UNITED
NATIONS, April
17 -- After UN
envoy Zainab
Bangura
answered Inner
City Press' question
on April 16
about the 126
rapes in
Minova by
saying that
one of the two
Congolese Army
units involved
had been
trained by the
United States,
Inner City
Press asked
her if her
Office dealt
with sexual
abuse or
exploitation
by UN
Peacekeepers.
No,
she said, that
is not in my
mandate. She
told Inner
City Press to
“ask DPKO,”
the Department
of
Peacekeeping
Operations run
by its
fourth
Frenchman in a
row, Herve
Ladsous. So
Inner City
Press did:
“USG
Bangura said
she has no
jurisdiction
over UN
peacekeepers,
for
example the
Uruguayans in
Haiti. Does
DPKO believe
her office
should
have
jurisdiction?
Please name
the five more
recent
repatriations
of
UN
Peacekeepers
or police for
sexual
exploitation
or abuse, or
state
why you will
not.”
More
than 24 hours
later, and
after Reuters
claimed on the
Minova rapes
that it had
gotten a
“statement”
“Tuesday” from
the UN --
DPKO has said
in writing
that it was
NOT a
statement,
only a
reiteration of
a three day
old answer
to Inner City
Press -- the
following came
in from the
UN, on this
issue:
“On
the question
on SRSG
Bangura’s
mandate as it
relates to
peacekeepers,
and on recent
repatriations
of UN
peacekeepers
related
to cases of
sexual
exploitation
or abuse: The
mandate of the
Office
of the
Secretary-General's
Special
Representative
on Sexual
Violence
in Conflict
does not
extend to
conduct and
disciplinary
matters
relating to
personnel
deployed in UN
field
missions. In
2012, the
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations and
the Department
of Field
Support
referred 24
allegations of
sexual
exploitation
and abuse
received in
2012 or
earlier to 16
troop- and
police-contributing
countries. It
was also
determined
that nine
police and
eight military
personnel
would be
repatriated on
disciplinary
grounds and
barred
from
participating
in future
field missions
in connection
with 13
substantiated
allegations
received in
2012 or
earlier.”
While
appreciated,
why not state
at least the
nationality of
the “nine
police and
eight military
personnel...
with 13
substantiated
allegations”?
There is no
other way to
know if these
individuals
were
disciplined in
any way by
their
countries.
But
lack of
transparency
is growing,
under Ladsous
who refuses to
answer
Press
questions
about the
Minova rapes (November 27, December
7,
December
18, 2012
and since).
On
April 16,
Inner City
Press also
asked DPKO
“please name
the units
subject to the
ultimatum” and
“that one of
the two units
was
trained by the
United States.
Is that DPKO's
understanding?
Please
confirm or
deny.”
DPKO
has responded:
“On
the question
asking DPKO to
name units of
the Congolese
army, MONUSCO
will not be
naming the
units of the
Congolese army
that it is
supporting.
MONUSCO and
DPKO are
satisfied that
the Government
of the
DR Congo has
taken
sufficient
measures to
meet human
rights due
diligence
requirements
for the units
that we are
supporting.
MONUSCO
is keeping
this under
constant
review, and
continues to
support the
Government in
bringing the
perpetrators
of rape and
other serious
human rights
violations in
Minova to
justice.
“On
the question
of whether one
of the units
of the
Congolese army
was
trained by the
United States,
DPKO refers
Inner City
Press to the
US
Government.”
Totally
unaddressed
so far by DPKO
is this Inner
City Press
April 16
question:
“that
the general of
one unit told
her [Bangura]
they have
identified 33
suspected
rapists.
Please state
if that is
DPKO's
understanding,
and
if so why the
suspension of
12 (and arrest
of 3) is
considered
sufficient by
DPKO.”
Watch
this site.
, 
