Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the Inner City to Wall Street to the United Nations

As Ban Accepts War Criminal as Adviser, French Connection & Syria Too

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 6 -- Fair pay for developing world soldiers serving the UN is supposed to be purpose of and news about Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Senior Advisory Group on Peacekeeping Operations.

  However, the inclusion of Sri Lankan general Shavendra Silva, whose Division 58 is depicted engaged in war crimes in Ban's own report, has made the SAG otherwise newsworthy.

  While Ban's Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit and its supervisor Stephane Dujarric de la Rivere have hindered Inner City Press' ability to cover the SAG meetings, on May 22 after a two hour stakeout in front of the so-called Teachers Building on Third Avenue Inner City Press was able to report that

"one Asian Group representative urged Inner City Press to 'stop' Silva and not let him come in. On the other hand... Ban has refused to speak out about having an alleged war criminal as an adviser. More recently, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman what if anything was ever done on the petition to Ban about disappeared Sri Lankan journalist Prageeth. The question has yet to be answered."

  The next day, after conducting more interviews, Inner City Press reported that "one South Asian representative in attendance told Inner City Press that 'France is the worst, in trying to cut the pay.

  We told them, fine, then don't keep creating new missions. Two of my country's peacekeepers died in Ivory Coast, carrying out French foreign policy.'"

  Yet another attendee concurred, saying the most insulting speaker in the Silva-less (for now) SAG now is "that new French guy with the long hair." But who is that?

  Inner City Press has since found out: Nicolas de Riviere, who like current Ban DPKO Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous was a former Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the UN, serving under Permanent Representative Gerard Araud (who, incidentally, has not been seen in UN Headquarters for some time, replaced by his post-Flippy Deputy Martin Briens.)

  "Flippy Nick" or "Helmet" as some called him because of the hair, turns out to be cheap with peacekeepers, and insulting to boot. Why are we not surprised?

  And so the question arose, who did Nicolas de Riviere replace, in order to be "new"? While the SAG is shrouded in mystery, without having its own spokesperson (while Ban's spokespeople and DPKO's Kieran Dwyer are unwilling to answer questions about it), one of the few members initially listed was Jean Marie Guehenno, who in an unbroken line of Frenchman had headed DPKO before Alain Le Roy, who was replaced not by Jerome Bonnafont but instead, as second choice, Herve Ladsous.

  So at the UN noon briefing of May 30 Inner City Press asked Ban's Deputy spokesman, who replied, "we will have to find out about that, Matthew, I don’t have that information with me."

  The Press story of France's statements in the SAG was discussed by some Ambassadors on the Security Council's West Africa trip, several with mirth but by its opposition by the French, whose Gerard Araud led the leg to former colony Cote d'Ivoire, without any presence by Araud's former deputy Flippy Nick.

   Still having heard nothing back, Inner City Press on June 5 asked Ban's main spokesman, who said "it was added to the transcript that very same day that Mr. Jean-Marie Guéhenno was representing France."

Inner City Press: Why didn’t you send me an e-mail?

Spokesperson: You have it.

   And lo and behold, rather than contact Inner City Press with an answer, jammed into an online transcript was this: "[The Deputy Spokesperson later added that Mr. Guéhenno represented France.]"

So Guehenno was replaced by de la Riviere, who has insulted developing world peacekeepers in a meeting that Ban's UN and Ladsous' DPKO try to hinder coverage of, to cover up the inclusion in the SAG of an alleged war criminal.

In fact, Inner City Press put this question directly to Ladsous, on camera, but he refused to answer that or another question on cholera in Haiti, telling Inner City Press, "Well, Mister, I will start answering your questions when you stop insulting me and making malicious and insulting insinuations." The video, at Minute 28:10, is online on UN website, here.

Also on stage with Ladsous was Department of Field Support Assistant Secretary General and Officer in Charge Tony Banbury, who approached as Inner City Press was leaving the UN on June 5. "I hope I'll have another chance to ask you that question," Inner City Press told Banbury. Watch this site.

Footnote: Inner City Press reports on Sri Lanka, Silva and Ban Ki-moon's SAG have been getting Inner City Press into a lot of trouble, at the UN and in Sri Lankan government aligned media. But this reporting will continue.