On
Burundi, ICP
Asks Italy Of
Its Training
of
Nkurunziza's
Police for CAR
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, June
8 -- Nineteen
days after the
UN Security
Council, the United States
and the UN
Peacebuilding
Configuration
on Burundi on
May 15 issued
statements
urging calm in
the country
given the
return of
Pierre
Nkurunziza to
presumably run
for a third
term, on May
29 Inner City
Press asked UN
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
UN
Peacekeeping
under Herve
Ladsous
accepting an
allegedly
abusive
Burundian
police officer
Godefroid
Bizmama into
his MINUSMA
mission in
Mali. Video
here, and
embedded
below.
Early on June
8, based on
more
information
from Inner
City Press'
sources in
Burundi, Inner
City Press asked
Italy's
Mission to the
UN:
"In
covering the
crisis in
Burundi,
multiple
sources there
have informed
Inner City
Press that a
Burundian
police officer
named Jérôme
NTIBIBOGORA,
implicated in
the crackdown
in Bujumbura,
is now set to
be deployed to
the UN
Peacekeeping
mission in the
Central
African
Republic,
MINUSCA -- but
only after he
is “trained”
by / in Italy.
"This a Press
request for
your Mission
to confirm or
deny that
Jérôme
NTIBIBOGORA /
NTIBIBOGORA
Jérôme or any
other
Burundian
police or
military
personnel
involved in
putting down
protests to
Pierre
Nkurunziza's
attempted
third term is
scheduled or
considered for
training or
any
preparatory
work in Italy
prior to a
deployment
with UN
Peacekeeping.
"For your
information in
responding on
deadline to
this, Inner
City Press'
sources in
Burundi said
that Jérôme
NTIBIBOGORA /
NTIBIBOGORA
Jérôme has so
far been
involved in at
least two
recent
troubling
incidents:
killings at
the hospital
of BUMEREC (in
Bujumbura) on
May 14, 2015
and firing
live
ammunition at
unarmed
protesters on
June 5, 2015,
resulting in
the death of a
protester
named Theogène
who was a
student at
University of
Burundi.
Overall, what
due diligence
does Italy do
in its work
with UN
Peacekeeping?"
The UN Mission
of Italy,
running for a
seat on the UN
Security Council
against Sweden
and the
Netherlands, answered
also on the
morning of
June 8:
"Dear
Mr. Lee, while
at this stage
I do not have
any
information on
specific
officers from
Burundi, I can
nevertheless
confirm that
any training
activity by
the COESPU
(Center of
Excellence for
Stability
Police Units)
in Vicenza,
Italy, with
officers from
that country,
is currently
on hold, due
to the ongoing
situation in
Burundi.
Giovanni
Davoli,
Spokesperson,
Italian
Mission to the
UN"
It's appreciated.
But are there
Burundian
officers "in
the pipeline"?
We'll have
more on this.
On June 4,
with the UN
still
insisting
Bizimana
doesn't work
with them --
yet --
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon issued
this
statement:
"The
Secretary-General
remains
concerned
about the
potential for
violence in
Burundi to
escalate
further.
He reiterates
his call for
calm and
restraint.
"The
Secretary-General
urges the
Burundian
authorities to
abide by their
international
commitments
with respect
to human
rights,
including the
right to
peaceful
assembly. He
calls on the
authorities to
ensure that
the security
forces avoid
the use of
excessive
force in
handling
demonstrations.
He stresses
that those
responsible
for ordering
or committing
human rights
violations
will be held
accountable.
He notes that
the Security
Council
intends to
consider the
various tools
at its
disposal to
safeguard
peace in
Burundi and
ensure
accountability.
"The
Secretary-General
encourages
Burundian
stakeholders
to resume in
earnest the
consultative
political
dialogue
facilitated by
his Special
Envoy, Said
Djinnit. He
hopes the
parties to the
dialogue will
implement,
without delay,
the
confidence-building
measures
already
agreed.
"The
Secretary-General
continues to
engage with
regional and
other leaders
on the
political
crisis in
Burundi.
He welcomes
the Communiqué
of the 31 May
Summit of the
East African
Community
(EAC), and
urges the
swift
implementation
of measures to
help create
the conditions
for the
holding of
peaceful,
inclusive and
credible
elections in
Burundi, such
as the
disarmament of
all armed
youth groups
affiliated
with
political
parties."
Three days
later on June
1, having no
response from
the UN, Inner
City Press
asked
Dujarric's
deputy Farhan
Haq again. He
said that UN
Peacekeeping,
run by Herve
Ladsous, said
there is no
officer
Godefroid
Bizimana with
the UN.
But is he on
his way? Inner
City Press has
seen and
Tweeted the
Burundi
government
letter
referring him
for a D-1 post
in Ladsous'
mission in
Mali, MINUSMA.
Where is the
"due
diligence,"
which is cited
by Ladsous to
NOT fight the
FDLR militia
in Rwanda?
On June 3,
Inner City
Press asked
Dujarric
again. Video
here. This
time, Dujarric
said anyone
can apply
through the
UN's Inspira
system. But
this is a
letter from
the government
of Burundi.
Dujarric
insisted, lets
just see who
gets the job.
So much for
due diligence?
Nor
was an Inner
City Press
question to
the UN about
the impact
of the
situation in
Burundi on its
troops in
Somalia
answered. We
will continue
to ask.
, 
