Inner City Press -- Investigative Journalism from the United Nations

Sudan Pans Pronk While Praising Natsios, UN Silent on Haiti and WFP, Ivorian Fingers Crossed

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN

UNITED NATIONS, October 25 -- As Kofi Annan prepares to discipline his envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, on Thursday morning, Sudanese Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem told Inner City Press on Wednesday that Pronk had been "playing politician" and had encouraged rebel groups in Western Sudan to move beyond Darfur.

Speaking exclusively to Inner City Press for ten minutes in the hall outside the Security Council, Amb. Abdalhaleem said that the rebels' advance on Hamret al- Shaikh, in Kordofan State and not Darfur, was attributable to Jan Pronk's statements on his blog, most recently of losses by the Sudanese armed forces. Inner City Press pointed out that Pronk has claimed he only repeated what he read in local newspaper. Amb. Abdalhaleem scoffed. Surprisingly, Amb. Abdalhaleem praised U.S. envoy Andrew Natsios, saying that he "listened with understanding."

"Send us people like [head of UN peacekeeping Jean-Marie] Guehenno and [head of UN humanitarian work Jan] Egeland, professionals," said Amb. Abdalhaleem. Inner City Press pointed out that Sudan had previously blocked Jan Egeland from entering Darfur. "That was temporary," replied Amb. Abdalhaleem. Inner City Press previously got Amb. Abdalhaleem to publicly acknowledge a right by the international community to intervene in such situations as Rwanda in 1994, without the consent of the government, click here for more.

Blue helmets in Haiti, no Pronk in sight

Inner City Press asked Amb. Abdalhaleem about a recent statement, off the record, by senior UN Peacekeeping officials, that the UN system should hold the rebels in Darfur to previous ceasefire agreements they signed. Amb. Abdalhaleem responded that while the Abdul Wahid faction has signed such agreements, other elements in the Redemption Front have no agreements at all.

Later on Wednesday, as Kofi Annan left the Security Council consultation on Ivory Coast, see below, Inner City Press asked him if Pronk will be sent back to his post. Mr. Annan replied, as unofficially transcribed by the UN:

"Well, Mr. Pronk in coming this afternoon and I will be meeting with him tomorrow morning for us to go through the situation and what happened and of course I spoke to president Bashir the day his letter came also to let him know my position and how I felt about the action. But I will discuss with [Mr.] Pronk and then make a judgment."

When Inner City Press played back this quote to a long-time UN observer, the response was immediate: Pronk is done. Those who know Jan Pronk quote him that he is a politician, not a diplomat, and that since his mandate's scheduled end is near, he saw no downside in speaking up. Will or would Ban Ki-moon embrace Mr. Pronk? There seems to be no way to ask.

For now the target of questions is Kofi Annan's spokesman Stephane Dujarric. At Wednesday's noon briefing, Inner City Press asked him three questions. Video on UNTV. On Ethiopia's prime minister's statement that his country is "technically at war with Somalia," Mr. Dujarric responded with the old line that the UN calls for Somalia's neighbors to act responsibly. On the question of whether, as Inner City Press as heard, the process of anointing a successor to Jim Morris as head of the World Food Program has, after interviews by Mark Malloch Brown, gotten down to four finalists, Mr. Dujarric declined to answer, beyond saying yes, the appointment would be for five years. Video on UNTV. Will Mr. Annan ask the incoming Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon? That is not known. Inner City Press has heard that among the four finalists are two Americans, not only the previously reported-on Josette Sheeran (Shiner), but also an in-house WFP staff member, who Inner City Press' source call more qualified than Josette. We'll see.

On Haiti, the Spokesman office later on Wednesday sent Inner City Press the following:

"The Mission says there was sporadic gunfire by armed gangs yesterday in Cite-Soleil, a slum of Port-Au-Prince. Some gang members opened fire on a Mission patrol, which returned fire. No one was injured."

But media reports include, from an incident last Thursday not yet commented on by UN Headquarters, either one or three dead...

Elsewhere at the UN on Wednesday, the special rapporteur on promoting and preserving human rights while combating terrorism, Martin Scheinin, told reporters that until the UN establishes a system of appeal for those put on terrorism sanctions lists, member states should allow judicial review. Video on UNTV. Pakistan has put off implementing the UN sanction on the Al Rashid Trust due to that organization have filed in appeal in Pakistan. The UN system has acknowledge that aid went to camps run by the Al Rashid Trust. In light of Jan Egeland's office's statements that they relying on countries, such as Pakistan, to determine which organizations can or cannot operate camps to channel UN aid, Inner City Press asked Mr. Scheinin as the last question if the UN system should be relying on the judicial systems of member states. No, said Mr. Scheinin. But were UN agencies listening?

In the Delegates' Dining Room at 1 p.m., at an event launching the Global Media Compact (click here for more), the ambassador of Gambia chided Inner City Press for a recent report on that country's president's statement that he could rule for the next thirty years, and could "close down any newspaper he wants." The Gambian ambassador, Crispin Grey-Johnson, told Inner City Press that these statement sound different to the Gambian electorate, and that any country would close newspapers for breaching national security. He offered to send Inner City Press additional materials, which Inner City Press awaits.

Other Ambassadors in UN Headquarters on Wednesday including four envoys to Japan from four African countries: Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia. They came along with Japanese businesswomen Tomiko Abe, founder of the Stop AIDS Organization. They had soccer balls and children with them, and spoke of helping AIDS orphans have better self-esteem. Inner City Press asked about the statements earlier this year by Richard Holbrooke, that Japanese corporations are not providing enough assistance to the Global Fund for AIDS. The question was not answered, video here. But funds will be provided to orphans, which is certainly a work of mercy.

As dusk fell on Turtle Bay, French Ambassador de la Sabliere came to the Security Council stakeout to talk about Ivory Coast, but was deluged with questions about a draft resolution on Iran, which he characterized as firm, and secret. On Ivory Coast, he and the UN's two envoys, Messrs. Schori and Stoudmann, both said this will be the last extension for President Gbabgo. Inner City Press asked, what about the identification process and registering to vote, and what about the New Forces' statement they won't recognize any government with Laurent Gbagbo in it? "We all have to compromise," Mr. Schori said. We'll see.

UN Shy on North Korea, Effusive on Bird Flu and Torture, UNDP Cyprus Runaround, Pronk is Summoned Home

UNITED NATIONS, October 23 -- How loud should the UN speak? Two contrary approaches to human rights were on display Monday as the special rapporteurs on North Korea and torture each answered reporters' questions. The UN's expert on torture, Manfred Nowak didn't shy away from expressing disappointment in the U.S. Congress' new torture-fix legislation, nor from repeating, in response to a question from Inner City Press, that there may be more torture now in Iraq than under Saddam Hussein. Video on UNTV.

Mr. Nowak was asked by Inner City Press about torture by Uzbekistan's Karimov government. Mr. Nowak recounted his efforts to block the return to Uzbekistan of asylum seekers, by the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. (He neglected to mention Ukraine.)

But when asked if the UN Development Program should be helping the Karimov government to collect taxes, Mr. Nowak said that "negative conditionalities should be a last resort," and that UN agencies should try to improve countries' human rights records. UNDP has been asked what it is doing in this regard, and has responded most recently via its spokesman that "the UN agencies which have the mandate of reviewing and responding to reports and incidents of the kind you cite-- UNESCO and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights-- have spoken out clearly forcefully on such cases on behalf of the Secretary-General and the entire UN system."

But UNESCO recently awarded Karimov a medal (which it later said could be bought in any UN gift shop). And Inner City Press continues to await a response from UNHCR on other pending deportations requests by Uzbekistan, in the United Arab Emirates. Inner City Press has been told that this UAE case is "sensitive," as an explanation for the delay in response and the continuing silence.

Speaking but with much caution on Monday was the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea, Vitit Muntarbhorn. He has not been allowed to visit North Korea and has compiled his reports from outside the country. Inner City Press asked if he has visited, or has even asked to visit, the Joint Economic Zones that South Korea runs with its neighbor to the north. "I know there are those who are interested in that," Mr. Muntarbhorn told Inner City Press. But apparently requests to visit and check on workers' rights have not been made.

Likewise, while China continues pushing asylum seekers back into North Korea, Mr. Muntarbhorn said he is pleased with China's cooperation. Video on UNTV. One wondered if perhaps the rapporteurs on thematic issues like torture can afford to be candid, while those seeking to enter "hermit states" like North Korea are constrained to say as little as possible -- and if so, at what cost. After the briefing, a long-time human rights experts opined that perhaps Mr. Muntarbhorn was staying quiet in order to later gain access. This same expert opined that the UN's envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, should have been fired before the current blog impasse, for having "discussed a Plan B while Plan A was still on the table." There was also the dust-up with the Office of Internal Oversight Services. Inner City Press on Monday asked UN Peacekeeping's Number Two Hedi Annabi if, despite all this, it would be a bad precedent if Mr. Pronk does not return to Sudan. "There are different views on this," Mr. Annabi replied. Indeed.

A third briefer, the affable bird flu expert Dr. David Nabarro, updated reporters on Monday. He praised the preparations of Myanmar and also North Korea, saying that the central concentration of power is good in this way. He put the number of bird flu deaths at 150. When a reporter asked if, in retrospect, the warnings about bird flu had been overblown, Dr. Nabarro answered, "I'm sure you don't think that." He said the case in Turkey sprung from sleeping with chickens for heat, but there was human-to-human transmission in Indonesia's Sumatra. Video on UNTV. Dr. Nabarro's briefing gave rise to some rare bird flu humor, from the pre-briefing squawking (over the squawk box system to reporters) to allegations that in predicting millions of possible deaths, Dr. Nabarro had been running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Those who joked apologized. When public health works, disasters are avoided or at least delayed.

Monday evening in the basement there was a rare Henry Kissigner sighting. It was not much publicized -- to avoid protesters, the theory goes -- but there was a well-behaved crowd celebrating Hungary 1956, shaking hands with the K-man, listening to Bartok. Afterwards there was wine and sandwiches in the lobby. What there was not was any Q&A.

At Kofi Annan's spokesman's noon briefing, Inner City Press asked if there was any UN reaction to calls for UN action on the 32 missing Tibetans among the group shot at by China. At deadline, the following rolled in:

In a message dated 10/23/2006 4:38:38 PM Eastern Standard Time, [ ] @un.org writes:

According to UNHCR� UNHCR is aware of the eyewitness accounts. As a member of the UN humanitarian family, UNHCR is naturally concerned by the reports. For over a decade, UNHCR has been assisting Tibetans transiting through Nepal to India for personal / educational / religious purposes. The Tibetans in Nepal are �people of concern� to UNHCR. UNHCR has raised the issue with China.

How loudly has UNHCR raised it is the question. At Monday's noon briefing, most questions dealt with Jan Pronk, "banned for blogging" as the headlines in cyberspace would have it. Video on UNTV. Inner City Press asked if Pronk will meet with the Security Council, or if Kofi Annan will consult them. The answers were non-committal. What was said was this: Pronk will be at the UN on Wednesday, after Tuesday's Eid Al-Fitr holiday.

On the Cyprus scandal involving the UNDP-administered UN Office of Project Services, Kofi Annan's spokesman over the weekend told Inner City Press to ask UNDP. Monday UNDP said to ask UNOPS and... the Secretary-General's Spokesman. The question of Catch-22 has been raised. More on UNDP in coming days. There is hope for answers from the top, before or on Friday.

At the UN, Silence from UNDP on Cyprus, from France on the Chad-Bomb, Jan Pronk's Sudan Blog

UNITED NATIONS, October 20 -- What is the UN's policy on free speech? The policies differ in the UN Development Program, which praises repressive regimes in Turkmenistan and Zimbabwe while criticizing the legislature of Cyprus, and in the Secretariat, which has discussed but not acted as its envoy to Sudan Jan Pronk has run a "personal" blog about events in Darfur.

Jan Pronk's blog hit the world news on Friday, as the al-Bashir government has declared him persona non grata for a mid-October post, still available online, reporting two losses by the Sudanese army to the rebels of the National Redemption Front, NRF, who are not signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement.

Pronk's blog has been an open secret within UN Headquarters; UN staff have referred reporters to the site for information not available on the UN Mission to Sudan website. As senior peacekeeping officials at the UN have said privately that more international criticism is needed of the rebels, and not only of the government, for atrocities in Darfur, the UN has not made this point overly public, perhaps concerned of falling afoul of the mobilized concern symbolized by George Clooney's recent UN appearance. As Inner City Press reported on October 18, nuanced or contrarian voices on Darfur are found among those above or outside the fray, like 92 year old, long-time UN hand Sir Brian Urquhart, or for example on Jan Pronk's blog.

On the topic of blogs, Inner City Press on Friday asked Kofi Annan's spokesman was asked at his regular press conference whether the UN has a policy on blogs, given that UN employees have been fired for writing unauthorized books about such topics as romance amid humanitarian missions. "We have not kept up with technology," the spokesman acknowledged. Pressed by other reporters to stand behind or renounce the content of Jan Pronk's blog, the spokesman repeated again and again, "it is a personal blog." He was asked for a more definitely answer; we'll see.

Also still unanswered are a series of questions Inner City Press has put to the UN Development Program, UNDP. Two weeks ago, Inner City Press asked UNDP's main spokesman William Orme for an update on a UNDP-funded involuntary disarmament program in Uganda which, after Inner City Press' reporting, was suspended earlier this year, see www.InnerCityPress.com/ungc062906.html. In two weeks, UNDP has not provide an answer, despite cajoling from Kofi Annan's spokesman's office, which has repeatedly told Inner City Press that answers would be forthcoming and the delays would be "ironed out."

On October 18, the spokesman said, "I don�t have any of the details of this event involving UNDP and Turkmenistan. I know that you and UNDP have had some issues and you�ve had some trouble talking to them. We will try to negotiate some sort of communication channel between you and UNDP, so you can get your answers to your questions."

For the record, Inner City Press has taken the same approach to UNDP as other agencies of the UN and of governments, and even corporations: questions about issues, and a request that answers be provided in less than two weeks, and without agita or insults.

The questions about UNDP has Inner City Press has asked in the past months have included UNDP's public praise of repressive governments in Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe and Turkmenistan, UNDP's funding to the judiciary of Sudan's al-Bashir government, and UNDP's acceptance of funding from Shell to produce a report about the Niger Delta. UNDP's spokesman has expressed outrage that certain questions have been asked, and has then refused to answer any more questions. Meanwhile UNDP's director Kemal Dervis has not appeared for a press conference in the UN Headquarters building for fourteen months.

Friday the issue of UNDP's controversial funding of materials in Cyprus supporting "the Annan plan" was raised to Mr. Annan's spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Video's on UNTV, and for a pro-UNDP narration of the Cyprus issue, click here. There are check stubs reflecting payment to journalists, and requests in to the U.S. State Department. Inner City Press will be following these documents where they lead and, wider, the UN Office of Project Services.

In the Cyprus controversy, the activity was undertaken by the UNDP-administered UN Office of Project Services, UNOPS, with money provided directly to UNOPS by USAID, an arm of the U.S. State Department. A wider question raised is what standards this UNDP-administered UNOPS has.

Friday at the UN on these UNDP-Cyprus issues, Kofi Annan's spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that "Bill Orme will get back to you." Skepticism was expressed by another reporter covering the Cyprus issue -- "UNDP never answers questions," he told Inner City Press -- and later by another longtime UN correspondent, who recounts a vituperative response by the same Bill Orme, which he told Kofi Annan's spokesman about. If there are special issues, they are UNDP's lack of standards, and lack of accountability and transparency.

At dusk fell Friday on Turtle Bay, UNDP's Bill Orme was seen inside the UN Spokesman's glass-walled office. Despite this time spent trying to excuse, explain or mischaracterize UNDP's delay in providing answers and basic information, not even an answer to the Uganda disarmament question posted two weeks ago in writing was provided. There is something wrong at UNDP, and it is noteworthy that the Secretariat purports to be unable to address it. This is a developing story.

Also Friday at the UN, French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie took a half-dozen questions from reporters. Video's on UNTV. Inner City Press asked two questions: for France's view on the European Union force's plan to pull out of the Democratic Republic of Congo on November 30, even before the president to be elected on October 29 is sworn in, and for an explanation of the legality of the bomb France dropped in Chad earlier this year. Minister Alliot-Marie answered only the Congo question, implying that while the pull-out could start on November 30, it could take a month, and thus not be completed before the presidential swearing-in. She did not answer the Chad question, although a French general who accompanied her smiled at Inner City Press for the rest of the press conference. Perhaps that was the answer: we did it because we could. Minister Alliot-Marie also said, about Ivory Coast, that France has few economic ties remaining with its former colony. One wag in the audience muttered, "Not by choice," and noted that China has largely replaced France as economic partner in Ivory Coast and elsewhere in Africa, including Chad.

Finally for this end-of-week report, Rogelio Pfirter, Director-General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons briefed both the General Assembly and reporters on Friday. The materials he passed out stated that six countries have declared they have chemical weapons: Russia, the U.S., Albania, Libya, India and "an unidentified State party." Inner City Press asked Mr. Pfirter to explain the process for a State holding chemical weapons to have its identity concealed by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Mr. Pfirter said it was agreed to, and that this unnamed state is performing well. Mr. Pfirter went on to denounce North Korea, and to dodge a question about Paragraph 8 of the UN Security Council's recent Resolution 1718. More to follow, we're sure, in coming days.

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