By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 18 -- After Choi Young-jin briefed the Security Council Monday about Ivory Coast, he did an interview with Korea Broadcasting. Then he took five questions from Inner City Press at the regular UN Television camera. He essentially confirmed that he is leaving, saying that he'd told Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that it makes more sense to have a new envoy in place for the “next chapter in Cote d'Ivoire.”
Choi had previously said he would stay through the parliamentary elections, but that seems to no longer hold. Inner City Press asked about these; Choi said they were slated for the end of the year but face a number of challenges, including looted electoral offices and consideration of adding 50 to 75 seats.
Inner City Press asked Choi about the the continued “house arrest” of Laurent Gbagbo: does the UN think that he should be charged? Choi described his visit to Gbagbo, including Gbagbo jokingly asking his doctor if he's healthy, but did not opine on detention without charge.
Pressed, Choi said that there are processes underway at the International Criminal Court and in Cote d'Ivoire, but they are in “preliminary” stages. So much for the UN and habeus corpus.
Nor has action been taking on the killings in Douekoue, which Choi said were “two thirds” committed by forces supporting Ouattara. Inner City Press asked Choi what has been done and he described meeting with Ouattara, who in turn called in the prime minister and zone commanders and promised no impunity. We'll see.
Footnote: as Choi left the Security Council stakeout, Inner City Press joked to him that since Ban Ki-moon ran for a second term without any alternative candidate, he hadn't needed anyone to run his campaign as Choi did in 2006. Choi and his two aides laughed and then were gone.
