Sexual
Abuse
in Congo Belatedly Confirmed by UN, Financial and Hypocrisy Questions
Dodged, Discouraged
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
July 14 -- The UN belatedly confirmed on Wednesday that two
of its peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo are now under
investigation for sexual abuse.
Inner City Press asked UN Associate
Spokesman Farhan Haq to confirm that Indian peacekeeping official
Major R. S. Ghumman is under review for exploitation of local
Congolese. Haq said, “We'll have to check with MONUSCO,” the UN
mission there. Video here,
from Minute 5:35.
Later
on
Wednesday, Haq went on the UN squawk box and issued a confirmation.
One wonders, if MONUSCO so quickly had the information, why was it
either not provided to Haq, or not read out by him? If the UN has
“zero tolerance” as it says, and is transparent, why does it
require a specific question at the UN noon briefing to pry the
information out of the UN?
On
another Congo
question, whether Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will at least act on
an investigative report by the UN Office of Internal Oversight
Services about improper nepotism by Alan Doss,
Ban's envoy to the
Congo until this month, Haq said there was no update. Doss has been
allowed to leave the UN with his pension before any ruling. Zero
tolerance? Accountability?
Haq
resisted
answering, or even taking, other questions.
UN's Ban and Doss in DRC, OIOS and new sexual abuse
not yet shown
Less than a
minute after
Inner City Press began asking about the new UN Women agency, a
seemingly contradictory lease of real estate, Haq refused a follow up
question, announcing, "No, No, No, let's have more than one person ask
questions." Video here,
from Minute 8:25.
But
then Haq
allowed another questioner to go on over two minutes, with seven
follow ups, on another matter. Haq then tried to end the noon
briefing, until Inner City Press re-posed its UN Women follow up.
Instead
of
answering, Haq corrected the pronunciation of the Deputy Secretary
General's name, and insisted that full answers had been given about
the UN's closing, on two days' notice, of its after school program.
Even the DSG has said that alternative space is being sought. But Haq
said all answers have been given. Like on sexual abuse and
exploitation?
* * *
Alan
Doss
Continues
As King of Congo, Abuse of Power and Funds Unanswered, Ban
Sits on OIOS Report
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
June
2 -- The lack of accountability of and in the UN is
exemplified by Alan Doss.
Exposed for nepotism ten months ago, after
a career of such acts, Doss said he would leave the UN payroll on
May
31.
Inner
City Press, which first exposed Doss' nepotism, asked if
the Office of Internal Oversight Services report condemning him would
be ruled on by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon before May 31, or after.
"No comment," Ban's spokesman twice said.
The
head of the
Department of Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy told the Press
that Doss was being given a second opportunity to comment on OIOS'
findings.
Now,
after
Inner
City Press asked last week and this who was in charge of the renamed
UN Mission in the Congo, MONUSCO, the UN after business hours on June
1 said that Doss remains in charge. What happened to his statement
that he would leave May 31?
The
nepotism as
issue, still unaddressed by the UN, had Doss asking the UN
Development Program in writing to show him "leeway" and
give a job to his daughter in contravention of UN rules. Doss, before
simply refusing to answer questions from the Press, said that his
e-mail was taken out of context, despite Inner City Press'
publication of the entire e-mail.
Since
then,
whistleblowers
from each of Doss' stops in Africa have come forward
saying that Doss was always a rule breaker, a "King of the
Congo" as he has been dubbed, even in Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia.
Some Inner City Press has already published -- Doss dubbing his
Liberian cook an "engineer" to bring him to the Congo at a
higher UN pay rate, Doss' guard shooting his gun inside a MONUC plane
filled with Security Council members and getting further promoted by
Doss.
But
from Kinshasa
comes news of Doss' use of UN money to repair his housing, in
addition to space in the Grand Hotel Kinshasa. Well informed Kinshasa
sources say Doss commandeered UN air assets to fly his wife around,
including out of the DR Congo and otherwise abused his DSA travel
allowance from the UN.
In
a telling
example of substantive contempt for the rule of law and truth,
reporters tell of approaching Doss with documentary proof that
indicted war criminal Bosco Ntaganda was involved in the leadership
structure of FARDC army units Doss' MONUC was working with. I don't
want to see it, Doss told the reporters, as they tell Inner City
Press.
When
Inner
City
Press put these factual questions, in writing, to the Department of
Peacekeeping Operation, the response was that there was resistance to
answering any of them.
Alan Doss, center, accountability not shown
Inner City
Press was told that the only way to
try to get wheels in motion for answers was to ask the questions
publicly at the UN's noon briefing. And so, at the May 27 UN noon
briefing:
Inner
City
Press:
I have asked DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations]
in writing a series of questions about Alan Doss, who I understand is
leaving at the end of this month, therefore in a few days. He may be
in New York actually right now. So, maybe you can get these answers.
They have asked to say unless I ask you, I can’t get an answer
from them to these questions…
Spokesperson
Martin
Nesirky:
Say again that last bit.
Inner
City
Press:
Unless, if I want an answer to these questions about
Alan Doss I should ask in the noon briefing. This is what I was told
today, this morning. So, I am asking you here, and I will just do it
very quickly, maybe. It has to do with who paid to repair Alan
Doss’s apartment in Kinshasa? And what’s going to happen with
that apartment now that he is leaving UN service? Were air assets of
MONUC or other UN Missions used to transport family members of Mr.
Doss? Did he in fact, bring a staff member from UNMIL, a local staff
to MONUC as a cook but characterized him as an engineer in order to
do so? And there, and his DSA. There are some questions about DSA
itemized over three years. Issues have been raised, raised by
journalists based in Kinshasa. And for some reason I was told to ask
it here. I mean, it seemed very detailed and I don’t expect you to
have answers, you know, but I would like to get the answers before he
leaves UN service.
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
Well,
by asking it here certainly plenty of people will be
able to hear the questions and find the answers. And I am sure they
will help to provide those answers.
Inner
City
Press:
And the OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services]
report on Alan Doss that’s now with the Secretary-General, does he
expect to rule before 31 May when Mr. Doss leaves UN service?
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
I
don’t have any comment on that at the moment.
Five
days
later,
having received not a single response, Inner City Press asked again,
this time to Nesirky's Deputy Marie Okabe:
Inner
City
Press:
Who has taken over for Alan Doss in MONUC, one of the
UN’s largest peacekeeping missions? Who is in charge as of today
of that Mission?
Deputy
Spokesperson
Okabe:
I’ll have to look. Usually, there is an
Acting Representative whenever the Representative is on leave or out
of the country or for whatever reason. So, obviously one of the
deputies must be the Acting Representative. I don’t have the name.
[The
reporter
was
later informed that Alan Doss is in charge. Otherwise,
Leila Zerrougui, the Deputy Special Representative, would be
officer-in-charge.]
Inner
City
Press:
Last week, I asked a number of questions about Alan Doss. It
seems four or five days have gone by. Are there going to be
answers to those questions?
Deputy
Spokesperson
Okabe:
If there are, I would give them to you. I don’t
have any.
Why,
despite
saying
he would relinquish control of MONUSCO on May 31, is Alan Doss still
in charge? What is Ban Ki-moon doing with the OIOS report condemning
Mr. Doss? Watch this site.
, 
