By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, November 5 -- With shooting and kidnappings continuing in Darfur, the Sudanese government has reportedly taken to conditioning medical care in Khartoum to those from South Sudan upon their voting for unity and not separation in the referendum scheduled for January 9.
Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky about this and kidnappings in Darfur on November 5 and was, again, promised future answers. Meanwhile, Inner City Press got a read out of which countries have actually followed through on their pledges to the Basket Fund for the referendum, and which have not.
Sweden has pledged $6.76 million but has so far given nothing.
Likewise, there has been no follow through yet on these pledges: European Union $4.23 million, Denmark $3.38 million, Australia $2.69 million.
The UK remains $3.87 million short of its pledge.
France has not paid ANY of the mere $600,000 it pledged.
One wonders what these countries, which say the referendum is so important, are waiting from. Privately diplomats from several of these countries tell the Press that the planned South Sudan referendum will nearly certainly have to be postponed, and that their work consists of trying to convince the South Sudanese not to then go ahead and hold their own referendum.
They also express concern that once Khartoum learns they are okay with a date later from January 9, the new date will become a new target to go past and delay.
Here is the table of pledges and actual contributions to the Basket Fund for the south Sudan Referendum, followed by the UN's transcript of its November 5 noon briefing:
| No. | Donor | Amount ($ million) Committed | Amount ($ million) Received |
| 1 | Netherlands | $14.00 | $7.00 |
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| 2 | Norway | $4.78 | $4.78 |
| 3 | Canada (CIDA) | $6.86 | $6.86 |
| 4 | Sweden | $6.76 |
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| 5 | European Union | $4.23 |
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| 6 | Japan | $8.17 | $8.17 |
| 7 | DFID | $11.63 | $7.76 |
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| 8 | Denmark | $3.38 |
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| 9 | Australia | $2.69 |
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| 10 | France | $0.60 |
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| TOTAL | $63.10 | $34.57 |
Source: UNDP response to Inner City Press 11/10 question
UN's transcription of its November 5 noon briefing:
Inner City Press: there are also these reports of three pilots from a Latvian helicopter company working for WFP [World Food Programme] that have been taken hostage. Can you confirm that? And there seems to be some unclarity about what country they are from or who took them. What’s the UN going to do?
Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, I can confirm that three crew members working for the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service contracted to the World Food Programme, as you mentioned, were abducted in Nyala town on Thursday. They are all Latvian nationals and are helicopter crewmen. And we don’t have any more information at this point.
Inner City Press: Thanks. The SPLM [Sudan People’s Liberation Movement] is saying that… they have come out with an allegation that Southerners who live in the North are being told, in Government medical facilities, are being told they’ll only get medical treatment if they vote for unity. I wonder if it’s something… it’s in the Sudan Tribune and I am assuming elsewhere. I am wondering if that’s something… I guess that would be an UNMIS [United Nations Mission in Sudan] issue, or perhaps… whether the UN system is aware of that allegation, what they think of it, if it is true and what they are doing to find out if it is true?
Spokesperson: Well, at the very least, if they are reading the Sudan Tribune like you, they will have seen the same reports and I would assume that they are doing so. We will need to check whether they have further information that was not in this Sudan Tribune. But, I don’t have that right now.
Inner City Press: Okay. No, no, I mean I am pretty sure they would be aware of this, I just wonder if this is the type of thing that they feel a duty to investigate to see if it’s true or to make some statement about.
Spokesperson: As I say, let’s first establish what they know about it.
We'll see. Watch this site.
