By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 25 -- Another Francophone African country is in chaos, and its name is Guinea-Conakry. After protests killed one and injured ten, the head of the UN Department of Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman briefed the Security Council on Thursday afternoon.
Afterward Council members told Inner City Press about the briefing, with views ranging -- in France -- from “c'est dommage” (it's a shame) to “ca ira” (it will work).
Then another French phrase: ville morte. Tomorrow there is a “dead city” protest.
What about the elections set for June? Previously, Feltman's predecessor B. Lynn Pascoe listed Guinea-Conakry as one of the UN's mediation successes. Now what?
Inner City Press asked, Who had the pen on Guinea?” This means, which Security Council member is in charge of drafting Council products? France drafted the Mali resolution, and a few Central African Republic press statements. The US drafted, then changed, the Western Sahara resolution.
But who's got the pen on Guinea? It seems, as one wag said, that France's pen has gone dry.
Meanwhile up in the General Assembly, the Democratic Republic of Congo took the floor to say its problems come from “certain neighboring countries,” and that the UN's new intervention brigade will “eradicate negative forces.” Click here for that.
Then Sudan's Permanent Representative Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman trashed a Temple University professor who has spoken about Darfur, Molefi Kete Asante. It wasn't clear who had set up the "expert" panels in Vuk Jeremic's GA debate, but there was talk of a declaration, being coordinated by South Sudan, and South Africa. Watch this site.
