By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 5 – As in The Gambia Yahya Jammeh moved on December 1 to shut off the Internet (and Viber, etc) for the / his election, there was again a deafening silence from the UN and its “communications” chief Cristina Gallach.
On January 5, Inner City Press asked holdover UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, video here, UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: about Gambia. The electoral commission chief has gone into hiding, and the Government has closed three radio stations, one of which reopened with no news on it. So what's the status of the UN's work on this holdover presidency?
Spokesman: We've had… various UN officials have had contacts with parties involved, and obviously we would like to see and are very keen to see a peaceful resolution to the current crisis in the Gambia and, notably, the… for the President… the outgoing President to leave way for the President that was just elected.
Spokesman: We've had… various UN officials have had contacts with parties involved, and obviously we would like to see and are very keen to see a peaceful resolution to the current crisis in the Gambia and, notably, the… for the President… the outgoing President to leave way for the President that was just elected.
Back on December 22, 2016, video here, Inner City Press asked about the replacement of Gambia's "Permanent" Representative to the UN Mamadou Tangara by the Deputy Sam Sarr, about whose previously F-bomb filled threat to kill the opposition Inner City Press asked the UN in May, here.
On the morning of December 27, Inner City Press asked three UN spokespeople:
"On Gambia, please state if the UN Secretariat has been informed that Sam Sarr is the new Permanent Representative, and please provide the Secretary General's view, as Inner City Press requested on May 11, 2016, of the audio of Sam Sarr saying if he were in charge, he'd shoot all the protesters."
A week later, from the UN's spokespeople no answer, not even a confirmation of receipt - while they threatened legal action for reporting on Ban's corruption.
On January 3, Inner City Press asked lead spokeman Stephane Duajrric, who bragged he'll be staying on for at least six more months, about Gambia and Sarr, UN Transcript here:
Inner City Press: I’d also asked you on Gambia… I know that there have been a lot of statements before the holiday, but has Sam Sarr, the previous Deputy Permanent Representative, officially registered himself as a Permanent Representative? Because something was taped saying his opponent should be killed.
Spokesman: I don’t know. We can check with the protocol office.
Spokesman: I don’t know. We can check with the protocol office.
That could and should have been done a week ago.
