In
DRC, UN Slams
UNfair Trials
of LUCHA,
While in NY
Ousting Press
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 26 --
Amid a litany
of rape
charges
against UN
Peacekeeping
under Herve
Ladsous, Inner
City Press
exclusively
obtained and
on February 12
published UN
emails showing
another round
of sexual
abuse of
minors in
Ouaka
prefecture in
the Central
African
Republic by UN
Peacekeepers
from the
Democratic
Republic of
the Congo. Click
here to view.
On
February 24,
with Inner
City Press
having been
thrown out of
Ban Ki-moon's
UN after this
and other
scoops and
after making
complaints of
theft or
unauthorized
use, Ban was
in the DRC,
with Joseph
Kabila. The
UN's
transcription
of Ban at a
press
conference
went like
this:
"Question on
the
repatriation
of the DRC
contingent
serving in the
CAR.
We conduct
regular
assessments of
the
contingents in
our
peacekeeping
missions.
SG BAN
Ki-moon:
"Following
that
assessment, we
found that the
DRC troops
serving in the
DRC were not
meeting our
standards in
terms of
equipment,
preparation
and other
issues."
Other
issues? That
would be child
rape. This Ban
Ki-moon is
beyond
diplomatic -
this is akin
to the cover
ups by Ban's
head of
Peacekeeping
Herve Ladsous.
On
February 26,
the UN Office
of the High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights, via
spokesperson
Cecile
Pouilly,
offered this
critique of
the DRC:
"Harassment of
civil society
organizations
continues as
democratic
space shrinks
in the DRC,
with six
members of the
LUCHA movement
sentenced to
two years in
prison by the
district Court
of Goma on
Wednesday.
On 16
February, six
LUCHA
activists were
arrested by
the ANR
(Agence
nationale de
renseignements)
in Goma, in an
apparent bid
to prevent
their
participation
in and reduce
public support
for a 'ghost
town' day
organized
across the
country by
opposition
parties and
civil society
organizations.
This “ghost
town” day was
organized to
commemorate
the killing of
demonstrators
by security
forces in
Kinshasa in
1992.
The six
activists were
convicted for
incitement to
revolt against
the
authorities.
All hearings
took place
within seven
days.
Violations of
fair trial
proceedings
were reported,
as the
activists were
not afforded
appropriate
time to
prepare their
defence, and
the court
refused to
look into
evidence
submitted by
defence
lawyers. There
were also
allegations
that the
police
fabricated
evidence.
In total, some
45 arrests
were carried
out by police
and
intelligence
forces during
the 'ghost
town' day in
Kinshasa,
Goma, Uvira,
Lubumbashi,
mainly
targeting
members of the
opposition
parties and
the civil
society.
We are also
concerned at
the ongoing
detention of
another LUCHA
member, Fred
Bauma, and an
IT technician
Yves
Makwambala.
Both were
arrested by
the ANR during
a youth
workshop in
Kinshasa on 15
March 2015 and
are facing
trial for
attempt
against state
security.
There have
been in their
case
allegations of
arbitrary
detention;
repeated
violations of
their rights,
including lack
of access to
legal
assistance;
cruel, inhuman
and degrading
treatment in
detention; and
having being
forced to sign
statements
without having
read their
contents."
This is
a well-crafted
critique: but
portions of it
apply to the
UN itself,
from
fabricated
evidence
(saying the
Press "hid" in
an entirely
visible
glassed-on
booth), to
attempt to
degrade (UN
Security
throwing the
Press into the
street on a
cold night
without even a
coat) to, most
clearly,
unfair
"trials" (USG
Cristina
Gallach
ousting Inner
City Press
based on a
mis-presented
incident in
which the Pres
sought to
cover an event
in the UN
Press Briefing
Room without
EVER asking
Inner City
Press about
it).
Does
the Office of
the High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights, which
spending the
public's money
on an office
in New York
which
spoonfeeds ASG
Simonovic's
information
only to pliant
scribes, not
know? Or not
care? We'll
have more on
this.
Back on
February 15
after Inner
City Press
asked about
the email its
had published
- and Reuters'
UN bureau
chief Louis
Charbonneau,
notably, tried
to dismiss
and then stole
the story
- on February
16 UN Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq in
the noon
briefing read
out a
statement
confirming
nearly all of
the email
Inner City
Press had
published:
that there
were four new
victims,
minors, troops
from DR Congo.
But Haq
did not say
that two of
the victims
had children
from the
statutory
rape. So Inner
City Press
asked Haq to
confirm that,
and asked who
would pay: the
UN or the DRC
soldiers? Haq
said there are
meetings in
Ban's office
to respond to
just such
issues, after
December's
Deschamps
report. Video
here.
And then
Reuters, even
while its
editor Dan
Grebler said
the first
theft was
being looked
into, just
retyped and
stole it
again, this
time by its UN
correspondent,
here.
The bureau
chief /
ringleader
retweeted the
"story,"
referring to
the Democratic
Republic of
Congo as
merely
"#Congo,"
which also
applies to the
Republic of
Congo -
Brazzaville.
But who's
counting?
But as
Inner City
Press has
reported, and
Ban's deputy
Eliasson said,
that response
was due in
late January.
It has now
been pushed
into March.
What about the
victims? We'll
have more on
this.
So
Inner City
Press raised
the issue of
theft of
exclusives
(and lack of
objectivity,
at least at
the UN) to
Reuters
itself. For
now, we've
received this,
cc-ed also not
only to the
(repeat)
offender but
also to
Reuters'
genial seeming
Brian Moss and
Clive McKeef:
"Thank you for
bringing this
matter to my
attention. The
appropriate
Reuters staff
will look into
it and get
back to you as
soon as
feasible.
Regards,
Dan Grebler
Desk Editor,
Americas Desk"
By the
time of the
next day's
noon briefing,
still no
response. It's
not that
complicated.
We'll have
more on this
too.
The
underlying
emails, dated
February 11,
2016, describe
at least four
underage
victims, two
of whom were
impregnated by
the rapist UN
peacekeepers
-- "in the
locality
Ngakobo in the
Ouaka
prefecture."
On
February 15,
after emailing
questions for
two days to UN
spokespeople
in CAR and New
York, Inner
City Press at
the UN's noon
briefing asked
UN Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq
about the
rapes, and the
email it
published on
February 12.
Haq answered,
dodging on
part of the
email but not
denying it. Video here.
Then
Associated
Press asked,
what about
these new
allegations? Video here. Haq
answered - and
from that, AP
wrote its own
derivative and
belated story
-- without
credit, and
without any
mention of the
critique of
the UN in the
emails. This
is how it
works, or
doesn't.
This too
- Reuters UN
"bureau chief"
on Monday
evening first
reflexively
came to the
UN's defense
saying that
"Alleged
Central
African
Republic rapes
UN spox talked
about today
are same ones
UN CAR said
Feb 4 it was
probing,"
citing (what
else) a
Reuters story
of February 4
-- about a
Human Rights
Watch report
about rapes in
Bambari. But read
the February
11 emails
Inner City
Press
exclusively
published,
here:
“Herewith
sharing with
you a report I
have just
received from
UNICEF
indicating
four minor
girls aged
between 16 and
17 years were
victims of
sexual
exploitation
and abuse
allegedly
committed by
members of the
DRC battalion
in the
locality
Ngakobo in the
Ouaka
prefecture.”
Up the
email chain,
Mercedes
Gervilla in UN
headquarters
writes that
“it would seem
that many
among the
troops
concerned,
including
Commanding
officers were
well aware of
the abuse to
which these
children were
being
subjected. I
also regret to
inform you
that in
addition to
these new 4
cases, there
will likely be
two
more...”.
[We'll have
more on this.]
And there is a
history: this
same Reuters
UN Bureau
Chief Lou
Charbonneau,
when
challenged,
wrote to
Stephane
Dujarric, UN
Spokesman,
trying to get
Inner City
Press thrown
out of the UN,
here.
When
this was
exposed,
Charbonneau
cited Reuters
to get his
email to the
UN taken out
of Google's
search, saying
he never meant
for it to be
public and it
was somehow
copyrighted. (See his filing
here, made
public by
EFF's
ChillingEffects.org).
That's
censorship...
by Reuters.
This
this case,
after being
shown this
reflexive
defense of the
UN was wrong,
Reuters simply
re-wrote the
story and
stole it, with
no credit.
And now
we must go
back:
Charbonneau
announced a
policy of not
crediting
Inner City
Press, see
here.
This was
raised at the
time to
Reuters,
including to
Stephen J.
Adler. What
kind of
company is
this?
(Inner
City Press
previously
asked the
decaying UN
Correspondents
Association, while
it tried to
censor Press
coverage of
its boss,
to promulgate
a best
practice for
media at the
UN to credit
others'
exclusives; it
never
happened. AP
at the UN
speaks for
this UNCA, and
apparently it
for AP.)
In the
email chain
Inner City
Press
exclusively
published,
middle
management at
the UN noted
that the
majority of
sexual abuse
in CAR has
been committed
by the
battalions
from the DRC
and the
Republic of
Congo. And so
Inner City
Press posed
these
questions to
UN
spokespeople
in both New
York and the
CAR:
"This is a
request for
your comment
on, and any
update on, the
sexual abuse
and
exploitation
cases in the
Feb 11, 2016
emails now here
Also, what
will be done
with the
Republic of
Congo and DR
Congo
contingents?
We are
interested in
if the UN and
DPKO can, as
currently be
configured, be
reformed.What
is the status
of the sexual
abuse and
exploitation
cases that
have been
listed,
including in
the UN Press
Briefing
Room?"
The
response
received by
Inner City
Press on
Saturday
afternoon in
New York was
from
Bangui-based
MINUSCA
spokesman
Vladimir
Monteiro:
"Regarding
your questions
on DRC and
Congo, here is
Minusca's
position:
"On DRC
contingent, a
decision to
repatriate
them has
already been
taken. It will
be completed
without delay
by the end of
the month. It
is just a
matter of
planning it
properly.
"On the 120
troops from
Congo, they
have been
cantoned in
Berberati to
permit
investigations
by national
investigators
before their
repatriation
to their
country
which will
occur on 20
February 2016.
For further
details on
this matter
please contact
HQ."
But of
course Inner
City Press has
already
contacted "HQ"
or UN
Headquarters,
including for
example Ismini
Palla of
Ladsous' DPKO,
who gave
Agence France
Presse the
response
to questions
Inner City
Press has
publicly posed
to UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, to
the DPKO
spokesman Nick
Birnback, also
cc-ed.
So
where ARE the
updates on the
cases the UN's
Diane Corner
listed in the
UN Briefing
Room? Why was
it reported in
early January
that the DRC
contingent had
"been
dismissed"
when, in mid
February, they
are still in
place? What is
the status of
the Burundian
contingent in
CAR? Follow up
questions have
been submitted
to UN
officials and
spokespeople
in CAR and
headquarters
in New York.
Well
placed sources
tell Inner
City Press
these two
countries'
soldiers have
been in the UN
MINUSCA
mission nearly
entirely due
to Ladsous
and, more
outrageously,
the / his
French
government due
to its
political
relations with
the Republic
of Congo and
DRC.
Ladsous, as
Inner City
Press has
reported, told
Burundi's Vice
President that
he is
"pragmatic"
about human
rights; even
on camera,
Ladsous linked
the rapes to
"R&R," click here for video.
While
Ladsous' DPKO
and Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
Office of the
Spokesperson
announced that
the DRC
contingent
would be
pulled out of
Bambari and
CAR in late
Janaury, Inner
City Press is
informed this
never
happened: they
are still
there.
Ladsous' DPKO,
and now the UN
Spokesperson's
Office, are
engaged in
misleading the
press and
public, and
doling out
what
information
they provide
to only the
friendliest
media.
For
recent
example, Inner
City Press for
week has
reported on
and asked
about the
repatriation
from CAR of
Burundian
troops charged
with abuse
during the
crackdown on
opponents of
Pierre
Nkurunziza's
third term.
Even after
Inner City
Press obtained
and published
on February 9
proof of
three
repatriations,
all UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric told
Inner City
Press is that
he
would seek an
update.
Simarily,
Ladsous' lead
spokesman Nick
Birnback told
Inner City
Press DPKO
would have
something to
say about the
particular
Burundian
officers in
CAR Inner City
Press asked
him about.
Then
Ladsous'
spokespeople
including
Ismini Palla
gave their
limited
confirmations
to Reuters
and Agence
France Presse,
who published
it without
credit or
context.
(Neither media
reported on
Ladsous
linking rape
to R&R -
nor did AP.)
In a
February email
by UN official
Anthony
Banbury, soon
to leave the
UN after some
heartfelt
tears of outrage
at
peacekeepers'
rapes, it is
said:
"We have a
pack of
predatory
criminals and
rapists,
preying on
young girls,
under the
banner of the
United
Nations. How
can we stand
by? In my view
that battalion
should be
ordered to
cease
operations
today, same
with the RoC
battalion, and
be confined to
camp and
guarded full
time so they
cannot
continue to
abuse
children.
While we would
pay a
short-term
price in terms
of operations,
we would gain
so much in
terms of the
integrity and
reputation of
the UN, in the
CAR and
internationally,
and we would
almost
certainly
prevent more
rapes of minor
girls. We
simply cannot
sustain the
argument that
the benefit
these troops
are bringing
to the UN and
PoC is greater
than the harm
they are
doing."
What
will the UN
do? What will
France, with
new foreign
minister Jean
Marc Ayrault,
do? How long
can Ladsous -
and the
Congolese
contingents -
remain in
place?
Having been
told by
sources of
more rapes by
peacekeepers
in the Central
African
Republic,
Inner City
Press on
January 26 reported
them and on
January 27
asked the UN's
spokesperson
Stephane
Dujarric to
confirm them -
but he
wouldn't. UN transcript
here. Video here.
So what
is the
protocol of UN
Peacekeeping
under Herve
Ladsous, who
linked the
rapes to
"R&R," here? How many more do
they know
about?
The UN report
on rapes
in the Central
African
Republic,
released on
December 17,
found that UN
Peacekeeping's
Under
Secretary
General Herve
Ladsous
“illustrate[s]
the UN's
failure to
respond to
allegations of
serious human
rights
violations in
the meaningful
way.”
Ladsous
has yet to
take any
questions
about the
report -- this
as Inner City
Press
exclusively
hears from
sources of yet
more sexual
abuse cases in
CAR, involving
DR Congo AND
Republic of
Congo, and
changes of
abuses will in
detention.
On
January 27,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
these new
charges, transcript
here.
On January 5,
Ladsous
mission in CAR
issued a press
release about
yet more
allegation of
sexual abuse
of minors by
its
peacekeepers,
below.
On
January 18,
Inner City
Press managed
to ask UN
Deputy
Secretary
General Jan
Eliasson about
the report --
the UN Deputy
Spokesperson
appeared
intent on not
allowing the
question, but
Eliasson to
his credit
took it. Video
here.
Earlier in the
month,
Inner City
Press asked
the Permanent
Representative
of New Zealand
and of
Uruguay,
President of
the Security
Council for
January, about
the report(s).
Video
here.
When
the Panel's
three members
held their
December press
conference,
Inner City
Press asked
about Ladsous'
failure to vet
and his
linking of
rapes to
“R&R.” Video here. Marie
Deschamps said
pointedly she
wouldn't
comment on
Ladsous'
remarks;
Yasmin Sooka
said these are
crimes for
punishment,
not
recreation.
As the
last question,
Inner City
Press asked
what it had
wanted to ask
Ban, and tried
to ask
Dujarric: what
does this say
about Ban's
management? Video of Q&A here. Didn't
Ban's chief of
staff
Malcorra,
criticized in
the report, do
it for Ban?
Didn't the
“senior
official” who
ostensibly let
the rape
information
die on the
vine in the
38th floor
work in an
atmosphere
created by
Ban's nine
years? We will
pursue this.
, 
