UN political chief arrives in Cairo to 'listen to Egyptians'
August 22, 2013: A senior United Nations official on Wednesday said he was in Egypt
to listen to Egyptians to better understand how the Organization can assist the crisis-torn
country, and to report back to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Under-Secretary-General
for Political Affairs, Jeff Feltman, told journalists at the headquarters of the League
of Arab States that he had wide-range discussions with Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy,
but reiterated that “he was not in Cairo to make statements on Egypt but to listen
to the Egyptians.”
He added that it was clear that Egyptians have expressed
strong views on international community reactions and that Mr. Ban wanted him to listen
in order to better understand the situation and understand how best the UN can assist.
Mr.
Ban and other senior UN officials have repeatedly stressed that the authorities and
the political leaders share a responsibility to end the widespread outbreak of violent
protests and excessive use of force which have led to more than 500 deaths and thousands
of injuries over the past several days.
The Office of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights (OHCHR) also called on Egyptian authorities yesterday to allow its
human rights officers access to inside the country to assess the situation on the
ground.
Egypt has been undergoing a democratic transition following the toppling
of President Hosni Mubarak two years ago in the wake of mass protests. Last month,
renewed protests, in which dozens of people were killed and wounded, led to the Egyptian
military deposing Mohamed Morsy. The Constitution was then suspended and an interim
government set up.
Mr. Feltman, who arrived in Cairo yesterday, has also met
with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby. Those discussions focused on “areas
of collaboration between the United Nations and the League of Arab States,” Mr. Ban's
spokesperson told journalists in New York.
They also discussed efforts towards
a political solution to the conflict in Syria, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process,
as well as the political process in Yemen and the UN's role there.