UN Stays Upbeat on Guinea Bissau, Security Council Might Visit, Send 200 Guards to Libya to Protect UN Mission After Inaction on Civilians

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 26 -- Twice in Guinea Bissau since the 2012 coup the election have been put off. When UN envoy Jose Ramos-Horta emerged from the UN Security Council on Tuesday evening, Inner City Press asked him if he thinks that this time they will happen, in March 2014, and if military chief of staff Antonio Indjai will in fact relinquish power.

 Ramos-Horta was upbeat, saying he thinks this time it will happen. When Inner City Press asked about the proposed Amnesty Law for the authors of the 2012 coup, Ramos-Horta expressed support for it only if there are iron-clad commitments by the military to stay out of politics. So: a conditional amnesty that would end if that commitment were broken?

 The West African States in ECOWAS want to send two formed police units, and want international support - read, money - for it.

Sources in the Council's consultations told Inner City Press there is discussion of a Security Council trip to Guinea Bissau in January, and of a Presidential Statement to be drafted by Togo which "has the pen." Inner City Press asked Togolese Permanent Representative Kodjo Menan and he said yes, this might be his last big act on the Council (Togo leaves in December, to be replaced by Nigeria).

  On the trip, the idea was "floated," along with statements about Guinea Bissau's resources including, yes, cashews. Less than two million people -- and forty political parties.

  In a stealth session after Ramos Horta left, Council diplomats heard a plan from the UN to send some 200 guards for its mission in Libya. 

  Inner City Press has been writing about the Council's failure to even get a briefing on the killing of dozens of civilians in Tripoli by militias, and now the state of emergency in Benghazi. Tellingly, the Security Council only heard on Libya now when it came to protecting the UN itself. Watch this site.

   

On Eve of Kenya Showdown in UNSC, Togolese Competes for ICTY Judgeship with Estonia & Australia: Retail Politics

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 14 -- The night before the scheduled November 15 showdown in the Security Council on the African Union's request that the Council defer for one year the International Criminal Court's Kenya proceedings, another vote on November 18 gave rise to more retail politics.

  In the first floor of Uganda House on 45th Street, Togo sponsored a reception for Koffi Kumelio A. Afande, candidate to be a permanent judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

  Earlier in the week Inner City Press was told there were either five or six candidates for this single position; one Permanent Representative (not Togo's Kodjo Menan) told Inner City Press that "the Westerners are standing in the way of an African judge on the ICTY."

  This, combined with descriptions of Friday's Security Council vote as one for or against Africa, added spice to Thursday evening's reception, along with the Togolese food, stews of two different colors and three kinds of rice.

  In attendance were Permanent Representatives ranging from New Zealand to Cameroon, Somalia, Djibouti, Egypt and others; two representatives from the US Mission; a hard-working Gulf state election officers. "They're all qualified," was a complaint, "I'm glad the capital will made the decision." 

   As from the Human Rights Council race, Jordan dropped out ("all in" for the Security Council, it was observed). In the audience were candidates from Estonia and Australia - this is not to ignore them, it is a sketch of a quintessentially UN event, a campaign speech with spicy food and open bar.

  (Also, there is not much on the Internet on this race, another trigger for this story. It can be said some of those convicted by the ICTY serve their sentences in Estonia; here is a statement from Australia on the ICTY residual mechanism.)

  As photographs were taken and hands shaken, Inner City Press received a complaint that France had "played cheap" with the peacekeeping mission in Somalia, that things now depend on pledging and will "go slow." The question arises: how then would Central African Republic get done?

  But first, the campaigning, the retail politics. Kodjo Menan made the introduction, going back two years to give thanks for election to the Security Council, where Togo's term ends next month. Koffi Kumelio A. Afande pointed out that he is the consensus candidate, speaks French and English and knows all the applicable law.

  He said that while Togo has given peacekeepers and police for some time, to Mali it send medical personnel as well, and now offers legal expertise. 

  He greeted the two other candidates in attendance but closed with the hope that every one makes the right decision on Monday. We may have more before then -- but first, Friday's Kenya ICC vote in the Security Council. Watch this site.

   

At End of Togo's Month Atop UNSC, Talk of CERD & Big Media Sleaze, DPI, P5 & Delegates' Lounge

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 30 -- When Togo held its end of Security Council presidency reception Thursday at the UN, Ambassador Kodjo Menan's gratefully short speech did not look back at the month, as the morning's Wrap-Up session did, but rather to a UN election on Monday.

  Ms. Hohoueto, interviewed later by Inner City Press, is running for the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. There are 16 candidates, minus Madagascar, for nine seats, and the election is June 3. This is how the UN works.

  This too is how the UN works: multiple diplomats approached Inner City Press to say they are outraged at the idea of a press table in front of the Security Council being eliminated. One African Permanent Representative demanded, Who is behind this?

  A Western Permanent Representative explained, there are some in the UN press corps who have said they do not want it. (They control the UN Correspondents Association Executive Committee.) "We do not agree, but we need them."

  How can it be, that ostensible journalists would be lobbying for less rather than more access?

  It's that the media is a business. These Gulf and Western correspondents benefit from less access: they get spoon-fed scoops by "their" missions, and do not want independent media being able to access the range of UN and elected Security Council members states by means of a work table at the stakeout.

  But what should the UN Secretariat want -- access for the range of journalists, or a monopoly of Gulf and Western media? This has become the question, raised by the Free UN Coalition for Access.

  The head of the UN Department of Public Information, to whom this has been raised, faces a moment of truth: is he in favor of access? The arguments have been made, and the verdict is awaited. He has asked for time and it has been granted. But time is running short. The issue is not complicated: return to how things were, or reduce access.

  Invited to the Togo reception in the "Delegates Dining Room," Inner City Press went up to the DDR on the fourth floor, now open. But there it was corporation, JP Morgan, Bill and Melinda Gates et al. Toto was in the cafeteria, albeit with smoked salmon by the river, spicy Togolese meats in the back.

Among Permanent Five members of the Council, Russia's Vitaly Churkin, China's Li Baodong and the UK's Mark Lyall Grant were in attendance.

  UN Peacekeeping's Herve Ladsous, we kid you not, walked around unnoticed for a while, before alighting on Kenya's Permanent Representative. Did they talk about the racism of the ICC? Or how that court refuses to prosecute those who kill perceived supporters of Laurent Gbagbo?

  Somalia's Permanent Representative as it happens is a long time UN system employees, with the World Health Organization all over Africa and finally in Eritrea. It is a UN story, as is that of an 80 year old retiree who remembers a UN barbershop, cut rate roast beef and the Delegates' Lounge.

  When will that re-open, after so much spending by member states? And who would dare turn it dry, even on Friday night? Is that Joe Torsella? Or someone joyless? Watch this site.

On Palestine, As "Troika" Pushes Jerusalem Issue with UNSC and Eliasson, Is Feltman In Mix?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 16 -- Into an otherwise quiet UN Security Council on Wednesday afternoon a series of Arab ambassadors filed: Ibrahim Dabbashi of Libya, Nawaf Salam of Lebanon and finally the Arab Group's Council member for now, Morocco's Ambassador Loulichki.

He stopped and told Inner City Press this was the "troika," past, present and future. They went into talk Palestine and Jerusalem with the Council president for May, Kodjo Menan of Togo.

An hour or so later when Menan came out, he told Inner City Press that yes it was Jerusalem, and that he would tell the other Security Council members what he had heard "tomorrow," meaning May 16. 

  The Council is set to have closed door meetings about North Korea and Sudan sanctions; Jerusalem will apparently be raised under Any Other Business.

The same troika group, it emerges, met the day previous with UN Deputy Secretary General Jan Eliasson. What is the goal of these meetings? Riyad Mansour of the Observer State of Palestine wrote identical letters to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and to Menan as Council president. Then the troika went to follow up.

Is this, at least the meeting with Eliasson, meant to ensure inclusion of the issue in the next report of the Secretary General? Is there any chance of Security Council action? And was UN Department of Political Affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman involved in all this? Watch this site.

On ICC, Kenya's 2d Letter To UNSC Now On Agenda May 16, ICP Learns, Amid Comoros Request for ICC Probe of Mavi Marmara

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, May 14 -- After Kenya first wrote to the UN Security Council about the International Criminal Court cases against President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto, a length Council consultation took place on Thursday, May 9.

  Inner City Press covered it in detail, including the outcome: that Kenya would write a second letter to the Council to request to meet with the full Council.

  Mid-day on May 10, Inner City Press asked the Security Council president for May, Kodjo Menan of Togo, for an update. He said that Kenya's Permanent Representative to the UN Kamau Macharia had indicate he would submit the second letter very shortly, even that day, Friday.

There was some delay, with some in the government including Attorney General Githu Muigai and even Ruto "disassociating" themselves from the letter. But on Tuesday, May 14 Kodjo Menan of Togo exclusively told Inner City Press that Kenya's second letter, after "checking with the capital," HAS come in, and will be discussed on Thursday.

  That will be a full week after the first discussion, in which a main issue was whether Kenya's Permanent Representative can meet and make his case to the full Council, or only to a working group. 

 Rwanda, whose Ambassador Eugene Richard Gasana led or initiative the push on this, said it would be insulting to refer a member state to a working group. A number of Council members supported and support this position. For more, see this previous Inner City Press analysis.

  Meanwhile the ICC prosecutor has just announced that the Union of Comoros has requested an ICC probe of the May 31, 2010 raid by Israel on the Mavi Marmara ship. Watch this site.

On ICC, Kenya Prepares a Second Letter to UNSC, Of Reuters' Lazy One-Member Spin

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 11 -- After Kenya wrote to the UN Security Council about the International Criminal Court cases against President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto, a length Council consultation took place on May 9.

Inner City Press covered it in detail, including the outcome: that Kenya will write a second letter to the Council to request to meet with the full Council.

Mid-day on May 10, Inner City Press asked the Security Council president for May, Kodjo Menan of Togo, for an update. He said that Kenya's Permanent Representative to the UN had indicate he would submit the second letter very shortly.

Among the issues that arose in Thursday's consultations was whether Kenya's Permanent Representative can meet and make his case to the full Council, or only to a working group.

  Rwanda, whose Ambassador Eugene Richard Gasana led or initiative the push on this, told Inner City Press on the record that it would be insulting to refer a member state to a working group. A number of Council members supported and support this position.

But it's worth noting that when Reuters "reported" on the issue,it had nothing about the issue of the second letter, or with whom Kenya's Permanent Representative would meet.

  Rather, Reuters quoted an unnamed "senior council diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity" that the granting of even a deferral of prosecution for a year would be "unlikely."

So this Western view is presented, as the only view, with nothing on what actually took place in the Council. It's not just that it's one- (Western) sided: it's also lazy and incomplete.

But this is the agency which was unwilling to provide a copy or summary of any policy on crediting other media for use of their exclusive reports, and which in fact unethically bases compensation on how many of a correspondent's stories are called "exclusives," accurately or as often happens, inaccurately.

This is how the UN and Security Council are being reported on. Watch this site.

Footnote: Since the campaign involving Reuters UN bureau chief and UNCA First Vice President Louis Charbonneau continues and continues to evolve, it's worth noting that while Reuters' Kenya "story" was bylined by Michelle Nichols, it was re-distributed by Charbonneau. They call it (false) Buzz...

On SC Jordan Trip, Araud Says China Will Block, China Tells ICP Not True, Stakeout Notes

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 6 -- After the UN Security Council met Monday about Jordan's request for a Council visit, French Permanent Representative Gerard Araud emerged and said "of course" the trip would not happen, "China will block it."

  Moments later, Chinese Deputy Permanent Representative Wang told Inner City Press that wasn't true, "we did not block it." He said it's a "refugee problem, it should be solved."

  Inner City Press asked, if a Council trip should also include Palestine -- a long requested trip that another member, the US, has explicitly blocked.

  Wang said, "we need a fuller discussion."

  To try to resolve the inconsistency, Inner City Press asked May's Security Council president, Togo's Ambassador Kodjo Menan, of Araud's and Wang's statements. He said that as Council president he would not comment on that.

A second reporter, another member of the Free UN Coalition for Access, asked if any other aspect of the Syria issue had been discussed. (Earlier today, Inner City Press wrote, and at noon asked, of Carla Del Ponte's statement of strong suspicious of sarin gas use - by the opposition). Menan said no, only the trip was discussed. And so it goes at the UN.

Footnote: After a newsy morning in the Security Council -- Eastern Congo, Abyei and Syria / Jordan -- the only questions asked at the Council stakeout were by FUNCA members. This was true when UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous emerged, too.

  One FUNCA member asked, very politely, if Ladsous would do a stakeout (as for example his predecessor Alain Le Roy would have done, if a peacekeeper was killed.) Ladsous said no. (This is a pattern: see video here.)

 Inner City Press then asked, also politely, if his UNISFA mission had given notification of its travel. Ladsous refused to answer. Moment later at the stakeout, Menan said it would be for Ladsous to answer that question. Yes, it would be. Another spoon-fed briefing? Watch this site.

On Abyei, Amid Questions of Any UNISFA Notifications for Travel, UN's Ladsous Won't Answer - Again

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 6, updated -- After at least one UN peacekeeper was killed in Abyei, along with paramount chief Kuol Deng Kuol, one would have expected UN Peacekeeping paramount chief Herve Ladsous to go a press stakeout, or at least answer a simple question about it.

But no.

As Ladsous left the Security Council on Monday, he was asked to do a stakeout, and said no. Inner City Press then asked if his mission, UNISFA, had given notifications of its travel with Kuol Deng Kuol to Defra.

This basic question, Ladsous would not answer at all. He looked straight ahead and walked up the stairs.

This is a pattern with Ladsous, see video here.

But despite his spokesperson Kieran Dwyer's claim that Ladsous speaks to the press a lot, there is litle question that his predecessor Alain Le Roy would have done a stakeout after a UN Peacekeeper was killed. And Jean-Marie Guehenno before that. So what's wrong with Ladsous?

Update: at the Security Council stakeout, Inner City Press asked Council president for May Kodjo Menan of Togo if UNISFA made notification of travel. He replied that Mr Ladsous would be in the position to answer that. But Ladsous did not.

Exclusive: Sudan Meets With, Gives New May 3 Letter to, UNSC President Asking for Action on "Slaughter" in Abu Karshola, North Kordofan

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, May 3 -- After the war in Southern Kordofan spread into Umm Rawaba in North Kordofan, on May 1 Sudan's Permanent Representative Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman told Inner City Press he had written to the UN Security Council asking them to condemn the attack.

Inner City Press has obtained Sudan's April 30 letter and puts it online, here. Inner City Press has also obtained Sudan's new May 3 letter and, also exclusively, puts it online here.

  Inner City Press on May 1 asked US Ambassador Susan Rice about Sudan's request for a Council press statement. Rice told Inner City Press, with some sarcasm, "Like we've had so many statements recently."

  Two days later, at 5 pm on Friday, May 3 Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman came to meet the Security Council president for May, Kodjo Menan of Togo, to press the point forward.

  Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman told Inner City Press one point was double standards. The Security Council members express concern about violations of human rights elsewhere but, he said, in Abu Karshola dozens of civilians were "slaughtered;" a man was put on a table, cut into pieces.

  An article attached to Sudan's May 3 letter gets into details -- the "looting... of personal cell phones," analogizing the attack to those of Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army.

  Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman said there were six thousand people held as "human shields." He said the attacks have the goal of unraveling agreements made between Sudan and South Sudan, and undermining the talks with the SPLM-North in Addis Ababa. That, he said, you'd think the Security Council would care about.

  There are of course other issues, many of them. But do they mean the Security Council does and says nothing about this? What does that say about the Council? Watch this site.

Footnote: Inner City Press also asked Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman about the improbably named Telephone Kuku; Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman said he was just released, and has more right to speak for the Nuba of Southern Kordofan than anybody. Speak by Telephone? Watch this site.

On Malvinas / Falklands, UNSC President Tells ICP "There's Nothing Next"

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 10 -- After Argentina's foreign minister Hector Timerman delivered to the UN Security Council a complaint against the United Kingdom about the Malvina a/k/a Falkland Islands, he told the press that this month's Council president, Kodjo Menan of Togo, would pass the complaint on to UK Permanent Representative Mark Lyall Grant and then report back to him.

This did take place, at least the first part. When Lyall Grant exited the Council chamber at 6 pm, he told Inner City Press that Argentina's filing with the Council was "the same slides" as Timerman should during his press conference.

Minutes later, Togo's Kodjo Menan came out. Inner City Press asked, what's next? He said, "There's nothing next. I received him, the main concerned member of the Council, he gave me his position.

Inner City Press asked, "Were you convinced?"

Kodjo Menan said, "I don't want to be convinced. He's just given me the position, I took good note of his position."

Key, of course, is that the UK has a veto in the Security Council. What could happen, really?

During Timerman's press conference he mentioned two other UK overseas situation, Diego Garcia and Hong Kong. Inner City Press asked Lyall Grant about these two, particularly Diego Garcia where the Chagossians won court decisions for a right to return, only to be blocked by Tony Blair who cited "royal prerogative."

Lyall Grant said "You have to distinguish these territories. Every situation is different. In Hong Kong for instance there was a treaty with China. It was on a lease hold." THere was not direct answer about Diego Garcia.

None of the Permanent Five members of the Council is without a skeleton in its closet.

Diego Garcia and the Chagossians seem to be one for the UK, and the argument was loudly made at the UN on Friday that the Malvinas Islands are another. But at the end of the day, the Security Council president said "there's nothing next." And so it goes at the UN.

From the UK Mission's transcript:

Inner City Press: Mr Timerman mentioned Hong Kong and also Diego Garcia as 2 examples of other places where the UK... How do you distinguish that... It seems like in Diego Garcia, with the Chagossians tried to get a right to return and the UK opposed it. So, in that light, how can we take your statement that UK always respects the desires of people in territories like this, or can you distinguish these territories?

Lyall Grant: You have to distinguish these territories. Every situation is different. In Hong Kong for instance there was a treaty with China. It was on a lease hold, etc. So the whole thing is different and I don't want to draw comparisons between this. The facts in the Falkland Islands are very clear. It is a question, in our view, of self determination, because there is no issue of sovereignty. The claim of sovereignty is an entirely manufactured claim that has no basis in law and no basis in history, and therefore it’s a manufactured claim. Why on earth should Argentina suddenly decide that it has sovereignty over the Falkland Islands just because they happen to be 300 miles away? On that basis Canada could claim sovereignty over Alaska. It just doesn't make any sense. There is no historic, there is no judicial basis for the claim of sovereignty.

Footnote: Inner City Press also asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky:

Inner City Press: on Argentina. The Foreign Minister, when he came out of the meeting, said to the media in Spanish that in the meeting with the Secretary-General, the Secretary-General had said that since the continent, the Latin American continent, is so supportive of the Argentina’s position that should make it easier to resolve. And that’s what he told the media when he came out of the meeting. And I just wanted to know, is that something that the Secretary-General said? Is that his view?

Spokesperson: We’ve...

Inner City Press: I see your readout --

Spokesperson: Yeah, well, the readout has said very clearly that we are concerned about the strong exchanges between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom. And it is his hope that both Governments will avoid an escalation of this dispute and resolve their differences peacefully and through dialogue. That’s what I have for you.