On
Killings of
Peacekeepers
in Darfur,
UNSC Members
Engage, Letter
in 24 Hours?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 24 --
When the UN
Security
Council met on
Darfur on
Wednesday
afternoon,
already five
UN
peacekeepers
had been
killed
there just
this month,
and two more
taken hostage
two months
ago.
After
the meeting,
Inner City
Press asked
Mark Lyall
Grant,
Ambassador of
the UK,
"penholder" on
Darfur, what
could or would
be done
about the
killings in
Darfur, of
peacekeepers,
IDPs and
others.
Lyall
Grant said it
is very
serious, and
that the
Security
Council plans
some action in
the next 24
hours. Inner
City Press
asked, a press
statement?
Lyall Grant
responded,
mentioning a
letter.
Later
Pakistan's new
Permanent
Representative
Masood Khan
emerged and
Inner
City Press
asked him the
same question.
While
emphasizing
that
Pakistan will
continue to
contribute
peacekeepers,
he said "we
are also
engaging them
on how best to
go about it."
If
UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous
refuses to
answer Press
questions
about these
killings of
peacekeepers
in Darfur, as
happened
October
22 after
Ladsous had
said things
are getting
better in
Darfur, here's
hoping that
the Security
Council, or if
necessary
specific troop
contributing
members like
Pakistan or
India or South
Africa, can
"engage" or
hold DPKO
accountable.
Here
is DPKO's own
transcription
of Ladsous on
October 22:
Question
(Matthew
Lee, Inner
City Press): A
question about
Sudan. You
said
that you are
right-sizing
the Darfur
force, but it
seems like
five
peacekeepers
have been
killed there
this month –
first four at
the
beginning of
the month and
then a South
African
recently. And
at
least it seems
that the
attack was
done with
anti-tank guns
and other
very serious
weaponry. What
steps is
UNAMID going
to take to
protect
the
peacekeepers?
And also the
peacekeepers
that you have
in Kadugli
in Southern
Kordofan, I
wanted to know
do they have
any at least
observing
mandate? Can
they, if they
become aware
of fighting or
attacks on
Kadugli? I
heard that you
mentioned in
the Council in
the
South Sudan,
Sudan
briefing, you
mentioned
stuff about
Kadugli, is
that as DPKO
or simply
passing it on
from others?
USG
Ladsous:
Mister, I told
you already
that I would
answer your
questions when
you stop
making
insulting
insinuations
about me.
Thank
you.
Question
(Matthew
Lee, Inner
City Press):
What is
insulting
about these
questions?
Peacekeepers
are dead. Can
you answer the
question?
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
Moving on.
Moving on?
Watch this
site.
, 
