To
Cameroon UN Guterres Gives
Medal While Banning Press As
UN Peacekeeping Ignores Menka
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Video,
II
UNITED NATIONS,
June 1 –
Amid the worsening crackdown
by the army of 36-year
Cameroon president Paul Biya
in the country's Anglophone
areas, in April a video
circulated depicting soldiers
burning down homes. Click here
for one upload of it. Noted by
many residents and activists:
blue helmet of the type used
by UN peacekeepers. On April
30 Inner City Press asked UN
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres' spokesman Stephane
Dujarric about the video, the
day after publishing a story
about it, in Google News.
April 30 Q&A video here;
transcript below. On June 1,
the UN's "Peacekeepers' Day,"
Guterres handed an award to
Cameroon's Ambassador in a
ceremony Inner City Press was
told it could not enter, while
state media from Morocco and
other countries were allowed
in. Tweet here.
Two hours later the head of UN
Peacekeeping held a press
conference. Inner City Press
asked him about the lack of
vetting of troops from Sri
Lanka and Cameroon. He
answered on Sri Lanka - while
entirely ignoring Inner City
Press' question about
Cameroon. Video here.
This is today's UN of Antonio
Guterres. Amid the killings in
Menka - Santa, a 15 year
sentence imposed on Mancho
Bibixi for "acts of terrorism,
hostility against the
homeland, secession,
revolution and insurrection."
Whose homeland? From the UN,
which put a cap on questions
on May 25 while Antonio
Guterres once again on the
road, absolutely nothing. Dead
silence. On May 29, Inner City
Press asked Guterres'
spokesman Stephane Dujarric,
video here,
UN transcript here:
and below. On May 30, Dujarric
waited until the day's noon
briefing to read out this
answer, after which Inner City
Press asked if UN will make
Biya government's explanation
of Menka if any public, and if
UN's Francois Lounceny Fall is
involved. No; video here.
Dujarric for the UN read out:
"I have been asked about the
violence in the Anglophone
region of Cameroon in recent
days, and I can say that we
are aware of the clashes
between the Cameroonian armed
forces and unidentified armed
men in the town of Menka, in
the North-West Anglophone
region of Cameroon, on 24 May.
We express our condolences to
the families of the victims.
The United Nations country
team is in contact with the
authorities to clarify the
circumstances of the incident.
We call for an end to acts of
violence in the Anglophone
regions of the country and
urge all Cameroonians to work
together on an open and
inclusive dialogue to address
the concerns of the population
in those regions. We also call
on the Government to use
restraint in the use force and
follow due process for those
who are arrested.
In this regard, we are aware
of the sentencing on 28 May of
seven Anglophone activists for
up to 15 years by a military
court in Yaoundé for rebellion
and acts of terrorism." It
wasn't May 28 - Inner City
Press asked if it was a typo,
no answer. From the May 29
transcript: Inner City
Press: I wanted to ask you a
follow-up on your Cameroon
north-west and south-west
announcement. Just
before the weekend, so
Thursday or Friday, there were
several dozen people killed in
some villages called Menka and
Santa. The pictures
were… are all over the
Internet, including bodies
being rolled into a mass
grave. I'm just
wondering what is the relation
between this? Does the
country team, are they unaware
of these reported…?
Spokesman: I think they
are aware of these
reports. It's not areas
to which they have access
to. Obviously, the
continuing violence in the
situation in those areas has
created more displaced
people. I will get our
guest who sounds like he is
already having a good time."
Yeah, a good time. On May 21
Inner City Press asked UK
Deputy UN Ambassador Jonathan
Allen when his Mission will at
least request a briefing in
the UN Security Council about
Cameroon, given the targeted
killings and the questions put
to UK Minister for Africa
Harriet Baldwin in the House
of Commons and her answer.
According to the UK
transcript, Inner City Press
asked, "One question on
Cameroon: There was a national
day held. Many people didn't
participate or were forced to
participate. And I know that
Harriet Baldwin was asked in
the House of Commons about it.
Does the UK intend at any
point to request a briefing
under any other business or
otherwise at the UN in the
Security Council on targeted
killings?" Ambassador Allen
replied to Inner City Press,
"We are talking to the
government of Cameroon, of
course. And we are discussing
with our colleagues, including
here, the situation that is
going on over there. At this
stage we haven't made any
request to put it on the
Security Council agenda. We
keep it under review." Video here. Under review for how long,
amid burning and looting of
villages? Now to the criticism
of summary executions, there's
an attempt to stir up - or
find - supporters of Paul
Biya. In this
sample TV clip, it is asked
rhetorically, Where is civil
society? Where are the
political parties? Where are
the intellectuals? Maybe
support for Paul Biya is not
what he thinks. As to the
claim Cameroon will never be
DRC, Libya, CAR or Cote
d'Ivoire, it is understandable
that like North Korea's Kim,
Biya would not want to go the
way of Gaddafi. But is the
argument that Cote d'Ivoire is
a colony? Any more than
Cameroon? We'll have more on
this. On May 20 Paul Biya had
Nigerian soldiers parade
before him in Yaounde.
Nigerian Lieutenant Colonel
Mochtar Sani Daroda said the
troops were requested by Biya
to participate. Meanwhile in
Bamenda, University students
were forced by Biya's official
to parade the penalty of
expulsion. It was no
celebration in, for example,
Bangem, Kupe Muanenguba,
Konye, Batibo and Ekona. Last
week US Ambassador Peter
Henry Barlerin
not only noted the
government's targeted killings
but also how long Biya has
been in power - more than
thirty years - and "suggested
to the
President that
he should be
thinking about
his legacy and
how he wants
to be
remembered in
the history
books to be
read by
generations to
come, and
proposed that
George
Washington and
Nelson Mandela
were excellent
models." Biya's
spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary
has fired back from
Libreville: "We do not accept
the infantilization of the
Cameroonian nation. It is with
full knowledge of the facts
that they put their ballot in
the ballot box."
Infantilization? For an
85-year old ruler for
35-years? Some National Day.
We have see the ghost towns.
On May 16, the Governor of
Cameroon's North-West Region
issued an order "advising"
Anglophone residents to remain
indoors or relocate for their
own safety from May 18 to at
least the dubious May 20
"nation day." But France, the
sponsor and protector of all
this killing, issued a
congratulations, from
ostensibly post FrancAfrique
president Emmanuel Macron. He
urged “strict respect for the
unity” of Cameroon, in a
congratulatory letter to Biya.
Unlike others who acknowledged
the undeniable, Biya's
targeted killings and burning
of villages, Macron denounced
“crimes targeting
representatives of the state”
- like those who engage in
torture, even on video. Macron
wrote that “Cameroon is a key
partner for France, and I hope
that our relations will be
even stronger in the future."
Macron supported the killing
just as he accuses others of.
The UK, which many say
abandoned the Anglophones of
the former British Southern
Cameroons, in a ghoulish
intra-colonists' trade with
France, has issued a warning
for May 19-20 to British
citizens in the Anglophone
zones, here.
The UK has denied in full
Inner City Press' request
under the Freedom of
Information Act UK about
Cameroon, and is delaying on
Inner City Press' appeal.
This comes as questions have
been raised in the UK House of
Commons - but not by the UN in
the UN Security Council (that
unspoken deal with France
again). MP Jessica Morden,
Labour for Newport East,
requested answers from Harriet
Baldwin Minister
for Africa. Baldwin's answer
does not explain why the UK
has not even requested an Any
Other Business briefing in the
UN Security Council, where it
has a Permanent seat, about
Cameroon. Baldwin's statement:
“I am delighted Mr. Speaker
that she has managed to get
this important issue on the
Order Paper and for discussion
here in the House of Commons
because it is a serious
situation, there violence from
all sides in Cameroon, we are
extremely concerned about the
situation. And we are
encouraging the government but
all Cameroonians to
participate in the process of
inclusive dialogue. It’s an
election year and this must
take place without resorting
to violence." And nothing
requested in the UN Security
Counicl by the UK, as others
point to the governments targeted
killings and burning and
looting
of villages. We'll have more
on this. Earlier, on May 17,
Inner City Press asked
Guterres' deputy spokesman
Farhan Haq, UN transcript here: Inner
City Press: on this right to
assemble and protest.
Yesterday, I had asked you
about this video in Cameroon
of a person being tortured and
you said it couldn't be
authenticated, but a general
statement. Since the
army has identified who the
person in the… depicted
in the video is, has Mr.
[François Louncény] Fall not
issued any comment on
it? And the second one
is, now in the run-up to the
supposed National Day on 20
May, which many people don't
see as the National Day,
there's an order from the
Governor of Northwest region
telling people to leave their
towns because the army is
coming in and that's why
I'm asking a follow-up to
yesterday's question. Is
there anyone in the UN system
observing now the ordering of
people out of their towns, and
how does that impact the right
to protest that you've just
described?
Deputy Spokesman: Well,
our envoy François Louncény
Fall is the person seized of
this matter. If he has
any specific comment, I'll let
you know about that.
Right now, what I can say
about that is, as I had
mentioned yesterday, we would
be concerned about any use of
force against people engaged
in exercising their rights to
peaceful assembly and peaceful
protest.
Inner City Press: Right, but
just one more… And
again, I'm saying because
there's a press release
by the military of Cameroon,
identifying who the person
depicted in the video is, so
what happens next? Does
DPKO (Department of
Peacekeeping Operations) ask
Cameroon which unit did
it? What's your
investigation of it?
What happens once an army is
actually --
Deputy Spokesman: As I
believe I explained to you
yesterday, when we receive
people from peacekeeping
contingents, we vet them
thoroughly to make sure that
the individuals and their
units are not linked to any
violations of human rights;
and that would be the case
with troops coming in from
Cameroon." Really? In mid-May,
a video
emerged depicting Paul Biya's
Army torturing a captive,
which they say to be Tsobonyi
Alphonse Tatia a/k/a "Title
Man" or "General," the name
used as soldiers whipped his
feet, kicked him in the back
and stood on his head. Will
those giving military support
and equipment to Cameroon take
note and stop? Will the UN
which took Biya's golden
statue and in essence covered
up the refoulement from
Buhari's Nigeria belatedly
speak up? On May 16, Inner
City Press asked Guterres'
deputy spokesman Farhan Haq,
video here,
UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: the
Cameroonian Army stepping on a
man's head and beating the
bottom of his feet, so I'm
wondering, it's a pretty
widely… in Cameroon, it is
seen by many, many people, and
given that Mr. [Francois
Lounceny] Fall was attempting
to, I guess, provide good
offices between the anglophone
areas and the capitol, maybe
you've heard from him, does he
have any comment on this video
that seems to be… put an end
to any belief of dialogue?
Deputy Spokesman: Well,
we continue to hold out the
hope that there will be
dialogue among the
parties. Mr. Fall has,
as you know, in past months
reached out to the various
participants, trying to see
what he can do in that
regard. We have no way
of verifying the authenticity
of this video. But we
would be disturbed by any
signs of torture and, of
course, we would urge all
parties, including the
security forces, to refrain
from such acts.
Inner City Press: The
ministry… thanks a lot.
The Ministry of Defence put
out a press release about the
video, and I just wanted to
know, in cases where an army
is at least initially
depicted, unless it's somehow
debunked, as being engaged in
torture, what does DPKO
[Department of Peacekeeping
Operations] do to ensure
either that it's not using the
same units who did it, the
same individuals who did
it?
Deputy Spokesman:
on the general principle, what
we do is that our peacekeeping
departments, that is to say
the Departments of
Peacekeeping Operations and of
Field Support, are engaged in
making sure that all
individuals and all units that
are engaged in peacekeeping
operations are fully vetted,
and so we go through those."
On May 9, Inner City Press
asked Guterres' spokesman
Dujarric about reports that
the Biya government is
hindering humanitarian aid to
fleeing Anglophones.
Dujarric... laughed. He
laughed at length. Video here.
Then he called Inner City
Press "self-centered." In
between, he issued a typical
Guterres canned statement of
concern - this from or for an
official who took Paul Biya's
golden statue and now seeks to
handpick which journalists can
cover Guterres, or bans the
use of Periscope even when
UNTV is filming, here. In
Yaounde, the UN's Food and
Agriculture Organization has
sent a new resident
representative, to replace
outgoing Nigerian UN official
Mal Moussa Abari. It is Athman
Mravili, a native of the
Comoros, whose Twitter feed
consists of retweets of his
boss, critique of the US
administration on North Korea,
and various virtue-signaling
progressive causes. If he's so
progressive, what about Biya's
slaughter in the Anglophone
zones / Ambazonia?
We'll have
more on this. Biya is locking
up journalists; for now what
Guterres does is have "his" UN
Security hinder the Press,
including most recently on May
5 here,
Inner City Press which has
asked about Cameroon and the
statue he took since it
happened. Now a Biya military
tribunal on April 10 ordered
that Akumbom
Elvis McCarthy,
a news broadcaster for Abakwa
FM Radio, a privately owned
broadcaster based in the
Bamenda region, be remanded in
custody for a renewable
six-month period while police
investigate claims that the
journalist aired "secessionist
propaganda." So much for free
speech and freedom of the
press. The Cameroon
Journalists’ Trade Union, SNJC
in Cameroon has called on Biya
to drop all charges against
Anglophone journalists Mancho
Bibixy and Thomas Awah Junior,
both jailed at the Kondengui
prison in Yaounde.
The SNJC made the call in
Douala on World Press Freedom
Day, when Guterres' UN was
engaged in censorship,
complete with a barely audible
video message from traveling
Guterres. The two are due back
in court on May 8. Mancho
Bibixy, a journalist and
history teacher was arrested
in Bamenda in January 2017
after leading a "coffin
revolution" on the streets to
protest against the state of
roads. Dzenyagha Thomas Awah
Junior was also arrested in
Bamenda during the same period
and transferred to Yaounde for
allegedly being in possession
of SCNC documents. Ah, freedom
of the press, under direct
attack in Cameroon and
persistently hindered and
undermined in the UN of
Antonio Guterres and his
Global Communicator Alison
Smale. They've made their
restrictions on Inner City
Press pervasive, including
requiring minders and blocking
access, refusing to answer petitions:
call it soft censorship. From
the April 30 UN transcript:
Inner City Press: a video
emerged over the weekend from
Cameroon showing or depicting
soldiers burning people's
homes in the Anglophone areas,
and what… what a lot of people
focused on is that one of
them, at least, is wearing a
blue helmet. I don't
think it means the UN is doing
it, but I do wonder, what are
the rules? I wanted to
ask you, what are the rules if
people have served in UN
peacekeeping missions… have
you seen the video?
Spokesman: "I haven't
seen that particular video, so
I can't comment on the
particular helmet, whether it
was just blue or a UN
helmet. We have seen, in
different parts of the world,
various security forces and
army… we've seen reports of
them using equipment that they
own, which had been painted
white or blue and reused
domestically. It is a
responsibility to ensure that
no equipment that has UN
markings is ever used in any
domestic operation. But,
again, I'm not… that's a
matter… that's an issue of
principle. I haven't… I
can't comment on that specific
report." Hours later, still
nothing.
The lack
of confidence in the UN in
these areas, and on this
issue, was inflamed as UN
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres in October 2017
stopped by Yaounde on his way
from the Central African
Republic (where the UN pays
Biya's government for
peacekeepers who have been
charged with sexual abuse).
Guterres did not meet with any
opposition figures, and
accepted a golden statue from
Biya.
Guterres'
envoy Francois Lounceny Fall
has publicly said that
secessionist are extremists,
the word used by Biya to
justify the scorched earth
strategy exemplified by the
video. Inner City Press asked
UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights Prince Zaid why his
Office hasn't updated the
death figures and he claimed
it was because the UN has no
access.
Guterres'
humanitarian Assistant
Secretary General Ursula
Mueller visited Cameroon, but
not the Anglophone areas.
(Inner City Press asked her
why, here).
Human Rights Watch didn't even
include Cameroon in its 2018
“World Report,” and told
Inner City Press this is
because it does not view it as
among the 90 most serious
problems in the world.
Guterres' Deputy Secretary
General Amina J. Mohammed as
in Abuja in her native Nigeria
when 47 Cameroonians were
illegally sent back by the
Buhari government. Buhari will
be in Washington on April 30
and a protest of Ambazonians
is planned. Earlier in April,
Inner City Press asked
the US State Department about
the refoulement to Cameroon
and received a day later a
statement. But what will
happen on this video, and on
the underlying issues? Watch
this site.
***
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