A debate continues to take place on the 38th floor of U.N. headquarters as to whether U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon should meet with President Bashir on the sidelines of the upcoming Arab League Summit in Doha. Perhaps we can help clarify the thinking of the Secretary General and his staff: This is a very bad idea.
Such a meeting, as well as the photographs that would inevitably leak out, would be a propaganda bonanza for Bashir and send a very clear message that the Secretary General is incredibly wobbly on issues of international justice. The Secretary General’s legacy will be frozen in a photograph of him shaking hands with an indicted war criminal.
Dear Secretary General: Don’t do it, and expect a heavy public backlash if you do.
If you are an activist, call his office and suggest that this idea is not only wrong-headed but would be counter-productive.