By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
September 22
-- It was the
last photo-op
of the first
day of the
UN's General
Debate week,
between
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon and
the presidents
of Malawi and
Namibia,
representing
the Southern
African
Development
Community.
Since
SADC
essentially
runs the UN's
Intervention
Brigade in the
Eastern Congo,
Inner City
Press decided
to cover it.
For a minute
of photos at
the 6:30 pm
meeting, media
was told to
assemble at 6
o'clock. There
was a metal
detector and a
pat-down, and
a dog to sniff
the camera.
Then up to the
37th floor.
Inner
City Press
filmed and
took a photo
of the river,
then of the
Empire State
Building up by
Ban's
conference
room. The
media were
ushered in to
wait. In came
Edmond Mulet
of UN
Peacekeeping
-- and so it
seemed, yes,
it would be
about the
Brigade. There
was Taye-Brook
Zerihoun of
Political
Affairs, and
Ban's chief of
staff Susanna
Malcorra.
And
then, with
cameras
rolling, there
was shouting
from just
outside the
room. It was
unmistakably
Ban Ki-moon,
shouting "He's
coming to the
UN!" and more.
Video
here.
Quickly
Malcorra
and a UN
Security guard
ran and closed
the door.
Another door
was closed.
People stared
at the floor.
Finally
the
delegations
and Ban came
in, and smiled
for the
camera. Later
this read out
was released:
Readout
of
the
Secretary-General’s
joint meeting
with H.E. Mrs.
Joyce Hilda
Mtila Banda,
President of
the Republic
of Malawi, and
H.E. Mr.
Hifikepunye
Pohamba,
President of
the Republic
of Namibia
The
Secretary-General
met with H.E.
Mrs. Joyce
Banda,
President of
the Republic
of Malawi and
current chair
of the
Southern
African
Development
Community
(SADC)
together with
H.E. Mr.
Hifikepunye
Pohamba,
President of
the Republic
of Namibia. He
welcomed
SADC’s
important
contribution
to the pursuit
of peace and
stability in
the Great
Lakes region
and its strong
support both
to the Peace,
Security and
Cooperation
Framework, and
to the Uganda
Talks between
the Democratic
Republic of
the Congo
(DRC)
Government and
the M23.
He
also
expressed
appreciation
for SADC’s
constructive
role in
Madagascar and
underlined the
readiness of
the United
Nations to
work with SADC
in this
regard. 22
September 2013
Inner
City Press
asked Ban's
spokesperson's
office a
question about
Madagascar
that was never
answered. Now
on the
Security
Council's trip
to the Eastern
Congo, while
that Office
provided
notice of
media seats
first to a
sub-set who
pay the UN
Correspondents
Association,
then only
after protest
by the Free
UN Coalition
for Access
to the rest,
it's said France
chooses who
goes. This
is Ban's UN.
Watch this
site.
, 
