Kofi Annan Bring Back to UN Alan Doss, Stole Staffer's Job For His Daughter, Biter

By Matthew Russell Lee, Photos

UNITED NATIONS, October 13 – When former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan came to the UN Security Council stakeout on October 13 about Myanmar, most there were focused on trying to catch the eye or favor of Stephane Dujarric, the holdover spokesman for Annan, Ban Ki-moon and now Antonio Guterres, to get a question. But next to Annan was a person who left the UN amid a nepotism scandal complete with a UN Office of Internal Oversight Services investigative report Doss was given two chances to report. As Inner City Press exposed, Doss arranged to have a UN Development Program staff member fired so that Doss' daughter to take the job. When the staff member became aware - the email was sent to him - he rebelled, was tear gassed, and bit a UN Security officer. He was prosecuted. Doss never apologized, but left the UN well known for nepotism, in Cote d'Ivoire and the Congo too. Flash forward to 2011 when Annan tried to put Doss back on the UN payroll for the Syria envoy team Annan briefly led. Inner City Press inquired into it, and suddenly Doss was no longer on that team. But he is still with the Kofi Annan Foundation, and was in the UN with a badge on Friday. Inner City Press took a photograph, and sought to find and interview him in the UN lobby. But he had left. From the Inner City Press archives: "Doss asking the UN Development Program in writing to show him 'leeway' and give a job to his daughter in contravention of UN rules. Doss, before simply refusing to answer questions from the Press, said that his e-mail was taken out of context, despite Inner City Press' publication of the entire e-mail.
Since then, whistleblowers from each of Doss' stops in Africa have come forward saying that Doss was always a rule breaker, a "King of the Congo" as he has been dubbed, even in Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia. Some Inner City Press has already published -- Doss dubbing his Liberian cook an "engineer" to bring him to the Congo at a higher UN pay rate, Doss' guard shooting his gun inside a MONUC plane filled with Security Council members and getting further promoted by Doss. But from Kinshasa comes news of Doss' use of UN money to repair his housing, in addition to space in the Grand Hotel Kinshasa. Well informed Kinshasa sources say Doss commandeered UN air assets to fly his wife around, including out of the DR Congo and otherwise abused his DSA travel allowance from the UN. In a telling example of substantive contempt for the rule of law and truth, reporters tell of approaching Doss with documentary proof that indicted war criminal Bosco Ntaganda was involved in the leadership structure of FARDC army units Doss' MONUC was working with." As we found with Ban Ki-moon, the corrupt ones never really leave though. And the press which inquires and tried to subject the UN to scrutiny and accountability gets evicted without hearing or appeal, then held out still in restriction another elitist Brit. We'll have more on this.

On Syria, Kofi Quits, Leaving Envoy Post on August 31 as Saudi Draft "Disses" Him

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 2 -- "Kofi is a quitter." So said a prominent Non-Aligned Movement diplomat to Inner City Press, following the news that Kofi Annan would not renew his contract as Joint Envoy on Syria on August 31.

  Since Annan is both a negotiator and "player," as the NAM diplomat put it, some wondered if this might be a way to pressure for a stronger mandate -- "or at least to take out of the Saudi resolution the 'dissing' of Kofi's work."

  Back on July 31, a non-NAM diplomat told Inner City Press that the Saudi draft's Paragraph 20 is "disrespectful" to Annan, directing him to "focus his efforts." Paragraph 21, calling on countries to adopt sanctions like the Arab League, has since been removed. But the dig at Kofi remains.

 Inner City Press asked Russian Permanent Representative Vitaly Churkin about this paragraph. He said is was an attempt to "re-draft" Kofi Annan's mandate, and that Russia will vote against the resolution.  The Chinese delegation told Inner City Press, the Six Point Plan is still alive.

  But Kofi is, or will be, gone.

 When Annan took the post, he brought in a team of questionable ex-UN officials. Alan Doss, who left amid a nepotism scandal. Nicolas Michel, who violated the UN charter by taking money from Switzerland for his $12,000 a month Park Avenue apartment while ostensibly serving and being paid only by the UN.

Annan's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi assured Inner City Press that these were just temporary, but never followed up with promised information on who was in Annan's "toolbox" of consultants. Nor would he or the Kofi Annan Foundation answer if the Foundation raised money off Annan's Syria work.

Still, Annan is not only articulate but more "balanced," in UN parlance, than pro-West Ban Ki-moon. He managed to navigate between Russia and China on one side, and the Western P3 on the other, at least for a time. Increasingly, there were Western grumbles about Kofi. And now he is leaving. Watch this site.

On Syria, as Annan Deputy Guehenno Takes French Post, Replacement Doubts

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 15 -- As envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan selected as his deputy Jean-Marie Guehenno, who until then was serving as France's representative on the UN Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations.

Once Guehenno accepted the post as Annan's deputy, he gave up his post for France's governement on the SAG, where as reported by Inner City Press he was replaced by Nicolas de la Riviere.

  On July 13 French president Francois Holland named Guehenno to another post in his government, to chair a committee to write a white paper on defense and security. 

  It seems clear Guehenno will have to leave his post with Annan, for which he had been given a six month contract. (How many of the money has been and will be paid or returned remains to be seen.)

What does this mean for Annan's mission? His other, subsequently named co-deputy Al Kidwa has never been allowed into Syria by the Assad government, as he was nominated by the Arab League.

While Annan spokesman Ahmad Fawzi resisted Inner City Press' questions about who was being employed -- among them disgraced former Congo envoy Alan Doss, exposed for asking UNDP to break its rules and give a job to his daughter and then allowing the person whose job was taken to be prosecuted -- is seems impossible that an announcement about Guehenno and any replacement will be be made public.

Whistleblowing sources have raised to Inner City Press that another controversial member of Annan's team, one who left a Geneva based NGO after millions went missing, has a close family member employed in the Kofi Annan Foundation, about which Fawzi has refused to answer questions, and which itself does not answer. 

   On Ban Ki-moon's and Guehenno's successor twice removed Herve Ladsous' Senior Advisory Group on Pecekeeping Operations, Guehenno served alongside alleged war criminal Sri Lankan general Shavendra Silva, who is depicted in Ban's own Experts' report as engaged in shelling hospitals. 

   Guehenno never spoke out about it, and Ladsous has refused to answer Press questions about this and other topics. Watch this site.

To Syria, Annan's Team Included Doss, Michel, Fawzi , Dann, McCoy, Shehadeh - but not al-Kidwa: UN Stonewalling

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, March 14 -- The day after Inner City Press exclusively reported that the Arab League's appointed deputy to Syria envoy Kofi Annan did not in fact travel to Damascus, the UN refused to confirm his absence, nor provide the list of those who went, which Inner City Press has now four times requested.

But well placed sources have provided Inner City Press with the list the Secretariat provided to Syria's Mission to the UN: beyond Kofi Annan, Ahmad Fawzi , Alan Doss, Nicolas Michel, Robert Dann, Ruth McCoy, Rami Shehadeh.

Inner City Press on March 14 at noon asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky for this list, and even waited until eight hours later the transcript of the UN's noon briefing was posted to see if it was included. But it was not, consistent with total stonewalling by Ban's UN.

Alan Doss was a UN official who employed nepotism in Liberia and then the Congo, and finally at UNDP in New York, telling them to break their rules and give a job to his daughter, then retiring while the damning Office of Internal Oversight Services report languished in Ban's desk without action.

Nicolas Michel was Kofi Annan's chief legal officer, who illegally accepted housing subsidy from the Swiss government while ostensibly working for the UN, in violation of UN Charter Article 100.

Ahmad Fawzi worked at the UN Department of Political Affairs under Kofi Annan. In full disclosure, he defended the UN when it was charged with asking, initially successfully, to have Inner City Press removed from Google News: that is, censorship.

Robert Dann was a former aide to Alvaro De Soto; Ruth McCoy is the "Executive Director" of the Kofi Annan Foundation; Rami Shehadeh worked for UNSCOL -- was he al-Kidwa's doppelganger?

And what is the relation between the UN's move to Syria and this Kofi Annan Foundation? Where does the Kofi Annan Foundation raises it funds? These questions proliferate, because of Ban Ki-moon's UN's stonewalling. From the UN's March 14 transcript:

Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you also about Kofi Annan’s trip. I am now told that there is a letter from the Secretariat to the Syrian Mission naming the individuals who would go and that it included Alan Doss, Nicolas Michel, Ahmad Fawzi, and I am just wondering, one, will you confirm those names, and two, can you say why the Arab League-nominated Deputy Nasser al-Kidwa didn’t go? And can you clarify what the role of Mr. Guehenno is? I have been told that Kofi Annan chose Mr. Guéhenno as his Deputy and then this was in some way overruled. Is Mr. Guéhenno a Deputy or not? Why didn’t Mr. Nasser al-Kidwa go, and with those three names, will you confirm that they went? It’s not that long a list.

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: I’ll let you know, I’ll let you know, Matthew. Yeah?

Inner City Press: What about Kidwa, did he go or not? I mean, it’s kind of important. I’ll ask a more pointed question. It’s been said that President Assad only accepted Kofi Annan’s visit in his UN hat. That all attempts were made to not have it be a joint Arab League trip and that’s why Mr. Nasser al-Kidwa did not go. I would like you, can you respond to that?

Spokesperson: As you know, Mr. Annan is the Joint Special Envoy, he is a Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States. Yes?

Inner City Press: So, was [inaudible]?

Even eight hours later (and counting) the answers were not provided. Watch this site.

Missing from ICC's Lubanga Verdict is Kerim, Given Immunity Under UN

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 14 -- Amid the backslapping and self-congratulation around the 593 page Lubanga verdict released today at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, there is no mention of another recruiter of child soldiers well known to the ICC, to the UN and former high UN officials who are now back in action in Syria: Peter Kerim, a/k/a Karim.

Kerim was the leader of a competing militia, the FPI, which inarguably recruited child soldiers, as well as taking hostage and killing UN peacekeepers.

But when he negotiated an impunity deal with the government in Kinshasa, the UN under then top envoy Alan Doss either looked away or was involved.

Then UN Peacekeeping chief Jean-Marie Guehenno, the second of what's turned out to be four Frenchmen in a row to hold that post, told Inner City Press he thought Kerim was "on drugs... asking for boots and the return of his motorcycle" in exchange for releasing the MONUC Nepali peacekeepers.

So what ever happened to Peter Kerim? Well, as part of the impunity deal the UN in essence signed off on, he was made a Colonel in the Congolese Army, and installed in a hotel in Kinshasa. Doss knew of this.

Now both Guehenno and Alan Doss, who left the UN amid a nepotism scandal after asking or order UNDP to break the rules and give a job to his daughter, are visibly "back in the game" with Kofi Annan, traveling to Syria in what one disgusted Gulf diplomat told Inner City Press is their "old school, back room diplomacy" that sucks up to war criminals. Accountability, indeed...

For the record, UNICEF wrote to Inner City Press:

Dear Matthew, below are some of the answers to your questions. Child soldiers DRC:

19 April, 201 FNI members left the Centre de Brassage Initial in Kpandroma (where ex-combatants are retrained and integrated into the FARDC - the DRC Armed Forces) and went to Bunia.

On 13 May, a second FNI group of more than 177 members arrived in Bunia.

Since April, 542 former combatants have surrendered, including 51 children associated with armed forces and groups.

From January to the present, 101 children associated with armed forces and groups have left and 95 per cent of them have been reunited with their families. The others have been transferred to COOPI’s transit and guidance centre awaiting reunification with their families.

It is currently estimated that some 150 children are still in Peter Karim's army.

Footnote: the above is Congo-specific; one might also note that the UN has offered helicopter flights to ICC indictee Ahmed Harun, and Ban Ki-moon's envoy Ibrahim Gambari recently partied with ICC indictee Omar al Bashir at a reception for the wedding of Chad's Idriss Deby and the daughter of janjaweed leader Musa Hilal -- and has said, without repercussion from Ban, that he'd do it again. But that's another story. Watch this site.

Syria Blocked Annan Deputy Nasser Al Kidwa, Sources Tell ICP, UN Stonewalling on Alan Doss & Kofi's Trip Explained?

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, March 13, updated -- For Kofi Annan's trip to Syria as Joint Special Envoy of the UN and the League of Arab States, his Arab League deputy Nasser Al Kidwa was not allowed in, sources told Inner City Press on Tuesday. "Assad only accepted Kofi wearing a UN hat," a source said. "Nasser al Kidwa was blocked." Others have argued that the blocking was by the delay of paperwork. Nasser al Kidwa was named deputy, at latest, on March 7.

A major Arab League Permanent Representative acknowledged to Inner City Press that Nasser Al Kidwa "was not seen" in Damascus on March 10.

Another told Inner City Press that "after Annan choose [Jean Marie] Guehenno as his deputy, the Arab League rebelled and pushed for Nasser Al Kidwa." And now Syria blocks Nasser Al Kidwa - why name him the Deputy if he wouldn't try and go?

This would show the tension between Syria's Assad and the Arab League, at a time when some in the UN Security Council say they will only accept a resolution which calls for the "political transition" away from Assad in Arab League plans.

Even after speeches by foreign ministers at the UN on March 12, it seemed that countries had not changed their positions but were only waiting to see what Annan can achieve. While the UK, as President of the Council, brought up in a closed door Council meeting on Tuesday getting a briefing quickly from Annan, the other side says Annan should visit particular capitals before even thinking of briefing the Council.

For days the UN spokesman has refused to answer Inner City Press' question of who traveled to Syria with Kofi Annan, described as the Joint Special Envoy of the UN and the League of Arab States.

This continued March 12 and 13, even after UN Department of Political Affairs chief Lynn Pascoe told Inner City Press that Annan's team included former UN envoy to the Congo Alan Doss, who left the UN amid a nepotism scandal. From the UN's March 13 transcript:

Inner City Press: What’s the Secretary-General’s understanding of how Kofi Annan upon his either return to New York or from afar will provide information, beyond the press availability that he has done? As was said by one of the foreign ministers yesterday, will he brief the Secretary-General, who will in turn brief the General Assembly? Is that the understanding of how it will work? And I want to ask again if it is possible to know who traveled with Kofi Annan to Syria and who they met with.

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: Yes, I am aware of your request relating to the last question. I think you will also be aware that they have been rather busy the last couple of days. As soon as we are in a position to help you with that, we will do. On the question of reporting back, of course, there is a requirement to report back in some form to the Member States, and I think that that is being considered right now.

Inner City Press: On the Alan Doss question, Mr. Pascoe said he was going to go. I asked him here at a briefing on Friday, he is busy too, I just wonder, can you confirm as seemed to be clear from television that former UN official Alan Doss traveled to Syria with Kofi Annan, and if so --

Spokesperson: As I say, when I am in a position to help you with that, I will do, okay?

Now the UN's stonewalling may be more understandable .Watch this site.