ICP
Asks Why Some
UN Rapporteurs
Consider
Impact of
Sanctions, But
Not Keetharuth
On Eritrea
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 28-- When
the UN Special
Rapporteur on
the situation
of human
rights in the
State of
Eritrea Sheila
Keetharuth
held a press
conference at
the UN on
October 28,
Inner City
Press went to
ask her if she
considered the
impact of
sanctions on
Eritrea.
Video
here.
She answered
only in terms
of arms
embargo, they
said she
simply chose
not to look at
the issue.
By contrast,
the Rapporteur
on the
Democratic
People
Republic of
Korea Tomas
Ojea Quintana
answered
detailed
questions from
Inner City
Press about
sanctions
including
unilateral
sanctions on
coal sales,
for example.
Is there no
consistency
between UN
Special
Rapporteurs? Video here.
There were
only three
journalists
asking
questions at
the October 28
press
conference -
and yet Inner
City Press was
earlier this
year by
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon and
his head of
"Public
Information"
Cristina
Gallach ousted
and evicted,
and now
restricted to
a minder. Petition
here.
On October 3,
the day before
the UN General
Assembly's
Third (Human
Rights)
Committee
began, Inner
City Press'
sources told
it of a
behind-the-scene
fight about
presenting a
report on
Eritrea by a
Commission of
Inquiry whose
mandate has
expired.
One source
said, “How can
a dead man be
allowed to
testify?” But
powerful
countries want
it to happen,
so Ban
Ki-moon's UN
and its
(lawless)
Office of
Legal Affairs
have become
prepared
to oblige. The
UN is about
power, not
law.
Update of
October 4:
After
publication of
the above, on
October 4
while Djibouti
asked to have
the defunct
Commission
included, the
chair of the
Committee,
Colombia, said
the Office of
Legal Affairs
would meet
with both
sides. Watch
this site.
Less
surprising is
the US State
Department
blocking an
Eritrean
appearance in
DC, like it
blocked a
proposed UN
Security
Council
side-visit,
below.
Recently Inner
City Press
asked the UN's
Representative
to Somalia
Michael
Keating is he
was aware of
any evidence
of Eritrea
supporting Al
Shabaab, and
he said no.
But that's no
longer the
point. We'll
have more on
this.
Back in April
2016 while the
Security
Council
discussed
Somalia,
behind the
scene the next
president of
the Council
for May,
Egypt,
proposed a
Council trip
to Somalia,
Egypt, and at
least
initially
Eritrea, Inner
City Press is
exclusively
told.
But the US
balked at the
inclusion of
Eritrea and it
was dropped.
In the Council
chamber, UN
envoy to
Somalia
Michael
Keating said
“Last
week, Somali
leaders from
all federal
member states
and interim
regional
administrations
reach
agreement on
the electoral
model to be
used later
this year.
Voting will
take place not
just in
Mogadishu, but
in each of the
capitals or
seats of
government of
the exiting
and emerging
federal member
states. And
thirty percent
of the seats
in Parliament
are being
reserved for
women.
“This
progress is
taking place
amid great
insecurity -
another reason
why progress
is reversible.
Al Shabab
remains a
potent threat.
Although
facing
significant
casualties, Al
Shabab
continues to
carry out
repeated
asymmetic and
conventional
attacks. They
will try to
disrupt an
electoral
process that
they see
rightly as
threatening
their agenda.”
The
proposed trip
would have
included
Eritrea not
only because
it is on the
Council's
sanctions
list, even
amid
admissions of
no proof of
support to Al
Shabab, but
also because
of Yemen and
regional peace
and security.
But the US,
the sources
tell Inner
City Press,
does not want
a Council trip
to include
Eritrea. We'll
have more on
this. Follow @innercitypressFollow @FUNCA_info
, 
