Inner City Press: Investigative Reporting from the United Nations

On Haiti, As Ban Returns Cholera Court Papers, Spox Says Mail UNknown

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 10 -- After UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon dodged legal papers for the UN bringing cholera to Haiti, now he has gone one step further.

On April 8 the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit announced that court papers sent to Ban were returned as "undeliverable"

"UNDELIVERABLE MAIL, Appellants' so-ordered scheduling notification sent to Appellee Ban Ki-moon, to USCA from USPS, RECEIVED.[1479766] [15-455]"

On April 10 Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric about the scofflaw behavior. Dujarric said the UN mail system is "unknown to me." Video here, from Minute 0:55. But the UN doesn't even open its mail? This is a new low.

Inner City Press previously covered the UN mail room accepting delivery of cocaine, here. So it takes some effort for the UN to refuse delivery of mail.

But that's how important impunity is to the UN in this case. So too UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous' withholding of MINUSTAH's report on shooting at unarmed protesters in Haiti.

A report on similar shooting by Ladsous' "peacekeepers" in Mali was at least publicly summarized last week - even though Ladsous refused Press questions about Haiti and Mail, Video here, Vine here. This is contempt for Haiti. Watch this site.

the UN Security Council held its semi-annual debate on Haiti, with 28 speakers, on March 18, Inner City Press asked UN envoy Sandra Honore to explain paragraph 11 of her speech, in which she said:

"The radical opposition has continued to criticize the recent political breakthrough and has not desisted from organizing anti-Government demonstrations, calling for the resignation of President Martelly and capitalizing on socio-economic grievances such as the recent general strikes over fuel prices and teachers' salaries."

Isn't it Haitians' right, to protest? Such protests elsewhere, against other leaders, are lionized. So what had Honore meant?

She insisted it wasn't pejorative. Video here. Inner City Press also asked about the spike in cholera cases, and to comment on if the UN denying and evading responsibility for bringing the disease harmed the UN's "legitimacy and moral standing."

Honore cited a particular water source, and said cholera in Haiti has not impaired the UN's work around the world. Really? Video here.

Honore's speech did not mention the UN mission MINUSTAH shooting at demonstrators. On March 17, Inner City Press asked the UN:

Inner City Press: on what you said about the reports becoming public, one suddenly came back to mind is the report from MINUSTAH on the shooting of demonstrators. I know it's been said a number of times it was being finalized. It happened in December and it's now March. Is that released? When is that report going to be released?

Deputy Spokesman Haq: We'll let you know once it can be… once it has been finalized for release. But, at this stage, I believe what Stéphane has already said about this remains the case, that the person involved in this was suspended from duty.

Honore on March 18 said MINUSTAH's report is finished and is "with" DPKO. We'll have more on this.

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