By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, November 28 -- In Northern Mali an attack claimed by Ansar Dine has killed two UN Peacekeepers from Guinea and a UN contractor from Burkina Faso. The UN mission MINUSMA and now the Security Council have condemned the attack.
Among the questions that arises is whether those coming to Mali to fill in for the French -- from Germany and Slovakia, for example -- will serve under the UN's blue flag, or separately as the French have in Mali, and do in the Central African Republic and Cote d'Ivoire.
The arrangement has always seemed strange to some, particularly given that France has controlled UN Peacekeeping for more than fifteen years. (There is also the matter of the French Sangaris troops being accused of child rape in CAR.)
But in Mali, where African troops serving MINUSMA have complained about being cannon fodder, it is particularly stark: better armed European troops housed separately than the African peacekeepers who are being targeted. It's called the European Union Training Mission. What's wrong with serving with UN Peacekeeping?
Back on October 1 when Mali's Foreign Minister Abdulaye Diop came to the UN General Assembly stakeout, Inner City Press was prepared to ask him about the International Criminal Court case about the destruction of cultural heritage in Timbuktu.
But the head of UN Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous, who even earlier on October 1 openly refused to answer Inner City Press questions about UN Peacekeeping rapes and Ladsous having linked them to "R&R," here, acted like he owned the UN and its stakeout, and not the member state(s).
Ladsous had his spokesperson order the UN Television boom microphone operator to keep the mic away from Inner City Press; he solicited another questioner to ask. Vine here.
But does Ladsous have the right to make it impossible to ask a question to a member state's foreign minister?
Not only are Ladsous' comments on the rape an embarrassment to the UN and to several Troop Contributing Countries -- now Ladsous' defensiveness is putting the UN Secretariat at odds with, essentially censoring, member states, at least those from Africa.
One observer asked, afterward, would Ladsous does this with the Foreign Minister of Ukraine? Of Slovakia? Is Ladsous' strange entitlement limited to (Francophone) African countries? We'll have more on this.
When UN Peacekeepers are determined, by the UN itself, to have killed three civilians in Mali by using excessive force, what accountability is there? None - and UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous on April 2 refused to answer questions about his own responsibility. Video here. Vine here.
On June 23, Inner City Press asked Mali's foreign minister Diop to confirm that the UN is going to pay compensation to the families of those its peacekeepers killed in Gao. He told Inner City Press to "ask the UN."
And so Inner City Press did ask, at the June 23 noon briefing:
Inner City Press: This is something that the Malian Foreign Minister said to ask you. So, I want to say that in advance before asking you. And it has to do with whether… I asked him whether the UN is in fact going to pay monetary compensation to civilians that were killed by peacekeepers in Gao in that report that was issued some time ago. And he said: You should ask the UN. So, I'm asking you. Is the…
Spokesman: Okay. I will… let me check on what we'd announced at the time, and I'll get back to you. [He later added that a compensation fund had been set up by the Department of Field Support.]
Spokesman: Okay. I will… let me check on what we'd announced at the time, and I'll get back to you. [He later added that a compensation fund had been set up by the Department of Field Support.]
The bracketed material, Dujarric's Office added to the transcript, after emailing Inner City Press this:
"Regarding your question on compensation for casualties in Gao, Mali, we would like to recall that a compensation fund has been set up by the Department of Field Support."
Inner City Press has been told - NOT by the Spokesperson's Office -- that the UN is calculating how much to pay each family in Mali. But why has the UN paid NOTHING to the families of those killed by the cholera the UN brought to Haiti? Inner City Press asked the UN's Mali envoy Mongi Hamdi, who gamely tried to distinguish the two cases, focusing on the UN exonerating itself in Haiti. We'll have more on this.
On June 11, the day after an attack against Malian military posts in the south of the country that killed one soldier and injured two, MINUSMA issued a statement which the Free UN Coalition for Access translates here:
“MINUSMA firmly condemns the cowardly terrorist attack against posts of the Malian military and security forces in Misseni / Kadiolo, in the south of Mali. The attack early on the morning of June 10 killed one soldier and injured two, as well as causing physical damage. MINUSMA offers its condolence to the Government and Armed Forces of Mali as well as to the soldier's family. The Mission wishes a fast recovery for the two wounded soldiers. MINUSMA again underlines the urgency of advancing the peace process to ensure that the Government and the stakeholders can combine their efforts and act in unity to put an end to the terrorism which threatens Mali and its people.”
“MINUSMA firmly condemns the cowardly terrorist attack against posts of the Malian military and security forces in Misseni / Kadiolo, in the south of Mali. The attack early on the morning of June 10 killed one soldier and injured two, as well as causing physical damage. MINUSMA offers its condolence to the Government and Armed Forces of Mali as well as to the soldier's family. The Mission wishes a fast recovery for the two wounded soldiers. MINUSMA again underlines the urgency of advancing the peace process to ensure that the Government and the stakeholders can combine their efforts and act in unity to put an end to the terrorism which threatens Mali and its people.”
That the attack happened in southern and not northern Mali may be a bad omen.
After his May 16 press conference in Bamako, Ladsous saidthe UN's report about its killings in Gao will never be released; follow up question here. During the press conference, tellingly, Ladsous berated Malians for not sufficiently thanking... France and its Force Serval. Audio here, Minute 27:52.
Ladsous said, referring to criticism of him and his mission by Mali's president and others at the signing ceremony the day before, "Did I hear a single word of thanks for France and its Operation Serval? No." (Translation by Free UN Coalition for Access.)
In this use of his UN post to serve France, for which he was a (most undiplomatic) diplomat for decades, this is similar to Ladsous' much worse intervention into the process of the UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights in trying to get fired OHCHR whistleblower Anders Kompass, who exposed reports of French Sangaris Force soldiers raping children.
This appears in the UN Dispute Tribunal ruling reinstating Kompass, at Paragraph 9. It was not contested by OHCHR. Ladsous, breaking with his striking refusal to answer Press questions, told Inner City Press, "I deny that." Video here.
But Ladsous has not explained or answered what he is denying: getting involved in l'affaire Kompass at all, or just the wording? Ladsous was not asked this question in Bamako.
On May 18, Inner City Press asked the UN's deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq who Ladsous was speaking for:
Inner City Press: Mr. [Hervé] Ladsous of DPKO held a press conference in Bamako over the weekend. There was some criticism, by actually the President of Mali, of the mission. But, I wanted to ask specifically, in his press conference, he said that he sort of chided, he said: Was there even a word of thanks for its operation in Sangaris? No. Isn't that curious? And I wanted to know, in what capacity was he saying that? Is the UN? Does the UN have a position on Malians not being sufficiently grateful to France or was he speaking in some other capacity?
Deputy Spokesman: I don't have any real comment. I would just refer you to the text of his statements. And if you have anything further, you can ask our colleagues in peacekeeping.
Deputy Spokesman: I don't have any real comment. I would just refer you to the text of his statements. And if you have anything further, you can ask our colleagues in peacekeeping.
Later on May 18, a well placed African Permanent Representative said "Ladsous should resign."
On May 10, two UN Peacekeepers were wounded in Mopti in Mali, see below.
Now Ladsous is under fire for appearing in a UN Dispute Tribunal ruling as urging the firing of the whistleblower who exposed rapes by French soldiers in the Central African Republic. Ladsous denied it - to Inner City Press - but the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights did not dispute it. Accountability?
Now Ladsous is under fire for appearing in a UN Dispute Tribunal ruling as urging the firing of the whistleblower who exposed rapes by French soldiers in the Central African Republic. Ladsous denied it - to Inner City Press - but the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights did not dispute it. Accountability?
On May 10 "around 1 pm, the forces of MINUSMA on patrols hit a mine or an improvised explosive device 25 kilometers from Tenenkou, in the region of Mopti,” MISUMSA said in a statement.
“Two blue helmets were seriously injured by the explosion and their evacuation to the MINUSMA hospital in Timbuktu was underway, MINUSMA said.
“The head of MINUSMA Mongi Hamdi strongly the attack against the peacekeepers and emphasized that MINUSMA remains more determined than ever to implement its mandate in support of Mali and its people.”
On May 8, the UN announced what the Press already knew, that Mbaranga Gasarabwe, a Rwandan national, is moving from the Department of Safety and Security in New York to become Hamdi's deputy in Mali. We wish her well.
Tellingly, Ladsous refused an invitation to attend a "protection of civilians" high level event in Rwanda in May,click here for that scoop.
Back on April 27 the MINUSMA mission issued a statement that the Platforme group attacked the town of Manaka, loosely translated by Inner City Press below. But how does UN Peacekeeping killing civilians, then its boss refusing to answer or even take questions about it, impact the UN's credibility?
Here is our loose translation of the MINUSMA press release of April 27:
SRSG Mongi Hamdi called for the armed groups to immediately cease hostilities and return to their positions. “This resurgence of tension puts in jeopardy all efforts to restore durable peace in Mali,” Hamdi said. MINUSMA said that on Monday near noon the mission learned of an attack launched by the MAA-Platform and GATIA groups on the town of Menaka, held by elements of the Coordination of Movement of Azawad (CMA). MINUSMA said it deployed helicopters to evaluate the situation.
Hamdi went to Nouakchott on April 26 to meet the representatives of the CMA, who reaffirmed their adherence to the peace process under way, and confirmed their intention to initial the agreement.
“Two months of intense negotiations involving all of the parties with a view to put an end to the Malian crisis could be threatened. These actions are a grave violation of the ceasefire accords reiterated in the declaration of February 19, 2105,” Hamdi said in his statement.
Hamdi also cited the UN Security Council's statement of February 6 which threatened the imposition of targeted sanctions on anyone who returned to hostilities and violated the ceasefire.
“I therefore appeal for calm and reason for the benefit of all Malians. The only solution to this crisis is through the route of dialogue. I remain convinced that all the parties will show wisdom and reason and sign this historic peace agreement,” Hamdi said.
Here's what Inner City Press asked the UN about Darfur on April 27:
Inner City Press: on Darfur, I saw the clarification put out by UNAMID [African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur], but the Government of Sudan is saying that the UNAMID peacekeepers killed seven civilians, and I wonder, what… beyond just UNAMID putting out a press release, some of which in the past have been press releases that the UN has ultimately walked away from, is there an intention to do the type of report that was done in Mali when people were killed or in Haiti when people… when people were shot at?
Deputy Spokesman Frahan haq: On that, I actually expect that we will have a statement from the Spokesman for the Secretary-General responding to the latest events in Darfur. So, I'll wait until… until we get that.
Inner City Press: But, is the protocol if a Member State alleges that UN peacekeepers have killed civilians to do such a report, or is there no such protocol?
Deputy Spokesman: Like I said… first of all, I… as you know, you're aware of the press release from UNAMID, which is their clarification of the situation, and then beyond that, we do expect to have a statement attributable to the Spokesperson.
Deputy Spokesman Frahan haq: On that, I actually expect that we will have a statement from the Spokesman for the Secretary-General responding to the latest events in Darfur. So, I'll wait until… until we get that.
Inner City Press: But, is the protocol if a Member State alleges that UN peacekeepers have killed civilians to do such a report, or is there no such protocol?
Deputy Spokesman: Like I said… first of all, I… as you know, you're aware of the press release from UNAMID, which is their clarification of the situation, and then beyond that, we do expect to have a statement attributable to the Spokesperson.
But when the statement came it did not even mention the government's allegations. Khartoum's credibility may be low - but what about Ladsous'? We'll have more on this.
