By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, July 11 -- For a “biased” report on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous was grilled in a two hour meeting Thursday afternoon in the Security Council.
Two Ambassadors who left the meeting near but before the end told Inner City Press, Ladsous is not doing well, Ladsous has a lot of questions to answer.
Finally, on the record, Rwanda's Ambassador Eugene Richard Gasana came out and exclusively told Inner City Press that Ladsous had admitted that his report's statements about external support (to the M23 from Rwanda) were “based on rumors that we heard.”
Gasana shook his head. “How can a UN report be issued based on rumors?”
Twelve days ago, Inner City Press asked Ladsous' four spokespeople a simple question. It was whether the MONUSCO mission provides support to the Congolese Army units depicted engaged in looting, rape and war crimes in the Group of Experts report the full text of which Inner City Press exclusively put online.
The question was acknowledged on June 29 and an answer was promised. None has been provided, as of July 11.
Thursday afternoon when Ladsous emerged from the Security Council after his closed-door grilling, Inner City Press asked him directly, if MONUSCO which he supervised provides aid to the Congolese Army units in the Group of Experts report. Ladsous did not answer. This is a pattern: video here.
Thursday morning Inner City Press asked Ladsous if the Geneva Conventions apply to MONUSCO; he refused to answer. Some say Ladsous might want to check. Himself.
Presumably Ladsous has at least French supporters. But even they need to ask: who is he serving, refusing to answer basic questions about UN peacekeeping and the law?
In this context, we must note that Ladsous was France's Deputy Permanent Representative in the UN Security Council during the 1994 genocide, arguing for the escape of the genocidaires into Eastern Congo. It was when Inner City Press asked Ladsous about this, in his first UN press conference, that Ladsous began refusing to answer. This have now reached a new low.
The report at issue is, formally, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's report. On July 14, Ban will be with Ladsous at the Bastille Day parade with armies of France's African former colonies. UN Peacekeeping is owned by France, with the last four chiefs in a row. But Ladsous? This is a new low. Watch this site.
