Week
After UNIFIL
Peacekeeper
Killed, UNSC
Minimal
Statement
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 28 --
A full week
after a UN
Peacekeeper from Spain
was killed in
Lebanon, the
UN Security
Council
finally agreed
on a minimalistic
Press Statement:
“The
members of the
Council
condemned in
the strongest
terms the
killing of a
UNIFIL Spanish
Peacekeeper
which occurred
in the context
of fire exchanges
along the blue
line on
January 28.
“The
members of the
Security
Council
expressed
deepest
sympathy to
the
family of the
fallen
peacekeeper
and the
Government of
Spain.”
“The
members of the
Security
Council look
forward to the
immediate
completion of
UNIFIL's full
and
comprehensive
investigation
to
determine the
facts and
circumstances.”
That's how
Inner City
Press
transcribed it
- even a half
an hour after
it was read
out, the UN
Spokesperson's
Office did not
have an
official copy,
and unlike
other Press
Statements,
Council
members weren't
tweeting it
and putting it
on their own
Missions'
websites.
At
2:29 pm, it
went out:
Members
of the
Security
Council
condemned in
the strongest
terms the
killing of a
UNIFIL Spanish
peacekeeper
which occurred
in the context
of fire
exchanges
along the Blue
Line on 28
January 2015.
The
Members of the
Security
Council
expressed
their deepest
sympathy to
the family of
the fallen
peacekeeper
and to the
Government of
Spain.
The Members of
the Security
Council looked
forward to the
immediate
completion of
UNIFIL’s full
and
comprehensive
investigation
to determine
the facts and
circumstances
of the
incident.
(As Inner City
Press reported
earlier today,
UN
Peacekeeping
left UNmarked
the death of
three Moroccan
peacekeepers
in Code
d'Ivoire for
EIGHT days, click
here for that.)
After Security
Council
president Liu
Jieyi read the
Press
Statement,
Inner City
Press asked
him if there
had been a discussion
about who was
responsible
for the
killing. Liu
Jieyi replied
that of course
different
members had
differenct
focuses but
this was the
consensus
statement.
This is high
stakes. UNIFIL
put out a
press release
earlier on
February 4:
The
Head of
Mission and
Force
Commander of
UNIFIL,
Major-General
Luciano
Portolano,
today chaired
a regular
tripartite
meeting with
senior
officers from
the Lebanese
Armed Forces
(LAF) and the
Israel Defense
Forces (IDF)
at the UN
Position at
Ras Al Naqoura
crossing.
In
light of the
events of
28th
January, much
of the
discussion
centered on
ensuring a
return to calm
and stability
in UNIFIL’s
area of
operations. In
addition to
the recent
incidents, the
participants
discussed the
implementation
of relevant
provisions of
UN Security
Council
resolution
1701 under
UNIFIL’s
mandate,
including air
and ground
violations,
the ongoing
visible
marking of the
Blue Line and
the issue of
withdrawal of
Israeli forces
from
northernGhajar.
Major-General
Portolano
said: “I
conveyed the
UN
Secretary-General
message of
concern over
the serious
deterioration
of the
security
situation, to
refrain from
any action
that could
undermine the
stability of
the area and
to act
responsibly to
prevent any
escalation in
an already
tenseregional
environment.
The
Secretary-General
urged respect
for the
sovereignty
and
territorial
integrity of
all countries
in the region,
and adherence
to all
relevant
Security
Council
resolutions.
“I was
re-assured by
both sides of
their
commitment to
using liaison
and
coordination
channels,
including the
tripartite
mechanism to
preserve
stability and
prevent any
further
escalation of
the situation
in UNIFIL’s
area of
operations.”
Bacak on
January 28, UN
Peacekeeping
deputy Edmond
Mulet briefed
the UN
Security
Council.
Afterward, at
least until 9
pm, the only
output was
"elements to
the press,"
followed by
Spanish
Permanent
Representative
Roman
Oyurzun
Marchesi's
first stakeout
since
joining the
Security
Council four
weeks ago.
Will an
internal UN
investigation
be enough for
Spain? The
question was
not taken or
answered, yet.
His answer
that it came
from the
Israeli side,
in response to
Hezbollah, was
widely
reported as
Spain blaming
Israel. But Reuters
and France 24,
for example,
said France
asked for the
meeting, when
the Security
Council's
president said
the request
was from the
UK.
Reuters said Herve
Ladsous
would be the
briefing - but
he was not,
rather it was
Edmond Mulet.
Mulet
told the Press
that a UNIFIL
"Board of
Inquiry" will
look into the
death, and
that its
report will be
public.
Inner City
Press asked
Mulet how long
it would
taken. Mulet
said UNIFIL
has been asked
to expedite
the Board of
Inquiry.
We note that
UNlike the
head of UN
Peacekeeping,
Herve Ladsous,
who refuses to
answer Press
questions
(most recent
video here)
Mulet did his
job, answering
factual
questions
about UN
Peacekeeping.
Maybe he
should be in
charge. We'll
haver more on
this.
, 
