On
Mali, ICP
Asked of UN
2-Tier
Peacekeeping,
Ban's Spox No
Answer Though
Paid
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 27 --
As Inner City
Press has
reported on UN
Peacekeeping's
unseemly
two-tier
structure,
under which in
Mali African
Ambassadors
complain their
troops are
left in
danger, not
allowed to use
the equipment
of NATO
members in the
UN mission,
DPKO chief
Herve Ladsous
has refused to
answer, and
Ban Ki-moon's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric has
enabled and
assisted
Ladsous.
On October 6
after the
Security
Council's
meeting about
Mali, Inner
City Press as
one
of only two
media at the
stakeout
sought to ask
Ladsous if the
Chadian
peacekeepers
he is
responsible
for have the
same equipment
as the NATO
members in the
MINUSMA
mission, like
the Dutch.
Ladsous told a
French
reporter to
follow up
toward the
elevator,
where he gave
out a few
quotes. Out of
respect for
this other
media, Inner
City Press
waited - and
when that
“interview”
was over,
Inner City
Press asked,
“Do the
Chadians have
the same
equipment as
the NATO?”
Ladsous
smirked, then
said “I do not
speak to you.”
Vine
here.
On the morning
of December
27, Inner City
Press asked
three Ban
Ki-moon
spokespeople questions
including:
"In Mali it
is reported
that Dutch UN
Peacekeepers
are not going
on patrol due
to lack of
“night vision
binoculars and
equipment to
jam roadside
bombs.” Please
confirm or
deny, state if
other UN
peacekeepers
for example
from Chad do
go on patrol
without these,
and explain
any
disparity."
More
than five
working hours
later, no
answer, no
confirmation
of receipt.
This is Ban
Ki-moon's UN -
a place of
waste,
incompetence
and
censorship,
from which
Ban's Gallach
had Inner City
Press
thrown out
earlier this
year for
trying to
cover the
corruption.
Now there may
be an attempt
to use Inner
City Press
daring to ask
Ladsous a
question
against it -
even after
Inner City
Press told
Media
Accreditation
it would ask
him a
question,
where he had
chosen to take
a picked
French
journalist.
On October 7,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Farhan Haq
what Ladsous
has refused to
answer, UN
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to
follow up on
what you said
about the
meeting on
Mali
yesterday.
This question
of equipment,
including
communications
and
night-vision
equipment, did
come up.
I tried to ask
Mr. Ladsous
afterwards
whether this
means that the
Chadians, who
have suffered
a
disproportionate
number of
deaths in the
mission, will
have access to
this
equipment, and
he didn't
answer.
So I wanted to
ask you
specifically,
are… this…
this reference
to getting
night vision
and other
communication
equipment for
the Chadians,
has it been
slow… have
other parts of
the MINUSMA
mission that
had this
equipment
during this
period of
time, have
they not
shared it
because they
may have been
members of
NATO (North
Atlantic
Treaty
Organization)
that can't
share it, and
when will it
be actually
provided to
the entire
Chadian and
other African
contingents
within
MINUSMA?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, I don't
speak for
individual
troop
contingents.
What I've been
saying is that
we have
engaged in a
review to make
sure that
there is
better
distribution
of equipment
throughout the
Mission.
That is
happening, and
we certainly
hope that the
Chadians and
other
contingents
will get the
equipment that
they need.
Question:
Has DPKO
(Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations)
ever
considered
speaking with
NATO to get
them to waive
what's viewed
as a
prohibition on
the sharing of
such… such
equipment in
the cases of
UN
Peacekeeping
in order to
preserve
lives?
Deputy
Spokesman:
The Department
of
Peacekeeping
Operations is
in touch with
various
contingents
just to make
sure that, as
the review
indicates,
that
contingent-owned
equipment can
be used more
equitably.
Regarding
NATO's rules,
you'll have to
talk to NATO.
On
September 23
when Ladsous
held a “press
availability”
with Mali's
foreign
minister,
Inner City
Press asked
the former
about Al Qaeda
(he answered)
and Ladsous
about Chadian
peacekeepers
denied access
to
NATO-members'
in MINUSMA's
equipment.
After Mali's
foreign
minister
answered --
Ladsous
whispered to
him,
apparently not
to -- Ladsous
said, Mister
you should
know I never
answer you
questions. YouTube of UNTV Video, here.
Ladsous'
spokesman had
told UN TV's
boom operator
to stay away
from Inner
City Press -
despite the
right of Mali
and its
foreign
minister to
not be drawn
into
censorship by
the UN of
Ladsous and,
ultimately,
Ban Ki-moon.
On October 3,
Ban Ki-moon
issued a
canned
statement
about another
Chadian
peacekeeper in
Mali killed -
precisely the
issue on which
his Ladsous
has refused to
answer
questions.
This is Ban's
UN - it must
end. The
statement:
"The
Secretary-General
condemns
today’s series
of attacks
against the
United Nations
Multidimensional
Integrated
Stabilization
Mission in
Mali
(MINUSMA).
According to
preliminary
information,
four different
attacks
targeting
MINUSMA
personnel and
installations
occurred in
Aguelhok,
Kidal region,
during which
one
peacekeeper
from Chad was
killed and
eight others
injured.
The
Secretary-General
presents his
sincere
condolences to
the family of
the fallen
peacekeeper
and to the
Government and
people of
Chad, and
wishes a
prompt
recovery to
those injured.
He calls for
swift action
to bring the
perpetrators
of these
attacks to
justice and
recalls that
attacks
against United
Nations
peacekeepers
constitute war
crimes under
international
law.
The
Secretary-General
is also
concerned by
the recent
violations of
the ceasefire
arrangements
by the
signatory
armed groups
in the area of
Kidal and
urges
signatory
parties to
fulfil their
obligations
under the
Agreement on
Peace and
Reconciliation
in Mali, which
would
contribute to
restoring
stability and
security in
the region."
Back on July
18, Ladsous at
an
International
Peace
Institute
event to which
Inner City
Press was not
invited said
he recruited
two
Mauritanian
intelligence
agents but
couldn't
deploy them in
a NATO part of
Mali. So Inner
City Press on
July 19 asked
Ban's deputy
spokesman
Farhan Haq,
UN transcript
here and
below. Now on
August 8, the
UN Security
Council has
condemned two
attacks on UN
Peacekeepers
in Mali, which
killed a
peacekeeper..
from Chad. Full
text here.
While
the UN says it
is updating
its policies,
when Inner
City Press on
July 22 asked
if new German
drone in Mali
will have
their
information
shared with
other
peacekeepers,
the answer was
not "Yes."
From the UN
transcript:
Inner City
Press: you had
come back with
this answer
about in terms
of how
equipment is
shared in
peacekeeping
missions,
specifically
in Mali,
saying there
is some
updating of
the procedure;
so I have seen
since then an
announcement
by Airbus and
the German
Government
that Airbus
will be
providing and
operating a
drone for
German troops
in Mali,
presumably
with the UN
Mission.
And said it
said that the
procurement
was done by
the German
defence
procurement
agency VAA and
VW and covers
a 15-month
period.
So I want to
know, do
contingents
that serve in
UN
peacekeeping,
can they bring
their own
drones?
And, if so, is
the
information
shared with
other
contingents,
for example
from Chad and
elsewhere,
that are
serving in the
same chain of
commands?
Deputy
Spokesman:
The basic
point, like I
mentioned, is
that
contingents
own their own
equipment.
How that is
handled, like
I said, where
the UN is
currently
updating its
protocols and
procedures and
that is
designed to
address issues
of access of
information in
all UN
missions.
ICP
Question:
Right, so
maybe you
don't have an
answer to
this, but it
seems to me
they should be
able to say
it, it has
been
announced,
that these
drones will be
flying,
contracted by
Germany, will
this
information be
shared with
other
contingents?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, at this
point I don't
have an
announcement
to make about
the use of the
drones, so we
will have to
see what
arrangements
are
made.
Beyond that,
of course,
like I said,
the entire
point of the
policy that
we're seeking
is to make
sure that that
access to
assets and
information
can be shared
better."
While Ban's
spokesperson's
office never
emailed Inner
City Press any
answer, Inner
City Press on
July 20 asked
about it again
and got this
admission, UN
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: on
Mali, beyond
what I asked
yesterday, now
there is
reports of a
deal reached
in Niger under
which the
Azawad Group
who controlled
Kidal. I
wanted to
know, first,
did the UN
have any
involvement in
this
negotiation of
the security
arrangement in
Kidal?
And do you
have any
answer yet
from DPKO
[Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations]
about what Mr.
[Hervé]
Ladsous said
at IPI about
NATO versus
the Mordanian
agents?
Deputy
Spokesman:
On the
question of
the agreement
of Kidal I
don't have any
reaction to
that at
present.
Regarding what
you were
asking
yesterday, I
can confirm
that the UN's
currently
updating its
protocols and
procedures to
address issues
of access to
assets and
information in
all UN
missions.
Inner City
Press:
Right. So I'm
asking, a
couple months
ago I asked
directly
whether the
Chadian
peacekeepers
could use NATO
equipment in
the possession
of the Dutch
peacekeepers
and it was
never
answered.
And can I
know, from
what you have
said, is this
true it has
been a problem
for months?
Deputy
Spokesman:
I mean, this
is an issue
that we needed
to deal
with. We
are not able
to speak about
particular
arrangements
by
troop-contributing
countries,
that is not in
our
ability.
But this is
something for
which we
needed to
update
protocols and
we are
currently
updating
protocols and
procedures in
order that you
will have
access to
assets dealt
with in a
better way.
Inner City
Press:
But isn't the
mission
responsible
when, for
example, the
Netherlands
contingent
deployed to
know whether
an extremist
went under
attack by
terrorist or
extremist
forces,
whether these
can be shared
with other
peacekeepers?
Deputy
Spokesman:
We try to work
out things,
but, you have
to remember,
the UN itself
is not the
owner of this
equipment and
the UN itself
is not the
employer of
the
peacekeeping
troops.
These are
national
contingents in
service to the
UN and their
equipment are
equipments by
the national
contingence.
You know,
having said
that, what we
are trying to
do, we do have
protocols and
procedures in
place and
we're trying
to update
those so that
the access to
assets and
information
will be
shared.
Inner City
Press:
When they say
same chain
that is one on
this because
it comes up in
South Sudan
where they say
they want the
soldiers to be
all in the
same chain of
command,
doesn't this
somehow imply
that you don't
have one
contingent
with much
better
equipment than
the other
ones, not
sharing it
when people
are under
attack?
Deputy
Spokesman:
The point of
UN
peacekeeping
operations is
that the
peacekeepers
coordinate
their
activities
with each
other so that
they work
efficiently
together,
that's what we
try to do.
Here was July
19:
Inner City
Press: On
peacekeeping,
yesterday,
Under-Secretary
[Hervé]
Ladsous was
speaking at
IPI, and he
said that he
had recruited
two
intelligence
agents from
Mauritania,
but they
couldn't be
put into a
part of Mali
where NATO and
NATO member
troops are…
are
operating.
And it… and it
seemed to be a
reference to
this idea that
there are…
there's
equipment that
the NATO
members in the
mission used
that can't be
shared with
non-NATO
members.
So I wanted…
I've asked
about this
before and was
sort of never
answered.
But now that
he's said
openly that
these
Mauritanian
intelligence
agents
couldn't be
de… de…
deployed
there, can you
explain how…
one, is this
the
case?
And, two, is
it fair to
have different
parts of the
MINUSMA
(United
Nations
Multidimensional
Integrated
Stabilization
Mission in
Mali) mission
using better
equipment than
others when
some
peacekeepers
are, in fact,
getting
killed? ...
And
specifically
these two
Mauritanians
that he said
could not be
deployed where
NATO was, why
was
that?
That's, I
guess, my
question.
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, I
believe that
the whole
point of the
MINUSMA
arrangement is
that they
share the
equipment, but
I'll have to
check with
MINUSMA what
their
arrangements
are.
Eight hours
later and
counting,
nothign from
Ban's Office
of the
Spokesperson.
Back on the
UN's day for
peacekeepers,
about which
DPKO chief
Herve Ladsous
refused to
answer
questions from
the Press,
five UN
peacekeeper
were killed in
Mali. On May
31, another
has been
killed in Gao,
three wounded,
UNMAS attacked
to. The UN
mission
MINUSMA issued
this
statement, in
French, fast
translated by
InnerCityPro.com:
"This evening
at around 8:45
pm, the
MINUSMA camp
in the Water
Castle
neighborhood
of Gao was the
target of an
attack by
rockets or
mortars.
According to
preliminary
reports, one
peacekeeper
was killed and
three were
grievously
wounded, while
more than ten
members of
MINUSMA
including
civilians were
lightly
wounded and
have gotten
the necessary
medical care.
MINUSMA has
deployed
attack
helicopters
for aerial
surveillance
and a rapid
reaction force
is currently
patrolling in
Gao.”
“The
attack on the
MINUSMA camp
was followed
by another
attack by
light arms
targeting the
location of
the UN Mine
Action Service
UNMAS in
another
neighborhood
in Gao. Two
Malian private
security
guards and one
international
expert were
killed.
“I am
revolved by
this vicious,
cowardly and
totally
unacceptable
attack on the
MINSUMA camp,”
the head of
MISUSMA
Mahamat Saleh
Annadif said.
“I urge the
Malian
government and
the local Gao
authorities to
ensure that
those
responsible
for these
crimes are
identified and
brought to
justice.”
This occurs as
Ban Ki-moon
has just ended
a multi-day
trip to South
Korea, where
many view him
as preparing
to run for the
Presidency. In
New York, he
has evicted
the critical
Press.
See New York
Times to May
14, here,
to which Ban
has not
responded.
Back on March
13 in another
"friendly
fire" incident
among UN
peacekeepers
in Mali, two
were dead and
another
injured. The
UN Mission
MINUSMA issued
a statement,
only in
French;
InnerCityPro.com
translated it,
below.
"Bamako, le 13
mars 2016 -
Hier vers 19h,
un tragique
incident s’est
déroulé dans
le camp de la
MINUSMA ŕ
Tessalit,
région de
Kidal,
lorsqu’un
Casque bleu ŕ
tiré sur trois
de ses
collčgues.
Deux morts
sont ŕ
déplorer, un
autre a été
légčrement
blessé.
Le suspect a
été arręté, la
sécurité dans
le camp a été
renforcée, une
enquęte
permettra de
déterminer les
causes et
circonstances
exactes de
l’incident."
InnerCityPro.com's
translation:
“Yesterday
near 7 pm, a
tragic
incident
unrolled in
the MINUSMA
camp in
Tesalit, in
the Kidal
region, when a
Peacekeeper
fired on three
of his
colleagues.
Two deaths are
to be
deplored,
another was
lightly
injured. The
suspect has
been detained,
the security
of the camp
has been
reinforced, an
investigation
will let us
determine the
exact causes
and
circumstances
of the
incident.”
This is
the second
friendly fire
incident in
Mali recently;
Herve Ladsous'
peacekeeping,
beyond rapes,
is in rapid
decay, full of
double
standards.
Back on
Februayr 26
when two UN
peacekeepers
from Chad were
killed in
Kidal in
northern Mali,
the UN in New
York made no
mention of it.
This stands in
contrast to
announcements
in other cases
of
peacekeepers'
death. But
this one was
"friendly"
fire. So,
silent.
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
about this
incident in
Mali where one
Chadian
peacekeeper
killed two
other
peacekeepers.
It says that
it's based on
tensions in
their
contingent.
Is it based on
the conditions
there?
Why didn't you
announce it
from the
podium if two
peacekeepers
are dead?
Spokesman
Dujarric: On
the incident,
yes, there was
a press
release issued
this morning
by the Mission
in
Kidal.
There was a
shooting
incident in
the camp
yesterday
within the
Chadian
contingent.
One soldier
opened fire,
killed one of
his
colleagues.
Another one
was wounded
and later
succumbed from
his
injuries.
As for the…
the
perpetrator
was detained
and is in
custody, and
there's an
investigation
going on.
Inner City
Press: I
guess I'm
asking because
there… there…
there are even
some Security
Council or
recent
Security
Council
members have
said that the
conditions for
particularly
the African
contingents in
Northern Mali
are quite
negative.
But I also… I
repeat the
question.
Is… is it the
norm to… to
announce here…
not by a press
release from
Bamako, but
here, when
peacekeepers
are killed,
and if so… why
didn't that
happen in this
case?
Spokesman:
Well, I'm
confirming it
now, and as I
said, the
announcement
was made very
publicly from
the Mission in
Kidal… in the
Mission in
Mali.
The conditions
for
peacekeepers
in Mali,
especially in
the north, are
extremely
challenging.
Question:
Are the
conditions…
[cross talk]
Spokesman:
I'll come back
to you.
Sherwin?
And
after this
dodge, a
second round:
Inner City
Press: what I
wanted to know
is whether the
conditions of
the Dutch
contingent,
which is a
part of
MINUSMA
(United
Nations
Multidimensional
Integrated
Stabilization
Mission in
Mali), are
similar or
different than
those of the
Chadian
contingent, as
I previously
asked you
about their
equipment,
their
communications
equipment,
that seem to
also be
different.
So some people
look at it and
they say it
should be one
peacekeeping.
How do you
explain the
different… or
do you
acknowledge or
disagree
that…
[cross talk]
Spokesman:
I don't know
where the
Dutch are
stationed.
I don't know
if they're
stationed in
Kidal.
The issue of
equipment,
especially
sometimes with
contingents,
they don't
come with
enough
equipment,
creates
challenges for
DPKO
(Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations).
I know the
Chadians have
been on the
front lines of
the UN's work
in Mali, have
borne the
brunt of some
of the
violence that
we've
seen.
And I know we
and DPKO,
everyone, is
extremely
grateful for
what they
do. And
I'm sure the
Mission does
whatever they
can to ensure
that their
conditions are
acceptable.
Yeah,
sure.
Back on
January 11
when the UN
Security
Council heard
about Mali it
was not from
the new UN
Envoy to the
country, but
rather first
from UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous, who
has overseen
two-tier
peacekeeping
in the country
and bears
responsibility
for rapes in
Central
African
Republic.
In Mali, where
many UN
peacekeepers
nearly all of
them from
Africa have
been killed,
the Dutch
battalion has
communications
equipment that
only
contingents
from NATO
member
countries can
use, Inner
City Press has
been
exclusively
informed.
While
the reasoning
may be to
prevent
copying of the
technology by
others, the
result leaves
non-NATO
troops at
increased
risk.
Belatedly,
there is an
attempt to
procure
alternative,
non-NATO
limited
technology.
But this
two-tier
system, which
some even call
in context
racist, has
been allowed
by UN
Peacekeeping
under its boss
Herve Ladsous.
Two
week ago,
Inner City
Press asked
Ladsous, who
usually
refuses to
answer all
Press
questions,
about the
two-tier
nature of UN
peacekeeping.
On December 2
after a
screening of a
film about UN
Peacekeeping,
“Last Station
Before Hell,”
which
portrayed
missions in
Lebanon, DR
Congo and
Central
African
Republic,
Inner City
Press asked
Ladsous why
French and
other European
troops like
the Dutch
serve
alongside but
not with UN
peacekeepers,
in Mali
(including
Germans and
Slovakians now
replacing
French), Cote
d'Ivoire and
CAR. The
second was for
an update on
the rape
allegations
against French
and UN
peacekeepers
in CAR. Video
here and
embedded
below.
Ladsous, who
has repeatedly
outright
refused to
answer Inner
City Press
questions in
the UN, did
respond to the
first
question,
denying there
is a two-tier
system and
describing
what some view
as a vestige
of
colonialism:
he listed the
UK having a
special
interest in
Sierra Leon,
like France
has in Mali,
and a desire
to serve under
its own
command.
Ladsous
pointedly did
NOT answer the
request for
any update on
the sexual
abuse
allegations
against
Sangaris and
MINUSCA,
something
pointed out
afterward by a
number of
those in
attendance at
the
International
Peace
Institute.
One
also noted
this: while
Ladsous
trumpeted a
number of
female SRSGs
in UN
Peacekeeping,
only that day
one of them,
Ellen Loj, was
confined to
speaking
behind closed
doors after
Ladsous'
public speech,
and then
followed his
pattern of no
comments to
the media
afterward, a
come-down from
her
predecessor
Hilde Johnson
and even her
own previous
appearances.
(Johnson,
sources say,
pursued the
Somalia SRSG
post that was
given to
Michael
Keating.)
One of
Ladsous two
fellow
panelists at
IPI, Lise
Morjé Howard,
an Associate
Professor of
Government,
Georgetown
University,
answered Inner
City Press
that the
French troops
are not really
peacekeepers
but more akin
to
counter-insurgency
forces.
Ladsous called
France “the
country I know
best.” He is
listed in UN
Dispute
Tribunal
documents as
having tried
to fire, then
to retaliate
against, the
whistleblower
who revealed
the
allegations of
child rape by
French
soldiers in
CAR.
There's talk,
even about the
P5, of Ladsous
being a
liability who
shouldn't
remain even
during Ban
Ki-moon's
remaining
time. His
non-answer on
sexual abuse
on December 2
is
particularly
noteworthy
given his
Septembr 11
on-camera
linking of the
CAR rapes to
“R&R,”
video here.
We'll continue
on this. Follow @innercitypressFollow @FUNCA_info
, 
