In
DRC, Katumbi
Said Falsely
Convicted,
Turned Away,
UN Has No
Comment
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 1 --
Despite the
UN's spending
in the DR
Congo, it so
wants to stay
that it has
little to say.
On August 1,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban Ki-moon's
deputy
spokesman
Farhan Haq, UN trnascript
here:
Inner City
Press: There
was one very
large
demonstration
in favour of
Mr. [Etienne]
Tshisekedi but
Mr. [Moise]
Katumbi, the
also candidate
or for…
desiring to be
candidate was
banned from
returning to
the country by
the DRC
authorities,
the judge had
convicted him,
has said that
she was forced
to do so and
gone into
hiding.
Given the UN
peacekeeping
mission there
and its role,
do they have
any thoughts
or comments on
the banning of
a candidate
and the Judge
recanting the
conviction?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, I think
we made our
concerns known
about the case
of Mr. Katumbi
earlier and
those remain
the same as
when we had
pointed this
out.
Regarding the
demonstrations,
the
information we
have from the
mission is
that the
situation is
calm in
Kinshasa and
they are aware
that the
recent
demonstrations
in the country
took place in
a relatively
peaceful
atmosphere.
ICP
Question:
What about the
banning of him
returning?
He was going
to fly back
over the
weekend, on
Sunday, and
the Government
said, turn the
plane around
basically.
Any comment on
that?
Deputy
Spokesman:
No. I
mean, like I
said, we have
mentioned our
concerns about
this and they
remain.
Inner
City Press on
May 5 and May
6 asked the
lead spokesman
for UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon about
threats
against
opposition
candidates
Moise Katumbi.
The spokesman,
Stephane
Dujarric, said
the UN
Peacekeeping
mission
controlled by
USG Herve
Ladsous has no
mandate to
protect
candidates. Vine here.
On May 27,
after
protesters
were shot in
Goma, Inner
City Press
asked Ban's
deputy
spokesman
Farhan Haq, video here, UN
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: This is
about the
Democratic
Republic of
the
Congo.
You put out a
statement… in
the protest
yesterday, at
least in Goma,
the
authorities
used live fire
and
teargas.
A protester
was
killed.
Many were
injured.
I’m wondering
if you could
just describe
rather than
just a
reaction to
it, what did
MONUSCO [UN
Organization
Stabilization
Mission in the
Democratic
Republic of
the Congo] do
during…
pursuant to
its protection
of civilians
mandate during
the protest?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Okay.
Well,
yesterday the
Mission in the
Democratic
Republic of
the Congo,
MONUSCO,
reported the
demonstrations
took place in
a number of
cities with
reports
related to a
tense
situation in
certain
neighbourhoods
of Goma, North
Kivu. In
line with its
mandate,
MONUSCO did
mobilize to
assist.
In Kinshasa,
for example,
UN police
units have
worked closely
with the
Police
Nationale
Congolaise to
advise and
support
them.
MINUSCA will
continue to
closely
monitor the
situation
across the
country.
[Minusca?]
As you’re
aware, the
Secretary-General
issued a
statement on
this and has
stressed the
need for all
to act in
strict respect
of the
fundamental
freedoms and
rights
enshrined in
the
Constitution,
and he made
clear that all
parties must
exercise
restraint and
express their
views
peacefully and
that political
actors must
engage in a
constructive
and peaceful
political
dialogue.
On May 16,
after people
peacefully
protesting
against the
UN's failure
to protect
civilians in
Goma were
arrested,
Inner City
Press asked UN
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq.
