UN Won't Release Its Report Into Darfur Cover-Up Charges, Even to UNSC
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 30, 2014, more here
<
https://www.beaconreader.com/matthew-russell-lee/amid-darfur-cover-up-quest
ions-un-said-to-be-slated-to-move-chambas-to-djinnits-dakar-post> -- Today
the UN issued a statement on its internal investigation into charges it
covered-up attacks in Darfur, but despite a request from Inner City Press
and the Free UN Coalition for Access <
http://www.funca.info> will not
release the report -- even to the Security Council, which gets only the
executive summary.
Inner City Press asked, given that even the sanitized statement says
information on attacks was withheld from the media and UN Headquarters - at
its request? - who is responsible? What about Mohamed ibn Chambas, recently
head of the Darfur mission UNAMID until he got a promotion? Video here.
<
http://youtu.be/kZiaq9xYV80>
Back on September 12, eight days after Inner City Press exclusively
reported <
http://www.innercitypress.com/darfur1unrewarded090414.html> that
the head of the Darfur peacekeeping mission Mohamed ibn Chambas was being
given the UN Office in West Africa post in Dakar, and asked about it
<
https://www.beaconreader.com/matthew-russell-lee/amid-darfur-cover-up-quest
ions-un-said-to-be-slated-to-move-chambas-to-djinnits-dakar-post> , the UN
confirmed the move.
Inner City Press has asked on September 5, and did again on September 12,
if this move didn't undercut or pre-judge the UN's investigation into
charges that the Darfur mission under Chambas under-reported attacks on
civilians.
On September 12, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric insisted he didn't want to
"pre-judge" the inquiry. But by giving the new post, this has already been
done. Now this sanitized statement, with the report still withheld:
A review, initiated by the Secretary-General, was conducted into recent
allegations that the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur
(UNAMID) intentionally sought to cover up crimes against civilians and
peacekeepers.
The Review Team examined all the material related to 16 incidents, which
were the basis of these allegations. It also interviewed former and current
staff in UNAMID and at UN Headquarters. The Review Team did not find any
evidence to support these allegations. However, it did find a tendency to
under-report unless absolutely certain of the facts. In five of the cases
examined, the Mission did not provide UN Headquarters with full reports on
the circumstances surrounding these incidents, which involved possible
wrongdoing by Government or pro-Government forces. The Review Team also
found that the Mission took an unduly conservative approach to the media,
maintaining silence when it could have developed a press line, even in the
absence of all the facts.
The Secretary-General is deeply troubled by these findings. He recognizes
that UNAMID faces unique challenges owing to its complex mandate and
operating environment. Nevertheless, keeping silent or under-reporting on
incidents involving human rights violations and threats or attacks on UN
peacekeepers cannot be condoned under any circumstances.
The Secretary-General will take all necessary steps to ensure full and
accurate reporting by UNAMID. Every effort will be made to ensure that
sensitive information is systematically brought to the attention of UN
Headquarters and the Security Council in a timely fashion. UNAMID's media
policy will be re-examined to ensure greater openness and transparency. The
Mission will be expected to follow up formally and report on Government
investigations into incidents where peacekeepers have been killed or
injured.
Ensuring that the UN speaks out consistently against abuses and identifies
the perpetrators is a key goal of the Secretary-General's Human Rights up
Front initiative. The Secretary-General will ensure that all missions are
provided with clear guidance on the fulfilment of their reporting
obligations, particularly with regard to human rights and the protection of
civilians. He looks forward to the upcoming review of UN peace operations as
an opportunity to comprehensively address this issue, which is a core
element of his Human Rights up Front initiative.
On August 22, Inner City Press asked:
<
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2014/db140822.doc.htm>
Inner City Press: in Darfur, it seems that Mr. Mohamed ibn Chambas went to
Kalma Camp and met with residents who expressed a variety of complaints, but
he was quoted as saying there that UNAMID [African Union-United Nations
Hybrid Operation in Darfur] cannot stop Government forces from entering
camps for the displaced, and it has left many people confused whether, what
is UNAMID's role in terms of protection of civilians given these [inaudible]
entrances in the camp and people lying on the ground?
Spokesman Dujarric: I will. we will check with the Mission to verify the
quotes and see what actually they have been doing.
Two weeks, no answer. Now this.
UN Peacekeeping and its mission in Darfur continue take a selective and
lax approach to protecting civilians.
This example concerns the UN's evolving statements on the Al-Salam camp.
After whistleblower Aicha Elbasri further exposed UN Peacekeeping under
Herve Ladsous as covering up attacks in Darfur, on June 17 several Security
Council members joined International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou
Bensouda in calling for an investigation.
On August 7, Inner City Press asked the Joint Special Representative of
the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur, Mohamed Ibn Chambas,
about the status of the probe.
Chambas told Inner City Press he had met earlier in the day with the
commission, whose members will be on their say to Darfur.
Inner City Press asked if the report will be public. Chambas only said his
staff will cooperate. Apparently it will be up to Ban Ki-moon, or even Herve
Ladsous, to decide to release or withhold the report.
Back in Khartoum on August 11, Chambas said this:
"And on the attack on Alsalam camp, let me state that we have information
about this. We have always stated that the responsibility for maintaining
law and order in Sudan lays with the Government. This is a sovereign
country, it has law enforcement obligations, it has its justice system and
the AU, the UN is only here to facilitate and ensure that law and order and
justice are maintained and are enforced according to due process of law. So,
we want to say that we will continue to engage with the Government of Sudan
in accordance with its own protection of civilian mandate and to ensure that
the activities on law enforcement agencies are carried out without
infringement of the rights of innocent civilians specially vulnerable
communities in IDP camps. We hope that on the other hand residents of IDP
camps can understand and do understand that possession of weapons, carrying
of weapons is not allowed in IDP camps under international humanitarian law.
"It's also imperative, and it's a responsibility of the leaders of IDP camps
to ensure that no one is using these camps to keep weapons or to hide
weapons, because this is against international humanitarian law. These are
the issues involved there and we as UNAMID we will continue to work with
both sides, with IDP leaders to educate them what is permissible in these
camps and what is not, and at the same time working with Government to
enforce legitimately law and order but to do that respecting the civic and
human rights of the citizens and also respecting due process of law. Thank
you."
Since this seemed to defer to Sudan's Abu Tira, and even to blame the
victims, Inner City Press on August 13 asked:
<
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2014/db140813.doc.htm>
Inner City Press: I wanted to ask about Darfur, Missouri and Afghanistan.
On Darfur, photos have come out of the Sudanese uniformed Abu Tira forces
going through a refugee camp or [internally displaced persons] camp in El
Salam and making the residents lie on the ground. And Mr. Chambas was asked
about it and said that this was entirely up to the Sudanese and it just
seems sort of strange. I mean, I know there is a Human Rights component to
these peacekeeping missions. Does the UN, does UNAMID [United Nations
Hybrid Operation in Darfur] or does anyone in the Secretariat, are they
aware of these photographs?
Spokesman Stephane Dujarric: I will check.
Twenty three hours later, Dujarric sent nothing to Inner City Press. But
UNAMID issued a belated statement, which seems to contradict or attempt to
rehabilitate Chambas' dismissive August 11 comments:
"Following a security raid conducted on Al Salam IDP camp on 5 August when
individuals were arrested for alleged possession of illegal drugs, weapons
and ammunition, UNAMID monitored the trials of those arrested during the
operation; most of whom have since been released. UNAMID has been engaging
relevant state authorities on the conditions of those still being detained.
"Other security raids have been conducted in Otash and Dereig camps and are
part of a wider campaign by the South Darfur authorities to address the high
level of criminality in the State, especially around Nyala.
"The security raids have generated alarm and anxiety amongst IDPs in Kalma
camp, who are anticipating a similar operation at their camp and have
expressed their concerns to UNAMID."
We'll continue on this.
Inner City Press asked UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq if an independent
investigation of Ladsous' UN Peacekeeping will be done, and if not, why not?
Video here. <
http://youtu.be/xllqC_Wnlok>
Haq claimed that UN Peacekeeping is already acting on Elbasri's
complaints, and that it had been telling the press about it. Inner City
Press asked, where have these updates been provided.
Haq cited a read-out given in March, largely generic; then he said the
requests made on June 17 would be studied.
Now on July 2, Ban's spokesman Dujarric - in the midst of a controversy
about a non-factual response on June 27, not corrected when asked June 30
and July 1, about Ladsous' mission in the DRC flying sanctioned FDLR leaders
around, released this:
"The Secretary-General is concerned about the recent serious allegations
against the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). These
allegations cover a wide range of issues, including inaccurate reporting of
the facts on the ground in Darfur, specific instances of failure to protect
civilians and accusations of mismanagement of UNAMID.
"UNAMID has undergone several investigations and reviews over the last two
years, which have sought to address both strategic issues and specific
incidents related to the Mission's performance. The Secretary-General's
Special Report of 25 February 2014 provides an overview of the strategic and
managerial challenges faced by the Mission and the work being done at United
Nations Headquarters and in UNAMID to address them.
"The Secretary-General remains committed to improving UNAMID's performance
and is determined to take all necessary steps to correct any wrongdoing. He
has instructed the Secretariat to review the reports of all investigations
and inquiries undertaken since mid-2012 to ensure that their recommendations
have been implemented and that any relevant issues have been fully
addressed. This review, to be completed within one month, will enable the
Secretary-General to determine what has already been done and, if
recommendations are outstanding, what corrective action needs to be taken."
On DRC, Dujarric said "you can pick up the phone" - after siting next to
Ladsous while he refused to answer Press questions on DRC.
As recently as May 29, Ladsous refused Press questions, video here
<
http://youtu.be/I21KFno29QI> , compilation here.
<
http://youtu.be/rm1V-cY9u40>
Back on April 24 when Darfur as such was the topic of the UN Security
Council, three major Darfur rebel groups wrote to the Council to investigate
"all reports of the Peace Keeping Mission, including reports presented to
the UNSC by [Under] Secretary General for Peace Keeping Mr. Ladous and the
reliability of the sources he had relied on."
But unlike his abortive stakeout on the evening of April 23 about South
Sudan, video here <
http://youtu.be/AMWNKAx2xJ4> , Ladsous did not come out
to answer any questions. And at the April 24 UN noon briefing, when Inner
City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon deputy spokesperson Farhan
Haq for a response to the request for an investigation of Ladsous and his
reports, there was none: not one modified or corrected report was cited.
Instead, from the "holy seat
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/funca1koreas102913.html> " of the UN
Correspondents Association a long time scribe followed up to say that it is
not all Ladsous' fault, and to cast blame on the government. (This same
dynamic was repeated at the June 17 noon briefing.) This reflexively
shifting of blame from the UN to the government, whose new Permanent
Representative spoke in the Council on April 24, is in this case
particularly absurd: how can the government be responsible for the UN's own
reports being inaccurate?
Those requesting this investigation of DPKO and Ladsous are not the
government of Omar al Bashir, which whom Ladsous met in July 2013 without
any readout <
http://www.innercitypress.com/ijd1bashlad071713.html> , but
rebels Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ahmed Nur, Chairperson, Sudan Liberation
Army/Movement (SLA/M-A/Wahid), Gibriel Ibrahim Mohamed, Chairperson of
Justice & Equality Movement Sudan (JEM) and Minni Arko Minnawi, Chairperson
Sudan Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/M-MM).
Pending UN answers, again we ask: how can one write about the corruption
of a UN Peacekeeping mission, at length, without naming the person in
charge? Why would one airbrush that person, in this case Herve Ladsous the
UN Under Secretary for Peacekeeping Operations, out?
The former spokesperson of the UNAMID mission in Darfur quit, spoke out
and finally leaked documents. Radio Dabanga
<
https://www.radiodabanga.org/sites/default/files/10-Apr-13%20NY%20to%20UNAM
ID.pdf> as well as Foreign Policy began publishing them on April 7 (FP did
not mention Dabanga <
https://www.radiodabanga.org/node/70643> , and called
its back to back
<
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/04/09/special_report_darfur_unit
ed_nations_peacekeeping_investigation_part_3> Ladsous-less pieces
<
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/04/08/special_report_darfur_unit
ed_nations_peacekeeping_investigation_part_2> an exclusive investigation).
The last piece focused on the US role, all to the good, but not only
doesn't mention that the UN's Ladsous met with International Criminal Court
indictee Omar al Bashir in July, without providing any read-out
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/ijd1bashlad071713.html> , but also omits
France's hosting of Darfur rebels, for example.
Back on March 25, 2013
<
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2013/db130325.doc.htm> , Inner City
Press asked the UN Spokesperson
<
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2013/db130325.doc.htm> about how the
UN Peacekeeping in Darfur could have let a group of Internally Displaced
People be kidnapped while they were ostensibly protected:
Inner City Press: there is this incident where IDPs were taken hostage or
kidnapped by people that were in Government army uniforms, and somehow
UNAMID is saying that they opposed it and they denounced the kidnapping, but
some people are wondering how armed UN peacekeepers could have IDPs under
their care and they could all be kidnapped. Can you clarify how it took
place and how it is consistent with protection of civilians?
Spokesperson: Well, I have asked the Mission for more details on that, and I
think if you were listening carefully you will have heard me read out
precisely what you just said to me.
Inner City Press: But what I am asking about specifically about how it could
take place?
Spokesperson: I heard what you said, and I've said that I'll see if I can
find out more, which is what I have already asked the Mission and
Peacekeeping Operations.
Now Radio Dabanga has published a memo by UN Peacekeeping chief Herve
Ladsous, from April 10, 2013
<
https://www.radiodabanga.org/sites/default/files/10-Apr-13%20NY%20to%20UNAM
ID.pdf> , still saying he didn't know how it happened.
What is Ladsous doing? Then, and apparently now, he refuses Press
questions about topics ranging from Sudan -- why did he meet with
International Criminal Court indictee Omar al Bashir in July 2013? -- to
rapes in the DR Congo by UN Peacekeeping's partners in the Congolese Army.
<
http://youtu.be/rm1V-cY9u40>
Dabanga to its credit says it is reporting the memos along with FP
<
https://www.radiodabanga.org/node/70560> . The FP story, at least the first
one, does not mention Dabanga,
<
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/04/07/special_report_darfur_unit
ed_nations_peacekeeping_investigation> nor Ladsous' meeting with Bashir
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/ijd1bashlad071713.html> . Previously an
explanation was provided for not reporting on Ladsous' extraordinary and
public <
http://www.innercitypress.com/unmas6somalia080713.html>
"non-answering," noted from the UK by the New Statesman, here.
<
http://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/2013/10/meet-matthew-lee
-scourge-united-nations>
Received on Thu Oct 30 2014 - 10:44:32 EDT