By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 11 --
A little
noticed
provision of
the US Continuing
Resolution /
Omnibus or
CRomnibus set
for adoption
this week in
Congress is
that for the
$2.1 billion
for UN Peacekeeping,
the
Appropriations
Committee must
be told that
the
"United
Nations has in
place measures
to prevent
United Nations
employees,
contractor
personnel, and
peacekeeping
troops serving
in the mission
from
trafficking in
persons,
exploiting
victims of
trafficking,
or committing
acts of
illegal sexual
exploitation
or other
violations of
human rights,
and to bring
to justice
individuals
who engage in
such acts
while
participating
in the
peacekeeping
mission,
including
prosecution in
their home
countries of
such
individuals in
connection
with such
acts, and to
make
information
about such
cases publicly
available in
the country
where an
alleged crime
occurs and on
the United
Nations’ Web
site."
But as Inner
City Press
established as
recently as
November 20,
the UN refuses
to say if
peacekeepers
it sends home
or repatriates
are in fact
prosecuted.
This
information is
not provided
even in
response to
Press
questions,
must less put
on the UN's
website.
So will the $2.1
billion be
withheld?
Particularly
as the head of
UN Peacekeeping,
Herve Ladsous,
continues to
cover up
alleged mass
rapes in Tabit
in Darfur, and
refuses to
answer Press
questions
about it?
Tales from the
Cromnibus will
continue.
On
November 20 amid
unanswered
questions in
Darfur about
UN
Peacekeeping's
investigation
of and
reporting on
attacks on
civilians,
including 200
alleged rapes
in Taabit,
UN Police
Adviser Stefan
Feller and
UNAMID Police
chief Hester
Panera took
question from
the Press.
Inner
City Press
asked Panera
about her
Mission's (in)
action on
Thabit,
including
issuing a
November 9
press release
claiming the
residents get
along well
with Sudanese
security,
without
mentioning
that the
interviews
were conducted
with these
security
officials
present.
Panera told
Inner City
Press, "We
have to
realize we are
working in a
sitution with
very strong
spoilers...
There were
statements by
the Secretary
General in
this regard.
We are going
to follow up
further, we
are sending
teams to try
and get more
information."
Video
here.
So is the
allegation
that those
reporting rape
are
"spoilers"? Or
the UNAMID
whistleblower?
And how can it
be said UNAMID
is sending
teams, when
the government
has blocked
access for a
second time?
One
year (or 364
days) ago,
Inner City
Press asked
Feller about
accountability,
specifically,
a UN Police
officer who
after being
charged with
sexual abuse
and
exploitation
in Haiti fled
by plane to
Canada. Inner
City Press
first asked
about this in
April 2013 and
was told "DPKO
says that the
case is still
under
investigation
by the
Canadian
authorities."
Feller
on last year
did follow
through,
like his
Police Adviser
predecessor
Marie Orler,
and provide a
response to
Inner City
Press'
question.
Feller is
significantly
more
responsive
that the
overall boss
of UN
Peacekeeping,
video
compilation
here, Vine here. But the lack of
accountability
is pervasive.
A year ago,
the answer,
through Police
Division
Communications
Officer Zoe
Mentel, was:
"Regarding the
case you asked
the Police
Adviser about
this morning,
we did check
into this
matter and it
is currently
under
investigation
with the
police-contributing
country."
And on
November 20,
2014, Feller
gave a
"generic"
answer but did
not provide
any specific
information
about this
case, whether
the defendant
who fled was
cleaned or
disciplined.
Is it any
wonder people
doubt "zero
tolerance" at
the UN?
That's
seven months
after Inner
City Press was
given in
essence the
same answer.
UN
Peacekeeping
under Herve
Ladsous
allowed the
Congolese Army
to go a full
year on the
135 rapes in
Minova by the
41st and 391st
Battalions, to
which the UN
still provides
support.
Is his
Department's
cover up in
Darfur,
including on
the rape
allegations in
Thabit, really
any surprise?
What will the
Ramos Horta
review panel
do about this?
Some
might wonder
if the hope
isn't just
that the
Canadian case
goes away. But
that is not
accountability;
it is not
transparency
or the rule of
law. Given the
wider
UN's attempt
to evade
substantial
charges of
bringing
cholera to
Haiti, MINUSTAH's
reputation is
already in
question in
the country.
The questions
will continue.
Watch
this site.
Footnote:
While the
moderator, the
Ladsous
spokesman who
in September
tried to block
Inner City
Press' filming
from the
General
Assembly
stakeout,
called first
on UNCA then
AFP, he did as
third question
call on Inner
City Press, or
rather, as he
said,
"Foonca," the
Free
UN Coalition
for Access,
which is fine.
And the
question asked
was of the
type that,
when put to
Ladsous,
Ladsous has
said "I do not
respond to you
Mister." But
the questions
will continue
to be asked,
and should be
answered.
We'll see.
, 
