As UNSC Adopts M23 Statement, UN Doesn't Answer if Helps Bomb National Park

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, October 19 -- At 4 pm on Friday the UN Security Council held a short meeting with a single speaker, Council president Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala, reading out a 12 paragraph Presidential Statement on the Democratic Republic of the Congo that was drafted by France.

  Several Council members joked to Inner City Press that they were sure the M23 rebels -- and the FDLR and Mayi Mayi, one said -- were watching this Presidential statement on UN Television, "on their plasma TV screens," the other said.

  The statement expressed support for the MONUSCO mission, condemned the M23 mutineers for setting up "parallel structures" and warmed external actors against funding or assisting them.

  Yet another Council member snarked, what if the Council issued this type of warning regarding rebel groups in other countries.

  After the statement, which mentioned the Resolution 1533 Sanctions Committee Group of Experts, Inner City Press asked President Rosenthal to confirm receipt of a filing by Rwanda about the Group's coordinator Steve Hege.

  In 2009 writings Hege was dismissive of the threat posed by the FDLR; once Inner City Press identified and linked to the writing, it was removed from the Internet without explanation.

  Rosenthal said the filing had gone to the Committee but had not yet surfaced to the Security Council. Since each Security Council is already represented on the Sanctions Committee, they have certainly seen the filing. What is the method for consideration and response?

  At Friday's UN noon briefing, Inner City Press asked MONUSCO and indirectly about what is called the UN's "human rights due diligence policy" --

 

Inner City Press: a question about the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The army there, the FARDC, has said that it is bombing the Virunga National Park, that it is in some fighting, and I am just wondering, given MONUSCO’s [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] role sometimes in helping such action, is this a military operation in which MONUSCO is participating?

 

Spokesperson Nesirky: I will check. I don’t have anything on that, Matthew, but I will check.

  Five hours later by close of business and deadline no answer was provided. Watch this site.

Amid 2d Killing of Peacekeepers This Month in Darfur, Ladsous Won't Answer, on DRC or Cote d'Ivoire

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 17 -- After another UN Peacekeeper was killed in Darfur on Tuesday, UN Security Council Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala read out a press statement late Wednesday, calling for the perpetrators to be caught.

  Inner City Press asked him for a follow up on the killing of four Nigerian UN peacekeepers earlier in the month, and if the Security Council would be convening some meeting to consider or act on the killings, or just wait for the next regularly scheduled meeting on the UNAMID mission, and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations which largely runs it.

  Rosenthal, whose country has peacekeepers in Darfur, said he is concerned and that there had been a Darfur meeting of the Council this week.

  Inner City Press asked, wasn't that about Sudan and South Sudan, capped by a stakeout by South Sudan Ambassador Francis Deng?

  Rosenthal acknowledged that had been the agenda item, but said that a part of the meeting had touched on Darfur.

  That would mean that DPKO chief Herve Ladsous, who gave the Sudan and South Sudan briefing, raised Darfur as well. But when he came out, he refused to answer any Press question, unlike his predecessors Alain Le Roy and Jean-Marie Guehenno.

  Le Roy in particular would come to the stakeout and speak and take questions when peacekeepers were killed. It is part of the job of heading DPKO. But Ladsous does not do it.

  And so other attacks on peacekeepers go unexplained and unexplored. The attacks in North Kivu -- who did them? Sources in Eastern Congo have M23 denying it, and say the Mayi Mayi are making attacks. Which is it? Ladsous won't speak.

  Even on attacks on infrastructure in former French colony Cote d'Ivoire, of concern to Ladsous who was France's Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN during the Rwanda genocide, went unremarked on at the UN until Inner City Press asked about them at Wednesday's noon briefing.

  Shouldn't Ladsous' DPKO have at least had something read-out at the noon briefing, if not a stakeout by Ladsous? 

  Likewise, no findings have been issued despite repeated inquiries about DPKO's probe into the killing of a Rwandan UN Police officer in Haiti.

  DPKO is in decline. Perhaps only the troop contributing countries, some complaining already about being misrepresented, could turn this decline around. Watch this site.

On Sudans, Deng Makes Abyei Claim, Mbeki Might Not Go to Khartoum, Sudan Tells ICP, Ladsous Stonewalls on Kadugli

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 16 -- With the issue of Abyei outstanding at least until the African Union Peace and Security Council meets with Thabo Mbeki on October 22, the UN Security Council was briefed Tuesday afternoon not by envoy Haile Menkerios, but only the Department of Peacekeeping Operations' Herve Ladsous.

  The Sudan - South Sudan issues are political, not in Ladsous' shop. South Sudan's new Permanent Representative Francis Deng, until recently the UN's Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, waited outside the Council's closed door consultations and then came to take Press questions.

Inner City Press asked Deng about reports that Abyei might be partitioned, rather than have a referendum in which the sides cannot agree if the Miseriya can vote. 

  Deng, who is also an author, hearkened back to Abyei agreements of 1972 and even 1905, calling it absurd that the Miseriya would vote.

On the topic of the oil facilities at Heglig, Inner City Press asked Deng if it is true that the sides are negotiating for some form of compensation. Deng did not directly answer, noting that the Dinka have another name for the area.

Sudan's Permanent Representative Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman had been by the stakeout earlier, and Inner City Press asked him if it is true that Thabo Mbeki will visit both Khartoum and Juba before the AU PSC meeting on August 22. He denied it, saying that there is no concrete information about any such visit "yet."

US Ambassador Susan Rice, outside the meeting, congratulated Ambassador Deng on South Sudan's ratification of the Addis Ababa agreements with Sudan -- there were, we note, some protests, about Mile 14 and other issues -- and invited Deng to come to the US Mission.

  Inner City Press asked Ambassador Rice whether the DPKO Peacekeepers in Kadugli in Southern Kordofan could or should do anything if they witnessed killings there on their way to the UNISFA mission in Abyei. Rice considered the questions and called it "difficult... in a contested area."

  Later Inner City Press put the question, short and simple, to DPKO chief Herve Ladsous as he left the meeting, in the same way Ladsous' predecessors Alain Le Roy and Jean-Marie Guehenno always answered questions: what can the DPKO base at Kadugli do in these circumstances?

  Ladsous refused to provide any answer at all, just as he pretended in September that an Inner City Press question about the UN's role in Abyei had not even been asked --video here -- and then had his DPKO try to get the audio record of the question stricken from UN Television's web cast. This in Ban Ki-moon's UN. 

  Draw your own conclusions.

  Finally this month's Security Council president Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala emerged and provided a summary. Inner City Press asked about the Kadugli issue -- Rosenthal proffered an answer, but of course it is not him in daily charge of DPKO, and paid for it, that is Ladsous -- and a question about Syria. And then he left. 

  The next UN Security Council news on Sudan, one supposes, will be after Mbeki goes to the AU PSC, whether through Khartoum or not. Watch this site.

With DR Congo "Unwilling to Discuss" with M23, It's up to Uganda, UN Won't Skirmish

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 10 -- More than two hours after the UN's Democratic Republic of the Congo briefing to the Security Council began Wednesday afternoon, Council president Gert Rosenthal emerged to take questions at the stakeout. There were only two.

  Inner City Press asked if any Council members spoke in the closed door session to a need for the DRC government of Joseph Kabila to engage in talks with the M23 mutineers about their claims that promises made about integrating them into the Congolese army were not kept.

   Inner City Press noted that Uganda offered to mediate but was rebuffed by Kabila. Do all Council members agree?

  Rosenthal replied thoughtfully that "the DRC has been unwilling to have such discussions for reasons of its own," so such an initiative would be up to the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region through its current presidency, Uganda. Video here, from Minute 1:27.

  Yes, but Uganda was rebuffed. In order circumstances, the Security Council will urge parties to talk. Will it here, in the Presidential Statement that Rosenthal said he expects to issue early next week?

  France, whose Ambassador Gerard Araud left well before the meeting ended in order to give a speech at Columbia University about Syria, has said that there should be a dialogue between Kinshasa and Kigali, with no mention of the M23 and its stated grievances. So what will the Presidential Statement say?

  Inner City Press also asked Rosenthal if the UN has any access, humanitarian or otherwise, to the areas controlled by the M23. He replied that "there is a UN presence," MONUSCO, but it is limited to "urban areas." Apparently, that means Rutshuru.

  Rosenthal said that MONUSCO "is not looking for skirmishes with the M23 for obvious reasons." The reasons may be obvious, at least to some -- but just on the surface this seems to conflict with MONUSCO's supposedly robust protection of civilians mandate.

  This is another question that should be answered by thehead of UN Peacekeeping, Herve Ladsous, who refuses to answer Press questions and Wednesday was not in town to give the briefing -- he is in another UN Peacekeeping mission of dubious accomplishment, or constrained by France related colonial issues: MINURSO in Western Sahara, while it was being discussed in the UN's Special Committee on Decolonialization. Watch this site.

UNSC Akcakale Statement Calls for Restraint From Turkey and Syria, SC Prez Tells ICP

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 4 -- On the UN Security Council's press statement on Akcakale in Turkey, whatchanged in the 22 hours between the silence procedure being broken by Russia and the statement's read-out by Council President Gert Rosenthal on Thursday evening?

Mostly the inserting of nine final words: "The members of the Security Council called for restraint."

Inner City Press asked Ambassador Rosenthal, once he had read out the statement, whether it would be fair to read this as a call for restraint by Turkey as well, or just Syria.

"Both," Rosenthal said. He confirmed that a separate draft press statement on bombings in Aleppo is under the Council's "silence procedure" until 10 am on Friday. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the press that one Council member had extended silence until then. But would it be further extended?

There were a few other minor changes from the initial Azerbaijani (or "Ottoman") draft and the one agreed to: the first draft expressed condolences first to the Government of Turkey then to the families of the victims; this was reversed in the final statement. Also a reference to "international peace and security" was removed.

Some drew a link from the negotiations to an upcoming visit to Turkey by Russian president Putin on October 14. Others speculated about some other deal being reached.

In the run-up to the passing, a well placed diplomat told Inner City Press of passing the press statement, "If they can do it to keep Turkey quiet, good." But will it? Watch this site.

As Brahimi Says Statement on Turkey Would Be Good, Syria Says Not Sufficient

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 3 -- Following the shelling of Akcakale in Turkey, Inner City Press witnessed Turkish Ambassador Apakan going into the Security Council. Afterward Inner City Press asked him, "Shell related?" He said yes, "Shell-related."

When Security Council president Gert Rosenthal gave a summary of the morning's meeting on Haiti, Inner City Press spoke with him about cholera in that country and asked about this "shell-related" Turkish visit. He confirmed the visit and said the Council might get a communication from Turkey in the afternoon.

When at 5:35 pm Council president Rosenthal read out a press statement on the killing of four UN Peacekeepers in Darfur, he did not answer a Press questions about Darfur but on Turkey said yes the Council might issue a statement, we are waiting to hear from the Turkish Ambassador.

Inner City Press conveyed this to joint UN and Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, what Rosenthal had said about a Council statement. Brahimi replied, "On Turkey? That's good."

Syria's Permanent Representative Bashar Ja'afari on the other hand, when Inner City Press told him Rosenthal said we are waiting to hear from Turkey, replied "But that is not sufficient, Turkey is shelling us."

So would a Council statement at this point make any mention of the return of fire? Watch this site.

Amid Haiti Debate, UN Stonewalls on Cholera, Says Government Welcomes It

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 3 -- Speeches on Haiti filled the Security Council all Wednesday morning. As simply two examples, Colombia Permanent Representative Nestor Osorio spoke of cholera; US Ambassador Susan Rice spoke of accountability for sexual violence (but apparently not of or for cholera).

  When it was over, Council president Gert Rosenthal gave a summary at the stakeout and offered to take questions. Inner City Press asked him of polls showing that half or more of people in Port of Prince do not want the MINUSTAH mission to stay. Inner City Press asked, what explained this?

  Rosenthal said that cases of sexual abuse, "two or three," were not helpful; he said that many in Haiti believe, rightly or wrongly, that the UN brought cholera into the country. (He added that the government indicates it wants MINUSTAH to stay.)

  Moments later, the head of MINUSTAH Mariano Fernandez followed and gave a short summary, starting in French. Inner City Press asked him the same question as to the Council President, about cholera and sexual abuse, specifically if he thought Uruguay's charge of "private violence" made real the UN's stated "zero tolerance" policy.

  Fernandez replied that he would not question the tribunals of a troop contributing country -- this seems a dubious practice -- and that he wouldn't comment on cholera since it is a legal matter. 

  Inner City Press tried to follow up, but was rebuffed by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations spokesman, the same one who ran interference for DPKO head Herve Ladsous to not answer questions about why his mission in the Congo was helping recruit Mai Mai militia to fight the M23 mutineers. 

Ladsous last week made another of his spokespeople whisper to boom microphone operation not to give the micto Inner City Press, and then called for Press questions to be erased from the UN Webcast.  A fish, as they say, rots from the head

  After two soft questions in Spanish, and with no help from the DPKO spokesman who seems to be under orders to play by and even expand the Ladsous Rules, Inner City Press managed to ask Ferandez the follow up: hasn't the UN's Office of Legal Affairs' head Patricia O'Brien's non-response to the cholera claim gone on too long? How can the UN preach rule of law, but bury a claim like this?

Fernandez again declined to comment. Inner City Press asked if MINUSTAH's investigation of the shooting death of a UN Police officer from Rwanda had been completed. Ferandez said the investigation continues, called it an accident, but said he would need more facts. Then he left. Will there finally be answers on this shooting death, and much longer outstanding cholera claim, any time soon? Watch this site.

After Bomb and Call to Ban Ki-moon, Turkey Visits Security Council, "Shell Related"

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, October 3, updated -- Turkey wasted no time. Right after a shell landed on the Turkish side of the country's border with Syria, foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu called UN Secretary General and his envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi.

Then at 1 pm on Wednesday Inner City Press exclusively witnessed Turkey's Permanent Representative to the UN Apakan and four other members of the Turkish mission walk into the Security Council. In the chamber there was an open debate on Haiti, but they did not turn that way.

When they emerged, Inner City Press asked Ambassador Apakan if his visit had been "Haiti related or shell related?"

"Shell related," he exclusively told Inner City Press. One assumes for now that a letter was delivered, or meeting held with this month's Council president, Guatemala. Watch this site.

Update of 1:45 pm - Inner City Press asked Security Council president Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala about Turkish Ambassador Apakan's visit and comment to the Press. Yes, Rosenthal said, Ambassador Apakan met with him, about the Akcakale "incident" there might a communication (that is, at least initially, a letter from Turkey) later in the day. Watch this site.

DR Congo and Rwanda "On Hold," UNSC President Tells ICP, Belgium's Push

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 2 -- There was a flurry of activity on the Democratic Republic of Congo and its neighbor, Rwanda, at the UN in September but the topic is not even listed on the agenda of the Security Council for October.

  After last week's closed-door mini summit on the topic at the UN, Inner City Press was told that the most vocal in pushing sanctions against Rwanda was Belgium, for the allegations of support to the M23 mutineers made in the UN report coordinated by Steve Hege, whose 2009 writings about the FDLR and Rwanda have yet to be explained (they were taken off the Internet after Inner City Press linked to them).

  On Tuesday Inner City Press asked income Security Council president Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala why DRC is not on the agenda, is it just on hold? Video here, from Minute 22:48.

  Rosenthal told Inner City Press that on "Eastern DRC, the Security Council has been waiting for some type of agreement among the Great Lake governments, so far it has not come forth."

  Referring to Inner City Press' question he said, "the way you put it, the topic being on hold, is an accurate reflection of where we are right now. The situation is not good, and that is the reason we are reminding ourselves in the footnote that the topic may come to us this month, though not specifically scheduled."

Nor is there on the schedule any Department of Political Affairs or "horizon scanning" briefing. Watch this site.

Guinea Bissau Torn Between Togo and Portugal, On SC to 2013, Not on Agenda

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 2 -- After a dispute at the UN last week about who could speak for post-coup Guinea Bissau in the General Debate (no one, as it turned out), the situation in the country was not even listed in the Security Council's program of work for October.

  Inner City Press asked incoming Council president Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala, who had spoken of Mali, about the "other coup" in Guinea Bissau and what the Council would or could do. Video here, from Minute 22:48.

  Rosenthal told Inner City Press that Guinea Bissau is "a perfect example of how the Security Council works best when it's united -- meaning when not united we have difficulty drafting agreements. As you know there are difficult points of view among ECOWAS states, which are represented on the Security Council this year by Togo, and the Lusophones, represented in Security Council this year by Portugal."

  We note that Portugal is leaving the Council on December 31, 2012, while Togo has another year to go. But the Lusophone or CPLP position is what it is: will it be heard the same by the Council?

  Continuing, Rosenthal said it had been "difficult reaching a meeting of minds" on Guinea Bissau and this was "unfortunate for most members including my delegation, we think the Security Council should act."

  Responding on pre-coup leader Pereira being listed in the UN Journal as a General Debate speaker for September 28, and then being skipped over, Rosenthal told Inner City Press, "What happened in the General Assembly last week, we were unable to determine who speaks in name of present government of Guinea Bissau, is an example of how these situations can make agreements very difficult."

   Inner City Press asked a Lusophone or CPLP Permanent Representative earlier on Tuesday why Pereira hadn't spoke. He agreed, was the answer, after pressure. But "the other one" -- the post-coup leader -- "is not the one with the credentials." And so it goes at the UN -- at least until the end of the year? Watch this site.