ICP Asks UK Lyall Grant of Libya and Powell, Burundi Ruling Party Arming Youth Wing in Camps in DRC

As UK Takes UNSC Helm, ICP Asks of Libya and Burundi, For Dutch MH17 Letter By Matthew Russell Lee UNITED NATIONS, August 4 -- When UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant took question on August 4 on the program of work for his month as Security Council president, Inner City Press asked him about Libya, including the relation between UK envoy Jonathan Powell and UN envoy Tarek Mitri, and about the UN missions in Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Video here. Libya is on the month's schedule, but only on August 27. With the US and now UK having out their diplomats and citizens, will the topic be moved up? Lyall Grant said that Libyan Prime Minister al-Thinni had been trying to reach him, perhaps about just that. (In Washington al-Thinni was thanking US President Barack Obama for his help with the Libyan oil tanker; in his remarks the UN was not mentioned.) Inner City Press asked about allegations by rights defender Mbonimpa and others in Burundi that the ruling party has been training its youth wing in camps in the DRC, specifically in Kaliba Ondes. Lyall Grant said that the BNUB mission is the topic and that can be asked about then. Inner City Press will, and also on August 7 when MONUSCO is discussed, with outgoing UN Great Lakes envoy Mary Robinson and the UK's Mark Simmons. Inner City Press had asked by Twitter about Gaza, why no action. Lyall Grant said that the Arab Group would be meeting on August 4, to ask them if they want Council action. Why wouldn't they? Last week Inner City Press reported on - and put online - North Korea's letter requesting a UN Security Council meeting about the US - South Korean joint military exercises. Lyall Grant said that no Council member had requested such a meeting. On Ukraine, Lyall Grant said that the Netherlands on August 1 -- the first day of his presidency of the Council - had submitted a letter about its memorandum of understanding with Kyiv to access the crash site of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17. Inner City Press has requested a copy of the letter. Watch this site. Footnote: Inner City Press on behalf of the Free UN Coalition for Access thanked Lyall Grant for the briefing and offered hopes that he will do question and answer stakeouts after each closed consultations. He came close to that during his last presidency - but since then the standard has been raised, for example by Luxembourg and Nigeria. Here's hoping. On August 4 the UK opened an exhibition about World War 1 poetry in the UN lobby (Inner City Press photos here, here and here) and there will be an abridged presentation of Shakespeare's Hamlet in the ECOSOC chamber later on August 4. The Council will go on a trip, but Lyall Grant asked the media not to report to where, or when. We'll have more on this.

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