On
Boko Haram, No
UNSC Action on
MNJTF, Chapter
VII &
Funding Qs
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, June
11-- The
long-delayed
UN Security
Council
resolution on
Boko Haram and
the
Multi-National
Joint Task
Force has
still not been
adopted, two
months and
counting since
the French
presidency of
the Council in
which it was
predicted.
Inner City
Press is
informed by
the Permanent
Representative
of one of the
MNJTF
countries that
the hold up
has been the
change of
government in
Nigeria, and
continuing
questions
under Buhari
whether Nigeria
would accept a
resolution
under Chapter
VII of the UN
Charter, or
only Chapter
VI. But where
is the funding?
On June 11 the
head of the UN
Office on
Central
African Abdoulaye
Bathily told
the Security
Council that
“Boko
Haram remained
a serious
threat to the
Lake Chad
Basin region.
The dire
humanitarian
situation in
this region,
resulting from
attacks
perpetrated by
Boko Haram,
continued to
affect the
population,
including
hundreds of
thousands of
innocent
civilians in
Cameroon and
Chad.
Insecurity and
insufficient
resources
continued to
strain the
already
stretched
response
capacities of
governments
and UN
entities in
the affected
countries.
“The Economic
Community of
Central
African States
demonstrated
its commitment
to address the
Boko Haram
threat during
several
Summits of
Heads of State
and
Government.
The deployment
of Chadian
groups to the
border areas
of Cameroon
and Nigeria
and the recent
inauguration
of the
Headquarters
of the
Multinational
Joint Task
Force on Boko
Haram signaled
increasing
cooperation
between States
in the fight
against Boko
Haram.
“Military
operations
have put Boko
Haram on the
defensive, but
recent attacks
by the
terrorist
group
highlight the
need for the
affected
states to
remain
vigilant and
engaged. While
the fight
against Boko
Haram is not
over, we must
start looking
ahead to the
stabilization
phase in order
to secure
military
gains. This
will involve
international
support" --
But
where is the
international
support?
Back on
March 30 Inner
City Press
asked French
Ambassador
Francois
Delattre if it
is agreed that
the
resolution,
which faces
other issues
about the
trust fund and
financing,
should be
under Chapter
VII of the UN
Charter.
Delattre
reiterated
that
negotiations
continued; he
is understood
to later have
told another
diplomat that
consultations
at the Deputy
Permanent
Representative
or Permanent
Representative
level would be
needed. Nothing
came of it.
Since
then the scandal
of France's
Sangaris force
in the Central
African
Republic
has broken and
continues to
develop...
Back on
January 19,
with Boko
Haram reaching
beyond
Nigeria, Chad
has sent its
forces into
Cameroon.
Inner City
Press asked
Chad's
ambassador to
the UN if his
country wants
a UN
resolution and
UN funding.
Yes, he
said,
unfortunately
the Security
Council has
yet to ask but
is expected to
adopt a
Presidential
Statement
later on
January 19
(see below.)
A
Presidential
Statement, of
course,
doesn't
provide any
funding for
soldiers.
Back on
December 8,
Inner City
Press reported
on the push
by Chad,
Cameroon and
others to get
a UN Security
Council
resolution.
They hoped for
it that month,
but later
other Council
members told
Inner City
Press of
resistance
from members
who wanted to
see more
details;
theses sources
complained of
Security
Council double
standards.
Chad,
which already
expressed
anger that the
UN's "Sahel"
office is not
headquartered
in one of the
Sahel
countries and
at being taken
for granted
by, among
others, its
predecessor as
Security
Council
president,
still seems
ready to push
for a
resolution -
and
funding.
The
Presidential
Statement read
out past 6 pm
on January 19
urged more
planning,
while praising
Chad or at
least the vote
in Chad's
National
Assembly. The
rush was
before a
January 20
meeting in
Niger. What's
that phrase?
"Show me the
money."
The
Security
Council's
January 19
Presidential
Statement,
S/PRST/2015/4,
"takes note of
the decision
of the Lake
Chad Basin
Commission
Member States
and Benin to
operationalize
the
Multinational
Joint Task
Force,
including
through the
establishment
of a joint
Headquarters
and the
deployment of
national
contingents,
to conduct
military
operations
against Boko
Haram.”
It "welcomes
the vote by
the National
Assembly of
Chad on 16
January 2015
which
authorized
Chadian armed
troops and
security
forces to
assist
Cameroonian
and Nigerian
soldiers in
the fight
against Boko
Haram
terrorists.”
And it
“welcomes
plans for a
regional
meeting in
Niamey, Niger,
on 20 January
2015 to
discuss the
regional
response to
the threat
posed by Boko
Haram. The
Security
Council urges
the LCBC
Member States
and Benin to
undertake
further
planning
toward the
sustainable,
viable and
effective
operationalization
of the
Multinational
Joint Task
Force.”
Doesn't
sustainable
mean money?
Watch this
site.
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