In
Darfur,
Gambari Attacks Publication of His Kalma Turn Over Documents,
Says Press Puts At Risk
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
DARFUR,
October
7 -- Hours after the UN Security Council and accompanying
media including Inner City Press arrived Thursday at the joint
African Union - UN Mission in Darfur, the Joint Special
Representative Ibrahim Gambari came to visit the Press. Inner City
Press asked Gambari about the turnover of five supporters of Abdel
Wahid Nur documents obtained and published by Inner City Press show
he is considering.
Gambari
responded
angrily that the leaking and then publication of the documents puts
people at risk. Inner City Press responded that others believe that
the turnover would put people at risk, not only the five individual's
turned over, who even as to execution would be relying on a promise
by Omar al Bashir, already indicted for genocide - but also for
UNAMID's own peacekeepers.
As
quoted by Radio
Dabanga, Abdel Wahid Nur has said that if the turnover occurs, he and
his movement will view UNAMID as complicit with the genocide Bashir
has been indicted for.
Inner
City Press
asked Gambari about what Abdel Wahid Nur told Radio Dabanga. Gambari
responded that he does not believe quotes he reads -- Dabanga is, of
course, a radio -- and gave as his example a recent talk with Khalil
Ibrahim of JEM in which, Gambari said, Ibrahim said JEM had never
called for Gambari to resign. Self-serving?
Gambari
said he
was criticizing the Press “as a friend.” But to attack a
publication for publishing a leak about the possible turnover of five
people to one accused of genocide and war crimes seems strange. As
Inner City Press said as Gambari left, several Security Council
members had no idea Gambari was engaged in such negotiations. One
Permanent Representative of a Permanent Five Council member told
Inner City Press that, after checking with “the capital,” the
issue would be raised on this trip. Susan Rice of the US said it
would be looked into during the visit.
“I have two
masters,” he said, the African Union as well as the UN and its
Security Council. So does Gambari confer with neither? Or with the
African Union more than the UN?
In the
room in
which Gambari meet with the Council Ambassadors, two hagiographic
photographs are hung on the wall: the UN's Ban Ki-moon, and the AU's
Jean Ping.
By
having two
masters, does Gambari answer only to himself?
Or as
some say,
to a resident of Khartoum, which Gambari reaches by Lear Jet?
Pro
Bashir
Protest Greets UN Council in Darfur, IDP Camp Visits in Play
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
DARFUR,
October
7 -- Chants against the US and the International Criminal
Court greeted the UN
Security Council's 15 Ambassadors when they
arrived in Darfur on Thursday. Inside the airport, a group of women
chanted their devotion to Sudanese President Omar al Bashir, who has
been indicted by the ICC for war crimes and genocide.
At
the airport
gate, a larger crowd including children for a time blocked the
Council's convoy, which ultimately broken through and rushed behind
the barbed wire perimeter of the Super Camp of the joint African
Union - UN Mission in Darfur, UNAMID.
Once inside,
the
Ambassadors were whisked in to meet with Joint Special Representative
Ibrahim Gambari and other UNAMID officials. Inner City Press went in
too, for the promised photo opportunity at the beginning of the
session.
But in the
corner, Gambari and Security Director Reddy were
in intense conversation with US Ambassador Susan Rice, accompanied by
her UK and Uganda counterparts Mark Lyall Grant and Ruhakana Rugunda.
Out window of UNSC bus, children waving
fists, bridging not shown (c) MRLee
Rather
than
freedom of movement for UN Peacekeepers and protection of civilians,
the discussion seemed to revolve around the next days program of
work: either a close-by internally displaced persons camp and then a
Saudi-funded hospital, or an IDP camp some 20 kilometers from Al
Fasher. Inner City Press, upon request, is not publishing the name of
either camp. The impact of the protest that greeted the Council at the
airport is not yet known.
Footnote:
inside
the UNAMID Super Camp, the Press was led to a welcome Internet
cafe. But in seeking to leave the air conditioned container, Inner
City Press was told that “you're really not supposed to wander
around... I'll go with you.” Essentially, a minder system.
Nevertheless UNAMID has its beauty: a V shape of birds in the sky, lit
up
periodically by lightening. After the call to prayer, people dropped
to their knees in a larger, carpeted container. A UNAMID staffer said
he rarely leaves the base. That's what the rebels say.
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this
site, follow on Twitter @InnerCityPress.
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