UN Tells Peacekeepers the Central African Republic Is Not Dangerous, To Limit Their Pay: Where is the UN Security Council on This?

By Matthew Russell Lee, Scoop

UNITED NATIONS, March 13 -- When the UN Security Council visited the Central African Republic earlier this week, the issue of the UN underpaying the peacekeepers there was not raised, publicly or at all.

  But back in UN headquarters in the C-34 Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, discontent with DPKO as run by Herve Ladsous was mounting. On CAR, one issue about which C-34 exclusively told Inner City Press was Ladsous' DPKO's refusal to comply with the recommendations of the Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations to pay a risk premium to peacekeepers in the dangerous missions.

   Under Ladsous, DPKO tells Troop Contributing Countries with their soldier in CAR that it is not dangerous there -- while saying quite the opposite elsewhere. Several delegates called this rank hypocrisy. 

   Some thanked Inner City Press for publishing the Office of Internal Oversight Services report, here, on how positions in the UN missions in Haiti and the DR Congo were sold by Cote d'Ivoire's Deputy Permanent Representative Ouattara.

 Now DPR Ouattara has become the charge d'affaires since Permanent Representative Bamba, who was not involved the corruption, has been ousted, alleged due to a speech on his watch calling Western Sahara the last colony in Africa (this was, but is not longer, Cote d'Ivoire's position).

  Ladsous, as shown by multiple videos including this andthis and this Vine, refuses to answer Press questions.

   The UN Security Council creates peacekeeping operations -- so what is their role in ensuring that DPKO pay the peacekeepers fairly, including in accordance with the Special Advisory Group's report and related General Assembly resolution? What is the Security Council's oversight role, for example on the report of demonstrators in Gao in Northern Mali being shot?

  This month's Security Council president, the French Mission, told Inner City Press that whether or not the Security Council will get any information from the Gao report is entirely up to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. How can that be? And what of Ladsous, and ultimately Ban, claiming CAR is not dangerous, in order to underpay the peacekeepers, as described to Inner City Press by C-34 delegates? We'll have more on this.

   In the UN's first sub-basement on March 13, some delegates suggested that the C-34's forthcoming - or not - report would be “the worst ever.” Watch this site.

   

On Sri Lanka, Shavendra Silva Farewell Echoes From Boston to Ball of UNCA, Run by Kohona's Ex-Landlord

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 23 -- Last week Inner City Press learned that the Sri Lankan military figure the government sent to the UN, where he became one of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's and Herve Ladsous' senior advisers on peacekeeping, was now leaving New York.

  Shavendra Silva's farewell tour has passed through Boston, where retired Major General Asoka Jayawardena bragged about Silva being on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's (and Herve Ladsous') Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations. 

  Silva portrayed himself as pursued by media with "swords out of their scabbards." Then, surreally, Rita Cosby praised what Silva did in battle.

   Seeking comment, including from Sri Lankan Permanent Representative to the UN Palitha Kohona, Inner City Press staked-out (sample video here) the $100 ball of the UN Correspondents Association, whose past and future president Giampaolo Piolipreviously rented one of his Manhattan apartment to Kohona -- when Kohona was a UN official, we point out due to Pioli's defensiveness and more (see below).

  There and elsewhere since, some put on a positive gloss, that Shavendra Silva is returning to Sri Lanka at this time to help on Mahindra Rajapaksa's re-election campaign. Others said that as a military figure, Silva cannot do so.

  While in New York, beyond being put on Ban's and Ladsous's Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations -- Ban said it was entirely up to member states -- Silva has been a man about town. 

  See, for example, this tweeted photograph of him, in "Times Square Gossip," ironically at the Wounded Warriors Project gala in the Edison Ballroom, with Wije Kottahachchi and, yes, Rita Cosby.  (By contrast, UNCA has blocked Inner City Press from its moribund Twitter feed, despite Ban's Office of the Spokesman claiming that UNCA gets information out to all correspondents who cover the UN. To boot, UNCA's website is now restricted to those with a password. Some "journalists" organization.)

   At Shavendra Silva's farewell banquet, he praised other military figures and even sang a song about Sri Lanka. Kohona spoke about their different paths; another said that it was cricket that led Shavendra Silva to do what he did.

  And what was that?

  Back on December 9 when the UN's Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng took questions, Inner City Press asked him if he considered what happened in Sri Lanka in 2009 (and before and after) to be genocide, and of the work of and reaction to the UN panel, see below.

  Dieng said what happened in 2009 was a failure of the international community, with the killing of thousands "under our eyes." Video here, and embedded below.

  Dieng cited the UN's Petrie report, and then Ban Ki-moon (who'd gone on a Rajapaksa sponsored victory tour of northern Sri Lanka in mid 2009) later establishing a "Rights Up Front" program.

  (As Inner City Press points out, Ban has tellingly disconnected Rights Up Front from its roots of failure in Sri Lanka.)

Shavendra Silva, Giampaolo Pioli & Kohona in UN, UNCA banner, decay

  As the belated investigation of war crimes in Sri Lanka mandated by the UN Human Rights Council proceeds, new evidence concerning the "white flag killings" of surrendering Liberation Tiger of Tamil Eelam leaders has emerged.

  A statement has been published in media censored by the Sri Lankan government that Shavendra Silva, Sri Lanka's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, was ordered by Defense Secretary and presidential brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa "not to accommodate any LTTE leaders attempting to surrender and informed that they all should be killed." Full text below.

 Killing those who are surrendering is a war crime. The LTTE leaders were lured out, to their deaths, by assurances delivered through the UN from Sri Lankan officials including its Permanent Representative to the UN Palitha Kohona.

  Inner City Press has doggedly pursued the ramification of these White Flag killings and the wider Bloodbath on the Beach (initially here, in Johns Hopkins' SAIS Review of International Affairs); below is a response to Inner City Press from Shavendra Silva. Tellingly, there has been censorship inside the UN itself.

  Palitha Kohona and Shavendra Silva appeared on a three person "UN" panel with Giampaolo Pioli, past and future president of the United Nations Correspondents Association, to screen a film denying war crimes called "Lies Agreed To." Photo below.

  As Inner City Press reported, Pioli had a previous financial relationship with Kohona, having rented him one of his Manhattan apartments; for using the UN Correspondents Association to screen the Sri Lanka government war crimes denial inside the UN, Pioli did not seek prior approval of other UNCA Executive Committee members.

  Inner City Press reported these facts, after pro-government media in Sri Lanka portrayed the screening inside the UN as a victory or even absolution. Immediately after that, Pioli convened a series of "emergency" UNCA  Executive Committee meetings. Links to audio are below; here's a sample story from The Guardian in the UK.

  First, Pioli demanded that the article be removed from the Internet (he rejected the offer to submit a written response of the type Shavendra Silva submitted).

  After Inner City Press refused to remove the entire article from the Internet, Pioli said he would get Inner City Press thrown out. Issues about the French mission to the UN were raised. Pioli's First Vice President from Reuters filed a complaint with the UN's Media Accreditation and Liaison unit, copied to Pioli (the Reuters bureau chief subsequently filed a sworn statement with Google to get this blocked from Search, claiming it was a private and even copyrighted communication, here.) 

  But Voice of America, which filed a formal request to the UN to "review" Inner City Press' accreditation, is subject to the US Freedom of Information Act. After Pioli tried to get Inner City Press to withdraw the FOIA request it filed, Inner City Press obtain documents, many heavily redacted and some not yet reported, showing how the campaign to get Inner City Press thrown out of the UN worked, including UNCA talking "quietly" with UN officials to bring it about.

  We'll have more on all this. But how can it be, as the belated investigation of Sri Lanka war crimes goes forward, that not only is Shavendra Silva still a Deputy Permanent Representative in the UN (Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told Inner City Press that Silva being one of his advisers of Peacekeeping Operations was simply up to member states), but that this censor, Pioli, is slated in a classic no-competition "election" to come to head the UN Correspondents Association at least for 2015?

  This is a new low at the UN. The new Free UN Coalition for Access, which seeks to hold the UN to its stated principles including defending the right to free press and investigative journalism in the UN, will now pursuing these issues. 

Here is the new statement, as published, followed by Silva's previous response, and background including audio clips

Date: 5/17/2009   Time: 11.45 am – 12.30pm

Place: Wellamulliwikkal, MLT Sri Lanka (58 Division Operations room)

When the instructions from Mr.Gotayabhaya Rajapaksha the Secretary Defence of Sri Lanka to the 58 Division Commander Brigadier Shavendra Silva (Now Major General) was passed down over the telephone I was with the Brigadier. I was functioning as one of the defence correspondents attached to 58 Division.

The conversation took place is as follows.

Time:11.45am 1st call.

Mr.Gotabayaya Rajapaksha to Brigadier Shavendra Silva

Ordered not to accommodate any LTTE leaders attempting to surrender and informed that they all should be killed.

Time: 12.00 noon. -2 nd call.

Mr.Gotabayaya Rajapaksha to Brigadier Shavendra Silva.

Mr. Rajapaksha confirmed his order to Brigadier Shavendra Silva and informed about the International influence the LTTE is trying to bring upon on the Government at that time.

There after at about 12.15pm the Division Commander Brigadier Shavendra Silva having summoned his Brigade Commanders and Commanding Officers briefed them on what Secretary Defence told him.

However I do not know whether the troops on ground carried out the above instructions or not .

After two days time on the 19th I called the Commander of the Army General Sarath Fonseka and asked whether he is aware about the above instructions given by Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksha. He said that he is not aware about such instructions.

If any international commission or any war crime court requests from me to give any evidence regarding this telephone conversation between Mr.Gotabhaya Rajapaksha and Brigidier Shavendra Silva on 17th May 2009 I am prepared to give a statement or an affidavit to them.

Shavendra Silva to Inner City Press:

What I said was, in  the paragraph (90 of the POE page 25), never talks about the 58 Div shelling PTK hospital. After you read out loud the first part of the first  line of paragraph 90 where you talked about 55 and 58 Div, where I replied that what is in the paragraph is incorrect as it was the 53 and 58 Divisions who were involved in PTK. and the 55 Div was not there. Thats why I told you at the briefing that the content of the paragraph in the POE is inaccurate. In fact, later after the briefing I told you that they were in Challai when you asked where that Division was.

warm regards,

Ambassador Major General Shavendra Silva WWV RWP RSP USP psc
Deputy Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka
To the United Nations

Background and audio clips:  Press access and answers to questions at the UN generally have been in decline since at least 2011. Now the newFree UN Coalition for Access is combating the trend, which can only be done by naming names and providing specifics, now including audio. And so these clips, in reverse chronological order.

 In this audio clip, two days before formally beginning a process to try to get Inner City Press thrown out, Giampaolo Pioli as President of the United Nations Correspondents Association complains about Inner City Press reporting that he rented out of his Manhattan apartments to "Palitha" [Kohona, Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the UN] in the context of Pioli unilaterally using UNCA to screen a Sri Lanka government war crimes denial movie inside the UN. 

 Two days later, Pioli would convene a UN Correspondents Association Excutive Committee meeting to "examine" Inner City Press and try to throw it out - first of UNCA, then of the UN at a whole. This is the Pioli slated to return, with no competition at all, to head what he made the UN's Censorship Alliance.

 In a previous audio clip, Pioli tried to dictate to Inner City Press how it should have covered Sri Lanka, suggesting it should simply transcribe what "Palitha" (Kohona) and Shavendra Silva said and not report that he, Pioli, had rented out of his Manhattan apartments to Kohona before agreeing to use UNCA to screen the Sri Lankan government's war crimes denial film inside the UN.

  "Why did you have to" report that? Pioli demanded, claiming the rental arrangement was significantly further in the past than it was.

  When Inner City Press refused to remove the article from the Internet, and Pioli refused the offer to publish a letter to the editor, Pioli made good on his threat to try to get Inner City Press thrown out of the UN. Complaints were filed by Pioli's first vice president from Reuters, who also used the Reuters servers for the campaign.

  Now Pioli has reappeared, slated to re-take over the helm of UNCA, now the UN's Censorship Alliance. Who will serve him last his past first vice president, a position current held by a representative of Turkish media? As to how correspondent Pioli owns so much real estate, there is a Turkish connection on which we will have more. The UN cannot be allow to further decay on press freedom and access. Watch this site.

  In the last audio clip, Pioli as President of the UN Correspondents Association said of this Press story about him, "take it out" -- that is, remove the entire story from the Internet -- because it is false or, he then says, "basically false."

  But Pioli first complained that he still found online (audio) facts of which he admitted "nothing is false" -- that before unilaterally deciding to screen a Sri Lankan government film denying war crimes he had rented one of his Manhattan apartments to Palitha Kohona, Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the UN.

  What was reported wasn't false, but Pioli ordered "take it out" and off the Internet. That is censorship. One question is, why is Pioli now seeking to return as head of UNCA, which he turned into the UN Censorship Alliance?

  The same clip has Pioli's then Vice President, himself a censor, here, deriding Inner City Press as a blogger someone "using" UNCA. In fact, after seeing how it could be used for censorship, Inner City Press quit UNCA and co-founded the new Free UN Coalition for Access.

   On September 6, 2011 without consulting with other UNCA board members Pioli used the UN's Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium and UNCA's now-debased logo to host a war crimes denial film by Sri Lanka's government. Inner City Press reported on the event, here. 

  Numerous "emergency" UNCA meetings followed, including about Inner City Press' coverage of Herve Ladsous, the fourth Frenchman in a row to head UN Peacekeeping despite his role during the Rwanda genocide of 1994; there was an amateurish statement drafted by Pioli about ethics. 

  Then Pioli, supported by Agence France Presse, said that no dissent, no matter how short, could to appended to the statement. Audio clip here. AFP even said, send it out yourself - seemingly an invitation to write about the issue, which happened and led to threats to oust Inner City Press from the UN, which Voice of America requested saying it had thesupport of AFP and Reuters, which then tried a cover-up, here.

(There was was an even more free press unfriendly "apology" drafted by Pioli, as well as his UNCA stirring up death threats which have been ongoing -- but that's another story.) 

   The day of Pioli's UNCA screening -- without UNCA board approval or even notice -- of Sri Lanka's war crimes denial, attempts at outright censorship began.

  Pioli had a financial relationship with Sri Lanka's ambassador Palitha Kohona, renting Kohona one of Pioli's Manhattan apartments. Inner City Press was told if it persisted in reporting this, Pioli would get Inner City Press thrown out of the UN. Inner City Press offered to run a response by Pioli, of any length, but the demand was that the article be removed from the Internet in its entirety: pure censorship. This is UNCA's past and seemingly future; watch for the next installment in this series.

Pioli & Ban Ki-moon, Sri Lanka war crimes denial not shown. UN Photo/Mark Garten

  Here is an audio clip in which Pioli while he was president of UNCA told Inner City Press that it should not report what a UN Assistant Secretary General said in a public place. Audio here. 

  Pioli would go on to order that an article about his own conflict of interest regarding Sri Lanka be taken down from the Internet or he would get the Press thrown out of the UN.

   So Pioli wants to ride again. After seeking the ouster of the investigative Press from the UN -- promising to bring it about, and demanding the removal of articles from the Internet -- he seeks to re-assume UNCA's presidency, endorsed by his two-year figurehead fill-in, Pamela Falk.  He is endorsing a slate of media that supported the ouster of the investigative Press, one of which then sought to censor even that, click here.

  To show how far the UN has fallen, consider that Pioli in September 2011 wrote and proposed this statement for UNCA's Executive Committee to issue:

"GiamPioli [at] aol.com; dear Colleagues, I propose to consider for a vote this statement  but I am more than happy to discuss  again

   UNCA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE"

  That is Giampaoli Pioli, the once and future president of the UN's Censorship Alliance. The above draft, by Pioli, was at the request ofAgence France Presse, after an inquiry by the French mission to the UN. AFP's reporter wrote: "I am writing to you to request some kind of action by UNCA over a story published by Inner City Press on Friday which has caused serious damage to AFP. Inner City Press published a story about the new head of UN peacekeeping" -- that would be, Herve Ladsous. We will have more on this.

  Neither in 2011 and 2012 nor since has Pioli asked any critical questions at the UN, or pushed for greater access for journalists - quite the opposite. He rented one of his apartments to the ambassador of a country he later let screen a war crimes denial film in the UN under the sponsorship of UNCA, without even checking with other Executive Committee members much less recusing himself. 

  After Inner City Press reported on this, as later revealed by a Freedom of Information Act request to US state media Voice of America, "the lawyer's at our UNCA president's newspaper are preparing their libel lawsuit" against Inner City Press, click here for that. No lawsuit was ever filed, and how could it be? Pioli DID rent one of his apartment to the ambassador whose war crimes denial film he later screened. It was simply pressure to censor the coverage. Later it showed up in Italian, here.

  Pioli hosts UN officials and those whose votes he wants at a Long Island mansion he rents out, for tens of thousands of dollars a month, during the summer. He makes campaign contributions to politicians he is supposed to be covering. Small but telling, in the UN Press Briefing Room he gave a gift to the UN Deputy Spokesperson. This is the past and future UNCA.

  And how would this further decayed UNCA advocate even to maintain media access at the UN? The question has been asked by FUNCA, elsewhere. And it has been on HuffPost Live, here. Watch this site.

Footnote: as noted the old UN Correspondents Association, which is given privileged status and set-aside first questions nearly always used for softballs, has done nothing in recent years to improve or even defend press access. In fact, members of UNCA's Executive Committee have tried to get the investigative Press thrown out of the UN, and there have been no reforms since. It's become the UN's Censorship Alliance. Theyprovide Ban Ki-moon with photo ops playing soccer with them. This is today's UN - and FUNCA is fighting to hold the UN to its stated principles.

   

As UN Peacekeepers Win First Raise in 18 Years, Reuters Spin$, As It Censors

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 4 -- After two months of negotiations and three days after the UN Budget Committee went late into the night without agreement on how much to (under) pay peacekeepers, on the morning of July 3 sources told Inner City Press the deal was reached, and before the noon briefing, Inner City Press published:

$1332 (+$10), 2nd year, $1365, 3rd yr $1410 (2017)

  This was an increase to the "partner countries''" offers of $1150 then $1250, on both of which Inner City Press reported.

   Both offers were much lower than the $1763. recommendation of the UN's own Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations, on whose meetings Inner City Press reported despite obstacles from the UN and its UN Censorship Alliance, UNCA.

  But when on July 3 Reuters filed a phoned-in story about the process, it "reported" that "the Group of 77 developing nations and China wanted a more than 50 percent jump to $1,763, while Western donor states wanted a smaller increase, diplomats said."

  Hmm, what kind of diplomats might those be?  

  In the General Assembly the only speeches on the new reimbursement structure were by India and Pakistan, both noting there had in essence been no raise for peacekeepers for 18 years. But Reuters didn't mention this. For whom does Reuters report?

  This is the same news agency which has used censorship to get Google to ban from its Search the Reuters bureau chief's "for the record" complaint to the UN trying to get theinvestigative Press thrown out of the UN, mis-using the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, here.

  Defending this dissing of peacekeepers had been none other than UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, the fourth Frenchman in a row atop DPKO. He spun about cutting costs in Darfur, where he's accused of covering-up, and inHaiti where he previously supported the ouster of Aristide.

 During the Budget Committee vote early on the afternoon of July 3, Ladsous sat in the front then left mid-session for a meeting with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon it was said. What on?

  In the Budget or Fifth Committee, the only recorded votes were on requests in the UNIFIL (Lebanon) resolution for Israel to re-pay for the Qana attack in 1996. In the Fifth Committee, only four voted against this: the US, Canada, Israel and Palau. (This fell to three in the full General Assembly: Palau did not vote).

  In the full General Assembly, after the Office of UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric had closed down for the three day July 4 weekend, Syria slammed Ban's reports on UNDOF.

  India and Pakistan noted the belated raise in peacekeeper pay (Pakistan's Permanent Representative Masood Khan had spoken in the morning on command and contro). India's representative advised the partners not to come back in four years talking about another financial crisis. And then it was over.

 Back on June 30, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it:

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric: Matthew?

Inner City Press: Sure, I want to ask about troop reimbursement and also this Sunday press encounter.  the Secretary-General had a Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations, which suggest… which proposed that peacekeepers get $1,700 a month.  There was a survey done.  And now, it seems like it’s come down to a deadline, in which rather than $1,700, the donor countries are offering $1,250.  And I wanted to know, since it was the Secretary-General’s own Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping, did he think that Group is credible?  Did he think the $1,700 number is a reasonable one?  And does he think that $1,250 is sufficient for peacekeepers?

Spokesman Dujarric:  I think, you know, those numbers… the work of the Senior Advisory Group came up with what it came up with.  These discussions now are deep in the heart of the Fifth Committee, being discussed amongst Member States, and I think that’s where I will leave it for the time being.

  Ah, leadership. On the evening on June 30 UN Peacekeeping's Herve Ladsous, who refuses to answer Press questions, dissembled behind closed doors to the Fifth Committee, as several representatives told Inner City Press.

  Ladsous pontificated about his visit to Haiti - and said he would further cut back the mission in Darfur, where his UN Peacekeeping is already accused of covering up killings.  "He's gotta go," one representative said, and others agreed. But this is the UN.

  Now Inner City Press hears that Ban himself may be headed to Haiti this month - as luck would have it, to open a football (or soccer) stadium. Watch this site.

    

After UN Peacekeeping Cuts Defended by Ladsous, G77 Meets Ban Ki-moon: Too Little, Too Late?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 2 -- Two days after UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told Troop Contributing Countries of plans to cut $200 million including in Darfur, where his mission is accused of covering up killings, now Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has belatedly gotten involved.

   On July 2, African sources tell Inner City Press, those pushing for compliance with Ban's own Senior Advisory Group's peacekeeper pay figures met with Ban, followed by the "partners," who have the sources say threatened to simply not pay, even if a pay increase is voted through in the General Assembly.

  On June 30, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric:

Inner City Press: the Secretary-General had a Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations, which suggest… which proposed that peacekeepers get $1,700 a month.  There was a survey done.  And now, it seems like it’s come down to a deadline, in which rather than $1,700, the donor countries are offering $1,250.  And I wanted to know, since it was the Secretary-General’s own Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping, did he think that Group is credible?  Did he think the $1,700 number is a reasonable one?  And does he think that $1,250 is sufficient for peacekeepers?

Spokesman Dujarric:  I think, you know, those numbers… the work of the Senior Advisory Group came up with what it came up with.  These discussions now are deep in the heart of the Fifth Committee, being discussed amongst Member States, and I think that’s where I will leave it for the time being.

  Well, that is over: it's time to lead or not. Watch this site.

  For now, defending this dissing of peacekeepers is none other than UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, the fourth Frenchman in a row atop DPKO. He spun about cutting costs in Darfur, where he's accused of covering-up, and inHaiti where he previously supported the ouster of Aristide.

  This is the probably with ceding UN Peacekeeping to France, a "partner" which wants to underpay peacekeepers: the official who is supposed to advocate for peacekeepers actually sells them out.
 
  But much to the group of the Group of 77, there is a fight back afoot. Inner City Press is told by sources that based on a proposal by Brazil and Cuba, strongly supported by Nigeria and South Africa, the low-ball numbers are not being accepted. We are following this.

 On the evening on June 30 UN Peacekeeping's Herve Ladsous, who refuses to answer Press questions, dissembled behind closed doors to the Fifth Committee, as several representatives told Inner City Press.

  Ladsous pontificated about his visit to Haiti - and said he would further cut back the mission in Darfur, where his UN Peacekeeping is already accused of covering up killings.  "He's gotta go," one representative said, and some others agreed. But this is the UN.

    

UN Peacekeeping Cuts Defended by Ladsous, G77 Counters, SAG Said $1762

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 30 -- Two years after fair pay for developing world soldiers who serve the UN was discussed in Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations, arriving at a figure of $1762 a month, a very low ball offer was made on June 27: $1250.

  Defending this dissing of peacekeepers was none other than UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, the fourth Frenchman in a row atop DPKO. He spun about cutting costs in Darfur, where he's accused of covering-up, and in Haiti where he previously supported the ouster of Aristide.

  This is the probably with ceding UN Peacekeeping to France, a "partner" which wants to underpay peacekeepers: the official who is supposed to advocate for peacekeepers actually sells them out.

 
  But much to the group of the Group of 77, there is a fight back afoot. Inner City Press is told by sources that based on a proposal by Brazil and Cuba, strongly supported by Nigeria and South Africa, the low-ball numbers are not being accepted. We are following this.

 On June 30, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it:

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric: Matthew?

Inner City Press: Sure, I want to ask about troop reimbursement and also this Sunday press encounter.  the Secretary-General had a Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations, which suggest… which proposed that peacekeepers get $1,700 a month.  There was a survey done.  And now, it seems like it’s come down to a deadline, in which rather than $1,700, the donor countries are offering $1,250.  And I wanted to know, since it was the Secretary-General’s own Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping, did he think that Group is credible?  Did he think the $1,700 number is a reasonable one?  And does he think that $1,250 is sufficient for peacekeepers?

Spokesman Dujarric:  I think, you know, those numbers… the work of the Senior Advisory Group came up with what it came up with.  These discussions now are deep in the heart of the Fifth Committee, being discussed amongst Member States, and I think that’s where I will leave it for the time being.

  Ah, leadership. On the evening on June 30 UN Peacekeeping's Herve Ladsous, who refuses to answer Press questions, dissembled behind closed doors to the Fifth Committee, as several representatives told Inner City Press.

  Ladsous pontificated about his visit to Haiti - and said he would further cut back the mission in Darfur, where his UN Peacekeeping is already accused of covering up killings.  "He's gotta go," one representative said, and others agreed. But this is the UN.

    

UN Peacekeeping's Herve Ladsous Spins of Cutting Darfur Mission, Where He Is Accused of More Cover-Ups: Showdown

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 30 -- Two years after fair pay for developing world soldiers who serve the UN was discussed in Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations, a low ball offer was made on June 27.

  Several Group of 77 Permanent Representatives told Inner City Press on June 27 that "the money countries" or "the partners" had again balked at the recommendation of a long overdue raise to $1,700 a month and came back with a slightly increased counter-offer: $1,250.

 On June 30, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it:

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric: Matthew?

Inner City Press: Sure, I want to ask about troop reimbursement and also this Sunday press encounter.  the Secretary-General had a Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations, which suggest… which proposed that peacekeepers get $1,700 a month.  There was a survey done.  And now, it seems like it’s come down to a deadline, in which rather than $1,700, the donor countries are offering $1,250.  And I wanted to know, since it was the Secretary-General’s own Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping, did he think that Group is credible?  Did he think the $1,700 number is a reasonable one?  And does he think that $1,250 is sufficient for peacekeepers?

Spokesman Dujarric:  I think, you know, those numbers… the work of the Senior Advisory Group came up with what it came up with.  These discussions now are deep in the heart of the Fifth Committee, being discussed amongst Member States, and I think that’s where I will leave it for the time being.

  Ah, leadership. On the evening on June 30 UN Peacekeeping's Herve Ladsous, who refuses to answer Press questions, dissembled behind closed doors to the Fifth Committee, as several representatives told Inner City Press.

  Ladsous pontificated about his visit to Haiti - and said he would further cut back the mission in Darfur, where his UN Peacekeeping is already accused of covering up killings.  "He's gotta go," one representative said, and others agreed. But this is the UN.

  An African Deputy Permanent Representative asked Inner City Press, "How can Obama come up with $500 million for Syria rebels, but can't pay UN peacekeepers properly? Does he want peace, or more war?"

 Earlier, the inclusion of Sri Lankan general Shavendra Silva, whose Division 58 is depicted engaged in war crimes in Ban's own report, made the SAG otherwise newsworthy.

  While the UN and its UN Censorship Alliance (UNCA)hindered Inner City Press' ability to cover the SAG meetings, on May 22, 2012 after a two hour stakeout in front of the Teachers Building on Third Avenue Inner City Press was able to report that

"one Asian Group representative urged Inner City Press to 'stop' Silva and not let him come in. On the other hand... Ban has refused to speak out about having an alleged war criminal as an adviser. More recently, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman what if anything was ever done on the petition to Ban about disappeared Sri Lankan journalist Prageeth. The question has yet to be answered, as has another Inner City Press question about the UN system's own finding that the Sri Lankan Army used cluster bombs in the 2009 conflict which killed 40,000 civilians."

  The next day, after conducting more interviews, Inner City Press reported that "one South Asian representative in attendance told Inner City Press that 'France is the worst, in trying to cut the pay. 

  We told them, fine, then don't keep creating new missions. Two of my country's peacekeepers died in Ivory Coast, carrying out French foreign policy.'"

  Yet another attendee concurred, saying the most insulting speaker in the Silva-less (for now) SAG now is "that new French guy with the long hair." But who was that?

  Inner City Press found out: Nicolas de Riviere, who like current Ban DPKO Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous was a former Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the UN, serving under Permanent Representative Gerard Araud(who now is belatedly out at the UN, to be replaced by Francois Delattre on July 15.)

  "Flippy Nic" or "Helmet" as some called him because of the hair, turned out to be cheap with peacekeepers, and insulting to boot. 

 Now in 2014, he has come to represent France at the P5+1 negotiations with Iran, next week in Vienna.

  And so the question arose, who did Nicolas de Riviere replace, in order to be "new"? While the SAG was shrouded in mystery, without having its own spokesperson (while Ban's spokespeople and DPKO's Herve Ladsous' then spokesperson Kieran Dwyer are unwilling to answer questions about it), one of the few members initially listed was Jean Marie Guehenno, who in an unbroken line of Frenchman had headed DPKO before Alain Le Roy, who was replaced not by Jerome Bonnafont but instead, as second choice, Ladsous.

  So at the UN noon briefing of May 30, 2012 Inner City Press asked Ban's Deputy spokesman:

Inner City Press: Mr. Guehenno, I know that before he took this post as one of the two deputies of Kofi Annan on Syria, he was on the senior advisory group on peacekeeping operations, and it’s part of the press release, it’s a little unclear the full membership, but I wanted to know, is he still on the senior advisory group on peacekeeping operations with this controversy about the Sri Lankan general? Was Mr. Guéhenno representing France or the Secretary-General and the United Nations?

Deputy Spokesperson Eduardo Del Buey: Well, we will have to find out about that, Matthew, I don’t have that information with me. Okay, thank you very much.

  On the evening on May 30, 2012, having heard nothing back, by phone, e-mail or in person, Inner City Press included in a story about Azerbaijan's end of Security Council presidency reception:

"Recently Inner City Press quoted a "South Asian representative" about how cheap France is being in the Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations. There was much guessing who had dare say que l'empereur does not have clothes. Inner City Press has asked Ban Ki-moon's Office of the Spokesman a question about this and will be writing soon."

  The Press story of France's statements in the SAG was discussed by some Ambassadors on the Security Council's West Africa trip, several with mirth but by its opposition by the French, whose Gerard Araud led the leg to former colony Cote d'Ivoire, without any presence by Araud's former deputy Flippy Nic.

   Still having heard nothing back, Inner City Press on June 5 asked Ban's main spokesman:

Inner City Press: I am not sure if I’d asked you or Eduardo, but I definitely want an answer to this, and I think you may have the answer. On that Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations on which the Sri Lanka General, Shavendra Silva, serves, Mr. [Jean-Marie] Guéhenno was on it, I know he is no longer on it, that he has become the Deputy to Kofi Annan, but it was unclear to me, I thought he was the Secretary-General’s appointment to the board, and then I was told that he was France’s appointment. And so I asked about a week ago just very simply, who appointed him to the board, and I am still waiting, I would like to know, do you know?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Uh, well, you don’t need to wait much longer, and you didn’t need to wait so long either.

Inner City Press: Okay, great.

Spokesperson: Because it was added to the transcript that very same day that Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno was representing France.

Inner City Press: Why didn’t you send me an e-mail?

Spokesperson: You have it.

   And lo and behold, rather than contact Inner City Press with an answer, jammed into an online transcript was this: "[The Deputy Spokesperson later added that Mr. Guéhenno represented France.]"

So Guehenno was replaced by de Riviere, who has insulted developing world peacekeepers in a meeting that Ban's UN and Ladsous' DPKO try to hinder coverage of, to cover up the inclusion in the SAG of an alleged war criminal.

  And at the UN in 2014, transcripts gets even more doctored that before, click here.

In fact, Inner City Press put this question directly to Ladsous, on camera, but he refused to answer that or another question on cholera in Haiti, telling Inner City Press, "Well, Mister, I will start answering your questions when you stop insulting me and making malicious and insulting insinuations." The video, at Minute 28:10, is online on UN website, here.

Also on stage with Ladsous was Department of Field Support Assistant Secretary General and Officer in Charge Tony Banbury, who approached as Inner City Press was leaving the UN on June 5. "I hope I'll have another chance to ask you that question," Inner City Press told Banbury. Watch this site.

Footnote: In May 2012 Inner City Press reports on Sri Lanka, Silva and Ban Ki-moon's SAG had been getting Inner City Press into a lot of trouble, at the UN and in Sri Lankan government aligned media. And the UNCA board tried to get Inner City Press thrown out of the UN. But this reporting will continue.

UN Peacekeepers Offered $1150 a Month, Not $1700, Of France & Sri Lanka, Nicolas de Riviere and Shavendra Silva

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 13 -- Two years after fair pay for developing world soldiers who serve the UN was discussed in Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations, a low ball offer has been made.

  On June 11 a Group of 77 Permanent Representative told Inner City Press that "the money country" had balked at the recommendation of a long overdue raise to $1,700 a month and would come back with a counter-offer.

  Inner City Press was contacted again on June 12 with Troop Contribution Country outrage: the counter-offer was a mere $1,150 a month. "It's a joke," one of them said, "and they say they're so concerned about our peacekeepers. A joke. They are cheapskates."

 Earlier, the inclusion of Sri Lankan general Shavendra Silva, whose Division 58 is depicted engaged in war crimes in Ban's own report, made the SAG otherwise newsworthy.

  While the UN and its UN Censorship Alliance (UNCA) hindered Inner City Press' ability to cover the SAG meetings, on May 22, 2012 after a two hour stakeout in front of the Teachers Building on Third Avenue Inner City Press was able to report that

"one Asian Group representative urged Inner City Press to 'stop' Silva and not let him come in. On the other hand... Ban has refused to speak out about having an alleged war criminal as an adviser. More recently, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman what if anything was ever done on the petition to Ban about disappeared Sri Lankan journalist Prageeth. The question has yet to be answered, as has another Inner City Press question about the UN system's own finding that the Sri Lankan Army used cluster bombs in the 2009 conflict which killed 40,000 civilians."

  The next day, after conducting more interviews, Inner City Press reported that "one South Asian representative in attendance told Inner City Press that 'France is the worst, in trying to cut the pay. 

  We told them, fine, then don't keep creating new missions. Two of my country's peacekeepers died in Ivory Coast, carrying out French foreign policy.'"

  Yet another attendee concurred, saying the most insulting speaker in the Silva-less (for now) SAG now is "that new French guy with the long hair." But who was that?

  Inner City Press found out: Nicolas de Riviere, who like current Ban DPKO Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous was a former Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the UN, serving under Permanent Representative Gerard Araud(who now is belatedly out at the UN, to be replaced by Francois Delattre on July 15.)

  "Flippy Nic" or "Helmet" as some called him because of the hair, turned out to be cheap with peacekeepers, and insulting to boot.

 Now in 2014, he has come to represent France at the P5+1 negotiations with Iran, next week in Vienna.

  And so the question arose, who did Nicolas de Riviere replace, in order to be "new"? While the SAG was shrouded in mystery, without having its own spokesperson (while Ban's spokespeople and DPKO's Herve Ladsous' then spokesperson Kieran Dwyer are unwilling to answer questions about it), one of the few members initially listed was Jean Marie Guehenno, who in an unbroken line of Frenchman had headed DPKO before Alain Le Roy, who was replaced not by Jerome Bonnafont but instead, as second choice, Ladsous.

  So at the UN noon briefing of May 30, 2012 Inner City Press asked Ban's Deputy spokesman:

Inner City Press: Mr. Guehenno, I know that before he took this post as one of the two deputies of Kofi Annan on Syria, he was on the senior advisory group on peacekeeping operations, and it’s part of the press release, it’s a little unclear the full membership, but I wanted to know, is he still on the senior advisory group on peacekeeping operations with this controversy about the Sri Lankan general? Was Mr. Guéhenno representing France or the Secretary-General and the United Nations?

Deputy Spokesperson Eduardo Del Buey: Well, we will have to find out about that, Matthew, I don’t have that information with me. Okay, thank you very much.

  On the evening on May 30, 2012, having heard nothing back, by phone, e-mail or in person, Inner City Press included in a story about Azerbaijan's end of Security Council presidency reception:

"Recently Inner City Press quoted a "South Asian representative" about how cheap France is being in the Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations. There was much guessing who had dare say que l'empereur does not have clothes. Inner City Press has asked Ban Ki-moon's Office of the Spokesman a question about this and will be writing soon."

  The Press story of France's statements in the SAG was discussed by some Ambassadors on the Security Council's West Africa trip, several with mirth but by its opposition by the French, whose Gerard Araud led the leg to former colony Cote d'Ivoire, without any presence by Araud's former deputy Flippy Nic.

   Still having heard nothing back, Inner City Press on June 5 asked Ban's main spokesman:

Inner City Press: I am not sure if I’d asked you or Eduardo, but I definitely want an answer to this, and I think you may have the answer. On that Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations on which the Sri Lanka General, Shavendra Silva, serves, Mr. [Jean-Marie] Guéhenno was on it, I know he is no longer on it, that he has become the Deputy to Kofi Annan, but it was unclear to me, I thought he was the Secretary-General’s appointment to the board, and then I was told that he was France’s appointment. And so I asked about a week ago just very simply, who appointed him to the board, and I am still waiting, I would like to know, do you know?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Uh, well, you don’t need to wait much longer, and you didn’t need to wait so long either.

Inner City Press: Okay, great.

Spokesperson: Because it was added to the transcript that very same day that Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno was representing France.

Inner City Press: Why didn’t you send me an e-mail?

Spokesperson: You have it.

   And lo and behold, rather than contact Inner City Press with an answer, jammed into an online transcript was this: "[The Deputy Spokesperson later added that Mr. Guéhenno represented France.]"

So Guehenno was replaced by de Riviere, who has insulted developing world peacekeepers in a meeting that Ban's UN and Ladsous' DPKO try to hinder coverage of, to cover up the inclusion in the SAG of an alleged war criminal.

  And at the UN in 2014, transcripts gets even more doctored that before, click here.

In fact, Inner City Press put this question directly to Ladsous, on camera, but he refused to answer that or another question on cholera in Haiti, telling Inner City Press, "Well, Mister, I will start answering your questions when you stop insulting me and making malicious and insulting insinuations." The video, at Minute 28:10, is online on UN website, here.

Also on stage with Ladsous was Department of Field Support Assistant Secretary General and Officer in Charge Tony Banbury, who approached as Inner City Press was leaving the UN on June 5. "I hope I'll have another chance to ask you that question," Inner City Press told Banbury. Watch this site.

Footnote: In May 2012 Inner City Press reports on Sri Lanka, Silva and Ban Ki-moon's SAG had been getting Inner City Press into a lot of trouble, at the UN and in Sri Lankan government aligned media. And the UNCA board tried to get Inner City Press thrown out of the UN. But this reporting will continue.