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By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT NYP

UNITED NATIONS GATE, August 6 –After Paul Biya who has ruled Cameroon for 37 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.

  On July 22 Inner City Press was provided from Yaounde with video a protest in prison by people illegally detained. Inner City Press asked Guterres, his deputy Amina J. Mohammed, his vacationing (in France) spokesman Stephane Dujarric and his deputy Farhan Haq: "July 22-3: On Cameroon, after the SG took Biya's golden statue and UN Budget Committee favors, what are the comments and actions if any from him and separately DSG Amina J. Mohammed on the protests today by those Ambazonians illegally detained in Kondengui Central Prison?"

  While Haq's noon briefing lasted only until 12:14 pm he did not answer this or any other written question from Inner City Press, which published the video here.  Since then Inner City Press has day after day asked Haq, lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric and now missing Antonio Guterres this in writing: " July 25-4: On Cameroon, after the SG took Biya's golden statue and UN Budget Committee favors, what are the comments and actions if any from him and separately DSG Amina J. Mohammed on the protests on July 22 by those Ambazonians illegally detained in Kondengui Central Prison? And the protests since then, amid the SG's typical silence, in the prisons in Buea?"

 On August 6, Haq emailed Inner City Press this, which we publish in full: "On Cameroon, Stephane said the following today:     And I’ve been asked about Cameroon and I can say that we continue to follow the situation in Cameroon closely, including the aftermath of the violent riots in the Yaoundé and Buea prisons that took place late last month and the decision of a number of prisoners to start a hunger strike.     We call on the Cameroonian authorities to ensure that the fundamental rights of all detainees are respected and recall the importance to follow due process.     The National Commission on Human Rights and Freedom is reportedly engaging with relevant authorities in order to meet with the detainees. We hope that this request will be considered favourably." We'll have more on this.

 With the UN still not having responded on the morning of July 23, the current management's mis-use of the SDGs to hide their incompetence, corruption and collusion with dictators is exemplified by this piece of Biya propaganda, straight from the Guterres and Amina J. Mohammed (rosewood) playbook: "Minister Alamine presented the country's situation at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF 2019) in New York, July 18, 2019.  The Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey has presented the country's first Voluntary National Review (VNR) in the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Minister made the presentation on Thursday July 18, 2019, during a side event at the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF 2019) in New York, United States of America.SDGs4, 8, 10, 13, 16, and 17 were under review at HLPF 2019. As concerns education (SDG 4), Minister Alamine said there was an increase in student enrolment and significant progress in access, expansion, and reduction of disparities. Minister Alamine explained that the completion rates of students at first cycle of the secondary level has improved from 53.2 per cent in 2015 to 80 per cent in 2018. The Economy Minister noted that as concerns decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), Cameroon has registered a stable economic growth, over the period 2016-2018, with an average economic growth of 4 per cent per year. The Minister disclosed that the government is working to achieve the 7 per cent economic growth rate required to meet the SDGs. Reducing inequalities (SDG 10) remains a major challenge for Cameroon due to security instability, according to Minister Alamine. But the enhancement of the social safety nets project, to ameliorate the living conditions of the most poor and vulnerable populations, is in view. On climate action (SDG 13), peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 16) and partnerships (SDG 17), the Minister noted that Cameroon is making great strides."

  Yeah - great strides in killing people and trying to censor any reporting or even questions about it.

Inner City Press live tweeted the shameful May UNSC session and uploaded Guterres' envoy Francois Fall's failing statement here.

  More here.

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