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Peacekeeping Takes Another Hit
By Barbara Crossette
A recent report by the BBC raised to new levels the accusations of serious misconduct by peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo and charged that these actions were being covered up in New York. The allegations this time, backed by interviews in eastern Congo, are that Pakistani and Indian peacekeeping troops had been illegally trading UN weapons and ammunition for gold, ivory or drugs.
The UN reacted quickly to these allegations, first broadcast on April 28. On the same day, senior officials discounted the report. Jean-Marie Guéhenno, under-secretary-general for peacekeeping, wrote to the BBC saying there was no evidence for most of the charges. A senior UN investigations official told reporters at headquarters that every accusation had been investigated and most could not be substantiated. In Congo, Alan Doss, the civilian head of the UN mission there, said that the accusations were not new, and were largely based on “rumor,” not evidence.
But in his letter to the BBC, according to a UN spokesperson, Guéhenno also said that Pakistan and India had been asked to take “appropriate action” against troops implicated in wrongdoing, and that the UN was waiting to hear what the governments had done. That would leave open some question about whether all or most of the accusations were indeed false. Read more.
Food Crisis a Chilling Reminder of the Struggle to
End World Hunger
By Colin Stevens
 United Nations officials are calling the world food crisis the most widespread shortage in history and warning that it threatens to kill millions. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon describes an "unprecedented challenge of global proportions," while World Bank President Robert Zoellick cautions it could mean "seven lost years" in the fight against poverty.
And the Food and Agriculture Organization estimates food prices rose 83 percent in 2007 and expects them to rise another 50 percent in 2008, leaving no doubt that without swift action the future looks grim for the poor.
But today’s problems are anything but unprecedented. During a shortage in 1985, a UN report detailed an “unprecedented crisis which shows little sign of abating in the near future, even if drought conditions were to improve markedly during the next rainy season.” Read more. |
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