UNITED NATIONS, September 24 -- As the UN's Sudan meeting ended Friday night, African Union Commission President Jean Ping and top UN Peacekeeper Alain Le Roy took questions from the Press. The Communique just issued differed slightly from the near final draft Inner City Press exclusively put online earlier on Friday. Among the changes: the phrase “human rights” was cut from the final paragraph.
Inner City Press asked if the border demarcation and Abyei issues including regarding oil would be resolved before the January 9 referendum date. Le Roy said “hopefully” they would be resolved. Jean Ping intervened to, essentially, instruct the Press to not be negative, like predicting an earthquake.
About Darfur, Inner City Press asked what Le Roy was doing to ensure that UN Peacekeepers can and do leave their bases and protect civilians, as did not happen in the Tarabat Market earlier this month. Le Roy said things are getting better, and to the side of the stakeout UNAMID chief Ibrahim Gambari nodded vigorously.
Inner City Press asked why UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had Gambari and his UNMIS counterpart Haile Menkerios go to the inauguration of Omar al Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide.
Le Roy began the party line -- the Secretary General takes accountability seriously -- when Jean Ping broke in to chide those who are only about accountability. Peace is important, he said.
The AU's position is clearer than the UN's. Watch this site.
