By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, June 6 -- While the UK now takes the lead on Somalia, getting Nicholas
Kay appointed UN envoy and chairing today's Security Council debate about the
country, it does not seem to take seriously the arguments for independence of
Somaliland, as well as Puntland and Jubaland. Click here and here for previous
Inner City Press stories on this.
Meanwhile, in the midst
of the Somalia debate in the Security Council, UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant
re-tweeted about the right of self-determination of people in the Falkland
Islands. What about self-determination in Hargeisa?
There are questions,
too, about the UN system handing Somaliland's airspace to Mogadishu, and the
role of a UK DFID funded airline. A journalist in the region got the run-around
from UN OCHA (the type of UN systemwide stonewalling the Free UN Coalition for Access is trying to
counter-act) and requested that this be asked:
“Is it true, USAID and DIFD yearly cover
overall expenses incurring UNHAS running cost in Somalia? If yes, why UNDP
staff paid expenses on flight and persuaded to use UNHAS instead of EU
chartered airlines which is free?"
The answer provided by a
"UN spokesperson in Somalia" was this:
“Following notification by authorities in
Somaliland, all UN flights to and from Somaliland have been suspended with
effect from yesterday at 6pm. The United Nations and its agencies are taking
this transportation issue seriously and are in discussions with the relevant authorities
to bring about a resolution as quickly as possible. There has been no impact on
ongoing UN programmes and it is our priority to ensure no interruption of
support or activities. The UN welcomes the ongoing efforts to resolve this
quickly.”
If that were the focus, why
hand over the airspace? Here's what Lyall Grant said on Thursday:
"One
of the very important roles that needs to take place in parallel with the
security and stability aspect is the formulation and agreement of the
constitutional relationship that will exist between the Federal Government of
Somalia and some of the Somali regions, so Somaliland, Puntland and Jubaland
and other regions. And one of the important roles that the Federal government
of Somalia and the representatives of those regions have in the immediate
future is to begin the process of dialogue to make sure that a constitutional
settlement can be reached."
What was that again, about
self-determination?
As we've inquired into
May 21 and reported on since, one or more times a day, the UK is presiding over
the roll-back in (new) media access to the Security Council from what existed
not only during the Council's renovation relocation but also before it.
When Inner City Press for
FUNCA asked UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant if he supported continued media
workspace at the Council and if so what he would do about it, Lyall Grant said
this is a matter for the UN Department of Public Information and "the
journalists" -- it's becoming clear which journalists. See UK Mission "World Press Freedom
Day" video, here.
Even
the UK's transcript of Lyall Grant's press conference mis-represents the
questions. It's always easier to dodge a question other
than the one asked. Compare UN
web cast video here, from Minute 17:32, to this (mis) transcription:
"media
work table used to be in front of Security Council has been moved. Do you think
that there should be one so reporters can stay throughout consultations so
reporters can speak with people going in and out? What will you do if you think
it should be replaced?"
Actually
said, or asked was if Lyall Grant and
UK believe that the media access and press worktable should to maintained, and
"I you believe that, what will you do to make sure it takes place?"
The question was not about
the table being "replaced." There's more. We are, as noted,
experimenting. Watch this site.
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