|
As Fowler Invited Himself to Niger, Did He Create
His Own UN Mandate in Niger?
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of
Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS,
December 19 -- As Niger's president
failed to mention Robert Fowler, among other things the UN's envoy to
the
country, in his 50th anniversary speech, it emerged that Fowler had
invited
himself to the celebration, before going mission on an unauthorized
trip to a
Canadian-owned gold mine. At the UN in New York, Inner City Press for
the
fourth day in a row asked for an explanation of Fowler's now-confirmed
trip to
the gold mine. UN
Deputy Spokesperson
Marie Okabe said "on the mines, we just have nothing for you on
that."
But it has
now been reported
that "Niger's Communications Minister Mohamed ben
Omar said Fowler had requested an invitation from the authorities to
attend
Niger's 50th anniversary celebrations held yesterday."
That is, it was Fowler who requested to
travel to Niger, and then visited a Canadian-owned gold mine. Many now
speculate that Fowler was, at least on this trip, using the UN, its Laissez Passer and other benefits, for
some other purpose. Others even speculate that just as Fowler reported
requested an invitation from Niger to enter ostensibly for a
celebration, he or
Canada requested Ban Ki-moon to give him the mandate as a UN special
envoy to
Niger.
UN previously in Niger, Fowler's murky mission not
shown
In part to try to
disprove this logical theory, at Friday's
UN noon
briefing, Inner City Press asked
Inner City Press: An official in
Niger has been quoted that Mr.
Fowler’s trip was official, but that 'we were not aware of his trip out
of town
to the Samira gold mine.' So I want
to... now it’s pretty clear that the gold mine… it’s confirmed that he
visited. The United Nations has said
that he went to the gold mine. How can
you describe a trip to a country where on official business, where
there’s a
side trip to a Canadian-named gold mine in a UNDP vehicle?
Was he going to reimburse the UN for the
car? What was the UN… or are envoys
expected to inform the UN when they go on private business? And what is your understanding of that
business?
Deputy Spokesperson Okabe: Matthew,
I think on this subject we really
don’t have anything further that we can report publicly.
The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General
for Niger, Mr. Fowler, was in Niger in his official capacity. He was on official mission, as we repeated to
you a number of times, and we just simply cannot comment or release
information
which may compromise our efforts and jeopardize the safety of Mr.
Fowler, Mr.
Guay and the driver. And on the specific
point that you mention on the mines, we just have nothing for you on
that. And as you know we are working very
hard on
this matter and the Secretary-General should be speaking with the
President of
Niger shortly.
Inner City Press: Can you just
say generally, putting aside this situation, when UN envoys go to a
country, is
there some… how do they inform the UN if they’re going to do some
business
that’s their own business or their country’s business?
Is it expected that they will tell the UN:
“Look, this is what I’m going to do in the country”?
Spokesperson: Obviously, there
are terms of reference for a special envoy when he visits a country,
and the
objectives are laid out and there are reporting channels established.
Inner City Press: Are the terms
of reference of Mr. Fowler’s mandate and of this mission public or not
public?
Spokesperson: They are not
public.
Question: What resources has the
UN shifted to Niger to
assist in the investigation? Are people
going?
Spokesperson: Without getting
into too much detail, again,
we have mobilized a team on site, and they’re working very closely with
the
Niger authorities. And we appreciate
their cooperation and we are working very closely with them.
Question: You say a team? Are you going to want to say any more about
how many are in the team, where they came from, are they security
people here
from New York or what?
Spokesperson: I can’t get into
any details on that. It’s just to let you
know that we are working
very hard on this matter.
Question: Just to confirm -- I
know you commented
yesterday -- as of now there’s been no contact, no one’s claimed, made
any claims,
asked for anything, just the mystery sort of continues just as it was
the first
day?
Spokesperson: That’s
correct. (Video here,
from Minute 10:45.)
Inner City Press
was told by a senior
Secretariat official that Ban Ki-moon spoke to Niger's president; other
officials told Inner City Press to stop reporting on this issue, since
it might
somehow impact "Mr. Fowler's insurance." An
anonymous letter reiterated that reporting on these matters should
stop. But we're yet to be convinced that would help.
Click here from Inner City Press'
December 12 debate on UN double standards
Click here for Inner
City Press' November 25 debate on Somalia, politics
Click here for Inner City
Press Nov. 7 debate on the war in Congo
Watch this site, and this Oct. 2 debate, on
UN, bailout, MDGs
and this October 17 debate, on
Security Council and Obama and the UN.
* * *
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
UN Office: S-453A, UN, NY 10017
USA
Tel: 212-963-1439
Reporter's mobile (and
weekends):
718-716-3540
Other,
earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available
in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.
Copyright
2006-08 Inner City Press, Inc. To request
reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at]
innercitypress.com -
|
