On
Yemen, After
Saudi Ousted
UN Envoy, US
Looks to UN
for Location
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, April
22 -- The
day after
Saudi Arabia
said it was
ending its
campaign of
airstrikes on
Yemen, the US
issued a
statement
starting:
"The
United States
welcomes the
decision by
the Government
of Saudi
Arabia and its
coalition
partners to
conclude
Operation
Decisive Storm
in
Yemen.
With this
announcement,
we look
forward toa
shift from
military
operations to
the rapid,
unconditional
resumption of
all-party
negotiations
that allow
Yemen to
resume an
inclusive
political
transition
process as
envisioned in
the GCC
Initiative,
the National
Dialogue
outcomes, and
relevant UN
Security
Council
resolutions.
We also
welcome the
United Nations
continuing to
play a vital
role in
facilitating
the political
talks and look
forward to the
United Nations
announcing
a location
for the talks
in the very
near future."
So, after
Saudi Arabia
was allowed to
oust UN
mediator Jamal
Benomar for
being
insufficiently
supportive of
its
airstrikes,
the UN is
being
promoted,
again, as an
honest
broker.
How so, when
the UN is
UNtransparently
moving toward
naming as a
replacement
mediator an
individual who
previously
failed in
Yemen,
refusing to
make public
financial
disclosure?
How weak and
untransparent
is today's
UN? It
it apparently
considering
appointing as
replacement
envoy to Yemen
a partial
individual
whom one side
has indicated
it would not
speak with.
On
April 15 Inner
City Press
reported that
despite UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
claims to
stand behind
the UN's envoy
to Yemen Jamal
Benomar, who
refused to
call Saudi
airstrikes
positive, Ban
was planning
to replace
him.
After
that Inner
City Press
report, the UN
Spokesman sent
out this a
canned
statement that
Benomar
"expressed an
interest in
moving on" and
would be
replaced in
due course.
But by whom?
On April 15,
Inner City
Press named
the name which
was floated by
Saudi and UN
sources,
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed,
and linked
to its
February 15,
2015 exclusive
report on
this
individual's
previous
"incompetence"
in Yemen, and
side fishing
business.
There is yet
more on both
of these
below.
On
April 17,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's Office
of the
Spokesperson
WHY there is
no public
financial
disclosure for
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed,
and to confirm
or deny he has
links with
businesses --
fishing - with
Gulf funders.
The response
was, We will
check and get
back to you. Video here and embedded below.
By
April 22 there
had been no
answer.
Meanwhile
Hassan Zayd of
the Al Haq
party wrote on
Facebook that
Ban should not
appoint Ismail
Ould Cheikh
Ahmed,
mentioning
corruption
and, yes,
Inner City
Press'
reporting,
going back to
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed's
stints in
Libya and
before that in
Yemen.
So
at the April
20 noon
briefing Inner
City Press
asked UN
spokesman
Dujarric for
his response.
He said
whomever Ban
appoints, all
sides should
speak with.
But would
they? And with
Ban meeting
six GCC
ambassadors on
April 20 at 4
pm, what
outreach is
there to the
other side? It
is UNclear. Video here.
Inner City
Press is
informed that
when the GCC
ambassador
came down from
Ban's office,
they spoke
only in Arabic
and not in
much detail.
Dujarric
promised Inner
City Press a
read-out.
Watch this
site.
Inner
City Press: on
Yemen, in
terms of
trying to find
a replacement
for Mr.
[Jamal]
Benomar that
can actually
speak with
both sides, I
wanted to ask
you, on
Friday, I'd
asked the
spokesperson
here about
whether Mr.
[Ismail Ould]
Cheikh Ahmed,
why he has
filed no
financial
disclosure
online… public
financial
disclosure…
and whether he
has a business
that's funded
by gulf
interests and
was told we
will check and
get back to
you. So,
I wanted to
know, now
that's Monday…
Spokesman
Dujarric:
It is, indeed,
Monday. That
is a
fact.
When I have
something to
share with
you, I will do
so.
Inner
City
Press:
And I wanted
to ask whether
you're aware
of Mr. Hassan
Zaid of the
Al-Haq party,
which has been
on and off
affiliated
with the
Houthis has
said online
that Mr.
Cheikh Ahmed
is
unacceptable
and is viewed
as being Saudi
selected and
will not be
received by… I
just wonder…
Spokesman:
I…
Inner
City
Press:
Are you going
to consult
with the
Houthi side
with someone…?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
We are… by
answering your
question, I am
not confirming
or denying the
person you
mentioned as
an
envoy.
What is clear
is that any
envoy
especially in
dealing with
very difficult
political
negotiations
in what is an
active
conflict zone
needs to be
received by
all the
parties. And
we expect that
when our envoy
is named that
he or she will
be received
and engaged
with… with all
the parties.
Inner
City
Press:
But I noticed
that the
Secretary-General
was scheduled
today at 4
p.m. to meet
with the GCC
ambassadors. I
just wonder,
what outreach
are you doing
to quote the
other side
that's in
Yemen…?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I think…
contacts are
being held at
various
levels.
The meeting
with the GCC
ambassadors
was at their
request so we
will have to
see what
message they
come with and
we will try to
get you a
readout.
We'll
see.
On
April
17,
Inner City
Press also
asked if Ban
was
considering
any female
candidates and
if Ban thought
Saudi Arabia
would or
should have to
accept one, if
selected.
We'll see.
On April 16,
Inner City
Press
exclusively
reported
another
candidate:
Martin Kobler
of Germany,
currently the
head of
MONUSCO in the
DR Congo.
Kobler ran for
head of the
Office of
Humanitarian
Affairs, but
that post
"belongs" to
the UK, in the
person of
Stephen
O'Brien. Inner
City Press'
exclusive were
credited
in the
Telegraph
and Channel
4. (At
least Andrew
Lansley was
avoided, as
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
should be
here.)
Kobler
speaks Arabic;
as Inner City
Press has
exclusively
reported, some
six years ago
he was in line
to become UN
Special
Coordinator on
the Middle
East until a
Permanent Five
member blocked
him (more on
that soon),
given the job
to Robert
Serry. Now
Kobler is
ready. But is
Saudi Arabia?
Another
name floated
by UN sources
(also reported
exclusively by
Inner City
Press) is Lisa
Buttenheim,
currently at
the UN mission
in Cyprus.
Like Kobler,
she has more
diplomatic
experience
than Ismail
Ould Cheikh
Ahmed.
She is a
woman. For the
UN, that
should be a
plus, given
what Ban
Ki-moon has
said. But as a
well placed
sources put it
to Inner City
Press, if Ban
gave in to
Saudi Arabia
and got
Benomar out,
will he stand
up to an edict
NOT to name a
woman? Watch
this site.
"UNSMIL's
former deputy
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
of Mauritania
has been moved
to head
UNMEER, the
UN's Ebola
mission.
Sources in
Yemen say Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
was the UN's
“designated
security
official” when
a UNICEF
staffer was
taken hostage
while
traveling to
the Sana'a
airport
without the
required (and
needed)
security
detail. Some
say Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
was
distracted, in
Yemen and
later in
Libya, by side
business
interests.
Now
on April 17 we
can report: in
Yemen UN
personnel
where to have
escort to the
airport, and
armored
vehicles. But
designated
official
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
allowed the
guards he
hired to do
nothing, and
left the
armored
vehicles in
customs. The
staffer was
kidnapped by a
criminal group
affiliated
with Al Qaeda
and was
traumatized.
"But
a check of Ban
Ki-moon's
Public
Disclosure
website, where
his officials
are supposed
to make
rudimentary
disclosure of
the finances
and outside
business
interests,
does not even
list Ismail
Ould Cheikh
Ahmed (while
numerous other
Deputy SRSGs
are listed).
His is not in
the most
recent
database, for
2013 - and may
escape any
disclosure by
become an
Under
Secretary
General with a
mere nine
month stint at
UNMEER. Then
what? We'll
stay on this."
So,
no matter how
much of a
sycophant for
the Saudi-led
coalition he
is, how can he
get this post?
How can the
"P4" support
this?
For now, Inner
City Press
asked this
additional
question:
in
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed's
business(es),
are there any
Gulf
investors?
Inner
City Press: On
Yemen, I’m, I
would assume
you have seen
this report
that the Saudi
airstrikes
killed 31
people in a
dairy factory
in Hudaydah.
They make it
pretty clear
it may have
been an errant
missile, but
it killed 31
civilians.
And I’m
wondering,
what’s the, is
there any
comment from
the
Secretariat on
that?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
Obviously, as
we said here,
that it is
incumbent for
all the
parties in
this conflict
to fully
respect
international
law which
clearly
includes the
non-targeting
of civilian
infrastructure
or civilian
infrastructure,
schools,
facilities,
civilian
infrastructure
in
general.
We have no way
of knowing
what exactly
was the
intended
target.
What we do
know is that
in many
instances,
since the
fighting has
started,
civilians are
the ones who
are suffering,
and I think
that’s why the
Secretary-General
wants to see a
halt to the
violence,
restart of the
political
process, and
most urgently,
the free flow
of
humanitarian
aid going
in. I
think we’re
seeing the
food situation
getting dire
and dire every
day. As
our colleagues
at the World
Food Programme
said, you
know, when
you’re a
country that
imports 90 per
cent of its
food is
already
vulnerable at
any time and a
time of
conflict, that
just increases
that
vulnerability
very much so.
Inner
City
Press:
And also on
Yemen, I’m
sure you’ve
seen the
reports — I
don’t know if
the UN is the
source of them
— floating Mr.
Ismail Ould
Cheikh Ahmed
as a possible
replacement.
What I want to
ask, I know
you’re not
going to say
yes or no, but
given he was
so recently
appointed to
UNMEER, can
you say that
whoever’s
working on
Ebola will
probably stay
in that
job? Or—
Spokesman:
I think, you
know, whenever
there’s a
senior vacancy
at the United
Nations, a lot
of things
float, a lot
of names float
around.
When we’re
ready to
announce, we
will
announce.
Obviously, the
Ebola file is
one of, it’s
very important
to the
Secretary-General
and to the
United
Nations, but
when we’re
ready to
announce
somebody, we
will
, 
