UK Says Somalia Too Complex For Any UN Decision in a Month, South Africa Disagrees

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

UNITED NATIONS, February 20 -- The Security Council on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution re-authorizing the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia for six months. The resolution, drafted by the UK, was only half-heartedly supported by South Africa, whose Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo told Inner City Press that the UN Secretariat's failure to table an overdue report on creating a UN force reflected a lack of commitment to Somalia. It's a tough neighborhood, Amb. Kumalo said, "like The Bronx, where some of us live." Video here. But it has to be dealt with, it has to be helped.

            UK Ambassador John Sawers sought to convince reporters that there was little or no divergence of views in the Council, since Somalia's problems are so complicated that even in six months, a UN force is not likely. When Inner City Press asked if the six month African Union force roll-over made it less likely that the UN will act for Somalia in the short term, Amb. Sawers said "it is unlikely that an issue as complex as a peacekeeping effort in Somalia can be considered in just a couple of weeks." Video here, from Minute 1:59. But between the one month proposed by South Africa, and the six months pushed by the UK, it seems a compromise was possible but was not offered or reached. It really does matter, then, which country drafts and takes the lead on a Council resolution.

UN's Boutros-Ghali in Somalia in 1993: plus ca change

            Meanwhile, on the case of Somali member of parliament Mohamud Ahmed Kulalihi, who states that guards of UNICEF beat him with the back of a rifle, nothing further has been said. On February 15 Inner City Press asked UN deputy spokesperson Marie Okabe about it, and later was told by UNICEF that an incident occurred and would be investigated. On the question of whether UNICEF's guards in Somalia, said to be local hires, are claming immunity, there has yet to be an answer.

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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

  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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