UN Won't Say Who's In Charge of Peacekeeping in Crisis in Sudan and Congo, on Haiti Passes Buck

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/dpko1oic040910.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 9, updated -- UN Peacekeeping is in crisis, with Chad and now the Congo seeking to throw UN Missions out, with its Darfur blue helmets having handed their weapons to rebels without a fight, and with its role in electoral fraud being raised in Afghanistan, Iraq and now Sudan.

The chief of UN Peacekeeping Alain Leroy addressed a closed meeting of the Security Council on two of these topics on April 8, after which it was announced he would take questions from the Press.

But this Q&A session was unceremoniously canceled, and Inner City Press was informed that Leroy would immediately be going on ten days leave from the UN, in the midst of these crises.

On April 9, Inner City Press asked UN Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq to confirm and explain Leroy's leave, and requested the name of who would be in charge of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations during the Sudan elections starting April 11, and the Security Council trip to the Congo to try to extend the Mission.

The UN's Haq bristled, "We wouldn't have any comment on the leave of any of our staff." Video here, from Minute 12.

But that is not true. In fact the UN Economic Commission for Africa, to which Haq referred Inner City Press on a question of a UN staff member's illegal involvement as a pro-government Darfur rebel leader while paid by UN ECA, had issued an on the record response to Inner City Press and Haq that the staff member at issue, Al-Tijani Al-Sissi Ateem, went on leave on March 8, 2010.

So the UN will disclose "leave" when it suits it, but not when its time is embarrassing.

Inner City Press followed up, saying the request was not for where Leroy is going, but who will be in charge. Leroy's titular deputy Edmond Mulet has been named UN representative to Haiti, so the deputy slot is empty. Who, Inner City Press asked, will be the DPKO Officer in Charge in this crucial period? Is is some sort of secret?

Haq replied, "there is, and I think there will be an announcement, an additional Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations." He said he would check "when we can announce that formally."

On April 8, after Leroy canceled his scheduled Q&A session, Inner City Press observed him on the corner of 45th Street and Second Avenue speaking at length with Tony Banbury, who was deputy of Field Support before being send to post-earthquake Haiti. (In that job, Banbury famously said that three rapes in the IDP camps left him "elated," a comment Inner City Press reported and Banbury sought to clarify.)

We'll wait to see if Banbury is being formally returned to UN Headquarters from Haiti. This appears to be the case, as he is scheduled to address member states about military helicopters on April 14. Watch this site.

Footnote: Also unceremoniously pulled from Haiti was Kim Bolduc, a mere four months after she arrived and weeks after the UN praised her from the highest levels. She left on March 30, Inner City Press discovered and exclusively reported. Haq confirmed this, but said as to why, the question should be put to the UN Development Program. Video here from Minute 11:20. UNDP has now been asked by Inner City Press:

"In Nov 2009, the SG announced that Kim Bolduc was the new DSRSG for Haiti, a position she vacated just four months later. The UN Spokesperson's office has referred my questions to you. First, in her capacity as DSRSG, was Ms. Bolduc under an employment contract maintained by UNDP or by the Secretariat's OHRM? Secondly, what was the duration of her original assignment as DSRSG? Thirdly, Farhan Haq says that she is now employed with UNDP. What is her new assignment?"

There is a lot of buck passing to escape from answering. But we will follow up.

Update: While Farhan Haq refused to answer who would be in charge during Leroy's absence, Inner City Press later informally learned: Dmitry Titov, now Mister Rule of Law.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/dpko1oic040910.html

On Sudan Elections, Susan Rice Explains Gration, UN Silent, Paid "Rebel" Leader

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/sudan2vote040810.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 8 -- As questions mount about both the Sudanese elections and the Obama administration's seeming two positions on them, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice on Thursday took two such questions from the Press. While the UN has in public been very quiet about doubts about the election, Ambassador Rice said that in closed door consultation, the head of UN Peacekeeping Alain Leroy described

"serious government restrictions on political freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of association, the opportunity for all political actors to campaign without impediment, harassment of the media, limitations on access to polling stations for many of the people of Sudan, in particular in Darfur."

As Inner City Press has reported on for weeks, these are not things that the UN says in public. Tellingly, despite a promise that Alain Leroy would take questions from the Press after the consultations, his appearance was canceled.

Council President Yukio Takasu emerged to paint a more positive picture of the "historic" developments in Sudan, and to say that any questions should be directed to Alain Leroy, who did not come and is leaving for ten days leave, sources say.

Inner City Press asked Ambassador Rice to explain the rosier outlook of the US envoy to Sudan:

Inner City Press: Scott Gration has said that he thought the elections would be as free and fair as possible, can you explain, I guess, what that means, whether that is being kind of retracted in light of what you said? Do you think that the UN, both UNAMID and UNMIS should be more, they said very little about as these events are taking place at least publicly, what is their role for trying to secure a free and fair election without incident?

Ambassador Rice: With respect to the characterization of the elections, I think as we heard from Undersecretary-General Le Roy this morning, and as we have said repeatedly at this mike and various other places, the trends are not encouraging. There have been some significant impediments on the ground, restrictions on civil liberties, harassment of the media, reduction in the number of polling places, insecurity, an inability, of many of the people, particularly in Darfur, to be able to register and participate. So, we have overtime expressed our concerns, those concerns are mounting as the election approaches, and we are certainly underscoring the importance of steps being taken immediately to try to mitigate, to the greatest extent possible, in the time that remains, these very serious infringements on free political activity.

To some, it sounded like an attempt to say that things have gotten worse since Gration predicted that elections will be "as free and fair as possible."

With Sudan's Ambassador saying the elections will proceed on April 11 -- he also said, "the war in Darfur is over" -- Inner City Press asked if the U.S. favors any delay, as requested by many Sudanese opposition groups.

Inner City Press: Should there be a delay?

Ambassador Rice: I think our view has been that if a very brief delay were decided to be necessary, and we thought that a brief delay would enable the process to be more credible, we would be prepared to entertain that. That's obviously up to the authorities themselves, but the larger picture is that much is awry in this process, and that is a real concern.

There are at least two approaches to Sudan within the Obama administration. To the side of the stakeout, Samantha "Problem from Hell" Power stood. Could there be three U.S. positions?

Footnote: Inner City Press also asked Sudan's Ambassador, and the UN, about the propriety of pro-government Darfur "rebel" leader Al-Tijani Al-Sissi having been paid by the UN until March 8, 2010, as exclusively exposed by Inner City Press.

Sudan's Ambassador said that Al-Sissi is a "long time" rebel leader -- that is, before March 8, while paid by the UN. The UN Spokesperson's office has tried to refer all questions to Addis Ababa, where Al-Sissi worked. But it is a question that goes to the top of the UN. Inner City Press has submitted five questions and a deadline. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/sudan2vote040810.html

UN Exposed Supporting Congo Criminals In 2010, Secret List, Using Haiti as Defense

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/un1zimu030910.html

UNITED NATIONS, March 9 -- The UN and its Mission in the Congo have been caught in a web on contradictory statements by and about Congolese warlord Innocent Zimurinda.

In October, UN special rapporteur Philip Alston charged Zimurinda with responsibility for mass rape and murder. On December 16, Inner City Press asked MONUC boss Alan Doss about the UN's logistical support to Zimurinda's units.

"We've set up a procedure," Doss said, "as needed we will suspend support." Video here, from Minute 4:09. Doss claimed that UN support through the Kimia II operation to all Congolese units, not only Zimurinda's, was being ended in 2009.

Now Zimurinda has been quoted that support continued into 2010; his deputy Dieudonne says that the UN is still willing to support Zimurinda's units. Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky to respond to Zimurinda's interview and explain Doss' December 16 claims.

Nesirky began by disputing that it was "just an interview" by Zimurinda. He spoke about the wider Washington Post article, saying it gave "an inaccurate impression." He claimed that the support Zimurinda's units got in 2010 has already been "in the pipeline" and couldn't be stopped. Video here, from Minute 55:02.

Even if one accepted this, why didn't Doss disclose it in December?

Doss was and is under fire for nepotism, having been exposed by Inner City Press urging the UN Development Program to show him "leeway" and give his daughter a job. To escape pressure, Doss claimed that the problematic support to Zimurinda was ending in 2009. But that turns about to be false.

Even now, the UN and MONUC split hairs. The Washington Post reports that even for the new Amani Leo operation -- the Post puts it in the future, but it has already quietly began -- two units of Zimurinda's command are on the list to receive UN assistance. Nesirky claims not. Inner City Press asked top peacekeeper Alain Le Roy to disclose which 18 battalions the UN will support. Video here. Le Roy said he would look into if that could be done, implying he saw no reason why not.

I'm sure Mr. Le Roy will answer your question, Nesirky to Inner City Press, adding acerbically of Le Roy that "today he's had other things on his mind." The reference was to Tuesday morning's memorial service for UN staff who died in the Haiti earthquake. Nesirky cited to this to explain Le Roy's or the wider UN's lack of response.

Nesirky also told a journalist his questioning of the UN in Haiti was "unfair." The UN's top envoy to Haiti Edmond Mulet, when asked about the condition and soundness of the Christopher Hotel, for which the UN in Haiti paid $94,000 a month in rent, said that he didn't know about the inquiry into the building's soundness, he was other things to worry about.

Some thought playing the Haiti earthquake trump card to cut off or not answer questions was distasteful. But the misstatements on the UN working with war criminals in the Congo is even worse. Watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1zimu030910.html