UN
Briefing on
CAR Postponed
As Vogt in
Gabon, No
Response to
Bozize's
Speech
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
WASHINGTON,
January
9 -- Today UN
envoy to the
Central
African
Republic
Margaret
Vogt was to
have briefed
the Security
Council about
her mission.
But
the briefing
has been put
back until
January 11.
Why? Ms. Vogt
is at
the talks in
Libreville,
the UN told
Inner City
Press this
afternoon.
Wednesday
morning,
Inner City
Press asked
the UN a
number of
questions,
including "Who
from the UN
system is at
the Central
African
Republic talks
in Libreville?
Does
Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon
have
any response
to the
speeches /
position of
President
Bozize there,
that he will
not leave
power?"
The
UN sent back,
twice, a long
answer to the
first
question. To
the
latter, there
is no
response:
From:
UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
[at] un.org
Date: Wed, Jan
9, 2013
at 2:22 PM
|Subject: Your
question on
the Central
African
Republic
To: Matthew
Russell Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
Cc:
Martin Nesirky
[at] un.org
Regarding
you
questions on
the Central
African
Republic, we
understand
that all
parties are
present in
Libreville,
government,
political
parties, and
the military
groups and
that the talks
are underway.
We will be
following the
talks very
closely
through the
presence of
the
Secretary-General’s
Special
Representative,
Margaret Vogt,
and are
hoping they
will be
productive
talks that can
lead to a
peaceful
resolution of
the situation
in the CAR.
With
respect to the
UN's role, it
should be
clear that the
talks are
being
mediated by
the Economic
Community of
Central
African States
(ECCAS). The
UN is there in
a support
capacity. Ms.
Vogt and
members of her
team are
present in
Libreville and
actively
providing
technical
support and
advice, as
required, by
the ECCAS
mediator and
the
parties in the
carrying out
of the talks.
The UN Office
for Central
Africa (UNOCA)
is also
providing
support to the
mediation
effort.
SRSG
Vogt has also
been active in
the run-up to
the
discussions,
working
closely with
the Special
Envoy of the
African Union.
She has been
maintaining
contact with
all of key
parties inside
CAR and
regional
and
international
actors. She
visited
Brazzaville on
31 December
and
4 January 2013
and had two
working
sessions with
President
Sassou
N’Guesso and
his mediation
team
The
UN has also
provided
logistical
support,
including an
airlift for an
ECCAS
delegation
that visited
Bangui and
areas occupied
by the rebel
coalition
Seleka late
last month,
and the
airlift of
rebels this
week
from Bria to
Libreville,
via N'Djamena.
Another group
of rebels was
transported by
the UN from
Yaoundé
to Libreville.
We
would also
emphasize that
the UN through
BINUCA is a
member of the
Follow Up
Committee of
the 2008
Libreville
Agreement. On
21 December
ECCAS leaders
requested
during their
Extraordinary
Summit held in
N’Djamena UN
and AU support
for the
implementation
of their
decisions.
OK,
then. But it
remains
noteworthy to
some that
while Ban
Ki-moon on
Monday spoke
critically
about Bashar
al Assad's
weekend speech
in Syria,
saying that he
would not
relinquish
power,
Bozize's
similar
position has
not drawn any
response from
Ban Ki-moon.
As
to CAR, the
UN cites other
actors,
regional
bodies. But
not all member
states
agree with
Ban's position
on Assad's
speech.
Selective
candor?
We
will await
answers to the
other
questions
submitted
Wednesday
morning. Watch
this site.
, 
