UN GATE, August 13 -- Stephane Dujarric, the lead spokesman of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, has joined his boss in personally covering up child rapes and sexual abuse by UN personnel, including recently a Tanzanian peacekeeper's alleged sexual exploitation in DR Congo. On August 9 Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres, Dujarric and others: "This is a Press request that you immediately provide all if-asked and additional information about the new allegation of SEA announced at 12:01 pm today, apparently of SE by a Tanzanian "peacekeeper" in DR Congo - and also why previously published charges are no longer in the data to which UN Peacekeeping Conduct and Discipline points, including what if being done for these victims and any steps taken to avoid this constant repetition of abuse despite the SG's ostensible commitments. Again, are new allegations being buried elsewhere on the data page? Inner City Press is asking in writing because banned from the noon briefings and any follow up questions, now for more than a year. Today as before none of Inner City Press' written questions, including on Cameroon, have been answered. This is a request that you immediately confirm receipt of these questions." But there was no response.
At the August 9 UN noon briefing from which Guterres and Dujarric banned Inner City Press for the more than 400th day, Dujarric said, "from Tuesday to Friday next week, my office will not hold daily noon briefings, but I understand Monica will be here. The office will be staffed, and we will be able to answer your questions."
So on the morning of Tuesday, August 13 Inner City Press asked again, in writing, including to Guterres' incoming Communicator Melissa Fleming: "August 13-3: On UN sex exploitation and cover up(s), as Inner City Press asked on August 9 without any response to day, This is a Press request that you immediately provide all if-asked and additional information about the new allegation of SEA announced at 12:01 pm today, apparently of SE by a Tanzanian "peacekeeper" in DR Congo - and also why previously published charges are no longer in the data to which UN Peacekeeping Conduct and Discipline points, including what if being done for these victims and any steps taken to avoid this constant repetition of abuse despite the SG's ostensible commitments. Again, are new allegations being buried elsewhere on the data page? Inner City Press is asking in writing because banned from the noon briefings and any follow up questions, now for more than a year. Today as before none of Inner City Press' written questions, including on Cameroon, have been answered. This is a request that you immediately confirm receipt of these questions." Again, as Dujarric's office closed on August 13, no answers, no response. This is the UN's cover up of UN sexual abuse, and it's now on Melissa Fleming as well. Inner City Press also asked, ". August 13-6: Given that the SG's public schedules for August 2, August 5, August 6, August 7, August 8, August 9 and now August 13 are entirely blank, not even "all appointments internal" as before but just blank, given that Poland's Foreign Minister was not able to meet with the SG on August 3, nor Pakistan PR Maleeha Lodhi on August 7 (tweeting "As the SG is away"), please immediately state where the UNSG is, now and for the next three weeks, and at what cost to the public. Additionally, since public officials from Trump to de Blasio to Corey Johnson all disclose where they are, and given the UN system travel scandals at UNRWA, UN Women and previously UNEP, explain why Mr. Guterres' lack of transparency is not part of the problem. Given the Secretariat's communication failures, state when exactly Ms. Fleming takes over from Alison Smale, whether Ms. Fleming is still has stated on her profile at UNHCR (Chief Communications @Refugees as of August 7) and if she is answering some/any of her e-mail there." Nothing. We will stay on this.
While refusing to answer banned Inner City Press written questions about UN rapes, Guterres and Dujarric have issued propaganda about how well the UN pays its victims though a Trust Fund both grotesque and murky, with no opportunity to question much less cross examine.
On May 30 during a UN noon briefing Inner City Press was banned from attending and asking questions at for the 330th day in a row, Dujarric's deputy Farhan Haq read out statistics of UN sexual exploitation and abuse from the first quarter for 2019. Inner City Press could not ask questions, and none of the correspondents allowed in asked any questions about it. Afterward Inner City Press wrote to Dujarric, Guterres, Haq, USG Alison Smale and DSG Amina J. Mohammed: "This is a Press request that you immediately e-mail Inner City Press the UN Sexual Abuse and Exploitation data read out at today short noon briefing - no one allowed asked any questions about it - and also the five personnel announcements and c.v.'s, immediately. It is outrageous that Inner City Press which reports about the UN daily is banned from entering to ask questions. Please send this information immediately, and explain."
From all of those addressed, the lone response was from Haq, a copy of the transcript of the briefing (which goes online here). In the three weeks since, not a single answer from Haq or Dujarric or Guterres and Amina J. Mohammed or Alison Smale. Just cover up and propaganda, such as this dumped online at 5 pm on Friday, June 21: "More than 50 Member States convened at UN Headquarters today at the invitation of the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC) to take stock of assistance provided to victims through the Trust Fund in support of sexual exploitation and abuse and to pledge further donations to the Fund. The Under-Secretary General for the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance, Jan Beagle, who chaired the meeting, said that projects implemented through the Trust Fund have “helped elevate the voices of victims through reinforced community networks.” “They have also learned new skills and trades which has supported reintegration into their respective communities without fear of retribution or stigma,” added Ms. Beagle. In the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 440 community members have benefited from income-generating projects. Similar initiatives are underway in the Central African Republic and Liberia. Assistance and specialized services are being provided by both UN and non-UN entities and organizations. Ms. Beagle also thanked the 19 Member States who have so far donated to the Trust Fund, bringing its total to USD 2 million, including some USD 400,000 received from payments withheld from United Nations personnel against whom allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse have been substantiated. She encouraged further donations to the Trust Fund in order for the United Nations and its partners in the field to provide sustained assistance and support and help restore the dignity of victims, paving the way for economic independence. Other participants in this meeting of Member States, included the Victims’ Rights Advocate, Assistant Secretary-General Jane Connors, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Leila Zerrougui, and Assistant-Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and Americas, Miroslav Jenča. The Trust Fund was created in 2016 by the Secretary-General to provide assistance and specialized services to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse committed by UN personnel and to children born as a result of these acts." Shameful, like Guterres on the Rohingya and Cameroon and the Uighurs. #DumpGuterres.
The UN's transparency under Guterres has declined steadily. But on his issue of refusing to provide basic if-asked information from the UN Peacekeeping missions about the allegations the UN data dumps in one line on its website, Dujarric stands apart.
While Dujarric was away on Guterres' most recent junket, now saying nothing about the no confidence motion in Tuvalu while Guterres is there, long time deputy spokesman Farhan Haq to his credit - it is his job after all - twice provide the if-asked information, see below.
(It was Dujarric who said, on camera, that Guterres' UN would "continued to answer emailed questions from Mr. Lee," here. Inner City Press has not been able to enter the UN once since then. So that only rationale for stopping is content: censorship.)
The moment Dujarric returned, with his glad handing jokes with the scribes his uses to oust the Press, even this if-asked information was again withheld. It is not because it is an "international" staffer on whom Guterres refuses to give information. The only difference between the Moroccan peacekeeper's child rape and the allegations Haq answer on is... Dujarric, and perhaps the French connection. We'll have more on this.
Guterres says he has a "zero tolerance" policy for sexual abuse, exploitation and harassment,and for retaliation. But on March 15 he took his administration's "press briefing" about UN sexual abuse off the record, in a room he has banned Inner City Press which most asks about it from for 315 days.
On May 15 the UN data dumped a serious new charge, of child rape by a Morocco peacekeeper in the DR Congo in April. Inner City Press immediately in writing asked Guterres and his spokesmen, Farhan Haq and the returned Stephane Dujarric, "Please immediately provide all if-asked information for new SEA allegation against Moroccan peacekeeper in DRC uploaded this morning, since Inner City Press is banned from entering to ask at noon briefing. Please confirm receipt and explain."
Dujarric held his noon briefing, bantering with his stooges who did not ask about UN child rape; no answer was sent to Inner City Press. This is the cover up by child rape by the UN.
On May 13, in the middle of a belatedly UNSecurity Council meeting about Cameroon and still without providing basic if-asked information about rapes by UN peacekeepers at least identified as being from Cameroon, the UN data dumped more sexual exploitation allegations against it, in the DR Congo, by an "international" with nationality undisclosed.Inner City Press on the morning of May 14 asked Guterres, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric (who never answers despite his on camera promise to) and deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, who sometimes does provide the if-asked information,"May 14-2: On UN sexual abuse and exploitation, immediately provide all if-asked further information about the allegation(s) in the DR Congo put online on May 13 in the middle of the belated UNSC meeting on Cameroon, and explain why the SG does not disclose the nationality of international staff accused of sexual misconduct, and of the April 17 regarding Burundi and South Africa peacekeepers and still the Cameroon troops' rape allegations you have not provide any further information on - and now the four cases put online on May 9,four more sexual misconduct cases, declaring three "unsubstanted" including the alleged rape of a child in Guinea Bissau by a UN civilians whose nationality the UN declined to disclose. The fourth involves a UN person from DRC, but the position in the MONUSCO mission is undisclosed."
Deputy spokesman Haq some hours later replied, and we publish in full, "On question May 14-2, we can say the following: The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has received an allegation of sexual exploitation involving a civilian international staff. The allegation refers to an exploitative relationship involving an adult woman that allegedly took place over an unspecified period and resulted in the birth of a child. The matter is being investigated by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). Meanwhile, the mission is making all efforts to locate the alleged victim and her child to provide them with the appropriate support as per the UN’s victim assistance policy." But why is the nationality withheld? We'll have more on this.
On May 9 - still unanswered four days later - the UN declared three "unsubstanted" including the alleged rape of a child in Guinea Bissau by a UN civilians whose nationality the UN declined to disclose. The fourth involves a UN person from DRC, but the position in the MONUSCO mission is undisclosed. Even the UN's initial disclosures are getting more and more evasive. Will they continue, as they began after physical ousting and banning Inner City Press which asks, to not provide if-asked information? Or will the Deputy Spokesman, as he did earlier this week and then more than a month before, provide at least that information? Watch this site.
Background: On April 20 the UN went even more murky with sexual abuse in Guinea Bissau by a UN "international" it would not even say where from. Could it be Guterres' colonial Portugal? Inner City Press has asked in writing and more than a day later, no answer at all. We'll have more on this.
On April 17, the UN data dumped new sexual abuse allegations, by troops from Burundi in CAR and South Africa in DRC and others it wouldn't even specify the nationality of of. Photo here. On the same day his UN denied in one line the application for re-entry by Inner City Press which asks about these UN rapes, here.
This is cover up of rapes. #DumpGuterres: no second term.
