By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, November 30, updated below -- After a "highly charged" Security Council consultation on when and how to vote on Eritrea sanctions, US Ambassador Susan Rice emerged Wednesday afternoon. She told Inner City Press exclusively, "I think the Gabonese were incredibly generous, to give all members time to get to instructions, I think going to Monday is the latest reasonable."
The US and Gabon, which put the draft resolution "into blue" late Tuesday, had been pushing for a fast vote on Wednesday. But among others, Russia said that was too fast.
Chinese Permanent Representative Li Baodong, on his way into the consultations, told Inner City Press, "We reject any effort to push for action." He added, "Let the President of Eritrea come to present his statement."
Inner City Press asked Rice about Afwerki coming, which the US had put a block on (Rice earlier explained her reasons to Inner City Press). Now Rice said, "this was discussed formally for the first time today since it was first raised back at the end of October on the program of work. No member state until today, when we were talking about the timing of the vote, raised any interest in pushing the Isaias request."
Earlier on Wednesday, Inner City Press asked Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin why no procedural vote had been called for after Ambassador Rice blocked granting Afkerki's request to address the Council. Churkin explained, "if we were told a vote is going to take place a week from now, we will go for procedural vote... Maybe this is why they rushed into blue, not to let him come. I think it is a ridiculous thing."
Rice said, "the United States as host country is obliged to issue a visa, so let's see if he comes." She reiterated her view that it is "redundant and likely counterproductive to have a spectacle in the Security Council in which heads of state make emotional statements on the eve of-on the same day as the vote." (A partial transcript by the US Mission to the UN is below.)
The outgoing Portuguese presidency told Inner City Press they are figuring out how to make the invitation. Eritrean representatives told Inner City Press it is a "short turn around time." Given the stakes, one expected Afwerki to come -- and others from the region.
There is a larger regional dynamic at issue: whether Jean Ping will get a second term as head of the African Union, or be replaced by for example Jacob Zuma of South Africa.
A representative of one of Eritrea's neighbors came to complain to Inner City Press that "South Africa is pressuring us to vote as Zuma says" -- that is, Nkosozana Dlamini Zuma, former SA Foreign Minister & current SA Home Affairs Minister -- "nd now it's just sour grapes on their part. They need to decide if they are with the BRICS or with Africa." Others would say it's not either / or.
Inner City Press asked Rice to respond to what Eritrea's UN Ambassador Araya Desta told it, that "It is crazy to penalize the Eritrean people in order to get a second term for Jean Ping as commissioner of the African Union... Meles [Zenawi] tells him, I'll help you get a second term, if you help" put more sanctions on Eritrea.
Rice paused and called this "weird speculation... Jean Ping is running for a second term, South Africans have a candidate."
Some wonder, how much of this is about the AU race?
Rice concluded that the vote will take place Monday and again, "the Gabonese were very flexible and generous." And so it goes at the UN.
Update: here is the US Mission to the UN's transcription:
Inner City Press; What about President Afwerki coming?
AMBASSADOR RICE: First of all, as you know, this was discussed formally for the first time today since it was first raised back at the end of October on the program of work. No member state until today, when we were talking about the timing of the vote, raised any interest in pushing the Isaias request . As you know, if a head of state chooses to come to the United Nations, the United States as host country is obliged to issue a visa, so let's see if he comes.
Inner City Press: What about the other ones [i.e. other regional countries]?
AMBASSADOR RICE: Same for any of them. We still think it's redundant and likely counterproductive to have a spectacle in the Security Council in which heads of state make emotional statements on the eve of-on the same day as the vote. But if that's what they choose to do, it'll happen, and we'll vote on Monday.
