French
Vacations
Victimize
Central
African
Republic Again
at UN
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 1 --
While some in
the UN system
wring their
hands
about the
urgent
situation in
the Central
African
Republic, in
the UN
Security
Council the
country is a
victim of the
well known
French
penchant for
August-long
vacations.
France
has claimed
for itself
"the pen" on
CAR,
Council-speak
for
drafting
statements and
resolutions.
Several
Security
Council
members
told Inner
City Press on
August 1 that
while last
month's
Council
president, the
United States,
had expected
France to
finally draft
a
resolution on
CAR during
August, that
will not
happen.
Members
were
surprised when
France, with
Permanent
Representative
Gerard
Araud having
missed the
most recent
General
Assembly
session on
Syria
and his Deputy
Martin Briens
long not seen,
indicated it
could not or
would not
produce any
draft
resolution on
their
suffering
former
colony at
least until
September.
(Inner
City Press
last week
asked the
French Mission
by e-mail if
France thought
the Geneva
Conventions
apply to the
UN
Intervention
Brigade in
Eastern Congo;
no answer.
Today, the Free UN Coalition for Access asked
France by
another medium
shouldn't its
Ladsous
disclose which
Congolese Army
units he
support. No
answer.)
In
the past,
another
Permanent
member chided
France when
during an
August heat
wave, doctors
refused to
return from
vacation to
treat
the thousands
of elderly
suffering and
dying. Here,
if diplomats
can
be considered
doctors,
Central
African
Republic is a
victim of
vacation.
Again.
Back
on March 13,
with the
Seleka rebels
on the
offensive,
taking at
least
two towns near
CAR's
Congolese
border, Inner
City Press
asked the
UN's envoy to
CAR Margaret
Vogt if she
wants renewed
Security
Council
action, if she
was in New
York for that.
No, Vogt
answered, she
was
in New York on
vacation. Click here
for more from
that time.
Watch
this site.
, 
