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In Congo, UN Spins Amid Hutu Rebels and Kabila's
Friends, Denies Retreating and Abuse
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of
Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS,
November 3 -- Amid reports that
Congolese president Joseph Kabila is requesting military backing from
Zimbabwe
and Angola, the UN at the highest levels on Monday sought to justify
its
actions. From Goma in Eastern Congo, UN Peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy
said
that he is aware of the reports Inner City Press asked him about of
Kabila's
army "colluding" with the Hutu rebels of the FDLR. He said that he
has asked "Kinshasa" -- presumably, President Kabila himself -- to
deal more even-handedly with the FDLR, in a "transparent manner"
under the supervision of the UN and others. Video here,
from Minute 32:34.
Who might
those others be? UN spokespeople on condition of anonymity claimed that
the
United Kingdom has offered paratroopers, but that France is blocking
their
deployment "because France wants to keep control."
Inner City Press asked Le Roy about a quote
by French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner, that within the UN's
Congo mission,
MONUC, "there are entire brigades that are unable to engage in
defensive, let alone offensive, action, because their rules of
engagement are
insufficient or they are very restrictive." Le Roy said when he saw the
quote, he called up Kouchner. One wag remarked that the French control
of this
Congo issue extends beyond the Security Council to the administrative
level of
the UN.
Inner
City Press'
question to Le Roy about whether the Uruguayan contingent, as reported,
fled
from the front lines was answered by MONUC chief Alan Doss. He said
that the
Congolese army caused the problem, by taking up positions just behind
the Uruguayans
and firing rockets. That the Uruguayans left the cross-fire was a
decision
made, Doss said, by an Indian battalion commander.
Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon, just back from Bangladesh, held a stakeout with the media
on
Monday afternoon, emphasizing his willingness to meet with Kabila and
Rwandan
president Paul Kagame as soon as possible. Inner City Press asked if
Mr. Ban
thinks Kabila should meet with Nkunda, since he is the once with forces
around
Goma and who declared the ceasefire. Ban replied that Kabila has said
he is
willing to meet with Nkunda -- which, if true, would be news. Inner
City Press'
request for a response to the critique of the UN as not doing enough to
act
against the FDLR and not only Nkunda's forces was not responded to.
Video here,
from Minute 10:26.
UN's Ban and his new envoy to the
Congo, Nigeria's Obasanjo, FDLR not shown
At
Monday's noon
briefing, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesperson to explain the
following
from the Indian press, during Ban's passage through that country:
"On recent
allegations of
misconduct by Indian peacekeepers in Congo, he said investigations were
on, and
'I know that the Indian government has taken necessary measures'. On
allegations of smuggling, the Secretary General said: 'There has been
some
internal investigation by the U N's relevant investigative organs and
these
allegations have been proved to be not substantial.'"
Since
Ban himself
said in August 2008 that he is "troubled" by evidence of Indian
peacekeepers sexually abusing young girls in Masisi in Eastern Congo,
Inner
City Press asked him spokesperson what exactly India has done since
then. The
spokesperson said to ask the Department of Peacekeeping Operations,
whose Alain
Le Roy and Alan Doss did not address the issue in their video press
conference
later on Monday.
In
fact, the UN on
Monday reappointed Senegalese general Babacar Gaye as force commander
of MONUC,
to replace Spanish general Diaz who quit three weeks after taking the
post, in
the middle of this crisis. While returning to a previous commander is
understandable, in his exit press conference in August, Gaye was
dismissive of
charges of sexual abuse and gold trading, even kidnapping, by MONUC
peacekeepers, click here for
that. One wag quipped, at MONUC it's zero
tolerance for abuse until Nkunda's at the door -- then anything goes.
Footnote: During his stay in
India, Inner City Press is
told, Ban Ki-moon wanted to see the Taj Mahal, but was told it would
take three
quarters of a day, which he didn't have. He did, however, see the
birthplace of
the Buddha, in Nepal. In light of the chaos in Congo, one imagine the
chant,
"Serenity Now."
Watch this site, and this Oct. 2 debate, on
UN, bailout, MDGs
and this October 17 debate, on
Security Council and Obama and the UN.
* * *
These
reports are
usually also available through Google
News and on Lexis-Nexis.
Click
here
for a Reuters
AlertNet piece by this correspondent
about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click
here
for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali
National
Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an
undefined trust fund. Video
Analysis here
Feedback: Editorial
[at] innercitypress.com
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