Amid
Ethiopia
Restrictions,
ICP Asked
Ban's Spox Who
Said “Looking
At Info,"
Nothing
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October
18 --
Despite the UN
having offices
in Addis
Ababa,
Ethiopia, it
had nothing to
say about the
crackdown on
the protests earlier
this year
when Inner
City Press
asked.
Now on October
17, when Inner
City Press at
the UN noon
briefing asked
Ban Ki-moon's
outgoing
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
the widely
reported
restrictions
on media and
diplomats in
Ethiopia,
Dujarric had
no comment. He
told Inner
City Press he
might have
something in
the afternoon.
Then, after
going out to
lunch,
Dujarric sent
out this:
“In response
to questions
asked at the
noon briefing
on Ethiopia,
the Spokesman
said the
following:
The
Secretary-General
has been
following the
developments
in Ethiopia
with concern,
including the
declaration of
a state of
emergency
effective 8
October. We
are aware of
the latest
reports about
new measures
being imposed
and are
looking at the
available
information.
The
Secretary-General
urges the
authorities to
ensure the
protection of
fundamental
human rights.
He reiterates
his call for
calm and
restraint and
calls for
inclusive
dialogue to
resolve all
grievances.”
Was
this what
Inner City
Press was told
to wait for?
There weren't
questionS -
Inner City
Press asked
the only
question on
the topic at
the noon
briefing, as
Dujarric
repeatedly cut
it off (after,
along with Ban
and his head
of “Public
Information”
Cristina
Gallach,
ousting and
evicting Inner
City Press,
and now confines
it to minders
preventing
coverage of
many UN
meetings.
Maybe this is
one reason
Ban's UN can't
bring itself
to criticize
media
crackdowns
elsewhere. On
October 18,
Inner City
Press asked
again. Video
here. UN
Transcript:
Inner City
Press: on
Ethiopia.
After I asked
you a
question,
you'd sent out
a note to
correspondents
that
said:
"We are aware
of the latest
reports of the
new measures,
and we are
looking at the
available
information."
Have you now
looked at the
information of
diplomats
being banned
from going…?
Spokesman:
I have nothing
more than what
I said
yesterday
afternoon.
Inner
City Press
asked UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesman
Farhan Haq
about the
protests on
August 8, Vine here; Banning
the Press film
below.
Haq
said the UN
would "have to
check;" he
went on to say
the UN, with
its large
offices in
Addis Ababa,
had nothing to
say about
restrictions
on the
Internet. UN transcript
here and
below. This is
Ban Ki-moon's
UN.
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
you, on
Ethiopia,
you'd come
back with this
statement of
concern by the
Secretary-General,
and now the
Minister of
Information of
Ethiopia has
dismissed and
rejected any
of the
requests for
any UN access
to these areas
where people
have been
killed.
Again, you
seem to say it
doesn't matter
that the UN
has an office
there, but
given that
it's a host
country and
you have a lot
of operations
there, what is
the response
to the host
country
denying access
to these
areas?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well,
regarding
that, this is…
the need for
access is
something that
has been
called for,
particularly
by our human
rights
colleagues.
The Human
Rights Office
and the High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights urged
the Ethiopian
Government to
allow access
for
international
observers into
the affected
regions to be
able to
establish what
exactly
transpired.
The Government
must ensure
that any use
of excessive
force by law
enforcement
officers is
promptly and
transparently
investigated
and those
found
responsible
for human
rights
violations are
brought to
justice.
All those
detained for
exercising the
rights to
freedom of
expression and
peaceful
assembly
should be
promptly
released.
ICP
Question:
Has the
Secretariat
reached out…
whether the
Secretary-General
or the… the
elusive Mr.
Feltman or
anyone else,
reached out to
Ethiopia,
given the
relations
between the
two countries,
to try to get
such
access?
Deputy
Spokesman:
The UN remains
in touch with
its Ethiopian
counterparts,
but I've told
what you the
High
Commissioner
has just said
on this.
Have a good
afternoon,
everyone.
In the
time frame,
Ban Ki-moon
was in Los
Angeles
cavorting,
with
controversial
hosts.
Inner
City Press: I
was kind of
expecting some
statement by
the UN about
the protests
and killings
in Ethiopia
over the
weekend.
There was a
large-scale
protest in… in
the rest of
the country
but even in
the capital,
where the UN
has a big
office.
How… what is
the UN's
response to
how many
people does it
think was
killed?
Does the UN
have any role
in trying to…
to resolve
this tension
on the Oromo
protests?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, as you
know, we have
concerns to
make sure that
all peaceful
protests are
allowed to
proceed, and
we would have
concerns about
any problems
regarding
that.
Regarding this
specific
protest, we'll
need further
details, but…
so we're
following up
with our
offices there.
ICP
Question:
But what steps
has the UN
taken… I mean,
given that,
you know, it
has these
offices in
Addis and
there… by all…
many accounts
peaceful
protesters
shot and… you
know, shot and
killed in
Ethiopia over
the
weekend.
What steps is
the UN taking?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, we'll
check about
our response
to this
particular
thing.
Like I said,
we encourage
peaceful
protests to
proceed
everywhere in
the world and
would have
concerns
anywhere.
As you know,
we have
offices in
many, many
countries
around the
world.
That's not a
particular
point of
concern.
We are
concerned,
whether we
have an office
in a place or
not.
Earlier this
year the UN
likewise had
nothing to say
about the
crackdowns
that has led
to the
killing,
reportedly, of
over 140 Oromo
people, when
Inner City
Press on
January 11
asked UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon'
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric. Video here.
On June 16,
with now 400
reported
killed, Inner
City Press
asked Ban's
Dujarric if
Ban even
raised the
issue when he
met Ethiopia's
Prime
Minister, UN transcript
here:
...in Ethiopia
400 people
have been
killed and
tens of
thousands
detained
during
protests since
November?
Spokesman:
No, I'll be
honest with
you, I have
not seen that
report.
But, I'll see
if we can get
some language
on that.
Inner City
Press: Is it
fair to say
that the
Secretary-General,
when he met
with the Prime
Minister of
Ethiopia, did
not raise this
issue of the
Oromo
protests?
There had been
big… it's been
raised to the
UN a number of
times…
Spokesman:
I will refer
you to the
readout, which
will stand as
the record of
the meeting.
So, no.
On
January 29,
Inner City
Press was
thrown out of
the UN Press
Briefing Room
on Dujarric's
orders; on
February 19,
Inner City
Press was
physically
ousted from
the UN
compound, audio
here, petition
here.
On March
8, back in
with a much
restricted
pass, Inner
City Press
asked the UN's
spokesman
Dujarric, video here, UN
transcript
here (the
UN didn't even
look up the
name of the
tribe, Suri -
UNreal) Vine
here.
Inner City
Press: I've
asked before
about the
Oromo protest,
but I'm asking
now, there are
photos and it
may or may not
be, you know,
somehow
doctored.
But, there's a
pretty
troubling
evidence,
pictures,
circulating
about in
Ethiopia these
tribesmen,
[inaudible]
tribesmen,
also being
part of this
displacement,
basically
chained up, in
a chain gang
situation.
Given that the
UN has a big
office in
Ethiopia and
given some
outcry about
the actions of
the Government
of late, is
the UN aware
of this?
And what
follow-up has
been done
since… since
the
Secretary-General
went through
there on
trying to
either defuse
tensions or
make sure that
people are not
chained up…
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I think the
Secretary-General
had expressed
his wish to
see people
being able to
express
themselves and
demonstrate
peacefully in
a respectful
manner,
respect to
their
rights.
I will… on the
particular
case you
mentioned, I
haven't seen
it...
No, I haven't
seen it.
Worse, six
days later
when Inner
City Press
asked again,
Dujarric said
exactly the
same thing,
that he hadn't
seen it. He
did not saw if
he'd looked
(away). Vine
here; transcript here:
Inner City
Press: I can't
remember if it
was you or
Farhan [Haq],
because I
didn't get an
answer from
either, having
to do with
Ethiopia.
And there was
a widely
circulated
photograph,
not of the
Oromo protest,
but actually
of the Surma
tribesmen
locked up as
a… in a chain
gang
fashion.
And their land
is being
taken.
It's a pretty
disturbing
photo.
Farhan, I
think, said he
would look
into it.
I wanted to
know, has your
office looked
into it, and
what does the
UN…?
Spokesman:
I haven't seen
anything, but
I will try to
get something.
When Ban
was in
Ethiopia for
the African
Union Summit,
he gave a
number of
speeches but
said NOTHING
about the
Oromo
protests. On
February 1
Inner City
Press asked
Dujarric about
this silence,
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: When he
was in Addis
Ababa, I
combed over
the statements
that the
Secretary-General
made, but I
wanted to know
whether he
said, did
anything or
had any
meetings about
these Oromo
protests in
which more
than 140
people have
been killed
as… you know,
you've
answered sort
of within…
with some
statements
here in the
briefing room,
but while he
was there, did
the issue come
up? Did
he do anything
on it?
Spokesman:
I would refer
you to the
readouts we've
put out.
In which
there was
NOTHING about
the Oromo
protests and
deaths. This
is Ban's UN.
And this:
Ban's
spokesman
Dujarric made
an implicit
threat to
Inner City
Press on
February 1,
see here.
Inner City
Press: on
Friday I'd
asked Stéphane
[Dujarric]
about this
protest
outside by
Oromo
people.
And he'd said…
he had
something, I
guess, he
read, saying
the UN hopes
for
dialogue.
But, in
hearing more
about it, it
seems… there
were 140
people killed,
according to
Human Rights
Watch, and
there are many
people still
detained from
those
protests, and
there's been
an attempt to
close down
communications
from some of
the areas that
were subject
to the
protests.
Since the UN
has this
office in
Addis, is
there
anything… do
you have
anything
beyond asking
for dialogue,
is there any
request that
those detained
be released,
that there be
an
investigation
of the deaths
or a stopping
of what people
call
censorship
there?
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq:
Well, what I
have to say is
simply that
the
Secretary-General
calls on the
Government of
Ethiopia and
protesters to
engage in a
constructive
dialogue to
address the
issues at
hand, and the
Secretary-General
continues to
stress the
importance of
respect for
peaceful
protest and
freedom of
assembly.
Have a good
afternoon,
everyone.
On
January 15,
there was a
large Oromo
demonstration
across First
Avenue from
the UN. Inner
City Press
broadcast it
live on
Periscope,
with
interviews, putting it on YouTube, here.
Inner City
Press: it
seems
inevitable to
ask you.
There's a big
protest in
front of the
building by
Oromo people
saying that
more than 140
of them have
been killed by
Ethiopia.
So I'd asked
you about it
on
Monday.
You said you
don't have
anything but
you'd
check.
What does the
UN know given
that it has an
office in
Addis about
these
killings?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
On the
protests,
we're
obviously very
much aware of
the protests
not only going
on outside but
in Ethiopia
itself.
I think the
Secretary-General
would call on
the Government
and the groups
concerned to
hold a
constructive
and peaceful
dialogue and
also to ensure
that all those
who want to
protest are
able to
express
themselves
freely and
free of
harassment as
it is their
right.
Inner City
Press: You
just announced
an Ethiopian
general
heading
UNISFA-
Spokesman
Dujarric:
soldiers from
any
nationality,
as you know,
for serving in
DPKO, in
peacekeeping
missions, they
go through a
screening
policy to
ensure that
the
individuals
and the units
themselves are
free of any
human rights
violations.
We'll
have more on
this. For now,
note that the
UNSC's
upcoming trip,
from which
Inner City
Press was
Banned, goes
through Addis
Ababa. Will
anything be
said about
Oromo?
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.
Now the Office
of the UN
Spokesperson
refuses Press
questions on
reports that
"peacekeepers"
from Burundi,
France, Gabon
and Morocco
paid fifty
cents for sex
with children
in CAR. On the
morning of
January 12,
Inner City
Press asked
three separate
UN
spokespeople,
in writing:
"In light of
the Jan 11-12
Washington
Post report
that “ in
interviews,
U.N. officials
said the
peacekeepers
were from
Gabon,
Morocco,
Burundi and
France. The
prostitution
ring they
allegedly used
was run by
boys and young
men who
offered up
girls 'for
anywhere from
50 cents to
three
dollars,'
according to
one official,”
please state
the current
status of
these
'peacekeepers'
from Morocco,
Gabon, France
and Burundi -
and the status
of the waiver
USG Ladsous
gave to the
Burundian
contingent.
, 
