UN
in
Congo Washes Hands of 90,000 Displaced, As Sex Abuse Sees Slight
Decrease
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 5 -- The UN's long and troubled history in the Congo
has become, it seems, a footnote. At an hour-long press conference
Wednesday by the top two UN Peacekeeping officials, more than 40
minutes were devoted to the Israel - Lebanon border. The UN spokesman
barely allowed a single, final question about the Democratic Republic
of the Congo. Video here,
from Minute 59:06.
Inner
City Press
asked about the Congolese Army's operation against the Allied
Democratic Forces rebels in North Kivu, which has displaced at least
90,000 people.
DPKO chief
Alain Le Roy and his deputy Atul Khare both
emphasized that the UN had not provided logistical support for the
operations. But shouldn't the UN, with such a large and longstanding
presence in the Kivus, have something to say about the protection of
civilians, in the face of this level of displacement?
Back
in mid-July,
in response to questioning from Inner City Press, the UN
acknowledged
that Indian peacekeeper Major R. S. Ghumman was under investigation
for sexual abuse / exploitation. Since then, nothing has been said.
On August 4, Inner City Press asked for an update.
Atul
Khare, after
arguing that SEA cases have “slightly decreased” - is this what
“zero tolerance” means? - acknowledged that two peacekeepers are
being investigated. He wouldn't confirm the nationality, but said
that the troop contributing countries had been notified.
Alan Doss,
whose high handed rule helped turn MONUC into the diminishing MONUSCO,
has gained impunity from the UN system, with a damning OIOS finding of nepotism
being rejected in favor of UNDP drafted whitewash. This hardly has
boosted MONUSCO's, or the UN's or DPKO's, credibility, which is a shame.
UN in Beni 2006, plus
ca change, 90,000 displaced in 2010 not shown
Sources
in the
Congo have complained to Inner City Press that new MONUSCO force
commander Chander Prakash does not speak French, while assigned to
this Francophone country. Inner City Press had asked spokesman
Martin Nesirky, and was told to ask Alain Le Roy. He replied that
Prakash has a “working knowledge” of French, “I tested it
myself.”
The
draw down of
MONUSCO began, it seems, by pulling out Francophone battalions from
Senegal and Benin. Is this any way to run a peacekeeping mission? Watch
this site.
* * *
Sexual
Abuse
in
Congo Belatedly Confirmed by UN, Financial and Hypocrisy Questions
Dodged, Discouraged
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
July
14 -- The UN belatedly confirmed on Wednesday that two
of its peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo are now under
investigation for sexual abuse.
Inner
City Press asked UN Associate
Spokesman Farhan Haq to confirm that Indian peacekeeping official
Major R. S. Ghumman is under review for exploitation of local
Congolese. Haq said, “We'll have to check with MONUSCO,” the UN
mission there. Video here,
from
Minute 5:35.
Later
on
Wednesday,
Haq went on the UN squawk box and issued a confirmation.
One wonders, if MONUSCO so quickly had the information, why was it
either not provided to Haq, or not read out by him? If the UN has
“zero tolerance” as it says, and is transparent, why does it
require a specific question at the UN noon briefing to pry the
information out of the UN?
On
another Congo
question, whether Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will at least act on
an investigative report by the UN Office of Internal Oversight
Services about improper nepotism by Alan Doss,
Ban's envoy to the
Congo until this month, Haq said there was no update. Doss has been
allowed to leave the UN with his pension before any ruling. Zero
tolerance? Accountability?
Haq
resisted
answering, or even taking, other questions.
UN's Ban and Doss in DRC, OIOS and new sexual abuse
not yet shown
Less than a
minute after
Inner City Press began asking about the new UN Women agency, a
seemingly contradictory lease of real estate, Haq refused a follow up
question, announcing, "No, No, No, let's have more than one person ask
questions." Video here,
from
Minute 8:25.
But
then Haq
allowed another questioner to go on over two minutes, with seven
follow ups, on another matter. Haq then tried to end the noon
briefing, until Inner City Press re-posed its UN Women follow up.
Instead
of
answering,
Haq corrected the pronunciation of the Deputy Secretary
General's name, and insisted that full answers had been given about
the UN's closing, on two days' notice, of its after school program.
Even the DSG has said that alternative space is being sought. But Haq
said all answers have been given. Like on sexual abuse and
exploitation?
, 
