UNITED
NATIONS,
February 5 --
A mere two
paragraphs out
of a more than
20-paragraph UN
Group of
Experts report
were trumpeted
by Reuters on
the evening of
February 3:
Rwanda is
training
Burundian
opposition
fighters, in
DRC, citing 18
such
combatants.
Amazingly, BBC
Radio then put
on air the
scribe who was
handed the
report,
Michelle
Nichols --
without the
BBC apparently
even looking
for the full
report itself.
Audio
here. Is
this what
mainstream or
British
journalisms
has come it?
BBC presenter
Akwasi Sarpong
said, "You've
seen the
report" -- as
if he couldn't
see it
himself, here,
merely with
Google. Is
this
incompetence
or more
propaganda?
There was, of
course, much
more to this
12-page UN
report,
including
simply as one
example that
the UN
Peacekeepers
from Tanzania
was described
as meeting /
working with
the ADF
rebels,
mis-speaking
and getting in
a firefight
with the
Congolese
Army. But this
lead section
of the report
was not in
Reuters
February 3
lead story by
its UN bureau
chief Lou
Charbonneau.
Later Charbonneau
would promote
his propaganda
protege
Michelle
Nichols'
apparently,
only about
Rwanda, on BBC
Radio - the
torch as been
passed? Note
that it is
Reuters, and
Nichols, who
in a murky
process has
been
handpicked to
"memorialize"
the Security
Council's
interactions
with the Great
Lakes, along
with a Voice
of America
scribe Margaret
Basheer
who "saw"
Liberians
while in
Burundi last
month.
Only on the
afternoon of
February 4 did
Reuters note
the other
sections of
the report,
including the
Tanzanians -
and then, not
by the bureau
chief but the
correspondent.
Other
at Reuters got
involved,
a Freedom of
Information
Act request by
Inner City
Press
revealed:
but the
company's
executives
refused to
explain their
policies as
requested.
After UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon on New
Year's Eve
issued a
statement
surreally
praising the
Burundi
“talks” held
in Entebbe,
Uganda,
multiple
sources told
Inner City
Press these
not really
talks but
rather a photo
op. The
January 6
session
announced for
Arusha did not
happen.
Inner City
Press
requested to
cover the
UNSC's trip to
Burundi, but
was
UNtransparently
rejected.
Transparently,
Inner City
Press
published the
DR Congo Group
of Experts
Update Report
including
about 18
Burundian
combatants, here
and see below.
At the
February 4 UN
noon briefing,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq,
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: I've
seen the Group
of Experts'
report and
actually
published it,
and I wanted
to ask you the
following: you
said there's a
Group of
Experts, the
DRC
(Democratic
Republic of
the Congo)
sanctions
Group of
Experts.
And there's
two paragraphs
in the
report... if
you can say
from this
podium, what
is the mandate
of that Group
of
Experts?
And I ask
because,
previously,
they were
asked to look
into the
Burundian
Government's
youth militia
training in
South Kivu,
and the answer
was that this
was beyond
their mandate,
that they are
the DRC
sanctions
committee.
So I wanted to
know, was
there some
change in
their mandate,
and, perhaps
relatedly,
what is the
process to
replace…
you've
announced that
Movses Abelian
is getting a
promotion, all
to the good,
what is the
process for
replacing the
head of SCAD,
the Security
Council
Affairs
Division, and
does it
involve
consultation
with the P5
members?
Thank you.
Deputy
Spokesman:
First of all,
regarding your
first question
about the
mandate of the
Group of
Experts, that
mandate is set
by the
relevant
Security
Council
resolutions.
I'd simply
refer you back
to
those.
Regarding Mr.
Abelian, yes,
we announced
that he will
be in charge
of the
Division of
General
Assembly
Affairs and
Conference
Management
and, while we…
while we look
for a
replacement
through the
usual
procedures,
there will be
an acting head
of the
office.
Regarding how
selections are
made, of
course, it's
the standard
process by
which we hire
personnel.
Inner City
Press:
Is Kelvin
Ong either
a candidate to
replace him or
who's in
charge now of
SCAD?
Deputy
Spokesman:
I would never,
never…
Inner City
Press:
Who's in
charge of
SCAD?
Deputy
Spokesman:
For all
personnel
appointments,
we don't go
into lists of
candidates.
I would check
who's the
acting head
right
now. I
don't believe
that Mr.
Abelian has
started his
next job
already, so it
may be him
right
now. But
there will be
an acting
head.
Handpicked to
go and
memorialize
the trip was
Reuters, which
barely
reported what
happened.
There is a
history, of
Reuters UN
bureau here
and here;
on February 3,
Reuters
correspondent
Michelle
Nichols went
so far as to
cut off Inner
City Press'
questions to
the UN, Vine
here.
Inner
City Press in
the spirit of
transparency
is publishing
the (update)
report, dated
January 15,
2016, signed
by Coordinator
Gaston
Gramajo, and
its two
paragraphs
about 18
Burundian
combatants, here.
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokespeople
about the trip
on January 20,
21 and 22 -
including
asking why the
UN was not
providing a
video or at
least audio
stream of the
January 22
press
encounters,
says it has
a "UN
Information
Center" in
Bujumbura,
which produced
a smiling
photo of the
French deputy
ambassador
Alexis Lamek
on the tarmac.
The UN said it
couldn't.
Local
media in
Burundi put
online a video
in which Lamek
spoke at
length;
afterward a
pro-government
Burundian
media quoted
Lamek that
"we" take
seriously the
question of
interference
by Rwanda to
destabilize
Burundi and
will be
working on it.
But the
four scribes
handpicked to
accompany the
Security
Council trip,
inlcuding
Agence France
Presse, it
seems, for
some reasons
didn't cover
it. Why? We'll
have more on
this. Instead,
AFP, Reuters
and Voice
of America
(which saw
"Liberians"
then cited
auto-correct)
filed
near-identical
stories with
no quotes from
opposition
figures or
attacked
journalists.
None of the
three even
tweeted on
January 23,
other than
Reuters as a
robot: talk
about Old
Media.
How
could "Agence
France
Presse,"
handpicked to
publicize the
UNSC trip
co-led by
France, not
even cover the
controversy?
What about
Reuters?
We note
that the
French Mission
to the UN said
that Lamek was
being
misrepresented
(the same
French Mission
has tried to
shield Lamek
from critical
Press
questions,
which
here on Vine
Lamek has
refused to
answer even
when entirely
audible).
Later an AFP
quote emerged
of Lamek
saying that
any AU force,
even the 100
human rights
observers,
should
significantly
focus on the
Rwandan
border.
On the
evening of
January 23 the
UN has put up
select clips
including a mere
16 seconds
of French
deputy
ambassador
Lamek, much
less than the
local
Burundian
media present
at the same
press
encountered
had. If
the UN filmed
the press
encounters,
why did it so
selectively
edit them?
More
specifically,
now, who
decided on the
edits?
Inner
City Press
asked the head
of the
Campaign
Against the
Third Term
(“Halte au
troisième
mandat”) Vital
Nshimirimana
about the UNSC
visit, and why
the AU human
rights
observers are
not yet in
place. His
answers to
Inner City
Press:
"As for the
deployment of
the AU Human
rights
observers, I
would recall
that the same
was decided
back in June
following the
June 13, 2015
Johannesburg
Summit on
Burundi.
Initially, the
number was to
be about 70
observers but
the government
refused and
allowed a
narrow team.
"My thought
over the issue
is that
Nkurunziza has
chosen to
humiliate
everybody in
as much as he
does not care
about any
principle or
value. So, the
AU and other
bodies as well
choose to deal
with him very
carefully for
he is a man
(and a regime)
"irrational,"
likely to
commit
whatever
crime, insult
whomever.....
"With regard
to the UNSC
visit, I hope
this is the
very last
warning
towards a kind
of regime
likely to
commit
genocide. They
are expected
to dually and
objectively
assess the
situation and
especially the
strength and
presence of
Imbonerakure,
the CNDD-FDD
militia....
And this was
shown through
a huge anti-
peacekeeping
mission
mission to
Burundi,
MAPROBU
rhetoric.
Burundians
expect the
UNSC support
the deployment
of such a
mission in
line with the
responsibility
to protect
(Pillar III)
since Burundi
is no longer
able and is
unwilling to
protect
citizens from
crimes against
humanity
(ongoing from
April 2015)
and genocide
(of which
dozens of
signs suggest
that it is
likely to
happen and
some acts are
already
undertaken).
Lastly, the
UNSC is
expected to
talk with
Nkurunziza and
the AU as well
regarding
peace talks.
They should
assess
Museveni's
performance,
after what
conclude that
he should be
assigned AU
and UN teams
(to enhance
his capacity)
or change
him.... I
commend your
endeavors to
keep the world
informed about
the Burundi
crisis."
We'll
have more on
this --
including in
light the UN
Deputy
Spokesperson's
response to
Inner City
Press that
transcripts
may be
provided.
Here
are parts of
an Inner City
Press
interview with
a journalist
attacked by
the Nkurunziza
government and
for that
reason
anonymous:
In English:
"It would be
better if the
Security
Council met
for example
UPRONA leader
Nditije
Charles, with
the
non-governmental
branch of the
UPRONA party)
or his
Spokesman
Thacien
Sibomana. The
Council should
try to meet
civil society
but
there is
almost no one
left to really
speak with now
in Bujumbura.
All those
still in
Bujumbura,
they can't say
anything about
the abuses of
authorithies.
If it was
possible, they
should ask to
meet the young
men in prison.
They should
see themselves
how the
government
abuses those
young men,
with
tortures...
Tell them
visit to the
prisoners in
Gitega (those
who are
accused to
attempting a
coup d'etat)
UN has the
right to visit
prisoners."
Inner
City Press
note: another
source says
"the
government
moved several
detainees from
the SNR jails.
I highly doubt
they'd allow a
visit to
detainees."
Tellingly,
IWACU reports
that bike taxi
and motorcycle
taxi drivers
offered money
to protest in
favor of
Nkurunziza
weren't, after
the fact,
paid: here.
At the January
21 UN noon
briefing,
Inner City
Press asked UN
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq
about the
"community
works" and
meeting(s). Video here, UN
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
you this just
because I'm
trying to
cover it, and
I know that
you'd said
yesterday that
the Special
Adviser, Jamal
Benomar, is in
Burundi in
part of the
trip. So
what I wanted
to ask you is,
I've seen
documents that
show that the…
the… the…
tomorrow, the
meeting with
the President,
[Pierre]
Nkurunziza,
will involve a
demonstration
of “community
work”, i.e.,
people have
been asked to
go and I don't
know if it's
to show how
happy they are
— Gitega and
Karuzi.
Does the
Special
Adviser… not
the Security
Council, does
the Special
Adviser of the
Secretary-General
believe that
this type of…
of… of show is
the right one
and will they
be meeting
with UPRONA
and other
opposition
groups or
prisoners
currently in
jail?
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq:
Well, we'll be
able to
provide
details of the
meetings once
they've taken
place.
As you know,
the
expectation is
for the
members of the
Council to
meet with
President
Nkurunziza.
That hasn't
happened so
far, but once
that's
happened,
we'll see what
the
circumstances
are and what
the views of
Mr. Benomar
are.
This is
reminiscent of
the type of
dog-and-pony
show Sri
Lanka's then
President
Mahinda
Rajapaksa put
on for
visiting UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon and
that Inner
City Press accompanied
and covered
(apparently
not to the UN's
and its
allies' liking
- it has been
Banned from
trips since.)
But will the
UNSC, unlike
Ban, have the
fortitude or
leverage to
reject a dog
and pony show?
Watch this
site.
On January 19
at the UN,
Inner City
Press asked
Uruguay's Vice
Minister for
Foreign
Affairs Jose
Luis Cancela,
chairing the
Security
Council debate
on Protection
of Civilians,
about Burundi
and the
Council's
trip. Video
here.
On
January 21,
Inner City
Press and the
Free
UN Coalition
for Access asked
UK Permanent
Representative
Matthew
Rycroft about
his stop-over
on Addis
Ababa, "will
you as UK meet
with AU before
heading to
Burundi? About
AU's proposed
deployment?"
Rycroft replied,
"Yes! Looking
forward to
meeting
@AU_Chergui
today. Will
also return to
Addis with
whole UNSC
after
Burundi."
In
Addis,
Chergui had
filed the
Concept of
Operation for
the MAPROBU
peacekeeping
mission. We'll
have more on
this.
Burundian
civil society
has written to
Ban seeking
the
repatriation
of the
country's
peacekeepers.
Inner City
Press has put
the letter
from Vital
Nshimirimana
to Ban online
here, and
will be asking
the UN about
it. Watch this
site.
On
December 30
Nkurunziza
threatened to
have his
forces attack
peacekeepers
proposed for
the country.
On
December 16
Inner City
Press was
banned from
questions to
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon, but
learned from
the mission
MINUSCA that
Baratuza was
already in
Entebbe. Inner
City Press
asked several
Security
Council
members, then
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric on
December17.
Dujarric told
Inner City
Press
Baratuza's
deployment is
suspended and
he is being
repatriated:
"based on the
information
we've received
regarding the
Lieutenant
Colonel, his
deployment has
been
suspended, and
he will be
repatriated
back to
Burundi." Video here. Dujarric told Inner
City Press
this shows the
UN system
working - on a
day when a
report on
rapes was
issued showing
UN
Peacekeeping
under Herve
Ladsous not
sufficiently
vetting for
human rights.
We'll have
more on this.
Amid the
escalating
killings in
Burundi, last
weekend's
summary
executions in
neighborhoods
opposed to
Pierre
Nkurunziza's
third term
stand out. But
Burundi Army
spokesman
Gaspard
Baratuza was
quoted on
December 12
blaming all of
the deaths on
attempts to
steal weapons
to free
prisoners.
Inner City
Press had
heard that Mr.
Baratuza was
already in the
process of
being deployed
to the UN
Peacekeeping
mission in the
Central
African
Republic
(MINUSCA) even
when he was
giving these
quotes,
issuing
statements and
speaking to
state-owned
radio, and so
asked
MINUSCA's
acting
spokesperson,
“Is Gaspard
Baratuza of
Burundi's army
getting a
MINUSCA job?”
On
December 16,
hours before
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon held a
rare press
conference,
MINUSCA's
acting
spokesperson
sent this to
Inner City
Press:
"To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
InnerCityPress.com
From: Vladimir
MONTEIRO [at]
UN.org
Date: Wed, Dec
16, 2015
Subject: ICP
question:
Gaspard
Baratuza of
Burundi's army
getting a
MINUSCA-related
post?
Cc: FUNCA [at]
funca.info
"No decision
related to Lt
Col Baratuza's
deployment can
be taken
before we
finish looking
into the
matter. We can
confirm that
Lt Col
Baratuza is in
Entebbe but he
has not yet
deployed to
MINUSCA.
Regards. VNM"
There are some
questions
about
Baratuza, a
Colonel in
Burundi's
Army, being
listed by the
UN as “Lt.
Col.”
Despite
multiple
follow-up
questions by
Inner City
Press, Mr.
Monteiro -
previously a
spokesperson
for the UN
electoral
mission in
Burundi -
replied that
“This is what
we can say
about this
issue.”
But the UN
should have to
say more.
Inner City
Press has
repeatedly
asked the UN
how its
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations
under Herve
Ladsous vets
those who
deploy to UN
missions;
Inner City
Press exclusively
reported
on an October
1, 2015
meeting in
which Ladsous
told Burundi's
Vice President
Joseph Butare
that he is
“pragmatic” on
human rights.
, 
