In
DRC As Kabila Hands Off to
Killer US State Dept Speaks
and Inner City Press Asks UN
of Impunity
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, August 9 --
The UN of Secretary
General Antonio
Guterres has been
nearly silent on the
DR Congo including
on oil drilling in
UN World Heritage
sites. Even so
Guterres has so
little gravitas
that Joseph Kabila
of the DRC has
rebuffed an
attempted visit by
Guterres, under whom
the UN is spending
more than $1 billion
in public funds per
year in the
country. On
"the wish of the UN
secretary general to
visit the DRC… we
thought it was
inopportune at this
time,” Kabila's
diplomatic adviser
Kikaya Bin Karubi
said. Now this, US
State Department
spokesperson Heather
Nauert: "In the
Democratic Republic
of Congo, the ruling
coalition’s
announcement of a
consensus candidate
other than President
Kabila represents a
significant step
forward for
Congolese
democracy. We
are encouraged by
this sign that he
intends to uphold
his commitments to
the Congolese
constitution and the
terms of the
December 2016 St.
Sylvestre agreement
by not seeking a
third term.
Government,
opposition, and
civil society
leaders, along with
the heads of the
security services
share with President
Kabila the
responsibility of
ensuring full
respect for
democratic
norms. The
Congolese people
must be free to
express their views
and choose from the
candidates without
fear of violence,
threats, or
intimidation.
We call on DRC's
National Independent
Electoral Commission
and Congolese
authorities to take
the necessary steps
to guarantee
credible elections
on December 23,
2018, including by
providing public
access to the DRC's
new voter registry
and using a voting
method trusted by
the Congolese
electorate.
The DRC has an
historic opportunity
to ensure a peaceful
transfer of power in
December, and the
United States looks
forward to
supporting this
process in
accordance with the
established
electoral calendar."
Yesterday, from the
US Mission: "We
welcome reports that
President Kabila
will not seek a
third term in
accordance with his
country’s
constitution. The
Democratic Republic
of the Congo has a
historic opportunity
to carry out its
first peaceful,
democratic transfer
of power on December
23, 2018. This
development is
another step, but
there is much more
to be done. The
National Independent
Electoral Commission
(CENI) must take all
steps necessary to
guarantee the
Congolese people
have the right to
exercise their vote
in free, fair, and
credible elections
on December 23,
2018. We continue to
support the
Congolese people for
the future they want
and deserve." Inner
City Press asked the
UN on August 8,
banned from the noon
briefing for the
36th day in a row,
"August 8-2: On DRC,
what is the SG's
comment on the
ruling party naming
as its candidate
Emmanuel Ramazani
Shadary who has been
targeted by European
Union sanctions and
accused of a
ruthless crackdown
on activists?"
Farhaq Haq wrote
back on this, unlike
on Patton Boggs and
Cameroon: "Regarding
your DRC question,
what we can say is
the following: We
take note of the
Government’s
announcement that
Emmanuel Ramazani
Shadary, Permanent
Secretary of the
Parti du Peuple pour
la Reconstruction et
la Démocratie
(PPRD,) has been
designated as the
Front Commun pour le
Congo (FCC)
candidate for the
upcoming
presidential
elections. We
welcome the
continued progress
towards the holding
of free, fair and
peaceful elections
on 23 December in
accordance with the
Constitution and the
31 December 2016
agreement." This
unanswered from
Inner City Press on
DRC: "August 7-2:
What is the SG's
comment on UN
peacekeepers who
were convicted of
killing 11 civilians
while “serving” the
UN being sentence to
only three years
imprisonment in DRC,
and to criticism
that this shows
relative impunity
for UN Peacekeeper
crimes including not
only rape but also
murder? See,
“three-year prison
sentences given to
Congolese
peacekeepers for the
murder of eleven
civilians in the
Central African
Republic. The
civilians, including
women and children,
were killed in 2014
following the death
of a Congolese
peacekeeper during
clashes with a local
militia. They were
taken from the
militia leader's
house, and their
bodies were found
later in a mass
grave."
This
comes as Guterres
has been silent on
Kabila's crackdowns
including on the
media, and as
Guterres himself has
on July 3 ousted,
and on July 5 and 6
and still banned
from the UN,
critical Inner City
Press. Fox
News story here
("UN roughs
up, ejects,
bans reporter
from
headquarters:
Caught on
tape");
petition to
Guterres here;
GAP blogs I
and II (“Harassment
of US Journalist
Intensifies at the
UN”).
On July 16,
while awaiting
the
"investigation"
the UN
promised,
Inner City
Press e-mailed
Guterres'
deputy
spokesman
Farhan Haq,
In DRC President
Joseph Kabila
replaced the
country´s army chief
in a military
shake-up at the
weekend that
included the
promotion of two
leaders accused of
human rights
violations. what is
the UN's comment on
this ongoing unrest
and injustice, given
the SG's "conflict
prevention" and
human rights
claims?" First
there was no
answer - Haq
couldn't have
been busy,
with Inner
City Press
banned there
were only four
questioners in
the day's noon
briefing. So
Inner City
Press asked
again, cc-ing
Guterres'
Deputy Amina
J. Mohammed
and his
Communicator
Alison Smale,
among others.
Haq replied,
"your email
has been
received and
we are
following up
on answers."
But by 4 pm,
nothing. This
is a pattern.
On
July 2 Inner City
Press asked
Guterres' deputy
spokesman Farhan
Haq, UN transcript here: Inner
City Press: in
the DRC [Democratic
Republic of the
Congo], the Virunga
and another park
that are both World
Heritage Sites, the
Government has just
announced that they
will be opening them
up for oil
drilling. I
wanted to know what
is the impact?
What's the effect of
something being a UN
or UNESCO [United
Nations Educational,
Scientific and
Cultural
Organization] World
Heritage Site, and
also does the UN
have any view of
opening up these,
you know,
environmental
treasures to oil
drilling?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, obviously
we're aware of the
rights of, the
sovereign rights of
Governments to their
territory. At
the same time, of
course, we have
concerns about World
Heritage
Sites. I would
refer you to UNESCO
for their
response.
They'll have to
evaluate the
situation following
this report." Then
nothing. On June 22,
Guterres' armed
guard ousted Inner
City Press from the
UN during an event
Guterres spoke at. Video
here,
story here,
new
petition here.
Posters of DR
Congo's holdover
president Joseph
Kabila as a
candidate for the
long promised
election were seen
and commented on by
many, but not the UN
of Secretary General
Antonio Guterres. On
May 30 Inner City
Press asked
Guterres' holdover
spokesman Stephane
Dujarric about them,
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask you on
the DRC. In
Kinshasa, there've
gone up posters
essentially
depicting Joseph
Kabila as a
candidate, seemingly
contrary to various
agreements, the
Constitution.
The country team
there, have they
seen these
posters? And
what do they make of
them in terms of
the…?
Spokesman: I
think everybody has
seen the
posters. I
don't have any
analysis at this
point. And
your last question?"
Dujarric canceled
the May 31 UN noon
briefing, in
exchange for
Guterres taking a
few (pre-selected?)
questions at 5 pm.
The UN is
increasingly
UNtransparent. In UN
Procurement, the
lowest bidder
doesn't always win,
the UN confirmed on
March 26 in response
to Inner City Press'
March 23 question.
Rather than e-mail
the statement to
Inner City Press
which asked, UN
Secretary General
Antonio Guterres'
spoksman Farhan Haq
waited to read it
out at the March 26
noon briefing, and
then refused to
answer questions
about it. See
transcript, and
below. Today's UN is
corrupt. Now it's
even clearer: after
ousting the low
bidder PPI, UN
Procurement has let
in a company,
Aeronautics Ltd
a/k/a Aeronautics
Defense Systems,
which is under
investigation and
had a contract
canceled in Romania
in 2017, like one in
Poland in 2012, and
Mexico in 2009. On
April 27, after
publishing the
above, Inner City
Press asked
Guterres' spokesman
Stephane Dujarric,
UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: I
had asked you before
about the
procurement of
drones for MONUSCO
[United Nations
Stabilization
Mission in the
Democratic Republic
of the Congo] in the
DRC, and I think the
upshot of this
back-and-forth is
that the low bidder
doesn't necessarily
get the bid, but
it's since emerged
that a… a company
has been allowed in
as… as now, the
presumptive
front-runner,
Aeronautics Defence
Systems, which will
actually banned
from… had contracts
terminated in
Romania in 2017 and
Poland in 2012, so
many… the people
that are… that are,
you know, following
this to see how
money is being
spent… what's the…
the… it's one thing
to say, you know,
the low bidder, we
can investigate them
and not do them, but
then how can a
company be brought
in…?
Spokesman:
Look, I don't have
all the facts on the
top of my
head. What I
do know is that
obviously, it's
always the lowest…
it's the low bidder
with the best
possible bid.
I mean, you know,
what the process
is. All
vendors go through a
vetting
process. I
have no information
on this particular
company or know
whether or not they
are, in fact, part
of the bidding
process.
Inner City Press: Is
past… is past record
of completion or
termination of
contracts part of
the…?
Spokesman:
Everything is looked
at in the
procurement
process."
Really? Inner
City Press was
exclusively informed
that in the bidding
for the UN's
Democratic Republic
of the Congo UAS or
Unmanned Aerial
Systems (drones)
program, the low
bidder is being
displaced by more
favored companies,
unilaterally, by UN
Procurement chief
Dmitry Dovgopoly.
The
story, exclusive to
Inner City Press,
goes like this: out
to bid is a $50
million contract to
provide Unmanned
Aerial Systems
services to the UN's
MONUSCO in the DRC
for a term of five
(3 + 1 + 1) years.
The present company,
Leonardo, has a
contract which
expires in November.
PPI beat out
Leonardo, CAE,
Thales, Qintetiq,
Airbus and Trans
Capital.
But
shortly after our
award, UN
Procurement chief
Dmitry Dovgopoly
refused to approve
the agreed upon
terms and demanded
PPI perform a
demonstration flight
prior to contract
signature. Inner
City Press covered
Dovgopoly and
similar tricks back
when he was at the
“D-1” level, and
received pushback
and is currenty still
restricted to
minders in the UN
for pursuing
its anti-corruption
coverage
into the UN
Press Briefing
Room,
its work space
purportedly assigned
to a no-show
Eygptian state
corresponent Sanaa
Youssef who has not
asked a question in
ten years.
On
March 23, Inner City
Press asked Stephane
Dujarric, spokesman
for Antonio Guterres
who had Inner City
Press evicted from
the UN Press
Briefing Room then
its office, and
still restricted,
about this, UN
transcript here:
Inner City Press: on
UN Procurement, I
wanted to ask you
something. It…
it seems like
there's a… there's a
contract for the
drones, or aerial
unmanned systems?
Spokesman:
Unmanned.
Inner City Press:
And there was a
declared winner,
and… and somehow the
winner… the… the…
the low bidder is
now being told that
they're not getting
the contract, and
that Mr. [Dmitri]
Dovgopoly of UN
Procurement seeks to
do sole-source
negotiations with
people that had
higher bids. I
wonder if you can
get a statement from
them what the status
of that is?
Spokesman:
I'll see… I'll see
what I can get."
But
when Dujarric got UN
Procurement's
misleading line, he
didn't email it to
Inner City Press.
Instead, on March 26
his deputy read out
at the briefing:
"Stéphane [Dujarric]
was asked some
procurement
questions last
Friday. I can
say that the
requirement for
unmanned aerial
services was the
subject of a request
for proposals - or
“RFP”. Under
RFP exercises, the
Organization may
award a contract to
the proposer
offering the best
value for
money. This
requires an
evaluation of both
the technical and
financial offers of
each proposer.
The lowest bidder,
therefore, will not
necessarily be
successful. In
the MONUSCO [United
Nations Organization
Stabilization
Mission in the
Democratic Republic
of the Congo]
exercise, there was
no “declared
winner”. One
of the proposers,
whose financial
proposal was the
lowest, had been
issued a “notice of
consideration of
award”. The
award was subject to
successful contract
negotiations.
Unfortunately, no
contract was
concluded because
the UN technical
experts rescinded
the original
technical evaluation
of this vendor after
learning of
information which
rendered the
technical proposal
non-compliant.
Any suggestion of an
intention to enter
into 'sole source'
negotiations is not
correct."
Then after more
read-outs and
questions about the
expulsion of Russian
diplomats (Inner
City Press story
here), Haq called on
Inner City Press.
Video here. Here's
how the UN transcribed
it, intentionally
chopped -up,: Inner
City Press: I
have other stuff,
but I wanted… on the
answer that you're
reading to what I
asked on Friday, my
question, I guess,
is this. Is…
is… the… the… number
one, the low bidder
says that… that they
were subjected after
they were deemed to
be the low bidder,
if not awarded the
contract, to
additional checks
that the previous
winners had not been
subjected to,
namely, Leonardo and
Thales. The
main question… you
seem… maybe sole
source is the wrong
word. I've
been informed that
Mr. [Dmitri]
Dovgopoly has sought
permission from
Mr. Christian
Sau… Mr.… excuse…
Mr. Saunders to
inform the… the
losing bidders or
the higher bidders
of exactly how much
money the UN has to
pay for this
service, basically
instructing them on
how to submit a
winning bid so there
can be done by… by
November. And
it seems… that seems
wasteful.
Beyond whatever the
rights of the… of
the initially low
bidder was, it
doesn't seem to… way
to… to conduct
procurement is if
you're holding a
bidding one to say
here's how much
money we have; tell
us how you can spend
it. So, I
guess I… I don't
know if you're…
maybe you're reading
a statement, and I
wish it could have
been sent to me so I
could have… could
have narrowed down
the issue. But
it… there seems to
be irregularities in
the procurement of
these drones and…
and the main
question being, why
is the low bidder in
this case being
subjected to tests
that others weren't
submitted to?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Regarding what you
said, like I said,
the offer had been
rescinded after we
learned of
information which
rendered the
technical proposal
noncompliant.
And, regarding the
process, this is a
process that
involves procurement
and our Office for
Legal Affairs, who
have both reviewed
this matter.
Inner City
Press: And are
they informing the
bidders of how much
money there is for
them to bid for the
full amount, then?
Deputy
Spokesman:
This is as much as
I'll say about that
procurement process
at this stage."
Today's UN is
corrupt.
In this
case, Dovgopoly is
said to be lobbied
by European
interests, see the
list of bidders
above. As Inner City
Press
reported, the
UN drone program was
pushed by Herve
Ladsous, the fourth
of now five
Frenchmen in a row
to run UN
Peacekeeping.
Dovgopoly's
“ditch the winner”
campaign has
included two site
inspections and the
demand for a
demonstration flight
prior to deployment,
none of which was
performed with
Leonardo or Thales.
PPI tells Inner City
Press it agreed to
all demands and
began manufacturing
of aircraft with its
contractors.
Dovgopoly canceled
the demonstration
flight a month
later. The
manufacturing of
aircraft has been
suspended as a
result.
Dovgopoly
has
reportedly since
alleged that PPI
misrepresented a
relationship with
one of its proposed
vendors, which PPI
denies. Dovgopoly
has sent PPI notice
rescinding the
notice of
consideration for
award and requested
permission to
directly negotiate
with competitors due
to the urgent need
to provide MONUSCO
with airborne ISR
capability as soon
as possible. He has
requested permission
to inform vendors of
the allocated
budget, and allow
vendors to revise
their technical
proposals to
“accommodate the
financial
constraint.”
Inner
City Press
understands that the
UN's Headquarters
Committee on
Contracts has ruled
the losing
competitors' bids no
longer valid since
the Request For
Proposals was from
October 2016. It
seems Dovgopoly
wishes to discloses
how much money is
available and allow
vendors to inform
the UN services they
can perform and
dictate the price.
Paying more for
less! But it has
happened before, as
Inner City Press.
And now, under
Antonio Guterres.
We'll have more on
this.
***
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