By Matthew Russell Lee
KHARTOUM, October 9 -- Sudanese authorities blocked the UN Security Council members from visiting Shangil Tobaya Internally Displaced Persons camp in Darfur on October 8, a Council diplomat told Inner City Press on Saturday in Khartoum.
Speaking to the Press before the Council flew back to New York, the diplomat said the Council was monitoring cooperation with the UNAMID peacekeeping mission. Inner City Press asked what had been raised or accomplished on the freedom of movement of peacekeepers.
Last month, UNAMID peacekeepers in Tawila did not go to the Tarabat market site where 47 people were killed by janjaweed until three days after the relatives of those attacked had made the request.
The Council diplomat, insisting on being identified as such, said that the authorities' claim that 90% of Darfur is peaceful was “not what we heard in Darfur” from IDPs. The Council diplomat continued that “the IDP camp we originally were thinking of going to considered was considered too difficult because it wasn't under government control, and it wasn't far from El Fasher.”
Kids in IDP camp with peacekeepers, UNSC not shown (c) MRLee
Later Inner City Press asked the diplomat point blank if the reference was to the Shangil Tobaya camp. Yes, the diplomat said.
Inner City Press asked, who told you not to go -- the government or UNAMID itself?
The Council diplomat said, “Both... after consultations between the two.” But wasn't that true of the failure to get to the Tarabat Market? And if the Shangil Tobaya camp is safe enough for children to live in it, the Council members couldn't visit, with all the armed guards they had?
This seems to sum up the situation in Darfur, and the Security Council's visit. Watch this site.
