Congo Trip Canceled by UN Council, Volcano Leaves MONUC in Jeopardy

By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/drc5unrice041610.html

UNITED NATIONS, April 16 -- The UN Security Council's trip to Africa, already shortened and devalued, has now been canceled in full, French Ambassador Gerard Araud told Inner City Press on Friday morning. The rationale, he said, is the Iceland volcano which makes the Council's flight to Paris and then Kinshasa unpredictable.

The trip was supposed to be for a week, Friday to Friday. Then once at least three Permanent Five members including the U.S.'s Susan Rice said they were not going, it was shortened to Friday to Tuesday, with side trips to Rwanda and Uganda -- about the Lord's Resistance Army -- cut off. Some said that was to lure Ms. Rice back onto the trip. But if so, it was unsuccessful.

Now, as airline delays spread after the volcano's eruption, the already embarrassing trip has been canceled. One diplomat who had been slated to go told Inner City Press, "This makes it more difficult to extend the MONUC mission, we cannot convey the message to [DRC President Joseph] Kabila."

With another perspective, as usual, South Africa's Dumisani Kumalo quipped to Inner City Press, "Thank God they're not going to the Congo." Kumalo, previously South Africa's Ambassador to the UN, now works on Great Lakes issues. He is less than impressed with the Council's and the West's work in the Congo. He told Inner City Press he had heard of the Alan Doss nepotism scandal. Click here for that. And watch this site.

And see, www.innercitypress.com/drc5unrice041610.html