UN
Relies
on
ICC-Indictee
in Sudan,
Dodges on
Mining in DRC,
Haitian
Whispers
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 25 --
When the UN
was asked
Thursday about
Sudan
barring
international
aid groups
from Southern
Kordofan, it
cited to
its meetings
with the
International
Criminal Court
indicted
governor
of the state,
Ahmed Haroun.
When
asked about a
UN
staff member
in the Congo
charged with
illegally
transporting
casserite,
the UN stress
it cooperated
with the local
authorities,
who convicted
the UN staff
in one day
(the UN could
not say if the
staff member
even had a
lawyer.)
And
when asked
about
a petition to
act against
evictions in
Haiti, the UN
said publicly
it
didn't know if
it got the
letter -- then
answered only
by its
internal
announcement
system, with
no notice to
the Press
which asked
the question.
To this has
the UN
descended:
relying on and
transporting
ICC indictees,
dodging on its
staff's
transportation
of illegally
mine
casserite, and
belatedly
whispering
assurances
against
evictions.
Some argue
that if the UN
at its
headquarters
in New York is
unable or
unwilling to
answer
questions,
they should be
directed to
the
peacekeeping
missions in
the field. But
questions
e-mailed to
UNAMID in
Darfur have
not garnered
any answers.
In
each of these
countries, the
UN has
expensive
peacekeeping
missions. But
since
August 10, its
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations has
been
headless.
Alain Le Roy
left; fellow
Frenchman Jerome
Bonnafont is
already being
congratulated
by French
politicians
like
Jean-Marie
Bockel for
getting the
post, but
the UN refuses
to confirm.
From
right: Haq,
Ban, Pascoe
& Kim,
Sudan, DRC
& Haiti
answers not
shown
From
the UN's
transcription
of its August
25 noon
briefing:
Inner
City
Press: in
Southern
Kordofan,
there has been
an
announcement
by
President
[Omer
al-]Bashir of
Sudan that no
foreign aid
groups can
enter, that
all aid will
be delivered
through the
Sudanese Red
Crescent...
other than
UNMIS [United
Nations
Mission in
Sudan], there
is still some,
I guess, an
OCHA [Office
for the
Coordination
of
Humanitarian
Affairs]
desire to be
there; is
there any
response to
this, do they
think that’s a
legitimate way
to deliver aid
there?
Acting
Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq:
Well,
certainly we
have
repeatedly
asked for
humanitarian
access in
Southern
Kordofan and I
would stress
the need again
for such
humanitarian
access. As you
know, we did
have a
humanitarian
team go there
just a few
days ago and
provided
some details
about their
work at the
time, and we
are hopeful to
get
some further
details from
that team now
that their
work is
concluded.
Inner
City
Press: But it
seemed like
the
announcement
at that time
was that
there had been
these meetings
with Ahmed
Haroun, that
everything was
on track and
then Bashir
has now said
there is no
foreign aid
workers
allowed in --
Acting
Deputy
Spokesperson:
Well, I
wouldn’t
respond to
media reports
about such
comments. Our
basic point is
that we do
need continued
humanitarian
access, and
we’ve pressed
for that in
the past and
we’ll continue
to do so.
Inner
City
Press: Can I
also ask, a
very fast
trial in the
Congo of the
national staff
member found
transporting
cassiterite to
Rwanda. He
has been
sentenced to
three years,
and I wonder,
what has the
UN
learned from?
What
precautions
are going to
take place
that other
MONUSCO
[United
Nations
Organization
Stabilization
Mission in the
Democratic
Republic of
Congo] members
don’t engage
in
transporting
of illegally
mined
substances?
Acting
Deputy
Spokesperson:
Well, as you
know about
this, the
important
point is that
MONUSCO, the
UN Mission in
the Democratic
Republic of
Congo, did
fully
cooperate with
and support
the national
authorities
in the
investigation
of this
incident. And
we also did
launch our
own
investigation
into what
appears to be
a serious
breach of the
Mission’s
ethics, rules
and
regulations,
and we’ll see
what the
results of
that
investigation
will be.
Inner
City
Press: Looking
at it from a
different
perspective,
it’s a
trial that’s
done that
quickly; is
that… is that
within the
UN’s
view of sort
of due
process? He
was charged
last week and
has now
been sentenced
to three years
after a
one-day trial.
Is that, did
the UN provide
him with any
legal
assistance or
just, did he
have a
lawyer?
Acting
Deputy
Spokesperson:
Well, first of
all, like I
said, we
cooperated
with the
national
authorities in
this. We have
people on the
ground
so we can see
whether the
trial was
conducted
properly. But
in any
case, both the
Congolese
authorities
and the UN had
been
investigating
this incident.
Our
investigation,
like I said,
continues, and
the basic
point is, as
Roger Meece
pointed out,
any
allegation of
a member of
staff being
implicated in
such illegal
activities
will be fully
investigated
and
appropriate
action taken,
in full
cooperation
with the
Congolese
authorities.
Inner
City
Press: May I
also ask a
question about
Haiti? Here is
a letter
from many
human rights
groups to Ban
Ki-moon, Navi
Pillay, Nigel
Fisher, asking
the UN to get
involved in
calling for a
moratorium on
evictions in
Haiti. I am
wondering if
you’ve… if —
it’s
dated 23
August — has
the letter
been received,
and what is…
what
is… what does
MINUSTAH
[United
Nations
Stabilization
Mission in
Haiti] say
about the
evictions that
have been
taking place
in Haiti?
Acting
Deputy
Spokesperson:
Well, first of
all I’d have
to check
whether
the letter has
been received.
So, we’ll
check on that.
Have a
good day.
Then
the
UN added to
its
transcript,
hours later
without
e-mailing any
answer to
Inner City
Press, the
following:
[The
Acting
Deputy
Spokesperson
later added
that it is the
primary
responsibility
of the State
to protect
internally
displaced
persons,
as per
international
human rights
law and also
the Guiding
Principle
on Internal
Displacement.
Forced
evictions are
not acceptable
and we
have been
advocating
tirelessly
with local
authorities
and landowners
to ensure
implementation
of
international
best practices
and human
rights
standards.]
To
this has this
UN
descended.
Watch this
site.
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