In Mali
After Ladsous'
DPKO Kills 3
Protesters,
Stonewalling
But
UNprotected by
Declassification?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, April
8 -- When UN
Peacekeepers
are
determined, by
the UN itself,
to have shot
at civilians
by using
inappropriate
force, what
accountability
is there?
None, with
Herve Ladsous
atop UN
Peacekeeping.
But even the
supposed
reporting in
the incidents
is
inconsistent -
and
misrepresented.
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
report on Mali
to be
considered at
the UN Security
Council on
April 9 does
not include
the finding
that UN
Peacekeeping
in Mali, as it
did in Haiti,
fired at unarmed
civilians,
killing three
and wounding
with gunfire
four others.
For the
protest, it
blames
"manipulation"
on a document
on social
media by the
Coordination,
regarding
Tabankort.
But
when Inner
City Press on
April 2 asked
Ladsous
directly about
Tabankort, he
refused to
answer. He also
refused to
answer about
his
peacekeepers
in Haiti
similar
shooting at
unarmed
demonstrators,
choosing instead,
smirking at
scribes, to
scapegoat the
Rwandan formed
police unit.
This has been
protested to
Ban Ki-moon,
Iner City
Press is
informed from
multiple
sources -- one
of many
protests
against Ladsous
(including by
over 100 NGOs
for his
under-performance
on Darfur).
But Ladsous is
apparently
protected. Might
the April 7
decision to declassify
some documents
about the
genocide
against the
Tutsis in
Rwanda in 1994
leave Ladsous
UNprotected?
We'll have
more on this.
Inner
City Press:
While you were
away or last
week, the
summary was
released of
the incidents
in Gao.
And I wanted
to know, since
Mr. Ladsous
did not answer
this question,
does the
report contain
a review of
the deal that
was struck
between the UN
mission and
the MNLA in
Tabancourt
that gave rise
to the protest
in which three
civilians were
killed?
And I also
wanted to
bring to your
attention that
during the
stakeout by
Mr. Ladsous on
Thursday, the
microphone was
grabbed by Mr.
Ladsous'
spokesman to
avoid just
this
question.
Since you
previously
said it
wouldn't
happen, I
wanted to know
what you think
of it.
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric:
I think on the
issue of the
summary, what
was released
is
released.
I have nothing
to add to the
summary.
My
understanding
is that Mr.
Ladsous'
spokesman
pointed to
another
journalist to
answer the
question, and
that's the way
it happened.
Inner City
Press:
He grabbed the
microphone.
Spokesman
Dujarric:
Go ahead.
Inner
City Press: I
just wanted to
make you aware
of that.
But I'm saying
is that the
summary of the
report was
released, but
it seems like
the underlying
incident that
gave rise to
the protest
wasn't
answered about
in any
way.
What does the
UN
understand…?
Spokesman:
The report
looked at, at
the incident,
which is a
very violent
confrontation.
And I think
we've made our
recommendations
clear, and I
think the
investigation
was done
rather
swiftly.
Inner City
Press:
And is the
Haiti report
about shooting
at civilians
going to be
similarly
summarized?
And if not,
why not?
Spokesman:
The Haiti
report is
currently… has
now been
finalized.
[The
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations]
and [the
Department of
Field Support]
have been in
contact with
the relevant
police-contributing
country
concerned,
which has
decided to
repatriate the
unit
commander.
In addition,
three officers
have been
placed on
modified,
nonoperational
duty pending
the final
result of the
inquiry.
So I will… I
hope to have
more on that
for you.
But Dujarric
only referred
to
repatriation,
not to any
disclosure, as
in Mali, of
"excessive or
unauthorized
force" under
Ladsous. Why
not?
On Mali, after
Ladsous'
MINUSMA like
France, for
which Ladsous
was a diplomat
including
during the
1994 Rwanda
genocide,
urging the
escape of Hutu
genocidaires
into Eastern
Congo, reached
side deals
with the MNLA
rebels about
Tabankort,
there was a
protest in
Gao.
UN Police
ultimately
under Ladsous'
command shot
and killed
three
civilians. In
this case,
because the
Malian
government
wanted an
investigation
of the killing
of protesters
which
supported its
positition,
the UN did an
investigation
and at least
released a
summary.
(Ladsous
refused to
answer Inner
City Press'
questions
including
about the
roots of the
protest, his
mission's deal
with the MNLA
in Tabankort.)
But in Haiti,
where Ladsous'
peacekeeping
mission was
filmed
shooting at
protesters who
oppose Michel
Martelly, the
report has not
even been
summarized.
MINUSTAH chief
Sandra Honore
told Inner
City Press the
report is
finished and
"with DPKO" -
that is
Ladsous. But
no summary is
being
released.
Ladsous
refused Inner
City Press'
question about
this, and
scribes
ignored that
these are two
incidents of
shooting
unarmed
civilians, in
two countries,
under Ladsous.
Who is
responsible?
Vine
here.
These
questions took
place at the
UN Security
Council
stakeout, but
Reuters
and Agence
France Presse
did not
mention it,
only blaming
Rwanda. Both
previously
tried to
censor Inner
City Press
coverage of
Ladsous and
French
colonialism,
to the extent
of moving to
ask the UN to
throw Inner
City Press
out.
Which
approach is
journalism?
AFP
wasn't even AT
this stakeout
- Ladous
sought to
avoid
questions by
repeating his
talking points
in French, but
no AFP. Then
Reuters told
UNTV to give
it the
microphone, to
ask about
Rwanda.
Ladsous
leered. Then a
retired
Reuters
reporter was
pointed at by
Ladsous'
spokesman Nick
Birnback, who
then grabbed
the UNTV
microphone to
take it away
from Inner
City Press.
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