By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, December 3 -- On Cote d'Ivoire, the lack of planning by the UN, France and US became evident on Friday as in New York the US, even as President, was unable to get a Security Council statement or meeting, as UN envoy Choi was threatened with expulsion from Ivory Coast by Laurent Gbagbo.
Later Friday Inner City Press was told by Ivorian diplomats that Gbagbo will inaugurate himself as president on Saturday. Meanwhile, UN sources say that all electrical source will be turned off in the Security Council over the weekend, with provisions to move any emergency meeting to Conference Room 3 in the UN's North Lawn building, where the Council has never met.
An African Permanent Representative explained to Inner City Press that all along, Gbagbo has wanted to replace Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's envoy Choi with his deputy, Abou Moussa from Chad. Now may be the time.
Another African Perm Rep told Inner City Press that the African Union had found many more flaws in the voting in the North of Cote d'Ivoire than found by the UN or other observers, and said this would become known "in coming days."
The Ivorian diplomats Inner City Press spoke with, as well as several African Permanent Representatives, questioned Choi's and Ban Ki-moon's and “even” Obama's “rush” to coronate Ouattara. “The UN didn't do that when the (Republican - leaning) US Supreme Court decided for Bush over Gore,” one of them pointed out.
“We will fly the flag of sovereignty!” exclaimed an African Permanent Representative, linking the UN's “lack of planning” in Cote d'Ivoire with its being ejected from Chad and, mostly, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “We will throw the UN out!”
Well meaning UN senior staff consulted by Inner City Press lamented the way it was playing out, and blamed some of it on Choi, saying that an SRSG more experienced in UN peacekeeping would have been better. “This will blow back on Ban Ki-moon,” one of them said.
Inner City Press ran from these interviews to the press area to write, skipping the Cuban Mission party. But in the UN press area a sign announced “This area will be closed from Saturday, 4 December 8:00 am UNTIL Sunday 5 December 6:00 am.” So if they want press coverage, the Security Council meeting or stake out if they want one will be on Sunday. Watch this site.
