In
Cameroon Anglophones Killed,
Shot In Legs, As Ambassador Asks ICP Why
Fall Should Visit
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Audio
on Patreon
UNITED NATIONS,
October 13 – Amid the killings
by Cameroon's Paul Biya
government, Inner City Press
on October 11 interviewed the
government's ambassador to the
UN, Tommo Monthe. He
contradicted what UN Spokesman
Stephane Dujarric told Inner
City Press, that "Mr.
[Francois] Fall and the
Government are in discussion
about when he can go.
The Government has expressed
its willingness to welcome
him. It's now a matter
of finding the dates." Inner
City Press two days after
Dujarric's quote - which
Dujarric has twice refused to
expand upon - asked Cameroon's
Ambassador Monthe who replied
of Fall,"Why he should visit
Cameroon?” Audio
here. Now several but not all
of the human rights violations
by Cameroon authorities on
which Inner City Press has
asked and reported are
confirmed by Amnesty
International, for example: At
least 500 people remain
detained in overcrowded
detention facilities following
mass arbitrary arrests in the
Anglophone regions of
Cameroon, and many wounded
protestors fled hospitals to
avoid arrest... In Bamenda,
the capital of the North-West
Region, at least 200 people
were arrested and the majority
transferred to the prison in
Bafoussam. In Buea, the
capital of the South-West
region, at least 300 people
have been arrested since the
1st October protests,
including a series of mass
arbitrary arrests between 6
and 8 October. On Sunday 8
October, for example, police
arrested up to 100 people
walking to church in the Mile
16 area of Buea, and entered
the building to arrest church
staff. In one incident on 3
October in Buea, a police
officer threw a teargas
canister into a vehicle
containing a dozen protestors,
who had to smash the window to
let in air. In one facility
run by a mobile police unit,
the Groupement Mobile
d’Intervention (GMI), in Buea,
detainees were described as
being 'packed like sardines.'
A young man who was left with
multiple fractures after being
shot in both legs by member of
the armed forces was taken
home by his family before he
could be stabilised. According
to a doctor treating the
patient “he had lost more than
a litre of blood. I do not
know whether he is still
alive, he may likely die.' On
October 12, Inner City Press
asked the UN Spokesman, now
Deputy Farhan Haq, UN
transcript here,
Inner City Press: I wanted to
ask about Cameroon.
Stéphane has said a couple
times that Mr. [Francois
Lounceny] Fall is… he's
definitely going. The
Government has welcomed
it. It's just a matter
of days. Yesterday, I
spoke to the Permanent
Representative of Cameroon,
Tommo Monthe, and he
said: “Why should he
visit Cameroon?” So, I'm
just wondering, have you
gotten… has… has… one, has the
UN spoken with the Cameroonian
mission here in New
York? Because they
don't, at least according to
that, seem to be on board with
the visit. And two, when
will the visit take
place? And will it
include the Anglophone areas?
Deputy Spokesman: We are
in touch with the Cameroonian
authorities about a
visit. They have agreed
in principle to that, and
we're working out the dates
and arrangements. Inner City
Press: Do you think,
because there… there… there
are commemorations of the 1
October killings scheduled for
this Sunday, 14 October… is…
does he intend to go before
then? Does he… is he
aware of the potential for a
repeat of what took place on 1
October? Because the…
what's alleged now is that
people were thrown out of
helicopters, that live
individuals picked up in the
Anglophone areas were flown in
helicopters and dropped to
their death. Deputy
Spokesman: "We want to
make sure that all parties
respect the rights to freedom
of assembly, the rights to
freedom of expression and, at
the same time, of course, want
to make sure that all protest
is carried out
peacefully. Regarding
Mr. Fall's travels, we'll
provide further details once
we have an announcement to
make." Eight hours later,
nothing. On October 11 Monthe,
his usual talkative self, told
Inner City Press of the
Anglophone zones, "There are
three groups: the corporate
interest... that's good,
that's legitimate... The
second group is hooligan,
that's casseur, the people who
burn the flag... the third
group, they are entering
political campaign.” Of the
recently announced Anglophone
candidate to replace Biya,
Monthe said, "He will have
problem with the secession
people.... traitor. People say
that his father was a
traitor." Inner City Press
asked him about documentary
evidence of money paid to
pro-Biya associations for
support during the General
Assembly week: 'That guy is
now with the tribunal, he
said, 'I'm guilty.' He went to
PNC Bank, we are no longer
with that bank, we sued the
bank..." On Inner City Press'
questions during GA week to
Nigeria's foreign minister,
Monthe said: "Nigeria helps
us, they do not want
Biafra..." We'll have more on
this. When Cameroon's
President for the past 30-plus
years Paul Biya came to meet
Antonio Guterres on September
22, before he went back to the
Hotel Inter-Continental in
Geneva, he was accompanied by
his state media and... Inner
City Press. Biya, still in
Geneva, directed his forces to
use water cannons and more in
Buea, as they shoot to kill
from helicopters in North-West
and South-West Cameroon and
once again cut off the
Internet and social networks,
see below. On October 9 Inner
City Press asked Guterres'
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
about raids on churches,
gunfire from helicopters, and
corporate complicity in
censorship. Video here;
from the UN transcript:
Inner City Press: I want
to ask you about
Cameroon. Over the
weekend, several churches in
Buea and… and other places in
the Anglophone areas were
raided by the military.
And up to 200 people were
arrested, and high bail is
being charged to release
them. There's also now
some footage of the Government
firing from helicopters on
unarmed civilians on the
ground. So I'm
wondering, does the UN still
stand behind this ten dead
figure that was used by Prince
Zeid last week? What… what's
the status of Mr. [Francois
Lounceny] Fall going? And…
Okay. Go ahead.
Spokesman: Sorry.
Mr. Fall and the Government
are in discussion about when
he can go. There was a
team that went last week at
the working level from his
office. But we're still
in discussions with the
Government. The
Government has expressed its
willingness to welcome
him. It's now a matter
of finding the dates. As
for the number of casualties,
I don't have any updated
numbers beyond what our
colleagues at the Human Rights
Office were able to confirm.
Inner City Press: And I wanted
to ask you, you'd said last
week the Internet should be on
and social net… social
networks. So I wanted to
ask you, there's a French
firm, Orange, that has a
Cameroonian subsidiary.
And they've said publicly
that, when the Government
tells them to turn stuff off,
they just turn it off.
They're a member of the Global
Compact. And what I'm
wondering is, does the UN
believe that private telecom
companies that a… ascribe to
these human rights views as
put forth in the Global
Compact should, without notice
to people and in a sort of a
devious way where they say,
sorry for the interruption;
we're working to get it back
on, obey the Government and
turn the Internet off on
people? Spokesman:
"Look, the Global Compact has
processes to which to review
whether or not companies
should remain members of the
Global Compact. That's
existing. That's up to
them to comment on. Our
principled line continues to
be that people should have
access to the Internet, that
the Internet is a critical
tool for which people now
every… in everyday lives to
conduct their lives, not only
to have access to
information. As to the
regulatory framework in each
country and who's responsible
for what, I can't comment on,
but on a… because I don't know
about it, because, obviously,
as a matter of principle, we
feel people should have access
to the Internet." The real
world social network of the
church is also under attack:
for example, on October 8
people in churches in Buea
were arrested en masse.
Commemorations of those killed
to date are scheduled for
October 14, see here.
What is and will be the role
of religious leaders in this
unfolding crackdown? Involved
in the blocking of Internet
and social networks is not
only MTN but also France's
Orange, which has said "our
Group operates in Cameroon
through a subsidiary Orange
Cameroun which complies with
the local legislation and
therefore obeys to any
national security instruction
received from the authorities
in accordance with its
Telecommunications License." Orange
is a member of the UN
Global Compact, which offers
"blue-washing"
of such human rights
violations, as first
reported
by Inner City Press
now for a fee
from
companies like
Orange. (As Inner
City Press has noted
in connection with
Kenya, Safricom's
Bob Collymore is
on the board of
the UN
Global
Compact). The
UN's
insufficient
actions on,
some say even
complicity
with,
censorship and
now mass
killing are growing, and are
increasingly
being raised,
in Geneva and
not only at
the
Inter-Continental
Hotel where
Biya lives
while ordering
killings and
cover ups.
We'll have
more on this.
On
October 7-8,
despite
belated calls
from Geneva
and an
unapologetic
Guterres, restrictions
on movement
and free
association
are being
extended, for
example in Manyu
Division,
Mamfe Town and
elsewhere, see
here.
Will there be
any follow
through by the
UN on its
statements,
or just more
"welcoming" of
Biya? When
will the
already
postponed
visit by the
UN's Francois
Fall occur, to
where and with
whom, and what
will it accomplish? On
October 5
Inner City
Press asked UK
Ambassador
Matthew
Rycroft, who earlier
this year
told Inner
City Press the
UK did not
view the
situation in
Cameroon as a
threat to
international
peace and security
but would
continue to
monitor it, if
the threshold has
been reached
and the UK
will ask for a
UN
Security
Council
meeting.
Periscope
video here.
He said no one
has asked and
the UK
continues to
weigh the pro and
con of putting
it on the Council's
agenda (along
with Myanmar,
Guinea Bissau,
Haiti, Colombia
and others). Earlier
Inner City
Press asked Francois
Delattre, the
UN Ambassador
of France and
President of
the UN
Security
Council for
October, why
he has not yet
convened a
Security
Council
meeting amid
the killings
of civilians
and cutting
off of social
networks
in Cameroon.
Periscope
video here.
Delattre said the
French Foreign
Ministry's spokesperson
has spoken
earlier in the
day, again
calling for
dialogue.
We'll have
more on this.
Guterres'
spokespeople
have three
times refused
Inner City
Press' request
for the UN's
estimate of
how many
people have
been killed by
Paul Biya's
forces since
Guterres
offered him
praise on
September 22.
Now, the US
State
Department
through its
spokesperson
Heather Nauert
has said,
"The United
States is
deeply
concerned
about violence
and the loss
of human life
in protests
that have
taken place in
the Northwest
and Southwest
regions of
Cameroon since
October
1. The
Cameroonian
government’s
use of force
to restrict
free
expression and
peaceful
assembly, and
violence by
protestors,
are
unacceptable.
We urge the
Government of
Cameroon to
respect human
rights and
freedom of
expression,
including
access to the
internet.
We call on all
sides to
exercise
restraint from
further
violence, and
engage in
dialogue for a
peaceful,
durable
resolution."
Tellingly, the
Secretary
General of the
Francophonie
Michaëlle Jean
has while
expressing
"concern" said
that "Violence
should never
be a means of
expressing
grievances."
So Biya, who
is killing, is
doing so to
express
grievances? Or
"pour se fair
entendre"?
We'll have
more on this.
UN High
Commissioner
for Human
Rights Zeid
Ra'ad Al
Hussein said
nothing.
Nothing, from
a man who
issued a
statement
about critical
tweets
directed at a
UN official.
His New York
representative,
as Inner City
Press reported
at the time,
was not
(invited to
be?) present
at Guterres'
now infamous
grip and grin
meet with Biya
on September
22, 2017. What
has been the
role of the
totally
untransparent
UN Department
of Political
Affairs, under
Jeffrey
Feltman?
Today's UN
system is
hypocritical,
and failing.
In Mamfe and elsewhere,
Republique du Cameroun forces
are reportedly shooting people
in the feet and legs to
prevent their peaceful
protest, while Guterres tells
Anglophones to take advantage
of this "opportunity" and be
sure to stay with the LRC
Constitution. Tell that to, as
only one of many examples,
Benjamin Amin, a young
tech-savvy Anglophone who
returned from studies in India
only to be shot and killed by
Biya's forces in Kumba on
October 1. Inner City Press on
the morning of October 3 again
asked Guterres top three
spokespeople, "what is the
UN's estimate of the number of
civilians killed since
September 27? And what is the
UN's awareness of the Cameroon
government's restrictions on
the media and other attempts
to restrict freedom of
association, speech and
belief? Where does the UN
understand President Paul Biya
to be, and his role in these
restrictions? On deadline."
Lead spokesman Dujarric
replied, "On Cameroon, we have
nothing to add to what I said
at today’s briefing" - which,
beyond the previous night's
canned statement, below, was:
"the issue of Special
Rapporteurs is one that the
Secretary-General… that's
outside of the authority of
the Secretary-General. I
think we've had a number of
diplomatic contacts at various
levels with the Cameroonian
authorities. We've
expressed our concern at the
ongoing situation, especially
at the violence and at the
loss of life that we've
seen. We've seen that
the authorities have called
for dialogue, and we encourage
those leaders in the
anglophone community to seize
that opportunity." Who is
seizing whom? Previously with
the UN silent for more than a
day after Inner City Press
submitted written questions to
it on Cameroon - its
High Commissioner for Human
Rights Prince Zeid spoke on
Catalonia but not Cameroon -
Amnesty International issued a
statement that "the reported
unlawful killing of several
people in the Anglophone
regions by the security forces
coupled with the blocks on
Facebook and WhatsApp
represent an extremely
worrying escalation of the
government’s on-going campaign
to silence any form of dissent
in the West and South-West
regions of Cameroon." At the
UN's October 2 noon briefing,
lead UN Spokesman Stephane
Dujarric wasn't there; his
deputy Farhan Haq had nothing
at the top, vaguely alluded to
statements, no answer. Haq
emailed Inner City Press: "On
Cameroon, we are awaiting a
statement, which should come
out shortly; maybe not by
noon, though." By 10 pm, still
nothing. Finally at 10:30 pm,
29 hours after Inner City
Press asked the UN how many
civilians it acknowledged Biya
has killed, the UN issues this
with no estimate: "Further to
his statement of 28 September,
the Secretary-General remains
deeply concerned about the
situation in Cameroon and
strongly condemns the acts of
violence reported in the
South-West and North-West
regions of the country on 1
October, including reported
loss of life. He calls on the
Cameroonian authorities to
investigate these incidents
and urges political leaders on
both sides to appeal to their
followers to refrain from any
further acts of violence, and
to unequivocally condemn all
actions that undermine the
peace, stability and unity of
the country. The
Secretary-General takes note
of the calls by the
authorities for dialogue and
encourages representatives of
the Anglophone community to
seize the opportunity in their
quest for solutions to the
community’s grievances, within
the framework of the
Cameroonian constitution. The
Secretary-General reiterates
the support of the United
Nations for such efforts,
through the United Nations
Regional Office for Central
Africa (UNOCA)." Pathetic. Or
to be more charitable, too
little too late. Meanwhile the
UN's Resident Coordinator in
Cameroon was robo-tweeting
pablum about World
Non-Violence Day, and France's
Ambassador Gilles Thibault was
expressing support to Yaounde
(for flora and fauna). Inner
City Press asked
the UN Resident Coordinator
Allegra Baiocchi for her
response - none yet - noted
the similarity to the UN's
silence in Myanmar
and emailed the UN's top three
spokespeople: " In light of
the government crackdown on
communications and unarmed
civilians in North-West and
South-West Cameroon, after the
UN's readout of September 22
and subsequent statement of
concern, this is a request for
the UN's already belated
response to the government's
killing. How many people does
the UN acknowledge have been
killed? What is the UN, both
the country team and the wider
UN, doing?" The lead spokesman
provided this interim
response: "We will try but may
not have answers until
tomorrow." Inner City Press
has asked that any and all
information be emailed to it
as soon as available. More
than 12 hours later, from the
UN, nothing. Watch this site.
According to the UN read-out,
the September 22 conversation
was entirely positive and did
not mention Biya's abuse of
Anglophones, or human rights
in any way. Now on October 1
Biya's forces have opened fire
from Buea to Ikiliwindi, Mamfe
to Nkwen, Ndu to Nguti. Still,
grainy footage has been sent
to Inner City Press of
Ambazonia independence
celebrations in Bamenda
despite the orders against
freedom of association and
movement, and ultimately
freedom of speech and of
belief. Biya has again
undermined the Internet and
rights to communicate in
Southern Cameroons, to which
Inner City Press after asking
the UN four days in a
row until exclusion now turns.
Here is a letter sent not only
to Inner City Press, but to
the UN Office of the
Spokesperson: "I am writing
from Southern Cameroons. I am
pleading you should use your
high office to stop the
genocide that President Biya
wants to exercise on the
English speaking Cameroonians.
a lot of people have lost
their lives already and yet
the President of Cameroons is
seriously planning to shed
more blood. The truth is
clear, the people of southern
Cameroons (English speaking )
was a country of its own
that legally voted to joint La
Republic of Cameroon. But now
La Republic of Cameroon are
treating these people as if
they colonize them or
conquered them in a war. sir
use your conscience, it could
have been your family going
through what we are going
through. Where is human rights
in the 21st Century where
people of a particular nation
turns to treat their fellow
brothers and sisters as slaves
and the whole world is
reacting as if there is
nothing happening Does it mean
that if tomorrow if I'm in one
top position in the world that
has to deal with the society i
will give deaf ears to a
situation that has to do with
millions of lives ? what is
wrong with the world today?
where is human right? there is
no justice at all? is it that
human lives no longer matters?
Please kindly react to stop
the genocide that is about to
happen in 48 hours." No
response from the UN. Here is
another letter: "Dear Matthew
Russell Lee, Inner City Press:
Accept my greetings and that
of those who can't write to
you. I am writing to you from
Buea, Southern Cameroons. Am
reacting to your articles on
September 28 concerning the
crisis in Southern Cameroons.
The approach of the UN
concerning the Southern
Cameroons and it people,
proves time and again that the
UN must be very corrupt, and
have turned it back against in
commitment to protect human
rights freedoms, and states
sovereignty. How can the
Secretary General be talking
of his to consolidate peace
and the Territorial integrity
of Cameroon, when knows very
well that, the UN holds no
legal treaty that binds the
British Southern Cameroons
with LA Republique DU
Cameroun? I hereby want to
inform you that, I, as well as
an overwhelming majority have
chosen to separate from la
Republique DU Cameroun because
of what we have gone through
in 56 of forced union. If the
government of la République du
Cameroun, considered us
Southern Cameroonians as a
people with the same rights as
Francophones, if the
government wanted to make
peace and resolve this problem
from it core, I think the
repression taking place now
won't have been. While you
published on the Cameroon
crises yesterday, the
government of la Republique DU
Cameroun became violently
repressive and attacked and
beating people their homes,
taking seizing money and smart
phones, and taking them to
jail. As am writing to you
now, six people were shot
yesterday in the town of
Ekona, and a grandmother was
killed by the military in her
home. 14 years old kids are
being arrested and detained in
jails under very cruel
conditions. Since the
beginning of this crises since
November last year, 112 people
have been killed by the
military of la Republique DU
Cameroun. The la République du
Cameroun's government have
been using terrorism blackmail
the peaceful protests. I
hereby call on the Secretary
General to read the the UN
charter on human right and
freedoms, and the right for
self governance." Biya's
renewed attacks on the
Internet have ranged from
Bamenda to Kumbo and Kumba,
but are being circumvented by
VPNs. Meanwhile Inner City
Press is receiving video of
protests in front of the
Inter-Continental Hotel in
Geneva where Biya is staying.
Guterres praised Biya, then
belatedly called on him to
dialogue: while Biya is not
even in the country. His
landing in Geneva: "VP-CAL
used by #PaulBiya, President
of Cameroon (Boeing 777) on
2017/09/26 at 08:56:46." We
ran this sample letter to
Inner City Press: " woke up
this morning and discovered
Internet Services in Cameroon
have somehow been limited. I
am suspected the regime of
Paul Biya have tampered with
the internet service and
Facebook, Twitter,
WhatsApp, VPNs, Vcontact
aren't working. I am sure many
other social media have been
cut off as well.
There have been plans to
celebrate the symbolic
independence of this region
'the Former British Southern
Cameroons' on the 1st of
October 2017. That is on
Sunday and the region have
been heavily militarized by
the Biya regime, Homes of
people invaded, beaten , some
killed, many kidnapped and
with this shutdown to major
social media to which it
is where most of these crimes
are exposed, many have been
fearing a total Genocide that
can be perpetrated on the
people of that region. There
were rumors that, the internet
will be shutdown come 30th
September. The Minister of
Communications made a public
communique two days ago to
say, the internet won't be
shutdown but I guess it was
just a ploy as through some
websites are working, major
social medias ( Facebook,
Whatsapp, Twitter) have been
cut off. Please, make the
world know what is happening
in this region. This is a sly
move to blackout to the world
what atrocities the Biya's
regime is/will be perpetrating
in these regions." In
Fiango, Biya's security forces
have killed, reportedly
Enogene Basile, following
their September 28 killings in
Ekona. Watch this site. Inner
City Press on September 26, 27
and 28 asked Guterres'
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
about these glaring omissions.
The first time, Dujarric
alluded to "private"
diplomacy. Then on September
27 when Inner City Press asked
ask, video here,
Dujarric said that UN envoy
Francois Fall will be going to
Cameroon "next week." On
September 28, Inner City Press
asked Dujarric deputy Farhan
Haq if this would be before or
after October 1, and Haq said
he didn't know. Hours later,
Dujarric's office put out a
statement of concern below,
which many see as too little,
too late, with its emphasis on
territorial integrity. On
September 29, Inner City Press
asked Dujarric not only about
the UN's surveillance of the
Press, on which he refused to
answer referring to the
question to the UN Department
of Public Information whose
chief Alison Smale has refused
to answer basic questions
for a month (now keeping a
close eye on Catalonia, if not
blatant crackdowns in
Cameroon), but also if
Guterres' concern is at
threats to those in Anglophone
Cameroon to stay indoors or be
treated as "terrorists," for
citing UN General Assembly
Resolution 1608. Video here.
Dujarric replied that he
doesn't have "granularity"
about what's being done and
said. But he put this out:
"The Secretary-General is
deeply concerned about the
situation in Cameroon,
including with regard to the
recent security incidents in
Bamenda and in Douala, and
mounting tensions in the
South-West and North-West
regions related to planned
events on 1 October. The
Secretary-General has
encouraged the Cameroonian
authorities to continue their
efforts to address the
grievances of the Anglophone
community. He urges the
authorities to promote
measures of national
reconciliation aimed at
finding a durable solution to
the crisis, including by
addressing its root causes.
The Secretary-General supports
upholding the unity and
territorial integrity of
Cameroon and urges all parties
to refrain from acts that
could lead to an escalation of
tension and violence. The
Secretary-General believes
that genuine and inclusive
dialogue between the
Government and the communities
in the South-West and
North-West regions is the best
way to preserve the unity and
stability of the
country. The
Secretary-General stands ready
to support these efforts,
including through the United
Nations Regional Office for
Central Africa (UNOCA). "
We'll see. On September 26,
Dujarric replied that Guterres
would say there is a time for
public diplomacy, and a time
for private diplomacy. Video
here. Some wonder, how many
people have to die, or what
kind of people, for it to be
time for UN "public"
diplomacy? Earlier on
September 22 Inner City Press
interviewed Southern
Cameroonians out on 47th
Street, then asked Guterres'
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
about people killed that very
day. UN transcript
here and below. The crackdown
is also financial: Biya's
Minister of Finance has
threatened the National
Frincne Credit Bank in Bamenda
with loss of its license for
taking part in the "Ghost
Town" expression of desire for
independence, or in the first
instance a referendum. See
letter here. This
politicization should trigger
action by the "decision making
phere" [sic] written about by
Biya's state
media, the kind of media
that the UN and now its new
head of Public Information
favor over independent
press. From the
September 22 UN transcript:
Inner City Press:
there’s a protest right now of
Southern Cameroonians on 47th
Street, but more importantly,
there’s one in Southern
Cameroon where five people
have been killed today, as
Paul Biya gave his speech, so
I’m wondering… I know
the Deputy Secretary-General
had some interest in the
issue. There’s Mr.
[Francois Lonseny] Fall.
Are they aware of these
protests? Spokesman:
"We’ve seen the reports I
think we would definitely… we
would call on the authorities
to show restraint and ensure
that people have the right to
demonstrate freely." But on
the UN's 27th floor, it was
all smiles. And much later the
UN put this read-out on its
website: "The
Secretary-General met today
with H.E. Mr. Paul Biya,
President of the Republic of
Cameroon. The
Secretary-General appreciated
Cameroon’s hospitality towards
the refugees.
They discussed the latest
political developments in the
country, as well as regional
issues, including Boko Haram
and the situation in the
Central African Republic. The
Secretary commended Cameroon
for its efforts to combat Boko
Haram, and reiterated the
readiness of the United
Nations to support the
Government in all areas." No
mention of the Anglophone
areas, much less the day's
killings. This is a new low,
even for today's UN. UN
Department of Political
Affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman
had left the floor with the
Australian delegation; it was
unclear if any UN Human Rights
official was present. One of
Biya's handlers even signed
the UN visitors book in
advance for him. When Guterres
greeted his next visitor he
did so in French then
apologized, the last meeting
was in French. Back September
19. Guterres ended with two
photo ops. The first was
Paraguay's President Horacio
Manuel Cartes Jara, who spent
a long time writing in the
UN's visitors' book, followed
by a short meeting. Alamy
photos here.
Next and last was Uzbekistan's
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Guterres said pointedly, just
the signature. But something
was lost in translation: he
still started writing. Alamy
photos here.
Then the Press was ushered
out. Already on the way in
before the Paraguay photo op,
the Media Entrance on 47th
Street was locked. The
questions about double
standards of media access,
including retaliatory
restrictions still in place on
the investigative Press while no-show,
no-question state media like
Egypt's Akhbar al Yom have
full access have yet to be
answered by the official now
responsible, Alison Smale.
According to a photographer
allowed into the smaller
"G-200" room, Smale was there
to greet "her" Prime Minister,
Theresa May.
***
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