By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
May 21 -- When
the UN paid
for its
far-flung
envoys to
travel to New
York for a
retreat at the
Greentree
estate last
week,
many were
surprised and
angry that
Darfur envoy
Ibrahim
Gambari
appeared only
briefing, for
the photo op
and
conclusion,
and
otherwise "did
personal
business" in
New York.
As
exclusively
reported by
Inner City
Press on
February 3, Gambari
spent hundreds
of thousands
of
dollars to
build himself
a "hard shell
on the hill"
estate
in the UN's El
Fasher
peacekeeping
camp. As
peacekeeping
budget
missions are
now reviewed
in the UN's
Fifth (Budget)
Committee,
Inner
City Press has
be informed by
whistleblowers
of the full
cost:
$620,000.
They
opine, in
Press style,
that "how many
IDPs could be
sheltered in
this
sumptuous,
air-conditioned
dwelling,
fifty? A
hundred? Not
bad for an
occasional
residence, no?
Particularly
since it was
neither
planned
nor budgeted.
Where did the
money come
from? Guess
those poor
blighters of
staff members
will have to
wait a bit
more for the
improved
accommodations
and life
enhancing
welfare
facilities
this
money was
earmarked for.
Tough
questions may
be asked at
budget
discussions."
Now,
attendees at
the SRSG
retreat say
that Gambari
"has resigned,
sensing he
wouldn't be
renewed,"
based on these
spending
scandals. But
why
use UN
resources to
come to New
York and then
miss most of
the
retreat?
Several
other
attendees
complained at
"how little
some of these
new Ban
Ki-moon SRSGs
know," not
only about the
countries they
have been
assigned to,
but even
thematic
topics.
"Things are
going to the
dogs," as one
attendee put
it. Watch this
site.
