On
Burundi, UN
Tells ICP It
Has "No
Update" on
Deployments,
Nothing on
Rapes
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 4 --
After UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon on New
Year's Eve
issued a
canned
statement
praising the
Burundi
“talks” held
in Entebbe,
Uganda,
multiple
sources told
Inner City
Press not only
were these not
talks but
rather a photo
op -- it was
also badly and
some said
self-servingly
organized, see
below.
When UN noon
briefings
resumed on
January 4,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
the threats to
peacekeepers,
the challenged
deployments to
the UN mission
in the Central
African
Republic and
reports of
rapes largely
in opposition
neighborhoods.
The UN
Spokesman had
no comment on
the rapes, or
the threats;
he said "I've
mentioned the
case of the
Lt. Colonel, I
have no
further update
from that, or
on the other
two officials
you've
mentioned....
The Secretary
General's
Special
Adviser is in
New York and I
believe you'll
probably hear
from the
Security
Council
President that
they will hear
from him at
some point in
the coming
days.
Meanwhile
whole parts of
the UN system
say little to
nothing at
all. Last week
Inner City
Press asked
for the
comment of
Ban's
Secretariat
(UNlikely) or,
specifically,
UN Women on this cartoon
in pro-government
media.
Nothing. Total
silence.
RFI reports
in detail on
rapes in
Burundi,
particularly
in "opposition
neighborhoods."
While
government
spokespeople
-- and wannabe
government
spokespeople
-- attack the
messengers,
where is UN
Women on this?
Where is the
UN Office of
the High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights?
OHCHR
has an office
and ostensibly
a presence in
Burundi. But
even as High
Commissioner
Zeid cranks
out statements
on other
topics, OHCHR
in Burundi has
been unable or
unwilling to
confirm and
speak on, for
example, the
rounds-ups in
Mugamba.
On
January 2,
Inner City
Press asked
four UN
spokespeople
this Burundi,
along with two
questions on
Saudi Arabia
and Yemen:
"On Burundi,
does the UN
have any
knowledge of
the rounding
up of young
men by the
government in
Mugamba &
Matana
(Bururi)? Is
the UN doing
anything?"
A day
later, while
the UN issued
a statement on
Saudi Arabia,
there was no
answer at all
from the UN
about Burundi.
Tellingly,
sources tell
Inner City
Press that
while at the
end of the
Entebbe “photo
op” it was
announced that
a next meeting
in Arusha on
January 6 had
been agreed
to, in fact
this hadn't
even been
discussed.
Some
pro-government
sources tell
Inner City
Press their
side is
therefore “not
wrong” to say
they never
agreed to go
to Arusha.
They say that
with Ugandan
President
Yoweri
Museveni
clearly
occupied “in
yellow
t-shirt” with
his run for
re-re-election,
those running
the talks “are
the same who
profited off
the M23
talks.” We'll
have more on
this.
But
this is part
of why Inner
City Press
questioned Ban
Ki-moon's
canned
December 31
statement,
issued after
Ban's
spokespeople
refused to
answer actual
Press
questions
submitted to
them, about
deployments to
the Central
African
Republic and
Pierre
Nkurunziza's
threat to
peacekeepers.
Amid criticism
that Burundi's
Pierre
Nkurunziza
seeks only to
negotiate with
himself and
not the real
opposition to
his third
term, and of
the mediation
process as a
mere photo-op
as the UN
deploys
abusers into
its
peacekeeping
missions,
Inner City
Press on
December 28,
29, 30 and 31
asked the UN
questions. See
below for
(non) answers.
After
refusing to
comment or
even respond
to Press
questions
about
Nkurunziza's
threats
against
peacekeepers
and deployment
of alleged
human rights
abusers to UN
Peacekeeping
missions under
Herve Ladsous,
who also
refuses Press
questions,
after 4 pm on
New Year's Eve
Ban issued this.
Meanwhile
here are Inner
City Press'
December 30
(unanswered)
and December
31 questions
to four
separate
spokespeople
for Ban
Ki-moon:
December 30:
"Burundi's
Pierre
Nkurunziza in
a press
conference
threatened
attacks on
peacekeepers.
What is Ban
Ki-moon's
response to
this?" No
answer.
December 31:
"On Burundi,
beyond the
still
unresponded to
questions,
what is the
comment of Ban
Ki-moon and,
separately, of
UN Women to this cartoon
in pro-government
media this
week?
In
response to
that question,
the UN Office
of the
Spokesperson
sent a press
release about
another
question
(Haiti), but
nothing at all
on Burundi.
Watch
this site.
On
December 30
Nkurunziza
threatened to
have his
forces attack
peacekeepers
proposed for
the country.
Inner City
Press asked,
if attacks on
international
peacekeepers
are called
violations of
international
law by the UN
and its
Security
Council, what
will the UNSC
or Ban Ki-moon
say about this
threat?
Ban's
spokespeople
have declined
Press
questions on
Burundi for
two days, and
now Ban is on
leave in
Vienna. Will
the UNSC
penholder,
France, be
proposing any
Press
Statement or
meeting, as
some said
would happen
this week?
As to
next month,
incoming UNSC
President
Uruguay has
set its
Program of
Work press
conference for
January 4.
We'll be
there.
On the
morning of
December 29,
Inner City
Press asked
three separate
UN
Spokespeople
Burundi
questions
including
these:
"On Burundi,
what is the
Secretary
General's or
its Special
Adviser's view
of the
inclusiveness
of the CNARED
group
“representing”
the opposition
for the talks?
In light for
example of (1)
this
civil society
critique, here
and (2) Alain
Nyamitwe
statement that
'what happened
was that the
opposition was
given only one
slot, and of
course we were
not happy
about the
group which
was selected,
we do not
believe that
it is a
legitimate
group'?
"On UN
deployments by
alleged human
rights
abusers,
beyond Majors
Niyonzima and
Rusheshe,
please state
whether the
following are
or will be
deploying:
Major / Lt.
Col Casimir
Nihankura and
Captain /
Major Eliezer
Ndihokubwayo."
This
last is on a
documented
trend of the
Nkurunziza
mis-stating
the rank of
those it tries
to deploy ("as
rewards") -
but the UN as
since last
week with
Niyonzima and
Rusheshe
offered no
answer.
Of the
five questions
Inner City
Press
submitted to
three UN
Spokespeople
on the morning
of December
29, a partial
response was
received only
to this one:
"On Puerto
Rico, please
confirm (or
deny) receip
of the
Governor
Alejandro
Garcia
Padilla's
letter to Ban
Ki-moon and
response to
the position
that the US is
reversing a
decades-old
understanding
that Puerto
Rico, while a
U.S.
commonwealth,
governs
through its
own
constitution."
Near 4 pm on
December 29,
the UN
spokesman
answered:
"From:
Stephane
Dujarric [at]
un.org
Date: Tues,
Dec 29, 2015
at 3:53 PM
Subject: Press
Qs in lieu of
a Dec 29 UN
noon briefing:
Burundi, South
Sudan, Puerto
Rico/US, UNHQ,
Jordan, still
UN scandals /
reforms,
Yemen; thanks
in advance
To: Matthew
Lee [at]
InnerCityPress.com
Cc: FUNCA [at]
funca.org
"Matthew--on
Puerto Rico,
we can confirm
that we have
received the
letter from
Governor
Garcia
Padilla. On
the rest, if
we have
updates, we
will share
them with
you."
So,
nothing at all
on the Burundi
questions.
On the
morning of
December 28,
Inner City
Press asked
the UN four
questions,
including: "On
Burundi, any
comment or
update on the
talks, or
demonstrations
including
militia inside
Burundi? And,
as ICP asked
before
Christmas,
what is the
status of the
deployment to
MINUSCA for
Burundian
Majors
Niyonzima and
Rusheshe?"
At 2 pm
on December 28
the UN
Spokesman
replies with
only this:
"From:
Stephane
Dujarric [at]
un.org
Date: Mon, Dec
28, 2015 at
2:11 PM
Subject: Re:
Press Qs in
lieu of a UN
noon briefing:
South Sudan,
Burundi, UN
scandals /
reforms,
Yemen; thanks
in advance
To: Matthew
Lee [at]
InnerCityPress.com
Cc: FUNCA [at]
funca.org
"Dear Matthew,
On Burundi, Mr
Benomar is
currently in
Entebbe for
the ceremony,
having been in
Bujumbura,
Kigali, and
Kampala
before. On the
other issues,
if we have an
update to
share with
you, we will."
So even
on the
deployment,
nothing on the
two Majors
involved in
the hospital
killings in
Bujumbura in
May -- even as
the previous
answer about
(Lt) Col
Baratuza is
being
questioned by
some there.
Nothing on the
militia: just
the photo op.
And nothing on
the other
questions.
By
contrast, on
December 28
the US State
Department
said this:
"we think
today’s
reopening of
this dialogue,
regionally
mediated
dialogue
between
parties to the
Burundi
crisis, is an
important yet
preliminary
step towards
putting
Burundi back
on the road to
peace. I think
it’s
imperative
that all
Burundians
renounce
violence and
intimidation
and support
peaceful,
productive
engagement and
dialogue as a
key to
reestablishing
in Burundi an
atmosphere of
openness and
trust. We
certainly
appreciate the
efforts of the
Government of
Uganda as well
as President
Museveni in
hosting
today’s
session in
Entebbe."
So the
US had 80+
words, while
UN offered
only the
location(s) of
its envoy.
This as a time
when Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon, after
rejecting
Press
questions in
the run-up to
the holiday,
did a one on
one interview
with AP
promoting
himself for a
possible Nobel
Prize on
climate
change. On
December 28,
Ban issued a
statement
congratulating
South Korea
for its
agreement with
Japan on the
comfort women
issue. And on
Burundi? We'll
have more on
this.
Burundi's
Pierre
Nkurunziza
government
with the
agreement of
UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous
has undertaken
to deploy
officers
allegedly
involved in
human rights
abuses into
Ladsous'
Central
African
Republic
mission,
MINUSCA, see
below. Also
below, civil
society
statement in
advance of the
talks in
Kampala on
December 28.
Also on
Facebook (but
not Twitter),
Burundi's
Permanent
Representative
to the UN
Albert
Shingiro --
who blocks
Inner City
Press from his
Twitter feed
-- tried to mock
a protest by
follow
Burundians
which Inner
City Press covered
on December
23, here.
(Shingiro,
like the
presidential
adviser and
his
alter-ego(s)
liked to
channel Bill
Gates.) Some
diplomacy:
banning the
Press from his
statements,
mocking rather
than seeking
to dialogue
with his
countrymen. To
this has
Burundi sunk.
And so,
we publish
today this
Statement of
the Campaign
“Halte au
troisième
mandat” on the
occasion of
the official
opening of
negotiations
between
stakeholders
in the Burundi
conflict:
"On the
occasion of
the opening
ceremonies of
the
negotiations
between
stakeholders
in the Burundi
conflict, in
Kampala-Uganda
on December
28, 2015,
Civil society
organizations
members of the
Campaign
“Halte au
troisième
mandat”
release the
following
statement:
1. They
welcome the
beginning of
negotiations
between
Burundi
stakeholders
for their
objective is
to find a
solution to
the Burundian
crisis since
they will now
take place
outside
Burundi; the
same allowing
stakeholders
to negotiate
in conditions
that guarantee
their safety;
2. However,
they regret
that the
mediation has
accused a huge
delay in the
fulfillment of
its mission
and that prior
consultations
as well as the
official
opening of
negotiations
are conducted
under
conditions
that ignore
the Campaign
Halte au
troisième
mandat, yet
widely known
as leading
group in
defending the
dignity of the
people of
Burundi
through
peaceful
protests that
started on
April 26,
2015.
3. They take
the
opportunity to
reaffirm their
support to
various groups
defending the
agenda of the
restoration
and respect
for the Arusha
Agreement for
peace and
reconciliation
and the
constitution;
including
CNARED;
4. They
rejoice that
the CNARED
received and
accepted the
invitation to
attend the
opening
ceremonies of
the
negotiations.
Following due
assessment of
the
achievements
of the
citizenry
movement
CNARED and
bearing in
mind the
pressing
responsibility
to focus and
limit mainly
on the defense
of democratic
principles and
the fight
against
impunity in
the Supreme
interest of
the people of
Burundi, the
Campaign
“Halte au
troisième
mandat”
decides to
withdraw from
CNARED. They
will from now
on defend the
positions and
proposals of
civil society
contained in
the document
entitled "
Burundi
Crisis:
Diagnosis and
proposed
solutions by
civil society"
that was made
public;
6. They pledge
to keep
committed to
the fight
against the
violation of
the Arusha
Agreement for
Peace and
Reconciliation
and the
Constitution
and reaffirm
their
determination
to continue
the struggle
until the
restoration of
citizens'
constitutional
legality;
7. They
reiterated
their
willingness
and readiness
to fully
participate in
the
negotiations
and that civil
society group
should be
represented on
a same basis
as the
government of
Nkurunziza and
the political
opposition;
8. Finally,
they warn all
the
stakeholders
against any
attempt to a
deal
maintaining
Nkurunziza in
the position
he has usurped
and any
arrangement
likely to
provide an
opportunity
for some to
enjoy impunity
for crimes
committed.
Done at
Bujumbura,
December 27,
2015"
This
last has
resonance in
other
mediations:
we'll have
more on this.
Inner City
Press: whether
you have
any... first,
any readout of
Mr. Benomar's
travels and
attempts to
speak with the
Government in
the
region.
I'm asking
you...
yesterday
there was… you
may have seen
it; you may
not have seen
it… there was
a protest
outside the
building by
Burundians,
and in speaking
with them,
they judge the
performance of
the
Secretariat as
weak.
And I wanted
to know, just
to get, I
guess, your
response to
that, and if
there's any
update on the
deployment of
these two,
Pierre
Niyonzima and
Jimmy
Rusheshe, both
of whom have
been linked to
the hospital
killings in
May…
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric:
On your second
part, no, I
have no update
than what was
given. I
know there are
discussions
going
on. I
don't have an
update to
share with
you. On
your first
part, I think
we can all
agree on the
frustration of
the Burundian
people as they
see the
violence
increase in
their
country.
The
Secretary-General,
through the
work of his
Special Envoy,
is very much
focused on
finding ways
to move the
political
dialogue
forward and to
obviously see
an end to the
current
violence that
we're
seeing.
He is
currently in
Kampala in
Uganda meeting
with local
officials, and
I believe
there will be
talks there
early next
week.
Inner City
Press:
Will your
office be
sending stuff
out during
this break?
Spokesman:
Obviously, as
I said, we'll
be fully
staffed.
If there are
updates to
share, we will
share them
with you.
Back on
December 17
Inner City
Press was
told, the
third time it
asked, that
the Burundi's
Army spokesman
Gaspard
Baratuza's
deployment to
the UN mission
in CAR had
been
suspended, and
Baratuza was
being
repatriated.
UN spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, who
has shielded
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon from
such Press
questions,
said "it's an
example of the
[vetting]
policy
working."
But
Inner City
Press has
obtained the
Burundi
government
document for
the deployment
not only of
Baratuza but
other officers
in Ladsous'
MINUSCA. Today
we focus and
ask about
Major Pierre
Niyonzima.
According to
Inner City
Press'
sources,
Niyonzima not
only defended
extrajudicial
executions, he
participated
in them.
On May 14,
they say,
Major
Niyonzima was
the Senior
army officer
who led the
attack on the
hospital where
those accused
of involvement
in the
attempted coup
were
slaughtered.
They say
Niyonzima
reports to
Guillaume
Bunyoni and
has been
involved in
killings in
Musaga,
Nyakabiga and
Mutakura.
We'll have
more on this,
and on other
deployees to
Ladsous'
MINUSCA,
including
Jimmy
Rusheshe.
On December 21
Inner City
Press asked
the UN's
Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq
about these
deployments,
and the
Burundian
government's
rejection of
the African
Union's
proposed
deployment, video here, transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: on
Burundi, as
you know, the
African Union
Peace and
Security
Council has
made this
proposal 5,000
peacekeepers
and set a
96-hour
deadline for
the Government
to
respond.
The assembly
has met and
rejected it
and said it
would be a
violation of
the
sovereignty of
the
country.
So, I wanted
to know, what
is the
Secretariat…
Mr. [Jamal]
Benomar, what
do they… you
think of both
the [African
Union Peace
and Security
Council]
taking a
seemingly
fairly
aggressive
protection of
civilian
stance and the
Government
rejecting
it?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, first of
all, regarding
that, I
believe that
the
discussions
will continue
with the
African Union
and the
Government of
Burundi.
But, we
certainly
support the
efforts by the
African Union
and its Peace
and Security
Council to
deal with the
protection of
civilians in
Burundi.
We've made
clear our
alarm at
recent
developments
and the need
for there to
be additional
steps to bring
the tensions
on the ground
to a
halt. As
you know, the
Security
Council itself
has been
apprised by
the
Secretary-General
of various
options for
the way
forward, and
we await their
guidance on
that.
Meanwhile, Mr.
Benomar has
started some
of his
travels.
I believe he
was in
Washington,
D.C., in the
last few days,
and he is
expected to
head to the
region
shortly.
Correspondent:
And then…
thanks a
lot. I
wanted…
something a
little more
specific.
It has to do
with this
vetting of
troops from
Burundi, but I
guess you
could say
elsewhere.
I know it was
said last week
that Gaspard
Baratuza, a
Deputy
Spokesman of
the army, was
being
repatriated.
Deputy
Spokesman:
Yes.
Inner City
Press:
But, I've
since seen a
letter… it was
his deployment
letter, but it
also involved
two other
majors in the
army who are
said to have
been involved
in the… the
assault on a
hospital in
May, right
after the coup
attempt in
which people
were killed in
their beds,
and these
involve Mr.
Pierre
Niyonzima and
Jimmy
Rusheshe.
And both of
them,
according to a
letter from
the Burundian
Army, are…
were being
deployed to
the UN in the
Central
African
Republic.
So, I wanted…
I guess I want
to ask you,
like, what
does the
vetting
consist
of? What
was the
vetting that
Mr. Baratuza
failed that
these two
individuals
apparently
don't fail,
given their
involvement in
extrajudicial
executions?
Deputy
Spokesman:
As we get
information…
if any
information
causes us to
have concerns
about
deployment, it
is reviewed in
that
light.
In that light,
Mr. Baratuza,
his suspension
was first
delayed, and
then he was
repatriated.
And so,
depending upon
the
information,
as we get it,
we'll act upon
it.
Inner City
Press:
So, does… I
guess what I'm
saying is does
the… either
the human
rights
presence of
the UN in
Burundi have
information
about those
who commanded
the assault on
this hospital,
it's called
Bumerec
Hospital, in
May and the
connection to
the people
that were
being
deployed?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Like I said,
we… yes, we do
have a human
rights
presence in
Burundi.
As we get
information,
we act upon,
and that
includes
anyone being
deployed.
On
December 16
Inner City
Press was
banned from
questions to
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon, but
learned from
the mission
MINUSCA that
Baratuza was
already in
Entebbe. Inner
City Press
asked several
Security
Council
members, then
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric on
December17.
Dujarric told
Inner City
Press
Baratuza's
deployment is
suspended and
he is being
repatriated:
"based on the
information
we've received
regarding the
Lieutenant
Colonel, his
deployment has
been
suspended, and
he will be
repatriated
back to
Burundi." Video here. Dujarric told Inner
City Press
this shows the
UN system
working - on a
day when a
report on
rapes was
issued showing
UN
Peacekeeping
under Herve
Ladsous not
sufficiently
vetting for
human rights.
We'll have
more on this.
Amid the
escalating
killings in
Burundi, last
weekend's
summary
executions in
neighborhoods
opposed to
Pierre
Nkurunziza's
third term
stand out. But
Burundi Army
spokesman
Gaspard
Baratuza was
quoted on
December 12
blaming all of
the deaths on
attempts to
steal weapons
to free
prisoners.
Inner City
Press had
heard that Mr.
Baratuza was
already in the
process of
being deployed
to the UN
Peacekeeping
mission in the
Central
African
Republic
(MINUSCA) even
when he was
giving these
quotes,
issuing
statements and
speaking to
state-owned
radio, and so
asked
MINUSCA's
acting
spokesperson,
“Is Gaspard
Baratuza of
Burundi's army
getting a
MINUSCA job?”
On
December 16,
hours before
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon held a
rare press
conference,
MINUSCA's
acting
spokesperson
sent this to
Inner City
Press:
"To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
InnerCityPress.com
From: Vladimir
MONTEIRO [at]
UN.org
Date: Wed, Dec
16, 2015
Subject: ICP
question:
Gaspard
Baratuza of
Burundi's army
getting a
MINUSCA-related
post?
Cc: FUNCA [at]
funca.info
"No decision
related to Lt
Col Baratuza's
deployment can
be taken
before we
finish looking
into the
matter. We can
confirm that
Lt Col
Baratuza is in
Entebbe but he
has not yet
deployed to
MINUSCA.
Regards. VNM"
There are some
questions
about
Baratuza, a
Colonel in
Burundi's
Army, being
listed by the
UN as “Lt.
Col.”
Despite
multiple
follow-up
questions by
Inner City
Press, Mr.
Monteiro -
previously a
spokesperson
for the UN
electoral
mission in
Burundi -
replied that
“This is what
we can say
about this
issue.”
But the UN
should have to
say more.
Inner City
Press has
repeatedly
asked the UN
how its
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations
under Herve
Ladsous vets
those who
deploy to UN
missions;
Inner City
Press exclusively
reported
on an October
1, 2015
meeting in
which Ladsous
told Burundi's
Vice President
Joseph Butare
that he is
“pragmatic” on
human rights.
Ban
Ki-moon and
his spokesman
declined to
take Inner
City Press'
questions on
December 16,
as they did on
December 14. Vine here. But concerned
members of the
UN Security
Council have
now been asked
about Baratuza
by Inner City
Press. Watch
this site. Follow @innercitypressFollow @FUNCA_info
, 
