By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 25 -- While outgoing UN Peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy was being toasted by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at a Monday night reception thrown by French ambassador Gerard Araud, across town two separate ambassadors confirmed Inner City Press' July 5 story naming Le Roy's successor: Jerome Bonnafont.
That Bonnafont is also French, when France is hardly a major troop contributing country, has been more and more noticed by other member states of the UN. “Does France own DPKO?” one Permanant Representative asked. The answer appears to be yes.
When Ban Ki-moon became Secretary General he spoke of reform and meritocracy. But posts like that atop the Department of Peacekeeping Operations are held for particular states, seemingly without regard to the job experience of the person they put forward.
What are Bonnafont's military credentials? Who in the UN system is reviewing them? There are questions not only for the French, but for Ban Ki-moon and others. Watch this site.
