On Ethiopia, UN Had No Response to ICP on Oromo, Answers Banned By Matthew Russell Lee UNITED NATIONS, January 13 -- Despite the UN having offices in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, it has had nothing to say about the crackdown that has led to the killing, reportedly, of over 140 people. Inner City Press on January 11 asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon' spokesman Stephane Dujarric about this - but Dujarric gave no answer. Video here. Now that Ethiopian authorities say they are canceling the underlying Oroma plan, the UN still has no comment. Inner City Press on the morning of January 13 asked Dujarric and two other UN spokespeople the following: “On “Ethiopia's government is set to abandon plans to expand the boundaries of the capital, Addis Ababa, which have caused months of deadly protests,” please now provide UN comment - and explain why transcript of Jan 11 noon briefing, where ICP asked about Oromo deaths, has not been online: http://www.un.org/press/en/content/noon-briefings.” Four hours later and counting, there was no answer, and the transcript was still not online. This is today's UN. The UN report on rapes in the Central African Republic, released on December 17, found that UN Peacekeeping's Under Secretary General Herve Ladsous “illustrate[s] the UN's failure to respond to allegations of serious human rights violations in the meaningful way.” Ladsous has yet to take any questions about the report. Now the Office of the UN Spokesperson refuses Press questions on reports that "peacekeepers" from Burundi, France, Gabon and Morocco paid fifty cents for sex with children in CAR. On the morning of January 12, Inner City Press asked three separate UN spokespeople, in writing: "In light of the Jan 11-12 Washington Post report that “ in interviews, U.N. officials said the peacekeepers were from Gabon, Morocco, Burundi and France. The prostitution ring they allegedly used was run by boys and young men who offered up girls 'for anywhere from 50 cents to three dollars,' according to one official,” please state the current status of these 'peacekeepers' from Morocco, Gabon, France and Burundi - and the status of the waiver USG Ladsous gave to the Burundian contingent." By the morning of January 13, no answer, nothing, nor to a separate Inner City Press question about Burundi nor to this: Inner City Press: RE “Filming for fictional television show at UNHQ, 13 January 2016 - Please be advised that filming for a fictional television show will take place on UN premises, as well as along 1st Avenue, on Wednesday, 13 January 2016” - please state what the TV show is, or explain why won't say. Neither was this answers, on the fantasy of accountability at the UN. On January 5, Ladsous' mission in CAR issued a press release about yet more allegation of sexual abuse of minors by its peacekeepers, below. Back on January 5, Inner City Press asked the Permanent Representative of New Zealand and of Uruguay, President of the Security Council for January, about the report(s). Video here. Now on January 11-12, the Washington Post reports on CAR "peacekeepers" from Burundi, France, Gabon and Morocco paying between fifty cents and three dollars for sex with children as young as 13 years old. But for some reason the Washington Post does not mention the BOSS of UN Peacekeeping, Herve Ladsous. Why not? Babacar Gaye is mentioned, as well as his replacement; Anthony Banbury is quoted, and even Ban Ki-moon, from a canned speech. But Ladsous is not mentioned, despite the section about him in the report released December 17. The UN cannot reform itself. Ambassador Gerard van Bohemen of New Zealand expressed concern. Ambassador Rosselli of Uruguay said in his national capacity that allegations should be dealt with has his country had, apparently a reference to Haiti. It appears the Security Council will take up this matter. Earlier at the January 5 UN noon briefing, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric if now Ladsous, in the Security Council right then on CAR, would belatedly answer questions, since the firing / scapegoating of former mission chief Babacar Gaye clearly didn't end the rapes. From the transcript: I wanted to ask but CAR, since you have this new report. One, I guess I’d like to… since Mr. [Hervé] Ladsous is briefing the Security Council today about CAR and has yet to answer any questions on the CAR sexual abuse allegations report… I guess it’s a timely request… can he do a stakeout, take questions on it? Because it seems like Babacar Gaye was fired, but the problems go on. So this is a request. It seems like a reasonable one But as noted (and Vined, here), Ladsous did not answer.

• published: 15 Jan 2016
• views: 2188