On
Guinea Bissau,
Portugal Says
Mutaboba Out
As UN Feared
for Safety
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 11 --
To hear Joseph
Mutaboba,
erstwhile UN
envoy
to Guinea
Bissau, brief
the UN
Security
Council
Tuesday
morning,
Portuguese
Permanent
Representative
Cabral rushed
in at 10 am.
Inner
City Press
asked him if
Portugal
thinks was he
"persona non
grata-ed" or
told to leave
the country.
Cabral
replied, "I
think there
are two
things. He
will be
replaced. And
secondly I
think the
Secretariat
was very
concerned with
his safety
after what
they said
about him. I
think they
were prudent."
But
what does it
say about the
UN that
post-coup
governments
can force
the
replacement of
an envoy with
threats? And
that the UN
then
essentially
denies the
threats, and
say the
leaving is
normal
rotation?
Inner
City Press has
asked that
Mutaboba told
a stakeout or
other question
and answer
session. But
does he want
to, if he
wants another
UN job?
Does the UN
want him to
speak?
Apparently
not.
Soon
there will be
names to
report on who
might replace
him. But under
what terms?
Meanwhile,
Mali's
second coup
was the buzz
in the Council
Tuesday
morning. An
ECOWAS
representative
told Inner
City Press, we
are lost, we
don't
know what to
do. They take
the Mali coup
seriously,
while pushing
to
recognize the
threatening
post coup
government.
There is no
single
standard.
Watch this
site.
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