By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 21,
updated -- On
chemical
weapons,
while UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon says
his Swedish
envoy Ake
"Sellstrom is
in discussions
with the
Syrian
Government,"
Sellstrom's
team's mandate
is only to
determine IF
chemical
weapons were
used, not by
whom.
Inner
City Press
asked Ban's
deputy
spokesperson
Eduardo Del
Buey on
Wednesday
about this
problem, and
to explain
Sellstrom's
statements to
Swedish news
agency TT --
does this
supersede his
office's
note that "the
team will not
be speaking to
the media"?
Del
Buey replied
no, all
questions
should be
through his
office --
apparently
unless you are
Swedish media,
or TT -- and
that if the
mandate
changed, he'd
tell Inner
City Press. Video here and embedded below.
But
what to make
of the
emergency
Security
Council
meeting set
for 3 pm, if
Sellstrom
can't say who
used weapons?
Or would
Sellstrom tell
TT his
opinions?
Inner
City Press
asked Del Buey
about the ISIS
rebels telling
humanitarian
aid agencies
to leave
northern
Syria. Del
Buey said he
hadn't heard
of it. The
Free UN
Coalition for
Access had
already asked,
but now Inner
City Press has
sent these
questions to
OCHA in Geneva
as well:
1) Is
OCHA aware of
this? 2) Does
OCHA, ideally
Baroness Amos,
have a comment
on it?
3)
Does OCHA have
a plan, or
taking some
action?
Also,
on Somalia, is
there any plan
to continuing
running the
health care
facilities
which MSF is
leaving?
Separately,
any OCHA
comment on
MSF's now
further
explained
reasons for
leaving,
including lack
of support
from the
Somali
government?
Like
Del Buey said,
when we have
an answer
we'll tell
you. [See
update below.]
Inner
City Press
asked when
ex-US now-UN
envoy Jeffrey
Feltman's trip
to Egypt was
put together.
(Inner City
Press previously
showed, with
audio, it
was before
the August 14
killing of
protesters,
though the UN
by
spoon-feeding
the
announcement
to Reuters got
a misleading
report making
it look
responsive).
Del
Buey said when
we have an
answer, we'll
tell you. But
it's a simple
question to
answer. Maybe
they'll tell
another media?
Inner
City Press
asked Del Buey
about the
death in
Congolese
custody of
Tjostolv
Moland, and
the continued
custody of
Norwegian -
British
citizen Joshua
French. Del
Buey said the
UN is aware
but has no
comment. Why
not?
After
UN special
rapporteur
Quintana was
attacked by
Buddhist
extremists in
Myanmar and
said the
government did
not offer
protection,
Inner City
Press asked
Del Buey what
the UN
thought. He
said he would
asked envoy
Vijay Nambiar.
We'll see.
Finally,
in
advance of the
3 pm emergency
Security
Council
meeting on
Syria, Inner
City Press
asked what
FUNCA had the
day before: why are
journalists
being banned
from the part
of the Council
stakeout
between the
entrance steps
and the
so-called
Turkish
Lounge?
Was this an ad
hoc Department
of Public
Information
restriction or
a new policy,
perhaps agreed
to with their
partner, as
their anti-free
speech,
no sign but
UNCA policy was?
Del
Buey said he
would check,
or try.
Frankly, DPI
should have
answered FUNCA
yesterday.
Watch this
site.
Update:
OCHA's Amanda
Pitt has
replied:
"I
don't have any
information on
the questions
re northern
Syria. In any
case UNDSS
would be the
UN department
to comment on
security
issues.
"Re. Somalia,
I think the
Humanitarian
Coordinator
for Somalia,
Philippe
Lazzarini,
said
that
Médecins Sans
Frontierès
have helped
provide
medical
assistance to
the Somali
people under
extremely
difficult
conditions for
many years and
their
withdrawal is
a reminder
that Somalia
remains one of
the most
difficult and
dangerous
environments
in the world
for aid
workers.
"He also said
that, "While
MSF’s
contribution
will be
missed, it is
one of many
entities that
were providing
medical and
related
assistance,"
and pointed
out that MSF
is working
with
humanitarians
present in
Somalia to
minimize the
impact of
their
withdrawal.
However, I
would
definitely
suggest you
contact the
RC/HC's office
there as they
may well have
more recent
comment from
him on the
situation."
, 
