At the UN, Silence on Somalia and ICTY Pardon Request, Confidence on Kosovo

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN

UNITED NATIONS, January 17 - In Somalia, the one member of the UN-sponsored Transitional Federal Government who had reached out to the Islamic Courts Union, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, was ousted from the parliament in Baidoa on Wednesday. It was reported that "Francois Fall, special representative of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Somalia, refused to comment directly on the sacking."

At UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesman if the Secretariat had any comment or guidance for the UN-sponsored (some say, UN-created) Transitional Federal Government, in terms of outreach and inclusiveness. At deadline, no additional comment was received. It is said that Francois Lonseny Fall will meet Thursday with the UN-sponsored president in Somalia.

UN's Fall in Baidoa, heading toward parliament

Inner City Press also asked, in light of ever-clearer reports that Russia would use its veto in the UN Security Council to oppose independence for Kosovo and reports that the European Union is offering more talks in March, if the UN still intends to release its Kosovo status proposal later this month. As summarized by the UN in its Briefing Highlights, "asked about the Kosovo status process, the Spokesman said that Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari was still on track to present his proposals shortly after the upcoming Serbian parliamentary elections." We'll see.

In a justice (or impunity) story, former Bosnia Serb president Plavsic, in jail in Sweden following conviction by the UN-sponsored International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, has formally requested a pardon. Bosnia's ambassador to the UN Milos Prica has supported Ms. Plavsic's pardon-request. Wednesday Inner City Press asked the UN spokesman if the Secretariat has any comment, on whether the ICTY's sentences should be served. The spokesman denied to comment, leaving it up to "the judicial process." Impunity, anyone?

Inner City Press asked again when reporters will have a chance to ask questions of the Office of Internal Oversight Services, now that OIOS' presentation to the General Assembly, the previous excuse, has passed, and also when OCHA's John Holmes will begin. The spokesman committed to look into both. We'll see.

The spokesman's office announced that the UN's mission to the Central African Republic will include a "humanitarian component." Still it appears that this component, and also the peacekeeping one, will not engage in northwest CAR, where rebel fighting has driven civilians into the bush. We expect to have more on this tomorrow.

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Source: innercitypress.com

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