From
W. Sahara, UN
Tells ICP Only
UN Volunteers
Went Home,
Spain Is
"Blackmailed"
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, March
23, updated
March 24 --
Why didn't UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon go to
El Aaiun in
Western
Sahara, even
to visit the
headquarters
of the UN
Mission for
the Referendum
in Western
Sahara?
And why on
March 21 did Ban
say, "We
had a good
meeting in the
Security
Council today"
when his
deputy spokesperson
Farhan Haq
told Inner
City Press it
was fine it
was excluded
between there
were no
Secretariat
staff
involved? Who
is Ban's "we"?
At the
March 23 UN
noon briefing,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq, UN transcript here:
Inner City
Press: Some of
the MINURSO
staff stayed
in Las Palmas,
and some were
sent home on
leave.
Does this
indicate any
kind of
projecting
when they can
go back?
How fast could
they go
back?
And why didn't
they all stay
nearby in
theatre in Las
Palmas?
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq:
Well, there
were some who
were UN
Volunteers who
were sent back
to their home
countries.
The staff who
are needed are
in Las Palmas
awaiting the
point when, we
hope, they can
go back to
Laayoune to go
about their
regularly
scheduled
work.
As the
UN Security
Council had
another round
of closed door
consultations
about MINURSO
on March 23,
Inner City
Press' sources
tell it that a
mild draft
Press
Statement is
being "shot
down" by
Egypt, for the
Arab Group or
League - with
France once
again able to
hide its
imminent veto
on the issue.
As to
Spain, whose
foreign
ministry has
yet to answer
- and in full
disclosure
whose highest
UN official
Cristina
Gallach
ordered Inner
City Press out
of the UN on
two hours'
notice and it
still trying
to seize its
office,
restrict its
ability even
to cover the
Security
Council on
Western
Sahara, video
here --
sources says
it is
"blackmailed."
What
does that
mean? Morocco
can turn on
migration, act
on the small
territories,
has many
Spanish
companies on
its territory
and at sea.
"Unless a
larger power
tells Spain to
be decisive on
this, Spain
will just
drivft," was
the verdict.
We await the
ministry's
comment.
Update of
March 24: even
as the
Security
Council met on
March 24 about
the Middle
East,
Morocco's NY
diplomats
massed in
front of the
Council,
meeting
various
Council
members, including
from the
Permanent
Five. We'l
have more on
this.
Cristina
Gallach, with
Qatar's ex-PR,
Spain sign,
credit UN
Photo/Evan
Schneider
UN DPKO
boss Herve
Ladsous went
into the
Security
Council on the
afternoon of
March 23
without a word
or answer. On
his way out at
4:30 pm, Inner
City Press
asked him, Any
progress on
MINURSO? No
answer. Any
response to
the Tony
Banbury op-ed?
One in his
entourage
laughed. Would
retaliation
follow? For
Inner City
Press, it
already has.
Watch this
site.
On March 22,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq:
Inner City
Press:
yesterday,
you'd said
that the 8:30
event in the
Security
Council had no
Secretariat
involvement.
And then,
later in the
day, myself
and a
colleague were
in the
second-floor
hallway and
asked the
Secretary-General
what it was
being
accomplished
on Western
Sahara, and he
said, "We had
a good meeting
in the
Security
Council
today."
So I wanted to
know, what
does that
mean?
Was there…
Deputy
Spokesman:
He was talk
about the
luncheon.
Inner City
Press:
He said “in”
the Security
Council.
Deputy
Spokesman:
He was talking
about the
luncheon.
He had a
luncheon with
the Security
Council.
Inner City
Press:
Right.
In the
Security
Council?
Deputy
Spokesman:
I mean, you
can quibble
with his
prepositions,
but that's
what he was
referring to.
Inner City
Press: On what
basis do you
say there was
no Secretariat
involvement in
the 8:30
event?
Deputy
Spokesman:
On the basis
of the fact
that I'm aware
of my
colleagues in
Security
Council
Affairs
Department
(SCAD) and
they had no
involvement.
There were no
interpreters
even.
Inner City
Press: I
also have
another
question on
Western
Sahara.
Deputy
Spokesman:
Okay.
Inner City
Press:
Okay.
Thanks a
lot. I
wanted to
know… I've
seen a
photograph of
military
equipment,
which has been
put on alert
in the last
few days, and
I've also seen
a chain of
e-mails that
this was sent
to Mr.
[Edmond] Mulet
from Mr.
[Christopher]
Ross, also to
Mr. [Hervé]
Ladsous.
And I wanted
to know, since
they've
received this,
what's their
reaction to
it? And
will you give
a readout of
Mr. Ladsous'
and [Atul]
Khare's
meeting of
TCC's
(troop-contributing
countries)
yesterday
afternoon at…
in… on the
second floor
of the
Conference
Building?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Regarding
that, this is
simply a
discussion
with troop
contributors
at a time of
great concern
about the
situation in
Western
Sahara, so
they provided
an update on
the situation
there.
Inner City
Press:
And what about
the
equipment?
What's the
response of
this e-mail
between Mr.
Ross, Mr.
Ladsous and
Mr. Mulet
showing
essentially
missiles and
massed troops?
Deputy
Spokesman:
I… this is one
of a number of
issues that
needs to be
resolved, and
we'll have to
see what they
do in further
discussions.
Now we
asked, What is
the position
of Spain the
former
colonial power
in all this?
On March 21
Inner City
Press asked
Angola's
Foreign
Minister
Georges
Chikoti what
had been
accomplished
on defending
MINURSO; his
answer
declined
comment on the
"Spanish
Sahara."
From:Matthew
Russell Lee[at]
innercitypress.com
Date: Mon, Mar
21, 2016 at
9:15 AM
Subject: Press
Q on Spain's
position on
Morocco
ordering out
83 UN/AU staff
from MINURSO,
and UN doing
it, on
deadline,
thanks
To:
cecilia.yuste
[at] maec.es
Hello
-
This
is a Press
request to
know Spain's
position on
Morocco
ordering 83 UN
(and AU) staff
to leave “the
territory of
the Kingdom of
Morocco,” as
they referred
to Western
Sahara - and,
separately, to
UNSG Ban
Ki-moon and/or
DPKO chief
Herve Ladsous
deciding to in
fact evacuate
these staff to
Las Palmas.
We
have not heard
Spain's
position from
the Mission
here - there
areother issues-
and so put
this question
to you, on
deadline.
Please
acknowledge
receipt and
provide
substantive
response asap.
As the 8:30 am
meeting took
place, Inner
City Press
once it got
about the
retaliatory
Ban imposed by
UN official
Cristina
Gallach heard
from its
sources that this
photograph
of troops and
missiles -
note the
flag(s) - was
circulating
among the
highest UN
officials
including DPKO
chief Herve
Ladsous, and
that Morocco
was moving to
oust even
MINURSO
military
personnel from
Dakhla. There
were still no
other media
present at
9:30 am.
Inner
City Press
arrived at the
UN at 8:20 am
and as passing
through the
now required
(by UN
censorship and
retaliation)
metal
detectors saw
a convoy
diplomats from
the Morocco
mission going
in.
But up
at the
Security
Council, the
door for
"non-resident
correspondents"
was locked;
Inner City
Press' current
pass
downgraded in
retaliation by
the UN doesn't
work on the
turnstiles and
there was no
guard present.
Inner
City Press set
up in the
hall, but from
there was
unable to put
questions --
as it
has
right to -- to
the Permanent
Representatives
going in.
Seen,
through glass,
were the Perm
Reps of France
and Spain
chatting
amiably; PRs
of New Zealand
and Ukraine
and Russia;
American
Deputy David
Pressman.
At the
noon briefing,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq, Vine here (video still not
provided)
UN transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: there
was a meeting
this morning
at 8:30 and
most of the
permanent
representatives
of the Council
went in and I
wondered if
you could
explain.
I was unable
to cover
it. The
door was
locked to the
Council.
It was
definitely a
meeting.
I saw them
going
in.
There were
ambassadors of
the P-5 and
others that
went in.
Why didn't
your office
announce this
meeting and
why was the
door for
non-resident
correspondents
locked to go
to the
stakeout and
speak to
people?
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq: We
ourselves were
not privy to
the
meeting.
It was a
meeting for
ambassadors
only. As
far as I'm
aware there
was no
Secretariat
staff,
including
interpreters.
Later on
March 21,
along with
telling Ban
(again) that
his Under
Secretary
General for
"Communications"
Cristina
Gallach and
Security had
thrown Inner
City Press out
of its office
and the UN as
a whole on
February 19,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban what he
was doing on
Western
Sahara.
Ban
said, "We had
a good meeting
in the
Security
Council
today." Audio
embedded here.
But didn't Haq
say it was
fine to Ban
Inner City
Press because
there were no
Secretariat
staff
involved?
Beyond who is
Ban's we, does
the
justification
for censorship
stand up?
Inner City
Press had
heard of the
Monday 8:30 am
meeting from
sources in the
region on
Sunday
evening.
Moroccan
state media
MAP reported
on March 20
that
“significant
number” of UN
staffers had
left El Aaiun
airport in UN
aircraft and
commercial
flights to Las
Palmas in
Spain, that 73
U.N. staffers
had left and
10 would leave
in the
afternoon.
Why did
Ban (or the
head of UN
Peacekeeping,
Frenchman
Herve Ladsous)
give in? If,
in the most
positive
light, it was
for staff
safety -- which was
ignored for
example in Sri
Lanka --
why has Ban
not come out
and said that?
This is a new
low.
On
March 16,
Inner City
Press asked
the US State
Department
about Western
Sahara and
then (from the
State
Department
briefing room)
published
this, emailed
to Inner City
Press from
Deputy
Spokesperson
Mark Toner:
"The United
States
continues to
support the
UN-led process
designed to
bring about a
peaceful,
sustainable,
and
mutually-agreed
solution to
the conflict
in the Western
Sahara, one in
which the
human rights
of all
individuals
are respected.
We support the
work of the UN
Secretary
General’s
Personal Envoy
for the
Western Sahara
and the
mandate of the
UN Mission for
the Referendum
on Western
Sahara
(MINURSO).
We encourage
all of the
parties to
remain fully
and actively
engaged in
pushing the
process toward
an effective
resolution."
But on
March 19, a
strongly
rumored UN
Security
Council
meeting about
Western Sahara
did not
happen, at
least by 3 pm.
It seems
friends of
Morocco -
read, France -
argued that
the meeting
was not
needed. But
what of
Morocco's
"note verbale"
telling 84
people to
leave "the
territory of
the Kingdom of
Morocco"?
That's
the rub -
under
international
law, Western
Sahara is NOT
"the territory
of the Kingdom
of Morocco."
So how can 84
people be
ordered out
this way?
Contrary
to the
analogies UN
and DPKO
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric used,
Eritrea
kicking out
UNMEE for not
enforcing its
legal right to
Badme, or Chad
kicking out
MINURCAT,
Morocco is not
the host
country of
MINURSO.
So the note
verbale, which
in any event
should have
been sent to
the Security
Council, is
not effective.
But what
is the role of
Herve Ladsous,
the fourth
Frenchman in a
row atop UN
Peacekeeping,
in this - and
in the ouster
of Inner City
Press on
February 19,
ostensibly by
his fellow
Frenchman
Stephane
Dujarric and
Cristina
Gallach, the
highest
official of
Spain in UN
System? We'll
have more on
this.
Meanwhile two
tweets from
the account of
the acting
spokesperson
for the US
Mission to the
UN got a lot
of play, on
both sides of
the issue, click
here to view.
But Inner City
Press has
already asked
three at the
US Mission
about the GAP
letter.
After the
Security
Council met on
March 18 about
Western
Sahara, the
Council's
President for
March,
Ambassador
Gaspar Martins
of Angola,
said the
members had
agreed to work
both
bilaterally
and as
Council. Which
is it? Left
solo, France
reflexively
defends
Morocco.
French
Ambassador
Delattre on
his way in
said:
"With respect
to Western
Sahara, we, as
France, but
also as member
of the
Security
Council, are
having one
clear
objective,
which is to
appease the
tensions. And
that is why we
believe that,
at this stage,
an important
thing in order
to appease the
tensions, is
for Morocco
and the UN to
have a serene,
respectful,
and in-depth
dialogue. We
believe this
is absolutely
important in
order to,
again, appease
the tensions.
This is our
number one
priority, and
we will
continue on
this path."
Sounds
bilateral...
Watch this
site.
On March 14,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
an upcoming
meeting it had
heard from
other sources
about. From
the UN
transcript:
Inner City
Press: Has
there been a
request by
Morocco's
Foreign
Minister to
meet with the
Secretary-General
this week?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
Yes.
Inner City
Press:
And will that
be an open
photo op?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
The meeting is
still… we're
still working
on the
scheduling of
the
meeting.
Obviously, it
will be a
photo op, as
it is usually
with every
Foreign
Minister that
comes to
town. Vine here.
And
then, despite
Inner City
Press'
question,
Dujarric's
office waited
until four
minutes before
the deadline
to go up to
photograph the
meeting to
announce it.
Some photo op.
On
February 29,
Inner City
Press directly
asked Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, who
replied that
Ban's trip
will be in two
parts -- it's
just that when
the El Aaiun
portion will
happen is not
known.
On March 7,
Dujarric
called in to
the UN Noon
Briefing from
- where else
-- Paris and
made much of
Ban's visit to
part of the
MINURSO
mission but
not its
headquarters.
Dujarric said
there would be
a second stage
of the trip -
to Rabat.
Inner
City Press now
asks: why did
the English
language UN
transcription
of the March 7
briefing
include
Dujarric
Q&A on
Western
Sahara, here
-- while the UN's French
language
transcription,
here,
pointed did
not?
Inner City
Press: when
you called in
from Paris
about Western
Sahara, I've
looked at the
transcriptions,
the UN
transcriptions
of the noon
briefing that
day in English
and
French.
And in
English,
there's your
whole Q&A
about Western
Sahara, and in
French, it's
just not
there.
And I'm
wondering, is
there some
reasons?
They're both
working
languages, et
cetera.
What's the
reason for
that?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I don't… I'm
not sure we
put out a
transcript in
French of my…
Inner City
Press:
No, in
English… in
the English
noon brief…
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I'm not sure
we put out a
transcript;
I'll check.
Twenty
five hours
later,
nothing. So on
March 11, even
as Dujarric
tried to deny
Inner City
Press any more
questions,
Inner City
Press asked,
UN transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: on
Western
Sahara, do you
have an answer
on the two
press
statements,
English and
French?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
No. But
I… we're
working on it.
Vine
here. Then
Dujarric
abruptly
walked out of
the UN Press
Briefing Room,
from which he
ousted Inner
City Press
directly on
January 29,
and indirectly
through
another on
February 19.
Working
on it? How
hard can it
be? At 6 pm on
March 11
Dujarric's
office called
"lid," end of
day, still
without
answering;
Dujarric said
something
about "two
weeks." Watch
this site.
On
March 7, Inner
City Press
asked Dujarric
if Ban had
even tried to
get to
MINURSO's
headquarters
in El Aaiun --
Dujarric
didn't answer
that -- and if
Ban hadn't in
his comment
distributed on
March 6 given
Morocco a veto
over the
referendum
promises even
in the name of
the MINURSO
mission.
Back on March
2, Inner City
Press asked
Dujarric's
deputy Farhan
Haq why Ban is
not going,
while wanly
claiming he
has the right
to do. UN
transcript
here.
Ban was
supposed to go
in November
2015 but he
canceled it,
thinking he
could get more
political -
read, South
Korea
electoral --
play by going
to North
Korea. But
then North
Korea turned
him down.
On
February 25,
Inner City
Press asked
Dujarric about
issues
including
Western
Sahara, after
three days
reporting on
the UN from
outside after
Ban's head of
Communications
Cristina
Gallach threw
Inner City
Press out
without due
process: petition
here; weird
pro Morocco
spin on the
ouster, here.
Now
ahead of Ban's
March 1 stop
in Spain -
will Gallach
be there? -
there is pick
up of the
fact that
Gallach is
Spain's
highest UN
official, and
that she
ousted the
Press from the
UN.
Will it be
resolved by,
or come to
head on, March
1? In defense
of Ban and
Gallach,
anonymous
troll account
has taken to
tweeting, now
at Spanish
journalists,
that Gallach
is fine and
didn't throw
Inner City
Press out of
the UN on two
hours notice
without once
speaking to
it. But those
are the fact.
Among the new
troll
account's
followers are
Ban Ki-moon's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric and
four UNCA
board members,
plus Reuters
bureau chief
Louis
Charbonneau,
who has a
history with
this, see
here.
On February
26, Dujarric
said, "the
Secretary-General's
right to visit
any
peacekeeping
mission, but
there is the
de facto
authorities in
that area
would need to
provide the
clearance for
the plane to
land."
So, he really
DOESN'T have
the right, and
isn't really
pushing for
it. Inner City
Press on
February 26
asked
Dujarric, UN transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
what the
Secretary-General's
goals are for
this Western
Sahara
trip.
What is he
seeking to
come out of
it? Does
he… would he
like to see a
referendum
with
independence
as a
goal?
What's he go
into it
looking
at?
Thanks.
Spokesman
Dujarric:
Obviously,
the… you know,
a lot… a large
focus will be
on the
humanitarian
situation.
He'll be
visiting the
camps near
Tindouf, and
it is also
part of his
preparation,
obviously… he
will report on
the trip in
his upcoming
report, which
is scheduled
for April.
Humanitarian,?
We'll have
more on this.
We'll
see. UN
President of
the General
Assembly
Mogens
Lykketoft
announced a
trip to Europe
and Morocco;
particularly
as the bribery
case against
former PGA
John Ashe
proceeds, with
two guilty
pleas and also
indicted
former
Dominican
Republic
Deputy
Permanent
Representative
(and South
South News
executive) Francis
Lorenzo found
to NOT have
immunity,
taking
Moroccon
government
funding for a
trip to
Morocco with a
Morocco-provided
staffer,
particularly
(but not only)
if not
addressing the
obvious issue
of Western
Sahara, seems
ill-advised.
We'll have
more on this.
Mogen
Lykketoft,
meanwhile,
couldn't bring
himself to say
Ashe's name,
only referring
to the
President of
the 68th
General
Assembly
session.
Lykketoft, who
allowed his
Office to be
used for
fellow Dane
Helle
Thorning-Schmidt
to campaign
for the top
spot in the
UN's refugee
agency UNHCR,
said he will
be making
reform
proposals. We
will be there
- with
questions for
Lykketoft.
Ban
again
mentioned what
he told Inner
City Press at
his last
stakeout, a
task force
under his chef
of staff
Susana
Malcorra. But
as Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Dujarric, with
all due
respect, Malcorra
accepted one
of Ng's South
South Awards,
for Ban.
And as note,
Gallach went.
We'll have
more on this.
, 
