On
Somalia, UNSC
Led by France
Plays Cheap on
Ships,
Mogadishu in
Manhattan III
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 7,
updated --
After "three
or four"
countries
blocked a 12
month
extension of
the Somalia
peacekeeping
mission and
funding of a
maritime
component,
Wednesday
morning the UN
Security
Council
adopted by a
15-0 vote a
mere four
month
extension.
Inner
City Press covered the
negotiations,
here, and
is now putting
online
the earlier
12-month
draft, here,
as a public
service.
After
the vote,
countries
ranging from
South Africa
and India to
Guatemala
said in their
explanations
of vote that
the maritime
component
should
have been
included.
South Africa's
Deputy
Permanent
Representative
Doctor
Mashabane came
to the
stakeout and
Inner City
Press asked
him,
how many votes
did you have
for the
maritime
component?
Ten,
he said,
adding that it
was blocked by
"three or
four"
Council
members.
(Another well
placed source,
a
Permanent
Representative,
told Inner
City Press
the cheapness
came mostly
"from
France.")
Inner
City Press
asked if Kenya
will now
withdraw its
ships, since
the
Security
Council didn't
approve
funding for
this maritime
component.
Mashabane said
he couldn't
speak for
Kenya, but
added that the
African Union
doesn't just
wake up and
make requests,
and that its
requests
should be
treated with
more respect
by the UN
Security
Council.
This
is a topic
that Italy's
Romano Prodi
was paid by
the UN to
study. Now
he is paid as
an Under
Secretary
General,
working from
Italy,
covering the
Sahel and
Mali. France
wants approval
to spend UN
money
in Mali. Why
not for the
job done and
to be done in
Somalia?
Further
inquiry
with a
proponent or
defender of
the compromise
yields the
position that
the four month
rollover will
allow more
time to
consult
with Somalia's
president, on
issues like
the arms
embargo. That
way,
the argument
goes, the
process will
be more Somali
led.
There
was also some
downplaying of
Kenya getting
shorted. Its
sailors are
already
getting "paid
by the EU," in
this view, so
the objection
is also about
a vague or
too-large
mandate for
the mere six
ship AMISOM /
Kenyan naval
force.
A
real issue
seems to be
that the EU
"African Peace
Facility"
which has
directed funds
to AMISOM will
now be shifted
over to Mali.
Some
say the US was
most opposed
to the
provision
directing
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon to
study,
with the AU,
funding to
replace this
European Union
facility. This
is
a reason it
would be good
to have more
stakeouts by
the US.
Mogadishu
in Manhattan
III: Finally,
Inner City
Press has
exclusively
learned of
another round
of intrigue in
the
Somali Mission
to the UN. Idd
Beddel
Mohamed, who
had
made previous
forays for
promotion
within the
Mission,
is now said to
be
"campaigning
in Mogadishu,"
and that this
includes a
letter
to the UN
Secretariat
again naming
him(self) to a
position.
Inner
City Press is
putting
the letter
online, here,
as a public
service and
more.
The
problem, the
sources say,
is that the
letter is from
the FORMER
Minister. They
say that the
date of the
letter is one
day after the
designated
prime minster
left New York
after the
attending the
General
Debate.
During his
stay at the UN
GA, nothing of
any contents
of the letter
was discussed
or brought to
the attention
of the Somali
Ambassador.
However, Idd
Beddel flew
to Mogadishu
and sent the
letter
straight to
the Secretary
General's
office
"bypassing the
whole Somalia
mission." Now
what?
Watch this
site.
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