UNITED
NATIONS, June
17 -- Children
and Armed
Conflict was
the topic in
the
UN Security
Council on
Monday, with
more than two
dozen
countries
saying there
should be zero
tolerance for
the
recruitment of
child
soldiers. But
is the UN
implementing
such zero
tolerance?
The
elephant in
the room, or
Council
Chamber, was
the case of Chad and
the UN's
mission in
Mali set to
begin on July
1. Chad is
on the UN's
list of child
soldier
recruiters,
but is itself
being
recruited to
join the UN
mission by
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations
chief
Herve Ladsous.
Inner City
Press first
reported on
this issue on
June 3, here.
Ladsous
has
spoken of a
four month
"grace
period." Only
in the UN
could such a
grace period,
like Ladsous's
three strikes
and maybe
you're out
policy on
rape, be
considered
zero
tolerance.
The
Security
Council
members spoke
first.
France's
Gerard Araud
praised
Chad for steps
it is said to
be taking. But
what of the
negative
precedent of
accepting a
country
currently
listed on the
child
soldier
recruitment
list as a
Troop
Contributing
County?
Nothing on
this.
The
UK Mission to
the UN, when
asked last
week by Inner
City Press,
replied
through its
spokesperson
Iona Thomas:
"The
UK takes the
listing of the
Chadian Army
in the
Secretary
General’s
report on
Children and
Armed Conflict
very
seriously. We
understand
there are
ongoing
discussions
between the
Chadian
government,
DPKO
and the SRSG
on Children
and Armed
Conflict to
address Chad’s
obligations on
the CAAC
agenda. It is
important that
Chad fulfils
these
obligations as
soon as
possible and
we are
monitoring
this
closely."
After
Monday's
Security
Council
session, Inner
City Press again
asked the SRSG
on
Children and
Armed Conflict
Leila
Zerrougui about
Chad and the
Mali
mission,
MINUSMA.
She
said that
there are five
short term
items Chad
must comply
with. When?
She said,
during the
"grace period"
-- that is,
Ladsous' four
months.
Even
if that could
be described
as zero
tolerance --
it can't -- it
must
be recalled
that even
after Ladsous
belatedly
threatened to
withdraw
support from
two Congolese
Army units
implicated in
the mass rapes
at
Minova in
November 2012,
Ladsous
never in fact
suspended
support,
despite only
three people
being
arrested.
Three
perpetrators
for 135
rapes? It is
not only on
the zero in
zero tolerance
that Ladsous
can
apparently not
do the math.
Inner
City Press has
spoken several
times with
Chad's
Permanent
Representative
Ahmed
Allam-mi, who
has also
expressed
frustration
with the UN.
If it's that
the UN should
re-inspect
more quickly,
then
do it.
But
to claim that
accepting a
country still
on the child
soldier
recruitment
list as a
troop
contributing
country is not
a
precedent
against the
claimed zero
tolerance --
is laughable.
Or
Ladsous-ian,
to coin
another
phrase. There
will be more.
Footnote:
In
Monday's open
debate,
contrary to
reform
requests by
the Small
Five and now
ACT, UK
Ambassador
Lyall Grant
put the
Presidential
Statement up
for decision
before
non-Council
members spoke.
The
meeting was
difficult to
cover, again due to
the lack of
previously
existing media
workspace
at the Council
stakeout. Time is
ticking on
all this.
Watch this
site.
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