On
Mali UN Won't
Say When Ban
Confirmed UNSC
Satisfaction
with Plan of
France
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 14 --
On Mali, UN
Security
Council Resolution
2085
requires that
Ban Ki-moon as
Secretary-General
"confirm in
advance the
Council's
satisfaction
with the
planned
military
offensive
operation."
On
January 12 in
writing, then
again at the
January 14 UN
noon briefing,
Inner City
Press asked
when and how
Ban confirmed
the Council's
satisfaction.
Deputy
Spokesperson
Eduardo del
Buey, even 42
hours after
getting the
question in
writing, had
no answer.
He
referred to an
upcoming 3 pm
Monday
Security
Council
consultation
with the head
of Ban's
Department of
Political
Affairs
Jeffrey
Feltman --
which can't
cure the
"confirm in
advance"
requirement --
and to Ban's
telephone
calls with
French foreign
minister
Fabius and
Cote d'Ivoire
president
Ouattara.
Ban
would have had
to speak with
representatives
of all 15
Council
members, and
there is no
indication
that he did.
Inner City
Press has
asked for a
formal
statement of
when and how
Ban "confirmed
in
advance" the
Council's
satisfaction,
as required by
Resolution
2085. Watch
this site.
Footnote:
Inner
City Press
also asked Del
Buey about the
reported
takeover of
Diabaly; this
question was
not answered.
What IS the
UN's role in
and
knowledge of
the conflict
in Mali? We'll
see.
, 
