By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 4, 2010 -- A mere four hours before the UN Security Council's trip to Africa and Sudan, the Council's “terms of reference” were still not ready.
Council President for October Ruhakana Rugunda was asked by the Press what the Council is seeking to accomplish, in Sudan and Uganda, his country. “The terms of reference are still being finalized,” he answered.
Inner City Press, which is going on and covering the trip, spent Monday morning inquiring into and reporting on these terms of reference. A Council member complaining that the United States and United Kingdom kept control of all of the planning of the trip and its goals said that “at least” some additional items were being added.
While Ambassador Rugunda declined to confirm, Inner City Press is informed that the Council is looking into a “Plan B” if the referenda scheduled for January 9, 2011 for South Sudan and Abyei are not held.
Also significant, until non Permanent members of the Council belatedly were consulted, human rights in Darfur and children and armed conflict were not among the trip's organizers' terms of reference.
Ruganda was asked by the Press about Sudan's President Omar al Bashir, who is indicted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and war crimes. Ruganda answered, as other Security Council diplomats have of late while adding their hope that Bashir will be in Libya, that “the Council has not asked to meet with President al Bashir, and he has not offered to meet with the Council.”
Inner City Press asked if al Bashir had personally been informed of and agreed to this trip, and to this construction. His senior adviser Rabie Adbelati Obeid has been quoted that al Bashir has not approved the trip. Rugunda responded that the trip has been discussed with “the authorities,” but declined to specify with whom.
Rugunda mentioned the Lord's Resistance Army rebels, who began in Uganda but are now as far afield as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and, as may related to the Council's trip, South Sudan. Will the Council raise the issue while in Juba? Watch this site.
Footnote: While Rugunda will lead the Uganda leg of the trip, the Sudan legs will be led by Susan Rice of the US and Mark Lyall Grant of the UK. France's Permanent Representative Gerard Araud is not going on the trip; nor are the Permanent Representatives of Russia, Nigeria and Austria.
Requests have been made not to publicize some of the logistics of and even some of the participants on the trip. But to still have not made public the terms of reference of the trip, less than six hours before the plane takes off from John F. Kennedy airport? We will report and Tweet on the trip, follow on Twitter on @InnerCityPress
