On CAR,
Calls for ICC,
France Kept
Bozize-Era
Judge in NY 2
Weeks to Speak
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 1 --
On Central
African
Republic
following a
closed-door UN
Security
Council
dialogue
co-chaired by
France and
Rwanda, French
Ambassador
Gerard Araud
told the press
that a full UN
peacekeeping
mission will
probably be
needed, but an
African force
would go
first.
Inner
City Press
asked Araud to
confirm what
several
participants
in the
meeting had
told it, that
prosecution by
the
International
Criminal
Court had been
raised in the
meeting.
Araud didn't
answer
directly,
saying this
has been
addressed by
Rwanda's
Permanent
Representative
Eugene-Richard
Gasana. (We'll
have more on
this in a
subsequent
story.)
After
Araud left, a
woman
introduced as
a judge in CAR
also spoke,
saying the
justice system
everywhere but
in the capital
Bangui has
fallen apart.
Inner City
Press asked
her is she had
served as a
judge under
overthrown
French-supported,
coup-installed
leader Bozize;
she said
yes.
She
had come to
the Security
Council in New
York to speak
on October 18,
but has
remained in
New York for
the two weeks
since on
France's tab,
in order to
speak at this
CAR meeting.
The
explanation
came in her
next answer.
When Inner
City Press
asked if the
ICC should now
be
involved, she
said yes.
Only
the previous
day, ministers
from the
African Union
complained to
the
Security
Council about
the ICC's
relations with
Africa:
all of its
cases are on
the the
Continent, and
deferrals
which are
specified in
Article 16
seem
impossible to
get.
Will there
now, before
any vote on
the AU's
request for a
deferral of
the ICC's
Kenya
proceedings,
be
the beginning
of another ICC
Africa case?
The
CAR is another
former French
colony left in
chaos.
Investigative
journalism has
shown that
European
consuls and
ambassadors
there
break all laws
to make money.
Perhaps they
should be
referred to
the
ICC? Watch
this site.
Footnotes:
UN
Humanitarian
John Ging,
when Inner
City Press
asked him on
his way
in, said
momentum
should be kept
up on the CAR;
he previously
told
Inner City
Press aid
workers don't
want to be
escorted by
soldiers
but rather
build a
"culture of
acceptance
through
delivery"
of services -
a good idea.
During
the meeting,
some Permanent
Representatives
left,
presumably for
bilaterals
with incoming
president of
the Security
Council for
November, Liu
Jieyi of
China.
Morocco's
Ambassador
Loulichki left
at
10:38 -- then
was headed
back 20
minutes later
at 11 am.
US
Ambassador
Samantha Power
left at 10:52
am. She waved,
but we're
still waiting
for her answer
on the US
position on
the African
Union's
request for an
ICC deferral
for Kenya.
Longer form analysis
on BeaconReader
site, here.
We'll have
more on
this.
, 
