UNITED NATIONS, May 25 – A week after Inner City Press on Libya asked the UN about General Haftar's moves on Derna, it was reported there that "UN" envoy Ghassan Salame refused to meet with people in Derna because Egypt, the UAE and France did not want him too. Salame was largely selected / placed in the position by France; Egypt backs Haftar. The UAE bought the UN's previous envoy Bernardino Leon. This is today's UN. It was not worth asking the UN Spokesman in writing - he does not respond, evicted and restricts Inner City Press and bans it then its Periscope from Antonio Guterres UNTV filmed events. Inner City Press then in person asked Guterres' lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who said he'd inquire and revert, but never did, as is his practices. On May 25 when Guterres' deputy Farhan Haq limited Inner City Press to only two questions, Inner City Press used one of them this way, UN transcript: Inner City Press: I had asked Stéphane [Dujarric] about whether the the UN's envoy on Libya, Ghassan Salamé, as has been reported there, declined to speak with civilians in Derna, and I had wanted to ask you. It wasn't much in his briefing to the Security Council, and people there say that, in fact, the hospital has no more oxygen because of the siege laid. So what is the UN's position on General [Khalifa] Haftar's siege? And number two, I've gone back and looked and it seems that Mr. Salamé, at least as of 2016, was on the advisory board of the UAE's [United Arab Emirates] Diplomatic Academy, where now Bernardino León, the former envoy, has a position, and I wanted to know. There's nothing since then and there's no Ghassan Salamé financial disclosure online, at least, to disclose his outside activities. Is he still affiliated with the UAE Diplomatic Academy, given that the UAE is supportive of General Haftar? And number two, was this some kind of a problem, his affiliation with the UAE, given their influence in Libya, and position in Libya, positions on Libya?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, first of all, regarding what you said about Mr. Salamé and this report that he did not… that he refused to talk to Derna representatives, we've checked with the Mission. That report is false. Mr. Salamé and the Mission have been in touch with several people and entities from Derna and they are ready to speak to all Libyans. Regarding…
Inner City Press: Can you say which entities because the groups went on the record saying he wouldn't speak to them. Can you say which groups those are?
Deputy Spokesman: This is the information I have. And… but he has been in touch, and he continues to be open and available to talk to all the various parties, including in Derna. There's… we do not believe that there's any problems with any conflicts regarding Mr. Salamé. He was vetted during the course of his recruitment.
Inner City Press: Did he stop his position as being on the advisory board of the UAE Diplomatic Academy when he began working for the UN?
Deputy Spokesman: I'm… as far as I'm aware, there are no conflicts regarding his roles. Hold on." Yeah, hold on. Back on April 19 with questions abounding in Libya about where General Haftar was and about his health and mental state, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: there's a lack of clarity of the health and whereabouts of General [Khalifa] Haftar in Libya. He sort of disappeared. Some diplomats have said he's had a serious heart attack and may not function. So, I'm wondering, since the UN does have an envoy, Ghassan Salamé, is he aware where General Haftar is? When's the last time he spoke to him?
Spokesman: "Mr. Salamé spoke to… hold on a second. I know he spoke to… I think last week he spoke to General Haftar. I'll have to get you the exact date. And, as for the whereabouts, I mean, I think that's up for those… those… Mr. Haftar and his people to talk about....Mr. Salamé spoke to General Haftar last Friday." And since?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, first of all, regarding what you said about Mr. Salamé and this report that he did not… that he refused to talk to Derna representatives, we've checked with the Mission. That report is false. Mr. Salamé and the Mission have been in touch with several people and entities from Derna and they are ready to speak to all Libyans. Regarding…
Inner City Press: Can you say which entities because the groups went on the record saying he wouldn't speak to them. Can you say which groups those are?
Deputy Spokesman: This is the information I have. And… but he has been in touch, and he continues to be open and available to talk to all the various parties, including in Derna. There's… we do not believe that there's any problems with any conflicts regarding Mr. Salamé. He was vetted during the course of his recruitment.
Inner City Press: Did he stop his position as being on the advisory board of the UAE Diplomatic Academy when he began working for the UN?
Deputy Spokesman: I'm… as far as I'm aware, there are no conflicts regarding his roles. Hold on." Yeah, hold on. Back on April 19 with questions abounding in Libya about where General Haftar was and about his health and mental state, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: there's a lack of clarity of the health and whereabouts of General [Khalifa] Haftar in Libya. He sort of disappeared. Some diplomats have said he's had a serious heart attack and may not function. So, I'm wondering, since the UN does have an envoy, Ghassan Salamé, is he aware where General Haftar is? When's the last time he spoke to him?
Spokesman: "Mr. Salamé spoke to… hold on a second. I know he spoke to… I think last week he spoke to General Haftar. I'll have to get you the exact date. And, as for the whereabouts, I mean, I think that's up for those… those… Mr. Haftar and his people to talk about....Mr. Salamé spoke to General Haftar last Friday." And since?
With Libya on the UN Security Council's agenda on March 21, Inner City Press asked UK Ambassador Jonathan Allen about continued reports of slavery there. From the UK transcript: Inner City Press: On the issue of human trafficking and even slavery, migrants: BBC had another story today about people who had been imprisoned for months and who had been sold. Is the UN doing anything? Is the UN doing enough? What should be done about that?
We obviously have passed the resolution in the Security Council I think last November which was really clear about the expectations the Council has, and that I know a number of countries are working with Libya but also other countries in Africa, including European Union projects, including through bilateral means, to try and resolve some of the problems that we’re seeing because there is a huge problem that needs to be fixed and ultimately it will be fixed when Libya is able to have political institutions that work and is able to come together as a country, which is what we’re talking about this morning, of course." We'll see. At the end of the open meeting on Libya, Russia's Ambassador Nebenzia distributed a video about.. Eastern Ghouta. Inner City Press Periscope here. When the Libya sanctions committee of the UN Security Council met on February 9 in the UN basement, only one media was covering it: Inner City Press. This is in contrast to a meeting earlier in the week in the same room of the North Korea sanctions committee, covered by more than a half dozen media, all but one of which (Inner City Press) was Japanese. Libya despite the UN's role and the atrocities is no longer in the attention span of the media the UN gives full access to. To his credit, Libya sanctions committee chair Olof Skoog nevertheless stopped after the meeting and spoke with Inner City Press, saying that while human smuggling is not explicitly part of the sanctions he views it as such, given not only human rights but also its potential to fund terrorism. Full audio here. He said there are recommendations not yet agreed to by all 15 members; he cited the briefing by Panel of Experts coordinator Lipika Majumdar Roy Choudhury. After she briefed the Committee, Inner City Press spokes briefly to her as well; she was more accessible than her North Korea sanctions counterpart. Earlier in the day the North Korea committee's briefing for member states was closed to the press. After it, Inner City Press asked the Dutch chair if the letters granting exemption as to Choe Hwi are put on the Committee's web site; no, was the answer. Periscope video here. Amid the disparities in focus, Inner City Press is ramping up its coverage - watch this site. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo the UN has little to say when civilians protesting holdover President Joseph Kabila are killed, and speaks only after questions about their own peacekeepers killing each other, it seems. RIP.
We obviously have passed the resolution in the Security Council I think last November which was really clear about the expectations the Council has, and that I know a number of countries are working with Libya but also other countries in Africa, including European Union projects, including through bilateral means, to try and resolve some of the problems that we’re seeing because there is a huge problem that needs to be fixed and ultimately it will be fixed when Libya is able to have political institutions that work and is able to come together as a country, which is what we’re talking about this morning, of course." We'll see. At the end of the open meeting on Libya, Russia's Ambassador Nebenzia distributed a video about.. Eastern Ghouta. Inner City Press Periscope here. When the Libya sanctions committee of the UN Security Council met on February 9 in the UN basement, only one media was covering it: Inner City Press. This is in contrast to a meeting earlier in the week in the same room of the North Korea sanctions committee, covered by more than a half dozen media, all but one of which (Inner City Press) was Japanese. Libya despite the UN's role and the atrocities is no longer in the attention span of the media the UN gives full access to. To his credit, Libya sanctions committee chair Olof Skoog nevertheless stopped after the meeting and spoke with Inner City Press, saying that while human smuggling is not explicitly part of the sanctions he views it as such, given not only human rights but also its potential to fund terrorism. Full audio here. He said there are recommendations not yet agreed to by all 15 members; he cited the briefing by Panel of Experts coordinator Lipika Majumdar Roy Choudhury. After she briefed the Committee, Inner City Press spokes briefly to her as well; she was more accessible than her North Korea sanctions counterpart. Earlier in the day the North Korea committee's briefing for member states was closed to the press. After it, Inner City Press asked the Dutch chair if the letters granting exemption as to Choe Hwi are put on the Committee's web site; no, was the answer. Periscope video here. Amid the disparities in focus, Inner City Press is ramping up its coverage - watch this site. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo the UN has little to say when civilians protesting holdover President Joseph Kabila are killed, and speaks only after questions about their own peacekeepers killing each other, it seems. RIP.
