On
Yemen, No UNSC
Statement
About No
Diesel, Where
to Meet
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, May
1, with
transcript --
On Yemen, the
UN Security
Council
convened a
closed door
meeting on
Friday May 1
at 1 pm. Going
in, Russian
Ambassador
Vitaly Churkin
explained that
he called it,
because not
only weapons
but diesel
fuel is being
blocked from
getting in, to
propose a statement.
Churkin emerged
mid-meeting
and said more,
then finally
at the end
expressing disappointment
no agreement
was reached.
Here's Inner
City Press' fast
transcription
of what
Churkin said:
"There
were some
proposals for
language from
resolution
2216. But this
really shows
an amazing
indecision and
I think lack
of
understanding
of how things
are evolving.
I told them,
listen, when
you were
pushing for
this
resolution
2216 your
forecast was
not what we
are seeing
now. If it
wasn’t, then
there is a
problem with
their
analysis. They
are, some
countries are
going back to
the capitals.
But I see the
mood, I don’t
see any
prospect for
this.
"It
was a
procrastination
reaction. In
one situation
we heard
people talking
about
humanitarian
problems, and
now they are
prepared to
ignore them
altogether.
They play lip
service. They
say, things
are very bad.
But what can
we do?
"It is very
clear from
resolution
2216 that it
did not
authorize the
use of
military
force. Some
colleagues
were saying
that the Saudi
led coalition
is trying to
make sure that
resolution
2216 is
implemented.
This is not
the case.
Their action
is completely
outside the
resolution.
The resolution
does not
provide for
military
means....
"The
next step, I
am pretty sure
we will not
have any
statement
today. But
we’ll see what
the new
special
representative
is going to
do. I think I
was
encouraged,
somewhat
encouraged, to
hear Jeff
Feltman say
the SG wants
to act
quickly. He
wants to put
together a
conference
very quickly.
And I think
also it’s my
understanding
the things
which were
worked on
before agreed
on before are
not going to
be discarded.
"The
GCC initiative
is there, and
the GCC
initiative is
supported in
2216. So you
cannot – if
that were to
be discarded
we would have
to start from
scratch. The
GCC initiative
needs to be
implemented.
And this is
what the
special
representative
of the SG, the
previous one,
had been
working on.
Now we have a
new person,
and we hope he
can restart
the process
very quickly."
We'll see. New
UK Ambassador
Matthew
Rycroft
stopped on his
way into the
meeting and
said "there
can be no
military
solution, the
only way out
is a political
solution and
that means a
return to
political
talks."
Good - but
where?
On is way into
the meeting,
Churkin had
cited an April
30 statement
by Saudi
Arabia which
he said could
be read as
calling for
the talks to
resume in
Riyadh, which
"some of the
parties are
definitely not
going to
attend."
As Inner City
Press reported
and asked the
UN, Iran's
foreign
minister Javad
Zarif at NYU
this week said
Geneva might
be the venue;
Inner City
Press asked
the UN which,
in a rare
answer, said
it is a
possibility.
Here
is Inner City
Press' fast
transcript of
what Churkin
said on his
way into the
UNSC:
"There are
very serious
basic
shortages of
food,
medicine,
diesel fuel
which for some
reason they’re
not allowing
to be brought
in. Everything
there works on
diesel fuel in
Yemen.
There is no
embargo of
bringing
anything but
weapons for
some people.
So, why they
are posing
problems for
bringing in
diesel fuel is
something
which has to
be looked at.
"And
generally, we
all support
negotiations
and we don’t
see an
interest on
the part of
those who are
engaged in
bombing in
engaging with
the new
special
representative
of the
Secretary
General. So,
we are going
to discuss,
and I hope we
hear what Mr.
Feltman has to
stay about the
statement they
issued
yesterday
where it could
be read as
calling for a
meeting in
Riyadh, which
some parties
definitely are
not going to
attend, and
sort of as a
rallying cry
for those who
support
President
Hadi, against
whom, I
suppose
against those
who they are
fighting now
in Yemen.
But always, it
is boding very
ill for
developments
in the near
future, both
on
humanitarian
and security
front. We want
to discuss the
situation with
members of the
Security
Council.
....we’ll be
proposing a
brief press
statement. As
from the
outset. From
the outset. It
reflects end
of
hostilities,
or at least
humanitarian
pauses, and
immediate
resumption of
talks on the
basis which
has been
prepared
through a
lengthy
process of
negotiations
by Mr.
Benomar."
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon on
April 25 named
Ismael Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
to replace
Jamal Benomar
as envoy.
Three times
Inner City
Press had
asked the
Office of the
UN
Spokesperson
why Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
is not listed
on Ban's
webpage of
public
financial
discloure and
to say, yes or
no, if he has
an interest in
a business
which received
funding from
the Gulf.
Three times
the Office of
Spokesperson
promised to
look into and
give an
answer, but
never did.
This is Ban's
UN.
, 
