By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 2 --
After six
Ukrainians
with the UN
Peacekeeping
mission in the
DR Congo were
arrested for
purchasing and
possessing
Congolese
military
uniforms.
Inner City
Press on
November 28
put this
question to
the UN's top
two spokesmen:
"please
state what
rules in
place, or if
none, will be
put in place,
regarding UN
affiliated
personnel
purchasing or
possession the
military
uniforms of
countries in
which they
serve.
Relatedly,
please state
the UN's final
conclusion of
its
investigation
into reports
of Ukraine
using
UN-marked
helicopters
inside Ukraine
itself.”
UN
Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq did
not answer
either of
these DRC /
Ukraine
questions in an
e-mail on
November 28.
Nor at the
December 1
noon briefing
was any
response
provided.
So on December
2, Inner City
Press asked
the question
again, to
Spokesman
Stephane Dujarric:
what ARE the
UN's policies?
He said he had
asked the MONUSCO
mission but
received no
answer.
Two hours
later, the UN
sent this to
Inner City
Press:
"MONUSCO
is aware of
this incident,
and we can
confirm the
detention of
the six
Ukrainian
crew. MONUSCO
is giving, and
will give,
full
cooperation to
the
authorities to
clarify what
has really
happened.
"An
investigation
has begun to
assess every
detail of this
incident and
establish the
facts and draw
conclusion. If
anyone is
found guilty,
in line with
UN rules and
regulations
sanctions,
will be taken
and applied.
MONUSCO is
calling for
calm and to
let the
inquiry be
finalized.
MONUSCO has a
zero tolerance
for
misconduct."
While
the response
is appreciated,
it does not
say what UN
Peacekeeping's
rules are. And
there is
dispute
whether
MONUSCO, and
UN
Peacekeeping
generally, has
zero tolerance
for misconduct
-- as simply
one example,
personnel from
UN Peacekeeping
in Haiti fled
to Canada are
being charged
with sexual
abuse, and more
than a year
later the UN
can't or won't
say if any
discipline was
every imposed.
Will they in
this case?
Watch this
site.
On November
28, Haq did reply
to Inner City
Press on
another
question,
“Regarding the
South Sudan
helicopter,
the Board of
Inquiry has
finished its
investigation
and is
currently in
the process of
preparing its
report.”
The
Congo mission,
like the one
in South
Sudan, is run
by Herve
Ladsous, the
fourth
Frenchman in a
row atop UN
Peacekeeping.
Tellingly,
despite Inner
City Press on
November 28
asking for the
third time for
the UN to
confirm
receipt by
Ladsous of a
protest letter
from Darfuri
group, Haq
dodged the
question by
repeating that
the UNAMID
mission, which
already on
November 9
said residents
of Tabit in
Darfur get
along well
with the
military, is
still trying
to
re-investigate.
There was
still been no
confirmation
of receipt, despite
the repeated
public questions.
We'll have
more on this.
Here
were
other
questions
Inner City
Press asked on
November 28:
In
Haiti,
MSF says more
than 3,000
people with
cholera
symptoms have
required
emergency
treatment in
Port-au-Prince
since
mid-October,
calling this
as
“exponential”
increase. What
is the UN's
response,
including
specifically
on allegations
it is
responsible
for cholera in
Haiti. And,
please provide
a read-out of
Mr. Medrano's
meeting this
week with the
DSG, or an on
the record
statement why
no read-out is
provided.
In
Mali, please
explain what
provisions,
including for
discipline,
are in place
concerning 38
MINUSMA
peacekeepers
abandoning
their posts.
Also, please
state the UN's
final
conclusion of
all
investigations
into
allegations of
sexual abuse
by MINUSMA
peacekeepers
and any
discipline
meted out.
Also,
please confirm
or deny
receipt of the
Darfuri
group's letter
sent to the
SG, USG Amos
and USG
Ladsous
which I asked
about it two
noon briefings
earlier this
week, and
state any UN
response to
it.
Finally,
for
transparency,
please confirm
or deny that UK PM Cameron
nominated
Andrew Lansley
to replace
Valerie Amos
at OCHA when
he spoke with
the SG at the
G20 in
Brisbane, and
confirm or
deny that SG
requested that
at least two
other (UK)
candidates be
nominated.
Here
were UN deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq's
responses:
, 
