By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 23 -- The UN's Working Group on the use of mercenaries visited Tunisia earlier this month and reported that "During their mission, the expert received information that there are some 4,000 Tunisians in Syria, 1,000 – 1,500 in Libya, 200 in Iraq, 60 in Mali, and 50 in Yemen."
The Mali and Yemen numbers seemed so specific that on July 23 Inner City Press asked the Working Group's chair Elzbieta Karska if these were simply figures given to them by the Tunisian government. As part of a longer answer, she said yes. Video here.
Inner City Press also asked Gabor Rona about the Working Group's review of the UN's use of private contractors. He said it remains unclear if the UN will make public what it considers before opting to use contractors, or what due diligence it engages in. Video here. UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous engaging with forces charged with child rape in the Central African Republic gives rise to more questions.
