UN Accused of Fraud in DRC, Hides Behind UMOJA, Victims Tell Inner City Press, Seeking Accountability

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive series

UNITED NATIONS, November 21 -- The United Nations,UNaccountable in Africa as it has been in Haiti and Sri Lanka, has left a trail of broken promises, with today's example being in Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Legal immunity, turned into impunity, is the cause of and link between these cases.

 The twist in today's DRC case is that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's vaunted “UMOJA” enterprise resource planning computer system has been blamed for the UN's refusal to pay what it owes.

  But protests of the UN in Lubumbashi have not resulted in any accountability, and as set forth below Inner City Press' DRC and Great Lakes questions to Ban's Office of the Spokesperson in New York are left unanswered, dodged, then not taken at all, in deference to a group of scribes, UNCA, which do not ask such questions and, more recently, try to sell seats next to Ban Ki-moon for $6,000.

This is today's UN, and  and in the spirit of the new Free UN Coalition for Access we'll let one of the victims start this story (Inner City Press has documents) --

“The UN's OCHA office through their representative approached us to supply the office with a number of products search as: maize flour, wheat flour, iron/roofing sheets, sugar, and stationery items like copy paper, toners to help disadvantaged people in Congo.

“We received order forms at the OCHA office fully stamped and signed by three individuals from OCHA office. We also signed a copy that the office kept. Delivery was done at three warehouses in Lubumbashi and delivery notes and invoices were signed and stamped at the office. Payments were supposed to be three weeks after delivery. In 2014 until April 2015 payments were done within the three weeks. Late May we started having problems with payments and the excuse they gave us was there will be a change in the system to UMOJA SYSTEM and there will be a one month blackout. Since UN is a big world-wide organization, we decided to be patient with them, but the excuses went on and on.

“Beginning of October, when we went to demand for payment at the office, the manager informed us they know nothing about the issue and it’s a scam! Until now we have received no proper feedback from OCHA office, claiming they are waiting for a report from the Kinshasa Office. We reported to the local MONUSCO office and they are investigating the issue but still nothing yet from them.

We also took them to court and are awaiting the court verdict. The strange thing all the workers at OCHA office have been replaced by new ones! Where did the others disappear to? Is OCHA trying to cover up for their act?

“People have lost millions of dollars. Some of us have lost their livelihoods, wondering where the next Dollar is going to come from. Some families have pulled their kids out of school as they are not able to pay their school fees. Some families are out in the streets not able to pay rent. United Nations is a humanitarian agency and its main purpose is to help disadvantaged people. Is what they did to us inline with their objective or are they creating more disadvantaged people?

“We lack International coverage in DRCongo, and UN is taking advantage of this to shurt us up as they believe no one internationally will know about our plight. we have put our hopes in you as we believe you can help us in this to make our plight known internationally.”

  The reference to families who have pulled their kids out of school as they are not able to pay their school fees is reminiscent of the plight of families in Haiti whose breadwinner was killed by the cholera UN Peacekeeping brought; the UN has refused to help any of the victims. When Inner City Press asks, repeatedly, the UN repeats that it is trying to raise money from member states, but only for forward-going water and sanitation projects, nothing for its victims and their families. We'll have more on this.

 After Inner City Press exclusively reported on UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous having granted extensions to Burundian forces to continue in his mission in the Central African Republic despite not having the right equipment, and telling Burundi he is “pragmatic” on human rights, Inner City Press asked UN Spokeman Stephane Dujarric about it.

 Dujarric never answered, saying repeatedly he had not seen the UN Peacekeeping notes on the meeting -- which he could or should easily be able to get.

   But when Reuters quoted an unnamed UN Peacekeeping official that Ladsous is vetting DR Congo troops -- while giving Burundi troops a waiver, and not speaking about any lack of vetting by France whose Sangaris troops are accused of rape in CAR -- Dujarric would still not respond to Press questions about DPKO vetting, or non-vetting, of Burundian troops.

 Inner City Press asked Dujarric about these issues at the November 20 noon briefing, and about UN officials still cavorting with Senior Advisers of the Global Sustainability Foundation, whose founder Sheri Yan has been indicted for using GSF for corruption inside the UN. Dujarric said he was not aware of the event Inner City Press asked about. Of course, he could easily find out.

  On Burundi, after Inner City Press asked Dujarric about an NGOs report on the government banning people from fleeing the country, Dujarric said he was unaware of the report. The NGO tweeted the report link to him. But still no answer. We'll have more on all this.

Footnote: the Free UN Coalition for Access find repeated non-answering of questions UNacceptable, as well as the setting aside of questions for UNCA, which is currentlysoliciting $6,000 for seats next to Ban Ki-moon at its fundraiser on Wall Street. Dujarric was asked about this as well and said, “As long as it's transparent.” Really? 

UN Security Chief Links New DRC Brigade With Risks, Syria Rebels' NGO Threat UNanswered

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 23 -- Amid threats by Syria rebels to international aid groups in Jarabulus and with theUN preparing to "go to war" in Eastern Congo, Inner City Press on Friday asked UN Security chief Kevin Kennedy what his Department of Safety and Security is going on these and other issues. Video here and embedded below.

  Although the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' spokesperson Amanda Pitt told Inner City Press that "on northern Syria, UNDSS would be the UN department to comment on security issues," Kennedy did not offer specifics about the threats by the ISIS rebels, acknowledged by the US State Department.

  Kennedy did say that the UN offers security recommendations to NGOs, as "implementing partners" of the UN, through a program grandly called "Saving Lives Together." 

  A UN veteran, Kennedy said this work has long been going on without the catchy name. NGOs, however, do not have to take the recommendations of the UN's designated security official in the 117 countries DSS operates in.

  (As if to prove that, when Inner City Press asked Kennedy about MSF's recent decision to leave Somalia and if the UN had recommended it, the answer along with praise of MSF was essentially, no.)

  On Eastern Congo, Inner City Press asked if the new UN Intervention Brigade with its mandate of neutralizing armed rebel groups changes the way UN Security prepares. Kennedy likened the new posture to the Katanga war in what become Zaire "in 1960, 61 and 62... it's deju vu all over again, a more robust mandate."

  Kennedy said he supports it, if it helps the UN fulfill its mandate. But some wonder, what is the UN's mandate: to support a particular government? Even if it means continuing to work with Army units like the 391st Battalion, implicated in mass rapes like in Minova in November 2012, and corpse desecration since?

  Kennedy's DSS colleague added that "the change of posture will influence decisions of parties to the conflict of using violence against the UN, we acknowledge it may change." He added, "it's only one component.. it changes the variables, we react to it." Video here and below.

  Overall, Kennedy illustrated the shift in UN Security by contrasting the pull out of UN staff from all of Afghanistan in 1998 after the US missile strike on a training camp in Eastern Afghanistan to the current posture of attempting to stay, even if in smaller numbers.

  Afterward by the 27th floor elevators, still with the smell of smoke from a fire last night in the UN's third sub-basement, Inner City Press asked Kennedy more about Somalia and about Louis Maxwell, the UN Security officer murdered after defending a UN guest house in Kabul, for which there has been no accountability.

Kennedy's answer was more heartening than in Inner City Press' previous stories on the topic, consonant with a recent answer from Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson. We hope to have more on this. Watch this site.

Footnote: Kennedy's briefing was set up by the Department of Public Information, as it has for example with Margaret Vogt, the former UN envoy to the Central African Republic. 

  To be fair, these briefings are a DPI improvement, even as working conditions and access at the Security Council andGeneral Assembly are declining, free speech and the right of association are under attack, and questions go answered. 

 The Free UN Coalition for Access @FUNCA_info will continue to press for increased access to the UN for the press and public. Watch this site.

   

In DR Congo, Disarming Rebels Is Up to Kobler & Commander, UN Tells Inner City Press, Upbeat on Katanga

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 14 -- With a stand-off brewing in Eastern Congo, and another simmering in Katanga, two days ago Inner City Press asked the UN about each. This morning the UN has answered, as set forth below.

From the UN's August 12 transcript:

Inner City Press: Democratic Republic of the Congo, there are reports of an uptick in violence in Katanga Province, which is not in the Kivus, but in which they say civilians are being killed. And so one, is MONUSCO [United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] doing anything on that? What’s their response to that? And as to the Kivus, the M23 [23 March Movement] has said that they are sticking by what they agreed to in Kampala and they are not going to relinquish their positions near the Goma airport, and the spokesman for MONUSCO has said that they intend to expand the weaponless zone to include those positions. So the UN, do they still view what was agreed to at Kampala as a binding agreement or does this announcement by the MONUSCO spokesman supersede that?

Deputy Spokesperson: Well, I’ll have to get back to you on that... I’ll have to find out, Matthew, I don’t have any information with me.

  Forty six hours later, there's a response on each set of questions, the Kivus and Katanga, each of which we publish in full:

Subject: your questions on the DRC
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Wed, Aug 14, 2013 at 10:43 AM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

On the security zone, the Framework and the Kampala talks:

As you are aware, MONUSCO has now established a security zone between Goma and Sake, and UN peacekeepers and Congolese security forces will continue their patrols and to ensure the area is free of unauthorized weapons. The objective of the security zone is to provide better protection to the over 1 million civilians, including internally displaced persons living in the area.

The expansion of the security zone, or its repetition in other areas of eastern DRC, are options among others that the Force Commander and the SRSG can consider in implementing the mandate given to MONUSCO by the Security Council.

These options are not considered in a vacuum; the Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework provides the overall strategy to address the root causes of the conflict; the Kampala talks provide a key forum to resolve the M23 problem.

On violence in Katanga:

MONUSCO has noticed a slight decrease in incidents of violence in Katanga, in the last 3 to 4 months.

MONUSCO has about 350 peacekeepers in Katanga, a province the size of France. Most of its peacekeepers are in the areas of Manono and Kalemie.

On 3 July 2013 following a number of attacks against Moba town in Katanga, MONUSCO conducted a joint mission with the FARDC to the areas to assess the security situation.

MONUSCO is closely monitoring the situation.

  Beyond the UN's upbeat assessment of Katanga, not shared by at least some regional experts, what jumps out is that the "security zone" or 48 hour ultimatum to disarm can be implemented, without any further checking, by SRSG Kobler and his Brazilian (or would that be Tanzanian?) force commander. Mary Robinson? Watch this site.

   

As UN Flies Governmentt Officials to Darfur, Murky on M23, Nothing on Katanga or Sri Lanka

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 12 -- UN Peacekeeping is in disarray, from Darfur in Sudan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

On August 12 Inner City Press asked UN spokesperson Eduardo Del Buey what the UN, which spends $1 billion a year in Darfur, was doing after 100 people were killed over the weekend in East Darfur. Video here.

  Del Buey replied that the UN mission had given a "special flight" to governmental authorities to the site, and sent "senior personnel" to provide technical assistance to a mediation.

  This ignores the number of Sudanese government officials who have been indicted for war crimes and genocide in Darfur, and echoes the UN flying ICC indictee Ahmad Harun to Abyei.

  Meanwhile in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the killing and displacement in Katanga has apparently drawn no response from the UN. Inner City Press asked Del Buey about Katanga, but there was no answer. Video here from 2:21.

  Inner City Press also asked if the UN still respects or abides by the Kampala agreement under which the M23 rebels pulled back to positions outside of Goma. Is the MONUSCO mission seeking to disarm or dislodge from these agreed positions the M23 rebels? Del Buey did not really have an answer to this question. He reiterated that the "Security Zone" is meant to protect civilians.

  Like the UN is doing in Darfur?

  In Sri Lanka, after having no comment on the Army's use of live fire against protesters of water polluted by Hayley's in Weliweriya, now the UN has no comment on the attack on a mosque in the Grandpass section of Colombo. Video here from 1:45.

Inner City Press has also put these Sri Lanka questions to the office of High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. Watch this site.

   

UN Let Darfur IDPs Be Kidnapped, VIP Service to Bozize Clan from UNHCR, MONUSCO Flies the Mayi Mayi

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 25 -- Most of the UN's work is in Africa, but it gets very little oversight of its work there, at least from the press corps it accredits to its New York headquarters.

  On Monday at noon Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky questions about the UN in three countries in Africa: the Central African Republic, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.Video here.

  In CAR, despite a UN political mission there, its envoy Margaret Vogt was in New York on March 13, she told Inner City Press, on vacation. She showed little sense of urgency, saying that she would brief the Security Council “in April” and maybe Ban Ki-moon would issue a statement before then.

  Now the Bozize family has been deposed by the Seleka rebels, and Inner City Press was left, or back, to ask if the UN refugee agency UNHCR is giving some form of VIP service to Bozize's entourage in the DRC, or the same service offered to others fleeing CAR.

  Nesirky said he would check; he declined to confirm if Bozize himself is in Cameroon.

  On Sudan, Nesirky read out a statement about IDPs being kidnapped on the way to Nyala. Inner City Press asked, how was this possible when they were accompanied, if not protected, by armed UN peacekeepers?

  Nesirky insisted he'd already read a statement. But it did not answer the obvious question: what's wrong with UNAMID? Previously UNAMID let rebels in Darfur take all their weapons, without firing a shot. Where IS the Protection of Civilians strategy? The UN has never directly answered that one.

On the DRC, Nesirky did after the briefing provide a written description which we will run in full:

Subject: Your question on Katanga province, DRC
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Mon, Mar 25, 2013 at 1:23 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

The UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) reports that on Saturday, 23 March, following a clash between Mayi Mayi elements and Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) troops in Lubumbashi, Katanga province, 245 Mayi-Mayi combatants entered the Mission compound, where they sought refuge and handed over their arms to peacekeepers.

The Mayi-Mayi combatants arrived at the MONUSCO compound at around 13.30 hours, local time, on Saturday, after being repelled by Government troops, following a surprise attack against Government institutions in Lubumbashi.

Following negotiations mediated by MONUSCO between the provincial authorities and the Mayi-Mayi, on 25 March, the Mayi Mayi combatants were transported by the Congolese authorities to Kinshasa on two flights. MONUSCO welcomes the peaceful surrender of the Mayi-Mayi combatants.

Out of the combatants, UNICEF had identified and separated 40 children to be demobilized and sent back to their families. Local NGOs estimated that at least 35 people, including civilians, Mayi-Mayi and FARDC soldiers, lost their lives in the fighting in the city. All the 16 injured combatants have been transferred to local hospitals for medical treatment. There were no casualties among UN staff. MONUSCO is closely monitoring the situation in Lubumbashi.

   Closely monitoring like the peacekeepers in Darfur “monitored” the IDPs who they let get kidnapped? How is it that there is so little oversight of UN Peacekeeping and its fourth French boss in a row, Herve Ladsous? Watch this site.

UN Email Says Congo Army Supports FDLR, No Answer on Ladsous' Drone Gun-Jumping

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, January 28 -- The UN continues to stonewall on questions about its actions and inaction in the Democratic Republic of Congo, from the 126 rapes in Minova by its partners in the Congolese Army FARDC to the question of why it began a procurement for drones back in November when it had not one of the many UN system approvals needed.

  Now a leaked e-mail from inside the UN Mission in the Congo, MONUSCO, reflects UN awareness that its partners in FARDC work with the FDLR militia.

  A January 21 e-mail from MONUSCO's Lt Col Rajeev Sharma, G3 Chief Operation Officer in North Kivu, to Hiroute Guebre Sellassie, Gabriel Kabore and others, states that the "FDLR battalion commanded by Lt. Col. Ezra Kalebu is reported to be operating in the localities of: Kishishi, Kibirizi, Bambo, Mubambiro, Sake, Kiroche, Ishasha and Minova. In all these places, the FDLR has full FARDC backing."

   The January 21 e-mail continues that FDLR "are particularly supported by Brig. Gen. Masunzu, the commander of the FARDC South Kivu military region." The full e-mail is below.

  So why does MONUSCO work with the FARDC? Including, it seems, the units presence at Minova in late November during / doing the 126 rapes?

  At the January 28 noon briefing in New York, even when Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokesman Eduardo Del Buey said he would only take one or two questions, Inner City Press asked two about the DRC:

Deputy Spokesperson Del Buey: I have time for a couple of questions. Matthew?

Inner City Press: Sure, I wanted to ask you, they are both about [ Democratic Republic of the Congo]. One is about this fighting in Katanga Province, where people say that there is militias [sic] fighting the Government; thousands of people are displaced. Is MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo) able to do anything or is it outside of its base of operations?

Then, I wanted to ask you about drones. It was said here on Friday that the procurement had been launched by DPKO (Department of Peacekeeping Operations), and in looking into it, it looks like the procurement began 28 November and ran through 11 January. So, it looks like DPKO started procuring drones for West Africa and Central Africa before they had any approval, even this most recent letter from the Security Council. So, I wanted to know, on what basis did DPKO begin procuring drones, and is it, in fact, the case that they intend to use them in West Africa, as the procurement document states?

Deputy Spokesperson: Well, I will have to find out on both issues for you, Matthew. I have nothing to add to what Farhan [Haq] said Friday.

   What Haq said on Friday, when asked about a January 22 letter from Masood Khan as Security Council president for January was that the procurement of drones had been launched. Actually, it was launched months before the "approval," and is already closed.

Here's the inital video #LADSOUS2013, soft launched January 27.

  Here is the full MONUSCO e-mail, hard to ask DPKO about it since Ladsous has refused all Press questions for months:

MONUSCO-NKB-G3 Chief/MONUSCO/UNFIELDMISSIONS

01/21/2013 09:13 P

To Hiroute Guebre Sellassie/MONUSCO/UNFIELDMISSIONS@UNFIELDMISSIONS, MONUSCO-HQ-DCOS Ops/MONUSCO/UNFIELDMISSIONS@UNFIELDMISSIONS, Sidibe/MONUSCO/UNFIELDMISSIONS@UNFIELDMISSIONS /UNFIELDMISSIONS@UNFIELDMISSIONS, MONUSCO-

cc MONUSCO-NKB- /MONUSCO/UNFIELDMISSIONS@UNFIELDMISSIONS, @UNFIELDMISSIONS, MONUSCO-NKB-JORDSF-

Subject SPECIAL REPORT: CONCENTRATION OF EX MAI-MAI CADRES IN KIBRIZI (17 KM SW OF COB RWINDI)

SPECIAL REPORT: CONCENTRATION OF EX MAI-MAI CADRES IN KIBRIZI (17 KM SW OF COB RWINDI)

1. Village chief, Kibrizi informed COB, Rwindi that Col Mukalai and Lt Col Kambale Celemon from 8 MR, FARDC had been sensitising the youth in the general area Kibrizi (17 km SW of COB Rwindi) for the past one week to refrain from joining negative forces. They are constantly in touch with the surrendered cadres, residing in the general area Kibrizi, and are motivating them to integrate into the National Army of FARDC.

2. The village chief also informed that approx several ex Mai Mai Cadres (600-650 from general area Pinga and 250-300 from general area Kibrizi) have gathered in Kibrizi on 20 Jan 2013 for integration into FARDC. Out of the above, 390-450 cadres have been accommodated in an adhoc camp established near FOMAC Bn, located at Kibrizi, while the rest of the cadres are staying with the villagers.

3. On contacting 2IC FOMAC, he confirmed the input and stated that necessary steps are being taken for their reintegration.

4. There appear to be a large scale integration and alliance of FDLR/Mai-Mai/APCL into FARDC in North Kivu/South Kivu and Ituri which is a cause of concern.

5. NORTH KIVU

Lt. Col. Ezra Kalebu:

FDLR presence in North Kivu provincial capital, Goma, in the blanket cover of the 41st Battalion of FARDC. Including other locations like: Mudja, Rusayo and Kanyati.

FDLR battalion commanded by Lt. Col. Ezra Kalebu is reported to be operating in the localities of: Kishishi, Kibirizi, Bambo, Mubambiro, Sake, Kiroche, Ishasha and Minova. In all these places, the FDLR has full FARDC backing.

6. SOUTH KIVU:

Brig. Gen. Masunzu,

FDLR and dependents, in South Kivu have been noticed on the move to safer places by help of FARDC. Deadly clashes with one of the local Congolese Mai-Mai Raïa Mutomboki group, opposed to the FDLR criminal activities against innocent Congolese, caused this movement. The FDLR are fleeing from: Raïa Mutomboki in Shabunda and Kalehe. (FDLR) are particularly supported by Brig. Gen. Masunzu, the commander of the FARDC South Kivu military region.

7. Action by MONUSCO. MONUSCO Plans for receipt of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) / drones for surveillance in Eastern DRC should be expedited to continuously monitor this. The situation is being closely monitored in the AOR. An ADP is being launched on 22 Jan 13 to corroborate the input, ascertain further details and ensure security in the area.

With Warm Regards,

Lt Col Rajeev Sharma
G3 Chief Operation Officer

North Kivu Bde
MONUSCO

  Watch this site.