On
S. Sudan, Ban
Cites
Ceasefire,
Then
Acknowledges
Not Honored
in Bentiu
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, May
12, updated
with
transcript
-- After the
South Sudan
speech of UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon on May
12 welcoming
“the ceasefire
agreement
signed in
Addis Ababa on
Friday,” Inner
City Press
asked Ban
about
the ceasefire
being broken,
and elections
now delayed
two or three
years.
Ban
replied that
he is
disappointed
that the
ceasefire “was
not honored
in Bentiu,”
and said he is
engaged with
the regional
IGAD leaders
about it. UN
Transcript
below. Ban did
not respond on
the delay in
elections,
even as he
called for the
elections in
(parts of)
Ukraine to go
forward this
May
25.
Ban's
opening
statement to
the press also
addressed Boko
Haram's
kidnappings in
Nigeria,
saying he has
sent UN envoy
Said Djinnit
there.
He did not
bring up
Syria, but two
of the
questioners
selected
for him by his
spokesman
brought up
Syria: the
projected
departure of
envoy Lakhdar
Brahimi, and
if Ban, said
to be too mild
on
accountability
in Syria,
supports a
referral to
the
International
Criminal
Court.
Inner
City Press has
reported
on a close
ally of
Tunisia's
former
dictator
Ben Ali
Kamel Morjane
being in the
running to
replace
Brahimi: would
that reflect
weakness on
commitment to
democracy?
The
cynically
sculpted
resolution to
refer to the
ICC not all of
Syria,
to exclude the
Golan Heights
and even some
fighting
Assad,
reflects
weakness not
strength on
international
justice. But
perhaps that
can
be addressed
in Ban's next
press
availability.
Watch this
site.
Footnotes:
in
fairness the Free UN Coalition for Access opines
that this Ban
press
availability
was better
than many of
Ban's in the
past. It was
not limited
to, although
it featured
many, of the
insiders of
the UN
Correspondents
Association
who met with
Ban and used
some quotes
but
never released
a tape or
transcript. It
included some
less than
fawning
questions.
And, we'd say
for both those
reasons, Ban
did
better than
usual. Could
it be a trend?
We'll see.
On
the other hand
we have to
note that
standing to
the side of
Ban's
stakeout was
his head of
Peacekeeping
Herve Ladsous,
who outright
refuses
to answer
Press
questions
such as the
interplay
between the
UNMISS mission
and the IGAD
force.
In the face of
mounting,
factual
questions
about UN
Peacekeeping,
including
Ban's Human
Rights Due
Diligence
Policy in the
aftermath of a
mere two
convictions
for 130
rapes by
Congolese Army
units the UN
supports, this
cannot
continue.
What this
site.
Update with UN
Transcript:
Inner
City Press:
You praised
the agreement
– the South
Sudan
agreement
that was
reached in
Addis. But it
seems that
since then,
both sides
have said that
the ceasefire
has been
broken, and
also the
Government
of Salva Kiir
has said there
will be no
election in
2015; that it
should be put
back two or
three years. I
wondered if
you think that
is a good
thing for the
country, and
also what role
does IGAD
regional
force, in your
view, should
play with
UNMISS? Should
they
coordinate
militarily?
Should it be
under UNMISS?
What does the
UN
think of that?
SG:
It is
disappointing
that this
agreement on
Friday has not
been
implemented
and has not
been honored.
The fighting
has taken
place in
the area of
Bentiu, and I
am urging the
two leaders to
abide by their
agreement.
At
the same time,
the special
envoys of IGAD
met this
morning to
discuss
this matter.
We will
continue to
work with the
IGAD
leadership. I
myself, as
well as my
Special
Representative,
Hilde Johnson,
will
continue to
contact both
leaders, so
that they are
committed to
meet
their
obligations
which they
signed just a
few days ago.
When
political
leaders commit
themselves,
they should
honour their
commitment. We
will continue
to do that,
and I asked
the Security
Council that
they should
continuously
be engaged,
and render
strong
political
messages,
including
taking
necessary
measures.
, 
