By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 29 --
If the UN
tells the
press it is
not involved
in a military
action, when
that changes
and a member
of the UN's
Force
Intervention
Brigade gets
killed,
shouldn't the
UN be expected
to provide an
update?
On
October 29, UN
Spokesperson
Martin Nesirky
ended the noon
briefing by
telling Inner
City Press to
"be careful"
about
reporting he'd
said the UN
was not
involved in
the fighting
-- he'd only
said not
involved "at
that time," on
October 25.
Inner
City Press
asked to be
allowed a
follow-up
question, but
Nesirky ended
the briefing.
Video
here and
embedded
below.
But
the reality
is, when what
Nesirky said
on October 25
about the UN
not being
involved
seemed to no
longer be
true, when a
FIB member was
killed, Inner
City Press on
Sunday,
October 27
wrote to
Nesirky and
his acting
deputy and
asked them to
explain.
They
never answered
that e-mail.
Monday's noon
briefing was
canceled in
favor of two
songs on a
piano in the
Dag
Hammarskjold
Library
Auditorium.
Still no
answer from
Nesirky's
office.
Then
when asked to
explain at
Tuesday's noon
briefing,
Nesirky
criticized
Inner City
Press, saying
"be careful"
about
reporting he'd
said the UN
was not
involved in
the fighting
-- he'd only
said not
involved "at
that time," on
October 25.
But why no
update? Why no
answers?
On
October 25,
Inner City
Press asked
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesperson
Martin Nesirky
if the
Tanzanian
component of
the UN's
"Force
Intervention
Brigade" was
involved in
the Congolese
Army's
fighting with
the M23:
Inner
City Press: I
wanted to know
whether
MONUSCO can
say who began
this fighting.
There is also
a DRC citizen,
Catherine
Gihombo, who
was shot by
FARDC and is
now being
treated in
hospital, and
I wanted to
know if
MONUSCO was
aware of any
civilian
casualties
caused by the
DRC army, and
also it is
said that the
Tanzanian
artillery
of the Force
Intervention
Brigade has
become part of
it in some
way, I am
asking you
whether they
can confirm or
deny that.
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
Well, on the
last, as we
have said, the
Mission is
monitoring
what is going
on; it is not
actively
involved at
the moment.
With regard to
the other two
questions, I
will check on
the civilian
casualties,
whether there
is any further
update for the
Mission on
that. And with
regard to the
very first
question about
who started
it, at this
point, I do
not have clear
information on
that. I think
the Mission is
still looking
into it, and
obviously what
is most
important is
stopping it at
this point.
In the
days
afterward, the
UN provided no
information on
civilian
casualties,
and no update
to the public
statement that
the Force
Intervention
Brigade was
not involved.
In
fact, the UN
and various
envoys on the
Great Lakes
issues calls
for restraint.
Then
it emerged
that a
Tanzanian
soldier in the
FIB had been
killed in
Kiwanja. Inner
City Press
asked for an
explanation,
in writing, of
the October 25
statement that
the FIB was
not involved,
and this new
announcement:
"On
Friday I asked
if UN Force
Intervention
Brigade was
involved in
fighting
between FARDC
and M23 and
was told 'no.'
Now I hear
that a
Tanzanian
soldier in the
FIB was killed
in fighting in
Kiwanja.
Please confirm
(or deny)
this, and
describe UN
and Force
Intervention
Brigade in
fighting
between FARDC
and M23."
This
question was
not answered
for two days.
Inner City
Press asked at
the October 29
briefing and
was told to be
careful about
reported what
Nesirky said
on October 25.
But despite
the direct
request, he
never updated
what he had
said. We will
have more on
this. Watch
this site.
Footnote:
We note that
the pattern of
refusal to
answer
questions (and
now, no follow
up) began with
Herve
Ladsous, video here, UK
coverage here.
But it ill
serves UN
Peacekeepers,
and the UN.
, 
