As Fails in DRC, Ladsous' DPKO Won't Say How Damaged Or What Militia Works With

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, November 23 -- Two days after UN Peacekeeping boss Herve Ladsous refused to answer Press questions whether troops under his command would even try to protect Bukavu, and for his response to protests against UN personnel there and in Bunia and Kisangani, Inner City Press put these and other questions to the UN in writing.

  As to the UN's Mission in the Congo, MONUSCO, Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman at what would have been noon briefing time, if one had been held, to "Please describe any and all of MONUSCO's interaction with or support of elements of the Mai Mai or NYATURA so far this year."

  Already, after Inner City Press repeatedly asked, the UN belatedly admitted flying Congolese authorities to meet members of a Mayi Mayi militia, which the authorities described as recruiting the militia to fight the M23 mutineers.

  But after than three hours on November 23, it was Ladsous' spokesman Kieran Dwyer who purported to respond. But on this, all he said was "I am looking into this."

  Inner City Press also asked Ban's spokespeople to "please specify all damage or injury to UN system staff, facilities or property in the Democratic Republic of Congo since November 20, including but not limited to in Bukavu, Bunia, Goma, Kinshasa and Kisingani."

  More than three hours later, all Dwyer responded with was, "I am looking into this."

  How could the Department of Peacekeeping Operations purport to have no answer to this? Since November 20 and 21,  UN personnel have been attacked; several Congolese protesters have been shot dead, at least three in Kisangani, click here. In Bunia, at least six were killed, four of them students, click here (all in French, a la Ladsous).

  UN buildings have been set aflame, rocks thrown at cars, mortars reportedly fired at the MONUSCO base in Monigi. But past 5 pm in New York, no information at all was provided.

  Back on November 21, it was Kieran Dwyer who for Ladsous asked UN personnel to not give Inner City Press the microphone as its question "would MONUSCO protect Bukavu" was asked. Video here, at Minute 10:13, 13:25 and especially 11:50.

   Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's three spokespeople to "please state the Secretariat's position on its Department of Peacekeeping Operations' spokespeople directing staff of the UN Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit and UN Television / audio to hold the Security Council stakeout microphone away from Inner City Press, most recently by spokesman Kieran Dwyer on November 21." Video here, at Minute 10:13, 13:25 and especially 11:50.

  This question was paradoxically referred to Dwyer himself, and he did not purport to answer it or even claim "I am looking into it."

  Previously, Kieran Dwyer demanded that Inner City Press censor a mention of Ladsous from a quote given on the record by a Security Council ambassador.

  Among the November 23 noon requests to Ban's spokespeople by Inner City Press, there was another, entirely factual question about Herve Ladsous which was referred to Dwyer, but to which he did not even say "I am looking into this."

  Meanwhile, Ladsous' Department of Peacekeeping Operations is Tweeting short statements saying it is focused on protection children. How? We will have more on all this. Watch this site.

UN Buildings Burned, Congolese Killed, After Ladsous Refuses Questions

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, November 22 -- Amid mounting protests against the UN Mission in the Congo, from Bukavu to Bunia to Kinangani, Herve Ladsous the man in charge of UN Peacekeeping and the Mission refused to answer any questions about the protests, or the Mission's plans in Bukavu, in front of the Security Council on Wednesday.

  Now UN personnel have been attacked and UN buildings burned down; several Congolese protesters have been shot dead, at least three in Kisangani, click here (in French, a la Ladsous).

 In Bunia, at least six were killed, four of them students, click here.

  It has been noted that neither Ladsous' "MONUSCO or the Congolese Army fired shots to stop M23 from taking over Goma," and then Sake. But now those protesting the inaction are being shot and killed.

  On Wednesday, Inner City Press repeatedly and clearly asked Ladsous, "What about the protests in Bunia and Bukavu" and Kinsangani and "Would MONUSCO protest Bukavu?"  Video here, at Minute 10:13, 13:25 and especially 11:50.

   But Ladsous refused to answer, and his spokesman Kieran Dwyer ordered the UN Television boom microphone to be given for "une question en Francais" that did not concern the criticism of Ladsous and his Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

  Ladsous' refusal to answer particular media's questions is not only abnormal and distasteful -- it is, several UN sources say, irresponsible.

  Ladsous' failure to even try to explain or speak of the protests, when asked, stands in contrast to the way the vast majority of organizations, private or public, would deal with such threats to their personnel.

  But, as one UN source put it, "Ladsous has put his personal peeve over everything else, even the people he is supposed to be protecting."

  The rest of the UN system under Secretary General Ban Ki-moon blithely carries on, with the UN for top Humanitarian official Valerie Amos and the refugee agency UNHCR sending out messages for example calling on "all parties" to "meet their obligations" in Eastern Congo.

   Many say that MONUSCO did not meet its obligations in Goma and now Sake -- where a militia of dubious human rights compliance is now the one fighting the M23 mutineers -- and that Ladsous did not meet his obligations not only to Congolese but to those he was put in charge of serving. And what will happen next? Watch this site.

After UN's Congo Failure, Ladsous Re-Floats His Drone Plan, Exposed by ICP in March

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, November 23, updated -- As the M23 mutineers advance past Goma to Bukavu in Eastern Congo, UN Peacekeeping is trying to erase it failure with a technological fix: drones.

  Back in March 2012, Inner City Press exclusively reported that Herve Ladsous, the fourth Frenchman in row atop the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, had proposed in a closed-door session of the C-34 the use of drones.

  Several delegations criticized it to Inner City Press, questioning not only "who would get the information," but also Ladsous' motives.

  The representative of a Francophone African country told Inner City Press that Ladsous already had a French company, Thales, in mind.

  Inner City Press after its exclusive report got the Office of the Spokesperson of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on March 27, 2012 to confirm the proposal, click here for the UN's e-mail to Inner City Press.

  Then on May 1, 2012 Inner City Press was able to ask Ladsous himself about his drone proposal. From DPKO's own online transcript:

 

Matthew Lee, Inner City Press: You should set up a time, I think, to take questions on Sudan and Haiti. But here is on Syria, on air assets. I know you proposed in the C34 committee the use by the UN of surveillance drones. Now I wanted to know if that is something that you would consider in this instance and if not, why not? Given the need to monitor a ceasefire. Also, there is a talk about freedom of movement. Can you say what the restrictions have been to date and also how they would compare for example with restrictions that DPKO accepts in MINURSO?

 

USG Ladsous: As far as drones, I think the issue is not here and now. We are conducting a study on the issue because there are numbers of aspects, technical, financial and others. And of course one very strong parameter of any deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles would be to secure the consent of the government concerned. So we are not there yet.

  After that, even more delegations complained to Inner City Press, noting that Ladsous has no approval at all to even proceed and ask "the government concerned" about flying UN drones.

  Inner City Press paraphrased one of the complaints and coined the nickname, Herve "The Drone" Ladsous, which a diplomat said also referred to Ladsous' speaking style.

By late May, Ladsous openly refused to answer any questions from Inner City Press. In this, he was emboldened by other attacks on press freedom in Ban Ki-moon's UN, on which we will have more.

  On drones on June 20, 2012, Inner City Press asked Ladsous about safeguards; Ladsous replied, "I don't talk to you, Mister." Click here for that, and more on Ladsous' DPKO and drones.

  Also on June 20, Inner City Press asked one of Ladsous' DPKO's force commanders Major General Moses Obi about drones; at first he said he didn't get the question. Video here, by Minute 35:22. Then Obi said of course he'd like drones, and any kind of surveilance.

 But, Inner City Press asked, who would get the information? Only the Mission? Troop Contributing Countries? All Security Council members? Only the P-5? Only France?

 Obi said the policy would be made "by the UN" -- Ladsous? Ban Ki-moon? -- and that if he got these resources, he'd be given limitations and guidance. By Ladsous? Ladsous doesn't answer.

   Most recently on November 21, after Goma fell to M23 with no fight back from Ladsous' peacekeepers, giving rise to protests and threats against UN personnel in Bunia, Kisangani and Bukavu, Inner City Press sought to ask Ladsous if UN Peacekeeping would even try to defend Bukavu, and for Ladsous' response to the protests and threats in Bunia, Kisangani and Bukavu. Video here, at Minute 10:13, 13:25 and especially 11:50.

  Ladsous refused to answer; his spokesman Kieran Dwyer told staff to not give Inner City Press the microphone, while "une question en Francais" was sought out.

  Since then UN personnel have been attacked and UN buildings burned down; several Congolese protesters have been shot dead, at least three in Kisangani, click here. In Bunia, at least six were killed, four of them students, click here (all in French, a la Ladsous).

  Now the drone('s) proposal has taken flight again, spun by none other than Kieran Dwyer, Ladsous' censorer in chief. Inner City Press has posed a number of questions to the UN and will be reporting them and all responses (or, if up to Ladsous, non-responses) here.

Update: Inner City Press asked the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary General, "How would such [drone] use be consistent with USG Ladsous' statements to the C34, which were never approved or acted on, and USG's Ladsous' statements since?"

 Ladsous' spokesman Kieran Dwyer, saying the questions were referred to him, on this emailed back: "the consideration on utilising unarmed aerial vehicles in eastern DR Congo is one of a set of measures which DPKO is considering in response to the Security Council request for proposals on how to strengthen MONUSCO's capabilities to fulfil its mandate to protect civilians."

  So does Ban Ki-moon's UN believe that only the Security Council would need to approve drones? Or the member states of the General Assembly? Watch this site.