After Eritrea Monitor Mahtani Resigns, UN Spox Cites Inappropriate Use of UN Letterhead, Has No Somalia Constitutional Spat Comment

By Matthew Russell Lee, Follow Up to Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, October 27 -- On October 7 Inner City Press exclusively reported that a member of the UN's Somalia Eritrea Monitoring Group Dinesh Mahtani used UN SEMG time and letterhead for unrelated advocacy regarding Eritrea. Mahtani's letter wasexclusively put online here by Inner City Press.

  The UN on October 27 specified that it was Mahtani's use of the UN letterhead that was not approved. Video here. Tellingly, Mahtani's resignation went unmentioned by wire service write-ups of the SEMG report he was involved in, which Reuters in particular is promoting(while censoring its own anti-Press submissions to the UN, click here for that.)

    The silence by Reuters, for which Mahtani used to work, and Agence France Presse continues even as the two UN Security Council Permanent Representatives, one on-camera, have spoken about Mahtani, and UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric has done so twice, both times on-camera.

  Some social media users from the Horn of Africa citing Mahtani's friends in New York and Nairobi and correcting themselves that Mahtani quit but was not fired are focused on how the letter emerged, projecting their own fixations on Inner City Press (which beyond the Horn reports on Argentina debt, Sri Lankan war crimes, Ebola in West Africa) rather than whether the letter was appropriate.

 (The UN Secretariat, even with Ban Ki-moon in the Horn of Africa, is apparently just as distracted: spokesman Dujarric had no comment on the Somali President versus prime minister spat when Inner City Press asked, video here.)

  Former SEMG-er Matt Bryden, asked to comment on Mahtani's letter, has instead continued to ask for explanation of the view that by reporting on the flow of lubricants to Eritrea's air force he was micro-managing, or making a telling showing of this UN sanctions apparatus.

  The UN seems to hire Western-aligned advocates and then given them no training or guidance. Then when they err, at least in this case, they are disciplined and resign. But what is learned? What is changed? We'll have more on this.

  On October 15, the Somalia and Eritrea sanctions committee chairman Ambassador Oh Joon of South Korea, when Inner City Press asked of Mahtani, said no, “we didn’t have a discussion on him. It’s been taken care of, I think.” 

 Now on October 24, after the UN Security Council extended the mandate of the SEMG with two abstentions, Inner City Press asked UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant about Mahtani, and the level of proof at this point of Eritrean support to Al Shabaab. Video here.

  Lyall Grant said that Mahtani was disciplined and resigned, that he "exceeded his authority in issuing that particularly letter." But as set forth below, major Western wire services in reporting on the SEMG have yet to mention the "regime change" letter.

  Lyall Grant said this time there is "much less evidence" of Eritrean support for Al Shabaab, but that Eritrea should allow the SEMG to visit Asmara. Again, how is this different from "guilty until proven innocent"? The UK Mission transcribed the Q&A on this:

Inner City Press: I wanted to about the Eritrea Sanctions and also about the Monitoring Group.  On the sanctions, is there from your point of view evidence of Eritrea still supporting Al Shabaab because what they seem to say is if there is no evidence, why should they let them in? It’s kind of like guilty until proven innocent.  And the other thing I wanted to ask you about was the Monitoring Group.  There was a letter that emerged from one of the experts Dinesh Mahtani in which he basically sort of tried to pick a new leader for the country.  He basically said he’d be a good leader for the country.  He’s now resigned and I wonder what are the implications of that given that he worked on the report.  What have you learned in terms of training for experts in the future.  Is there any follow-up I guess on this resignation from what some people call a regime-change letter?

Ambasssador Lyall Grant: I don’t have any comment to make on this particular expert. As you say he has been disciplined by the UN system and he’s resigned his position.  He clearly exceeded his authority in issuing that particular letter.

On the wider point, there has been very clear evidence in successive Monitoring Group reports on support for Al Shabaab from Eritrea.  In the latest report there is much less evidence and that is encouraging but because the Monitoring Group has not been allowed to visit Asmara, they have said very clearly that they have not been able to investigate various strands of evidence that comes their way.  So if Eritrea is no longer supporting Al Shabaab then why do they not allow the Monitoring Group to visit and talk to whoever they want to talk to and then no doubt the Monitoring Group will report that there is no further evidence of Eritrea supporting Al Shabaab.  In that case, the United Kingdom would be one of the first countries to suggest that sanctions be lifted.  So I think the solution to this problem lies in the hands of the government of Eritrea.

  Since October 8 not only Reuters but also Agence France Presse have retyped copies of the SEMG report given to them -- with no mention of the SEMG scandal and resignation acknowledged right in the UN Press Briefing Room on October 8.

   Isn't this like "reporting" on a panel of judges' ruling without mentioning that one of the judges just resigned after being confronted with a letter he wrote about the subject matter of the case?

 On October 15, when the UN Security Council met behind closed doors about SEMG and the report, the bylined scribe of Reuters Mahtani-less story about the report stood briefly in front of the Council, then left.

  After an hour and a half when the meeting ended, Inner City Press asked the sanctions committee chairman Oh Joon if Mahtani and his resignation has been raised in the meeting. No, Oh Joon replied, “we didn’t have a discussion on him. It’s been taken care of, I think.”

  But some question what the chairman of the SEMG knew, and how the involvement of the now-resigned Mahtani in the report under review impacted it. We’ll have more on this.

On October 8, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about Mahtani's letter and if it was appropriate behavior for a sanctions monitor.  No, Dujarric said, adding that the letter was “shown” to Dinesh Mahtani, who has resigned. Video here.

 On October 10, Reuters two UN correspondents dutifully regurgitatedthe SEMG's most recent report, even called it "exclusive" -- a basis on which Reuters pays -- with no mention that one of the SEMG's members had resigned after being exposed for pushing regime change.

  Key fact: Dinesh Mahtani used to work for Reuters, see c.v. here. 

   This puts Reuters' non-mention of SEMG member Mahtani's resignation is a different light.

  On October 13, AFP in English retyped its copy of the SEMG report, no mention of regime-change scandal. This too is how the UN works, ordoesn't.

 Sources had told Inner City Press that Mahtani, the finance expert on SEMG and previously on the DR Congo Sanctions group, was found requesting favors from a member state, to which the SEMG reports.Here is a document:

a letter from Dinesh Mahtani, ostensibly in his SEMG role, saying that former Eritrean official Ali Abdu "has great potential to play a stabilizing role in Eritrea with the country possibly headed to an uncertain period in its history." 

This is hardly the first controversy in the SEMG -- but usually the members wait until they are off or on their way off the Monitor Group to “let it all hang out,” as one source put it of previous SEMG chair Matt Bryden. 

  The current chair, Jarat Chopra, has faced complaints from Somalia, also exclusively reported by Inner City Press.

  Bryden's departure was telegraphed in remarks to, and a report by, Inner City Press on July 24, 2012 when Security Council members from three countries gave Inner City Press exclusive and negative reviews of Bryden's performance. 

  "He's leaving," one of them said dismissively and definitely of Bryden. There was snarky speculation Bryden may have been angling for a book deal, or a post with a group like HRW.

  With Bryden the questions were largely of leaking, and for example of micro-managing the Eritrean air force. Apparently that's disputed: but consider Paragraphs 60 to 75 of the 2012 report S/2012/545, down to the "flow of spare parts and lubricants." Those about Mahtani, the sources tell Inner City Press, are "bigger... regime change on UN letterhead." Now Mahtani has resigned. We'll have more on this.

More Sharing ServicesShare|

Tweet

Exclusive: Somalia & Eritrea Monitor Used UN to Ask States for Favor, "Regime Change on UN Letterhead"

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, October 7 -- A member of the UN's Somalia Eritrea Monitoring Group has reportedly used UN SEMG time and supplies for unrelated advocacy regarding Eritrea, Inner City Press learned and then obtained documentation of, exclusively put online here.

 Sources told Inner City Press that Dinesh Mahtani, the finance expert on SMEG and previously on the DR Congo Sanctions group, was found requesting favors from a member state, to which the SEMG reports. Here is a document:

a letter from Dinesh Mahtani, ostensibly in his SEMG role, saying that former Eritrean official Ali Abdu "has great potential to play a stabilizing role in Eritrea with the country possibly headed to an uncertain period in its history." Eritrea says: regime change, on UN letter-head. Eritrea's complaint, also obtained by Inner City Press, isnow put online here.

This is hardly the first controversy in the SEMG -- but usually the members wait until they are off or on their way off the Monitor Group to “let it all hang out,” as one source put it of previous SEMG chair Matt Bryden. 

  The current chair, Jarat Chopra, has faced complaints from Somalia, also exclusively reported by Inner City Press.

  Bryden's departure was telegraphed in remarks to, and a report by, Inner City Press on July 24, 2012 when Security Council members from three countries gave Inner City Press exclusive and negative reviews of Bryden's performance. 

  "He's leaving," one of them said dismissively and definitely of Bryden. There was snarky speculation Bryden may have been angling for a book deal, or a post with a group like HRW.

  With Bryden the questions were larger of leaking, of micro-managing the Eritrean air force and more. Those about Mahtani, the sources tell Inner City Press, are "bigger... regime change on UN letterhead." We'll have more on this.

As Sudan Blocks UN Sanctions Expert Schbley, Bryden Echo, Juba Parallel

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, December 6, updated with letter -- Sudan's relations with the UN and United States do not appear to be improving. The new Expert on Sudan Sanctions appointed last month by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Ghassan Schbley of the United States, was recently "interrogated" and denied entry into Sudan, sources exclusively tell Inner City Press.

  Schbley previously worked on the UN's Somalia and Eritrea sanctions, from which after complaints he and coordinator Matt Bryden were removed. Inner City Presswrote about this back in August 2012, here. 

   The sources tell Inner City Press that this history is one of the reasons Schbley was denied access by Sudan. They question why Ban Ki-moon thought the shift would work smoothly. But others wonder, why was Schbley given a visa if in fact he would be blocked?

Update: Inner City Press has obtained, and has put on its beta Google+ page, here, Sudan's "incident report."

Second Update: Morocco's Permanent Representative Loulichki, the Security Council president for December, told Inner City Press his mandate now is to "demarche" Sudan's Permanent Representative about the case -- and listen to further explanation. Other comments were sought, but seven hours later by press time were not received. Watch this site.

   Khartoum has other complaints about the implementation of Sudan sanctions, saying when the UN expert tried to check if the Justice and Equality Movement carried Gaddafi weapons into South Sudan, they weren't let in but hardly complained.

  Meanwhile, the Thursday morning Security Council session on Sudan and South Sudan, more specifically Abyei, came to very little. 

  The African Union will be briefed by Thabo Mbeki's High Level Implementation Panel on December 14, prior to another UN Security Council session on December 18. The six week "deadline" on Abyei has come and gone.

   South Sudan, too, has it problems with the UN, for having thrown out the UN's human rights expert. This is explained to Inner City Press by other sources as being based on an "attempted coup" in South Sudan, and the coming up of the name of the UN expert. Two were to be thrown out, which was reduced to one. But it is unlikely to be reversed. 

 And what is Hilde Johnson doing? What will the Council's Sudan Sanctions committee do about the blockage of Ghassan Schbley? Watch this site.

On DRC Sanctions, Hege and Rwanda, Hardeep Singh Puri Says UNSC to Deal With

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, November 2 -- The Democratic Republic of the Congo Group of Experts and sanctions regime both have expiration dates of November 30.

  The program of work released by the month's UN Security Council president Hardeep Singh Puri of India lists consultations on DRC Sanctions on November 21, and "adoption" a week later on November 28. But adoption of what?

   Inner City Press on November 2 asked Hardeep Singh Puri if these meetings will just "kick the can down the road," or if they will deal for example with Rwanda's questioning of the impartiality of the coordinator of the Group of Experts, Steve Hege. Video here, from Minute 22:03.

   Hege's 2009 writings dismissing the threat posed by the FDLR militia were taken off the Internet after Inner City Press identified and linked to them.

  Hardeep Sing Puri replied that in a sanctions committee that he chairs -- on Somali and Eritrea -- "the head was declared persona non grata both both countries concerned... That group continued until the group of experts was replaced."

  In that case, as Inner City Press reported, the "expert" as issue was Matt Bryden, who leaked his reports and even gave interviews about them, drawing the ire not only of Eritrea but also Somalia.

  Similar questions have grown around the Cote d'Ivoire sanctions committee, which leaked its report making the allegations, described as "pro French" by more than one Council member, that Gbagbo supporter were seeking to link up with groups from Mali.

  Hege's most recent report, or the portion of it without annexes, was leaked just days before Rwanda stood for election to a two-year Security Council seat. Rwanda won, without an opponent and with surprisingly few abstentions, 148 votes in favor.

   Now what of Steve Hege? Inner City Press has repeated asked the UN Secretariat to explain its role in vetting Hege, or to respond to the 2009 writings now taken off the Internet. Such response has not been forthcoming. Will it be, around the two November meetings?

  Hardeep Singh Puri told Inner City Press "I'm not inclined to say kick can down road... We have to assume responsibility on the kinds of issues you are discussing." By that, it sounds like the issues, including the DRC's requests, will be considered this month. Watch this site.

 

Footnote about lost footnote: Inner City Press also asked Hardeep Singh Puri about Guinea Bissau not appearing on the program of work for November, despite the most recent coup or counter coup attempt. He said the footnote had been in until last night, when the requester agreed it could come out. He said today's media calls what happened a "cocaine coup," but Guinea Bissau remains of concern. We'll see.

  Inner City Press also asked Hardeep Singh Puri about the pending Somalia resolution, after reporting on the maritime component issue and the EU's "cheapness," here. We'll have more on this.

Amid Questions on DRC Sanctions Chief Hege, UN Stonewalls on Leaks, Selection

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 17 -- Rwanda since the summer has publicly questioned the objectivity of Steve Hege, coordinator of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, based on articles he published in 2009 dismissive of the threat posed by FDLR militia based in Eastern Congo. 

  After Inner City Press linked to Hege's writing, it wasremoved from the Internet, still without explanation. Click here for Inner City Press' August 29 interview with Rwanda's foreign minister Louise Mushikiwabo on this issue.

  Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky, in the summer and now again on Wednesday, about Rwanda's charges and, where possible, about Ban's Secretariat's role. Video here, from Minute 18:38.

  On Wednesday, the day before Rwanda stands for election to a two-year seat on the Security Council, Nesirky took questions about what he called the leak of Hege's most recent report, saying it wasn't scheduled for release until November but repeating a call against outside support to the M23 mutineers.

   Inner City Press asked Nesirky about Hege -- "I thought you'd raise that," Nesirky interjected -- and about two other now controversial sanctions committee chiefs, that for Cote d'Ivoire and Somalia - Eritrea.

   In the latter case, chief Matt Bryden leaked his report and gave interviews about it, leading to criticism not only from Eritrea and Somalia, but even Western members of the Security Council like Portuguese Permanent Representative Cabral. 

  To some, the current DRC - Rwanda "leak," as Nesirky called it, seems quite similar to Bryden's, "only better timed," as one source said on condition of anonymity.

   But Nesirky wouldn't answer this Hege question directly, or take any follow up on Wednesday. Inner City Press asked how Hege, like Bryden, was appointed, the role of Ban's Department of Political Affairs, and what his Secretariat's response is to Rwanda.

   Despite the role of Ban's DPA in appointing Hege, Nesirky would only reply, ""As you know the panel of experts reports to the SC so I suggest you speak to them."

Then as Inner City Press sought to ask a follow up, Nesirky said "thanks very much, thank you," and ended the briefing.Video here, at end.

And so it goes at Ban's UN. Watch this site.

On Eritrea, Bryden & Schbley Are Gone, When Might Hege Follow On DRC?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 21 -- The UN has received detailed complaints about its experts, Matt Bryden on Eritrea and Steve Hege on the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.

  Bryden, a UN document this month confirms, is no longer on the committee. Nor is the UN's "expert" in Ertirea finances, Ghassan Schbley of the United States. Click here for the document & h/t.

  Bryden's departure was telegraphed in remarks to, and a report by, Inner City Press on July 24, when Security Council members from three countries gave Inner City Press exclusive and negative reviews of Bryden's performance. 

  "He's leaving," one of them said dismissively and definitely of Bryden. There was snarky speculation Bryden may have been angling for a book deal, or a post with a group like HRW.

  But Hege remains in place, even as questions beyond his2009 writings on the FDLR, taken off the Internet but highlighted by Inner City Press, proliferate. There's a seemingly fake Rwanda army identification card -- similar to bloody uniforms Sudan showed to Inner City Press in Omdurman with "Chad" patches hastily sewn on -- and questions about where the big guns came from.

 There were also media questions, about leaking and quoting from MONUSCO's Hiroute Selassie Gabreto RFI, AFP and the BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse.

  With Bryden the questions were larger of leaking, of micro-managing the Eritrean air force and more. But now he is gone. What's next for Bryden? And what, to echo an ever sharper analyst, is Steve Hege's business model?

  Late this month, DRC officials are said to be coming to the UN Security Council in New York. One would expect a Rwandan response. What this site.

Footnote: the NEW "Eritrea finance expert" is Dinesh Mahtani of the UK -- who seems to have previously served on the DRC Sanctions Group of Experts...

Amid Questions of DRC Expert Hege, UN Tells ICP It Vetted, UNSC Could Object

By Matthew Russell Lee, follow up to exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, August 7, updated -- A week after Inner City Press first highlighted two articles under the byline of the chairman of the DR Congo Sanctions Group of Experts, Steve Hege, and one of the articles was removed from the Internet, the UN has belatedly answered Inner City Press' question about how such "experts" are vetted.

 On August 1, Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: There is some controversy arisen around the group of experts on DRC sanctions... that the coordinator of the group of experts has published articles saying FDLR is not a threat to Rwanda, that Rwandan concern about the FDLR is just a diversion. Some think these are positions that are contrary to what the UN has said elsewhere. What’s DPA’s role in the selection of the people to be on these groups of experts. A similar controversy is about Somalia where Mr. Matt Bryden seems to be leaving. But what’s the UN role and how are these people selected?

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: I will check on that, Matthew. I think it’s, perhaps a little more prosaic than you are sketching out. But let me check.

It took six days, but on the morning of August 7 the following generic answer came in:

Subject: Your question on panels of experts for sanctions committees
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Tue, Aug 7, 2012 at 10:53 AM
To: Matthew Russell Lee [at] innercitypress.com

Regarding your question from last week, we have the following information:

The Secretariat interviews potential candidates, checks their references and transmits the names and CVs of the proposed experts to the Chairperson of the relevant Sanctions Committee. Following the Committee’s endorsement under the no-objection procedure, the Secretary-General appoints the experts through a letter addressed to the President of the Security Council.

The Secretariat transmits official requests to Member States to submit names of qualified candidates for the roster of experts and also requests that regional and subregional organizations, specialized agencies, and academia propose suitable candidates.

Experts are selected based on the expertise required to fulfill the mandate as specified in the relevant Security Council resolution, with due regard being paid to geographical representation and gender.

   Will this satisfy those raising questions about Hege and his work? We doubt it. Did the UN Secretariat read the two articles being pointed to now? (And why was one of the articles taken off line so quickly once Inner City Press wrote about it and linked to it?) 

  Who nominated Hege? Had they read the articles? 

Update: Inner City Press asked spokesman Martin Nesirky at the August 7 noon briefing and he replied that all the UN had to say was in the e-mail above. Watch this site.

In UN Sanctions Follies, Jim'ale Shifted to Somalia List, Eritrea Report Down, Bryden Spins

By Matthew Russell Lee, Partial exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, July 24, updated -- The UN's Somalia and Eritrea sanctions are a circus. A report on Eritrea was put online, then taken down after an Ethiopian UN official Taye Brook-Zerihoun spoke with some but not all Security Council members.

  Meanwhile the coordinator of the Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea, the Canadian Matt Bryden, openly leaked his Group's report and was quoted about it by name, before it was given to Eritrea.

  Somalia too has criticized Bryden, as supporting the full or formal breakaway of Somaliland.

  Tuesday in front of the Security Council members from three countries gave Inner City Press exclusive and negative reviews of Bryden's performance. "He's leaving," one of them said. There is snarky speculation Bryden may have been angling for a book deal, or a post with a group like HRW.

Update: a Permanent Representative came out and told Inner City Press the problem with Bryden is speaking on his own for a "collective product." Others point at the report and wonder if it's really in the SEMG's mandate to analyze the Eritrean Air Force, down to the last spark plug, see report at Page 16. One wag asked, "A no fly zone via sanctions?"

  In a lower profile but more telling untold tale, an individual initially put on the Al Qaeda sanctions list was moved from that list earlier this year to the "list of individuals and entities subject to the travel ban, assets freeze and targeted arms embargo imposed by paragraphs 1, 3 and 7 of resolution 1844 (2008)."

  He is Djibouti national named Ali Ahmed Nur Jim'ale, described as the largest shareholder in the telecommunications firm Hormuud. Click here for Inner City Press coverage of Hormuud.

  The UN darkly notes that "Hormuud is operated by several former large shareholders of Al-Barakaat with Jim’ale being the largest shareholder." 

  Barakaat was a firm that got all of its money, and the small remittances of expatriate Somalis in cities like Minneapolis, frozen (stolen, some say) after a terrorism charge.

  The irony is that now the TFG's Somali Mission to the UN, or at least one vocal member of it, tells Inner City Press that Hormuud and by implication Jim'ale did nothing wrong.

  A well placed source exclusively told Inner City Press that the fact that Jim'ale was taken off the 1267 Al Qaeda sanctions list, but simply moved to another sanctions list with a lower threshold and no ombudsperson like Kim Prost, is a "travesty." But isn't Matt Bryden, and the take-down of the Eritrea report? So it goes at the UN.

  Defenders of the Jim'ale process, or of the UN Security Council, told Inner City Press that Jim'ale was taken off the Al Qaeda list and put on the Somalia list "without any linkage other than a member state who managed the transition."

  Another, going bigger picture, said it should be admitted that the UN sanctions is purely political and not legal, adding his view that Jim'ale should have been kept on the 1267 sanctions list too -- on a political basis. Even more so, this is how it goes at the UN.