On
S.
Sudan Resolution, UN Role on Borders of Blue Nile & Kordofan
Unclear, Troop Numbers Game
By
Matthew
Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
July 6, updated -- With the countdown to South Sudan's formal
declaration of independence on July 9 begun, at the UN in New York on
Wednesday negotiations on the resolution for
a new peacekeeping
mission went into overtime.
A
Deputy Permanent
Representative emerged from the Security Council chamber and told
Inner City Press that while the size of the mission will be
reconsidered after three or six months, a sticking point is whether
and how the disputed borders in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states
will be monitored.
“If the North
does not agree,” the DPR told Inner City Press, “there can't be
any UN peacekeepers there.”
Khartoum
has
agreed to Ethiopian troops in Abyei, but has stepped away from a deal
about South Kordofan. When Inner City Press asked the UN earlier on
Wednesday to confirm troops build ups in South Kordofan, the response
was a reiteration of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's call for freedom
of movement. Does that mean the UN doesn't have freedom of movement?
Yes, was the answer. Video here,
from Minute 47:30.
Questions
posed to
the UN in New York on July 5 were then e-mailed to UNMIS in Sudan,
but have yet to be answered. A delegation from the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations came out of the Security Council at 5 pm on
Wednesday. Referring to the number of troops proposed, Inner City
Press asked, “Seven thousand?” A UN military official laughed; a
civilian official said “DPKO has no comment.”
[See update below:
UK says between six and seven thousand.]
On
the numbers, a
Permanent Representative inside the negotiations told Inner City
Press that DPKO while asking for 7000 also refers to a 5400 figure.
We'll have more on this.
Footnote:
as
the above was finished, the Obama administration announced its
delegation to Juba, including Susan Rice, Colin Powell, Brooke
Anderson, Rep.
Donald
Payne, Princeton Lyman, Donald Steinberg, Africom's
Carter F. Ham, and Johnnie Carson. “Johnny Carson?” a US
official asked. Not that Johnny Carson...
Update
of
7:35 pm -- among Western P-5 Permanent Representative, the UK's
Mark Lyall Grant emerged and told Inner City Press, somewhere between
six and seven thousand. France's Gerard Araud said nothing. And
Susan Rice of the US... is still inside the Council, if the presence
of USUN body guards is any guide.
Update
of 8 pm -- the problem of adopting the resolution on Friday has
apparently been solved: the resolution will say that the mission is
created "upon" independence, and will be voted on Friday. The last of
the diplomats have left.
* * *
UN
Resolution
for New S. Sudan Mission May Be Delayed Until July
9
By
Matthew
Russell
Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
July
6, updated -- With the mandate of the UN Mission in Sudan set to
expire on July 8, the day before South
Sudan declares independence,
as of June 6 at the UN in New York the Security Council resolution to
create a new
force in South Sudan has not yet been passed.
At
a meeting of
Deputy Permanent Representatives on July 5, one member voiced
opposition to forming the new Mission until after South Sudan
formally declares independence, and found some suppporters. They
pointed at a paragraph in the
draft resolution which welcomes the creation of South Sudan.
Either
the word “imminent” should be added, or the resolution not
adopted until Saturday, July 9, they said.
Kiir & Bashir in Juba, new UN resolution & mission not yet seen
Inner
City
Press asked US Permanent Representative Susan Rice about this on
the morning of July 6. She replied, “As long as it's done by
[July] 9th, it doesn't matter.”
“By” or “on”?
Update:
as
the Security Council continued consulting Wednesday on the South
Sudan resolution, Russian Deputy Permanent Representative Sasha
Pankin came out and told Inner City Press, regarding the timing of
adopting, “Does it really matter to a mission in New York, Friday
at 7 pm or Saturday at 8 am?” He added that there are other
issues, too, to be addressed. Inner City Press hears these include
the size -- and cost -- of the force. Watch this site.
, 
in