R2P Redux: At UN, As Ban Ki-moon Puts Jennifer Welsh on Responsibility to Protect, Sidestepping Genocide, Cote d'Ivoire, Ladsous

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 12 -- After the invocation of Responsibility to Protect to bomb Libya until Gaddafi was killed, among UN member states in the General Assembly the controversy over “R2P” only grew.

  Outgoing UN Special Adviser on R2P Edward Luck told Inner City Press he was only paid one dollar a year “and some say I'm not worth it.” For more than a year he was not replaced.

  But at the UN noon briefing on Friday, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky announced that Jennifer Welsh of Canada would succeed Luck, adding that she would “work under the overall guidance of Mr. Adama Dieng, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, to further the conceptual, political, institutional and operational development of the responsibility to protect concept, as set out by the General Assembly in paragraphs 138 and 139 of the 2005 World Summit Outcome document.”

  Inner City Press immediately asked if Welsh will be paid, and if so how the controversy about whether the R2P mandate was agreed to and funded had been addressed by Ban Ki-moon.

  Nesirky said to look at the whole announcement. But even there, on the fly on laptop, the question was not directly answered by the announcement. Inner City Press asked if the phrase “ under the overall guidance” of Dieng meant that R2P is now a sub-set of the Prevention of Genocide. It is still not clear.

  Nesirky gave as his example of successful Responsibility to Protect the case of Cote d'Ivoire. 

  Many would disagree: while UN Peacekeeping, now run four times in a row by a Frenchman most recently Herve Ladsous, and the French “Licorne” mission intervened, perceived supporters of Laurent Gbagbo were killed, for example in Douekoue and Nahibly, in the latter case with UN peacekeepers standing by.

  There was no accountability; in fact, after UN envoy Bert Koenders essentially covered up the UN's deed and omissions in Nahibly, he was rewarded with the higher profile posting atop Ladsous' mission in Mali. Somebody is being protected - but who?

  It seems clear that supporters of R2P think that they are on the side of the angels, and not without some reason. But in the UN system, slipping in Assistant Secretary Generals, especially if they are paid -- this has not been answered -- should be run through the member states, the General Assembly and the Fifth Committee.

  If not, how can the UN preach rule of law? Then again, how can it preach it after so tersely dismissing claims it brought cholera to Haiti? And not answering on its (and Ladsous') support to units of the Congolese Army depicted in theGroup of Experts report the full text of which Inner City Press exclusively put online on June 29? How is this consistent with Responsibility to Protect? Watch this site.

   

On Cote d'Ivoire, AI Calls UN Role in Nahibly Camp Murders Appalling

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 19 -- The killing of civilians in Ivory Coast was the centerpiece of Amnesty International's push on the Arms Trade Treaty at the UN on Tuesday. 

  Inner City Press asked AI's Salil Shetty about Syria, which will be the topic of another story. But it was good to get the assessment of the UN's performance in Cote d'Ivoire from AI's West Africa researcher Salvatore Sagues. Video here.

   Since July 2012 killings in the Nahibly internally displaced persons' camp, in which UN Peacekeepers did nothing or even pushed IDPs to the beating death by an anti-Gbagbo mob, Inner City Press has asked the UN about it. 

   After repeated stonewalling -- UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous said he would not answer any of Inner City Press' questions, on this or Haiti or rapes in the Congo -- in December the UN told Inner City Press that Ladsous' envoy Bert Koenders would investigate.

  Well, Sagues on March 19 told Inner City Press he met with Koenders two weeks ago, and Koenders was STILL saying he's going to investigate. When? This is called a cover up, like Ladsous with the 126 rapes in Minova by the Congolese Army, Ladsous's partners.

  And that's what the UN does in Cote d'Ivoire as well, identify like Ladsous' native France with the Ouattara government to the extent of not protecting civilians from Ouattara forces. Ladsous is destroying the UN and Peacekeeping - but who dares speak up?

(On March 18, the UN raided Inner City Press' office without notice or consent, then on March 19 demanded that it take the apres-raid video off YouTube. Inner City Press posted another one, click here to view. Click to view Ladsous2013 series, first three episodes.)

  AI's Sagues answered Inner City Press: “the UN failed completely in Cote d'Ivoire. During Duekoue people asked for help, the UN had a base 1 kilometer from massacre. The UN said, we can't, we are too few.”

  He said AI "met with UNOCI leaders, told them to investigate and learn lessons. But fifteen months later, Nahibly.” UN Peacekeeping had “10 Moroccan [peacekeepers] at the entrance and fifteen Pakistani [peacekeepers] in the camp. This time again the UN soldiers pushed back the people.”

  Sagues said, the “UN learned nothing, tomorrow the same thing can happen again.” This is Ladsous' UN.#LADSOUS2013.

As Cote d'Ivoire Joins ICC, Plan for Gbagbo Case, Ble Goude on Ice, UNTV

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, February 15 – When Ivorian ambassador Youssoufou Bamba showed up in front of the UN Security Council on Friday afternoon, he told Inner City Press, “I have an announcement to make. We have joined the ICC,” the International Criminal Court.

  Then came the mechanics, the plumbing of news at the UN. The UNTV cameras had already been packed up after the Council's Yemen meeting.

  Inner City Press took out a camera and asked Bamba a few questions, about the killing of internally displaced people and the UN's seeming cover-up. It seemed better, to the Free UN Coalition for Access, to try to get the real UNTV camera.

  They said, call the spokesperson. Five minutes later the announcement went out: “Ambassador Youssoufou Bamba, Permanent Representative of Cote d'Ivoire to address press at the Security Council Stakeout shortly.”

  Some other reporters, who had skipped the Council's Yemen meeting in favor of the chaotic annual general meeting of the decaying UN Correspondents Association, straggled over, to ask Bamba about Mali and not his own country, Cote d'Ivoire.

   A reporter from Benin, however, asked about Charles Ble Goude - will he now be tried in The Hague? Bamba cited complimentarity.

  Inner City Press asked, but does the Ouattara government want to prosecute Ble Goude itself, like Saif al Islam Gaddafi in Libya, or send him to the ICC?

  It is still being studied, Bamba said. He was asked to explain the timing. While he did not, it is not rocket science: Laurent Gbagbo's lawyers have argued that the ICC does not really have jurisdiction over Gbagbo, not being a member of the ICC.

  While an earlier, limited joining is cited, now the country has joined “in full.” What about the perpetrators at Duekoue, Inner City Press asked? What about them indeed. Justice means all sides. Watch this site.

Amid Cote d'Ivoire Clashes, UN Irrelevant, No Koenders Probe, Ladsous Stonewalls

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 26 -- Amid armed clashed in Cote d'Ivoire and calls even at the UN in New York for investigations of peacekeepers' inaction as a camp for internally displaced people was burned down, has the UN Mission become irrelevant?

   Now a shootout has killed five more people, but reports don't even mention the UN. The envoy of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Bert Koenders, never followed through on investigating the attack on the IDP camp; it is unclear what he is doing now.

 When Koenders came to the UN back on July 18, his proposal and that of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations under Herve Ladsous was to cut costs by removing a battalion from Abidjan.

  Then an attack on a base there on the Ivorian National Dayresulted in at least seven soldiers killed, while separat esources tell Inner City Press that the Beninois UN Peacekeepers in the base did nothing. Ivorian source have blamed it on the mandate. Inner City Press asked the UN on August 8:

Inner City Press: This attack that took place in Abidjan, on an army base, killed seven soldiers. From what I learned yesterday, there seems to also be a UN peacekeeping base inside that base, with Beninois peacekeepers. A question arisen of why didn’t they take action, they were there but they didn’t act, and a UN News Service press release says that the attackers took ammunition and weapons from the base. So is it possible to know what are the terms of engagement of UN peacekeepers there? Why are they situated inside the Ivorian military base and why did they not act when the base was attacked?

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: I will check with our colleagues in DPKO.

But more than two weeks later, no answers about the probe of the IDP camp burn down have been provided. An answer about an entirely different report was provided on August 13:

"Regarding your question on the report concerning Cote d'Ivoire, the National Commission of Inquiry established in July 2011 to investigate violations of human rights and international humanitarian law during the post-elections crisis completed its report in July 2012."

  Inner City Press specified it was and is asking about the probe described on July 31,2012. No response.

   DPKO chief Ladsous is on record that he will not answer any Inner City Press questions.

  Then on August 10  French Ambassador Gerard Araud did a stakeout and took questions from those who knew, Inner City Press learned of it late and ran there and asked about Cote d'Ivoire, if a battalion would still be cut after the attack in Abidjan and the destruction of the camp near Duekoue.

Araud answered, although it is not clear if he was referring to the attack on the refugee camp of presumed supporters of Laurent Gbagbo when he referred to a "village" in the west. Araud said:

First I think, the first attack was against a village in the west of the country. Mr. Koender came afterward, he told us, it's not an isolated incident, we know that there are people preparing a sort of destabilization of Cote d'Ivoire. So there is, a change of posturing, deploy in a different manner.

Araud continued that, "We thought the threat was out of Abidjan, now we have seen what happened in Abidjan. In coming days we'll see if it's possible to reduce the force in Abidjan, or if it's not possible."

It would be good, now after more than two weeks, to get an answer from Ladsous' increasingly irrelevant DPKO. Watch this site.

UN Ignores Darfur E-mail, Stonewalls on Yemen Check, Cote d'Ivoire Report & Bibi "Leak"

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 13 -- A full day after UN staff in Darfur were told that Ibrahim Gambari had been replaced, and Inner City Press had exclusively reported itthen asked for confirmation, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokesman at Monday's noon briefing replied that "to the best of my knowledge," Gambari is still in charge.

  Five hours later, no clarification was received. Is there a Darfur power struggle? It would seem important to clarify this.

 But the UN often has its own reasons to leave things vague, to not answer questions or to answer questions other than those asked.

  Also on Monday, Inner City Press asked about a UN investigation into allegations its peacekeepers did nothing amid killings near Duekoue in Cote d'Ivoire. 

  Five hours later, the UN replied, but about an entirely different report of a full year earlier. Inner City Press immediately reiterated and further explained its question, so far without answer.

  Then there is the run-around. Last week Inner City Pressran an exclusive story about Yemen's June 20 check to the UN for over $200,000 in dues bouncing for non-sufficient funds, such that Yemen could not vote on the Syria resolution in the General Assembly on August 3. Inner City Press published the check.

  The first two times Inner City Press asked the UN about it, the response was they'd check into it. Third time is NOT the charm: when Inner City Press reiterated the questions on Monday, deputy spokesman Eduardo Del Buey said only the President of the General Assembly's spokesperson could answer.

  This spokesperson replied, "please ask the Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts in the Department of Management." That is part of the Secretariat. So why didn't the Secretariat's spokespeople, to whom the question has now been put for the fourth time, just answer it in the first place?

Then there is the nearly Kafkaesque (non) answer that "you have your answer." Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: on this reported trip to Iran. There’s an article in Haaretz, saying that Benjamin Netanyahu quoted from his conversation with Ban Ki-moon, and he quotes Martin [Nesirky] saying, "Ban is not in the habit of referring to private phone conversations with foreign leaders." So, can you explain a bit? Because we do get these readouts of calls — you know, they’ll put a readout saying that Ban Ki-moon spoke to X and Y — so what’s different about what happened with Netanyahu?

Deputy Spokesperson: You have the explanation right there, Matthew. Next question?

Inner City Press: Oh, because he said it was private in advance? That’s what I’m wondering.

Deputy Spokesperson: You have your answer.

   What? In fairness, one of Inner City Press' five questions on Monday was answered thusly before 5 pm:

Inner City Press: I saw that there were these comments by the Secretary-General, after he met with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, about how the two sides should work together. And I just wondered, during this trip, did he ask to meet with anyone from the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] side? And when was the last time he met with a DPRK official? If he’s calling on both sides, is he attempting to speak to both sides?

Deputy Spokesperson: I’ll have to find out when the last time he spoke to a DPRK official was. I don’t have that information with me right now, no.

  But at 5 pm on Monday, the following was provided:

As for your question on the last meeting between the Secretary-General and a DPRK official, the Secretary-General met Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Pak Gil Yon on 28 September 2011 at UN Headquarters.

 It's appreciated. So what is the batting average? Watch this site.

On Cote d'Ivoire, Ladsous' DPKO Stonewalls, Araud Says New Situation

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 10 -- When the UN's envoy to Cote d'Ivoire Bert Koenders came to the UN on July 18, his proposal and that of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations under Herve Ladsous was to cut costs by removing a battalion from Abidjan.

  Then an attack on a base there on the Ivorian National Dayresulted in at least seven soldiers killed, while separate sources tell Inner City Press that the Beninois UN Peacekeepers in the base did nothing. Ivorian source have blamed it on the mandate. Inner City Press asked the UN on August 8:

Inner City Press: This attack that took place in Abidjan, on an army base, killed seven soldiers. From what I learned yesterday, there seems to also be a UN peacekeeping base inside that base, with Beninois peacekeepers. A question arisen of why didn’t they take action, they were there but they didn’t act, and a UN News Service press release says that the attackers took ammunition and weapons from the base. So is it possible to know what are the terms of engagement of UN peacekeepers there? Why are they situated inside the Ivorian military base and why did they not act when the base was attacked?

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: I will check with our colleagues in DPKO.

But more than two days later, no answers have been provided. DPKO chief Ladsous is on record that he will notanswer any Inner City Press questions.

And so when on August 10 on little notice French Ambassador Gerard Araud did a stakeout and took questions from those who knew, Inner City Press learned of it late and ran there and asked about Cote d'Ivoire, if a battalion would still be cut after the attack in Abidjan and the destruction of the camp near Duekoue.

Araud answered, although it is not clear if he was referring to the attack on the refugee camp of presumed supporters of Laurent Gbagbo when he referred to a "village" in the west. Araud said:

First I think, the first attack was against a village in the west of the country. Mr. Koender came afterward, he told us, it's not an isolated incident, we know that there are people preparing a sort of destabilization of Cote d'Ivoire. So there is, a change of posturing, deploy in a different manner.

Araud continued that, "We thought the threat was out of Abidjan, now we have seen what happened in Abidjan. In coming days we'll see if it's possible to reduce the force in Abidjan, or if it's not possible."

It would be good, now after more than two days, to get an answer from Ladsous' DPKO. Watch this site.

Seven Killed in Abidjan, 3 Weeks After UN Proposed Removing BattalionSeven Killed in Abidjan, 3 Weeks After UN Mission in Cote d'Ivoire Proposed Removing Battalion

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 7, updated -- The UN's state-media reporting of its concern about an attack in Abidjan which killed seven Ivorian soldiers is incomplete and therefore misleading.

  The UN says that the "head of UNOCI, Bert Koenders, strongly condemned the attack," without mentioned that it was less than three weeks ago that Koenders blithely proposed cutting a full battalion from Abidjan saying things are so much better there. Click here for that July 17 report by Inner City Press.

  If Koenders was so wrong in his assessment of conditions in the financial capital of Cote d'Ivoire, some ask why believe his denial of ONUCI wrongdoing during the deadly refugee camp attack here Duekoue? 

  An investigation had been promised, amid on the record quotes by survivors that ONUCI peacekeepers pushed them off trucks and back into the mob to be beaten.

  But two days after the promise, Koenders said everything was fine, denied all allegations of wrongdoing or even negligence. Even the UN's response to Inner City Press' was bungled, perhaps intentionally so, click here for that.

  While among a few well run UN mission there are others plagued by incompetence and complacency, the UN Mission in Cote d'Ivoire has had and still has a conflict of interest.

  The head of UN Peacekeeping is Herve Ladsous, the fourth time in a row the post has gone to a Frenchman. DPKO was used to oust French opponent Laurent Gbagbo after a tight election, and now the Mission has reportedly stood by while Gbagbo supporters, already in a camp, were attacked and at least six killed. 

  Then Koenders denies the allegations, and doesn't even take back his now clearly erroneous assessment of the situation in Abidjan.

   That the UN "reports" on itself often corrupting.  When it is done by or for DPKO, whose chief refuses to take Press questions based on critical coverage, it is even worse.

   Koenders, most than other SRSGs, seems to be taking all of his lead from Ladsous. Whom does it serve? Watch this site.

Update: further information comes in, not from DPKO, but from Ivorian source, who think the attack was to coincide with the National Day, which will be celebrated too at the UN in New York.

In Cote d'Ivoire, 2 Days After UN Promises Probe, Koenders In Denial

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 27 -- The UN on July 25 told the Press it would fully investigate how seven Ivorian in the Niambly refugee camp were killed on July 20 while ostensibly under UN protection.

  But two days later, UN envoy Bert Koenders "dismissed allegations that peacekeepers failed in their mandate to protect civilians." Who did he speak to?

  Inner City Press first asked "for UN / DPKO position on how that camp near Duekoue in Cote d'Ivoire could be burned down and people killed while ostensibly under ONUCI protection. What did ONUCI do and what is it doing now? Is Mr. Koenders still in New York?"

  In the interim, Inner City Press spoke with Ivorian sources who said they'd like to close the camp. Will the UN collaborate in that?

After the canned announcement of an investigation, Inner City Press on July 25 asked Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokesman

Inner City Press: there’s quotes from named individuals, not off the record, on the record. For example, camp president Jean Taha says that he was beaten directly in front of the peacekeepers. 'At the moment, the white people just stopped. I tried to go to the whites, to UNOCI, and they chased themselves… they chase you away themselves. I don’t know why,' he said, holding his hand. The other guy said that UNOCI pushed them off the truck to them being beaten. So what I want to know is, what’s going to be the response by UNOCI and Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) to these named individuals claiming that they were essentially thrown to the mob by the United Nations peacekeepers?

Deputy Spokesperson Eduardo Del Buey: Well, we’ve seen the reports, Matthew, and we have to investigate. UNOCI is carrying out an investigation of what happened, and when we have a response, we will be able to give it to you.

Inner City Press: Is it fair to ask, are these two named individuals going to be spoken to, since they’ve given their names?

Deputy Spokesperson: I don’t… I don’t know how UNOCI is going to carry out its investigation, but I imagine it is going to speak with all people who were witnesses to whatever happened there. They will try to get all the information possible and report to the Secretary-General as to what happened.

  So how is it possible that two days later Ban's envoy Koenders can "dismiss allegations that peacekeepers failed in their mandate to protect civilians"?  

  Koenders on July 27 said that 22 U.N. security forces "were inside and outside the camp when it was attacked, while no Ivorian security forces were present. But he said the U.N. forces 'decided not to fire at a large group of people that were attacking the camp' in order to avoid 'a massacre.'"

  The allegations are not just that ONUCI did not fire their guns, but that they pushed people off trucks and back into the crowd to be beaten. Who did Koenders speak to? 

  Or is this kind of spin part of his job, under UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous who himself refuses to take questions from Inner City Press?

   And what's happened to the promised investigation of UN peacekeepers killing one or more civilians in the Congo while firing missiles at (or near) the M23 mutineers? 

What happened to the UNSMIS report on Houla? Where is the UN's response to claims that it introduced cholera to Haiti? This is Ladsous' and ultimately Ban's UN. Watch this site.

As Six Ivorians Under UN Protection Are Killed, UN Admits to "Light Security"

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 22 -- While ostensibly under UN protection, at least 6 Ivorian in the Niambly refugee camp were killed on July 20 and 5000 more were made homeless, nearly all of the Guere ethnicity perceived to support ousted president Laurent Gbagbo.

 Before 10 am on July 21, Inner City Press asked the spokesman for Department of Peacekeeping Operations chief Herve Ladsous, who has taken to refusing all Inner City Press questions, as well as Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's top two spokesmen, for the

UN / DPKO position on how that camp near Duekoue in Cote d'Ivoire could be burned down and people killed while ostensibly under ONUCI protection. Is Mr. Koenders still in NY?

  The UN mission in Cote d'Ivoire, headed by Bert Koenders, is supposed to be focused on national and ethnic reconciliation following the joint military effort involving the UN and the French Force Licorne to oust Gbagbo.

   Six hours after the questions were posed, it was neither answered nor acknowledged, as we then reported.  But after 10 pm on Saturday, a response came in, which we appended in full, here, and publish herebelow, in full:

From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Sat, Jul 21, 2012 at 10:35 PM
Subject: Côte d'Ivoire
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

In answer to your question about events in Côte d'Ivoire.

The Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Côte d’Ivoire, Arnauld Akodjénou, today briefed the media on events in the Duékoué area. The Mission condemns the attack on the IDP camp which resulted in the killing of 6 people and at least 15 seriously injured.  

UNOCI had light security arrangements in place for UN and NGO staff operating inside the camp, and contributed to securing the outer perimeter. Ivorian security forces had the primary responsibility for providing security for the Nahibly IDP site. 

At the time of the attack, 12 UN police were inside of the camp to provide security to humanitarian workers and control entry to the camp. In addition, 10 military officers were stationed outside of the camp. When several hundred youths approached the site in the morning of 20 July, UNOCI immediately called for reinforcements, which arrived shortly afterwards. Some of the demonstrators by-passed the entrance and pushed the wooden fences to enter the camp and set it on fire. UNOCI escorted humanitarian personnel out of the camp, assisted in evacuating some of the injured IDPs, and provided security to IDPs seeking shelter elsewhere.

UNOCI and national security forces are currently providing enhanced security at Nahibly camp, the Catholic Mission in Duékoué, and near the Mairie and Sous-Préfecture, where large numbers of IDPs have gathered.

UNOCI is conducting a full investigation of the incident.

  While we appreciate the answer and publish it in full upon receipt, it must be noted that the UN and DPKO have said they are conducting an investigation of their alleged direct killing of civilians in North Kivu in the DR Congo, but have yet to provide any updates. Will they here?  

  With much more delay, Haitians are still waiting for the UN to respond to formal complaints about the introduction of cholera by peacekeepers, a topic on which Ladlous directly and on camera refused to answer Press questions, along with why he and Ban have an alleged war criminal Sri Lanka general Shavendra Silva as an adviser. 

  When SRSG Bert Koenders was at the UN in New York this week and Inner City Press asked him about Duekoue, the site of earlier massacres of Guere and now this one, Koenders said he'd had asked for action by the government of Alassane Ouattara, who replaced Gbabgo.

  The UN is in fact proposing to remove a full battalion or 750 troops from Cote d'Ivoire, based on its assessment that things are safer and better.

  There remain troubling inconsistencies between Koenders statements in New York and the deadly events on the ground back in the Ivory Coast. We hope to have more on this. Watch this site.