Showing posts with label onuci. Show all posts
Showing posts with label onuci. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

For Cote d'Ivoire, UN Wants Crowd Control Equipment, Silent on Sale of Posts Scandal


By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive Series

UNITED NATIONS, June 9 -- 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.
  But when the UN's envoy to Cote d'Ivoire Aichatou Mindaoudou briefed the Security Council on June 9, she did not mention the scandal. Instead, she warned about opposition demonstrations and said Ivorian police need better equipment to “control” them.

  She said, “some opposition hardliners are more and more calling for demonstrations... With the presidential election approaching my concern remains, however, the lack of equipment among Ivorian law enforcement and security institutions for the maintenance of public order, which poses a major challenge to their operational capabilities to ensure democratic crowd control.”

  This seems a strange role for the UN to be playing. Afterward, when the new Permanent Representative to the UN of Cote d'Ivoire Claude Stanislas Bouah-Kamon emerged from the Security Council chamber on June 9 -- sans his deputy Bafetegue Ouattara -- he declined to speak on camera at the stakeout. Asked about the Morocco / Western Sahara issue that reportedly unfairly brought down his predecessor Bamba,  Bouah-Kamon said “c'est normale,” adding that he was previously his country's Ambassador to Algeria as well.
 
  But what about the sale of posts in Ladsous' UN Peacekeeping? OIOS has been further discredited of late, having been ordered about by Ban Ki-moon's chief of staff, with director Carman Lapointe overriding others to investigate Anders Kompass. We'll have more on this.
  Back on April 22,  Bafetegue Ouattara 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.
 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.

   
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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

In Darfur Alchemy, UN Peacekeeping as Victim, Ladsous Airbrushed Out, Cote d'Ivoire Connection Not Noted


By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 8, 2014 -- How can one write about the corruption of an organization, at length, without naming the person in charge? Why would one airbrush that person, in this case Herve Ladsous of UN Peacekeeping, out?

   The former spokesperson of the UNAMID mission in Darfur quit, spoke out and finally leaked documents. Radio Dabanga as well as Foreign Policy began publishing them yesterday (FP did not mention Dabanga, and calls today's Ladsous-less piece an exclusive). 

   That Ladsous' Department of Peacekeeping Operations would cover up attacks on the troops it receives from Rwanda, Nigeria, Gambia and elsewhere is a trend -- but the leaving unprotected, or even active harming, of civilians is something else. This is what has happened under Ladsous' DPKO -- but it cannot or will no be exposed without naming Ladsous.
 
   Nor is this problem limited to UNAMID in Darfur. Just from the four corners of a quoted email, the new head of the mission in Cote d'Ivoire Aïchatou Mindaoudou Souleymane of Niger is included. Is that mission less tightly bound to the government, and to the French troops in the Force Licorne?
    On the 20th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide's beginning, when then and now Eastern Congo player Herve Ladsous told Inner City Press "I never answer your questions," more questions of Ladsous' veracity were put to UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq, video here.
   As if to explain not only Ladsous' refusal to answer Press questions about rapes in Minova by his partners in the Congolese Army but also the discrepancy between his statements in New York and memos to his mission in Darfur, Haq in response contrasted the "good will of the host Government required to allow peacekeepers to do their jobs, and the sometimes contradictory imperative to report accurately and candidly."
  In Kigali earlier in the day, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that his Rights Up Front program -- adopted in the wake of the UN's 2009 failure in Sri Lanka -- sends a signal to UN representatives to "Speak up, even if it may offend." But then Haq again said that the need for the good will of governments like Sudan's contradict reporting accurately and candidly," transcript below.
  Ladsous throws this out the window: simply refusing to answer questions or questioners he doesn't like. That is Ladsous' "Rights Up Front."

  From the UN's April 7, 2014 transcript:
Inner City Press: Sure, Farhan. I wanted to ask you about these memos, including by Under-Secretary-General Ladsous, leaked by Aicha Elbasri of the former Spokesman of UNAMID. I wanted to ask specifically about the incident in March 2013 where the kidnapping took place. I had asked here in this room about it and your office had said you were checking back with them. And a memo has emerged from Mr. Ladsous to Mr. Chambas of 10 April 2013, making references to reports being made that he was still unclear. One, I wanted to know what’s your response — what was ever done, actually done, to ensure — what were the findings? What were the… I have seen Mr. Ladsous’ statement, but what were the actual findings about this incident, about the peacekeepers that were involved, and basically, what more can you say about it? Seems to be that Mr. Ladsous and DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] were saying things here in New York that were not, or tend to be disproved by some of the memos that have been released, including by Radio Dabanga and Foreign Policy.
Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq: Well, first off, of course I don’t have a comment on the leaked memos. We’ll try to follow up and see what was done regarding the specific March 2013 incident because there was follow-up, some of which I believe we reported here at the time from this podium. If we have any further details we’ll share it with you then.
Inner City Press: What about the end-of-mission? I’d also asked about Ms. Elbasri; she seems like she had, before making this leak, she had said, gone public and said that she did an end-of-mission report in which she accused UNAMID of basically covering up crimes in Darfur. So one, I mean, if you are not commenting on the memos — they have all kinds of markings and stampings — do you contest their veracity? And two, what can you say about her end-of-mission report? What steps were taken? Did DPKO disbelieve her? Did they make any changes? And if she tried internally, why can’t she go externally by leaking?
Deputy Spokesman Haq: Well, first of all, like I said, I won’t comment. Trying to make a comment on the veracity is commenting, and I’m not commenting on leaked memos. Beyond that, regarding the sort of criticisms, part of what we’ve been trying to do is deal with the problems that the mission faces. In the case of UNAMID, as with every other mission, there is tension between the necessity to preserve the consent and good will of the host Government required to allow peacekeepers to do their jobs, and the sometimes contradictory imperative to report accurately and candidly on any and all incidents of violence.
UN Peacekeeping is aware of the issues raised, including in this series of articles and foreignpolicy.com, and it takes them very seriously. As far as that goes, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations launched a strategic review recently to assess UNAMID’s performance in an environment in which new conflict dynamics have emerged and old ones remain unaddressed. You’ll have seen the special report of the Secretary-General on the strategic review of UNAMID, which was published in February. It identifies three main challenges faced by the mission in implementing its mandate: the cooperation of the Government; internal managerial and coordination issues, especially with the UN country team; and the capabilities of our troops and police contributors. And so that strategic review has gone to the Security Council, where it has received support from the Security Council. And we’ll see what we can do to further improve the work of the mission.
 Back on March 25, 2013, Inner City Press asked the UN Spokespersonabout how the UN Peacekeeping in Darfur could have let a group of Internally Displaced People be kidnapped while they were ostensibly protected:
Inner City Press: there is this incident where IDPs were taken hostage or kidnapped by people that were in Government army uniforms, and somehow UNAMID is saying that they opposed it and they denounced the kidnapping, but some people are wondering how armed UN peacekeepers could have IDPs under their care and they could all be kidnapped. Can you clarify how it took place and how it is consistent with protection of civilians?
Spokesperson: Well, I have asked the Mission for more details on that, and I think if you were listening carefully you will have heard me read out precisely what you just said to me.
Inner City Press: But what I am asking about specifically about how it could take place?
Spokesperson: I heard what you said, and I’ve said that I’ll see if I can find out more, which is what I have already asked the Mission and Peacekeeping Operations.
  Now Radio Dabanga has published a memo by UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, from April 10, 2013, still saying he didn't know how it happened. 
  What is Ladsous doing? Then, and apparently now, he refuses Press questions about topics ranging from Sudan -- why did he meet with International Criminal Court indictee Omar al Bashir in July 2013? -- torapes in the DR Congo by UN Peacekeeping's partners in the Congolese Army.
  Will the publication of these leaks, in a non Ladsous protective way by Radio Dabanga, finally help bring accountability?
  The citation is to former UNAMID spokesperson Aicha Elbasri. Back on February 4, 2014, Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson about the full-on critique of UNAMID and DPKO by Ms Elbasri:
Inner City Press: On Darfur, maybe you have something on the Government ordering the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) to suspend operations. And I also wanted to know if there’s any response from the UN to former UNAMID [African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur] spokesperson Aicha Elbasri. She’s gone public, saying basically that, while serving as spokesperson of UNAMID, she wasn’t given information; that the Mission under-reports abuses of civilians and other developments in Darfur. I wanted to know, what’s the response of the UN to that?
Spokesperson: I’d have to check with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations on both of those.
  So, respecting that, Inner City Press waited. The answers weren't directly provided by e-mail as the UN does with other, but read out at the noon briefing, apparently to see if anyone else might report more positively on them (no one did)
"we were asked about reporting by the African Union–UN Mission on developments in Darfur. UNAMID notes that it reports verified information on the situation in Darfur to the United Nations and to the African Union on a daily basis. This information is then made public in the Secretary-General’s quarterly reports to the Security Council and, as the situation warrants, in press statements."
  To a casual or ill-informed listener, it sounded like a legitimate answer. But as the UN and its Department of Peacekeeping Operations under Herve Ladsous know, this was part of Aicha Elbasri's critique, even then:
"On 24 April I resigned from UNAMID and wrote my end-of-mission report requesting the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to look into UNAMID’s violations of the UN Public Information policy which calls for open, transparent and honest information-sharing with the media. I didn't receive any response. On past August, I requested the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services to open an investigation into the matter. The information I shared with them should have made anyone who cares about the people of Darfur and the UN values and policies jump, call me and take a quick action. What I received so far is a deafening silence. And I can no longer wait, because every day that goes by, more men, women and children die in Darfur in total impunity and invisibility. So today I will break the UN code of conduct and share with you some confidential photos and information that show the African Union, the United Nations and UNAMID’ conspiracy of silence."
  Surely Ladsous' DPKO (and Carman Lapointe's OIOS) knew what Aicha Elbasri submitted. But the public response was as set forth above. Now, will the publication of these leaks, in a non Ladsous protective way by Radio Dabanga, finally help bring accountability? We'll be following this. Watch this site.

   
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Monday, January 27, 2014

To South Sudan, UN Confirms to Inner City Press 350 Ghana Troops from Cote d'Ivoire, Where Gay Rights Group Is Attacked, No UN Comment Yet


By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 27 -- After the UN Security Council met on January 27 about one of the many former French colonies on its agenda, Cote d'Ivoire, no one came to the UNTV stakeout to speak. 
 New UN envoy Aïchatou Mindaoudou Souleymane, who replaced Bert Koenders when he shifted to Mali, did not come to New York, instead briefing by video. Inner City Press went to the noon briefing and asked, video here:
Inner City Press: it seems like the [Special Representative of the Secretary-General] is probably not going to give stake out – she is not here — so I thought I’d ask you. There was a reported ransacking of a group called Alternative Côte d’Ivoire, which is the biggest gay rights group in the country and it was done today. So I am wondering, does she or the UN have any comment on that? Also, Ghana has said it would move some troops or send some troops to South Sudan. I’m told this would actually come from UNOCI (United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire). I am wondering if you can confirm that?
Acting Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq: On the question of Ghanaian troops, I can’t confirm that just yet. We’ll have to see what we can say about further troops to UNMISS. As you know, we’ve been trying to redeploy some troops, but I don’t have any announcement to make on that just yet. Regarding the question of the ransacking of the gay rights group, we’ll check with UNOCI whether they have anything to say about this reported incident.
  By day's end, the UN still had no comment on the ransacking of the NGO. But Haq's office sent this:
Subject: Your question on UNMISS
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Mon, Jan 27, 2014 at 3:02 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com
Regarding your question on the UN Mission in South Sudan, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has the following information: Preparations are underway to transfer 350 Ghanaian troops from ONUCI to UNMISS under inter-mission cooperation in the coming weeks.
  Another 500, Inner City Press is told, would come from the UN's mission in Darfur... 
 After the Security Council finished with Cote d'Ivoire on January 27, there was another session that was not on the public schedule. Inner City Press staked it out and was told that questions had been asked, on Central African Republic, about how the European Union forces will work with the African MISCA mission. 
  Assurances were given; a scrum of diplomats including France's continued out to the stakeout. But no one spoke on camera. This is the UN.

   
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Monday, January 13, 2014

Indian Diplomat Khobragade Separated from Family, But French Dip Serman in SF as Consul, French Mission Shouts After 34 Months of No Answer, Only Threats


By Matthew Russell Lee, Follow Up on Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, January 13 -- Following last week's US indictment of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade for underpaying a domestic worker, she left the country and now vows to pursue through US courts the dismissal of the case to clear her name.  
  Khobragade's case continues to stand in contrast to that of French diplomat Romain Serman, even as "clarified" in a one-way shout-fest for French ambassador Gerard Araud at the UN Security Council stakeout on January 13.
  Back in 2011, though, Inner City Press uncovered and exclusively reported on the case of a French diplomat, Romain Serman, who after resisting arrest while allegedly buying cocaine was later allowed to leave the country. See story here, arrest report here.
  In connection with that story, Inner City Press expressly asked the French Mission to the UN to comment on, explain or contest the NYPD arrest record document.  They did not -- rather, Inner City Press was told that it being published was a "hostile act."
   The French Mission took other actions that form another story. But the point is, the French Mission was asked for comment, and made none.

   Now, 32 months later, French Ambassador Araud approached Inner City Press at the Security Council stakeout on January 13. He said the arrest document is from 2006 but Serman did not leave the US until 2007. He said, "if you had checked --"
  Inner City Press replied that his Mission was asked for comment but gave none, only threats.
  Araud said, "You let me finish first!"  Inner City Press continued to listen, but as soon as Araud finished he turned and walked into the Security Council.
   Why was no comment given by the French Mission back in April 2011, including on the other leaked documents they objected to about the UN mission on Cote d'Ivoire ONUCI and other topics? There is more to be said on all this as well.
 But, in comparison to Ms. Khobragade, it seems clear that Serman was NOT placed on any US watch list, because he not only returned to the US -- he is now France's consul in San Francisco.
  While it may be debatable if resisting arrest for attemped cocaine purchase is more or less serious than allegedly underpaying a domestic worker, the disparity in US treatment between the French and Indian and French diplomat has still not been explained.
  Usually the agreement upon being allowed to leave the US in this way is that the person will not come back to the US. But Romain Serman came back to the US -- as France's consul in San Francisco, still.
  When Inner City Press reported this, the then spokesperson of the French mission demanded that Inner City Press remove the story from the Internet. 
  As with stories on Sri Lanka that the United Nations Correspondents Association demanded be taken down from the Internet or Inner City Press face expulsion, Inner City Press refused. The French spokesperson called this a "hostile act" (Inner City Press countered that it was an act of journalism) and things proceeded from there.
  This becomes even more relevant now in light of reports not only of the disparity in indictment of Khobragade versus none for the French Serman, but of US State Department spokesperson Psaki's comments last week about Khobragade being put on a watch list. 
  Back in April 2011, Inner City Press asked spokespeople at the US Mission to the UN and then Mark Toner at the State Department, "Was the State Department aware of Serman's arrest record when he re-entered in 2010, and how does applicable law and precedent allow this?"
 And we're still waiting for a response, as we are to FOIA requests pending at the State Department. Soon the new Free UN Coalition for Access will have to get on this case. Watch this site.

   
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Monday, December 23, 2013

To South Sudan, Ban Ki-moon Proposes Shift of a Battalion from Ivory Coast, Ouattara's Ambassador Bamba Disagreed in July, Questions UNanswered 53 Hours


By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 23 -- While the UN pulls out of parts of South Sudan and is now "advised" to get out of Bentiu, as Salva Kiir threatens to re-take Bor by force, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has proposed shifting in 5,500 soldiers, 423 police and three attack helicopters from five other UN missions. Inner City Press has put Ban's letter online here.

  These include ONUCI in Cote d'Ivoire. Back on July 18, 2013, Ivorian ambassador Bamba told the Security Council that his government expressed reservations on reducing the UN force there -- by 2015. Inner City Press is putting Bamba's speech online here, see Paragraph 46.

  Now Bamba has been asked to "retract" (or at least not talk about or stand behind) his speech six months ago, since Ban proposes to move a battalion from Cote d'Ivoire to South Sudan.

  On the morning of December 22, Inner City Press asked Ban's top two spokespeople, and then the listed "Weekend Duty Officer," about Ban's proposed shift of assets and the shift's potential impacts . More than a day later, they had not answered.
  Ban took four questions on December 23 but none on this.
  Ban's lead spokesperson Martin Nesirky gave three of four questions to board members of the United Nations Correspondents Association (a/k/a UN's Censorship Alliance), a group which most recently gushed about fashion photos it took with Ban last week. One of these three questions was not about South Sudan at all; another tried to blame everything on Khartoum.
  But what is Ban's position on Salva Kiir, which whom his (or Norway's) envoy Hilde Johnson is so close, threatening to re-take Bor by force? Inner City Press asked the question with Ban still in the room. The response was happy holidays and maybe Hilde will speak later in the week. After Bor is assaulted?
  Ban said, you can get answers through my spokesperson. Well, no. That has not been the case.
  Nesirky's office did not answer a single Press question on South Sudan submitted on December 21 and 22, even after they were re-sent to his office's supposed "Weekend Duty Officer" Eri Kaneko. What is the duty? Where are the answers?
 In the room for Ban's four-question presser was Kieran Dwyer, the spokesperson for Herve Ladsous - he has been allowed by his ostensible boss Ban to have a "policy" against answer Press questions. 
  Dwyer and UN Peacekeeping have yet to explain why on the afternoon of December 19 Indian ambassador Mukerji could tell Inner City Press about the killing of two peacekeepers in Akobo while UN Peacekeeping at that time did not know about it. An analysis of UNMISS communications is in preparation.
   Meanwhile Hilde Johnson's deputy envoy Toby Lanzer has issued a press statement, addressing neither issue. It listed two contacts, Tapiwa Gomo and Amanda Wyler, to whom Inner City Press immediately sent questions, three hours ago:
What is the situation in, including humanitarian access to, the Yide / Yida refugee camp?
Please state UNMISS' / OCHA's knowledge of the situation in Yuai. Have all UN peacekeepers been withdrawn? What about the civilians?
What is UNMISS' / OCHA's resonse to Salva Kiir's reported ultimatum on Bentiu, including advising UN and NGO staff to leave? Will OCHA leave (as it did from Kilinochchi in Sri Lanka in 2008)?
What is the situation in Bor? Has the UN evacuated any South Sudanese, or other foreigners?
These questions are directed to you as the contact on Mr. Lanzer's December 23 statement, and cc-ed to Mr. Lanzer as Humanitarian Coordinator.
 Three and a half hours later, no response at all. As to the first question, there's word of killing including of an NGO worker in the Yida camp.
  The UN has now announced that Hilde Johnson will hold a press conference at noon in Juba on December 24 - no word if it'll be webcast; the UN has said that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will speak to the media at the UN in New York at 12:20 pm on December 23. Ban's office is in the clouds (photo here); the UN Security Council despite all this isdormant (photo here).
  Will Ban answer questions, including on his UN Mission's reaction to Kiir's ultimatum? His head of UN Peacekeeping, Herve Ladsous, does not. Video here, UK coverage here.  And Ban's Office of the Spokesperson has not, since the morning of December 21.
  IN Sri Lanka in 2008, the government told the UN to get out of Kilinochchi, and the UN did. Years later it has issued a post Sri Lanka failure "Rights Up Front" action plan. So does it push back against Kiir's threat to militarily re-take Bentiu? Or is such push back limited to government's the Western Permanent Three members of the Security Council don't like?
  Speaking of the Western P3, when two French journalists were killed in Mali, there was an immediately Security Council press statement. Now, the French NGO Solidarites International says one of its staff in South Sudan was killed, probably"assassinated." 
  But with France holding the Council presidency, still, there is not even a UNSC meeting or briefing yet scheduled. Is this based on the identity of those killed? Or of the killers, or their location?
   Rather than explain or answer questions about the UN's pull out -- and shift of assets away from a promised crackdown on the Hutu militia FDLR in the Eastern Congo -- the UN offers mere sound bytes and fundraising appeals. 
  But how many have been killed so far in Bor?
   With Bor in South Sudan under the control of Peter Gadet, the UN in New York not answered questions for more than a day. There is a history: back on March 15, 2012 Inner City Press asked UN envoy Hilde Johnson about Gadet being given a role in "disarmament" around Bor. Video here, from Minute 9:35.
  Johnson, a vocal supporter of plans by South Sudan's Salva Kir government, told Inner City Press that it didn't much matter WHO did the disarmament. Video here, from Minute 12:55 (to "us in the UN" who did the disarmament, including Gadet, was "less than relevant.")
  Standing next to Johnson was the spokesperson for UN Peaceekping chief Herve Ladsous, Kieran Dwyer, who would later on video defend Ladsous' refusal to answer Press questions about his UN Peacekeeping partnering with Congolese Army units implicated in mass rapes (or here, for disarmament in South Sudan, with Peter Gadet.)
  Now that US aircraft have been fired at from Bor, and President Barack Obama has told Congress he "may take further action," did and does it really not matter? Where is the accountability? Where are the answers? 
  Rather than answer, the UN issues press releases from its envoy Hilde Johnson. Its communications officer for South Sudan Clare Santry has left the country and appeared for asoft two minute piece on BBC, her former employer, appealing for money from donors and insisting, as Johnson did, that the UN is not abandoning anyone in South Sudan.
  Really? Then why did the UN move to pull even its armed peacekeepers out of Yuai? What is the situation in Bentiu, with troubling reports of killings and seemingly a looming battle?
   On the morning of December 22, Inner City Press submitted additional questions to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Office of the Spokesperson, to the chief spokesperson Martin Nesirky and the "weekend duty officer" Eri Kaneko to whom actiong deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq's email auto-responder directed questions:
On the South Sudan crisis, while still awaiting any response to the questions submitted yesterday, must for now ask a few more:
What percentage of UNMISS personnel is it who are being moved from Bor to Juba? From Juba to Entebbe? How is this different, for example, from the pull out of UN staff from Kilinochchi in late 2008?
Given that the SG said "we are now actively trying to transfer our assets from other peacekeeping missions, like MONUSCO [the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] and some other areas" --
which assets is he / the UN trying to transfer out of the DRC? How does this relate to the UN's pledge to now move to neutralize the FDLR? From what other missions is the UN trying to move assets?
Who in the UN has spoken to - or even reached out to - Riek Machar in the past days? Has the UN visited, or asked to visit, the arrested former ministers?
  No answer in four hours, on top of the then 24 hours of non-response before. The Spokesperson's office on December 22 has only put out a statement by envoy Hilde F. Johnson: “To anyone who wants to threaten us, attack us or put obstacles in our way, our message remains loud and clear: we will not be intimidated.” 
   This in the same statement announcing the pull-out of all "non-critical" UN staff from Juba to Uganda, while the UN and Johnson's deputy Toby Lanzer have not answer what percentage of UN staff are being pulled out. 
  How is this consistent with the UN's recent post Sri Lanka failure "Rights Up Front" action plan? In Sri Lanka in 2008, the UN pulled all humanitarian ("non-critical"?) staff out of Kilinochchi -- then concealed its own death counts in 2009.
  As Inner City Press asked on December 19 in the UN Press Briefing Room, is Hilde Johnson too close a supporter of Salva Kiir to mediate? This was not answered. Nor whether in the days since she has spoken with, or even reached out to, Riek Machar.
  As noted from Manila Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he would move "assets" from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to South Sudan.
   Given that the UN has made much of its new focus on "neutralizing" the Hutu FDLR militia in the DRC, Ban's statement cries out for explanation from the UN. Inner City Press was asked, from the Kivus, where Ban said this. It was in his Q&A in Manila, only belated added to the UN website,here.
  So too does the UN Mission in South Sudan UNMISS tweeting it is moving "non essential" staff out of the country, to Uganda, STILL cry out for explanation.
  What percentage of UNMISS would that be? And how is this consistent with the UN's ballyhooed post Sri Lanka failure "Rights Up Front Action Plan"?  Rights seen from behind?

  What about the UN decision to try to pull all of peacekeepers out of Yuai? Was a UN helicopter shot down and abandoned on the way? The UN won't answer on this, or the questions below. But BBC has no analysis of the UN, only of "rebel" former vice president Riek Machar.
  BBC on December 21 showed former US official, now Texas A&M professor Andrew Natsios, who said the ICRC and IGAD ministers were blocked from visiting the ministers arrested by Salva Kiir. 
  Natsios suggested the ministers should be turned over to the UN for protection. What -- protection like the abandoned civilians around Yuai? 
  One reason the UN does not improvement is that it is not held accountable. Even on Haiti cholera, people make excuses, and those who don't are barely heard from. Shouldn't the UN at least be expected to answer questions?
  Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in from Manila cited South Sudan and Riek Machar. But his Office of the Spokesperson has gone twenty hours without answering basic questions about South Sudan.
  After the UN Mission in South Sudan belated acknowledged on its week-old Twitter account that one of its helicopters "came under small arms fire" on the way to try to remove all peacekeepers from Yuai, Inner City Press asked a question.
   Did the UN copter in fact get shot, emergency land and be abandoned -- that is, get shot down?  Saying "came under small arms fire," in that case, would be an understatement.
  But the UN spokesperson's office in New York has left Press questions about South Sudan UNanswered since the morning of December 21.
  The US State Department has summarized John Kerry's call to Salva Kiir, informing him that US envoy Donald Booth is on the way. Will Booth reach out to Riek Machar? Who will tell the UN, which is ostensibly responsive to its member states, that it should answer questions?
  After news that three US military aircraft were fired at while approaching Bor in South Sudan, where some 15,000 people are in the UN base, Inner City Press put questions to US Africom and to the UN's two top spokespeople in New York.
  Africom quickly answered, twice. And the White House sent a statement that President Barack Obama was briefed, including by Susan Rice, and "reaffirmed the importance of continuing to work with the United Nations to secure our citizens in Bor."
  But from the UN came only an auto-response, that acting deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq will be out of the office until December 30, and to put any questions to the sole weekend duty officer of the Office of the Spokesperson for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Inner City Press sent these, on the morning of December 21, more than four hours before deadline for first publication:
Now with 3 US aircraft shot over Bor, this is a press request for an update from the UN:
What is the UN's knowledge of military conflict in Bor, impact on civilians?
Is the army aligned with Salva Kiir seeking to re-take Bor? Is it coordinating in any way with UNMISS?
Since the beginning of the unrest in Juba, has UNMISS provided any support to which the UN's Human Rights Due Diligence Policy applies? If so, to which units?
Has any UN official spoken with Riek Machar during this period?
To the UN's knowledge, did Uganda or any other outside country take military action in Bor or elsewhere in South Sudan?
This is a request, including on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access, that the Office of the Spokesperson hold (noon) briefings during this phase of crisis in South Sudan, certainly on Monday, December 23.
While some information trickles out from UNMISS in Juba, which only started a twitter account last week, it comes late.  
  This is why the UN's Office of the Spokesperson should be providing information, and / or Herve Ladsous' UN Peacekeeping. Their twitter account is blithely promoting itself, with a few re-tweets from UNMISS. Where is Ladsous? He still of of December 2013 says he has a "policy" of not answering Press questions. Video here.
This is a time for the UN to communicate. But it is not. As was jotted during the Security Council's consultations on December 20 -- despite commitment and good work from many in UNMISS which Inner City Press also covers and would like to cover more -- there is a credibility crisis for the UN. And it is getting worse. Watch this site.

   
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