On
Burundi, ICP
Asks UN Spox
Why Ban Told
FM He's "Very
Satisfied,"
Food?
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, March
1 -- After UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon on New
Year's Eve
issued a
statement
surreally
praising the
Burundi
“talks” held
in Entebbe,
Uganda,
multiple
sources told
Inner City
Press these
not really
talks but
rather a photo
op. The
January 6
session
announced for
Arusha did not
happen.
Inner City
Press
requested to
cover the
UNSC's trip to
Burundi, but
was
UNtransparently
rejected.
Ban Ki-moon
took no press
with him to
Burundi - and
then praised
Pierre
Nkurunziza's
decision on
the media,
after having
decided,
through his
Under
Secretary
General
Cristina
Gallach and
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, to
throw Inner
City Press out
of the UN. Petition
here.
On March 1,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq, UN
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: On
Burundi, I
wanted to ask
you, the
Foreign
Minister has
recently
tweeted that
the… only what
was read out
by President
[Jacob] Zuma
and not
necessarily
another
statement
that's come
out more
formally from
the African
Union binds
the country,
and I was
wondering,
given the UN's
role there,
what do you
make of that?
Spokesman:
Well, as I
mentioned, Mr.
Benomar will
be in touch
with his
African Union
counterparts,
and we'll get
clarifications
on what
exactly
they've been
offered.
Inner City
Press:
And the
Foreign
Minister in
Burundi also
said, on 23
February, he
quoted Ban
Ki-moon
online; it
remains
online,
saying, “Monsieur
le Ministre,
je suis tres
satisfait”.
Is that, in
fact, what Ban
Ki-moon
said? Is
that an
accurate
description of
Ban Ki-moon's
views on
Burundi?
Spokesman
Haq:
It's his views
in
general?
Of course
not. You
know what his
views in
general
are. You
can easily say
that in reply
to anything,
as you
know. He
could have
been talking
about any
number of
topics.
Context is
what's
important.
On
February 29,
Inner City
Press asked
Spokesman
Dujarric, UN transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: Radio
Publique
Africaine in
Burundi has
reported in
detail in a
case, a rape
case took
place in
Burundi in
December in
the… the
jurisdiction
of the
national
police in
which they say
that people
that didn't
speak the
language of
the country,
they believe
FDLR members
brought in
from elsewhere
mass raped a
girl and
demanded to
know where the
rebels were.
This was right
before the
12/12, you
know, mass
killings in
Bujumbura.
So I'm
wondering,
this is a
media that,
from this
podium, Ban
Ki-moon has
said shouldn't
have been
closed, should
be
reopened.
They have a
very detailed
report.
What exactly
is the UN
going to… to
do about this?
Spokesman:
You know, I
think, as you
may have seen,
there are a
number of
human rights
investigators
who are on
their way and
should be
arriving in
Burundi, and
these are
exactly the
kind of cases
they should be
looking into
it.
On February
29, the UN in
Geneva
announced:
"Three United
Nations
independent
experts
appointed to
investigate
human rights
violations in
Burundi are
scheduled to
conduct their
first country
visit from 1
to 8 March...
Mr. Christof
Heyns (South
Africa), the
United Nations
Special
Rapporteur on
Extrajudicial,
Summary or
Arbitrary
Executions, is
working with
Ms. Maya
Sahli-Fadel
(Algeria), the
African Union
Special
Rapporteur on
Refugees,
Asylum
Seekers,
Migrants and
Internally
Displaced
Persons, and
Mr. Pablo de
Greiff
(Colombia),
the United
Nations
Special
Rapporteur on
the Promotion
of Truth,
Justice,
Reparation and
Guarantees of
Non-Recurrence...
On 21 March
2016, one of
the three
experts will
update the
Human Rights
Council on its
initial
findings and
conclusions.
In September
2016, the
experts will
issue their
final report
to the
Council. "
On the
other end of
the human
rights
spectrum, Ban
made much of
Nkurunziza's
ostensible
commitment to
release
political
prisoners and
meet with "the
opposition."
But which
opposition?
And which
prisoner?
Inner City
Press while
ousted from
the UN
published what
Nkurunziza
signed, here
and here,
and on
February 25,
filing a
lawyer's
letter
directing the
UN to not
touch its
office or
files, entered
and asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric these
questions, UN transcript:
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
you about
Burundi
first. I
saw the
statement by
the
Secretary-General
praising the
reopening of
some radio
stations and
the release of
prisoners.
And I wanted
to ask you two
questions
about
that.
One is, is he
aware, and
what do you
say that two…
two of five
radio stations
have opened
and they've
been forced to
sign pledges
to not
undermine the
country's
security?
Is that… does
he think that
that type of
pledge is
legitimate?
And on the
prisoners,
most people
are saying
that the… this
document
signed by
President
[Pierre]
Nkurunziza
doesn't
involve the
release of any
political
opponents, FNL
[National
Liberation
Front] members
or anything
else.
It's sort of
a… it's one of
those fake
releases where
these are
people that
have nothing
to do with the
unrest.
Spokesman:
I think what
the
Secretary-General
did yesterday
was to welcome
these as
initial steps
and said that
it was not
enough and he
would want to
see
more. I
don't have any
particular
reports on
pledges that
were
signed.
Obviously, as
a matter of
the principle,
radio stations
in Burundi
should be able
to broadcast
freely and
fairly any
news that they
want.
And, as for
the detainees,
I don't have
the details of
who they
were.
Obviously,
there are
different
reports.
But as I said,
we would want
to see more
people
released.
Inner City
Press:
Well, the
document that
the President
signed, it's
been published
and it's clear
that it
doesn't cover
the people
that are part
of the
opposition.
Spokesman:
I think it's…
as I said, we
welcome this
as an initial
step, and we'd
like to see
more.
Inner City
Press:
And will there
be
follow-up?
What follow-up
is the UN
going to give
having…?
Spokesman:
Mr. [Jamal]
Benomar has an
expanded team
there.
They are in
constant
contact with
the
Government.
Compare
Dujarric's
canned answers
to this
critique from
ICP's sources
on the ground:
Article 1
mentioned
categories of
those who are
supposed to be
realized. The
common fact is
that those
mentioned in
the article do
not have any
relation with
the Ongoing
political
unrest.
Actually, we
were excepting
the realise of
FNL, MSD, and
all political
prisoners such
as insurgents,
and the above
mentioned
opponents to
the regime.
But none of
them would
fall under the
categories
evoked by the
article.
On Ban
Ki-moon's
meeting with
Nkurunziza: Is
the dialogue
going
inclusive. We
shall be able
to see it if
Nkurunziza
says that is
going to meet
key opposition
figures and
the civil
society
leaders,
including
Nyangoma
(CNARED),
Sinduhije (Red
Tabara),
Nininahazwe
Pacifique,
etc. When? And
where?
Remember
Nkurunziza
said that
he'll never
seat on same
table with
co-plotters,
protest and
insurgent
leaders as
well. So, what
is the
guarantee that
he changed is
mind? We'll
have more on
this.
In Bujumbura
on February
23, Ban said:
"I welcome the
decision by
His Excellency
President
Nkurunziza to
withdrawal
some media
bans, cancel
the arrest
warrants and
release
detainees as
good will
gestures.
President
Nkurunziza
told me this
morning that
he will
release a list
of twelve
hundred
detainees and
take other
measures. I
have asked
him, while I
welcome these
generous
support and
measures but I
would expect
that
additional
measures
should be
taken. This is
an encouraging
step. I hope
again
additional
measures will
be taken."
But even from
the park
in front of
the UN on 43rd
Street in
Manhattan,
Inner City
Press
interviewed
Security
Council
ambassadors
about Ban's
trip, which
despite his
typical lack
of
transparency
has in fact
begun on
February 22.
Inner City
Press tweeted
a photo, here,
and reports
from sources
that already,
five men have
been killed in
Bujumbura and
Gisozi while
Ban was in the
country.
At the
February 5 UN
noon briefing,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq
about Burundi,
video
here, transcript here.
Handpicked to
go and
memorialize
the trip was
Reuters, which
barely
reported what
happened.
There is a
history, of
Reuters UN
bureau here
and here;
on February 3,
Reuters
correspondent
Michelle
Nichols went
so far as to
cut off Inner
City Press'
questions to
the UN, Vine
here.
Inner
City Press in
the spirit of
transparency
is publishing
the (update)
report, dated
January 15,
2016, signed
by Coordinator
Gaston
Gramajo, and
its two
paragraphs
about 18
Burundian
combatants, here.
On January 29,
Inner City
Press asked
Dujarric
again, transcript
here.
So it's
all on Zeid,
nothing from
Ban Ki-moon,
who appears to
be playing
this like he
did Sri
Lanka...
At the
UN Security
Council
stakeout,
Inner City
Press waited
-- including
through two
North Korea
questions, and
softballs --
then asked if
this UN use of
Burundian
troops makes
sense. There
has yet to be
an answer,
although there
are
indications
one might be
forthcoming.
(More than 24
hours later,
no). Here
for now is
about the US
training
Burundian
troops.
Watch this
site.
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokespeople
about the trip
on January 20,
21 and 22 -
including
asking why the
UN was not
providing a
video or at
least audio
stream of the
January 22
press
encounters,
says it has
a "UN
Information
Center" in
Bujumbura,
which produced
a smiling
photo of the
French deputy
ambassador
Alexis Lamek
on the tarmac.
The UN said it
couldn't.
Local
media in
Burundi put
online a video
in which Lamek
spoke at
length;
afterward a
pro-government
Burundian
media quoted
Lamek that
"we" take
seriously the
question of
interference
by Rwanda to
destabilize
Burundi and
will be
working on it.
But the
four scribes
handpicked to
accompany the
Security
Council trip,
inlcuding
Agence France
Presse, it
seems, for
some reasons
didn't cover
it. Why? We'll
have more on
this. Instead,
AFP, Reuters
and Voice
of America
(which saw
"Liberians"
then cited
auto-correct)
filed
near-identical
stories with
no quotes from
opposition
figures or
attacked
journalists.
None of the
three even
tweeted on
January 23,
other than
Reuters as a
robot: talk
about Old
Media.
How
could "Agence
France
Presse,"
handpicked to
publicize the
UNSC trip
co-led by
France, not
even cover the
controversy?
We note
that the
French Mission
to the UN said
that Lamek was
being
misrepresented
(the same
French Mission
has tried to
shield Lamek
from critical
Press
questions,
which
here on Vine
Lamek has
refused to
answer even
when entirely
audible).
Later an AFP
quote emerged
of Lamek
saying that
any AU force,
even the 100
human rights
observers,
should
significantly
focus on the
Rwandan
border.
On the
evening of
January 23 the
UN has put up
select clips
including a mere
16 seconds
of French
deputy
ambassador
Lamek, much
less than the
local
Burundian
media present
at the same
press
encountered
had. If
the UN filmed
the press
encounters,
why did it so
selectively
edit them?
More
specifically,
now, who
decided on the
edits?
Inner City
Press, which
is the media
which on
January 22
asked for the
live-stream,
has asked the
UN,
publicly on
Twitter, here,
and in more
detail by
e-mail to
three top UN
spokespeople:
"having just
seen that your
Office put
online edited
video from
Burundi, must
ask: why did
UN edit the
footage it
has, with no
Burundi
government
speaker, and
only 16
seconds of
France,
penholder in
the UNSC on
Burundi?
Please provide
the full
footage, in
response to
this request
and,
separately,
online. Would
also still
like answers
to questions
below" on
Burundi.
And
still no
answers at
all, the next
day. Watch
this site.
The UN
spokespeople
refused to
say, but
beyond the
pro-government
"religious
leaders" that
they cited,
the Council
also met with
at least some
of the
concerned
members of
civil society,
and some
journalists
who inevitably
raised the
issue of
attacks and
censorship.
This was not
mentioned by
the UN.
We're
told that
Ambassador
Albert
Shingiro, who
blocks the
Press on
Twitter, told
the scribes
that US Power
said she would
send “a strong
message to the
government of
Rwanda."
Again,
Shingiro
blocks the
Press on
Twitter: some
diplomat.
One of
the four
handpicked
pass-throughs
opined that
"the fact that
Council
members
presented
Nkurunziza
with a largely
unified
message on the
different
issues was
seen as a
positive sign
that they had
come closer to
a common
position." So
they traveled
to Burundi to
work on their
own issues?
We'll have
more on this -
and on the
Council's
junket-ending
meetings in
Addis, if not
on Oromo
protests, than
this
we've asked
about.
Watch this
site.
On January 22,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq for
the UN's
response to
Pierre
Nkurunziza
denying the
existence of
his party's
youth militia,
and why there
was no video
or even audio
stream of the
Security
Council's -
and
Nkurunziza's
-- press
statements. Video here.
Haq
replied that
"the
facilities are
difficult,"
that the UN
Spokesperson's
Office had
reached out to
the traveling
party for
information
but hadn't
gotten any.
The Free
UN Coalition
for Access
calls this a
failure.
On
January 21
Inner City
Press in New
York learned
both of Pierre
Nkurunziza
plans to
parade
"community
work" for the
Security
Council
members on
January 22 and
has been
provided with
a letter
promoting
same, here.
On
January 22,
even after the
Council's
meeting with
Nkurunziza was
over, when
Inner City
Press asked
the UN for a
read-out there
was none, nor
any good
explanation of
why the UN
with its
country team
could not
arrange at
least an audio
stream of the
Council's (and
Nkurunziza's)
press
statements.
Tellingly,
IWACU reports
that bike taxi
and motorcycle
taxi drivers
offered money
to protest in
favor of
Nkurunziza
weren't, after
the fact,
paid: here.
On January 19
at the UN,
Inner City
Press asked
Uruguay's Vice
Minister for
Foreign
Affairs Jose
Luis Cancela,
chairing the
Security
Council debate
on Protection
of Civilians,
about Burundi
and the
Council's
trip. Video
here.
On
January 21,
Inner City
Press and the
Free
UN Coalition
for Access asked
UK Permanent
Representative
Matthew
Rycroft about
his stop-over
on Addis
Ababa, "will
you as UK meet
with AU before
heading to
Burundi? About
AU's proposed
deployment?"
Rycroft replied,
"Yes! Looking
forward to
meeting
@AU_Chergui
today. Will
also return to
Addis with
whole UNSC
after
Burundi."
In
Addis,
Chergui had
filed the
Concept of
Operation for
the MAPROBU
peacekeeping
mission. We'll
have more on
this.
Burundian
civil society
has written to
Ban seeking
the
repatriation
of the
country's
peacekeepers.
Inner City
Press has put
the letter
from Vital
Nshimirimana
to Ban online
here, and
will be asking
the UN about
it. Watch this
site.
On
December 30
Nkurunziza
threatened to
have his
forces attack
peacekeepers
proposed for
the country.
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,
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 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?”
Ultimately,
after the
questioning,
he didn't.
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.
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