As Ban
Fails on UN
Rapes, Spox
Tells ICP
Kompass Not
Retaliated
Against
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, June
24 -- How low
has the UN
fallen, in
terms of
corruption,
not stopping
rapes, and
retaliating
against the
Press that
asks the
questions? April 16 eviction here and here.
May
14 New York
Times here.
On
June 7, when
Ban Ki-moon
was criticized
for not fully
and publicly
addressing the
rapes, Inner
City Press
asked Ban's
spokesman, UN transcript
here and
below.
On
June 22 UN
staff unions
issued their
own statement,
including on
the
retaliation
under Ban, see
below. On June
24, Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesperson
Farhan Haq
about it, video here, UN
transcript
here:
Inner
City Press: I
would assume
that you've
seen the staff
unions, at
least four of
them, put out
their own
statement
about sexual
abuse and
accountability
in the UN
system.
And as part of
it, they said
that one of
the reasons
that they felt
a need to put
this out was
that “many
staff are
scared to
report abuse
for fear of
retaliation”.
And I wanted
to know, I've
asked you
about [Anders]
Kompass,
various
people.
This is on
behalf of a
large
percentage of
employees of
the UN.
What's the
response of
the
Secretary-General
to a pervasive
feeling among
staff that if
they report
abuse, they
will suffer
the same
consequence
as, for
example, Mr.
Kompass did?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, Mr.
Kompass was a
senior
official.
It's not a
question of an
official above
him trying to
retaliate.
He himself is
a senior
official.
But, be that
as it may, the
basic point is
that we want
all staff to
feel secure,
and as you
know, we,
ourselves, are
trying to
provide as
much
information on
sexual
exploitation
and
abuse.
As you see in
recent weeks,
we've made
tremendous
strides
forward in
terms of
naming names,
of contingents
that are
involved in
these sorts of
abuses, and we
want to make
sure that
whenever
there's any
type of abuse,
the
information
comes out and
comes out
promptly.
So, the
Secretary-General
has put in
place over the
years policies
to protect
people from
the threat of
retaliation.
As you know,
there are
offices that
look into
these
including the
Ethics Office
and the Office
of the
Ombudsman.
So, we're
trying to make
sure that
people do feel
secure, and we
want them to
feel
secure.
It's certainly
a matter of
concern that
if any staff
member does
not feel that
sort of
confidence
because they
should.
Inner City
Press: I
didn't expect
you to say
that of Mr.
Kompass.
Didn't the
review show
that people
above Kompass,
he's the
senior
official, but
there were
people above
him asked OIOS
[Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services] to
investigate
him, and
that's why he
lost his job?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, they
found
different
things that
were improper,
and I'll refer
you back to
the
report.
I don't
believe that
anyone has
determined
this to be a
case of
retaliation.
Faced with
increased
allegations of
sexual abuse
and
exploitation
by UN staff
and
peacekeepers,
the staff
unions of the
UN common
system today
issue a
statement
calling for
joint action
by colleagues,
UN management
and member
states to:
•
stop all
sexual
exploitation
and abuse,
whether by
staff,
contractors or
peacekeepers;
•
provide a
single and
fair
investigation
process for
both staff and
military
personnel;
•
put in place
better
reporting
mechanisms for
victims and
staff, and
more effective
protection for
whistleblowers;
•
implement zero
tolerance not
just for those
who commit
such acts but
also for those
in positions
of
responsibility
who turn a
blind eye or
cover up;
•
institute a
culture change
at
headquarters
so that
military
forces with
records of
abuse aren’t
contracted to
peacekeeping
missions; and
•
ensure
accountability
for all,
including
through
national
judicial
systems.
Last year, 99
women,
children and
men were
allegedly
sexually
exploited or
abused by
those working
under the UN
flag.
The staff
unions believe
that each case
of abuse and
rape, whether
committed by
military
personnel or
our own
colleagues,
tars all staff
with the same
brush and
damages the
trust staff
have worked so
hard to build
with the
communities
they serve.
Both the
Secretary-General
and member
states have
rightly
condemned this
trend. But
despite this,
allegations of
sexual
exploitation
and abuse
continue to go
un-investigated,
high profile
cases remain
unprosecuted,
member states
continue to
argue how best
to prosecute
guilty
peacekeepers,
and many staff
feel scared to
report abuse
for fear of
retaliation."
We'll
have more
on this.
Back on June
7:
Inner
City
Press:
these are
questions
about Central
African
Republic but
also sexual
abuse.
Down in
Conference
Room 3 this
morning, in
one of the
side events of
the HIV event,
Stephen Lewis
said that the
Secretary-General,
Ban Ki-moon,
has yet to
react publicly
and fully to
the December
2015 CAR
review panel
report and
that they're
basically
putting their
faith in next
SG. Do
you… where has
he responded
publicly and
fully, and
will he take a
question on
this at his
stakeout later
this week?
Spokesman:
He will take
whatever
question is
thrown at him.
Inner City
Press:
Really?
Spokesman:
The
Secretary-General
has, through
the
appointment of
Jane Holl
Lute, through
the actions
that have been
taken by DPKO
[Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations]
and DFS
[Department of
Field
Support], I
think, reacted
very strongly
to the
report.
There's more
transparency.
There are more
updates.
Contingents
are being
removed.
Contingents
are not being…
are not being
replaced.
All sorts of
measures are
put in
place.
Trust Funds
were
established.
So, I think
the facts of
what we have
done since
then, I think,
speak for
themselves
with all due
respect for
Mr. Lewis.
Inner City
Press: I
guess then I'd
like to ask
about another
mister, Mr.
Kompass.
Mr. Kompass
has now
resigned from
the UN system
and has said
it's because
he has found
virtually
total impunity
in the wake of
the charges
that he
forwarded to
the
authorities.
Do you have
any
comment?
Have you seen
what Mr.
Kompass has
said about the
UN system, and
what's your
response to
that?
Spokesman:
No, I mean I…
we wish Mr.
Kompass well.
Inner City
Press:
And I have
another CAR,
just
non-sexual
abuse.
Spokesman:
Quickly.
Question:
Sure.
This has to do
with there's a
report in the
French media
of prosecution
of French
soldiers in
the… in the…
got to say
this right
because it is
in French… in
the “Régiment
d’infanterie
de marine”,
and I don't
want to get
this
wrong,
“violemment
agressé des
civils” in
2014 they're
being
prosecuted.
And I wanted
to know, is
this something
the UN… now
that the
French
authorities
have… they
didn't make it
public at the
time, but it's
now been
reported.
Is this
something the
UN's either
human rights
people knew
about or the
mission, and
what do you
say about
this…
Spokesman:
I don't know
about this
particular
case, but
obviously, we
welcome the
prosecution of
anyone accused
of sexual
abuse.
Back
on June 2,
when Ban
Ki-moon did
not even
mention
peacekeepers'
rapes in the
French
organized
Security
Council debate
on sexual
violence in
conflict,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, video here, UN
transcript
here:
Inner
City
Press: I
wanted to ask,
listening to
the
Secretary-General's
speech on this
sexual
violence and
conflict, and
I was sort of
waiting for
some reference
to sexual
abuse by
peacekeepers
themselves or
by the
Sangaris
force.
Is there
something that
I'm missing in
kind of the
scope of the
meeting?
Why was this
important
topic on which
he actually
had some…
some, you
know,
responsibility
and can do
something, not
mentioned in
his speech…?
Spokesman:
I think the
Secretary-General
has been clear
in his outrage
when
violations are
committed by
peacekeepers
or
international
forces.
The focus of
the meeting
was on those
terror groups
and others who
are
deliberately
using… using
sexual
violence as a
tool of war,
and I don't
think in any
way, shape or
form that
applies to
peacekeeping.
Question:
Well, I mean…
no, I guess
I'm referring
to the
Sangaris, the
bestiality
allegations at
a minimum are
not… don't
seem to be of
normal… they
seem to be…
Spokesman:
I think your…
your… I don't
agree with
your
logic. I
think you're
talking about,
on one hand,
groups and
organisations
that pointedly
use sexual
violence as a
tool of
war. And
what I'm
talking about
are horrendous
acts committed
by an extreme
minority…
criminal acts
committed by a
minority of
peacekeepers
or
international…
international
forces that
doesn't…
obviously, it
doesn't
reflect the
intent of the
missions.
Question:
Sure.
And I guess
you may… I've
been meaning
to ask this
for a few
days.
The
Secretary-General's
most recent
report on
children and
armed conflict
goes through a
number of
things, but it
mentions the
attack by the
US on the
Médecins Sans
Frontières
hospital in
Kunduz, but
the US is not
listed in the
annex.
The Saudis are
listed for
similar
attacks, I
guess, which
you might call
unintentional,
in
Yemen.
How is this
determination
made to list
the… the…?
Spokesman:
There will be…
there is a
process, and
we go through
it every year,
and there will
be a formal
presentation
of the report
by the Special
Representative.
So I would ask
you to save
your questions
for
that.
On May
26 amid UN
Peacekeeping
scandals
ranging from
rapes and
sexual
exploitation
to the
“protection of
civilians”
crisis
exemplified by
the failure at
Malakal in
South Sudan,
DPKO chief
Herve Ladsous
and DFS' Atule
Khare held a
press
conference.
While
Ladsous has
engaged in
censorship for
some time,
refusing to
answer Press
questions,
Khare on May
25 indicated
he would take
a question.
But apparently
the DPKO-DFS
partnership or
"brotherhood"
is not equal:
Ladsous'
predilections
won out.
Khare
spoke of
recycling in
Darfur, and of
the Tanzanian
battalion
agreeing to
paternity
tests. When
Inner City
Press asked,
quite audible,
for Ladsous to
clarify his
September 11,
2015 linking
of rapes to
"R&R," he
declined.
Nothing on
Malakal,
either. This
is Ban
Ki-moon's UN.
After Ladsous
refused these
audible
questions,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's deputy
spokesman
Farhan Haq
about Malakal
and, again,
about the
UNIFIL food
re-sale
scandal
exposed by El
Pais. Haq said
the
investigations
are ongoing.
This too is
Ban's UN.
This
too: on May 18
the annual
meeting
between the UN
Security
Council and
DPKO Force
Commanders
which has
always before
been open -
has gone
behind closed
doors.
This was
particularly
inappropriate
given the
Force
Commanders
present:
rape-central
MINUSCA
commander
Lieutenant
General Balla
Keïta;
Lieutenant
General Derick
Mbuyiselo
Mgwebi (South
Africa) of the
UN
Organization
Stabilization
Mission in the
DRC (MONUSCO),
Lieutenant
General
Yohannes
Gebremeskel
Tesfamariam
(Ethiopia) of
the UN Mission
in South Sudan
(UNMISS), and
Major General
Michael
Lollesgaard
(Denmark) of
the UN
Multidimensional
Integrated
Stabilization
Mission in
Mali
(MINUSMA).
Why is this
meeting
closed? Why is
UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous, who
linked rapes
to R&R,
not scheduled
for a Q&A
Press
conference?
Even to
stakeout the
closed
meeting, Inner
City Press is
this year
required by
DPI's Cristina
Gallach and
ultimately Ban
Ki-moon
required to
have a UN
“minder” as it
seeks to speak
on background
with sources.
This is
censorship and
UN decay.
Still,
it seems that
at least one
member state
not on the
UNSC this year
was asked to
leave; others
wondered why
the meeting
was closed, or
at least some
part of it not
left open.
Inner City
Press said to
French
Permanent
Representative
Francois
Delattre,
apparently NOT
on the
Security
Council's
mission to
Somalia, "ca
doit etre
ouvert." He
replied,
politely, that
he wasn't
sure.
On May
17, Ban's
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric
announced the
availability
of the UN's
own count of
sexual abuse
and
exploitation
allegations in
2016, 44. Of
this, 29
MINUSCA, 7
MONUSCO, 2
MINUSTAH, one
each in
UNMISS, UNOCI,
MINUSMA,
UNISFA, UNSCO
and UNSMIL
(Libya). Is it
credible? When
is the UN
Peacekeeping
Q&A?
After a bill
on UN
peacekeepers'
sexual abuse
and
exploitation
passed the US
Senate Foreign
Relations
Committee,
Inner City
Press on April
29 asked the
spokesman for
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon what
he thought of
the bill, video here, UN
transcript
here.
On
April 20,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban Ki-moon's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
rapes inside
the UN's
"protection"
camps, UN
transcript
here.
On
April 12 Inner
City Press
asked Ban
Ki-moon's
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq
about an April
13 hearing in
the US House
of
Representatives
about impunity
for UN rapes.
Just as the UN
skipped court
hearings on
bringing
cholera to
Haiti, Haq's
answer did not
say that the
UN would
attend the
hearing. Video
here.
Inner
City Press
live-tweeted
the House
hearing on
April 13, in
which Aicha
Elbasri
described
Herve Ladsous'
cover up in
Darfur, and
former OIOS
auditor Peter
Gallo
described how
top UN
officials just
USE the OIOS
(as they have
to de-link Ban
Ki-moon from
the Ng Lap
Seng scandal).
Brett Schaefer
said there is
a need for US
training of
other
countries'
peacekeepers.
There's truth
in that, but
one of the DRC
Army units
implicated in
the mass rapes
in Minova was
US trained.
Chairman
Chris Smith
cited the UN's
"zero
tolerance,
zero
compliance
culture;" in
the Senate
there were
strong
argument for
reducing the
UN's funding.
On
April 14,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, video here, UN
transcript
here.
, 
