After
French Embassy
in Bangui
Attacked, UN
Counts on Chad
Process
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 26 --
As the SELEKA
rebels in
Central
African
Republic have
continued
taking town
after town,
the UN
Security
Council has
not met on CAR
since
a December 19
session called
by
former ruler
France.
Now
with the
French embassy
in Bangui
subject to
violent
protest,
French
president
Francois
Hollande has
told his
Defense
Minister
Jean-Yves
Le Drian to
take "all
necessary"
protective
measures.
At
noon on both
December 24
and December
26, Inner City
Press posed
questions to
the top three
spokesman of
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon about
the Central
African
Republic:
D24-1
In Central
African
Republic, what
is the UN
system
presence if
any
in the
rebel-taken
towns of
Bambari, Ippy
and Ndassima?
In light of
the Secretary
General's
recent speech
to the
Security
Council about
the
Peacebuilding
Commission,
what is his
comment on the
CAR
Peacebuilding
Configuration
being without
a chair?
Dec
26-3 In
Central
African
Republic, what
is the UN
system
presence if
any in the
rebel-taken
towns of Kaga
Bandoro (and,
as asked
before,
Bambari, Ippy
and Ndassima?
Any comment on
the violent
protests at
the French
embassy in
Bangui?
None
of these
questions were
responded to
by 6 pm on
December 26.
At that
time, however,
Ban's office
issued a statement,
including that
"The
Secretary-General
reminds the
Government of
the Central
African
Republic of
its
responsibility
to ensure the
safety and
security of
UN personnel
and its
premises...
The
Secretary-General
welcomes the
conclusions of
the Summit of
the Heads of
State of the
Economic
Community of
the Central
African States
(ECCAS) held
in Ndjamena on
21 December
2012. He urges
all parties to
abide by the
decisions of
the Summit,
which provide
a basis for a
peaceful
resolution of
the
dispute.
"The
Secretary-General
appeals to all
parties to
refrain from
any acts of
violence
against
civilians,
including
sexual and
gender-based
violence. He
calls on all
parties to
ensure the
protection of
civilians and
to respect
human rights,
in conformity
with
international
instruments to
which the
Central
African
Republic is a
party. The
Secretary-General
confirms the
readiness of
the United
Nations to
continue to
support the
Central
African
Republic in
overcoming
challenges to
the
consolidation
of peace."
But
what has the
UN done for
the Central
African
Republic?
It has an
office there
which, as
shown, has
been shot
through with
nepotism and
corruption. It
has allowed
its Peacebuilding
Configuration
to wander
aimlessly
without a
chair for
months.
Now,
after attacks
on the French
embassy, it
relies on a
process in
Chad,
which supplies
both most of
the rebels --
according to
the UN's own
expert on
sexual
violence and
conflict -- as
well as the
forces for
Bozize to
fight them.
Arsonist and
fireman:
haven't we
heard that
before, about
the Great
Lakes? On this
one, the UN is
just phoning
it
in. Watch this
site.
, 
