Inner City Press -- Investigative Reporting From the Inner City to Wall Street to the United Nations

Amid Torched Villages in Abyei, UN Flew in Torcher Haroun, Questions Unanswered

UNITED NATIONS, March 7 -- Amid the torching of villages in Abyei by Sudanese nomads, the UN flew into Abyei Ahmen Haroun, indicted by the International Criminal Court for organizing nomads to commit war crimes in Darfur, it confirmed to Inner City Press on March 4.

In follow up, Inner City Press over the weekend asked Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky to

“provide all previously requested specifics of ICC indictee Ahmed Haroun's now second flight with the UN, and did DPKO tell the Security Council? Was it a special or scheduled flight? How much did it cost? Did the UN ask why Sudan's air force couldn't make the flight? Did OLA consider and approve this? When will Patricia O'Brien hold a press conference and take questions?”

On March 7, with Nesirky not having answered any of the questions, he used his noon briefing opening to deliver praise to the government of Omar al Bashir, also indicted by the ICC for genocide, for now agreeing to try to avoid violence. Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: on Sudan, I mean, I heard your message lauding this agreement between the SPLM and the NPC. Has the UN seen, and can it… seen this report, and can it confirm that three villages were burned down in Abyei, 300 buildings destroyed, and what’s the relation between that… is this the violence that the agreement that you are applauding will be stopping or… and what was, did Ahmed Haroun, this indicted ICC [International Criminal Court] individual, what was his role? Did he sign this for the NPC, and do you think that villages will no longer be burned down in this way?

Spokesperson Nesirky: First of all, it is precisely that kind of violence and damage with human, as well as material, cost that this agreement would be designed to stop, and to try to stop. Governor [Ahmed] Haroun of South Kordofan, as you know, is responsible for the Misseriya’s respect for the rule of law and finding a solution to their migration, and so that is why his role was crucial in that respect.

Inner City Press: What do you say to those who say that, since he is actively charged by the ICC with organizing nomadic tribes to burn down villages that may be relying on him, transporting him may be not a good idea?

Menkerios (r) with Mbeki & Hillary Clinton, Haroun not shown

Spokesperson Nesirky: I think the point here is that, as I just said, his role in ensuring that Misseriya respect the rule of law and also in helping to find a solution to their migration is really crucial. And, indeed, the talks between the Ngok Dinka/SPLM and the Misseriya/NCP really can’t take place without his participation.

So it is impossible to deal with murderous nomads without the UN flying in a Sudanese government official indicted by the ICC for organizing nomads to murder in Darfur. Is the resulting and continuing murder any surprise?

Footnote: Meanwhile on March 7 Inner City Press on deadline asked the three spokespeople of the US Mission to the UN the following question, so far without response:

“Does the US State Department / Administration find the new Satellite Sentinel Project imagery, confirming the deliberate burning of three villages in Sudan's contested Abyei region, useful? How is the Obama administration focusing on Abyei? Do you agree with the conclusions of the Satellite Sentinel Project that it's systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure, and as such, evidence of a possible war crime?”

There are other questions to the US Mission to the UN that have gone unanswered. Watch this site.