W Sahara Press Element to the Press, ICP Asks of a Ban Ki-moon Apology, Morocco Saying Irreversible

• Report rights infringement
• published: 25 Mar 2016
• views: 21

On W. Sahara, UNSC Issues Vague Press Elements, Unsure What Morocco Said By Matthew Russell Lee UNITED NATIONS, March 24 -- On March 24, after three hours of consultations about Western Sahara, the UN Security Council emerged with so-called "Press Elements" read by the Council's President for March, Angola's Ambassador Gaspar Martins. Periscope video here. After the Elements were read out, Inner City Press asked if they meant all15 members would like to see MINURSO returned to Western Sahara, and if some thought Ban Ki-moon should, as demanded, apologize. Inner City Press also asked about Morocco's foreign minister's comment that the country's recent moves are "irreversible." Still later, while UN minders were telling Inner City Press it had to leave the second floor even as other UN correspondents on UNCA's board remained doing interviews, Inner City Press managed to get a read-out, that in the Security Council consultations members had not been sure of, or agreed on, what Morocco's minister had said, and so would have to meet again soon. Watch this site. Strangely, while Ban's Secretariat saying it is strongly opposing Morocco's note verbale it civilian staff leave "the territory of the Kingdom of Morocco," on March 23 to Reuters and AFP it was an anonymous UN official who made the argument. On March 24, Inner City Press asked Ban's Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq about this incongruity: why ostensibly speak truth to (Moroccan) power... anonymously? Instead of explaining, Haq said to Inner City Press, For a journalist you seem to have a problem with officials speaking to the media. Well, no: why only to pro-Ladsous scribes, and anonymously? Inner City Press asked if Herve Ladsous as head of UN Peacekeeping will finally hold a press conference, which it seems he hasn't since September 11, 2015 when on camera he linked peacekeeper rapes to "R&R;." Haq did not respond. (On Reuters and AFP and anonimity, it's ironic: both were linked to anti-Press anonymous troll society media accounts, here; now it seems Voice of America has joined them.) As to Spain, whose foreign ministry has yet to answer - and in full disclosure whose highest UN official Cristina Gallach ordered Inner City Press out of the UN on two hours' notice and it still trying to seize its office, restrict its ability even to cover the Security Council on Western Sahara, video here -- sources says it is "blackmailed." What does that mean? Morocco can turn on migration, act on the small territories, has many Spanish companies on its territory and at sea. "Unless a larger power tells Spain to be decisive on this, Spain will just drift," was the verdict. We await the ministry's comment. Now we asked, What is the position of Spain the former colonial power in all this? On March 21 Inner City Press asked Angola's Foreign Minister Georges Chikoti what had been accomplished on defending MINURSO; his answer declined comment on the "Spanish Sahara." Earlier on March 21, having had difficulty getting an answer from Spain's Mission to the UN particularly after Cristina Gallach, the highest Spanish official in the UN system, ousted Inner City Press from its office and the UN without due process -- and from the Western Sahara meeting, Periscope here -- sent this to Spain's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson: This is a Press request to know Spain's position on Morocco ordering 83 UN (and AU) staff to leave “the territory of the Kingdom of Morocco,” as they referred to Western Sahara - and, separately, to UNSG Ban Ki-moon and/or DPKO chief Herve Ladsous deciding to in fact evacuate these staff to Las Palmas. We have not heard Spain's position from the Mission here - there are other issues - and so put this question to you, on deadline. Please acknowledge receipt and provide substantive response asap. Thank you in advance, Matthew Russell Lee, Inner City Press Office at UN: Room S-303, UN HQ, NY NY 10017 Cell: 718-716-3540 [& http://www.funca.info/] Email Matthew.Lee [at] innercitypress.com and this www.twitter.com/innercitypress and @FUNCA_info www.InnerCityPress.com Periscope live broadcasts: https://www.periscope.tv/innercitypress Feb 26, 2016 Business Insider http://www.businessinsider.com/matthew-lee-is-reporting-in-a-park-across-from-the-un-2016-2 Petition: https://www.change.org/p/unsg-ban-ki-moon-dsg-jan-eliasson-cdc-edmond-mulet-and-usg-dpi-gallach-we-demand-inner-city-press-be-restored-to-access-to-the-un-as-a-resident-correspondent GAP to US Mission, Feb 26, 2016: https://www.scribd.com/doc/300709433/US-Mission-to-UN-Is-Asked-to-Ensure-ICP-Gets-Its-Office-UN-Pass-by-GAP Video of protest in Jaffna, Sri Lanka (in Tamil) https://youtu.be/bKofyMHwJUs Sri Lanka Sunday Times, March 20, 2016 http://www.sundaytimes.lk/160320/columns/187127-187127.html But twelve hours later, no answers at all...