After Burundi Cable, When President Meets His Youth Wing, UN Has No Comment, No Update on PNG, Central Bank Fire

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 21, more here -- Four days after Burundi ordered out of the country the UN security chief who reported the President arming his youth wing, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric if the UN staffer left, and about the president now meeting with his youth wing, video here:

Inner City Press: On Burundi, you’d said on Thursday that the UN was troubled by the “PNG” letter. I wanted to know, one, the head of security, has he complied with the letter from the Government and left. And does the UN have any comment on the President of Burundi since Thursday having done a meeting or a rally with his youth wing. The same youth wing that the UN memo said was being handed weapons.

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric: No. I have… I don’t know what the status of the staff member who was “PNG-ed”. We can check. And on Burundi, I think what we had to say last week stands.

   Is that good enough, to simply stand on a past statement as new fact unfold? On April 21 the Banque de la Repubique du Burundi - the nation's central bank - was enveloped in smoke. The excuse? Burning bills. Meanwhile staff say there are threats. But old UN statements "stand."

  So Inner City Press asked the US State Department spokesperson, albeit in a Twitter Q&A, for a comment on the President meeting with the youth wing, and if the government did in fact ask US intelligence to help investigate the cable. So far, no answer: review here.

   Twenty years after the "genocide fax" from Rwanda to the UN in New York was largely ignored, for a week earlier this month there was little visible reaction to a strikingly similar cable from Burundi, about AK-47s being distributed to the youth-wing of the Hutu aligned CNDD party.

  And now one of the authors of the cable has been ordered to leave Burundi in 48 hours, see below.

  Inner City Press on April 9 put the cable online, submitting questions about it to UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric and on April 10 online and at the Security Council stakeout to Ambassador Gerard Araud of France, pen-holder on Burundi in the Council. 

   But it was US Ambassador Samantha Power who took and answered the question, telling Inner City Press that it is very troubling, that there have been fast trials of 21 young opposition figures and a threat to change the constitution and now, these reports. Video here and embedded below. 

  At the April 10 noon briefing, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric who had sent Inner City Press a wan response to its April 9 questions about the cable (and about actions by one of the three addressees, Herve Ladsous of UN Peacekeeping) read out a list of contacts the UN had made.

  Inner City Press asked if the UN, whose cable it was and is, had done anything to check into the weapons given to the youth-wing: pistols in February, AK-47s since. Dujarric said he didn't understand the question and had nothing to add. Video here.

  Hours later, the UN Security Council issued a press statement, here. 

  And now, a week later, one of the UN authors, Paul Dobbie of the UN Department of Safety and Security ("UN Burundi Chief Security Adviser") has been told to leave Burundi within 48 hours of April 17. 

How will Ban Ki-moon's UN react? Inner City Press asked on April 17,video here.

    That the cable was in fact sent from the UN in Burundi to three top UN officials -- Jeffrey Feltman of the Department of Political Affairs, Herve Ladsous of UN Peacekeeping and Great Lakes envoy Mary Robinson -- was reliably confirmed. Inner City Press and the new Free UN Coalition for Access put this photo online here and here. Below, the full text of the cable is published.

  On April 9, UK Mission to the UN spokesperson Iona Thomas replied to Inner City Press that "I can confirm that Feltman raised this issue in the Council discussion on Burundi yesterday and members of the Council expressed their concern at the reports."

  UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, in response to Inner City Press' request for confirmation that Ladsous, who was France's Deputy Permanent Representative at the UN during the 1994 Rwanda genocide against the Tutsis, had received the Burundi cable merely pointed to a read-out of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's April 6 meeting with Burundi's First Vice-President of the Republic of Burundi Prosper Bazombanza.

  That UN read-out says that "the Secretary-General expressed strong concerns about reports concerning activities of Burundian youth groups and urged the relevant national authorities to investigate these reports." 

  But it is the government itself that is accused of distributing pistols, uniforms and AK-47s to the "youth groups," which the UN read-out leaves unnamed. Is this "Rights Up Front"?

  US Ambassador Samantha Power traveled from Rwanda to Burundi andissued a statement that the "United States will provide $7.5 million in assistance for the Burundian electoral process" and expressing concerns, here. It did not directly mention the alleged distribution of weapons to theImbonerukure or the cable.

  France, in the same week that it snubbed the Rwanda genocide commemoration and called any suggestion it was complicit in the 1994 killings "disgraceful," holds the pen on Burundi in the Security Council.

   That is to say, it was up to France after Feltman came and raised the memo to then pen and push for fast adoption some output: a resolution or Statement. But this did not happen -- until a week after the cable.

  Instead, when at the end of a higher profile consultation with High Commissioner on Human Rights Navi Pillay including on Syria, where France is pushing a referral to the International Criminal Court, April's Council president Joy Ogwu of Nigeria emerged to speak to the press, there were only two journalists there including Inner City Press. She mentioned Feltman's briefing, but not the cable or its contents.

  Nine hours later, Australia's Ambassador to the UN Gary Quinlan tweeted, "#UNSC discussed deteriorating situation in #Burundi for 2nd time in 2 weeks - signs of political exclusion & oppression deeply concerning."

The French Mission to the UN -- the penholder on Burundi -- was even less specific: "Under Secretary General Jeffrey Feltman has briefed #UNSC on current political tensions in #Burundi."

  So is the main difference in 20 years since the Rwanda genocide the speed of leaks and of social media?

  Other questions are pending. Here is the full text of the April 3, 2014 cable:

CONFIDENTIAL

OUTGOING CODE CABLE

TO: FELTMAN, UNATIONS, NEW YORK

INFO: LADSOUS, UNATIONS, NEW YORK

ROBINSON, O-SESG-GL, NAIROBI

FROM: [for] ONANGA-ANYANGA, BNUB, BUJUMBURA

DATE: 3 April 2014

REFERENCE: CDN-037

SUBJECT: Reports of alleged distribution of weapons to the Imbonerakure

Summary: Informs on reports of alleged distribution of weapons [to] ruling CNDD-youth wing and actions taken by BNUB.

1. "This follows my cable CND-022 of 26 February in which I informed of allegations of distribution of weapons to the ruling CNDD-FCC youth wing the "Imbonerakure."

2. Yesterday UN Chief Security Adviser (CSA) in Burundi conveyed the following message from the DSS daily sitrep:

"After information gathered from key informants, there was distribution of weapons and outfits military and police during the months of January and February for youth affiliated to the CNDD - FDD (IMBONERAKURE) party and the demobilized ex-AIMP Rumonge. An ad-hoc meeting was held in a hotel call[ed] KUKANYAMUENZA belonging to a "General de Brigade" located Nduwumunsi in Rumonge. A night training for the handling of these weapons would be located on the side of the central prison of Rumonge (KUMUREMBWE) and the surrounding population would have heard gunfire. These same activities (distribution of weapons) would be considered to take place in the commune of Nyzana-Laca, Kibago and Mabanda in Makamba province. Another face which tends to confirm the news, these are the statements of people who participated in these meetings but refused to receive weapons.

Two generals originating in the province of BURURI ex-AIMP whose names follow: Bde General Nduwumunsi (currently Director General of former Combatants) and General - Major Niyungeko Jevenal aka KIROHO (currently head of the Office of military Cooperation) would be supervisors of these activities (distributions of weapons and military and police uniforms). In this meeting they emphasized especially, that the beneficiaries of these weapons must remain vigilant and that when there is a trigger that each take care of their opponents in their proximity / neighbourhood."

3. I have undertaken consultations with key embassies including United States, Belgium and the Netherlands, all involved in security sector support activities, to corroborate the information and plan to raise the matter with the relevant ministers. The ambassadors informed have confirmed the grave nature of the allegations which if confirmed may have implications for bi-lateral assistance programmes.

Observations

4. CSA in Burundi confirmed the reliability of the sources.

5. The Imbonerakure actions have been on the rise since the beginning of the year and are one of the major threats to peace in Burundi and to the credibility of the 2015 elections as they are responsible for most politically motivated violence against opposition. BNUB has documented 27 cases implicating the Imbonerakure so far in 2014, 23 of which have been politically motivated.

6. The Imbonerakure act in collusion with the local authorities and with total impunity. In the country side they have replaced the law enforcing agencies and act as a militia over and above the police, the army and the judiciary. Opposition parties have repeatedly complaint [sic] about the Imbonerakure violence.

7. One can only speculate about the purpose of the distribution of weapons and uniforms in Bururi which is a traditional stronghold of the UPRONA. However the last sentence of the message indicated a highly decentralized chain of command which is consistent with reliable information on Imbonerakure modus operandi on the ground.

8. In February BNUB had informed of the disappearance of 500 uniforms from military and police installations as well as the distribution of 9mm pistols. Although not confirmed there are indications that the weapons distributed this time can be AK-47 assault rifles. DSS has also informed in the past of radio messages for the population "to be ready."

9. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and keep you informed.

Now what? Watch this site.

   

At UN, Cyprus Anastasiades Floats Famagusta Plan, ICP Asks on Central Bank & IMF, Thanks for Journos, But...

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 26 -- When Cyprus president Nicos Anastasiades took questions at the UN on Thursday, Inner City Press asked him about his dispute with country's Central Bank chief, and if his speech had been coordinated in any way with Turkey, since it was so upbeat. Video here, from Minute 6:13.

Anastasiades said while he tries not to speak about things in Cyprus when he is out of the country, he respects its constitution and the rules and regulations of the Euro system and of the ECB.

On Cyprus we try to open new avenues, he said, "I have a vision to see that my country is going to be reunited... we are not ignoring the rights of Turkish Cypriots.

On Famagusta, he said we are in the process of negotiating: for the port to be open, under EU, Turkey to open airports and ports to ships and planes with Cyprus [flags], then Cyprus would raise veto [threat] on accession process of Turkey.

It was an interesting press conference. Inner City Press got the first question, but instead of thanking Anastasiades on behalf of the new Free UN Coalition for Access (which it does when the old UN Correspondents Association insists on pretending it represents all journalists at the UN), thanks was given for "the journalists here."

That's how it should and could be done. But later on Thursday, not only did UNCA's 2013 president Pamela Falk of CBS re-appear for the UNFCCC -- a person who lost election for the UNCA board again insisted on getting the first question at an ICC press conference. This means: first questions for sale. UNreal. Watch this site.

   

On DR Congo, NYT Misreports M23 Looting of Goma Bank, UN Role in Minova Rapes

By Matthew Russell Lee, Media Critique

UNITED NATIONS, December 16, updated -- Everyone's jumping in the Congo, at least in print. Today's New York Times runs a joyless six travelogue by Jeffrey Gettleman, from mass rape to mashed up fruits on the reporter's windshield. 

  The call seems to be for truly robust "peacekeeping" like in Somalia, where Kismayo was shelled by a navel force never authorized or paid by the UN Security Council.

  But a telling mistake jumped out at Inner City Press: Gettleman simply reports as fact that the M23 "clean[ed] out the central bank" in Goma. This had been reported by the NYT's UK-based competitor The Guardian, citing an unnamed UN official.

  But when Inner City Press asked the UN in New York about it, the following came back:

From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Mon, Dec 10, 2012 at 2:05 PM
Subject: Your question on the Central Bank of Goma
To: Matthew Russell Lee [at] innercitypress.com

On the Central Bank in Goma: We checked with DPKO. The UN mission reports that the Central Bank in Goma was not attacked.

  This answer, once reported, gave rise to Twitter back and forth in which some argued that it didn't matter, since M23 "looted" other things. (Taking a losing army's weapons is pretty standard, and not necessarily looting.)

  This is not even mentioning the UN's role in enabling and covering up Kabila's fraudulent elections, which we touched on yesterday, here.

  Nor does Gettleman's tale of rape mention the UN role -- standing by in Walikale, which gave rise to angry public words from the diplomat of the moment, Susan Rice, then standing by again in late November as more than 70 women were raped by Joseph Kabila's forces in Minova.

   The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and its chief Herve Ladsous have refused to answer the Press on which FARDC units were in Minova at the time (we've named the 802 and 1001 regiments), nor even which units the UN works with and supports. 

  In this way, it is impossible for the public or press -- except perhaps insiders to whom Herve Ladsous will speak, if only in the hall, video here -- to assess UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's supposed Human Rights Due Diligence Policy.

   But none of this is as snarky or dramatic as fruits smashed on a windshield or corpses in the bush.

   So what to do? Inner City Press, rare for it, sent in a comment / letter to the editor at the times, making the Central Bank of Goma and UN Peacekeeping points. Five hours later, even as much newer comments beginning "great article!" were put up, there was no sign of the critique.

  Was this because the New York Times distinguishes between corrections like on the Central Bank of Goma, and opinion? Their online comment page says "Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive."

  So was it abusive to point out an error? To test this, Inner City Press resubmitted the comment without anything on the Central Bank of Goma, only that the New York Times went too easy on the UN.

  Then, five hours after submission, the comment went up.But will the mis-report of M23 looting the Central Bank in Goma be corrected? Watch this site.

IMF Says Hungary's Fillegi Will Not Meet Management, of Central Banks, Philippines

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 8 -- While Hungarian minister Tamas Fellegi says in his upcoming visit to the International Monetary Fund in Washington he will "meet with management," when Inner City Press asked IMF spokesman Gerry Rice on Thursday, Rice said "no meeting with management is anticipated," only with the mission chief.

Inner City Press asked where things stand, including on proposed amendments to Hungary's Central Bank law. Rice said the IMF is looking for "sustained commitment on major policy issues before proceeding with discuss on a program... including the issue of the Central Bank law."

While most questions taken at the biweekly IMF briefing concerned Greece, Inner City Press and several others also asked about Egypt. Asked about the impact of the rift between Egypt and the US about the non-governmental organization workers, Rice claimed "we are international financial institution of 187 countries, not effected by bilateral relations among two member countries." Even if one is the US, with its quota and voting strength?

Footnotes: the IMF by deadline left two of Inner City Press' question unanswered:

South Sudan has cited the IMF as supporting its oil transfer fee offer to Sudan of 69 cents a barrel. Has the IMF played a role in this fee negotiation, and this price?

Senegal's actual growth rate has recently been measured as barely one half of what the IMF estimated. Was the IMF wrong? Or what happened?

And on an IMF conference call this week when Inner City Press asked if the IMF's mission to the Philippines considered charges that the Central Bank there may have leaked the bank records of Chief Justice Renato Corona, the answer was that it hadn't been considered... yet. Watch this site.