Inner City Press -- Investigative Journalism from the United Nations

Inside the UN, Blaming Uganda's Victims, Excusing Annan on Mugabe, and U.S. Blocked Darfur Trip

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

UNITED NATIONS, November 13 -- In the name of disarmament, the Uganda People's Defense Force is dropping bombs in Eastern Uganda, most recently killing ten Kenyans near the border. Since the UN Development Program was, as of mid-2006, funding the Ugandan government's disarmament programs, on Monday at noon Inner City Press asked the UN Spokesman what the engagements of UNDP, UNICEF and other UN agencies are with the Museveni government's violent disarmament push. Inner City Press emphasized that it had taken weeks to get UNDP to address the first flaring of the issue, and that now faster inquiry is needed.

"We will actually do something," the UN spokesman said. Video here, from Minute 26:08. We'll see. By 6:45 p.m. on Monday, no response had been received.

Mugabe & S-G

Of "The Best of Intentions" by James Traub

Elsewhere in UN Headquarters on Monday, James Traub, author of an authorized and laudatory biography of Kofi Annan, "The Best of Intentions" (FSG 2006), took questions from reporters in the UN Correspondents Association club. Inner City Press asked Traub to opine on why Kofi Annan had resisted filing a financial disclosure form, even after his spokesman had said he would. (Click here for more on the issue.)

Mr. Traub said "I don't know anything about that" because "it came along after I finished my reporting." He went on to speculate, however, that Kofi Annan is reluctant to do things if he feels he did no wrong. "Why this inquest? I'm the UN. I decided not to earn a lot of money," Traub continued, channeling Kofi Annan and then his sidekick Iqbal Riza. "A complete nonchalance about what things look like," was Traub's diagnosis of Riza. "Not caring what people think, especially people you don't care about, like the press." Traub quickly added that Kofi Annan is not guilty of failure to care about appearance.

Since Mr. Annan was presented as taking stands on human rights, Inner City Press asked about Zimbabwe, and, as an example, about the Annan UN's recent unequivocal praise of Dow Chemicals, which beyond Argent Orange and other issues has refused to pay off the Bhopal-related claims against Union Carbide, which Dow bought.

"I don't see how his views on human rights are tempered by commitment to corporate profits," Traub said. On Mugabe Traub laid the blame on Zimbabwe's neighbors, particularly the ANC in South Africa. Mugabe is "an unspeakable tyrant," Traub said, whose impunity represents "a grotesque failure." But no failure of Kofi Annan's, apparently. Still unaddressed is the legitimatization function for Mugabe played by UNDP, among others - a function that continues, explained by little more than boilerplate, even as local NGOs denounce UNDP.

Back in the UN's second floor, from the Security Council more facts emerged about Friday's evening meeting which canceled the Council's trip to Addis about Darfur. Sources tell Inner City Press that the U.S. representative to the Council on Friday night simply announced that the trip shouldn't happen. When asked to explain, he said he didn't have instructions. When others asked him to call and get an explanation, he pointed to the upcoming holiday -- Veteran's Day. When others argued that the U.S. had in the past not shown such deference to others' holidays, the U.S. representative picked up a newspaper and read it. And so time later, the Council trip was cancelled. To this things have descended.

Across First Avenue a people's tribunal on Darfur was held, complete with defense attorneys and witnesses who could not be named. Al-Bashir's assigned counsel argued against trial with Al-Bashir absent. President Judge Wole Soyinka, through an expert, dismissed the argument. And with the wind whipping the flags across the street, the people's trial began. And if the same were done for Mugabe?

U.S. Blocked Council's Trip to Darfur Meeting, Brazzaville Envoy Explains After U.S. Casts a Veto

UNITED NATIONS, November 11 -- "He may be African, but we don't agree with him." So said the Ambassador of Congo-Brazzaville, Basile Ikouebe, about what he called Kofi Annan's attempt to undermine and replace the Security Council's now-cancelled trip to the African Union's meeting in Addis Ababa about Darfur. Annan "does not represent the African Union," Ambassador Ikouebe added.

Inner City Press had asked for clarification on which country or countries had blocked the Council's trip to Addis Ababa. "The United States," Amb. Ikouebe told Inner City Press. He continued: "We don't understand. We have received some signals that Sudan might accept deployment of our [UN] force. We had to go and discuss. We had eight delegations. We paid for our tickets and everything. Then, 'no, no, no,' by the United States."

Amb. Ikouebe spoke just after the U.S. vetoed the resolution on Israel and Palestine. "Why couldn't they agree to this condemnation?" Amb. Ikouebe mused, noting that the U.S. had asked for, and received, a vote to place Myanmar on the Council's agenda.

Observing the rare Saturday proceeding from the inside the Council chamber, one saw U.S. Ambassador John Bolton sitting alone in the run-up to the vote, with most other Ambassadors around him had conversations and exchanged greetings. Palestine's permanent observer shook hands with China's representative. In the audience sat, among others, the Ambassadors of Syria and of Sudan. When the meeting began, only the U.S.'s John Bolton asked to speak before the vote, in order to announce his no vote, which given the U.S.'s veto power in the Council made the rest of the proceedings effectively moot. Beyond the U.S. veto, four other countries abstain: Denmark, the UK, Japan and Slovakia.

When the meeting adjourned, Amb. Bolton strode to the stakeout microphone and said, "You have my statement. Any questions?" As reporters took out their pads and turned on their records, and at least two prepared questions about Sudan, and a wire service about Tuesday's vote and repercussions, Amb. Bolton said, "The press is silent?" Then he rushed away.

Perhaps it is not only the election that has caused this shift of mood. It has been floated that John Bolton could stay on, and continue to get paid. Another recess appointment would make payment impossible. But to become an advisor on UN affairs, then continue to serve as Ambassador because no replacement is ever named, might accomplish the same end. A sage of the stakeout's advice would be, whatever route this goes, don't become bitter -- or "go all North Korea," as one reporter quipped -- and more importantly, don't dissemble or leave unexplained positions and actions like those of Friday on Darfur and the aborted Addis meeting. If you're going to block it, explain it. We're still waiting.

At the UN, Council Works Overtime To Cancel Its Trip About Darfur, While DC Muses on John Bolton

UNITED NATIONS, November 10, lightly edited Nov. 11 -- There will be no Security Council delegation to the African Union talks on Sudan, the Council decided in closed door session Friday evening. Afterwards staff of two of the Permanent Five members anonymously blamed one another for the stalemate. The President of the Council, Peruvian Ambassador Jorge Voto-Bernales, declined to explain which countries were opposed to the mission, advising reporters to ask the ambassadors and delegations at issue. But the key delegations insisted that their cross-accusations were all off the record [and one reiterated its demands on Saturday, even as to having told journalists to turn off their tape recorders, before casting the blame on another P-5 country. -Ed's note Nov. 11]

Death and conflict continues in Darfur, and at the UN the Council meets until eight on Friday night, only to emerge with the cryptic message that their previously reported trip is no more. UK Ambassador Emyr Jones-Parry was said to already be en route to the AU meeting in Addis Ababa. "You better call him," one reporter advised the UK staffer.

Inner City Press asked Ambassador Voto-Bernales if the UN's Hedi Annabi is still slated to appear in Addis Ababa. Amb. Voto-Bernales said yes. One wonders if Ethiopia's (and others' ) increasing incursions into Somalia will be discussed.

Meanwhile the UN Security Council will reconvene Saturday at noon, to consider a resolution on Israel and Palestine that most predict will be vetoed, by the U.S.. At last one other P-5 member says it has problems with the text, calling it unbalanced. Saturday's agenda:

Letter dated 6 November 2006 from the Charge d'affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2006/868)

Letter dated 7 November 2006 from the Charge d'affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2006/869)

We will have more, on Azerbaijan, in coming days. Thursday at the UN, Kofi Anna's spokesman Stephane Dujarric bragged he'd pitched a "perfect game," in that he faced not a single question during his noon Press(less) briefing. Click here for transcript. That will change, starting Monday.

In Washington news, sources say that the Bush Administration reflexive re-nomination of John Bolton was triggered by a Web report Wednesday night, but that the nomination will be pulled, or Amb. Bolton will pull it, next week. (On the other hand, Senator-elect Claire McCaskill of Missouri said on Hardball that she'd consider confirming Amb. Bolton.) So who would the next U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations be? The possible cross-aisle nomination of George Mitchell is much discussed. Lincoln Chafee, given his statements about the public's rejection of the Bush Administration's policies, seems unlikely. Another losing Senator floated is Rick Santorum. Conrad Burns, anyone?

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