By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, February 2 -- Two weeks after the UN Security Council with fanfare passed a resolution to send three attack helicopters and troops to Cote d'Ivoire, the UN on Wednesday confirmed to Inner City Press that the helicopters had not yet arrived.
The UN said “discussions” were ongoing, without saying with thom these discusses were. With defiant leader Laurent Gbagbo? With Alassane Ouattara holed up in the Golf Hotel?
Others have questioned, if the UN Mission in Liberia could so easily give these helicopters up, what was the US-supported Mission doing with them anyway?
India's Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, on his way out of the Security Council on Wednesday morning, told the Press that the issue of the helicopters would be addressed with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon when he returns from his long trip to Switzerland, Addis Ababa and London.
Inner City Press asked Ban's deputy spokesman Farhan Haq to confirm the helicopters had not arrived, and why, asking the UN in writing:
“Can you state the status of getting the three helicopters (and peacekeepers and other equipment) called for in the most recent Cote d'Ivoire resolution of the Security Council into Abidjan? If they are not in, what are the obstacles? What is the time frame? What assistance is the UN requesting?”
While awaiting response, Inner City Press asked this month's Security Council president Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti to confirm that the helicopters had not yet arrived, and how the Council follows up. She said she was not aware but would look into it.
Later on Wednesday, the UN sent this answer:
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Wed, Feb 2, 2011 at 1:24 PM
Subject: Your question on UNOCI
To: Inner City Press
Regarding a question on whether helicopters from UNMIL have been transferred to UNOCI: Discussions are continuing on the issue of helicopters and they have yet to arrive in Cote d'Ivoire.
Where are these discussions? With whom?
UN & Licorne, which UN says "supports ONUCI" then won't answer
The UN has rebuffed other Cote d'Ivoire questions. Day after day since January 22, Inner City Press asked:
“In Abidjan, much is being made of the stated discovery of assault helicopter parts in a shipment supposedly of food for the Force Licorne peacekeepers. This is a request that the UN and its mission in Abidjan, which is sure to have seen the now day-old story, state its understanding of what was in the shipment, respond to criticism”
After ignoring the question for more than a week, the UN finally dodged it, telling Inner City Press “On Cote d'Ivoire, your question should be addressed to Force Licorne.”
But France's Licorne is there under a UN mandate, and the scandal surrounding it impacts the UN presence. Watch this site.
