At
UN,
Push for
Eritrea
Sanctions
Without
Hearing
President, "US
& 14
Dwarfs"
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 29 --
Pushing for a
quick vote on
additional
sanctions
on Eritrea,
Gabon late
Tuesday with
the support
of the
United States
put a draft
Security
Council
resolution
"into
blue" and
demanded a
vote on
Wednesday,
Inner City
Press learned
on Tuesday
night.
Another
African
Council member
expressed
surprise and
opposition,
telling Inner
City
Press that "if
it only went
into blue at
5:30, then
they sure
couldn't vote
until 6 p.m.
on Wednesday."
Other Council
members
are opposed to
that timing.
But
it has become
a showdown,
with the US
claiming the
support of two
of the
Council's
three African
members as
well as IGAD,
and virtually
daring other
Council
members to put
up a fight.
It
is similar to
the request
by Eritrean
president
Afwerki to
address the
Council,
formalized on
October 25 as
document
S/2011/663.
There are European
members of the
Council which
support
granting
Afkerki's
request, not
because they
support
Eritrea but
because "when
a head of
state
asks to
address the
Council, it
should be
granted."
But
the US put on
a block --
Susan Rice
told Inner
City Press
why, click
here --
and no other
member has
"dared" call
for a
procedural
vote.
"We
all have
our
priorities,"
one member
told Inner
City Press.
Another
Permanent
Representative
is known to
refer to the
Council as "Blanche
Neige
et les
quatorze nains"
Disney style.
(c) UN Photo
Susan
Rice
et les
quatorze nains,"
denouement on
Eritrea block
& rush not
yet shown
The
resolution
would urge all
UN members for
"increased
vigilance” on
any
financing that
could assist
destabilizing
activities and
against
Eritrea's
mining sector.
Why
this sudden
timing? A well
placed source
tells Inner
City Press
that the US
would
prefer not to
deal on this
with Russia,
which takes
over the
Council
presidency on
Thursday. So
the US tries
to push it
through under
Portugal. Some
Working
Methods -
click here for
more on that,
and
watch this
site.
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