In
Congo, UN
Tells ICP It
"Can't Reach
Areas," Much
Less
Protect
Civilians
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
July 31 -- The
UN in Eastern
Congo first
stood by as
the M23
rebels moved
on Goma, then
responded with
missiles from
helicopter
gunships
which,
reportedly,
killed at
least one
civilians.
Inner City
Press asked
about this and
was told of an
assessment
by the
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations,
run by Herve
Ladsous, who
openly refuses
to answer
any Inner City
Press
questions.
On
July 30 the UN
canceled its
normal noon
briefing, to
urge press
focus
on a 12:40 pm
stakeout at
which
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon took
three
questions, all
on Syria.
Inner City
Press could
not get a
question in --
about the
comparison
between the UN
leaving Rwanda
in
1994 and what
Ladsous is
doing now,
dismantling
the UN mission
there
-- but asked,
in writing,
this about
M23:
"where
is / what is
the status of
the UN's
inquiry into
whether one or
more
civilians were
killed by UN
helicopter
gunships and
missiles in
combating
M23?"
No
answer came in
on July 30,
but Inner City
Press asked
outgoing
Security
Council
president
Nestor Osorio
if Ladsous'
MONUSCO
mission
is even
pretending to
protect
civilians in
areas
controlled by
M23.
Osorio
said one is
hoping to
avoid
confrontation,
and referred
to a
press
statement that
France drafted
but did not
circulate.
On
the afternoon
of July 31,
Colombia
dismantled its
Council
president
-- much as
Ladsous has
dismantled the
UN's Syria
mission --
taking
out the coffee
machines,
plants and
flag.
Still France
held back its
M23 press
statement,
with more now
opining this
is so French
Permanent
Representative
Gerard Araud
can be the one
to read it out
on UN TV.
Later
on July 31,
the UN
belatedly sent
this troubling
response,
about
probing its
impact:
Subject:
Your
question on
the
investigation
in the
Democratic
Republic of
the
Congo
From: UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
[at] un.org
Date:
Tue, Jul 31,
2012 at 4:30
PM
To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
Due
to the
prevailing
security
situation,
MONUSCO is
currently
unable to
reach all
areas on the
ground where
it has engaged
the M23. It is
therefore
unable to
complete the
investigation
at this stage.
We will
let you know
once we have
anything
further.
If
MONUSCO now
admits it
can't even
REACH these
areas, how can
it
protect
civilians?
Watch this
site.
, 
