UN Inaction in Jonglei & Abyei, Double Standards on Sudans, Rebels & Media
Access
By Matthew Russell Lee
WATCH VIDEO-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c31V7Lo9NeA
UNITED NATIONS, August 23 -- In the war of separation between Sudan and
South Sudan, millions died, and tensions remain.
Yet when the two countries ambassador emerged from the UN Security Council
to speak to the media on Friday, only two correspondents asked them
questions. And both offered answers at the stakeout, unlike what happened at
the higher-profile Syria chemical weapons session on August 21. Video here
<
http://youtu.be/c31V7Lo9NeA> and embedded below.
Inner City Press asked South Sudan's representative about taking sides in
the conflict between the Murle and Lou Nuer in Jonglei state, and what ever
happened with the investigation the UN promised back in May into the killing
of the Paramount Chief in Abyei.
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/abyei4ladsous050913.html>
On the latter he replied that there was nothing to report. We note that UN
Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous, now away on a long vacation, refused even
while in New York to answer Press questions about the killings.
<
http://youtu.be/rm1V-cY9u40>
To the side of the stakeout Sudan's Permanent Representative Daffa-Alla
Elhag Ali Osman indicated that he would not be coming to the microphone to
speak. After Inner City Press asked South Sudan about the referendum in
Abyei, and the flow of South Sudan oil through Sudan, he did in fact come to
the microphone.
He was critical of the proposals of some "equating" the rebels and
government on the issue of humanitarian access to Southern Kordofan and Blue
Nile states. (Inner City Press asked August's Council president, Argentina's
Permanent Representative Perceval, about the fought over difference on aid
between the adopted "to expedite" and the rejected "to allow;" she did not
answer on camera but later joked about the "philosophical" question.)
In further philosophy or lack thereof, the loudest Security Council
members adopt entirely different approaches to government, rebels and
outside supporters in Syria and in, say, Sudan, or the Democratic Republic
of Congo. But more on that to come. For now we simply note, on another
double standard, that Inner City Press coined a word while waiting at the
stakeout with an eye on Egypt:
<
https://twitter.com/innercitypress/status/371007304067321857>
"Cou-volution."
Inner City Press asked Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman about the peacekeeping
"catering" helicopter and crew taken hostage in early August by the Minnawi
rebels in Darfur. "That is a UNAMID helicopter," he replied, "you should ask
them."
But the UN refuses to answer, beyond an
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/dpko1darfhost081313.html> "If-Asked" they
would have been prepared to read out on August 5 if anyone had asked. They
read it out only later, after Inner City Press inquired. Why is the UN
staying quiet about an attack in one place, while declaring that any attack
on its brigade in Eastern Congo would be a war crimes, even if the Brigade
shoots first?
There are other contradictions. This week US President Barack Obama and
other Western leaders are demanding a UN investigation of chemical weapons
in Syria. But look at the UN -- it hasn't finished the Abyei killing
investigation it promised in May.
And there are double standards in the UN itself. Last time Sudan and
Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman were at the stakeout they witnessed one of
Ladsous' spokespeople demanding that the first question
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/ladsous1chambasafp072413.html> , which
UNAMID's chief was directing to Inner City Press, instead go to Agence
France Presse, on one of whose management board Ladsous used to serve.
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/ladsous1chambasafp072413.html>
On August 23 after the Security Council meeting on Sudan and South Sudan,
Inner City Press was greeted by one of the concerned diplomats and told to
come speak with him at the entrance of the so called Turkish Lounge.
Inner City Press was conversing with the diplomat when UN Security ordered
Inner City Press back into the penned-in stakeout. This is supposedly not
the rule; the rule according to the Department of Public Information has
supposedly not changed. The Free UN Coalition for Access
<
http://www.funca.info> put the question to UN DPI official Stephane
Dujarric <
http://www.innercitypress.com/dpiunca1collude062413.html> and the
Media Accreditation unit he supervises.
Moments later, when a former and a current Reuters reporter
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/drc3reutersblind082313.html> both went to
talk outside the pen with the UK Deputy Permanent Representative, UN
Security said nothing. Double standards, much?
In fairness we praised DPI earlier today, for a briefing by UN Security
chief Kevin Kennedy <
http://www.innercitypress.com/unsec1syrdrc082313.html>
. But clearly DPI needs to explain its (new?) rules, to all reporters at the
UN and to UN Security. And double standards, and further reductions, will be
opposed by the Free UN Coalition for Access <
http://www.funca.info>
_at_FUNCA_info <
https://twitter.com/FUNCA_info> . Watch this site.
Received on Sun Aug 25 2013 - 21:15:26 EDT