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On DRC, Ban Calls 7 Presidents, Unclear on Minova Rapes and Rights Diligence Policy

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 19 -- After UN peacekeepers stood as the M23 rebels took Goma last month, and as Congolese army soldiers raped at least 126 women in Minova, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday told Inner City Press of his communications with eight African leaders.

  Pressed, Ban said the UN is committed to protecting women and girls from rape violence. But his Human Rights Due Diligence Policy, as it applies to which Congolese units UN Peacekeeping works with, remains unclear. Video here, from Minute 32:12; transcript below.

  After Inner City Press asked specifically about the rapes in Minova and "how can you be sure that MONUSCO is not working with the very same units that committed those rapes," Ban answered that he has spoken with the Presidents of the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, Congo-Brazzaville, Tanzania and Angola about a "certain broader political framework."

  Inner City Press again asked about the rapes, noting it "tried to ask Mr. Ladsous that, and even last night at the stakeout he declined to take the question and moved the microphone, so it is your policy, how do you make sure that your human rights due diligence policy is fully implemented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and elsewhere?" Video of Ladsous mic move here and embedded below.

  Ban Ki-moon answered, " I convened recently a policy committee meeting among senior advisers. We have very strict vigilance and protective measures to protect women and girls, to protect them from rape violence."

  Ban also said, "Human rights due diligence policy is always in force."

  But is it? Ladsous' Department of Peacekeeping Operations has three times refused Inner City Press' simple request to list which FARDC units it works with and supports.

  This makes impossible any independent assessment if this "Human Rights Due Diligence Policy is always in force."

  The refusal of Herve Ladsous, three times on camera now, to answer basic questions about the rapes and the policy give rise to suspicion. See Ladsous profile here.

  When Inner City Press was called on, as the seventh of 11 questions at Ban's end of the year press conference, it began: "On behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access, thanks for giving this press conference, and we hope that in 2013 you will ensure that your other Under-Secretaries-General hold press conferences and seek at least to take questions, without discrimination or censorship."

   The last reference is to Ladsous, but there are other USGs who have not held press conferences. One of them is NOT attending the so-called UNCA "prom" on Wednesday night. We will have more on this.

 For now, from the UN's December 19 transcript:

Inner City Press: On behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access, thanks for giving this press conference, and we hope that in 2013 you will ensure that your other Under-Secretaries-General hold press conferences and seek at least to take questions, without discrimination or censorship. I wanted to ask you about the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. You mentioned sexual violence there, and I wanted to ask about your human rights due diligence policy as it applies to the rapes that are now numbered to be 126 in the town of Minova? What is MONUSCO [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] going to do? Are they willing to disclose which units of the Congolese army they currently work with? And as the estimate has now come up to 126, how can you be sure that MONUSCO is not working with the very same units that committed those rapes at the time? I have tried to ask Mr. [Hervé] Ladsous that, and even last night at the stakeout he declined to take the question and moved the microphone, so it is your policy, how do you make sure that your human rights due diligence policy is fully implemented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and elsewhere?

SG Ban Ki-moon: The situation currently happening in the eastern part of the DRC is a source of grave concern and a priority. I have been deeply involved in this crisis, trying to find out some broader political framework. If I may disclose, recently – just during the last four or five days, including the weekend, I have been speaking to at least eight African leaders in the region – President [Joseph] Kabila of the DRC, President [Paul] Kagame of Rwanda, and President [Yoweri] Museveni of Uganda, then Presidents of Tanzania, Republic of Congo-Brazzaville, Angola, South Africa, and I am going to speak with Madame [Nkozasana Dlamini] Zuma this afternoon. We have a certain broader political framework on the basis of which we can really resolve this one as soon as possible.

Now, about MONUSCO, I have been discussing again with the members of the Security Council and major troop contributing countries, including the European Union, on how we can have some different approaches, strategic approaches, to change the mandate, if necessary [for] MONUSCO. MONUSCO, I think they have been doing their work properly, but sometimes when they are not able to closely cooperate, work together with the FARDC [Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo] of DRC – the national armed forces – then it is very difficult for MONUSCO to operate alone. We have been trying our best to protect the civilian population. We have been trying to protect the major facilities, like Goma airport, and MONUSCO is patrolling very regularly Goma city and in and around there. So we will try to [discuss] what would be the best way to address this issue, politically, in terms of security, and how we can enhance the capacity of MONUSCO. So this will be done very quickly. And I am very seriously discussing this matter with the Security Council members.

Inner City Press: What about the rapes? Just to make sure that MONUSCO doesn’t actually work with the units that committed the rapes. I’m sorry for the follow-up; I just wanted to know your thoughts.

SG Ban: That is our priority. Human rights due diligence policy is always in force. I convened recently a policy committee meeting among senior advisers. We have very strict vigilance and protective measures to protect women and girls, to protect them from rape violence.

   We will stay on these issues. Watch this site.