What
Would
a South Sudan Unilateral Declaration of Independence Trigger, with US
Dissing Silent UN? "Total War"
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
July 14 -- Less then six months from what is supposed to a
referendum on the separation of South Sudan from the rest of Africa's
largest country, the UN and others seem under-prepared.
On July 13,
Inner City Press asked the UN to respond to reports that Japan won't
give helicopters for the UN Mission in Sudan, saying that “the
support isn't there.”
Inner City Press also asked about the renewed
fighting in Darfur between the government and the Justice and
Equality Movement rebels: could the UN confirm it, had it visited the
areas or protected civilians?
On
the latter, the
UN could not initially say anything about this fighting in an area it
has a $1 billion peacekeeping mission. Later in the day the UN issued
a statement in response, that it was “aware of the reports” and
would be doing to see. On the helicopter problem, almost nothing was
said.
The
senior
military and peacekeeping diplomat of a major African country
approached Inner City Press later on July 13 in the UN's new North
Lawn building and asked: “what if South Sudan makes a Unilateral
Declaration of Independence?”
Salva Kiir at UNMIS, block of referendum and UDI not shown
This
last, some
times under the acronym UDI, hearkens to Kosovo, which unilaterally
declared independence from Serbia and was immediately recognized by
the United States, most but not all European Union countries, and now
some 69 of the UN's 192 member states.
There, grenades
have been
thrown, an International Court of Justice case is pending, the UN is
in stasis.
In
South Sudan,
the diplomat continued, it would be much worse. “Total war,” he
called it. Are the UN and member states, the Guarantors referred to
in a study
out today, prepared or preparing for that?
Inner
City Press
put the question in writing to the US Mission to the UN on July 13,
nearly positive it would not be answered. Earlier this month, when
Inner City Press asked the US Mission why Scott
Gration had not
attended a meeting including his Russian, Chinese and EU counterparts
in Darfur on July 4, the Mission declined to answer, referring the
question to Gration's staffer Marie Nelson, who after three telephone
requests also did not answer.
Another
UN
diplomat offered this answer: Sudan is “so important to the US that
the US refuses to work with, through or under the UN.” If true, and
pending answers from the Obama administration's State Department,
what would this mean for the short and long term future of South
Sudan?
* * *
On
Darfur,
Gration
Skips El Fasher Summit, US Won't Explain, UN Won't
Comment
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
July
10 -- Why did the U.S. envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration,
not attend last weekend's El Fasher summit on Darfur including
Gration's Chinese, Russian and EU counterparts? Inner City Press has
asked the U.S. Mission to the UN, including Ambassador Susan Rice as
she walked into the Security Council. But the question has not been
answered.
A
Rice aide told
Inner City Press to ask Gration's spokesperson, Marie Nelson, that
she would be waiting for the call. But despite three calls to Ms.
Nelson, including a request for answer by voice mail or e-mail, no
answer has been received. Nor did a re-request to the U.S. Mission
get any answer, except the vague statement that Gration's reason is
simpler than it was assumed Inner City Press would speculate.
Other
press
reports
have linked Gration's non attendance to his disagreements
with the UN's Ibrahim Gambari. It is not that at this point Gration
appears any more committed to justice in Darfur than is Mr. Gambari.
It's a turf war, pure and simple.
On
July 7, Inner
City Press told and asked the UN Mission to the UN:
I
called
Marie
Nelson before and after the noon briefing (where I asked
some other Sudan questions, including about crackdowns on free press
and the youth group Girifna). I'm sending you the "Final
Communiqué from JSR Retreat for the Special Envoys to the Sudan"
and an article speculating about Gration's absence. They say Gration
had agreed to the time and place - true? I'd like an on the record
explanation of Gration's non attendance, etc.
Three
days
later, as
of this writing, nothing. Watch this site.
Envoys in El Fasher, Gration not shown, explanation not given
At
the UN's
July
6
noon briefing, Inner City Press asked
Inner
City
Press:
On this meeting that you gave a readout of, of Mr.
Gambari, you said that various Member States went, but many people
picked up on the fact that Scott Gration of the US, neither the UK
nor French envoys went. Essentially it was Russian, Chinese envoys;
you can give me, if there is a longer list, give it to me. Did Mr.
Gambari invite the Western envoys on the Darfur issue, and what does
the UN make of their failure to attend and participate?
Associate
Spokesperson
Haq:
Well, first off, the full text of the communiqué
is available in the Spokesperson’s office. So, you can get a clear
view of the parties and the discussions there. It’s, I think, a
two-page readout. I don’t know the reasons for attendance or
non-attendance of some of these.
The
next
day
on
July 7 Inner City Press asked:
Inner
City
Press:
hree newspapers have been closed in Khartoum, and youth,
with this Girifna, have been arrested by the Government, all for
purportedly supporting separation or the referendum for the south to
break away. Does the UN, I heard your statement of Mr. Bassolé,
but
what does either Mr. [Haile] Menkerios or the UN say about the
north-south issue? And it’s related to that or not related to
that, are reports that recent killings in Abyei are intended to drive
the Dinka people out so that the vote would go Khartoum’s way. Is
there any, what’s the UN doing on the north-south front rather than
the Darfur front?
Associate
Spokesperson
Haq:
Well, certainly the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) is
working very clearly with all the parties trying to ensure calm on
the north-south front. I don’t have anything in particular to say
about the situation in Abyei right now. As for the crackdown on the
press, these allegations we’ll check first and foremost with our
Human Rights and UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization] colleagues whether they have anything to say
on that.
Still
waiting
on
that, too. Watch this site.
* * *
, 
