In
Darfur,
UN Is Forced To Correct Its Fast Thanks to Sudan, Kalma Camp Problems,
Expulsions and UN Silence Persist
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 16 -- The UN in Sudan is too slow to complain and too
fast to celebrate. On August 16, after refusing to confirm to Inner
City Press at the noon briefing that UN officials in West Darfur are
being expelled, the UN Spokesperson's Office put out an unequivocal
statement that “the Secretary-General appreciates the restoration
today of humanitarian access to Kalma Camp.”
Inner
City Press'
sources in South Darfur told it that access had not, in fact, been
restored. Even the UN had to acknowledge it, putting out a correction
at 3:25 pm that “the Secretary-General appreciates the restoration
today of some humanitarian access to Kalma Camp.”
Nearly
immediately,
Inner City Press wrote to the two top officials working
in the Spokesperson's Office on Monday, asking
“In
light of the revision of today's statement on Darfur to include
“some” in “restoration of some humanitarian access,” please
describe as specifically as possible what types of humanitarian
access have NOT yet been restored. On deadline. Thanks.”
Despite
the
statement “on deadline,” and the UN's own mistake, three hours
later no response was provided. A report from Sudan quoted an OCHA
spokesperson whose contact information is not online that “it was
mostly an assessment mission.”
Another
UN
spokesman in Sudan confirmed on Monday what the UN in New York would
not, that "The heads of the UNHCR (U.N. refugee agency) and FAO
(Food and Agriculture) agencies in West Darfur as well as the head of
UNHCR agency in Zalengei have been asked to leave.”
UN's Ban and Al Bashir, thanks for access to Kalma:
correction not shown
At Monday's
noon
briefing in New York, according to the UN's own transcript:
Inner
City
Press: I wanted to ask a couple of questions about Sudan. One
is: can you confirm the reports that in West Darfur, the head of FAO
[Food and Agriculture Organization], two people from UNHCR [United
Nations refugee agency] and two Red Cross people have been expelled
by the Government? Particularly as to the UN officials, is that
something you can confirm? And also as to the two peacekeepers, a
Jordanian newspaper has said that those who had taken the
peacekeepers have made demands about some reforms for UNAMID to make. I
wonder if the UN has any idea whether these are
Government-affiliated kidnappers. And finally, whatever happened on
the pilot investigation, the Russian pilot that was taken in Darfur?
Did they ever find out who was behind that? Was it the
Government-affiliated Janjaweed or other rebels?
Acting
Deputy
Spokesperson: Well, first of all, on the question of the
various abductions: on the Russian pilot issue, I don’t have
anything further to say. On the issue of the two people that were
abducted over the weekend from UNAMID, we did put a press release
from UNAMID over the weekend mentioning that abduction, but we do not
have any further comment or any details at this time. We are, of
course, working for their safe release and wouldn’t have any
comment to make on that.
As
for
the situation at Kalma camp of the various agencies, we have seen
the preliminary reports of these developments, and we are awaiting
further clarification from the Government of Sudan.
Inner
City
Press: It seems like a whole other region; these expulsions are
the head of FAO for all of West Darfur, and El Geneina and in
Zalingei. I’m not trying to be… I’m just saying that it seems
like the standoff between UNAMID and local officials in Darfur seems
to be spreading from South Darfur to West Darfur. I just wonder what
the plan to deal with this is.
Acting
Deputy
Spokesperson: On the question of West Darfur, our
understanding is that the statements were related to security matters
in West Darfur State. However, expulsion orders have not been
officially issued. Discussions are ongoing between the UN and the
Government in Khartoum. The International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) has requested that it will handle these developments on its
own behalf, which the UN will respect...
Inner
City
Press: I’m sorry, there’s just one more on this. There’s
a story about these West Darfur expulsions, says that the head of FAO
for West Darfur was asked to leave because he had forwarded a
petition against hunger, “1billionhungry.org”, and authorities
said he did not obtain approval for it. So I’m wondering, you said
it was a security situation, but is there any indication… that’s
why I’m saying it seems like the Government is cracking down. Are
UN officials permitted to forward things like this
“1billionhungry.org” petition to stop hunger without governmental
authority, or do they seek approval?
Acting
Deputy
Spokesperson: Well, I’m not really aware that this is a
central issue. Like I said, discussions are ongoing between the UN
and the Government in Khartoum, and we’ll see what the results of
that are.
But
at the same
time, Abdallah al-Fadil, head of UNAMID in West Darfur, was quoted
that "The heads of the UNHCR and FAO agencies in West Darfur as
well as the head of UNHCR agency in Zalengei have been asked to
leave.” So why did the UN in New York says that “expulsion orders
have not been officially issued” and that all humanitarian access
to the Kalma Camp had been restored?
The
UN in Sudan is
too slow to complain and too fast to celebrate. And this puts
civilians at risk. Watch this site.
* * *
As
Sudan
Moves to Expel UN Officials from W.Darfur for Hunger Petitions, UN
Silent on
Kidnappers of Pilot, Inviting More
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
August 16 -- The UN in Sudan
is like a beaten spouse. It
just keeps taking it and staying silent, hoping things get better.
But in this case, the UN's silence hurts not only itself but those
civilians the UN is charged with protecting.
After
a weekend in
which two UN peacekeepers were taken hostage in South Darfur, and
three UN officials reported threatened with expulsion in West Darfur,
Inner City Press asked UN acting Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq about
the incidents, and if the UN was finally ready to say who kidnapped
its Russian pilot nearly a month ago. Video here,
from Minute 8:11.
While
the
kidnappers' identity as government supported janjaweed militias has
been widely reported, Haq said “I don't have anything further to
say.” When the pilot was released, the UN said he would rest and
then be interviewed as to who had taken him. But nothing has been
said since.
Likewise
despite
reports in a newspaper in Jordan, from where the two just abducted
peacekeepers come, that their kidnappers have made demands for reform
of UNAMID, just as Sudanese authorities are making, Haq said the UN
would say “nothing further at this time,” that the UN is “working
for their safe release.”
This
was the
approach taken to the Russian pilot: but once released, there was no
accountability for the kidnapping. Does it surprise the UN that given
this impunity and the UN's silence, there are more kidnappings?
Jordanian peacekeepers training, kidnapping and UN
silence not shown
On
the threatened
expulsions from West Darfur -- Haq initially said they were from the
Kalma Camp, which is in South Darfur -- it is reported
on the UN's own ReliefWeb that one of
the UN officials is being targeted because he forwarded a petition
about eliminating hunger without the government's approval. Inner
City Press asked, do UN officials accept that they need government
approval, in Sudan or elsewhere, to forward such petitions? Video
here,
from Minute 11:31.
“I'm not aware
that is a central issue,” Haq said, adding he would say nothing
else because “discussions are ongoing with the government in
Khartoum.” Like we said, the UN is like a battered spouse, getting
hit, kidnapped and expelled but staying quiet, then surprised that it
just keeps happening. But the UN is supposed to be protecting
civilians: its silence hurts them as well. Watch this site.
, 
