In
Sudan, DPKO
Preparing to
Leave W.
Darfur Amid
130,000 IDPs
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, June
10, more
here --
While the
humanitarian
side of the UN
warns of
130,000
“unverified”
Internally
Displaced
Persons in Jebel
Marra in
Darfur, the UN
is preparing
to pull out of
West Darfur
and close
“team” sites
in North and
South Darfur,
the UN
Security
Council heard
on June 10.
The
Council
members didn't
hear this from
UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous, who
previously
helped cover
up raped in
Tabit in
Darfur as in
Minova in DR
Congo before.
Ladsous was
conveniently
out of town,
even as
another UN
Peacekeeping
sex scandal
broke, this
time about
Haiti. Rather,
the Council
heard from
Ladsous'
deputy Edmond
Mulet.
On the
one hand,
Mulet
said
that “the exit
strategy is
also based on
the gradual
and phase
withdrawal of
UNAMID's force
from West
Darfur where
there have not
been any major
activities by
armed groups
or
inter-communal
fighting in
the past two
years... This
approach would
reflect the
Mission's
effort to
demonstrate
flexibility
and efficiency
by reducing
its size. As
part of this,
UNAMID would
also close
three other
team sites in
North and
South Darfur
that, in
accordance
with the
findings of
the recently
concluded
military
capability
study, are
assessed to be
in areas that
do not
necessitate
the Mission's
presence.”
On the
other hand,
citing OCHA,
Mulet said
that “the
second phase
of the
Government's
military
offensive,
'Operation
Decisive
Summer' has
resulted in
high numbers
of newly
displacced
people.
Humanitarian
organizations
estimate that
at least
78,000 people
have been
newly
displaced by
conflict in
Darfur this
year. In
addition, the
Office for the
Coordination
of
Humanitarian
Affairs
received
reports of
some 130,000
additional
Internally
Displaced
Persons but
was not yet
able to
verify. Most
of these
unverified
IDPs are said
to be in the
Jebel Marra
area, where
the heaviest
fighting has
been taking
place and
which is
mostly
inaccessible
for
humanitarian
partners.”
After
Sudan's deputy
ambassador
criticized
Mulet's
briefing
inside the
Security
Council
chamber, Inner
City Press to
the side of
the stakeout
asked him if
JEM if, in the
government's
view, the last
rebel group
fighting. He
nodded, then
strolled down
the UN's
second floor
hallway. Periscope
video (for
now) here.
Background:
Amid charges
that the UN in
Sudan,
including
Herve Ladsous'
UN
Peacekeeping
in Darfur, has
colluded with
the
authorities in
Khartoum to
cover up rapes
and killing,
the UN in
December said
it would fight
to keep its
Resident
Coordinator
Ali Al Za'tari
in the
country.
That was the
UN's response
to Za'tari
being ordered
to leave Sudan
by January 2,
Inner City
Press first
reported.
Inner City
Press
similarly exclusively
reported,
and asked
the UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about,
Sudan's ouster
of UNDP
Country
Director
Yvonne Heller
on December
24.
But did the UN
follow through
on its vow to
push-back? No,
the UN
remained quiet
when it ended
up replacing
Za'atari, as
Inner City
Press noticed
and asked
about on March
31, video
here,
transcript
below
Inner
City Press: I
wanted to go
back to Sudan,
because
remember there
was that
standoff about
the Resident
Coordinator
Ali Za’atari,
who has said
that the UN is
standing
behind him and
he won’t be
PNG’d, and I
saw an
announcement
that on March
21st, a new
Resident
Humanitarian
Coordinator
began work in
Khartoum, Mr.
Mustafa Bin Al
Malih.
And so what
happened?
And why didn’t
the UN
announce that
they removed
Mr. Za’atari
as Resident
Coordinator?
Deputy
Spokesman:
We pressed for
them to
continue with
Mr. Ali
Za’atari and
they continued
with their
objections.
Ultimately we
do need to
have somebody
on the ground
to do the
work, although
we do not
accept that
our impartial,
neutral
experts did
not get
permission to
be on the
ground to do
their work.
Inner City
Press: And has
Yvonne Helle
also been
replaced as
the
representative
of UNDP in the
country?
Deputy
Spokesman:
I believe Ms.
Helle left
some time
ago. She
was already
out of the
country when
they took the
decision so I
believe
there’s a
process in
place to make
sure that the
work is done.
Back
on December 25
after another
inquiry by
Inner City
Press to
Dujarric and
UNDP, Dujarric
sent this:
From:
Stephane
Dujarric [at]
un.org
Date: Thu, Dec
25, 2014 at
1:31 PM
Subject: Re:
Press request
on Sudan
PNG-ing Yvonne
Helle (asked
Dec 24) &
now Dec 25 Ali
Al-Za'tari
To: Matthew
Lee [at]
InnerCityPress.org
Cc: UNDP,
funca [at]
FUNCA.info
Matthew, The
UN has filed a
protest with
the government
of Sudan
following
their decision
to request the
departure of
two senior UN
officials from
the country.
So the
UN filed a
protest. But
what about the
UNFPA case in
April, and
aother one, in
Darfur, which
Inner City
Press
exclusively
reported on in
December?
On
March 31,
Inner City
Press also
asked on
Myanmar:
Inner
City Press: I
heard your
statement on
behalf of or
by Mr. Nambiar
praising the
country.
I just wanted
to know:
has he or
anyone else in
the UN system
have anything
to say about
the filing of
criminal
charges
against the
students who
protested the
national
education
law? A
number of…
even some
countries have
[inaudible]
this standoff
in March where
the peaceful
demonstrators
have been
arrested.
Now the
charges have
been filed,
they haven’t
been
released.
Is there any
follow-up by
the UN on
that?
Deputy
Spokesman:
We’ll check
with Mr.
Nambiar what
he has to say
on that.
Six hours
later and
counting,
nothing.
On Sudan back
on December
24, Inner City
Press
similarly exclusively
reported
and then asked
the UN
Spokesman
about UNDP
Country
Director
Yvonne Helle
being ordered
out of Sudan,
citing her and
Al-Za'tari's
e-mails. Video
here.
A full day
after that,
Reuters
reported on
Helle's ouster
-- typically,
for Reuters, with
no credit
to the Press'
prior
exclusive
story.
(Reuters' UN
bureau chief
has said he
has a policy
of not
crediting
Inner City
Press'
exclusive, and
has gone to
far as to
censor,
Sudan-style,
his "for the
record"
anti-Press
complains to
the UN, click
here for that,
via EFF's
ChillingEffect.org).
On December
24, Inner City
Press asked UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
Sudan
having just
similarly
"PNG-ed"
or declared
persona
non-grata the
Sudan Country
Director of
the UN
Development
Program Yvonne
Helle, with
Za'tari barely
pushing back
against the
government.
Dujarric said
that host
countries'
ordered to PNG
a UN staff
member are
treated
seriously and
should be sent
to, and
considered and
acted on by,
Ban's
Secretariat in
New York. But
Dujarric in
the 18 hours
after Inner
City Press
asked about
Helle has not
returned with
any
information or
answer. Then
Reuters
published its
story, with no
credit.
Watch
this site.
, 
