After Zuma Libya Trip, AU Visit to UN SC Planned, Forum Shopping as Risk

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, May 31 -- South African president Jacob Zuma's just concluded trip to Tripoli was discussed by the UN Security Council in closed door consultations on Tuesday.

Afterward South Africa's Permanent Representative Baso Sangqu told Inner City Press that “there is a African Union ministerial delegation we are planning to have an engagement with the Security Council members,” possible in mid June.

The danger, Ambassador Sangqu told Inner City Press, is that “if there's a plethora of initiatives there will be forum shopping and no commitment to any of them.”

At Tuesday's UN noon briefing, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky what the relation is between Zuma's endeavors and those of part time UN envoy Abdel-Elah Al Khatib.

While Nesirky responded by describing a visit by Al Khatib to Cairo, mentioning Catherine Ashton, the coordination is not clear.

Ambassador Sangqu told Inner City Press that Al Khatib should be in New York in mid June for the meetings.

Footnotes: Another diplomat exiting the Council, asked by Inner City Press about this mid June timing, quipped "if Gaddafi's still there -- or still alive."

Also at Tuesday's noon briefing, UN spokesman Nesirky told Inner City Press that Ban Ki-moon has not received any notice, under Resolution 1973, of the attack helicopters the UK and France say they are sending, nor of the "boots on the grounds" depicted near Misurata.

The chair of the Council's Libya Sanctions Committee said he'd seen the media report of Western boots on the ground, but nothing had come through the Committee, on that or the report of steps to block Gaddafi's television broadcasts. We'll see.