| In
Burundi
Retired Army
Officers
Jailed for
1993
Assassination
of Ndadaye UN
Guterres No
Answer
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Photo,
Video,
CJR
UNITED NATIONS
GATE, November 26 – Burundi tried
to cancel the human
rights testimony about
it in the UN Third Committee;
in Sri Lanka its Vice
President was the first and
seemingly only one to recognize
that country's coup prime
minister Mahinda Rajapaksa,
himself accused of war crimes.
Now the government of Pierre
Nkurunziza has reached by 25
years to round up retired
military figures and jail and
charge them with the 1993
assassination of Melchior
Ndadaye. The arrested include
General Célestin Ndayisaba,
Colonels Gabriel Gunungu,
Laurent Niyonkuru and Anicet
Nahigombeye. They were taken
to the Bujumbura Procuratorate
for interrogation before being
sent to the prisons of
Muramvya (center), Gitega
(center) and Rutana (east).
"My husband was arrested
shortly before 5:00 am
by dozens of heavily armed
police officers who had girded
our house in the night (...),
and were denied the assistance
of their lawyer,"
testified the wife of
one of the arrested officers,
denouncing "purely political
arrests". On November 26 at 9
am, Inner City Press in
writing asked UNSG Antonio
Guterres and his Deputy Amina
J. Mohammed and spokesman
Stephane Dujarric: "
November 26-2: On
Burundi, what is the
SG's comment and action on the
arrest and imprisonment of
retired military figures on
trumped up charges regarding
assassination 25 years ago?"
Twelve hours later, even as
the Belgian Mission to the UN
was tweeting
views of Burundi, no answer
from Guterres' UN, despite the
promise there would be answers
from Guterres' Communicator
Alison Smale to UNSR David
Kaye. This is today's UN:
corrupt. The UN Security
Council is in China, from
where Dutch Ambassador Karel
von Oosterom is tweeting
(while withholding
all documents about his
Mission's meeting with
lobbyists of Paul Biya's
Cameroon and role in UN
banning of Inner City Press).
What will they say? What might
Antonio Guterres, location UNdisclosed
for four days and counting,
say? On November 21, the day
long imprisoned human rights
defender Germain
Rukiki is in court, the
Security Council meets with an
eye, at least for some, of
dropping Burundi from the
Council's agenda. This is the
UN of Antonio Guterres. On
Burundi the day after the May
17 referendum, in the run up
to which at least 26 people
were killed in Cibitoke, Inner
City Press asked UN Deputy
Spokesman Farhan Haq about the
deaths. He said things were
reportedly calm. UN transcript
here. On September 29,
after UN Secretary General
Antonio Guterres had banned
Inner City Press from the UN
for 88 days with no end in
sight, including from a human
rights event by "new"
High Commissioner Michelle
Bachelet, here
was the UN's "coverage" of
the speech of
Nkurunziza's
new Foreign
Minister
Ezekiel
Nibigira in
the UN General
Assembly that
Guterres
banned Inner
City Press
from, by his
state media
"UN News
Centre" run by
Alison Smale.
This story
merely
runs lines
from
Ezekiel
Nibigira such as, "he
reiterated his
availability
and
cooperation
with the UN to
promote human
rights.. On
the security
front, the
situation in
Burundi is
calm, stable
and under
control, said
Mr. Nibigira,
a positive
finding that
is shared, he
said, by the
Special Envoy
of the
Secretary-General"
- that would
be part-time
envoy Michel
Kafando.
This story
does not
mention that the
UN itself,
before selling
out, noted the
risk of genocide in
Burundi. One
might think
Smale is just
wasting public
money, as
usual, by reproducing
the flat
coverage of UN
Meetings
Covering. But
it's worse:
the lack of analysis
or presenting
the other side
is selective.
Smale's UN
News Centre's
write
up of the
Myanmar speech
includes a
description of and
link to a
report on the
government's
killings.
Smale also
barred Inner City
Press from attending the
Reuters and
CPJ event on
Myanmar's
jailing of two
journalists, here.
We'll have more
on this - due
to Guterres
and Smale's
lawless censorship
Inner City
Press has had
to cover UNGA
73 from the
streets and is
only now
reviewing
Smale's
shameful
production.
Watch this site.
We'll
have more on this.
Earlier, reduced to staking
out the Delegates Entrance
Inner City Press asked
Nkurunziza's Ambassador Albert
Shingiro about the following
day's UN Security Council,
which it would due to Guterres
and his Alison Smale be unable
to stakeout. Shingiro said he
has good news, that things are
stable. So should part time
envoy Michel Kafando move out,
stop getting paid? Shingiro
seemed to say yes, "the
situation is positive, very
good." Video here.
Moments later, French charge
d'Affaires Anne Gueguen
refused to answer any of Inner
City Press' questions, on
Cameroon, censorship,
anything. Then on August 17,
Guterres through his Global
Censor Alison Smale issued a
letter banning Inner City
Press for life from the UN,
citing complaints from UNnamed
missions to the UN. Wonder who
that would be. Now this:
Police on August 27 attacked
three journalists with Radio
Culture and banned them from
reporting on a land dispute in
Ngagara, a neighborhood in the
capital, Bujumbura, according
to SOS Médias Burundi. This is
highlighted by a pro-UN group
which has said nothing
about Guterres' Security roughing
up Inner City Press and
him banning it since. Now this
from his Ursula Mueller:
"United Nations Assistant
Secretary-General for
Humanitarian Affairs and
Deputy Emergency Relief
Coordinator, Ms. Ursula
Mueller completed today a
three-day mission to the
Republic of Burundi. “I
reaffirm OCHA’s (United
Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs) continued support to
the people of Burundi. We are
committed to work together
with partners to reduce
humanitarian needs and pave
the way for development
initiatives to enhance
community resilience”, Ms.
Mueller said, at the end of
her first visit to Burundi in
her role as the Deputy
Emergency Relief Coordinator.
During her visit, Ms. Mueller
met with the Second
Vice-President of Burundi, the
Minister of Finance,
Cooperation and Economic
Development, the Minister of
Environment, Agriculture and
Livestock; the Minister of
Human Rights, Social Affairs
and Gender; and the Permanent
Secretary of the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs. Ms. Mueller
highlighted the humanitarian
community’s commitment to
continue to work with the
Government of Burundi in the
spirit of mutual trust and
respect in order to reduce
humanitarian needs. Government
officials expressed their
willingness to continue
working together with the
humanitarian community to meet
the needs of the affected
communities. Ms. Mueller
commended the Government for
its commitment to support
those in need and noted that
she would advocate for further
humanitarian funding for
Burundi. She also met with
humanitarian partners, the
diplomatic corps and the
National Platform for Risk
Prevention and Disaster
Management and the Burundian
Red Cross. Ms. Mueller
reiterated the support of the
United Nations and its
partners to the disaster
preparedness work by the
Government and the Red Cross
and their efforts to improve
the resilience of the most
vulnerable communities. On 7
September, Ms. Mueller visited
Songore transit centre in
Ngozi Province for Burundians
repatriated from Tanzania. She
witnessed how humanitarian
partners provide assistance
and protection services to
Burundians voluntarily
repatriated from Tanzania
prior to being transported to
their places of origin.
Humanitarian partners have
assisted the return of over
45,000 Burundians since
September 2017 and nearly
30,000 more are expected to
return by the end of the year.
Ms. Mueller reiterated the
importance of upholding
international standards
guiding the right to asylum
and the voluntary nature of
all returns. Ms. Mueller
thanked donors for the
generous support they have
provided to Burundi over the
years, however highlighting
that the 2018 Burundi
Humanitarian Response Plan is
only 25.9 per cent funded
making it one of the least
funded plans globally. “I call
for increased donor support to
humanitarian efforts in
Burundi to address
humanitarian needs and enable
the country to move forward on
the path of development”, she
said." She said not a word
about the attacks on
journalists, as her boss
himself has arranged attacks
on and banning of Inner City
Press. Alain Majesté Barenga
and Alain Niyomucamanza say
they went to Ngagara along
with their colleague, Bella
Gloria Kimana, and driver,
Armand Bigurumuremyi, to
investigate reports of a
standoff between police and
residents who claimed they
were not paid "expropriation"
fees--compensation paid for
land taken by authorities.
After they introduced
themselves to the police and
showed their work badges,
about 20 officers surrounded
them and blocked the
journalists from speaking with
the residents. The officers
slapped them and hit Barenga
on the back with the butts of
their guns. Barenga said the
officers tried to take the
journalists' recording
equipment from Kimana, but she
managed to get back into the
vehicle and lock herself in.
Niyomucamanza said that he
suffered minor injuries to one
of his hands, but that neither
Kimana nor the driver, who had
stayed in the vehicle, were
hurt. Police spokesperson
Pierre Nkurukiye pointed to a
YouTube video of him denying
that police assaulted any
journalists. Nkurukiye said
that police were trying to
maintain peace amid a land
dispute between two families,
and that the journalists did
not identify themselves. He
said that the journalists
tried to use force to cover
the case, but were asked to
leave. The media regulator's
chairman, Nestor Bankumukunzi,
condemned the incident in an
August 28 press conference and
said that the assault was
contrary to press law,
according to a report by the
news site Iwacu. The news
report cited the ministry of
public security saying that
the journalists did not
identify themselves properly,
and accused them of supporting
one of the parties in the
conflict. Sounds like the UN.
But this Press Freedom group
does not report on the UN. On
August 24, this from HRF: "The
Human Rights Foundation (HRF)
condemns a Burundian court
decision that sentenced human
rights advocate Nestor
Nibitanga to five years in
prison for allegedly
“undermining state security.”
Nibitanga worked for the
Burundian Association for the
Protection of Human Rights and
Detainees (APRODH), a
persecuted human rights group
founded by Pierre Claver
Mbonimpa, a well-known
advocate who spoke at the Oslo
Freedom Forum in 2010. APRODH
and other civil society groups
in Burundi have faced
persecution, violence, and
harassment since 2015; the
organization’s license was
suspended by the government in
2016, making it impossible for
Nibitanga, Mbonimpa, and their
colleagues to continue their
work legally. HRF calls on
Burundi to reverse its abusive
policies toward human rights
groups and release all
political prisoners, in
compliance with international
human rights law.
“Nibitanga’s job was simply to
report on human rights abuses.
For that, he’s been harassed,
arbitrarily deprived of
liberty, and sentenced to
spend the next five years in
Burundi’s notoriously inhumane
prison system,” said Celine
Assaf Boustani, international
legal associate at HRF."
Earlier on Augus 24 this from
UNHCR: "UNHCR, the UN Refugee
Agency, and partners are
urging Tanzania to ensure
Burundian refugee returns are
voluntary and based on
individual choices – in
keeping with the country’s
longstanding history of
generosity toward those
fleeing persecution, and in
line with its international
obligations.
UNHCR reiterates that every
refugee must have the freedom
to decide on when to return
and the decision be based on a
free and informed choice.
“It is crucial not to pressure
Burundian refugees directly or
indirectly to influence their
decision on return,” said
UNHCR’s Assistant High
Commissioner for Protection
Volker Türk. “Refugees need to
have a meaningful choice and
the decision to return must be
voluntary, based on facts and
ground realities.”
Tanzania hosts more than
250,000 refugees from Burundi,
most of whom fled following
political upheaval there in
2015.
UNHCR’s position was conveyed
during a recent visit to
Tanzania by the Assistant High
Commissioner last week, after
recent statements and actions
by local government officials
in Tanzania encouraging
Burundian refugees to return
home, and indicating the
eventual closure of refugee
camps in the country.
UNHCR’s Türk welcomed the
assurances given by Tanzanian
authorities to uphold
international obligations to
safeguard refugee rights
inside the country and to
ensure that all refugee
returns are voluntary, and
carried out safely and with
dignity.
“UNHCR is not promoting
returns to Burundi at this
stage, but we continue to work
with the governments of
Burundi and host countries,
including Tanzania, to assist
those who feel now is the time
for them to return home,” he
added.
Some 44,000 Burundian refugees
have so far been assisted to
repatriate voluntarily to
Burundi, citing improved
overall security in the
country, desires to reoccupy
farmland, and to reunify with
family. Some returnees also
say that they feel the
conditions at home, however
challenging, will be better
than what they are
experiencing as refugees.
In the meantime, an average of
1,000 refugees continue to
arrive to neighbouring
countries each month, citing
insecurity, harassment, and
fear. UNHCR urges all
governments in the region to
maintain open borders for
asylum-seekers from Burundi
and to continue to provide
international protection for
those who need it.
UNHCR is also calling on the
international community to
step up support to ensure that
pressing humanitarian needs
are addressed for the hundreds
of thousands of Burundian
refugees who remain in exile.
More funding is also urgently
needed to support
reintegration programs for
refugees choosing to return.
The Burundi situation is one
of the least funded in the
world. Currently only 12 per
cent of the USD391 million
required by UNHCR and partners
this year has been received.
For the nearly 400,000
Burundian refugees in the
region, the lack of funding
has resulted in food ration
cuts, lack of proper shelter,
and overcrowded classrooms
with some children unable to
attend school at all." Thanks,
Tony - that is, Antonio
Guterres and his part time
cover up envoy Michel Kafando.
Free press? In a UN whose
Secretary General just had a
critical journalist roughed up
and banned for life? We'll
have more on this. Concerning
the plight of Burundian
refugees in Tanzania, on
August 9 with refusals to
answers by the US Deputy
Jonathan Cohen, Sweden's charge
d'affaires and
certain other Ambassadors as
well. Video
here. Now this report:
"For some time, the Tanzanian
authority in collaboration
with the SNR services and
Imbonerakure, has increased
intimidation, arrests and
torture for refugees who are
trying to position themselves
as leaders in different
refugee camps in Tanzania.
Today, refugees have been
deprived of their freedom,
others are missing, others
killed while others are in
panic fear following the
speeches terrifying and
intimidating who call them to
return to the homeland arguing
that peace is and their exile
to Tanzania is not justified.
In order to force the refugees
to return to their country,
the Tanzanian authority has
taken prohibiting refugees
from leaving their camps to go
outside to make provisions in
the surrounding markets and to
trade in basic commodities.
large quantity. The Tanzanian
government threatens to close
the entire movement of trade
of the interior of the camp
dated August 15, 2018, the
time that is reserved for
registering with UNHCR to
empty refugee camps." And UN
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres, the censor, is
silent. We'll have more on
this.
The UN
Development Program has ghoulishly
given vehicles to help the
Nkurunziza government lock
people up: "Ms. Marie Agnes
Meugang Kamgang, director
country a. UNDP HAS DELIVERED
3 vehicles to Mr. From,
Director-general at the
ministry of justice to make
the activities of the criminal
chain effective in Ngozi,
gitega and bururi. This gift
comes to fill a vacuum to make
criminal justice more
humanizing and fill a vacuum
for rapid access to justice."
Right. This resonates with a
use of UN vehicles in Rwanda
by Callixte Mbarushimana. On
June 29, after Antonio
Guterres' UN Security first
roughed up Inner City Press on
June
22 but before the second
more violent July
3 roughing up by
Security since which Guterres
has issued a lawless no due
process ban,
Inner City Press asked UN
spokesman Stephane Dujarric,
UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: There was a
meeting between the
Secretary-General and the
official of the East Africa
Commission (EAC), after which
they gave a readout, he
didn’t, but their readout says
he praised them for their work
on Burundi, and also said he
would be, he would be
participating in the AU summit
in Mauritania. As to
Burundi, I wanted to know…
Spokesman: That who
would be participating?
Inner
City Press: The
Secretary-General. I’m
reading…
Spokesman: The Deputy
Secretary-General is
representing the
Secretary-General, as I just
said.
Inner
City Press: No,
I understand that. Maybe
they misunderstood what he
said, but my question is, is
it the case that he commended
the EAC for its work on
Burundi, given that in the
same week in, in the Human
Rights Council, the panel that
studies Burundi said there’s
been, you know, massive abuse
of rights and killings?
Is he, is he comfortable with
their role?
Spokesman: I don’t think
there’s been massive abuse of
rights and killing by the East
African Community.
Inner
City Press: No,
no. By Burundi.
Does he feel that their work
on Burundi has been
successful, given the
killings…?
Spokesman: I think, I
don’t think anybody is, is
satisfied with the situation
in Burundi. We continue
to work very closely in the
discussions that are being led
by the EAC and we continue to
support their work.
Inner City Press: And Mr.
[Horst] Köhler going to the
AU?
Spokesman: I don’t
know. It’s a good
question. I saw the
press report, but I have not
received a call from him." Oh.
On July 3, after Inner City
Press June 25 complaint to
Guterres, Alison Smale and
their team went ignored, UN
Security tore Inner City
Press' shirt and twisted
its arm; Guterres and
Smale's response has been to
ban Inner City Press from
entering the UN since. (But
see this
interview with Burundi
activist Manisha Lievin, at
the First Avenue and 45th
Street bus stop in front of
the UN Delegates Entrance
Inner City Press is working
from, here.
Google's YouTube says the
interview is "not suitable for
more advertisers" - what,
Nkurunziza and Guterres don't
like it?) On June 8, for the
record, Inner City Press asked
lead UN Spokesman Stephane
Dujarric, UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: after
this referendum in Burundi, as
a big surprise, Pierre
Nkurunziza seemed to say that
he's not running in 2020, so I
guess I just wanted to know is
there… has the UN taken note
of that? And will they
remember that in 2020 when the
time comes?
Spokesman: I hope I can
remember in 2020 what happened
today, but that's always a
challenge. We obviously…
you know, we learned of the
decision… of the announcement
made by the President.
We take note of the
announcement and this is yet
another opportunity for us to
stress the need for Burundian
stakeholders to resume and
conclude the dialogue that's
being led by the East African
Community as soon as possible,
and to seek to set the stage
for inclusive and credible
elections in 2020. In
this regard, we will remain
committed to continuing to
support the efforts of the
mediators and facilitators of
the dialogue and those of the
Burundians themselves." Now on
June 12, the US State
Department has said this, for
the record: "The United States
welcomes President
Nkurunziza’s recent
announcement that he does not
intend to seek a fourth term,
reaffirming the promise he
made to the Burundian people
in 2015. His decision to step
down of his own accord would
be a strong step forward for
Burundian democracy and would
set a positive example for
other leaders in the region.
We call on the government of
Burundi to take transparent
steps to improve governance,
respect for human rights,
civic space, and media
freedom. These measures
are essential for free, fair,
and open political competition
ahead of the elections in
2020. The United States
reiterates our continued
commitment to our partnership
with Burundi and its people in
support of sustainable peace
and development." On the
UN calling it calm, maybe it
was reported as calm because
the local media was censored.
Per RSF, the reporter Jean
Bosco Ndarurenze was expelled
from a ruling party meeting in
the northern city of Kirundo
on May 7. His audio recorder
was confiscated and was then
returned on the condition that
its contents were deleted. As
Inner City Press previously
reported, Radio Insanganiro
reporter Pacifique Cubahiro
and his cameraman suffered a
similar fate when they tried
to do a report on the massacre
of 26 residents of a village
in the northwest of the
country. They were briefly
arrested and their recorded
video material was seized. On
June 1, Inner City Press asked
the UN's Haq, UN transcript here: Inner
City Press: I had asked you
before about Burundi after
the… the… the referendum on
the Constitution. You
had said that… that reports
were that it were calm but
that it hadn't yet been
finalized. Now the
constitutional court of the
Government has dismissed all
opposition petitions, claiming
intimidation and arrests
during the campaign should
invalidate this extension of
term limits for Pierre
Nkurunziza. What is the
UN's position, now that the…
the… the vote is essentially
legally final within Burundi?
Deputy Spokesman: Well,
regarding the referendum, I
would just refer you to the
Secretary-General's recent
report on Burundi, where he
did make it clear that it is
Burundi's sovereign right to
amend its Constitution.
At the same time, what we have
stressed is that there's no
alternative to dialogue, and
we particularly want the
involvement of the East
African Community (EAC) and
for their role in the
inter-Burundian dialogue, and
once more, we would like to
call for the unconditional
participation of all parties
in good faith in the next
session of the inter-Burundian
dialogue, and we urge the
leadership of the East African
Community to keep encouraging
the Burundian stakeholders in
this regard.
Inner City Press: Thank you,
but does the… does the UN
believe, now that it's seen
the draft, the… the text of
the amendments and the
now-final vote, that this
constitutional amendment is in
accord with the Arusha
Agreements that the UN has
worked on, you know, for some
years?
Deputy Spokesman: We
have been studying this
language, but the position I
have stated is the one that we
have." Failure. On May 21,
after Burundi claimed 74% in
favor and only three percent
abstaining, Inner City Press
asked UN Secretary General
Antonio Guterres' spokesman
Stephane Dujarric, UN
transcript here:
Inner City Press: late last
week in Burundi, this
constitutional
referendum. They've just
announced the results.
They said that only 3 per cent
of people abstained, 74 per
cent in favour 19 against,
which would put Pierre
Nkurunziza able to stay in
power till 2034. And
people that abstained were
threatened with arrest or
worse. So, I wanted to
know, what is the UN's
statement on the election…
referendum?
Spokesman: You know,
the… we did not have…
obviously, we were not
participating in the
elections, in the observing or
in the running of the
elections. I would refer
you to what the
Secretary-General said in his
last report on Burundi, in
which he said there was no
alternative to dialogue but…
and, as he said, it is
Burundi's sovereign right to
amend its Constitution.
But I will leave it at that.
Inner
City
Press:
Wait. I just… I'm just trying
to compare it to your previous
answer on Venezuela. Did
the UN have observers there?
Spokesman: In Venezuela?
Inner
City Press: :
Yeah.
Spokesman: No.
Inner
City
Press:
Okay. So…
Spokesman: And I would
refer you… the
Secretary-General's report on
Burundi, I think, his last
report, was fairly clear-eyed
and direct about his
observations and his
recommendations for
Burundi. So I would
refer you to that.
Inner City Press: It's a
sovereign right, but does the
Secretary-General believe that
the… the constitutional
amendments now os… ostensibly
passed violate the spirit or
letter of the Arusha
Agreements?
Spokesman: Again, I
would refer you to the report
and, again, the
Secretary-General's point that
there's no alternative to
dialogue, especially the
ongoing regional
dialogue. Evelyn?"
Menawhie the US issued this:
"The United States notes that
the May 17 referendum process
in Burundi was marred by a
lack of transparency, the
suspension of media outlets,
and attempts to pressure
voters. The government
allowed vigorous campaigning
by the opposition during the
designated two-week campaign
period, but numerous cases of
harassment and repression of
referendum opponents in the
months preceding the vote
contributed to a climate of
fear and intimidation.
The absence of independent
observers also undermines
confidence in the reported
result. We remain concerned
that passage of the revised
constitution will be
interpreted as resetting
presidential term
limits. We recall the
ruling party’s commitment
under the Pretoria Protocol to
respect the principles of the
Arusha Agreement, including
respect for term limits.
Other amendments run counter
to the power-sharing
principles of the Arusha
Agreement. We condemn
the government’s recent
decision to suspend Voice of
America and BBC
broadcasts. This
decision along with other
media restrictions, arbitrary
arrests, and harsh sentences
for human rights defenders
signals continuing limitations
on civic and political space
in Burundi. We call on
the government to respect its
citizens’ rights to freedom of
expression, assembly, and
association. The United States
supports the Burundian people
and hopes for a future in
which they enjoy vibrant and
sustainable economic growth,
security, and fundamental
freedoms." From UN's May 18
transcript: Inner City
Press: Do you have anything on
Burundi and the referendum
that was held yesterday?
Fifteen people, it's said,
were killed in the run-up to
it. Is there a UN
statement on that event?
Deputy Spokesman:
No. I mean, we're aware
that the polls took place
yesterday. There's no
international or regional
observers accredited to
observe the referendum in
Burundi, but we did see the
reports that the situation
there was calm." The day
before, Inner City Press asked
Dutch foreign minister Stef
Blok, who said among other
things that leaders should
know when to leave. Video here.
On Cibitoke, tellingly, Isanganiro
journalist Pacifique
Cubahiro and his cameraman
were detained for looking into
it, and their images seized.
Meanwhile from UN Secretary
General Antonio Guterres, whom
the Free
UN Coalition for Access
has shown linked
to UN censorship and from the
UN Security Council, so far
nothing. But France's
Ambassador in Burundi Laurent
Delahousse has seen fit to
reply, "Hippos?" to a tweet
about seven people reportedly
killed and left floating in a
river. See here.
Burundians have called it
shameful; Laurent Delahousse
has doubled down saying he was
protesting the use of
inapposite photos on social
media - this while France was
speaking about the Rohingya in
the UN Security Council, while
seemingly unaware as penholder
of Burundi meetings, or
killings. Would France
communicate this way about
Syria? It seems more akin to
French Ambassador Gilles
Thibault's communications in
Cameroon, ignoring or
downplaying the Biya
government's killings in the
Anglophone zones, like the UN
does. On May 14 Inner City
Press asked UN Secretary
General Antonio Guterres'
deputy spokesman Farhan Haq,
UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: In Burundi,
as you… 26 people were killed
in Cibitoke, which is a… on
the border, and it’s a pretty
large number. And two
journalists that were
investigating it were
detained. Their files
were seized. And I’m just
wondering, the run-up to the
election, given the UN’s role
there, including Mr. [Michel]
Kafando, what does the UN have
to say about this murder of 26
people?
Spokesman: Of course,
we’re concerned about any
violence in the run-up to the
elections. We wanted and
have made clear the idea that
voting needs to be held in a
free and fair atmosphere where
people can vote without
fear. Regarding the
views of Michel Kafando, the
Special Envoy, he’s expected
to brief the Security Council
later this month, I believe in
a little over a week from now,
around the 24th. And so
he’ll express his views at
that point. But,
certainly, we are concerned
about any violence and want it
to be investigated thoroughly.
Inner
City Press:
And I wanted to ask, in
Vienna, what he said…
Spokesman: Hold on.
Inner City Press: Well, you
just… I have another question.
Spokesman: "Yeah, but
it’s on a separate topic."
We'll have more on this. With
the Council presidency for May
being taken over by Poland's
Ambassador Joanna Wronecka,
Inner City Press on May 3
asked her about the month's
program of work, and to be
kept informed. On May 9,
this: on May 10, after
Darfur, "the SC will then
proceed in closed
consultations with Any Other
Business on Burundi. Mr.
Michel Kafando, Special Envoy
of the Secretary-General for
Burundi will brief the
Council" - behind closed
doors, of course. Inner City
Press asked Francois Delattre,
UN Ambassdor of France which
"holds the pen" in the
Security Council on Burundi,
about the consultations and
though polite he seemed not to
know. Video here.
Inner City Press aims to
follow up, even amid exclusion
orders by Secretary General
Antonio Guterres' Stephane
Dujarric. The referendum,
which the US and others say
runs counter to Arusha, is set
for May 17. Watch this site.
Inner City Press on May 3
asked about UN sexual abuse
and exploitation, with 54 new
cases in just the first
quarter of 2018, and about DR
Congo interference in the
investigation of the murders
of UN experts Michael Sharp
and Zaida Catalan. In
response, she cited an Arria
formula meeting on May 7 about
Children and Armed Conflict,
and as an issue of particular
interest to her,
stigmatization in Myanmar. She
described the Council's recent
visit to that country and to
Bangladesh. For the Free UN
Coalition for Access, FUNCA,
Inner City Press asked that
the Polish Mission send out
daily emails about who has
requested Any Other Business
meetings and who the briefers
are. Back on April 2 Inner
City Press asked the then
incoming UNSC President Peru's
Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra
about Haiti and the cholera
the UN brought, and the
Western Sahara letter filed
with the Council on April 1. Meza-Cuadra said
the Peru had participated
extensively in the UN's now
defunct MINUSTAH mission; he
acknowledged the need for the
UN to raise more funds about
cholera. Video here.
On Western Sahara he
acknowledged receipt of the
letter alleging violations by
the Frente Polisario which the
UN says it has not observed.
He said it has been
circulated, and his political
coordinator after the meeting
denied reports of an "Any
Other Business" briefing about
Western Sahara before the
consultations on April 17.
There may be Council trips to
Iraq and to Myanmar /
Bangladesh. Inner City Press
for the Free
UN Coalition for Access
asked Meza-Cuadra
to revert to
the practice
of at least
purporting to
answer
questions
after closed
consultations
of the
Council. We'll
have more on this. Back on
March 1 with the Council
presidency being taken over by
Dutch Ambassador Karel van
Oosterom, Inner City Press
asked him about Burundi, where
the Council's decision to send
228 UN Police was never
implemented, and about the
(lack of) transparency of the
North Korea sanctions
committee which he chairs. He
replied that each sanctions
committee has its own
transparency procedures. Not
explained is when the votes
were taken, to make
confidential requests for and
rulings on exemptions such as
that involving DPRK Foreign
Trade Bank, see
Inner City Press' credited
scoop here.
We'll have more on this, as
well as on Burundi, where
Inner City Press was told the
day after the February 26
meeting that France, the
penholding, is working on a
press statement. Where is it?
The four prior rounds of
questions were mostly about
Syria, n which the Council
will meet March 12, 15 and 27,
see Inner City Press' coverage
here. Efforts to visit
Myanmar continue. Western
Sahara and MINURSO will be
disclosed - behind closed
doors - on March 21; the DR
Congo on March 7 and 19 after
OCHA's Lowcock and Sigrid Kaaf
visit the country. Karel van
Oosterom said he lived in
Damascus for four years, and
quoted Yogi Berra on the
difficulty of making
predictions, especially if
they are about the future. He
said the three non-European
parts of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands will sometimes be
in the chair, but not for now
during the month of
presidency. The flame out of
the country's previous foreign
minister for misstating what
he overheard in Moscow did not
come up; afterward Inner City
Press began to make a pitch
that the Netherlands, when it
deploys as in Mali, should
share its protective equipment
to avoid a deadly two-tier
situation of night vision
goggles for example among
different contingents. We'll
have more on this. On behalf
of the Free UN Coalition for
Access, Inner City Press asked
van Oosterom to
come to stakeout after all
closed door consultations,
such as did not happen on
Burundi. He said he'll try.
Watch this site. Back on
February 1 Inner City Press
asked Kuwait's Mansour
Al-Otaibi about Yemen and
about Secretary General
Antonio Guterres' meeting with
Sudan's President Omar al
Bashir, indicted by the
International Criminal Court
for genocide in Darfur. Photos,
Periscope.
On
Yemen, Inner City Press asked
if the name of Martin
Griffiths has been circulated
to Council members as
replacement for Ismael Ould
Cheikh Ahmed as UN envoy. He
said it has not been
circulated, adding that Kuwait
will support whomever the
Secretary General proposes. On
Guterres' meeting, for which
he'd have been required to
inform the ICC Prosecutor in
advance, Al-Otaibi said he
had no information, that Inner
City Press should ask
Guterres. We'll try. Al-Otaibi said
that there will be no Council
trip to Myanmar this month -
the government didn't say no,
he said, but indicated it is
not the right time. Jimmy
Carter may or may not appear
at an Arria formula meeting
Kuwait is organizing. We'll
have more on this - on behalf
of the Free UN Coalition for
Access, Inner City Press asked
Al-Otaibi to hold
question and answer stakeouts
after closed door
consultation. We'll be there.
Back in September to
Ethiopia's Tekeda Alemu, Inner
City Press asked Ambassador
Alemu four questions, the
answers to which sketch out
the Ethopian government's
worldview. Video here.
In response to Inner City
Press asking why Burundi,
where even the UN says there
is a risk of genocide, is not
on his September Program of
Work nor on the agenda of the
Council's visit to Addis
Ababa, Alemu said that you
can't compare Burundi to
Central African Republic, that
Burundi has “strong state
institutions.” But it is that
very “strength,” which some
say the country shares with
Ethiopia, and with until
recently military-ruled
Myanmar about which Inner City
Press also asked, that has led
to the human rights
violations. In this context,
Inner City Press asked Alemu
about the Oromo protests - and
crackdown - in his country. He
diplomatically chided Inner
City Press for not having
asked in private, saying that
social media has played a
dangerous role. On the other
hand, when Inner City Press
asked Alemu at the end about
the murders of two UN experts
Michael Sharp and Zaida
Catalan, he replied that while
the DR Congo is due to
sovereignty the one to
investigate the murders, the
gruesome nature of the
killings put a “great
responsibility” on the DR
Congo. We'l have more on this.
Alamy photos here.
Earlier on September 1 in
Alemu's briefing to countries
not on the Security Council,
Bangladesh specifically asked
that the Council remain seized
of the situation in Myanmar.
When Inner City Press asked
Alemu about this, he said he
still had to inform himself
more about that situation. The
Security Council is traveling
to Addis from September 5
through 9, when alongside
African Union consultations
the Council's member will meet
for an hour with Prime
Minister Hailemariam Desalegn,
Alemu said. The Council will
receive the “maiden briefings”
late in the month of the new
Under Secretaries General of
OCHA and on Counter-Terrorism.
There will be peacekeeping on
September 20, during the High
Level week of the UN General
Assembly, and Yemen on
September 26. But tellingly,
there will not be Burundi.
Watch this site.
***
Feedback:
Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
Past
(and future?) UN Office: S-303, UN, NY 10017 USA
For now: Box 20047,
Dag Hammarskjold Station NY NY 10017
Reporter's mobile (and weekends):
718-716-3540
Other,
earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in
the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.
Copyright
2006-2018 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other
permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
for
|
,
