After
Central
African
Republic Happy
Talk, Press
Asks of Kony,
UN
Nepotism
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
April 5 --
When the Prime
Minister of
the Central
African
Republic
Faustin-Archange
Touadera
briefed the
press at the
UN on
Thursday, it
was mostly
happy talk
about
disarmament.
Touadera said
that all armed
groups are
ready to stand
down, and he
was asked
light
questions
about
the
technicalities
of so-called
DDR.
Inner
City Press
then asked
Touadera about
the Lord's
Resistance
Army, how big
a
problem it is,
how his
country works
with the 100
US military
advisers sent
by the Obama
administration,
and whether he
thought the
Kony 2012 film
and phenomenon
is helpful, or
a problem has
Uganda has
said.
Touadera
adroitly
turned the
question
around, saying
that countries
should help
finance
disarmament so
that the
Central
African army
can focus on
the LRA. He
thanked the
African Union,
and the US for
its 100 militaires.
Already
Touadera had
answered that
most of the
LRA is in the
Central
African
Republic,
but then he
got asked by
the original
light
journalist if
he thinks
Joseph Kony is
there. The
focus of
the briefing
shifted and
again one
wondered, it
is helpful?
Inner
City Press
asked Margaret
Vogt, the
Special
Representative
and Head of
the
United Nations
Integrated
Peacebuilding
Office in the
Central
African
Republic
(BINUCA), if
the UN is yet
in Obo, and if
she has acted
to
reform the
critique of
the UN in CAR
as a "family
operation"
--
specifically,
of DPA's Sammy
Buo (for
background see
here
and below).
Vogt
responded at
length about
the "UN
family,"
saying she has
created task
forces and a
"cell" in her
office about
protection.
She
said "we are
given mandates
but not
money," and
appeared to
say the UN has
yet to have an
ongoing
presence in
Obo. The UN
now has
a plane, she
said, and so
flies back and
forth to Obo.
Here,
however, was
the part of
the critique:
Inner City
Press
formally asked
the director
of DPA's
Africa II
Division Sammy
Kum Buo
the following
questions:
Mr.
Buo
--
I
am
writing
a story about
this morning's
Security
Council
session on
BONUCA /
Central
African
Republic. I am
also covering
management
issues in
BONUCA and DPA
and am writing
for you to
confirm
or deny on
deadline each
of the
following
[about BONUCA
staffers]
Is
Gabriel
Buh Kang a
relative
of
yours?
A
cousin?
Is
BONUCA
staffer
Ekei
a
relative
of yours? Your
niece?
What
is
the
status
of
Brindou
Germain Kabran
?
When
in
CAR,
have
you
stayed
with Brindou
Germain
Kabran?
Did
you
still
collect
DSA?
Please
provide
records.
What
can
you
say
about
the
case of Gozo
Tshamala?
On
deadline,
Matthew
Mr.
Buo
is also
accused of
hiring a
former
mercenary from
Executive
Outcomes, in
violation of
UN rules.
While Mr. Buo
has refused to
respond, Inner
City Press has
discussed the
matter with
other Mission
officials and
finally with
Mr. Buo's
then-boss in
DPA, Haile
Menkerios.
Mr. Menkerios
confirmed he
is aware of
the issue.
Inner City
Press
asked Mr.
Menkerios what
DPA's response
would be. It
is a
management
issue, Mr.
Menkerios
replied, that
will be
responded to
in a
management
way.
But has it
been? It
is still not
sure. Wach
this site.
, 
