UN
Refuses
to Confirm Darfur Rapes After 11 Days, Speaks Only of South Sudan
Referendum Off the Record
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 4 -- Eleven days after reported
rapes by Sudanese
government authorities in Tawilla right next to peacekeepers of the UN
- African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur, the UN in New York
still
refused to deny or confirm and explain inaction on the rapes.
The
rape took
place on Christmas, after which Inner City Press asked UN spokesman
Martin Nesirky repeatedly about the incident. No answer was provided
then, nor at the first in person press briefing since Christmas, on
January 4.
Inner
City Press
asked again, citing a report now
in the UN's own ReliefWeb site. That's another one you asked the
previous week, Nesirky said, as if
that were responsive. He said he would revert “when we get an
answer.” Video here,
from Minute 34:50.
But
one would
assume that the UN's $1 billion UNAMID mission, headed by Ibrahim
Gambari, would be able to answer an e-mail from Ban Ki-moon's
spokesman in less than eleven days.
Some
surmise that
the UN is looking away from abuses in Darfur in order to focus on the
referendum in Southern Sudan, on which the UN has scheduled a press
briefing for January 5 by two officials who will refuse to let their
names be used.
Ban's envoy
for
the referendum Haile Menkerios on New Years Eve on the record praised
the “courage” and leadership of Sudanese president Omar al
Bashir, whose forces are accused of the rapes the UN has refused
for
11 days to confirm.
Likewise,
Nesirky
and his deputy Farhan Haq have refused to confirm or deny that Ban's
Department of Political Affairs told NGOs that, among other things,
they do not expect results from the referendum until February 2.
“When we get
an answer,” Nesirky said on January 4, cutting off
the question. So does DPA not answer Nesirky's calls?
UNAMID views Darfur from APC, rapes not shown or
confirmed
Or is
this all
a ruse not to answer simple factual questions that the UN deems
inconvenient, such as about rape right next to UN peacekeepers in
Darfur?
In
front of the
UN Security Council on January 4, a diplomat of a Permanent Five
member stopped to tell Inner City Press that while the Council will
meet at least three times about Sudan this month, “the outstanding
issues are more important than the referendum itself.” Watch this
site.
* * *
On
Sudan,
UN
Ends 2010 in Dream World on Darfur & Rape, Praising
ICC-Indicted Bashir's "Leadership" & Courage
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December
31 -- The UN
in Sudan
is living in a dream world.
As President Omar al Bashir ended participation in the Darfur peace
talks in Doha, UN
envoy
to Sudan Haile Menkerios praised Bashir's
“courage” and leadership.
The
joint UN -
African Union
mediator Djibril Bassole issued a UN
propaganda
statement about the
Doha process, entirely ignoring Bashir's move and the facts on the
ground.
Inner
City
Press
asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman about reported
rapes
near
UN peacekeepers in Darfur and was told to just “ask UNAMID.”
But ever
since Inner City Press in October with the UN
Security Council visited the Joint UN
- African Union Mission in Darfur inquiring about UNAMID's Ibrahim
Gambari's moves to hand five supporters of Fur rebel Abdel Wahid Nur
over to Bashir, that Mission has refused to answer any
of the questions Inner City Press has submitted.
Meanwhile
Ban's
spokesman
has simply ignored and refused to acknowledge receipt of
this question:
On
Sudan,
please
confirm or deny that the Department of Political
Affairs in a recent briefing to NGOs said that
UN
projects
no
consolidated results before end Jan – result likely to
be announced February 2.
Major
technical
challenges
now are training staff, deploying materials, and
being ready to handle results management (this is still a serious
risk because little done to prepare for results period)
Probability
of
extension
to polling remains high
UN's Ban & Bashir, amid praise of "courage,"
rapes & answers not shown
Arab
League
visit
to Sudan (Qaddafi and Mubarak) - castigated Bashir,
pretty clear now that LAS will not try to spoil what is almost
international consensus on recognition - there is even talk they will
offer an independent S. Sudan membership in the LAS.
Bosnian
Presidency
likely
to take cues from US and UK.
Ban's
Spokesman's
Office
has now twice ignored this question about statements that NGOs
have to Inner City Press attributed to Ban's DPA. The UN tries to
live in its own world about Sudan. But in 2011, this will be more
difficult. Watch this site.
, 
