Despite
the
Dying in
Darfur, UN
Takes Less
Interest, US
Fixed on Kony
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, July
24 -- A year
ago the debate
on Darfur and
extending the
mandate of the
UN - African
Union mission
there was
tense, with
Permanent
Representatives
of the P5
countries
clashing on
how the
resolution
should be
phrased.
This
year despite
continued
fighting in
Darfur,
spilling over
into South
Sudan and
Southern
Kordofan,
there is
decidedly less
interest.
During
Tuesday's
consultations,
three P5
Permanent
Representatives
never came,
and the two
that did left
as soon as
they had
spoken in
consultations.
Meanwhile
the
Permanent
Representative
of Sudan
Daffa-Alla
Elhag Ali
Osman
spoke at
length in the
chamber, then
afterward
exclusively to
Inner
City Press.
He denied that
his country
had bombed
into South
Sudan,
while saying
it has the
right to bomb
in its own
borders
against
those who are
rebelling.
He
and outgoing
envoy Ibrahim
Gambari made
much of the
LJM formation,
created in a
sense to
negotiate with
the government
and headed by
a
former UN
staff member,
al Sissi
Tijani. JEM
and the other
factions
are not much
talked about.
Afterward
Inner
City Press
asked July's
Council
president
about how real
LJM is
or isn't, and
about the
factions
who've joined
the Sudan
Revolutionary
Front.
Osorio said it
is
complicated,
adding that he
and unnamed
other Security
Council
members will
be going to
Darfur in
September.
Inner
City Press has
been there, in
trailers in
the El Fasher
camp which
now has a new
mansion.
Ibrahim
Gambari
declined to
speak at the
stakeout but
indicated
he'll have a
discussion
with the Press
quite
soon. Inner
City Press
asked him
Tuesday about
one of the
posts it's
heard that he
may take. I am
considering
all of my
options,
Gambari
answered.
In the
Chamber,
Gambari
mentioned a
bombing near
Tawila on July
18 - the same
day the UN
sent Inner
City Press
this:
Subject:
Your
question on
Darfur
From: UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
[at]
un.org
Date: Wed, Jul
18, 2012 at
12:22 PM
To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
On
16 July,
UNAMID's Team
Site in
Tawilla
reported heavy
shooting and
impacts at
Kushina
village
(approximately
29km south
east of
Tawilla,
North Darfur).
Reportedly,
a
Government of
Sudan military
helicopter was
shot down by
an
unidentified
faction, which
led to a
firefight
between the
Government
and the
faction.
On the
resolution,
Deputy
Permanent
Representatives
and political
coordinators,
not only of
the Permanent
Five members,
last week had
meetings until
8 pm,
tinkering with
the
resolution.
One
of Daffa-Alla
Elhag Ali
Osman's big
points was
that Joseph
Kony's
Lord's
Resistance
Army should
not be
mentioned in
the
resolution.
Afterward he
told Inner
City Press,
Uganda is a
long way from
Sudan,
the problem
should be
solved there.
But the LRA
hasn't been
there for
years. Some
say the UK is
not adamant
that the LRA
be in the
resolution,
but the US is.
Can you say,
Kony 2012?
Watch this
site.
, 
