By Matthew Russell Lee
UN GATE, March 27 – In Mali when protesters were teargassed and at least two killed, there was not a word from the Security Council or even for usually robo-tweeting UNSG Antonio Guterres, who had Inner City Press roughed up and banned since, video here.
The UN Mission was thrown out of Mali. Inner City Press applied to re-enter UNHQ to ask. No answer.
Now we publish this:
"Dear Matthew, Just to let you know about our situation in Mali. The sad part is that the same people in the magic circus of the DMS will be safe. For most of us nothing. Everything was corrupted here and this the result thanks to our lovely and transparent hierarchy.
Date: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 Subject: The death of MINUSMA and consequences To: Antonio Guterres [etc: whole list]
Dear Excellency Secretary General, We are writing to you as our last resort to get fair treatment from the UN in our Country, Mali. The Mission, in view of the closure, has done something only for Internationals and only for those who were close to the DMS, Mr. Anton Antchev and his girlfriend the DSRSG Ms. Daniela Kroslak. These International Staff will not have problems finding a job after MINUSMA and even their relatives, already safely employed, and crooked friends. This is a well unwritten but effective rule in DOS.
Privileges and nepotism have been a constant trend in MINUSMA and finally went to the head of our Government who kicked out the UN who was supposed to help us and not to increase corruption. We were not expecting anything good from Mr. Antchev, Godfathers/ mothers in DOS and his friends, considering that he was the one who publicly offended us on various occasions, requested us not to board the UN A/C and was then PNG from our Country. If he would have been removed by USG Mr. Khare, instead of looking for his reinstatement, maybe we would have had more respect for the UN but currently we have none. In the Mission and in the public society.
As Mr. Khare considers him efficient but for us he is just a deficient, speaking in a kind of undermined English which is understandable perhaps only in his Country or with his similar felonies. Such an arrogant and ignorant person. Therefore, we would be glad if Mr. Khare could send him out asap and let us have a fair person to whom we can discuss our future and compensations for the loss of our jobs.
Unfortunately, we all know Mr. Antchev, being a golden boy of Mr. Khare, will be reassigned somewhere else to continue damages, promoting his wife and girlfriends. We are tired of being treated as second hand laborers and this is the message we send to all our Brothers and Sisters in Africa. If you see anything wrong in your Mission, do not accept it. Raise your voice, write, let your community know what is going on. If not, you will pay the same price as us. First humiliated, and then left without a job and any form of compensation.
Thank God at least the UN cancer is over in Mali."
This as Inner City Press, which reports on Mali and South Sudan for example is excluded by the UN Secretariat from getting promised answers - for example to this question it posed: "what is the UN's response to the massacre" - UN failure.
