UNITED NATIONS, July 30 -- On Darfur, the UN and its Security Council lurch from interest to disinterest. Friday morning, for the vote on mandate of the joint UN - African Union Mission in Darfur, no Permanent Representatives appeared, except Nigerian Permanent Representative Joy Ogwu for what she thought would be her last meeting as Council president.
But sometimes events outstrip disinterest. With news spreading of increased violence in the Darfur camps, a request -- some say a response to pressure or coverage -- was made for another meeting in the afternoon, for a behind closed doors briefing by top UN peacekeeper Alain Le Roy.
Inner City Press asked outgoing President Joy Ogwu if the meeting, at 4 p.m., will focus on the shootings in the Kalma camp, which have been attributed to members of the Abdel Wahid Nur faction, targeting members of the Liberation and Justice Movement -- formed by a paid UN staffer -- for negotiating in Doha with the government of Omar al Bashir. She responded by mentioning Sudan as a whole.
On South Sudan, with Bashir threatening to put off the independence reference unless the border is demarcated in a way that favors Khartoum, on July 29 top UN peacekeeper Alain Le Roy told the Security Council of plans to “monitor” the referendum. Afterward he did not speak with the press, and won't until next week, unless this changes after the July 30 consultations on Darfur.
But sources in the UN's North Lawn building say moves are afoot to create a panel of former and perhaps current African leaders to give their blessing to the referendum.
Inner City Press confirmed this with a Council member's political coordinator on Friday: it will be a group of “Eminent Persons,” with technical support from the UN.
Le Roy reportedly told the Council that while the UN generally does not monitor elections, in this case it will support Eminent Persons to do so. Skeptics wonder if these Eminent Persons, like former South African president Thabo Mbeki already on the case, will be decidedly pro Bashir.
We will continue to cover this, including the upcoming meeting(s) on Darfur. Watch this site.
