Amid
UN CAR Rapes,
US From DC
Vows Change,
Will It
Include
Ladsous?
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 13 --
With the UN
shown to have
covered-up
rapes not only
in the Central
African
Republic,
by its own UN
peacekeepers
and the French
Sangaris force,
but also in Tabit
in Darfur
and Minova
in the
Democratic
Republic of
the Congo
before that,
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon met
behind closed
doors with the
15 members of
the Security
Council on
August 13. Now
on August 14,
the US State
Department in
Washington has
issued a
statement,
below.
Conspicuously
absent from
the August 13
meeting, and
from the UN
during this
week of
scandal for
the Department
of
Peacekeeping
Operations,
was the head
of DPKO, Herve
Ladsous. He
is, in the
French way, on
vacation;
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric told
Inner City
Press that Ladsous
had not even
spoken with
Ban about
the scandal.
Last month's
Security
Council
president told
the press that
this months
president, Joy
Ugwu of
Nigeria, would
be coming to
the UNTV
stakeout to
provide a
summary of the
meeting.
Then it was
said that Ogwu
would stakeout
along with the
US Ambassador,
Samantha
Power.
Then finally,
only Samantha
Power spoke. Video here.
Power's
new
spokesperson
pointedly
allowed only
three
questions,
from Reuters
(who she'd
called on for
Power's
most recent
stakeout on
August 7, here),
Associated
Press (which
also asked
about ISIS and
an upcoming
Arria formula
meeting about
LGTBI) and
finally... the
Wall Street
Journal.
Inner City
Press asked,
as it would
have asked Joy
Ogwu, if
making troop
contributing
countries
disclose
whether they
prosecute
suspects and
the results
was discussed.
Power's
spokesperson
said
pointedly,
I've already
called on
[Reuters.] But
on August 14,
Inner City
Press asked
Ogwu, here.
Now on
August 14, we
publish this
full text from
the State
Department's
Deputy
Spokesperson Mark Toner:
"The
United States
is profoundly
shocked and
dismayed by
allegations
and incidents
of serious
misconduct by
UN
peacekeepers
serving in the
UN
Multidimensional
Stabilization
Mission in the
Central
African
Republic
(MINUSCA).
The most
recent of
those
allegations
includes rape
and civilian
casualties
during an
arrest
operation in
early August.
These
allegations
raise serious
concerns about
the mission’s
discipline and
command.
They must be
investigated
immediately
and
thoroughly,
with
appropriate
punishment and
accountability
for the
perpetrators.
"We
welcome recent
actions from
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-Moon
including
convoking
leaders of UN
peacekeeping
missions, and
calling for
yesterday’s
special
session of the
Security
Council to
discuss these
serious
allegations and
the efforts he
is taking to
strengthen the
UN's response
and institute
a policy of
zero tolerance
for misconduct
of any kind by
UN
peacekeepers
and
staff.
"The
United States
remains
convinced of
the importance
of MINUSCA in
supporting the
transition
process
underway in
the Central
African
Republic and
of the central
utility of UN
peacekeeping
in advancing
peace and
reconciliation
in regions
afflicted with
violence.
Instances of
abuse such as
these and
others in
recent years,
however,
threaten to
undermine the
credibility of
this crucial
tool for
conflict
resolution.We will continue to
push the UN
for urgent
action to
improve
vetting,
implement
measures to
protect
civilians from
abuse and
exploitation,
and
investigate
any
allegations
and take and
appropriate
action. The
United States
also calls
upon Member
States to
ensure that
their
personnel
serving in UN
peacekeeping
missions are
subject to
investigations
and
appropriate
legal action
at home for
any crimes
they may
commit while
in service as
a peacekeeper.
"The
United States
reaffirms its
support for
MINUSCA’s vast
efforts to
support the
population of
the Central
African
Republic and
we call on all
parties to
renew and
demonstrate
their
commitment to
free, fair,
and peaceful
elections."
So the US will
"continue to
push the UN
for urgent
action" -
while the head
of UN
Peacekeeping
Herve Ladsous,
who also
covered up
rapes in
Darfur,
remains on
vacation,
UNurgent?
On
August 13, the
rest of the
press corps
was there,
apparently,
just as extras
to make it
look
free-wheeling.
And so after
entirely
predictable
hand-picked
questions,
Inner City
Press asked
Power, on the
mass rapes in
Tabit in
Darfur, has
anything been
done? The
question was
perfectly
audible. But
there was no
answer.
Here's
why it's
important:
many on the
Security
Council
including the
US spoke a lot
about UN
Peacekeeping's
cover-up of
rapes in Tabit
in Darfur last
year. But nothing
has been done:
no one
disciplined,
much less
fired. If
there was no
follow through
on that, how
will there be
on this?
Relatedly,
while much is
made of trying
to get European
countries to
contribute
more troops to
UN
Peacekeeping,
the French
government did
nothing about
allegations
its soldiers
raped children
in CAR, which
that
government
received from
the UN's
Ander Kompass
in July 2014.
So how would
their
inclusion
automatically
make things
better?
These
are questions
that should be
answered, or
at least
allowed. These
are questions
that will be
pursued. Watch
this site.
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