It's April 23, 2024, 09:51:42 PM
It is a matter of record, wherever UN peacekeepers stepped foot, be it in Bosnia, Cambodia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone or Somalia their behavior has been the same: sexual exploitation of women and children (children as young as 12 and 13 year olds), torture and murder of civilians, and criminal abuse of their diplomatic immunity by using UN planes, helicopters and vehicles which are exempt from border searches to traffic sex slaves, guns, drugs and other contraband. These are well documented facts. All those who are interested need to do is start with the following sample articles from: (1) The New York Times, January 7, 1996; (2) The Washington Times, August 9, 1996, (3) The New York Times, January 18, 1997; (4) The Washington Post, June 16, 1997; (5) The Washington Post, June 18, 1997; (6) The Village Voice, June 24, 1997; (7) Electronic Mail & Guardian, July 3, 1997; (8) The Village Voice , July 15, 1997; This week the world is being bombarded by pictures depicting sexual abuse, torture and humiliation of Iraqi prisoners at the hands of some bestial US soldiers and interrogators in the Abu Gharib prison. However, no less atrocities have been and are being committed by UN peacekeepers around the world as well. Many of us are aware of the atrocities Italian, Canadian, and Belgian peacekeepers committed in Somalia and Bosnia. Those atrocities were as obscene, horrific, and inhumane as those coming out of Abu Gharib this week. UN peacekeepers' atrocities in Somalia included, but were not limited to, roasting a living Somali child over an open fire, placing wires from a radio transmitter on the genitals of a Somali man, violating a Somali woman with a flare, and making a child eat vomit and worms. All these happened while other peacekeepers were watching and taking photographs. What was the reaction of UN officials to these acts? Like what UNMEE is trying to do these days in Eritrea: denials and cover-ups. For this reason we shouldn't be surprised when we see UNMEE officials deny their criminal behavior and attempt at a cover-up; it is part of the UN culture that groomed them. It has also to be remembered that at the very time some of these atrocities were being committed the top person in charge of UN peacekeeping operation around the world was none other than the man who appointed UNMEE's officials, Kofi Annan. There might have been those who believed UNMEE was not condemned to fail like the other UN peacekeeping missions, but it looks UNMEE too is sliding down the path of failure. For many an extended stay in Eritrea is a money making business. No one should expect them to correct the wrongs of UNMEE. As they are the direct beneficiaries of illegal acts of human trafficking and issuing fake ID cards we shouldn't expect them to stop it. At the same time none of us should expect them to work positively towards the demarcation of the border, the end of their mandate. It would mean giving up their lucrative business, including the business of fleecing the UN of millions and millions of dollars. UNMEE officials have squandered the trust we had in them and they shouldn't expect to benefit from our generous cooperation. Not anymore. Everything should have a limit. Many of them should be recognized for who they truly are: "beasts in blue berets" not peacekeepers.
o i heard they were jean beney ramsy photos....guess i was wrong.
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