UNITED NATIONS, May 11 -- As the supposed peace deal between the Sudanese government of Omar al Bashir and the Justice and Equality Movement rebels falls apart and the UN has no comment, Sudan's Permanent Representative to the UN Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad has faced his own rebellion back in Khartoum.
For the second time this year, his detractors have announced that he is losing his job in New York. On May 8 it was reported that
"The Sudanese government has relocated its ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Abdel-Mahmood Abdel-Haleem in a surprise move after his tenure was extended on an exceptional basis last March by president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir. The pro-government Al-Rayaam newspaper said that Abdel-Haleem was summoned to Khartoum last Thursday and that he will likely be replaced by Dafalla Al-Haj Ali Osman."
Seeking confirmation, Inner City Press sent Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem a text message on May 9. He replied, "Will call you in a couple of hours as I am boarding a train to New York." Clearly, contrary to the report, he was not in Khartoum.
On May 10 and May 11, supporters of Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem who requested to be left unnamed told Inner City Press that it is his position he will keep the post at the UN or return to Khartoum "only as a minister."
It is said that Omar al Bashir told Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem's opponent that he wants "powerful people" as ministers, and that Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem was "the only one who trimmed Ocampo," meaning the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
Meanwhile, when Inner City Press on May 11 asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky about development in Sudan, Nesirky portrayed the events as routine, a "drip, drip" --
Inner City Press: On Sudan, the Government has called for the arrest of JEM [Justice and Equality Movement] leader Khalil Ibrahim, and JEM has responded by saying if he is arrested, they will renew outright war in Darfur. I wonder if Mr. [Ibrahim] Gambari, UNAMID [United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur], Mr. [Haile] Menkerios, the Secretary-General, does anyone following this have anything to say about this deterioration of conditions?
Spokesperson: I’m sure my colleagues on the ground are following every twist and turn that is happening to the best of their ability, but we don’t need to comment on every single media report that comes out about the twists and turns that you refer to.
Question: I mean, it seems like the JEM is the major rebel group in Darfur, and when they threaten to go back to war…
Spokesperson: I’m familiar with who they are and what they are. But we can’t take a kind of a drip, drip approach to this, okay.
Drip drip, indeed. Watch this site.
