UNITED NATIONS, September 4 -- Proof of UN inaction on slaughter in Darfur, received today by Inner City Press, is matched by silence from the UN, in Sudan and at the level of UN Spokesperson.
Amid reports of dozens killed by janjaweed in the North Darfur village of Tabra, Inner City Press on the morning of September 4 sent questions to the spokesman for the joint UN - African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Chris Cycmanick, as well as to the spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Martin Nesirky, and the spokeswoman for UNAMID chief Ibrahim Gambari.
Nesirky replied that UN was “aware of the reports [and] checking further.” Eight hours later, however, no further information was provided. Cycmanick never responded, but was quoted by CNN that “men on horses and camels slaughtered 37 and left 30 injured at a market elsewhere in Darfur... it was unclear who was responsible for that attack.”
Well, one reason the UN could claim a lack of knowledge of killing of dozens of people in the Tabarat Market in Tabra was that the UN peacekeepers told family members of those killed and wounded -- some of whom later died -- that they could not go to the site of the attack, until approval from El Fasher and ultimately from the Sudanese authorities.
Inner City Press has now obtained the following account from inside UNAMID:
“At about 1800hrs on 02 Sep 2010, UNAMID Police Advisors received unconfirmed information from locals in Tawilla IDP camp that unidentified armed men attacked Tabarat Market near Maral village about 28kms southwest of Tawilla, where about 30 people were killed and more than 70 others were injured.
“The information was received by the PF Force Commander Major Aimable Rukondo from relatives of victims in Tawilla IDP camp. At about 2030hrs, people from the Tawilla IDP camp gathered near the gate of Tawilla UNAMID Base requesting for assistance to evacuate their relatives who were in Tabarat market. The PF Commander together with the Acting Team Site Commander advised the relatives that prior approval from El Fasher Headquarters is needed before proceeding to the place and with that they were advised to be back to Tawilla Base tomorrow morning for possible medical evacuation movement to Tabarat market once it has been approved by the higher Headquarters.”
While the above only refers to need approval from Al Fashir, that could be obtained quickly. But the background here is the UN's accepting of the need to get Sudanese authorities' approval to move, even in cases of medical emergency.
Not only is this inconsistent with UNAMID's protection of civilians mandate -- it also calls into question the UNAMID spokesman's statements (and refusals to answer media requests), and Ban Ki-moon's spokesman's ostensible inability to provide information about the UN's actions.
What will Ban Ki-moon, and the UN Security Council, do? Watch this site.
