UN's Ladsous Solicits Drones for Mali and Beyond, As UN Says Further Approval Needed for Central African Republic: Jumping The Drone?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 14 -- When UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous pushed through his proposal to use drones or “unmanned unarmed aerial vehicles” in Eastern Congo, he said that it was a pilot and that any further use would require another approval.

But on May 5, Inner City Press asked UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq about Ladsous pitching drones in the Central African Republic -- and now Inner City Pressreports that Mali has arisen as well, and "any [UN] peacekeeping mission." 

From the UN's May 5 transcript:

Inner City Press: while Under-Secretary-General Ladsous was in Bangui, he gave a press conference and he discussed the use of unmanned/unarmed aerial vehicles or drones in the CAR ( Central African Republic). So, I wanted to know, is it the UN’s position that the current MINUSCA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic) resolution would permit use of drones or is this something that they would have to come back to the Security Council or some other organ of the United Nations to get approval for?

Deputy Spokesman Haq: I believe that the current resolution does not mention unmanned aerial vehicle, so any further deployment of that would require the Security Council consideration as far as I’m aware.

  But the UN at Ladsous' direction has been soliciting expressions of interest, until today, for drones or UAVs for use in northern Mali, where Ladsous' native France has an UNdisclosed letter of assist under which other UN member states will be paying it for airfield services. 

  (Outgoing French Ambassador Gerard Araud in December, his last Council presidency, refused to substantively answer Inner City Press' questions about the letter of assist, and now doesn't answer Press questions at all.)

The question is, if as stated on May 5 any UN use of drones or UAV outside of the Congo requires another approval, why is Ladsous soliciting drones for Mali? 

  In fact, the solicitation says "While the initial deployment of UAS is expected to be based in a particular UN Mission future deployment could be in any peacekeeping mission" --

UN/PD is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the provision of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) with multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in support of peace-keeping operations in Mali with the basing of one system at Timbuktu and Gao.

The UAS provider will be an independent contractor who remains in control of the system and aircraft and shall be responsible for operation and maintenance of the aircraft. The flight operating crew and all maintenance personnel shall at all times remain the servant or agent of the contractor. All staff and equipment necessary for the operation of the aircraft are expected to be self-sufficient for all technical and subsistence requirements, although in some locations, accommodation and meals may be provided within UN compound for security of personnel or lack of alternative. The staff of the independent contractor will operate closely with UN aviation and military personnel and interact with the host nation as and when required. The contractor must provide staff to track, control, monitor the UAS and provide analysis of data received, working closely with Mission contacts. While the initial deployment of UAS is expected to be based in a particular UN Mission future deployment could be in any peacekeeping mission.

It is expected that contracts will be for a period of 3 years, extendable at the option of the UN to 4 and 5 years, and will generally apply to a single mission area. UAV capability should provide long endurance and be able to fly long range to a point of interest, loiter on patrol and return to base.

   Herve "the Drone" Ladsous - we will pursue. Watch this site.

   

UN Tells Inner City Press Herve Ladsous' Crash Prone Congo Drone, Selex Falco, Costs 10 M Euros, Run by Contractor, Still Murky

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, August 5 -- After Inner City Press published an exclusive story and asked about crashes in Pakistan and Wales by the the exact drone model that UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous has procured for Eastern Congo, the Selex ES Falco, and questioned the cost, management and use of information, the UN's spokesperson Martin Nesirky at Monday's noon briefing answered some of Inner City Press' questions.

  The single drone will cost 10 million Euros, apparently per year, for a three year contract with two additional years as an option. (Nersirky did not say at whose option these two years would be: the contract should be made public.)

  Nesirky answered that 25 companies from 11 countries visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo and "a number" submitted proposal. Nesirky did not say WHAT number: this, and the proposals, should be made public.

  When Inner City Press asked again who would run the drone, and who would get the information, Nesirky said that "the contractor" will run the UAV. Would that be Finmeccanica, the ultimate parent, also involved in cyber intelligence? This should be specified. 

  Will the drone be controlled from Goma, Kinshasa, or in US style, a room under Las Vegas? Or in Rome?

  Nesirky said that the information will be provided "exclusively" to the MONUSCO mission. Inner City Press asked if MONUSCO would then in turn provide information to the Congolese Army. Nesirky insisted: exclusively to MONUSCO.

Does that mean MONUSCO would never share the positions or movement of armed groups with the FARDC?

  Or with the Permanent Five members of the Security Council, one of which (France) Herve Ladsous represented in the Security Council as Deputy Permanent Representative during the Rwanda genocide, arguing for the escape ofgenocidaires into Eastern Congo which he will now be observing with this murky -- and crash prone -- drone? Watch this site.

   

In Dysfunction of Ban Ki-moon's UN, Two Departments Use States to Fight for 12 Budget Posts, Banning Press & Reason

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 1 -- Two departments of the UN are fighting over which gets 12 posts or salaries lines. 

  No one in Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's office has intervened and made a deicsion, and so the two departments offer favors to particular member states to get their support in the Budget Committee.

  Welcome to dysfunction in Ban Ki-moon's UN.

  No less than the UN Journal reported that the Fifth (Budget) Committee would finish its work on May 31. But that morning, when Inner City Press asked the Committee's chairperson Miguel Berger of Germany if that would happen, he candidly said, "No."

  At 5 pm on Friday Inner City Press checked in with several members of the Committee. Some were derisive of the UAV plan of UN Peacekeeping chief Herve "The Drone" Ladsous for Cote d'Ivoire. 

  But a big fight concerned a proposed power-grab by UN Controller Maria Eugenia Casar "and her peacekeeping budget director."

  The Department of Field Support and the Department of Management, of which the Controller's office is part, were tasked with finding a new way to draft peacekeeping budgets.

  This, multiple sources told Inner City Press, was turned into a "power grab" by Casar, who "made DFS give up twelve posts," and transferred them to her office.

  DFS understandably pushed back; in typically dysfunctional UN fashion the two Departments are now using different member states - in exchange for favor, of course - to press forward their position in the Fifth Committee. Is this any way to run an Organization?

  Meanwhile, apparently to try to avoid detailed press coverage, one thing the UN says it will stand firm on is eliminating media workspace that has existed for years in front of the Security Council. Both before and during the $2 billion renovation (after which there is STILL bad wiring), there was a media table in front of the Security Council. 

But now, despite being shown as recently as May 31 by the Free UN Coalition for Access exactly where one could go, the UN is saying no. Or is letting the move of the Security Council, today, happen without maintaining previous media access. This is Ban's UN.