On
Burundi, ICP
Asks UN About
Iwaku Case,
Assassination
Attempt
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 16 --
As killings in
Burundi have
increased, on
November 12,
the Security
Council
adopted a
belated
resolution on
Burundi.
(Inner City
Press put the
full
text online
here, and
here
in French.)
Afterward
Inner City
Press asked UK
Ambassador
Rycroft, the
President of
the Council
for November
what steps
would actually
be needed to
send any
peacekeepers
from MONUSCO
in DR Congo
(he said there
are
discussions).
Inner City
Press managed
to ask French
Permanent
Representative
Francois
Delattre why
UN
Peacekeeping
keeping using
and paying for
Burundian
troops and
police in the
Central
African
Republic (a
Press question
both the
UK and US
Ambassador
Samantha Power
have seen fit
to respond to.)
Delattre
declined to
answer - but
more politely
than his
deputy had,
here.
Inner City
Press:
Burundi,
Cambodia and
CAR. In
Burundi, the
mayor of
Bujumbura was
the subject of
an
assassination
attempt, and
the last
remaining
independent
media, Iwacu,
the director
was summoned
in to be asked
by the police
if he’s
connected to
the previous
coup
attempt.
What’s the UN…
what’s your
response to
that? And,
two, what has
the UN been
doing since
naming of the
Special
Adviser?
Spokesman:
Obviously, as
we’ve been
saying, the
Secretary-General
is extremely
concerned by
the continued
violence that
we’ve seen in
Burundi,
especially the
violence we’ve
seen over the
weekend, where
at least six
people were
killed in
these grenade
attacks at
various
locations in
the
capital.
The
Secretary-General
once again
calls on the
violence to
stop. On the
case of the
head of the
Iwacu press
group, we’re
obviously
following… the
UN is
following the
closely the
court
proceedings,
which I think
took place
before the
Supreme Court
in Bujumbura
this morning,
if I’m not
mistaken.
You know,
obviously,
Iwacu remains
an important
independent
voice in
Burundi, and
the United
Nations urges
national
authorities to
safeguard the
freedom of
expression for
all media in
the country
and will
continue to
monitor the
developments
in the
region.
As for the
political
track, Jamal
Benomar, who
is the
Secretary-General’s
Special
Adviser — as
we’ve said,
Burundi is one
of his files —
and he will be
traveling to
the Great
Lakes region
later this
week.
Inner City
Press:
And… thanks a
lot. Do
you have… I’m
wondering if
on Cambodia
you have
anything… the
opposition
leader, Sam
Rainsy, has
had his
immunity
removed and is
no longer a
Member of
Parliament,
and the idea
is he is going
to be
arrested.
Spokesman:
I do not.
Question:
Okay.
Finally, just
on CAR, can
you confirm
that the
soldiers… the
troops that
are supposed
to come from
Côte d’Ivoire
are Senegalese
and…
Spokesman:
Yes.
Question:
Okay.
And is there
any update
whatsoever,
since the last
time you
addressed it,
on the sexual
abuse charges
either against
Sangaris or
against the UN
peacekeepers?
Spokesman:
No.
So at
least the UN
had an
if-asked ready
on Burundi.
But what will
it come to?
On November
13, the
spokesperson
for the Pierre
Nkurunziza's
government
issued a
response to
the
resolution,
saying that it
"toes the
line" of the
Government and
that the
problems in
the country
are "nothing
other than
poverty,"
here.
On the
evening of
November 11,
the UN
Spokesperson's
office
announced that
there would be
a formal
Security
Council
meeting on
Burundi at
12:15 pm on
November 12,
that would be
to approve the
draft
resolution. An
unnamed
official of
Herve Ladsous
UN
Peacekeeping
-- wonder who
that could be
-- got Reuters
to retype
without
analysis the
idea the UN
would send
peacekeepers
from "Congo" -
that would be
DRC -- into
Burundi.
UNasked
by Reuters,
actively
covered up, is
that Ladsous'
MONUSCO has
been unable or
unwilling to
protect
civilians in
parts of the
Eastern DRC,
and has refused
to neutralize
the Hutu FDLR
militia.
So it would
take on Pierre
Nkurunziza's
forces and
youth wing in
Burundi?
This
youth wing was
allowed by
MONUSCO to
train in
Eastern Congo;
nothing was
said by
MONUSCO when
DRC detained
a Burundian
journalist.
None of this
in the
Reuters, or
AFP, or even
more
derivative
Voice of
America story.
But to retain
this "access,"
these media do
not report
when the UN's
Herve Ladsous,
on camera,
links
peacekeeper
rapes to
"R&R." Video here. This is a
scam. Watch
this site.
While
the November 9
meeting was
still ongoing,
the UN
announced that
French
Permanent
Representative
Francois
Delattre would
address the
press in ten
minutes. But
when it
happened it
was the French
Mission's
deputy Alexis
Lamek,
moderated by
the Mission's
spokesman
Thierry
Caboche.
After bragging
about a draft
resolution
French
belatedly
circulated,
Lamek and his
spokesperson
twice refused
to take a
Press question
about UN
Peacekeeping
still using
the same
Bururdian
forces accused
of the
abuses.
NewVine
here.New video,
with UK
contrast,
here.
"Ask
him," Lamek
said off
camera,
referring to
Ladsous who repeatedly refuses Press
questions on
this (and on
covering up
French
Sangaris
forces rapes
in CAR.)
Moments
later when
Inner City
Press asked UK
Deputy
Ambassador
Peter Wilson
if the UN
should keep
using
Burundian
troops or vet
them, Wilson
called this a
"big issues"
that "needs to
be looked at."
Audio
including
Elements to
the Press,
here. Fast
transcript by
InnerCityPro.com,
here:
Inner City
Press asked,
the UN uses
Burundian
peacekeepers
in CAR. Is
there, or
could there
be, some
review of
that?
UK Deputy
Peter Wilson:
"on
peacekeepers,
I think this
is a big
issue, and I
think it’s
something
certainly that
needs to be
looked at in a
wider context
of what
response we
take to the
events in
Burundi right
now. I
wouldn’t urge
precipitate
action on
that, but I
think it’s one
of the issues
that we need
collectively
to consider."
Strange
then, that the
penholding on
Burundi and
controller of
UN
Peacekeeping
wouldn't even
take the
questions. The
history of the
Great Lakes
runs deep.
More recently,
Inner City
Press is
informed is
belated
discussion
among Security
Council
Permanent Five
members that
Ladsous is a
liability,
should or can
he even be
allowed to
stay on to the
end of Ban
Ki-moon's
term.
Inner City
Press: I'll do
Burundi first
as a follow-up
to that.
Yesterday at
the stakeout,
Peter Wilson
of the UK said
that the issue
of continued
or… or service
of Burundian
peacekeepers,
particularly
those involved
in the
violence in UN
peacekeeping,
is a big
issue, is
something that
needs to be
looked at in
the wider
context of the
response to
the events in
Burundi right
now.
Since… I think
I've
previously
asked you
about… my
understanding
is the
Under-Secretary-General
of
Peacekeeping
waived Burundi
not having the
right
equipment
twice in a row
in CAR.
I wanted you
to describe,
if you could,
what is the
process, one,
for vetting
individuals
that come out
of the… what
you described
as a… big
violence in
Burundi, but
also of giving
these
waivers.
Is this
something
that's done
unilaterally
by the
Secretariat?
Spokesman:
I'm not… I
can't speak to
the waivers
because I
can't… I don't
know if what
you say is, in
fact, a fact.
Spokesman:
As far as… as
far as
Burundian
troops, they
continue to
serve in the
Central
African
Republic and
other
missions, if
I'm not
mistaken.
They are
rotated
through the
standard human
rights vetting
process, which
involves the
UN, which
involves the
government,
which involves
the High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights, and
which involves
the more… the
broader human
rights
community.
Inner City
Press:
What about the
issue of…
there have
been several
complaints by
the
peacekeepers
themselves of
not getting
paid leaving
some in
Burundi to
say, in fact,
this is a way
in which the
UN is
subsidizing
the Government
and the very
activities
that Mr. Zeid
was condemning
yesterday?
What steps are
taken to
ensure that
the money
reaches the
peacekeepers?
Spokesman:
Obviously, it
is critical
whether it's
in the case of
Burundi if it,
in fact,
happens or
other
countries that
individual
peacekeepers
receive the
monies that
are owed to
them.
Inner City
Press:
But Mr.
[Hervé]
Ladsous right
here in
September said
that he's…
that he's not
sure whether
this money
reaches
soldiers.
So what steps
does the UN
take,
particularly
in a case like
Burundi, where
you're
accusing the
Government of
cracking down
on the people,
what steps are
taken?
Spokesman:
As I said, I
think it's
incumbent on
the
governments to
ensure that
their soldiers
get
paid.
Did you have
another
question?
On the
way into the
Security
Council, Inner
City Press
asked both UK
Ambassador
Matthew
Rycroft and
French Deputy
Ambassador
Alexis Lamek
about the UN
staffer killed
in Bujumbura,
along with
others, over
the weekend:
would there be
a Press
Statement.
Lamek said
there'll be
more. Video
here.
From the UK
transcript:
Inner City
Press: A UN
staffer was
killed over
the weekend.
Do you expect
any outcome
from this
meeting? A
press
statement or
something to
mark that?
Amb. Rycroft:
I’m sure that
will come up
in some way
and we’re
ready to work
with our SC
colleagues on
whatever
product we
find most
useful.
At the
November 9
meeting,
Burundi's
Foreign
Minister
Nyamitwe
droned on by
video by
Bujumbura,
even as
Security
Council
President
Matthew
Rycroft asked
him to bring
it to an end.
He continued
speaking as
the other
speakers on
video --
Prince Zeid,
Adama Dieng,
Swiss
Ambassador
Lauber --
squirmed,
seeming like
the audience
to wonder if
Rycroft would
just cut his
mic (he
didn't.)
On
November 7
came reports
of killings,
including it
was said a UN
system staff
member. This
has been
confirmed by
UNDP - but
only the local
Buurndi
office. Still
from the UN,
nothing. The
Security
Council issued
a Press
Statement on
November 7...
about Libya.
Burundian
journalist
Blaise
Célestin
Ndihokubwayo
has been
arrested and
sent to the
Service
national de
renseignement
(SNR). Where
is UNESCO and
its director,
who wants to
be the next UN
Secretary
General?
On October 23
Inner City
Press asked UN
Ambassador
Matthew
Rycroft about
the status of
the draft
Presidential
Statement in
the UN
Security
Council. He
said there are
differing
views, but the
UK is
concerned
about the
"threat of
genocide." Video here. On November 3,
Inner City
Press again
put a Burundi
questions to
Rycroft, now
President of
the Security
Council for
November. Video here, story
here.
The son of
human rights
defender
Pierre Claver
Mbonimpa has
reportedly
been murdered,
after Pierre
Nkurunziza
tweeted that
"No one living
abroad should
consider
himself
superior to
those who
stayed in
Burundi, since
most of them
have left
their families
here."
On
November 6, a
belated
Security
Council
meeting on
Burundi was
announced --
from Paris, by
French foreign
ministry
spokesperson
Romain Nadal.
Why the delay?
Why announced
in that way?
Later on
November 6, UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon (whose
spokesman
could not tell
Inner City
Press if Ban
will have any
representative
in the
Security
Council's
meeting on
Monday) put
out this
statement.
Inner
City Press at
the November 6
UN noon
briefing asked
how these
concerns were
consistent
with Ban
deferring to
the Ugandan
Defense
Minister (for
the EAC, Ban's
spokesman
pointed out),
and asked if
Ban will even
have a
representative
briefing the
UN Security
Council on
Monday.
UNclear. Video
here.
The US'
Tom Perriello,
filmed at the
State
Department,
noted the
weekend
deadline. But
why then was
the UN
Security
Council
meeting left
until after
the deadline?
US
Ambassador
Samantha Power
put out
this
statement,
here.
Behind
the continued
killing,
here's an
issue: Inner
City Press is
informed that
a number of
Burundian
civil society
leaders and
journalists
have
improperly
been flagged
to Interpol as
if their
passports had
been stolen.
This has made
it impossible,
for example,
for Vital
Nshimirimana
to travel to a
speak about
the crisis in
Burundi at a
conference in
(Ban Ki-moon's
native) South
Korea.
Inner
City Press on
November 4
asked the UN
Office of the
High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights' Ivan
Simonovic and
UN spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
this.
Interpol often
brags at the
UN how it is
useful on the
issue of
foreign
fighters. It's
Secretary
General Jurgen
Stock spoke
before the UN
Security
Council on May
29, 2015. But
what about
when Interpol
is misused by
a government
like Pierre
Nkurunziza?
What do it,
the Security
Council and
its members do
that? Watch
this site.
On
November 2
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
two speeches
given in
Burundi (the
full text of
one is below).
Video
here, UN transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: In
Burundi, there
was a speech
by the
President of
the Senate
[Révérien
Ndikuriyo]
saying that
opposition
neighborhoods
may be razed
[or raided.
Some] people
are calling it
a genocide
speech.
There's also a
speech by the
President,
saying anyone
who doesn't
disarm within
the next five
days will be
treated as an
enemy of the
State.
So, I'm
wondering, not
to overdo it,
but things
seem pretty
serious.
I wanted to
know:
what is the UN
doing?
Spokesman:
"It's clear
that those in
position of
power, whether
in Government
or in the
opposition,
have a
responsibility
not to incite
fear or hate
of any
kind. I
think that's
very important
and that
whatever
security
measures the
Government
takes fully
comply with
international
law and
respect for
the right of
people to
freely
assemble and
protest."
After
Burundi was
elected to the
UN Human
Rights Council
with 162 votes
on October 28,
on October 31
security
forces in
Burundi opened
fire on a
funeral
procession in
Buringa,
killing
many.
These are the
Burundian
forces that UN
Peacekeeping
under Herve
Ladsous keeps
in service,
offering
waivers
while the
Government
keeps the
payments?
It is
reported the
Burundian
authorities
are accusing a
medical NGO of
offering
treatment to
insurgents,
and are ready
to attack.
Frankly, the
weak UN
Security
Council
Presidential
Statement
which France
belatedly
proffered in
the Council,
then didn't
even hold a
question and
answer
stakeout
about, is
woefully
insufficient,
as is the UN
Secretariat's
response.
On
October 28,
Inner City
Press asked UN
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
another
threat. From
the UN
transcript:
Inner City
Press: this is
a tweet
from the
official
account of
Pierre
Nkurunziza,
President of
Burundi:
"No one living
abroad should
consider
himself
superior to
those who
stayed in
Burundi since
most of them
have left
their families
here."
So people see
this as an
open-source
threat to
retaliate
against the
families of
those who have
fled the
country.
And I'm
wondering…
Spokesman:
I haven't seen
the
tweet. I
shall look at
it.
Inner
City Press
showed it to
him on his way
out. Earlier
on October 28,
Burundi got
162 votes for
the UN Human
Rights
Council, less
than the other
also unopposed
candidates,
but still
enough to get
on the
Council. The
UN Security
Council had
just issued a
Presidential
Statement,
here,
which gave
weight to the
Museveni
"mediation,"
and which the
US
later
"welcomed."
Usually it's
the penholder
(France) which
speaks. But
not here, not
on Burundi
(see Ladsous,
below).
On
October 27,
the UN said
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon called
the AU
(below); Inner
City Press
asked Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric is
any closer to
naming the
envoy he
called
"immanent"
months ago.
Dujarric said
he should have
used another
word.
Inner
City Press
asked Dujarric
of reports
that Burundian
police in the
UN's MINUSCA
mission in
Bangui have
not received
benefits in
months, and of
a letter sent
to Ban and
Herve Ladsous
about the
Burundian
troops.
Dujarric said
he would check
on both. Here
is the full
text of the
UN's read-out:
"Today, the
Secretary-General
called H.E.
Dr. Nkosazana
Dlamini Zuma,
Chairperson of
the African
Union
Commission, to
discuss the
situation in
Burundi.
The
Secretary-General
welcomed the
decision made
by the African
Union’s Peace
and Security
Council on 17
October to
address the
political
impasse and
deteriorating
security
situation in
Burundi. He
noted that
such
comprehensive
and resolute
action could
offer Burundi
the
opportunity to
put an end to
the continuing
violence and
find a
consensual
political
solution on
the way
forward.
The
Secretary-General
assured the
Chairperson of
the African
Union
Commission
that the
United Nations
stands ready
to provide any
support
necessary to
advance the
implementation
of the
measures
agreed upon by
the members of
the African
Union Peace
and Security
Council.
"
On
October 28
Burundi is
poised for
election to
the UN Human
Rights
Council, as
one of five
African Group
candidates for
five seats.
Meanwhile on
October 26,
the European
Union adopted
the letter
to President
Pierre
Nkurunziza
that Inner
City Press
asked the UN
about last
week, here.
Can EU
members on
October 28 not
vote against
Burundi's
"Human Rights"
Council
candidacy at
this time? And
other Western
NGOs coming to
the UN early
this week to
set forth
their
positions,
will they just
phone it in
with regard to
Burundi? Watch
this site.
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
on Burundi,
just this
morning the UK
Ambassador
said that the
UK is
concerned of a
threat of
genocide, is
the word that
he used, so
I'm wondering
under Rights
Up Front what
are your
thoughts about
Burundi and
what the UN or
the
Secretariat
can do.
SG Ban: "On
this genocide
issues, I hope
there should
be some
creative
investigations
by the
relevant
experts and
there should
be, first of
all, a clear
understanding
and
investigations.
And if the
conclusion is
that there
were such kind
of genocide
issues, then
there should
be
accountability,
justice must
prevail and
perpetrators
must be
brought to
justice."
But
what is the UN
Secretariat
DOING about
it?
On
October 22,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's deputy
spokesperson
Haq:
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
you a question
about
Burundi.
The EU is
preparing a
letter to
invite the
Burundian
parties to
Brussels to
have a
discussion
about
diffusing the
situation.
And I wanted
to know, not
just what does
the UN think
about it, but
is there any
UN role in
this?
And, if not,
what does it
say about the
UN sort of
action on
Burundi?
It's one thing
to defer maybe
to the AU but
this is the
UE. What
is the UN
doing about
this?
Deputy
Spokesman:
We are
following up
with all the
various
initiatives by
regional
parties
including the
African Union
and the
European Union
and, of
course, our
Envoy dealing
with the Great
Lakes Region
has been
appraised of
this so we are
continuing to
follow-up.
ICP:
But, I mean,
is the EU
really, can
you… it is a
regional
organization
but is it a
regional
organization
with respect
to Burundi?
Deputy
Spokesman:
That is
question for
the European
Union, not for
me.
ICP:
Have you been
contacted I
guess is my
question?
Deputy
Spokesman:
But regarding
this, we have
been in touch
with a variety
of regional
bodies
including
through the
office of the
Special Envoy
for the Great
Lakes Region
but also
through our
Department of
Political
Affairs and
will keep
appraised of
all the
various actors
in this.
Back on
October 20,
Ban's deputy
spokesperson
Haq cited back
to a written
statement by
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon more
than a week
ago; he said
generally that
MONUSCO like
all UN mission
affirms the
right of
freedom of the
press. Really?
Later
on October 20
after Inner
City Press
asked UN
rapporteur on
torture Juan
Mendez about
Guantanamo and
US prisons, in
the hall after
waiting
through a
number of
questions in
Spanish Inner
City Press
asked him if
he'd received
complaints
about, or
acted on,
Burundi. No,
he said, not
yet. Really?
Update: later
on October 20
it was
announced that
the UN's Jeff
Feltman will
briefing the
Security
Council behind
closed doors
on October 21.
But what
outcome with
the Council's
penholder,
France, even
ask for?
On
October 16
Inner City
Press asked
Haq if the UN
thinks the
government can
investigate
itself. This
was based on
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
October 15
statement that
"The
Secretary-General
condemns the
killing of
nine civilians
and two police
officers in
Bujumbura on
13 October...
He urges
Burundian
authorities to
undertake a
rigorous and
prompt
investigation
into the
circumstances
and motives
behind these
despicable
crimes in
order to
ensure that
their
perpetrators
are brought to
justice."
So can
the Nkurunziza
government
investigate
itself (as the
UN purports to
be
investigating
or "auditing"
itself in the
wake of
corruption
revelation
about former
Presidnet of
the General
Assembly John
Ashe among
others)? Inner
City Press
asked this
question (video
here) as
well as
following up
on
this, from
October 13:
Inner City
Press: the
Burundi
question is
one that maybe
you can check
with DPKO
[Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations].
Burundian
human rights
activists say
that an
officer,
Jerome
Ntibogora,
N-t-i-b-o-g-o-r-a,
who was
accused of
being involved
in killing
people in a…
in a hospital
after they
fled from the
Government,
has now been
deployed to
MINUSMA
[United
Nations
Multidimensional
Integrated
Stabilization
Mission] in
Mali. So
I wanted to…
Spokesman
Dujarric:
Let's see what
we can find
out.
Dujarric did
not come back
with an
answer, by
this deputy
when Inner
City Pres
asked again on
October 16
said he,
Ntibogora is
not being
deployed.
We'll see -
watch this
site.
Amid
crackdowns in
Burundi by
security
forces, and
allegations of
sexual abuse
by Burundian
peacekeepers
serving under
the UN flag,
UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous on
October 1 held
a meeting with
Burundian Vice
President
Joseph Butore.
Inner
City Press has
already tweeted
a photograph
of the
meeting, but
has now
received the
complete UN
read-out,
which raises
more questions
about Ladsous.
On the
crackdown,
Ladsous
assured Butore
that he has a
“pragmatic
approach” and
is of no mind
to question
what happens
in any
country, does
not involve
himself in
"domestic
affairs."
On the sexual
abuse
allegations,
Ladsous spoke
only in
platitudes,
without
requiring or
even inquiring
into any
actions taken
by the
Burundians on
the alleged
abuse.
Even though
Burundi was
already given
a “grace
period” to
bring
appropriate
equipment into
the Central
African
Republic for
the MINUSCA
mission, they
have not done
so. In the
meeting,
according to
the read-out,
Butore
"acknowledged"
the
substandard
equipment.
Butore
requested, and
Ladsous for
now granted,
yet another
extension to
bring the
requirement
equipment --
until March
2016 for light
equipment, and
to June 2016
for heavy
equipment.
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