On
Syria,
Medelci
Calls Anwar
Malik Just One
Algerian,
W. Sahara a
Colonial Issue
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 11 --
When Algerian
Foreign
Minister
Mourad Medelci
held a press
conference at
the UN midday
on Wednesday,
he wanted to
talk about his
country,
emphasizing
that it has no
foreign debt,
and
about the
Group of 77
and China, of
which Algeria
has the chair
from
Argentina.
But
most press
questions
directed to
him concerned
Syria,
including
about Anwar
Malik, the
Algerian
member of the
Arab League
observer
mission who
left the
mission in
disgust,
calling it a
farce. "Other
Algerians
didn't speak,"
Medelci
responded,
saying that
"they might
have different
opinions."
And
Medelci
is
seemingly
among them,
emphasizing
that the
violence in
Syria does not
only come from
the
government,
calling the
claims and
counterclaims
"intriguing."
He said
Algeria is
opposed to
strong cuts of
Syria air
flights, says
it punishes
civilians, not
the government
and
its officials.
That is what
he explained
about the 165
member Arab
League
mission: it
includes 10
representative
of the
Algerian
state, who
have not quit,
and "a few
dozen
representatives
of NGOs,"
including
(until he
quit) "one
Algerian."
He
was asked by a
Turkish
journalist if
he believes
that France
committed
genocide in
Algeria. While
remaining
diplomatic, he
said that "our
children
need to know
about...
massacres"
committed by
France.
He
was then
quickly asked
by a French
journalist
about protests
in Algeria,
including by
the
unemployed. He
replied that
people always
want more,
and this is
understandable,
but said
Algeria is
more open than
were
Tunisia,
Egypt, Libya
and Syria.
Inner
City Press
asked Mourad
Medelci
about Western
Sahara,
whether
Algeria thinks
the
UN Mission
there MINURSO
should have a
human rights
component. Video
here, from
Minute 31:34.
Mourad Medelci,
again
diplomatic,
said that
there are only
a few
remaining
issues of
decolonialization,
and that
Western Sahara
is one of them
and should be
dealt with
only on that
basis. Video
here, from
Minute 36:43.
(c) UN Photo
Mourad
Medelci
Jan 11
w/ Ban Ki-moon
& Kim
Won-soo, Anwar
Malik not
shown
Inner
City Press
asked Mourad
Medelci
if he thought
Morocco
joining the
Security
Council
changes
things. He did
not answer
this part of
the question.
As the
Moroccan
mission has
argued to
Inner City
Press, Western
Sahara is by
no means their
only interest.
And this is
true: as Inner
City Press
reported
yesterday,
Morocco has
requested a
Council
briefing on
the
humanitarian
consequence of
Israel's
settlement
policies.
On
Wednesday
Inner
City Press
asked Moroccan
Permanent
Representative
Loulichki for
the
status; he
said the
Council's
president is
consulting
with members
but he is an
"optimist."
And, like Medelci,
a diplomat.
Watch this
site.
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