UN's Migiro Says UNDP's Centrality Not Yet Decided, Condi
Rice Theory Circulates
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN
UNITED NATIONS, May 1 -- In her first press conference
since becoming Deputy Secretary General three months ago, Asha-Rose Migiro on
Tuesday at the UN described her recent trip to the UN Chief Executives Board
meeting in Geneva, to the DR Congo and Congo Brazzaville, where she met with
each of the African country resident representatives of the UN Development
Program.
Inner City Press asked DSG Migiro whether she and / or Ban Ki-moon had
told in Geneva told the heads of UN funds and programs, including UNDP, to
finally nail down with their executive boards such issues as making internal
audits available to member states. Yes, Ms. Migiro indicated, adding that there
is an interest in transparency. But if UNDP has yet to bring its policies in
line with the Secretariat, not only on audits but also whistleblowers and
Financial Disclosure, why should UNDP become the central UN agency in the field,
as is proposed in the current System-Wide Coherence plan? That is only a plan,
Ms. Migiro pointed out, UNDP's role has not been confirmed or accepted. She
noted that there are countries where the UN's Resident Coordinator is not from
UNDP.
Inner City Press inquired into the 90-day
urgent audit of UNDP in North Korea that Ban Ki-moon ordered 102 days ago. "That
is up to the external board of auditor," Ms. Migiro answered. "We have to wait."
The
vision thing: DSG Migiro at left, S-G Ban in center
Inner City Press requested and obtained from
the Spokesperson's office a statement as to whether these UN auditors have even
gotten access to North Korea yet, on day 102 of the 90 day audit. The following
was provided:
Subject: DPRK From: [Associate spokesperson
at] un.org
To: Matthew Russell Lee Sent: Tue, 1 May 2007 1:52 PM
The auditors are not presently
working in the DPRK. They had begun their work looking at UNDP operations, and,
as you are aware, UNDP has suspended its DPRK operations. They will work on
obtaining the information they need on UNDP operations in DPRK.
So 102 days into a 90 day audit, they still
have no access. Some expected Ms Migiro to speak out on this, but that is not
apparently her style. In response to insistent questions about UNDP's meek
replacement of its resident representative thrown out of The Gambia for
questioning the Gambian president's claim to cure AIDS with his own hands, Ms.
Migiro said these things are usually best worked out to talking. (Click
here
for Inner City Press' April 12 Gambia story; there will be more on this.) On Zimbabwe she
said she would defer to the SADC process, and that she was told by UNDP's
resident representative that UNDP is working closely with civil society and NGOs
in that country -- contrary to what the NGOs who recently visited the UN have to
see, click here for that story.
As an overview, Inner City Press asked Ms.
Migiro for her thinking on the inter-relation between development and human
rights: whether there are circumstances in which the UN's development arm(s),
UNDP and her office, should not work to build the power of a government
perceived by its people as dictatorial. "We cannot run away," Ms. Migiro said,
while also adding that the goal is to help the people of a country, not
necessarily (or not only) its government. There are tests of this philosophy on
the horizon.
News analysis: While there were some in the
press corps who compared Ms. Migiro unfavorably, at least in terms of candor of
answers, to the two last DSG, the most recent of which has just
cashed-out to
the Quantum Fund, in questionable compliance with the UN's "post-employment
restrictions which he watered down just before leaving, click here for that
story.
Others said it's wise to start cautious, and that Ms. Migiro is playing
to an audience which is not the international pro-globalization press, of the
type favored by the last DSG (press that rather than being a "pimple," as he
called one Sunny correspondent, can be the very ass itself). Still others,
Inner City Press' sources in African delegations, offer a solution to the
mystery of why did Ban Ki-moon choose as his Number Two a person he had met,
once, on a receiving line at a state dinner? The theory offered to Inner City
Press by these African delegations is as follows: it was the U.S. Secretary of
State Condoleeza Rice who suggested Ms. Migiro to Ban Ki-moon. That would
explain a lot... To be continued.
Feedback: Editorial
[at] innercitypress.com
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On
Zimbabwe, UNDP's Support For Mugabe's Human Rights Commission Criticized
Byline:
Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS, April
25 -- As from Zimbabwe images of opponents of Robert Mugabe being beaten have
pulsed out around the globe, the UN system has been
implicated in
more than one way. Most have focused on the UN Security Council, where the UK
managed to get a briefing on humanitarian issues, over the objection of South
Africa, which argues that Zimbabwe is not a danger to international peace and
security.
A
separate controversy involves the controversial
support to a Mugabe-sponsored Human Rights
Commission by the UN Development Program.
Last month, Zimbabwe's National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations
denounced UNDP's involvement. NANGO spokesman Fambai Ngirandi said there is "no
basis for discussing the setting up of a rights commission when there was no
letup in the government's suppression of people's rights... It is not the UNDP's
role to support the government in imposing a human rights commission. Day in and
day out the government is attacking us and they can't respect our very
existence."
Wednesday
at the UN in New York, the Open Society Institute brought three speakers from
the region. OIS for Southern Africa executive director Tawanda Mutasah explained
that the context in which UNDP publicly supported Mugabe's Human Rights
Commission was while activists from the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unionists
were being abducted and tortured by the Mugage government, in September 2006 and
again in March 2007.
In
response to questions from Inner City Press, Mr. Mutasah said that Mugabe's
reason for putting forth a HRC at that time was the at least 13 petitions about
Zimbabwe filed with the African Commission on Human and People's Rights in
Banjul, The Gambia. He said that a Zimbabwe HRC would "provoke the argument that
we do have domestic remedies we can use," and therefore there is no need to take
complaints to "the African plane" using "regional mechanisms."
Zimbabwe
Mr. Mutasah's detailed criticism contrasts to the defense of its programs that
UNDP offered in response to questions from Inner City Press:
"UNDP is working to facilitate dialogue on
human rights in Zimbabwe generally and more specifically on the proposed
National Human Rights Commission, with the participation of and at the request
of Zimbabwean Civil society, as represented by NANGO, the independent governing
body of non-governmental organizations in the country . [But see above.]
"UNDP believes that the decision of
government to establish the National Human Rights Commission presented an
opportunity for dialogue."
By contrast, the
article "Civic
groups to boycott human rights conference,"
quotes Arnold Tsunga, then the executive director of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for
Human Rights that "groups resolved that they would not attend the meeting
because they did not want to be seen as supporting the state's proposed human
rights commission."
Accompanying Mr. Mutasah on Wednesday were Grace Kwinjeh of the Movement for
Democratic Change, who described torture including being hit with a metal bar in
March such that she has lost part of her ear, and her attorney, Otto Saki,
Acting Director of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and thus the successor to
the above-quoted Arnold Tsunga.) In response to a question concerning OSI's role
in Zimbabwe, the moderator asked that her explanation be treated "off the
record," since it "compromises the mechanisms that we have in place."
While
Inner City Press is therefore not specifying the role or the speaker, one
assumes that the Mugabe government is aware of OSI's role in bringing these
speakers to the UN, where they intend to speak with the missions of Senegal and
Rwanda, among other places, and to make similar presentations in Washington. The
visits to African diplomats was explained as an attempt to work around the
accusation that those showing most concern for human rights in Zimbabwe are the
UK and the U.S., which plays right into Mugabe's hands.
Mr.
Mutasah offered praise for truth-telling to the presidents of Ghana, Zambia,
Botswana and Tanzania (although no one on the panel would comment on whether the
Tanzanian president asked Mugabe not to stand for election again in Zimbabwe.
Mugabe has since said he will run again. And what the UN and UNDP will do
remains an open question.
UN's
Holmes "Condemns" Reported Somali TFG Statements, While Withholding Documents
Byline:
Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN
UNITED NATIONS, April
24 -- The Somali Transitional Federal Government, which relies for its
legitimacy on the UN, yesterday told the UN that aid workers will have
"unimpeded access" to serve those people fleeing the TFG's shelling of
Mogadishu.
In New
York, Inner City Press asked UN humanitarian chief John Holmes what the UN's
response has been to two sample statements, by TFG president Yusuf that civilian
neighborhoods can be shelled, and by TFG defense official Salad Ali Jeele, that
certain clans and sub-clans in Mogadishu need to be exterminated (click
here for
that).
Mr.
Holmes responded that "the statements you've quoted, I would condemn them
utterly." Video
here,
from minute 35:13.
Inner
City Press asked about the
letter
which it obtained and
reported on April 20
in which TFG Minister for Interior Mohamed Mohamoud
Guled wrote to the UN World Food Program that
"It's TFG
decision that there will be no food distribution can take place anywhere in
Somalia without being inspected and approved by the government. Hence UN
agencies and any other organization that is planning to bring any relief to
Somalia should submit the documents for the goods before shipment for checkup."
This
letter from the Transitional Federal Government to the WFP was cc-ed to the
Somali National Refugee Commission, through which Inner City Press is told the
TFG had been saying all aid must flow. Asked about this on Tuesday, Mr. Holmes
said, "I have no information on that particular organization." That might be a
problem.
Mr.
Ban and Mr. Yusuf
Prior to
Mr. Holmes' briefing, WFP told Inner City Press the following:
Subject: Somalia
From: [WFP Spokesperson]
To: Matthew Russell Lee
Sent: Mon, 23 Apr 2007 6:09 PM
Hi Matthew, there were talks between the
UN and TFG today. Here's a short update, from Peter Goossens, WFP Country
director Somalia:
"The talk between the UN and a TFG
commission led by the Heath Minister were positive. The TFG will issue a
statement on the outcome. We hope that we will from now on be allowed to use any
airstrip in Somalia to bring in humanitarian assistance. We also need to see on
the ground that we are now allowed to bring that assistance urgently to those
most in need, particularly those displaced by the fighting in Mogadishu."
Tuesday
Mr. Holmes said essentially the same thing. However, when asked if any documents
could be provided -- the letter from UN Humanitarian Coordinator Eric Laroche,
or the above-referenced TFG statement -- Mr. Holmes said only that "I'll look
into that, if we can provide you chapter and verse." Ten hours later, no
documents had been provided. It's not "chapter and verse" -- it's basic
documents about what Mr. Holmes is calling the world's most dangerous for aid
workers. Silence doesn't help; silence is consent. Developing...
In Somalia, Understaffed Government Demands to
Inspect All UN Aid, At "Anti-Terror" Checkpoints
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at
the UN
UNITED NATIONS, April 20 -- The UN-supported
Transitional Federal Government in Somalia is now hindering the UN's attempts to
deliver humanitarian aid. Beyond the shelling of civilian areas, the TFG has
blocked UN agencies and the private groups they work with from using air strips,
and has demanded to inspect all food and medicine that comes into the country,
even though the TFG has nowhere near the manpower for this. This results in a
slow-down or stoppage of aid to Somalis.
In a sample April 9 letter
sent to the UN World Food Program, of which Inner City Press has obtained a
copy, click
here to
view, TFG Minister for Interior Mohamed Mohamoud Guled
writes that:
"It's TFG
decision that there will be no food distribution can take place anywhere in
Somalia without being inspected and approved by the government. Hence UN
agencies and any other organization that is planning to bring any relief to
Somalia should submit the documents for the goods before shipment for checkup."
Given the resources and focus of the TFG,
this threatens to slow or cut off the flow of humanitarian aid to Somalis. Inner
City Press is informed that the UN's Eric Laroche, who previously said that the
UN should cast its lot with the TFG as the only game in town, has now written to
Mr. Guled that the TFG lacks the
physical and human capacity to carry out the inspections and that this directive
may jeopardize the UN's capacity to deliver assistance. Intimidation, including
death threats, that have become routine at TFG militia checkpoints directed at
UN and partners particularly from a military group based at the Afgoye junction
calling itself the "Anti-Terror Unit."
Somalia
today
The TFG
has now denied access to the K50 airstrip and has re-designated Mogadishu
airport as the entry point for Benadir, and Middle and Lower Shabelle. Also
slowing and stopping humanitarian aid, it has proved impossible for the UN to
fly a company that will fly to Mogadishu International Airport.
The TFG
has also issued a directive that all implementation and data-gathering be
carried out exclusively through the National Refugee Commission (NRC), which
will further put into question the independence and impartiality of humanitarian
response. That is an issue that Inner City Press raised to Mr. Laroche when he
was in New York, click
here
that story. Mr. Laroche said the time had come to gamble on the TFG, and to
judge him if it went wrong. Has that time arrived? And what is the response of
belatedly present WFP executive director Josette Sheeran Shiner to the letter
from Mohamed Mohamoud Guled hindering food
distribution in Somalia?
UN
staffers have said they will meet with the TFG on April 23. The UN Security
Council will meet April 24 to discuss Somalia. As the UN's postponed and
re-written
Rwanda genocide exhibition is slated to go
on display, the UN's as well as
other parties' roles in what's occurring in Somalia will need to be closely
considered. Developing.
As
Somali Defense Official Speaks of Extermination, UN and U.S. Dodge War Crimes
Questions
Byline:
Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS, April
11 -- As civilian neighborhoods in Somalia are bombed by the Transitional
Federal Government, TFG-supporters from the United States to the UN increasingly
decline to comment on what's wrought in Mogadishu. Wednesday at UN Headquarters,
Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe to confirm
over one thousand deaths and to respond to a quote from TFG defense official
Salad Ali Jeele about "exterminating" a rival clan. [Video
here,
from Minute 6:50 through 8:56, and see below.]
Ms. Okabe
declined comment on the extermination threat, and said that "death toll
statistics are provided by the local authorities." But what if it is the
local authorities who are doing much of the killing?
Already
officials in Europe have expressed concerns about their possible
complicity in war crimes in
Mogadishu. These concerns must be sharpened by the following remarks by the EU-supported
TFG's Salad Ali Jeele:
"We have succeed in
winning the political aspect, what remains now is the force implication... Very
soon people will flee from this town , but I wonder where they will flee to.
Whether it is here to the north side or to Galgaduud. Since people cannot
reconcile and come to terms with each other it is best to forcefully expel
[them] from the city... We are now in the final stages. You have seen what
happened in the last four days' onslaught, without doubt who ever has survived
that onslaught will be exterminated in the one to follow soon."
In terms
of the UN system's continuing engagement, only earlier this week, the UN World
Food Program issued a press release calling on the TFG to, at least with
pirates, become tougher. The UN's humanitarian chief for Somalia, Eric Laroche,
was last heard to
urge unequivocal support for the TFG. Now the planned reconciliation
conference has been delayed for at least a full month. Much can happen in thirty
days. Salad Ali Jeele was
previously quoted, by a UN-affiliated
service, as denying the UN's
own experts' report that the TFG was violating the arms embargo then in place.
Somalia
'07 -- shades of RTML?
Tuesday
at the UN, Inner City Press got a chance to ask U.S. Ambassador Wolff a question
about the weapons in Somalia, video
here,
from Minute 6:49:
Inner City Press: On
this report, that the U.S. allowed Ethiopia to buy weapons from North Korea in
January '07, I think your predecessor has said if it's true, this -- you know,
he disfavored that, that it would have violated previous sanctions. Do you have
any views on whether that took place? And if so, why it would not violate the
sanctions?
Ambassador Wolff:
Well, I've seen the reports on this. I don't have any additional information to
offer. We believe that the resolution should be adhered to. And from my
reading of the accounts, it's the responsibility of the Ethiopian government to
adhere by that resolution.
But the
underlying reporting indicates that the U.S. was aware of the ship heading to
Ethiopia, in violation of the U.S.-sponsored sanctions on North Korea's arms
sales, and that the U.S. did nothing. State Department spokesman Scott
McCormack on Monday
answered similarly,
"I'm not going to have any particular comment on the details of that story."
Earlier on Monday, he had
said
that "my objective here isn't to criticize the Transitional Federal Government."
Maybe it should be...
Bombing of Civilians Justified by UN-Supported Somali
President, War Crimes Questions Raised
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at
the UN
UNITED NATIONS, April 9 -- When are war crimes
accepted, and who gets to decide? In Mogadishu last week, hundreds of civilians
were killed when Ethiopian troops and the Transitional Federal Government fired
into built-up sections of the city. In seeming violation of the laws of war, TFG
president Abdullahi Yusuf has said "any place from which a bullet is fired (at
us) we will bombard it regardless of whoever is there."
Monday at UN Headquarters, Inner City
Press asked the spokesman for Ban Ki-moon to respond to the quote, and to the
bombing by the TFG and others of civilian areas in Mogadishu. The spokesman,
Farhan Haq, pointed out that "a number of bodies, including the Security
Council, have recognized the TFG."
In response to Inner City Press' follow-up
question, Mr. Haq said that "the UN is against bombing of civilian areas...
across the board." What have the UN's Francois Lonseny Fall, or perhaps more
pertinently, Political Affairs chief Lynn Pascoe, said on the topic? "I can
check," Mr. Haq said. Video
here,
from Minute 20:53. Also needing update is the UN's humanitarian chief on Somalia
Eric Laroche's statement that the TFG is
"the only way to go."
The inquiry takes place in the
wake of
reporting
on a European Union expert's April 2 e-mail warning to Eric van der Linden, the
chief EU official for Kenya and Somalia, that:
"there are
strong grounds to believe that the Ethiopian government and the transitional
federal government of Somalia and the African Union (peacekeeping) Force
Commander, possibly also including the African Union Head of Mission and other
African Union officials have through commission or omission violated the Rome
Statute of the International Criminal Court."
While the UN has yet to send
its own blue helmeted peacekeepers to support or replace the African Union
force, the UN has supported the TFG even as its
compliance with the Transitional Federal
Charter has come into question, concerning the exclusion (and now bombing) of
certain clans and sub-clans.
Even following the EU warning, the UN continues to call on the TFG to take more
aggressive action.
Responding by press release to
the freeing of two ships and their crews, UN World Food Program Somalia Country
Director Peter Goossens called, blithely some say, for a more aggressive stance
by the Transitional Federal Government. On WFP's web site, Mr. Goossens is
quoted that
"the threat of piracy however is still very much alive in Somali waters and WFP
urges the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and the Puntland
authorities to curb this menace."
Somalia:
tsunami or TFG?
Others are making excuses for the intentional bombing
of civilians areas.
Voice of America found an expert, former
US ambassador to Ethiopia David Shinn, to
say that
"
“I think that in this part of the world
war tends to be particularly brutal. And I think it’s going to be extremely
difficult to prove that there were war crimes taking place as such. I think this
tends to be more the way things are done." Particularly on the 13th
anniversary of the beginning of the
genocide in Rwanda, this type
of relativism is troubling.
Compliance with Security
Council resolutions, even by their sponsors, has become relative as well. The
U.S., it
emerges, allowed Ethiopia to buy weapons
and tank parts from North Korea months after the U.S.-sponsored sanctions on
North Korea. Asked for Ban Ki-moon's
reaction, spokesman Farhan Haq declined to comment, saying that since these are
Security Council sanctions, the Council members should be asked. When it was
pointed out that Mr. Ban has chosen to comment on compliance with the Security
Council resolution barring arms imports into Lebanon, Mr. Haq shrugged. It is
apparently a matter of discretion.
U.S.
Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
Jendayi
Frazer
was in Baidoa over the weekend. She met with Abdullayi Yusuf and was quoted by
Reuters that "'I think that everybody used excessive force when you hear
the number killed,' Frazer said, but blamed insurgents for starting the fight
with mortar attacks from populated areas."
News analysis: the
allowance for war crimes and other bending and breaking of laws in Somalia
appears based on the equation of the Union of Islamic Court with the Taliban, or
more explosively, Al Qaeda. In late December when Ethiopian troops crossed the
border and drove on Mogadishu,
the Security Council did nothing.
When in January the U.S. fired missiles at supposed Al Qaeda hide-outs in
southern Somalia, little was said. Now the UN-supposed Transitional Federal
Government, through its president, says openly they will fire into civilians
areas if the residents don't themselves expel the Courts or insurgents.
Meanwhile the
UN counts and decries those fleeing
Mogadishu. The World Food
Program, in one of its first communications under new executive director Josette
Sheeran Shiner, fresh in from the U.S. State Department, blithely issues a
press release calling on the TFG to crack
down on pirates, click
here
to view. What if the pirates move into residential neighborhoods? Bombs away,
apparently...
Transcript of
TFG President Yusuf Q&A, March 21, 2007, see esp. Q&A 5 and 6
1. Q. It is
been reported that the government instigated the current fighting.
A. The man who
made that accusation who claims he is speaking on behalf of a clan and that his
house was attacked is well known and he works directly with the Islamic Courts.
Since he collaborates with the courts and the courts are the ones who are
killing the people and conducting terrorism amongst the people and who are
destructive, it does not matter how educated he is, it doesn't matter how famous
he is, it does not matter from what clan he is: Society should be protected from
that kind of man (arrested/eliminated?) because he will not contribute anything
to the community except trouble and destruction.
2. Q. But Mr.
President he is saying we were a clan that was meeting just like the other clans
meet?
A: Son, he is
lying! We know the names of the guys he was meeting with at that time. They are
one family (sub-clan). They cannot even speak on behalf of a sub-clan. They
are individuals and we know the one he is having the meeting with. The name
Hawiye is being used as a cover but it does not exist. I believe you have asked
the Prime Minister about this ( i.e. Hawiye) and you know from which clan the
Prime Minister comes from (i.e. he is Hawiye).
3. Q: One can
ask, can the president draw people closer to each other now that there is on
going fighting everywhere and the people are fleeing, many are wounded so how
will they come (to Mogadishu for the peace conference)?
A: The facts
are well known. It is the guys I have named who are causing the instability and
we are working to ensure they can never again cause instability (threat?). This
city should be secure when the conference (reconciliation conference scheduled
for April 16 in Mogadishu) is to be held. That is the transitional government's
responsibility.
4. Q: So have
you been overpowered? Reports say that it is the government troops and the
peacekeepers that are being dragged. Were you overpowered?
A: First of all
have you ever fought in a war?
5. Q: Then who
is fighting? Isn't it reported that two sides are fighting?
A: First, I
have asked you a question. If there is a battle there will be casualties
(deaths), It is possible that every now and then one or the other side looses
ground, but we have not been defeated, we will not be defeated God willing and
we will eliminate these guys.
6. Q: The
government is using artillery to shell civilian areas according to reports,
therefore why are you using these artillery?
A: Why
shouldn't we use it? They are within the civilian areas. The public should make
them (rebels) leave the civilian areas. When those guys leave the civilian areas
no harm will come to the civilians. We want the civilians to remove them
(rebels) telling them to go away from our midst. It is you (rebels) that are
causing us all these troubles. It is the rebels who are the cause of all the
troubles and not the government because any place from which a bullet is fired
(at us) we will bombard it regardless of whoever is there.
7. Q: Even if
civilians are there you are going to bombard it?
A: Yes we will
bombard it! Because the civilians should not be used as Human shields. The
civilians should get out of there and we have warned the civilians. We said
there is fighting going on in those neighborhoods get out of there while the
fighting is going on because one of the sides will be made to give up. The
civilians have that warning.
8. Q: Mr.
President since you have announced that yours is a government of peace, and that
you will save the public, if you now say we are going to burn everyone (who
opposes us) what do you think of that?
A: It is one
side that is initiating the fighting. The instigators will be confronted with
fighting. If they hide amongst the civilians there will be collateral damage to
the civilians. You need to ask them (rebels) those kinds of questions like why
don't you leave the civilian areas and fight the government somewhere else? It
is they that you should ask such questions and goodbye!
But the questions are proliferating.
Developing...
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reports are available in the ProQuest service and some are archived on
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