On
DRC, Hege and
Rwanda,
Hardeep Singh
Puri Says UNSC
to Deal With
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 2 --
The Democratic
Republic of
the Congo
Group of
Experts and
sanctions
regime
both have
expiration
dates of
November
30.
The program of
work released
by the month's
UN Security
Council
president
Hardeep Singh
Puri of India
lists
consultations
on DRC
Sanctions on
November 21,
and "adoption"
a week later
on
November 28.
But adoption
of what?
Inner
City Press on
November 2
asked Hardeep
Singh Puri if
these meetings
will just
"kick the can
down the
road," or if
they will
deal for
example with Rwanda's
questioning of
the
impartiality
of the
coordinator of
the Group of
Experts, Steve
Hege. Video
here, from
Minute 22:03.
Hege's
2009 writings
dismissing the
threat posed
by the FDLR
militia were
taken off the
Internet after
Inner City
Press
identified and
linked
to them.
Hardeep
Sing
Puri replied
that in a
sanctions
committee that
he chairs --
on
Somali and
Eritrea --
"the head was
declared
persona non
grata
both both
countries
concerned...
That group
continued
until the
group
of experts was
replaced."
In
that case, as
Inner City
Press reported,
the "expert"
as
issue was Matt
Bryden, who
leaked his
reports and
even gave
interviews
about them,
drawing the
ire not only
of Eritrea but
also
Somalia.
Similar
questions
have grown
around the Cote d'Ivoire
sanctions
committee,
which leaked
its report
making the
allegations,
described as
"pro
French" by
more than one
Council
member, that
Gbagbo
supporter
were seeking
to link up
with groups
from Mali.
Hege's
most recent
report, or the
portion of it
without
annexes, was
leaked
just days
before Rwanda
stood for
election to a
two-year
Security
Council seat.
Rwanda
won, without
an opponent
and with
surprisingly
few
abstentions,
148 votes in
favor.
Now
what of Steve
Hege? Inner
City Press has
repeated asked
the UN
Secretariat to
explain its
role in
vetting Hege,
or to respond
to the
2009 writings
now taken off
the Internet.
Such response
has not been
forthcoming.
Will it be,
around the two
November
meetings?
Hardeep
Singh
Puri told
Inner City
Press "I'm not
inclined to
say kick
can down
road... We
have to assume
responsibility
on the kinds
of
issues you are
discussing."
By that, it
sounds like
the issues,
including the
DRC's
requests,
will be
considered
this month.
Watch
this site.
Footnote
about
lost footnote:
Inner City
Press also
asked Hardeep
Singh Puri
about Guinea
Bissau not
appearing on
the program of
work for
November,
despite the
most recent
coup or
counter coup
attempt. He
said the
footnote had
been in until
last night,
when the
requester
agreed it
could come
out. He said
today's media
calls what
happened a
"cocaine
coup," but
Guinea Bissau
remains of
concern. We'll
see.
Inner
City Press
also asked
Hardeep Singh
Puri about the
pending
Somalia
resolution,
after
reporting on
the maritime
component
issue and
the
EU's
"cheapness," here.
We'll have
more on this.
, 
