Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by cmn32480 on Wednesday August 10 2016, @07:09AM   Printer-friendly
from the flawed-logic dept.

Washington's ambassador to the U.N. this week circulated a draft resolution to the 15-member Security Council, seen by Reuters, that would approve a regional protection force "to use all necessary means, including undertaking robust and active steps and engaging in direct operations where necessary," to secure Juba and protect the airport and other key facilities.

Meanwhile a U.N. report released Friday said the organization's own peacekeepers failed through a "combination of inaction, abandonment of post and refusal to engage" to protect people who were attacked by gunmen within a U.N. Protection of Civilians site in the city of Malakal.

[...] Beyond failing to do their job, U.N. peacekeepers have been embroiled in sexual abuse scandals involving children being paid for sex and raped at the hands of soldiers.

A report last March revealed that at least 98 girls from the Central African Republic were sexually abused by U.N. peacekeepers and French troops, with four of the girls forced to have sex with a dog by a French commander. The soldiers were deployed as part of the U.N.'s mission in CAR known as MINUSCA.

[...] In June, The Intercept reported that rebel forces in South Sudan used child soldiers and that the U.S. State Department, under Hillary Clinton, sent arms despite a law that bans providing military assistance to nations that arm children.

Source: TeleSUR

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011, following a referendum that passed with 98.83% of the vote.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2) by Spook brat on Wednesday August 10 2016, @02:40PM

    by Spook brat (775) on Wednesday August 10 2016, @02:40PM (#386268) Journal

    This BS was going on with the UN in Bosnia as well until they were kicked out by the host countries and replaced with NATO peacekeepers. What made it worse was the official coverup afterwards, which there is no excuse for. The way I heard the story go was that UN officers were given a report of human trafficking, and thought that instead of a request to prosecute a crime that it was a referral for where to go for a good time.

    Shameful doesn't begin to cover it. I'm not sure there are words strong enough to properly condemn people who abdicate their duty to humanity so fully.

    References:
    The telegraph, [telegraph.co.uk] a few years after the incident (coincident with sale of the movie rights about the situation)
    DW (Deutsche Welle, a German publication), [dw.com] interviewing the Bosnia investigator about ties to the current situation in Sudan

    --
    Travel the galaxy! Meet fascinating life forms... And kill them [schlockmercenary.com]
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 2) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Wednesday August 10 2016, @03:52PM

    by Jeremiah Cornelius (2785) on Wednesday August 10 2016, @03:52PM (#386288) Journal

    I have to agree with your premise, but quarrel with your emphasis. The Bosnian scandals were outrageous, as were the incidents in Haiti after the earthquake. By drawing attention to these, you probably don't mean to say "old story, who cares much about Africa? Move on." Yet, that is the impression.

    Some of this comes from the title of your reply. This seems intended to lower the expectation for legal and ethical behavior by UN forces and consequently, deflate the importance of this story. Your information should be positioned to create a greater impact to the subject of conversation. Even more so, as this article discusses a repetition of that situation, in conjunction with extraordinary US requests.

    --
    You're betting on the pantomime horse...
    • (Score: 2) by Spook brat on Wednesday August 10 2016, @04:16PM

      by Spook brat (775) on Wednesday August 10 2016, @04:16PM (#386301) Journal

      Good points; thanks for the support. I definitely could have worded my post better, and you did a good job capturing my intent. I'm kinda world-weary about this: I'm sad that the UN forces are living down to my bad opinion of them. We can and should demand better from those entrusted with enforcing global peace.

      What we need is a spotlight on the crimes and prosecution for the perpetrators. Until the UN demonstrates that it can participate in peacekeeping without also committing or abetting atrocities themselves their involvement should be limited.

      More people need to know about this issue so foxes no longer have the run of the henhouse on any continent.

      --
      Travel the galaxy! Meet fascinating life forms... And kill them [schlockmercenary.com]
      • (Score: 2) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Wednesday August 10 2016, @05:02PM

        by Jeremiah Cornelius (2785) on Wednesday August 10 2016, @05:02PM (#386323) Journal

        I believe that our problem is a race-to-the-bottom that has been led by the supposed exemplars.

        When the uses of "democracy" and "human rights" become transparent shams for the quasi-Imperial actions of states with elite economic and military positions, then all devolving standards for behavior suffer equal deterioration.

        This is evident in the hollow efforts made to token prosecution and restitution. We are in a dark age.

        --
        You're betting on the pantomime horse...