For
Shots At
Copter, UN
Threatens M23
With
Prosecution,
Will Do in
S. Sudan?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 29 --
The UN says
two of its
helicopters
were fired
on in Eastern
Congo on
December 26,
from positions
north of Goma
held
by the M23. No
injuries are
mentioned.
The
UN "reminds"
M23 that
firing on UN
helicopters
"constitutes
a war crime.
Those
responsible
for such acts
will be
prosecuted,"
presumably in
the
International
Criminal
Court.
It's
good to be
proactive. But
what of South
Sudan's
admitted
shooting
down of a UN
helicopter
over Pibor on
December 21,
which killed
the
four Russians
in the crew?
Surely this
deadly downing
of a UN copter
will trigger
the
prosecution
for war crimes
with which the
UN is
threatening
M23?
On
December 26,
Inner City
Press asked
the UN to
"provide any
update on the
shooting down
of the UN
helicopter by
South Sudan,
including
specifically
providing
response to
quote by SPLA
spokesperson
Philip Aguer
that 'We saw a
white plane
landing and
asked UNMISS
whether they
had any flight
in the area
but they
denied
it. The army
opened fire
because it
thought it was
an enemy plane
supplying Yau
Yau with
weapons.'
Also, please
describe the
process
for deciding
on
compensation
to be paid in
this case."
The
UN responded
that, "On the
UNMISS
helicopter:
The
investigation
into the
incident is
under way and
we will have
more to say
when that
is complete."
Presumably
that
"more to say"
will include
the
announcement
of
prosecution
for war
crimes. On the
question of
intent, on the
Congo
the UN
immediately
said the
firing was
"deliberate."
What
was the basis
of that,
without the
"investigation"
being
done in South
Sudan? What
was the basis
of calling the
South Sudan
shooting
accidental,
even before
the
investigation?
Does this lack
of consistency
serve to put
peacekeepers
more at risk?
The
UN is become
more and more
mired in and
seemingly
comfortable
with
such double
standards.
The
UN tells
countries to
practice the
rule of
law -- then
refuses to
respond to
detailed legal
claims that
the
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations
introduced
deadly cholera
to
Haiti.
DPKO
in Cote
d'Ivoire pretends
to call on the
Ouattara
government to
speed
up its
investigate
the killing of
perceived
Gbagbo
supporters in
the
Nahibly IDP
camp --
when the UN
hasn't
finished its
own
investigation
(and envoy
Bert Koenders
has already exonerated
himself and
the UN.)
The
UN calls on
some countries
to respect
freedom of the
press, but
allows its
head of DPKO
Herve Ladsous
to refuse to
answer
participate
media's
questions,
even to seize
the UN TV
microphone to
try to avoid
the questions,
about rapes by
the Congolese
army in
Minova, to be
asked. Video
here.
Footnote:
As
we reported
on December
27, even in
the small
world of the
UN
press corps,
the double
standards are
obvious. Some
media have
been
ejected from
their UN
office space
for not
complying with
the UN's
rule that
space is for
those who come
in three days
a week.
But
the New York
Times has
hardly been at
the UN all
year, and
there are
fliers from
October stuck
under its
office door.
Still, it's
being
given another
office, while
others are
being squeezed
out, as now
raised by the
Free
UN Coalition
for Access,
FUNCA.
Will
those who
complain be
prosecuted?
Watch this
site.
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