At UN, Peacekeeping Porn Alleged in W. Saharan Caves, Envoy Van Walsum Takes Questions Indirectly

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, February 4 -- The UN vaguely acknowledged last week that some of its peacekeepers may have engaged in vandalism of cave paintings in Western Sahara. Inner City Press asked which contingents were suspected, and what the UN was doing about it. UN Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq replied that "the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has requested UNESCO’s assistance in evaluating the damage to the two sites and recommending what, if any, repair measures can be taken.  UNESCO is currently putting together a group of qualified experts to travel to the area as soon as possible." On Monday at the UN, Inner City Press asked the Polisario Front's representative to the UN Ahmed Boukhari about the situation. Mr. Boukhari named the Croatian and Kenyan continents as being involved, and noted that some of the graffiti was pornographic in nature. He said that the UN should imposed discipline, and this was not so different from sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers. He said he expects the issue to be addressed in the Secretary-General's next report to the Security Council about the peacekeeping mission there, MINURSO.

            Meanwhile Peter van Walsum, formally the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, briefed the Security Council and then rushed by the stakeout microphone. It was said he was too busy to talk to the press; more quietly it was said that as a mediator, he does not want to talk to the press. Nevertheless Inner City Press submitted, through the proscribed channel, two questions, the answers to which will be reported on this site.

Western Sahara

            Speaking of running out of gas, the Council also on Monday issued a press statement calling on Eritrea to allow the UN peacekeepers there to re-fuel, or risk them leaving. Incoming Council president Ricardo Arias was directed to seek to speak with Eritrea's Ambassador. It appears that Eritrea is not trying to have the peacekeepers stay. Eritrean Charge d'affairs Tesfa Alem Seyoum wrote to Amb. Arias with an analysis of the Council's most recent resolution, saying it "dwells on tangential issues in an apparently desire to rationalize and justify the UN Security Council's failure to shoulder its legal obligations to date." It wouldn't be the first time. Watch this space.

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These reports are 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

  Because a number of Inner City Press' UN sources go out of their way to express commitment to serving the poor, and while it should be unnecessary, Inner City Press is compelled to conclude this installment in a necessarily-ongoing series by saluting the stated goals of the UN agencies and many of their staff. Keep those cards, letters and emails coming, and phone calls too, we apologize for any phone tag, but please continue trying, and keep the information flowing.

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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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