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By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT NYP

UNITED NATIONS Gate, February 20 –After Paul Biya who has ruled Cameroon for 36 years on January 28 had his opponent Maurice Kamto arrested, Inner City Press again asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and his spokesmen for their comment and action, if any. This came after Guterres had Inner City Press roughed up on 3 July 2018 after it interviewed Biya's Ambassador about the two men's Budget Committee deals and banned from the UN since - Guterres even tried to get Inner City Press banned from the Park East Synagogue, here, which was denied / dodged by his spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Now in Cameroon, the ten standing "trial" before the Yaounde Military tribunal with two new interpreters but French-speaking judges. “To judge people who understand only English in French, I see it as a traversty and this is one of the main reasons why Cameroon is (in conflict) today,” Barrister Abdul Oroh said after the previous hearing.  Today’s hearing might also be an opportunity for the defense counsel to present proof of their refugee status.  And the UN is silent; Guterres took Biya's golden statue and his ambassador Tommo Monthe's favors in the UN Budget Committee, had Inner City Press roughed up as it reported on it and banned since. This race to the bottom by Paul Biya has been in parallel with Guterres' six calls to Biya, which Dujarric refuses to answer questions about.  But Guterres and Dujarric have offered no answer to this Inner City Press question: "what is the SG's comment and follow up action, if any, on that Kamto is currently held at the building of the Groupement spécial d’opérations in Yaoundé. According to his lawyers, Kamto could be charged with: insurrection, hostility against the homeland, criminal association, threats to public order, rebellion, group rebellion, and inciting insurrection,and that there are currently up to 200 people, of whom the majority are MRC supporters, in detention following protests on January 26, and, again, on the arrest and detention of journalists Théodore Tchopa and David Eyengue Nzima merely for covering the opposition gathering in Douala. Again, what are the read-outs of his six conversations with Paul Biya and most recently of Francois Fall's visit there?" No answer. An UNacceptable fraud. After Guterres bragged again, this time in French, about his talks with Biya's government, Cameroon forces burned down the hospital in Kumba in the Anglophone Southwest Region. The UN usually calls attacks on medical facilities a war crime but as we have seen, Biya's Cameroon is a special case for Guterres, since it chaired the UN Budget Committee. But Guterres has nothing to say about Biya's burning of a hospital. And now Chinese state media argues for Biya that US aid was not used for its human rights abuses: "Cameroon’s Ministry of External Relations has denied allegations that its army was using U.S. military assistance to carry out human rights violations.  “Cameroon strongly denies accusations that U.S. military assistance has been used to commit human rights violations.  “While we have acknowledged instances of human rights violations" - they were not with US' fungible funds? This and Guterres are pathetic. Before 9 am on Febuary 11, Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres, Amina J. Mohammed, Alison Smale, Farhan Haq and "Spokesman" Stephane Dujarric: "February 11-1: On Cameroon, what is the SG's comment and action on the deadly burning down of the hospital in Kumba in the Anglophone Southwest Region, and on the imprisonment of nurse Njongwan Emeline for "unauthorized" filming the authorities mass arrests in Buea? In this context, please immediately specify the SG's statement on "dialogue avec le Premier Ministre [du Cameroun] et il nous a promis que tout ce fait pour créer des conditions de respect des droits de l’homme et de dialogue pour que la situation puisse se normaliser"?" Twelve hours later, nothing. Guterres is entirely silent on Biya's lock up of Njongwan Emeline, for filming a video of the arrest of dozens of young people in Buea early this week.
As Guterres pledges his support to Biya, she remains locked up. Birds of a feather, flock together. As he left the African Union summit on February 10, Guterres took questions in French and answered this on Cameroon, which we Google translate from French: "Q: (in French, on the situation in the English-speaking areas of Cameroon)     SG: (in French) We accompany the situation to which you referred. Yesterday we had a dialogue with the Prime Minister [of Cameroon] and he promised us all this to create conditions of respect for human rights and dialogue so that the situation could normalize. It was the result of our approach with the Prime Minister who was with us last night." Guterres has no credibility on Cameroon - he covered up Biya's slaughter since Cameroon was chair of the UN Budget Committee, took Biya's golden statue, had Inner City Press roughed up and banned 221 days and counting and bragged he spoke six times with Biya - while refusing any read outs. Back on February 9 Dujarric, who blocks Inner City Press on Twitter, issued this about his Boss Gutterres: "the Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Joseph Dion Ngute, Prime Minister of the Republic of Cameroon on the margins of the African Union Summit.     They discussed the latest political developments in the country, including the situation in the North-West and South-West regions. The Secretary-General reiterated the readiness of the United Nations to continue to support Cameroon in its efforts to strengthen peace, democracy and development.  Addis Ababa, 9 February 2019  Stéphane Dujarric  Spokesman for the Secretary-General." Continue? After Guterres took Biya's golden statue and UN Budget Committee favors and stayed silent on all Biya's killings in the Anglophone zones? On February 6, Inner City Press asked Guterres, Alison Smale, Amina J. Mohammed and their spokesman Stephane Dujarric, "February 6-1: On Cameroon, what is the SG's comment action on that 14 people have been shot dead at Bole Market this morning, 20km away from Kumba, on the Kumba-Ekondo Titi road. "The soldiers arrived using live bullets and many had to escape for safety" and that dozens of youths arrested in Buea today by security forces?" Still no answers at all.  More here.

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