Is the UN a defunct organization?

UN Council Can't Agree on Darfur Protest

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The U.N. Security Council on Monday failed to agree on a formal condemnation of a surprise attack that killed 10 peacekeepers in Darfur with an envoy saying members disagree on whether to call it a terrorist act by rebels.

Ghana's U.N. Ambassador Leslie Christian, the current council president, said members will meet again on Tuesday to work on a presidential statement - which becomes part of the official council record.

"The reason we couldn't come to an agreement," said South Africa's U.N. Ambassador Dumisani Kumalo, ``was because most of us feel that this was a terrorist act'' and every report says it was done by rebels, but some council members argued that they wanted to wait for the results of an investigation to find out what happened.

Does anyone know which member(s) of the security council wouldn't agree to the condemnation?

It may be that the UNSC guys have a lot more info and don't actually need an investigation, but I know I would, given what I've read in the press.

From various reports, you get differing claims. One was that there had been a rather large number of skirmishes between the rebels and janjaweed, and that janjaweed were either in the camp or had a similar camp close by. "Terrorist" is the wrong word if the former--janjaweed in the camp--or if it was a mistake.

Now, at least one subfaction says that the rebel attack was intentional, but it's risky to assume that competing factions tell the truth about their competitors.

No need to rush to judgment. Wait for the investigation results, and hope that they're useful, not vetted by the Sudanese government or the rebels involved, and in which the desire for simple, complete truth outweighs all other considerations.