As US
Speaks Against
Violence in
Sudan, Are
Tabit Rapes
Forgotten?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, May 8,
more
here --
Amid charges
that the UN in
Sudan,
including
Herve Ladsous'
UN
Peacekeeping
in Darfur, has
colluded with
the
authorities in
Khartoum to
cover up rapes
like those in
Tabit, several
UN Security
Council members
including the
US have vowed
to continue to
pursue the
truth at
Tabit. But
will they?
On May
8 the US
issued a
detailed
statement
about violence
in Sudan,
naming rebel
groups too -
but it did not
mention the
Tabit rapes.
Why not? Here
is the US
statement:
The
United States
is gravely
concerned
about the
continuing
fighting in
Sudan’s Darfur
region and
Southern
Kordofan and
Blue Nile
states.
Actions by the
Sudanese
government and
armed
opposition
groups,
especially
following the
return of some
elements of
the Justice
and Equality
Movement
(JEM), have
displaced
countless
civilians this
year and
exacerbated an
already
serious
humanitarian
crisis.
We urge the
Sudan
Revolutionary
Front (SRF),
all other
armed groups,
and the
Government of
Sudan to cease
hostilities,
to respect
their
obligations
under
international
humanitarian
law, in
particular
with regard to
the protection
of civilians,
and to ensure
safe, timely,
and unhindered
access for aid
organizations
as called for
by the United
Nations
Security
Council
(UNSC).
A political
solution is
essential to
attaining
sustainable
peace in
Sudan. We urge
Sudanese
government and
opposition
leaders to
take the bold
steps needed
to secure
peace for all
Sudanese.
Years of
fighting have
made clear
that there is
no military
solution to
the conflicts
in Sudan.
We condemn the
recent attacks
against the
United
Nations-African
Union Mission
in Darfur
(UNAMID)
peacekeepers
in Kass, South
Darfur
state.
The UNSC has
made clear
that UNAMID is
authorized to
defend itself
against
attacks, as
occurred in
this incident.
We call on the
Government of
Sudan to bring
the
perpetrators
of such
violence to
account and to
take all
necessary
action to
prevent future
attacks.
The Government
of Sudan has
the
responsibility
to defuse
tensions in
the area and
prevent future
attacks on
UNAMID
personnel."
Why not at
least mention
Tabit?
Back
in December
the UN said it
would fight to
keep its
Resident
Coordinator
Ali Al Za'tari
in the
country.
That was the
UN's response
to Za'tari
being ordered
to leave Sudan
by January 2,
Inner City
Press first
reported.
Inner City
Press
similarly exclusively
reported,
and asked
the UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about,
Sudan's ouster
of UNDP
Country
Director
Yvonne Heller
on December
24.
But did the UN
follow through
on its vow to
push-back? No,
the UN
remained quiet
when it ended
up replacing
Za'atari, as
Inner City
Press noticed
and asked
about on March
31, video
here,
transcript
below
Inner
City Press: I
wanted to go
back to Sudan,
because
remember there
was that
standoff about
the Resident
Coordinator
Ali Za’atari,
who has said
that the UN is
standing
behind him and
he won’t be
PNG’d, and I
saw an
announcement
that on March
21st, a new
Resident
Humanitarian
Coordinator
began work in
Khartoum, Mr.
Mustafa Bin Al
Malih.
And so what
happened?
And why didn’t
the UN
announce that
they removed
Mr. Za’atari
as Resident
Coordinator?
Deputy
Spokesman:
We pressed for
them to
continue with
Mr. Ali
Za’atari and
they continued
with their
objections.
Ultimately we
do need to
have somebody
on the ground
to do the
work, although
we do not
accept that
our impartial,
neutral
experts did
not get
permission to
be on the
ground to do
their work.
Inner City
Press: And has
Yvonne Helle
also been
replaced as
the
representative
of UNDP in the
country?
Deputy
Spokesman:
I believe Ms.
Helle left
some time
ago. She
was already
out of the
country when
they took the
decision so I
believe
there’s a
process in
place to make
sure that the
work is done.
Back
on December 25
after another
inquiry by
Inner City
Press to
Dujarric and
UNDP, Dujarric
sent this:
From:
Stephane
Dujarric [at]
un.org
Date: Thu, Dec
25, 2014 at
1:31 PM
Subject: Re:
Press request
on Sudan
PNG-ing Yvonne
Helle (asked
Dec 24) &
now Dec 25 Ali
Al-Za'tari
To: Matthew
Lee [at]
InnerCityPress.org
Cc: UNDP,
funca [at]
FUNCA.info
Matthew, The
UN has filed a
protest with
the government
of Sudan
following
their decision
to request the
departure of
two senior UN
officials from
the country.
So the
UN filed a
protest. But
what about the
UNFPA case in
April, and
aother one, in
Darfur, which
Inner City
Press
exclusively
reported on in
December?
On
March 31,
Inner City
Press also
asked on
Myanmar:
Inner
City Press: I
heard your
statement on
behalf of or
by Mr. Nambiar
praising the
country.
I just wanted
to know:
has he or
anyone else in
the UN system
have anything
to say about
the filing of
criminal
charges
against the
students who
protested the
national
education
law? A
number of…
even some
countries have
[inaudible]
this standoff
in March where
the peaceful
demonstrators
have been
arrested.
Now the
charges have
been filed,
they haven’t
been
released.
Is there any
follow-up by
the UN on
that?
Deputy
Spokesman:
We’ll check
with Mr.
Nambiar what
he has to say
on that.
Six hours
later and
counting,
nothing.
On Sudan back
on December
24, Inner City
Press
similarly exclusively
reported
and then asked
the UN
Spokesman
about UNDP
Country
Director
Yvonne Helle
being ordered
out of Sudan,
citing her and
Al-Za'tari's
e-mails. Video
here.
A full day
after that,
Reuters
reported on
Helle's ouster
-- typically,
for Reuters, with
no credit
to the Press'
prior
exclusive
story.
(Reuters' UN
bureau chief
has said he
has a policy
of not
crediting
Inner City
Press'
exclusive, and
has gone to
far as to
censor,
Sudan-style,
his "for the
record"
anti-Press
complains to
the UN, click
here for that,
via EFF's
ChillingEffect.org).
On December
24, Inner City
Press asked UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
Sudan
having just
similarly
"PNG-ed"
or declared
persona
non-grata the
Sudan Country
Director of
the UN
Development
Program Yvonne
Helle, with
Za'tari barely
pushing back
against the
government.
Dujarric said
that host
countries'
ordered to PNG
a UN staff
member are
treated
seriously and
should be sent
to, and
considered and
acted on by,
Ban's
Secretariat in
New York. But
Dujarric in
the 18 hours
after Inner
City Press
asked about
Helle has not
returned with
any
information or
answer. Then
Reuters
published its
story, with no
credit.
Watch
this site.
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