UN's Sex Violence Envoy on Machar Control in S Sudan, Minova Rapes
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 21, 2014 -- When UN Sexual Violence in Conflict
expert Zainab Bangura spoke about South Sudan on October 20, Inner City
Press asked of her meeting with Riek Machar and whether she thinks he
controls Peter Gadet, under sanctions by the US and suspected of shooting
down a UN helicopter. Video here. <
http://youtu.be/yu3HFz4ZgeU>
Bangura called her talks with Machar "decent" including "very detailed
information on where he is in command." Apparently, Machar is responsible or
accepts responsibility for Gadet. But where are the results of the
helicopter probe? Another UN cover-up?
Inner City Press also asked Bangura of the 130 rapes in Minova by the DR
Congo Army in November 2012, after which only two soldiers have been
convicted while UN Peacekeeping under Herve Ladsous continues supporting the
rapist units.
Bangura said she couldn't speak to that part of the UN, and linked the
lack of justice for Minova to the government's delay in investigating. Video
here. <
http://youtu.be/yu3HFz4ZgeU> But doesn't the government, and
Ladsous' DPKO and MONUSCO, know which DRC Army units were in Minova during
the rapes, and who was in charge of them? Impunity continues.
While South Sudan President Salva Kiir was in New York, he did not attend
the UN's "High Level" event about his country on September 25.
A Senior US State Department Official, speaking on background, said that
"there was a lot of disappointment expressed in the meeting that Salva Kiir
who is here in New York did not attend the meeting. He sent his Minister of
Foreign Affairs and some of his ministers to the meeting and several of the
attendees made a point of noting that Salva Kiir was not at the meeting."
Inner City Press asked the Senior State Department Official if the US know
who was behind the recent shooting down of a UN helicopter, if it could
confirm that forces under the control of Peter Gadet, already under US
sanctions, did it.
The US official said "we know that the UN is investigating it, we are
waiting for the results of that investigation. Gadet has been put on the
sanctions list even before that happened."
The official called the shoot-down "evidence of how difficult it is to work
in South Sudan," and added that South Sudan's foreign minister had said the
government is committed to not blocking NGOs and the UN from providing aid.
"We have to hold them to that commitment," the official concluded, "people
are suffering."
Background: back on May 6, 2014, when the US imposed sanctions on Gadet
<
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/05/225701.htm> , Inner City Press
asked <
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/05/225701.htm> :
MODERATOR: Great. Thank you. Our next question is from the other Matt Lee,
Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press. Go ahead.
QUESTION: Great. Thanks a lot, [Moderator]. I wanted to ask, there was a -
it was said that in Security Council consultations at the UN that senior
government officials were named in a radio broadcast prior to the attacks in
Bor on the UN compound in killing the civilians. I just wonder if you can
say are these people - is that the case? Do you know the names of people
that sort of called for that attack, and in which case, why aren't they on
this list?
And I also - this might for Senior Administration Official Number Two.
Secretary Kerry was talking about a legitimate force to help make peace. And
I just wanted to know, is the UN - is the U.S. thinking of that as part of
UNMISS mission or as the IGAD force? And if so, would it require a Security
Council approval? Thanks.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: On the first, I mean, we typically do
not comment on actors against whom we are - we have not yet - we have not
yet acted, a clunky way of saying we don't comment on those who are not part
of our designation. But anyone who is contributing to the violence, whether
that's by directing violence, whether that's by funding it, fueling it,
contributing arms, can be a subject of designation in the future. And I'll
leave it to my State Department colleague to answer the second question.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Yeah. On the question about the regional
force and on UNMISS, we - it is something that conversations and discussions
are ongoing between countries of IGAD, with New York, with ourselves and
others on how best to create this additional force presence that we are
working very much with UNMISS and see this as part of the same effort. But
we do think it's very important that the regional forces are able to join
this effort in larger numbers and appreciate the efforts of, particularly,
the governments of Ethiopia and Kenya, who are leading the mediation and who
are seeking to work with UNMISS in this regard.
Received on Tue Oct 21 2014 - 08:33:03 EDT