By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 9 -- In the Central African Republic, the UN is either blind or dumb or both. How else to explain its inability Tuesday to answer either whether the search for Joseph Kony in CAR continues, or how many South African soldiers were killed, 13 or 23?
Inner City Press put both questions to UN envoy Margaret Vogt, when she called in to Tuesday's noon briefing. Video here from Minute 21:34 and 28:45.
Vogt was polite and in a sense honest: of Kony, she said it was not possible for her to say if the search continues, since the UN is not “on ground” in Obo (which Inner City Press has previously reported on).
This is more honest than another arm of the UN, which insisted that the search for Kony continues even as both Uganda and the US said it has been suspended in CAR.
On how many South African were killed, one wonders if it is that the UN does do “body counts,” as Vogt put it, or does wants to show up South Africa, which for example is set to be a component of the “intervention brigade” slated for Eastern Congo.
But if the UN doesn't know military, it should know the political. Inner City Press asked Vogt about Michel Djotodia being able to run for president in 18 months. Vogt said he said, under the Libreville and N'djamena agreements. But Djotodia spokesman say he CAN run. So who do you believe?
Outside the Security Council on Tuesday morning, a Chadian diplomat told Inner City Press he tried to go into the consultations on CAR, but couldn't get in. We are impacted, he said. UNbelievable. Watch this site.
