Ban
Meets Uganda's
Rugunda, Cites
Burundi,
Critique
UNdermined
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, June
9 -- Ban
Ki-moon's
meeting with
Uganda's Prime
Minister
Ruhakana
Rugunda was
announced, at
least to the
press, only
hours before
it happened.
Inner City
Press,
remembering
Rugunda from
his time as
Ugandan
Ambassador
while the
country was an
elected member
of the
Security
Council, went
for the
photo-op. Periscope video here, pre
photo here,
staged
handshake here.
With Ban were
only two other
UN officials,
compared to
four on the
Ugandan side,
including the
Deputy
Permanent
Representative
who helped a
Ugandan
videographer
get to the
photo op. More
than three
hours later,
Ban's
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric
issued this
read-out:
“The
Secretary-General
expressed his
gratitude and
appreciation
for the
continued
sacrifices
made by the
Ugandan troops
of AMISOM in
Somalia, and
emphasized the
critical
importance of
AMISOM staying
the course
against
Al-Shabaab for
the sake of
Somalia and
regional
security. He
also commended
Uganda’s
efforts to
address the
situation in
Burundi,
underlining
that Burundi
remains a
continuing
priority
concern for
the UN.
“Regarding
South Sudan,
the
Secrurity-General
urged regional
countries to
stay fully
engaged with
the two
leaders and
impress upon
them the need
the implement
the peace
agreement
fully and
without delay.
The
Secretary-General
conveyed his
concerns about
recent
allegations of
serious human
rights
violations,
including
sexual
exploitation
and abuse,
involving
Ugandan forces
in the Central
African
Republic. He
also raised
the case of
the opposition
leader, Mr
Kizza
Besigye.”
What about
Western Sahara,
a topic on
which Rugunda
spoke
passionately
while on the
Security
Council? The
reference to
Burundi rings
hollow; the
criticism
tacked onto
the end is
inevitably
seen in light
of Ban's
decision to
drop
shame-listing
of Saudi
Arabia after
financial
threats. Are
only poorer
countries to
be criticized?
It
must also be
seen in light
of Ban's UN's
pretextual
targeting and
eviction of
the Press, New
York Times
here,
petition with
1500
signatures (ignored
by UN so far)
here,
"Aide
Memoire" here.
This
is the
dynamic, the
erosion, that
Ban Ki-moon
has opened up.
Watch this
site.
, 
