Amid
Questions on
DRC Sanctions
Chief Hege, UN
Stonewalls on
Leaks,
Selection
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 17 --
Rwanda since
the summer has
publicly
questioned the
objectivity of
Steve Hege,
coordinator of
the Group of
Experts on the
Democratic
Republic of
the Congo,
based on
articles he
published in
2009
dismissive of
the threat
posed by FDLR
militia
based in
Eastern Congo.
After Inner
City Press linked to
Hege's writing,
it was removed
from the
Internet,
still without
explanation. Click here for
Inner City
Press' August
29
interview
with Rwanda's
foreign
minister
Louise
Mushikiwabo on
this
issue.
Inner
City Press
asked
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesman
Martin
Nesirky, in
the summer and
now again on
Wednesday,
about Rwanda's
charges and,
where
possible,
about Ban's
Secretariat's
role. Video
here, from
Minute 18:38.
On
Wednesday, the
day before
Rwanda stands
for election
to a two-year
seat on the
Security
Council,
Nesirky took
questions
about what he
called the
leak of Hege's
most recent
report, saying
it wasn't
scheduled for
release until
November but
repeating a
call against
outside
support to the
M23 mutineers.
Inner
City Press
asked Nesirky
about Hege --
"I thought
you'd raise
that," Nesirky
interjected --
and about two
other now
controversial
sanctions
committee
chiefs, that
for Cote
d'Ivoire and
Somalia
- Eritrea.
In
the latter
case, chief Matt
Bryden leaked
his report and
gave
interviews
about it,
leading to
criticism not
only from
Eritrea and
Somalia, but
even Western
members of the
Security
Council like
Portuguese
Permanent
Representative
Cabral.
To some, the
current DRC
- Rwanda
"leak," as
Nesirky called
it, seems
quite similar
to Bryden's,
"only better
timed," as one
source said on
condition of
anonymity.
But
Nesirky
wouldn't
answer this
Hege question
directly, or
take any
follow up on
Wednesday.
Inner City
Press asked
how Hege, like
Bryden, was
appointed, the
role of Ban's
Department of
Political
Affairs, and
what his
Secretariat's
response is to
Rwanda.
Despite
the
role of Ban's
DPA in
appointing
Hege, Nesirky
would only
reply,
""As you know
the panel of
experts
reports to the
SC so I
suggest you
speak to
them."
Then
as Inner City
Press sought
to ask a
follow up,
Nesirky said
"thanks
very much,
thank you,"
and ended the
briefing. Video
here, at
end.
And
so it goes at
Ban's UN.
Watch this
site.
, 
