Inner City Press

Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the United Nations to Wall Street to the Inner City

These reports are usually available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis

Google
  Search innercitypress.com Search WWW (censored?)

In Other Media-eg AJE, FP, Georgia, NYT Azerbaijan, CSM Click here to contact us     .

,



Follow us on TWITTER

Home -

These reports are usually available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis

CONTRIBUTE

RSS

ICP on YouTube

BloggingHeads.tv

UN: Sri Lanka

VoA: NYCLU

FOIA Finds  

Google, Asked at UN About Censorship, Moved to Censor the Questioner, Sources Say, Blaming UN - Update - Editorial

Support this work by buying this book

Click on cover for secure site orders

also includes "Toxic Credit in the Global Inner City"
 

 

 


Community
Reinvestment

Bank Beat

Freedom of Information
 

How to Contact Us



After French Embassy in Bangui Attacked, UN Counts on Chad Process

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 26 -- As the SELEKA rebels in Central African Republic have continued taking town after town, the UN Security Council has not met on CAR since a December 19 session called by former ruler France.

  Now with the French embassy in Bangui subject to violent protest, French president Francois Hollande has told his Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to take "all necessary" protective measures.

  At noon on both December 24 and December 26, Inner City Press posed questions to the top three spokesman of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about the Central African Republic:

D24-1 In Central African Republic, what is the UN system presence if any in the rebel-taken towns of Bambari, Ippy and Ndassima? In light of the Secretary General's recent speech to the Security Council about the Peacebuilding Commission, what is his comment on the CAR Peacebuilding Configuration being without a chair?

Dec 26-3 In Central African Republic, what is the UN system presence if any in the rebel-taken towns of Kaga Bandoro (and, as asked before, Bambari, Ippy and Ndassima? Any comment on the violent protests at the French embassy in Bangui?

   None of these questions were responded to by 6 pm on December 26.

   At that time, however, Ban's office issued a statement, including that "The Secretary-General reminds the Government of the Central African Republic of its responsibility to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and its premises... The Secretary-General welcomes the conclusions of the Summit of the Heads of State of the Economic Community of the Central African States (ECCAS) held in Ndjamena on 21 December 2012. He urges all parties to abide by the decisions of the Summit, which provide a basis for a peaceful resolution of the dispute.

"The Secretary-General appeals to all parties to refrain from any acts of violence against civilians, including sexual and gender-based violence. He calls on all parties to ensure the protection of civilians and to respect human rights, in conformity with international instruments to which the Central African Republic is a party. The Secretary-General confirms the readiness of the United Nations to continue to support the Central African Republic in overcoming challenges to the consolidation of peace."

   But what has the UN done for the Central African Republic?

  It has an office there which, as shown, has been shot through with nepotism and corruption. It has allowed its Peacebuilding Configuration to wander aimlessly without a chair for months.

  Now, after attacks on the French embassy, it relies on a process in Chad, which supplies both most of the rebels -- according to the UN's own expert on sexual violence and conflict -- as well as the forces for Bozize to fight them.

   Arsonist and fireman: haven't we heard that before, about the Great Lakes? On this one, the UN is just phoning it in. Watch this site.

Share |

* * *

These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for Sept 26, 2011 New Yorker on Inner City Press at UN

Click for  BloggingHeads.tv re Libya, Sri Lanka, UN Corruption

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

UN Office: S-253, UN, NY 10017 USA Tel: 212-963-1439

Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540

Google
  Search innercitypress.com  Search WWW (censored?)

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

            Copyright 2006-2012 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com