On Somalia, S. Africa & Togo Question Ban Not Seeing Illegal Dumping &
Fishing
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, November 21, 2012 -- After the UN Security Council adopted a
resolution on Somalia Wednesday morning, South Africa took the floor to
question Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's report having in essence denied the
existence of toxic dumping and illegal fishing.
Just before the speech, it was complained to Inner City Press, "It's only
Ban Ki-moon who doesn't see it."
Another diplomat pointed out that South Korean ships are among those
accused of illegal fishing off Somalia.
South Africa's speech concluded that the issues must be investigated "how
ever inconvenient." Togo spoke next and echoed this call.
In the Security Council was Ban's head of UN Peacekeeping Herve Ladsous,
fresh off the failure of the MONUSCO mission to do anything as the M23
mutineers took over Goma and now Sake in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.
In Goma, the UN immediately "found" rape and child soldier recruitment by
M23, even as peacekeepers on the ground deny it. Ban's and Ladsous' UN, it
seems, sees and reports what's convenient. Watch this site.
Footnote: another Somalia issue on which the African Security Council
members were ignored was incorporating and paying for a naval component in
the AMISOM mission in Somalia. This is becoming a trend.
*****************************************************************
DRC Resolution Passes 15-0, UN Inaction Contrasted With Mali Dreams
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, November 20, 2012 -- At same day as the UN Peacekeepers
stood by while the M23 mutineers took over Goma
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/drc5ladsous112012.html> , the Security
Council met Tuesday night and adopted by a 15-0 vote a French drafted
resolution calling among other things for the M23 to "permanently disband."
This seems unlikely to take place. The resolution is here
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/drc1reso112012.pdf> .
The resolution was first slated for a vote at 5:30 pm on Tuesday. But
first <
http://www.innercitypress.com/drc1delay112012.html> "one country" --
the United States, more than one source told Inner City Press -- invoked the
Council's 24 hour rule <
http://www.innercitypress.com/drc1delay112012.html>
, which would push the vote to Wednesday.
Then troop contributing countries, one of which India holds the Council
presidency this month, wanted a discussion.
The resolution called on Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to report on
"possible redeployments, in consultation with troop- and police-contributing
countries, of MONUSCO."
Earlier on Tuesday Inner City Press asked Ban's deputy spokesman Eduardo
Del Buey why the peacekeeper count in Goma had not increased in the three
days after UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous estimated
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/ladsous1rw94drc111812.html> it but refused
to take Press questions
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/ladsous1insults102212.html> .
Del Buey replied that there are problems and instability elsewhere in the
Congo. But Ladsous refused to answer why his MONUSCO was not protecting
Pinga, for example, from the non M23 Mai Mai militia.
And that is one of the points: in the Congolese statement after the vote,
nearly all of Eastern Congo's problems were blamed on Rwanda, it was noted.
Afterward, off camera, a Rwandan diplomat explained that his country
thinks the Congolese parties should speak, given the military failure. But
that's not what Tuesday resolution does.
French Ambassador Gerard Araud came out to take questions, unlike Herve
Ladsous. Inner City Press asked Araud about the UN Peacekeepers standing by
while M23 took over Goma. He said UN peacekeepers are not for civil wars.
Inner City Press asked him then about Mali, where France speaks of the
Security Council authorizing, and it seems the UN funding, a force to
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/unafrica3prodi111312.html> "reconquer"
Northern Mali.
Those would not be UN blue helmets, Araud said.
It is unclear by this logic how UN peacekeepers can protect civilians. But
earlier this month another of Ladsous' missions, UNAMID in Darfur, actually
provided free air flight to soldiers of the Sudanese Armed Forces
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/dpko1flysaf111912.html> , whose president and
defense chief have been indicted for genocide and war crimes in Darfur.
Ladsous has more than a little explaining to do. He went to Tuesday's vote
and sat behind the president. He came out and looked at the stakeout while
Araud was speaking. And then he left. Watch this site.
Received on Wed Nov 21 2012 - 20:40:11 EST
