Showing posts with label sudan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sudan. Show all posts

Saturday, April 6, 2019

After UN Guterres Met Bashir Sudan Protest At UN While Guterres Sidles Up To Haftar and Biya Corrupt


By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR LetterPFT Q&A


UNITED NATIONS GATE, April 6 – Despite Sudan's Omar al Bashir being indicted for genocide, Antonio Guterres has repeatedly met with him, as acknowledged to Inner City Press by Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq on 29 January 2018 (before Guterres had Inner City Press roughed up and banned from the UN for 276days now).  On April 6 amid protests in Sudan and around the world, there was a protest in front of the UN. Inner City Press filmed the tail end of it, here on YouTubehereon Facebook

Guterres was away, meeting strongman Haftar in Libya as he had met the killing Paul Biya in Cameroon, and taken a golden statue from him. Guterres is the most corrupt Secretary General yet of the UN, and may be its demand. If you want to save the UN, #DumpGuterres: #NoSecondTerm. On March 13, this: "ACJPS calls upon Sudanese authorities to urgently investigate the reported torture and custodial death of three University students who were detained by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) for participating in the ongoing protests. Mr Muhajoob Eltaj Muhajoob, a 25-year-old student from Khartoum died on 24 December 2018 shortly after being detained on the same day by NISS of Khartoum. Reliable information indicates that he was subjected to torture including beatings on different parts of his body using horse pipes and sticks while in NISS custody.   In January 2019, ACJPS documented the custodial and suspicious deaths of two students arrested for participating in peaceful protests by NISS in Khartoum and Al Gaderef states. The dead bodies of both students retrieved from River Nile in Khartoum and Al Gederef hospital had serious marks of torture. One of the deceased students had a bullet wound in his mouth and his hair was shaven off.  [Then there are the] 48 University students who remain in NISS custody since protests broke out on December 19 2018, given reports about the torture and ill-treatment. The students were arrested during raids on students' residence by NISS in the states of Khartoum, Sennar and Port Sudan among others." What will Guterres say?  Guterres met with Bashir again, in Addis Ababa. Inner City Press on February 13 before the UN noon briefing run by Guterres' lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric asked him, Alison Smale, Amina J. Mohammed and others: "February 13-2: On Sudan and the ICC, please immediately deny or confirm and read out that " United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with Sudan’s president on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, said Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Ahmed in a statement released on Monday.  The meeting of al-Bashir with Guterres was reported by the official news agency SUNA saying it took place at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa on the sidelines of the 32nd Ordinary Summit of the African Union." How many times in total has Guterres met Bashir - and any other ICC indictees?" None of these have answered, despite promises including to UNSR David Kaye that they would. But the UN has become such a scam that inside the February 13 noon briefing Inner City Press was banned from one of Dujarric's partners in censorship, James Bays of Al Jazeera (see Dujarric's false claims to the Columbia Journalism Review, here) asked a question not about the meeting with Bashir, but only about Guterres standing next to Bashir in the African Union "family photo." Dujarric was, not surprisingly, able to dismiss the issue by saying the AU chose where people stood. Did the AU make Guterres meet with Bashir? Watch this site. On February 9 there was a protest outside the UN in New York, demanding action on Bashir - this while INSIDE Guterres' UN the Delegates' Dining Room was given over to yet another China Intangible Cultural Heritage event, and Guterres continues to cover up his links to CEFC China Energy. Bashir under fired it offering as an inducement for support raises and new housing to "his" police. (At the UN Guterres has used UN Security to rough up the critical Press and put it without due process on a non-public "barred" list that his official in charge of media access Alison Smale said she has nothing to do with, but would take under advisement - then nothing, including no answers to questions.) On January 23 US State Department deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino issued this: "The United States is concerned about the increasing number of arrests and detentions, as well as the escalating number of people injured and killed, following four weeks of protests across Sudan.  The United States supports the right of the Sudanese people to gather peaceably to voice their demands for political and economic reform and a more peaceful and inclusive Sudan.  We condemn the use of violence, including the use of live fire, and the excessive use of tear gas by the Sudanese security forces.  A new, more positive relationship between the United States and Sudan requires meaningful political reform and clear, sustained progress on respect for human rights.  This must include prohibiting the security services’ use of arbitrary detention and excessive force against protesters, and ending the government’s harassment and intimidation of journalists, human rights defenders, political opposition, medical personnel, students, and other civil society actors.  We urge the government to release all journalists, activists, and peaceful protesters who have been arbitrarily detained, and to allow those facing charges full access to legal representation and the opportunity to seek legal review of their detention.  We also call on the government to allow for a credible and independent investigation into the deaths and injuries of protesters.  Moreover, to address the legitimate grievances of the population, the government must create a safe and secure environment for public expression and dialogue with the opposition and civil society in a more inclusive political process." On January 14 Inner City Press asked Guterres and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who had promised to answer, "On Sudan, what is the SG's comment and action on that Sudanese security forces Sunday fired tear gas and real bullets on Khartoum North Hospital and other medical facilities in other towns said a statement issued by the Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate? Again, please state when and why Mr Guterres met Omar al Bashir." But there has been no answer.  Rather, now on January 17 a statement by Michelle Bachelet whom Guterres picked as Rights Commissioner and who has said nothing about Guterres' own roughing up and banning of the Press, now for 196 days. Here's from Bachelet: "Credible reports of the use of excessive force, including live ammunition, by State security forces against protestors across Sudan over the past month are deeply worrying, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Thursday. Bachelet called on the Government to protect the exercise by all of their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, regardless of their political affiliations.  The demonstrations since 19 December 2018 have taken place in a number of cities across Sudan, including Wad Madani, Port Sudan, Al-Qadarif, Atbara, Berber, Dongla, Karima, Al-Damazin, Al Obeid, Khartoum, Sinar, Bara, Nyala and Omdurman. The Government has confirmed that 24 people have died in the course of the protests, but other credible reports suggest the death toll may be nearly twice as high. Many others have been injured. According to information received, security forces have also followed some protestors into the Omdurman Hospital and fired tear gas and live ammunition inside the premises of the hospital. Reports also suggest that police fired tear gas inside Bahri Teaching Hospital and Haj Al-Safi Hospital. These two hospitals are in Khartoum North, where a large protest was organized by opposition groups.  Authorities have also confirmed that up to 6 January, at least 816 people were arrested in connection with the demonstrations. Reports indicate that these include journalists, opposition leaders, protestors and representatives of civil society.  “A repressive response can only worsen grievances,” High Commissioner Bachelet said.  “I am very concerned about reports of excessive use of force, including live ammunition, by Sudanese State Security Forces during large-scale demonstrations in various parts of the country since 19 December." So she calls for freedom of expression? Everywhere but in the UN, where Guterres banned critical Inner City Press even from her own events? Under Guterres and now Bachelet, the UN is rotting into hypocrisy, mere words from arrogant absentees. We'll have more on this. Back on 20 December 2018, banned Inner City Press asked Guterres and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric and Farhan Haq, "December 20-2: On Sudan, what is the SG's comment and action on the anti-government protests that started on Wednesday in northern Sudan and have been spreading to other cities?" Even by 7 pm on December 28 with more journalists arrested in Sudan, for example Ahmed Younes from Al-Sharq Alowsat newspaper and Maha Al-Tilib from Attayar newspaper, both just for reporting on the protests in Wad Nubawi, Omdurman, there was no answer at all, nor to 46 other questions Inner City Press has submitted including on conflicts of interest by Guterres. It turns out the UN has become so corrupt under Guterres that one of lead Spokesman Stephane Dujarric's Associate Spokespeople Ms Keishamaza Rukikaire who actually seems to care or at least re-tweet about Sudan has been ordered not to answer banned Inner City Press' written questions about Sudan, etc, see here. Finally after 7 pm on December 28, from Guterres' spokes - / hatchetman Stephane Dujarric, this: "The Secretary-General is following with concern developments in the Republic of Sudan, including the reported violence and fatalities. He appeals for calm and restraint and calls on the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the deaths and violence. He extends his condolences to all those who have lost loved ones in the violence.
The Secretary-General emphasizes the need to safeguard freedom of expression and peaceful assembly." Meanwhile AI counts at least 37 dead, and now there's video of Al-Sudani newspaper journalist Yassir Abdallah taken to hospital  after being assaulted by security personnel who fired ammunition into newspaper’s office. The protests have spread and Bashir's Rapid Support Forces are being deployed in Khartoum. Still silence from Guterres, now on a murky publicly funded junket with a major conflict of interest. In Sudan Bashir has suspended universities in Khartoum and sought to cut the Internet. Guterres is missing in action, not even disclosing where he is or how much it costs the public. Birds of a feather.

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

UN Guterres Met ICC-Indicted Bashir in 2018 UNscheduled And in 2012 Banned Inner City Press Learns


By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR LetterPFT Q&A

UNITED NATIONS GATE, September 12 – Despite Sudan's Omar al Bashir being indicted for genocide, Antonio Guterres has met with him, as acknowledged to Inner City Press by Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq on 29 January 2018 (before Guterres had Inner City Press roughed up and banned from the UN for 71 days now) - and, we are now told by UNHCR sources, in 2012.

  This week, banned by Guterres from attending and asking questions at the UN noon briefing as I am done under Kofi Annan (Rest in Peace) and even Ban Ki-moon, on September 10 I submitted questions in writing to Haq, to lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric, to Guterres' e-mail address and that of his Deputy and Global Communicator Alison Smale, including this one: “September 10-1: Please confirm or deny that Antonio Guterres has met with Omar al Bashir. Separately, if he met Bashir in 2012, and if so why, and when the ICC was informed.” 

Not that day but the next, Dujarric replied adding his response in capital letters: “September 10-1: Please confirm or deny that Antonio Guterres has met with Omar al Bashir. Separately, if he met Bashir in 2012, and if so why, and when the ICC was informed. NO CONFIRMATION.” 

This seemed strange, given Haq's answer on 29 January 2018, so on September 12 Inner City Press asked, “September 10-1 / Sept 12-4: Please confirm or deny that Antonio Guterres has met with Omar al Bashir. Separately, if he met Bashir in 2012, and if so why, and when the ICC was informed. You wrote, “NO CONFIRMATION.” But here was Deputy Spokesman Haq's answer to me on 29 January 2018 (before I was banned from attending and asking questions at briefing 71 days now): Video here,  picked up here, among other places.

So how can you say “no confirmation”? Is your Office / SG Guterres retracting what was said at the 29 Jan 2018 briefing?”  
After conducting an empty briefing from which Inner City Press was banned by Guterres and Smale, and that again had no a single question on Africa (in fact, one Dujarric's and Haq's favored interlocuters used the Press-less briefing to say that the corruption of Ng Lap Seng and the UN Office of South South Cooperation was “fabricated”), Haq sent this: "Regarding the 29 January 2018 noon briefing, I made clear at that time, as the transcript itself shows, that there was no formal scheduled meeting; they were in the same (large) venue at the same time:

Question [Inner City Press]:  And did he meet [Omar al] Bashir? This reported… I heard your litany of countries and I couldn't quite keep up with them, and I didn't see a readout. But the Foreign Minister of Sudan has said that he met with Omar al-Bashir, who's indicted by the ICC (International Criminal Court), as you know, for genocide and war crimes. Did he meet with him? And what… what… is this a change of policy?
Spokesman:  It's not a change of policy. They were both at the same summit. In that context, they did meet with each other on the grounds of the sort of operational necessity that does allow the Secretary-General to meet from time to time with him. That doesn't obviate the need, of course, for respect of the International Criminal Court.
 [Inner City Press] Question:  But was Sudan in the list of countries that you read out just at the top of the briefing? And if not, why not?
Spokesman:  It was not, because it was not a formal scheduled meeting."

  So apparently Guterres and his enablers believe he can meet with alleged war criminals as long as he doesn't write it down on his schedule. We have more details on the 2012 meeting(s) but they will be in a longer profile currently planned for publication when Guterres returns from his 15th publicly funded junket to Lisbon. By banning Inner City Press they have tried to make its reporting more difficult. This is censorship - but the reporting is not impossible and will continue. Watch this site.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Inner City Pres First Reported South Africa Troops Leaving Darfur For "Tactical" Violation, Was It SANDF's Bashir Encircle?



By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive Series

UNITED NATIONS, March 1 -- UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous was willing to use Congolese troops in Central African Republic who ended up engaging in child rape and other abuses. Then they were given ample time to repatriate or leave the country; some twenty are still there.

  But there are other inconsistencies in Ladsous' peacekeeping, for example in Darfur. There, Ladsous more forcefully demanded the repatriation of South Africa's troops -- not for sexual abuse, but for “tactical” issues. Inner City Press exclusively learned of this and how last week, just before the UN threw Inner City Press out on February 19, and declared it Banned from all UN premises on February 22. Petition here.

  Here, exclusively, is the outrage. Unlike with “his” Congolese rapists in CAR, Ladsous very much wanted the South African troops to leave Darfur. Inner City Press' sources, on the last day it was able to move freely and without Ban Ki-moon's minders around the UN's second floor, was told the UN accused the South African contingent of a "tactical" violation.

But what could it be? In another seemingly scripted Q&A colloquy, Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric lavished praise on South Africa's battalion - even as DPKO threw them out.

  Now here's the possibility: the South Africans in Darfur allowed themselves to be surrounded by the Sudanese Army SANDF when it seemed Omar al Bashir might belatedly be arrested in South Africa on his ICC genocide warrant. See hereh/t.

Ladsous, as Inner City Press has reported, has no problems with war crimes -- see his favors for Burundi's military -- nor even with Bashir, with whom he met without giving any read-out. But with this exposed, and Ladsous unable to open his mouth without, for example, linking rapes to R&R, the answer was to throw the South Africans out for making it clear how weak and craven to Bashir's Sudan Ladsous' DPKO is.

We'll have more on this -- even with the restricted access to which Ban Ki-moon, protested in Sri Lanka today, has confined Inner City Press.

  This is the lack of oversight of UN Peacekeeping, that money can be used this way. Is is the same lack of oversight which allows Ladsous to cover up rapes, from Darfur to CAR, then to openly refuse to answer Inner City Press questions about the cover ups. But this one involves money, public money

  On February 25 after filing a legal letter with the UN to not touch its office and papers, Inner City Press entered and asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript:

Inner City Press: In Darfur, the… South Africa has said that it's re… you know, pulling its entire force back, 1 April, and what I wanted to ask is whether… I've heard and published that it's due to something called a tactical violation by the South African battalion.  And I've also heard that DFS [Department of Field Support] is, unlike in other repatriation cases, stands to pay for the entire repatriation to South Africa.  Can you, one, state why they're being repatriated, and two, why DFS would pay for it?

Spokesman:  I do confirm that they are being repatriated.  I will get you some… I have some detail… I thought I had some details here, but we'll see what I can get you right after the briefing.

Inner City Press:  I guess my question is, given this… although this doesn't appear to be a case of sexual abuse repatriation, does Ban Ki-moon's stated commitment to transparency and repatriations cover repatriations like this?  And I want to insist to know who's paying, and if the UN is paying, why it's paying.

Spokesman:  I will get some… I will get more detail…

  We'll stay on this.

Amid a litany of rape charges against UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous, Inner City Press exclusively obtained and on February 12 published UN emails showing another round of sexual abuse of minors in Ouaka prefecture in the Central African Republic by UN Peacekeepers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Click here to view.

 While the story continues, we note that Reuters UN bureau first triest to undermine the story, then stole it without credit - and on February 18 tried to undermine Inner City Press live-streaming Periscope video from the UN Security Council stakeout. Welcome to the UN Censorship Alliance.

  After Inner City Press on February 15 asked about the email its had published - and Reuters' UN bureau chief Louis Charbonneau, notably,tried to dismiss and then stole the story - on February 16 UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq in the noon briefing read out a statement confirming nearly all of the email Inner City Press had published: that there were four new victims, minors, troops from DR Congo.

 But Haq did not say that two of the victims had children from the statutory rape. So Inner City Press asked Haq to confirm that, and asked who would pay: the UN or the DRC soldiers? Haq said there are meetings in Ban's office to respond to just such issues, after December's Deschamps report. Video here.

 And then Reuters, even while its editor Dan Grebler said the first theft was being looked into, just retyped and stole it again, this time by its UN correspondent Michelle Nichols, here.

  It was this same Nichols who, at the UN Security Council stakeout on February 18 while Inner City Press was live-streaming after asking about a draft statement on Palestine, cut in loudly with "I see you Periscoping!"  And? So what? UN missions and the UN itself are broadcasting inside the UN on Periscope. Why would one media try to censor others?

  On February 15, Reuters first tried to claim these were "old" rapes, here -- then when shown otherwise, simply stole the story with no credit.This is apparently policy.

  So Inner City Press raised the issue of theft of exclusives (and lack of objectivity, at least at the UN) to Reuters itself. For now, we've received this, cc-ed also not only to the (repeat) offender but also to Reuters' genial seeming Brian Moss and Clive McKeef:

"Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. The appropriate Reuters staff will look into it and get back to you as soon as feasible.

Regards,
Dan Grebler
Desk Editor, Americas Desk"

  But but February 18, still no response. It's not that complicated.  Or was the Reuters correspondent's "intervention" the response? We'll have more on this too.

 The underlying emails, dated February 11, 2016, describe at least four underage victims, two of whom were impregnated by the rapist UN peacekeepers -- "in the locality Ngakobo in the Ouaka prefecture."

  On February 15, after emailing questions for two days to UN spokespeople in CAR and New York, Inner City Press at the UN's noon briefing asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq about the rapes, and the email it published on February 12. Haq answered, dodging on part of the email but not denying it. Video here.

 Then Associated Press asked, what about these new allegations? Video here. Haq answered - and from that, AP wrote its own derivative and belated story -- without credit, and without any mention of the critique of the UN in the emails. This is how it works, or doesn't.

 This too - Reuters UN "bureau chief" on Monday evening first reflexively came to the UN's defense saying that "Alleged Central African Republic rapes UN spox talked about today are same ones UN CAR said Feb 4 it was probing," citing (what else) a Reuters story of February 4 -- about a Human Rights Watch report about rapes in Bambari. But read the February 11 emails Inner City Press exclusively published, here:

“Herewith sharing with you a report I have just received from UNICEF indicating four minor girls aged between 16 and 17 years were victims of sexual exploitation and abuse allegedly committed by members of the DRC battalion in the locality Ngakobo in the Ouaka prefecture.”

  Up the email chain, Mercedes Gervilla in UN headquarters writes that “it would seem that many among the troops concerned, including Commanding officers were well aware of the abuse to which these children were being subjected. I also regret to inform you that in addition to these new 4 cases, there will likely be two more...”.  [We'll have more on this.]

  This is called... spinning for the UN. This is a trend at Reuters, even last week, here.



And there is a history: this same Reuters UN Bureau Chief Lou Charbonneau, when challenged, wrote to Stephane Dujarric, UN Spokesman, trying to get Inner City Press thrown out of the UN, here.

  When this was exposed, Charbonneau cited Reuters to get his email to the UN taken out of Google's search, saying he never meant for it to be public and it was somehow copyrighted. (See his filing here, made public by EFF's ChillingEffects.org). That's censorship... by Reuters.

  This this case, after being shown this reflexive defense of the UN was wrong, Reuters simply re-wrote the story and stole it, with no credit.

 And now we must go back: Charbonneau announced a policy of not crediting Inner City Press, see here.

 This was raised at the time to Reuters, including to Stephen J. Adler. What kind of company is this?

  (Inner City Press previously asked the decaying UN Correspondents Association, while it tried to censor Press coverage of its boss, to promulgate a best practice for media at the UN to credit others' exclusives; it never happened. AP at the UN speaks for this UNCA, and apparently it for AP.)

  


 


Having been told by sources of more rapes by peacekeepers in the Central African Republic, Inner City Press on January 26 reported them and on January 27 asked the UN's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric to confirm them - but he wouldn't. UN transcript hereVideo here.




  So what is the protocol of UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous, who linked the rapes to "R&R," here? How many more do they know about?

The UN report on rapes in the Central African Republic, released on December 17, found that UN Peacekeeping's Under Secretary General Herve Ladsous “illustrate[s] the UN's failure to respond to allegations of serious human rights violations in the meaningful way.”

 Ladsous has yet to take any questions about the report...

  When the Panel's three members held their December press conference, Inner City Press asked about Ladsous' failure to vet and his linking of rapes to “R&R.” Video here.  Marie Deschamps said pointedly she wouldn't comment on Ladsous' remarks; Yasmin Sooka said these are crimes for punishment, not recreation.

  As the last question, Inner City Press asked what it had wanted to ask Ban, and tried to ask Dujarric: what does this say about Ban's management? Video of Q&A hereDidn't Ban's chief of staff Malcorra, criticized in the report, do it for Ban? Didn't the “senior official” who ostensibly let the rape information die on the vine in the 38th floor work in an atmosphere created by Ban's nine years? We will pursue this.

  In December 2015, Ban allowed those who cover him, at least the UN Correspondents Association, to sell seats with him for $6,000. And it is these same who have airbrushed out Ladsous and others. We'll have more on this.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

On Darfur, US Concerned at Violence in Jebal Marra, Ladsous' UNAMID Silent


By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, February 18 -- Even the UN's audit unit finds that its joint peacekeeping mission in Darfur, UNAMID, is unsatisfactory. This was the rating in a UN Office of Internal Oversight Services audit that Inner City Press has uploaded on November 4, 2015 here. 
 Nor surprisingly, UNAMID's unsatisfactory performance resulted in loss of confidence in it by local populations, in the UN's parlance, and in IDPs taking to protecting themselves. 
Now on February 18, the US has issued this:
"The United States is deeply concerned about the increased violence against civilians and the grave humanitarian situation in and around Jebel Marra, Darfur.  Initial attacks by the Sudan Liberation Army-Abdul Wahid opposition group on Sudanese armed forces prompted a response by Sudan’s military that included aerial bombardments despite the UN Security Council demand that Sudan cease offensive military flights over Darfur.  These attacks have forced 73,000 people to flee their homes, and thousands more are trapped in the conflict zone of Jebel Marra without access to aid.

The United States calls on both the Government of Sudan and the armed movements of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) to re-commit to their cessation of hostilities declarations for Darfur and in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states.  We welcome the recent absence of major offensive action in South Kordofan and urge all parties to show the same restraint in Darfur and also in Blue Nile state, where government and opposition forces each carried out attacks last month.

There is no military solution to Sudan’s internal conflicts.  We call on the Government of Sudan and the SRF to de-escalate the violence and work with the African Union and others to agree to a comprehensive cessation of hostilities agreement that will allow immediate and unfettered humanitarian access for Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile.  We also urge the government to create an environment conducive to the participation of armed movements and other political opposition parties in a comprehensive and inclusive national dialogue that addresses systemic governance issues in Sudan. "
Back on November 9, 2015, Inner City Press asked the UN about other reports of under-performance by UNAMID under Herve Ladsous. From the UN transcript:
Inner City Press: The Tabit [rape question] is very simple.  You may have seen the Independent article.

Spokesman:  I did, but I have nothing to add to what we've said on Tabit.

Question:  And the underlying report they're reporting on by the NGO [non-governmental organization] in the U.K. makes various recommendations that UNAMID (United Nations-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur) have community liaisons that they don't leave West Darfur.  If there's… is there a DPKO (Department of Peacekeeping Operations) response?

Spokesman:  I do not have one with me.
  How surprising. Inner City Press is informed of belated discussions among Permanent Five members of the Security Council of Ladous being a liability, whether he can even stay to the end of Ban Ki-moon's term. Watch this site.
Back in late September during the UN General Assembly frenzy week in New York, in Darfur another UN Peacekeepers was killed and four wounded. Meanwhile Sudan said that its Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour will meet with the State Department on UNGA's margins.
  The UN's Herve Ladsous met with Omar al Bashir; more recently on September 11, 2015, Ladsous linked Peackeepers' rapes with "R&R." When will this be addressed and acted on?
That human rights abuses continue in Darfur with cover-ups by the Peacekeeping mission UNAMID should be shouted from the rooftops. Instead, Human Rights Watch on September 9 the issue behind closed doors with the UN's Censorship Alliance.
   That was at 11 am. But at the UN noon briefing, no one from UNCA asked any questions about Darfur, or Sudan, to the UN. Inner City Press asked this:
Inner City Press: the press inside Sudan is carrying a lot of the coverage of President [Omar al] Bashir saying that he's going to end, you know, by force if necessary or by force certainly all rebellions within Sudan in 2016.  This is viewed as a kind of a… an end of the discussion process and the beginning of a purely military process.  Is… is the… the joint Special Representative aware of it?  Is there any response by the UN to this statement by the President?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, we would take seriously any threats to continue or to exacerbate the conflicts on the ground in Sudan.  You… you've seen the efforts we've made on the ground diplomatically and through our peacekeeping and humanitarian offices to deal with the situation, and we do not want to see any further deterioration of a conflict which, as you know, has been running for many, many years already.  [Video here.]
  What was the point of doing this briefing about Darfur, where the UNAMID mission is covering up, not in the UN briefing room - where on September 10 another NGO holds a briefing, sponsored by Canada -- but in the Censors' Club?
  Neither organization has offered any criticism of UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, as he sought to cover up rapes in the Central African Republic (and Darfur and DRC before), and openly refuses to answer Press questions about it.
 As to Darfur, Ladsous met with Sudan's ICC-indicted Omar al Bashir, something HRW was notably silent about as on the cover up of the French troops' rapes in Central African Republic by Ladsous - as reflected in UN Dispute Tribunal rulings.
  Wouldn't one want to ask the UN about its (in)action on Darfur? Otherwise, why do the press "in" the UN?
  To hold a press conference in the UN's actual Press Briefing Room requires only the sponsorship of a single member state; then the event is on UN Webcast and journalists who decline to support the UN's Censorship Alliance participation. But this is HRW's choice, just as they refused to provide even a summary of the issues they raised when granted a meeting with Ban Ki-moon -- contrary to the approach of other human rights groups.
  In terms of holding accessible press conferences in the UN, not going behind closed doors and off UN Webcast with the UN Censorship Alliance, consider in the same week, on September 10 at 10:30, a press conference in the UN Press Briefing Room on the plight of children in the Central African Republic; we'll cover it.
  The past and present head of UNCA, back after a long vacation, has yet to ask any questions of the UN. Previously, he sought to censor coverage of his renting one of his apartment to Sri Lanka's then Ambassador Palitha Kohona. (Running a letter he could write about when he rented the apartment, and its relations or not to UNCA's screening of the Sri Lankan government's war crimes denial film Lies Agreed To, was not enough: he demanded all coverage be removed from the Internet: censorship.) These are HRW's partners? We'll have more on this. This event, in any case, conflicts with a Security Council meeting about Syria. So it goes.
Background:  In February 2015 with UN Peacekeeping underLadsous still providing few to no updates on its UNAMID mission's November 9 covering up of rapes in Darfur, just as Ladsous stonewalled about mass rapes in Minova in the DR Congo, here, some soft on the UN try to raise the issue without blaming those responsible for the cover-up.
  The report put out by Human Rights Watch had 48 pages, but does not mention UN Peacekeeping boss Ladsous once, nor his similar cover up of rapes in Minova in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, video here. What kind of report is this?
 Tellingly, in trying to "launch" this soft-on-Ladsous report inside the UN, Human Rights Watch instead of holding a regular press conference in the UN Press Briefing Room as other NGOs do has chosen to partner with the UN Censorship Alliance, a group whose board has tried to get investigative Press thrown out of the UN, including for its reporting on Ladsous. 
 On February 11, added to the UN's "Media Alert" is a meeting between Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and this Sudanese government official: "Ibrahim Ghandour, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chairman of the National Congress, Republic of Sudan."
  So will Ban be demanded access -- second access, after Ladsous' initial cover up -- to Tabit?
  While some claim that Ladsous' UN Peacekeeping is trying to get back to Tabit, on Feburary 10 a Sudanese diplomat told Inner City Press he had met with Ladsous on February 9 and "it was nice." How's that, for Ladsous' supposed commitment to get to the bottom of rapes and rights abuses?
 Instead, in order to NOT move against the FDLR militia, Ladsous' UN Peacekeeping is now claiming to care too much for human rights to support the Congolese Army's supposed offensive against the FDLR -- which, the UN belatedly acknowledged to Inner City Press, has not even begun.
  But on the Tabit rapes, that the Sudanese diplomat without irony described his February 9 meeting with Ladsous has "nice" is telling.
  It is easy and appropriate, of course, to blame Sudan, as it was and is to blame the Congolese Army and government for the rapes in Minova. But there is a pattern, and until UN Peacekeeping's senior leadership's cover up of these incidents - and even silence on dead peacekeepers for more than a week -- nothing will improve.
  So why is Human Rights Watch, which alongside its detailed work goes out of its way not to criticize the UN and especially Ladsous, for example on Central African Republic, as Inner City Press reported here, partnering to hold a privatized event on Tabit, not in the UN Press Briefing Room but among friends, as they say?
  Any country can sponsor such a briefing in the UN Press Briefing Room. But HRW hides behind and in the clubhouse of the UN Censorship Alliance, Board members of which in the past have ordered changes to articles about Ladsous - and about Sri Lankamore here. Human rights? Hardly.  Look how Human Rights Watch's selectively distributed invitation whitewashes UN Peacekeeping's and Ladsous' role:
"Between October 30 and November 1, 2014, Sudanese government forces entered Tabit, North Darfur, and carried out massive abuses against the town’s residents, including a mass rape of women and girls. Sudan responded by denying the abuses and has refused to allow international peacekeepers and other independent monitors to investigate the crimes."

  This is misleading - Ladsous' UNAMID was in Tabit on November 9, and put out a press release whitewashing the rapes and saying the people there like the government's security forces. This was shameful.
 More publicly, Inner City Press on January 26 asked Security Council ambassadors Mark Lyall Grant of the UK and Raimonda Murmokaite of Lithuania, "what happened with UNAMID going back for real investigation of rapes in Tabit?"

  Lyall Grant replied, "We continue to press DPKO to encourage UNAMID to revert on the Tabit allegations."

   Murmokaite added, "have been raising the issue at consultations, will continue."

 And so Inner City Press at the January 26 UN noon briefing asked Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, video here:
Inner City Press: two of the Security Council ambassadors this morning said they continued to ask DPKO to ensure that the Tabit site of alleged mass rapes is revisited. I want to know has any action been taken on that? Has there been any move by UNAMID?
Spokesman Dujarric: The request to visit Tabit stands. There's nothing to report.
 Nothing to report? Back on January 8 Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, video here:
Inner City Press: what has the UN system done in order to get access again to Thabit in Darfur, where there were allegedly 200 rapes, and then the Government didn’t allow any inspectors. What have you done since we last spoke on it? 
SG Ban: As for the first part of the question, as you know, we tried to have a thorough investigation. This report might not have been sufficient because of the lack of full cooperation of the authorities on the ground. That has really hampered our authorities to go into the field and get a thorough investigation. It is important that we have to have a thorough investigation and as a matter of principle, there should be a clear accountability process and justice. I am firm about this matter. And we will, in the course of time, have better information on this matter. 
  While appreciated, it is widely recognized that the more time goes by, the more difficult a credible rape investigation becomes. So why did UNAMID issue a cover-up November 9 press release? 

Saturday, February 13, 2016

On Sudan, New Cable After Inner City Press Asked of UN Salaries to Bank of Khartoum, Strike


By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive series

UNITED NATIONS, February 11 – Amid continuing human rights abuses in Darfur, where the UN's Herve Ladsous mis-manages the UNAMID mission, and in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states, the UN on February 5 moved to give more U.S. dollars to the Bank of Khartoum, from its own staff members' salaries.
  Inner City Press previously exclusively exposed this outrage, and a UN "reconsideration" ensured. On February 6, Inner City Press reported this one, and on February 9 asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric -- who didn't answer then, or since. Video here.

On February 10, Dujarric told Inner City Press he was "harvesting information" on the issue.
 On February 12, Inner City Press asked Dujarric again:

Inner City Press: do you have anything on the strike?

Spokesman:  No.

Inner City Press:  I ask because, on 14 February, there's the threat that 7,000 workers…

Spokesman:  No, my understanding is that discussions are being had.  Obviously, this also involves, from what I understand, a review of the banking system in Sudan, and we do hope that the issue gets resolved.

  Now Inner City Press can exclusively report a UN memo that salaries may be paid in local currency or dollars. See here.

  The UN Staff Federation in Sudan issued a strike threat; Inner City Press is putting their letter online here. 

From an Inner City Press source:
"All UN Operations in Sudan including Peacekeeping Support will stop on
Sunday February 14th. A decision on sit-in protest was taken by UN staff in Sudan starting Sunday 14th. They will report to office but No work will be undertaken. This arrangment includes 2 days on sit-in protest without work and a normal day of work following. This will continue until the Salaries
issue permenantley resolved... we're talking about the second biggest UN operation in the world with almost 7,000 staff members, and including support to a very sensitive peacekeeping operation in Darfur which more than 20,000 soldiers and high scale Air movement operation."

Inner City Press: Question:  I have two more, but I guess I’ll do one first and then see.  I wanted to ask you about… there’s a situation in the UN system in Sudan where the headquarters here has decided to pay the UN staff’s salary to the bank of Khartoum in dollars, and they, in turn, get paid in local currency.  So they’ve raised a lot of stink saying that what they get is about half what the UN pays in dollars to the Bank of Khartoum.  They’ve alleged corruption.  They’ve also threatened to strike.

I wanted to know, what… by what logic is the UN giving… if they have dollars to pay, why don’t they pay their staff in dollars?  And why do they let the Bank of Khartoum take half of the money that’s meant for staff…?

Spokesman:  I’m not aware of the situation.  I can…

Inner City Press:  Are you going to check that out?  Because…

Spokesman Dujarric:  Maggie.
 That would be, Voice of America, which has written to Dujarric in the past. This is a #FAIL with, it seems, a strike coming.
 A source exclusively told (and showed) Inner City Press,
"UN published the long awaited  salary scale in as a result of the local staff salary survey. The very big surprise that the Salary scale was issued in US Dollar with a note written  at the end of the sheet that 'Salaries are payable in local currency converted at the prevailing United Nations rate of exchange during the month of payment.'
"This means that Bank of Khartoum will get the staff Salaries in US dollars at 'Current rate' which is usually 50% of the actual market rate. Currently UN rate is 6.446.while market rate is SDG 12.00...
Now, Staff Federation is meeting and the UN may face the biggest staff strike in its history."
  So the UN under Ban Ki-moon (and Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous) stand ready to subsidize the Bank of Khartoum.
  Ban Ki-moon, as Inner City Press has reported in detail, essentially broke the Staff Union or federation at UN Headquarters in New York.
 Ladsous refuses to answer Press questions (having more recently linked rapes to "R&R") and Ban's Spokesman threw Inner City Press out of the UN Press Briefing Room in conjunction with the UN Corruption Association which took money from indicted Ng Lap Seng and gave him a photo op with Ban, seats with whom UNCA sells for $6,000.
 This is today's UN. The Next SG process, and the transparency being sought by the Free UN Coalition for Access and others, is all the more important so that the UN doesn't further decline.
   Previously on this Sudan issue, Inner City Press exclusively published a letter from the UN Federal Credit Union claiming the transfer was related to UN sanctions, and an opinion from the US Office of Financial Assets Control which says that is not the case. Inner City Press questions to the UN and its agencies were by then pending for days.
  On December 30, the day it was belatedly received, Inner City Press published a response from the UN and the UN Development Program, below.
  Since then, Inner City Press has obtained a series of e-mails from UN whistleblowers to UNDP about the transfer to the Bank of Khartoum, as well as UNDP's responses.
  On November 28, Sudan whistleblowers wrote to UNDP's hotline that under an arrangement with Bank of Khartoum (BoK) would become the recipient of all UN local staff salaries in US dollars while it would be paying their salaries in local currency using the UN exchange rate around 5.99 SDG.
 The bank of Khartoum will be benefiting from the difference between the UN exchange rate and The Central Bank of Sudan rate for commercial importers of 8.47 SDG (BoK USD selling rate  for businessmen). The net profit per each US dollar channeled to Bank of Khartoum is approximately 2.47 SDG.
  There were additional charges in the whistleblowers' communications to UNDP, including about how Bank of Khartoum was chosen (this is not addressed in the UN's and UNDP's response to Inner City Press, below.)
  UNDP's response to the whistleblowers was to ask for identifying information about the whistleblowers, and then to blandly state that it is not uncommon in areas such as Sudan, to make similar arrangements with Banks to pay the salary of local staff." 
  But what about the obvious exchange rate loss? It is reminiscent of another UN scam Inner City Press exclusively uncovered, the overpayment of Myanmar by inflated foreign exchange rate in the wake of Cyclone Nargis.
  And what about the losses to UN system staff set forth in their complaint to Al Za'tari, which Inner City Press exclusively published here?
 On December 30, Inner City Press wrote to UN spokespeople again:
"This is a request that Deputy SG Eliasson or someone else from the Secretariat hold a press availability on Sudan's decision to expel Yvonne Helle (which I asked about at the December 24 noon briefing) and Ali Al-Za'tari.. A media availability by the Secretariat, ideally the DSG but another if necessary, later this afternoon is being requested, including on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access. Either way, am awaiting Secretariat response on why UN national staff members' US dollar accounts in UNFCU were transferred to the Bank of Khartoum, and why the UN Secretariat said nothing publicly when the Country Director of UNFPA was expelled from Sudan in April."
  This last question, about the UN's silence on the UNFPA ouster in April, has yet to be answered. But on UNFCU, the UN Office of the Spokesperson sent this, which we publish in full:
"There has been a restriction on the cashing of foreign checks by Sudanese national staff.  At the same time, the Bank of Khartoum has put on hold all foreign check cashing by all staff in  Sudan.
Since this decision was taken in November 2014, UNDP has  been working with UNFCU to find an acceptable solution.

"UNDP would like to further clarify that the issue is unrelated to  the requested departure by the Sudan government of the United  Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Progamme (UNDP) and the  UNDP  Country Director. UNDP is coordinating with the UN and with the Government of Sudan to address the situation.  UNDP remains strongly committed to the human development, peace and  security of all the citizens of Sudan."
  Again, see UNFCU's letter, here, and OFAC's reply to UN staff, here. We'll have more on this.
    In the first document Inner City Press exclusively published, here, UNFCU's President and CEO William Predmore told national staff in Sudan that
"We understand the concerns of our members after necessary account restrictions were implosed, and we regret there was not an opportunity to deliver communications more swiftly to the individuals impacted... As you may be aware, UNFCU is subject to U.S. Regulations (including those promulgated by the Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC)). In order to ensure compliance with those regulations, checking account services and debit card services were terminated for local staff.”

   (Many were stranded with AMT cards that didn't work, while their dollars were transferred to the Bank of Khartoum.)

  But contrary to what UNFCU's Predmore told staff in writing, the US OFAC in the second document Inner City Press is exclusively publishing today, here, told UN staff that sanctions law and regulation does NOT require what the UN has done, citing 31 CFR 538.531. Click here to view in PDF.
   Last week Inner City Press exclusively reported on the UN Federal Credit Union abruptly telling UN national staff in Sudan that their accounts were being frozen and the dollars in them transferred to the Bank of Khartoum. Inner City Press has asked the UN, including UNDP, OCHA and UNFPA, to explain this.
   On December 27 Inner City Press exclusively published a complaint filed with Ali Al-Za'tari about the change, here. Inner City Press notes that the decision to give the UN national staff's dollars to the Bank of Khartoum flies in the face, in fact, of the sanctions.  The complaint to Al-Za'tari states that
“UNFCU closed checking and savings accounts of national staff without prior notification and consultation and unilaterally transferred all funds of staff members' accounts to local saving accounts to be paid in SDG by Bank of Khartoum... Based on the long years of established provision of the UNFCU service, majority of national staff have made long term financial arrangements taking into account UNFCU deposits facilities which provided solutions to many of their problems such as medical treatments and education to them and their families.”
  Tellingly, Predmore's letter to staff also says that the switch was made pursuant to UNDP's rules. What rules?
  Now the UN Security Council is set to meet on December 30 about Sudan's order to Ali Al-Za'tari and Yvonne Helle to leave; the Council will say they are in support of UN staff. What will they do about UN staff members' dollars having been given to the Sudanese authorities?
  In essence, UNDP and its Resident Coordinator Ali Al-Za'tari gave Khartoum the U.S. dollars of UN national staff, without notice. Even that wasn't enough to keep him in the country. But it is reminiscent of another UN scam Inner City Press exclusively uncovered, the overpayment of Myanmar by inflated foreign exchange rate in the wake of Cyclone Nargis.

  That was covered and credited – will this be? Or does the scam here extend to covering up the complicity of UN officials like not only Herve Ladsous but even, yes, Ali Al-Za'tari, who remained silent when UNFPA's country director was thrown out of Sudan in April, and as Inner City Press asked the UN on December 24, gave in quickly to the ouster of Yvonne Helle? Watch this site.