UN Burundi office lashes out at local media for their coverage of the corruption scandal
From Angola Press
UN mission in Burundi unhappy with local press
Bujumbura, Burundi, 11/20 - The UN Operation in Burundi (UNOB) is strongly "concerned about the serious breaches" observed in recent days in some local media, UNOB officials told PANA.
In a statement issued in Bujumbura on Saturday, the UNOB blames
the media for carrying "rumours of any kind and (levelling) spurious accusations" against it.
UNOB cited in its statement that it learned this week through the press that blue helmet military uniforms were allegedly found with members of the Hutu People`s Liberation Party/National Liberation Front (PALIPEHUTU-FNL, rebellion).
The approach used by a local radio establishing a link between the fact of finding uniforms of UN peacekeepers and connivance between UNOB and the rebellion has been vigorously denounced by the UN mission, describing them as "serious and groundless accusations."
"Such an accusation is prejudicial to the UNOB mission and relations between the Burundian people and the UN," the statement emphasised.
Both Burundian private and state-controlled media continue to treat the UN military uniforms affair, thus increasingly worsening the relations between the UN mission and the local media.
On Friday, the Burundian minister of foreign relations and international cooperation, Antoinette Batumubwira, told the press and foreign diplomats that she deplored "serious negligence" by some blue helmets, but, she continued, these "breaches" should not tarnish the UN institution. Meanwhile, Burundian and UN military officials have opened an investigation into the uniform affair.
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Burundi, human rights, Current Affairs, Politics, Africa
UN mission in Burundi unhappy with local press
Bujumbura, Burundi, 11/20 - The UN Operation in Burundi (UNOB) is strongly "concerned about the serious breaches" observed in recent days in some local media, UNOB officials told PANA.
In a statement issued in Bujumbura on Saturday, the UNOB blames
the media for carrying "rumours of any kind and (levelling) spurious accusations" against it.
UNOB cited in its statement that it learned this week through the press that blue helmet military uniforms were allegedly found with members of the Hutu People`s Liberation Party/National Liberation Front (PALIPEHUTU-FNL, rebellion).
The approach used by a local radio establishing a link between the fact of finding uniforms of UN peacekeepers and connivance between UNOB and the rebellion has been vigorously denounced by the UN mission, describing them as "serious and groundless accusations."
"Such an accusation is prejudicial to the UNOB mission and relations between the Burundian people and the UN," the statement emphasised.
Both Burundian private and state-controlled media continue to treat the UN military uniforms affair, thus increasingly worsening the relations between the UN mission and the local media.
On Friday, the Burundian minister of foreign relations and international cooperation, Antoinette Batumubwira, told the press and foreign diplomats that she deplored "serious negligence" by some blue helmets, but, she continued, these "breaches" should not tarnish the UN institution. Meanwhile, Burundian and UN military officials have opened an investigation into the uniform affair.
Take action - Fax your MP!
Take action - sign the Gatumba petition
Burundi, human rights, Current Affairs, Politics, Africa
posted by R | 9:07 AM
1 Comments:
ONLY A FULL INVESTIGATION (AND TRIAL, IF NEED BE) CAN RESTORE UNOB CREDIBILITY
We are so lucky to lay hands on such high-ranking terrorist. On the one hand, Humanity can have a sigh of relief. On the other hand, the arrest is a real test for the UN. In the same way that they are tracking down Congolese warlords and Rwandan militiamen and ex-FAR’s operating in the DRC; the UN must provide for a full, transparent trial of Aloys Nzabampema. If, on the contrary, the UN disregards the scandal, declares it ungrounded, or delays the trial as it has always done whenever crimes pertain to Burundi and Burundians; this will confirm that the FNL officer was actually acting under some UN umbrella.
Don’t forget that similar, well-grounded allegations had already been reported by Burundi press last spring. It was said that UNOB military personnel, seeing that their mission will be over very soon, started arming PALIPEHUTU/FNL. The move would refuel the war and hence justify an extension of their stay in Burundi.
So, unless concrete measures are taken to investigate the case and to seriously punish the culprits among UNOB personnel, the UN will be confirming the allegation that the mission to Burundi supplied weapons to PALIPEHUTU/FNL.
NERON
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