On Sudan, Blaming Annan & Praising Armed Groups, Former UN Official Mukesh Kapila Responds to Inner City Press, New Media

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 23 -- Last night former UN official in Sudan Mukesh Kapila told some 50 people at the Museum of Tolerance in New York about government bombing of civilians and urged Sudanese in the audience to support the armed struggle in Sudan.

Inner City Press had gone to cover Kapila's talk, and afterward published a short article, here. This gave rise to expressions of surprise by diplomats in front of the Security Council's October 23 meeting about Darfur. Inner City Press tweeted this -- and Mukesh Kapila replied. This is new journalism.

  Kapila first noted that "perhaps being honest may have come as more of a surprise than surprise over what I said." Then he said, "@innercitypress over a set of forthcoming tweets I will set out my views on #Sudan so that there is no misunderstanding on them."

  This is a new model. Inside the UN, the head of Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous for example won't even answer questions put to him at a press conference or stakeout.Video compilation here, UK coverage here. 

 Meanwhile former UN official Kapila replies, and then sends a series of tweets explaining his position, including that the UN's Kofi "Annan administration bears particular responsibility for negligence in the Darfur genocide. If we don't learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it." 

  One wonders what Kapila thinks of the UN's negligence and lack of accountability for bringing cholera to Haiti.

  On Sudan Kapila said that "Sudanese themselves must take charge of their own destiny: they must lead change which must come from within. Most fundamental human right is to live: marginalized Sudanese have inalienable right of self-defense and to counter oppression."

  Kapila continued that "history teaches no genocidal dictator anywhere has ever been removed except through force. Bashir is unlikely to be exception. But as external military intervention to remove Bashir is unlikely, armed struggle by Sudanese themselves inevitable and just cause."

  Referring it would seen to Iraq, and possibly Afghanistan and Libya, Kabila qualified: "I don't advocate for external military intervention because the West does such interventions so badly. And leaves places worse off."

Inner City Press asked, "Do you distinguish between SPLM-North & some groups in Darfur? What of #Strike4Sudan?"

  Kapila replied, again honestly, that "I am impressed from personal observation how much more united the SRF is - includes SPLMN, and Darfur groups SLM, JEM." 

  Kapila has just written a book, "Against a Tide of Evil;" he heads to the Illinois Holocaust Museum in Chicago tomorrow, touring with it. On what he said Tuesday night about "Clooney," Kapila on Wednesday said it's "good when celebrities join, bad when they become the story instead of the cause itself or if they replace voices of the affected."

  While we're have more, on Twitter on Wednesday Kapila continued that the "international peacemaking process led by the African Union is fundamentally flawed: unprincipled, fragmented, unjust, rewards genocide. Genocidal crimes against humanity need highest level of global attention: morally wrong of UN Security Council to subcontract to regional AU."

  It should be noted that Qatar also ha$ a role in this process, even as it beats the drum for accountability in Syria. On these comparisons, we'll have more. Watch this site.

   

Rejecting Clooney, Annan and UNSC, Former UN Official Kapila Urges Support to Armed Opposition Group in Sudan

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 22 -- By the UN on Tuesday night at the Museum of Tolerance former UN official Mukesh Kapila told an audience of about 50 to support the armed struggle in Sudan.

  Kapila spoke candidly and from the heart, criticizing among others Kofi Annan and George Clooney. He also repeatedly denounced "intellectual prostitutes... one here in New York and one in Boston," saying these may have been bought, with money, by Bashir.

   On supporting the armed struggle, Kapila said a second time, I support them, I say it openly.

  He was promoting his book, "Against a Tide of Evil." The sponsors apologize that the book was not available for sale, suggesting the audience go on Amazon and find it. Kapila screened two videos, one for the book, the other shot for Aegis Trust in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states this year.

These films were disturbing, showing people living in caves hiding from Antonov bombings. An SPLM-North general explained that Bashir seeks to drive people from the land by bombing.

  Kapila went further, accusing the aid industry of doing Bashir's work for him. If you make food unavailable, people have to flee.

  Inner City Press asked Kapila, as it previously asked UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, why he thought current UN Humanitarian chief Valerie Amos has openly asked for cross border aid into Syria but not into Sudan. 

  (Lyall Grant told Inner City Press he hoped that the agreement on Syria would break the logjam on Sudan. It hasn't.)

  Kapila said he had worked for Amos in the past, that they had done cross border aid without asking for government permission in Iraq, Afghanistan, Cambodia. Why ask for permission now?

He said now polio has emerged, clearly threatening international peace and security. But he told anti-Bashir Sudanese in the audience not to count on the Security Council. If you can raise money for weapons, he told them, do it. Bashir is buying weapons.

  He said Bashir didn't negotiate with John Garang because of the Security Council. He cited US support "then" for South Sudan, but said that won't happen again. Don't count on celebrity protesters, he said, it's like a sugar rush. When the doughnut is finished you feel low.

  The audience was supportive; Kapila pointed out two of his former special assistants who will work with the UN. An audience member completed his sentence, that Bashir had not tried to bribe him, but had "tried to seduce him." A diplomat turned to Inner City Press surprised. Indirectly, Inner City Press inferred and whispered: indirectly seduced.

  He closed by telling a soft-spoken Sudanese questioner he was wasting his time, asking why the international community is not helping. He said the UN has out-sourced Darfur negotiations to a regional organization, to a high level panel led by a former president. What can you expect, he asked. What indeed. Watch this site.

    

As UN Called "Immoral" on Yida in South Sudan, UN Denies, Stonewalls on Syria

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 19 -- There there's a lack of necessary services in the Yida refugee camp in South Sudan is said not only by George Clooney but by Dr. Mukesh Kapila, the UN's former top humanitarian official in Sudan.

Kapila said that the UN's "humanitarian policy led by UNHCR is to severely restrict aid going in to needy civilians in Yida, pressurizing them to move by not giving them enough food, water, and other needs." He called it "immoral, unethical and anti-humanitarian." And he should know.

Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's lead spokesman Martin Nesirky about it on March 16:

Inner City Press: Mukesh Kapila, who used to be the head aid official for Sudan, has gone public and said that the UN system is choosing to not serve refugees that are in the Yida camp in Unity State in South Sudan. These are people that fled Southern Kordofan, that they choose to remain as close to their homes as they can, but that the UN has chosen not to fund NGOs, schools and other services in that camp. Is that in fact the case, and if so, why would the UN not be serving the refugees where they want to remain?

Spokesperson Neskiry: I think we’ll start with the first part of the question and see what we can find out, Matthew. In other words, is it the case or not?

Inner City Press: He said it seems like [inaudible]

Spokesperson Nesirky: That may well be the case, Matthew, but let’s check.

Three days later, not having gotten any answer from Nesirky, Inner City Press asked his deputy, Eduardo Del Buey:

Inner City Press: I wanted to ask --

Deputy Spokesperson: One more question.

Inner City Press: Martin said he would look into this allegation by a former UN official that the UN system is not providing aid to the Yida refugee camp in South Sudan…

Deputy Spokesperson: Yes, we are exploring that, and when we have an answer we will get back to you.

Later on Monday the following arrived:

Subject: Your question on Yida refugee camp
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Mon, Mar 19, 2012 at 3:06 PM
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

UNHCR has informed us of the following: UNHCR and partners continues to assist refugees in Yida. UNHCR has been working with various partners to provide basic life-sustaining assistance to refugees in Yida, including protection monitoring, community services and food. Moreover, UNHCR is providing funding support to one of two health clinics in Yida as well as two protection NGO partners. UNHCR has also recently completed a full registration of the refugee population which helps identify persons with specific needs and tailor protection and assistance interventions that respond to the broader needs of the refugee population.

That is, the UN and UNHCR deny entirely what the UN's own former top aid official in Sudan, among others, is saying -- without even directly addressing what the official has said.

This while the current UN of Ban Ki-moon is relying almost entirely on former and retired UN officials of the Kofi Annan era to try to mediate in Syria: Nicholas Michel, Jean Marie Guehenno, Alan Doss, Lamine Cisse. Inner City Press asked Nesirky on March 16:

Inner City Press: is this now the time that you can say who is working with Kofi Annan on his team? Is it possible to say if Mr. Guéhenno is a deputy, if Nasser Al-Kidwa will be going Sunday and what the UN role will be in this technical negotiation team.

Spokesperson: If I have anything Matthew, I’ll let you know on that. The most important thing is that they have a job to do and, as you heard Mr. Annan say just a few moments ago, which was why I delayed the start of the briefing, that team is scheduled to go in as a technical team to continue those discussions that the Joint Special Envoy mentioned.

Inner City Press: I have tried to get the names, so I just want to ask you for a comment on this. Some are saying that because Kofi Annan’s team, at least visually as seen on television, not as provided by your Office, consists of so many former UN officials, many retired officials like Alan Doss, Guéhenno, Nicolas Michel, that somehow it either shows a kind of a lack of a new generation of UN people, or somehow reflects strangely on the current UN, that in fact all these retired UN former people have to be called in. What would be your response to that?

Spokesperson: None whatsoever at this point, Matthew.

And there has been no response in the three days since. Watch this site.