US
Opposes
Eritrea
President
Meeting
Security
Council, Rice
Tells Press
Why
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 3 --
Facing
sanctions,
the President
of Eritrea
Isaias Afwerki
has asked to
meet with the
UN Security
Council. Going
beyond Inner
City Press' initial
exclusive
story,
several
Council
members on
Thursday told
the Press that
the United
States -- one
said
"only the US"
-- is opposed
to Afwerki
speaking to
the
Council.
By
contrast,
South
Africa's
Permanent
Representative
Baso Sangqu
stopped and
told Inner
City Press "I
don't there
anything wrong
with hearing
from the
President" of
Eritrea. China
said it
supports
Afwerki's
request
to address the
Council.
Under
Nigeria's
presidency in
October,
Nigeria wrote
back to
Afwerki and
said that the
request was
received and
was being
discussed. Now
it's
said it will
be the subject
of a closed
door Security
Council
consultation,
under the
heading "Any
Other
Business."
Late
Thursday
morning Inner
City Press
asked USUN:
"what
is
the US Mission
position is on
Eritrea's
President's
request to
speak to the
Security
Council?
Several
Council
members I've
spoken
with support
the request,
and not only
if all of
Eritrea's
neighbors
are also
included in
the particular
session. What
is the US
position
and why?"
Five
hours later
US Ambassador
Susan Rice
stopped to
answer when
Inner City
Press
asked "is the
US against the
idea of the
President of
Eritrea
briefing the
Council?"
She
paused and
then told
Inner City
Press, "We had
the foreign
ministers come
in July. That
was sufficient
drama for my
taste. I think
if one comes,
they'll call
come. I'm not
sure what
we'll hear
that's much
different. I
think any
time you bring
together
leaders at
that level
with the
degree of
tension that
exists between
them. It's not
going to
promote
improved
relations or
greater peace
and stability.
So I think we
have to be
very cautious
about it and
thoughtful
about it."
The
answer is
appreciated.
But some point
out that
generally if a
head of state
asks to
address the
Security
Council,
particularly
one which is
facing, as first
reported
by Inner City
Press, a
new
round of
sanctions from
the Council,
the head of
state is or
should
be heard. Now
Ambassador
Rice has made
an argument
why, in this
case, the
request could
or should be
denied
because, she
says, it
does not
"promote
improved
relations or
greater peace
and
stability."
The
July drama to
which Susan
Rice referred
took place a closed door
meeting in the
UN's North
Lawn building
exclusively
reported
by Inner City
Press. (Click
here for
Inner City
Press interview
with Afwerki's
adviser Yemane.)
Susan Rice
takes position
in UNSC,
Afwerki not
shown
As the
Security
Council broke
up late on
Thursday,
Inner City
Press asked
November's
Council
president
Portuguese
Ambassador
Cabral for his
view. Passing
the media pen
outside the
Council he
said that if a
country which
is on the
Security
Council's
agenda asks to
be heard, it
should be. You
can discuss
the format, he
said, but the
country should
be heard.
You heard it
here
first.
Watch this
site.
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