By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 11 --
As UN
Peacekeeping
becomes more
and more of a
combatant in
Africa, for
example acting
with the
Malian Army as
they shot
unarmed
protesters in
Kidal, at
the UN in New
York more of
its briefings
are closed,
and its chief
Herve Ladsous
has until now
resisted and
refused Press
questions. Video here, UK
coverage here.
So
Inner City
Press on
December 10 asked
Ladsous'
deputy Edmond
Mulet about
the deadly
live fire at
the Kidal
airport:
is UN
Peacekeeping,
as even
this month's
Security
Council
president
Gerard Araud
suggested
to Inner City
Press,
conducting an
investigation
into its
actions in
northern Mali?
Mulet
to his credit
did stop on
the way from
the Security
Council to the
elevator to
say that DPKO
is speaking
with the
Malian
authorities.
But he used a
phrase,
lessons
learned, which
often
precludes
accountability.
Ultimately
it
is Ladsous who
must answer
this question.
This morning
he is briefing
the Council
about the
Democratic
Republic of
the Congo,
over which he
has finally
launched his
drone. But the
briefing is
closed. He
should take
this question,
and others,
later in the
week: but will
he?
He
should also
answer whether
he recused
himself from
any
involvement in
the
UN's
non-public
Letter of
Assist to pay
UN money to
France for
airfield
services in
northern Mali
-- as luck has
it, in Kidal
where the
deadly
shooting of
unarmed
protesters
took place.
The
argument being
made is that
only the
Department of
Field Support
is involved in
procurement.
But it is not
clear that
sole source
"Letters of
Assist" really
constitute
procurement:
they are more
like
set-asides.
In any
event, it was
DFS' Ameerah
Haq who was
speaking
at the International
Peace
Institute
on the topic
of
peacekeeping
and human
rights -- at
least
technically
more in the
bailiwick of
Ladsous' post
if not
personality.
So, beyond this
question to
IPI, the
larger
question
remains: was
Ladsous
recused from this
Letter of
Assist payment
to France? And
how much is
the payment
for? Watch
this site.
, 
