As
UN
Is Urged to
Monitor Sudan
Moving
Militia, DPKO
Chief
Claims No
Mandate
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 29 --
As Sudan's
government
drives
civilians
perceived to
be opponents
out of Blue
Nile State,
the UN's
new head
of Peacekeeper
Herve Ladsous
has told Inner
City Press
that the
peacekeeping
mission in
Darfur,
UNAMID, has no
mandate to
monitor the
government's
reported
flying of
Janjaweed
militia from
Darfur to Blue
Nile.
Shocked
by this
answer from a
billion dollar
a year UN
peacekeeping
mission, Inner
City Press put
the question
to several
Permanent
Representatives
on
the Security
Council,
including US
Ambassador
Susan Rice,
asking her
whether she
thought UNAMID
could or
should monitor
flights from
Darfur
allegedly full
of janjaweed
transported by
the government
to
Blue Nile
State.
Ambassador
Rice
said, "I'd
have to take a
close look at
the text of
recent
mandates but
I'm not aware
of anything
that would
make that
clear."
Inner
City Press
asked about
the UN having
an abiding
duty to stop
war crimes
Ambassador
Rice
said, "I don't
think it's
specifically
mandated."
Further
inquiry
with the US
Mission to the
UN resulted,
some days
later on
October 28, in
this
more detailed
answer from
the US
Mission's
Deputy
Spokesman
Payton Knopf:
“We’ve
reviewed the
mandates.
UNAMID has a
mandate from
2007 to
monitor,
verify, and
promote
efforts to
disarm the
Janjaweed and
other
militias. It
can’t be
expected to
fulfill this
mandate
outside of
Darfur.
However, we
would urge
UNAMID to do
all it can
within its
capabilities
and area of
deployment to
track, deter,
and report on
any movements
by air of
Janjaweed to
areas outside
of Darfur.”
It
would seem
that the UN
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations and
its chief
should also
know about the
mandate of
UNAMID with
regard to
disarming
the Janjaweed.
(c) UN Photo
UNAMID limited
view of
Darfur,
Ladsous not
heard from
So Inner City
Press went
again on October
28 to ask
this UN, this
time the
Deputy
Spokesperson
of Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon:
Inner
City
Press: There
is continued
fighting in
Blue Nile
State of
Sudan,
and previously
I’ve asked,
the SPLA-North
has alleged
that
Janjaweed
fighters, the
same militia
that have been
active in
Darfur
are being
flown there,
and I was told
that there was
no way they
can
monitor it.
But in the
mandate of
UNAMID,
they’re
supposed to
promote
efforts to
disarm the
Janjaweed and
other
militias. So I
wanted to know
how this
doesn’t
include
ensuring that
armed
Janjaweed
militias are
not flown
elsewhere in
Sudan to aid
the
Government in
fighting
rebels.
Deputy
Spokesperson:
Well, have you
checked with
DPKO now?
Inner
City
Press: Mr.
Ladsous
himself has
said they’re
not going to
do
it, and what I
wanted to know
is,how can
that be? How
can they
ignore their
mandate when
people are
being killed
in Blue Nile
State? That’s
my question to
you.
Deputy
Spokesperson:
Well, I think
Mr. Ladsous
has answered
that question
to you.
Inner
City
Press: then my
question to
Ban Ki-moon is
how is it
acceptable
that the Head
of the
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations
either
hasn’t read
the mandate or
refuses to
enforce it?
Deputy
Spokesperson:
Well, we’ll
have to check
and see...
No
further answer
was added to
the UN's
transcript of
the October 28
noon briefing,
where the
Deputy
Spokesperson
said to look
for it.
And so again
we
ask: how is it
acceptable
that the Head
of the UN
Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations
either hasn’t
read the
mandate or
refuses
to enforce
it?
Ladsous is on
mission to
Sudan -- will
this issue
follow him
there? Watch
this site.
, 
