By Matthew Russell Lee
AL FASHER, October 8 -- The UN Security Council was lambasted on Friday by the Wali of North Darfur as approaching Sudan's problems with “one eye” rather than two. In a large room at the Wali's compound, Sudan's Permanent Representative to the UN translated a series of statistics comparing crime including violence against women from 2004 to 2010, each time with a decrease.
One New Yorker in the crowd saw it as similar to Rudy Giuliani. But when it was the turn of Mark Lyall Grant to speak, as the Council's leader of the Darfur leg of the trip, he countered with the 250% increase in violent death from last year to this. While this surge -- which the US has referred to as a mere “uptick” -- is undeniable, Lyall Grant did not directly respond to the Wali's numbers, 2004 to 2010.
After some initial back and forth, the Press was asked to leave, reportedly at the request of one or more UN Security Council members. Just outside the door to the Wali's meeting room, several dozen protesters -- some from Thursday's protest inside the airport -- chanted “Down, down ICC.”
Once, the man with the bullhorn shifted to “Down, down USA” but was quickly corrected by an official looking protester. A Rwandan UN Peacekeeper joked about it with Inner City Press.
Outside the Wali's walls a crowd of several hundred chanted pro Bashir slogans and asked that their banners be photographed. Soon thereafter, the Council Ambassadors pulled out in their four by fours on the way to Zam Zam IDP camp, whose population is now up to 80,000 - another increase.
Footnote: Inner City Press was in this same room in June 2008. Since then, the Wali's forture seem to have improved: a large horseshoe table, better air conditioning and better food provided. Some out in the crowd also spoke about a recent Ponzi scheme and local dissatisfaction with the Wali. As requested, we are looking with two eyes. Watch this site.
