By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, June 17 – As the stand-off between Qatar and the GCC and Egypt continues, Inner City Press on June 15 asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about Qatar pulling its troops out from between Eritrea and Djiibouti - and Dujarric answered about Ethiopia, see below. On June 17, an expert on Qatar's Al Jazeera said the Moroccan offer to mediate "wasn't taken seriously," which when Inner City Press quoted it, pro-Morocco trolls went crazy. Here's that quote, Vine Camera here, and here's the UN's June 15 transcript(video here): Inner City Press: on Qatar, they've announced that they're pulling out of their role on the border between Djibouti and Eritrea, where they've had… which is something the UN has worked on in the past. And I… they… it seems pretty clearly tied to this standoff with the other Gulf countries. Do you have any comment on that? Do you anticipate Qatar pulling back from the role it's played in Darfur? Is there any interplay between the… the… their… their… these diplomatic initiatives and, in the case of Djibouti and Eritrea, the actual imposition of troops between two belligerents?
Spokesman: No specific comment on the issue between Ethiopia and Eritrea. I mean, I think, as we've said, the Secretary-General has been following this closely. He's been in touch with various parties, including the Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait, and is very much supportive of Kuwait's diplomatic efforts. I think it's important that the subregion regains its unity. The disunity we're seeing, it serves the purpose… serves no one. Go ahead.
Inner City Press: Djibouti. I just want… I wanted to just be clear. I'm asking about Eritrea.
Spokesman: Eritrea. I'm sorry. I misspoke. Yeah.
Spokesman: No specific comment on the issue between Ethiopia and Eritrea. I mean, I think, as we've said, the Secretary-General has been following this closely. He's been in touch with various parties, including the Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait, and is very much supportive of Kuwait's diplomatic efforts. I think it's important that the subregion regains its unity. The disunity we're seeing, it serves the purpose… serves no one. Go ahead.
Inner City Press: Djibouti. I just want… I wanted to just be clear. I'm asking about Eritrea.
Spokesman: Eritrea. I'm sorry. I misspoke. Yeah.
The veneer that Al Jazeera was not Qatar state TV has been ripped off, with self serving reports from, for example, Georgetown Doha We'll have more on this.
