TAKEOVER AT UN: HUMANITARIAN ADVOCACY, A CARDINAL PRIORITY, NOW TAKES ON A LOW-KEY HUE

By Salim Lone and - - Reprint | | Print |

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NAIROBI, May 1 2007 (IPS) - In the end, Sir John Holmes could not contain his exasperation at last week\’s press conference in Nairobi . \”You don\’t seem to be interested in the humanitarian situation in Somalia,\” he told journalists. The United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator had just flown in from Mogadishu, the first high-level UN official to visit the city in 14 years. But the journalists were treated to an astonishingly bland and low-key presentation of the fraught humanitarian challenges faced by the hundreds of thousands of Somalis who have been prevented by the authorities from receiving desperately-needed assistance, writes Salim Lone, a columnist for the Daily Nation in Kenya, the Guardian (UK), BBC and Al Jazeera Holmes\’ presentation did not contain any criticism of the Ethiopian army and the Transitional Federal Government which are the principal perpetrators of atrocities against civilians, some of which have been committed by the insurgents as well. Even more amazing was his decision not to meet with the Ethiopians who run the show in Somalia or even the elders of clans whose civilians have suffered so heavily. One would never have guessed Holmes was arriving from a city that was gripped by unspeakable carnage and had been leveled like Grozny by bombs and heavy artillery raining on densely-populated civilian areas, and that victims of the war were still dying primarily because of restrictions placed on humanitarian access by the authorities. No wonder he was not peppered with questions about the humanitarian crisis.

The United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator had just flown in from Mogadishu, the first high-level UN official to visit the city in 14 years. But the journalists were treated to an astonishingly bland and low-key presentation of the fraught humanitarian challenges faced by the hundreds of thousands of Somalis who have been prevented by the authorities from receiving desperately-needed assistance.

In altogether sanguine tones, he said he had “good conversations” with transitional government leaders Abdullahi Yusuf and Ali Gedi and had requested them to “continue facilitating” and improving access to the hundreds of thousands they have so far prevented from receiving.

It turns out, however, that no promises about full access to the needy were in fact made to Mr. Holmes! This was discovered only the next day after a reporter at the daily briefing by Michele Montas, UN Secretary -General Ban Ki Moon’s spokeswoman in New York, was asked about agreements reached by Mr. Holmes with the authorities.

Holmes’ presentation did not contain any criticism of the Ethiopian army and the Transitional Federal Government which are the principal perpetrators of atrocities against civilians, some of which have been committed by the insurgents as well. Even more amazing was his decision not to meet with the Ethiopians who run the show in Somalia or even the elders of clans whose civilians have suffered so heavily.

One would never have guessed Holmes was arriving from a city that was gripped by unspeakable carnage and had been leveled like Grozny by bombs and heavy artillery raining on densely-populated civilian areas, and that victims of the war were still dying primarily because of restrictions placed on humanitarian access by the authorities. No wonder he was not peppered with questions about the humanitarian crisis.

But he was asked numerous times about accusations of war crimes raised by European Union legal experts, by current EU president Germany through its Ambassador Walter Lindner, and by Human Rights Watch. He deflected those questions, twice saying that his responsibilities did not include human rights and politics, and also that he was no position to apportion blame. Maybe the insurgents were flying the planes that bombed Mogadishu to bits?

The world, and the Somalis, needed to hear from Mr Holmes not about “requests” but firm, public demands that the fullest access be immediately provided for the imperiled population’s relief. That he did not attests to how, even on the humanitarian front, the once resonant voice of the United Nations is being muted, when the perpetrators of the horrors are allies of our sole super-power.

Of all the mandates the United Nations has, its humanitarian imperative remains the most vibrant. Its economic clout has been eviscerated and its political independence is progressively being ceded to the west and to “coalitions of the willing.” But on the humanitarian front, the United Nations is still the unchallenged leader and is asked by governments and NGOs alike to take the lead in all emergency relief operations.

When UN leaders speak out strongly about its paramount mandate on the Right To Protect civilians, as Holmes’s immediate predecessor Jan Egeland did even when it came to strongly criticizing Israel over Lebanon, they provide reassurance to a despairing world that at least on the cardinal humanitarian issue, the UN will be a voice for the weak and dispossesed being pummelled by mighty armies or murderous terrorists.

But even that humanitarian space is diminishing for the UN as the west relentlessly makes inroads in controlling the agenda even within the Secretariat itself. Under Ban Ki Moon, an American, a Briton and a Frenchman -selected not by the UN but by their own governments- hold its three most important positions, Political Affairs, Peace-Keeping and Humanitarian. This is an unprecedented monopoly of power by one group and shows that the western sway is so firm that even countries like Russia, China, India and Brazil are unable to challenge it.

However honourable the three gentlemen are, when they negotiate on Darfur, Cote d’Ivoire and Zimbabwe, the perception of bias will be inevitable -unless their words or actions show the contrary.

To be fair, I must also mention that Holmes responded to a question on comparing the worst African crises by indicating that in “numbers of displaced and access, Somalia is a worse crisis than Darfur.” But don’t hold your breath for an international outcry. (END/COPYRIGHT IPS)