Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at UN
UNITED NATIONS, April 8 -- France's role in the seas off Africa is in the news, but not at the UN. Inner City Press on Tuesday asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson if the UN has any involvement in trying to free from the French yacht off Somalia's coast the crew, not only French but Ukrainian and reportedly Filipino. No, the spokesperson said, "the UN has no involvement in this."
So who beyond France does? Inner City Press asked French Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert if his country is coordinating with, for example, the Philippines or Ukraine. Ripert answered that France maintains contacts with many countries, particularly in this case with the government of Somalia. That would be the Transitional Federal Government, the one opposed by the insurgents, the Islamic Courts formations and, separately, by the pirates.
Nor did the UN get involved in the conflict about the breakaway Comorian island of Anjuan. The African Union, under Tanzania's leadership, went in guns blazing. (Insiders tell Inner City Press that South Africa, for one, was urging further negotiation). France was accused of harboring lead rebel Mohammed Bacar, first on Mayotte and now on the island of Reunion. French mission sources scoff at these accusations, countering that it was France which transported the African Union troops to retake Anjuan. Zut alors! As some have noted, "since independence in 1975, Comoros has had 19 coups and attempted coups."
AU in Anjuan, France not shown (but present)
It is also said that the Zoe's Ark six, recently pardoned for kidnapping 103 children from Chad and Sudan, face some unspecified further investigation in France.
And see, www.innercitypress.com/un1comoros040808.html
