By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 5 -- In what appears to be an endgame in Abidjan, the relation between France and the the UN of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has been put into the spotlight.
Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky on April 5 if UN attack helicopters had fired at Laurent Gbagbo's residence in self-defense.
Nesirky bristled that it was not the UN which fired on Gbagbo's residence. Video here.
But when a French reporter stated that helicopters of the French Force Licorne had fied on Gbagbo's house, and ask if that was on behalf of the UN, all Nesirky said was that it was legal for Licorne to support the UN.
Then Nesirky dodged a series of questions about the UN's role in negotiating with Gbagbo, who reportedly retreated to a bunker under his fired-upon residence.
When a reporter read him a quote from France that the UN was engaged in negotiations, Nesirky said that because he did not have a wireless computer with him, he did not know. Video here.
French minister of foreign affairs Alain Juppe, however, said that Gbagbo must sign a letter relinquishing power to Alassane Ouattara, and that “Ban Ki-moon agrees with me on that.”
Even if Security Council Resolution 1975, authorizing the UN to shoot at and “take out” heavy weapons of Gbagbo's forces if they were to be used to fire on civilians, can be read to permit UNOCI and Licorne to fire missiles at Gbagbo's house -- Russian foreign minister Lavrov, among others, was not convinced on Tuesday -- the resolution is not about Ban adopting France's demands as a condition of ending military action.
So who, some want to know, is working for whom? Watch this site.
Footnote: after Ban's spokesman Nesirky's noon briefing, a more senior Ban official suggested to Inner City Press that Gbagbo, “if he's smart,” will demand UN protection at the Golf Hotel, where Ouattara stayed, and begin holding press conferences there. That, is seems clear, France would not accept.
