UNITED NATIONS, September 24 -- The open portion of the UN Sudan meeting was as surprising for what was not said as for what was. US President Barack Obama in his ten minute speech did not once mention Sudanese President Omar al Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide.
Sudan's Vice President Ali Osman Taha on the other hand, or perhaps in reciprocation, praised “the next direction and the emergent spirit of the United States of America of positive and constructive engagement.”
Inner City Press was allowed in the meeting for the first four speakers, and got the first copy of Taha's prepared speech. That the praise of Obama was in the prepared text may imply that Taha and his government knew that Bashir would not be mentioned.
Similarly, after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Taha earlier in the week, Inner City Press asked her spokesman PJ Crowley about Bashir, and specifically whether he would require a meeting and photo op if the UN Security Council visits the country as initially planned on October 4 to 11, Crowley said Bashir “did not come up” in the meeting.
After being asked to leave Friday's Sudan meeting after Ban Ki-moon, Obama, Taha and Salva Kiir spoke, Inner City Press asked a Security Council Ambassador if any progress had been made on scheduling the Council trip to Sudan, which members such as Austria and Mexico want.
No, the Ambassador said, maybe after the meeting. Asked by Inner City Press about Obama not mentioning Bashir, the Ambassador nodded and added, “it will be interesting to see how many of the African heads of state present mention Bashir and how.” Yes, it will.
Rwanda's Paul Kagame left the meeting after the first four speakers, as did Nick Clegg of the UK. The EU's Catherine Ashton left while Salvia Kiir was talking, after having sat near the back of the room typing on a laptop. It is expected that top UN Peacekeeper Alain Le Roy will take questions from the Press after the meeting is over and the Communique is issued.
Obama, UN's Ban and Le Roy on Sept 24, Bashir not shown, (c) M.R. Lee
Earlier today -- before the meeting -- Inner City Press published a near final draft of the Communique. At Friday's noon briefing at the UN, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky to describe the role of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Department of Political Affairs in the Communique. Nesirky, who should answer this question, has yet to. Watch this site.
