Monday, 2 July 2012
Saturday, 30 June 2012
Ivory Coast is the UN impartial ?
Leaked French Documents Show Cote d'Ivoire Strategy at UN of France on Liberia, Mali & Even San Francisco
By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS, April 8, updated -- With Cote d'Ivoire's defiant Laurent
Gbagbo surrounded after French and UN military action in Abidjan's
Cocody neighborhood, internal French government documents obtained by
Inner City Press and published exclusively today paint a picture of
France's communications with the UN Mission UNOCI, its analysis of the
politics of Guillaume Soro, Liberia and the Malian press, even its
recycling of a French diplomat arrested in New York as France's new
general consul in San Francisco.
In the first
document, France's Force Licorne (Unicorn) wrote to the Special
Representative of the Secretary General about Gbagbo's import of heavy
weapons. Click here to view. More recently, France is accused of
violating the arms embargo by providing and facilitating weapons to the
forces of Alassane Ouattara.
The second document is an internal French cable detailing the Financial Organization of the Rebellion, down to a “racket” of shaking down money for taxi licenses.
In the third document, France bemoans the failure of a visit of three African heads of state to Cote d'Ivoire,
including Nigeria's Obasanjo and South Africa's Thabo Mbeki now active
in Sudan, complaining that this situation can be prolonged until the
international community decided to “impose a solution.”
In the fourth document, France analyzed and critiques South African policy toward Cote d'Ivoire and Gbagbo.
In the fifth document, France analyzes Liberia's foreign policy as pro-American.
More recently, a purported interview of a Ouattara commander describing
coordinating with a French citizen working with the UN Mission in
Liberia has surfaced.
One of the French diplomats involved was Romain Serman, who was later arrested by the New York Police Department. See arrest sheet and signed statement, here. Then French Ambassador de la Sabliere, to “avoid a scandal,” sent Serman back to Paris.
But in 2010 he was re-assigned to the US, as general consul in San Francisco. And so it goes.
Update
at 1pm, April 8: at the UN noon briefing, Inner City Press asked
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky to describe how
UNOCI has allowed Licorne to lobby it and attend its meetings, and if
other countries have been allowed.
Nesirky said he would not comment on leaked documents, and also
directed Inner City Press to ask the (French) chief of the UN Department
of Peacekeeping Operations, Alain Le Roy. Watch this site.
* * *
At UN on Cote d'Ivoire, Buzz of Martyrdom, Arms Embargo Violations, Duekoue Fog
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, April 7 -- The talk at the UN about Cote d'Ivoire on Thursday
was confused, ranging from predictions of Laurent Gbagbo's impending
martyrdom to a few belated hopes, of continued support from Angola and
even a Permanent Five member of the Security Council, dissatisfaction by
South Africa which was said to be sending 100 special forces troops.
At
a Russian Mission to the UN space event Thursday afternoon, Inner City
Press spoke with a dozen Ambassadors about Cote d'Ivoire. Some were most
concerned with their own diplomats still trapped in Abidjan. Others spoke of reports of arms shipments to Gbagbo to airports outside of Abidjan.
At
the day's noon briefing, Inner City Press asked Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon's spokesman Martin Nesirky for the UN's response to the Canard
Enchaine article reporting that France armed Ouattara's forces, who were
allowed to sell gold and buy weapons in violation of the embargo.
The article also describes helicopters of the UN or Force Licorne blowing up a supermarket in Cocody.
Nesirky
refused to answer about violations of the arms embargo, and of Cocody
said that the UN was defending itself and taking out heavy weapons. But
who gave Ouattara his brand new heavy weapons?
Inner
City Press asked top UN humanitarian Valerie Amos, fresh back from
Duekoue, to respond to criticism of the UN peacekeepers for not moving
to protect civilians there, and to Ouattara envoy Yousoufou Bamba's
characterization of the NGO Caritas as “pro-Gbagbo” for alleging 1000
dead.
Strikingly,
Amos told Inner City Press to ask Caritas about its numbers. But what
about the attack on this NGO as being biased pro-Gbagbo? Amos would only
say that the UN works with Caritas - she would not criticize,
apparently, anything on the Ouattara side, including broadsides against
humanitarian NGOs.
Previously,
Amos had told Inner City Press she hadn't heard about the lack of
medicine in Abidjan due to the EU sanctions that led to no ships in the
port.
While she spoke Thursday about the independence of humanitarian work,
for the UN right now, at least in Cote d'Ivoire, it all seems to move in
lockstep. The unanswered questions is not if but now badly this will
impact the UN's credibility going forward. Watch this site.
From the UN's April 7 transcript:
Inner
City Press: On Côte d'Ivoire, there was obviously, there is this
incident of the French freeing the Japanese ambassador; I am wondering
if you have, if the UN played any role in that. And also that the
Canard Enchaîné has come out with a report saying, among other things,
that the helicopter attacks — it doesn’t say whether it was UN or French
— blew up a supermarket in Cocody and that, essentially implying that
France has been arming the [Alassane] Ouattara forces in violation of
the arms embargo for some years. And I wanted to know what the UN’s
response is to that pretty detailed article.
Spokesperson Nesirky: On the first, the operations that have been going on to help evacuate diplomats and other civilians are obviously coordinated. As I mentioned to you, UN Mission staff peacekeepers went to the Novotel hotel, where journalists have staying and they had requested assistance. So, obviously it is coordinated; and either Licorne — the French forces — or UN peacekeepers are carrying out missions; it depends on the location and a number other factors. On the reports that you referred to, I would simply say that the operation that has been carried out was specifically aimed at preventing the use of heavy weapons and that’s what took place. So, what’s your next question?
Inner City Press: I have just one follow-up on that. Does the UN have any knowledge of France providing weapons to the pro-Ouattara forces?
Spokesperson Nesirky: I have said what I have to say, Matthew
Spokesperson Nesirky: On the first, the operations that have been going on to help evacuate diplomats and other civilians are obviously coordinated. As I mentioned to you, UN Mission staff peacekeepers went to the Novotel hotel, where journalists have staying and they had requested assistance. So, obviously it is coordinated; and either Licorne — the French forces — or UN peacekeepers are carrying out missions; it depends on the location and a number other factors. On the reports that you referred to, I would simply say that the operation that has been carried out was specifically aimed at preventing the use of heavy weapons and that’s what took place. So, what’s your next question?
Inner City Press: I have just one follow-up on that. Does the UN have any knowledge of France providing weapons to the pro-Ouattara forces?
Spokesperson Nesirky: I have said what I have to say, Matthew
* * *
As Juppe Says Ban Demands Gbagbo Letter, UN No Comments, Vatican & Japan Q
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, April 6 -- A day after French
foreign minister Alain Juppe said that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
agrees that Laurent Gbagbo must sign a letter ceding power to Alassane
Ouattara, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Martin Nesirky if that is, in fact, Ban's position.
“I don't speak for the French Foreign Minister,” Nesirky said.
“But you do speak for the Secretary General,” Inner City Press asked. Is it Ban's position or not?
Nesirky
would not answer, saying he would not characterize the Secretary
General's communications with Juppe. Thus does the UN thumbs its nose at
transparency and lose credibility, by being used as Juppe used Ban, and
France used UNOCI.
Inner
City Press was told by a Security Council member's Deputy Permanent
Representative that UN peacekeepers have not gotten to the residences in
Abidjan of the representative of the Vatican as well as the Japanese
Ambassador.
Ban & Juppe, joint demand of letter as condition not shown
It was unclear, he said, which side was blocking access -- noting that it is Vatican charity Caritas which reported 1000 dead in Duekoue, which many largely blame on supporters of Ouattara.
Nesirky
would not answer about which side is blocking access, although he
repeatedly blamed the UN's failure to even protect journalists in a
hotel on “heavy weapons.”
Inner
City Press asked him if Ouattara's forces have heavy weapons too.
Nesirky would not answer. He repeatedly insisted that the UN is
impartial. Watch this site.Click for Mar 1, '11 BloggingHeads.tv re Libya, Sri Lanka, UN Corruption
Click here for Inner City Press' review-of-2008 UN Top Ten debate
Click here from Inner City Press' December 12 debate on UN double standards
* * *
These reports are usually also available through Google News and on Lexis-Nexis.
Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund. Video Analysis here
Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
UN Office: S-453A, UN, NY 10017 USA Tel: 212-963-1439
Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540
Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.
Copyright 2006-08 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
Friday, 29 June 2012
An African Jew to the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli people
As a Jewish of African origin precisely Ivory Coast(and you probably heard of the small Jewish community in West Africa, Mali , Senegal , Ivory Coast , Ghana, Nigeria etc) I would like to ask a Question to Mr Premier Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and all the Israeli people. How many Jewish during the holocaust, in the second world war traveled legally when fleeing death and persecution to seek refuge in other countries ? To my knowledge most Jewish got in other countries illegally as most refugees have been doing and still doing today . So I would like to understand what the Israelis mean by illegal immigrant within the asylum seekers ? It would wise not only because of our history but also our faith regarding who we were in Egypt and how to treat strangers , to review this decision and go through it case by case. The Ivorian issue is very delicate , we have those who allegedly had fled persecution from President Gbagbo whom unless they have some attach in the country such as kid work, Israeli spouses or partners etc who should be asked if they would like to go back or stay since their candidate is in "power" now and their lives are no longer in "danger". Then we have those who fled the new regime whom in no way can be taken back to their country for many reasons. Not only that it's against all law , whether national or international , but it more than immoral and against the Torah to send back people who are fleeing death. We all know who is Mr Ouattara and what's he's doing right now we are not going to go back to the defilement of the holocaust memorial when he was invited to not only enter it but leave a flower. A genocide, ethnic cleansing perpetrator in the holocaust memorial an insult to G-d. to Israel,and the Jewish people as well as the memory of the victims. My point is that Mr Premier Minister and the Israel in whole should think again about the decision to sent all the so called illegal immigrants back. before we regret this action throughout the all history of Israel and the Jewish people. We should go through in case by case and not randomly. We are already called apartheid state, soon we'll be called Nazi , and Blacks haters. Shabbath Shalom.
Am Yisrael Chai
Patrick Ben Ballot Cohen
Thursday, 28 June 2012
On behalf of foreigners? (The Chronicle of Joseph Marat)28 June 2012 @ 8:05
"The rural land consists of all land developed or not and whatever the nature of the development. It is a national heritage which any person or entity can access. However, only the State, public authorities and individuals are admitted to Ivorian be owners "and is stated in section 1 of the 1998 law on rural land. He sums up the spirit and all the political will to protect the heritage rural land against any prevarication and all conflicts that may arise between individuals competing for membership. Before his declination is on all the conditionalities of appropriation, the law is clear: the earth belongs to the state. An individual who wants to appropriate a parcel must be Ivorian after fulfilling certain conditions of course acquisition. This law which ends the legal heresy of Houphouetism who wanted the land belongs to he who exploit it, was voted unanimously by the member of the Parliament of 1998 legislature. It is this law that Alassane Ouattara government wants to change , in a kind of dubious precipitation to blame.
How? The main argument he advances against this law is that it stinks Ivoirité. A law passed by an Ivorian parliament should it have a smell other than 'ivorian ? Why should the Ivorian parliamentarians legislate laws of ECOWAS? Beyond these questions that reveal the absurdity of the current "government" approach, there is the whole issue of interests of the Ivorian people in its own territory. We understand, with these absurd claims for favoritism to non-nationals, under the pretext that the "Ivoriity£ was war made on the Ivorians just because they are Ivorians. Since the concept in question here, to divert a national law has no meaning other than "being Ivorian." In sum, Ouattara and his government want to say that this land law is not good because it is Ivorian. It was war on every regime since Bedie pretext that they are "ivoiritarians". The Marcoussis agreements have forced the Ivory Coast to naturalize more than three million Burkinabe to end the alleged Ivorians "xenophobia".
Today it hardly takes gloves for despoiling them of their lands. We originally thought that the destroyers of the concept of Ivorian identity were in good faith and attacked its vicious forms. We are forced to face the facts today that it is the very fact of being Ivorian which is threatened in any reform that seeks to start Alassane Ouattara. Because nowhere is there a leader who is so committed to fighting against the interests of his people for the benefit of another. A candidate for the presidency had said that his opponent was a candidate of the foreigners . Little did we think it could be literally true.
Joseph Marat
"The rural land consists of all land developed or not and whatever the nature of the development. It is a national heritage which any person or entity can access. However, only the State, public authorities and individuals are admitted to Ivorian be owners "and is stated in section 1 of the 1998 law on rural land. He sums up the spirit and all the political will to protect the heritage rural land against any prevarication and all conflicts that may arise between individuals competing for membership. Before his declination is on all the conditionalities of appropriation, the law is clear: the earth belongs to the state. An individual who wants to appropriate a parcel must be Ivorian after fulfilling certain conditions of course acquisition. This law which ends the legal heresy of Houphouetism who wanted the land belongs to he who exploit it, was voted unanimously by the member of the Parliament of 1998 legislature. It is this law that Alassane Ouattara government wants to change , in a kind of dubious precipitation to blame.
How? The main argument he advances against this law is that it stinks Ivoirité. A law passed by an Ivorian parliament should it have a smell other than 'ivorian ? Why should the Ivorian parliamentarians legislate laws of ECOWAS? Beyond these questions that reveal the absurdity of the current "government" approach, there is the whole issue of interests of the Ivorian people in its own territory. We understand, with these absurd claims for favoritism to non-nationals, under the pretext that the "Ivoriity£ was war made on the Ivorians just because they are Ivorians. Since the concept in question here, to divert a national law has no meaning other than "being Ivorian." In sum, Ouattara and his government want to say that this land law is not good because it is Ivorian. It was war on every regime since Bedie pretext that they are "ivoiritarians". The Marcoussis agreements have forced the Ivory Coast to naturalize more than three million Burkinabe to end the alleged Ivorians "xenophobia".
Today it hardly takes gloves for despoiling them of their lands. We originally thought that the destroyers of the concept of Ivorian identity were in good faith and attacked its vicious forms. We are forced to face the facts today that it is the very fact of being Ivorian which is threatened in any reform that seeks to start Alassane Ouattara. Because nowhere is there a leader who is so committed to fighting against the interests of his people for the benefit of another. A candidate for the presidency had said that his opponent was a candidate of the foreigners . Little did we think it could be literally true.
Joseph Marat
Au nom des étrangers? (La chronique de Joseph Marat)
28 June 2012 @ 8:05
Comment ? Le principal argument qu’il avance contre cette loi est qu’elle pue l’ivoirité. Une loi votée par un parlement ivoirien devrait-elle avoir une odeur autre qu’ivoirienne ? Pourquoi des parlementaires ivoiriens devraient-ils légiférer sur des lois de la CEDEAO ? Au-delà de ces interrogations qui révèlent l’absurdité de la démarche gouvernementale actuelle, il y a toute la problématique des intérêts du peuple ivoirien sur son propre territoire. On comprend, avec ces revendications saugrenues pour des passe-droits à des non-nationaux, que sous le prétexte de l’ivoirité on a fait la guerre aux Ivoiriens rien que parce qu’ils sont Ivoiriens. Puisque le concept mis en cause ici, pour dévoyer une loi nationale, n’a pas d’autre signification que « le fait d’être ivoirien ». En somme, Ouattara et son gouvernement veulent dire que cette loi sur le foncier n’est pas bonne parce qu’elle est ivoirienne. On a fait la guerre à tous les régimes depuis Bédié sous prétexte qu’ils sont ivoiritaires. Les accords de Marcoussis ont obligé la Côte d’ivoire à naturaliser plus de trois millions de burkinabé pour mettre fin à la « xénophobie » des Ivoiriens.
Aujourd’hui on prend à peine des gants pour les spolier de leurs terres. Nous avons cru au départ que les pourfendeurs du concept de l’ivoirité étaient de bonne foi et s’attaquaient à ses formes vicieuses. Nous sommes obligés de nous rendre à l’évidence aujourd’hui que c’est le fait même d’être ivoirien qui est menacé dans toutes les reformes que veut initier Alassane Ouattara. Parce que nulle part il n’existe un chef d’Etat qui soit si engagé à combattre les intérêts de son peuple au profit d’un autre. Un candidat à l’élection présidentielle avait dit que son adversaire était un candidat de l’étranger. Nous étions loin de penser que cela pouvait être aussi vrai au sens propre.
Joseph Marat
Wednesday, 27 June 2012
Ivory Coast Incredible Revelations about the death of seven UN peacekeepers
On 8 June , in the Taï region, on the axis Tai-Para,at the Ivorian-Liberian border, an attack by gunmen killed at least 20 dead, including seven peacekeepers of the UN mission in Cote d ' ivory. The attack plunged the national and international community in turmoil. And provoked strong condemnations around the world. An investigation by the UN and is ongoing, according to the mission of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI). "The investigation that led the UN` s attack on 8 June against the peacekeepers patrol on the axis Tai Para continues, "it said Thursday, June 14th, the spokesman of UNOCI, Sylvie van den Wildenberg, `during a news conference. According to Ms. Wildenberg, the procedure provides "multiple phases" with the first preliminary investigation "conducted by UNOCI's Force with the support of other mission components, reports Xinhua. "It is being finalized," says the spokesman for the UN mission in Abidjan. At the country's new authorities, the authors are all been found. This is "the pro-Gbagbo Liberian mercenaries." 12th June , on Ivorian television , the Minister of State Minister of the Interior has not been praying to describe the "bad seeds". Ahmed Bakayoko linked the attack in the west to civilian and military figures close to President Laurent Gbagbo, some are put under arrest well before the ambush in the West.This is among other things Moise Lida Kouassi, Colonel Katee Gnatoa ... Since then, these figures continue to be detainedunder arrests and are still continuing in the business of "destabilization". On Saturday, June 23, 2012, we received a phone call. The caller, had a male voice his initials AM as presented to us as native of Saho, one of three villages (with Para and Nigré) near the border with Liberia. AM has just arrived fresh from Saho where he can no longer supports the prevailing insecurity. We take an appointment with him, in Yopougon, on Saturday morning. "Thanks for coming to meet me," he gratifies us with a voice still tied with emotion. "I am the son of Saho and I would like to share with you what is happening in my village, over the death of seven (7) of UNOCI peacekeepers. I can tell you that these soldiers were not killed by so-called pro-Gbagbo Liberian mercenaries. "Are you sure of what you say then? We replicated. "I can confirm" AM meets with insurance before continuing. "These are elements of FRCI who killed soldiers of the UN. Everything started from the distribution of gains from the sale of stolen coffee and cocoa. When these elements FRCI in the area want to steal the products of our harvests, they fire shots in the air. In the ensuing fleeing , for fear of being killed, the villagers rush to take refuge in the bush. Once the camps and villages emptied of their inhabitants, these FRCI collect all stocks of our products they will hide somewhere. Unable to load their trucks at the risk of detection is then that their accomplices who are soldiers of UNOCI intervene .The latter charge our products in their tanks that no other force can arrest or search. Then they start selling them to wholesalers through trackers. Dividends are distributed among the different actors of looting. But before June 8, we knew that there was a dispute between the elements FRCI those of UNOCI peacekeepers. There were bad and sharing them FRCI felt frustrated. Two or three days before the "ambush" they promised to avenge themselves with verbal threats. They did not longer want to have their accomplices peacekeepers who are beyond their control. " This AM story gives the attacks of Para, and Saho Nigré. the limelight Other sources, specifically from Nigré corroborated this thesis settling of scores between looters and UN FRCI. D.H. is from Para. When we come back in phone contact with him is that he supports bluntly: "When the elements of FRCI want to strip us of our products, including coffee and cocoa, they first pull shots to deter. Woe to him who does not leak! Once the village emptied of its people, these thieves can indulge in looting.After they will share between them and their accomplices of UNOCI that cover them. " These denunciations are quite revealing. Indeed, this is the first time since the attack of Saho, Para and Nigré which killed 20 people, that parents of victims sharing their account in the press, even if it's under cover of anonymity. We think it would be useful for investigators to consider this new evidence made unprecedented to expand their field of investigation.Bertina SoroSource: Le Temps
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