By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 9 -- The UN at all levels blathers about how much it cares for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But its communications are a one way street.
Take just this morning, July 9. The UN mission MONUSCO tweeted about its “quick impact projects.” But in 2012, now gone top envoy Roger Meece was exposed for a dysfunctional grain mill project in Walikale, ostensibly to make up for the UN standing by during the mass rape there.
The “quick” impact project was mis-planned and mocked by locals. But the UN keeps bragging.
The Free UN Coalition for Access has taken an interest in the UN system's social media practices, for example theunexplained mis-tweets by the UN Information Center in Washington DC. So @FUNCA_Questions asked MONUSCO for an update on the Walikale project, dubbed Meece's Mills. But none has been given.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tweeted about unrest in South Kivu -- but the report they attached was from May 2013.
The UN in Geneva tweeted a photograph of a French sponsored event about the plight of women in the DRC. Butany update on accountability for the (at least) 135 rape victims in late November in Minova in South Kivu? UN Peacekeeping under its fourth French chief in a row, Herve Ladsous, has continued to support two units implicated in the rapes, the 41st and 391st battalions.
It's been ten days now since Inner City Press asked all four of Ladsous' spokespeople -- Kieran Dwyer, Andre-Michel Essoungou, Josephine Guerrero and Anayansi Lopez -- a simple question.
Inner City Press asked whether Congolese Army units listed in the Group of Experts report the full text of which Inner City Press exclusively put online, as credited by BBC and Bloomberg News, have received support from the UN's (and Ladsous') MONUSCO.
That same day receipt was acknowledged by Anayansi Lopez and a DPKO answer promised. Ten days later, nothing. This is Ladsous' UN Peacekeeping, and its approach to impunity. Watch this site.