Inner City Press: Investigative Reporting from the United Nations

At UN, Amid Haggling on Sudan, Haysom's Hat in Ring, Pascoe Eager to Leave?

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, June 1, updated -- Twenty four hours after the US presented a draft Presidential Statement on Sudan asking for Security Council action that same day, the Council remained in negotiations on it, from 11 am Wednesday until Deputy Permanent Representatives began arriving along with a new US draft after 3 pm.

One sticking point was flagged on the margins of Tuesday's Council meeting: whether Khartoum's tanks in Abyei should be called an occupation.

China's Permanent Representative Li Baodong told Inner City Press that the word occupation will not be in the PRST. He said that Sudan is the priority for June, that China has no preference if stability is brought by UN peacekeepers or Ethiopian troops under an African Union banner.

(He added that the AU felt “marginalized” on Libya, and that China welcomes a visit to New York by an AU ministerial delegation in mid June, on which Inner City Press reported on Tuesday, click here.)

The elephant in the (consultations) room is what the future of the UN Mission in Sudan or its successor will be. Ban Ki-moon proposed 7000 peacekeepers, which Southern Sudan said is not enough.

Tuesday evening UNICEF official Hilde Johnson confirmed to Inner City Press its previous report, that she, Ian Martin and at least one other UN official are under consideration to replace Haile Menkerios as head of UNMIS.

Susan Rice, Baso Sangqu, Menkerios, PRST & replacement not shown

Inner City Press can now exclusively report the name of this “other UN official” -- it is Ban Ki-moon's savvy South African adviser on peacekeeping and political affairs Nicolas Haysom. Sources told Inner City Press a week ago that the onus for Haysom's consideration is Ban Ki-moon's on again off again policy of mobility, of no more than five years in a UN job.

Under this policy, for example, Department of Peacekeeping Operations' long time spokesman has been sent out to Somalia.

But others notice that the policy is not being applied to many of those closest to Ban, for example his chief of staff Vijay Nambiar, his (and Kofi Annan's) adviser Robert Orr, and genial DPKO chief Alain Le Roy, of whom more and more sources tell Inner City Press a (French) replacement has been chosen, akin to the proposed Lagarde for DSK switch.

The head of Ban's Department of Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe is said to one close to him to “want out, badly.” But would the UK take his spot? And if so, what of Valerie Amos?

Pascoe, even when he skips the stakout, answers on such topics as Kyrgystan. On Wednesday the Spokesperson's Office took a question for him about the mutinies in Burkina Faso. Watch this site.

Footnote: Menkerios on Tuesday evening told Inner City Press, when asked when he'll come back to New York, "when they call me." On Wednesday, Li Baodong told Inner City Press Menkerios is "experienced" and "knows both sides," and that China hopes he will stay while he is needed. We'll see.

Update of 3:50 pm -- outside the DPR level consultation, a close observer marveled to Inner City Press that the US hadn't given any time for members' experts to even confer with their DPR - the US "just keeps pushing."

Update of 4:13 pm -- the DPR's have left, two telling Inner City Press that the experts' work wasn't done, it was too early to have convened them. On the substance, some point at Southern Sudan having put a claim to own Abyei in its draft constitution a provocation, just like what's now being called the North's "takeover" (not occupation) of Abyei. Susan Rice has done in to meet with Gabon, as storm clouds (literally) gather over the UN.

Update of 4:53 pm -- as US Ambassador Susan Rice left her bilateral meeting with June's Gabonese Security Council president, Inner City Press asked her to confirm that the word “occupation” of Abyei is coming out of the PRST. It doesn't matter, she said. It's just a word.

Sources say that the alternative is “takeover.”

Inner City Press asked Ambassador Rice about the US' just announced “boycott” of the Durban III review conference. Not a boycott, she said. Non-participation.

Another word switch. And so it goes at the UN.

Update of 5:40 pm -- on the US drafted Sudan PRST, the experts meeting has broken up. Inner City Press is told it will be sent to capital, also subject to more negotiations Thursday morning under “Other Matters” alongside the program of work consultations.

This is a substantive text, an expert complained. They only introduced it yesterday afternoon - how can they expect us to just go along? Delegations had problems not only with “occupation” applied to Abyei, but also “ethnic cleansing.” Which words will be traded out? Watch this site.

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At UN, As Sudan Considers AU Force of Ethiopians, US Draft Called Too Late for Tuesday, US Disagrees

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 31, updated -- When Khartoum said they don't want the UN Mission in Sudan to remain past July 8, that doesn't necessarily mean no more peacekeepers on the border. Inner City Press asked Sudan's Permanent Representative to the UN Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman about the idea of Ethiopia sending troops, not under the UN name, and he did not say no.

Afterward, the Southern Sudan delegation pointed at that answer as significant. A representative of a Permanent member of the Council told Inner City Press that Khartoum might accept the Ethiopians under the African Union banner, or IGAD.

Later, off camera, Sudan's Ambassador Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman told Inner City Press the preference would be African Union, not hybrid, no UN at all.

An hour before the Sudan meeting of the UN Security Council, the US Mission to the UN distributed a draft Presidential Statement to the other Council members, asking for a vote on the same day.

The US, represented by Ambassador Susan Rice, explained that there was an extensive process to go through inside the US government before the draft could be circulated.

A number of other members pointed out that they too have internal government processes, and that therefore there was no way that a PRST could be voted on or even discussed on Tuesday.

A Western spokesman had come out to tell reporters that a Presidential Statement or PRST would be forthcoming, then that it was downgraded to a press statement, then that it wouldn't happen at all on Tuesday. Another representative told Inner City Press there would be consultations on a second US draft on Wednesday.

Update of 6:33 pm - When the consultations broke up at 6:30 with no outcome, Inner City Press asked Ambassador Rice to respond to the criticism that presenting a draft at 2 pm and asking for a vote that day was too late.

"A PRST is not done in one day... you've been around here long enough to know that," Ambassador Rice replied. But several non Permanent members said the US only showed the draft to them at 2 pm, and asked for a vote the same day. "Tell her that's right, it's not done in a day," one of them told Inner City Press. Even a US ally said it was not handled well. But tomorrow... is another day.

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After UN Inaction in Abyei, Ban Proposes 7000 Peacekeepers in South, But For What?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 25 -- At the most important time, as Northern forces rolled into Abyei, the UN peacekeepers in Abyei did very little, as was the case in 2008, witnesses tell Inner City Press.

What then is the future of the UN Mission in Sudan, which Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has recently recommended be continued after Southern Sudan independence on July 9, with seven thousand troops?

On May 25, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky just this:

Inner City Press: the Secretary-General’s report on the future of UNMIS (United Nations Mission in the Sudan) was, came out yesterday and proposes 7,000 troops in the south to provide protection. I just wonder, is that going to be updated in light of the events, I, presumably that have happened since this recommendation was made? And also, you didn’t mention it, but I wanted to know whether the UN is, you know, embracing this satellite imagery from the Satellite Sentinel project which seems to be showing Misseriya tribesmen heading south and… I mean, is that something… is this deployment meant to counter that? Is the idea that these Misseriya are actually going to head into South Sudan itself or simply populate and try to change the demographics of Abyei?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, we’re obviously aware of the satellite imagery reports that are out there, and I know that my colleagues in the Mission are looking into that. The deployment of additional peacekeepers to the area is to ensure that there is a clear presence to protect civilians. That’s the key role there of the peacekeepers. It is a presence which is being reinforced, as I have mentioned, and has been reinforced in the last couple of days.

With regard to the shape of any potential future mission, clearly that is for the Security Council to determine. And obviously, in the course of those discussions, new factors, including the most recent violence, could be taken into account. But that will be for the Council to determine. Obviously, the Department of Peacekeeping Operations is there with the expertise to help provide that kind of input if requested.

But DPKO itself is in some disarray. There's talk of changing leaders, both in New York and certainly in Juba. To replace Haile Menkerios, Inner City Press has already reported the candidacies of Ian Martin and Hilde Johnson. She is viewed as “too close to the SPLA” by some, leaving Ian Martin as the favorite. There is another candidate, from even closer to Ban - but more on that anon. Watch this site.

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UN Admits 2d Flight of ICC Darfur Indictee Haroun to Abyei in Sudan, Impunity

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 4, updated -- The UN has for a second time offered a free UN flight in Sudan to Ahmed Haroun, under indictment by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Darfur, the UN admitted Friday in response to questions from Inner City Press.

On March 3 the UN Security Council met about renewed fighting in the disputed Abyei region. Back in January, Inner City Press got the UN to acknowledge they had flown ICC indictee Haroun from South Kordofan, where he serves fellow ICC indictee Omar al Bashir as governor, to Abyei.

The UN has defended this controversial flight by saying that Haroun and Haroun alone could stop violence in Abyei. The UN never explained why the government of Sudan, which has an air force currently bombing civilians in Jebel Marra in Darfur, couldn't itself fly Haroun.

The UN said it was a scheduled flight, then UN Mission in Sudan chief Haile Menkerios admitted to Inner City Press that it was a special flight. Inner City Press is told such flights cost $40,000, and the UN has confirm no reimbursement has been sought from the Bashir government.

But now the violence has continued, making the UN flight of ICC indictee Haroun harder to justify even by the UN's own argument.

March 3 in front of the Security Council, Inner City Press asked Council president for March Li Baodong of China if the UN Peacekeeping official who briefed the Council, Atul Khare, had mentioned if Haroun would again be flown in a UN helicopter. Li Baodong did not directly answer.

At the March 4 UN noon briefing, Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky to confirm or deny that that the UN would once again fly ICC indictee Haroun to Abyei, even now that his work in connection with the first flight has proved ineffective.

Nesirky said he would check. Ten minutes later, Nesirky's deputy Farhan Haq announced by speaker to all UN correspondents that yes, Haroun attended today's meeting in Abyei, and yes, “he was transported” by the UN.

This UN promotes impunity, even for one of the few people indicted for war crimes by the ICC. Meanwhile Ban Ki-moon brags about the Security Council's partial referral of the situation in Libya to the ICC -- a referral that Ban Ki-moon did not even call for until after the Council voted to make the referral.

This UN is promoting and enshrining lawlessness, with no transparency or accountability. Watch this site.

Update of 3:48 pm -- Human Rights Watch, via Richard Dicker, submitted this comment:

“This is the second time in recent weeks the UN has transported Ahmed Haroun who is charged by the ICC with war crimes in Darfur. We have real concerns because the U.N. should not be in the business of transporting Haroun. There needs to be an extremely high threshold of urgency for such action by UNMIS.”

Responses have been sought from the Missions to the UN of France, the UK and the US, with the latter two asked if they knew in advance of the UN's new flight of ICC indictee Haroun. Given her statements this year about social media, & after hours of non-response by the US Mission to the UN,@AmbassadorRice has been asked directly as well. Watch this site.

Update of 4:30 pm -- Then this, from UK Mission to the UN spokesman Daniel Shepherd:

“As spokesperson, I would only reiterate the message that my two Ambassadors have both said on the record (and published by Inner City Press) first time around: that we aren’t going to second guess how UNMIS fulfills its mandate to provide good offices to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) parties in efforts to resolve differences through dialogue and negotiations. I’d only add that this work is particularly important at this sensitive time, to contain any potential escalation after the recent Abyei violence.”

We could note again that violence has persisted despite the UN flying ICC indictee Ahmed Haroun in the first time, and that it is the role of UN member states to oversee the UN Secretariat, not to defer in this case to what some see as its promotion of impunity - but at least the UK would put its position on the record.

Update of 4:43 pm -- this too has come in, perhaps in response:

Date: Fri, Mar 4, 201
Subject: Haroun and Abyei
To: Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com

You guys ask great questions! Have you noticed perhaps that the United Nations seems to be unaware of who is causing the violence in Abyei. And yet "diplomatic sources" report seeing the burial of 33 bodies - all southerners.

The Arab nomads say the violence started when SPLM police shot at them (Hitler used a similar ploy to invade Poland) - and today thousands of civilians fled Abyei fearing another crisis like in June 2008. The Dinka Ngok villages north of Abyei, such as Maker, have been burnt to the ground. The end explains the means. There is a creeping ethnic cleansing going on in the Abyei region despite the agreements of 2005 and the Court of Arbitration ruling in 2010.

Why fly Haroun to Abyei - what is his cv? It is, as you correctly point out, that of arming arab militias to burn villages. I hope to see more of your questions pinning the UN to the responsibility to protect.

Click for Mar 1, '11 BloggingHeads.tv re Libya, Sri Lanka, UN Corruption

These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund. Video Analysis here

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

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