Date: Thu, 1 Dec 2011 01:25:28 +0100
On Eritrea Sanctions, China "Rejects Push for Action," Vote Switched to
Monday?
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, November 30 -- While on Eritrea sanctions the US and Gabon
continued pushing Wednesday afternoon for a vote later in the day, more
opposition to the push became public.
Chinese Permanent Representative Li Baodong, on his way into the
consultations, told Inner City Press, "We reject any effort to push for
action." He added, "Let the President of Eritrea come to present his
statement."
The request by Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea to "be given the audience to
address the [UNSC] before any action is taken on the draft resolution" has
been blocked by US Ambassador Susan Rice. Inner City Press asked UK
Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant about Afwerki speaking.
"We have no objection," Lyall Grant said. Inner City Press asked if the UK
would call for a procedural vote, which would require a simple majority with
no veto powers. Lyall Grant said no, "We're not asking him to come, so
there's no reason for us to ask... If those who particularly want him to
come, I expect they'd call for a vote."
A number of Council members have told Inner City Press it would be a bad
precedent to not grant the request of a head of state to address the
Council, especially before sanctions. But who will call for that procedural
vote? "It's better it's by consensus," one member told Inner City Press. But
what deal might make the US move?
Update of 3:50 pm -- sources in the Council predict the vote pushed back "at
least" to Monday, and President Afwerki being invited.
Meanwhile while it was said the US has on its side, among Council African
members, not only Gabon but Nigeria, sources said that Nigeria either "wants
more time" or "is flexible." We'll see.
The US cites the position of IGAD on Eritrea -- at the same time IGAD is
telling Kenya to allow Omar al Bashir, indicted by the International
Criminal Court for genocide in Sudan, to visit without being arrested. If
the US cites IGAD favorably for one position, does it agree with this second
IGAD position? Watch this site.
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As Eritrea Sanctions Delayed to Monday, Rice Says "Gabon Was Flexible"
By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, November 30, updated below -- After a "highly charged"
Security Council consultation on when and how to vote on Eritrea sanctions,
US Ambassador Susan Rice
<http://www.innercitypress.com/sc2afwerki110311.html> emerged Wednesday
afternoon. She told Inner City Press exclusively, "I think the Gabonese were
incredibly generous, to give all members time to get to instructions, I
think going to Monday is the latest reasonable."
The US and Gabon, which put the draft resolution
<http://www.innercitypress.com/usun2eritrea112911.html> "into blue" late
Tuesday, had been pushing for a fast vote on Wednesday. But among others,
Russia said that was too fast.
Chinese Permanent Representative Li Baodong, on his way into the
consultations, told Inner City Press, "We reject any effort to push for
action." He added, "Let the President of Eritrea come to present his
statement."
Inner City Press asked Rice about Afwerki coming, which the US had put a
block on (Rice earlier explained her reasons
<http://www.innercitypress.com/sc2afwerki110311.html> to Inner City Press).
Now Rice said, "this was discussed formally for the first time today since
it was first raised back at the end of October on the program of work. No
member state until today, when we were talking about the timing of the vote,
raised any interest in pushing the Isaias request."
Earlier on Wednesday, Inner City Press asked Russian Ambassador Vitaly
Churkin why no procedural vote had been called for after Ambassador Rice
blocked granting Afkerki's request to address the Council. Churkin
explained, "if we were told a vote is going to take place a week from now,
we will go for procedural vote... Maybe this is why they rushed into blue,
not to let him come. I think it is a ridiculous thing."
Rice said, "the United States as host country is obliged to issue a visa,
so let's see if he comes." She reiterated her view that it is "redundant and
likely counterproductive to have a spectacle in the Security Council in
which heads of state make emotional statements on the eve of-on the same day
as the vote." (A partial transcript by the US Mission to the UN is below.)
The outgoing Portuguese presidency told Inner City Press they are figuring
out how to make the invitation. Eritrean representatives told Inner City
Press it is a "short turn around time." Given the stakes, one expected
Afwerki to come -- and others from the region.
There is a larger regional dynamic at issue: whether Jean Ping will get a
second term as head of the African Union, or be replaced by for example
Jacob Zuma of South Africa.
A representative of one of Eritrea's neighbors came to complain to Inner
City Press that "South Africa is pressuring us to vote for Zuma, and now
it's just sour grapes on their part. They need to decide if they are with
the BRICS or with Africa." Others would say it's not either / or.
Inner City Press asked Rice to respond to what Eritrea's UN Ambassador
Araya Desta told it, that
<http://www.innercitypress.com/usun5eritrea113011.html> "It is crazy to
penalize the Eritrean people in order to get a second term for Jean Ping as
commissioner of the African Union... Meles [Zenawi] tells him, I'll help you
get a second term, if you help" put more sanctions on Eritrea.
Rice paused and called this "weird speculation... Jean Ping is running for
a second term, South Africans have a candidate."
Some wonder, how much of this is about the AU race?
Rice concluded that the vote will take place Monday and again, "the
Gabonese were very flexible and generous." And so it goes at the UN.
Update: here is the US Mission to the UN's transcription:
Inner City Press; What about President Afwerki coming?
AMBASSADOR RICE: First of all, as you know, this was discussed formally for
the first time today since it was first raised back at the end of October on
the program of work. No member state until today, when we were talking about
the timing of the vote, raised any interest in pushing the Isaias request .
As you know, if a head of state chooses to come to the United Nations, the
United States as host country is obliged to issue a visa, so let's see if he
comes.
Inner City Press: What about the other ones [i.e. other regional countries]?
AMBASSADOR RICE: Same for any of them. We still think it's redundant and
likely counterproductive to have a spectacle in the Security Council in
which heads of state make emotional statements on the eve of-on the same day
as the vote. But if that's what they choose to do, it'll happen, and we'll
vote on Monday.
http://www.innercitypress.com/srice2dw.jpg(c) UN Photo
Rice and the 14, Eritrea vote not yet shown
http://www.innercitypress.com/churkin1ban.jpg(c) UN Photo
Churkin in Council, Working Methods not shown
http://www.innercitypress.com/ping1bansomkim.jpg(c) UN Photo
Ping, TFG President, Ban Ki-moon and Kim-won soo, SC due process not shown
http://www.innercitypress.com/li1churkin.jpg(c) UN Photo
Li Baodong and Vitaly Churkin: no pasaran
http://www.innercitypress.com/srice1dw.jpg(c) UN Photo
Sudan Rice in the Council, flexible Gabonese not shown
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