By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, December 6 -- As the Darfur Peace Agreement unravels and the pace of death escalates in South Sudan the UN, and surprising to some the US are slow and reticent to investigate and comment.
On December 6, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky about Omar al Bashir's targeting of his one ally in Darfur, Minni Minawi:
Inner City Press: in Sudan over the weekend, the President [Omar al-]Bashir Government has raided the offices of the transitional Darfur regional authority and has said Minni Minawi’s faction is now a target, a military target for the Government, if previously they were an ally of the Darfur Peace Agreement, and that they’re going to the South and will now be fighting. What is the comment of the UN on the total unravelment of the Darfur Peace Agreement?
Spokesperson Nesirky: I have seen the reports. I don’t have any specific comment at the moment. But I know that my colleagues are checking with the Mission on that. But we’ve certainly seen the reports.
Inner City Press: Okay. And they’re going to try to verify this raid on the transitional Darfur regional authority?
Spokesperson: I’ve heard what you’ve said, and certainly we’ll try to check on that.
Hours later, there was no confirmation. On December 3, the UN belatedly confirmed to Inner City Press the death of 10 SPLM soldiers and two civilians in South Sudan:
Inner City Press: there is a report that the SPLA [Sudan People’s Liberation Army] is saying that 12 of their soldiers have been killed in an ambush by government-supported militias in Unity state. So, it seems like it’s a pretty high number in a big clash. I wonder if it’s something the UN has heard of and can confirm or deny or is going to go verify it.
Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, what I have been told is that we are aware that an SPLA truck with approximately 35 soldiers and their families was reportedly ambushed by an unknown group around 8 o’clock. This was on 1 December between Tamoa and Tubarit in Unity State, as you said, while traveling from Mayom to Bentiu — excuse my pronunciation of these places — a joint monitoring team that comprised SAF [Sudan Alliance Forces] and SPLA and led by the UN Mission in Sudan that went to Bentiu hospital where most of the casualties were brought by an SPLA truck. And the first report by that monitoring team confirms that 11 people were killed on the spot. And then one died in the hospital I just referred to. Ten people were wounded. However, the identity of the attackers is still not known. The team, I mean, the monitoring team, will be conducting patrols to the incident site and will meet with SPLA commanders and local authorities to try to further investigate this. That’s what I have for you.
Inner City Press: But does, I mean, I guess without knowing, the SPLA has said that they believe it’s a government-backed militia, and I just wonder, does the UNMIS [United Nations Mission in the Sudan] see any connection between this and the upcoming referendum? Is this viewed [inaudible]?
Spokesperson: As I’ve said, they’re investigating it.
After this at least partial confirmation, Inner City Press on December 3 e-mailed the US Mission to the UN, this month's Security Council presidency, to ask both for US comment on the killings, and if the Council would take them up. As of the close of the Council's business on December 6 there was no answer. Watch this site.
