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Darfur Statement Blocked in UN Council By
Bashir Indictment Language
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of
Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS,
February 10 -- The politics of war
crimes charges against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir are now
blocking
passage of a statement about Darfur in the UN Security Council, sources
tell
Inner City Press. The United Kingdom drafted a so-called Presidential
Statement
about the stand-off around the South Darfur town of Mahajiriya. But the
Council's three African members, supported by Russia and China,
proposed
including a paragraph taking note of the African Union's position that
the
International Criminal Court's proceedings against Bashir should be
suspended.
France,
the Council sources say, called this paragraph controversial. The UK made a direct bilateral outreach to
China, asking they back down on the paragraph. The Chinese mission to
the UN
reportedly said that their instructions from Beijing were to follow,
and insist
on a Council reference to, the African Union. The UK draft PRST, the
sources
say, is dead.
UN's Ban and Sudan's al-Bashir: can these meetings continue?
Ban Ki-moon
was asked on Tuesday if he would meet with Bashir if he is indicted.
While this
question must already be answered, Ban said he would wait and get
advice from
his top lawyer Patricia O'Brien. An African diplomat told Inner City
Press,
"Ban couldn't stop meeting with Bashir, he has two peacekeeping
missions
there." For now...
The
International Criminal Court's president Philippe Kirsch had
been slated
to take questions from the Press on Tuesday at 4:25, but midday Tuesday
the
stakeout chance was cancelled. ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo is
said to be
in New York -- but where? And why? Some say it is not only about
Bashir, but
also to fight against a proposal, at the ICC members' February 12
meeting, to
establish an office to oversee his and the Court's work, based on this
document. Watch this site.
Click here for Inner City Press' Jan.
16, 2009 debate about Gaza
Click here for Inner City Press'
review-of-2008 UN Top Ten debate
Click here for Inner
City Press' December 24 debate on UN budget, Niger
Click here from Inner City Press'
December 12 debate on UN double standards
Click here for Inner
City Press' November 25 debate on Somalia, politics
Click here for Inner City
Press Nov. 7 debate on the war in Congo
Watch this site, and this Oct. 2 debate, on
UN, bailout, MDGs
and this October 17 debate, on
Security Council and Obama and the UN.
* * *
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reports are
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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
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