At
UN, S. Africa
Sangqu on
Missions in
Somalia, Mali
& DRC,
Fight
for Fairness
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 3 --
After two
years on the
UN Security
Council,
South African
diplomat Baso
Sangqu held
his wrap-up
press
conference
on Thursday
before taking
up a new
position in
Addis Ababa.
Inner
City Press
asked Sangqu
about the UN's
relations with
the African
Union and
African
regional
organizations,
in Somalia, Mali and
the
Democratic
Republic of
Congo.
In
Somalia, just
before South
Africa left
the Security
Council, it
led
the push for
the African
Union position
that the naval
component of
the AMISOM
mission,
that is Kenyan
ships, should
be made a
compensated
part of
AMISOM. But
this was
rebuffed or
deferred by
the
UK, which "has
the pen."
Sangqu
hearkened
back to the
push for
African
peacekeeping
in Somalia
begun
in the Council
by his
predecessor
Dumisani
Kumalo, and
said the force
should still
be "re-hatted"
and properly
compensated.
He
called on the
Council's
other African
members to
keep up the
push.
Inner City
Press will be
asking new
member Rwanda.
Likewise
on
Mali, Sangqu
said that the
AFISMA mission
should be paid
for out
of UN
assessments,
not only on a
voluntary
basis.
On DRC he
quoted
Uganda's
Yoweri
Museveni on
the MONUSCO
mission having
turned into
military
"tourism," and
said
discussion are
underway that
might -- might
-- see South
African troops
in DRC serving
in an
international
neutral force.
In
his opening
statement,
Sangqu brought
up Western
Sahara, an
issue on
which South
African like
Uganda before
it has taken
the lead in
pushing the
African Union
position:
referendum
with
self-determination
as an option.
Will Rwanda
take that
banner up,
this year with
Morocco on the
Council, and
then in 2014
without?
Inner
City Press for
the Free UN
Coalition for
Access, FUNCA,
thanked not
only Sangqu
but the rest
of the South
African
mission team
for their
openness over
the last two
years.
From Deputy
Doc Mashabane
to
political
coordinator
Zaheer Laheer,
from Cedrick
Crowley to
spokesperson
Nomfanelo
Kota, from its
able
representative
on the 1540
Committee to
its legacy in
the current
President of
the General
Assembly's
office, it's
been a good
run. To be
repeated.
Footnote,
inside
baseball:
After Inner
City Press
said this
thank-you on
behalf
of the new Free UN Coalition for Access, the
fill-in
representative
of the old,
some say
outdated group
cut in rudely,
"Jesus
Christ." Video
here, from
Minute 7:34.
There was no
need for it:
certainly
there must be
room for two
groups,
multi-party
democracy,
in any UN with
South Africa
in it.
But
for now FUNCA
fliers
announcing its
principles
(Freedom,
Fairness)
are torn down.
As was said*
in the first
15 seconds of
the archived
webcast, video
here, UNCA
or its
representative
are "normally
antagonistic."
In fact in
2012 at
least three of
them tried
to
dis-accredit
the Press,
and met
with the UN
about it.
And so, South
Africa style,
a new party or
movement is
born. Thank
you, South
Africa.
* -
this was not a
blooper but
refreshing and
needed candor.
But will the
UN now try to
edit it out?
Watch this
site.
, 
