By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 30 -- The UN today said it will start shooting in Eastern Congo at any person who has not turned in their weapons in 48 hours, thereby effectively declaring war.
Since this is something quite new for the UN, Inner City Press at the July 30 noon briefing asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokesman Eduardo Del Buey a series of questions -- none of which he answered. Video here.
Inner City Press asked if the UN acknowledges that the Geneva Conventions will apply to it, as a party to an armed conflict. Del Buey said he would have to check -- but Inner City Press asked this question weeks ago.
Twenty four days ago, Inner City Press asked the four spokespeople of UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous which units of the Congolese Army the UN provides support to. Under Ban's supposed Human Rights Due Diligence Policy, the UN is not supposed to support units engaged in abuses.
But, for example, after the 391st Battalion was implicated in 135 rapes in Minova in November 2012 (and Ladsous tried to months to cover this up, video here), the UN is still supporting the unit. This month the 391st Battalion was implicated in the desecration of corpses.
On July 30 Inner City Press asked Del Buey to state if the UN is STILL supporting the 391st Battalion -- French Ambassador Gerard Araud told Inner City Press it is the "best unit" in the Congolese Army, full story here -- and to at least answer the question before MONUSCO starts shooting in support of the Congolese Army, in 48 hours.
I'll have to check, Del Buey said. When Inner City Press asked if this would happen in the next 48 hours, he said his "crystal ball is covered and smoky." Video here. And so it goes at the UN.
