| On
Syria,
Russia Says
"JIM Is
Dead,"
New Mechanism
Mulled,
Italy
Confirms ICP's
Scoop
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Periscope
UNITED NATIONS,
November 22 – The Syria
chemical weapons Joint
Investigative Mechanism
expired at midnight on
November 17, UN Security
Council members repeatedly
said on November 16 and 17.
And on November 22 Russian
Ambassador Nebenzia emerged
from the Security Council and
said, "JIM is dead." Periscope
here.
He spoke of another mechanism.
Inner City Press asked him if
Edmond Mulet should be a part
of it; he said personalities
were not discussed. Moments
later Italy's Ambassador Cardi
confirmed Inner City Press'
November 19 scoop, that Italy
had proposed an extension of
JIM until the end of the
budget cycle. When
Council consultations broke up
back on the evening of
November 17, as Inner City
Press reported, a diplomat
said, We've given ourselves a
bit more time. Now Inner City
Press is informed on
background not only that
elected members Sweden and
Uruguay have a new compromise
draft, but also that the
Council Presidency for
November, Italy, is presenting
a proposal to keep the status
quo, that is to say the JIM,
until the end of the current
budget cycle. This comes while
the UN Secretariat of Antonio
Guterres talks darkly about
ending and emptying the JIM -
a symptom of why delegating a
new structure for the JIM,
even in conjunction with the
OPCW, triggered the most
recent veto. We'll have more
on this - watch this
site. After two drafts
failed, o Japan which
abstained on Russia's draft
made a simple proposal, which
Inner City Press summarizes below. But on
November 17 at 6:25 pm, Russia
vetoed, Bolivia also voted no;
China abstained. Six minute
video here.
After a murky "stopping of the
clock" - no precedent was
given, nor exists - Inner City
Press was informed by sources
that two other non-permanent
members, Uruguay and Sweden,
proposed another compromise.
Sweden's Skoog had said he
would keep his grief brief.
But this brief? On November
17, US Nikki Haley told the
Press on her way out -
presumably back to the US
Mission across the street -
that "It's not midnight yet."
Exclusive
video here.
After an hour
of
consultations,
the
Ambassadors
left, tight
lipped. One
said, We've
bought
ourselves a
bit more time.
But no one
would explain
it. Pretend
JIM is alive:
just one more
alternative
fact. Watch
this site. This was Japan's
draft: pp1 Recalls
previous resolutions; op1
decides to renew JIM for 30
days; op2 asks SG and OPCW to
submit plan in 20 days; op3
remains seized of the matter.
Consultations began after 11
am. Russian deputy Safronkov,
asked if Russia would support
the Japanese draft, said
enigmatically, "I love you
all." After the UN noon
briefing Ukraine's Permanent
Representative said he didn't
see much prospects for a vote
on November 17, and that JIM
is "already" dead. (Skeptics
might note that Ukraine likes
to put Russia in the most
negative light, as having
killed JIM even before the
heart officially stops at
midnight.) Uruguay's PR said
that talks continue, and
Sweden's Olof Skoog said he's
optimistic, "I never give up."
And mid afternoon a meeting,
in the open chamber for a
vote, was scheduled for 6:15
pm. Call it Night of the
Living JIM - a horror film
riff on all the talk of
"keeping JIM alive" or Inner
City Press' question, "Who
killed JIM?" Hint: where was
Edmond Mulet? Where did he go?
And as he went in, Sweden
Skoog gestured that his
optimism is down. A diplomat
close to Russia said, look at
OP 2, why would Russia accept
the recommendations of
Guterres and OPCW? Why not
just get it over with now?
Watch this site. On
November 16, first Russia
wanted its draft voted on
second; it lost a procedural
vote and withdrew its draft to
have it voted on later. Then
it vetoed the US draft.
Bolivia also voted No; China
abstained. After a 15 minute
break during which Nikki Haley
spoke with China, Ethiopia,
Kazakhstan and others,
Russia's and Bolivia's draft
was voted down with four in
favor, seven against and four
abstaining, including Japan.
Just after the vote, and a
formal stakeout by Russia's
Nebenzia and an informal one
by Council President
Sebastiano Cardi of Italy,
Japan made a move to try to
show its value as a Security
Council member, six weeks
before it loses membership
again: it will seek a one
month extension of the JIM.
Watch this site. Nikki Haley
on her way in told the press
her Russian counterpart had
not taken her calls. After the
vote, she denounced Russia.
When the JIM report's "advance
copy" was distributed to
Security Council members on
October 26, it was quickly
given by some members to
"their" media, which wrote
about it without putting it
online. It was spoken
about at the UN Security
Council stakeout on October
27, by France's Delattre who
did not answer all questions,
and UK Rycroft who did (see
below). Now the JIM record is
attached to this
article on Patreon.
The JIM resolution was put on
the Security Council's agenda
for a vote on October 24,
first Russia asked to postpone
the vote until November 7.
(Bolivia also spoke in favor
of postponement). Then after
that proposal was voted down
with four in favor, three
abstentions and eight against.
Just before French Ambassador
Francois Delattre called the
vote on the resolution,
Russia's Ambassador Nebenzia
said he would give an
explanation of vote before the
vote. Delattre chided him for
not having said that in
advance; Nebenzia said he had.
Then the vote. Russia vetoed;
China abstained. There
followed speeches. It was UN
Day. On October 27 amid
speeches about the JIM's
selectively leaked findings,
Inner City Press asked UK
Ambassador Matthew Rycroft,
from the UK transcript: Inner
City Press: On Russia and
Assad, what’s the UK’s view of
the relationship between the
Geneva talks and other
processes, including in Astana
and elsewhere? There was
some discussion of that
yesterday. And how might this
issue relate to the political
process? Amb Rycroft: The
British view is that there
must be a political
transition, and that the
UN-led process in Geneva is
the route that we have all
agreed will deliver that
transition. We set out in some
detail in resolution 2254 what
needs to happen, and we need
to make sure the political
process, which has taken quite
a significant detour away from
Geneva through Astana and
various other places, now
needs to come back to Geneva
as Staffan De Mistura has now
announced. We need to make
sure the Syrian regime turns
up to those talks and
negotiates meaningfully to
ensure that Syria finally will
have an end to this brutal
war." In other news, an Inner
City Press exclusive: former
International Criminal Court
Luis Moreno Ocampo was getting
leaked French Mission to the
UN documents, including HRW's
heads-up to Ban Ki-moon's
chief of staff Vijay Nambiar,
from his former intimate
Beatrice Le Fraper du Hellen,
documents obtained by Inner
City Press show. She forwarded
him, calling it hypocritical
and funny, her government's
"demarche" to Washington,
London and Berlin against
Ibrahim Gambari. See her.
She forwarded Ocampo Human
Rights Watch's Philippe
Bolopion's message to Nambiar
from Ken Roth, saying HRW
would sit on the letter to the
benefit of the UN (whose Herve
Ladsous was also sent a copy).
See Tweeted photos, here.
She sent Ocampo more - but
first, let's see how France
deals with this, and how the
ICC which they say they love
so much deals with it. While
there's (much) more to say
about the International
Criminal Court including as
illuminated by the recent
reporting on Luis Moreno
Ocampo, the UN is trying to
steer clear of the issues,
both saying the ICC is
separate and more specifically
in Kenya. On October 9 Inner
City Press asked the UN
spokesman Stephane Dujarric,
UN transcript here:
I actually wanted to ask you
about what seems to be a
connection to the UN
Secretariat or at least it's
OIOS (Office of Internal
Oversight Services). You
may have seen these leaked
documents being analysed
concerning former prosecutor
Moreno… Luis Moreno
Ocampo. And the reason I
want to ask you is they touch
on Kenya and the decision to
try to have… give Mr. [Uhuru]
Kenyatta a way out, but Fatou
Bensouda has said it's being
investigated by something
called the IOM, not the other
IOM but the Internal Oversight
Mechanism, which, in its
bylaws, cooperates in some way
with OIOS. So, I wanted
to know, is there any… it's
always been said from here
that there's no connection
between the ICC and the UN
Secretariat. OIOS - do
they work with IOM?
Spokesman: No, there is…
listen… You have read
those bylaws. I have
not. There is no
operational link between the
UN and the ICC. Whether
or not it… often the case that
various internal oversight
bodies have different parts of
the system writ very large
cooperate with each other, but
OIOS does not have any
jurisdictional oversight over
the ICC. Inner City Press: I'm
just wondering, I don't know
if they'll answer if I ask
them, so could you ask them
whether OIOS is playing any
role in the… in the… they've
des… what's described as an
investigation of these Moreno
Ocampo…Spokesman: What
I'm telling you is OIOS does
not have any jurisdiction over
the International Criminal
Court. Inner City Press: "Then
why are they--" Then cut off.
We'll have more on this. After
the Kenya elections results
the UN praised on August 12
were thrown out on September
1, Inner City Press
immediately asked the
three top
spokespeople
of UN
Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres for
comment. There
was none then,
and when
Guterres took
some media
questions on
September 5,
Inner City
Press loudly
asked Guterres
if he has any
update to its
praise of
Kenay's now
reversed
election.
Video here.
On
October 6,
Inner City
Press asked
the President
of the General
Assembly's
spokesman
about Kenya(tta)
foreign
minister Amina
Mohamed being
now an advisor
to the PGA, and
some (mis)
reporting in
Kenya. Video here,
from the PGA's
summary:
"Asked about
media reports
in Kenya that
Kenyan Foreign
Minister Amina
Mohamed now
had a “UN
job”, the
Spokesperson
clarified that
membership on
the Team of
External
Advisors did
not mean that
the advisors
were United
Nations
employees or
staff. They
were serving
in their own
capacities
without any
salaries from
the United
Nations. Asked
whether any
team member
would be
lobbying the
President on
behalf of
interests in
their own
countries, the
Spokesperson
stressed that
the team
members would
only be
advising on
how to advance
the
President’s
priorities and
discussing
global issues
that were of
concern to the
President, the
General
Assembly and
the United
Nations in
general." In Kenya
the UN Development
Program, run
by Siddharth
Chatterjee the son
in law of Guterres'
predecessor
Ban Ki-moon,
has quietly taken
down the
web page
bragging about
its role in
the first
round of
elections,
which Inner
City Press cited
on September
27. The next
day, the webpage was
gone.
On October 5,
after Sid as
in his M.O.
used a proxy
to defend and
promote
himself, Inner
City Press
asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric: UN
Transcript here, Inner
City
Press: in
Kenya, I did
see… I
guess Farhan
[Haq] sent a
statement by
the… by
the U…
the UN
Information
Centre there,
but
things…
I wanted to
ask you about
this, because
we often hear
from Gordon
Brown in here
about attacks
on
schools.
And there's
been a widely
reported
teargassing of
a nursery
school in an
attempt, I
guess, to get
the Raila
Odinga NASA
supporters a
school…
a school was
teargassed.
So, I'm
wondering,
does
this… is
it only Gordon
Brown's job in
the UN system
or is the UN…
[cross talk] Spokesman:
"I have not
seen that
reported.
It is clear
that we and
the
Secretary-General
and others
have spoken
out whenever
schools have
been attacked,
but I will
look at that
report." Seven
hours later,
nothing.
Meanwhile,
UNDP's head of
governance
Sheila Ngatia's
twitter
account,
identifying her
as
UNDP, is "protected;"
it is reported
she is the
daughter of
Uhuru Kenyatta's
lawyer. The
UN is being exposed
in Kenya, as
being too
close to the
government as
it is in
Myanmar,
Cameroon and
elsewhere.
And all the
head of UN in
Kenya Sid
Chatterjee can
do is issue
threats to
people's livelihoods;
the UN in
New York,
rather than
restricted
Press for him,
should fire or
re-assign him.
The
New York City
Bar Association
has criticized
Uhuru Kenyatta for
his attacks on
the judiciary,
while the UN
in New York
and Nairobi,
under Ban
Ki-moon's son
in law
Sid, has
remained
tellingly
silent. It was
Chatterjee's
UNDP which was
still bragging
online about
its work on
the election,
including for
"transparency." Like
the
transparency
of Sid
being promoted
by his own
father in law
without
recusal, then
blocking and
bad-mouthing
the Press that
reports on it?
We'll have
more on this.
On
September 25,
Inner City
Press asked
Guterres's
spokesman, UN
transcript here: Inner
City Press: In
Kenya, the…
the UN staff
member on
leave, Roselyn
Akombe, has
said she's
facing death
threats.
There's also
reports of
investigation
of her role in
the… in the
Electoral
Commission and
the arrest of
a… of a member
of parliament
for allegedly
insulting the
President,
[Uhuru]
Kenyatta.
I'm just
wondering,
what is the
UN… the UN,
since it has
an office in
Nairobi and is
seeing these
things take
place,
including the
arrest of
parliamentarians
for verbal
insults to the
President,
does the UN
have any
response to
what's taking
place…? Spokesman:
I don't have
anything on
that.
You're welcome
to check also
with the
office in
Nairobi." But
the head of
the UN office
in Nairobi, Ban
Ki-moon's
son in law
Siddharth
Chatterjee,
blocks Inner
City Press.
Back on September 5
Guterres
stopped - and
then bragged
that his
official
letter (a
belated one on
Myanmar) will
be in
Dujarric's
office. Not a
single
question, or
even sentence,
was about
Africa, where
most of the
UN's
peacekeeping
operations
are.
On September 11, Inner City
Press asked Dujarric about
Uhuru Kenyatta saying if Raila
Odinga is elected president in
the re-run election on October
17, his party will remove him
from office: "even if he is
elected, we have the
opportunity in two months,
three months to remove him."
Dujarric wouldn't criticize
even this, and refused Inner
City Press' question on UN
Roselyn Akombe, except to
refer to some written request
that has never been shown to
the public. Then Dujarric
walked off; see this.
Back on September 5, three
hours after Guterres refused
its question, the UN sent
Inner City Press this:
"Regarding your question on
the Kenyan election process,
we have the following to say:
The United Nations takes note
of the Supreme Court’s ruling
on the 8 August 2017
presidential elections. The
Secretary-General's position,
as conferred in previous
statements and calls, has been
that parties should take their
grievances to Court and
respect the Court’s decisions,
which both Jubilee and NASA
have demonstrated today. He
reiterates his call on all
political leaders and their
supporters to respect and
abide by the ruling of the
Court, as the legal and
constitutionally mandated body
with the highest authority to
decide on this matter." On
September 7, Inner City Press
asked Dujarric, UN transcript
here:
Inner City Press: on Kenya
obviously, the drought
readout. But, as I'm
sure you know, beyond what you
emailed after the
Secretary-General's stakeout,
the election results were
thrown out, and now, there's
an enormous fight around the
Electoral
Commission. Given
that there's one on-hiatus UN
DPA [Department of Political
Affairs] staffer on the
commission and given that
person being now ousted from
the commission was a former
UNDP staffer, there are many
people in Kenya wondering what
the… if the UN is, in fact,
impartial in this case.
What is the UN's view of the…
of the Electoral Commission
dispute? And is Ms.
Roslyn Akombe still on…?
Spokesman: She's still
on special leave. I
think the ruling of the
Supreme Court is something
we've taken note of. I
think the Secretary-General,
in an interview that he did
yesterday, I think said it was
a sign of democracy, of the
democratic process. From
the beginning, I think we have
been calling on parties who
had grievances to follow the
legal pathways. That has
happened. It is now up
to the Kenyans and the
established procedures to be
followed. Inner City Press:
So, I mean, just because as
you may have seen, the
President [Uhuru] Kenyatta of
Kenya has called the head of
the Supreme Court a "crook"
and said that if he wins on a
second term he will "take care
of the Court". So, does
that… I didn't see this
interview, but is that within…
within… in keeping with the
Secretary-General's saying
that everyone is following the
legal procedure?
Spokesman: "That would
not be." The dubious August 8
electoral results have been
thrown out by the Supreme
Court, because the
"Independent Electoral and
Boundaries Commission" IEBC)
“failed, neglected or refused
to conduct the presidential
election in a manner
consistent with the dictates
of the constitution." At the
UN, Secretary General Guterres
had very quickly congratulated
August 8 "winner" Uhuru
Kenyatta; since then Guterres'
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
has dodged and then refused
Inner City Press' questions.
On the morning of September 1,
Inner City Press asked
Dujarric and his top two
deputies: "On deadline, what
are the comments of the
Secretary General and,
separately, of the UN's
Resident Coordinator in Kenya,
and the USG of DPA, on the
throwing-out of the August 8
electoral “win” of Uhuru
Kenyatta? Again, what is the
status of Roselyn Akombe with
the UN, especially now?
Confirm or deny that the DPA
post held by Taye Brook
Zerihoun was offered to Monica
Juma, and separately if, after
August 8, she said she didn't
(any longer?) want the
position. Please now answer
Inner City Press' August 28
questions about Kenya, and the
entirely unanswered questions
from August 29 and August 30.
Please confirm receipt of this
email." But Dujarric and his
deputies didn't answer, didn't
confirm receipt or even put
out anything on Kenya. The UN
is corrupt. Will Kenyatta
still come speak at the UN
General Assembly high level
week on September 20,
scheduled as put online by the
Free UN Coalition for Access
(also cracked
down on by the UN), here?
What of the cravenly
pro-Kenyatta work of UN
Resident
Coordinator in
Kenya Siddharth
Chatterjee, the son in law of
former Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon whom Ban gave the job
without any recusal? When
Inner City Press asked its
questions, Chatterjee blocked
Inner City Press on Twitter
and UN Headquarters said that'
fine. The UN has become a
place of censorship for
corruption. We'll have more on
this. After the murder of
Kenyan electoral official
Chris Msando, Inner City Press
on August 1 put the question
at the UN to Secretary General
Antonio Guterres' spokesman
Stephane Dujarric, UN
transcript here
and below. Now on August 28,
Inner City Press asked three
UN spokespeople this: "In
Kenya, it is reported that
more than a dozen opposition
supporters were killed in
Kisumu. What is the Secretary
General's, or UN Resident
Coordinator Siddharth
Chatterjee's, comment and
action on this?" Hours after
submission - the Spokesman
canceled the noon briefing -
while one line responses were
offered to two other question,
there was nothing on this,
nothing at all. This is
today's UN. After Kenya moved
to de-register a second human
rights group, Inner City Press
asked lead UN Spokesman
Stephane Dujarric on August
15, UN transcript here
and below. Inner City Press
has learned, and exclusively
reports, that Kenya(tta)
foreign ministry official
Monica Juma has been offered a
top job in Jeffrey Feltman's
UN Department of Political
Affairs, to replace Taye-Brook
Zerihoun. She was granted six
months to "sit" on the job, to
help Kenya(tta), as one source
put it to Inner City
Press. On August 24,
Inner City Press asked UN
Spokesman Stephane Dujarric,
UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: Jeffrey
Feltman, being in Somalia...
they’re tweeting pictures of
him with Farmajo. But
what I wanted to know is,
given that he’s so close to
Kenya and… is he… where else
has he gone on this
trip? I was unaware that
he was there. And can we
get some kind of a readout of
this trip and whether or not
it will include Kenya and…
Kenya, if you have any update
as more and more people are
saying that the results that
were put online don’t line up
with what was announced and
what the Secretary-General
congratulated. Is there
any updated statement by the
UN? Spokesman: "Not, not
from us here. There’s a
calendar which is playing
itself out and there are
institutions that are at work
on this. And I’ll see what I
can get you on Mr. Feltman."
Which was, seven hour later,
nothing. On August 21 Inner
City Press asked UN Spokesman
Stephane Dujarric, UN
transcript here.
Five hours later, nothing. Now
the dismissive or vague
position of today's UN to
press freedom is further
exemplified by silence on the
reported detention at gunpoint
of blogger Robert Alai, here.
The UN's resident coordinator
in Kenya has for example
blocked the critical Press on
Twitter; UN Spokesman Farhan
Haq on August 19 had no
specific comment when Inner
City Press asked about
detentions by Morocco of
citizen journalists reporting
on the crackdown in Rif. (Lead
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric
evicted Inner City Press and
still restricts it, for its
coverage in the Press Briefing
Room of the UN bribery case
against now-conficted Ng Lap
Seng.) The UN is losing its
way, including in Kenya. On
August 18, Inner City Press
asked UN Deputy Spokesman
Farhan Haq, UN transcript here. On
August 17, amid lack of
transparency about the
detention and itinerary of a
UN official on leave, Inner
City Press asked UN Deputy
Spokesman Farhan Haq, UN
transcript here:
Inner City Press: as you may
know in Kenya, the former or
future DPA (Department of
Political Affairs) employee
Roselyn Akombe, who has given
a leave of absence to work on
the Electoral Commission
there, attempted to leave the
country and was detained at
the airport. It’s now said
that she’s come to New York
for meetings. So, I
wanted to know two
things. Number one, is
she having any meeting with
the UN, since you said she’s
coming to New York on official
business? Number two,
when she was given this leave
of absence — it’s become quite
controversial. As you
know, the commission is
getting sued for being not
less than impartial — did the
Ethics Office look at this
granting of a leave of
absence? What’s her
current status with the
UN? And, also, it’s come
up because she appealed to the
US embassy there. For
purposes of UN, is she from
Kenya or from the United
States?
Deputy Spokesman: I
wouldn’t have any comment on
her nationality. I don’t
comment on the nationality of
staff members. But…
[inaudible]
Question: Given that the
person was detained and… okay.
Deputy Spokesman: But I
am aware that she was on a
leave of absence. At
some point, I believe, fairly
soon, it will be expiring and
then she will return to her
duties in the Department of
Political
Affairs.Question: So she
has no contacts in the UN
during this week?
Because it’s a big story in
Kenya that she’s come to New
York and she says she coming
to New York for work related
to the election. So, I
guess my question to you is,
does this New York visit have
any UN connection?
Deputy Spokesman: I
wouldn’t comment on her work
until she’s re-joined the
United Nations. She’s
not… at the time that she’s on
leave, she is a separate
individual. Ms. Akombe,
at some point, will re-join
the Department of Political
Affairs, and then she’ll be a
UN staffer.
We'll have
more on this - and on Juma.
From August 15: Inner City
Press: there've now been more
than one NGO shut down at this
period of time in which they
could be filing
petitions. And there's
many more… there are doubts
whether… whether substantive
or not, about how the results
were transmitted. So,
beyond this Kenya National
Human Rights Commission,
something called Africog
[phonetic] has also been
suddenly deregistered by the…
by the authorities. That
would be the winning candidate
or the said to be winning
candidate. So, I just
wanted to know, what… the
country team there, what do
they think of the closing down
of the NGOs in the country
during…
Spokesman: I don't have
enough information on these
particular NGOs. You can
contact the country team
directly. I know you're
been in contact with
them. What is clear for
us is that there are
constitutional means that need
to be respected as part of the
election for any appeals and,
obviously, echo the High
Commissioner's call for
restraint and for peaceful…
for supporting the right of
people to demonstrate
peacefully but a call for calm
and restraint.
On August 14,
Inner City Press asked
Dujarric's deputy Farhan Haq,
video here,
UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: there were
these two different
statements, one about
provisional results, then
final results, but, in the
country, one, how many people
does the UN believe have been
killed in post-election
violence? What's the
UN's reaction to Raila Odinga
asking for the UN to play some
role in looking into fraud he
says he's going to announce
tomorrow, Tuesday?
And there's a group called the
Kenya Human Rights Commission,
which has been deregistered
just before filing a petition
concerning the election.
Does the UN believe that the
current legal structures,
especially if you have
petitioners deregistered
moments before filing, is a
credible one? What does
the UN, given its presence in
Nairobi, think about the
deaths and this
deregistration?
Deputy Spokesman:
Obviously, we're concerned
about any violence. As I
just mentioned, what we've
been doing, including through
the Secretary-General, is
calling on all political
leaders to send clear messages
to their supporters urging
them to refrain from violence,
and that's a key part of this
process. You're aware of
our concerns in other previous
elections, presidential
elections in Kenya, and those
concerns continue to
apply. Regarding Mr.
Odinga's request, obviously,
we'll wait to see what he has
to say tomorrow and monitor
that, but I would point out,
as I just said, that the
Secretary-General called on
political leaders disputing
the election results to
address election-related
disputes through the relevant
constitutionally mandated
institutions, and that is
where we stand on that.
On
August 7, Inner City Press
asked Dujarric about the
deportation of two of Raila
Odinga's consultants, American
John Phillips, chief executive
of political consultancy
Aristotle, and Canadian
Andreas Katsouris. Dujarric
replied with generalities;
Inner City Press asked, so the
deportations are bad? There
was no clear answer. Now this:
on August 10 Inner City Press
asked Dujarric, UN transcript
here:
Inner City Press: In
Kenya, Raila Odinga, the
candidate, has said that
there's been hacking of the
system, but the President of
Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza,
has offered his
congratulations. What's
the UN's view? One, do they
think that the rule-of-law
process to review is being
conducted, is that process
over?
Spokesman: No, I, as far
as I know, the, the official
election results have yet to
be announced. We're,
obviously, watching the
situation unfold. We're
watching it closely. As
you know, the UN did not
observe, did not have a role
in observing the, the
elections. I think
what's important is that all
stakeholders, all people in
Kenya, allow the process to
follow its course and, if they
have any grievances, that they
channel those through legal
and peaceful means. We
reiterate the call of the
Secretary-General for
maintaining calm and ensuring
strict respect for human
rights and fundamental
freedoms, especially in this
time while people await, and
understandably await eagerly,
the official results. From the
August 1 transcript: Inner
City Press: in the run up to
the elections in Kenya, the
head of the electronic voting,
Chris Msando, has been
murdered and I wanted to know,
what is the UN… various
countries have expressed
concern, offered to send
investigators, has the
resident coordinator or anyone
in the UN system, what do they
think of this murder?
Spokesman: Obviously, I
think it’s, the fact that a
member of the electoral
commission was murdered, in
what appears to be such a
gruesome way, is shocking and
can only be condemned.
We hope that the perpetrators
are found and brought to
justice. I think Kenya
is entering a very, obviously
a very delicate period with
the upcoming elections, and we
would not want to see any
increase or violence or
disturbance.
Inner City Press: Can you say
what the UN's role, does it
have any role? I know
that there was somebody who
used to work at DPA
[Department of Political
Affairs] who is now working on
the elections as a Kenyan
national, but is there a UN
role?
Spokesman: I can
check. I'm not aware of
any role, but I'm happy to
check.
Twenty
three hours later, nothing.
But UN Department of Public
Information's Nairobi "UNIC"
has responded online that the
UN did speak out, attaching a
statement referring to the
"sudden demise" of Msango. He
was tortured and murdered.
That is NOT speaking out, and
is consistent with UN Resident
Coordinator Siddharth
Chatterjee's strikingly
pro-government blatherings in
the country, of the kind the
many say got the Resident
Coordinator in Myanmar removed
from the job - or "promoted,"
in UN-speak. Chatterjee was
named Resident Correspondent
by his father in law Ban,
without recusal. On August 2,
with Dujarric not having
provided any answer on the
UN's electoral role, Inner
City Press asked him again, UN
transcript here:
Inner City Press: the UN
statement, apparently the most
recent one, still calls it a
sudden demise and given that
the autopsy has shown that he
was both tortured and murdered
and the EU has called for an
investigation, is the UN
wanting there to be an
investigation?
Spokesman: Of course, of
course, there should be an
investigation. I think
anyone who is found murdered
deserves to have an
investigation into the
killings. I think in
this particular instance,
given the political climate in
Kenya and given the upcoming
elections, it's obviously
extremely important that,
following what has clearly
been the murder of a senior
member of the electoral
commission, that that be
investigated and the
perpetrators be brought to
justice.
Inner City Press: When
they called it a sudden
demise, they didn't yet know
it was a murder?
Spokesman: Listen, I
think, you’re, as I said, the
UNIC is obviously in contact
with you. You are free
to call.
Inner
City
Press:
They tweeted.
Spokesman: No, you know
their numbers are
public. You can go and
ask them directly. You
don't need me to be sandwiched
between you and them.
And I did, I think you had
asked about the UN's role,
and… and UNDP is, through an
electoral cycle, based
2015-2018 project called
Supporting Electoral Processes
in Kenya, supporting various
Kenyan institutions to prepare
for credible and peaceful
general elections in
August. The project
focuses on strengthening
institutional and legal
framework for the electoral
process; increasing the
participation of voters,
parties and candidates in the
electoral process with an
emphasis of women, youth and
people living with
disabilities; promoting
efficient and transparent and
peaceful elections; and
strengthening electoral
justice. The UN has also
engaged the importance of
peaceful and credible
elections, both for the
country and the region, by
working consultation with
regional organizations and the
wider international community.
Back on February
17 as the UN discussed
enforced disappearances with restricting
the Press' ability to cover
them, Inner City Press
asked UN deputy spokesman
Farhan Haq why the UN's
Resident Coordinator in Kenya
Siddharth Chatterjee, Ban
Ki-moon's son in law promoted
by him without recusal, was
silent on at least two cases.
UN
Transcript here and
below.
Siddharth Chatterjee has two
days later reached out to seek
an agreement, in advance, to
publish whatever he chooses to
send in. Inner City Press in
turn requested, as it did in
person in New York in
September, an on camera
interview which it would
publish live and in its
entirety.
Along with
the above, and what Chatterjee
was doing recently in Addis
Ababa lobbying in connection
with the race for top African
Union post, Inner City Press
has conveyed in advance
questions ranging from whether
or not Chatterjee previously
got an article about one of
his promotions taken off the
Internet after making an
illegal offer of a job in his
father in law's Secretariat to
his role in the Jaffna
Hospital Massacre and other
specific war crimes in Sri
Lanka. We hope to get answers
to these questions and to
publish them. Watch this site.
From the UN's February 17
transcript:
Inner City Press:
it's the tenth anniversary of
this Convention on enforced
disappearances. So, I'd
asked you, I think, on Monday
about this… these case of two
South Sudanese who have
disappeared in Kenya.
You said you're aware of the
reports so, two things.
One, I'm wondering, who in the
UN system is engaging with the
Kenyan Government or the South
Sudan Government about
that? Why hasn't the
Resident Coordinator in Kenya?
I mean the Nigeria one is
speaking about when Boko Haram
will be done. Has
anything been said by the UN
in-country about these people
that have been disappeared
presumably by the Government
and returned to South Sudan?
Deputy Spokesman: Well,
first of all, I believe that
there are Special Rapporteurs
dealing with this particular
situation. There's… one
of our human rights
instruments deals with the
question of
disappearances. And so
they're looking into this
matter, and we'll try to get
information from them first
and foremost. And then
other parts of the system can
work on that as needed.
Inner
City Press:
Sure. And then can I,
there's a high-profile
case in France of a
22-year-old person that was
arrested on video and has said
to have been raped or
sodomized during the
arrest. His name is
Theo. And there have
been riots in France for
several days on it. I've
checked at least everything
that's been sent out by the
Office of the High
Commissioner for Human
Rights. I haven't seen
anything. Is the UN
aware of this case? And
what do they think of… of both
police treatment of people in
France and of how the protests
are being dealt with?
Deputy Spokesman: Well,
regarding protests, of course,
we want to make sure that the
freedom of expression and the
freedom of peaceful assembly
are upheld. Beyond that,
this is a case that,
ultimately, the judicial
system would need to look
into, and we'll have to see
where they go with that.
Back on
January 25 with at least these
two South Sudanese threatened
with deportation by Kenya,
Inner City Press asked UN
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
for the UN's response. From
the UN
transcript:
Inner City Press:
extradition questions, not
South Korea extradition but
are you aware of the impending
extradition of South Sudanese
human rights lawyer Samuel
Luak, who defended Pagan
Amum? Basically, a
number of highly respected
groups are saying that, if
he’s deported, he will face
unjust treatment. So I’m
wondering, has the UN…
Spokesman Dujarric: I, I
have, don’t have an update
here, but, again, you can
check locally with the
mission.
Inner City Press: So
that would be the resident
coordinator? I’m talking
about in Kenya.
Spokesman: In Kenya, you
can check with the UN
Information Centre in Nairobi.
Dujarric
was until December 31 the
spokesman for Ban Ki-moon, who
before he left the UN promoted
his own son in law Siddharth
Chatterjee to the top UN post
in Kenya, as Resident
Coordinator.
In
December as Kenya detained
journalist
Jerome Starkey,
Ban Ki-moon's
son in law
Chatterjee was
entirely
silent. Like
his father in
law has proved
to be with the
Press in New
York, he
is at heart a
censor. But it
makes a
mockery of Ban
Ki-moon's post
Sri Lanka
claims of
"Rights Up
Front," even
as Ban
angles to run
for President
on South
Korea.
In
fact, in Sri Lanka Ban's son in
law is implicated
in presumptive war crimes,
the Jaffna Hospital massacre and
the crushing of civilians with
tanks. And it's from him that
Ban took his advice on Sri
Lanka, where Ban oversaw the
killing of more than 40,000
civilians.
Ban
is allowing those scribes
who ignore this and praise him
to sell access to him on
December 16 for $1200 on Wall
Street. We'll have more on
this.
Tellingly,
as the UN's Resident Coordinator
in Kenya, Ban's son in law
Chatterjee has remained silent
not only on the targeting of
South Sudanese, but on the
protests profiled in a study
released by Article 19, here.
Ban's
son in law ignores Ban's
supposed “Rights Up Front,”
given his action in Sri Lanka
(see below) and because he is
entirely unaccountable: he could
only be fired by Ban Ki-moon,
his father in law. Nepotism is
harmful.
On
December 3 Inner City Press
reported the ever-increasingly
likelihood that Ban Ki-moon's
son in law Chatterjee was
involved in crimes of war in Sri
Lanka, which neither Ban's
spokesman Stephane Dujarric nor
Chatterjee himself when asked
in the UN lobby was
willing to answer.
For some time Inner City Press
has heard that Chatterjee, as
part of the Indian Peace Keeping
Force in Sri Lanka, was a war
criminal. Inner City Press asked
Ban's spokesman Dujarric if
Chatterjee was involved in the
Jaffna University raid, or the
Jaffna hospital massacre,
without answer.
In the UN lobby, Chatterjee said
he would
answer at an “opportune time.”
He has not answered.
Chatterjee had his commander, Dalvir
Singh, write a defense on
Huffington Post and
elsewhere, identifying himself
as the commander of Chatterjee
and of the 10th Para commandos.
And
that's the problem. More here
and here.
***
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