On Western Sahara, Debate of Who's AU, As HRW's Bungles Help Morocco

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 22 -- The politics of this year's renewal of the Western Sahara UN mission MINURSO is complicated by an unexpected factor: Rwanda's understandable mistrust of Human Rights Watch and what it has come to stand for.

  Rwanda is not only this month's Security Council president, but is also the African Union member on the Security Council which would be expected to advocate for the position of the Frente POLISARIO.

  In recent years this advocacy was done by Uganda then South Africa, while Francophone African members like Gabon and now Togo do not take that line.

  But Rwanda, which openly questioned the credibility of Human Rights Watch during its campaign for the Security Council last year, with foreign minister Louise Mushikiwabo memorably saying HRW holds fundraising dinners and uses exotic African names but has neither knowledge nor respect, is adverse to HRW and its positions.

  So who, really, did Human Rights Watch serve with its open letter urging the Council “to extend the mandate to incorporate human rights monitoring in Western Sahara.”

  In fact, this served Morocco. Now the natural advocate for AU positions is against “non state actor” HRW's call to extend the mandate. 

 Ever Afro-centric, Rwanda wants there to be the promised referendum in Western Sahara. But to impose outside, HRW-style human rights “B.S.” on another African country, at HRW's request? They say no.

  So Morocco, in a sense, is lucky. Their position is that the African Union letter is “really just Zuma, that is, South Africa.” They point out that the AU under Jean Ping never wrote such a letter. But wasn't that... just Ping, and the Francophonie?

  Morocco will come off the Council at the end of 2013, which should increase the odds of a human rights mandate being added to MINURSO. But Morocco points out that Nigeria would probably be coming on, and “doesn't share the view of South Africa” on Western Sahara.

 On HRW, it's worth noting that their Ken Roth has repeatedly refused to provide even a summary of the issues he raised to Ban Ki-moon (one assumes HRW shares this with donors, at least big donors). HRW won't even send out its statements even-handedly.

  Meanwhile, we have added the full text of POLISARIO's letter to Rwandan Ambassador Gasana, as Security Council President, to our story from earlier today, here.

  There is more and more talk about the US gambit to finally include human rights in MINURSO's mission: who was behind it and how it will play out. Watch this site.

Dlamini-Zuma Wins Top AU Spot After NY War of Lamb Chops & Eritrea

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 15 -- It took a long time and it got pretty dirty, but South Africa's Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has supplanted Gabon's Jean Ping as chair of the AU Commission.

  While finally resolved in Addis Ababa, at the UN in New York this multi-month fight has played out, from grumbles about Gabon's role on Eritrea sanctions in December to astrange press conference at the Millennium Plaza Hotel featuring lamb chops and Equatorial Guinea.

  Each side has its arguments, some advances with others' resources, but now it is resolved: Nkosazana Diamini-Zuma has won.

  Certainly for Polisario and those wanting a referendum for Western Sahara, the result is a good one. Given the way the UN and others often take the UN for granted, too, having it headed by a large country is probably a good thing.

  One wonders what Ban Ki-moon and Jan Eliasson think -- this will be pursued. For now, late on Sunday from New York, we simply report the news: Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma is the new chair of the AU Commission. Watch this site.

South Africa's Month from Sudan to Syria, Missing Annex & Robben Island, AU Vote

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 30 -- As South Africa's month as Security Council president ends, it had hoped to simultaneously nail down the chair of the African Union. But while Gabon's Jean Ping didn't win a second term, nor did South Africa's Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma win.

Outgoing Council president Baso Sangqu told Inner City Press that after this "no confidence vote," Ping must step down. But will Dlamini-Zuma run again in summer? Sangqu said at day's end that she would be "eligible" to run, not that she would.

South Africa's month atop the Council began with the UN in South Sudan failing to get "lethal assets to dissuade" attacks to Pibor, where an untold number of Murle people were killed.

But Sudan quickly became overshadowed by Syria, to the extent that by month's end when US Ambassador Susan Rice did a stakeout after the South Sudan meeting, she took questions only on Syria.

As president of the Council, South Africa had to play an administrative role. So, for example, when the Arab League letter came in asking for a meeting with the Council after the annexes attached to the letter were reviewed, it was Sangqu who asked, where are the annexes?

Eventually they came in: click here to view the English translation of the Arab League's monitoring report. By the time Inner City Press obtained this and put it online, the observer mission was pulled out, after Arab League Secretary General Nabil Al Arabi called some -- but reportedly not all -- Arab League ministers.

The month went by without any move to a vote on Palestine's application for UN membership; there was, however, a briefing on the humanitarian impacts of Israel's settlements, with rockets from Gaza in the mix as well.

There was a day long Middle East public debate, with more Syria than usual. As Syria's Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari spoke about Nelson Mandela, he didn't note that the meeting was chaired by South African Deputy Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ibrahim, who spent time with Mandela in prison on Robben Island -- as Jacob Zuma's cell mate.

Another from this group, Nicolas Haysom, was slated for the UN's Afghanistan deputy envoy post, rather than the top spot in Lebanon which went to the Brit Plumley.

Just as December witnessed the death of North Korea's Kim Jong Il, January saw Guinea Bissau's head of state pass away in Paris. When Sangqu's Deputy Doctor Mashabane held a stakeout, Inner City Press asked if he'd get a minute of silence, and about the AU through Jean Ping trying to address instability.

Mashabane said South Africa would go to Guinea Bissau too; he correctly referred Inner City Press to the GA, where the minute of silence was belatedly held on January 25.

South Africa's main thematic debate was, not surprisingly, about the African Union. It started late after some fighting about the speakers' order; President Jacob Zuma came and spoke.

Afterward Inner City Press asked Zuma about the fallout from the Council's and NATO's actions in Cote d'Ivoire and Libya. He said the problems are being worked around, just as his foreign minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane had told Inner City Press the day before. But are they? Watch this site.

As Gabon Pitches Ping for AU & Denies French Funding, Canapes Served

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, January 17 -- As the race for the top African Union post heats up, Gabonese Ambassador Nelson Messone held an event Monday night at the Millennium Hotel across from the UN, to promote a second term for Gabon's Jean Ping.

The event featured, among others, the Permanent Representatives to the UN of Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon, as well as shrimp and guacamole canapes. Video here.

Only four questions were asked, and Inner City Press asked three of them: whether the Ambassadors in attendance are in support of Ping, whether Gabon believes the post is reserved for a smaller state than South Africa, and whether Gabon's differences with South Africa around Eritrea sanctions in late 2011 were in any way related to the race.

On the question of support, Messone said "it's obvious," Ping is "from the Central African region." Tommo Monthe, Cameroon's Ambassador, told Inner City Press his presence means "strong support" for Ping. Equatorial Guinea's Ambassador exchanged a letter with Messone.

On the other questions, Messone diplomatically said that "the wisdom of African heads of state always prevails" and he sees now reasons why it won't this time, "whether there are one, two or three candidates." He decried rumors that "one country outside of Africa" was funding Ping's race, saying that only Gabon is funding it.

Afterward, Messone declined to confirm that the "one country" he referred to is France, but said that the only rule is that countries outside of Africa can't fund the race. But, one wag wondered, can they directly or indirectly condition support for their former colonies in Africa to support their preferred candidate? Watch this site.

Footnote: after Messone finished, Inner City Press was approached by one hapless European diplomat, who said he'd come based on the mention in the invitation of a review of Gabon's two years on the Security Council. "But that's not what he talked about," the diplomat complained. And so it goes.

South Africa Disputes Any Link of Zuma's Run to Head AU with Eritrea Sanctions

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, December 1 -- Whether Jean Ping will get a second term as head of the African Union or be replaced by for example South African minister Nkosozana Dlamini Zuma is a contest that was raised and then rebutted as part of the UN Security Council controversy over how and when to impose more sanctions on Eritrea.

On November 30 while in the Security Council's closed door consultations Gabon's request, pushed by the US, to vote that day on the new sanctions ran into opposition, outside a representative of one of Eritrea's neighbors came and told Inner City Press "South Africa is pressuring us to vote" for Ms. Zuma, former SA Foreign Minister & current SA Home Affairs Minister, and "now it's just sour grapes on their part. They need to decide if they are with the BRICS or with Africa."

Inner City Press published the quote, adding its opinion that it's not either / or, AU or BRICS.

On December 1, South Africa's Doctor Mashabane came to Inner City Press and responded, on the record. He argued, "saying we are forcing them to vote for Madame Zuma. It's not true. [She was Foreign Minister for] 10 years, she is respected across the Continent. There's never been a woman chair of the organization. We are not forcing anybody, it has nothing to do with the Security Council."

Eritrea's neighbor's pitch had been that South Africa was taking its positions in the Security Council either to promote Ms. Zuma, or as "sour grapes" against countries which support Jean Ping. Then there was the dig that South Africa should choose between the AU and BRICS.

Mashabane told Inner City Press, "the issue of South African and BRICS is neither here not there, anyone can join BRICS, make a case. Nobody can make us choose, we are Africans. The whole year we have been in the Council, we have been the champion on African issues, I think all 14 members can agree."

The Council fight on November 30, to be continued in public on Monday, December 5 is about new sanctions on Eritrea. Mashabane told Inner City Press, "This issue on Eritrea is an issue on an African country, there is no BRICS position. If it happens with other members, because share values with us, we can't tell them not to join us."

Mashabane downplayed what some saw, especially November 30, as a split between Gabon and South Africa, occasioned by the US and Ambassador Susan Rice.

Mashabane told Inner City Press, "we have worked with Gabon and Nigeria, we have been saying we must have it balanced, concerned about blanket sanctions effecting the innocent people of Eritrea. Our point is, this initiative is at the insistence of the West... You can't have sweeping sanctions to bring down an economy, in this case of an African country."

Earlier on December 1, Brazilian Permanent Representative Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti told Inner City Press that Brazil too has concerns about these sanctions and prefers the "political" track. Mashabane referred to these similarity of views, telling Inner City Press that "anyone can approach the BRIC members and lobby them for their resolution."

And as Inner City Press late on December 1 was finishing this, representatives not only of Gabon and South Africa, but also Russia and China, came out of the Security Council, still working on the Eritrea draft.

Inner City Press has sought authorization to use as similar on the record quotes things said about the proposed sanctions by certain Western Council members, for now lacking in South Africa's, Brazil's and even BRICS' transparency. Watch this site.

Eritrea Rep Says Maybe Ethiopia Offers Help Ping 2d AU Term As Trade for Sanctions, Others Talk Zuma

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, November 30, updated -- Amid widespread questioning in the UN Security Council of the push to vote today on new Eritrea sanctions, with the US having blocked a request from Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki to talk to the Council, Gabon midday on Wednesday again said it would call for a vote later that day.

Sources tell Inner City Press that Russia has threatened to veto.

Inner City Press has obtained a copy of the November 29 letter to the Council from Eritrea's UN Ambassador Araya Desta, and asked Desta about it. "It is the third letter," Desta told Inner City Press.

The letter says, "It has come to my attention that the delebation of Gabon intends to table the draft resolution on Eritrea for action tomorrow... I appeal to your Excellency that H.E. Mr. Isaias Afwerki, President of the State of Eritrea, be given the audience to address the [UNSC] before any action is taken on the draft resolution."

Desta speaking exclusively to Inner City Press went further: "What does Gabon know about Eritrea? Where it is? They don't even know the location of Eritrea." Significantly, larger African member of the Council South Africa is known to oppose voting on Wednesday on the proposed sanctions.

Desta told Inner City Press, "It is crazy to penalize the Eritrean people in order to get a second term for Jean Ping as commissioner of the African Union." He mused, "maybe Meles [Zenawi] tells him, I'll help you get a second term, if you help" put more sanctions on Eritrea.

Inner City Press asked Desta why he thought the US was being so adamant. Desta said "my President has write two or three letters" to President Obama, "my foreign minister met with them."

Some have alluded to the US "using" Ethiopia to fight Islamists in Somalia, first the Islamic Courts and now Al Shabaab, including it's said from drone bases in Ethiopia.

To be less US-focused, Eritrea clearly has enemies among other neighbors: Djibouti, for example, often buzzes around the Security Council. But the idea that a head of state should on request be allowed to address the Security Council before such sanctions are voted on seems to be widely held. Watch this site.

Update: Still on the AU, later on Wednesday a representative of one of Eritrea's neighbors came to complain to Inner City Press that "South Africa is pressuring us to vote as Zuma says" -- that is, Nkosozana Dlamini-Zuma, former SA Foreign Minister & current SA Home Affairs Minister -- "now it's just sour grapes on their part. They need to decide if they are with the BRICS or with Africa." Others would say it's not either / or....