As
Italy's Deal to Deploy in
Niger Called Into Question,
Colonial Quarrel, Echo of
Cameroon
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS,
April 7 – While the UN pleads
with European countries to
provide peacekeepers, some
European countries are even
more eager to deploy on their
own to African countries than
the countries are to receive
them. Take the strange case of
Italy and Niger. It was
announced that Italy would
send some 400 soldiers,
regarding border patrol and
surveillance. But then Niger
demurred, and Italy is said to
blame Niger's colonial and
uranium master, France. Both
countries, by the way, support
Francophone Cameroon's Paul
Biya in cracking down on the
Anglophone minority. Italy,
now less frequently seen
around the Security Council
during the second leg of its
shared term with the
Netherlands, is also said to
be having problems deploying
in Tunisia. We hope to have
more on this. The new
colonialism, and it is that,
is not as easy as the first
round. But as Cameroon shows,
it is a cynical and deadly
game. Libya too: nearly
exactly one year ago the UN's
servile role in Libya was
exemplified on 4 April 2017,
when long time UN spokesman
Stephane Dujarric cut off a
Press question, to Italy,
about its deal with and
reported arming
of tribes there in an
attempt to stem migrant flows.
So on April 5, Inner City
Press asked Dujarric's
Associate Spokesperson Eri
Kaneko, from the UN
transcript:
Inner City Press:
I tried yesterday at the UNMAS
[United Nations Mine Action
Service] press conference to
ask this question. There
was a conference held in…
Friday in Rome between the
Italian Interior Ministry and
what was described as tribes
from Libya, particularly from
the parts not controlled by
the UN-recognized
Government. And at least
some press accounts say that
Italy has agreed to provide
weapons to the tribes,
basically to stop immigrant…
migrants or refugees from
coming to their soil.
So, what I wondered is, what's
the UN's involvement in
this? One, what do they
think of a country arming
tribes, if that's what took
place? In any event,
what is the UN… either Mr.
[Martin] Kobler or… or… or
anyone else in the UN system,
UNHCR [Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees], are they involved
in any way in this Italian
interchange with Libyan
tribes?
Associate Spokesperson:
I mean, as you know, the UN is
not a military force or has no
military force in Libya, but
I'm sure that the Italians are
in touch with our team on the
ground. We'll check with
them what they think about
this development.
Question: Right.
But, I guess… well,
okay. Check… check, if
you could?
Associate Spokesperson:
Yoshita?
Eight
hours later, there was
nothing, no answers. On April
4, the cut off was at a press
conference co-chaired by
Italy's deputy ambassador to
the UN; Libya is one of the
countries the UN says it does
mine action work in. But when
Inner City Press asked about
Libya, and Italy, spokesman
Stephane "The Evicter"
Dujarric cut in and disallowed
the question. Later he allowed
others to ask “off topic”
questions.
***
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