In DRC, In Q&A With UN Itself Ladsous Not Asked of His Rwanda Snub, Meg Carey Is Out: Scoop

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive series

UNITED NATIONS, April 23 -- Yesterday's announcement by the UN mission in the DR Congo that UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous is in the DRC inevitably brings up history, twenty one years ago and this year.

  But these inevitable questions were avoided by Ladsous, not only in UN Headquarters but now in a staged interview with the UN's own Radio Okapi. This station, which the Free UN Coalition for Access has always said has some good and energetic reporters, was debased into “interviewing” its boss Ladsous without for example asking about this history with the Hutu militia that became the FDLR, nor now his rejection of an invitation to a “Protection of Civilians” event in Rwanda.

  Instead Ladsous on his Okapi pontificated about the rule of law - and is not asked why his Department Peacekeeping Operations waived its supposed rules to participate in military operations against the Lord's Resistance Army but not the FDLR. This is a new low.

    And here is new exclusive reporting by Inner City Press, from the DPKO that Ladsous has been destroying in New York: multiple sources describe to Inner City Press how long time power in DPKO Meg Carey is now out, with no public explanation - again, like in some of the “regimes” the UN pontificates again.  And similarly, Ladsous' scribes who have neglected reporting that this Emperor has no clothes have not reported that Meg Carey, who helped spoon-feed them, is out. We'll have more on this.

  At the April 22, 2015, UN noon briefing (UN transcript here), Inner City Press asked: 

Inner City Press: Well, on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Under-Secretary-General [Hervé] Ladsous. I saw in the MONUSCO [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] press conference they did today that he's there, they said, for five days.  Can you confirm that?  And what is… is trying to get the UN active against the FDLR [Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda] one of the goals?  And relatedly or not, I wanted you to just confirm either here or maybe later today that Mr. Ladsous rejected an invitation from Rwanda to attend a protection of civilians event in Rwanda.

Spokesman Dujarric:  I don't have anything on the latter part.  And Mr. Ladsous is indeed in Kinshasa where he's obviously having discussions on one of the UN's largest peacekeeping operations.

  While the UN Spokesperson''s Office and DPKO have not answered about Ladsous' rejection of Rwanda's invitation, sources in DPKO, along with telling Inner City Press, how Ladsous has inappropriately personalized everything in the Department, say now he may sent Edmond Mulet in his place. Seems he sure can't sent Meg Carey any  more. We'll have more on this.

  In 1994 Ladsous argued for the escape of Hutu genocidaires into eastern Congo; this year he blocked UN participation in military operations against their successors the FDLR. Ladsous refused to waive a stated rule which WAS waived to fight the LRA.

  Now Inner City Press can exclusively report that Ladsous has refused to attend a high level "Protection of Civilians" event in Rwanda in May.  His reason, made known to diplomats? Rwanda has, Ladsous hautily believes, been rude to him. 

  This is how the UN allows Ladsous to operate - he can refuse to answer questions from media which asks about this history; now he can refuse invitations from and talk badly about a member state like Rwanda.

  Here's what his MONUSCO says about Ladsous' visit to the DRC:

"Le Secrétaire général adjoint des Nations Unies chargé des Operations de maintien de la paix,Hervé Ladsous, est arrivé à Kinshasa le 21 avril 2015. Au cours de sa visite de cinq jours, monsieur Ladsous se rendra à Goma et à Bukavu. A Kinshasa, il rencontrera les membres du gouvernement congolais et le Président de la République."

  We'll haver more on this.

  Twenty one years after the beginning of the genocide in Rwanda, UN Peacekeeping remains under the thumb of Herve Ladsous, who in 1994 acting as France's Ambassador in the UN Security Council argued for the escape of the Hutu genocidaires into Eastern Congo. See Ladsous' memo here, put online by Inner City Press. On April 7, the French Presidency said it would declassify some documents. But will those like Ladsous', and more, be released? Why?

  Notably, Ladsous has banned UN support to a military offensive to “neutralize” the heirs of the genocide, the Hutu FDLR militia. Ladsous refuses Press questions on this -- so on April 7 Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, transcribe here, video here:

Inner City Press: A follow-up on this question of the twenty-first anniversary of the Rwanda genocide.  I saw the statement by the Special Envoy in the Great Lakes, Said Djinnit, basically saying the FDLR [Forces Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda] should be defeated.  What can you say about the seeming contradiction, despite these various statements of how important it is to eliminate the FDLR, the decision relatively at the last minute by MONUSCO [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] or the Force Intervention Brigade and DPKO [Ladsous' Department of Peacekeeping Operations] not to participate against the FDLR?  And does it make it less likely they, in fact, will be defeated and will continue?

Spokesman Dujarric:  I think MONUSCO and our peacekeeping colleagues have very good reasons not to participate in that… in that.  This is an issue that the Congolese Government also needs to deal with.  And I think we had good reasons not to participate.

Inner City Press:  The reason I'm asking about the contradictions is it seems this same human rights due diligence policy was explicitly waived in the case of pursuing the Lord's Resistance Army and was, at least in some people's mind, seemingly waived or delayed in the case of the Minova rapes.  So it seems for this to be the one invocation of it as regards to the group that's basically the successor to the genocidaires.

Spokesman:  I think you and I can agree to have different views on this

  This too: Ladous has twice had his spokesmen physically remove the UNTV microphone from Inner City Press, which asked. 

 On April 6 it was claimed that Ladsous' spokesman was pointing to another journalist as Ladsous refused to answer Inner City Press' questions - but he grabbed the microphone, as happened before, here.

  Among documents put online on April 6, 2015 was the Mucyo Commission report, which says of the Security Council advocacy involving Ladsous that in the Security Council, the French Ambassador “did a lot of lobbying with the the Member States of the Council to avoid the Security Council's use of the expression 'genocide.'” Page 179,here.

  But the documents released jump from June 1994 to 1998, thus missingthis Ladsous memo. Pre-selected coverage, focused on US Bill Clinton, John Shattuck, Prudence Bushnell and Joyce Leader and UK David Hannay, omits this link to current events at the UN as well. We'll have more on this.

 When today's UN Peacekeepers are determined, by the UN itself, to have shot at civilians by using inappropriate force, what accountability is there? None, with Herve Ladsous atop UN Peacekeeping. But even the supposed reporting in the incidents is inconsistent.

  On Mali, after Ladsous' MINUSMA reached side deals with the MNLA rebels about Tabankort, there was a protest in Gao.

  UN Police ultimately under Ladsous' command shot and killed three civilians. In this case, because the Malian government wanted an investigation of the killing of protesters which supported its positition, the UN did an investigation and at least released a summary. (Ladsous refused to answer Inner City Press' questions including about the roots of the protest, his mission's deal with the MNLA in Tabankort.)

   But in Haiti, where Ladsous' peacekeeping mission was filmed shooting at protesters who oppose Michel Martelly, the report has not even been summarized. MINUSTAH chief Sandra Honore told Inner City Press the report is finished and "with DPKO" - that is Ladsous. But no summary is being released. Ladsous refused Inner City Press' question about this, and scribes ignored that these are two incidents of shooting unarmed civilians, in two countries, under Ladsous. Who is responsible?

   Vine here. These questions took place at the UN Security Council stakeout, but Reuters and Agence France Presse did not mention it, only blaming Rwanda. Both previously tried to censor Inner City Press coverage of Ladsous and French colonialism, to the extent of moving to ask the UN to throw Inner City Press out.

Which approach is journalism?

AFP wasn't even AT this stakeout - Ladous sought to avoid questions by repeating his talking points in French, but no AFP. Then Reuters told UNTV to give it the microphone, to ask about Rwanda. Ladsous leered. Then a retired Reuters reporter was pointed at by Ladsous' spokesman Nick Birnback, who then grabbed the UNTV microphone to take it away from Inner City Press.

On April 2 Ladsous appeared at the UN Security Council media stakeout but after reading a prepared statement refused to answer Press questions about the underlying Tabankort agreement with the MNLA which led to the Mali shooting. Video I here.

  Inner City Press also asked about shooting at civilians by Ladsous' peacekeepers in Haiti, caught on video, and asked if that withheld report would be released. Ladsous said, I do not respond to you. Video II here.

  Inner City Press asked if it isn't now a pattern, peacekeepers shooting at unarmed civilians not only in Mali but also Haiti, and if Ladsous will take responsibility.

  Ladsous' spokesman Nicholas Birnback then grabbed the UNTV microphone and moved it away from Inner City Press. This happened before with Ladsous and his previous spokesman. Video here, story here. At that time, after the Free UN Coalition for Access complained, the UN Spokesperson told FUNCA it would not happen again. Now it has. Accountability?

 Tellingly, the Ladsous scribe who angled for and got the first question asked pointedly if the peacekeepers in Mali weren't from Rwanda. Ladsous leered and said the Troop Contributing Country, then spoke again at the end to lay the blame on them. Video II, here, near end.

  In the public record is Ladsous' 1994 memo supporting the escape of the Hutu genocidaires who formed the FDLR into Eastern Congo, where now Ladsous' MONUSCO finds one excuse after another NOT to neutralize the FDLR as it did the largely Tutsi M23 armed group.

  Accountability? Video here.

  Inner City Press, which has been asking the UN Spokesperson - sinceUN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous refuses Press questions -- about the killings since they occurred in January, on April 2 asked UN spokesperson Farhan Haq if the report will be made public, and if any verdict or sentence against the peacekeepers would be made public. Haq did not say yes to either.

  A report on Ladsous' peacekeepers in Haiti firing at unarmed demonstrators hasn't even been summarized, much less released.

As to the killings by peacekeepers in Gao, Haq would not even publicly state the nationality of the peacekeepers. Talk about impunity. He said the Ladsous will briefing the Security Council -- behind closed doors, of course -- about the report, then will come to the UNTV stakeout. But Ladsous refuses Press questions, on his cover up of rapes in DR Congo and Darfur and every other question. Video here, Vine here. 

This is a new low in UNaccountability.

 Here is the UN's summary as read-out by Haq, video to follow:

The Inquiry launched by the Secretary-General to determine the facts surrounding the violent demonstration that took place on 27 January 2015 in Gao, Mali, in front of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) Regional Headquarters has submitted its report.

The Inquiry determined that members of a MINUSMA Formed Police Unit used unauthorized and excessive force on civilian protesters during the demonstration, resulting in the death by gunfire of three protesters and the wounding of four others.

The Inquiry also established that some protesters and organisers of the demonstration bear responsibility for the violence of the protest, which included Molotov cocktails, stone throwing and attempts to breach the perimeter of the Regional MINUSMA Headquarters in Gao. The Inquiry noted that MINUSMA security forces were left to face the protesters on their own in violation of the Status of Forces Agreement with the host country. Five MINUSMA police officers were wounded during the event.

The Secretary-General profoundly regrets the casualties among civilians resulting from the excessive use of force during this event by the MINUSMA personnel concerned.  He condemns it as a violation of the MINUSMA Directive on the Use of Force. The Secretary-General is committed to ensuring that the responsible individuals are held fully accountable for their actions.

Steps are being taken in this regard with the authorities of Mali and the relevant police-contributing country. The Secretary-General encourages the Government of Mali to take the appropriate steps to prevent future such incidents.  Communications, management and crisis procedures within MINUSMA will also be examined to prevent the recurrence of such acts.

The Secretary-General is committed to ensuring justice for the victims and their families according to local customs and appropriate United Nations procedures. MINUSMA is in contact with the local authorities and with the individuals and families concerned in this regard.

On behalf of the United Nations, the Secretary-General expresses his deepest apologies to the victims and their families.

The United Nations, and MINUSMA in particular, remain committed to supporting the stabilisation of Mali.

  

In DR Congo, On FDLR Abuse in Lubero, Any Belated Action by Martin Kobler, As He Runs in UN OCHA Race?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 22 -- After the UN claimed to be jointly fighting the FDLR rebels with the Congolese Army FARDC, then to be supporting the FARDC to do so, on February 6 Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric more questions, and he said "the military actual fighting has not, as far as we know, has not commenced."Video here.

  Now UN-supported Radio Okapi reports on FDLR abuses against civilians in Lubero, here. Since the UN has insisted that it will live up to its protection of civilians mandate, will the MONUSCO mission under Martin Kobler but ultimately Herve Ladsous take action?

  Kobler is an interesting UN official, now as Inner City Press first reported in the mix to replace Valerie Amos at UN OCHA. (Before that he was in first place to be the UN's Middle East Coordinator, until one of the Security Council's Permanent members chimed in and Robert Serry got the job. Now, as also first reported by Inner City Press, it goes to Kobler's successor as UN envoy in Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov.

  But some wonder, shouldn't Kobler finish as he promised with the FDLR in the Dr Congo? Also, how to view Kobler's recent acquiescence to Ladsous, refusing to answer on camera questions about his MONUSCO? Video here. He did come back and answer off camera, to his credit. But is he his own man? We'll have more on this. This may be the test.

   (Proud Tweeter Kobler has been asked, but has yet to answer. Click here for a review of the UN's UNresponsive social media strategy - for the record, with praise for at least three UN officials.)

  On February 18, Inner City Press asked Dujarric the question of why Herve Ladsous' MONUSCO has not itself taken action on the FDLR:

Inner City Press: A spokesman for the Congolese Government, Lambert Mende, has said that MONUSCO [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] is free to do its own operation against FDLR [Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda].  He says that the Government has nothing against that.  And I know that it's come up that, somehow, the UN, because of its stated human rights concerns is not going to work with the Government to go after the FDLR.  But, if the Government there is essentially giving its consent, what am I missing?  Why isn't the UN doing what was said it would do following 2 January?

Spokesman:  I would… I would check with the Mission itself.  I have nothing to say from here.

  The UN - and Ladsous, given his history - SHOULD have something to say.

  On February 17, Inner City Press asked again, "Are you aware of any action taken by the Congolese Army against FDLR? Dujarric's deputy Farhan Haq replied, "I'm not aware of offensive military operations, no."

  Nevertheless Reuters on February 10, calling it an exclusive, quoted an unnamed UN official that the UN's support to this non-existent fight had been "paused."

  Then on February 14, still without reporting UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous' history with the Hutu rebels and FDLR, for example here, nor the more recent sale of UN posts in the DRC under Ladsous, Reuters without any of that context quotes anonymous UN official(s) on how committed to rights the UN is, here.

  It 'reports' that "'The next step is the dispatch of formal letters to the relevant Congolese authorities concerning the cessation of support to the FARDC in these anti-FDLR operations,' said the U.N. official."

  What anti-FDLR actions? Tellingly, the story doesn't even purport to give a reason for according the "UN official" anonymity.

   So what is Reuters' policy on granting anonymity? Shouldn't the reason be stated? Reuters has previously refused to explain basic policies - including on censorship like this.

  This Reuters series, praising the UN for "pausing" or suspending action against the FDLR that never even began, is affirmatively misleading. UN Peacekeeping hands faux secrets to Reuters in exchange for positive, uncritical coverage.

  On February 11, Inner City Press asked Spokesman Dujarric about this Reuters "exclusive" on a spoonfed quote: how can something that never began be paused? February 11 video here.  There is as yet no answer.

On February 17, Inner City Press asked UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq

Inner City Press: I want to know whether the UN can say whether the FARDC has, in fact, begun any operations against the FDLR.  And you read the resolution and it says “unilateral”.  It says that the MONUSCO can take action as it did on M23 [23 March Movement], and so, I'm wondering, are there preparations to do just that?

Deputy Spokesman Haq:  Well, that same resolution 2147 (2014), also spells out the phrase “consent of all parties”, and that's an important phrase for us.  MONUSCO will act under the instruction of the Security Council, like I said.  It's got the technical capacities.  It has sufficient enablers and is well-trained and it has well-trained and well-equipped professional peacekeepers to conduct such an operation successfully.  If there's any UN operation to be taken against the FDLR, it would have to be taken in line with international humanitarian law.  In this regard, contingency plans are being reviewed...

Inner City Press:  And is there a FARDC action yet?  Sorry.  I just wanted to get back to that.  Are you aware of any action taken by the Congolese Army against FDLR?

Deputy Spokesman:  I'm not aware of offensive military operations, no. 

 In full disclosure, Reuters at the UN has asked Google to censor access to its anti-Press complaint to the UN, here.

 We also note this, that Reuters pays for (sometimes false) exclusives. 

The February 6 transcript is here.

On February 5, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq when Inner City Press asked if ANY support from the UN is being given, did not say Yes. Video here.

  

 The UN has been dissembling for some time about its role in the Congolese Army's stated attempt to "neutralize" the FDLR. Whilerefusing to answer Press questions publicly, Herve Ladsous' UN Peacekeeping on February 4 once again used friendly scribes to appear to be strong on human rights - in this case, to explain NOT fighting the FDLR.

  Ladsous did this on the Congolese Army rapes in Minova, using the same scribes; he is preparing the same scam to explain his mission's covering up of rapes in Tabit in Darfur, Sudan (more on this to come).

  Here's Ladsous' DPKO's most recent use of Reuters. And here is Ladsous' history with the Hutu rebels in 1994, supporting their escape into Eastern Congo, where now this false fig leaf is used to explain not fighting... Hutu rebels. Here is Agence France Presse; here is Ladsous'DPKO's most recently use of Reuters:

"The United Nations has threatened to withdraw support for a planned Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) military campaign against Rwandan rebels if the government does not remove two generals accused of human rights abuses by the end of next week, a senior U.N. official said on Wednesday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the world body has told Congolese Foreign Minister Raymond Tshibanda: 'If you keep these guys we're not going to be in a position to support you ... get these people out.'"
 
  Reuters and AFP of course do not mention Ladsous' history, not only in 1994 but in refusing openly to answer questions about the rapes in Minova, or more recently, this. No, in this story the UN comes off as heroic. Really?

 Inner City Press asked more on February 4, video forthcoming.

 Inner City Press on January 30 asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric:

Inner City Press: Since it's UN Social Media Day, MONUSCO 46 minutes ago said that — I'll say it in French: Les operations militaires contre les #FDLR, lancées hier jeudi, seront dirigées et planifiées conjointement par la #MONUSCO et les FARDC.  So unless I'm misunderstanding this, they're claiming that it's a joint operation, “conjointement”, on their Twitter feed.  I wanted to know, why would they be doing that, given what you've just said?

Spokesman:  I think without going into a deep analysis of French and English, which you obviously are able to do and I couldn't try to keep up with you, I think it is a different characterization maybe, a different use of words, but I think the point is that it's an FARDC-led operation with the support of the UN.

   On February 2, Inner City Press asked Dujarric more specifically,video here, 

transcript here

  Reuters has again misrepresented the UN's and Herve Ladsous' (non) enforcement of the human rights due diligence policy. The anonymously trolling Reuters correspondent -- reviving that on January 26, after Reuters' Stephen J. Adler et al were told but did nothing -- "reports" that

"The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo threatened in 2013 to withdraw support for two Congolese battalions accused of involvement in the mass rape. The mission decided to keep working with the battalions after 12 senior officers, including the commanders and deputy commanders, were suspended and about a dozen soldiers were charged over the rapes in Minova."

  This is propaganda -- only two lower ranking soldiers were convicted. The Reuters implication is that Ladsous' DPKO is tough on human rights: false.

  On January 22  Ladsous made a speech about freedom of the press in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Thursday to the US Security Council, and made excuses for not acting to “neutralize” the Hutu FDLR rebels as the UN did the largely Tutsi M23. 

Then Ladsous came to the Security Council stakeout, ostensibly to take questions.

  Inner City Press asked, “On the neutralization of the FDLR, what is the hold up?”

  Ladsous said "I don't respond to your questions, Mister." Video hereand embedded below.

   Then Ladsous turned and gave the question to Reuters, the same trolling correspondent. When that back and forth was over, Inner City Press asked if any of the countries in the UN's Force Intervention Brigade are well than willing to attack the FDLR, as senior diplomats at the UN have told Inner City Press.

   Ladsous refused to answer this question, and gestured that Ban Ki-moon's envoy to the DRC Martin Kobler, standing behind Ladsous at the stakeout, shouldn't answer it either. Reuters took or was given another question, distancing the FDLR from genocide.

   Finally Inner City Press asked both men what if anything UN Peacekeeping has done as the Kabila government has frozen the accounts of the Panzi hospital for rape victims.  Ladsous waved this off -- for months he waved off Press questions about mass rape in Minova by his partners in the Congolese Army, video here -- and walked away with this spokesman. 

 (One can only imagine the advise this “communications professional” is giving Ladsous. Perhaps he can help Ladsous address his history with Hutu groups as evidence in this memo. These are Press questions.)

   

As UN Televises from DR Congo the "100 Days of Kobler," LRA Dodged, FDLR Vague, Minova Rapes Ignored

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 21 -- Attacks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the Lord's Resistance Army were discussed only yesterday in the UN Security Council.

  But when the UN's envoy in the DRC Martin Kobler held a grand(iose) infomercial on UN Television on Thursday, using the Twitter hashtag #Kobler100Days, he downplayed that and almost all other less than positive news. 

  At least he took the LRA question, or part of it. Inner City Press asked: "What has MONUSCO & the DRC government done amid the increased LRA attacks in Orientale Province?"

  The word "increased" was dropped from the read-out, and Kobler immediately claimed that there are a lot of actions against the LRA in the neighboring Central African Republic. That is not true: action against the LRA has been suspended in CAR since the Seleka coup.

Kobler came off as if he is running for office in the DRC, or is an appointed viceroy. He said things like "educate our children," and essentially bragged about the victory over the M23. He put no timeline on going after the FDLR.

There were translation problems, some seeming intentional. Kobler in English conceded that MONUSCO is the UN's most expensive mission; the French translation called it only the most "important" mission.

  A question on the UN supporting an illegitimate government drew a blank from Kobler; finally he insisted there those in prison in the DRC are rightfully there. He claimed that impunity is a thing of the past -- "dans le passe" -- despite for example no one being jailed for the 135 rapes in Minova year ago, and only lower level army members even being charged.

While Kobler took at least four questions from the UN's own Radio Okapi -- and thanked Okapi for them at the end, North Korea style -- here are some questions Kobler didn't take or answer:

So UN believes no one higher placed is responsible for 135 rapes in Minova?

From DRC, who will have access to the info from Ladsous' drone?  [Kobler said "December," but nothing on who'll get the information.]

What did MONUSCO find when, as UN said, it went to check in "reprisals" in Bunagana & Kiwanja?

What does UN say to critique that members of Intervention Brigade have economic & political interests in #DRC?

What has UN done about links between DRC officers & FDLR militia cited in UN's own Group of Experts report? [Kobler's UN Peacekeeping boss Herve Ladsous should really answer this one,given his history.]

These will have to be answered. Watch this site.

   

In DR Congo, UN's Radio Okapi Asks French Deputy Alexis Lamek Why Not Sanction Rwanda, Media Controlled

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 5 -- The UN has its own radio stations, as well as allowing colonial powerhouses (or veto-holders) like France to choose which correspondents get to cover UN trips.

  And so today, this: French Deputy Permanent Representative Alexis Lamek gave an "exclusive" interview to the UN's Radio Okapi. The Okapi questioner asked in essence since the UN and everybody knows Rwanda is behind the M23 rebels, why doesn't the Security Council sanction Rwanda?

  Lamek's answer to this question wasn't that the UN doesn't know this, but rather to brag about the UN/SADC Intervention Brigade, which so far has only attacked the M23.

  One might think that a UN radio station would also focus on the acts of the UN's own partners, for example the two Congolese Army units which, while given logistical support by the UN, committed 135 rapes in Minova in November 2012. But this was not asked; the place of this issue in the trip is unclear.

  How can the UN get better if it refuses to examine itself?

  In the spirit of propaganda, the UN Mission MONUSCO announced that it took the three French-picked scribes to see some of its good works: a "CPAD Quick Impact Project, Training of 50 Women in Kinshasa."

  While we wait to see any actual coverage of that, it must be noted that MONUSCO -- under Roger Meece, not new envoy Martin Kobler -- had a "Quick Impact Project" scandal involving badly planned grain mills rusting in the jungle, a failed attempt to make up for peacekeepers doing nothing as Congolese women were mass raped in Walikale.

  In a belated first tweet from among the French picked scribes, US state media Voice of America thank MONUSCO's "Laure" for helping "one woman at a time." Fine. But at that rate, how to make up for the 135 women raped by the UN's partners in Minova last November?

  Certainly there is some good MONUSCO news too. But to censor coverage or analysis of things that don't go as well is one of the reasons the UN does not improve. It has been on the DRC for more than a decade, and its results are decidedly mixed.

Both sides of the debate agreed on this point at a session at the New York City Bar Association on conflict minerals held Thursday night, as the Security Council mission and its scribes flew off toward Brussels. ("Leopold's Ghost" even came up at the session.) Click here for Inner City Press'story about the conflict minerals session.

Will conflict minerals be an issue during this trip? Who will the Security Council met with in Goma? This has been asked, but not yet answered. Watch this site.

No UN Role in DRC National Dialogue, Nothing on MSF Death Near Juba, Guehenno's Haiti Cholera Tweet

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 9, updated -- Despite spending billions of dollars in public funds, and enjoying or abusing immunity as in Haiti, the UN is often irrelevant when real peace talks start.

  This may now take place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - but earlier this year when in Burkina Faso Mali reached a deal with rebels, the UN despite having three envoys played no role.

  Now in the DRC, where a "national dialogue" has been announced to be mediated by the president of next door Congo-Brazzaville, it appears the UN again has no role.

  Inner City Press went to the UN's August 9 noon briefing and asked, what is the role of the MONUSCO mission or of envoy Mary Robinson?

  Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's associate spokesperson Farhan Haq said he is not aware of any UN role at all, that Mary Robinson is working with countries in the region.

  Why then did Mary Robinson do an interview with the UN's own Radio Okapi, the purpose of which seems to have been to pledge support for the new Intervention Brigade which declared a 48 hour ultimatum in North Kivu recently?

  And why did Haq, when Inner City Press asked, have nothing to say about Doctors Without Borders sounding the alarm on security threat in Pinga in the Kivus? Haq said he wouldn't speak for MSF -- and this extended to the MSF worker recently killed near Juba in South Sudan, Haq said the UN had nothing to say. 

  When aid workers were killed in Darfur, the UN spoke. What's different -- South Sudan? Or MSF?

  Coming full circle to Haiti, when Inner City Press asked Haq about the comment by Herve Ladsous' predecessor at UN Peacekeeping Jean-Marie Guehenno having tweeted that the UN needs to "come clean" about cholera, Haq said there would be no response to what Guehenno said in his "private capacity." Video here, from Minute 2:07.

  So much impunity, but so little role in the peace deal in Mali, and the "national dialogue" in the DRC. Watch this site.

Update: then this came in, on Pinga, and we publish it in full. What for example about Bax and Somalia?

Subject: Your question at noon on the DRC
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Fri, Aug 9, 2013 at 2:34 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

Regarding your question on fighting in Pinga, we have the following additional information from the UN Mission, MONUSCO:

MONUSCO reports that, since 5 August, following reports of localized clashes in Pinga, North Kivu province, its peacekeepers have provided protection to more than 450 civilians and four humanitarian workers. The clashes reportedly involved combatants from local armed groups. The Mission is closely monitoring the situation.

But what about which FARDC units MONUSCO is supporting? Watch this site.

    

UN Tells ICP "Its" Radio Okapi Calmed DR Congo Protesters, Of Ladsous Drone Info Withheld

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 2 -- After two Democratic Republic of the Congo question were posed at Friday's noon briefing by Inner City Press, one was answered in writing by the MONUSCO mission less than three hours later (below).

  While appreciated, this just further confirms that the UN Office of the Spokesperson could and should have done the same on Inner City Press' July 31 question of who got the drone contract that UN Peacekeeping head Herve Ladsous bragged about signing.

On that, the UN Spokesperson's Office waited a full 24 hours until the August 1 noon briefing and then read the answer out -- Selex ES Falco -- such that, for example, the stenographers at Reuters who didn't even come to the briefing could put the information out without any background.

  When did the Spokesperson's Office GET the answer to Inner City Press' July 31 question? Why did it wait, unlike here, until the next day's noon briefing to read it out?

  It has been noted that the Spokesperson used to work at Reuters. Also relevant is Ladsous' refusal to answer Inner City Press questions -- today's answer is said to come "from MONUSCO." Here it is:

Subject: Your question on MONUSCO
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Fri, Aug 2, 2013 at 2:08 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

Regarding your question at the noon briefing on Gama, we have the following information from the UN Mission, MONUSCO:

MONUSCO confirms that there were demonstrations in Goma today, with protesters calling for MONUSCO to extend the Security Zone announced earlier in the week, by which the Congolese Armed Forces are being supported by MONUSCO to protect civilians in a densely populated area around Goma and Sake.

The Mission confirms that the situation in Goma is now calm after talks with civil society groups, as well as extensive outreach through the Mission's radio station, Radio Okapi, with the Governor of North Kivu and civil society leaders giving interviews and reaching out to the population.

  One surmises that this is an answer that the UN likes giving: they could cite to it if they start shooting up the place in the north, saying that "civil society" asked them to do it.

  It is also noteworthy that MONUSCO calmed things down by using "Mission's radio station, Radio Okapi" -- so much for the (false) claims of independence.

  But mostly, for now, we take from this that the UN Spokesperson's Office knows how to email an answer to the media which asked the question -- but when the answer was important, news-making, it didn't do so for Inner City Press, but rather services Reuters and others.

   Reuters UN bureau chief Louis Charbonneau has been shown to have leaked to the UN's top accreditation official an internal anti-Press document of the UN Correspondents Association, three minutes after promising he would not. This is, in essence, spying for the UN.  Story here,Charbonneau audio here, document here.

Ladsous made it clear, only if Press coverage of him was positive would he answer questions. Now in what we call a process of Ladsousification, this is spreading in the UN. For example, OCHA said nothing when MSF complained that the Intervention Brigade would undermine humanitarian independence.

A big question now is did Ladsous' DPKO tell Ban Ki-moon (and / or Mary Robinson) before announcing the 48 hour ultimatum. This was asked, at Friday's improved noon briefing, and we will have more on these questions. Watch this site.