On Burundi A Week After Banned Inner
City Press Asked An Empty UN Guterres
Statement
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Photo,
Video,
CJR
UN GATE, June 6 –
Burundi's Pierre Nkununziza
government wanted all human
rights presence out.
Typically, UN Secretary
General Antonio Guterres said
nothing meaningful. Then it
happened, on February 28,
2019, and from Guterres,
nothing. Typical. He has
banned Inner City Press more
than 700 days and counting for
asking about his collusion
with dictators and concealment
of UN bribes.
Now on June 6, more
than a week after on May 29
Inner City Press submitted a
written question
about Burundi to Guterres, his
deputy Amina J. Mohammed and
spokesperson Stephane Dujarric
and Melissa Fleming, this
nothing statement: "Note to
correspondents in response to
questions on
Burundi
In response to questions about
the elections in Burundi, the
Spokesman has the following to
say:
The Secretary-General takes
note of the final results of
the presidential and
legislative elections, as
declared on 4 June by the
Constitutional Court of
Burundi.
The Secretary-General
encourages all parties to
continue to promote a peaceful
and harmonious atmosphere
among all Burundians. He
reiterates the UN commitment
towards long-term stability
and sustainable development in
Burundi.
Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman
for the
Secretary-General New
York, 6 June 2020." Guterres
is a corrupt censor.
Guterres
and his team have gotten
worse. In late August
Guterres' "ASG for Africa"
Bintou Keita went to Burundi
and said that everything is
fine, you - or perhaps just
she - can move around the
country at any hour and there
is no problem. UN propaganda
article here,
ghoulish laughing English
audio here.
Expect nothing or worse from
the UNSC meeting on Burundi
set for the end of October by
Kafando and the South Africa
mission, complicit in
Guterres' now 533 day ban on
Inner City Press.
So
far in December, Guterres and
his spokespeople Stephane
Dujarric and Melissa Fleming
have refused to answer any of
Inner City Press' written
questions including December
16-1: On Burundi and freedom
of information, what are the
comments of SG Guterres and
separately Michel Kafando on
that Internet users in Burundi
have been unable to access
YouTube since Friday; and
December 6-1: On
Burundi, what are the belated
comments and actions if any of
SG Guterres on that Burundi's
ruling party youth league is
forcing citizens to donate
money to fund next year's
election, as fears of abuses
and renewed violence grow
ahead of the vote. Again, what
is the status of Michel
Kafando?
Now on
December 18 here is a report
from Burundi, referencing the
WFP (in French, PAM) of
Guterres' UN: "As of November
26, 2019, the collectors of
these funds in collaboration
with young people Imbonerakure
had erected barriers on all of
Cankuzo's main roads to demand
payment. At the beginning of
this year, the local
organization ADIC and PAM
[WFP] had proposed to local
authorities to grant them
permission to rehabilitate
these roads by the "Cash for
Work" system, but they imposed
conditions that were
impossible for them to fill.
These organizations had opted
to rehabilitate only the roads
of the commune Gisagara and
Cendajuru." We'll have
more on this.
Now on
October 30 in the UNSC,
Burundi's Albert Shingiro
said, "With regard to
cooperation with the United
Nations, we look forward to
the United Nations country
team to the Burundi in
supporting national efforts in
the implementation of the
National Development Plan, the
Sustainable Development Goals
as well as the United Nations
Master Plan for Bumndi
Development Assistance, UNDAF
2019-2023. The Government of
Burundi undertakes to work
consistently with the United
Nations country team Burundi
in order to achieve
sustainable socio-economic
development in the interest of
all Burundians. However, we
continue to believe with
conviction that the presence
of Burundi in the agenda of
the Security Council is
untimely and violates the
United Nations Charter. The
current political and security
situation in the country is
not a threat to peace and
international security to
justify the maintenance of the
Burundi on the agenda of the
Security Council, we will
reiterate our call for the
withdrawal of Burundi on the
agenda of this Council. The
arbitrary retention of Burundi
on the Council's agenda is in
the process of create a bad
precedent. The untimely
organization of meetings on
the Burundi that are not
motivated by the reality of
the terrain is a factor
destabilizing the country
instead of promoting the peace
and tranquility. Some
troublemakers take advantage
of it to commit crimes during
days before each meeting of
the Security Council."
Troublemakers?
Banned Inner City Press has
asked, without answer from
Guterres' spokesman Stephane
"French Whine" Dujarric and
new Global Censor Melissa
Fleming: "September 11-3: On
Burundi and UN peacekeeper and
sexual abuse, what is the
response of Guterres and USG
Lacroix to the Commission of
Inquiry on Burundi describing
abuse and rape and stating
"the Burundian State may be
held responsible for the acts
identified in the present
report, which constitute human
rights violations"? Why is UN
Peacekeeping still using
Burundi peacekeepers?" No
answer at all. As on Cameroon,
Guterres is corrupt. And a
censor - he and Fleming have
banned Inner City Press from
even entering the UN to cover
UNGA high level week, unlike
state media for autocratic
regimes all over the world.
But Inner City Press will not
desist.
And here
are examples of what's been
going on in Burundi, colluded
in by Guterres, unremarked on
by his envoy Kafando who
skipped even the UN Security
Council's belated June 14
session on Burundi: secret
jails have been found in
Bugabira and Ntega, Carubambo,
Kinyovu and Rutagara in the
area of Mugendo, Kigari,
Nyemera, Kigaga and Mugina.
And Nkurunziza has renamed not
only the airport but also a
street, for Adolphe
Nshimirimana who allegedly
killed so many people in 2015.
And from
Guterres? Total silence, as so
far from the Swiss whom
Guterres has praised for
moving to take their
pro-dictator approach to
Burundi onto the Cameroon
issue, beginning with tear
gassing anti-Biya protesters
in front of the UN in Geneva.
Who'll get a street named
after themselves for this?
Antonio "The Censor" Guterres
Boulevard...
Also: "In the
second week of May 2019, the
ruling party in Rumonge
province organized a
fundraising campaign with shop
and shop owners of business.
Equipped with registers and
ballpoint pens, Imbonerakure
crisscrossed the neighborhoods
of the city of Rumonge to
demand money for "the purchase
of party flags and other
insignia of the CNDD -FDD ".
According to shop
owners contacted, these young
Imbonerakure demanded the
minimum payment capped at
2000FBU per shop. Whoever paid
this money was registered in a
register. Traders members of
the ruling party refused to
give these contributions
arguing that they were going
to do it at party permanence.
Collectors
thus fell on non-party traders
who were intimidated before
resign to pay the
contribution. Shopkeepers and
store sellers said they were
overwhelmed by collections and
forced contributions. They
were trying to count the
number of times they had been
forced
contribute in particular to
the 2020 elections at the
household level, the Crusades
of the ruling party."
Inside joke: sounds like UNCA
dues, in which Guterres and
his spokesman also collude. If
a journalist doesn't pay, they
are evicted from their work
space then banned
from UN, while Guterres uses
the group for propaganda.
On
June 14 there was a belated UN
Security Council meeting on
Burundi - but Guterres' envoy
Michel Kafando did not even
speak at it. Inner City Press
live tweeted the meeting, here;
and is uploaded Albert
Shingiro's speech, typical of
Guterres' UN, here.
On 28 May 2019
even the briefing by Guterres'
pro-Nkurunziza envoy Michel
Kafando to the Security
Council, was entirely
cancelled.
Now, typical of
FrancAfrique as on Cameroon
and elsewhere, Agence France
Presse has come in revisionist
trying to make France and
Guterres look good, reporting
for example: "Burundi is
threatening to cut ties with
the UN envoy appointed to the
country, ahead of elections
next year... France requested
that the council hold a
closed-door meeting on Burundi
on Friday, but those talks
were pushed back to June to
allow time to defuse the
situation, diplomats
said. Asked about the
row with Burundi over the
envoy, UN spokesman Farhan Haq
said Thursday: "I am not aware
of any official announcement
from Burundi, so there is
nothing to respond to as
yet." Kafando
replaced Jamal Benomar, who
was UN envoy for two years
before the Bujumbura
government demanded his
resignation. Burundi's
threats come just four months
after Somalia expelled a UN
envoy who raised questions
about human rights."
AFP does not
mention that Guterres threw
the envoy Nicholas Haysom,
whom they leave unnamed, under
the bus by telling UN staff
that he was impolite for
signing a human rights letter.
Exclusive video here,
from Inner City Press banned
by the UN of Guterres with an
assist
from... AFP.
This is today's UN, and its
apologists and censors.
Now this:
"Kigoma province in Tanzania
has become like part of
Burundian territory where
Pierre Nkurunziza's regime
makes rain and shine. The
latter imposes an intense and
terrible political repression
against the refugees who fled
the bloody persecution that
has reigned in the country
since 2015. Repeated attacks
by armed men and weapons
seizures firearms introduced
into the camps by men from
Burundi constitute a serious
threat to the security of
Burundian refugees in the
camps in Tanzania. At least 37
grenades, one machine gun and
200 rounds have already been
seized in Nduta camp. In
addition to these attacks,
there are cases of rape,
arbitrary arrests, torture and
inhuman and degrading
treatment, enforced
disappearance, armed robbery
are registered every day in
these Burundian refugee camps.
Obviously, the Tanzanian
authorities play the
complicity with the Burundian
regime, and reinforce pressure
to compel these refugees to
return forcibly their country
of origin. In their desperate
attempts to flee the camps to
Kenya and the Rwanda, they are
caught by the Tanzanian police
as criminals to shoot down,
forced to two choices: return
home or stay on the spot and
suffer! (1) Since the
announcement in April 2015 of
President Pierre Nkurunziza's
decision to run for third
term, and public
demonstrations against the
fragrance violation of the
constitution of 2005 and the
Arusha Peace and
Reconciliation Agreement,
signed in 2000, a political
crisis bloody has taken hold
in Burundi and has had
terrible consequences on the
rights and freedoms
individuals and groups of the
population. Thus, more than
500.000 Burundians took the
road of exile of which a
significant number were hosted
in the United Republic of
Tanzania, which counted
February this year, at least
274,445 refugees."
Nor
has Guterres or his spokes - /
hatchetman Stephane Dujarric
answered banned Inner City
Press' written questions on
Burundi, for example this one:
"March 20-6: On Burundi and
freedom of expression, what is
the SG's comment and action if
any on that arresting seven
schoolchildren last week. The
children were accused of
having scribbled on
Nkurunziza's photo in their
school books. Six girls
were taken to the local police
station jail. Three were later
released, but the three
others, all teenagers under
the age of 18, remained in
jail over the weekend. They
were charged on Monday with
insulting the head of state,
and could spend up to five
years in prison if found
guilty. AGAIN, immediately
explain how it is legitimate
to ban from enter into the UN
the media that has been asking
about these and other
questions, with no hearing or
appeal."
On April 15
banned Inner City Press asked
the UN, "April 15-3: On
Burundi, what is the SG's
comment and action if any on
the six schoolgirls and one
boy, arrested last month for
doodling on the Burundian
president’s photo and charged
with “insulting the head of
state" and expelled them
permanently from the school,
now facing charges of
“insulting the head of
state"? By April 16, no
answer from the UN; spokesman
Stephane Dujarric and head of
Communications Alison
Smale didn't even
acknowledge the question,
despite both having promised
answers. This is Guterres' UN.
Back on 6
December 2018, the
day after
Guterres like
any dictator
moved from his
Mercedes with
guards to a
fancy dinner refusing a Press
questions
about
corruption in
his
organization,
Inner
City Press asked Guterres and
his spokesmen: "December 6-1:
On Burundi, on which you have
been refusing to respond to
Inner City Press' written
questions, please immediately
confirm or deny that Burundi
has asked the UN system to
decrease its human rights
presence and state the SG's
view and response. Also, what
is the UN's comment on the
reporting about the Nkurunziza
government's “torture house”?"
Still,
no answer at
all, despite
USG Alison
Smale's
promises such
questions
would be
answered. Now on
March 19 from
Code Blue,
this: "Since
2015,
President
Pierre
Nkurunziza of
Burundi has
ordered his
defense forces
to attack
anyone deemed
to oppose his
regime, an
onslaught that
has generated
international
condemnation.
During the
same period,
the United
Nations has
paid the
Nkurunziza
regime large
sums of money
for the
services of
those same
Burundian
defense
forces, who
don blue
helmets and
patrol crisis
zones as UN
peacekeepers.
There are
currently 767
Burundian
peacekeepers
serving with
the United
Nations. A
total of 751
of those 767
peacekeepers
are in
MINUSCA, the
UN’s mission
in the Central
African
Republic,
which has been
rocked by
numerous
sexual
exploitation
and abuse
scandals.
The UN
continues to
deploy
Nkurunziza’s
forces despite
an explicit
statement from
the United
Nations
Independent
Investigation
on Burundi
(UNIIB) that
Burundian
soldiers are
not fit to be
peacekeepers.
"The United
Nations and
the African
Union should
phase out the
use of
Burundian
troops in
Peacekeeping
operations
while the
crisis
continues,"
the UNIIB said
in a report
from September
2016.
Burundian
peacekeepers
serving in UN
peacekeeping
missions have
been accused
of committing
sexual abuse
against those
they are
pledged to
protect: A
total of 43
Burundian
peacekeepers
have been
accused since
2015 of
committing
child rape,
sexual
activity with
a minor,
sexual assault
of an adult,
or rape of an
adult,
according to
the UN's
Conduct and
Discipline
database. None
of the 43 has
been punished.
The alleged
victims
include 50
children, 25
adults, and
five
individuals of
unknown
age.
As of July
2018, the UN
pays USD 1,428
per month for
each soldier
provided by a
troop-contributing
country to a
peacekeeping
mission, a
rate set by
the UN General
Assembly. The
UN delivers
the money not
to the soldier
but to the
troop-contributing
country.
The UN, then,
pays Burundi
$1,095,276 a
month for its
767
peacekeepers,
which amounts
to $13,143,312
a year.
The money is a
significant
contribution
to the coffers
of the East
African
nation.
Burundi’s
military
budget was
$56.3 million
in 2017.
UN
Secretary-General
António
Guterres has
repeatedly
claimed that
the UN is
vetting troops
to weed out
individuals
with criminal
records of
sexual
offenses. But
what about an
entire
military with
a criminal
history of
sexual
offenses, with
a record of
rape-as-policy?"
As in
Cameroon, some
say, Big Tony
likes
to watch. Only
through
regional media
we learned
that Guterres'
part time
Burundi envoy
Michel Kafando
used public
funds to visit
Uganda's Museveni
on January 31
and, according
to the story,
praise him for his
tireless
efforts on Burundi?
Really? How?
On February 19
at a UNSC press
encounter
Inner City
Press was
banned from
for the 230th
day in a row
by Guterres,
South Africa's
Permanent
Representative
told those present
that the UN and the
African Union
should "help
Burundi to
move on," and
said the
East African
Community and the
AU are capable
of managing
the situation.
No one there
asked him any
follow up
questions.
Then Kafando said
"Je me suis
ensuite rendu
le 31 Janvier
2019 a Kampala
pour une
visite de
travail avec
le President
Museveni,
Mediateur du
Dialogue
inter-burundais.
Cette
rencontre m'a
permis de
reiterer au
President
Museveni, le
soutien du
Secrtaire
general." This
as Museveni's
foreign
minister Sam
Kutesa took $500,000 from
UN briber
CEFC
China Energy,
to which
Guterres
himself is
connected, and
roughs up and
bans the Press
which asks.
This is
thuggery. And
UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Duajrric said
on camera he
would be
answering
questions, here.
Now this, from
Burundi: "President
Pierre
Nkurunziza
says he has
given wealth
to Burundians
since 2002, he
wants to be
thanked. Thus,
offerings in
money,
livestock or
food products
are collected
throughout the
provinces and
have been used
for some time.
A crusade of
prayer and
collection of
offerings was
organized from
24 to 27
January 2019
in Gitega
province where
President
Pierre
Nkurunziza was
in person. On
the basis of
the verses of
the Old
Testament, he
compared to
Moise and
asked the
Burundians to
offer him
offerings.
"God said to
Moses today in
Nkurunziza
because two
lightnings do
not share the
sky- give him
offerings ...
", said Pierre
Nkurunziza in
front of a
parterre
composed of
all the high
personalities
of his diet.
At least 1.8
billion
Burundian
francs were
collected
during this
crusade. In
Gitega
province, the
young
Imbonerakure
have traveled
the town of
Gitega from 21
January 2019
to raise money
and food. From
boutiques to
boutiques,
from shops to
stores, from
pharmacies in
pharmacies,
kiosks in
kiosks, ...
they required
between 2000
and 5000 FBU
in failing
which they
closed the
doors. The
food traders
gave the food.
On January 22,
2019, it was
the turn of
households and
services.
Every
household had
to give
2000FBU, and
to the
service, each
employee had
to give
2000FBU to his
department
head
responsible
for collecting
this money.
The person who
paid this
contribution
was mentioned
on a listing.
The one who
gave nothing
received a
very severe
warning. This
was done in
all
municipalities
of Gitega
province. In
Rumonge
province, the
provincial
secretary of
the ruling
party, Diomede
Niyonsaba sent
invitations to
all heads of
public and
private
services,
organizations
21
non-governmental
organizations
and
association
leaders
working in the
province for
their ask to
participate in
this
presidential
crusade, and
especially to
contribute to
its success.
According to
one of the
officials who
received this
invitation,
"it's amazing
to be invited
and forced to
contribute in
activities of
a political
party of which
one is not a
member."
Sounds like
Guterres and
his UN press
corpse.
Nor
will Spokesman
Stephane Dujarric
answer on
Guterres obvously
incomplete
Public Financial
Disclosure, here.
More
here.
***
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