UNITED NATIONS, September 14 -- On Darfur, the UN refuses to say if it has moved to change its practice of waiting for government approval before even trying to protect civilians, and the UN Mission UNAMID refuses to answer Press questions.
Inner City Press on September 14 asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky if Ban supports the re-entry of Justice and Equality Movement leader Khalil Ibrahim into Darfur from Libya, and if the UN has asked for permission to so transport Ibrahim. Video here, from Minute 13:30.
I'll get back to you, Nesirky answered. But UNAMID's spokesman Chris Cycmanick back on August 11 wrote to Inner City Press that
“A limited amount of malnutrition data for Darfur has been verified, which will be available in the next 1-2 days. Remaining data is still in the process of verification and will be released once verification is complete.”
Since then, no information has been provided, and Inner City Press' questions, about UN inaction on the killings in the Tabarat Market, have not been answered by UNAMID. Inner City Press on September 14 asked Nesirky.
Nesirky, seeming to not want to answer himself, said that asking UNAMID directly sounded like “not a bad idea.” But UNAMID won't answer. Nesirky said he'd find out.
On September 9, Inner City Press asked Ban about UNAMID's failure to protect civilians in the Tarabat Market. Ban replied that he had summoned UNAMID chief Ibrahim Gambari to his retreat in Austria. But what was said?
Is there an UN response to JEM's request that Gambari resign for failure to protect civilians? Nesirky said he would check, presumably on both.. We will be here.
Footnote: Mr. Ban held a press conference on September 13, but Inner City Press was not granted permission to ask a question, and no questions were asked about Sudan, despite Ban's claims about the UN's work there in his opening remarks. We will continue to follow these issues.
