Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Good afternoon, everyone.
**Central African Republic
I have the following joint press statement on elections in the Central African Republic, and this is being delivered on behalf of the United Nations, the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the European Union (EU) and the International Organization of La Francophonie (IOF).
The United Nations, the African Union, the Economic Community of Central African States, the European Union and the International Organization of La Francophonie welcome the final results of the second round of the presidential elections in the Central African Republic announced by the Transitional Constitutional Court on 1 March 2016 which were conducted peacefully with the active participation of the Central African people.
They congratulate the President-elect, Mr. Faustin-Archange Touadéra, and express their support for his determination to further the efforts to promote dialogue and national reconciliation.
The UN, the AU, the ECCAS, the EU and the IOF also pay tribute to Anicet-Georges Dologuélé and to the Central African people, who have demonstrated their commitment to efforts to find durable solutions in support of peace, reconciliation, and economic and social development in the Central African Republic.
They welcome the essential role played by the Transitional Authority in support of a return to peace. They reiterate their commitment to continue efforts to support the completion of the transition, including through the holding of the second round of legislative elections. The organizations recall that the people of the Central African Republic have high expectations that the completion of the transition will bring real change. They underline that the new authorities of the Central African Republic have an important opportunity and a responsibility to ensure further progress toward peace and security, justice and reconciliation, and social cohesion, as well as reconstruction and development.
The international community will continue to lend its support to the efforts of the new Central African Republic authorities through a responsible partnership.
And that statement is available in English and French in our office.
**Mauritania
In Nouakchott today, the Secretary-General had a bilateral meeting with the Mauritanian President, Mohamed Abdel Aziz. Immediately afterwards, the Secretary-General spoke to the press, saying that he was in the region to discuss the situation in Western Sahara and that later in the week, he would be visiting the UN Mission, MINURSO, and speaking with Saharawi refugees.
The Secretary-General noted that he and the President had also discussed their shared concern about the volatile security situation in the Sahel. While addressing security issues, the Secretary-General added, countries should also focus on the root causes of instability: poverty, unemployment, weak governance, social exclusion, discrimination and impunity for human rights violations. And the Secretary-General encouraged the President to use civil society as a partner, stressing that it can be useful in protecting human rights.
Later, the Secretary-General held separate meetings with the Mauritanian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. And he joined the country’s Health Minister on a visit to Nouakchott’s oncology centre, the only medical service of its kind in Mauritania — which offers free cancer treatment to its patients. The Secretary-General also visited Nouakchott’s Mother-Child Hospital. Speaking to reporters after that visit, the Secretary-General said he was moved and impressed by the dedication of the staff. He pledged the UN country team’s continued support to Mauritania’s efforts to tackle the health challenges facing women and girls.
The Secretary-General is delivering remarks at an event on the Sahel right now, and we’ll make that available to you later this afternoon.
**Secretary-General’s Travels
And I have another bit of travel to announce — On Monday, 7 March, the Secretary-General will travel to Germany. On Monday night, he will receive the German Media Award in Baden-Baden.
The following day, 8 March, he will go to Berlin where he will meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. While in Berlin, he will also meet with the President of the Parliament, Norbert Lammert, and the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Norbert Roettgen.
Then, in Bonn, the Secretary-General will take part in a special event commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the United Nations Offices in that city. That will be alongside Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany. And the Secretary-General will return to New York next Wednesday.
**Yemen
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights says that civilian casualties continue to mount in Yemen, with at least 168 civilians being killed and 193 injured in February alone, around two thirds of them by Coalition airstrikes.
In all, since 26 March 2015, the Human Rights Office has documented a total of 3,081 civilians killed and 5,733 injured.
Fighting and indiscriminate shelling by Members of the popular committees affiliated with the Houthis and allied army units loyal to former President Saleh resulted in an additional 49 civilian casualties during February, mostly in Taizz, Ibb and Al Jawf.
There have also been worrying allegations — which the Human Rights Office is still working to verify — that Coalition forces dropped cluster bombs on a mountainous area to the south of the Amran cement factory, where a military unit loyal to the Houthis appears to have been the target. There are further details in the Geneva briefing notes.
**Refugees
Ahead of a meeting of Heads of State and Government of the European Union (EU) with Turkey on Monday, 7 March, in Brussels, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has today issued recommendations aimed at helping States solve the refugee situation in Europe.
High Commissioner Filippo Grandi has proposed a plan to EU Member States to manage and stabilize the refugee situation. The plan includes six key points, intended as broad guidance. It includes implementing fully the so-called “hot spot” approach and relocation of asylum seekers out of Greece and Italy, stepping up support to Greece to handle the humanitarian emergency, including for refugee status determination, relocation, and return or readmission.
It also calls to make available more safe, legal ways for refugees to travel to Europe under managed programmes and to develop Europe-wide systems of responsibility for asylum-seekers.
UNHCR says that the situation is quickly deteriorating with around 30,000 people now in Greece, about a third of whom are in Idomeni just near the border with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Agency is supporting the Greek Government’s efforts by deploying staff, helping coordinate the response and providing emergency shelter, technical support and information to refugees and migrants. And you can see the proposals on UNHCR’s website.
**Burundi
On Burundi, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says that the number of people who have fled the country and sought shelter in neighbouring States has passed the 250,000 mark.
It adds that the average rate of new arrivals per week has been more than 1,000 in Tanzania, 500 in Uganda, 230 in Rwanda and 200 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Agency also says that although there has been a slight lull in violence recently, refugees arriving in the host countries continue to report human rights violations in Burundi and difficulty in leaving the country. There is more information online.
**Fiji
The UN and the Government of Fiji today launched a humanitarian flash appeal requesting $38.6 million to provide critical emergency relief to 350,000 people affected by the devastating tropical cyclone Winston which hit the island nation last month — killing more than 40 people. An estimated 54,000 displaced people remain sheltered in 960 evacuation centres.
The flash appeal has received immediate funding of $8 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien says that the appeal will enable partners to kick-start the delivery of immediate, life-saving response to communities devastated by the cyclone. More is available online.
**Honduras
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the assassination yesterday of the well-known indigenous rights defender, Berta Cáceres, in Honduras.
Ms. Cáceres was the coordinator the National Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras and the winner of the 2015 Goldman Environmental Prize, notably for the key role she played in the struggle against a controversial dam project.
The Human Rights Office welcomes the announcement that the police have already started an investigation. However, it is also disturbed that Ms. Cáceres was assassinated despite the fact that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights had asked the Honduran authorities to provide her with special protection, given the numerous threats she had received.
**Honour Roll
For the honour roll — with payments from Saint Lucia and Tunisia to the regular budget for 2016, the total number of fully-paid Member States has reached 45. Our thanks go to those two countries.
**Syria
And you’d been asking about our humanitarian aid convoys in Syria. Today, the planned inter-agency convoy to Kafr Batna sub-district in East Ghouta departed at 2 p.m. local time. The convoy aims to deliver food and nutrition assistance to 20,000 people in the subdistrict.
**South Sudan
And we were asked yesterday about the incidents at the protection of civilians site in Malakal, South Sudan.
The UN Mission in the country, UNMISS, is carrying out an initial investigation into the violence that erupted at the Malakal protection of civilians site earlier this month, including looking at its own response to the events that unfolded. A UN Headquarters-led investigation will follow.
**Press Conferences
And for press conferences — at 12:45 p.m. today, there will be a briefing here by Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi, the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
**Questions and Answers
And that’s it from me. Are there any questions? Yes?
Question: Sure. Some other things, but I wanted… because you… because you represent the Secretary‑General himself, I wanted to ask you about the report that was… came out from under embargo at 11:00. And I wanted to ask why, if it's the Secretary‑General's report, when he's reciting, you know, the penalties that are imposed by troop-contributing countries, he lists, in paragraph 20A, a nine‑day suspension for sexual exploitation. And in paragraph 20B, he lists, without any criticism, administrative sanctions for sexual exploitation leading to the birth of a child. And I wanted to know, from your… you know, speaking for the Secretary‑General, just to be clear, these are penalties that he thinks are far too low. Right? And what… or maybe not. You tell me. And I also wanted to ask, just procedurally, it was my understanding that there was an 11 a.m. embargo on the report. That's what I waited for. Do you… does your office believe that the embargo was broken by the publication of an article last night about the same report?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, we do. And we tried to reach out to reporters. We were trying to reach out to people who were asking about this to say that, once it was clear that it had been broken, basically, by the way, by people who had not gotten it from us, it invalidated the embargo. So people had been free to file.
Question: I mean, I'm just going to say… I know you don't like to ask about myself, but I'm just going to say, my experience is I signed for the report. I didn't get any contact from your office. And I'm also not sure… how are you sure that the embargo was broken without… in the way that you state… in the way that you state?
Deputy Spokesman: I'm sure of that because the agencies that filed the report did not pick up… we had… that's why we had a sign‑in sheet…
Question: What if they got the report from DPKO (Department of Peacekeeping Operations)?
Deputy Spokesman: I have no idea how they got the report. They… if they had… if they'd signed for it, we would know that they had gotten it from us.
Question: Since DPKO briefed them privately two days before, why isn't it in your realm of possibility that DPKO also gave them a report so that they could write about it in advance?
Deputy Spokesman: It's not in the… it's certainly in the realm of possibility. It's not excluded that someone there could have done that. However, I wouldn't accuse them without knowing what the facts are. It seems clear that, whatever copies they had received had happened prior to us or DPKO rec… having it to distribute. So…
Question: Are you going to look into it?
Deputy Spokesman: Like I said, the way I looked into it was by looking at our own sign‑up sheet. The reporters who filed were not reporters who signed up. They had some other source, which clearly gave it to them some minutes before we ourselves had it to distribute. So that's as far as I know about our response. [cross talk]
Question: Did you try to contact all the people on list? I'm just asking you since I was on the list. [cross talk]
Deputy Spokesman: And you are as aware as I am that it's difficult to get reporters to reveal their sources for reports, so I don't have any further way of determining about that.
Question: What steps did you take to contact the people that signed the sheet? And I ask that as somebody who signed the sheet and is easy to contact.
Deputy Spokesman: My colleagues and I, we tried to call… I didn't have the sign‑up sheet with me when this happened, since it was in the evening, but we tried to reach out in e-mail and call people as we could.
Question: What about these penalties, the nine days for sexual exploitation and administrative sanctions for the birth of a child? Is this sufficient?
Deputy Spokesman: Ultimately, it's hard for me to second‑guess decisions that are made on the ground. You see the facts in the report. What we have made clear is the need to do more, much more, to make sure that there are no further sorts of allegations. And if that means a stiffening of penalties, then that is what will have to be in place. But, like I said, can't… I can't second‑guess the decisions made on the ground as it was. Yes?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. My question will be about Turkey. Today the [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan regime dramatically moved against Zaman media group. It's the largest newspaper in Turkey. Official state news agency reported that a police court appointed trustee to take over Zaman newspaper. What you… what would you like to say about this?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we would need to look into the details of this, but certainly, we would be concerned about any efforts to impede the work of any media entity. We implore all Governments to respect the rights of free media and the rights of people to freedom of expression. And so that should be the watchword as they deal with this. Having said that, of course, we need further information on the details of the case. Yes, Dulcie?
Question: So how long is Jane Holl Lute's appointment? Because in the report, it said she had a limited time frame.
Deputy Spokesman: I believe it's just starting out. It's starting out right now. I don't know how long the full appointment will be. We'll have to check on that. But it's about… it's beginning as the month begins. [He later clarified her mandate would be for 11 months.]
Question: So can you explain how she's going to work as this coordinator with… in the context of this report? Because it's got a lot of recommendations, and it's pretty confusing as to who does what. I mean, who ultimately will be in charge of reform? Thanks.
Deputy Spokesman: Yeah. The basic idea is that there's a… as you can see from the report, there's a large number of recommendations, and we need to make sure that there's follow‑through on that. She will be the point person to make… to make sure that, throughout the system, these reforms that are being recommended are implemented, and so she'll be tracking that as that goes. And, of course, she'll have the time she needs to get that work done. Yeah? Oh, wait. First Farnaz and then…
Question: Because I'm new here, I'm asking this. When was the last Secretary‑General’s report that came out on this subject?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, the… there was a Secretary‑General's report that came out just last year. And so we've had…
Question: So it’s yearly?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. I mean, there's a different sort of report in terms of how thoroughgoing the recommendations are this year round. But last year, we did have a report, which recorded, for example, 52 allegations last year, compared to 69 this year. You'll have seen, over the course of these reports, there had been a decrease in previous years, which has now been reversed largely, as Mr. [Atul] Khare indicated, because of the number of allegations from the Central African Republic.
Question: So last year’s report also had recommendations about what needs to be done?
Deputy Spokesman: It did. You can see the report for yourself. But there's a fairly thoroughgoing… given the scale of the problem and what we've seen to be a… the overall problem dealing with how zero tolerance is implemented on the ground. We've tried to specify more steps, and as you saw from Mr. Khare's briefing that took place just now, there's a very thoroughgoing set of recommendations, in addition to things like the numbers and examples. Yes?
Question: It may actually be the same three topics as yesterday, Western Sahara, Yemen and Sri Lanka. And I'd wanted to ask just on Western Sahara, given this… you'd said that he's going… he's visiting MINURSO, but I wanted to be clear I'm understanding right. Is he not going to the headquarters in Laayoune? And if not, is there any progress on figuring when he'll go and if he's able to go there before… prior to his April report to the Council?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, as Stéphane [Dujarric] said, the idea has been to do this particular series of travels in two parts. He will go to Tindouf and Bir Lehlou over the weekend. The stop in Laayoune is envisioned later on and… as is a stop to Morocco.
Question: On Yemen, you've read the briefing notes by Rupert Colville about Yemen. I just wanted to ask, this incident where they said troubling reports of possible use of cluster bombs. I wanted to know, I mean, it seems like some time has gone by. If you can describe two things, either if you know and you may say just ask them, what steps are being taken to actually nail that down or not and whether it's… you know, whether the UN can do it or it requires some special access to do it. And also whether this… whether this is troubling enough that the envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who, obviously, speaks with the Saudi‑led coalition and the Saudi Government and is in Riyadh quite a lot, is this a topic that would be considered within his remit, even as a mediator, to talk about the use of cluster bombs in the airstrikes that are taking place.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, you actually will have seen the statements that we've been putting out, and, indeed, the Secretary‑General issued a statement just a week or so ago about the use of cluster bombs in a variety of conflicts. And so those views are not restricted, for example, to Syria but to anyplace where they may have been used, including Yemen. And so that's where we stand on that. Regarding the allegations, as you're aware, the Human Rights Office has made clear they still need to verify it, and so they'll have to take those steps.
Question: But some… I just want… some people look at it and they see like Staffan de Mistura, for example, often issues his own statements about particular bombings in Syria before or after or alongside the Secretary‑General, and people have not seen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed really say anything on this topic. So is there some difference in mandate that they have or difference in approach? How do you explain it?
Deputy Spokesman: Certainly, he is informing the Security Council and other relevant parties about this. He briefed the Security Council just yesterday. So he is letting them know about his concerns. But right now, what he's focusing on in recent weeks, as you've been well aware, is the effort to try to bring the parties back to face‑to‑face talks. He wants to make sure that there is a way that you can get the parties talking to each other so that, as in Syria, you can actually have a decrease in the violence on the ground. Oleg?
Question: Since you started talking about Syria, a number of questions on Syria. The head of this High Negotiating Council said that there are no necessary conditions for resuming the talks. He was talking about lack of humanitarian aid, lack of humanitarian access, and the blockades are still going on. From the UN’s perspective, is there any success in these efforts? I mean… and can these… the situation on the ground, can it be actually conditions for resuming the talks from this side?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, what Staffan de Mistura had made clear was that, from his perspective, the conditions were appropriate to resume the inter‑Syrian talks on 9 March. So that is the target date we are working towards. He is dealing with the various parties, trying to see that the talks can be under way, but that is our target. He thinks it's appropriate. Certainly, you've seen that the cessation of hostilities, despite hiccups here and there, has been largely holding. There has been a welcome decrease in the level of violence that's been so devastating for so many years prior to the past days. And we are also continuing with our efforts at humanitarian assistance. As I mentioned, we're just now today trying to get to the Kafr Batna subdistrict. So there are things moving. And this is the right environment to start with the talks again. Yes, you had a follow-up?
Question: Yeah, with the regards… with the regards to the ceasefire, there have been reports… I've seen reports by the Russian Ministry of Defence that there were, I guess, more than 40 violations, shelling by the opposition groups in Syria. Can you confirm that? And there are also some reports that there are arms being supplied from Turkey all these days since the start of the ceasefire.
Question: Well, any potential violations are being reported to the guarantors of this particular cessation of hostilities, which is to say the United States and the Russian Federation, and they're examining them and trying to coordinate it with each other to make sure, as we've said, that, even though there may be problems here or there, that it doesn't spiral out of control and lead to a problem that would end the cessation of hostilities. For now, the cessation of hostilities that was started last weekend is still holding, and that's a good sign. Yes?
Question: Okay. I'm going to try… I'm trying this again. I want to ask about Sri Lanka, and I'm asking about a letter, physical letter, that was addressed to the Secretary‑General from the Northern Provincial Council, which is a body that Mr. [Jeffrey] Feltman, for example, has met with in the north. And it… I'm going to ask you about… the letter says the following… the letter… it says a lot of things, but I'll keep it very short. He said that… the letter says that Inner City Press has been critical of UN‑affiliated personalities who are alleged of sidelining or siding with genocidal commanders involved in war crimes against the Tamil people. And finally, it says, we are shocked to learn that, on 19 February, the Under‑Secretary‑General of DPI (Department of Public Information), Cristina Gallach, signed a letter giving two hours to Mr. Lee, summarily expelling him from the premises, revoking his press pass…
Deputy Spokesman: Matthew, Matthew, you're not expelled from the premises. We are in the premises right now. [cross talk]
Question: Right. Right.
Deputy Spokesman: I see you in front of me. [cross talk]
Question: No, I understand. It says revoking… I'm sorry. I know that you like that point. The end of the sentence is revoking his UN resident correspondent pass and access to his office. And so I am asking you, as a response to a letter from the… the Northern Provincial Council of Sri Lanka, what is… has… what's your response to the letter? They also say there was no due process. And they say that… that… that… they find that the combination of the two, the lack of coverage of, for example, Mr. [Vijay] Nambiar's dealings in the white flag killings, Mr. Shavendra Silva being a senior peacekeeping adviser to Ban Ki‑moon, followed by this act without due process, unprecedented and totally disproportionate penalty. You're talking about an embargo violation; you're not even looking into it. So I want to know, what's your response to this letter?
Deputy Spokesman: We are looking into it. We looked at the list. [cross talk]
Question: I asked you. I asked you. You said we looked… we tried to call the people. You didn't even call me. I don't think you're looking at it. But, you know, you tell me. [cross talk]
Deputy Spokesman: We called a bunch of people overnight.
Question: So I'm asking you, what's the response to the letter?
Deputy Spokesman: I have no response to the letter, and I have no comment on this. As you're well aware, the concerns that we have about the peace process in Sri Lanka, the… and the end of the fighting are a separate matter from your particular issues with the Department of Public Information, on which I would have no comment.
[cross talk]
Question: And what's your concern of a journalist being in this room… That's what I'd like to know. What is so extreme about a journalist being in this room and saying, when DSS (Department of Safety and Security) asked me to leave, I'll leave that justifies the things that are described in this letter? Can you explain?
Deputy Spokesman: Matthew, I am not going to get into why you have a problem with your accreditation with the Department of Public information. You have an issue… [cross talk]
Question: Well, they've asked Ban Ki‑moon. You speak for Ban Ki‑moon. Is Ban Ki‑moon going to answer the letter? [cross talk]
Deputy Spokesman: The decision on your accreditation is a decision taken by the Department of Public Information. [cross talk] It's based on actions, having to do with actions that you took, indeed, in this very room, that were hindering… [cross talk]
Question: In a meeting that wasn't listed as closed, not in a [inaudible] close. I'm just asking. Should they write to Cristina Gallach? They've written to the wrong person… [cross talk]
Deputy Spokesman: You can say whatever you want, but it's not my place to argue with you about the decision…
Question: It's a letter to Ban Ki‑moon. You speak for Ban Ki‑moon. So I'm asking you for a response to the letter.
Deputy Spokesman: This is a decision taken… you can talk over me as much as you want but it doesn't preclude the reality of it.
Question: No, I see you trying to move… if you'll just stay stationary, I'll be quiet.
Deputy Spokesman: Okay. Yes. Nabil?
Question: Yeah. The Arab League ministerial meeting considered Hizbullah a terrorist organisation, and usually the UN gets copies of the regional organisation's decisions or resolutions. Have you received any copy like on… on this matter? And the GCC (Gulf Cooperative Council) also has adopted some of the resolution.
Deputy Spokesman: No, I'm not aware that the UN has received any particular communication on that matter. Yes. You had one?
Question: Yeah. I wanted to ask what’s going on with access in Syria, for aid deliveries. Has it improved?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we've been trying to use the current cessation of hostilities to get aid in. There have been things like letters of facilitation that we needed to get processed over the last few days, but today we're… we are moving, I believe starting this afternoon, to get to the Kafr Batna district in Ghouta. Yes, Sylviane?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Do you have… maybe I came late. Maybe you spoke about it. Do you have any information about the cessation of hostilities? It seems that in Aleppo and [inaudible] and somewhere else, the cessation is not taking hold.
Deputy Spokesman: As I've mentioned, there are instances of violations here and there, but by and large, the cessation of hostilities has been holding, and by and large, the level of violence in the country has decreased. Yes?
Question: Farhan, the humanitarian situation in Syria has been improving a bit since resolution 2139 was adopted in the Security Council on access and humanitarian assistance. Do you think that the situation in Yemen needs similar mechanisms on access to deliver assistance, humanitarian assistance to the country?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we're continuing to press and we have been providing humanitarian aid to key parts of Yemen. It's been difficult, but you will have seen that Stephen O'Brien yesterday gave an extensive briefing on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, and I'd refer you to his comments. We are continuing to provide aid to millions of people. But the needs there are very extensive.
Question: Yes, but my question is about the mechanism. I know there is a lot of work the UN is doing and partners in Yemen, but do you think that there is a need for a mechanism, a follow‑up mechanism, certain…
Deputy Spokesman: Well, at this stage, what we've developed, including through our Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), is a verification mechanism that should be up and running fairly soon that can help deal with expediting the process by which aid gets in to the Yemeni people.
Question: I know. This mechanism is outside of Yemen. It's not inside the country, because the ships will arrive to the ports, but nobody will monitor what's happening after that. So I'm asking about the mechanism inside the country.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, but the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs does try to monitor aid as it goes in to make sure it goes to the beneficiaries to which it's attended, so that is proceeding as according to the normal system. Oleg?
Question: Any updates on airdrops in Deir Ezzour? Any news?
Deputy Spokesman: No, nothing further. We've been trying to plan for these things to make sure that it can be done accurately. Yes?
Question: I would like to continue my first question. Are you going to contact with any Turkish authorities about the crackdown on press freedom in Turkey? And where can I get more information about this issue?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, the best information on this will be from our colleagues in the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights because they would follow up on any concerns about this.
Question: Burundi?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes.
Question: Okay. I wanted to ask you, it's been announced that the EAC (East African Community) has replaced a… the mediator on the Burundi talks and put Mr. [Benjamin] Mkapa, former Tanzanian president, in charge. And I wanted to know, one, will Mr. [Jamal] Benomar be working with him? Presumably, yes. But do you have any comment on this change of mediator, and is there any renewed hope for more than took place under the Ugandan mediation?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we certainly hope that the mediator will work to help resolve the problems that Burundi has been facing. We have our utmost faith in President Mkapa that he can help in his capacity as mediator. And, yes, Mr. Benomar will work with him.
Question: And I have a question about DPA (Department of Political Affairs), based on complaints that I've heard. The Europe division of DPA, my understanding is it covers not very… very many conflicts, but it covers Ukraine, and it also covers Cyprus and that there was a disagreement between Mr. Feltman and the… the… apparently a Canadian official who didn't agree with his position on Ukraine and that a switch has been made. So I'm asking you to confirm whether the new acting or current head of Europe for DPA is a Turkish individual and, if so, what sense that makes or what you would say to those who have complained that this… in terms of the lim… Cyprus being one of only two issues in the region's portfolio that this… this nomination may not… may… may raise… raise problems to the Member States concerned or even observers?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, first of all, I believe part of the changes… I think that the person who had been the head of that division may be going on to a different role in Cyprus. So… but we'll have to see whether we have an announcement to make on that.
Question: But my question is whether, in fact, this was based on a disagreement between a Canadian official saying that they would not accept Mr. Feltman's line on Ukraine as a former US official?
Deputy Spokesman: No. I think some of this is simply the fact that, as we announced, Lisa Buttenheim will be redeployed here, that there… that we have to make some shifts so that the position that she had held in Cyprus will also be filled. And so that's what's happening.
Question: Does a Turkish official in charge of Cyprus make sense?
Deputy Spokesman: I wouldn't have a confirmation at this point. Have a good weekend, everyone.