On Burundi CAR Repatriations, UN Belatedly Confirms to ICP, Spoonfed AFP & Reuters

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive series

UNITED NATIONS, February 12 -- Two days after Inner City Press on February 9 reported, documented and publicly asked the UN about the repatriation of Burundian troops from the UN Mission in the Central African Republic, Reuters belatedly "saw" the repatriation and repackaged it as its own. The UN gave Reuters a response which Inner City Press had publicly requested from UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric on February 9.

 Even later, Agence France Presse got on the story, with a spoonfed quote from "Ismini Palla of the UN peacekeeping department," run by its fourth Frenchman in a row, Herve Ladsous (see his linking of rapes to R&R, here, YouTube video.)

  At the February 12 noon briefing, Inner City Press asked Dujarric to belatedly issue the confirmation of repatriation which it had asked from him on February 9 - he did - and then asked him why he had not provided the answer to the media which asked for it, two days before Reuters and three before AFP.  Dujarric claimed he had only just gotten the answer. Video here, UN transcript here:

Inner City Press: I just expected you to have some readout on the repatriation of Burundian peacekeepers from Central African Republic.  On Tuesday, I'd asked you about Jimmy… you know, Jimmy Rusheshe, Pierre Niyonzima, and you said I will try to get an update.  Did you get an update?  And I have a follow-up on that.

Spokesman:  Yes, my understanding is that those three are being repatriated.

Inner City Press:  And I guess my question is, given… this is a pretty high-profile thing.  This is the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights saying that these individuals took part in a crackdown in Burundi.  I've seen other DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] quoted elsewhere giving this answer out to other media.  And I'm wondering, why didn't your office… did you check… how long have you had that answer?  And what's the policy on actually answering a question that's asked in this room?

Spokesman:  The policy is I don't like to burden myself with content, so as soon as I have an answer, I unburden myself.

Inner City Press:  Right.  So when… you got this as you were standing at the podium?

Spokesman:  I got this earlier today, and it's been in my head since this morning.

Inner City Press:  Can you understand why I'm asking?

Spokesman:  I understand.  Okay.

Inner City Press:  Is it acceptable?

Spokesman:  Yes...

 Really?  In fact, not only had Inner City Press asked Dujarric about these Burundi officers since 2015 - after Inner City Press put the question in writing on January 29 to another Ladsous spokesperson, Nick Birnback, this was received as a response:

"Q: Beyond sexual abuse, what is the status of the deployment (or nor) of the Burundian officials I have asked the Spokesman about, including Niyonzima and Rusheshe?

"A: UN Peacekeeping is looking into the files of these two individual. We will have something to say on this issue in the coming days."

  But despite Inner City Press being the media asking the questions, UN Peacekeeping / Dujarric gave the answer to Reuters and AFP.

  Tellingly, both Reuters and AFP ignored that UN Peacekeeping had previously been deploying yet another human rights abuser from Burundi, Gaspar Baratuza, until civil society alerted the Press and the UN begrudgingly repatriated him.

  UN Peacekeeping's Herve Ladsous has, in fact, gone out of his way to allow Burundians to "serve" in CAR -- while delivering the pay to the Nkurunziza government -- including through an October 1 meeting with the country's vice president on which Inner City Press also reported and asked the UN.

  Inner City Press has in fact been asking UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, at numerous UN noon briefings, about even these most recent Burundian troops, by name, since 2015. Significantly, while even after Inner City Press published proof of the repatriation on February 9, Dujarric replied at that day's noon briefing he had no information.

  Apparently he either didn't seek or disclose the confirmation, which Herve Ladsous' mission in CAR then belatedly delivered up to Reuters. This is how it works: by analogy, a crime syndicate.

  Reuters UN bureau chief Lou Charbonneau previously wrote to Dujarric seeking to get Inner City Press thrown out of the UN, here. When this was exposed and Charbonneau's request was published, Charbonneau using the name of Reuters cited copyright to Google to get the leaked document removed from Google's search, shown here by the Chilling Effects project / EFF.

   After a hand-off, Reuters correspondent tried the same, and most recently cut into Inner City Press' questions in even the UN briefing room about UN corruption. To this has Reuters at the UN sunk.

Perhaps in light of this history, the February 11 story is bylined not from the UN - but surely Google, to see that the story had already been reported and asked about the "seen" document published, exists elsewhere. The story was dutifully dumped on the Daily Mail, Malaysia's Star Online and, yes, StreetInsider.com. Exposed, itcontinues.

In Haiti, UN Peacekeepers Fire Pistol & Tear Gas At Protesters, #Ladsous2015

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 13 -- UN Peacekeepers in Haiti have fired pistols and tear gas into crowds of people protesting the failure to hold elections. Video here. Now who will be help accountable?

  Inner City Press, before the December 12 protests and footage of the UN firing into them, asked the UN Office of the Spokesperson about the failure to hold elections, and if the MINUSTAH mission was involved in cracking down on demonstrations. On the latter, the answer given then was no.

  Now, this video, by Le Nouvelliste. Who will be held accountable? UN Peacekeeping is run by Herve Ladsous, a former French diplomat and spokesman during the ouster of Aristide. We will have more on this.

The day after the injustice of the UN's impunity for bringing cholera to Haiti was the subject of a religious service across First Avenue from the UN, photo here, Inner City Press asked the UN's spokesman Stephane Dujarric, video here:

Inner City Press:  About Haiti.  There was — yesterday afternoon, almost at the same time as the Ebola press conference, there was a religious ceremony held across the street of the Church Centre by both Haitians that live in New York who have had family members killed by cholera and also UN staff who feel that the UN policy of not directly addressing the claims for the families that were victims of the cholera is unjust.  I wanted to know if you were aware of that, if you have any response to it?

Spokesman:  I personally was not aware.  I think you know that the legal position of the UN as to this case is not, has not changed.  That being said, the UN continues to be very involved jointly with the Government of Haiti to work on the cholera issue in Haiti, to work on rebuilding the sanitation system, and I think the Secretary-General in his visit to Haiti in — over the summer, right?  In July, in mid-July, excuse me, in mid-July, I think, you know, went to one of the impacted village, prayed with the families and showed his empathy to the victims.

Inner City Press:  I understand that.  I don't think — people see the Secretary-General trying to raise funds for water and sanitation going forward.  I guess the question becomes for families that lost their breadwinner and, therefore, have kids who are unable to go to school with school fees, things like that, is there any — what's the UN's thinking?  Is the — the Government apparently has not addressed that problem.  So I'm wondering… I guess…

Spokesman:  I think whenever you have — whenever you have victims of any disaster, the issue of losing the breadwinner is an important one and one that needs to be addressed by national authorities in assistance with the international community.  Masood?

  Up to December 12, a item in the US State Department's public schedule read:

"COUNSELOR TOM SHANNON Counselor Shannon is on travel to Port-au-Prince, Haiti through December 12. He is accompanied by Haiti Special Coordinator Thomas Adams."

  Shannon and Adams have been in Haiti for days, it seemed preparing for a visit by Secretary of State John Kerry on December 12. Protests are planned, not least due to the US arguing in court in support of the UN's immunity, that is, impunity, and refusal to help its victims, families whose bread-winner was killed by the cholera UN Peacekeeping brought.

   Does the US read its own (incomplete) travel warnings?

 But at the UN State Department's December 12 briefing, the Department's spokesperson said "we believe elections are essential for Haiti’s democratic development and to advance progress made in reconstruction and development. The United States and, certainly, Counselor Shannon on his trip and Haiti Special Coordinator Tom Adams are certainly advocating strongly for dialogue and compromise among the parties that will lead to a Haitian solution to permit elections without further delay. Toward that end, we welcome the December 9th recommendations offered by the consultative commission established by President Martelly as a basis for dialogue. We understand he’ll speak today regarding the recommendations.

So our position as the United States is that we broadly support dialogue and compromise leading to a solution in Haiti that will permit elections without further delay, and we think that’s incredibly important to advance progress made there."

  There was no visit by Kerry. But, on Twitter, a photo of the UN's MINUSTAH using a gun to shoot, for which Inner City Press has askedthe UN Spokesperson for a response. Watch this site.


 
  MSF Doctors Without Borders said on November 24 that "the population has slowly lost their immunity to the disease. Compared to the same period in 2013, the number of cases handled by MSF has almost doubled. The lack of sanitary infrastructure and of measures to clean water risk aggravating the epidemic."

  Inner City Press asked the UN to respond to this, on November 28, but the UN has refused. The US government has online, also dated November 24, 2014, a Haiti web page that (still) says, under Health, that "Incidents of cholera have declined dramatically  since a major outbreak in 2010." Click here for that.

  While that page was not changed or updated, on December 4 the US State Department put out a travel warning for Haiti which mentioned what MSF called the "lack of sanitary infrastructure" - but NOT that the UN brought cholera to Haiti, much less that the US is supporting the UN's claim of immunity or impunity for it. Click here for the December 4 travel warning.

   The new US Travel Warning does, however, mention the UN, in this way: "The United Nations’ Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) remains in Haiti to support the activities of the Haitian National Police (HNP). The HNP, with assistance from MINUSTAH, is responsible for maintaining order and rendering assistance.  However, given the possibility and unpredictability of spontaneous protests, their ability to assist U.S. citizens during disturbances is very limited."

  It must be said: some of these protests are ABOUT cholera, and are DIRECTED at the UN, having having brought it and for having done nothing for the victims, whole families left without their main breadwinner.

   The US page on Haiti, on Safety and Security, says "Please see our information for victims of crime, including possible victim compensation programs in the United States."

  What about compensation for the victims of the UN in Haiti?

  Inner City Press continues to pursue this question at the UN. 

On Syria, Of Aid Access & Nusra Estimates, UN Hot & Cold on Press Harassment in Egypt & UK As It Shrinks Access

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 20, updated -- When the Middle East consultations of the UN Security Council broke up Tuesday early afternoon, no one came to speak before the UNTV camera at the stakeout.

  Inner City Press asked a range of attendees of the closed door meeting and learned that when Council member South Korea asked UN briefer Oscar Fernandez-Taranco how many foreign An Nusra fighters there are in Syria, he answered with a range: for six thousand to forty thousand. Quite a range, that.

  There was talk of Australia, next month's Council president, and Luxembourg proposing a draft resolution on humanitarian issues, the wish-list grandly presented by Baroness Valerie Amos the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

  Still, the journalists penned into the Security Council stakeout wanted and needed more. At the day's UN noon briefing, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky seemed defensive about questions why UN representative Lakhdar Brahimi is NOT attending the Russian and US talks in The Hague. The key word is "bilateral," he said.

  Inner City Press asked Nesirky about the arrest in Egypt of the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Badie, a seemingly civil case against Mohamed Al Baradei, and attacks on journalists. Nesirky said he didn't have anything on the case against Al Baradei -- reported in Al Ahram this morning -- and that those arrested should be released or tried transparently.

  On Egypt, Nesirky told Inner City Press that the UN and Secretary General believe journalists should not be harassed. Then Inner City Press asked if the Secretary General or UN had any comment on the controversial detention by the UK of journalist Glenn Greenwald's partner David Miranda.

  "No," Nesirky said.

  Back at the stakeout, journalist were not been allowed into space previously allocated to and used by then, between the Security Council entrance steps and the so-called Turkish Lounge. With a UN Security guard standing in the space, Inner City Press on behalf of the new Free UN Coalition for Access asked for a ruling. The response came back from the head of the UN Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit: no, you cannot enter.

  So the question was sent through @FUNCA_info to MALU's supervisor Stephane Dujarric, then by e-mail above and below him in the UN Department of Public Information. Watch this site.