In DR Congo, UN Using Missiles & 400 Rounds Killed Civilian Then “Found” Gun

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, October 7 -- Even as the UN's envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Martin Kobler was assuring Inner City Press of improvements in security while declining to comment on his leaked memo to UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous that Inner City Press published this week, Ladsous' Department was covering up a civilian killing in the DRC.

   Sources tell Inner City Press of a DPKO meeting concerning an excessive use of force by the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), through its Force Intervention Brigade, using 76 rockets or missiles and up to 400 rounds of ammunition near Pinga in Eastern Congo, ostensibly against the Mai Mai Cheka group.

   But at least one civilians was killed. There was no impartial investigation, the sources say. Rather, Ladsous' DPKO went in itself, and conveniently “discovered” a gun near the killed civilians, much like  some police departments “drop a piece” after a questionable shooting.

   Inner City Press is informed, by different sources, that this has been discussed among senior officials in Ladsous' DPKO, at the DPKO / DFS Directors' meeting on the morning of October 7.

   So why wasn't this said at the Security Council and stakeout where Kobler bragged to Inner City Press about the “zero tolerance” policy (while Ladsous has, on camera, linked rape to “R&R”)?

What is the mechanism to disclose the killing of civilians under Ladsous' DPKO? We'll have more on this - and on Ladsous including one of his meetings during UN General Assembly debate week. Ladsous' spokespeople, far from answering questions, go so far as to direct UNTV boom microphone operators to avoid Inner City Press, evenpreventing the Press from asking any questions to Mali's Foreign Minister Abdulaye Diop last week. We'll have more on all this.