Inner City Press: Investigative Reporting from the United Nations

In Darfur, UN Has No Comment on Sudan Threats to Remove Kalma Camp, No Response

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 10 -- As Sudanese authorities blockade and threaten to forcible remove the Kalma Camp for internal displaced people in Darfur, the UN has no comment on the removal threat. Neither Secretary General Ban Ki-moon or his top humanitarian official John Holmes have spoken with Sudanese authorities.

They leave that to Ibrahim Gambari, the joint special representative of the UN and African Union, which is calling for indictments of President Omar al Bashir for genocide and war crimes to be put on hold.

Days ago, Inner City Press wrote to Gambari's spokesperson asking for information and comment on the blockage of Kalma Camp. After a delay, it emerged that at this time of crisis, Gambari's spokesperson is on leave. It was referred to the head of communications of UNAMID, who had not responded.

An officer in charge promised a response about malnutrition before publication of this article, which has not arrived. He said “several of the issues you raise fall with OCHA's Area of Responsibility. Accordingly, I'm working with them to make sure we cover everything.”

The head of OCHA, John Holmes, has yet to speak about the now week old blockade.

Tuesday it was announced that on the following day, Holmes will launch an appeal about the floods in Pakistan. From where, a journalist asked. Spokesman Martin Nesirky didn't know. Not from Darfur, it appears. Video here, from Minute 29:10.

So what is the UN doing? There is a lot of talk about protection of civilians and “never again,” but 50,000 people are being starved by a government in an area which the UN is spending $1 billion a year on a peacekeeping mission. It is shameful. Watch this site.

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Amid Sudan Blockade & Shelling of Kalma Camp, UN Vacation from Advocacy Recalls Bloodbath on the Beach in Sri Lanka

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 8 -- In Darfur, how seriously is the UN taking the government's blockade of humanitarian aid to, and now reported shelling of tens of thousands of internally displaced people in the Kalma Camp?

The blockade began, at latest, on August 2. But the UN only disclosed it, as an afterthought, when head Peacekeeper Alain Le Roy on August 4 answered Inner City Press' questions about violence in the camp by mentioning no access by humanitarian groups “for four days.”

The next day, the spokesman for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Martin Nesirky, told Inner City Press he didn't know about the blockade, that the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs would know.

So Inner City Press asked OCHA. That day, the only response was “checking with people.” And nothing the next day, except to refer a question about malnutrition in Darfur to UNICEF, which has yet to answer it, two days later.

Amid reports on August 7 of militia members in Sudanese government vehicles firing shells at those in the Kalma Camp, Inner City Press sent questions to the spokespeople for the UNAMID mission and for Joint Special Representative Ibrahim Gambari.

This spokesperson accompanied Gambari at his last press stakeout in New York, when Gambari walked away from the microphone after Inner City Press asked about the indictment of Sudanese president Omar Al Bashir for genocide.

IDP children in Darfur, UN, aid and advocacy not shown

But while there was no answer about genocide, business cards were exchanged, with a promise of prompt answers and even an invite to Al Fasher by Gambari.

But more than 12 hours after simple questions were sent -- confirm the shelling, does the blockade extend to Zalingei camp -- none of these UN spokespeople have made any response at all.

Rather, the UN's Radio Miraya has broadcast Sudanese authorities' denials of any restrictions on humanitarian groups, and claims that the groups haven't even asked to enter the camp(s).

This UN system response to the blockade and shelling of tens of thousands of already internally displaced people is beginning to be reminiscent of the UN's silence about and thus, some say, complicity in the “bloodbath on the beach” in Sri Lanka in May 2009. Watch this site.

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In Darfur, Aid Groups Barred from Kalma Camp, DPKO Says, No Comments Abyei Incursions, No US or UNSC Follow Through

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 4 -- In Darfur, while the UN is giving assurances that the violence in the Kalma camp has passed, humanitarian groups have been barred from the camp, housing eighty thousand internally displaced people, for the past four days. This emerged only upon detailed questioning of top UN peacekeeper Alain Le Roy. Video here, from Minute 47:36.

Inner City Press asked if there had not also been murders in the Zalingi camp -- Le Roy said yes -- and about the restrictions on UN peacekeepers' movements ordered by Sudanese authorities.

Le Roy said that while the Wali of South Darfur has issued such a declaration, requiring advance notice of any UNAMID mission movements, including on the roads, the UN is “discussing” this with Khartoum.

One wonders why the UN has not said more about the barring of humanitarian groups from the Kalma camp. Is it a sop to the government, or reflective of a lull before new UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos takes over in September?

Why has the US, after Friday's consultations, not asked for any Council action in the five days since? There were rumors early in the week of an Obama administration re-think of, or at least meeting on, Sudan policy. But it does not appear to have happened.

While admitting further deterioration and tensions in Darfur, the UN is still putting South Sudan developments in a positive light, noting that the National Congress Party as well as SPLM have asked the UN to monitor the referendum.

Le Roy said the UN does not usually monitor, but in this case is moving toward naming three Eminent Persons, whom it will support with 10 to 20 staff, to monitor.

Inner City Press asked who would choose the Eminent Persons -- might they included former South African president and Al Bashir supporter Thabo Mbeki? -- but Le Roy did not answer.

Regarding Abyei, he described the Dinka questioning the rights of nomads to come in and vote, but said it would be up to a Commission which does not yet exist.

UN's Le Roy in Sudan, humanitarian access not shown

Le Roy's logistics colleague Susana Malcorra recently briefed the Press, and was asked by Inner City Press what the UN would do to ensure that those Southerners in the north who are registered to vote by the NCP can, in fact, vote.

Sources tell Inner City Press that Khartoum plans to register many Southerners and then make it difficult to vote, to drive turn out below 60% and invalidate the referendum. Ms. Malcorra said that the UN would be watching Southern registrants in the North. But Le Roy on Wednesday spoke only of the South. Watch this site.

These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.

Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund. Video Analysis here

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

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