On Guinea-Bissau, Portuguese Link to Counter Coup Alleged, Mutaboba in Question

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, October 22 -- Post coup Guinea Bissau has been drifting in the UN Security Councilunacted on, given disagreements between the Portuguese speaking countries and the West Africa grouping ECOWAS. 

 The weak responses on the ground by the UN and its envoy Joseph Mutaboba, who earlier as Inner City Press pursued housed a noted drug king pin in the UN compound, had earlier this month given rise to questions in the Council, including about Mutaboba continuing in the position.

  Then there was an attempted counter-coup, which the previous coup leaders blame on Portugal and perhaps CPLP. Inner City Press went to the UN noon briefing on October 22 to ask for the UN Secretariat's comment, including on Mutaboba. 

But UN Under Secretary General Herve Ladsous refuses to answer any Inner City Press question, and Inner City Press had to re-ask them to UN spokesman Martin Nesirky. 

  These peacekeeping questions were the only one possible; as Nesirky closed the briefing Inner City Press asked, no statement on Guinea-Bissau?

Later, as promised, the following was issued:

Subject: Note to correspondents - in response to questions on Guinea-Bissau
From: UN Spokesperson - Do Not Reply [at] un.org
Date: Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 1:12 PM

Note to Correspondents, in response to questions on the attack on a military base in Guinea-Bissau on 21 October

The United Nations condemns this attack, and we regret the loss of lives as a result of the incident. We are following the situation closely.

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), Joseph Mutaboba, has been in contact with authorities and the international community in Guinea-Bissau and has been keeping UN headquarters closely informed of developments.

We are appealing for calm and calling on all in Guinea Bissau to resolve differences by peaceful means, including through inclusive dialogue, consistent with Security Council Resolution 2048 of 18 May 2012.

The United Nations will continue to work with Bissau-Guineans and international partners, especially the African Union, the Economic Community of Western African States (ECOWAS), the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) and the European Union, to implement Security Council Resolution 2048, in which the Council demanded immediate steps to restore and respect constitutional order, including a democratic electoral process.

  This statement seems to still put full faith and credit in Mutaboba. But might that change? Watch this site.

At UN on Guinea Bissau, of Regional Dysfunction, Angola Lost, the Purloined Letter?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 7 -- In the wake of the coup in Guinea Bissau, Monday's UN Security Council meeting got more interactive -- or more indicative of dysfunction. 

 

    The Economic Community Of West African States and the Portuguese Speaking Community configuration CPLP had different proposals in the Council's open meeting.

   Then the Security Council changed buildings and rooms to hold an interactive session with, among others, the Foreign Minister of Angola.

   There was an initial problem: Angola's delegation didn't show up in the North Lawn building. Frantic cell phone calls were made, but as Inner City Press exclusively reported, the meeting started without them. Only at 11:50 am did they arrive.

   Outside, a story of deeper dysfunction emerged: that the now deposed prime minister of Guinea Bissau had written a letter, to be delivered by Angola to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and then to Council members, asking for a broader mandate for the Angolan MISSANG mission in Bissau.

   The story goes that when word of the letter reached Guinea Bissau, the coup immediately happened. The prime minister was overthrown, and detained. Several Council members heard and shook their heads.

 

   This taken place in the context where Ban's envoy to Guinea Bissau, Joseph Mutaboba, sheltered an accused drug kingpin in the UN compound for weeks, so far without repercussions. 

  Monday in the Council's open session he spoke among other things about the impact on the price of cashews.

   As the Council's closed door session in the North Lawn's Conference Room 7 continued past 1:15 pm, in the hallway outside indigenous people gathered. They had booked the room, but were not allowed in. There was some talk of colonialism, and about the P-5 members. Ultimately the indigenous were moved, over to Conference Room 6, video here and below.

   Inner City Press learned that Portugal had been asking for a Council Press Statement, today, but that other members felt any statement would be "taking sides" at this point. (For the record, on the Security Council Togo "has the pen.")

   Another Council member said the Security Council should not be the judge, the regional organizations must work it out. Yet another, from the Continent, alluded to an African Union meeting on Wednesday. 

 

  Past 1:30 pm the Council's meeting broken, with talk of yet another meeting, to involve the CPLP, African Union, ECOWAS and the UN, representative by the aforesaid Joseph Mutaboba and perhaps even Lynn Pascoe. And what about the coup in Mali? One coup at a time. Watch this site.

As ECOWAS Backslides on Mali, At UN A Murky View of Guinea Bissau Plans

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 5 -- After the coup d'etats in Mali and Guinea Bissau, there was talk of fast troop deployments by the neighboring countries in ECOWAS and restoration of democracy or at least scheduled elections. Now things do no look so certain.

  Following ECOWAS' communique of May 3, several sources at the UN in New York told Inner City Press that ECOWAS was "confused" or even "blowing it." Inner City Press is putting the English version of the Communique online, here.

  "What happened to democracy?" an African diplomat asked Inner City Press rhetorically, adding with reference to the Ivorian President favored over resistant Laurent Gbagbo, "wasn't that what Outattara was supposed to be about?" Alassane Ouattara leads ECOWAS and chaired the meeting for the Communique. 

  Another said of Mali, "This is what [deposed president] ATT did in 1991, take power and push elections back to use the time to show he was an OK leader. But why is ECOWAS going along?"

  With a UN Security Council session on Guinea Bissau scheduled for Monday, May 7, it had been said that ECOWAS might come at that time and ask for Council support for its moves in Mali as well. 

   Now that is not so sure, even though the May 3 Communique says it will be transmitted to the "UN Security Council" seeking "support." (As to Guinea Bissau ECOWAS refers only to the "assistance" of the "UN Organization," perhaps in light of the departing Angolan mission MISSANG -- gone mission, said one wag.)

 

  One non-Western Council member told Inner City Press that ECOWAS "should have come and said, we are considering sending troops, please give us a Chapter 7 resolution. Now with their announcements it would be stupid to come at this time."

  UK Permanent Representative Mark Lyall Grant told Inner City Press that it would still be "better" for ECOWAS to come to the Security Council, even as he acknowledged it is a confusing situation.

Under the new Communique, ECOWAS would only send troops if requested by the Malian authorities. Meanwhile in the north of Mali, those who've taken over blasted open bank vaults in Gao, while Niger may now also be under threat.

  Regarding Guinea Bissau, several Council members expressed displeasure at how little Ban Ki-moon's envoy to the country, Joseph Mutaboba, seemed to know about what was going on. 

  This follows an incident in which Mutaboba allowed a US-alleged drug kingpin to take shelter for an extended period in the UN compound. Is it time for a new envoy? Watch this site.

After Guinea Bissau Coup, UN Just Follows, Confers with Drug Kingpin Host

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 13 -- More than a day after the coup d'etat in Guinea Bissau, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman issued the following statement:

"The United Nations is following reports of armed activities heard in Bissau on 12 April. The Secretariat is in close consultation on the matter with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Guinea-Bissau and the United Nations team on the ground."

Ban's wan response stands in contrast to the speed which which he "deplored" the failed rocket launch by his old nemesis North Korea. His envoy to Guinea Bissau, Joseph Mutaboba, hosted a listed drug kingpin in the UN compound there.

Then again, Ban's briefer to the Security Council Friday morning about North Korea was Oscar Fernandez Taranco, the Argentine who recently schooled his own country on how to raise the Malvinas or Falkland Islands at the UN, and who went to post-coup Maldives and in essence gave Ban's blessing. Could he do the same in Guinea Bissau?

More seriously there was talk of giving a UN Security Council mandate to the Angolan soldiers who are already in Guinea Bissau.

There was less said, at least at the UN, at the disappeared blogger Aly Silva, author of Ditadura do Consenso. Guinea Bissau was dealt with by the Council between North Korea and Syria. Portugal's Permanent Representative Cabral was asked to specify who much time the Council spent on North Korea versus Guinea Bissau. That's not the way to judge it, he said. Some issues can be quickly solved. Which one would that be? Watch this site.

As in Guinea Bissau 10% Denied Vote, UN Looks to 2d Round, Drug Lord Bygone

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 28 -- Ten days ago Guinea Bissau held a first round of elections, in which 10% of those registered were not allowed to vote and the country's former intelligence chief was assassinated five hours after the poll.

On Wednesday the Security Council met about Guinea Bissau and afterward Deputy Permanent Representative Philip Parham of the UK, this month's Council president, began telling the Press that we heard how the first round of the elections, following the death of the President in January, had been conducted successfully and, as far as everyone can see, freely and fairly, on 18 March."

Inner City Press asked, "it seems like the number two candidate, Kumba Yala, has said he wants boycott, said that up to 10% of the people that were registered weren’t allowed to vote in the first round. There’s this former Intelligence Chief killed five hours after the election and another former Official [Jose] Zamora Induta went to the EU compound... I heard some people saying things are looking good. But are these problematic?"

Ambassador Parham replied that

"They are certainly problematic. I mean, what is good is that the first round was conducted in a way which observers from the AU, from ECOWAS and from elsewhere, including some visiting Parliamentarians from the UK, reckoned was essentially free and fair, so that is good and it’s good that that was done constitutionally within 60 days of the unfortunate death of the President in January. Clearly, it’s not good that the former Head of Intelligence was murdered shortly after polls had closed, not good that the former Head of the Military has felt he has to take refuge and the relations between the between the sort of civilian authorities and the Military are clearly still an important issue and the question about the participation in the second round of the elections is clearly an important issue and Joseph Mutaboba the SRSG made clear that they are very engaged on trying to ensure that the parties, as far as possible, work together constructively, so even as they compete in the second round, and we hope they will compete in the second round, they do so in a way that will lead to a stable outcome which everybody will accept and ECOWAS and the African Union are also involved in that effort and we heard that they will be sending a Mission to Guinea-Bissau shortly in order to encourage all the parties to work constructively together."

Previously, the UN under Mr. Mutaboba provided long term shelter or sanctuary to a US-listed narcotics kingpin. The UN has not pushed for accountability for the assassinations in 2009; a Permanent Representative on Wednesday told Inner City Press the murder of former intelligence chief Colonel Diallo was "just a settling of accounts," and somehow not related to the election.

Inner City Press asked a range of Security Council members on Wednesday about Guinea Bissau; a common theme of their responses was that "things are relative," seeming to mean that for Guinea Bissau, ten percent of voters disenfranchised might not be so bad, things could be worse. While it may be realistic to apply different standards, it should at least be noted. Watch this site.

After UN in Guinea Bissau Sheltered Drug Kingpin, Mutaboba Against Trials

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 3 -- Guinea Bissau is on the agenda of the Security Council, but the assassination of its president and Army chief in 2009 has yet to result in any trial, much less indictment or conviction.

Inner City Press on November 3 asked both the UN's envoy in Guinea Bissau Joseph Mutaboba and this month's Security Council president, Portugal's Ambassador Cabral, about the lack of accountability for the 2009 assassinations.

Not only Mutaboba but also, surprisingly, Cabral answered the accountability question by referring to security sector reform and even a pension fund for soldiers. Cabral video here. Both are fine ideas, but are not the accountability that Cabral and some other Permanent Representatives on the Security Council often loudly call for.

Mutaboba said that accountability cannot be allowed to undermine the security gains he said have been made. Asked if that meant putting off accountability, he said it had to be "balanced." This is not the standard UN answer -- it is one that Omar al Bashir, and more recently Saif al Islam Gaddafi, would like.

Mutaboba appeared defensive, not only on accountability but also on drugs. Video here. Inner City Press asked him about the case in which his UN Mission had provided refuge to a US-named Narcotics Kingpin, Bubo Na Tchuto. Mutaboba replied that not all member states see it that way. A close observer said that Mutaboba is hoping his past decision to shelter a drug kingpin just "goes away."

In fact, the US Ambassador who spoke about this at the Security Council was Brooke Anderson, just before she left the UN Mission. Will there be follow up? Watch this site.