Amid Sale of Jobs in UN Peacekeeping, Ban Ki-moon Greets New Ambassadors of Cote d'Ivoire, New Zealand, Montenegro and IOM Too

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 11 -- In UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous, positions in missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti were corruptly put up for sale, a 49-page “Strictly Confidential” UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) report obtained and exclusively published by Inner City Press on February 7shows.

  Despite the various UN answers to Inner City Press set forth below, the Cote d'Ivoire diplomat Bafetegue Ouattara depicted by OIOS soliciting and accepting the bribe is still inside UN headquarters. In fact, on May 11 he was on the UN's 38th floor shaking hands with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon after the latter accepted the credentials of Claude Stanislas Bouah-Kamon as the replacement of former Ambassador Bamba. Inner City Press was there, and tweeted a photo of Claude Stanislas Bouah-Kamon and of Bafetegue Ouattara.

  Claude Stanislas Bouah-Kamon used the name of the other Ouattara, the president, as he handed over his letter of credentials. Minutes later the new Permanent Observer of the International Organization for Migration Ashraf Elnour Mustafa Mohamed Nour used a more booming voice to offer the greeting from IOM's William Lacy Swing and say he would serve under Ban's "mandate" (if so, than IOM should do better answering Press questions.)

 Also presenting credentials on May 11 were Jim McLay's replacement as New Zealand Ambassador, Gerard Jacobus van Bohemen, and Montenegro's Zelijko Perovic. 

 Joining Ban in short meeting with each was new Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca, until recently in Ashkabat, Turkmenistan. The UN can be a weird place. We wish 
Gerard Jacobus van Bohemen and  Zelijko Perovic well, and even 
Ashraf Elnour Mustafa Mohamed Nour. But with Claude Stanislas Bouah-Kamon we'll want to see what he does about the sale of UN posts exposed in his mission.

Bafetegue Ouattara says OIOS only recently interviewed him - meanwhile, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq on May 11 praised OIOS to Inner City Press, as a response to 21 NGOs calling Ban's response to reported rapes in Central African Republic by French troops.

   On April 22  Bafetegue Ouattara spoke for Cote d'Ivoire in the Security Council, on Cote d'Ivoire sanctions, and was praised by the chair of that Committee.

  Afterward, Outtara approached Inner City Press at the Security Council stakeout about the OIOS report. He said, they only interviewed me recently. Inner City Press said it would be happy to here more about the processes of OIOS - but the report says what it does. We will have more on this.

  In a March 13 report (in French), BBC links former Permanent Representative Bamba's ouster to the Ivorian Mission saying Western Sahara is the last colony in Africa in a meeting of the UN General Assembly's Fourth Committee back on October 13, 2014. (That was, of course, the Cote d'Ivoire government's position under Laurent Gbagbo, contrary to France's position.)

 Unlike, for example, The Independent (here, crediting Inner City Press), BBC entirely misses the scandal of DPR Ouattara being exposed for selling UN positions but having more support in President Ouattara's inner circle, Ibrahim Ouattara (known as "photocopie" due to his resemblance to his brother, President Alassane Ouattara) and two ministers, Mamadi Diane and Roland Adjo-Lessing, see below.

 On March 6, when Michaëlle Jean, Secretary-General of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, held a press conference, she said her organization is involved in UN Peacekeeping missions.

  Inner City Press ran from the Security Council stakeout to the UN Press Briefing Room and asked if this Francophone connection in UN Peacekeeping should be cleaned up. Video here.

 Ms. Jean said it did not have to do with language. Perhaps not language - though other diplomats at the UN have asked why the damning OIOS report was only in French. But will it be cleaned up?

 In fact, he has gotten a promotion, to "charge d'affaires" with his putative boss Permanent Representative Yousoufou Bamba said on his way out. The question arises: why is Bamba and not the bribe-taker being removed?

 Who is protecting Bafetegue Ouattara?

 Inner City Press is infromed that Bafetegue Ouattara's defenders include Ibrahim Ouattara (known as "photocopie" due to his resemblance to his brother, President Alassane Ouattara) and two ministers, Mamadi Diane and Roland Adjo-Lessing.

 But what does all this mean for Ouattara's stated commitment to accountability, even for those in his party? 

  What also is the position of France, which has run UN Peacekeeping the last four times in a row and holds the presidency of the UN Security Council this month -- though Ambassador Francois Delattre has said "I have to run" the first two times Inner City Press asked a question, on Burundi and Mali; video here, Vine here. This will be a good one to answer. Watch this site.

  As to Bafetegue Ouattara, despite its own evidence showing the bribes and sale of UN posts, the UN's OIOS didn't make any recommendation about him, nor recommend any changes so it or the UN could.

  Now Inner City Press has learned that a replacement for the head of OIOS Carman Lapoint is being sought. The process to select the next holder of this lone UN oversight position should be transparent, so that real oversight can begin. We'll have more on this.

 On February 16 The Independent followed up, crediting Inner City Press and quoting an unnamed UN spokesman that "we cannot and should not pre-judge the results of the national investigation" and that "there are 36 UN police officers from the Ivory Coast deployed to the mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and 60 to the operation in Haiti."

 On February 17, Inner City Press asked UN deputy spokespersonFarhan Haq:

Question:  I wanted to ask about the OIOS [Office for Internal Oversight Services] report about acceptance of bribes for UN police posts that I asked about last week, yesterday The Independent published a story on it.  They quoted a UN spokesman.  I don't know if it was you or Stéphane [Dujarric].  But, what I wanted to ask you about was the substance of it.  It said, “We cannot and should not prejudge the international investigation.”  Since the OIOS report has bank records and you've already taken action, apparently, and repatriated 10 police officers, doesn't the UN think its own report is true?  So, what does it mean to say that… is Côte d’Ivoire supposed to reinvestigate the case before taking action on the Deputy Permanent Representative?  And, finally, they also mention there are 36 Ivoirian police officers in MONUSCO and 60 in MINUSTAH [United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti].  How many have actually been repatriated?  Thanks.

Deputy Spokesman Haq:  Well, regarding that, basically, once the OIOS report was received, we took decisive measures, including ordering the repatriation of all the UN police officers who were involved.  All those officers involved are either gone or in the process of leaving the peacekeeping operations on which they served, which is to say MONUSCO and MINUSTAH.  Beyond that, no police from Côte d’Ivoire will be extended beyond their current assignments and deployment of any subsequent Ivoirian police to UN operations has been suspended until confirmation from Côte d’Ivoire that action has been taken on the OIOS investigation.  And regarding… and regarding the quotes that you had referred to, yes, we're not going to prejudge the results of the national investigation, which the UN has asked the Member State to conduct.  We've insisted that the investigation be very thorough and comprehensive.  We've stressed that the UN should be kept fully informed of the results of the Member State’s investigation and that necessary action should be taken as a result.  But, saying that, now, of course, it's up to them to do it and we won't prejudge the results of their actions.

Inner City Press:  I guess it's actions versus investigation.  You stand behind your own report since you've already sent police officers home based on it, right?

Deputy Spokesman Haq:  Yes, of course.  The people who were found in the internal investigation to have received improper assistance in getting their jobs, those are… like I said, I've either all left or in the process of leaving.

   On the last line, we're left assuming that "I've either all left" means "they've either all left." But how many have left? 

   And why has the Cote d'Ivoire Deputy Permanent Representative who sold UN Peacekeeping posts not been declared Persona Non Grata by the US, which says it cares about peacekeeping and UN reform?

  The UN strip searched and PNG-ed Indian diplomat Khobragade for an employment dispute. Here an Ivorian diplomat has sold posts in UN Peacekeeping. Where's the PNG?

  Tellingly, after the Press' exclusive February 7 exposure of corruption in Herve Ladsous' UN Peacekeeping, its asking about it at the February 9 UN noon briefing and even the UN's long statement in spin and response at the February 10 noon briefing, UN insiders and Ladsous corruption enablers like Reuters and Agence France Presse reported not a word about the corruption.

  Reuters has been spoonfed lines about Ladsous MONUSCO refusing to act against the FDLR in the DRC, which is passes through with no analysis of Ladsous and MONUSCO's history, much less corruption. We'll have more on this.

  On February 12, despite the UN investigative report depicting in detail Cote d'Ivoire's Deputy Permanent Representative Bafetegue Ouattara soliciting and taking bribes to sell posts in Ladsous' MONUSCO and MINUSTAH missions, Inner City Press ran into Bafetegue Ouattara in the basement of the UN, by the garage. After an exchange of words, including a demand to know who leaked the report to Inner City Press (demand rejected), at noon Inner City Press asked, video here:

Inner City Press: the corruption one is as follows:  It has to do with that OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services] report that was leaked showing the payment of bribes for peacekeeping posts.  I’d asked Farhan, but I wanted to ask you more because, this morning, I actually ran into the named deputy representative of Côte d’Ivoire, Bafetegue Ouattara, in the building, and since this report, which began in 2013 and was finalized in 2014, has banking records proof of the payment of bribes for peacekeeping posts, I just wondered what does the UN do?  I understand that the peacekeepers have been asked to return home, but the person who solicited and took bribes… does the UN have no recourse at all?

Spokesman Dujarric:  You know, as you well know… As you well know, diplomats are sent here by their Governments.  We have no authority over them.  It is up to national Governments to take action against these, against individuals.

Inner City Press: Is there nothing that a diplomat could do even inside this building that the UN would take action on?  This was soliciting bribes for UN posts.

Spokesman:  As I said, this person works for the Government of the Côte d’Ivoire, it would be up to them to take appropriate action. 

  So again - there is NOTHING that a diplomat couldn't do at the UN? It cannot be said that this UN has zero tolerance for corruption - far from it. Later on February 12, UN Peacekeeping chief Ladsous, who refuses to answer any Press questions, was hobnobbing with diplomats in the Delegates' Entrance to the UN General Assembly. We'll have more on this.

 On February 10 there was a partial answer, video here; transcript here, including

Inner City Press:  Do you think that this… the panel on peacekeeping operations under [José] Ramos-Horta, is this the type of obviously kind of hole in the system that was exploited for personal gain that should be reviewed?

Deputy Spokesman Haq:  This is a clear-cut case of corruption which was found by our Office for Internal Oversight Services, and we're following up on that.  Clearly, quite a good measure of the follow-up also needs to be handled by the Member State involved.

   But there are many unresolved questions; watch this site.

 Two days after that exclusive, on February 9 Inner City Press asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq for the response of UN Peacekeeping, whose chief Herve Ladsous since Inner City Press raised corruption has refused all Press questions, specifically what Ladsous has done in the ten months he has been on notice of this corruption, as shown by the leaked documents. February 9 video here.

 On February 10, UN deputy spokesperson Haq came to the noon briefing with a prepared answer, which he read out. February 10 video here. He said that further recruitment of UN Police for Cote d'Ivoire has been suspended pending that country taking action.

 Inner City Press asked if all ten police described as paying bribes have been repatriated, for the status of the Deputy Permanent Representative Ouattara shown taking bribes, and if inquiries have been made with other countries which send soldiers or police to the UN.

  Haq said that the ten have left or are in the process of leaving. Six months after the final report? "In the process of leaving"?

 Worse, Haq said it is up to Cote d'Ivoire if the Deputy Permanent Representative remains in his post at and in the UN. Isn't collective bribes for UN posts a crime? And not only in Cote d'Ivoire? 

 Inner City Press asked Haq if this obvious loophole allowing corruption will be reviewed by Ban Ki-moon's panel of Peace Operations, to which Inner City Press has already forwarded the OIOS report. Video here.

 Another question that has been raised to Inner City Press by diplomats after reading the exclusive is whether Ladsous had a duty, at least before the UN Security Council's trip to Haiti last month led by Chile and the US to tell Council members that bribes had been collected for positions in the MINUSTAH mission there.

 Inner City Press has raised the question to MINUSTAH's chief and spokesperson, as to DR Congo mission MONUSCO's chief Martin Kobler, separate story here (as Kobler runs to be Ladsous' peer atop UN aid agency OCHA.)

 Haq told Inner City Press that "this was corruption found by our own internal oversight." But the report says the UN's OIOS "received" information about these possibly corrupt practices on July 24, 2013. We'll have more on this.

   

New Zealand's Ambassador Jim McLay Tells Inner City Press Press of Proposal For Monitoring UN's Force Intervention Brigade

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 19 -- New Zealand, new on the UN Security Council this year, is calling for increased monitoring of UN Peacekeeping military operations by the Force Intervention Brigade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ambassador Jim McLay told the Press on March 19.

  After a Security Council meeting about the UN's mission in the DRC, McLay told the Press that there's a need for more frequent and detailed monitoring of the Force Intervention Brigade, which was created with troops from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi in order to “neutralize” armed groups in the Eastern Congo.

  The FIB, as it is known, used attack helicopters and ended the largely Tutsi M23 rebellion. Now with some controversy the FIB is not being similarly deployed against the largely Hutu FDLR militia.

   Inner City Press asked McLay about this, and the perception that the Troops Contributing Countries to the FIB have a role in which groups it will target. McLay said that New Zealand's proposal is less about which groups the FIB engages and more about how the FIB engaged.

   Inner City Press asked if each contingent would monitor itself. McLay said “the most effective mechanism is probably a relative informal one,” that ensures the information comes to the Council more frequently than the standard 90 days. 

  “We owe it to the civilians,” McLay said, and also to the troops themselves. Asked if the monitoring reports would be public McLay said yes, it all becomes public in reports.

   This is not always the case, however. For example in December UN Peacekeepers in Haiti were filmed shooting at demonstrators. That UN report has still not been released.

   Still, increased oversight by the Security Council member states over the missions they create is needed. As another example, a UN Office of Internal Oversight Services “strictly confidential” report leaked to Inner City Press shows that UN Police positions in the missions in the DRC and Haiti were sold for money by the Deputy Permanent Representative of Cote d'Ivoire. Click here for report.

  That individual remains in his position, in and out of the UN building; the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (and the host country) have done nothing about that. Perhaps if other Security Council members, for example New Zealand, did more monitoring and oversight, things could improve. Watch this site.

   

At UN, New Zealand's National Day Has Tukutuku, Broad Turn-Out, From Ukraine to Eritrea

By Matthew Russell Lee, Country by Country

UNITED NATIONS, February 12 -- When New Zealand celebrated its national day in the entrance of the UN General Assembly on February 12, there was music and art and Ambassadors ranging from South Africa and Afghanistan through Lithuania and the UK to Eritrea, Bosnia and Ukraine.

  There were venison sliders and kiwi martinis; there was a speech from Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, thanking New Zealand for, as the invitation put it, "43 handwoven tukutuku hand-woven panels that have been installed on the New Zealand wall, our original gift to the United Nations which has stood by the Delegates’ Entrance since 1952."

 Some of the weavers were present, speaking with the press and posing for example with well-known UN Security officer Ralph (who showed them his selfie with Barack Obama).

  In the run up to speeches by New Zealand Ambassador Jim McLay then Ban, Urkaine's Ambassador Sergeyev mused to Inner City Press about Nagorno-Karabakh, also negotiated in Minsk. Herve Ladsous, head of UN Peacekeeping caught in a sale of jobs scandal, huddled with Afghanistan's Ambassador Zahir Tanin. On that, we'll have more.

  Many of those in attendance marveled to Inner City Press at the breadth of the turnout. Is it due to New Zealand's nuanced positions?

Three weeks into a two year UN Security Council term, New Zealand's Permanent Representative Jim McLay on January 21 offered a criticism, however diplomatic, to the Council's work on Ukraine.

   After speeches by his US counterpart Samantha Power and Russia's Vitaly Churkin, among others, McLay said that “we believe the Security Council must live up to its responsibility under the UN Charter. This Council met in 2014 no fewer than 27 times to discuss the situation in the Ukraine. So far we've seen very little impact from all this high level attention.”

   “And so it is,” McLay continued, “that at this meeting number 28, New Zealand affirms that this Council is properly seized of this matter and it calls for a more purposeful Council engagement with a real focus upon supporting efforts for negotiation a solution to this conflict. Only then we will see tangible outcomes for those most affected, the people of Eastern Ukraine.”

    When Ambassador McLay left the Security Council chamber, this reporter asked him what he meant about this “more purposeful Council engagement” on a topic which has devolved into little but accusatory speeches.

  McLay stopped and replied, “I'd prefer to leave that until we have some closed consultations.” He added of the day's Council meeting on Ukraine, “It was going to be in private, then some said it's going to be in public. We didn't object to that, but as you and I both know...” His voice trailed off.

   In the open meeting, Russia's Churkin said that “at the beginning of today's meeting we were supposed to have closed consultations to actually take a look at whether or not the Security Council could makes it contribution to settling the Ukrainian crisis. However the delegation of the United States waved its hand and, no.”

   Could taking at least part of the Security Council's meetings about Ukraine behind closed doors, where negotiation or at least more direct talk is possible, be a New Zealand contribution to the Council's work? Watch this site.

   

With UN Security Council in Haiti, MINUSTAH Interviews Its Spokesperson, No Cholera, No Answers, Council Members in 140 Characters

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 24 -- Days after the UN belatedly acknowledged its peacekeepers shot at democracy demonstrators in Haiti, and after the dismissal at the US' urging of a case against the UN for bringing cholera to Haiti, a Security Council trip began.

 On its second day, the Council members among other things visited the Chilean contingent of MINUSTAH in Cap Haitien. Meanwhile, MINUSTAH's radio station ran an interview with the Mission's spokesperson Sophie Boutaud de la Combe.

 For fifteen minutes, Sophie Boutaud de la Combe rattled off the provisions of Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, the names of the fifteen countries on the Security Council and when each of the ten elected members leaves the Council.

  Not in any of the questions, much less answers, was cholera and that the UN brought it, nor MINUSTAH peacekeepers having shot at democracy protesters.

  Back on January 12, Inner City Press wrote to Sophie Boutaud de la Combe and MINUSTAH-info with "a specific request to be informed of the status (now) and finding (when applicable) of the MINUSTAH investigation into the shooting at demonstrators that was capture on video and put on YouTube - what is the outcome?" Inner City Press also requested to receive all MINUSTAH updates.

  But in the 12 days since, there has been no response from MINUSTAH or its spokesperson. So last week Inner City Press asked again at the UN noon briefing. No answer was given that day; at the next day's briefing, deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq read out an answer about suspensions, but nothing about contacting those shot. So did Sophie Boutaud de la Combe refuse to response to Inner City Press' requests, but then send the update to the Office of the Spokesperson in New York, to be read out at a noon briefing? And what will happen next?

  New Zealand's Jim McLay said the trip is an "important opportunity for NZ to see and hear first-hand the situation in Haiti," and noted a trumpeter in Cap Haitien.

  UK Deputy Permanent Representative Peter Wilson noted that "Haiti Hospital Appeal helps rehabilitated the seriously injured in Cap Haitian."

  Keeping it real, Jordan's Dina Kawar noted: "Shocking reality after visiting women's prison. Only 11% of the 310 detained have had a trial. Rest are waiting, some since eight years in crowded cells" That's a problem.

  Spain showed the delegation in Cap Haitien; Chile showed the Battalion Commander, and the day before, Michel Martelly.

 Here are photos from the Council's trip via, whatever, MINUSTAH.

 On the first day, alongside photos of Security Council members meeting with the cabinet of Michel Martelly, ruling by decree, was a quote by US Ambassador Samantha Power to Martelly: "You have our full support."

 To some, it seems strange. In Washington, the Obama administration had spent the week explaining that it has a policy against meeting with officials who are close to elections. But Martelly is ruling by decree - yet can be met with, and so openly supported? We'll have more on this. The Security Council will be visiting not only Port au Prince but also Cap Haitien.

  While the interest of Latin American states like Chile in Haiti is noteworthy, since the UN Security Council sent the peacekeepers to Haiti, largely at the request of the US, both issues - cholera and the more recent shooting - should be addressed. We'll have more on this.

More than a month after the UN promised an investigation of its peacekeepers in Haiti having fired pistols and tear gas at protesters, and five months after a similarly promised probe of the deadly downing of a UN helicopter in South Sudan, Inner City Press on January 20 asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric about both reports. Video here.

   While Dujarric had not answered on January 20, and provided nothing in writing in the 24 hours that followed, at the noon briefing on January 21 his deputy Farhan Haq read out this answer:

"Yesterday, Stéphane [Dujarric] was asked about the status of an investigation by the UN Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).  I can tell you that MINUSTAH confirms that the investigation has been completed and the report is now being reviewed by the Mission’s leadership.  Appropriate actions have been taken on the initial recommendations for improvements in compliance with established operational procedures.  At the same time, the concerned individuals have been suspended from operational duty and the Member State concerned has been informed about the investigation.

"We were also asked about a Board of Inquiry report into a helicopter crash last year in South Sudan.  We were informed that the draft report is currently in the last stages of being finalized."

  Regarding Haiti, Inner City Press asked this follow up: "on the answer you gave on Haiti, I want to know what has MINUSTAH done to track down or to look into people actually injured by the videotaped firing into the crowd of demonstrators?"

  Haq replied, "Well, that update we gave you was what we have at this stage.  Like I said, that report is still being reviewed for follow-up activity.  We’ll provide any further details on the question of that incident in Haiti as we get them. "

  But Inner City Press had repeatedly asked about the shooting incident; no update was offered until after Inner City Press asked about it again. And what are these undefined "appropriate actions" that are referred to? We'll continue on this.



    UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, Good question -- but neither report has been made available. In the case of South Sudan, Inner City Press asked him to respond to those who say the UN may never release its report, given audio of rebel Peter Gadet threatening to shoot down UN copters, then and presumably now.

  To some these are simply more cover-up by the UN, entirely at odds with the UN's calls that others investigate and bring wrong-doers to justice. Do what I say, not what I do, is today's UN's message.

 Nor what the UN is caught doing on film: in Haiti, shooting into crowds of people protesting the failure to hold elections, and blocked the camera of media trying to cover it. Video here, from 0:18; a second video is here. 

The UN's envoy to South Sudan Ellen Loj spoke to the Security Council on October 22 then came to take questions from the media.

  Inner City Press asked Loj to explain two separate lines from her statement to the Council, and one thing that was not mentioned: the deadly downing of a UN helicopter on August 26, allegedly after the UN was told by rebel Peter Gadet that it would be shot down.

  The first line Inner City Press asked about was Loj's statement that "UNMISS is looking into ways to support the efforts of national authorities to end the violence." Inner City Press asked, would the UN provide the Salva Kiir / SPLA forces military support?

  Loj asked to be shown the line, coming out from behind the UN microphone stand to take a copy of her own statement from Inner City Press. Video here. Finally she said this might involve UNMISS conducting its own street patrols -- why would that be "supporting the national authorities" as opposed to the opposition, where it controls the streets -- or setting up a rape-help desk in police stations.

   When Inner City Press sought to remind Loj of the second line it has asked about, two national staffers "detained" since August, the moderator attempted to move the questioning on. Loj still replied that the UN doesn't know who has these two national staff members detained. 

    On the helicopter, Loj said that a UN Board of Inquiry was in South Sudan last week and she doesn't know the outcome. The helicopter was shot down on August 26, and transcripts of taped called between Gadet and UN officials have emerged. We'll have more on this.

  On Haiti more than a month ago on December 16  Inner City Press asked Dujarric, whether the peacekeeper filmed shooting a pistol and pushing back a cameraman -- like his boss Ladsous -- had been interviewed yet.
 
 Dujarric would not answer even this, saying he will only speak when he hears from MINUSTAH. Video here. 


This might be called a cover up, or a hope it goes away -- even as Ban Ki-moon, in tuxedo, goes to the ball of his UN Censorship Alliance where an award about Haiti will be given out, with no answers on shooting protesters there.

  Back on December 15, Inner City Press also asked UN Spokesman Dujarric about the incident, which the UN mission MINUSTAH has said it is investigating itself. Dujarric repeated this, adding that he didn't want to "pre-judge." Video here. But MINUSTAH's short press statement already characterized as "violent" the demonstrators that were shot at.

 Dujarric said they'd have to see if the peacekeeper felt threatened. Video here. After the web-cast UN noon briefing, Inner City Press was contacted by viewers who noted this subjective idea of an armed authority feeling threatened is that invoked in the cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner on Staten Island in New York.

  As on its impunity for bringing cholera to Haiti, the UN is on strange and untenable ground in seeking to justify shooting at unarmed people. And the head of UN Peacekeepering Herve Ladsous is conveniently in former French colony Senegal during all this.

 UN Peacekeeping's chief is Herve Ladous, and tellingly he himself tried to block the camera of the Press, right inside the UN, in September 2014. Vine here.


When a subordinate carries out the same act as his or her ultimate supervisor publicly did, it is  case of command responsibility. So who should be held accountable is known - but will it happen?

  Back on December 2, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric about MINUSTAH and protests:

Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you about Haiti, since there's the Mission there.  There have been protests about the failure to hold elections and they've been put down by police.  I wanted to know, first, whether there's been any MINUSTAH [United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti] involvement; and also what the Mission's thinking is as the 12 January deadline imposes when the Government will be dissolved and Mr. [Michel] Martelly will rule by decree.  Is that the fact?  And what’s the UN doing?

Spokesman Dujarric:  I don't believe there's been… I don't believe there's been any involvement of MINUSTAH in the demonstrations.  Obviously, it's important that people have the right to demonstrate peacefully and it's up to the authorities to ensure that right is respected.  The political situation in Haiti obviously remains a concern.  It is one that we're following closely.

   So what happened December 2 ("no involvement of MINUSTAH") and December 12 - MINUSTAH shooting into the crowd? Inner City Press has asked Dujarric about the UN's rules of engagement, so far without answer.

   With questions unanswered, UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous had the gall on the afternoon of December 13 to rebroadcast MINUSTAH self-congratulations that ignored its filmed shooting at protesters and threatening media. Inner City Press initially asked the UN Spokesman:

"What were the rules of engagement? Who gave the order to use pistol(s) and, separately, tear gas? What is the UN's understanding of injuries caused? What was the role, and is the comment, of the Under Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous?"

  Inner City Press twice, in two media, asked for an explanation or comment from the UN Spokesman, and Saturday afternoon received this:

"The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, (MINUSTAH), has been informed of an alleged excessive use of force, while responding to violent demonstrators targeting law enforcement personnel supporting the Haitian National Police (HNP) and causing injuries and destruction of property, during the demonstration in Port-au-Prince today. The Mission takes this allegation very seriously and immediately opened an investigation to establish the facts."

  Artfully, or inartfully, the MINUSTAH statement does not state that it is the UN's own alleged (filmed) excessive use of force - so is the UN investigating itself? We've asked the UN Spokesperson and weekend duty officer this:

Because the MINUSTAH statement leaves it unclear, can you confirm that it is the UN's own “alleged excessive use of force” that the UN is now investigating?

What is the time frame for the investigation?

Who is doing the investigation? MINUSTAH's human rights unit?

Can to state now that the results of the investigation will be made public?

Since the MINUSTAH statement expresses conclusions about the demonstrators (“violent,” “and causing injuries and destruction of property”) please provide similar preliminary findings as to UN Peacekeepers' action shown on this video:http://youtu.be/38owUZrNHzA

   Hours later, no answer, even as the second video emerged. Others in the UN system have been asked; we'll have more on that.

   Inner City Press has also sought comment from prospective UN-related awardee Andrea Bocelli, slated to accept without reference to the UN bringing cholera or now shooting into crowds there an award from the UN's Censorship Alliance next week -- and continues to await response.

  The MINUSTAH mission has just published this: "MINUSTAH has been informed of an alleged excessive use of force, while responding to violent demonstrators targeting law enforcement personnel supporting the Haitian National Police (HNP) and causing injuries and destruction of property, during the demonstration in Port-au-Prince today. The Mission takes this allegation very seriously and immediately opened an investigation to establish the facts."

  But UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous is already accused of cover-ups. This MINUSTAH statement doesn't even say against whom the allegations are.

  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 asked the 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 ourinformation 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 November 20 when Jose Ramos Horta took questions about the UN Peacekeeping review panel he now chairs, he initially said that the UN bringing cholera to Haiti was beyond the panel's mandate.

  When Inner City Press was able to ask him a question, it was to challenge this. How could more than 8,000 people killed, and the continuing impact on the UN's credibility, be beyond the mandate of this panel? Video here.

  Ramos Horta replied that, on reflection, he would raise the issue of cholera in Haiti to the panel's members, which now include Sri Lankan former UN official Radhika Coomaraswamy as well.

   Inner City Press also asked about the cover-up scandals swirling around UN Peacekeeping, about rapes and more in Darfur. Ramos Horta replied about abuses by peacekeepers in Timor Leste, that there must be accountability (he praised Sergio de Mello in this respect.)

UN Peacekeeping has become subject, under Herve Ladsous, to mounting questions about its operations, from crashed drones, selective “neutralization” of some rebels groups and not others, like the FDLR in the DR Congo, covering up attacks in Darfur and lack of accountability fornegligently introducing cholera to Haiti, to name just a few.

While Ladsous refuses and even blocks Press questions about these topics, recently Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has taken to saying that a major “external” panel will be set up to review the issues. On Friday, October 31, Ban’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric announced the 14-member panel, to be chaired by Ramos-Horta.

In a run-on sentence, Ban listed the panel’s topics: “the changing nature of conflict, evolving mandates, good offices and peace-building challenges, managerial and administrative arrangements, planning, partnerships, human rights and protection of civilians, uniformed capabilities for peacekeeping operations and performance.”

Inner City Press asked Dujarric about a word NOT in the list: drones. Earlier on October 31 in the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee, the representative of Ecuador said that UN Peacekeeping’s use of drones should be subject to review by the General Assembly’s C-34 Committee: that is, by member states. (Ladsous evaded the C-34, then deployed more drones than he’d mentioned to the Security Council, and won’t answer on the reasons behind the crashes; DRC envoy Martin Kobler told Inner City Press it was due to “wind.”)

Dujarric cut the question off, saying that it was “too granular” and that drones might fall — as one did in DRC — under “the changing nature of conflict.”

But the question is, should UN Peacekeeping and Ladsous be subject only to review by a panel picked by Ban Ki-moon, or by the member states? Dujarric said Ban’s panel’s report will go the the General Assembly.

It is called an “external” panel, but included not only a number of long-time insiders, but even the current Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, Ameerah Haq. This reporter asked Dujarric if this meant that Haq is leaving, and Dujarric said yes. The Free UN Coalition for Access opines: she is the wrong one to be leaving.

Strikingly, only TWO of Ban’s Panel’s 14 members are from Africa, where the vast majority of UN Peacekeepers are deployed. These members are from Ghana and Tunisia, not from countries with UN Missions like DRC, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Central African Republic if not to say Liberia, where Ladsous is said to be planning “emergency responses” with a government that has quarantined whole neighborhoods like West Point in Monrovia.

Recently during the Security Council proceeding to renew the mandate of the mission in Haiti, many ambassadors from Latin America said Troop Contributing Countries weren’t sufficiently consulted; Argentina said it would not participate in certain policing or repression activities. Will that be reviewed? We’ll have more on this.

Beyond Ramos-Horta, the Panel’s members include Jean Arnault of France — some wonder if he’s there to protect Ladsous — Abhijit Guha of India, Ameerah Haq of Bangladesh, Andrew Hughes of Australia, Wang Xuexian of China, Hilde Johnson of Norway after a troubled stint in South Sudan, Henrietta Joy Abena Nyarko Mensa-Bonsu of Ghana, Floriano Peixoto Vieira Neto of Brazil, Bruce Jones of Canada, Youssef Mahmoud of Tunisia, B. Lynn Pascoe of the US, whom Inner City Press reported was in the mix to replace Alexander Downer as UN envoy to Cyprus but was said to be blocked from getting it, Alexander Ilitchev of Russia and Ian Martin of the UK, who returned to the UN to mull mediation after starting the ill-fated UN Mission in Libya. Martin’s previous Board of Inquiry report on bombing in Gaza in 2009, Ban Ki-moon undercut with a cover-letter. We’ll have more on this, too.