By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, November 11 -- With authorities in Sudan condemning to death some 20 alleged rebels, Inner City Press on Thursday asked UN acting deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq if the peacekeeping mission in Darfur or its chief Ibrahim Gambari had anything to say about the death sentences, which the Liberation and Justice Movement rebels says violates their ceasefire agreement with Khartoum. Video here at 8:18.
“There is no comment from Mr. Gambari or UNAMID,” Haq answered. On whether the death sentences will undermine LJM's negotiations in Doha with the government of Omar al Bashir, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide, Haq said of mediator Djibril Bassole that if there's a problem, “he'll inform... the public about any particular obstacle.”
But Bassole rarely reports to the public on the Doha process, which does not include JEM or the movement of Abdul Wahid Nur or now the Movement of Nomads.
Meanwhile Inner City Press asked Haq if UNAMID will do anything about the Lord's Resistance Army and its leader Joseph Kony, also indicted by the ICC, who are now reported to be in Darfur. “Those reports have not been confirmed,” Haq said. He'd begun by saying, “If you need to have the last question” -- before responding with a pre-prepared statement. Video here at 19:39.
Nor would Haq confirm reports that the UN-supported African Union peacekeepers in Somalia have blocked Somali parliamentarians from meeting. Haq said to ask the African Union, despite the UN's own envoy Augustine Mahiga. Video here, from Minute 17:29.
The Somalia work of either the UN or European Union was supposed to be boosted on November 1 by the inclusion of longtime UN official Charles Petrie. But tens days past that deadline, Petrie is still quoted about his last UN assignment, Burundi, condemning violence. We'll check on Petrie's location, Haq said. Video here, from Minute 14:25.
But there are simple questions pending in his office for more than a week now, including one about Genocide Prevention reiterated this week. Watch this site.
