By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 5 -- The UN Secretariat's bungling of Yemen mediation has become ever more clear, according to multiple sources and documents exclusively seen by Inner City Press, see below.
Now that the Houthis and the GPC have both said they won't participate in any more talks facilitated by the UN's Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed -- who insists on retweeting praise about himself after skipping any public Q&A at the UN -- Inner City Press on December 28 asked the UN's lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric: "On Yemen, what is Ban Ki-moon's or Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed's response to Saleh saying GPC will only negotiate directly with Saudi Arabia, and seeming rejection of the UN-faciliated talks?"
Dujarric replied at 2 pm on December 28 to another question, partial (on Burundi) then added: "On the other issues, if we have an update to share with you, we will."
So on Yemen, as usual, there is no UN Secretariat response.
On January 5, after Saudi Arabia executed Nimr al-Nimr and severed diplomatic ties with Iran after its diplomatic facilities there were attacked, the UN Security Council through its President for January Elbio Rosselli of Uruguay issued these Press Elements, transcribed by InerCityPro.com:
“The members of the Council urge the parties to resume a meaningful, sustainable ceasefire that would be respected by all sides. It’s an element that for the members of the Council is of fundamental importance. We welcome the positive progress made in the UN-facilitated talks, the ones held between 15th and 20th December, which provided for the basis for the next phase of the peace process. The members of the Council urge the Yemeni parties to fulfill commitments made during the talks and we urge the parties to participate in a new round of talks in mid January.
“We call on the parties to engage without preconditions in good faith, including resolving their differences through dialogue and consultations, rejecting acts of violence to achieve political goals, and refraining from provocation and all unilateral actions to undermine the political transition. We express support and appreciation for the efforts of the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy to Yemen...
“We express deep concern on the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, which continues to worsen, and we urge all parties to fulfill their commitments to facilitate the delivery commercial goods, humanitarian assistance, fuel for civilian purposes to all parts of Yemen, especially in Taizz, as well as urgent measures to further ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and stress the urgent need for commercially shipped food, medicine, fuel, and other vital supplies to continue to enter Yemen through all of Yemen’s ports without delay, as humanitarian imperative because of the heav dependence of Yemen and its people on imported food and fuel."
In the talks in Switzerland, despite the happy-talk Note to Correspondents issued on December 20, UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed was repeatedly accused of merely operating “for the Saudis,” while the Saudi-led coalition took more military action.
Inner City Press intended to put the question directly to Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, after UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq at the December 22 noon briefing said he would be speaking at the Security Council stakeout after briefing the Security Council.
But after the Council meeting, in which High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid al Hussein said that of harm to schools and hospitals, "a disproportionate amount appeared to be the result of airstrikes carried out by Coalition Forces" -- Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed did not as promised appear at the stakeout.
Last time he was at UN Headquarters, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed took only three questions at the stakeout, then went upstairs to the clubhouse of UNCA, now the UN Corruption Association after selling seats with Ban Ki-moon for $6000 and did an interview with the same pro-Saudi / GCC media.
So where did Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed go this time? Watch this site.