UN Told Inner City Press David Bax Was Cleared in Somalia, But UNOPS Letter Shows Referral on African Skies Ltd, Bancroft Contractor

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, February 24 -- After the UN told Inner City Press that its Somalia de-mining boss David Bax was fully exonerated by an investigation by the UN Office of Project Services that followed an Inner City Press exclusive expose of Bax sharing information with US intelligence through Bancroft Global Development, Inner City Press has obtained a UNOPS letter to Bax that says "However, the Internal Audit and Investigations Group referred several issues to management, including your trip on an African Skies Limited flight."

  There is a problem here: as even the UN's report on mercenaries in Somalia notes, Bancroft has had a financial relationship with African Skies Limited, to provide security at the Mogadishu airport. Click here for UN report, see Paragraph 45. 

  So a favor from African Skies Limited is a favor from Bancroft, to which Bax gave information including genetic information from suicide bombs.

  UNOPS' Paul Lucas' "Dear David" letter, dated December 9, 2013, also references sexual harassment. That involved, among other things, putting UN staff at risk by doing favors for "a girlfriend," and breaking the rules of Bax' own UNOPS camp.

The larger question is even when the UN conducts an investigation and announces a results, including case exoneration, can it be believed? On investigation into charges of gang rape by UN peacekeepers in Mali, the UN has told Inner City Press that the investigation is complete -- but not the result.

   Back on November 4, 2013, Inner City Press asked Anton Katz, Chair of the UN "Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination" about the Group's report on Somalia - and if he had met David Bax. (He had, in Cape Town.)

The report states for example that

"The Working Group was informed by UNMAS that to avoid this problem, their agreement with Bancroft requires that when conducting EOD and counter-IED operations, Bancroft employees must remain a minimum of 500 metres behind any front line. This type of rule might serve as an appropriate safeguard in other contracts as well... The Working Group notes that at least one employee of Bancroft pleaded, and was found, guilty in a South African court of, inter alia, recruiting persons for mercenary activities in Côte d’Ivoire and providing logistical support for the venture [See High Court of South Africa (Transvaal Provincial Division), case number A2850/03 of 2 and 20 May 2005 (ZAGPHC 248).]"

  Why are the UN, AMISOM and UNMAS working with Bancroft Global Development? What do they do together? Inner City Press has been informed by whistleblowers beyond Somalia that Bax has been part of the process by which genetic and DNA information from IED bombings have been transferred to US intelligence.

  There are also detailed accounts of Bax using UN and private contractor resources, without mandate, for a close friend. The problem here, it is reiterated, is that it put others at risk on Bax's whim. We'll have more on this - because the UN Secretariat says again and again that it puts staff safety first. This for example is the rationale, as Inner City Press also exclusively reported, for threatening to close down in New York the UN cafeteria and Dag Hammarskjold Library. 

  As with January Security Council president, Inner City Press offered thanks to Katz for the briefing for the new Free UN Coalition for Access, which will continue to push for increased transparency from the UN on cases like that of Bax, particuarly given the slated changing of the guard in the UN Spokesperson's office, click here for that. Watch this site.

   

In Somalia, UN Clears UNMAS "Cowboy" Bax, Despite Its Own Report on Bancroft Global Development

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 6 -- Back on June 22, 2013, Inner City Press first reported complaints about Somalia UN Mine Action Service boss David Bax,  including his work alongside US-based Bancroft Global Development. 

  After that, the UN said Bax was being investigated by UNOPS, the UN Office of Project Services, and that it would have nothing to say until that investigation was completed.

   On November 4, 2013, Inner City Press asked Anton Katz, Chair of the UN "Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination" about the Group's report on Somalia - and if he had met David Bax. (He had, in Cape Town.)

The report states for example that

"The Working Group was informed by UNMAS that to avoid this problem, their agreement with Bancroft requires that when conducting EOD and counter-IED operations, Bancroft employees must remain a minimum of 500 metres behind any front line. This type of rule might serve as an appropriate safeguard in other contracts as well... The Working Group notes that at least one employee of Bancroft pleaded, and was found, guilty in a South African court of, inter alia, recruiting persons for mercenary activities in Côte d’Ivoire and providing logistical support for the venture [See High Court of South Africa (Transvaal Provincial Division), case number A2850/03 of 2 and 20 May 2005 (ZAGPHC 248).]"

  Why are the UN, AMISOM and UNMAS working with Bancroft Global Development? What do they do together? Inner City Press has been informed by whistleblowers beyond Somalia that Bax has been part of the process by which genetic and DNA information from IED bombings have been transferred to US intelligence.

  After Inner City Press first reported this -- and others have tried to rehabilitate Bax -- the UN repeated that UNOPS is investigating, and that it would have nothing to say in the interim.

  Now on January 6, after Inner City Press asked several times over the holiday, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq read out at the noon briefing that UNOPS finished its investigation of Bax and found "no misconduct." Really?   

  So, is it OK for the UN to share genetic information with US intelligence? Were Bax' action on the day of the attack on the compound, and the way he ran "his camp," acceptably to the UN? What is the message?

  As with January Security Council president, Inner City Press offered thanks to Katz for the briefing for the new Free UN Coalition for Access, which will continue to push for increased transparency from the UN on cases like that of Bax. Given what has been made public by whistleblowers, to merely say "no misconduct" is not enough. Watch this site.

   

UN Mercenaries Group Chief Met Bancroft Global Dev't in Somalia, David Bax in Cape Town: Still No Results of (Cover Up?) Probe

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 4 -- With the UN still providing no update on its investigation of Somalia UN Mine Action Service boss David Bax, first reported by Inner City Press, his work alongside US-based Bancroft Global Development arose Monday at the UN.

Inner City Press asked Anton Katz, Chair of the UN "Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination" about the Group's report on Somalia - and if he has met David Bax. (He has, in Cape Town.)

The report states for example that

"The Working Group was informed by UNMAS that to avoid this problem, their agreement with Bancroft requires that when conducting EOD and counter-IED operations, Bancroft employees must remain a minimum of 500 metres behind any front line. This type of rule might serve as an appropriate safeguard in other contracts as well... The Working Group notes that at least one employee of Bancroft pleaded, and was found, guilty in a South African court of, inter alia, recruiting persons for mercenary activities in Côte d’Ivoire and providing logistical support for the venture [See High Court of South Africa (Transvaal Provincial Division), case number A2850/03 of 2 and 20 May 2005 (ZAGPHC 248).]"

  Why are the UN, AMISOM and UNMAS working with Bancroft Global Development? What do they do together? Inner City Press has been informed by whistleblowers beyond Somalia that Bax has been part of the process by which genetic and DNA information from IED bombings have been transferred to US intelligence.

  After Inner City Press first reported this -- and others have tried to rehabilitate Bax -- the UN said that UNOPS is investigating, and that it would have nothing to say while it does. But the UN has still said nothing. UN investigation as a way to sweep things under the carpet?

  Katz was highly specific, distinguishing Mark Thatcher in Equatorial Guinea and the "Dogs of War" from privatized security in prisons. He discussed Syria and Jihadists, Libya, WEOG and tellingly at the request of UNCA's 2013 president Pamela Falk, drones. Will any of these answers to make-work questions ever see the light of day? Her electronics made noise, and she claimed to speak for "the UN correspondents" -- but that is not true.

  As with November's Security Council president, Inner City Press offered thanks for the briefing for the new Free UN Coalition for Access, which will continue to push for increased transparency from the UN on cases like that of Bax. Watch this site.

   

Of Mercenaries in Eastern Congo & Bahrain, If Not Denel, Who Are the UN's, Kay's and Bax' Guards in Somalia?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 1 -- In Somalia, which private armed guards were running around Mogadishu with UN Mine Action Service chief David Bax, as acknowledged but not named by UN envoy Nicholas Kay? Were they with South Africa-based Denel?

  In Eastern Congo, would Ukrainian pilots in helicopter gunships be considered mercenaries, while recently naturalized Bahrain "security" force members are not? 

  These were the questions Inner City Press put to three members of the Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries on Thursday, and unlike at the UN's own briefing in this room, each question got an answer. Video here, from Minute 40:24.

  On Somalia, Working Group rapporteur Anton Katz of South Africa said he and fellow member Faiza Patel of Pakistan had been there in December and would be reporting soon. He said Denel may be working for some other entity -- UNMAS? - but that the UN system does not employ Denel. Video here, from Minute 18:32.

This seemed strange, since three Denel employees were killed in the most recent attack on UN Compound on Mogadishu.An arms expert tweeted to Inner City Press that Denel mostly doesn't do armed guards. Then who were they? We'll await Kay's or less likely Bax's answer.

  On behalf of the new Free UN Coalition for Access, Inner City Press suggested to the Working Group members that they encourage UN agencies to publicly disclose which security companies they use, and for what.

On Ukrainian pilots in the Congo, Gabor Rona replied that if they were members of Ukraine's army, they could not be mercenaries, only parties to a conflict. On Bahrain, he said that naturalization is enough, legally, to come out from the definition of mercenary.

Can one be naturalized retroactively, Inner City Press asked, laundered so to speak? Video here from Minute 42:38.

Anton Katz asked, to some laugher, Are you thinking of becoming one?

* * *

  Speaking of mercenaries, once again the UN Correspondents' Association asserted its "right" to have the first question, a right that 2013 president Pamela Falk has said can be delegated to any dues paying UNCA member, even one who ran for the Executive Committee and lost. 

 This means that in exchange for money, someone is given a question at the UN. 

   Particularly now with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Martin Nesirky outright refusing to take some Press questions, this pay to play is unsavory, and the outstanding favoritism and rule of law questions must be answered. Watch this site.