After
70 Minova
Rapes, UN
Cites
Conditionality,
No Answer on
Which
Regiments
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 6 --
The day after
the UN
raised from 22
to 70 its
count of rapes
in Minova
during the
days the
Congolese Army
filled
the town, a
belated
partial answer
was given to
Inner City
Press'
questions
about the UN's
conditionality
or Human
Rights Due
Diligence
Policy.
Secretary
General
Ban Ki-moon's
spokesman
Martin Nesirky
said that the
UN
"flags"
allegations to
the
authorities,
and if
corrective
action is not
taken,
suspends
support to the
military units
at issue.
Inner
City Press
asked again if
the UN in the
Congo works or
has worked
with two
sample
regiments
photographed
and witness as
being in
Minova
during the
rape spree in
late November,
the 802
regiment and
the 1001
regiment.
Or
does the
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations
have a policy
against
naming which
units they
work with?
Spokesman
Nesirky said
DPKO was
hearing this,
and he hoped
that they
would help.
But
DPKO chief
Herve Ladsous
has repeated
refused to
answer the
questions.
First, about
rapes in
Minova
generally: on
November 27,
he
refused this
Press
question, then
took
hand-picked
correspondents
into the
hallway, click
here for video.
Then
on November 30
at an event
across the
street from
the UN, where
Inner
City Press
asked the
question in a
more public
setting,
Ladsous gave
an indirect
answer about
the Human
Rights Due
Diligence
Policy, but
refused to
answer if he
will name the
units or
regiments.
And
so on December
6 at the UN
noon briefing,
Inner City
Press asked
for
a list of any
Congolese Army
units the UN
has stopped
assisting in
the past year.
Nesirky again
said DPKO
heard and he
hopes they
will
help.
The
UN's own Radio
Okapi now
reports on
members of the
Mai Mai Mayele
militia, which
has been
involved in
human rights
abuses
including
according to
UN sources the
mass rapes in
Walikale and
child soldier
recruitment,
are being
integrated
into the 104th
regiment, to
fight
the M23
mutineers.
How will they
be vetted?
Does the UN
through its
MONUSCO
mission work
with this
regiment?
Watch this
site.
News
note: Inner
City Press is
informed that
UN Military
Adviser
Babacar
Gaye has
returned from
the DRC and
will brief the
Security
Council on
Friday,
December 7,
including on
how the UN
proposes to
re-configure
MONUSCO.
Ladsous had
spoken of
drones,
without
answering if
he would
seek approval
from the
General
Assembly,
where
opposition has
been
described to
Inner City
Press. What
are Gaye's
views on
drones? Will
Council
members ask?
Footnote:
Ladsous
during this
time has been
in Paris,
where he made
public
statements
about, among
other things,
Syria and
Mali. Inner
City
Press on
December 6
asked if
Ladsous was
speaking for
the UN, or in
some other
capacity, and
if DPKO has a
transcript.
Nesirky said
"any
remarks by Mr.
Ladsous are
important,"
but that he
wasn't sure
if DPKO has a
transcript.
We'll see.
, 
