As DR
Congo Gives EU
Rep 48 Hours
To Leave
Before Partial
Election UN
Guterres
Refuses to
Answer Press
Questions
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
CJR
Letter
The
Hill
UNITED NATIONS
GATE, December 27 – In the DR
Congo where the UN uses a
"Force Intervention Brigade"
but on which UN Secretary
General Antonio Guterres has
refused to answer questions
from the Press he has banned
for 176 days, voting has been
further postponed into
meaningless in Beni and two
other largely opposition
cities, Butembo and Yumbi. In
Beni UN peacekeepers
reportedly beat back a crowd
protesting their own
disenfranchisement - while
their absentee Commander
Antonio Guterres refused to
answer Press questions about
the DRC partial election (but
issued a statement about the
election the same day in Bangladesh
where, UNlike DRC, the UN has
not yet mis-spent billions of
dollars). Inner City Press has
asked the UN, without
response, "December 27-3: On
DRC, please confirm or deny
that UN Peacekeepers pushed
back protesters in Beni and
state what is the SG's comment
and action on the prospective
disenfranchisement of more
than 1 million Congolese
voters this Sunday." Now
the Kabila government has
retaliated against EU
sanctions on his handpicked
successor by giving the EU's
representative Bart Ouvry 48
hours to leave the country.
And from Guterres, asked day
after day about the DRC by
Inner City Press which he
banned, absolute silence. The
group LUCHA has denounced it,
noting that over 1 million
voters would be disfranchised.
But the UN of SG Antonio
Guterres, who is on a murky
junket stonewalling questions
about his own conflicts of
interest including with the
China Energy Fund Committee,
has not for five hours
answered or responded to this
question from Inner City
Press: "December 26-3:
On DRC, what is the SG's
comment and action on the
postponement and rendering
meaningless the votes in Beni
and two other cities,
postponed until March? How is
that not outright
disenfrachisement?"
The questions
were emailed by banned Inner
City Press, pursuant to USG
Alison Smale's
promise to UNSR David
Kaye they would be answered,
also to, among others, Amina
Mohammed, Marcia
Soares Pinto,
Keishamaza
Rukikaire, Hua
Jiang (who
refers to Hak-Fan
Lau, Mita Hosali, Joachim
Harris and Lydia Lobenthal)
and Maria Luiza Ribeiro
Viotti, who refers to Arnab
Roy and Eihab Omaish - as well
as the Guterres' own email. No
answers, including on the UN
Public Financial Disclosure omissions
by Guterres. Birds of a
feather. The CENI has said,
"“Elections lead to important
movements of voters towards
polling places, thus leading
to concentrations of people
... raising the risk of
propagation of this disease
and providing the conditions
for terrorist attacks.”And
from Guturres, off on a junket
with public costs undisclosed,
has refused also to respond to
questions raised by Inner
City Press'
exclusively
report that
while Guterres
fraudulently
omitted his
role in the
Gulbenkian
Foundation
from his UN
Public
Financial
Disclosure,
Gulbenkian in
2018 was
trying to sell
its Partex Oil
to China
Energy Fund
Committee
which Guterres
refused to
subject to any
UN audit,
preferring to
rough up and
ban Inner City
Press, 175
days now.
We'll have
more on this -
including
anything on
how March 2019
voting in Beni
would count,
and anything
the UN
Security
Council and
its French
penholder says
on these new
frauds. French
led UN
Peacekeping
saying the FIB
to neutralize groups. But when
on November 16 UN Peacekeeping
chief Jean Pierre Lacroix came
to the UN Press Briefing Room
that UNSG Antonio Guterres has
banned Inner City Press from
for 175 days, he did not
specify when their offensive
action was decided on, nor on
which Congolese Army units
they were working with, see
below. On December 21, Inner
City Preess asked Guterres and
his spokesmen Stephane
Dujarric and Farhan Haq:
"December 21-8: On the DRC,
what is the SG's comment and
action on the reported further
delay of the election
scheduled for Dec 23 to Dec 30
and the reasons given? Again,
what FARDC units does MONUSCO
currently work with?" They
never answered, but on
December 22 here is the UN
Security Council statement:
"The members of the Security
Council took note of the
decision by the National
Independent Electoral
Commission of the Democratic
Republic of Congo (CENI) to
delay until 30 December the
Presidential, Parliamentary
and Provincial elections
previously scheduled for 23
December.
The members of the Security
Council reaffirmed its strong
commitment to the sovereignty,
independence, unity and
territorial integrity of the
DRC.
The members of the Security
Council expressed their hope
that this delay will permit
the creation of favourable
conditions for the Congolese
people to express themselves
freely on the 30 December
2018. They called for
continuous dialogue and
transparency with all
political stakeholders during
this period in order to ensure
trust is maintained until the
elections are held.
The members of the Security
Council called on all parties
to engage peacefully and
constructively in the
electoral process to ensure
transparent, peaceful and
credible elections that will
result in a transfer of power
in accordance with the
Congolese Constitution and the
31 December 2016 Agreement.
The members of the Security
Council expressed their
condolences to the families of
the victims, including the
Russian pilots, following the
crash of a CENI-chartered
airplane during electoral
preparation operations. They
further expressed their
support to CENI’s efforts to
ensure all logistical
preparations are made on time
for the election date and
reiterated MONUSCO’s readiness
to provide support if
requested." On December 14
this same UN, via its Human
Rights Commissioner Michelle
Bachelet who says
nothing about targeted
censorship and roughing
up of Press by UNSG
Antonio Guterres who picked
her, issued this: "UN
High Commissioner for Human
Rights Michelle Bachelet on
Friday expressed deep concern
at violence against opposition
rallies this week in at least
three provinces of the
Democratic Republic of Congo
ahead of the presidential
elections to be held on 23
December. Bachelet called on
the authorities to ensure that
these incidents are promptly
investigated, and that “the
rights to freedom of
expression and peaceful
assembly – essential
conditions for credible
elections – are fully
protected.” On 11 December, at
least three men were killed
and several injured after
police reportedly fired live
ammunition and used teargas
and water cannons against an
opposition rally in Lubumbashi
in the Haut-Katanga province.
The convoy of presidential
candidate Martin Fayulu also
reportedly came under attack
by police. In the ensuing
clashes between supporters of
various parties, seven
vehicles, including one
belonging to the Police
Nationale Congolaise were
destroyed and the prosecutor’s
office burned down. On 12
December, Fayulu’s campaign
was again disrupted, this time
in Kalemie, Tanganyika
province. A young woman was
killed and at least nine
others injured, including two
by live ammunition. And
yesterday, in Mbuji Mayi in
Kasai Orientale province, the
provincial governor deployed
soldiers and police officers
on several roads to prevent
people from greeting another
presidential candidate, Felix
Tshisekedi. A 16-year-old boy
was reportedly killed by a
soldier of the Forces Armées
de la République démocratique
du Congo (FARDC).
“I am deeply worried about the
reports of excessive use of
force, including live
ammunition, by security forces
against opposition rallies,”
High Commissioner Bachelet
said. “I am also concerned at
reports of the use of
inflammatory speech by
political leaders.”
“Just days ahead of crucial
elections in the DRC, it is
essential that the authorities
ensure that the rights to
freedom of expression and
peaceful assembly are fully
protected and that they take
all possible measure to
prevent violence." But
Bachelet, rarely at her ostensible
place of work in Geneva, is
silent on Guterres' assault on
freedom of the Press, his
Security having roughed up
Inner City Press and now
stonewalling on the complaints
filed with the UN Department
of Safety and Security and
OIOS. She didn't even respond
when Guterres' UN DSS openly "barred"
Inner City Press, seemingly in
retaliation for having
complained about being roughed
up by UN Lieutenant
Ronald E. Dobbins and five
others unnamed, from the
December 10 event by her New
York deputy Andrew Gilmour and
video statements, dripping
with hypocrisy, from her and
Guterres. This is today's
UN.On the morning of November
23 Inner City Press in writing
asked Guterres, missing in
action, Amina J. Mohammed,
Alison Smale and spokesman
Dujarric who didn't sign his
November 23 statements
including on Pakistan, the
following: "November 23-1: On
DRC, please immediately
confirm or deny that the UN
has suspended any of its
peacekeeping operations in
Semliki, and separate state
who in the UN vetted the 3302
Regiment of the FARDC and if
any safeguards were put in
place regarding human rights
violations." Hours later, no
answer. Lacroix is fending off
this report from his MONUSCO's
former spokesman. Inner City
Press at noon asked in writing
Guterres, his deputy, his
spokesman Stephane Dujarric,
his deputy Farhan Haq and
Alison Smale who promised such
questions would be answered
six including these: "November
19-1: On DRC, please
immediately state how many UN
system personnel have been
withdrawn from Beni and
explain the discrepancy
between what WHO (and a former
MONUSCO spokesman) say ("#RDC
According to the #Beni press,
45 UN staff, including 17
#PAM, 19 WHO and 9 UNICEF
executives have left Beni for
temporary re-deployment in
Goma. This comes 24 hours
after the attack of the
Battalion base of Malawi
#MONUSCO Beni.") and Mr
Lacroix's “"The whole of UN,
WHO-led operations against
Ebola continue in and around
Béni, with strong support of
MONUSCO which is reinforcing
protection in Béni &
carrying out operations
against armed groups."
November 19-2: Further on Mr
Lacroix and DRC, since I was
banned from attending his Nov
16 press conference, please
immediately state which FARDC
units the Malawi and Tanzania
FIB forces were working with
and how they were vetted."
Eight hours later, nothing,
nothing at all. But Lacroix
haad issued a denial: "The
whole of UN, WHO-led
operations against Ebola
continue in and around Béni,
with strong support of MONUSCO
which is reinforcing
protection in Béni &
carrying out operations
against armed groups." This
while Lacroix, in Cairo,
declined to answer banned
Inner City Press' online
questions
here,
including
about reported
rapes by
Cameroon
peacekeepers
in CAR, still
no answer from
Lacroix or the
UN. We'll be
continuing to
ask: Antonio
Guterres the
censor doesn't
get to choose
who covers the
UN. On
November 16 amid softball
questions, the excuses given
didn't add up or raise more
questions: the UN peacekeepers
don't know how to fight in the
jungle. They don't speak the
language. They rotate out too
quickly and re-training has to
start again. How can the UN be
this ineffective after so many
years and billions of dollars
spent in DRC? Lacroix let drop
that there are captured ADF
combatants and he'll get
information from them. Does
his and Guterres' UN know or
care if torture is used? No
one asked. Guterres' UN is
corrupt. In Mali's Gao a
compound of the UN Mine Action
Service was the target of an
attack claimed online by
Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam
wal-Muslimin (JNIM) as against
forces from the UK, incoming
UN Security Council member
Germany and UNSC candidate
Canada. Inner City Press,
still banned from the UN for
the 132nd day by UNSG Antonio
Guterres, asked in
writing: After the noon
briefing it was banned from,
Guterres' deputy spokesman
sent the following, seemingly
clunkily translated from
French: "On question Nov.
13-3, we have the following to
say: The UN Mission in Mali,
MINUSMA, and the UN Mine
Action Service (UNMAS) report
that a suspected car bomb
detonated at a mine action
implementing partner's
compound in Gao in Gao region
yesterday evening. Two
civilians were killed as well
as nine UNMAS demining partner
personnel and several
civilians were wounded in the
attack.
The Mission dispatched support
on the ground, including
attack helicopters, to assist
Malian security forces. The
wounded are being treated at
MINUSMA's Level II hospital."
So will there be a UNSC
statement? Guterres, after a
junket in Lisbon and speeches
in Paris in DC for an award by
a deceased investor. When does
the UN's work get done? Back
in last October two UN
peacekeepers from Burkina Faso
were killed and four from Togo
injured in two attacks, the UN
Mission MINUSMA first said.
Now this from the UN Security
Council, which even still
banned by UNSG Antonio
Guterres for the 115th day we
publish in full: "The members
of the Security Council
condemned in the strongest
terms the attacks perpetrated
on 27 October 2018 against the
camp of MINUSMA in Ber
(Timbuktu region) and against
a convoy of MINUSMA near the
town of Konna (Mopti region),
which resulted in two
peacekeepers from Burkina Faso
killed and several
peacekeepers from Burkina Faso
and Togo injured.
The members of the Security
Council expressed their
deepest condolences and
sympathy to the families of
the victims, as well as to the
Government of Burkina Faso and
to MINUSMA. They further
expressed solidarity to the
Government of Togo. They
wished a speedy and full
recovery to those who were
injured. They paid tribute to
the peacekeepers who risk
their lives.
The members of the Security
Council called on the
Government of Mali to swiftly
investigate this attack and
bring the perpetrators to
justice. They underlined that
attacks targeting peacekeepers
may constitute war crimes
under international law. They
stressed that involvement in
planning, directing,
sponsoring or conducting
attacks against MINUSMA
peacekeepers constitutes a
basis for sanctions
designations pursuant to
United Nations Security
Council resolutions.
The members of the Security
Council reaffirmed that
terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations constitutes one
of the most serious threats to
international peace and
security. They
underlined the need to bring
perpetrators, organizers,
financiers and sponsors of
these reprehensible acts of
terrorism to justice. They
stressed that those
responsible for these killings
should be held accountable,
and urged all States, in
accordance with their
obligations under
international law and relevant
Security Council resolutions,
to cooperate actively with all
relevant authorities in this
regard.
The members of the Security
Council reiterated that any
acts of terrorism are criminal
and unjustifiable, regardless
of their motivation, wherever,
whenever and by whomsoever
committed. They reaffirmed the
need for all States to combat
by all means, in accordance
with the Charter of the United
Nations and other obligations
under international law,
including international human
rights law, international
refugee law and international
humanitarian law, threats to
international peace and
security caused by terrorist
acts.
The members of the Security
Council reiterated their full
support to the Special
Representative of the
Secretary-General for Mali and
Head of MINUSMA, Mahamat Saleh
Annadif, MINUSMA and the other
security presences in Mali and
in the Sahel region, as
mentioned in resolution 2423
(2018).
The members of the Security
Council expressed their
concern about the security
situation in Mali and the
transnational dimension of the
terrorist threat in the Sahel
region. They urged the Malian
parties to fully implement the
Agreement on Peace and
Reconciliation in Mali (“the
Agreement”) without further
delay. They noted that the
full implementation of the
Agreement and the
intensification of efforts to
overcome asymmetric threats
can contribute to improving
the security situation across
Mali. They underlined that the
efforts of the Force Conjointe
of the G5 Sahel to counter the
activities of terrorist groups
and other organized criminal
groups will contribute to
create a more secure
environment in the Sahel
region.
The members of the Security
Council further stressed the
importance of MINUSMA having
the necessary capacities to
fulfil its mandate and promote
the safety and security of the
United Nations peacekeepers,
pursuant to Security Council
resolution 2423 (2018).
The members of the Security
Council stressed that these
heinous acts will not
undermine their determination
to continue to support the
peace and reconciliation
process in Mali." In a press
release only in French,
auto-translated, the UN
Mission said, "This morning at
dawn, the MINUSMA peacekeepers
based in Ber in northern Mali
in the Timbuktu region,
repelled a complex attack
launched simultaneously by
several pickups armed with
rocket launchers and machine
guns and others charged with
explosives, and pursued the
attackers. A few hours later,
in Konna in the Mopti region,
MINUSMA peacekeepers were also
attacked by improvised
explosive devices (IEDs).
According to an initial
assessment, two peacekeepers
were killed and several others
wounded. The Special
Representative of the
Secretary-General and Head of
MINUSMA, Mr. Mahamat Saleh
Annadif expressed his
indignation against this
attack by the enemies of
peace. "I strongly condemn
this brutal attack which will
not undermine our
determination to support Mali
in its march towards peace. "
he added. On behalf of
MINUSMA, Mr. Annadif extends
his condolences to the
families and loved ones and to
the Government of the killed
soldiers and wishes a speedy
and complete recovery to the
wounded.
He recalls that attacks
against peacekeepers can
constitute war crimes under
international law. "The
perpetrators of these crimes
must be prosecuted and paid
for their actions," he added."
RIP. Inner City Press asked,
What is the nationality of the
fallen peacekeepers? Hours
later, from the UN spokesman
who did not answer a single
one of Inner City Press'
twelve written questions on
October 25 and 26, this:
"Preliminary reports indicate
that the attack against the
camp in Ber resulted in two
peacekeepers from Burkina Faso
killed and eleven others
injured, and that four
peacekeepers from Togo were
injured in the attack in
Konna." The day after UN
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres' guard first
physically ousted Inner City
Press which was covering
Guterres' June 22 Eid speech
and his failures in Cameroon,
corruption
and reform,
Guterres appeared in
Washington for a Portuguese
luncheon and to meet Mike
Pompeo, to whom he bragged
about his trip to Mali. On
August 12 in the Mali
presidential run-off election
polling stations were torched
and (reported here
by Studio Tamani, funded
by Fondation Hirondelle),
electoral workers reported
killed, in Fituga,
administrative
region of / cercle
de Niafunké
and in Diaptodji,
cercle de Douentza.
Even before the opposition
leader called on Malians to
"rise up," see below, On
August 12 Inner City Press:
When and how would Guterres,
after in a belatedly disclosed
July 11 meeting having as now
exclusively exposed
by Inner City Press promised
to help Cameroon crack down on
negative Press, "speak out" on
Mali? On August 20 -
after Guterres through his
ex-NYT Global Communicator
Alison Smale issued a lifetime
ban against Inner City
Press which wouldn't stand up
even in IBK's Mali, US State
Department spokesperson
Heather Nauert issued this:
"The United States commends
the people of Mali for their
participation in the
presidential election on July
29 and the runoff on August
12. The elections were a
demonstration of their
commitment to democratic
values and we congratulate
President Ibrahim Boubacar
Keita on his reelection.
We condemn the violence and
threats that prevented some
Malians from voting.
The United States and Mali
maintain a lasting friendship
and share the goals of peace
and prosperity in Mali.
We look forward to continuing
to work together to overcome
the serious challenges Mali
faces from terrorism, to
promote development, and to
fully and rapidly implement
the Algiers Accord for Peace
and Reconciliation in Mali."
Guterres' UN cannot be
believed. And clearly is not
listened to: in Bamako,
opposition candidate Soumaila
Cisse has said he will reject
the results and called on
Malians to "rise up." At his
party's HQ he said, "The fraud
is proven, this is why there
are results we will not
accept. I call on all Malians
to rise up... We will not
accept the dictatorship of
fraud." But Guterres
apparently will, as he does
elsewhere like in Cameroon. On
August 15, Guterres spokesman
- censor Dujarric is back -
issued this: "The
representatives
of the
International
Community
based in
Bamako
reaffirm their
support for
Mali and
commitment to
the Malian
authorities
and people for
a calm and
respectful
post-election
process.We
remind the two
candidates of
their
commitments to
peaceful
campaigns
before and
after the
electoral
process.
We strongly
encourage the
candidates and
their
supporters to
use legal and
constitutional
channels to
settle
disputes. The
International
Community
stands with
Malians across
the political
spectrum who
are working
together to
advance
democracy,
build
prosperity,
and strengthen
governance and
security in
their great
country. We
will continue
to work with
the elected
government of
Mali for a
lasting peace
and true
security
throughout the
country.." Back
on June 23, the US State
Department put this out: "The
Secretary and the
Secretary-General discussed
the success of the Singapore
Summit, efforts to
denuclearize the Korean
Peninsula, Libya, peace in the
Middle East, and the
Secretary-General’s recent
trip to Mali." On Mali, just
as when Guterres was bragging
about it at an Eid event his
security physically evicted
the Press from, it is unlike
Guterres raised in DC since he
didn't in Mali the UN
child rape there, and
now the finding of mass graves
attributable to the Malian
military the UN supports. Now
after Guterres' Security more
violently ousted Inner City
Press from covering the UN
Budget on July 3 and Guterres
has banned it since, on July
27 Inner City Press asked
Guterres' spokesmen in
writing, "In Mali, on 20 July,
the Union for the Republic and
Democracy (URD) announced the
existence of a parallel
electoral register that would
include nearly 1.2 million
fictitious voters, out of 8
million registered voters.
What is the UN's comment,
including given its MINUSMA
mission there?" Despite
Guterres' Global Communicator
Alison Smale's claim that
Inner City Press' questions,
albeit only by e-mail, are
being answered, this one
wasn't answered except to say
"ASK MINUSMA." Symbolic of the
UN's decay and cult of
personality under Guterres, it
was Monday, July 30 at 6 am
New York time, long after the
polls closed in an an election
described as grim that
featured rocket attacks in the
north that the MINUSMA that
vacationing Dujarric told
Inner City Press to contact
put out a two day old
statement by Guterres about "on
the eve of
these polls,
which are
important for
peace and
reconciliation
in Mali, the
Secretary-General
is encouraged
by the overall
peaceful
climate."
After the voting, on Monday
July 30 still banned from the
UN by Guterres Inner City
Press outside the UN Delegates
Entrance asked at least five
Security Council delegations
if there will be a Council
statement on this Mali
election. Kazakhstan's
Permanent Representative
Kairat Umarov, who is aware of
Inner City Press' exclusion,
politely asked, Today? I don't
know so. This was repeated by
Political Coordinator and
charge d'affaires Stephen
Hickey of the UK, president of
the Security Council in
August. The US representative,
perhaps not authorized, did
not say anything. We'll have
more on this. For the July 30
UN noon briefing Inner City
Press was banned from, for the
27th day in a row, Inner City
Press submitted questions in
writing including "July 30-3:
On the elections in Mali,
given the SG's statement in
advance, what and from where
is his comment on the rocket
fire and irregularities?"
After the briefing Inner City
Press was banned from, and in
which no one present asked
about Mali, Haq sent this:
"our peacekeeping colleagues
say that yesterday’s
presidential election in Mali
was conducted in most of the
country in a peaceful manner
and it is hoped that the vote
tally will be held in a
transparent manner leading to
results acceptable by all.
However, a number of violent
incidents and other
difficulties prevented voting
from taking place in 644 of
4,632 polling stations in the
north and centre of the
country, according to the
Government.
In addition, our peacekeeping
mission in the country,
MINUSMA, reports that
yesterday afternoon,
unidentified armed men
launched 10 mortar shells
against the MINUSMA camp in
Aguelhok, Kidal Region. No
casualties or damage was
reported. A MINUSMA Quick
Reaction Force and other
security personnel already
patrolling outside the city
were dispatched to the area."
This is Guterres' UN, which
throws critical media in the
street and goes on vacation:
"The Secretary-General is
closely following developments
in Mali ahead of the
presidential election
scheduled to take place on 29
July 2018.
On the eve of these polls,
which are important for peace
and reconciliation in Mali,
the Secretary-General is
encouraged by the overall
peaceful climate that has
characterized the electoral
campaign to date, despite
continued security challenges
in the north and center of the
country.
The Secretary-General calls on
all Malians to maintain the
peaceful course, thereby
ensuring that Sunday’s
elections serve as an
important celebration of
democracy. The
Secretary-General urges all
political actors in Mali to
commit to making this poll a
peaceful, free and transparent
process, and to resolve any
possible dispute through the
appropriate institutions in
accordance with the law.
The Secretary-General stresses
that peace and reconciliation
for all Malian citizens must
prevail, irrespective of the
electoral outcome.
The Secretary-General
reiterates the commitment of
the United Nations to
supporting the electoral
process in Mali.
Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman
for the Secretary-General, New
York, 28 July
2018."
Lead Spokesman Stephane
Dujarric, like Smale and
Guterres himself, is on
vacation, as the Press remains
banned by them. This is
today's rotten UN.
This while Guterres lets his
own guards oust the press then
has a spokesman who said you
can only ask UN Security about
it. It seems Guterres is a
corrupt censor. Five UN
Security officers, most with
automatic weapons, pushed
Inner City Press' reporter out
of the UN on June 22 as it was
filming and preparing to write
about Secretary General
Antonio Guterres' claims about
his visit to Mali, where he
didn't even inquire into a
recent case child rape by a UN
Peacekeeper. With the event
still ongoing, Inner City
Press was approached by UN
Lieutenant Dobbins and told
that since it was just past 7
pm it had to leave the
building.
That is not
the rule, nor the practice; in
any event, the Guterres Eid al
-Fitr event listed in the UN
Department of Public
Information was still ongoing,
making it unquestionable that
Inner City Press had a right
to be in the UN and cover it.
But
even as Inner City Press
dialed DPI's Media
Accreditation and Liaison
Unit, getting only voice mail,
Dobbins made a call and UN
“Emergency Response Unit”
officers arrived, with barely
concealed automatic weapons.
One of them repeatedly pushed
Inner City Press' reporter in
the back, forcing him through
the General Assembly lobby
toward the exit. Periscope
video here.
Longer YouTube (40 min) here.
UN
Under Secretary General
Catherine Pollard was told the
ouster and did nothing, as was
a Moroccan diplomat. The
heavily armed UN Security
officers refused to give their
names when asked. Lieutenant
Dobbins, with no name plate on
his uniform, refused to spell
his name. He said, I have my
orders. From who - Guterres?
His Deputy SG or chief of
staff, both of whom were at
the event? DSS chief Drennan?
DPI chief Alison Smale?
Inner City Press repeatedly
asked to be able to get its
laptop computer, which was
upstairs - there was no way to
have known it would be ousted
during Guterres' event.
But
Dobbins and the others
refused, as did the UN
Security officers at the gate.
Inner City Press remained
there, with dwindling cell
phone battery, raising the
issue online to Smale, under
whose watch Inner City Press
has remained in the
non-resident correspondent
status it was reduced to for
pursuing the Ng Lp Seng UN
bribery case into the UN press
briefing room where Guterres'
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
ordered it out, then had it
evicted. A DPI representative,
whom Inner City Press asked to
call Smale, was unable or
unwilling to even let Inner
City Press go in escorted to
get its laptop.
Just
in the past week, when Inner
City Press complained of
Dujarric providing only to Al
Jazeera the response of
Antonio Guterres to the US
leaving the UN Human Rights
Council, Dujarric and the Al
Jazeera trio claimed to MALU
that the coverage was “too
aggressive.” Journalism is not
a crime? Next week, Antonio
Guterres is set to give
remarks, to which Inner City
Press has requested the right
to cover response, to the UN
Correspondents Association,
which not only has not acted
on this censorship, but has
fueled it.
Inside the
UN the Eid event continued,
alongside a liquor fueled
barbeque thrown by UN
Security. This DSS sold
tickets to non resident
correspondents, and allowed in
people who had nothing to do
with the UN, including some
seeming underage. When Inner
City Press audibly raised the
issue to UN Safety and
Security Service chief Mick
Brown, he did nothing.
The
Moroccan diplomat emerged and
chided Inner City Press for
even telling him of the
ouster, claiming that “25% of
what you write is about
Morocco.” Pakistan's Permanent
Representative, who hosted the
Eid event, said she would look
into it. Sweden's spokesperson
asked whom to call in DPI and
when Inner City Press said,
Alison Smale, responded, Who
is Alison Smale? Indeed.
Smale has
refused to respond in any way,
in the eight months she has
been Guterres' “Global
Communications” chief, to a
5000 signature petition to
restore Inner City Press to
its unused office S-303 and to
adopt content neutral media
access rules going forward.
That, and appropriate action
on Lt. Dobbins and the others,
must be among the next steps.
Watch this site.
***
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