In November, UK Held 11 UNSC Stakeouts, Less than Lyall Grant's 14 But Higher-Tech: FUNCA Review

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 30 -- When the UK and its UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft took over the presidency of the UN Security Council at the beginning of November, Inner City Press for the Free UN Coalition for Access asked that question and answer stakeouts be held after closed-door consultations meetings. Rycroft said he would, and lived up to it. 

  In November, Rycroft did eight question and answerstakeouts as well as two sit-down press conferences; his Deputy Peter Wilson did another three stakeouts for a total of 11. 

 If one adds in the stakeouts of Philip Hammond (ostensibly on Somalia but with Somalia Press questions not taken) and Justine Greening (mostly Syria and refugees and not development), it comes to 13 -- still less than predecessor Mark Lyall Grant's 14 stakeouts in June 2013, below.

  The UK mission has gotten higher or newer-tech since Lyall Grant, Periscoping the stakeouts alongside@InnerCityPress and using other social media platforms. Are they, though, more accessible, more even-handed? Rycroft himself seems to be. On November 30 Inner City Press asked him about both Burundi and Yemen. As fast-transcribed by InnerCityPro.com:

ICP: On Burundi, beyond the lack of dialogue, seems like since the resolution the government closed down 10 civil society organizations and there’s reports today of neighborhoods being blockaded and searches of homes. Did this come up? In that context, is a trip enough?

And on Yemen, since there were supposed to be talks in the middle of the months and they didn’t happen, it’s now the end of the month and you’re the pen holder. Where is that process going?

Rycroft: "On Burundi, no one is saying that a Security Council visit on its own would be enough to solve a problem as difficult and complex as Burundi. But those of us who support it – and actually all countries support it, the debate is about when, exactly – all of us think there should be a visit, and it should play a helpful role in shining an international spot light on Burundi and demonstrating the importance of all the parties doing everything we’ve been calling on them to do, including having dialogue about the future.

Now, the issue about the NGOs and civil society came up very quickly in consultations this afternoon. When you look at the picture of what is happening in Burundi, it is significant that there continues to be violence and oppression and civil society is by no means free. And these are worrying indicators for us, which require us to do as much preventative diplomacy as we can.

On Yemen, it’s not been a particularly prominent issue in the month of November but I think it will get more prominent in the month of December. The reason it hasn’t been prominent is that the UN’s special envoy has been preparing the ground carefully with the talks, with the backing of the SC. But the talks themselves haven’t happened yet. The latest indications is that he is hoping to begin those talks in the first week or so of December, and the Council will be keeping a very close oversight of those talks and will be having some discussion with him during the US presidency."

  Regarding a proposed trip to Burundi, Inner City Press understands that questions of timing were raised by Angola, and that Burundi stands poised to take over chairmanships in December at the African Union and the East African Community. Does that make a Council trip more or less likely? Watch this site.

  Back on June 27, 20133 when the UK's then UN Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant took media questions at the end of his month's presidency of the UN Security Council, predictably most of them dealt with Syria and relatedly the Golan Heights.

But at least three of the 14 press stakeouts he did in June were about Somalia, not least about the deadly attack on the UN compound in Mogadishu. So on Thursday Inner City Press asked Lyall Grant three questions about Somalia.

First, how did he view Kenya's role in the Kismayo / Jubaland fighting? Second, would he acknowledge that the way the Security Council drafted the new UNSOM mandate has resulted in Somaliland ordering UNSOM out?

Finally, Inner City Press asked Lyall Grant if he thought the UN and its Department of Peacekeeping Operations should offer a substantive response, and a confirmation or denial, of a Mogadishu whistleblower's allegation that David Bax of the UN Mine Action Service shares information with UN intelligence?

Inner City Press first reported on the allegation on June 22.Despite direct requests to DPKO, UNMAS and even via Twitter to UN envoy to Somalia Nicholas Kay (clearly busy after the bombing, but the question is related), all the UN has said is they won't discuss what the whistleblower sent to Herve Ladsous. But what about the charges, a simple yes or no?

  Lyall Grant did not answer this last, but did offer a lengthy answer on federalism -- like in the UK -- as the solution to Somalia's problems. We will add the transcript.See below.

  At the end of the press conference, Lyall Grant listed steps toward transparency, including the 14 stakeouts for which the new Free UN Coalition for Access had thanked him. Inner City Press asked about one of the demands in the past of the “Small Five,” and now of ACT -- that the Council not make final decisions in open debates until it hears from the non-Council members.

  In fact, on topics on which the Council deigns to hear from the non-members, why not give them some role in drafting and negotiating the thematic resolution? Lyall Grant replied that the UK is flexible, even to “radical” ideas like non-Council members at times speaking before Council members.

Reform is slow in the UN -- but a response should be given to the troubling allegations of the Mogadishu whistleblower. Updates should be given on accountability for the 135 rapes in Minova by the Congolese Army, and now on all steps Chad takes to get off the UN child soldier recruiters list, while it is getting paid for peacekeeping in Mali. Watch this site.

Here is the UK Mission to the UN's transcription:

Inner City Press: On behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access, thanks, not only for this briefing, but that you did fourteen stakeouts so it may be a new record, so that was a good in terms of after consultations. I wanted to ask you about Somalia. Three of the fourteen having been about Somalia and also, not just the bombing, but it seems like, although there’s, I know Mr Feltman’s there and he is saying things are the most positive they’ve been in two decades, it seems like in Kismayo, first I wanted to ask you whether you think that Kenya has some role in the sense of supporting at least one of the parties that wants to make a Jubaland there and also, in Somalialand, whether the Council, in writing the new mandate, may have – obviously there’s been a lot of push back. And finally, I’ve learned that the UN Mine Action Service in Somalia, in Mogadishu, there seems to be allegations that somehow they shared information with US intelligence. And this is something that the UN has failed to deny, despite UN whistleblower there with pretty serious information so I wonder... I don’t know what to say to that. I know that you are a person that, you’re a Permanent Member and you look at the Secretariat a lot. Do you think that this is the type of thing that the Secretariat should either come out and confirm or deny and do you think that there is any way in which a UN agency should share information with the intelligence of a Permanent 5 Member. Thanks.

Amb Lyall Grant: Thank you. I can’t comment at all really on that last question, Matthew, because I am not aware of the facts of that... I wasn’t even aware of the allegation that you referred to. On the role of Kenya: I mean Kenya has been part of the AMISOM force for some time. It wasn’t there originally in Somalia as part of AMISOM of course. They went across the border into Somalia for their own reasons, but they have been integrated into AMISOM and therefore they take instructions from the AMISOM force commander. What is important, in our view, is that there should be a proper dialogue between the centre and the regions. We believe in the territorial integrity of Somalia but it needs to have a federal constitution. It needs to have a proper relationship between the centre and the regions. Many countries, including my own, do have such a system and I think that’s the sort of constitution Somalia will need if it is to hold together, so we want Jubaland, we want Somilaland, we want Puntland, we want all the different regions of Somalia to be constituent parts of the state of federal Somalia, so that is still to be worked out. The government is new. The transition has passed, but it is still a new government and those issues need to be worked through. Now we strongly support the President. He recognises what needs to be done. He is trying to work on the Kismayo issue, but it’s not easy. After twenty years of civil war and conflict in Somalia, where large parts of the country are still being occupied and run by Al-Shabaab, it is not easy for the President and the federal authorities to make progress on the sort of political dialogue and constitutional arrangements that we think is going to be necessary, but there is, as I mentioned before, strong Security Council unity on this issues and there is a lot of international support that is going into Mogadishu, so I think, I’m optimistic. The situation fragile, but I’m optimistic that Somalia has seen... the worst of the history is behind it.

UK Hammond's Stakeout On Somalia Has No Somalia Much Less Somaliland Questions, EU, Syria

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 9 -- When UK Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond came to the UN to chair a meeting on Somalia, then out to the stakeout to take questions, one assumed they would include Somalia.

 But no.

 Hammond's spokesman, standing up in not wearing a poppy, picked four questions: the first from the BBC, repeating David Cameron's comments about the European Union; the next about Iraq and Syria; the third about when British "holidaymakers" may return to Egypt, and the fourth about Vienna, Syria and ISIS. 

 Before the third and fourth, Inner City Press said, "Question on Somalia?" And as Hammond walked off, Inner City Press asked more loudly, "Somaliland?" Nothing.

 That was it. This on a day when the Security Council is to belatedly meet about Burundi, on which the UK has cited threats of genocide. After Hammond's non-Somalia questions and answers, the media stakeout was nearly empty when the UK Presidency adopted a Presidential Statement on DR Congo, without even reading it out. What does this say about the place of Africa?

  Back on June 3 when the UN's (now outgoing) envoy in Somalia Nicholas Kay took questions via Twitter, Inner City Press asked him what the UN is doing to preserve the ability to send remittances to Somalia, as well as questions about Burundian "peacekeepers" and Somaliland. 

 Kay answered the remittance question: "@innercitypress Raising our voice to sound alarm on impact if  Somali remittances stop. Urging search for solutions. #UNSomTwoYears."

  Inner City Press notes the cut-offs of remittances not only by Barclays Bank in the UK and Merchants Bank of California and new First American Bank in the US, but also Westpac, which is a member of the UN Global Compact. Should it be?

 On the Somaliland question, while Kay to his credit has answered informally, the request for an #OnTheRecord statement was not responded to at this time.  (Kay will be in New York next week, including at IPI.)

 A question that he did not respond to, but others did, was this: "What's the impact of situation in Burundi on continuation of country's 'peacekeepers' in AMISOM?"

  There are photographs of Burundian "peacekeepers" returned to shoot live fire at protesters, and another being referred for a D-1 post in Herve Ladsous's mission in Mali, MINUSMA. We'll have more on this.

  Inner City Press received this communication / request, and published it here:

"I follow your investigative work and applaud the questions you pose to UN officials. I am writing to you because I would like you to follow-up with the UN, specifically UNSOM, on the press release that was issued by my family on the tragic and targeted killing of my uncle, MP Yusuf Dirir. Below you will find a copy of the same press release that was forwarded to Mr.Nicholas Kay. We have not received a response and as you can imagine, we are frustrated by UNSOM and the UN's silence on this issue."

  This didn't fit in a tweet, but it should be answered. Watch this site.

Back on May 9 when the UN's outgoing humanitarian coordinator for Somalia Philippe Lazzarini held a press conference at the UN in New York, Inner City Press asked him about the impact of money transfer and remittance being cut off, about the future of the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya -- and about Puntland and Somaliland, where people fleeing Yemen are landing. Video here.

  Lazzarini said that remittances have been cut from the UK, US, Australia and more recently Kenya; the latter country might reinstate some of the money transfer companies, he said. Returns to Somalia from Dadaab should be voluntary.  

  In response to Inner City Press' question about the involvement of some parts of the UN, and of the International Organization for Migration in screening refugees including for “counter-terrorism,” Lazzarini said that the government of Somalia is concerned about returnees who might have joined certain groups while in Yemen. Can you say, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula? There is more transparency needed, however, particularly from IOM.

  Lazzarini has previously answered Inner City Press about Somaliland's airspace. On May 8 when Inner City Press asked about the UN's dealings with Somaliland and Puntland, he said it is a big topic, but concretely the deadly attack on UNICEF in Puntland means one can no longer say Puntland more safe than, say, Mogadishu. But what about Somaliland? We will have more on this.

  Lazzarini is headed next to Lebanon; we'll continue to cover his and the UN's work there, and wish him luck.

At UN, Australia on ISIS, UK on Peacekeeping, St. Vincent on Cholera & Rapes by Peacekeepers, Which Ladsous Links to "R&R"

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, September 29 -- In this UN General Assembly debate, in the fire hydrant spray of words and catch-phrase, some stand out and well as some omissions. Inner City Press will note some of them here, in reverse chronological order.

  On September 29, St Vincent and the Grenadines slammed the Dominican Republic for its ousters to Haiti, and criticized the UN for not taking responsibility for bringing cholera to Haiti, and for its peacekeepers' rapes in the Central African Republic (which UN Peacekeeping boss Herve Ladsous had linked to a lack of "R&R," here.)

 Yemen's Hadi said Yemenis "thanks" the Saudi airstrikes on them.

 For the UK, UN Security Council "pen-holder" on Yemen, it was Phillip Hammond who spoke. At first, UNlike most other countries other than, for example, Yemen and the US, the UK's speech was NOT sent out by the UN.  After some inquiries, a UK spokesperson said it would come out soon. But should one have to ask so much? We'll have more on this.

 Here's from the UK speech; Australia's is below that:

UK: "as the Prime Minister pledged yesterday, the UK will resume a significant role in enabling peacekeeping operations, particularly in Africa where the UK will support efforts by the United Nations and the African Union to end some of the world’s most destabilising conflicts - conflicts that are prompting mass migration from South Sudan and sustaining terrorist groups in Somalia.

"The UN must strive to represent the new realities of our age, with a reformed Security Council. It must have the best possible leadership, with a transparent system for selecting the next Secretary General, and he (or dare I suggest, perhaps, she?) will have to head a more efficient organization, ensuring that every cent it receives from its members states is used to maximum effect.As a founding member of the UN, and as a permanent member of the Security Council, the UK will champion that reform agenda. And we will continue to promote the ideals that the United Nations represents."

 But is it "rule of law," when none of the French soldiers accuse of rape a year ago in the Central African Republic have had a judicial decision?

Australia's Julie Bishop:

 “All states must uphold their responsibility to protect civilians from the most serious international crimes. Security Council members have a particular responsibility to do so. In that context, we welcome proposals to restrain use of the veto where mass atrocity crimes are being committed. Australia's term on the Security Council in 2013-14 demonstrated that elected members can play an active and constructive role. I am therefore pleased to announce that Australia is nominating to serve again on the Council for the 2029-30 term

  “As a non-permanent member of the Security Council, we experienced first-hand the difficulties the Council faces in responding to the crises and conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Mali. Nowhere is the devastation greater than in Iraq and Syria. Daesh is wreaking devastating harm on individuals, families and communities and destroying the world's heritage, in gross violation of international law and basic concepts of morality. It cannot be allowed to prevail.

  “Australia is participating in coalition military action to combat Daesh in Iraq and Syria. We are doing so within the framework of the Charter, and in a manner consistent with international law. Defeating Daesh requires both military and political action. Reconciliation and inclusive governance in Iraq are key to reducing Daesh's appeal and support. We continue to advocate for a political solution that can bring an end to the conflict in Syria, and we support UN envoy de Mistura's efforts towards this end.

  “We do not believe any transition option should be rejected, all permutations of a political solution should be assessed with clear-eyed realism," Bishop said.

  The last speech of September 28 was Abdullah Abdullah of Afghanistan, who cited the day's attacks and the only belatedly disclosed death of Mullah Omar. Before him, Bolivia's Evo Morales when off script, sub-tweeting Donald Trump, directly asking why and how the UK claims to own an island, Malvinas, “so close to our continent.' Ecuador's Correa trashed Chevron both for pollution and legal chicanery.

  South Africa's Zuma said, “We reiterate our support of the people of Western Sahara and urge the international community to support their struggle for self-determination, freedom, human rights and dignity.”

 Nigeria's Buhari said, “Friends of Nigeria and foreign investor partners will be encouraged to know that the new Government is attacking the problems we inherited head-on.” Apparenlty Bring Back Our Girls (also) means Bring Back Our Investment.

   Earlier, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said “Democratic backsliding is a threat in too many places, as leaders seek to stay in office beyond their mandated limits” - but didn't say the word, Burundi, while he did shout out The Gambia.

  Ban also said, “I am deeply troubled by growing restrictions on media freedoms and civil society” - although when his chief of UN Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous had Inner City Press ejected from an “open” meeting, Ban did nothing.

  New General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft said, “As President of the General Assembly I will support member states in their ambitions for revitalization and reform – including a new, more transparent process for selection of the next Secretary General.”

 But when Inner City Press has asked him about the process for selection the next head of the UN's refugee agency UNHCR, he has said that he favors his fellow Dane Helle Thorning Schmidt but that it is entirely up to current Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
   Before US President Barack Obama's 42 minute long speech, which Inner City Press separately reviewed here, Brazil's Dilma Rousseff spoke of a Palestinian state, low-carbon agriculture, and this:

“The Brazilian government and society do not tolerate corruption. The Brazilian democracy becomes stronger when the authorities recognize the limits imposed by the law as their own limits. We Brazilians want a country where the law is the limit. Many of us fought for this, precisely when laws and rights were violated during the military dictatorship. We want a country where rulers behave strictly according to their duties, without giving way to excesses. The sanctions of the law must apply to all those who committed illicit acts bearing in mind the need to uphold the principle of due process.”

  As Inner City Press asked midday on HuffPostLive, here, for what audience was this meant? Watch this site.
   

As UK Defense Minister Hammond Says Only One Israeli Strike in Syria, Gaze on Barak & TIME

By Matthew Russell Lee

 

UNITED NATIONS, February 2 -- At the UN waiting continues for Syria's and / or the Security Council's response to Israeli's air strikes of early January 30 - now said to be multiple and US approved.

 But at the Munich Security Conference UK Defence Minister Phil Hammond was tweet-quoted that "as far as UK knows, there was just 1 target of Israel air strikes in Syria, anti aircraft missiles, no WMD link."

  This came from the Guardian's diplomatic editor, who said it was from Hammond himself, and was "oven-fresh."

   Of course, this is the same Phil Hammond who the day before the Israeli air strikes said that Mali is predominantly Christians. At the UN, Inner City Press asked the UK Mission's spokesperson Iona Thomas, who confirmed that Hammond "misspoke."

 And this time? Wags wonder if Hammond is inept or aspirational.

  Then the search was on to ferret out how in this case the UK (or just Hammond) knows what he knows.

  Haaretz' diplomat correspondent chimed in that Hammond was on Ehud Barak's schedule, and opined that Barak was probably Hammond's source on strikes (if not religion).

  

  But how to explain, then, TIME's report sourced to "a Western intelligence official" that Israel hit more targets than Syria admitted, and that according to "officials" the US has given the green light to more Israeli strikes? Watch this site.

Amid Mali Pledges, UK Defense Minister Hammond "Misspoke," France Is Blamed, Doesn't Know

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 29 -- Amid a flurry of financial pledges in Addis Ababa for the Malian Army and the prospective AFISMA mission, outside the UN Security Council on Tuesday Inner City Press asked French Permanent Representative Gerard Araud how much France is pledging. He said they are pledging, but that he did not know how much.

  Moments later a Security Council diplomat told Inner City Press, "By intervening in Libya, France caused the Mali problem. Let them pay for it!" Anonymity was granted because the diplomat is not the Permanent Representative.

  Whatever the pledges made, it's worth remembering that Western countries on the Security Council decided not to pay for the Kenyan naval component of the African Union's AMISOM mission in Somalia, after its work in Kismayo. So will all of these pledges actually be paid.

  Meanwhile, amid bafflement at the statement by UK Defense Secretary Phil Hammond that Mali is a predominantly Christian country, Inner City Press asked the UK Mission to the UN if he said that.

  The UK Mission's new Head of Press and Public Affairs, Iona Thomas, "we spoke earlier about the UK Defence Secretary’s comments on religion in Mali earlier today. I can confirm that he misspoke." It's appreciated. Watch this site.