In Other Media-eg New Statesman, AJE, FP, Georgia, NYT,  Azerbaijan, CSM Click here to contact us     .

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video here, Vine here

UNITED NATIONS GATE, February 10 -- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says he has a "zero tolerance" policy for sexual abuse, exploitation and harassment, and for retaliation. But when Inner City Press asked Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq on 15 March 2018 about Michel Sidibé's reported threats of retaliatory investigations against those making and offering support to sexual harassment complaints at UNAIDS, Haq said this is entirely a matter for UNAIDS.

Earlier Inner City Press story here; exclusive publication of whistleblowers' international condemnation of retaliation and favoritism in Sidibe's UNAIDS, below. On 6 February 2019, the 217th day Guterres has banned Inner City Press, the UN at 5 pm put on its website another allegation about UN sexual exploitation, this time in the Central African Republic Haq's boss Stephane Dujarric had just been praising in connection with new rep Mankeur Ndiaye that day at noon. This time, unlike the protected Nigerian in South Sudan, below, the nationality was disclosed: Serbian. But everything else is "pending." This is not disclosure.

On the morning of February 7 Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres, Alison Smale, Amina J. Mohammed, Farhan Haq and Dujarric who joked that it was Friday, "February 7-1: On UN Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, please immediately provide the additional if-asked information about the new case(s) in CAR by the Serbian peacekeeper - and the long requested information about the Cameroonian peacekeepers' alleged rapes in CAR and explain why this has not been provided for eight weeks. Please now provide on the new South Sudan and 3-month old Cameroon rape cases all further if-asked information about these abuses, as for example you did when asked in person by those not banned from the previous briefing about the Nigerian peacekeeper(s)."

And even worse than in the initial period of their banning of Inner City Press which asks - others don't - there has been no answer at all, days later, nor to this Inner City Press question: "February 8-2: On CAR and impunity, what is the comment and action of the SG, and separately the new SRSG, on opposition to  a clause in the "peace" agreement that reportedly calls for the suspension of prosecutions of those accused of abuses during the conflict?"

When Guterres with the President of the CAR at the African Union summit on February 10 this was the read out issued by his spokesman Stephane Dujarric: "The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Faustin Archange Touadéra, President of the Central African Republic.  The Secretary-General and the President discussed the political process in Central African Republic. The Secretary-General congratulated the President for the signature of the peace agreement between the Government of the Central African Republic and armed groups on 6 February.  The Secretary-General stressed the importance of the continued engagement of the Central African authorities and regional and international partners in the implementation phase of the agreement. The Secretary-General expressed hope that the population could rapidly benefit from concrete peace dividends."

Silence on the UN's sexual abuse of CAR citizens, and on impunity. This is Guterres' UN covering up sexual exploitation and the burying of accountability. We'll have more on this. On 21 January 2019, the 201st day Guterres had banned Inner City Press, the UN put on its website another allegation about UN sexual exploitation, this time in South Sudan by an International with no nationality disclosed, photo here. Inner City Press asked Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq spokesman on January 22: "January 22-2: On UN Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, please immediately provide the additional if-asked information about the new case(s) in South Sudan, including stating why the nationality of the alleged perpetrator was withheld - and the long requested information about the Cameroonian peacekeepers' alleged rapes in CAR and explain why this has not been provided for eight weeks. Please now provide on the new South Sudan and 2-month old Cameroon rape cases all further if-asked information about these abuses, as for example you did when asked in person by those not banned from the previous briefing about the Nigerian peacekeeper(s)."  More than four hours later no answer at all despite lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric's on camera promise. Before this new low in censorship, Haq would email the canned if-asked information in response to Inner City Press' emailed question. Now nothing, nothing at all from the UN Spokesperson's Office for ten working days - and they count on none of those allowed into Guterres' cover up briefing by Dujarric to even ask about UN rapes. The cover up is complete, and disgusting. To this new low has Guterres brought the UN. On December 4, the 153rd day Guterres had banned Inner City Press -- the UN data dumped after four pm another case of sexual exploitation, this time in South Sudan where Guterres who has not disclosed the nationality of this UN "Volunteers" has issued a canned statement about others' sexual abuse. Photo here, along with another case on which the UN is not disclosing even the nationality of the accused.  This non-provision of if-asked information is completely contrary to the promise by Guterres' Global Communicator or Censor Alison Smale to UNSR David Kaye. Guterres' UN including Dujarric functionally cover up UN rapes. On November 5 Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric quickly read out new allegations of UN sexual exploitation and abuse. No one in the room asked about the 24 alleged child rape (one late set of softball questions were lobbed); Dujarric said all the information, including for previous periods for comparison was in his office and immediately available to those he HASN'T had roughed up and banned from the UN: Dooj's Stooges. Inner City Press immediately emailed him, his deputy, Guterres' Global Censor Alison Smale, Amina J. Mohammed, Maria Luiza Viotti, Hua Jiang and others: "This is a request to immediately be emailed the UN sexual exploitation and abuse data rattled off in the noon briefing Inner City Press remains banned from, and reiterates UNSR David Kaye's 20 July 2018 question what is the appeals process for this ban, still not answered." The briefing ended with Dujarric joking with his softball interlocutor, to whom he'd said "Vannina in my office has more information," video here, presumably gone and returned Vannina Maestracci. But when Inner City Press emailed Dujarric and his deputy for this additional information, the deputy Farhan Haq sent no additional information, claiming "The data provided below is exactly  the same as the data shared with the accredited press.  For comparisons, please look at the Conduct and Discipline Unit website, which includes previous data." But that's only peacekeeper, not civilian staff information, much less UNSC authorized forces. What's the additional information that Dujarric said Maestracci has? From the past, before Dujarric and Guterres had Inner City Press roughed up and banned: one, two, three strikes and you're out. .. On October 24 - UN Day, and the 112th day Guterres has banned Inner City Press -- the UN data dumped at 11 am a rape charge against a UN Volunteer in DR Congo, as recent as August 2018. Photo here. But no one let into the UN noon briefing even asked about it, or any question about anything in Africa where the UN - and Guterres' son Pedro Guimarães e Melo De Oliveira Guterres - raise their money.

***

Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

Past (and future?) UN Office: S-303, UN, NY 10017 USA
For now: Box 20047, Dag Hammarskjold Station NY NY 10017

Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

 Copyright 2006-2019 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com for