Brazil's
Patriota
Speaks on
Eastern Congo,
Criticizes
NATO, Qs of
Syria
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 6 --
Brazil is the
country that
championed
"Responsibility
While
Protecting" in
the wake of
NATO's bombing
of Libya; it
is also the
country of UN
"cowboy" Force
Commander
in Eastern
Congo Carlos
Alberto Santos
Cruz.
Inner
City Press
asked Brazil's
foreign
minister
Antonio de
Aguiar
Patriota about
each topic,
NATO and
Eastern Congo,
on Tuesday
afternoon at
Brazil's
Mission to the
UN. Video
here and embedded
below.
In his
speech to
the Security
Council,
Patriota had
said that
"under the
leadership of
Brazilian
General Carlos
Alberto Santos
Cruz, MONUSCO
will play its
role in the
protection of
civilians. The
military
component,
however,
should be seen
as a tool in
support of a
political
strategy, and,
as Special
Envoy Mary
Robinson
mentioned,
'one part of a
comprehensive
approach that
embraces
security and
development.'"
Inner
City Press
asked Patriota
what he
thought of the
abortive
disarmament
ultimatum
announced by
them: Carlos
Alberto Santos
Cruz and the
Tanzanian
commander of
the
Intervention
Brigade.
Patriota first
asked who this
"they" was,
then on script
said it was
part of a
consensus
Security
Council
resolution.
The
Intervention
Brigade was,
but it not
clear that the
ultimatum was.
Rwanda
continues to
say that Mary
Robinson was
not informed
in advance of
the ultimatum;
the Free
UN Coalition
for Access
has asked
Mary
Robinson's
foundation is
this is true,
without a
response yet.
Patriota
said
that the
Congolese
conflicts have
been
"festering too
long," with
"women
suffering
violence of
all kinds."
This is true.
But if for
example the
rapes in
Minova were
committed by
the Congolese
Army, the 41st
and 391st
Battalions,
how is
continued UN
support to
these units
designed to
end or even
limit such
harm?
In a
quote sure to
please some,
Patriota said
that there
should be
diplomatic
pressure on
countries
instigating
and fueling
conflict. That
is his
position,
which one
assumes
applies
equally or
more to those
countries
arming and
funding rebels
in Syria, for
example.
Patriota
praised
agreements in
Addis Ababa,
but said they
were "not
implemented."
On
NATO, Patriota
said the
ambiguity is
created by its
non-inscription
as
a Chapter 8
regional
organization,
and its
claimed right
to project
force beyond
the borders of
its members.
Patriota
asked, what if
other
countries
banded
together this
way?
What indeed.
He did not
answer about
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
Memorandum of
Understanding
with NATO; see
Inner City
Press exclusive
story here.
That has yet
to be
disclosed -
something the
Free
UN Coalition
for Access
intends to
work on,
including via
its advocacy
for a UN
Freedom of
Information
Act. Watch
this site.
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