By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 13, updated
-- The UN has
kept quiet for
more than a
week
while three of
its catering
contractors
have been held
hostage by the
SLM-Minnawi
rebels in
Darfur. On
August 13,
seeing a
report of that
date of a
helicopter
held by the
SLM-M, Inner
City Press
wrote to UN
spokespeople
in New York
for
confirmation.
The
response
showed that
rather than
announce the
hostage taking
on
August 5, the
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations
under Herve
Ladsous
told the UN
Spokesperson's
office to only
disclose it
"if
asked." And
the transcript
shows it
wasn't asked.
DPKO
was willing to
say this back
on August 5:
On
3
August 2013,
the helicopter
of a African
Union/United
Nations
Mission in
Darfur
(UNAMID)
contractor,
tasked with
delivering
supplies to
various UNAMID
locations in
South Darfur,
made an
emergency
landing due to
severe weather
conditions.
Upon
landing,
50 kilometers
southeast of
Nyala town,
the crew
members were
detained by
members of the
Sudan
Liberation
Army - Mini
Manawi
(SLA/MM).
Communication
is
being
maintained
with all
parties and
negotiations
are underway
for the safe
release of the
crew, as well
as the
recovery of
the
helicopter.
But
it didn't
say it; the
same phrase
was belatedly
used a week
later by
the
spokesperson
for the UNAMID
mission. Inner
City Press
asked
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesperson
again, what
has happened
with the hostages?
This was the
reply:
"Communication
is
being
maintained
with all
parties and
negotiations
are underway
for the safe
release of the
crew, as well
as the
recovery of
the
helicopter.
There is
nothing
further to
report at this
stage."
So
the UN, or at
least Ladsous'
DPKO, keeps
quiet about
some hostage
takings, but
not others. Is
this only for
safety
reasons? Or is
there
a political
element? Ladsous
was France's
Deputy
Permanent
Representative
at the UN
during the
Rwanda
genocide,
arguing for
the
escape of genocidaires
into Eastern
Congo.
Would his DPKO
stay quiet
for a week if
a staff member
was taken
hostage by the
M23? Watch
this
site.
, 
