After Six Abstentions on Small Arms Resolution in UNSC, ICP Asks Angola, Chad & Lithuania Ambassadors Why, Of Libya

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 22 -- When the UN Security Council adopted its resolution on Small Arms and Light Weapons on Friday there were six abstentions, including China, Russia, Venezuela and all three of the Security Council's African members, Angola, Nigeria and Chad.

     Angola's Permanent Representative Ismael Gaspar Martins, speaking also for Chad and Nigeria, said in the Council after that vote that “unfortunately our proposals regarding the issue of proliferation and access to small arms and light weapons to non state actors were not sufficiently considered  in this resolution. As a country which has gone through a very painful experience, it would be political unacceptable not to seize this opportunity to address the problem of supply of weapons to non state actors.”

  The resolution said it is “emphasizing that the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons can aid terrorism, and illegal armed groups and facilitate increasing levels of transnational organized crime and underscoring that such illicit trafficking could harm civilians, including women and children, create instability and long-term governance challenges and complicate conflict resolution.” But the resolution did not mention non-state actors.

    Chad's Permanent Representative Mahamat Zene Cherif said in the chamber after the vote, “Chad has observed with regret that a resolution as important as this and the object of which was to help those regions affected by the impact small arms and light weapons, and more specifically Africa, would be adopted without involving the representatives of the Continent in this Council.”

  After the meeting was over, at the Security Council stakeout, Inner City Press asked Angola's Gaspar Martins about the argument that the resolution's reference to terrorism covered non-state actors. 

  He said the two concepts are different. Inner City Press asked about the trend, with the Security Council declining to hear from former president Chissano for the African Union on Western Sahara. He said, there is a problem with the Council. Video here.

   Inner City Press asked Chad's Mahamat Zene Cherif about two examples: the airdropping of weapons into Libya, and the “arm and equip” program for the Free Syrian Arm.  Mahamat Zene Cherif said the objection was broader that these two cases, destabilization is happening in a number of places.  Gaspar Martins added that the intervention in Libya has led to the spread of terrorism in the Sahel; he cited Kenya as well.

  When Lithuania's Raimonda Murmokaite came out, Inner City Press asked her about these abstentions and these two cases, and Angola noting the offer of a carve out for private security contractors from the concept of non-state actors.

  Raimonda Murmokaite said that it is not private security companies causing mayhem -- Inner City Press said, “Blackwater,” she said “not exactly” -- but terrorist groups and their offshoots as well as criminal gangs. “These are the guys... not some nebulous non-state actors,” she said. “We have have gladly included pirates,” she said, or human traffickers or smugglers, on which the EU is separately asking for Security Council action. We'll have more on that.

   

Chad Atop UNSC Held 12 Stakeouts, Palestine Inched Forward, Bullseye on Ladsous

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 22, more here -- During the three working weeks of Chad's UN Security Council presidency for December -- the week between Christmas and New Years is off -- the country held a dozen question and answer stakeouts, more than most Security Council presidencies, as urged and tallied by the Free UN Coalition for Access.

   Nine were by Chad's Permanent Representative to the UN Mahamat Zene Cherif, one by his Deputy and two by Chadian Foreign Minister Moussa Faki Mahamat. Inner City Press asked questions at each of them, sometime yielding only the answer, That did not come up in consultations, and sometimes a bit more.

   A resolution for a five country force against Boko Haram, involving Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger and Benin was not adopted, with others wanting more information. We will be pursuing whether it will be adopted under January's president, Chile.

  Chad's End of Presidency reception, held early on December 22 in a large room in what's called the Teachers (or TIAA-CREF) building on Third Avenue, was well attended, complete with pasta and an open bar, large screens with Chadian flags in the front. 

  That a resolution on Palestine and Israel's occupation did not come to a vote was not up to Chad. And the request made by 123 non governmental organizations and Sudan experts for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to fire Ladsouswas directed to Ban, and not to the Security Council (expects its Western Permanent Three members). But it'll get there -- talk turned to the letter at Chad's reception, by the pasta bar no less. Watch this site. 

 When Mahamat Zene Cherif held his Program of Work press conference as Security Council president on December 2, Inner City Press asked him about a vote on a Palestine resolution during the month, and about the rights of refugees from the Central African Republic.

  Mahamat Zene Cherif said he is not yet seized of a draft resolution on Palestine but that it might happen. On CAR refugees, he said there are 100,000 in Chad and more in Cameroon. In his national capacity, he said they should be allowed to vote and participate in CAR, that will be a gauge of the process. He mentioned mobile voting places and a role for the UN.

  Before these first questions of the press conference, Inner City Press for the Free UN Coalition for Access thankedMahamat Zene Cherif for the briefing. It has been absurdly argued that there is some rule or precedent that the old UNCA, become the UN's Censorship Alliance, gets a set-aside first question. From today, that is no longer the case. (Earlier on December 2, FUNCA asked the UN about censorship in Libya, here.)

  Mahamat Zene Cherif fielded questions on North Korea (that was UNCA's, as second), Libya, Security Council reform, Syria, Ebola and others. He announced that only that morning five soldiers from Chad were injured in Mali by a mine: news, when a Troop Contributing Country holds the Security Council presidency.

  During the month, the Sahel, the African Union, the delayed Kosovo debate and Afghanistan, among others, will be considered, and covered on this site.

  Amid calls for UN Security Council reform of the powers of the permanent five members, there are also slights among the elected ten members.

With Chad set to take over Presidency of the Security Council on December 1, on November 13 it bristled when this month's President, Australia, circulated a “Program of Work” for December, Chad's month.

Chad's protest, which multiple sources exclusively provided to Inner City Press and which it is publishing here in redacted form, tells the Australian Mission's Political Coordinator Michael Bliss that

“Chad is surprised by your email circulating the December POW. The procedure is that the mission assuming the presidency of that month is the one authorized to do so. We think it is a profound lack of responsibility by the Australian Mission. I hope that we will continue to respect ourselves as non permanent members of the Security Council.”

  That is, Chad not only challenged the violation of procedures, but noted that it was one non-permanent member doing it to another.

  The email of Michael Bliss of the Australian Mission angered those who provided it to Inner City Press. In a reference to Bob Geldof's “Do They Even Know It's Christmas,” Bliss wrote that 

“in respect to that question asked long ago by Bob Geldof, and friends of some other Africans, the Chadian mission do know that it is Christmas time in the week of 22/12 but, I am told, has resisted SCAD's strenuous attempts to arrange the program so that scheduled work concludes by 19/12.”

  SCAD is the UN Department of Political Affairs' Security Council Affairs Division. On the one hand this seems to be a problem between member states, elected members of the Security Council from different continents, of different religions and different cultures.  Inner City Press reached out to the Australian mission and understands that the joking reference was to wanting a quiet Christmas, and is now to their credit acknowledged as ill-considered.

  But on the other hand, Inner City Press is informed, others up to the level of Permanent Representative wonder who gave Chad's Program of Work to Australia - whose Bliss said it came from "off the back of a truck." Which truck? We'll have more on all this.

   

With UN Guarding Jails in Central African Republic, Will Those Who Were Forced to Flee Be Able to Cast Votes?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 9, more here -- With UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic guarding prisons, their chief Herve Ladsous on December 9 told the Security Council that "inmates inside the Bangui central prison seized weapons and shot and threw hand grenades at UN peacekeepers providing static guard duty outside the prison. Three UN troops and one UN police officer were injured in the incident."

  But should UN peacekeepers be functioning as prison guards? How many attacks on civilians in CAR are they not reporting? This is what Ladsous' mission in Darfur is accused of: covering up attacks on civilians and even peacekeepers.

  Ladsous on December 9 scarcely mentioned the impact of his country, France, on the CAR, including a recent incident in which Gazelle helicopters it pulled out of CAR were stopped in Nigeria, under suspicion, on their way to Chad.

  Back on December 2, Inner City Press asked Chad's Permanent Representative to the UN Mahamat Zene Cherif about the rights of refugees from the Central African Republic.

  Mahamat Zene Cherif said there are 100,000 in Chad and more in Cameroon. In his national capacity, he said they should be allowed to vote and participate in CAR, that will be a gauge of the process. He mentioned mobile voting places and a role for the UN.

 On December 9, the Council heard about Cameroon: "The National Electoral Authority has also conducted a mission to Cameroun to assess the voter registration modalities for refugees there. Further missions in the sub-region are also planned to ensure the participation of this important constituency in the elections.”  Here's hoping.

  Back on December 2 before the first questions of the press conference, Inner City Press for FUNCA Free UN Coalition for Acce thanked Mahamat Zene Cherif for the briefing. It has been absurdly argued that there is some rule or precedent that the old UNCA, become the UN's Censorship Alliance, gets a set-aside first question. From today, that is no longer the case. (Earlier on December 2, FUNCA asked the UN about censorship in Libya, here.)

  Mahamat Zene Cherif fielded questions on North Korea (that was UNCA's, as second), Libya, Security Council reform, Syria, Ebola and others. He announced that only that morning five soldiers from Chad were injured in Mali by a mine: news, when a Troop Contributing Country holds the Security Council presidency.

  During the month, the Sahel, the African Union, the delayed Kosovo debate and Afghanistan, among others, will be considered, and covered on this site.

  Amid calls for UN Security Council reform of the powers of the permanent five members, there are also slights among the elected ten members.

With Chad set to take over Presidency of the Security Council on December 1, on November 13 it bristled when this month's President, Australia, circulated a “Program of Work” for December, Chad's month.

Chad's protest, which multiple sources exclusively provided to Inner City Press and which it is publishing here in redacted form, tells the Australian Mission's Political Coordinator Michael Bliss that

“Chad is surprised by your email circulating the December POW. The procedure is that the mission assuming the presidency of that month is the one authorized to do so. We think it is a profound lack of responsibility by the Australian Mission. I hope that we will continue to respect ourselves as non permanent members of the Security Council.”

  That is, Chad not only challenged the violation of procedures, but noted that it was one non-permanent member doing it to another.

  The email of Michael Bliss of the Australian Mission angered those who provided it to Inner City Press. In a reference to Bob Geldof's “Do They Even Know It's Christmas,” Bliss wrote that 

“in respect to that question asked long ago by Bob Geldof, and friends of some other Africans, the Chadian mission do know that it is Christmas time in the week of 22/12 but, I am told, has resisted SCAD's strenuous attempts to arrange the program so that scheduled work concludes by 19/12.”

  SCAD is the UN Department of Political Affairs' Security Council Affairs Division. On the one hand this seems to be a problem between member states, elected members of the Security Council from different continents, of different religions and different cultures.  Inner City Press reached out to the Australian mission and understands that the joking reference was to wanting a quiet Christmas, and is now to their credit acknowledged as ill-considered.

  But on the other hand, Inner City Press is informed, others up to the level of Permanent Representative wonder who gave Chad's Program of Work to Australia - whose Bliss said it came from "off the back of a truck." Which truck? We'll have more on all this.

   

On Palestine in UN Security Council, France Says "No Rush," Jordan on January, Chad Tells Inner City Press Not Seized of Draft Resolution(s)

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 2 -- After Mahmoud Abbas and the Arab League said Jordan would finally push in the UN Security Council for a vote in December on a draft resolution which would set a timeline to end Israel's occupation, now January is being mentioned.

  At first the commitment was to have a vote in November, when Australia was president of the Security Council. It didn't happen. On December 2, Inner City Press asked the Council president for December, Chadian Ambassador Mahamat Zene Cherif, why only a "Middle East debate" and not a vote on a Palestine resolution is on the Program of Work for December.

  Ambassador Cherif said he is not yet seized of any Palestine resolution. Amid talk of a French resolution -- French foreign ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said on December 2 there is "no rush" on a resolution -- now Jordan's Ambassador Dina Kawar says "We're going to try to make it before Christmas. If not, it will be in January."

  As Inner City Press exclusively reported, based on Security Council communications, Chad was pressured to not schedule any meetings after December 19. It pushed back, and scheduled one for December 22. But that's it.

  Already, the delay has been long. It was cold, for example, at the UNRWA event held just outside the UN on December 2, photographed by the Free UN Coalition for Access, here. In one month's time, Venezuela and Spain join the Security Council, along with Angola, Malaysia and New Zealand. Wouldn't the draft get more "yes" votes in January 2015 than in December 2014?

   Rather than analyze this, Reuters for example again vaguely reports that "some diplomats have described the Palestinian-drafted text as 'unbalanced.'" For whom? Now Reuters adds, "some Western Council diplomats." So helpful.

 Back on October 21 as the Palestine debate of the UN Security Council went on in the Council chamber, Inner City Press conferred with a range of Council sources about the pending draft resolution to set a time frame to end Israel's occupation.

Negotiations were held on the draft last week but only at the “expert” level, not of Permanent Representatives of the Council's 15 members. Supporters of the current draft, according to Inner City Press' sources, include China and Russia, Argentina and Chile, Chad and it was assumed Nigeria, although sources say Nigeria in consultations said they didn't yet have instructions.

France was described as more excited by the draft than either the US or the UK, as not have a problem with a time frame to end the Occupation but wanting unstated changes to the draft. France did not put forth amendments, a source told Inner City Press, guessing that France didn't want to “embarrass” the US Administration before the November mid-term elections.

The UK was described as less enthusiastic, but as somehow “softened” by the recent vote in Parliament favoring recognizing Palestine as a state.

Talk turned to the new members of the Security Council coming in on January 1, with Malaysia instead of South Korea seen as a shift in favor of Palestine as a state. (This reporter's Security Council elections coverage is collected here.) Angola and Venezuela are seen as supportive and “even Spain,” as one source put it to Inner City Press. But what about New Zealand? We'll have more on this. Watch this site.

   

With Chad Atop UN Security Council for December, Inner City Press Asks of Palestine & CAR Refugees, FUNCA Thanks for Briefing, Censors Out

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 2, more here -- When Chad's Permanent Representative to the UN Mahamat Zene Cherif held his Program of Work press conference as Security Council president on December 2, Inner City Press asked him about a vote on a Palestine resolution during the month, and about the rights of refugees from the Central African Republic.

  Mahamat Zene Cherif said he is not yet seized of a draft resolution on Palestine but that it might happen. On CAR refugees, he said there are 100,000 in Chad and more in Cameroon. In his national capacity, he said they should be allowed to vote and participate in CAR, that will be a gauge of the process. He mentioned mobile voting places and a role for the UN.

  Before these first questions of the press conference, Inner City Press for the Free UN Coalition for Access thanked Mahamat Zene Cherif for the briefing. It has been absurdly argued that there is some rule or precedent that the old UNCA, become the UN's Censorship Alliance, gets a set-aside first question. From today, that is no longer the case. (Earlier on December 2, FUNCA asked the UN about censorship in Libya, here.)

  Mahamat Zene Cherif fielded questions on North Korea (that was UNCA's, as second), Libya, Security Council reform, Syria, Ebola and others. He announced that only that morning five soldiers from Chad were injured in Mali by a mine: news, when a Troop Contributing Country holds the Security Council presidency.

  During the month, the Sahel, the African Union, the delayed Kosovo debate and Afghanistan, among others, will be considered, and covered on this site.

  Amid calls for UN Security Council reform of the powers of the permanent five members, there are also slights among the elected ten members.

With Chad set to take over Presidency of the Security Council on December 1, on November 13 it bristled when this month's President, Australia, circulated a “Program of Work” for December, Chad's month.

Chad's protest, which multiple sources exclusively provided to Inner City Press and which it is publishing here in redacted form, tells the Australian Mission's Political Coordinator Michael Bliss that

“Chad is surprised by your email circulating the December POW. The procedure is that the mission assuming the presidency of that month is the one authorized to do so. We think it is a profound lack of responsibility by the Australian Mission. I hope that we will continue to respect ourselves as non permanent members of the Security Council.”

  That is, Chad not only challenged the violation of procedures, but noted that it was one non-permanent member doing it to another.

  The email of Michael Bliss of the Australian Mission angered those who provided it to Inner City Press. In a reference to Bob Geldof's “Do They Even Know It's Christmas,” Bliss wrote that 

“in respect to that question asked long ago by Bob Geldof, and friends of some other Africans, the Chadian mission do know that it is Christmas time in the week of 22/12 but, I am told, has resisted SCAD's strenuous attempts to arrange the program so that scheduled work concludes by 19/12.”

  SCAD is the UN Department of Political Affairs' Security Council Affairs Division. On the one hand this seems to be a problem between member states, elected members of the Security Council from different continents, of different religions and different cultures.  Inner City Press reached out to the Australian mission and understands that the joking reference was to wanting a quiet Christmas, and is now to their credit acknowledged as ill-considered.

  But on the other hand, Inner City Press is informed, others up to the level of Permanent Representative wonder who gave Chad's Program of Work to Australia - whose Bliss said it came from "off the back of a truck." Which truck? We'll have more on all this.

   

On UN's Sahel Office, Chad's Ambassador Mahamat Zene Cherif Tell Inner City Press It Should Be *In* the Sahel, But Money Talks

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 27 -- When Chad's Permanent Representative to the UN Mahamat Zene Cherif came to the Security Council stakeout on August 27 about the Council's just-adopted Presidential Statement on the Sahel, Inner City Press asked him about changes from his first draft.

   Specifically, hadn't his draft proposed that the operations of the UN's Sahel envoy not been in Dakar but rather one of the Group of 5 Sahel countries? Hadn't the draft proposed that the envoy be upgraded to Under Secretary General, given the mandate to interface with heads of state?

   Mahamat Zene Cherif to his credit acknowledged these changes, saying that keeping the operation in Senegal -- provisionally, he called it -- was a purely financial decision. 

  Inner City Press notes that while there are often complaints against trying to address political issues in the UN's Fifth (Budget) Committee, in this case the P3 donor countries used the Security Council to impose budget discipline.

   From the Security Council stakeout Inner City Press went to the August 27 UN noon briefing and asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric why Ban only proposed the Sahel envoy as an Assistant Secretary General based in Dakar. "Because," was essentially the answer on the first; on location, Dujarric said it made sense. UNOWA is based in Dakar.

    Mahamat Zene Cherif also spoke in the Security Council on August 27 with the African Union's view of the Council's Darfur resolution. He is more candid than many and should do more stakeouts. Back on March 7 Inner City Press asked him about those who have had to flee Central African Republic into Chad. Shouldn't they be able to return to CAR?Video here and embedded below

Mahamat Zene Cherif said while Chad will not force anyone back, they should be able to return. He said that eighty percent of the Muslims have been chased out of the CAR.

How can elections be held this way, he asked.

Inner City Press asked if perhaps those displaced could vote even while in Chad. Mahamat Zene Cherif said the UN could check the feasibility, but that Chad would hope the displaced could return to CAR.

  The day before, Inner City Press tried to ask French Ambassador Gerard Araud about a statement or report by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay that the French Sangaris force first disarming the ex-Seleka had left Muslim community vulnerable to attack by Christian anti-Balaka militias.

  Araud refused to take the question while at the microphone, then from the wings insisted there is no Navi Pillay report. Click here for that.

  What forces allowed 80% of the Muslims in CAR to be chased out? And what responsibility do they bear? Watch this site.

   

On Central African Republic, Inner City Press Asks UN's John Ging of French Sangaris Soldiers Killing 5 Civilians, Of MSF Clinic Hit

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 1 -- A week after French troops reportedly killed five civilians in the "Cameroonian district" of the PK5 neighborhood in Bangui, Central African Republic, Inner City Press asked UN Humanitarian John Ging about it, and about the killing by ex-Seleka forces of three MSF aid workers and 13 patients in Boguila. Video here,and embedded below.

  Ging, making a plea for more international help, mourned the dead MSF colleagues but seemed to say that the only people raising questions about the troops who have come to CAR are those inciting violence. He did not mention killings by the Chadian troops; nor did he directly address that French soldiers killed five civilians, according to spokesman for the Muslim community in PK5 Abakar Moustapha. 

  Moustapha said the French soldiers' raid on a house in the neighborhood when the Senagalese owner was not there led to opposition from residents, to which the French responded with helicopter and gunfire killing five civilians.

   After a previous incident in which the French Sangaris troops were reported to have killed civilians, Inner City Press asked the UN what its mission there would do. Reference was made to an investigation, but no results have been announced. French Ambassador to the UN Gerard Araud stopped responding to such Press questions.

   Now the UN mission in CAR is set to be taken over by FrenchmanHerve Ladsous' Department of Peacekeeping Operations and no longer the Department of Political Affairs. Given the history, will this hold the French forces more or LESS to account?

  Ladsous visited Brazzaville, Chad and now CAR, speaking to a UN microphone. At least Ging answers questions.

   When Chad's Permanent Representative to the UN Mahamat Zene Cherif -- who on April 30 told Inner City Press that Chad will not be any part of MINUSCA -- came to the Security Council stakeout on March 7, beyond asking him about child soldiers Inner City Press asked him about those who have had to flee Central African Republic into Chad. Shouldn't they be able to return to CAR? Video here and embedded below

Mahamat Zene Cherif said while Chad will not force anyone back, they should be able to return. He said that eighty percent of the Muslims have been chased out of the CAR.

How can elections be held this way, he asked.

Inner City Press asked if perhaps those displaced could vote even while in Chad. Mahamat Zene Cherif said the UN could check the feasibility, but that Chad would hope the displaced could return to CAR.

  The day before, Inner City Press tried to ask French Ambassador Gerard Araud about a statement or report by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay that the French Sangaris force first disarming the ex-Seleka had left Muslim community vulnerable to attack by Christian anti-Balaka militias.

  Araud refused to take the question while at the microphone, then from the wings insisted there is no Navi Pillay report. Click here for that.

  What forces allowed 80% of the Muslims in CAR to be chased out? And what responsibility do they bear? Watch this site.