By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 18 -- While the UN Security Council and Press were in Darfur earlier his month, a civilian staff member of the UN - African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur was kidnapped in El Fasher. UNAMID spokesman Kemal Saiki and his associate Christ Cycmanick refused to say the nationality of the victim, or much about the crime.
It emerged that the victim was Hungarian. Finally, giving the name Istvan Papp, the peacekeeper called local station Radio Dabanga and complained he had been unable to reach UNAMID.
Inner City Press on Monday asked UN acting Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq to confirm this account on Radio Dabanga.
“First, in terms of Radio Dabanga, I wouldn't confirm media accounts,” Haq said. He went on to in fact deny the account, saying that UNAMID has spoken to the victim and gotten proof of life, as recently as the day before.
Haq said UNAMID is working with the government of Sudan to obtain the victim's “safe and unconditional release.” This is reminiscent of UNAMID's earlier working with the government of Sudan to obtain the release of the Russian pilots captured and beaten by government supported janjawiid.
Inner City Press has repeatedly posed questions to Kemal Saiki and Chris Cycmanick, without receiving any response.
Questions UNAMID and the UN have refused so far to answer include
Approximately how many people are left in Kalma Camp? Separately, is it being relocated?
What is the status of the Kalma Camp Five? What happened to the sixth? Long ago I emailed [Ibrahim Gambari] the following, which I now ask you to answer:
1) since there were initially six suspects in the Kalma Camp and now there are five, what can you say about the sixth?
2) these five, are they in some sort of custody of or detention by UNAMID? What would prevent them from fleeing before UNAMID were to turn them over to the Sudanese authorities?
3) please say more about the situations in which UNAMID would await permission or word from Sudanese authorities before trying to protect civilians, including detailing how information about the safety of going to certain areas is sought from the authorities, on what time line, etc -- including what safeguards are in or being put in place to avoid the delay that occurred in response to Tarabat Market.
Also, how could Radio Dabanga speak with (and name) the Hungarian hostage, and you all haven't spoken with him?
See, http://www.politics.hu/20101013/radio-station-contacts-kidnapped-hungarian-peacekeeper
"István Papp, a 55-year-old retired lieutenant colonel, also told the radio station that he suspects there is a local pyramid scheme behind his kidnapping, adding that several members of the ruling party may be involved. He said he has been unable to speak with the joint UN and African Union peacekeeping force that employs him since his abduction. " [Inner City Press note: further inquiry reveals that the hostage believes that his kidnappers were victims of the Ponzi scheme who took him to try to get redress.]
---How long has UNAMID had a Lear Jet? Why did it get it? How was it procured? Who pays for it now? What other head of UN (affiliated) peacekeeping mission has a Lear Jet?
What do you say about, and what has been done about, reports that the IDPs with whom the Security Council spoke have been interrogated by Sudanese authorities? See, e.g., http://195.190.28.213/node/4653
Please disclose all that you know about the reported (by OCHA) destruction of the village of Sora / Soro in the week before the Council's visit, including whether it was destroyed by aerial attack or ground.
From your August 11 responses, below, for now this one follow up:
7. Q: What data do the UN / UNAMID have on Global Acute Malnutrition? Why isn't it being collated and released publicly? Please provide your most recent data for the three Darfur states.
OCHA: 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.
Fifty five days later, none of this information has been provided (contra "1-2 days"). Can the information now be provided, and an explanation of its delay also be provided?
[And later] please confirm that Kalma Camp is being closed, and how UNAMID can assure that the moves are 'voluntary.'
Days and days have passed, since Inner City Press met and conversed with Kemal Saiki and Chris Cycmanick in UNAMID's El Fasher Supercamp, where Ibrahim Gambari's “went off” on Inner City Press for exposing his deals with the Al Bashir government. Now Kemal Saiki and Chris Cycmanick are ignored and not responded to Inner City Press' written questions for some days. Watch this site.
