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On Congo, US Role Avoided
as Austria Pushes Call for
Planning Past France, UK and Uganda
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of
Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED
NATIONS, February 17 -- In
the wake of reports
of hundreds killed in northern Congo by the Lord's
Resistance Army, following an offensive against the LRA partially
funded and
planned by the United States, and another hundred civilians killed in
the
Kivus, the UN Security Council members met Tuesday and afterwards
released a
short statement of a "convergence of their views."
Although bland,
Council sources tell Inner City Press that the France, the UK and
Uganda
initially opposed issuing even this statement, which called on "all
parties" to protect civilians, and for the "governments in the region
to coordinate with MONUC," the UN Mission in the Congo. A new Council
member so far little noticed, Austria, pushed to have the statement
issued, gained support from fellow non-permanent members like Mexico
and Costa Rica, and
after some back and forth the three opponents gave in. In the Council's
typical fun-house
practice, France which initially opposed issuing a statement but which
has much
history in the region ultimately was the sponsor of the statement.
The French-founded group Medecins Sans Frontieres
has criticized MONUC
for failing to protect civilians from the LRA. Inner City Press asked
top UN
humanitarian John Holmes about the critique, and he responded that MSF
ought
not to criticize the UN, but only the LRA. He said the Council had done
its
part by authorizing 3000 new troops for MONUC. Inner City Press asked
how many
of those will go to north Congo where the LRA continues rampaging.
"That's
up to the force commander," Holmes said. Video here,
from Minute 2:28.
So there does not appear
to be a
concrete plan in place to protect civilians from the LRA.
MONUC police, LRA and Council games not shown
On
the inclusion of
Bosco Ntaganda, indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal
Count, in
the Congolese army with which the UN work, Holmes said, "Let's see."
Council
president Yukio Takasu told Inner City Press that while Bosco was not
raised by
name in the Council's closed-door consultation, there was discussion
that those
who kill civilians should be prosecuted. Video here,
from Minute 7:46. As Holmes said, let's see.
Japan's Ambassador Takasu, who as president read out
the Council's statement, likewise
couldn't say how many of the 3000 troops would go to the north. He said
more
than troops are needed, mentioning helicopters and "planning." Inner
City Press asked about the U.S. having helped the Ugandan military with
planners, money and intelligence -- did Takuso or Council members think
that
the U.S. should have "coordinated with MONUC," as the statement
called on "governments in the region" to do? Did
the US' role even come up inside the
Council?
"Not specifically," Ambassador Takasu said. Video here,
from Minute 6:06. Council sources
confirmed this. Perhaps the new US administration is getting a
honeymoon at the
UN and Security Council as well.
Click here
for Feb.
12 debate on Sri Lanka
Click here for Inner City Press' Jan.
16, 2009 debate about Gaza
Click here for Inner City Press'
review-of-2008 UN Top Ten debate
Click here for Inner
City Press' December 24 debate on UN budget, Niger
Click here from Inner City Press'
December 12 debate on UN double standards
Click here for Inner
City Press' November 25 debate on Somalia, politics
Click here for Inner City
Press Nov. 7 debate on the war in Congo
Watch this site, and this Oct. 2 debate, on
UN, bailout, MDGs
and this October 17 debate, on
Security Council and Obama and the UN.
* * *
These
reports are
usually also available through Google
News and on Lexis-Nexis.
Click
here
for a Reuters
AlertNet piece by this correspondent
about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click
here
for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali
National
Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an
undefined trust fund. Video
Analysis here
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