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In
Colombia, UN
Sacks 4
Observers For
Dancing With
Rebels, But
Won't Say From
Where
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 6 --
Colombia's
High
Commissioner
for Peace
Sergio
Jaramillo
spoke with the
Press in
New York on
August 19,
2016, in the
run-up to the
August 26 UN
Security
Council
meeting about
Colombia. In
the sit-down
portion, Inner
City Press
asked him
about
criticism of
the
accountability
provisions in
the
government's
deal with the
FARC, and of
the status of
talks with the
ELN.
Jaramillo said
the criticism
is
unrealistic;
they had to
negotiated
with the FARC,
and got them
to agree to
trials for
grave crimes
like rape and
other war
crimes. But
others get
softer
treatment.
Jaramillo said
implementation
will be the
key.
Jaramillo said
FARC has
agreed, no
illicit
activity to
fund their
organization.
The UN mission
would be
storing
weapons in
containers, as
it did for
example in
Nepal. But
would it have
any drug or
illicit
activity role?
On the
ELN, Jaramillo
said as long
as they hold
hostages,
talks cannot
proceed.
On
January 6,
2017, Inner
City Press
asked the UN's
holdover
spokesman
Staphan
Dujarric,
vidoe here, UN
Transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: Wanted
to ask about
the mission in
Colombia.
Obviously,
it's been
reported that
the four
people have
been
taken.
Were they
members of
national
contingents,
or were they
UN staff
members?
Often in these
cases we were
told, like,
there's due
process or
whatever.
Is the video
evidence so
compelling
that…
Spokesman:
They were
repatriated by
their home
countries.
Inner City
Press:
What countries
do they come
from?
Spokesman:
I don't have
those.
Inner City
Press:
And was a
decision made
by the UN or
by the
troop-contributing
country?
Spokesman:
There was a
discussion
between the UN
Mission and
the countries…
and the
countries
concerned.
We can try to
see if we can
get you the
list of the
countries
impacted.
Eight
hours later,
nothing. And
if it's wrong
for observers
to dance with
rebels, why is
it OK for "UN
Correspondents"
to take
selfies with
the new SG?
We'll have
more on this.
On
August 26,
2016, just
before the
Colombia
meeting of the
UN Security
Council, UK
Deputy
Ambassador
Peter Wilson
took questions
about the
Council's
role:
UK DPR Wilson:
"This is a
piece of
extremely good
news. It is a
historic peace
agreement. We
are no looking
forward to
hearing from
the SRSG about
how the two
parties want
the UN to help
take this
peace
agreement
forward and
help take
implementation
forward. We
will then
consider very
carefully as a
Council our
next steps.
Q:
Have you read
the report by
the
Secretary-General?
There’s a part
that’s
particularly
interesting
for us in
Colombia,
which is that
we don’t know
exactly who’s
going to pay
for the whole
mission –
between the
mission, the
guerrillas,
and the
government.
UK DPR Wilson:
Well, I think
that’s one of
the issues
that we are
very much
encouraging
the UN to take
forward with
the Colombian
government. I
think overall
the atmosphere
in the Council
on this is
extremely
happy to see
this very good
piece of news,
and I think
these are the
kinds of
details that
we will want
to be settling
in a very
cooperative
matter.
Q: There’s
also a
possibility of
it being
signed here at
the UN,
because of the
timings
actually. It’s
going to be
towards the
end of
September.
What do you
think?
UK DPR Wilson:
I think all of
those things;
those are
things that we
really want to
take forward
with the
Government of
Colombia in a
way that
satisfies the
parties. So,
it is they
that we will
be listening
to most
closely.
Colombia's
President
Santos will
speak at the
UN General
Assembly on
September 21;
there may be
an event for
bankers or
investment
bankers. Watch
this site.
On Colombia
back on March
11, even with
the deadline
for an
agreement
between the
government and
the FARC being
pushed back,
Germany's
Special Envoy
on Colombia
Tom Koenigs
spoke with the
Press.
He had, he
said, met with
UN Under
Secretaries
General
Feltman,
Mulet, Ladsous
and Khare,
about the
upcoming UN
mission to be
headed by
Frenchman Jean
Arnault. He
noted the
history of
cultural
exchange
between
Germany and
Colombia,"
saying that
"Germans read
a lot of
Garcia
Marquez."
Inner
City Press
asked Koenigs
about the cost
of the peace
process - and
how much
Germany would
contribute -
and about
impunity,
including in
relation to
the process,
such as it is,
in Sri Lanka.
Koenigs
among other
things said:
To Inner City
Press'
financial
question:
"Germany has
close
relations to
Colombia and
is ready to
support the
peace process
politically
and through
technical
cooperation in
a number of
areas. Loan of
300 million
Euros by
German KfW
Development
Bank. In
addition: 50
million in
technical and
development
cooperation,
plus
approximately
1 million EUR
per year for
bilateral
demining
programs.
Also: science
and technology
transfer
through
cooperation of
universities
in the two
countries."
To Inner City
Press'
impunity
question:
"Those
responsible
for war crimes
have to be
brought to
justice.
Colombia is
establishing a
transitional
justice system
and is also a
party to the
Rome Statute.
Impunity is
not an option.
However,
prisons are
not the only
possible
method of
corrections.
There may be
alternatives
which could be
explored."
Inner
City Press had
and has some
questions
about those
not part of
the FARC
negotiations
in Cuba - more
on that in
another story.
* * *
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are
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