By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, February 25 -- With the UN Security Council presidency set to be taken over in March by France, Inner City Press is today exclusively publishing the draft “Program of Work” for the month, here.
As Inner City Press also exclusively reported late last year, Council member Chad's program was circulated in advance by Australia; this shouldn't only happen to Elected Ten, much less only to African, members of the Security Council.
As reflected by the Program of Work Inner City Press isputting online today, France plans to hold debates on March 9 on the European Union, and on March 25 on Children and Armed Conflict.
Will they inquire into why their Herve Ladsous' mission in South Sudan conceal for a full week the February 15 seizing of child soldiers, which Inner City Press asked the UN about on February 24 and 25?
On March 4, Libya is on the agenda; on March 5 it's Yemen, where according to well-placed UN sources France long opposed sanctions on Ali Saleh because of his willingness to give contracts to French company TOTAL. There's Syria too, that day.
There's scheduled a trip to the Central African Republic, Burundi and Addis Ababa -- reported after Inner City Pressdid by Al Jazeera, obviating selective retaliation -- from March 10 to 13. Inner City Press had the draft “Terms of Reference” for the trip; watch this site.
(We don't lightly note retaliation, after Cote d'Ivoire exclusives being called a "hostile act" and for example today this.)
(We don't lightly note retaliation, after Cote d'Ivoire exclusives being called a "hostile act" and for example today this.)
On March 17 it's Darfur, where Ladsous' UNAMID mission covered up mass rape in Tabit in a November 9, 2014 press release which has yet to be retracted.
There's also Lebanon that day, and a Troop Contributing Countries meeting about the DR Congo, where Ladsous has declined to attack the Hutu FDLR as he did the largely Tutsi M23 - history here, and refusals to answere here,here and here (Vine). If the current French government cared about the UN, it would at least take action on this.
On March 18, what else but Haiti, and a briefing on the Council's visit to other former French colonies?
On March 19, a briefing on MONUSCO in the DR Congo -- will envoy Martin Kobler have by then been named to replace Valerie Amos atop OCHA, as Inner City Press has reported on in exclusives credited by, among others, UK Channel 4, here?
The rest of the months is blur or to be boycotted. All 14 other Security Council members have the Press at their reviews; France has until now - or since Inner City Press' reporting on Cote d'Ivoire -- refuses; watch this site.
