By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 4 -- Mali was finally supposed to be addressed by the UN Security Council on Thursday, after requests from the government and a meeting of the Council's Permanent Five members on October 2.
But word from inside Thursday's closed door consultations -- even Cote d'Ivoire Permanent Representative Bamba, representing ECOWAS, was not allowed inside -- was that France would only be putting forward a draft resolution in a day or two, and NOT for any deployment.
"They're proposing a two-step process," a Council source told Inner City Press. This despite the professed sense of urgency from Paris.
Outside the Security Council the interest was almost entirely about a mere press statement on "Turkey and the shell." On his way in, French Permanent Representative Gerard Araud was asked about the draft Turkey draft statement, says, it's not me you have to ask, it's one country. One wondered, what about China?
Later when Vitaly Churkin of Russia, the country referred to by Araud, walked in he was asked is asked if he was satisfied with the draft Turkey statement. "I'm never satisfied," he said, before adding more seriously, "I think we should have a text." Later mid-Mali he said, "Very close."
Not on Mali. Watch this site.
