By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 15 -- Amid reports of mass graves in Sudan's Southern Kordofan state, the UN Security Council scheduled a briefing by UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos on Friday morning. The session was behind closed doors, and Khartoum's Deputy Permanent Representative buzzed around outside, trying like the Press to glean what was said inside.
Inner City Press asked a number of exiting diplomats if the satellite images said to be of mass graves were discussed. No, three diplomats said, including one from a delegation responsible for calling the briefing.
When Valerie Amos came out at 11:15, Inner City Press asked her about the satellite photos: “do you believe them?”
She paused and said, “These are allegations that have to be investigated, in my view.”
But do you have access, Inner City Press asked, in order to investigate?
“Access is a huge problem,” Amos replied. “We've been asking since the sixth of June, we have not had a positive response from the Government of Sudan.” She said some NGOs got into their offices in Kadugli, but have no more access than that.
She said the UN is being told to deliver aid only “through national NGOs, but they do not have capacity.”
The Security Council, it has been noted, used Chapter Seven of the UN Charter to authorize what it called the protection of civilians in Libya. Some wonder, why not move in that direction here? Is it less important?
“Ask the members of the Security Council,” Amos told Inner City Press. Watch this site.
Footnote: after the briefing and these questions, Council members indicated that a press statement on Sudan is being worked on at the experts' level and will issue. Edmond Mulet of Peacekeeping told Inner City Press he briefing the Council on the progress of deploying the Ethiopian troops in Abyei.
Ivan Simonovic of the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights came out. He said to “wait until the noon briefing” to ask questions. Sources tell Inner City Press he attended the consultations but didn't say anything. Ah, human rights.
