On
Burundi, UN's
Ban Speaks
Late on
Killing of
Kararuza,
Alludes to
Nivyabandi Too
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, April
25 -- With
Burundi troops
accused of
raping
children as
part of UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous'
MINUSCA
mission in the
Central
African
Republic, as
well as
accused of
abuses in
Burundi
itself, a new
funding
question has
arisen. And
the UN of Ban
Ki-moon moved
to evict Inner
City Press,
which is
asking the
question. It
happened on
April 16, video here and here
(Periscope).
On April
25, Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric why
he didn't have
any statement
about the
assassination
of General
Athanase
Karuruza, and
if he wanted
to amend his
previous
answer to
Inner City
Press that
only three
people were
detained in
Mugamba.
Dujarric
didn't answer,
and didn't
have a
statement. He
said to wait
(then cut off
an Inner City
Press question
about UN
corruption and
conflict of
interest in
the eviction.)
Afterward, the
UN issues this
- alluding to
Martin
Nivyabandi,
too:
"The
Secretary-General
condemns the
assassination
of Brigadier
General
Athanase
Kararuza, his
wife and
daughter in
Bujumbura
today.
Brigadier
General
Kararuza had
served in
senior
positions in
both the
African-led
International
Support
Mission to the
Central
African
Republic
(MISCA) and
the United
Nations
Multidimensional
Integrated
Stabilization
Mission in the
Central
African
Republic
(MINUSCA). The
Secretary-General
extends his
deepest
condolences to
all affected
by this tragic
loss.
The
assassination
of Brigadier
General
Kararuza comes
in the wake of
several
instances of
politically-motivated
assassination
attempts in
Burundi over
recent weeks,
including
yesterday’s
attack on
Martin
Nivyabandi,
Minister of
Human Rights,
Social Affairs
and Gender, as
well as those
on prominent
members of the
security
forces. All
such acts of
violence serve
no purpose
other than to
worsen the
already
volatile
situation in
Burundi. The
Secretary-General
urges that a
rigorous and
prompt
investigation
of these
events is
undertaken.
The
Secretary-General
underlines
that a
political
process is the
only way for
Burundians to
put their
country back
on the path of
national
reconciliation
and peace. He
calls on all
political
leaders,
including
those in
exile, to
firmly
renounce the
use of
violence in
pursuit of
political
agendas and
commit to an
inclusive and
genuine
dialogue. The
United Nations
will continue
to provide its
full support
and assistance
to all efforts
aimed at
promoting a
peaceful
settlement in
Burundi."
On April
22, after
three separate
screenings by
UN security,
Inner City
Press was
allowed to the
photo op of
Ban with Alain
Aime Nyamitwe.
Albert
Shingiro was
there too,
taking his own
smart phone
photo. There
was Jamal
Benomar, and
David Nabarro.
Tweeted
photo here.Periscope
video here.
Outside there
was Edmond
Mulet, Ban's
chief of staff
who has
received
correspondence
about the
eviction of
Inner City
Press.
What
would they
discuss?
Mugamba?
(Since Ban's
meeting,
General
Athanase
Kararuza who
spoke against
the killing in
Mugamba had
been
assassinated).
Even more
UNlikely,
press freedom?
Here
was the UN
Secretariat's
read-out,
issued after
Ban's read-out
of a Hungary
meeting that
occurred after
his Burundi
meeting:
"The
Secretary-General
met today with
H.E. Mr. Alain
Aimé Nyamitwe,
Minister of
External
Relations and
International
Cooperation of
the Republic
of Burundi. He
stressed the
importance of
an inclusive
and genuine
political
dialogue to
address the
situation in
the country
and called on
the
Government’s
support to the
EAC-lead
dialogue
process.
The
Secretary-General
took note of
the release of
prisoners in
March and
encouraged the
release of
remaining
political
prisoners. "
Nothing on
Mugamba - nor
on media
freedom,
perhaps not
surprisingly.
On April 21,
amid
published
reports of up
to 150 people
detained
in Mugamba,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
it. He said he
hadn't heard
of it but
would check.
An hour after
the briefing,
this was sent
to Inner City
Press:
From: UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
un.org
Date: Thu, Apr
21, 2016 at
1:46 PM
Subject: Your
question on
Burundi
To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
Cc: Stephane
Dujarric [at]
un.org
"Regarding
your question
at the noon
briefing: Our
human rights
office was
informed that
on 20 April
2016,
following a
security
incident that
occurred in
Mugamba
commune,
Bururi
province (an
exchange of
gunfire
between
unidentified
armed men and
military
elements,
during which
two people
including a
military lost
their lives),
three persons,
including a
teacher, were
arrested by
the police and
detained in
Mugamba police
station. No
charges were
retained
against them
and they were
finally
released on 21
April 2016
following an
intervention
by the
Regional
police
commissioner."
Is that
all that
happened?
Dujarric also
at the April
21 briefing,
when Inner
City Press
asked why its
office has
been seized -
to be resold,
it seems -
while that of
South South
News, named in
October 2015
in the U.S.
District Court
for the
Southern
District of
New York as Ng
Lan Seng's
vehicle to
bribe the UN,
still has its
office, said
“You have been
afforded quite
a lot of
courtesies.”
Like ouster
by eight UN
DSS guards?
Five boxes of
files dumped
out onto First
Avenue?
On April
20, Inner City
Press asked UN
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
hate speech, UN transcript
here.
Inner
City Press'
sources say
many
opposition
leaders are
worried about
Ban Ki-moon's
typically
waffling
three-option
report because
"the report is
a proposition
to a dictator
rather than
being a
decision
against him...
The corpse of
Jean De Dieu
Ndayikungurukiye
who was
stabbed and
killed by
Imbonerakure
four months
ago in
Nairobi, is
still in
detention.
According to
family members
and other
Burundian
Refugees in
Nairobi,
Burundian
Embassy in
Nairobi
recommended
this
detention."
Hours
after these
claims, and in
retaliation,
the UN sent
Inner City
Press an
eviction
notice for
April 16,
which despite
push back they
implemented.
Even as the
European Union
considers
changes to it
payments for
Burundi
peacekeepers
in AMISOM in
Somalia, so
that less of
the money is
taken by the
Nkurunziza
government for
repression, UN
Peacekeeping
under Ladsous
and Maria
Costa have
made their
pay-out to
Nkurunziza's
government -
no longer
through the
Burundi
National Bank
but through a
bank account
in Paris, at
Commerzbank.
On April
11, Inner City
Press asked UN
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
this: why is
the money not
being paid to
the Burundi
Central Bank?
Would Ladsous
pay to an
offshore bank,
in Antigua and
Barbuda or
Panama for
example,
without
looking into
it?
Dujarric said
he does not
have details
on member
states banking
relations; he
did not answer
on offshore
banks. Here
are some
photos, here.
Meanwhile some
also say that
those
repatriated
from CAR under
allegations of
abuse, for
example First
Major Srgt
Zepherin, are
just re-sent
by the
Nkurunziza
government for
“service” with
AMISOM in
Somalia. We'll
have more on
this, too.
On Burundi
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric on
March 31 about
the death in
prison of
Jacques
Bihozagara.
Unlike several
member states,
but not the
Security
Council's
penholder
France, the UN
had
only this:
"We obviously
would hope
that his death
will be
investigated
in as much of
a public
manner as
possible."
Now the
inadequacy of
the UN's
response is
even more
clear in light
of this
report:
"During his
detention,
Bihozagara was
visited by
several
diplomats who
were assured
he was in safe
custody. On
Saturday
night, reports
indicated that
Burundi
official
demanded that
the deceased’s
family sign
documents
indicating
that he died
of natural
causes or
forget asking
for the body."
On April 5,
Inner City
Press asked UN
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq
about it, UN transcript
here.
We'll
have more on
the UN's
actual
position on
that sort of
practice, or
these type of
offers.
In a
smaller but
similar way,
the UN on
February 19
told Inner
City Press
that if it did
not move eight
years of
investigative
files out of
its UN office,
even the offer
of a reduced
non-Resident
Correspondent
accreditation
would be
withdrawn.
Now
while
threatening to
throw or move
everything
out, the UN is
making even
more troubling
"offers."
Perhaps this
is why the UN
Secretariat
cannot
criticize
Pierre
Nkurunziza's
Burundi;
instead Ban
Ki-moon
praised
Nkurunziza for
half
re-opening a
mere two of
four radio
stations he
closed. New
low for the
UN.
Ban
Ki-moon, his
deputy and
chief of staff
have received
this
sample letter
to reverse
Gallach's
outrageous
decisions,
concluding,
"Your decision
to restore
ICP's full
accreditation
and office
will be highly
appreciated by
many
Burundians
crying out for
peace and
protection
while
promoting the
freedom of
press in
Burundi." As
of this
writing, still
no response
from Ban.
On
April 1 at the
5 pm press
conference by
Ambassador Liu
of China,
April's
Council
president,
Inner City
Press asked
about the
timing of the
Burundi draft.
It's happening
this evening,
Liu replied.
But as
of 6 pm the
glass doors
for the Press
to access the
Council
stakeout were
locked. The
question
Dujarric had
run away from
- why should
the Press be
Banned from
interviews by
the ramp, when
others do them
- could come
up again,
UNresolved.
Like Dujarric
said, he's
done. Watch
this site.
After
Burundi's
Minister of
External
Relations
Alain Aime
Nyamitwe and
the country's
Permanent
Representative
to the UN
Albert Singiro
met with UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon on
March 22, the
Burundian
delegation
emerged onto
the UN's
second floor
with Ban's
Special
Adviser on
Conflict
Prevention,
Jamal Benomar,
video
here.
This is
an area where
diplomats are
routinely
filmed and
taped. But due
to censorship
and threats by
the UN
Department of
Public
Information
under Cristina
Gallach --
stripping
Inner City
Press'
resident
correspondent's
accreditation
on February 19
on pretextual
grounds and
threatening
total
expulsion for
any
"violation" --
Inner City
Press
published the
video without
its sound,
adding instead
a voice-over.
On March 31,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, UN Transcript
here.
On March 29,
simultaneously
in connection
with an
eviction
threat from
Ban Ki-moon's
top lawyer
Miguel de
Serpa Soares,
here,
Inner City
Press inquired
into these
reports from
sources, of
the type of
arming the UN
has
historically
ignored and
only later
studied:
"Sunday night
03/27, a
shipment of
arms came in
via Lake
Tanganyika...
The off
loading of the
arms was done
in Kagongo and
supervised by
General G
Ndirakobuca,
Brigadier
General A
Nduwumusi aka
Goliath, Brig
Gnl M
Ngendabanka...
The arms
weren't
officially
registered,
they took them
to Nkurunziza
stadium at
Mbuga-Rumunge
before moving
them on Monday
in two
trucks...
Suspected:
these
unregistered
arms are being
distributed to
militiamen
(Imbonerakure
& FDLR)
under
Nkurunziza
control."
This
takes place
after Inner
City Press'
exclusive
report of UN /
French Ladsous
lobbying for
Burundi to get
weapons - and
the UN's
resulting
ouster and now
evicting
threat. It's
like a certain
past fax, only
worse: not
only over up,
but open
retaliation.
We'll have
more on this.
Also on
March 29,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric how
much the
Burundi
government
keeps from
what Herve
Ladsous' UN
Peacekeeping
pays in CAR:
Inner City
Press: the
Reuters story
that was
quoted about
the Burundians
and Somalia,
it didn't
mention that
the UN is
paying the
Burundian
troops in the
CAR [Central
African
Republic].
And I wanted
to know,
because the
article says,
in the case of
Somalia, $800
a month goes
to the troops,
and $200 a
month goes to
the
Government,
and there have
been
allegations
that, in fact,
the ratio is
more
pro-Government
in MINUSCA
that the UN
allows the
Government to
take a higher
percentage of
the salaries,
what is the
percentage?
If M… if the
AU knows what
percentage of
money goes to
the Government
of Bujumbura,
what is the
UN's…
Spokesman:
The way the
troops are
paid is
outlined in
various
reports.
I can get you
the… I
can try to get
you the
information.
Inner City
Press:
Don't you
think the UN
should have as
much control…?
Spokesman:
I'm… I'm just
saying… I
don't have
that
information at
my fingertips.
Inner City
Press:
I'm asking as
a matter of
UN…
Spokesman:
I think the…
the rules to
which
contingents
are paid are…
exist and
they're clear.
Inner City
Press:
And also
on…
okay. On
Burundi,
there's a
communiqué
that was put
out by the
ruling party,
the CNDD-FDD,
and it says
that they will
never sit with
putchists.
It says the
journalists
are connected
to the
putch.
Many people
see it as a
genocidal
communiqué.
It's
online.
It's widely
available.
And I'm
wondering,
since it's the
ruling party
of the
President in a
country where
Prince Zeid
has expressed
concern about
a possible
genocide, what
is the
response to
the UN to this
ruling party
communiqué
that has come
out?
Spokesman:
The
Secretary-General
remains very
concerned
about the
volatile
political
situation in
the country,
and I think we
always
encourage any
of the parties
to avoid any
sort of
inflammatory
statements.
Erol?
On
March 24 Inner
City Press
asked UN
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq
about moves
toward
surveillance
in Burundi and
Haq had no
comment at
all, not even
the generic
blather of
concern the UN
so often
serves up. From the UN
transcript:
Inner City
Press: on
Burundi, I
wanted to know
if you have a
comment or 'if
asked' on this
new law in the
country that
people cannot
have more than
one SIM card
for their
phone and that
the SIM card
has to be
registered to
them.
Many people
see this as an
attempt to cut
down on
civilian
peaceful
protests of
the third
term.
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq: No,
we don't have
a comment.
Correspondent:
Okay.
Also --
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq:
Hold on.
Inner
City Press had
other
questions, but
Haq cut in,
after no
commenting on
the first one
(and engaging
in long
colloquies
with other
scribes, on
topics Haq and
the UN like
better).
Meanwhile in
Burundi,
Police / UN
"Peacekeepers"
used live
fire. Composite
video here
and update on
the spread to
Ruyigi, below.
On March 25,
Inner City
Press' sources
reported to it
that "Around 4
am today,
heavily armed
police
surrounded the
zone of
Musaga,
searched homes
without
warrants,
arrested
around five
young men and
killed an old
man by
shooting him
purposeful on
First Avenue
Musaga. Among
the arrested
young men, two
are related as
a sister and a
brother -- the
shocking story
behind these
two is that
the old
brother Arnaud
was shot and
killed by the
police during
the
demonstration."
Meanwhile to
cut off
further
protests, the
government is
regulating SIM
cards - and,
some say, the
French firm
SG2 may be
engaged in
wire tapping
in
Burundi:
"several
technicians of
local
companies have
confided that:
'We were
obliged to
provide SG2
with some 200
free numbers
and to
authorize
their
technicians to
access our
networks. They
connected
their own
systems. We
are sure that
they have the
technology to
carry out
phone-tapping.'
Since the
introduction
of this
system,
international
calls to
Burundi have
become very
expensive, and
Burundians in
the diaspora
now choose to
use Skype or
other calling
systems
(Viber,
WhatsApp,
etc). Soon
people will do
this for local
calls as well,
to avoid being
tapped."
When Burundi
was belatedly
discussed at
the UN Human
Rights Council
in Geneva on
March 22, the
UN Special
Rapporteur on
extrajudicial,
summary or
arbitrary
executions
Christof Heyns
urged the
government of
Pierre
Nkurunziza
against
reprisals on
those who talk
with the UN
Panel of
Experts. But
how will that
be enforced?
On March
22, Inner City
Press was
entirely
unnecessarily
restricted
from reaching
the UN
Security
Council
stakeout to
cover a
meeting on
Western
Sahara, Periscope
on YouTube
here. What
will the US
Mission do?
In
Geneva, Heyns
had to leave;
Rwanda and
South Africa
were added to
the speakers'
list, but only
for the
afternoon
session. Watch
this site.
A week ago
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric,
about UN (in)
action in
Burundi. UN
transcript
here.
A week
later from
Dujarric, who
threw Inner
City Press out
of the UN
Press Briefing
Room, there
has been no
answer, as on
so many Press
questions to
Ban Ki-moon's
UN on Burundi.
So on March
21, Inner City
Press asked
Dujarric's
deputy Farhan
Haq, UN
transcript
here.
As Burundi's
Pierre
Nkurunziza
government
stepped up the
killing and
censorship of
opponents, its
lobbyists in
the U.S.
capital,
Scribe
Strategies,
were paid
$60,000 to
among other
things set up
interviews
with
US-government
broadcaster
Voice of
America and
the French
government's
France 24.
Nkurunziza's
party the
CNDD-FDD paid
Scribe
Strategies
$59,980 on
November 10,
2015. Scribes
has this month
disclosed, for
the six month
period ending
January 31,
2016, that in
exchange for
this money it
arranged for
example for
Nkurunziza's
adviser to be
"interviewed"
on Voice of
America and
France 24.
Scribe
Strategies
also, during
the reporting
period, was
paid to
arrange for
Sam Kutesa, a
former
President of
the General
Assembly who
was involved
with many of
the same
donors named
in the
corruption
case against
his
predecessor
John Ashe, to
be
"interviewed"
by Voice of
America about
his tenure as
PGA, during
which he was
as now foreign
minister of
Uganda.
On
February 19,
Inner City
Press was
thrown out of
the UN on two
hours notice.
Audio
and petition
here. On
February 22
Inner City
Press was told
it was Banned
from all UN
premises.
After three
days reporting
on the UN from
the park in
front of it,
and stories in
BuzzFeed
and Business
Insider,
Inner City
Press
re-entered the
UN on a more
limited
"non-resident
correspondent"
pass, under
which on March
10 UN Security
ordered it to
leave the UN
as it worked
in the UN
lobby at 8 pm.
Video
here; UN
Spokesman Stephane Dujarric's March 11
justification
here.
The
underlying UN
rule only says
that
non-resident
correspondents
can only come
into the UN up
until 7 pm.
But the UN's
goal, it
seems, is to
prevent or
hinder
coverage of UN
corruption,
which usually
doesn't take
place in the
UN Press
Briefing Room.
(January
29, 2016
and September
8, 2011 --
Frank Lorenzo,
UNdisclosed
-- are notably
exceptions.)
Lobbying the
deciding UN
official,
Under
Secretary
General for
Public
Information
Cristina
Gallach, were
the honchos of
the UN
Correspondents
Association,
including
France 24 and,
as in 2012,
Voice of
America.
Scribes
Strategies'
disclosures do
not (have to)
mention the
Nkurunziza
government's
lobbying in
and around the
UN. We'll have
more on this.
Back on
March 9 when
the Burundi
configuration
of the UN
Peacebuilding
Commission
met, the
conference
room was too
small and the
meeting was
not televised,
at least not
to the outside
world (see
below). There
was talk of
Burundi's
Pierre
Nkurunziza
have allowed
two of four
closed radio
stations to
re-open.
But Special
Adviser Jamal
Benomar said
these two
stations were
not critical
of the
government;
beyond that,
it has emerged
that the
stations'
directors had
to sign a
commitment
about their
future
coverage. Some
in the UN, it
is clear,
would like to
do just this -
in fact,
that's why
Inner City
Press could
not watch the
meeting on UN
in-house TV in
its shared
office the UN
has seized,
and so came to
the meeting.
In
Conference
Room 8, the
Permanent
Representatives
of Tanzania,
Belgium,
Burundi,
Norway, The
Netherlands,
and others,
and Deputies
from France,
Rwanda and
others. France
was given the
floor first in
the debate;
its Deputy
Alex Lamek
after a bland
speech left
the meeting,
his seat taken
by another
French mission
staffer.
Belgium called
for a
re-opening of
all media
without
restriction.
There
were other
speeches, but
Inner City
Press had to
go upstairs,
with its its
currently
reduced access
pass, and ask
the UN's
Deputy
Spokesperson
why Ban had
praised the
re-opening,
with
restrictions,
of only two of
the four radio
stations
closed. Vine
here; UN transcript
here
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq:
Ultimately,
what we want
is for the
media to be
free to do
their work
unconditionally.
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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