On
Western
Sahara, UN Now
Concerned of
Violence, No
DSG Read-out
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 6 --
Four days
after Inner
City Press
first asked
the UN about
crackdowns on
Western Sahara
demonstrators
during UN
envoy
Christopher
Ross' visit,
when it asked
again on
Tuesday UN
spokesman
Martin Nesirky
replied, "what
I can tell you
is we are
concerned
about these
report of
violence. We
would expect a
prompt and
thorough
investigation."
Since
this was not
said when
Inner City
Press asked on
Friday, and
was not
conveyed since
then until the
question was
posed again,
Inner City
Press asked if
the Tuesday
afternoon
meeting of
Deputy
Secretary
General Jan
Eliasson and
Moroccan
Permanent
Representative
Loulichki
might address
the issue.
Nesirky
said,
"we don't
typically give
read outs of
meetings with
Permanent
Representatives"
and advised
Inner City
Press to
"check with
the Moroccan
mission." Video
here, from
Minute
13:50.
Again,
when people
long promised
by the UN a
referendum on
independence
are reportedly
beaten right
in front of
the UN's
envoy, one
might expect
the UN when
asked to
confirm or
deny the
beating. But
as regards
Western
Sahara, this
still has not
fully
happened, some
say, even when
asked against
on November 6.
If UN
envoy Ross
witnessed
something,
it's not
longer, to the
UN, a "report"
of violence.
On
November 2,
Inner City
Press asked
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
deputy
spokesman
Eduardo Del
Buey
Inner
City Press: in
Western
Sahara,
Christopher
Ross’s visit,
there are
reports of
banning
protests and
even violence
against
protesters,
the Personal
Envoy of the
Secretary-General,
did he observe
that? Do you
have any
statement on
it? Do you
think his trip
was as free
and fair as it
should have
been?
Deputy
Spokesperson:
Well, what I
have on
Ambassador
Ross’s trip to
North Africa
is that the
Personal Envoy
of the
Secretary-General
began his
visit to North
Africa and
Europe in
Rabat, where
he met His
Majesty King
Mohammed VI
and a wide
range of
interlocutors,
including
senior
Government
officials,
political
party leaders
and civil
society
representatives.
On 31 October,
he arrived in
Western
Sahara, where
he has been
holding
similar
meetings and
visiting
MINURSO
[United
Nations
Mission for
the Referendum
in Western
Sahara] in
Laayoune and
at two field
team sites.
The Personal
Envoy will be
continuing his
trip with
visits to
Algeria,
Mauritania and
the refugee
camps near
Tindouf, where
he will meet
with the
Polisario
leadership and
Sahrawi
personalities.
At the end of
his trip, he
will hold
consultations
in Madrid and
Paris. Upon
his return to
New York, he
will report to
the
Secretary-General
and brief the
Security
Council.
Inner
City Press: I
am looking at
very detailed
report that on
1 November,
yesterday at 5
p.m., there
was a
crackdown, a
beating of
protesters
right in front
of him. And I
am wondering,
it’s not in
the readout,
is there some
way we can
find out if it
is true?
Deputy
Spokesperson:
I have nothing
on that. We’ll
try and find
out.
But
more than 48
hours later,
there was
nothing. And
after that
there were
reports of
more beatings,
in Smara,
injuring the
following
people: Said
Hayan, Fadala
Banahi, Jawda
Al-Ouali, Ali
Belkhair,
Al-Ouali
Banahi Dahi,
Said Mohamed
Hmadnah,
Hjeiba Banahi
and Bouha
Tagaiwa.
These
are detailed
reports one
would expect
the UN to
confirm or
deny. Is the
expression of
"concern,"
then refusal
to read-out, a
confirmation?
Will Ross
himself have
to speak?
Watch this
site.
, 
