On Sudan, 3 UNSC Meetings, No Outcome, DPKO Blind to Ansar Al-Dine in Darfur?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 7 – Sudan is the biggest or at least most frequent item on the agenda of the UN Security Council. Yet after more than two hours of consultations by the Council on Thursday about three separate Sudanese issues, there was no outcome, and no summary.

  Inner City Press asked UK Deputy Permanent Representative Philip Parham if there was any progress in getting aid into Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states. He said no, “but we keep pushing.”

  Inner City Press asked a UN official present what on the issue(s) is happening. “Nothing,” he said.

  It seems that most of the Sudan and South Sudan issues are on hold, with the Council deferring or wanting to defer to the African Union. A pro-Juba source told Inner City Press, “the AU has to prove that its bite is at least somewhat similar to its bark.”

  A non-Permanent Security Council member told Inner City Press that there might, at some later undefined date, be a Council press statement about the issues discussed Thursday morning, with the exception of Sudan's ongoing blocking or “blacklisting” of UN sanctions finance expert Schbley. 

  But the Council couldn't even put out a press statement for the humanitarian pledging conference on Syria: will it on this?

   While February's Council president Kim Sook of South Korea held an informative February 4 press conference about the month's program of work, it is after such closed door consultations that a stakeout by the Council presidency is particularly useful. This was raised at the February 4 briefing by the Free UN Coalition for Access, as a request for stakeouts.

   Perhaps one will be combined with the afternoon's Yemen consultations.

  Repeating a question it asked at the day's noon briefing, Inner City Press asked French Permanent Representative Gerard Araud about the Ansar Al-Dine rebels from Mali been seen in Darfur. “I heard the rumor,” Araud said.

  At the noon briefing, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky answered Inner City Press that there are reports and rumors both ways, that the Malian rebels are there and that they are not, and the UNAMID peacekeeping mission has been unable to verify either.

  UNAMID spends more than $1 billion a year, and any flight of rebels from Mali into Sudan would clearly impact on international peace and security. What is UNAMID and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations doing? Watch this site.

On DRC, Ladsous Refuses to Answer on Rapes in Minova, His MONUSCO's Failure

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 27 -- Under the $1.4 billion watch of the UN Peacekeeping mission MONUSCO, at least 21 women were recently raped in Minova, presumably by the Congolese Army, which MONUSCO supports.

  Inner City Press pursued the story through questions to the UN in Geneva and at the UN's noon briefing, here. See transcript.

  When UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous emerged from a closed door briefing of the Security Council on Tuesday evening, he indicated that he would answer questions from the media. But once at the UN Television stakeout, he and his spokesman would take only pre-selected questioners.

  Inner City Press waited while favored media got their question, then asked, What about Minova? Beyond the rapes, there are reports of renewed fighting between the M23 mutineers and the FARDC. But Ladsous refused to answer, searching for any other questioner.

  So Inner City Press asked, what about the rapes in Minova? What was MONUSCO doing? Ladsous ended the stakeout session -- and then summoned the favored media away from the stakeout to a basement hallway of the UN. To not interrupt this transmission, Inner City Press remained at the stakeout, filming as is its right.

  As Ladsous left the Council minutes later, along with UK Deputy Permanent Representative Philip Parham, Inner City Press asked the question again, and called the lack of response shameful.

  Among other things, Ladsous and his DPKO's refusal to answer about Minova makes it impossible to meaningfully apply the UN's stated Human Rights Due Diligence Policy, as it was explained to Inner City Press on November 26 by Rupert Colville, spokesman for the High Commissioner on Human Rights, here.

  It was said to Inner City Press -- not by those two -- that somehow DPKO spokesman Kieran Dwyer "has explained this to you." But he has not, beyond a vague reference months ago to "personal attacks."

  Inner City Press has not written about Ladsous' family or anything personal -- only the job he is doing, and jobs he has done in the past. This is the subject matter of journalism, and it is not for the UN to try to dictate the content.

  Ironically, the next question Inner City Press wanted to ask, beyond the drones question on which Ladsous stopped answering Press questions, was what MONUSCO might do in response to recent threats against journalists in Bukavu and elsewhere in Eastern Congo. 

   But with Ladsous' approach, which began in late May stoked by other anti-press moves in the UN, it is difficult to see him, or his DPKO, as any defender of the press. Quite the opposite.

  Likewise, as described above it is difficult to take seriously the UN's claim to have a Human Rights Due Diligence Policy, if DPKO refuses not only in person but also in writing to say which FARDC units were in Minova.

  In just the past week, Ladsous has refused to answer about abuse of civilians in Pinga and "would MONUSCO defend Bukavu?" 

   In September at a Sudan stakeout where despite prompting no other journalist had any question, Ladsous refused to answer "what is the UN's role in Abyei?" 

  That one, like this, Inner City Press filmed. Ladsous, it emerges, has had his staff ask UNTV to edit out questions from the webcast archives.

 During Ladsous' closed door briefing, Inner City Press heard from sources and freely published that Ladsous was showing photographs that the M23 have equipment "not from the FARDC."

   Afterward an attendee of Ladsous' briefing said it was full of a scatological material -- we engage in circumlocution to not provide any pretext to use, as Ladsous' Dwyer and DPKO have, "personal attacks" as a pretext for censorship, or the conditioning of access on receiving positive coverage. Watch this site.

On Syria, Russian Draft Called Inadequate or Enriched, SNC Money Claims

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 17, updated -- On the eve of the scheduled vote on Syria resolution(s), Security Council deputies met for nearly two hours about the Russian draft. Afterward Russian Deputy Alexander Pankin called his draft "enriched."

  UK Deputy Philip Parham, on the other hand, called the Russian draft "inadequate." Another Council source told Inner City Press that in the meeting on the Russian draft, Chapter Seven was pushed as an amendment, as something lacking from the draft.

  Pankin was asked if his enrichments included Chapter Seven or Article 41. He scoffed and said, why would we put one of our red lines in. My minister has been very clear.

  And so a showdown is set up, for July 18 at 3 pm. Parham said actually voting at that time will depend on what happens in the "next twelve to twenty four hours."

  There was pressure from across First Avenue as well. On the 28th floor of the Millennium Plaza Hotel, representatives of the Syrian National Council held a press conference, featuring Najib Ghadbian, Bassma Kodmani and Khalid Saleh of the SNC Executive Office

They said that if the Security Council doesn't include Chapter Seven, they will go in another direction, to regional organizations.

   They said that the Syrian National Council has received $15 million, and has spend 94% of it on aid inside Syria.

   That would leave $900,000 for all the SNC's expenses. One wondered, how much is this hotel meeting room, and rooms for five representatives, flights, and other meetings? But this question was not taken. Yet. 

  One wag mused maybe these are the ones enriched, using Pankin's word for his draft. 

Footnote: The Kosovo meeting which preceded the consultation on Russia's Syria draft led, it seemed, to nothing. Afterward a participant told Inner City Press that briefer Herve Ladsous said he didn't know who killed the two Serbs in Kosovo, and on fighters from Syria visiting Kosovo Ladsous had only press reports. 

  That's why they call Ladsous "Mister Press" -- or not.Ladsous on Tuesday refused, on camera, to answer Press questions on Lebanon and UN Peacekeeping killing in Congo. Watch this site.

Update of 6:34 pm - as Colombia's Nestor Osorio, president of the Security Council for July, left for the evening, he stopped and told the Press that if there's "no movement" by noon or 1 pm on July 18, there will be a vote at 3. If there is a veto - he called it a "niet" -- there might be a rollover to allow UNSMIS to pull out, as the SNC also said earlier. Showdown...

In UN Budget Fight, Ban's Change Management Mistrusted, Vote Called

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, April 2, updated -- The UN Budget Committee was supposed to close this resumed session at 3 pm on Monday. But even at 5 pm, as Bhutan's event on happiness as an economic indicator continued, Budget Committee delegates milled around waiting for the outcome of a small meeting of Permanent Representatives in a small room next to the Bhutanese event.

Those inside included the Permanent Representative of Algeria, the chair of the Group of 77 and China, US Ambassador Joe Torsella, the EU and UK Deputy Permanent Representative Philip Parham. As he left, Parham told Inner City Press that things might come to a vote.

When the Committee convened, three drafts were circulated: on the Capital Master Plan and its $433 million cost over run, on the Office of Internal Oversight Services and makings its audits available online, and an "Accountability," mostly Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's so-called Change Management Plan.

The fight is one of separation of powers: how much can Ban do or try to do without General Assembly consent?

Before discussion of these three documents began, Inner City Press was told the leave the room, that it was an "informal" session. This seemed strange, since what chairman Tommo Monthe said might constitute a sort of legislative history of what was voted on.

In interviews just outside the conference room, Inner City Press gleaned that after Monthe's "plea," Russia spoke and called the Change Management paragraph 7 unbalanced. The chair of G-77 said much the same thing.

Inner City Press can report that the G-77 chair was summoned over to Monthe, who suggested an amendment. The G-77 chair said he would have to consult; he was willing to stay but it was just a vote, anyone can vote.

Soon the meeting was suspended for 20 minutes, and G-77 convened in a room across the hall. It seemed the vote was on, concerning what some call Ban Ki-moon's coup. Watch this site.

Update of 8:36 pm - as delegates gathered to vote, Chairman Monthe came and told Inner City Press there will be a vote on section 2 of Accountability, first on an amendment. There will be no vote on his proposed compromise. "Malcorra would come" and give assurances, but this wasn't believed either. A well-placed delegate told Inner City Press, "this is the test for Malcorra." One of her supporters by contrasted called it a "task." If only one could do that in school....

As in Guinea Bissau 10% Denied Vote, UN Looks to 2d Round, Drug Lord Bygone

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 28 -- Ten days ago Guinea Bissau held a first round of elections, in which 10% of those registered were not allowed to vote and the country's former intelligence chief was assassinated five hours after the poll.

On Wednesday the Security Council met about Guinea Bissau and afterward Deputy Permanent Representative Philip Parham of the UK, this month's Council president, began telling the Press that we heard how the first round of the elections, following the death of the President in January, had been conducted successfully and, as far as everyone can see, freely and fairly, on 18 March."

Inner City Press asked, "it seems like the number two candidate, Kumba Yala, has said he wants boycott, said that up to 10% of the people that were registered weren’t allowed to vote in the first round. There’s this former Intelligence Chief killed five hours after the election and another former Official [Jose] Zamora Induta went to the EU compound... I heard some people saying things are looking good. But are these problematic?"

Ambassador Parham replied that

"They are certainly problematic. I mean, what is good is that the first round was conducted in a way which observers from the AU, from ECOWAS and from elsewhere, including some visiting Parliamentarians from the UK, reckoned was essentially free and fair, so that is good and it’s good that that was done constitutionally within 60 days of the unfortunate death of the President in January. Clearly, it’s not good that the former Head of Intelligence was murdered shortly after polls had closed, not good that the former Head of the Military has felt he has to take refuge and the relations between the between the sort of civilian authorities and the Military are clearly still an important issue and the question about the participation in the second round of the elections is clearly an important issue and Joseph Mutaboba the SRSG made clear that they are very engaged on trying to ensure that the parties, as far as possible, work together constructively, so even as they compete in the second round, and we hope they will compete in the second round, they do so in a way that will lead to a stable outcome which everybody will accept and ECOWAS and the African Union are also involved in that effort and we heard that they will be sending a Mission to Guinea-Bissau shortly in order to encourage all the parties to work constructively together."

Previously, the UN under Mr. Mutaboba provided long term shelter or sanctuary to a US-listed narcotics kingpin. The UN has not pushed for accountability for the assassinations in 2009; a Permanent Representative on Wednesday told Inner City Press the murder of former intelligence chief Colonel Diallo was "just a settling of accounts," and somehow not related to the election.

Inner City Press asked a range of Security Council members on Wednesday about Guinea Bissau; a common theme of their responses was that "things are relative," seeming to mean that for Guinea Bissau, ten percent of voters disenfranchised might not be so bad, things could be worse. While it may be realistic to apply different standards, it should at least be noted. Watch this site.

After Geneva Vote, No Ban Comment on Silva as UN Adviser, UK on Accountability

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 22 -- After the UN Human Rights Council approved a resolution on accountability in Sri Lanka Thursday morning with 24 in favor and 15 against, Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokesman Eduardo Del Buey if this would impact in any way Ban's decision to say nothing about General Shavendra Silva becoming a UN adviser on peacekeeping. Video here, from Minute 7:09.

Del Buey repeated, "as we've said about General Silva, that is a matter for member states."

Inner City Press followed up that debate before the vote referred to Ban's own Panel of Experts report in which Silva's 58th Division is depicted engaged in war crimes.

Del Buey replied that "as Secretary General himself has told you, it was a member states decision."

But Ban, perhaps at some member states' request, at times tells member states what he thinks. Why not here, when it seems he will have an alleged war criminal advising him?

"It was a member states decision and that's all we have to say on that," Del Buey said. He also read out a canned statement that given the Panel of Experts assessment that allegation of violations of international human rights and and humanitarian law were credible, Ban shared the report with the Human Rights Council. He said the support of international community in help Sri Lanka is critical.

Inner City Press asked Del Buey for a copy of what he had read, but Del Buey said it was "for internal use only."

Back at the Security Council stakeout, Inner City Press asked UK Deputy Permanent Representative Philip Parham about the HRC decision, noting that the UK has taken some actions about accountability and Sri Lanka, even here in New York.

Parham said, "any step in enforcing the principle of accountability is a positive step."

When Shavendra Silva was told that his attendance at a Commonwealth reception with UK Foreign Secretary William J. Hague was "not appropriate," the reception was at Parham's residence. In Silva's place, Permanent Representative Palitha Kohona refused to go, instead sending the Sri Lankan Mission's First Secretary, the same one who called and got UN Security to eject Inner City Press from the Senior Advisory Group meeting with Silva inside the UN rented building at 380 Madison Avenue. Watch this site.

From the UK Mission to the UN transcript:

Inner City Press: You may or may not answer this, maybe in your national capacity. In Geneva there was a vote this morning on the Sri Lanka resolution that passed 24 to 15 on accountability issues, which I know is something that the UK has spoken about and even taken some action in some ways here in New York. I know the UK is not a member of the Human Rights Council, but do you think it’s a positive step? Is there any UK response to that action in Geneva by the UN body?”

Amb. Philip Parham: Any step which enforces the principal of accountability is positive step.