UN raises official concern after Pentagon leak shows US put Guterres under surveillance

On Tuesday, a UN spokesperson stated that the United States had been formally alerted by the United Nations regarding the reported surveillance on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The Washington Post had disclosed, citing leaked classified intelligence documents, that the US had intercepted conversations of Guterres and other UN officials, which raised concerns.

"UN officially expressed to the host country its concern regarding recent reports that the communications of the secretary-general and other senior UN officials have been the subject of surveillance and interference by the US government," said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for Guterres.

"The UN has made it clear that such actions are inconsistent with the obligations of the United States of America enumerated in the UN Charter and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations," he added.

According to the newspaper, there are four leaked documents, two of which were not previously disclosed, that provide summaries of intercepted conversations. These conversations provide new insights into the UN Secretary-General's engagements with prominent UN officials and global leaders.

A document dated February 17, which has been reviewed by the outlet, reveals that during a conversation with UN officials and world leaders, Guterres expressed his strong dissatisfaction over being denied permission to visit the war-torn Tigray Region in Ethiopia.

According to the account, Guterres aimed to have a direct conversation with Ethiopia's UN Representative, Taye Atske Selassie Amde, as the country's Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen, sent him a letter refusing his proposed visit to the Tigray region during the peace talks.

UN chief 'not happy' to travel to Ukraine: Leaked intel

The newspaper also obtained another document, which disclosed that Guterres was “not happy” about his trip to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in early March. The document did not mention the reason for the Secretary-General's reluctance, but The Post cited a UN diplomat who attributed it to the fatigue caused by several weeks of travelling internationally on commercial flights.

The leak of classified documents, which amounts to hundreds of pages, has caused the US authorities to scramble to evaluate the extent of the damage and impose restrictions on access to classified information for certain Department of Defense personnel. The leak has also led to the arrest of a US air national guardsman, who is accused of disclosing classified national defence information without authorisation.

Recent reports from US media have revealed that the United States has also conducted surveillance on its allies, including South Korea, Israel, and Ukraine, as evidenced by additional leaked documents.