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France's Role in Chad is "Normal," Rama
Yade Says, of the Disappeared
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at
the UN: News Analysis
UNITED
NATIONS, April 16 -- Even before the
Security Council debate on Africa began, France's Rama Yade told the
Press that
the meeting would be "determining.. if it were useless, would you all
be
here?" Inner City Press asked if as French minister for human rights
she
thought President Sarkozy has done enough to restrain Chad's Idriss
Deby, whom
France has kept in power, from carrying
out mass evictions in N'dajemena and
disappearing his political opponents.
"The
political and military situation in Chad is not easy," Rama Yade said.
"The role of France is normal." She said that Sarkozy raised the
issue of "politicians who disappeared" with President Deby a few
weeks ago. Video here,
from Minute 3:27.
Many
have noted that after that meeting, Chad pardoned the French staffers
of Zoe's
Ark, previously convicted of kidnapping 103 children form Chad and from
Sudan.
Time or the Mission did not permit this question to be asked of Rama
Yade.
Instead, a journalist in French asked if these high level gabfests are
useful.
Rama Yade said yes, mentioning the World Food Program -- by its French
acronym
PAM -- and the crisis in Somalia. France's main Somalia concern
of late has been the return of a French yacht from the
pirates who captured it off Somalia's coast.
Sarkozy and Rama Yade, evicted
Chadians not shown
Tuesday
Inner City Press asked France's permanent representation to the UN
Jean-Maurice
Ripert about his government's reported request to Somalia to put the
pirates it
capture on trial in France. Ripert said generally that France will
fight piracy
wherever. Inner City Press followed up,
but what of jurisdiction? Amb. Ripert called the question too specific.
Asked
about a call by NGOs that the UN's Working Group on children and armed
conflict
visit Sri Lanka and take action, including moving to refer recruiters
there to
the International Criminal Court, Ripert said the Working Group is
doing a lot.
He said that Radhika Coomaraswamy is planning a visit to Sri Lanka. But
previously she sent Amb. Rock of Canada in her stead, to her homeland
due to
alleged conflict of interest. Ripert declined comment on that one as
well. Video here.
The search for answers will
continue, watch this site.
Footnote: inside the
Council and at the stakeout, the buzz was of Rama Yade's looks and her
young age. These was the specter of resentment, not expressed for
example regarding Serbia's also-young Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic.
"Maybe Sarkozy couldn't find a fifty year old for the job," one
reporter said. Or maybe he wanted somehow who'd be more grateful for
the job....
* * *
These reports are
usually also available through Google
News and on Lexis-Nexis.
Click
here for a Reuters
AlertNet piece by this correspondent
about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click
here
for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National
Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an
undefined trust fund. Video
Analysis here
Feedback: Editorial
[at] innercitypress.com
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Other,
earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available
in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.
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2006-08 Inner City Press, Inc. To request
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