UNITED
NATIONS, May 8
-- For the
last three
days at the
UN, Inner City
Press
has asked
about the
deadly attack
in Abyei which
killed a UN
Peacekeeper
and the Ngok
Dinka
paramount
chief.
UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous flatly
refused to
answer Inner
City
Press'
question of if
his UNISFA
mission gave
notification
of the
travel of the
convoy that
got attacked.
On
Wednesday,
after another
UN Peacekeeper
was killed in
Eastern Congo
while four
were taken
hostage in the
Golan Heights,
Inner City
Press
again
asked
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesperson
Martin
Nesirky about
Abyei:
Inner
City Press: On
the Abyei
incident,
there are some
questions
pending,
and I guess if
there is ever
an answer,
maybe it will
be provided,
but I wanted
to ask a
separate
question. I
have spoken to
people who
say that what
happened is
that there was
four, a, a
nearly
four-hour
standoff and
that, that
UNISFA [United
Nations
Interim
Security Force
for Abyei]
troops, more
of them
arrived and
surrounded the
Misseriya
who were in
turn
surrounding
the convoy.
So, what the
question is,
is what
happened with
the Misseriya.
The Sudanese
side said
several
were killed
and many were
injured; were
any of them
taken [into
custody], were
any of them
questioned,
does the, what
did UNISFA did
with the
Misseriya that
they had
surrounded as
they
surrounded the
convoy; what
was the
outcome other
than that, you
know, the, the
tragedy, the
death of the
peacekeepers
and of the
Paramount
Chief,
what was the
outcome of
this incident,
and did UNISFA
question
anybody?
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
Well, I think
we did say at
the time that
in addition,
two
Ethiopian
peacekeepers
were seriously
wounded, and
one of the
assailants was
wounded also.
And that all
three were
treated, taken
for treatment,
and
subsequently,
as I
understand it,
that wounded
assailant was
handed over to
the
authorities. I
don’t have any
further
details. I
think I have
already said
that we don’t
have
any details on
casualties
beyond this
one amongst
the Misseriya
assailants. If
we have
anything
further, then,
obviously, I
will
update you. I
don’t have
anything else
at the moment,
Matthew.
Inner
City Press: do
you expect
there to be
some kind of
report? And I
say
it because
there are some
concerns,
without
disrespecting,
whether
there were
enough people,
and basically
how the
Misseriya knew
of
this travel.
So, there is
some, I am
just wondering
whether DPKO
[Department of
Peacekeeping
Operations] is
going to end
up either at
a stakeout or
in some other
forum saying
here is what
we believe
happened in
this incident.
Spokesperson:
I am sure that
as with any
incident of
this nature,
it is being
investigated
and there will
be some kind
of report.
Whether that
is
made public of
not, I cannot
say at this
stage. But, I
am sure that
my colleagues
in
Peacekeeping
Operations
will be able
to provide
some
details once
they have that
in hand. I
don’t have
that to hand
right now.
So
when will
Ladsous, who
has been
described as
Missing in
Action, make
himself
available?
Later
on Wednesday,
the following
arrived, in
response to a
question Inner
City Press
asked in
writing over
the weekend:
Subject:
Your
query on
Michael Koma.
From: UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
[at] un.org
Date: Wed, May
8, 2013 at
2:01 PM
To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
The
UN Mission in
South Sudan
(UNMISS) was
informed by
the Public
Prosecutor of
the Northern
Police
Division in
Juba that the
journalist
Michael Koma
was released
on bail on 5
May.
UNMISS
will continue
its
investigation
to ascertain
the facts and
understand
the reasons
for the
detention of
Mr. Koma.
Watch
this site.
, 
