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At UN, Somalia Peacekeeping Dream Dies a Quiet
Death before New Years, US Buckles
Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of
Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis
UNITED NATIONS,
January 1 -- As mortar fire
rained down in Mogadishu on the palace of the President, who just
resigned, in
the UN the Security Council resolution for a peacekeeping force which
the
United States had said was a priority died a quiet death on December
30. At the
Council stakeout on New Years Eve, Inner City Press asked outgoing
South
African Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo what would happen next on Somalia.
Ambassador Kumalo expressed disappointment that nothing was done by
year's end,
when he and South Africa leave the Council. Kumalo
was the most vocal Ambassador on the Council
for engagement in
Somali civilians' two decade-long crucifixion. This was the last
question he
would answer as a Security Council member, and he vowed to continue to
advocate
for Somalia even once off the Council.
The backstory
is that in the run-up to the year-end deadline set by also outgoing
U.S.
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Security Council members met at the
expert
level on competing resolution drafts by the U.S. and the United
Kingdom. When
Ms. Rice
came to the UN earlier in the month, she and UK Deputy
Permanent Representative
Karen
Pierce crossed swords on the practicability of a UN Peacekeeping
mission
in Somalia, with Pierce as the skeptic.
Amb. Kumalo over-shouldered by Condi Rice and
the leaning Khalilizad
While most
insiders consulted by Inner City Press had expected the U.S. to push
for a vote
on its resolution by the end of the year, since its passage would be
much less
likely with South Africa and Italy leaving the Council, ultimately the
U.S.
backed down, not wanting an open conflict with the UK. Therefore on
December 30
it was said that attempts will be made in the new year to somehow merge
the
conflicting U.S. and UK drafts.
Thus the
U.S. which backed the ill-fated Ethiopian incursion into Somalia during
the
Christmas to New Years period in 2006 ended up further selling out
Somali
civilians during the same period two years later. On New Years Eve in
front of
the Council, outgoing U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad did not mention
Somalia,
only Gaza. The same was done by UK Ambassador John Sawers: Gaza only.
Afterwards, Inner City Press tried to get Africa answers but was told
that its
coverage is too negative. But what about the impacts in Somalia? This will be pursued in the new year.
Click here for Inner
City Press' December 24 debate on UN budget, Niger
Click here from Inner City Press'
December 12 debate on UN double standards
Click here for Inner
City Press' November 25 debate on Somalia, politics
Click here for Inner City
Press Nov. 7 debate on the war in Congo
Watch this site, and this Oct. 2 debate, on
UN, bailout, MDGs
and this October 17 debate, on
Security Council and Obama and the UN.
* * *
These
reports are
usually also available through Google
News and on Lexis-Nexis.
Click
here
for a Reuters
AlertNet piece by this correspondent
about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click
here
for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali
National
Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an
undefined trust fund. Video
Analysis here
Feedback: Editorial
[at] innercitypress.com
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Other,
earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available
in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.
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2006-08 Inner City Press, Inc. To request
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