By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unsc1eritrea111809.html
UNITED NATIONS, November 18 -- The UN Security Council's inability this year to stop bloodshed in Gaza and Sri Lanka, or to stop nuclear missile tests by North Korea, is perhaps not surprising. But when it fails to follow up on its deadlines and directives on a conflict like that between Eritrea and tiny Djibouti, one has to wonder why.
Following a military clash in mid 2008, the Security Council on January 14 passed a resolution giving Eritrea five weeks to withdraw from Djibouti's territory. Now in mid November, there has been no follow up.
An omnipresent diplomat from Djibouti, who represents the country in nearly all of the General Assembly's committee, has repeatedly told Inner City Press that the Council's inaction only emboldens Eritrea more.
Last month, he told Inner City Press that because the Council expects Djibouti to raise its issue through African Council member Uganda, Djibouti is left voiceless, as "Uganda has done nothing."
That the Council defers in such cases to the member or members from the region appeared to be confirmed by this month's Council president Thomas Mayr-Harting of Austria when Inner City Press asked this week what has happened on Eritrea and Djibouti. After referring to the fruitless "good offices" mediation efforts of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's top political official B. Lynn Pascoe of the Department of Political Affairs, Mayr-Harting said that African members have a "particular responsibility to move this dossier forward." Video here, from Minute 7:22.
Ten days ago, Inner City Press asked Uganda's UN Ambassador Ruganda to respond to this criticism. He expressed surprise, then said that "something is moving," and asked that Inner City Press hold off publishing the comment for a few days. Now, more than a few days have passed, just as more than 10 months have passed since the Council's Resolution 1804.
On November 17, Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq for the status of Lynn Pascoe's mediation. From the transcript:
Inner City Press: Farhan, earlier this year in this dispute between Eritrea and Djibouti -- Lynn Pascoe, the Council considered it and then sort of deferred to DPA, sort of some kind of mediation that was being attempted. They set a deadline that’s now long expired. What is the status of DPA’s or Mr. Pascoe’s work on that issue? When is the last time he spoke to the two, and where does it stand?
Associate Spokesperson Haq: Well, Mr. Pascoe has repeatedly briefed the Security Council about the situation between Djibouti and Eritrea, so he has brought this up in their consultations. Ultimately, any further response is up to the Council, so you might want to check with them.
On November 18, as Inner City Press asked diplomats from Ethiopia and even Latin America, word was that a follow up resolution is finally being prepared. But why did five weeks before ten months? Only at the UN.
Footnote: in other UN Department of Political Affairs, after Lynn Pascoe's decision to short circuit a recruitment process for a Sanctions Branch post and move Michelle Griffin laterally into the post was protested by D1 and D2 officials, Messrs. Martinovic and Heitmann, the move has still been made, but Ms. Griffin will report directly to Pascoe, and not through Martinovic and Heitmann. The latter walks right by Inner City Press' table by the Security Council nearly every day, but has not commented on the story. We like to tell all sides...
