Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: U.N. chief shows strong will in job Date: Sat, 31 Oct 92 14:00:15 EST Message-ID: \SE A;WORLD \SS (WS) \HD U.N. chief shows strong will in job \BY Peter James Spielmann \CR ASSOCIATED PRESS \DT NEW YORK NEW YORK - The ramrod-stiff personality of U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, so effective in goading the West to help famine-stricken Somalia, has led to the loss of his celebrated envoy to the African nation. The embarrassing public spat with the envoy, Algerian Mohamed Sahnoun, who stepped down Thursday in Mogadishu, was only the latest exhibition of the Egyptian's quick temper and strong will. Security Council ambassadors, who feared the new secretary-general they chose less than a year ago might be a pushover, could hardly have been more surprised. "Boutros-Ghali came in, said he was going to serve a single term so he wouldn't be beholden to the member states, and said he was going to call a spade a spade," said Ed Luck, president of the U.N. Association of the U.S.A., a private research group. "In doing so, he's going to cross swords from time to time with various people," he added. Mr. Sahnoun, in announcing his resignation, cited "bitter experiences with the U.N. bureaucracy." Mr. Boutros-Ghali had castigated him for publicly criticizing U.N. relief efforts. During his brief tenure, Mr. Sahnoun was often critical of what he saw as a slow response by the United Nations to the catastrophe in Somalia, insisting that quicker intervention would have saved lives. He also criticized some U.N. personnel sent to Somalia, saying they were inexperienced and inept. And Mr. Sahnoun frequently wondered aloud why some U.N. agencies weren't active in Somalia. Mr. Boutros-Ghali was outraged that Mr. Sahnoun went public. Diplomats said a letter he sent to his envoy was so harsh it left Mr. Sahnoun little choice but to resign or be fired. Mr. Sahnoun and Mr. Boutros-Ghali had been friends since their college days, and had both been colleagues in African diplomacy for many years - Mr. Boutros-Ghali as Egypt's top diplomat on African affairs, and Mr. Sahnoun as an official of the Organization of African Unity. Mr. Sahnoun's work in Somalia was widely praised, and U.N. diplomats reportedly tried to persuade Mr. Boutros-Ghali to keep him on. Mr. Sahnoun oversaw relief efforts and peace talks in Somalia, which is suffering from both drought and civil war that threaten up to 2 million lives. "I think it's a tragedy when you have two proud men in a no-win situation who come to loggerheads," Mr. Luck said. What aid Somalia has been receiving is partly due to Mr. Boutros-Ghali's frosty exchanges with Security Council ambassadors who were doing little about starvation there while planning peacekeeping efforts for the former Yugoslav republics. Mr. Boutros-Ghali bluntly criticized them for their preoccupation with a "rich man's war" in Yugoslavia. Mr. Boutros-Ghali's prickliness is the stuff of U.N. anecdotes. Earlier this week, Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash was angered that he was listed only as a "leader" on the U.N. chief's appointment schedule, while his rival, George Vassiliou, was identified as the "president" of Cyprus. Both men are in New York for peace talks aimed at reuniting the Mediterranean island. But Mr. Denktash refused to meet Mr. Vassiliou unless they were given equal status. Mr. Boutros-Ghali brought Mr. Denktash up to his 38th-floor office and admonished him to cooperate or "get out," and pointed at the door, according to U.N. sources. The astounded Mr. Denktash stalked out of the office, with U.N. officials trailing after him trying to soothe his hurt feelings. The Cyprus talks resumed Wednesday with both men designated as "leaders." This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM