On
DRC, UN
Confirms to
ICP "Security
Incident" But
Not Tear Gas
on the UNpaid
By Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
series
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 4 --
The United
Nations, UNaccountable
in Africa
as it has been
in
Haiti and
Sri
Lanka, has
left a trail
of broken
promises, with
one current
example being
in Katanga in
the Democratic
Republic of
the Congo.
Legal
immunity,
turned into
impunity, is
the cause of
and link
between these
cases.
But
protests of
the UN in
Lubumbashi
have not
resulted in
any
accountability.
In fact, the
victims
contacted
Inner City
Press with an
alert about a
physical
attack. Inner
City Press
asked about it
at the
December 4 UN
noon briefing.
Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq
repeated that
"UNDP is
looking into
it," without
answering if
this meant
UNDP was
looking into
the attack as
well. Then
this arrived:
"From: UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
[at]
un.org>
Date: Fri, Dec
4, 2015 at
12:43 PM
Subject: Your
question on
Lubumbashi
To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
Further to
your question
on Lubumbashi,
we can confirm
that there was
a security
incident
involving an
international
OCHA staff
member on 26
November in
Lubumbashi.
The Department
of Safety and
Security is
handling this
matter in
accordance
with standard
UN staff
safety and
security
procedures.
We continue to
call for the
safety and
security of
all aid
workers across
the DRC and in
humanitarian
operations
elsewhere.
Violence
against
humanitarian
staff and
organizations
is
unacceptable
and only
jeopardizes
the ability of
aid workers to
assist people
with major
humanitarian
needs."
While
the answer is
appreciated,
it does not
address
complaints
that the UN
has tried to
use tear gas
against the
families of
those it left
unpaid in
Katanga. Inner
City Press
asked the UN
in writing, on
Friday,
November 27
when the UN
did not hold a
noon briefing,
this question:
"please state
if OCHA's
(new) chief in
Lubumbashi
Mauricio
Gioliano has
been
reassigned, on
information
and belief to
Goma, and if
so please
state why."
This
question was
never answered
or even
responded to,
but it is
related. Watch
this site.
On November
23, after
exclusively
reporting on
this story,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, video here, transcript
here and
below.
Inner City
Press:
yesterday
you’d said
that UNDP’s
(United
Nations
Development
Programme)
legal position
is looking
into this
Lubumbashi
thing, which I
know it sounds
like a… like a
kind of a very
local
situation,
except these
guys have, you
know, filmed
videos of what
they were told
by the UN
staff there,
and also they
now say that
many of the
OCHA (Office
for the
Coordination
of
Humanitarian
Affairs)
people have
been pulled
from the
office by
orders of OCHA
in
Kinshasa.
In their mind,
it’s kind of a
cover-up.
I’m wondering…
Spokesman:
I
understand.
I will see
what else I
can get, but I
don’t have
anything with
me.
Here's
what another
of the victims
has written to
Inner City
Press:
"1 All OCHA
staff in
Lubumbashi
were helped to
escape
including the
chef Sulaiman
Hamani Saidou
and this
decision was
made by big
bosses in New
york
2 The register
book for
visitors to
the office
contains the
proof of our
visit and they
are liable
because all
business was
inside their
office. we
keep asking
where is this
book but it
has
disappeared:
this must also
be a decision
by big
bosses:
Madam Carol
took this book
away when she
came from
Kinshasa
3 the new OCHA
staff are
distracting us
saying
investigation
is happening
and then they
changed mind
and said talk
to government
just when they
know there is
total change
in government
in our
province
4 meanwhile
our children
are suffering
outside school
and are
refugees
living on the
street outside
OCHA
5 many people
in OCHA are
involved
including
former chef
and staff and
people in
Kinshasa like
madam Carol
and mr Moise
who both
assured us we
would be paid.
This is
desperate
situation for
our families."
From
the day
before,
November 23:
Inner City
Press: I’ve
been contacted
by and have
seen the
documents of a
number of UN
contractors in
Lubumbashi in
the DRC
(Democratic
Republic of
the Congo),
who have
publicly
protested
pretty loudly
about not
being paid for
months by OCHA
(Office for
the
Coordination
of
Humanitarian
Affairs) in
Lubumbashi and
Katanga.
They’ve held
demonstrations.
There’s
photographs of
them now
living outside
the OCHA
compound, but
they’ve gotten
no response at
all. And
the excuse
they were
given for…
they delivered
maize and
roofing.
They were told
it’s because
of Umoja that
they couldn’t
be paid.
Now they’re
told all their
money’s been
taken and they
should just
keep living
outside the
camp.
What is the
UN’s response
to this?
Spokesman:
My
understanding
is that OCHA
has met with
representatives
of the
provincial
authorities to
keep them
updated on the
situation and
that UNDP’s
(United
Nations
Development
Programme)
legal office,
which
administers
OCHA staff in
the field, has
begun an
investigation
process into
the situation.
Inner City
Press:
But, I mean, I
guess what…
they’re living
outside the
camp.
Spokesman:
That’s what I
have.
Inner City
Press:
Is it an
impact of
Umoja?
Spokesman:
I… I can’t
speak to
it. I
don’t know.
Inner City
Press:
Is there a
timeline for
resolving it?
This is
today's UN,
and and
in the spirit
of the new Free UN Coalition for Access we'll let
one of the
victims start
this story
(Inner City
Press has
documents) --
“The UN's OCHA
office through
their
representative
approached us
to supply the
office with a
number of
products
search as:
maize flour,
wheat flour,
iron/roofing
sheets, sugar,
and stationery
items like
copy paper,
toners to help
disadvantaged
people in
Congo.
“We received
order forms at
the OCHA
office fully
stamped and
signed by
three
individuals
from OCHA
office. We
also signed a
copy that the
office kept.
Delivery was
done at three
warehouses in
Lubumbashi and
delivery notes
and invoices
were signed
and stamped at
the office.
Payments were
supposed to be
three weeks
after
delivery. In
2014 until
April 2015
payments were
done within
the three
weeks. Late
May we started
having
problems with
payments and
the excuse
they gave us
was there will
be a change in
the system to
UMOJA SYSTEM
and there will
be a one month
blackout.
Since UN is a
big world-wide
organization,
we decided to
be patient
with them, but
the excuses
went on and
on.
“Beginning of
October, when
we went to
demand for
payment at the
office, the
manager
informed us
they know
nothing about
the issue and
it’s a scam!
Until now we
have received
no proper
feedback from
OCHA office,
claiming they
are waiting
for a report
from the
Kinshasa
Office. We
reported to
the local
MONUSCO office
and they are
investigating
the issue but
still nothing
yet from them.
We also took
them to court
and are
awaiting the
court verdict.
The strange
thing all the
workers at
OCHA office
have been
replaced by
new ones!
Where did the
others
disappear to?
Is OCHA trying
to cover up
for their act?
“People have
lost millions
of dollars.
Some of us
have lost
their
livelihoods,
wondering
where the next
Dollar is
going to come
from. Some
families have
pulled their
kids out of
school as they
are not able
to pay their
school fees.
Some families
are out in the
streets not
able to pay
rent. United
Nations is a
humanitarian
agency and its
main purpose
is to help
disadvantaged
people. Is
what they did
to us inline
with their
objective or
are they
creating more
disadvantaged
people?
“We lack
International
coverage in
DRCongo, and
UN is taking
advantage of
this to shurt
us up as they
believe no one
internationally
will know
about our
plight. we
have put our
hopes in you
as we believe
you can help
us in this to
make our
plight known
internationally.”
The
reference to
families who
have pulled
their kids out
of school as
they are not
able to pay
their school
fees is
reminiscent of
the plight of
families in
Haiti whose
breadwinner
was killed by
the cholera UN
Peacekeeping
brought;
the UN has
refused to
help any of
the victims.
When Inner
City Press
asks,
repeatedly,
the UN repeats
that it is
trying to
raise money
from member
states, but
only for
forward-going
water and
sanitation
projects,
nothing for
its victims
and their
families.
We'll have
more on this.
After
Inner City
Press exclusively
reported
on UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous having
granted
extensions to
Burundian
forces to
continue in
his mission in
the Central
African
Republic
despite not
having the
right
equipment, and
telling
Burundi he is
“pragmatic” on
human rights,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokeman
Stephane
Dujarric about
it.
Dujarric
never
answered,
saying
repeatedly he
had not seen
the UN
Peacekeeping
notes on the
meeting --
which he could
or should
easily be able
to get.
But when
Reuters quoted
an unnamed UN
Peacekeeping
official that
Ladsous is
vetting DR
Congo troops
-- while
giving Burundi
troops a
waiver, and
not speaking
about any lack
of vetting by
France whose
Sangaris
troops are
accused of
rape in CAR --
Dujarric would
still not
respond to
Press
questions
about DPKO
vetting, or
non-vetting,
of Burundian
troops.
Inner
City Press
asked Dujarric
about these
issues at the
November 20
noon briefing,
and about UN
officials
still
cavorting with
Senior
Advisers of
the Global
Sustainability
Foundation,
whose founder
Sheri Yan has
been indicted
for using GSF
for corruption
inside the UN.
Dujarric said
he was not
aware of the
event Inner
City Press
asked about.
Of course, he
could easily
find out.
On
Burundi, after
Inner City
Press asked
Dujarric about
an NGOs report
on the
government
banning people
from fleeing
the country,
Dujarric said
he was unaware
of the report.
The NGO
tweeted the
report link to
him. But
still no
answer. We'll
have more on
all this.
, 
