By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, December 15 -- Amid complaints that the UN - African Union Mission in Darfur does not investigate or publicly report the murder of civilians there, top UN Peacekeeper Alain Le Roy on Wednesday told Inner City Press that the problem is Sudan's government granting access.
Le Roy acknowledged continued lack of access to Jebel Marra. He claimed, however, that UNAMID reports on killings like at Kalma Camp and Tabarat, where UNAMID peacekeepers refused to go despite requests from the families of those being slaughtered in September. Le Roy said that the UN's reports, including on Tabra, are public.
But UNAMID, which after Inner City Press' visit to Darfur in October has refused to answer e-mailed questions, has answered another request for its Tabarat report with the following:
"A report on the Tabarat incident was sent to UN Headquarters in the days following the event. This internal document is classified as UN Restricted, thus not for public dissemination. There are no plans, at UNAMID level, to release it.”
Inner City Press asked Le Roy why the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations would refuse to release its report on an incident like Tabarat. Le Roy did not answer, instead claiming that such reports are public. They are not. And this is a problem.
While Le Roy was genial, he also did not answer Inner City Press' request for an update on the plans of UNAMID chief Ibrahim Gambari, exposed by Inner City Press, to hand over to the government of Omar al Bashir five sheikhs in Kalma camp who support Fur rebel Abdel Wahid Nur.
Le Roy did not address what the US has announced as the postponement of any referendum for Abyei, nor the bombings of Southern Sudan by Khartoum's air force.
On December 14, Inner City Press has asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky:
Inner City Press: Scott Gration yesterday said that, apparently after this… after having conferred with both parties, that the Abyei referendum will not take place 9 January. And I am just wondering, I’ve asked you this before, what’s the UN, given its role in… under the… in the process, does it acknowledge the seemingly now conceded fact that the referendum in Abyei will not take place 9 January?
Spokesperson Nesirky: What we’ve said is that there is a commitment by all to adhere to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and to the timetable that is implicit in that. Everybody recognizes the difficulties that there are with regard to particular part of the equation; and nobody is suggesting it is easy. Those who are involved in this from the United Nations side are obviously pushing to help to ensure that things remain on track. As I have said before, and I’ve just repeated just now, no one is suggesting this is easy. It is obvious that there are difficulties there, and I know that many players in this are trying to find a way that this can be tackled so that everything remains on track.
Inner City Press: Also on Sudan, there are these, at least 200 Sudanese refuges being deported by Israel. There’s a number of media outlets who are reporting this today, quoting an unnamed Israeli source confirming what others had said. There seems to be a UN involvement. The UNHCR is quoted as saying as being involved and an unnamed NGO. They are being deported through a third country and back to Sudan since having been in Israel would cause them problems in Sudan. But what I am wondering is, is it the UN system’s position that it’s safe for these people to return to Sudan, and what do they make of what some people are calling, you know, forced or refoulement of Sudanese refugees back to Sudan at this time?
Spokesperson: Well, I have seen the reports, I don’t have anything specific on that. Please do try UNHCR to see if they have anything direct to tell you.
Inner City Press: I guess, because of the Sudan… the DPKO and peacekeeping presence, whether they have a position on the safety of the return of these people.
Spokesperson: Well, Mr. Le Roy will be here tomorrow.
But when Inner City Press on December 15 put the question to Le Roy, first Nesirky cut in to refer the question against to UNHCR. Then Le Roy seemed to say that those returning to Sudan, even from Israel, will not face any harassment. We'll see.
Footnote: While allowing other media questions on two countries, Nesirky pointedly told Inner City Press, one question only. Therefore questions such as DPKO's seeming lack of planning before withdrawing from Birao in the Central African Republic, and other questions about the Cote d'Ivoire mission and about Somalia were not possible. Watch this site.
