In
Burundi,
Forces UNpaid
in CAR To
Return,
UNinvited to
UN Police
Event?
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, May
31 -- As the
Burundi talks
took place in
Arusha, the
invitations
were partial.
Pierre-Claver
Mbonimpa, as
simply one
example, was
not invited.
Nor was
CNARED. It
was, many
said, a
monologue.
On May 27,
Inner City
Press again
asked the UN
about the
refugees
fleeing the
country, video
here, UN transcript
here.
Now, Inner
City Press
hears,
pressure may
grow in
Burundi. Its
forces
deployed to
Central
African
Republic - but
many not paid
there, while a
separate bank
announced at
Commerzbank in
Paris was
established
and paid by
Herve Ladsous'
UN
Peacekeeping -
are slated
this summer to
be returned to
Burundi, and
for now there
appears to be
no plan to
replace them.
“No one is
vetted,” Inner
City Press is
exclusively
told for UN
sources - who
also say that
Burundi is NOT
invited to
this week's UN
Police event
at UN
headquarters,
despite a
protest by the
Nkurunziza
government.
We'll have
more on this.
On May 30 the
Minister of
Public
Security Alain
Guillaume
Bunyoni issued
an order
denouncing
journalist
Esdras
Ndikumana and
unnamed social
media users.
And what has
the UN of Ban
Ki-moon said?
Nothing. This
even as Ban
Ki-moon,
campaigning in
South Korea,
purported to
support press
freedom. (Korean
article here,
robo-translation
here.)
We'll have
more on this.
The new
Secretary
General of the
East African
Community
Liberat
Mfumukeko is
also, now, an
Ambassador of
Pierre
Nkurunziza's
government. It
is, even some
participants
tell Inner
City Press, "a
joke." But it
is no joke.
Now the
Mouvement
Citoyen Halte
au troisième
mandat(HTM)
has said:
"By virtue of
the underlying
conflict of
interest
arising from
the
involvement of
the Secretary
General of the
East African
Community East
in the
process; in as
much as he was
appointed by
one party to
the conflict
as Ambassador
Extraordinary
and
Plenipotentiary
by the
government led
by Pierre
Nkurunziza,
the HTM
movement
requires his
recusal for
the rest of
the process.
- Given the
existence of a
case regarding
the illegality
of the third
term of Pierre
Nkurunziza
filed with the
East African
Court of
Justice in
July 2015 (Ref
2 of 2015,
EACSOF Vs
Attorney
General of
Burundi &
the Secretary
General) which
involves
directly the
Secretary
General of the
community; and
the inability
for the Summit
of Heads of
States to
resolve in
time the
Burundian
issue despite
the conclusion
of the
Ministers of
Justice and
Constitutional
Affairs of 15
May 2015 which
has clearly
found M.
Pierre
Nkurunziza
ineligible for
a third term,
the HTM
Movement:
- Requires the
recusal of Mr.
Libérat
Mfumukeko for
the rest of
the process;
-Requires
replacement of
the EAC
Secretariat
team of which
Dr. Anthony
Kafumbe is a
member because
he defends the
above-mentioned
case on behalf
of the
Secretary
General of the
EAC."
Where is the
UN on this?
The UN seems
not to
understand the
most basic
concepts of recusal,
which have
been requested
at the UN in
light of the
OIOS audio of
the ongoing Ng
Lap Seng UN
bribery
scandal. More
on this to
follow.
On May 25,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban Ki-moon's
deputy
spokesman
Farhan Haq
about another
assassination,
of Lucien
Rufyiri. UN
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: there
are
photographs of
a colonel…
retired
colonel in the
army, high
profile, Mr.
[Lucien]
Rufyiri having
been
assassinated
today in front
of his
house.
There's… and
there's also
reports on
some of the
few
independent
radio stations
of weapons
being
distributed to
the youth
militia.
So now that
this… you'd
said yesterday
that the human
rights
observers of
the UN are on
the
ground.
One, do they
have anything…
have they
looked into
this idea of
the
distribution
of
weapons?
And two, does
the UN have
any response
to yet another
assassination
of a military
figure on a
seemingly
partisan or
ethnic basis?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, we have
expressed, as
you know, our
concerns about
all of the
violence that
has been
affecting the
population in
Burundi.
We want to see
the attacks
against anyone
for any reason
to
cease.
And, as you
know, we do
have human
rights
monitors on
the ground
following up
on the various
reports and
various
allegations.
So we do have
our
concerns.
At the same
time, like I
said, we'll
continue to
offer our
support for
President
Mkapa and his
efforts as
facilitator.
Inner City
Press: on
Burundi, I
wanted
to...obviously,
the talks have
started
again.
I've seen
pictures of
Mr. [Jamal]
Benomar there,
but there are
a lot of...
you know,
the... the...
many people in
the opposition
including the
CNA Red
Coalition, Mr.
Pierre Claver
Mbonimpa,
who've spoken
in this room,
none of them
were
invited.
So does the UN
think the
invitations
made... turns
out the
Secretary-General
of the East
African
community is a
Burundian
ambassador?
So people are
looking at the
process and
saying it's
not an open
one.
Is the UN
giving its
blessing by
Mr. Benomar
being there or
is he
protesting the
limitations?
Spokesman:
I think it's
not about
blessings or
not
blessings.
These talks
are an
important
first step in
trying to deal
with the
current
tensions in...
in
Burundi.
It's obviously
important that
any dialogue,
any talks be
inclusive and
fully
representative
and that the
Burundians
have a prime
responsibility
in finding a
way forward
for a peaceful
and stable
future in
which human
rights are
respected.
Question:
Just one
follow-up. I
want to ask
specifically
about Mr.
Mbonimpa,
because he's a
guy that's won
human rights
awards.
He's clearly a
nonviolent
opposition
figure.
Has the UN
asked...
Spokesman:
I think... as
I said, talks
need to be
fully
inclusive.
Later on May
23, Inner City
Press asked
the joint UNSC
- African
Union stakeout
if the talks
in Arusha are
inclusive
enough. The
African Union
representative
said one party
is missing,
but (somehow)
they are
inclusive. Video here. We'll have more on
this.
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,
involving
Commerbank.
On May 17,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric this
question about
Audace
Nduwumusi -- a
name
conveniently
left out of
the UN
transcript
here.
On May 18,
Inner City
Press asked
again, and
Dujarric said,
"I failed to
get… I failed…
I probably
asked and I
didn't have
the
answer.
So, I will try
to get you
something
tomorrow."
But the next
day, May 19,
Dujarric
announced
nothing. So
Inner City
Press asked
for a third
time, video
here,UN transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: Third
day in a row
on this
deployment of
Mr. [Audace]
Nduwumusi to
AMISOM
[African Union
Mission in
Somalia].
You'd said
that you would
look into what
the role is of
the UN support
to AMISOM
given that
this
individual was
in the leaked
memo and
there's now a
second
individual,
Francois
Niyonzima,
who's said to
have been
involved in
the Mugamba
killings of
late in
Burundi.
What is the
UN's position…
Spokesman:
I don't have
any
information on
the two
individuals
you gave
me. What
I was told is
that under the
UN human
rights due
diligence
policy, UN
support to
non-UN
security
forces must be
consistent
with the UN's
purpose and
principles.
Support cannot
be provided
when there's a
real risk of
the receiving
entity coming…
committing
grave
violations of
International
Humanitarian
Law or Human
Rights
Law. The
policy
outlines the
following
steps the UN
takes when it
is requested
to provide
support,
assess the
risk and
identify
mitigation
measures of
the recipient
committing
violations,
ongoing
monitoring of
the recipient
support,
establish
procedures for
intervention
when violated…
violations are
reported, and
in the case of
AMISOM, risk
assessments
are regularly
updated and
the UN
presence on
the ground
monitors
AMISOM and is
implementing a
number of
mitigating
measures to
prevent
violations and
ensure
accountability
when
violations
occur.
Inner City
Press:
Sure.
And I… and
thanks for
reading that
out. My
question is,
if Mr.
Nduwumusi
appears in a
UN-written
leaked cable
as a person
that was
distributing
weapons to the
youth wing of
the ruling
party in
Burundi,
doesn't his
deployment to
AMISOM to
receive UN
support…?
Spokesman:
I'm not
debating your
question, but
I have no
information or
confirmation
on the
personnel
issues.
So, I will try
to find out,
and I will let
you know.
Inner City
Press:
it sounds from
what you said
yesterday that
the human
rights due
diligence
policy may be
different as
to AMISOM
[African Union
Mission in
Somalia] than
as to, for
example, the
Central
African
Republic.
I ask because
the Burundian
military
official I
have asked you
about is in a
UN-written
cable as
distributing
weapons to the
youth
wing. So
if that isn't
foreseeable
harm if the UN
provides
support… do
you have an
answer on this
personnel
question?
Spokesman:
Well, the
information I
have on
General
[Audace]
Nduwumusi is
that he
departed in
2012, having
previously
served in the
position of
deputy force
commander.
We're not
currently
aware of any
plans for him
to return.
Inner City
Press:
And Francois
[Inaudible]?
[That's
Niyonzima]
Because
there's a
list. I
published it.
Spokesman:
I don't
disagree with
you. I’m
just telling
you, in my
binder…
Inner
City Press:
given the
interest of
the UN system
in Burundi,
I’m hoping
that you have
something on
this.
There were
yesterday and
today some 250
people
arrested
reportedly in
Musaga, which
is a…
perceived to
be an
opposition
neighbourhood.
And there are
pictures all
over the
internet.
People are
saying it’s
another
crackdown.
And so I just
wanted to know
what is the
status of the
UN’s, I guess,
monitoring,
speaking, and
engaging in
this crisis?
Spokesman:
We continue to
have people on
the
ground.
We’re also
eagerly
awaiting a
decision by
the Security
Council on the
way forward
for an
increased UN
presence.
I think as the
crisis grows
every day, our
concern grows
about the need
to have a
political
horizon and to
ensure that
Burundi moves
in the right
direction,
that people’s
rights are
respected and
their freedom
of expression
is also
respected.
Waiting
for the
Security
Council, in
which Ban
Ki-moon's
Herve Ladsous
undermined
proposal with
a statement of
delay the UN
won't even
confirm?
On May
4, Inner City
Press at noon
asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric to
confirm or
deny that
Herve Ladsous
told the
Security
Council it
would take 18
months to
deploy 3,000
to Burundi.
Inner
City Press
sources on
this say it is
troubling it
would take the
UN that long.
Others surmise
the Ladsous is
trying to
undermine the
proposal by
making it take
so long, or
saying it
would take so
long.
On May 3,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, UN
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: on
Burundi,
various
countries have
spoken about
the
postponement
of the talks
that were
supposed to
begin in
Arusha under
ex-President
[Benjamin]
Mkapa.
Does the UN
have no
involvement in
them or no
view of
whether it's a
good or bad
thing that
they were
postponed?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I don't have
anything on
Burundi.
That's
an
understatement.
On May 2, the
US issued
this:
"While
the United
States
strongly
supports the
regionally
mediated
Burundi
dialogue, led
by former
President
Mkapa under
the auspices
of the East
African
Community, we
are
disappointed
the scheduled
dialogue did
not resume
today.
Postponement
of this
dialogue only
serves to
worsen a
crisis that
has already
resulted in
hundreds of
lives lost,
thousands
injured, more
than 260,000
Burundian
refugees
displaced, and
a worsening
economic
situation.
We
call upon all
stakeholders
to ensure the
dialogue
resumes
immediately
and to commit
to
participating
without
preconditions
or redlines.
Burundi’s
political
leaders owe it
to their
citizens to
take concrete
steps to
resolve this
crisis as soon
as possible
within the
framework of
the Arusha
Accords, the
foundation for
peace and
stability in
Burundi.
Now is the
time for all
parties to
cease all
violence and
exercise
restraint and
engage in an
inclusive and
peaceful
dialogue."
But will the
US propose
anything in
the UN
Security
Council, or
encourage the
"penholder,"
France, to? On
April 29,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman, video here, UN
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: I've
asked you
several times
about the
reported
non-payment of
Burundian
peacekeepers.
I have now
seen a
document that
more than $4
million has
been
transferred by
DPKO
(Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations) to
the Commerce
Bank account
in Paris that
I'd also asked
you
about.
Have they
gotten back to
you about the
multiple
reports that
this money, in
fact, doesn't
go to the
peacekeepers?
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric:
You know, we
pay the
Governments,
and we expect
the
Governments to
ensure that
the
peacekeepers
are given the
money that is
owed to
them.
Inner City
Press:
And if you
hear that they
don't or find
that they
don't, what
would you do?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
We would
expect that
they do, and
I'm sure the
issue would
then be
raised.
Since
the UN and Ban
Ki-moon are
embroiled in
their own
bribery and
corruption
scandal, the
issue was
raised to
Commerzbank,
which replied:
"Please report
potentially
fraudulent
activities to
[Link]"
But
Commerzbank's
link to report
fraud returns,
"The document
you requested
does not exist
on this
server."
For a
bank with
legal duties,
this is a
problem, as is
opening an
account to
receive the
UN's Herve
Ladsous'
payments to
Pierre
Nkurunziza for
troops accused
of rape in the
Central
African
Republic.
We'll have
more on this.
Update: after
this Inner
City Press
story and
complaint,
Commerzbank
belatedly
fixed it s
"Fraud" link.
But what about
the
substantive
behavior?
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?
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 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.