Inner City Press: I'm looking at it.
Spokesman: I'm not debating the veracity of what you're telling me. I'm just saying I don't know, which happens to be a fact on a lot of things, in fact. The UNMISS case relates to allegations of rape of a 15-year-old minor, implicating a local contractor from the UN Mission in South Sudan, which resulted in a pregnancy. We're, obviously, deeply concerned about the serious allegation which was reported in late March. Through the support of our partners and the victim rights advocate on the ground, the victim has received immediate medical and psychosocial assistance. The allegations are being investigated by OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services], and the local authorities are also informed of the allegations.
Inner City Press: But… so, do they have immun… I guess my question is, it says OIOS, but it seems like, if this is a… a local staff that's presumably allegedly raping a local citizen, is it subject to local law?
Spokesman: It's a local contractor. I think we're… it's being investigated.
Inner City Press: And on UNAIDS?
Spokesman: I'll come back to you on UNAIDS.... [Later]
Inner City Press: I just am saying the column that I was reading to you about 20 April 2018, it says "date" at the top of it.
Spokesman: I have no doubt that you are right." And still, ten hours later, nothing. Meanwhile at the UN Stakeout, Guterres' envoy on Sexual Violence and Conflict said she no longer reports on UN abuse, Periscope video here, it's up to Jane Holl Lute - who says she doesn't follow the details. Guterres is making the UN worse and worse. Watch this site. Inner City Press earlier in the month first reported and asked about two ten new cases, by a Burundi soldier in the Central African Republic, and a Gambian police figure in Liberia, before that UN Mission closed. The CAR mission MINUSCA is very much ongoing, making the alleged sexual exploitation by the force sent by "Eternal Supreme Guide" Pierre Nkurunziza all the more problematic. Since South Africa has been allowed to get away with not even suspending its accused soldiers - the UN even tried to cover this over with a colloquy, see below - one wonders how the UN will proceed with Burundi. When also wonders, when did the UN become aware? On April 5, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: I'd wanted to ask about, yesterday, it seems it was… that it was yesterday that… that new sexual exploitation allegations went up on the website. The last time that I was asking was about the… the most recent ones were five from… in the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] by South African troops. They were… they were dated on the website March 20th. And now two more have gone up, but they're both backdated or… somehow they're dated March 20th. So, it's a little difficult to know, but I had not seen them before. So, I want to ask you about them.
One is a Burundian troop in MINUSCA in the CAR [Central African Republic]. The other is a Gambian police officer in the now closed UNMIL.
Spokesman: Right.
Inner City Press: What… is the dating correct? Was… what explains the gap between putting them up and… and them being dated that date?
And, two, what's the status of the… of the Burundian? Particularly, that mission is still open. Is the person suspended, not suspended?
Spokesman: I don't know why the issue of the dating was. But, obviously, as you know, the Secretary-General has pushed forward, and we have been implementing a policy of much greater transparency in putting up allegations as they come to us and to the Conduct and Discipline Unit.
The one you're referring to about Burundi was reported last month to the Mission in the Central African Republic. It relates to an exploitative relationship between a member of the Burundian military contingent who had been formally deployed in the Mission and an adult female. The alleged victim has received medical assistance from an NGO inter-SOS and was referred to our partner UNFPA for further assistance. The UN has requested the Member State to inform us whether it will appoint a national investigative officer. They have until March 9th to respond to the request.
My reading of this is that the military person in question is no longer deployed there.
Inner City Press: When you say March 9th, you mean April 9th. I'm just… I'm… I don't know. I just heard you say that.
I'm just… if it's possible to know going forward, just for reporting purposes, if something goes up…
Spokesman: I didn't say March, did I say March 9th?
Inner City Press: You did, but it doesn't…
Spokesman: Okay. No, I didn't mean March 9th.
Inner City Press: My point is, can… maybe you can find some answer. In terms of seeing these things when your office is closed or wouldn't otherwise respond to an email, it's hard to know if they're… to call them new… are they new? If you put them up in April…
Spokesman: If they're up on the website for the first time, they're clearly new.
Inner City Press: Okay. So, what does it mean to say March 20th? That's when they became aware, and it just happens to be the same date as all…
Spokesman: That's when the Mission became aware. But, I mean, the point is, we're talking about a few weeks.
Inner City Press: You understand the word… to use the word "new," we don't want to misuse the word…
Spokesman: As I said, if you haven't seen it, it's new to you." What an organization. Watch this site. On March 19 Inner City Press immediately reported on the previous cases: all in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the accused all from South African, all cases "pending." Since there was a recent group of "UN SEA" allegations against the South African contingent in DRC, it was unclear if these were the same or related case. So Inner City Press on March 20 asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who as it turned out had a prepared if-asked statement, that these are in fact new cases, that the UN is concerned - but not so concerned that he read out the statement without being asked, by the press he threw out of the Briefing Room and still restricts. This is the UN's disclosure, once a month, while they spin. Since then South Africa has said it will not suspended the troops during their own investigation. On March 28 outside the UN Security Council meeting on Peacekeeping, Inner City Press asked Council member Sweden's Ibrahim Baylan, Minister for Policy Coordination and Energy, if troops shouldn't be suspended once the UN finds probably cause to put on the list. His answer is here - and it seems that the answer is yes. Meanwhile, South Africa's SABC spin continues, witness this "interview" allowing the SA minister to speak at length in defense and obfuscation. And this too is how the UN works, or doesn't
Spokesman: I have no doubt that you are right." And still, ten hours later, nothing. Meanwhile at the UN Stakeout, Guterres' envoy on Sexual Violence and Conflict said she no longer reports on UN abuse, Periscope video here, it's up to Jane Holl Lute - who says she doesn't follow the details. Guterres is making the UN worse and worse. Watch this site. Inner City Press earlier in the month first reported and asked about two ten new cases, by a Burundi soldier in the Central African Republic, and a Gambian police figure in Liberia, before that UN Mission closed. The CAR mission MINUSCA is very much ongoing, making the alleged sexual exploitation by the force sent by "Eternal Supreme Guide" Pierre Nkurunziza all the more problematic. Since South Africa has been allowed to get away with not even suspending its accused soldiers - the UN even tried to cover this over with a colloquy, see below - one wonders how the UN will proceed with Burundi. When also wonders, when did the UN become aware? On April 5, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: I'd wanted to ask about, yesterday, it seems it was… that it was yesterday that… that new sexual exploitation allegations went up on the website. The last time that I was asking was about the… the most recent ones were five from… in the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] by South African troops. They were… they were dated on the website March 20th. And now two more have gone up, but they're both backdated or… somehow they're dated March 20th. So, it's a little difficult to know, but I had not seen them before. So, I want to ask you about them.
One is a Burundian troop in MINUSCA in the CAR [Central African Republic]. The other is a Gambian police officer in the now closed UNMIL.
Spokesman: Right.
Inner City Press: What… is the dating correct? Was… what explains the gap between putting them up and… and them being dated that date?
And, two, what's the status of the… of the Burundian? Particularly, that mission is still open. Is the person suspended, not suspended?
Spokesman: I don't know why the issue of the dating was. But, obviously, as you know, the Secretary-General has pushed forward, and we have been implementing a policy of much greater transparency in putting up allegations as they come to us and to the Conduct and Discipline Unit.
The one you're referring to about Burundi was reported last month to the Mission in the Central African Republic. It relates to an exploitative relationship between a member of the Burundian military contingent who had been formally deployed in the Mission and an adult female. The alleged victim has received medical assistance from an NGO inter-SOS and was referred to our partner UNFPA for further assistance. The UN has requested the Member State to inform us whether it will appoint a national investigative officer. They have until March 9th to respond to the request.
My reading of this is that the military person in question is no longer deployed there.
Inner City Press: When you say March 9th, you mean April 9th. I'm just… I'm… I don't know. I just heard you say that.
I'm just… if it's possible to know going forward, just for reporting purposes, if something goes up…
Spokesman: I didn't say March, did I say March 9th?
Inner City Press: You did, but it doesn't…
Spokesman: Okay. No, I didn't mean March 9th.
Inner City Press: My point is, can… maybe you can find some answer. In terms of seeing these things when your office is closed or wouldn't otherwise respond to an email, it's hard to know if they're… to call them new… are they new? If you put them up in April…
Spokesman: If they're up on the website for the first time, they're clearly new.
Inner City Press: Okay. So, what does it mean to say March 20th? That's when they became aware, and it just happens to be the same date as all…
Spokesman: That's when the Mission became aware. But, I mean, the point is, we're talking about a few weeks.
Inner City Press: You understand the word… to use the word "new," we don't want to misuse the word…
Spokesman: As I said, if you haven't seen it, it's new to you." What an organization. Watch this site. On March 19 Inner City Press immediately reported on the previous cases: all in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the accused all from South African, all cases "pending." Since there was a recent group of "UN SEA" allegations against the South African contingent in DRC, it was unclear if these were the same or related case. So Inner City Press on March 20 asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who as it turned out had a prepared if-asked statement, that these are in fact new cases, that the UN is concerned - but not so concerned that he read out the statement without being asked, by the press he threw out of the Briefing Room and still restricts. This is the UN's disclosure, once a month, while they spin. Since then South Africa has said it will not suspended the troops during their own investigation. On March 28 outside the UN Security Council meeting on Peacekeeping, Inner City Press asked Council member Sweden's Ibrahim Baylan, Minister for Policy Coordination and Energy, if troops shouldn't be suspended once the UN finds probably cause to put on the list. His answer is here - and it seems that the answer is yes. Meanwhile, South Africa's SABC spin continues, witness this "interview" allowing the SA minister to speak at length in defense and obfuscation. And this too is how the UN works, or doesn't
