Amid
Sudan
Bombing, UN
Has No
Answers,
Briefing
Postponed by
ICJ Spat
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 10 --
Amid multiple
reports of
Sudan dropping
bombs
on South
Sudan,
including on a
refugee camp
in Unity State
killing
twelve people,
the UN
Security
Council was
set to meet
about the Two
Sudans on
Thursday.
UN
Envoy for the
Two Sudans
Haile
Menkerios was
in New York,
and came to
the Council
on Thursday
afternoon. The
head of the
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations
Herve Ladsous,
who recently
went to the
region on his
first trip as
chief of DPKO
-- the fourth
Frenchman in a
row in the
position --
came to the
Council, and
it was
announced that
he would
speak to the
press.
At
Thursday's
noon
briefing,
Inner City
Press asked
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesman
Inner
City
Press: there
is this report
of the
Sudanese Air
Force bombing
inside South
Sudan, that is
across the
border on an
IDP camp, I
mean,
a refugee
camp,
actually, and
it says 12
people are
killed; and I
am
wondering, can
the UN confirm
that? It’s in
Unity State,
is the
peacekeeping
Mission
present, what
does it say
about these
reports?
Spokesperson
Martin
Nesirky: We
are certainly
aware of the
reports, and
we’ve
asked the
Mission to
give us an
update. I
don’t have an
update at
this point,
but I will
anticipate
receiving
something.
Seven
hours later
no UN response
had been
provided, and
Ladsous as it
turned out did
not speak to
the press.
(c) UN Photo
UNSC
Ambassador in
Sudan, Hardeep
& Susan
Rice in center
The
formal meeting
could not be
held, because
of a day-long
election fight
for a seat on
the
International
Court of
Justice.
Past five
o'clock,
Menkerios came
out of the
Council and
told Inner
City Press, I
have to fly.
He said his
boss would
brief
the Security
Council on
Friday.
When
US Ambassador
Susan Rice
emerged, Inner
City Press
asked here if
that meeting
would
be open, to be
reported on.
She said, "We
heard from
Menkerios.
we resume the
real meeting
tomorrow. I
want it to be
open, but some
would rather
it be closed,
so really I
don't know."
Inner
City Press
was told by
Council source
who left the
chamber even
later that the
briefing will
be open. Watch
this site.
, 
