In
UN
Council, Pascoe on Yemen, W.Sahara & Hariri Tribunal,
Non-Members Excluded
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 4 -- “The horizon is broad,” UN Department of
Political Affairs chief Lynn Pascoe told Inner City Press as he left
the Security Council on Thursday morning. Inside behind closed doors,
his briefing to the Security Council's 15 members was supposed to
have not been limited to countries on the Council's agenda.
One
such country
sent a diplomat, who was surprised to be barred from the meeting. “I
thought it would be public,” he told Inner City Press. Another
member of the Council dismissively called it an “exercise,” but
noted that the Council “ is not a gymnasium.”
The
UK, whose
innovation this was, declined through its Permanent Representative to
list which countries had been discussed. Others present told Inner
City Press that Yemen was mentioned, in the context of the Group of
Friends which during the UN General Debate held a meeting, albeit
across the street from the UN.
Whether
the recent
posting of bombs made it more likely Yemen will be post on the
Council's agenda is not known. Yemen still leads the Group of 77 and
China, so any loss of control or sovereignty is unlikely.
Another
delegation
told Inner City Press that Western Sahara was discussed in a less
formal way that usual. Did France speak? No, the delegate recounted,
[Ambassador] Araud just smiled.
Pascoe & Russia's Churkin, closed door exercises not shown
Pascoe
emerged
with Assistant Secretaries General Zerihoun and Tarasco, who rushed
in late. So, Africa and the Middle East. Where were D-2s like Tamrat
Samuel on Asia and Horst Heittmann on the Middle East? The
scuttlebutt on the latter is that his transfer from Security Council
Affairs was meant to keep the Middle East seat under “non-Arab”
control, while another DPA staffer aims for the post Heittmann
vacated.
Pascoe,
according
to a source, urged the Council to go forward with a session on
November 5 about Lebanon, specifically the Hariri Tribunal. On
November 1, Inner City Press was told that the Tribunal would be
discussed on Friday as Any Other Business.
But on
Thursday Ambassador
after Ambassador told the Press to “ask Sir Lyall Grant” of the
UK. Lebanon's Ambassador said he did not want to steal Lyall Grant's
thunder, and would only speak about scheduling or the program of work
when Lebanon regains the Presidency in September.
The
UN Security
Council is so full of secrets, one wonder how it functions. Does it?
Watch this site.
* * *
Amid Darfur Force Build
Up by Sudan, UK is Cautious, UN Cuts Off
Questions
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November
2 -- The UK leads on Darfur for the UN Security
Council, over which it presides this month. Inner City Press asked UK
Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant what the UK is doing about the arrests
which have followed the Council's visit to Darfur last month, and
about reports of the Government of Sudan amassing forces for an
assault on Darfur before the North - South referendum is scheduled on
January 9.
Lyall
Grant said
that it is “unclear who was arrested” and whether they met in
preparation “for the Security Council meeting or actually met”
with the Council members. He said it will be pursued, before the at
the Council's November 16 session about Sudan. He did not address
reports of a build up.
Sources
tell
Inner City Press that tanks and troops have been seen in the North
Darfur areas of Kutum, Kernoi, and Altina, while janjaweed gatherings
have been seen in the West Darfur in areas of Geneina and Kulbus.
When
pro
Government of Sudan volunteers reportedly landed in Kutum airport,
one was asked by a Darfuri policeman, who are you and where are you
going? The person reportedly answered, we are mujahideen and the
government told us we have to fight the infidels and their supporters
in Darfur. We came to clean Darfur.
Some
Arab tribes
revolted and refused to participate in the operation. Sources say
most of those revolted were in the army and belong to Bani Halba Arab
tribe. The operation would start with aerial bombings with planes
taking off
from Dongola in the North Sudan (neighboring state to Darfur in th
nile north) rather than from Darfur airports (due to the last noise
regarding U.N.S.C. visit and arms embargo reports). The operation is
timed to finish before referendum of
Jan 2011. That's what sources say.
Inner
City Press
asked UN spokesman Martin Nesirky if the UN could confirm that its
humanitarian coordinator in Sudan Georg Charpentier has ordered the
cessation of all “non essential” monitoring missions and thus
reporting, and if it could confirm the build up. Nesirky said that
he will check and get back. He curtailed the Q&A session for
Lyall Grant's briefing, and declined to continue it afterward.
UK's Lyall Grant & US Susan Rice stroll
in Sudan, arrestees & Darfur build-up not shown
During
Lyall
Grant's program of work briefing, Inner City Press also asked about
the November 4 “horizon scanning” briefing by the UN's Department
of Political Affairs, whether it was meant to be called “preventive
diplomacy” but some countries opposed that. Lyall Grant did not
directly answer, but said it should be free wheeling, as he said that
evening's dinner and UK ship ride with Ban Ki-moon will be. We'll
see.
Footnote:
in
setting
the program of work, the UK service muffins and coffee,
and gave each Council member a copy of a caricature of all 15
Ambassadors by artist Steve Nyman. Inner City Press asked UK Deputy
Permanent Representative Philip Parham, said to have originated the
idea of giving a caricature instead of, say, a clock, about the
artist. It's said he has a web site. For the UK's knowledge, the
names of two people arrested after the Darfur visit are Abdullah
Ishaq Abdel Razek, the supervisor of the nutrition program of the
camp’s schools, and Mohammed Abdullah Mohammed Al-Haj. Their
connections to the Security Council visit are also on the web. Watch
this site.
* * *
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