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By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT NYP

UNITED NATIONS GATE, May 28 –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 French spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who put up then took down a podcast in which he brags about his "mutually assured destruction" relationship with journalists, here.

 Now Biya's office has put out a statement that, if true, reflects even more badly than expected on the Organization de la Francophonie: "the OIF SG recalled that Cameroon is a “base country” for Central Africa and needs peace and stability. She promised Cameroon can count on the support of La Francophonie since the organization is willing to help the country find solutions to its current challenges “in a useful way.” Useful to mass killing? The now OIF SG  Louise Mushikiwabo, in her previous role, Inner City Press interviewed inside the UN all the way back in 2012, here - before Guterres and his French spokes- / hachetman Stephane "Pizza" Dujarric had Inner City Press roughed up and banned now 328 for being unuseful - to his corruption. We'll have more on this.

In destruction news, in the village of Ikata in SW Cameroon on April 26 Paul Biya's soldiers shot unarmed civilians including a woman named as Glory, and burned houses down. While Guterres' UN does nothing about the outrage of Nigeria sending back to military custody refugees and asylum seekers, Julius Ayuk Tabe and nine others are expected in court on Monday April 29 where their hearing continues but they have now released a statement through their defense team saying they will not be appearing.  Their lawyers say given the fact that they have taken the matter to Appeal court all proceedings at a lower jurisdiction (military tribunal) must be halted as per the law on criminal proceedings.  The lawyers have since appealed a decision by the Military tribunal to judge the detained leaders in Cameroon despite the fact that they are refugees and asylum seekers. One would have thought that former UNHCR chief Guterres would not collude in this, but that was before the golden statue and UN Budget Committee deals with Biya's ambassador Tommo Monthe.  Guterres is killing what's left of the UN's credibility with his corruption and no due process censorship. Of course, Guterres and Dujarric won't answer questions from Inner City Press not only about Cameroon but even about how 27 new Resident Coordinators are being recruited. Their UN is increasingly corrupt. Guterres' envoy Mohammed Ibn Chambas is ghoulishly lavishing praise on Cameroon and Amina J. Mohammed's Nigeria, which illegally refouled 47 to Cameroon, and on himself for what he called “remarkable progress” in demarcating the disputed Cameroon-Nigeria maritime border over the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula.  Obeying international law on non-refoulement? Not so much. But Big Tony doesn't care about that, quite the contrary. Chambas gushed, “The UN is doing everything it can to continue to make progress,” in Yaounde, after briefing Cameroonian Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute.  “We have not allowed anything to stand in its way. In spite of the rough terrain and security challenges, the work continues,” Chambas added.  Chambas, also chairman of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission (CNMC), continued: “The work that is left is something that can be managed as long as the good faith between the two sides remains." Like illegally sending back Ayuk Tabe and 46 others, while Amina J. Mohammed and Antonio "Golden Statue" Guterres say nothing. Inner City Press on the morning of March 15 asked  Guterres and Dujarric this: "On Cameroon, what is the SG's comment and action if any on that 26 people who were arrested in Cameroon in January during protests called by opposition leader Maurice Kamto have been given one-year jail terms for “illegal gathering and demonstration” or just planning to take part in a non-political demonstration? What does the UN say about the reported murder of civilians by Biya's forces yesterday in Sop and Melim?" This comes as, even for a press freedom even in the UN Inner City Press was invited to and had a ticket for, Guterres' guards physically pushed Inner City Press out of the UN on March 14 and refuses to show the "barred" list they promised to show. Birds of a feather, flock together: Guterres and Biya. On March 8, when the UN was bragging about International Women's Day while refusing for example to answer Press questions about the rapes by Cameroonian "peacekeepers" in CAR, Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres, Amina J. Mohammed, Alison Smale and Stephane Dujarric: "March 8-1: On Cameroon, what is the SG's comment and action if any on the holding over of barrister Michele Ndoki, whom the government previously shot, on charges like Maurice Kamto of 'rebellion'?" More than a day, no answer at all. The impact of the golden statue and UN Budget Committee favors continues - #DumpGuterres. Now the World Bank is shoveling in money for a dubious dam project: "The Cameroonian President authorized last February 22 the economy minister, Alamine Ousmane Mey, to sign a loan agreement with World Bank’s subsidiary, the International Development Association (IDA), for an amount of €24.5 million, or XAF16.3 billion." How much will go for Biya's hotel bills in Geneva, paid in cash? The UN World Health Program's Matshidiso Moeti praised Biya, saying he treats members of the public with kindness and compassion.'" Paul Biya and compassion? That's like Antonio Guterres false claim to care about and comply with freedom of the press. Doctor, heal thyself.

  More here.

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