On
Gambia, As ICP
Asks of 3
Radio Stations
Closed, UN
Cites Its
Contacts
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 5 – As
in The Gambia
Yahya Jammeh
moved on
December 1 to
shut off the
Internet (and
Viber, etc)
for the / his
election,
there was
again a
deafening
silence from
the UN and its
“communications”
chief Cristina
Gallach.
On
January 5,
Inner City
Press asked
holdover UN
spokesman
Stephane Dujarric,
video
here, UN transcript
here:
Inner
City Press:
about
Gambia.
The electoral
commission
chief has gone
into hiding,
and the
Government has
closed three
radio
stations, one
of which
reopened with
no news on
it. So
what's the
status of the
UN's work on
this holdover
presidency?
Spokesman:
We've had…
various UN
officials have
had contacts
with parties
involved, and
obviously we
would like to
see and are
very keen to
see a peaceful
resolution to
the current
crisis in the
Gambia and,
notably, the…
for the
President… the
outgoing
President to
leave way for
the President
that was just
elected.
Back
on December
22, 2016, video here, Inner City Press
asked about
the
replacement of
Gambia's
"Permanent"
Representative
to the UN
Mamadou
Tangara by the
Deputy Sam
Sarr, about
whose
previously
F-bomb filled
threat to kill
the opposition
Inner City
Press asked
the UN in May,
here.
On the morning
of December
27, Inner City
Press asked
three UN
spokespeople:
"On
Gambia, please
state if the
UN Secretariat
has been
informed that
Sam Sarr is
the new
Permanent
Representative,
and please
provide the
Secretary
General's
view, as Inner
City Press requested on May
11, 2016,
of the audio
of Sam Sarr
saying if he
were in
charge, he'd
shoot all the
protesters."
A week later,
from the UN's
spokespeople
no answer, not
even a
confirmation
of receipt -
while they threatened
legal action
for reporting
on Ban's
corruption.
On
January 3,
Inner City
Press asked
lead spokeman
Stephane
Duajrric, who
bragged he'll
be staying on
for at least
six more
months, about
Gambia and
Sarr, UN
Transcript
here:
Inner
City Press:
I’d also asked
you on Gambia…
I know that
there have
been a lot of
statements
before the
holiday, but
has Sam Sarr,
the previous
Deputy
Permanent
Representative,
officially
registered
himself as a
Permanent
Representative?
Because
something was
taped saying
his opponent
should be
killed.
Spokesman:
I don’t
know. We
can check with
the protocol
office.
That could and
should have
been done a
week ago.
, 
