At UN, As Rebels of SPLM-North Meet with UK & Others, Sudan Angry
By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, January 25, 2013 updated -- For several days, since a
delegation of the SPLM-North rebels from Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile
states were in Washington, Sudanese diplomats in New York have been
complaining to Inner City Press that the rebels have had meetings in and
around the UN.
Sudan says this would be inappropriate, and claims that the SPLM-North
met not only with Security Council delegations but also with UN officials,
naming the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the
concepts of child protection and child soldiers.
Since the UN Secretariat has, for example, urged the Credentials
Committee of the General Assembly to switch sides in the cases of Cote
d'Ivoire, Libya and other countries, Inner City Press would not be
surprised, or object.
But as a matter of journalism, Inner City Press endeavored to ask Security
Council delegations if they had met this week with the SPLM-North in New
York.
One Permanent Representative looked surprised and said, "I couldn't tell
you that." Another confirmed the SPLM-North delegation, but only not for
attribution.
And then to his credit UK Permanent Representative Mark Lyall Grant, when
Inner City Press asked him if the SPLM-North had been in town and met with
the UK mission said, "Yes."
Another UK diplomat said it concerned humanitarian issues and Resolution
2046.
Why not then do a Arria Formula meeting? Why all the cloak and dagger?
Update of 3:02 pm: France's Deputy Permanent Representative Martin Briens,
when Inner City Press asked him if France met with SPLM-North, said "no
comment."
Sudan's Permanent Representative Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman told Inner
City Press it is very strange to meet, and use UN premises to meet, with a
group that destabilitizes peace.
Russia and China, when asked, were aware of SPLM-North presence in New
York. The Chinese position is, we are not going to meet with them.
Update of 5:40 pm And that is the Russian position as well. Watch this site.
