On Sudan, UN Ban Admits Limits on Peacekeepers, Gambari Summoned, Change Pledged

By Matthew Russell Lee 
September 9, 2010
The Inner City Press
http://www.innercitypress.com/un1sudan090910.html

UNITED NATIONS, September 9 -- In Darfur a week ago, UN Peacekeepers refused a request by the relatives of those killed and injured by janjaweed in the Tabarat Market to go to the location and try to protect those injured. 

 Inner City Press obtained and published an internal document of the joint UN-African Union Mission in Darfur, UNAMID, which said that approval had to be sought before the peacekeepers could go even to a site where injured people were dying.
  UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon held a brief media availability on September 9, and Inner City Press asked him about the Tarabat Market killings, the restrictions on movement on UNAMID, and the failure of the other UN Mission in Sudan, UNMIS, to view the body of killed Darfuri student Mohamed Musa when they were told of his death on February 12 of this year.
  Mr. Ban acknowledged problems in obtaining the “support” of the Sudanese government, and said that he summoned UNAMID chief Ibrahim Gambari to his recent retreat in Austria to discuss these and other problems. The Justice and Equality Movement rebels in Darfur have demanded Gambari's resignation for failure to protect civilians.
  While Ban's candor was surprising to some, to characterize the UN's decision to await approvals before endeavoring to protect civilians as a problem of “administrative support” from the Sudanese authorities misses the point. 

  A billion dollars are being spent on each mission, UNAMID and UNMIS. They have armed peacekeepers, armored personnel carriers, and helicopters which they have allowed Sudan to block them from using.
Since these restrictions violate the status of forces agreements the UN has with Sudan, it is unclear why the UN -- or mission chiefs Gambari and Haile Menkerios -- accept the restrictions.

   Both went to the inauguration of Omar Al Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and genocide. Menkerios, the UN has admitted to Inner City Press, simply wants to return to New York in a year's time. He rarely speaks to the press in Sudan. He doesn't want to rock the boat.
Here is the http://www.un.org/apps/sg/offthecuff.asp?nid=1469 UN's transcript of Inner City Press' questions and Mr. Ban's responses, video http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ondemand/stakeout/2010/so100909am1.rm here --

Inner City Press: It turns out that, despite the protection of civilians mandate of UNAMID, that in several recent instances, peacekeepers have been telling relatives of victims that they need to get approval before they can leave their bases to go out. Most recently it was at the Tabarat market in Jebel Marra. They told them that they had to get approval before they could go. By the time they went, some people who had been injured were in fact dead. So what I am wondering is, what is the policy of the UN in terms of seeking approval from the Government? There is also a case in Khartoum in which a dead Darfuri student that was allegedly tortured, UNMIS (UN Mission in Sudan) was unable to get access to his body until it was too late. So, what is the policy of the UN in terms of its freedom of movement to protect civilians in Sudan?
SG Ban Ki-moon: In some cases it is true that there was some difficulty in getting smooth administrative support from the Government of Sudan. That has been the subject of continuous consultation with the Sudanese Government. During my visit to Austria last week I called in Mr. [Ibrahim] Gambari to Vienna, and I got a briefing on the situation and how we can ensure a smoother and more effective coordination and support from the Sudanese Government. We are aware of such problems and we will continue to improve the situation.
Inner City Press: Does it violate the Status of Forces Agreement, that the UN hasn’t been to parts of Jebel Marra since February? That is what John Holmes said before he left, that there are whole regions of Darfur they haven’t been able to reach.
SG Ban Ki-moon: There is a Status of [Forces] Agreement, of course. They should be faithful to provide the necessary support and cooperation. In reality, when we are not able to get such support, it really constrains the movement of our people and peacekeepers. We will do our best to improve this situation.
Watch this site.

Here is the UNAMID document obtained by Inner City Press:
“At about 1800hrs on 02 Sep 2010, UNAMID Police Advisors received unconfirmed information from locals in Tawilla IDP camp that unidentified armed men attacked Tabarat Market near Maral village about 28kms southwest of Tawilla, where about 30 people were killed and more than 70 others were injured.
“The information was received by the PF Force Commander Major Aimable Rukondo from relatives of victims in Tawilla IDP camp. At about 2030hrs, people from the Tawilla IDP camp gathered near the gate of Tawilla UNAMID Base requesting for assistance to evacuate their relatives who were in Tabarat market. The PF Commander together with the Acting Team Site Commander advised the relatives that prior approval from El Fasher Headquarters is needed before proceeding to the place and with that they were advised to be back to Tawilla Base tomorrow morning for possible medical evacuation movement to Tabarat market once it has been approved by the higher Headquarters.”
Here's from the http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2010/db100907.doc.htm UN transcript of its September 7 noon briefing; the September 8 is online http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ondemand/pressbriefing/2010/brief100908.rm?start=00:10:28 here.

Inner City Press: There’s also, and I’m sure African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) is aware of this, reports that UNAMID said they confirmed some of, of up to 37 people killed in a village, in a market — Tabarat Market near the town of Tawilla — that said that the United Nations peacekeepers were told of the attack and said that they could not go to pick up even the wounded until they got approval from Al-Fasher. What I want to know is whether, how long it took them to respond and whether this approval included approval from the Government in Khartoum and if so, whether if any of the people expired there of their injuries might have been saved had the United Nations actually gone to protect civilians?
Spokesperson Haq: Well, first of all, this process of approval is a standard procedural process. But in terms of the details, on 4 September a UNAMID patrol gained access to the Tabarat area. It observed that Tabarat was practically deserted and reported the presence of Government police in the area. Today, 7 September, a UNAMID mission travelled to Tawilla to further assess the impact of the violence. UNAMID has made efforts to assist in evacuating some of the injured victims by air to Al-Fasher. In terms of our estimated casualties, the Tabarat incident left more that 50 people dead and a large number injured.
Inner City Press: Tawilla, to my understanding there’s a Peacekeeping unit there… that there are peacekeepers stationed there. Is that true? So did UNAMID sort of buttress its presence there and why weren’t those people able to go after they were told by relatives of those injured that this attack had taken place in the market?
Spokesperson: I think I have some further details for you for afterwards, but basically in terms of the ability to gain access, as soon as we gained access, that was on the 4 September, a UNAMID patrol did go into the area. The difficulty is in dealing with access to areas on the ground.
Inner City Press: Just one last… that means that… somebody there gave me a copy of a United Nations document showing that the relatives of the deceased or the injured had approached the UN peacekeepers of Tawilla and were told “we can’t go there tonight. We have to come back tomorrow because we need approval from Al-Fasher.” And I’m just wondering, how does the approval process work? Is it as simple as calling UNAMID in Al-Fashir and they say yes you can go out, or does it involve reaching the Government if their offices are closed or not and how does it…
Spokesperson: It varies from case to case, but ultimately it depends on dealing with authority on the ground to make sure that approval is in place for our deployment.