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At UN, France Says Timing
of Ivorian Elections Not Important, Nor of Zimbabwe Meeting
Byline: Matthew
Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS,
April 29 -- As the Security Council met on Cote d'Ivoire on Tuesday
morning,
the Ambassador of former colonial power France Jean-Maurice Ripert took
to the stakeout microphone.
His lead focus was Zimbabwe, but Inner City Press asked for France's
position
on the delay of the Ivorian elections from June to November 30, and
whether the
promised disarmament and identifications for voting will take place
before
then. We must support the process, Ripert said. Inner City Press asked,
but
what about the delay? "It doesn't matter when it happens," Ripert said,
"but that it happens." Some say it won't happen until 2010, if
then...
K.Y. Choi, who hasn't spoken to
reporters at UN since he became the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General, strode into the Council at 9:55, decidedly earlier
than the
Ambassadors he would address. While he spoke, Inner City Press asked
the
Spokesperson's office if, at least, Choi would come to the stakeout
microphone
for questions. It did not take place.
As Lynn Pascoe briefed the Council
about Zimbabwe, reporters scoured the UN following reports of sightings
of
representatives of the Movement for Democratic Change. Amb. Ripert
emerged, and
Inner City Press asked if he had met with the MDC today.
We meet with all sides on Zimbabwe, including
here in New York, he said.
Gbagbo and Mugabe, election results not shown
Ripert was asked, but did you
meet with
them today?
That doesn't make a difference, he
said.
It does to us, Inner City Press said.
The point is, we meet with all sides
in Zimbabwe, and well before this crisis, Ripert said.
His statement to the Council favored a UN mission
to Zimbabwe, but only "en liaison" with the African Union and SADC. Fat chance...
Footnote: the
rumor
of Ripert taking over from fellow Frenchman as head of UN Peacekeeping
continues to circulate. Some opposition was heard, from a party with
business
before the Council. But the opposition was whispered, back by the
cigarette
butt strewn bar that was closed after the First Gulf War. The Secretary
General
gets to pick his USGs, another diplomat said, reminiscing on Boutros
Galli's selection
of Kofi Annan. That will not happen here. Watch this site.
* * *
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
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[at] innercitypress.com
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