As UN Spins Genocide, Its 1999 Rwanda Review Omitted Herve Ladsous, His July 15, 1994 Memo Here

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 15 -- After two days of Rwanda genocide revisionism at the UN, on the afternoon of January 15 the UN emailed to the Press a copy of its"Independent Inquiry 1999 Report on UN Actions in Rwanda."

  In that review, listed interviewees included survivor and current Rwanda foreign minister Louise Mushikiwabo and the former Permanent Representatives of New Zealand (Colin Keating) and Nigeria (Ibrahim Gambari). 

  But for France, neither the former Permanent Representative Jean-Bernard Merimee nor the Deputy Permanant Representative Herve Ladsous -- now the head of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

  Ladsous should have been interviewed -- click here for an internal memo reflecting his activity in the Security Council on Rwanda.

  Now that current French Permanent Representative GerardAraud is shouting criticism of the Press publishing documents (after his Mission refused to comment on them, only said that their publication would be a "hostile act"), what of this one? 

   At Tuesday's UN press conference ostensibly about the Rwanda genocide of 1994, no questions were taken around what actually happened then. France's Operation Turquoise, which helped the genocidaires escape into Eastern Congo, was not addressed.

  Nor was the shorter but even more telling Operation Amaryllis, conducted by France in Rwanda during the crucial six days between April 8 and April 14, 1994. 

  French troops swept in from Gabon and Bangui -- ironic, that -- and evacuated not only French nationals but also the close associates of the genocidaires, such as the wife of genocide leading president Habyarimana.

  The French troops used UN vehicles of the UNAMIR mission, echoed just last Friday to some by the participation of UN vehicles for the MONUSCO mission in demonstrations in Eastern Congo celebrating the false rumor of the death of Rwanda's president.

  French Colonel Jean Balch's assessment -- which in fairness we note the French parliamentary report claimed was strictly personal -- was that "there was nothing to hint at a RPF victory at that moment, the FAR [government, pro-genocide] resisted quite reasonable the thrust of the Inkotanyi [RFP]." Assemble Nationale, Enquete Tome 1, Pg. 263.

  This, some say, found an echo as recently as June 12, 2013, when France's current Permanent Representative to the UN Gerard Araud told the Assemble Nationale, "Cette région est le théâtre de jeux géopolitiques complexes propres à l’Afrique et dont souffrent surtout les populations civiles. Le Rwanda – qui est un peu la Prusse de la région – poursuit son avancée face à une RDC totalement incapable et inepte" -- that is, calling Rwanda "the Prussia of the region." Click here for that.

  Despite talk of "lessons learned," with quotes such as this and the current leadership of UN peacekeeping, it is unclear what the UN has learned, no matter how many events on genocides it holds and tightly controls.

  On January 14, the first question was given automatically to the United Nations Correspondents Association, a group whose leadership reported little for example during the slaughter in Sri Lanka in 2009. Then UNCA screened a Sri Lanka government film denying war crimes, and tried to censor critical Press coverage of it. (Under the questioner, Pam Falk of CBS, UNCA has reformed nothing, not even pledging not to try to get journalists thrown out of the UN and to function, in essence, as the UN's Censorship Alliance.)

  In the mere three UN-wide questions before Dallaire's remarks -- Gulf media, AFP and finally Inner City Press -- the question about France once again taking sides, in December 2013 in Central African Republic was deferred until next Monday.

  It can be rightly be concluded, including in light of Ban Ki-moon's post Sri Lanka failure "Rights Up Front" plan, that little has been learned at or about the UN. The censors' circle of self-congratulations continue. For now. Watch this site.

   

UN in Nairobi Under Shadow of ICC Cases, Ban Ki-moon's Lawyer Cites Rules, Ignored by Ladsous

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 10 – Under the UN's relationship with the International Criminal Court, the UN limits itself to only “strictly necessary” contacts with indictees, outgoing UN Legal Counsel Patricia O'Brien said Tuesday. She claimed that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon takes this so seriously that he has called her for advice.

Why then did Ban take pictures with Sudan's Omar al Bashir, indicted for genocide and war crimes, and have his then-envoy Ibrahim Gambari attend the wedding of Bashir's daughter to Idriss Deby of Chad?

The UN said the photos with Bashir were not of a meeting. But now Ban's (or France's) chief of UN Peacekeeping, the fourth Frenchman in a row in the position Herve Ladsous, has met with Bashir. What was accomplished? 

   What we know is that Ladsous bragged about keeping a body of a dead assailant. The UN emphasized that Sudan now has the body, and that Inner City Press should ask only Sudan whether it will be buried, returned to relatively or ghoulishly “kept.”

When O'Brien spoke on Tuesday, it was on the record; Inner City Press was identified as the only media there, and the reasons the session was NOT under “Chatham House” rules, but rather on the record. Beyond what else Inner City Press has reported, for example on Haiti cholera, it emerged that the UN has major problems with the ICC summons to Kenya's elected leaders.

The UN has one of its headquarters in Nairobi. In this context, what would “strictly necessary” contacts be – discussing logistics? Grounds-keeping? Visas? Under Ladsous' rules, all would seem to qualify.

  O'Brien who is now headed to Geneva to openly represent her country – contra Ladsous – said it is a good thing that the Kenyan duo, Kenyatta and Ruto, are only so far subject to a summons by the ICC and “are cooperating.” If that changed, it would be difficult for the UN in Nairobi, she said.

But not, it seems clear, under the Ladsous rules. Anything goes! Watch this site.

   

Big Talk in Doha Omits Bahrain, Turkey, Qatar Role in Golan Kidnaps, Insults of Royal Family; Karzai Raises Questions at US - Islamic World Forum

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 9 -- As Qatar provides arms into Syria, it pays to play peacemaker and intellectual locus, now with the US - Islamic World Forum. 

  Brookings - Doha is there, many Western journalists are there. Husain Haqqani, Martin Indyk and US Under Secretary of State Tara Sonenshine are there; John Kerry will soon be there.

  What's NOT there, at least in the two four person groups on Sunday is any discussion of crackdowns in Bahrain and now Turkey. 

  The question of involvement from Qatar in the kidnapping of UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights? Seemingly not the menu. Tellingly, very little mention of the UN. The UN is becoming, or has become, irrelevant.

  Even in the morning session about Afghanistan, there was almost no talk of the UN. They are there, with the UNAMA mission led by possible Ban Ki-moon successor Jan Kubis. But what is being accomplished?

  Raising big questions while some journalists joke-tweeted about the lack or delay of salad was Hamid Karzai. We spoke about the increase in number of universities in Afghanistan -- good thing -- but called the war on terror less successful. It has led to radicalism, he said, citing yesterday's death count in Benghazi.

  At least he was up to the moment. The other speeches, it's as if they didn't even watch CNN. No mention of tear gas and water cannons in Istanbul or #OccupyGezi. Outgoing OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu didn't mention it. Is Ibrahim Gambari still vying to replace him?

  When the morning session broke for lunch, an MC gushed about the free Wi-Fi. Great: but don't insult the Royal family. A poet was initially sentenced to 15 years for such a poem. You won't hear that, either, at #USislam13. Watch this site

On W. Sahara, As Mendez Favors Ongoing Rights Monitoring, Ladsous' Silence

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, October 23 -- After the UN's Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Mendez briefed the General Assembly's Third Committee on Tuesday morning, Inner City Press asked him about his September visit to Morocco and Western Sahara, and if he believes the UN mission MINURSO should have a human rights component.

  Mendez replied that in Western Sahara, and in Morocco, he found evidence of mistreatment in interrogation, especially in connection with demonstrations and when there is a sense that national security is involved.

  Alluding to UN Security Council discussions, he said he heard about it in Layoune. "In my experience, permanent monitoring is always more helpful that once in a lifetime" visits. Should it be by MINURSO or some other entity? He said he is studying that.

  In the Security Council debate about MINURSO, not only Morocco but France opposed any human rights component to MINURSO. Some say that at least during Morocco's remaining 14 months on the Security Council, the addition of such a component is unlikely. But France's seat on the Council is, like four others', Permanent.

  The supervisor of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and thus ultimately of MINURSO is Herve Ladsous, who without any "insulting innuendo" is not only French but has represented France in the Security Council as its Deputy Permanent Representative in and around 1994.

  Earlier in October Inner City Press received contacts from Morocco asking about Ladsous' visit to that country, saying "there was a near total blackout, we didn't even know Ladsous was there!"

  When Ladsous held what was called a press conference on October 22, he did not mention his Western Sahara trip in his opening statement -- there was much on Mali, where France now says it will send drones, and on Syria.

  In what was called the question and answer session, Ladsous refused to answer any Inner City Press question, saying "Mister I told you already that I would answer your questions when you stop making insulting insinuations about me."

  But it is not an insinuation to note France's position on Western Sahara and no human rights component in MINURSO, to note that Ladsous was the Deputy Permanent Representative of France, and to expect him to answer questions for example about his views on the peacekeeping mission in Western Sahara.

  Just for comparison, the current head of the Department of Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman has answered questions about possible conflicts of interest due to his prior service in the US State Department.

  Ibrahim Gambari, who had that DPA job and worked under or in DPKO, has answered questions about any connection between his former roles in Nigeria's foreign service and his UN and African Union work.

  So what is different about Herve Ladsous? As some now surmise, could his thin-skinned refusal to answer Press questions, and characterization of questions as "insulting insinuations," be indicative of actual conflicts of interest of the type Feltman and Gambari took questions on and addressed, in their fashion? Watch this site.

At ICC Debate, Nothing on UN Partying with Bashir, Air Harun, Libya Missing?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 17 -- With the "Rule of Law," or really the International Criminal Court, the UN Security Council's topic for debate on Wednesday, 55 countries signed up to speak. But Libya was not among them, despite currently arguing against transferring Saif Al-Islam Gadhafi to the ICC.

  Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, as is the custom, spoke first. He described the UN's work with the ICC, but didn't mention that his envoy to Darfur Ibrahim Gambari partied at a wedding reception with ICC-indictee Omar al-Bashir, nor that the UN flew fellow indict Ahmad Harun to Abyei.

  Behind Ban was his top lawyer, Patricia O'Brien, who has for months sat on a legal claim against the UN for introducing cholera into Haiti. How can the UN preach rule of law if it does not practice it?

  Early in the proceeding, an African Permanent Representative leaving the proceedings stopped and told Inner City Press, "the ICC is all about Africa, but look at the audience. Even, look at the speakers. Keep it up."

  On her way in as the debate began, Inner City Press asked US Ambassador Rice the obvious warm-up question, "I'm sure you watched the debate" between President Obama and Mitt Romney.

  Rice smiled and said, "Ya think?" She then rushed into the Council. The issue of Administration statements about the deadly Benghazi attacks was central to the debate. But at the UN, endless one-way debating continued: without Libya.

  The UN is mostly about SEEKING positions. The speakers list included the foreign ministers of Finland and Luxembourg but not Australia, with which they will compete this week for two Security Council seats. 

 The Permanent Representative of Finland Jarmo Viinanentold Inner City Press his country has 165 commitments; Australia's PR Gary Quinlan told Inner City Press he has 162. With Luxembourg supporters issuing a count of 150, several UN member states are dissembling: and not only on the elections. Watch this site.

On Darfur, Araud Says Council Divided As on Syria, Growing Difference in Focus

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 15 -- How far down the UN food chain Darfur has fallen was shown against on Wednesday, when after Security Council president Gerard Araud of France read out a Press Statement on the killing of a UNAMID peacekeeper, the first five questions taken were all about Syria.

  Ultimately Inner City Press asked Araud about the UN Peacekeepers inability to protect civilians in the Kassab camp and the Kutub town, about the shooting of students in Nyala on July 31, and the departure of envoy Ibrahim Gambari, which the UN belated confirmed 24 hours after Inner City Press reported and asked about it.

  Araud began by saying he's not sure the deterioration is linked to Gambari's departure, which had not been Inner City Press' point. He went out to describe a split in the Security Council, between those who think things are going well in Darfur, except that the government does not have money to pay for a political process, and those who think there are human rights problems.

  Then Araud turned back to Syria, saying that on that topic too the Council is divided, and on Israel and Palestine.

  But look at the difference in focus and attention, between replacing Gambari and replacing Kofi Annan. The US is putting in some energy on Sudan, but almost entirely in support of its ally South Sudan, as we can report more on soon.  

 25,000 people were just forced out of the Kassab camp, right under the noses of a $1 billion UN peacekeeping mission, and nothing is said. This is how far Darfur has fallen and been used. Watch this site.

UN Unaware of Saleh Siege in Yemen, No Arab League in Syria, Strike in South Sudan, Stonewall in Cote d'Ivoire

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 14 -- Perhaps the UN or its Spokesperson's Office go to sleep in August. 

  On Tuesday Inner City Press asked about an attack on the Defense Ministry in Yemen by supporters of dictator Ali Saleh. 

  The Deputy Spokesman replied, "I see nothing about that, we’ll have to look into it and get back to you on it."

 But five hours later, there was nothing. Nor had Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Spokesperson's Office responded to question referred back to them by the President of the General Assembly's office about Inner City Press' exclusive on Yemen's UN dues check bouncing. Ah, the Arab Spring.

  Where this Spring stalled out, Syria, was the subject of another unanswered question. Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: there’s some discussion that, as was true under Kofi Annan, Syria will only recognize whomever the person is, whether Mr. Brahimi or some other individual, as the UN’s special representative, not as the Arab League’s representative, and I wanted to know, is that acceptable? And they’ve said that publicly, that they see this role as UN, not Arab League –--is that acceptable to the Secretary-General?

Deputy Spokesperson Eduardo Del Buey: Well, to the best of my knowledge, the Secretary-General is in close consultations with the League of Arab States’ Secretary-General, and it will be a joint decision.

Inner City Press: On whom to appoint. But I’m saying, if Syria says openly that they’re only accepting him as a UN person…

Deputy Spokesperson: Well, I haven’t seen that report, Matthew.

Well, here it is, at least to see. Five hours later, nothing; no announcement of Brahimi as some said Annan's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi had confirmed, nothing.

And so Tuesday's noon briefing ended with two more unanswered questions:

Inner City Press: the UN’s own staff in South Sudan is protesting in 10 different states, saying that they would like to be paid, not necessarily the same rate but in the same currency as international staff are…And they seem – it’s a peaceful protest, but it’s a pretty extensive one. I’m wondering what the UN’s response is to it?

Deputy Spokesperson: Well, I’ll have to look into that, Matthew. We’ll have to check and see what the regulations are and we’ll have to see what the policy is. I don’t have any information on that. OK, last question?

Correspondent: No, I don’t have any other thing. Thanks.

Deputy Spokesperson: Ah, OK. OK, last question, Matthew.

Inner City Press: I just wanted to make clear what I was asking you about in terms of Côte d’Ivoire. You sent me a response yesterday; I was glad to get it, but it was about the wrong report. There was an incident about three weeks ago -

Deputy Spokesperson: No, no – I know which one you mean. That report has not been finalized. It’s in the process of being worked on, and as I said, or as I’m saying now, once we have something to share, we’ll share it.

Inner City Press: Because Mr. [Bert] Koenders, right after the event took place, has said, “that we reject all the allegations, we did the right thing”. And I’m just wondering: is that statement somehow on hold, pending the report?

Deputy Spokesperson: We’re not going to prejudge what the report says; let’s see what the report says and then we’ll see what we comment on that. OK?

Not really. But hey - it's mid August.

Footnote: perhaps these questions will be answered on August 15, on the August day's delay, as was Inner City Press' Monday story and question about Ibrahim Gambari being replaced in Darfur. Del Buey confirmed it Tuesday at noon. Watch this site.

With Gambari Set to Leave Darfur, Tries for OIC or Qatar, Syria Contradictions

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, August 6 -- The UN and its officials always know which side their bread is buttered on.

  Take outgoing Darfur envoy Ibrahim Gambari. 

   While UN staff complained to Inner City Press that Gambari was flying around looking for his next job, less and less present in El Fasher, despite building a $600,000 house there, Inner City Press held off writing about his job search. Click here for UN confirmation of Inner City Press' exclusive on Casa Gambari, and a (Gulf) television pick up - video here, from Minute 14:25.

  During Gambari's last appearance at the UN Security Council, Inner City Press asked him a pointed question about this job search. I am exploring all my options, Gambari said. He declined an on-camera stakeout, saying he speak one-on-one later.

  Now comes exclusive news to and from Inner City Press that Gambari might like to replace Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu of Turkey as Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Not only is OIC headquartered in Jeddah -- here is the lead of a recent Saudi Gazette article:

"No Muslim leader can unite the Muslim nation like King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, said Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), during an Okaz Forum held recently and attended by members from the Shoura Council, Syrian National Council."

  The irony in light of OIC's support, like Saudi Arabia, for anti-Assad rebels in Syria is that Gambari repeatedly had run-ins with Western powers on the Security Council for his closeness first with the Myanmar military government then with Sudan's International Criminal Court indicted president Omar al Bashir.

  But to head OIC, and please its main Saudi backers and host, Gambari would have to be on the same side as the West on Syria.

  On the other hand, his historic closeness with Myanmar's government might get him access, at least, to the country on the issue of the Rohingya. And it could bring a new focus on Boko Haram in Gambari's native Nigeria.

  Gambari's fall-back position, sources say, would be as some sort of adviser on Africa to the rulers of Qatar, based in Doha to which he traveled so often in his Darfur post. But given Qatar's position in Libya, and that country's new leaders' aversion to sub Saharan Africa, how would a Gambari role play out.

We maintain, only partially tongue in cheek, the suggestion we made directly to Gambari: that if a UN envoy to Mali and Northern Mali / Azawad is named, Gambari go for this post. Real race at the OIC? We'll see.

Despite the Dying in Darfur, UN Takes Less Interest, US Fixed on Kony

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 24 -- A year ago the debate on Darfur and extending the mandate of the UN - African Union mission there was tense, with Permanent Representatives of the P5 countries clashing on how the resolution should be phrased.

   This year despite continued fighting in Darfur, spilling over into South Sudan and Southern Kordofan, there is decidedly less interest. 

  During Tuesday's consultations, three P5 Permanent Representatives never came, and the two that did left as soon as they had spoken in consultations.

   Meanwhile the Permanent Representative of Sudan Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman spoke at length in the chamber, then afterward exclusively to Inner City Press. 

  He denied that his country had bombed into South Sudan, while saying it has the right to bomb in its own borders against those who are rebelling.

   He and outgoing envoy Ibrahim Gambari made much of the LJM formation, created in a sense to negotiate with the government and headed by a former UN staff member, al Sissi Tijani. JEM and the other factions are not much talked about.

   Afterward Inner City Press asked July's Council president about how real LJM is or isn't, and about the factions who've joined the Sudan Revolutionary Front. 

  Osorio said it is complicated, adding that he and unnamed other Security Council members will be going to Darfur in September.

  Inner City Press has been there, in trailers in the El Fasher camp which now has a new mansion. Ibrahim Gambari declined to speak at the stakeout but indicated he'll have a discussion with the Press quite soon. Inner City Press asked him Tuesday about one of the posts it's heard that he may take. I am considering all of my options, Gambari answered.

  In the Chamber, Gambari mentioned a bombing near Tawila on July 18 - the same day the UN sent Inner City Press this:

Subject: Your question on Darfur
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Wed, Jul 18, 2012 at 12:22 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

On 16 July, UNAMID's Team Site in Tawilla reported heavy shooting and impacts at Kushina village (approximately 29km south east of Tawilla, North Darfur).

Reportedly, a Government of Sudan military helicopter was shot down by an unidentified faction, which led to a firefight between the Government and the faction.

 On the resolution, Deputy Permanent Representatives and political coordinators, not only of the Permanent Five members, last week had meetings until 8 pm, tinkering with the resolution.

  One of Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman's big points was that Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army should not be mentioned in the resolution. 

  Afterward he told Inner City Press, Uganda is a long way from Sudan, the problem should be solved there. But the LRA hasn't been there for years. Some say the UK is not adamant that the LRA be in the resolution, but the US is. Can you say, Kony 2012? Watch this site.