By Matthew Russell Lee, E-10 Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, February 25 -- When a draft resolution was circulated on February 24 to the UN Security Council which would set up a South Sudan sanctions committee, wire reports focused on the views of the Western Permanent Three members of the Council -- the US, France and UK -- and did not make available to the public the actual nine-page draft.
Inner City Press in this exclusive dispatch on the morning of February 25 is publishing the full draft, here and embedded below, and can report that that of the Elected Ten or E10, African members Chad and Angola, as well as Latin America members Venezuela and Chile, urged that the African Union and the regional body Intergovernmental Authority should take the lead before any Security Council’s decision.
Sources tell Inner City Press that in this view, decision should only be taken on the draft after the Security Council meets with IGAD and the African Union Peace and Security Council, scheduled the sources tell Inner City Press for March 12 during a French-organized Security Council trip also including, the sources say, the Central African Republic and Burundi. We'll have more on this.
On an abuse in South Sudan on which the UN was slow and partial in reporting, Inner City Press on February 24 asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric:
Inner City Press: I wanted to ask first about South Sudan. There was this very kind of high-profile kidnapping of dozens of children, and what I really wanted to ask you about is, although it was initially said it was unclear who did it, there are now reports that the militia that is responsible for it is basically part of the army of South Sudan. And I wanted to know what Ellen Løj or the human rights component of UNMISS, what they say about those allegations that seem to be serious?
Spokesman Dujarric: We’ve seen increased reports of kidnapping of children and forced enrollment into units, whether it’s the report you stated which our colleagues at UNICEF have flagged for us, or other reports, and I know it’s something that is of concern to all of us here. It is being looked at both by the Mission and by different departments here. But it’s obviously a big concern. We have worked very hard to ensure that children are freed from such activity, and we will continue do so.
Inner City Press: But do you expect the UN system to say who is responsible?
Spokesman Dujarric: I know they’re looking into these — we’ve seen these reports. We’re looking into them.
We'll have more on that, as well. Inner City Press has put the full text online here:
South Sudan Sanctions Draft Circulated in UN Security Council, Exclusive Reporting on Non-P3 Deferences to... by Matthew Russell Lee
The full draft we are publishing, in the public interest, above. Reuters typically said they "obtained" it but did not publish it; Voice of America said they saw it, and mechanically quoted HRW on Russia and China, with nothing about the view of the African and Latin American members of the Security Council. Watch this site.
