Ileka
Atoki of DRC
Says Fired
Back at
Rwanda, Uganda
May Have Sent
Arms
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 19 --
When Ileka
Atoki, the
Democratic
Republic of
the Congo's
former
Ambassador to
the UN and now
France, came
to the
Security
Council Monday
evening, he
stopped and
answered a
half dozen
questions from
Inner City
Press.
This
stand in
contrast to
the UN, which
has refused
three times to
say whether
DRC or the M23
mutineers
broke the
ceasefire on
November 9. UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous
wouldn't even
respond.
Ladsous
directed his
spokesman to
tell UN staff
to keep the
microphone
away from
Inner City
Press.
Ileka
Atoki, who has
previously
complained to
Inner City
Press about
raping and
sexual abuse
by UN
peacekeepers,
answered
question after
question from
Inner City
Press in front
of the
Security
Council. We
report his
answers here.
Inner
City Press
asked Ileka
Atoki if DRC
had, in fact,
shelled
Rwanda. He
said yes, that
Rwanda had
fired first,
and DRC
responded.
Inner
City Press
asked Ileka
Atoki if the
DRC supports
the European
Union's
November 19
invitation to
Ban Ki-moon to
explore
appointing a
new special
representative
to the region.
He said it's
not a bad
idea, if the
person is high
profile
enough.
Inner
City Press
proffered,
Kofi Annan?
Ileka Atoki
nodded and
said again, if
high profile
enough. Inner
City Press
asked about a
current UN
official, Abou
Moussa. Ileka
Atoki just
stared.
Inner
City Press
asked Ileka
Atoki if the
UN mission
MONUSCO moved
all its
helicopters
from Goma to
Bukavu --
something that
Ban Ki-moon's
Deputy
Spokesman
Eduardo Del
Buey told
Inner City
Press he had
"no
information"
on when asked
at noon.
Neither did
Ileka Atoki at
7:30 pm.
Inner
City Press
asked Ileka
Atoki if DRC
claims that
Uganda is also
involved in
fighting. He
said, not in
the current
fighting, but
Uganda may
have sent
weapons
When
Inner City
Press asked
Ileka Atoki
about
something
French
Ambassador
Gerard Araud
had said, that
only one
Council member
is opposed to
listing Rwanda
in France's
draft
resolution,
Ileka Atoki
nodded and
said he is not
sure if it is
the position
of the
government at
issue, or the
"individual"
in the
Council.
His reference
clearly seemed
to be to Susan
Rice -- which
we note some
see to her
credit.
Inner
City Press
asked
Ambassador
Rice earlier
on Monday if
the US thinks
DRC President
Kabila should
speak to the
M23. She said,
"We think
there needs to
be a peaceful
resolution."
Inner
City Press
asked Ileka
Atoki if
Kabila had yet
spoken with,
or even been
called by, Ban
Ki-moon. The
answer appears
to be no.
We'll have
more on this.
Watch this
site.
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