UNITED NATIONS, June 9 -- The UN's envoy on Somalia Ahmedou Ould Abdallah, who called for a moratorium on press reporting of civilian deaths in Mogadishu and cut a stealth deal about Somali off shore rights with Kenya and Norway, has been relieved of his functions.
Sources last week told Inner City Press that he was being replaced by Tanzania's current Permanent Representative to the UN, Augustine Mahiga. The affable Ambassador Mahiga has been seeking a UN job for some time. He put himself up for the number two post in the UN Development Program, running against his own foreign minister. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and UNDP's Helen Clark bypassed the African Group and gave to post to Rebecca Grynspan of Costa Rica.
On June 4, rather than simply write the story without receiving confirmation, Inner City Press asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe:
Inner City Press: Ould-Abdallah.. is leaving in July and seeks to remain as an adviser to the Secretary-General. I just want you to confirm that he is leaving, and to confirm or deny that Augustine Mahiga, the Tanzanian ambassador, is going to be named the SRSG [Secretary-General’s Special Representative].
Deputy Spokesperson: I have nothing on any appointments.
Inner City Press: But Ould-Abdallah has said publicly that he is leaving in July. Is that the case?
Deputy Spokesperson: I have nothing on that.
Inner City Press: He said it.
Deputy Spokesperson: I have nothing on appointments for Somalia today.
Even thought Inner City Press knew it to be true, confirmation was sought from Mahiga himself. The Tanzanian Mission said he was in Europe thought June 18, but they would ask him (the staffer said, "that is good news"). But Mahiga, who previously asked Inner City Press to email him articles, did not respond.
Now, five days after Inner City Press publicly asked about Mahiga and Somalia, Ban Ki-moon has formally named Mahiga to the Somalia post, which is actually based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Mahiga, stars and bars behind him, TFG not shown
On June 9, before the confirmation, Inner City Press asked Ban's Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq if the UN had consulted with the Transitional Federal Government about Mahiga. Haq said yes -- but we'll have more on this.
Several sources say that Mahiga is "so pro American, he'll make it all about counter - terrorism." Then again, that has already been the UN's approach.
These sources note that the UN way for a diplomat to seek a Secretariat job is for he or she -- almost always he -- to beginning selling out his Group and even his country, in exchange for the coming favor. The Secretariat uses the needs and wants of Permanent Representatives to obtain certain actions or forbearance in the budget committee -- which has continued meeting this week, despite the announced conclusion in May -- the General Assembly and in this case the peacebuilding commission.
"Consider Yemen," one well placed source told Inner City Press. "With all of the conflicts and problems, you might expect the UN to name an envoy or otherwise get involved. But since Yemen managed to head the Group of 77 this year, they use that leverage to tell the UN to do nothing. In exchange for which, the Group of 77 does not move to hold Ban accountable." Watch this site.
