Amid
Fraud in Sudan and Kidnapping by Bashir-Affiliated Militia,
UN Cuts Off Questions
By
Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, April 21 -- With fraud exposed, on film, in the Sudanese
election to which the UN provided technical assistance, and with four
UN peacekeepers still missing in Darfur, apparently taken by a
government affiliated militia, UN Spokesman Martin Nesirky
on Tuesday cut off questions about Sudan and the election in favor
of a press conference on Guatemala. Video here,
from Minute 11:28.
On
April 19, when
Inner City Press asked for a
response to the view that the kidnappers
of the UN peacekeepers are from a government-aligned militia, Nesirky
dodged the question. On April 20, he simply did not take the
question.
Meanwhile, "UNAMID spokesperson
Noureddine Mezni said, 'The Sudanese authorities know the identity
of the kidnappers.'"
Consider that on
the UN's own ReliefWeb site, it is reported that
"NYALA
– A new group calling itself the Movement for the Struggle of the
People in Darfur claims to have kidnapped four South African UNAMID
peacekeepers in South Darfur. They want a ransom of an amount
equivalent to half a million US dollars (a billion sudanese pounds)
and the release of their 'detained leaders'... the group is part of
the Irada Hura (SLM Free Will), a mixed group that signed a
Declaration of Commitment after the Darfur Peace Agreemnent in Abuja.
Their leader prof. Abdelrahman Musa died. The new leader, Ali Majok,
was apparently appointed with support of the government and became a
minister. But a faction within the group disagreed with his
leadership. Adam Salih, another member of the faction, called for a
meeting to contest the leadership. He formed in the meantime a new
Movement for the Struggle of the People in Darfur."
Adam
Salih, aka "Ahmad
Salah Abubakr Abdallah" was previously associated with the "SLA
Free Will" movement. The leader of the "Sudan Liberation
Movement - Free Will faction had joined the national unity
government" in 2008. "Aid
agency sources say that SLA-Free Will is the creation of the GoS
delegation in Abuja, whose goal is to split the rebels along tribal
lines" [source]
"Ahmad
Saleh, a Birgid, is a former SLA-Minni commander who joined SLA-Free
Will in September 2006 and is believed to be close to the GoS"
[source]
Amnesty International has implicated Adam Salih in "Janjaweed
militia attacks"... [source]
So
were the UN
peacekeepers taken by a government-affiliated militia?
UN's Ban and Bashir, four "missing" peacekeepers not shown
Is the UN
not only "liaising" but negotiating with the government for
their release?
Inner City Press,
which has been asking the UN about its role in the re-election of
indicted war criminal Omar al-Bashir, sought to proceed with the
question, or to have Mr. Nesirky return to the rostrum after the
Guatemala presentation. While Nesirky said, "Let's do that,"
he left the briefing and did not return. But the questions
will continue. Watch this site.
From
the UN's
April 21 transcript, Inner City Press' questions and OSSG's
Nesirky's responses:
Inner
City Press: On Sudan, the missing or kidnapped peacekeepers in
Darfur, it is now being reported that South African Government has
been negotiating with the group and the group has said that they will
release the peacekeepers once the election results are released in
Darfur. There are also reports that this group, both by the name of
its founder and otherwise, are a somewhat Government-supported
militia. What I wanted to know is whether the UN has had any
involvement in these discussions between the South African Government
and the hostage takers or, and whether, what it would say to a trail
of evidence that seems to indicate that the hostage takers are in
fact in some way initially created by or affiliated with the
Government of Sudan?
Spokesperson:
I have mentioned here before that the UN is concerned for the
well-being of the four people, the four South African peacekeepers
who are missing. And I have also said that the UN has been liaising
with the Government of Sudan and, as in other such cases, it’s the
responsibility of the host Government to ensure the safe return of
people in such circumstances. And beyond that, I don’t have any
comment at the moment.
Question:
Of the concern that this liaising, that in fact, I mean, there’s
also been, a UNAMID Spokesman has said that the Government knows who
the hostage takers are, so that’s why I am assuming that that’s a
UN-wide position.
Spokesperson:
At the moment…
Question:
Is that a matter of concern to the UN; that the host Government is
aware of and allegedly is connected to the hostage talkers, is that
of some concern?
Spokesperson:
At the moment, there are two things. One is that the overriding
concern is, again, for our people on the ground. And for that
reason, I don’t have anything further to say.
Question:
But you will, I mean once they’re released maybe you will…?
Spokesperson:
The whole aim of the game is for our colleagues to be returned
safely.
, 
