Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
www.innercitypress.com/un1ramayade041608.html
UNITED NATIONS, April 16 -- Even before the Security Council debate on Africa began, France's Rama Yade told the Press that the meeting would be "determining.. if it were useless, would you all be here?" Inner City Press asked if as French minister for human rights she thought President Sarkozy has done enough to restrain Chad's Idriss Deby, whom France has kept in power, from carrying out mass evictions in N'dajemena and disappearing his political opponents.
"The political and military situation in Chad is not easy," Rama Yade said. "The role of France is normal." She said that Sarkozy raised the issue of "politicians who disappeared" with President Deby a few weeks ago. Video here, from Minute 3:27.
Many have noted that after that meeting, Chad pardoned the French staffers of Zoe's Ark, previously convicted of kidnapping 103 children form Chad and from Sudan. Time or the Mission did not permit this question to be asked of Rama Yade. Instead, a journalist in French asked if these high level gabfests are useful. Rama Yade said yes, mentioning the World Food Program -- by its French acronym PAM -- and the crisis in Somalia. France's main Somalia concern of late has been the return of a French yacht from the pirates who captured it off Somalia's coast.
Tuesday Inner City Press asked France's permanent representation to the UN Jean-Maurice Ripert about his government's reported request to Somalia to put the pirates it capture on trial in France. Ripert said generally that France will fight piracy wherever. Inner City Press followed up, but what of jurisdiction? Amb. Ripert called the question too specific.
Asked about a call by NGOs that the UN's Working Group on children and armed conflict visit Sri Lanka and take action, including moving to refer recruiters there to the International Criminal Court, Ripert said the Working Group is doing a lot. He said that Radhika Coomaraswamy is planning a visit to Sri Lanka. But previously she sent Amb. Rock of Canada in her stead, to her homeland due to alleged conflict of interest. Ripert declined comment on that one as well. Video here. The search for answers will continue, watch this site.
Footnote: inside the Council and at the stakeout, the buzz was of Rama Yade's looks and her young age. These was the specter of resentment, not expressed for example regarding Serbia's also-young Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic. "Maybe Sarkozy couldn't find a fifty year old for the job," one reporter said. Or maybe he wanted somehow who'd be more grateful for the job....
And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1ramayade041608.html
