On
Ethiopia, UN
Had No
Response to
ICP on Oromo,
Answers Banned
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 13 --
Despite the UN
having offices
in Addis
Ababa,
Ethiopia, it
has had
nothing to say
about the
crackdown that
has led to the
killing,
reportedly, of
over 140
people. Inner
City Press on
January 11
asked UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon'
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
this - but
Dujarric gave
no answer. Video here.
Now
that Ethiopian
authorities
say they are
canceling the
underlying
Oroma plan,
the UN still
has no
comment. Inner
City Press on
the morning of
January 13
asked Dujarric
and two other
UN
spokespeople
the following:
“On
“Ethiopia's
government is
set to abandon
plans to
expand the
boundaries of
the capital,
Addis Ababa,
which have
caused months
of deadly
protests,”
please now
provide UN
comment - and
explain why
transcript of
Jan 11 noon
briefing,
where ICP
asked about
Oromo deaths,
has not been
online:
http://www.un.org/press/en/content/noon-briefings.”
Four
hours later
and counting,
there was no
answer, and
the transcript
was still not
online. This
is today's UN.
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."
By the
morning of
January 13, no
answer,
nothing, nor
to a separate
Inner City
Press question
about Burundi
nor to this:
Inner City
Press: RE
“Filming for
fictional
television
show at UNHQ,
13 January
2016 - Please
be advised
that filming
for a
fictional
television
show will take
place on UN
premises, as
well as along
1st Avenue, on
Wednesday, 13
January 2016”
- please state
what the TV
show is, or
explain why
won't say.
Neither
was this
answers, on
the fantasy of
accountability
at the UN.
On January 5,
Ladsous'
mission in CAR
issued a press
release about
yet more
allegation of
sexual abuse
of minors by
its
peacekeepers,
below.
Back on
January
5, 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.
Now on
January 11-12,
the Washington
Post reports
on CAR
"peacekeepers"
from Burundi,
France, Gabon
and Morocco
paying between
fifty cents
and three
dollars for
sex with
children as
young as 13
years old. But
for some
reason the
Washington
Post does not
mention the
BOSS of UN
Peacekeeping,
Herve Ladsous.
Why not?
Babacar
Gaye is
mentioned, as
well as his
replacement;
Anthony
Banbury is
quoted, and
even Ban
Ki-moon, from
a canned
speech. But
Ladsous is not
mentioned,
despite the
section about
him in the
report
released
December 17.
The UN cannot
reform itself.
Ambassador
Gerard van
Bohemen of New
Zealand
expressed
concern.
Ambassador
Rosselli of
Uruguay said
in his
national
capacity that
allegations
should be
dealt with has
his country
had,
apparently a
reference to
Haiti. It
appears the
Security
Council will
take up this
matter.
Earlier
at the January
5 UN noon
briefing,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric if
now Ladsous,
in the
Security
Council right
then on CAR,
would
belatedly
answer
questions,
since the
firing /
scapegoating
of former
mission chief
Babacar Gaye
clearly didn't
end the rapes.
From the
transcript:
I wanted
to ask but
CAR, since you
have this new
report.
One, I guess
I’d like to…
since Mr.
[Hervé]
Ladsous is
briefing the
Security
Council today
about CAR and
has yet to
answer any
questions on
the CAR sexual
abuse
allegations
report… I
guess it’s a
timely
request… can
he do a
stakeout, take
questions on
it?
Because it
seems like
Babacar Gaye
was fired, but
the problems
go on.
So this is a
request.
It seems like
a reasonable
one
But as
noted (and Vined, here), Ladsous did not
answer.
Here is
Ladsous'
mission's
press release
on January 5:
"5 January
2016 – As the
United Nations
Multidimensional
Integrated
Stabilization
Mission in the
Central
African
Republic
(MINUSCA) is
investigating
fresh
allegations
concerning
both sexual
exploitation
and abuse
(SEA) and
other
misconduct by
UN
Peacekeepers
and
international
forces in
Bangui, SRSG
Parfait
Onanga-Anyanga
and the Force
Commander
today met with
members of
MINUSCA
Military and
the Police in
the Central
African’s
capital.
The SRSG
reiterated its
unwavering
commitment to
the
Secretary-General's
Zero Tolerance
policy and
reminded them
that there
will be no
complacency
for
perpetrators
or accomplices
of such crimes
which
traumatize the
life of
vulnerable
people and
which also
tarnish the
Peacekeepers
identity, the
honour of
their country
and the UN
flag. "The
blue beret or
the bleu
helmet you
wear
represents
hope for the
vulnerable
population of
the CAR,"
Parfait
Onanga-Anyanga
said.
The SRSG also
announced
on-going
discussions
with the UN
High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights to
carry out
joint actions
as part of the
reinforcement
of MINUSCA's
ability to
combat this
SEA. Other
upcoming
measures
include the
establishment
of a
Police-Force
joint brigade
to identify
SEA
perpetrators
and deter the
occurrence of
new cases. He
underlined the
need to
conduct
patrols in the
IDP camps in
close
collaboration
with the
Central
African
internal
security
forces. He
also renewed
his commitment
to protect
whistleblowers.
The Mission
continues to
investigate
each and every
allegation of
a misconduct.
A fact finding
mission is
currently
underway in
this regard.
The National
Authorities
have been
informed in
Bangui and The
Troop
Contributing
Countries in
question have
been informed
officially in
New York. SRSG
Onanga-Anyanga
calls on them
to conduct
their own
national
investigative
processes
immediately.
The UN's
Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services will
also be
involved as
appropriate.
The entire UN
family is
collaborating
in addressing
SEA in the
broader
context of
upholding
highest
standard of
conduct and
discipline
within the
organization.
Over the past
week, UNICEF
staff from the
office in
Bangui have
undertaken
four visits to
meet with four
alleged minors
victims.
UNICEF is
working with a
local partner
to help the
girls receive
medical care,
and is
assessing
their
psychosocial
needs. The
girls were
also provided
with clothes,
shoes and
hygiene kits.
The SRSG
reiterates
that all
international
personnel and
units will be
held
accountable to
the highest
standards of
behaviour and
conduct.
“There is no
place in UN
peacekeeping
for those who
betray the
trust of the
people we are
here to help”,
he said."
While
Ladsous,
typically,
hasn't taken
any questions
about his
role, not only
from Inner
City Press but
apparently
from anyone
else, on
December 22 UN
Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq
announced that
Zeid al
Hussein would
be appearing
that afternoon
at the UN
Security
Council
stakeout, for
Q&A.
Inner
City Press ran
to the
Security
Council -- but
when Zeid al
Hussein left
the Council
Chamber, he
walked past
the stakeout.
Later Inner
City Press was
told this was
because he had
the flu.
Now
Zeid's
counter-move
to the report,
saying that
all OHCHR
staffers have
to report
allegations of
sexual abuse
directly to
him so he is
not surprised
by seeing it
in the media,
appears in the
Paper of
Record a/k/a
Gray Lady.
Zeid al
Hussein should
have, and
should, take
wider
questions on
this. Unless
he is "going
Ladsous."
Or going
OIOS. Back on
December 18,
Inner City
Press asked
the UN:
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
you again
about
yesterday’s
released
Central
African
Republic
report.
What I wanted
to ask, in
reading it
more closely,
that given the
finding about
the now left
the UN head of
OIOS (Office
of Internal
Oversight
Services)…
first of all,
can you say…
you answered
yesterday that
Mr. [Anders]
Kompass is
still under
investigation.
Given how
pretty
definitive the
report is, is
he under
investigation
in connection
with the
release of the
CAR report or
with the
Western Sahara
allegations
or…
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric:
I have no… I
don’t have
those details.
Inner City
Press:
Given that
Miss [Carman]
Lapointe’s
deputy, Mr.
[Michael]
Stefanovic,
recused
himself and
spoke out
basically
against what
she was doing
and that a Mr.
Finness
continued, is
there any… of
Mr. Finness is
the third one
down…
Spokesman:
I don’t think
Mr. Stefanovic
is her
deputy.
He’s the
investigator
chief.
Inner City
Press:
Exactly.
I guess what
I’m saying is
the finding… I
mean, for
example, they
looked at this
chief of staff
of Ban Ki-Moon
and not Ban
Ki-Moon.
They looked at
her activities
at the meeting
in Turin, in
setting up the
meeting,
whether if it
was
appropriate or
not. In
the case of
OIOS, is it…
the things
that OIOS did,
is it entirely
contributable
to Ms.
Lapointe or
are they the
continuing?
Is the
continuing of
the
investigation
of Mr. Kompass
consistent
with the
directive of
the report?
Spokesman:
The
investigation,
as far as I
know, is
continuing.
And I’m not
going to
analyse the
rest of your
question.
Once the
report came
out from under
embargo at the
noon briefing
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric what
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon will
do about the
findings
against
Ladsous, and
that he
escaped the
“abuse of
authority”
moniker only
because “the
mandate of the
Panel is to
assess whether
an abuse of
authority has
occurred in
connection
with the
Allegations.”
Since
the abusers
Ladsous let
into MINUSCA
were not the
French troops
who are
accused of
rape -- these
troops are not
in MINUSCA --
Ladsous'
malfeasance is
not “in
connection”
with the
Allegations.
But is it
acceptable?
Dujarric seems
unfamiliar
with the
report; he
implied that
the third
person found
to have abused
authority was
the Ethics
Officer, when
it was a lower
level official
in CAR. Inner
City Press
asked what
this all says
about Ban
Ki-moon's
management,
along with the
John Ashe / Ng
Lap Seng and
Bernardino
Leon scandal,
a question
Dujarric did
not allow
Inner City
Press to asked
Ban himself on
December 16.
“Those are
your words,”
Dujarric
replied. Yes,
they are.
When
the Panel's
three members
held their
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.
And this: if
OIOS' Lapointe
was wrong,
isn't James
Finness, who
continues the
OIOS campaign?
While the UK
has spoken,
where is
France, given
Sangaris and
Ladsous?
As to
Ladsous, the
finding was
made even
though the
three authors
of the report
do not
mention, and
apparently
have not yet
seen, the
notes from
Ladsous'
October 1,
2015 meeting
about the CAR
mission with Burundi's
Vice President,
in which
Ladsous said
he is
“pragmatic” on
human rights,
in Burundi and
by extension
elsewhere, nor
Ladsous'
September 11,
2015 on-camera
comments
linking the
rapes to
“R&R,” video here.
But
Ladsous still
as of December
17 holds the
senior UN
position into
which France,
which has
chosen the
last four
heads of UN
Peacekeeping,
put him in
September
2011. How much
longer?
By contrast,
the former
head of OIOS
Carman
Lapointe, of
whom the panel
finds an abuse
of authority,
is
conveniently
gone, as is
Babacar Gaye,
who worked for
Ladsous at the
CAR mission.
Perhaps
it was easier
for the panel
to make the
formal finding
against people
who had
already left
the UN by the
time the
report was
released.
One
wonders: if
responses like
Ladsous'
legalistic
(and largely
false)
November 2
letter were
received so
long ago
by the panel,
why did they
withhold the
report all the
way until
December 17,
the day AFTER
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's rare
(and last of
the year) press
conference?
High
Commission
Zeid, of whom
it is said he
was slammed in
the report, in
fact gets the
same treatment
-- critical,
but no formal
abuse of
authority --
as Ladsous,
who is
airbrushed out
and conditions
access to
information
and answers
about
Peacekeeping
on positive /
false
coverage.
The same
finding is
made with
regard to
former Chief
of Staff
Susana
Malcorra. Will
the critical
language hurt
what chance
she has, as a
non Eastern
European, to
try to follow
Ban Ki-moon as
Secretary
General?
More
generally, how
does all this
criticism
reflect on the
tenure of Ban
Ki-moon? The
report does
not mention
the concurrent
scandals
regarding UN
Secretariat
documents
purchased by
now indicted
Ng Lap Seng
through former
President of
the General
Assembly John
Ashe, nor Ban
Libya envoy
taking
instruction
and a cushy
job with the
UAE while
representing
Ban on and in
Libya.
Only this
week, Ban
allowed those
who cover him,
at least the
UN
Correspondents
Association,
to sell
seats with him
for $6,000.
And it is
these same who
have
airbrushed out
Ladsous and
others.
The
Panelists --
Marie
Deschamps,
Hassan Jallow
and Yasmin
Sooka -- leave
unnamed a
senior officer
in Ban
Ki-moon's
office
(finding that
he misspoke
when he said
he had
informed
Deputy Jan
Eliasson),
without saying
if the officer
remains in the
same position.
We'll have
more on this. Follow @innercitypressFollow @FUNCA_info
, 
