On Sudan After Amos Speaks & UN Delays, Khartoum's Reply, Here
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, July 18, 2014 -- On July 16 in "elements to the press," the
Security Council on the "humanitarian situation in Sudanese states of
Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile... urged warring parties to allow
humanitarian access in accordance with Resolution 2046" adopted by the
Security Council, more than two years ago.
Now Sudan's Mission to the UN has provided to Inner City Press its
response, to that and the remarks of Valerie Amos of the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Coordination, which Inner City Press in context
is putting online here.
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/sudan1replyicp071614.pdf>
OCHA and many Security Council members have bemoaned the lack of access to
Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. But why have no steps been taken, as on
Syria? Reports under Resolution 2046 are not, as those on Syria are, put out
in advance in the UN Spokesperson's office.
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/syria5humspin062014.html>
And a request by the Free UN Coalition for Access <
http://www.funca.info>
to OCHA's head of communications, previously in the same position for UN
Peacekeeping boss Herve Ladsous <
http://youtu.be/rm1V-cY9u40> , for a copy
of Amos' clearly prepared opening remarks at the stakeout on Sudan and South
Sudan (or "if not, why not") was not responded to, at all for an hour and
substantively for five hours, whereas Amos' statements on Syria can be
disseminated.
An hour after FUNCA's request he replied, "The written statement will be
delivered to media soon, once the text is aligned with what was delivered.
This is standard practice. I'm not sure why the 'if not why not' question."
It was more than four hours after that, and long after filing of the
Sudans and other stories
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/ladsous1carfdlrcholera071614.html> , that
OCHA belatedly sent Amos' Sudan remarks - after OCHA had sent a number of
other statements.
The next day on July 17 Sudan's Mission to the UN repeatedly tried to get
its hard-copy response to Inner City Press. Finally they did, in front of
the Security Council, and Inner City Press in fairness has scanned it and
puts it online here <
http://www.innercitypress.com/sudan1replyicp071614.pdf>
.
Inner City Press also asked Amos about a critique of Ladsous' UNMISS
mission in South Sudan, as undermining humanitarian independence. Amos gave
a thoughtful answer about the need for escorts and security, given the
logistics challenges. But how will this be received at the upcoming
humanitarian summit?
After the Rwandan presidency read out the "elements to the press," Inner
City Press asked about the status of Rwanda's June 26 complaint that
Ladsous' MONUSCO mission had flown the FDLR militia's leader from Eastern
Congo to Kinshasa
<
https://www.beaconreader.com/matthew-russell-lee/after-un-flew-fdlr-leader-
un-spokesman-said-not-aware-then-withheld-information-why> before any
decision by the 1533 Sanctions committee on giving a travel ban waiver (it
was denied).
Ladsous' DPKO has not even responded to the complaint, was the answer. On
July 15, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told Inner City Press that the
FDLR leader was escorted back to Eastern Congo - but then insisted he hadn't
said that the UN did the escorting
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/banspox4ladsousfdlr071514.html> . Who did,
then? Watch this site.
Received on Fri Jul 18 2014 - 14:31:43 EDT