Darfur
"Mansion"
of Gambari
Decried By
Whistleblowers,
Qatar
Conflict?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 3 --
What is it
with Ibrahim
Gambari and
photographs?
In the wake of
photos
of Gambari's
greeting
International
Criminal Court
indictee Omar
al Bashir,
which the UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesman in
New York
first claimed
not to have
seen, then
defended
to Inner City
Press,
then weakly
said "avoid in
future,"
new
photographs
have been
sent to Inner
City Press.
These
involve the
so-called
"Hardshell on
the Hill"
mansion that
Gambari had
built for
himself with
UN funds in
the El Fasher
Supercamp in
Darfur.
In Hardshell
on the Hill: a
reality TV
show called
Darfur Cribs?
The
set of
photographs,
only some of
which are
published here
so far,
arrived
with this
cover note
from a
whistleblowing
source, also
stating for
example that
when Gambari
travels to
Doha, the
Qatar
government
pays
for his "seven
star" hotel
and car. Could
that be a
conflict of
interest?
The
source stated:
I
saw that you
recently had
an interest in
pictures of I.
Gambari,
UNAMID JSR.
You may then
like the ones
attached.
These are of
the
fully-equipped,
fully-furnished
Hardwall On
The Hill
residence
built
for Gambari in
El Fasher
Supercamp.
Nothing to do
with the
prefab,
containers and
tents in which
some staff
live. Pity
that this posh
abode is not
much used by
the absentee
overlord of El
Fasher on
account of his
constant
flying around
on 'official'
travel.
Presently
in Addis, busy
lobbying some
AU head of
states /
delegations,
like
Djbouti,
Rwanda and a
few others,
with the
assist of
Qatar, so
they'd
ask Ban to
extend him, as
some Member
States want
him out.
Although
some had
predicted the
dear
Professor's
departure for
last July, he
is still
hanging in
there. Spent
so much of his
time at HQ,
sucking
up to whoever
could keep him
in that almost
never used
house on the
hill that SG
floor's staff
have nicknamed
him "The
Supplicant".
As to the
house, it
would be
interesting to
know how much
did it cost
and how was it
paid for
(pictures of
business jet
and IDP
shelters
not shown).
Watch this
space.
The
final lines,
yes, follow
the Inner City
Press style
book.
Hardshell
compound and
UNAMID
vehicles: the
house on the
hill
So Inner City
Press
asked some
questions,to a
variety of
sources,
receiving in
return
confirmations
and for
example the
following:
Jet
is
part of
mission
budget...
Heard of
monthly
payment of
$300,000
flying or not
+flight hours
and fuel.
House on the
hill staff are
regular
Nigerian
military
personnel,
doing his
cleaning,
cooking,
serving, etc.
Relations with
Qatar, very
cozy. Seven
star hotel
treatment when
in Doha, hotel
tab and car
and all
expenses paid.
That
would sure
seem to
present the
possibility of
additional
conflicts of
interest.
Cama de
Gambari?
Reality TV
show not shown
Inner
City Press has
a question
pending
concerning
Qatar and
conflicts:
watch this
site.
, 
