In Central African Republic, As French Disarm & Shoot Muslims in Bambari, UN Gives Spin to Inner City Press, of Ladsous and Araud

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 23 -- After reports of French soldiers shooting into a crowd in Banbari in the Central African Republic, Inner City Press on May 23 asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it:

Inner City Press: in the Central African Republic, in Bambari, there’s these reports of the French Sangaris force, at least according to some, firing into the crowd and a number of deaths.  And I wanted to know, is the Mission there aware of it?  And also, what’s the status of the various other instances where it’s been said that the human rights component of the UN Mission in CAR ( Central African Republic) was going to look into things?  Did they ever issue a report on their findings?  What’s happened in those cases?

Spokesman Dujarric:  I’ll check on both of those.  [He later shared a press release on Bambari, issued jointly by the United Nations, African Union, European Union and France.]

  But the press release shared, only in French, seemed more propaganda than investigation. As Google-translated:

Subject: Your question on Bambari
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: 2014-05-23 13:11 GMT-04:00
To: Matthew Russell Lee [at] innercitypress.com
Cc: Stephane Dujarric [at] un.org

Please see below a joint Communique by the UN in the CAR, AU, EU and France:

Representatives of the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union and the Central African Republic in France and find deeply regret the events that took place Thursday, May 22 Bambari.

These representatives had visited May 21 Bambari, alongside the representative of the Central Government, to remind armed groups in Bambari the need to implement the resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations and confidence-building measures implemented by international forces. The interviews conducted in this framework and meeting with the people at the end of this movement had led to a consensus for the peaceful implementation of these measures. The events raise the next strongest condemnation.

Peace in Central is the objective of the Central African people, the transitional government and the international community. It calls on all armed groups to cease violence and choose the path of dialogue and political debate to assert their expectations and claims groups.

  Observers say locals in Bambari were outraged that France's ambassador did not mention the threat from Christian anti-Balaka forces, and that France tried to disarm the Muslims with anti-Balaka so near. Is the UN totally captured by France? Will it get even worse as Frenchman Herve Ladsous take more control of the UN mission in CAR?

  France putting Muslims at risk in CAR is exactly when the UN's Navi Pillay warned about on January 20 -- but when Inner City Press asked outgoing French Ambassador Gerard Araud about it, he claimed there WAS not Pillay report, just as he claimed on May 22 that a US pilot in Syria "of course" would be taken to the International Criminal Court, click here for that.

   Back on May 1, a week after French troops reportedly killed five civilians in the "Cameroonian district" of the PK5 neighborhood in Bangui, Central African Republic, Inner City Press asked UN Humanitarian John Ging about it, and about the killing by ex-Seleka forces of three MSF aid workers and 13 patients in Boguila. Video here,and embedded below.

  Ging, making a plea for more international help, mourned the dead MSF colleagues but seemed to say that the only people raising questions about the troops who have come to CAR are those inciting violence. He did not mention killings by the Chadian troops; nor did he directly address that French soldiers killed five civilians, according to spokesman for the Muslim community in PK5 Abakar Moustapha. 

  Moustapha said the French soldiers' raid on a house in the neighborhood when the Senagalese owner was not there led to opposition from residents, to which the French responded with helicopter and gunfire killing five civilians.

   After a previous incident in which the French Sangaris troops were reported to have killed civilians, Inner City Press asked the UN what its mission there would do. Reference was made to an investigation, but no results have been announced. French Ambassador to the UN Gerard Araud stopped responding to such Press questions.

   Now the UN mission in CAR is set to be taken over by FrenchmanHerve Ladsous' Department of Peacekeeping Operations and no longer the Department of Political Affairs. Given the history, will this hold the French forces more or LESS to account?

  Ladsous visited Brazzaville, Chad and now CAR, speaking to a UN microphone. At least Ging answers questions.

   When Chad's Permanent Representative to the UN Mahamat Zene Cherif -- who on April 30 told Inner City Press that Chad will not be any part of MINUSCA -- came to the Security Council stakeout on March 7, beyond asking him about child soldiers Inner City Press asked him about those who have had to flee Central African Republic into Chad. Shouldn't they be able to return to CAR? Video here and embedded below

Mahamat Zene Cherif said while Chad will not force anyone back, they should be able to return. He said that eighty percent of the Muslims have been chased out of the CAR.

How can elections be held this way, he asked.

Inner City Press asked if perhaps those displaced could vote even while in Chad. Mahamat Zene Cherif said the UN could check the feasibility, but that Chad would hope the displaced could return to CAR.

  The day before, Inner City Press tried to ask French Ambassador Gerard Araud about a statement or report by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay that the French Sangaris force first disarming the ex-Seleka had left Muslim community vulnerable to attack by Christian anti-Balaka militias.

  Araud refused to take the question while at the microphone, then from the wings insisted there is no Navi Pillay report. Click here for that.

  What forces allowed 80% of the Muslims in CAR to be chased out? And what responsibility do they bear? Watch this site.

   

Exclusive: On Draft to Defer ICC, UNSC Meets Today, Vote Later, Kenya PR Tells Inner City Press "It's Sad," SC "Not a Destination for Solutions"

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, November 12 -- The African Union's request and draft resolution for the UN Security Council to defer the International Criminal Court's Kenya proceedings for a year is the subject of a Council consultation this afternoon.

But, Inner City Press has learned, that is only the last attempt by the Council's presidency to find consensus, which is unlikely to be found. An African sponsor of the draft resolution tells Inner City Press the goal is to put it to a vote by the end of the week.

Inner City Press on Monday asked Kenya's Permanent Representative Macharia Kamau about the timing. Thursday or Friday, he replied. "It's sad," he told Inner City Press exclusively, "it's a very simple issue, the Security Council would lose nothing. They'd grant the request of forty nine [heads of state or] the whole of Africa, and be back here in twelve months." He said there might be headlines for one day after such a deferral, calling it "knee jerk."

He contrasted it, "if we'd come here asking for war, or to send a 'war lord' to The Hague, there'd be consensus."

Macharia Kamau paused and said, "The Security Council is not a destination for solutions." He said others would realize that too, whenever they had an issue before the Council.

So the Council will meet in consultations this afternoon; there may a vote later in the week. Watch this site.

The Security Council,

PP1: Recalling the Statements of its President dated 6 February 2008 (S/PRST/2008/4) and 13 May 2013 (S/PRST/2013/5),

PP2: Reaffirming its strong commitment to the maintenance of international peace and security and recalling the need to fight impunity and to hold accountable all perpetrators of the 2007-2008 post-election violence in Kenya,

PP3: Acknowledging the reforms undertaken by the Government of Kenya, in accordance with the 2008 National Accord and Reconciliation Process and the Constitution of Kenya of 2010, particularly in the administration of justice, security and governance, fighting impunity, as well as the measures taken by the Government towards resettling of the internally displaced persons, providing reparations to the victims who suffered losses in the post-election violence, investigation and prosecution of post-election violence crimes, operationalization of the Witness Protection Agency, promotion and restoration of justice, peace, stability, national cohestion and national reconciliation and reintegration in Kenya,

PP4: Considering the decision of 21 March 2010 of the International Criminal Court (“the Court”) authorising the Prosecutor to commence investigations propio motu into the situation in the Republic of Kenya, in relation to the post-election violence of 2007-2008 and under Article 15 of the Rome Statute of the Court, to which Kenya is a State party,

PP5: Noting with appreciation the cooperation that the Government of Kenya and all the indictees have extended to the Court for the past five years,

PP6: Further noting that Mr Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and Mr William Samoei Ruto were, in March 2013, democratically elected President and Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, respectively,

PP7: Taking into consideration that the Court commenced the trial in the case against the latter on 10 September 2013, while the trial in the case against the former is scheduled to commence on 12 November 2013,

PP8: Stressing that the proceedings initiated against the President and the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya is distracting and preventing them from fully discharging their responsibilities and extensive duties, as elaborated upon in the relevant provisions of the Kenyan Constitution.

PP9: Reiterating its deep concern that the increasing violence perpetrated by armed groups, the number of which is growing in several regions and sub-regions of Africa, continues to pose a serious threat to international peace and security, and recalling that terrorist violence negatively impact the efforts by African States to promote social and economic development, and undermines global stability and prosperity in Africa,

PP10: Commending the Government of Kenya for its contribution to the restoration of peace and security in the Horn of Africa and Eastern Africa, including Somalia, and for the action it has taken to fight against terrorism at national, regional and international levels,

PP11: Expressing deep concern over the current terrorist threat against Kenya and other countries of the Horn of Africa and Eastern Africa, and reiterating its determination to combat all forms of terrorism, in accordance with its responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations,

PP12: Recalling its press statement of 21 September 2013 condemning the terrorist attack at the Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi and expressing its solidarity with the people and Government of Kenya at this difficult time,

PP13: Acknowledging that the ordinary extensive duties of Mr Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and Mr William Samoei Ruto, as President and Deputy President of Kenya, are compounded by both the recent terrorist attacks and the persisting threat to the national security, and considering the decisive role of Kenya, under their leadership, as frontline state in the fight against terrorism.

PP14: Considering article 16 of the Rome Statute of the Court under which no investigation or prosecution may be commenced or proceeded with for a period of 12 months after the Security Council, in a resolution adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, has requested the Court to that effect;

PP15: Taking note of the letter dated 21 October 2013 from the Government of Kenya to the United Nations to the President of the Security Council, requesting the deferral of the investigation and prosecution against the President and Deputy President of Kenya, in accordance with article 16 of the Rome Statute of the Court and pursuant to Decision Ext/Assembly/AU/Dec.1(Oct.2013) dated 12 October 2013 of the Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union,

PP16: Mindful of its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security under the Charter of the United Nations,

PP17: Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,

1. Requests the International Criminal Court to defer the investigation and prosecution against President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and Deputy President William Samoei Ruto for a period of 12 months, in accordance with article 16 of the Rome Statute of the Court,

2. Invites the Secretary General and the Court to report to the Security Council, within two months of the adoption of this resolution, on action taken on its implementation,

3. Decides that Member States shall take no action inconsistent with paragraph 1 and with their international obligations,

4. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

   

At UN Decolonization Committee, Replies on Kashmir Not Western Sahara, UK Hit on Malvinas & Gibraltar

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 14 -- In UN's Decolonization Committee replies on Monday morning, the UK cited a string of Latin American countries and said it had "nothing to add" about the Malvinas or Falkland Islands.

 

  Argentina shot back that the UK was distorting the concept of self-determination. (Last week, as reported by Inner City Press, Bolivia's Permanent Representative Sacha Llorenti said the UK was engaged in "colonial marketing.")

  Spain said, to the UK, that it was Gibraltar authorities causing tension, "launching" cement blocks with long spikes to hinder Spanish fishermen.

 (The UK was one of four abstainers, versus 149 for, on a resolution of which is said it should be up to the "administering power" and those of a territory to decided when to stop reporting to the UN.)

  India rejected Pakistan having raised Jammu and Kashmir in the Committee.

  On the item that drew the most petitioners, Western Sahara, there were no replies on Monday. Rather, Algeria began the morning by insisting that a referendum with independence as an option must be held.

South Africa called Western Sahara the last colony in Africa, and cited decisions to this effect by the African Union as recently as January 2013.

Amid reports of Francophone AU countries last week blocking others AU members drive to withdraw en masse from the International Criminal Court, one wonders how these same Francophones, like Democratic Republic of Congo which spoke pro-Morocco, have not yet chewed into AU positions on Western Sahara.

Morocco's Permanent Representative Loulichki gave his speech, not seeming to directly address the issue of a referendum with independence of an option but saying the the phosphates of Western Sahara represent only 1.6% of the phosphates of Morocco.

The Salvadoran chair of the Committee asked Loulichki to wrap up with on sentence, but he went longer. Then, no rights of reply on the issue.

From Rabat, Inner City Press was contacted that UN envoy Christopher Ross is in Morocco, but no one knows why. So we're put the question in. Watch this site.

   

At UN, Cuba Cites Malvinas, Hugo and Hiroshima Before Samantha Power, AU and Press Access Limited

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 6 -- The first speaker in the UN Security Council on Tuesday was Cuba's foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, who eulogized Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, cited Argentina's sovereignty over the Malvinas Island, and mentioned Hiroshima.

  Argentine President Cristina Kirchner thanked US Deputy Permanent Representative Rosemary DiCarlo for chairing the Council in July, and welcomed as new US Permanent Representative Samantha Power.

  Given what Power said during her Senate confirmation, including citing the Venezuela of Chavez and now Maduro as a regime, one wondered how she would respond in this, her first Security Council meeting.

  Ethiopia's Permanent Representative Tekeda Alemu, speaking for the African Union, said that the support package and compensation for the AU's AMISOM mission in Somalia should be the same as for UN Peacekeeping missions. 

  For MONUSCO in Eastern Congo, UN Peacekeeping's Herve Ladsous (replaced at Tuesday's session by Edmond Mulet)  is spending 10 million Euros a year on a drone, Selex ES Falco, which previously crashed in Pakistan and Wales. Some note Ladsous' drone could view and film up to 10 kilometers into Uganda and Rwanda.

  Before the meeting, Rwanda's Permanent Representative Gasana chatted with Samantha Power, who devoted much of her book "A Problem from Hell" to the UN's, US' and France's inaction during the Rwanda genocide.

  One wondered if US State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki's July 23 statement on external support to M23, seemingly scripted by Human Rights Watch and sussed out by a planted questions from Voice of America, which is run by the US State Department with John Kerry on the Broadcasting Board of Governors, would come up, or the Congolese foreign minister's July 24 statement that all rebellions in the Great Lakes bear the same "genetic signature," on which the US Mission to the UN never commented.

  It's been asked: did the minister mean that former rebel Joseph Kabila bears the same genetic signature?

  The UN, when also asked by Inner City Press, said it had no comment on the "genetic signature" citation in the Council.

For Tuesday's Security Council meeting, for the first time the Press was banned from using the southern entrance and exit of the Council stakeout (still without a media work table), a limitation nowhere to be found in the so-called Media Access Guidelines the UN Department of Public Information agreed to with its UNCA. 

  The limitation of access has been raised by the new Free UN Coalition for Access, both to UN Media Access and Liaison Unit and its supervisor, so far without response.Libertad de prensa! Watch this site.

   

On Western Sahara, Despite AU Letter, Giving In to Morocco on Rights, UN Sloppy?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 22 -- The draft resolution on the UN's MINURSO mission in Western Sahara is penciled in for a vote on April 25. 

  But on the morning of April 22, along with saying that the negotiations are bilateral between Morocco and the US, French Permanent Representative Gerard Araud pointed out the real deadline is the end of the month, when the mission's mandate expires.

  But will human rights monitoring be added to the mandates, as it is in nearly all other UN Peacekeeping missions' mandates?

  The African Union, in the letter Inner City Press obtained and published, wants it in. So does POLISARIO, not surprisingly. And, surprising to some, the United States wants or wanted it in.

  We included the two terses of the verb becauase, at least at the end of Monday's consultations, things did not look good. A country one would expect to be in favor of adding right monitoring to the mandate told Inner City Press that “Morocco is totally opposed.”

  So what? There have been resolutions passed 14-1, or by lower numbers as long as French does not, as some report it has vowed not to, veto the resolution.

  But the argument seems to be that with Morocco so vehemently opposed, to include mere monitoring would inflame the situation. This type of deference is not taken to other countries with peacekeeping missions in or beside their territory. So why here?

Unless the Council is addicted to consensus, cannot bear a 14-1 or 13-2 vote, why should it matter so much that Morocco is on the Security Council in 2013, as the second of its two year term?

  And if this is the argument, and rights monitoring might be added in 2014 once Morocco's off the Council, what is supposed to happen this year?

  On the other hand, even the delegation referred to above told Inner City Press that it is its view that the promised referendum must be held. But will it be?

  Meanwhile a reader points out, in terms of the complaints about Ban Ki-moon's UN's disregard of the illegal exploitation of Western Sahara's natural resources, that the UN's Code for Trade and Transportation Locations includes Western Sahara in Morocco.http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/cefact/locode/ma.htm

 AAnd what of the MINURSO license plates? Watch this site.

On Mali, Some See DPA for US and DPKO for France, Rights in Resolution?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 5 -- After the West African group ECOWAS "deplored" the recommendations by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that a mission to Mali be paid for by voluntary contribution and not through the UN budget, representatives of ECOWAS, the African Union and Mali addressed the Security Council on Wednesday.

  Many close observers noted that Mali's representative Traore Rokiatou Guikine seemed to say that the Tuaregs cannot be negotiated with, and asked Inner City Press, what sort of message does this send? Answer: not one likely to avoid military action.

  After the open meeting, Inner City Press asked each of them, and France's Ambassador Gerard Araud, about the mission that has been named AFISMA. 

  The African Union representative Tete Antonio said that voluntary contributions had not worked for the AU missions in Darfur, AMIS, and AMISOM in Somalia, at first.

  Inner City Press asked Antonio if the resistance of the US to fast military action in Mali, made public recently by General Carter Ham, wasn't similar to France dismissing the position of the regional group ICGLR that the M23 mutineers should be negotiated with -- both representing a Permanent Five member dissing an African regional grouping.

  Antonio said, let's keep this to Mali, and keep an open mind.

   Other well placed UN sources told Inner City Press this was a case of the UN Department of Political Affairs, led by American Jeffrey Feltman, issuing recommendations similar to the US position, while the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, led by its fourth Frenchman in a row Herve Ladsous, pushes the French line. 

  There are many who say that: but Ladsous find such questions so insulting, he refuses to take any more Press questions in the UN.

   Not so French Ambassador Araud. He took Inner City Press' question, after the closed door consultations, about how the UN's Huamn Rights Due Diligence Policy would apply to this AFISMA mission with the Malian military. Training, he said, to be conducted by ECOWAS and the European Union.

  Inner City Press asked Araud, Is France comfortable with Mali's post-coup military? He said it is not a question of being comfortable. He also took a Press question about how the UN's Human Rights Due Diligence Policy is being, orshould be, implemented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Watch this site.