By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, July
22 -- Amid
questions
about why UN
Peacekeepers
just
stood by this
month as a
column of Lou
Nuer fighters
marched by,
and
allegations
that the UN
Mission in
South Sudan
provides
gasoline and
other support
to SPLA units
which are
perceived to
take sides
against
the Murle,
Inner City
Press is
asking
questions. And
getting some
answers, if
only on a
delay.
Last
week Inner
City Press
asked about
UNMISS
providing gas
to SPLA units
and how the UN's Human
Rights Due
Diligence
Policy,
already in
tatters in the
Democratic
Republic of
the Congo
under Herve
Ladsous,
would apply.
Secretary
General
Ban Ki-moon's
spokesperson's
office
replied, but
as if to a
hypothetical
question:
Subject:
Your
question on
South Sudan.
From: UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
[at] un.org
Date: Fri, Jul
19, 2013 at
12:00 PM
To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
A
request for
aviation fuel
to aircraft of
the Sudan
People’s
Liberation
Army would be
viewed as a
request for
“support” and
would be
subject to a
risk
assessment on
the basis of
the Human
Rights Due
Diligence
Policy.
In
the
event that
such a request
was approved,
the UN Mission
in South
Sudan (UNMISS)
would take
steps to
monitor how
the fuel is
used in
order to
ensure that it
not be
diverted for
other
purposes.
In
publishing
the response,
Inner City
Press
asked: was
such a request
made? Was it
approved?
Which units of
the SPLA does
UNMISS
support?
Because
Ladsous is not
credible in
implementing
or enforcing
the
stated Human
Rights Due
Diligence
Policy.
On
Monday July
22, Inner City
Press thanked
Ban's
spokesperson
Martin
Nesirky for
Friday's
written
answer, but
asked if such
a request for
gasoline had
been
submitted, and
if so,
approved. Now
this has come
in:
Subject:
Your
question on
South Sudan
From: UN
Spokesperson -
Do Not Reply
[at] un.org
Date: Mon, Jul
22, 2013 at
3:15 PM
To:
Matthew.Lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
Regarding
your
question today
about any
request for
aviation fuel
by South
Sudan, the UN
Mission in
South Sudan
(UNMISS) has
the following
information:
UNMISS
received such
a request from
the SPLA in
late 2012. On
the basis of
the human
rights due
diligence
policy, a task
force reviewed
the
request for
aviation fuel,
which was
premised on
the SPLA's
need to
reach isolated
groups of
civilians at a
time of
escalating
military
operations by
armed elements
loyal to David
Yau Yau. The
request was
granted and
the fuel was
delivered in
November and
December of
last
year to help
the SPLA carry
out its
protection-of-civilians
mandate
and deter
violence.
What
has happened
since? The Free UN Coalition for Access, ever
interested
in the (lack
of)
responsiveness
of UN social
media, has
asked South
Sudan
humanitarian
Toby Lanzer
about this
assistance,
so far without
response. Lanzer
has been
defensive,
saying "36
peacekeepers
can secure a
landing site
for an UNHAS
chopper to
evacuate the
wounded; but
36 cannot
engage with
thousands of
armed youth."
But couldn't
and shouldn't
they have
sounded the
alarm about
the armed
march?
As
we've said of
late, OCHA
seems to be
losing its
way, in the
Ladsousification
of the UN.
We'll have
more on
this. Watch
this site.
, 
