Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the Inner City to Wall Street to the United Nations

In Sudan, UN Confined to Bases in Kordofan, No Answers on Future in Darfur

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 11 -- Amid celebrations of South Sudan's independence, questions have arisen about the UN's future in the North, in Darfur and the zones of conflict in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

A resolution adopted Monday by the Security Council says the UN peacekeepers have to be entirely out of North Sudan, except Darfur, by the end of August.

But it appears they will be confined to their bases until then, even as top UN humanitarian official Valerie Amos told Inner City Press that questions have yet to be answered about the fate of civilians removed from outside the UN base in Kadugli and returned to their villages.

Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky what the peacekeepers will be doing:

Inner City Press: on this South Kordofan — I understand the Secretary-General raised it when he was traveling there — I just wanted to know, what’s the current, sort of, freedom of movement of the peacekeepers in South Kordofan? There is some footage existing of them saying that they are not to leave their base until their status is somehow either agreed on or formalized. Are they conducting patrols? Is it their understanding they are supposed to stay in the base until they either leave or authorized to go out? What’s their current mandate and movement?

Spokesperson Nesirky: Well, as you know, the mandate expired and has not been renewed or extended, at this point, at least. And that does obviously have implications for the movement of peacekeepers and therefore the freedom of access for humanitarian workers that Ms. Amos just addressed a moment ago. I’d need to check with our colleagues in Peacekeeping Operations precisely what is happening with the peacekeepers at the moment. But clearly, if a mandate has expired, you move into a different phase.

Inner City Press: There is a resolution that is going to be adopted, that is slated to be adopted, that is called a wind down, but it’s unclear whether under that even without the consent... If North Sudan doesn’t consent, what presence--

Spokesperson: That’s precisely why I say we’re moving into a different phase. And I think that that remains to be clarified. What remains unchanged is our concern about our ability to provide the protection that’s needed for humanitarian workers to go about their work.

So the UN is “concerned,” but can't do anything about it. And so it downplays its inaction -- for example, the UN's write up of Valerie Amos' press conference, at which Inner City Press asked her about humanitarian access in Southern Kordofan, has no mention of that exchange, click here to view.

The strategy seems to be to answer few or no questions. Inner City Press asked asked basic questions about Darfur, including whether the UN would be appointing a replacement to Darfur mediator Djibril Bassole. Nesirky said he didn't know but would check.

Kiir & Bashir in Juba, future in Kordofan and Darfur not shown

 Six hours later he had provided no answer:

Inner City Press: elsewhere in Sudan, Darfur, the Abdul Wahid Nur faction of SLA [Sudan Liberation Army] has said that it should… you know, it’s called for a uniting of all remaining rebels in Sudan to overthrow an Islamist State, and I just wonder what is the understanding of UNAMID [African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur], given this large peacekeeping mission, of the impact of the breakaway of the South on its mandate in Darfur, and is there going to be a replacement to Mr. [Djibril] Bassolé as a sort of joint UN-AU mediator on the Darfur topic or is that mediation completed?

Spokesperson Nesirky: I would need to check on any replacement for Mr. Bassolé. And as for the mission and mandate of UNAMID — the joint UN-African Union mission in Darfur — that remains unchanged. That is mandated by the Security Council. That hasn’t changed.

But much has changed. South Sudan is on track to be voted into UN membership by the Security Council on July 13 and the General Assembly on July 14 and have its flag raised. Bashir is ordering peacekeepers to leave Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, and is preparing to crack down in Darfur. The UN is spending $1 billion a year for a force in Darfur, but what will they do? Watch this site.

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