Inner City Press: Investigative Reporting from the United Nations

At UN, Children & Armed Conflict “Mechanism” Questioned by Colombia

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 8 -- In the run up to a July 12 Security Council meeting on children and armed conflict, Permanent Representatives were called to an “emergency” meeting Friday at 5 pm.

Sources told Inner City Press that for example Colombia is concerned that, because of child recruitment in its borders, it could be subject to “mechanisms,” even though it is not on the Security Council agenda.

Inner City Press asked Colombia's Permanent Representative Nestor Osorio, as he went into the Council, if his country was “concerned about being on the list.”

“No one wants to be on any list,” he genially quipped. Other sources say that Brazil is supporting Colombia's position and that India, too, has its own concerns.

Another Permanent Representative said there could be a solution for Colombia, some generally language about "dealing with Ms. Coomaraswamy," the adviser on children and armed conflict.

Colombia has previously tangled with Coomaraswamy, click here for that story from Inner City Press.

Meanwhile countries not involved in the fracas wondered why they had to come in “at such a high level, and through the rain” when the Council debate is not until Tuesday. We'll see.

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On Sudan, Could an UNMIS “Wrap-Up” Resolution Provide S. Kordofan Protection?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 8 -- As the UN Security Council adopted its resolution for 7000 peacekeeping troops in South Sudan, behind the scenes negotiations continued to see if a separate resolution on the dissolving UN Mission in Sudan was needed, and what it could accomplish.

Sudan's president Omar al Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court for genocide in Darfur, has ordered the UN mission in North Sudan to start winding down the moment South Sudan declares independence.

But the political coordinator of a BRICS country told Inner City Press that it is possible that a “wind-up” resolution could provide for UN peacekeepers staying in the violent border areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile at least while the mission is being wound up.

“That would require the consent of Bashir,” a representative of a Permanent member of the Council pointed out, adding that the UN Department of Field Support and Office of Legal Affairs, headed by Patricia O'Brien, had been asked to opine if a wind up resolution is needed.

The spokesman of another Permanent member said that negotiations were continuing, even on the eve of South Sudan's independence, with Ban Ki-moon in Khartoum, meeting with not with Bashir but foreign minister Ali Karti.

“It would be a good message to have such a resolution,” the representative said, indicating the UN was not just getting thrown out. But isn't it?

Kiir & Bashir in Juba, new UN resolution & mission not yet seen

At Friday's UN noon briefing, Inner City Press asked Ban's acting deputy spokesman Farhan Haq about reports that the Egyptian UN peacekeepers in Kadugli in Southern Kordofan sat by while civilians were killed right outside their gates, and that two Nuba UN local staff were killed.

Haq denied the later, and pointed to earlier statements on the former. Inner City Press is still waiting for a response from UNMIS promised earlier in the week. Better hurry up: for now, UNMIS is over on July 9. Watch this site -- and this, Inner City Press July 7 debate on BloggingHeads.tv about Sudan.

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On S. Sudan Resolution, UN Role on Borders of Blue Nile & Kordofan Unclear, Troop Numbers Game

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive

UNITED NATIONS, July 6, updated -- With the countdown to South Sudan's formal declaration of independence on July 9 begun, at the UN in New York on Wednesday negotiations on the resolution for a new peacekeeping mission went into overtime.

A Deputy Permanent Representative emerged from the Security Council chamber and told Inner City Press that while the size of the mission will be reconsidered after three or six months, a sticking point is whether and how the disputed borders in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states will be monitored.

“If the North does not agree,” the DPR told Inner City Press, “there can't be any UN peacekeepers there.”

Khartoum has agreed to Ethiopian troops in Abyei, but has stepped away from a deal about South Kordofan. When Inner City Press asked the UN earlier on Wednesday to confirm troops build ups in South Kordofan, the response was a reiteration of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's call for freedom of movement. Does that mean the UN doesn't have freedom of movement? Yes, was the answer. Video here, from Minute 47:30.

Questions posed to the UN in New York on July 5 were then e-mailed to UNMIS in Sudan, but have yet to be answered. A delegation from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations came out of the Security Council at 5 pm on Wednesday. Referring to the number of troops proposed, Inner City Press asked, “Seven thousand?” A UN military official laughed; a civilian official said “DPKO has no comment.”

[See update below: UK says between six and seven thousand.]

On the numbers, a Permanent Representative inside the negotiations told Inner City Press that DPKO while asking for 7000 also refers to a 5400 figure. We'll have more on this.

Footnote: as the above was finished, the Obama administration announced its delegation to Juba, including Susan Rice, Colin Powell, Brooke Anderson, Rep. Donald Payne, Princeton Lyman, Donald Steinberg, Africom's Carter F. Ham, and Johnnie Carson. “Johnny Carson?” a US official asked. Not that Johnny Carson...

Update of 7:35 pm -- among Western P-5 Permanent Representative, the UK's Mark Lyall Grant emerged and told Inner City Press, somewhere between six and seven thousand. France's Gerard Araud said nothing. And Susan Rice of the US... is still inside the Council, if the presence of USUN body guards is any guide.

Update of 8 pm -- the problem of adopting the resolution on Friday has apparently been solved: the resolution will say that the mission is created "upon" independence, and will be voted on Friday. The last of the diplomats have left.

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UN Resolution for New S. Sudan Mission May Be Delayed Until July 9

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 6, updated -- With the mandate of the UN Mission in Sudan set to expire on July 8, the day before South Sudan declares independence, as of June 6 at the UN in New York the Security Council resolution to create a new force in South Sudan has not yet been passed.

At a meeting of Deputy Permanent Representatives on July 5, one member voiced opposition to forming the new Mission until after South Sudan formally declares independence, and found some suppporters. They pointed at a paragraph in the draft resolution which welcomes the creation of South Sudan.

Either the word “imminent” should be added, or the resolution not adopted until Saturday, July 9, they said.

Inner City Press asked US Permanent Representative Susan Rice about this on the morning of July 6. She replied, “As long as it's done by [July] 9th, it doesn't matter.”

“By” or “on”?

Update: as the Security Council continued consulting Wednesday on the South Sudan resolution, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative Sasha Pankin came out and told Inner City Press, regarding the timing of adopting, “Does it really matter to a mission in New York, Friday at 7 pm or Saturday at 8 am?” He added that there are other issues, too, to be addressed. Inner City Press hears these include the size -- and cost -- of the force. Watch this site.

Click for July 7, 11 BloggingHeads.tv re Sudan, Libya, Syria, flotilla

Click for Mar 1, '11 BloggingHeads.tv re Libya, Sri Lanka, UN Corruption

These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund. Video Analysis here

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

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