On Ukraine, Russian Humanitarian Draft To Be "Compared with Syria," UNSC Members Tell Inner City Press

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 2 -- With Russia assuming the UN Security Council presidency for June, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced the country will submit a draft Council resolution on humanitarian corridors in Ukraine.

  On Monday, June 2 as Council members came delegation by delegation to meet with the Russian presidency about June's program of work, Inner City Press asked about the proposal. 

  One Western Permanent Representative said the draft would only be passed out at a 4 pm consultation, that it hadn't yet been circulated. Later this was modified: Russia might send it around before 4 pm, which would allow discussion.

  Another Permanent Representative told Inner City Press that the proposal would inevitably be compared with Syria, "back and forth, cause and effect."

  French PR Gerard Araud, outgoing but when, spent the least time in the Council in discussions of the month: a mere 11 minutes. Ah diplomacy.

  Back on May 30 after Ukrainian defense official Andriy Ordinovych said that the country's 18 helicopter crews might be recalled from UN Peacekeeping missions to take part in operations in Eastern Ukraine, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it. Video here.

  On helicopters, Dujarric said he was not aware of any talks. Later on May 30 his office sent this to Inner City Press:

From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Fri, May 30, 2014 at 2:59 PM
Subject: Your question on Ukraine
To: Matthew Russell Lee [at] innercitypress.com

The UN relies on the voluntary contributions of Member States for boots on the ground and equipment. Decisions as to whether specific units are withdrawn belong, ultimately, to the responsible national authorities. Approximately 600 Peacekeepers from Ukraine continue to serve in our various operations around the globe. Ukrainian personnel are valuable and highly-skilled and play important roles in implementing our mandates in our Missions, and we continue to remain grateful for their service and contributions.

  Inner City Press also on May 30 asked UN Spokesman Dujarric why he had confined Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's comment on the May 25 election to an "if-asked" he read out only part of when Inner City Press asked on May 27.  Dujarric replied, "I'm the one at the podium, it's my call." Video here.

Background: On May 27, the first UN work day after the voting in Ukraine, Inner City Press went to the UN's noon briefing and asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric:

Inner City Press: I wanted to know if the UN has any position on the jets bombing and strafing around Donetsk in Ukraine and the ultimatum to surrender or be killed that’s been issued by Government, as well as the death of an Italian and Russian journalist over the weekend.

Spokesman Dujarric: The Secretary-General is alarmed by the continuing violence that we’ve seen in the east over the weekend where clashes in Donetsk, as you said, left dozens dead. The Secretary-General urged that the restoration of State control over Government facilities be achieved through exclusively peaceful means, including an inclusive political dialogue. And obviously, we very much regret the deaths of the journalists who were killed covering the story.

Inner City Press: Does that mean that “surrender or die”... by the Government or the Government waiting for the new President, that this is something that the UN doesn’t support?

Spokesman Dujarric: I think what I’ve just said is that the Secretary-General urged that restoration of State control over Government facilities be achieved through exclusively peaceful means, including an inclusive political dialogue.

  During the May 27 briefing, Dujarric made no comment on the election in Ukraine, and no comment or “off the cuff” statement from Ban Ki-moon went up on the UN's website.

  But the UN News Center reported:

27 May 2014 – While welcoming the “generally peaceful” nature of Ukraine’s weekend presidential elections, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed concern that eligible voters in some parts of the county’s crisis torn eastern region were not allowed to participate in the national poll.

“The Secretary-General welcomes the fact that polling in most of Ukraine took place in a generally peaceful and orderly manner and largely in line with international standards and fundamental freedoms, according to a number of national and international monitors,” according to a statement read out be a UN spokesperson.

At the same time however, Mr. Ban is concerned that eligible voters were denied the right to vote in parts of eastern Ukraine, said the statement, echoing media reports suggesting polling irregularities and disruptions in the east, which has seen a wave of anti-Government sentiment over the past two months.

“The SG is alarmed by continuing violence in the east, where clashes in Donetsk left dozens dead yesterday,” the statement went on to say, adding that the UN chief urged that restoration of State control over Government facilities be achieved through exclusively peaceful means, including an inclusive political dialogue.

This line, “generally peaceful,” was picked up by the Saudi Press Agency; the UN News Center (English) article was quickly put up on the website of the UN in Ukraine.

  But where was the line said, or “read out b[y] a UN spokesperson”? 

  Inner City Press looked on the UN Spokesperson's website: not there. So at the May 29 noon briefing, as spokesman Dujarric tried to end the briefing after only two questions, Inner City Press asked.

  Dujarric replied that the statement was read out to “some of your colleagues” in the hallway. Moments later he e-mailed this to Inner City Press, as “shared language” --

The Secretary-General welcomes the fact that polling in Ukraine took place in a generally peaceful and orderly manner and largely in line with international standards and fundamental freedoms, according a number of national and international monitors.

The Secretary-General is concerned, however, that eligible voters were denied the right to vote in parts of eastern Ukraine.

The Secretary-General is alarmed by continuing violence in the east, where clashes in Donetsk left dozens dead yesterday. He urged that restoration of state control over government facilities be achieved through exclusively peaceful means, including an inclusive political dialogue.

  Inner City Press asked, If this was a prepared statement, why was it not read out in the briefing room and put on the SG's or Spokeperson's web site?

  Dujarric replied, “It was an if asked.”

  But why would the UN make its statement on the Ukraine election an If-Asked?

  It appears that when no one asked in the briefing room, somehow Dujarric got asked by... UN News Center? So, a cynic might conclude, the UN can arrange to be asked by its own media.

  Note that the UN News Center Russia page reversed the If-Asked “shared language” to start with the last part, more palatable to Russia:

27/05/2014 - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is alarmed by reports of continued violence in the east of Ukraine, particularly in Donetsk, where dozens of people were killed. This was announced by his press secretary Stephen Dyuzharrik. "Secretary-General strongly resembles that restoration of state control agencies should be only through peaceful means, including an inclusive political dialogue" - a spokesman said at a press briefing on Tuesday. Secretary General welcomed the fact that "the vote in many parts of Ukraine took place in a peaceful manner, in accordance with international standards and ensuring fundamental freedoms, as reported by a number of national and international observers." Meanwhile, the head of the UN is concerned that in some parts of eastern Ukraine. legitimate voters were denied their right to vote. Dyuzharrik Stephen noted that the United Nations deeply regrets the deaths of journalists covering the events in Ukraine. He expressed hope that the issue of protection of journalists will be reflected in the next report of the UN mission to monitor the situation of human rights in the country. According to media reports, in eastern Ukraine were killed Italian journalist Andrea Rokkelli and his Russian translator Andrei Mironov.

This is a scam, that the Free UN Coalition for Access is opposing. Watch this site.

   

No UN Answer on Video of Ukraine Use of "UN" Copters, Simonovic Spoke to Kyiv Deputy Minister About Detention of Media Which Uploaded It

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 21 -- When UN official Ivan Simonovic emerged from briefing the Security Council about this trip to Ukraine, Inner City Press asked him about the LifeNews journalists detained and abused by authorities there on which UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric had no comment when asked by Inner City Press.

Simonovic said he was aware of the detention, was in contact with the owner of LifeNews and had spoken with Ukraine's deputy minister of Foreign Affairs. 

  Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, whom Inner City Press asked about LifeNews' footage of “UN” marked helicopters used by Kyiv, said in the Council's closed door session his Western colleagues did not come to the defense of these journalists as they have for others.

Churkin said his French colleague -- that would be Gerard Araud, who on April 15 told a correspondent from Lebanon “you are not a journalist, you are an agent” -- had refused to support the Council urging a de-esclation in Ukraine.

  On the LifeNews footage of the “UN” marked helicopter, on which Inner City Press has four times asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric without substantive answer, Churkin said the UN Secretariat has NOT provided any response about the “UN Peacekeeping” helicopter use.

  Voice of America -- which by Gerard Araud's logic would also be an agent, to the point of trying to get other media thrown out of the UN -- asked if Churkin questions the elections slated for May 25 in some but not all of Ukraine why doesn't he question the June 3 election set for Syria. 

  Churkin responded that Western countries praised elections in Afghanstan -- and also confirmed that Russia will veto the Franco-American draft resolution to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court, calling it grand-standing.

While Uruguay was listed in a European press release as sponsoring the resolution, they have clarified that they are NOT a sponsor. Could it be the carve-outs? Watch this site.

   

As UN Stonewalls on “UN” Copter in Ukraine, Silent on Journalists Detained?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 18, more here -- While the UN has four times refused to explain what helicopters with "UN" markings were doing in Ukraine, video here, journalists of LifeNews which filmed the helicopters have now been seized and pictured handcuffed under armed guard, here.

   Given the speeches given at the UN about freedom of the press and of information, what will the UN, and (other) supporters of Kyiv, say about the detention of these journalists? 

  The Free UN Coalition for Access, similar to positions it had publicly taken on the outrageous detention of Al Jazeera journalists in Egypt, Zone 9 Bloggers in Ethiopia and editors in Somaliland, will be asking about this case of journalists Oleg Sidyakina and Marat Saychenko.

   Ukraine is a major provider of helicopters and air services to the UN, and amid the Kyiv government's “counter-terrorism” offensive on May 13 video surfaced of a white helicopter marked “UN,” here.

The UN has in the past complained of governments using UN-marked equipment for their own military goals. So Inner City Press submitted these questions on deadline to Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric and his deputy Farhan Haq:

This is a Press request for UN comment on deadline on this videohttp://youtu.be/W0P_sv_x4E0

featuring “UN” helicopters in Ukraine. Is this appropriate? Why would Ukraine have helicopters with such markings inside Ukraine? What does the UN allow Ukraine to use them for? What will the UN do? On deadline.

  Hours went by without any substantive answer. Inner City Press asked about the issue at the UN Security Council stakeout, video here from Minute 5:17.

  More than six hours later, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Office of the Spokesperson provided this response to Inner City Press:

Subject: On Ukraine.
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Tue, May 13, 2014 at 7:40 PM
To: Matthew.Lee@innercitypress.com

The Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support are in contact with the Ukrainian authorities concerning this issue. It is the responsibility of Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) that provide Contingent Owned Equipment to peacekeeping missions to remove all logos and signage bearing the UN's name once such equipment has been repatriated to the home country or is no longer being used for official UN purposes. Moreover, every Letter of Assist, signed between the UN and TCC, also clearly states that “the Government may only use such painted and marked Aircraft for flights, which have been tasked by the United Nations.”

   We will await more -- that is, the response of the Kyiv authorities and what the UN actually does. Inner City Press asked another question as well, and has questions pending back to the first week of Dujarric's tenure in March. 

From the UN transcript:

Spokesman Dujarric: Mr. Lee?

Inner City Press: Sure, thanks a lot. I wanted to ask you about the helicopters, and thanks for sending that out, but there are some questions that are left unanswered by it. Since then, Ukraine has denied that they’ve used… that helicopters have any UN markings, and I’m sure you’ve seen the photographs and in the video. So, I wanted to ask you, what has Ukraine said back to the UN? Which Mission did these helicopters serve in? Were they, in fact, Government-owned, or were they a contractor that served? What was the… you know, what’s the tail number, basically? Are you investigating it to find out…?

Spokesman Dujarric: I think we’ve spoken to the Ukrainian Permanent Mission here and we’ve made very clear our concerns and their responsibilities so we will see what the next steps are. But obviously, these kinds of reports are troubling and we expect people to take the appropriate steps. As for details of where these helicopters may have served, and even if they were UN helicopters, I don’t have any further information. You know, we’ve obviously seen the pictures, like you have, and have reminded the Ukrainian authorities of their responsibilities.

Inner City Press: So, have you asked for a response from them to describe which helicopters they are?

Spokesman Dujarric: Let’s see, I think this conversation happened late yesterday and we will see what the next steps are.

Watch this site.

   

Failures of Herve Ladsous' UN Peacekeeping Belatedly Linked to Ladsous by RTL & AFP, Even with Mali, Ukraine Copters, Minova & CAR Left Out, Au Revoir?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 17 -- UN Peacekeeping underHerve Ladsous has allowed civilians to be killed with no reaction. 

   But when some of this litany of failure of his Department of Peacekeeping Operations was publicly presented to the UN Fifth (Budget) Committee on May 16, it was typed up without even mentioning the person responsible, Ladsous, by a wire demonstrably engaged in censorship.

   This was noted; now a French report of RTL "avec AFP"which belatedly DOES mention Ladsous: but only to type his defensive quotes. Still, when even the French wire which has tried to get the investigative Press thrown out for its critical coverage of Ladsous links him to his failures, it could belatedly be the beginning of the end.  

  The UK New Statesman already reported last Fall on Ladsous' refusal to answer Press questions about his failures.

  Today's French account emphasizes that the UN report does not criticize Ladsous' missions in Mali (begun by the French Serval force initially without Security Council approval), nor in Central African Republic -- where the French Sangaris force initially disarmed the Muslim ex Seleka leaving Muslim civilians "vulnerable" in the UN's Navi Pillay's understated analysis.

   But it easily could have: in Mali, UN Peacekeepers stood by as their "partners" in the Malian army shot unarmed protesters by an airport in North Mali, where France is now in line to get paid by other UN member states to provide "air field services."

   And Ladsous' scribes have yet to link him to or question him about his refusal to implement the UN's supposed Human Rights Due Diligence Policy and cut support to the Congolese Army's 41st and 391st Battalions after only two soldiers were convicted of the 130 rapes at Minova in November 2012.

  That is why this coverage is accelerating: the person put in charge by an ostensibly public organization of over 100,000 people with guns is so unaccountable as to outright refuse to answer critical press questions, for example in April about the Hutu FDLR, here.

  In any other public organization, or private sector company, such a "leader" would be relieved of responsibility. How has the UN fallen this low? The same can be asked of the UN refusing to accept its responsibility for UN Peacekeeping bringing cholera to Haiti.

  And why even just this month has there been no explanation of Ladsous procuring drones for Mali without the required approvals -- Inner City Press has asked three times -- or for Kyiv using inside Ukraine "UN" marked helicopters (Inner City Press has asked four times, more here)?

  Even with these omissions, consider from the report these since Ladsous took over the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in 2011:

August - September 2012: Attacks on civilians by armed group in Katoyi, North Kivu (MONUSCO) Killed: >112. Action under Ladsous? No. After: Human rights investigations launched

4 January 2013 Intercommunal fighting over disputed access to gold mine (UNAMID) Killed: 100 Action under Ladsous? No. After: Government officials transported to area to “defuse tensions”...

8 February 2013 Attack on community in Wangar, Jonglei State by armed elements from rival community (UNMISS). Killed: >100. Action under Ladsous? No. After: Investigation launched. Communities and national authorities actively engaged to “prevent retaliation.”

3-6 April 2013 Intercommunal fighting in parts of Central and Southern Darfur (UNAMID) Killed: >100. Action under Ladsous? No. Aftter: Inter-agency assessment mission protected,,.

July 2013 Intercommunal violence in several locations in Pibor County (UNMISS) Killed: >328 Action under Ladsous? No. After: Investigation launched....

22-30 July 2013 Intercommunal fighting in Central Darfur (UNAMID) Killed: 150 Action under Ladsous? No. After: Humanitarian aid to displaced civilians facilitated

8-22 August 2013 Intercommunal fighting in Eastern Darfur (UNAMID) Killed: 500-600 Action under Ladsous? No. After: “Technical and logistical support” provided...

  And this is not even including the more recently failures in South Sudan, and rapes by Ladsous' partners in the Congolese Army in Minova, and subsequent impunity.Ladsous refused to answer Press questions on any of this. Why is he still in his post? #Ladsous2014. Watch this site.

   

On “UN” Helicopter in Ukraine, UN Tells Inner City Press That Kyiv Has Been Contacted by UN Peacekeeping of Herve Ladsous: Now What?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 13 -- Ukraine is a major provider of helicopters and air services to the UN, and amid the Kyiv government's “counter-terrorism” offensive on May 13 video surfaced of a white helicopter marked “UN,” here.

The UN has in the past complained of governments using UN-marked equipment for their own military goals. So Inner City Press submitted these questions on deadline to Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric and his deputy Farhan Haq:

This is a Press request for UN comment on deadline on this video http://youtu.be/W0P_sv_x4E0

featuring “UN” helicopters in Ukraine. Is this appropriate? Why would Ukraine have helicopters with such markings inside Ukraine? What does the UN allow Ukraine to use them for? What will the UN do? On deadline.

Hours went by without any substantive answer. Inner City Press asked about the issue at the UN Security Council stakeout, video here from Minute 5:17.

 More than six hours later, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Office of the Spokesperson provided this response to Inner City Press:

Subject: On Ukraine.
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Tue, May 13, 2014 at 7:40 PM
To: Matthew.Lee@innercitypress.com

The Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support are in contact with the Ukrainian authorities concerning this issue. It is the responsibility of Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) that provide Contingent Owned Equipment to peacekeeping missions to remove all logos and signage bearing the UN's name once such equipment has been repatriated to the home country or is no longer being used for official UN purposes. Moreover, every Letter of Assist, signed between the UN and TCC, also clearly states that “the Government may only use such painted and marked Aircraft for flights, which have been tasked by the United Nations.”

   We will await more -- that is, the response of the Kyiv authorities and what the UN actually does. Inner City Press asked another question as well, and has questions pending back to the first week of Dujarric's tenure in March. Watch this site.

   

After “UN” Marked Helicopter Shown in Ukraine, Press Questions to UN Spokesman Go UNanswered

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 13 -- Ukraine is a major provided of helicopters and air services to the UN, and amid the Kyiv government's “counter-terrorism” offensive on May 13 video surfaced of a white helicopter marked “UN,” here.

The UN has in the past complained of governments using UN-marked equipment for their own military goals. Shortly after being shut out from asking Syria-related questions to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and his outgoing Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, Inner City Press submitted these questions on deadline to Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric:

This is a Press request for UN comment on deadline on this videohttp://youtu.be/W0P_sv_x4E0

featuring “UN” helicopters in Ukraine. Is this appropriate? Why would Ukraine have helicopters with such markings inside Ukraine? What does the UN allow Ukraine to use them for? What will the UN do? On deadline.

So far there has been no response, even an interim one, from Dujarric. Inner City Press asked another as well, and has questions pending back to the first week of Dujarric's tenure in March. Watch this site.

   

As Uganda Complains of Non-Payment for Peacekeeping Helicopters, UN Tells Inner City Press that Member States Bear the Risk

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 26 -- A full week ago, Inner City Press asked the UN for its response to Uganda complaining about delay in reimbursement for its three helicopters destroyed in Kenya on the way to the peacekeeping mission in Somalia, for which the UN pays:

Inner City Press: Uganda is complaining that its three helicopters that were destroyed in 2012 on the way to AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia), that they have not been compensated by the UN for them and they say they are still waiting for that. What’s the delay, it’s been a year and three months now, what’s the procedure for compensating countries for destroyed materiel and what’s the problem in this case?

Acting Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq: Well, we’ll have to check with… as you know, there is a [United Nations Support Office for the African Union Mission in Somalia], called UNSOA for short, and we’ll have to check with UNSOA how that particular payment is being handled through the Support Office. You might also want to check with the African Union about whether they can confirm any sort of payment for AMISOM.

  Now after seven days, the UN has responded with this, that they are not paying:

Subject: Your question on Ugandan helicopters
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Tue, Nov 26, 2013 at 10:18 AM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

Regarding your question on Ugandan helicopters, we have the following from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations:

“The helicopters in question were being provided by the Government of Uganda to the African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM. In line with established procedures, the Member State is to bear the risk of loss or damage to the aircraft and to insure against these. DPKO-DFS understands that the African Union has communicated this situation to the Government of Uganda.”.

  From public report it seems clear Uganda does not understand or agree with this. This, and building up big arrears to Troop Contributing Countries like Rwanda, Nigeria, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, raises questions. We'll have more on this. Watch this site.

   

UNSC To Discuss Eastern Congo on October 16 as M23 Accuse UN of Flying Kabila Spy Chiefs, Draw Line at Kanyamahoro

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 15 -- The UN Security Council is set for a closed door discussion of the Eastern Congo after its October 16 session about Mali -- Inner City Press has learned and first published. In Kampala the M23 has denounced the UN becoming interwoven with the Congolese Army, which is taking on M23 including in Kanyamahoro, and then complaining about being shot at.

  Most explosively, the M23's Rene Abandi is quoted that the MONUSCO mission led by Martin Kobler and ultimately Herve Ladsous 

"'continuously allows FARDC to use their planes for espionage activities and dropping DRC soldiers near M23 territory'... one of the planes that recently violated the M23 territory’s airspace was carrying President Joseph Kabila’s spy chiefs... FARDC and UN were mixing their emblems on planes, giving the rebel group difficulty in distinguishing the DRC forces from humanitarian elements."

  The UN is often dismissive of such claims. But what WAS its "unarmed" helicopter doing when it was shot at? Do "unarmed" MONUSCO flight share intelligence withe Congolese Army? Has MONUSCO flowing Kabila's intelligence chiefs?

  Some still wonder - and have been unable to get an answer - why the Security Council under French leadership chose to attend and legitimize Kabila's "National Dialogue" which the opposition boycotted.

  The key question the Security Council, or at least France which is allowed to hold the pen on DRC and to hand-pick which scribes were allowed to cover "its" recent trip to the region, has yet to publicly confront is whether MONUSCO is now a combatant, a party to the armed conflict. 

  If so, firing on helicopters has a different "legal character," as the French might say, than elsewhere in UN-World.

  It appears that Ladsous, the origin of many of these problems and who refuses to answer Press questions about his history in the Great Lakes region (see UK coverage here) will NOT be present on October 16. 

   He is touring around, back to at least one (other) place he used to be French Ambassador. Who does he work for? Since he refuses to answer the most basic questions -- like if DPKO screens for cholera, which was mis-answered in his stead -- we have to ask. And will continue to ask. Watch this site.