After
Cameroon Leak
Said PR Van
Oosterom
Thanked
Lobbyists Now
Skype Hearing
on WOB Appeal
By Matthew
Russell Lee, CJR Letter Denial
UNITED NATIONS
GATE, November 22 – As the
Cameroon
government of
36 year
President
Paul
Biya prepared
for today's
re-coronation
to a seventh term by
slaughtering
civilians in
the Anglophone
regions as well as in
the North,
it
re-engaged Washington
lobbying firm
Squire Patton
Boggs, on a
retainer
of $100,000 per
quarter
plus
expenses, documents
show. The
UN belatedly
acknowledged
to Inner City
Press,
which UN Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres had
roughed up on
July 3 right
after it spoke
to Cameroon's
Ambassador Tommo
Monthe, that
Guterres met
with a
Cameroon
delegation on
July 11. Guterres'
spokesman
Farhan Haq has
three times
refused to
answer Inner
City Press e-mailed
question
whether
Guterres was
aware his
meeting was
stage managed
by lobbyists
at Patton
Boggs, and
what was
discussed.
While
suspended but
before the UN
outrageously
purported to
impose a
lifetime ban
on entry,
Inner City Press
asked the same and
more to the Dutch
Mission to the
UN, in
writing and in
person. (And
now has its
"WOB"
appeal set for
a hearing,
albeit by Skype,
below, as now
Dutch
Ambassador
Karel von
Oosterom and his
Spokesman
refuse to
answer any
Inner City
Press
questions,
unlike other
UNSC
Ambassador,
November 19
video here.)
After
Guterres banned
Inner City
Press from entry from
July 3 onward,
in order to report
on the UN
Inner City
Press had to
seek answers
other than at
the UN Noon
Briefing and UN
Security
Council
stakeout
position, from
which Guterres
and Smale also banned
it. Inner
City Press
asks question
in front of
the UN
Delegates
Entrance, and
has gotten
about put
online
responses
from, among
others,
outgoing UN
Human Rights
Commissioner
Zeid,
Burundi's
Ambassador,
and on August
20, for
example, a diplomat
on the North
Korea
sanctions committee -- whose
Dutch chair
Karel van
Oosterom refused
to comment.
This
stakeout
is where Inner
City Press asks
questions only because
Guterres and
Smale have
banned it since
July 3. But in
her August 17
letter, Smale
justifies the
ban
imposed July 3
with this
post-July 3
interviews,
and says that
UNnamed
member states -
and somehow
correspondents -
have
complained.
Is that
Dutch
Ambassador
Karel van
Oosterom? Inner
City Press
submitted a
FOIA or WOB
request -
and now an
appealon which
there will be a
Skype hearing,
including
based on October 7
election
irregularities and the
denial's evasion on
Dutch role in
UN censorship
which now
includes a
secret barred
list which
violations
applicable
law, see
below.
First, the
request:
"This is
request under
the WOB /
Dutch Freedom
of Information
act for the
following
records as
that term is
defined in
WOB, including
but not
limited to all
electronic
records,
emails,
text/SMS
message and
communications
in any form,
involving the
Netherlands
Mission to the
UN in New York
since August
15, 2017
regarding
Cameroon
and/or
Southern
Cameroons and
all meeting
including Amb
van Oosterom's
July 11
meeting with
Cameroonian
ministers, all
responses to
communications
received about
Cameroon
including but
not limited to
Inner City
Press'
communications
of
July 14, 2018
to "Eybergen,
Bas van"
NYV@minbuza.nl
Frits.Kemperman [at] minbuza.nl,
NYV-COM@minbuza.nl, Oosterom
and Kaag
July 25, 2018
to the same
recipients;
and August 12,
2018 to the
same
recipients;
and multiple
verbal
questions to
your PR and
DPR since July
3.
To
explain the
last part of
this request,
the head of UN
Dep't of
Public Info
Alison Smale
in issuing a
lifetime ban
to my on
August 17
wrote "“We
would also
note your
conduct at the
entrances of
the United
Nations
premises and
nearby,
including the
use of
profanities
and derogatory
assertions and
language
toward
individuals
accessing the
United
Nations, in
close
proximity to
them. Video /
live
broadcasts of
this are
frequently
published on
the Inner City
Press' website
and other
media
platforms.
This conduct
gives rise to
potential
safety
concerns for
Member State
diplomats...The
conduct
described
above has
generated
multiple
complaints to
the United
Nations from
Member
States."
Given
Ambassador van
Oosterom and
his Deputy
PR's flat
refusal to
answer or even
acknowledge
the Cameroon
questions I
asked them at
the Delegates
Entrance
stakeout, most
recently Amb
van Oosterom
on August 20
about North
Korea (on
which other
delegations
answered,
despite PR van
Oosterom being
the chair),
this is a
request for
all record
that reflect
or are related
to any
communications
by the Dutch
Mission to the
UN about
questions or
comments
received at
the
stakeout(s).
Given the
situations in
Cameroon and
South
Cameroons, I
and Inner City
Press asked
for expedited
processes of
this request."
And we
received back this:
"Bedankt voor
uw e-mail.
Afhankelijk
van de aard en
inhoud van uw
bericht kunt u
binnen twee
werkdagen een
reactie
tegemoet zien.
Uw kenmerk is
E3487878
Met
vriendelijke
groet,
Informatie
Rijksoverheid
Thank you for
your e-mail.
Depending on
the nature and
content of
your message
you can expect
a reply within
two working
days.
Your reference
is E3487878
Kind regards,
Public
Information
Service,
Government of
the
Netherlands."
But now
on September
20, another
extension: "
Date September
2Oth 2018
MinBuza-2018.1035870
Re
Postponement
notice in
relation to
Wob
application
Dear Mr. Lee,
By email of
August 22th
2018 you
submitted an
application to
my Ministry as
referred to in
section 3,
subsection 1
of the
Government
Information
(Public
Access) Act
(Wet
openbaarheid
van bestuur;
WOB)
concerning
PVVN meetings
regarding
Cameroon.
The Wob
provides that
a decision
must generally
be taken
within four
weeks after
receipt of the
application,
but may be
deferred by
four weeks. It
is not
possible to
decide on your
application
within four
weeks because
more time is
necessary to
ensure that
the decision
is taken with
due care. On
the basis of
section 6 of
the
WOB 1 am
therefore
extending the
time limit for
deciding on
your
application by
four weeks.
1f you have
any questions
concerning the
status of your
application
and the time
limit for
dealing with
it, please
contact
DJZ-NR.
Yours
sincerely,
For the
Minister of
Foreign
Affairs,
the acting
head of the
Netherlands
Law Devision
of the Legal
Affairs
Department,
mr. drs. ie" But
having received
no documents on
October 22, still banned
but watching
van Oosterom say how
he would tweet each of
the ten
points in his
UN Security
Council
speech, Inner
City Press
itself tweeted
that it had no
WOB response.
Minutes
later an email
from his Alternate
Political
Coordinator
Charlotte van
Baak with a letter
dated October
17, five
days before,
denying access
to any documents
at all. Letter
here
on Patreon,
here
on Scribd.
Netherlands
Denies Press
Ac... by
on Scribd
This is the text:
"Mission of
the Kingdom of
the
Netherlands to
the United
Nations 666
Third Avenue,
New York 10017
www.netherlandsmission.org
Contact Bas
van Eybergen
Date
October 17,
2018 WOB
Request on
Cameroon
Dear Mr Lee,
In your email
of 8/22/18 you
requested
information on
Cameroon,
invoking the
Government
Information
(Public
Access) Act
(Wet
openbaarheid
van bestuur;
WOB).
The documents
you requested
concerned "all
electronic
records,
emails,
text/SMS
message and
communications
in any form,
involving the
Netherlands
Mission to the
UN in New York
since August
15, 2017
regarding
Cameroon
and/or Southem
Cameroons and
all meeting
including Amb
van Oosterom's
July 11
meeting with
Cameroonian
ministers, all
responses to
communications
received about
Cameroon
including but
not limited to
Inner City
Press'
communications."
Statutory
framework Your
application
falls within
the scope of
the Government
Information
(Public
Access) Act.
Specification
of documents
In response to
your
application,
the following
documents have
been found:
- Internal
emails from
August 2017
until October
2018
External
emails from
August 2017
until October
2018 A
preparatory
document for a
meeting with a
delegation of
another UN
member state,
dated 07/12/18
One
instruction of
the Ministry
of Foreign
Affairs to the
Permanent
Mission, dated
10/12/18 Two
reports of the
Permanent
Mission to the
Ministry of
Foreign
Affairs, dated
08/23/18 and
10/14/18
Decision I
have decided
not to
disclose the
requested
documents.
Please find
the
considerations
for my
decision in
the next
paragraph.
Considerations
Intemal
Consultations
Section 11,
subsection 1
of the WOB
provides that
where an
application
concerns
information
contained in
documents
drawn up for
the purpose of
internal
consultation,
no information
will be
disclosed
concerning
personal
opinions on
policy
contained in
them.
It is apparent
from the
history of the
legislation
that the
phrase
"documents
drawn up for
the purpose of
internal
consultation'
should be
deemed to
include papers
drawn up by
civil
servants, the
ministry's
senior
management and
political
leadership,
correspondence
within a
ministry and
between
ministries,
draft
documents,
meeting
agendas,
minutes,
summaries and
conclusions of
internal
discussions
and reports of
civil service
advisory
committees. As
regards these
documents, the
intention to
treat them as
documents for
internal
consultation
must either be
expressly
apparent or
reasonably
surmisable.
This
limitation of
the duty of
disclosure has
been included
in the WOB
because it is
necessary to
ensure that
civil servants
and any
external
participants
taking part in
the internal
discussions
and involved
in formulating
and preparing
policy do not
feel
constricted in
doing so. They
must be able
to communicate
entirely
frankly among
themselves and
with
government
ministers.
Only the
positions
actually
adopted by the
administrative
authority are
relevant
constitutionally.
Personal
opinions on
policy include
views,
opinions,
comments,
proposals and
conclusions,
together with
the arguments
put forward in
support of
them.
The internal
emails have
been drawn up
for the
purpose of
internal
consultation
and contain
personal
opinions on
policy. I have
decided not to
disclose any
information of
those internal
emails, as I
do not
consider that
public
disclosure of
the positions
taken
individually
by civil
servants would
be in the
interests of
effective,
democratic
governance. I
therefore see
no reason to
disclose.
Interational
relations
Section 10,
subsection 2,
opening words
and (a) of the
WOB provides
that data
should not be
disclosed if
the interest
in disclosure
is outweighed
by the
interest in
maintaining
relations
between the
Netherlands
and other
States or
international
organisations.
The history of
this provision
shows that
this ground
for refusal is
intended to
prevent a
situation in
which a
statutory duty
to disclose
information
would have the
effect of
harming Dutch
international
relations. In
order for this
provision to
be applied, it
is not
necessary for
deterioration
of good
relations with
other
countries to
be expected.
It is instead
sufficient if
the provision
of information
is likely in
some ways to
make
international
contacts more
difficult, for
example if
maintaining
diplomatic
relations or
conducting
bilateral
consultations
with countries
would be
harder than
before or if
people in
these
countries
would be less
inclined to
provide
certain data
than
previously.
The external
emails, and
the documents
dated
07/12/18,
10/12/18,
08/23/18 and
10/14/18
include
information
that could
harm the
international
relations of
the
Netherlands. I
have therefore
decided not to
disclose them.
Yours
sincerely,
Charlotte van
Baak Alternate
Political
Coordinator of
the Permanent
Mission of the
Kingdom of the
Netherlands to
the United
Nations in New
York."
Is this
Freedom of
Information in
The Netherlands
- every
document
withheld, by
one's own
subordinate?
And so
on October 24,
to the
Mission and Ministry's Legal
Adviser
Mirnel Comic,
Inner
City Press has
filed this
appeal:
"NOTICE OF
OBJECTION
October 24,
2018
This is a
formal notice
of objection
to / appeal
from the total
denial of my
22 August 2018
WOB request.
After repeated
delays, the
response from
the Dutch
Mission to the
UN only
mentions one
part of my
request, on
Cameroon, and
on that denies
access to
every single
documents,
external as
well as
internal, with
a logic that
would make the
Ministry of
Foreign
Affairs
entirely
exempt from
the WOB,
clearly not
the
legislative
intent.
Beyond the
shameful
denial of all
Cameroon
related
documents, the
belated
response
troublingly
does not
mention this
portion of my
request: “the
head of UN
Dep't of
Public Info
Alison Smale
in issuing a
lifetime ban
to my on
August 17
wrote "“We
would also
note your
conduct at the
entrances of
the United
Nations
premises and
nearby,
including the
use of
profanities
and derogatory
assertions and
language
toward
individuals
accessing the
United
Nations, in
close
proximity to
them. Video /
live
broadcasts of
this are
frequently
published on
the Inner City
Press' website
and other
media
platforms.
This conduct
gives rise to
potential
safety
concerns for
Member State
diplomats...The
conduct
described
above has
generated
multiple
complaints to
the United
Nations from
Member
States."
Given
Ambassador van
Oosterom and
his Deputy
PR's flat
refusal to
answer or even
acknowledge
the Cameroon
questions I
asked them at
the Delegates
Entrance
stakeout, most
recently Amb
van Oosterom
on August 20
about North
Korea (on
which other
delegations
answered,
despite PR van
Oosterom being
the chair),
this is a
request for
all record
that reflect
or are related
to any
communications
by the Dutch
Mission to the
UN about
questions or
comments
received at
the
stakeout(s).”
This was and
is not limited
to questions
about Cameroon
but rather any
documents
related to the
area around
the Delegates
Entrance Gate
and related to
freedom of the
Press,
communications
with UN
Department of
Public
Information /
Global
Communications
or UN
Security. The
invocation of
the exemption
used implies
the
Government, or
at least
Mission, wants
secrecy in
order to lobby
for the
censorship the
UN is engaged
in. I demand
expedited
treatment of
this appeal,
in that the
withdrawal of
my media
accreditation
amid questions
on Cameroon
and other
topics has
morphed into a
seemingly
lifetime ban
on a secretary
“barred” list
that the UN
claims is an
internal
document [video
here]
even
with respect
to people on
it. This is a
violation of
human rights,
including
EU/EC rights.
I demand
expedited
treatment,
also after
irregularities
in the
Cameroon
elections of
Oct 7, for
this notice of
objection."
And now (on October 30) from The
Hague and not like the
response from
the very
Mission
questioned
this
acknowledgement
of appeal and
timeline:
"Dear Mr. Lee, I
hereby
ackowledge
receipt of
your notice of
objection to
the decision
on your Wob
request dated
8/22/18. I
would like to
draw your
attention to
the handling
period for
your notice of
objection. You
receive a
decision or
adjournment
notice within
six weeks of
the day on
which the
deadline for
submitting the
notice of
objection
expired. In
the event of
an adjournment
notice, the
decision on
your notice of
objection will
be adjourned
for a maximum
of six weeks.
Met
vriendelijke
groeten, /
With kind
regards,
Edith
Kraaijeveld Administratief
medewerker"
And on November
22 - US
Thanksgiving -
this:
"Dear Mr. Lee,
Your objection
will be dealt
with in
accordance
with the
provisions of
the General
Administrative
Law Act
(Algemene wet
bestuursrecht;
Awb). This
means that,
provided your
notice of
objection
satisfies the
requirements
of the Awb,
you in
principle have
the right to
be heard on
the matter of
your
objection.
With a view to
establishing a
objections
committee for
the purpose of
a hearing,
please inform
me before
December 1st
2018 whether
you wish to
exercise the
right to be
heard in
accordance
with section
7:2 of the
Awb. This
hearing will
take place by
Skype.
If you do not
indicate
before this
date that you
wish to
exercise this
right, no
hearing will
take place.
Met
vriendelijke
groeten, /
With kind
regards,
Edith
Kraaijeveld
Administratief
medewerker
Ministerie van
Buitenlandse
Zaken
Directie
Juridische
Zaken
Afdeling
Nederlands
Recht
Ministry of
Foreign
Affairs
Legal Affairs
Department |
Netherlands
Law Division
(DJZ/NR)."
Inner City
Press on
Thanksgiving
replied: "This
is to confirm
that I do
hereby assert
my right to be
heard in
accordance
with section
7:2 of the
General
Administrative
Law Act and to
pursue these
records I have
been seeking
for months.
Please
advise." Watch
this site.
Earlier,
Inner
City Press
asked the Netherlands'
Mission's two
spokespeople Bas van
Eybergen and
Frits
Kemperman as well as
the Mission's
general
e-mail address
since Ambassador
von Oosterom's
e-mail, like that of
Minister Sigrid
Kaag who
used to block
Inner City
Press on Twitter but
to her credit
stopped,
bounces back:
"This follows
up on Inner
City Press'
previous
written
questions, and
questions I
have asked at
the UN
Delegates
Entrance since
I have now
been banned
from entering
the UN for 40
days after
being roughed
up by UN
Security while
covering the
UN Budget
meetings on
July 3: I
have obtained
the Cameroon
government's
version of
their meeting
with, as they
list it in
their memo: -Mr.
Karel J. G.
Van OOSTEROM,
Permanent
Representative
of the
Netherlands, and
I am hereby
request your
Mission's
version /
read-out of
the meeting. I
would also
like to know
if you were
aware that the
meeting was
stage managed
by Washington
based lobbying
firm Squire
Patton Boggs,
paid $100,000
a quarter by
the Paul Biya
government,
and if your
mission has
had other
meeting this
year arranged
by paid
lobbyists (if
so, please
disclose
them).
Finally, for
now, I am
again
informing your
Mission that
my roughing up
and ban from
the UN was
without basis
(I was allowed
to stay to
stake out that
advised Budget
Committee
meeting under
the UN
Guidelines)
and that the
supposed
review being
conducted has
had no due
process. See,
e.g., July 30
Columbia
Journalism Review, here (citing
Cameroon and
Yemen, another
others) and
August 11 Fox
News, here,
on the shifting
of the UN's
Kafkaesque
"review."
I was
interviewed
only once,
back on July
10, by UN
Security in
the basement
of the UNITAR
building, only
about portions
of July 3.
Your mission
has stood by
during this 40
days of
censorship in
contravention
of your
government's
purported
positions on
freedom of the
press and
protection of
journalist.
This is a
request on
deadline that
you explain,
and take
action." Still
nothing.
Inner
City Press has
obtained the
Cameroon
government's
internal memo
about the
lobbying,
including of
Guterres and
what he said,
and this,
regarding Mr.
Karel J. G.
Van OOSTEROM,
Permanent
Representative
of the
Netherlands: "they
appreciated
the initiative
of the Head of
State to send
this Mission
to the UN. The
move has
helped in a
better
understanding
of the
situation on
the ground,
instead of the
one-sided
information on
the social
media...Some
members
recognize the
strategic
position of
Cameroon and
her leadership
role in the
sub region...
REMARKS AND
PERSPECTIVES
Maintain a
direct link
between our
Government and
the UN, by
constant
High-level
Missions.
Adopt and
adapt an
aggressive
Communication
strategy,
especially
with the
Anglo-Saxon
press.
Get our
Permanent
Mission all
documentation
to distribute
on a permanent
basis."
UNSG Guterres
said that the
("Anglo-Saxon")
media is
unfair to Paul
Biya's
Cameroun and
that he,
Guterres,
will help them in the
"propaganda
campaign."
Guterres said
he "will
contact
reasonable
people" and "counter
the daily
press briefs."
Guterres
has kept Inner
City Press
banned from
the UN and its
daily press
briefings for
1
40 days, with
the prospect
of a longer or
permanent ban
by his
conflicted, UK-national
Under
Secretary
General for
Global Communications
Alison Smale
(see Fox
story here;
Smale refused
comment.)
Here's from
the Cameroon
government's
memo: "THE
DION
NGUTE/GHOGOMU
PAUL MISSION
REPORT
High Level
Mission to the
USA
(11 – 20 July
2018)
Delegation
Members:
H.E Dr DION
NGUTE Joseph,
Minister in
charge of
Missions at
the
Presidency,
H.E GHOGOMU
Paul MINGO,
Director of
the Prime
Minister’s
Cabinet,
H.E MBAYU
Felix,
Minister
Delegate to
MINREX, in
charge of the
Commonwealth,
Mr. CHINMOUN
Oumarou,
Director of
American and
Caribbean
Affairs at the
MINREX, and
Mme EYEMA
ELINGE Susan
epse EWUSI,
Research
Officer at the
Presidency....
NEW YORK
Meeting with:
H.E Antonio
Gutteres,
Secretary
General of the
UNO
The Delegation
was helped in
the
organization
of audiences
by the
Cameroon
Permanent
Representative
to the United
Nations, H.E
TOMMO MONTHE.
At each
audience, we
presented the
historical
background of
the
socio-political
crisis in the
North West and
South West
Regions of
Cameroon. We
also briefed
our hosts on
the current
situation in
the two
Regions, and
explained the
measures taken
by the
Government to
address the
crisis.
We insisted
that it was an
internal
crisis for
which the
Government had
mobilized all
necessary
security,
political,
social and
humanitarian
means for its
management. We
presented the
Government
Emergency
Humanitarian
Plan and
stated our
Government’s
expectations
from the UNO
and the
members of the
Security
Council.
For the SG/UN:
Cameroon is a
very important
and strategic
Country,
We have a very
wise and
intelligent
leader,
There is a
pattern of
inevitable
problems when
there is a
linguistic
minority,
The strategy
of radical
groups has
always been to
provoke, then
show the world
what the army
is doing,
The global
media is
Anglo-Saxon
dominated, so
that there is
a campaign to
show that the
English-speaking
minority is
being
maltreated,
We are losing
the
international
propaganda
campaign, but
he is
willing to
help. He will
contact
reasonable
people,
Cameroon
should however
counter the
daily press
briefs" --
And Guterres
has Inner City
Press banned
from the UN's
daily noon press
briefing, and
refuses to
answer written
questions
about these
meetings.
Meanwhile,
Guterres for
a year sought
to ingratiate
himself to Biya's
Ambassador
Tommo Monthe,
UN
Budget
Committee
chair whose
bureaucratic help
Guterres
wanted for example
for his
ill-gated
Global Service
Delivery
Mechanism
plan to
move UN
jobs from Geneva to
Budapest,
from New York
to Mexico
City, and from
Entebbe, Uganda
to Kenya. We'll
have more,
much more, on
this.
On
August 10,
with Inner
City Press
banned from
entering the
UN for the
38th day by UN
Secretary
General Antonio
Guterres, the
Dutch
Mission to
the UN
and HRW
started
bragging about
a UN
Security Council
Presidential
Statement
which they
said embodied
deep concern. At first
banned
Inner City
Press, thanks
to Guterres
who took Biya's
golden statue
in
October 2017,
couldn't even
see the Statement:
it was not on
the Security
Council's
website
now run
by the (Dutch)
husband of
the chief of
staff of the UN
Department of
Political
Affairs'
Rosemary DiCarlo,
and was not
emailed out to
those not
(allowed) in
the UN. But by
mid afternoon
it came out: and it was
just a single
line, about
the "worrying
increase in violence
in the
north-west and
south-west
regions of
Cameroon." Why did
Human Rights
Watch make so
much of this,
after earlier
this year
telling
Inner City
Press - before
Antonio
"Golden
Statue" Guterres
banned it from
the UN - that
HRW omitted
Cameroon
from its 2018
World Report because it
didn't view it
as a top-90 problem? That's
here.
As Guterres
and his Alison
Smale and their stooges
try to keep
Inner City Press
out even
longer, we'll
have more on
this. After
twice asking
the Spokespeople
for UN
Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres (from
the bus stop
outside the
UN Delegates'
Entrance since
Guterres
has banned
Inner City
Press since
July 3), UN Deputy
Spokesman
Farhan Haq on
August 8
belatedly told
Inner City
Press, "On
your first
question, we
can confirm
that, on 11
July, a
high-level
Cameroonian
delegation was
dispatched to
UNHQ to brief
the
Secretary-General
on the efforts
carried out by
the Government
to address the
crisis in the
North-West and
South-West
regions. The
Secretary-General
stressed the
importance of
finding a
peaceful
resolution to
the crisis
through an
inclusive
dialogue and
reiterated the
UN’s readiness
to support
such efforts,
including the
provision of
humanitarian
assistance to
the affected
regions." But
Inner City
Press'
question was,
"On Cameroon
beyond the
questions you
have left
unanswered
from August 3
and August
6-1, please
state if
anyone in the
UN Secretariat
met with a
Cameroonian
government
delegation in
the US from
July 11 (when
they met UK
Ambassador
Pierce) to
July 20 and if
the UN was
aware that
this Biya
delegation's
lobbying trip
was stage
managed by the
DC-based
lobbying firm
Patton Boggs."
No answer on
this, nor on
August 10,
when Guterres'
Deputy Spokesman Haq
answered a past
question from
August 6,
on using and
paying for
Biya's troops:
"Regarding
your earlier
Cameroon
question,
here’s what we
have for you: "August
6-1: On
Cameroon,
important and
not answered -
please
immediately
confirm and
explain: “A
295-strong
Cameroonian
contingent
including four
doctors, will
be deployed in
the
intervening
weeks to the
Central
African
Republic
(CAR).They
will be part
of the United
Nations
Multidimensional
Integrated
Mission for
the
Stabilization
of CAR
(MINUSCA),
ministry of
Defense
sources in
Cameroon
disclosed on
Thursday.”
Given not only
this
military's
torching of
villages in
the Anglophone
areas but
summary
executions,
why is the UN
accepting this
deployment at
this time? How
much of the
money goes to
/ stays with
the Biya
government?
What vetting
has been done?
Does the UN
know the
identity of
the Cameroon
soldiers
recently shown
killing women
and children?
What assurance
does the UN
have these
soldiers will
not “serve”
the UN in
CAR?"
The 295-strong
Cameroonian
contingent
referred into
in the article
is not a new
deployment. It
is in fact a
rotation of
two
Cameroonian
Formed Police
Units (FPUs)
already
deployed in
MINUSCA.
In this
specific case,
the two
Cameroonian
FPUs will
finish their
tour of duty
by
mid-September,
will
substitute
them. As per
established
procedures,
all FPU
personnel
undergo
extensive
pre-deployment
training to
ensure they
understand the
rules,
regulations
and, standards
and values
expected of
personnel
deployed to UN
operations,
including
respect for
human rights.
With regard to
the vetting
process, the
Policy on
Human Rights
Screening of
United Nations
Personnel
places primary
responsibility
on Member
States to
ensure that
the personnel
they appoint
for deployment
have not been
involved in
violations.
All countries
contributing
uniformed
personnel to
UN
peacekeeping
operations
have primary
responsibility
for screening
individuals
and for
ensuring that
personnel they
nominate for
service have
not been
involved, by
act or
omission, in
violations of
international
humanitarian
law or human
rights law,
and have not
been
repatriated on
disciplinary
grounds from a
UN operation.
Contributing
countries have
to provide a
certification
to that effect
when they
nominate
personnel for
deployment.
The Policy
thus sets
forth
procedures to
strengthen the
ability of the
United Nations
to ensure that
its personnel
meet the
highest
standards of
efficiency,
competence and
integrity, and
to promote and
encourage
respect for
human rights,
in accordance
with the
United Nations
Charter. These
procedures
have notably
led to
strengthen
pre-deployment
screening and
certification
by
contributing
countries.
On your
question
regarding
payment,
countries
contributing
uniformed
personnel to
peacekeeping
operations are
reimbursed by
the UN at a
standard rate,
approved by
the General
Assembly, of
US$1,428 per
person per
month."
After
Guterres remained disturbingly
quiet
about Biya's
killing for a
full year, when Cameroon
was the chair
of the Budget
Committee
whose support
Guterres
wanted for his
proposal like
moving jobs
from Geneva to
Budapest,
New York to
Mexico City,
Entebbe to
Kenya? We'll
have more on
this. This
also means that the
July 11
meeting with Cameroonian
ministers
bragged about
by this
month's UN
Security
Council
president,
Karen Pierce of
the UK, was
actually in
connection
with a
lobbying trip
stage
managed by
Patton Boggs.
Inner City Press has
asked the
UK Mission,
see below,
and also on
the morning of
August 7
asked
Secretary
General Antonio
Guterres'
deputy
spokesman
Farhan Haq
before "his"
noon
briefing Inner
City Press
was banned
from for the
35th day in a
row. Guterres'
Haq never
answered
(though perhaps
relatedly
envoy Francois
Fall is
supposedly
going to
Cameroon). Now
Inner City
Press has
reviewed
Patton Boggs
long history
with Paul
Biya, as he
has become
more and more
brutal. It
began in 2004
with a letter
from Patton
Boggs' Joseph
Brand (still
involved in
2018) to Biya's
Pierre Moukoko
Mbonjo
for Peter
Mafany
Musonge, here.
We'll
have more on
this. UNanswered
as of August8
by Guterres'
team: "August
7-1: On
Cameroon
beyond the
questions you
have left
unanswered
from August 3
and August
6-1, please
state if
anyone in the
UN Secretariat
met with a
Cameroonian
government
delegation in
the US from
July 11 (whcn
they met UK
Ambassador
Pierce) to
July 20 and if
the UN was
aware that
this Biya
delegation's
lobbying trip
was stage
managed by the
DC-based
lobbying firm
Patton Boggs."
Neither Haq
nor the others
in Guterres'
team whom
Inner City Press
asked - Deputy SG
Amina J. Mohammed,
Eihab
Omaish, Alison
Smale and her
officer in
charge (of
censorship)
Hua Jiang
answered that
specific
question.
Instead Haq at the
briefing said
he trying
to "get
language"
about Guterres'
envoy Francois
Lounseny
Fall, who
equated secessionists
with extremists,
may go to the
country this
week. What,
some ask, for
Patton
Boggs? Inner
City Press
asked the UK
Mission's two
spokespeople
Matthew Moody
and
Amy.Quantrill: "Good
morning. This
is a formal
Press request
for an answer
I have sought
from the UK
Mission to the
UN since
August 1. On
July 31
Ambassador
Pierce stated
on Twitter
that she (and
presumably
others at the
UK mission)
had met on
July 11 with
Cameroonian
ministers.
On August 1,
for the
Program of
Work press
conference I
was and am
banned from by
USG Alison
Smale and SG
Antonio
Guterres,
after being
roughed up by
UN Security
while covering
an event and a
meeting on
June 22 and
July 3, I
asked both of
you:
"Did she mean
government
ministers or
religious
ministers? If
the former,
who were they?
Which
departments?
And what was
it mean to say
“we were
watching the
situation
closely.” Does
this mean the
UK or the
Council? Is
there a role,
does the UK
think, for UN
envoy Francois
Lonseny Fall?
Or should
another
mediator be
assigned?"
I have
yet to receive
an answer,
including
after tweeting
substantial
the same
question to
Amb Allen
yesterday. Nor
did I receive
any response
to my August 3
question to
you,
explicitly
your UK's
capacity of
President of
the UNSC,
about Yemen
and a Saudi
letter.
This time I am
addressing
this to
Stephen Hickey
as well.
(Hello).
I am
requesting an
immediate
answer to
these Cameroon
questions:
Name the
ministers Amb
Pierce met
with on July
11.
State whether
Amb Pierce or
anyone else at
the UK mission
was aware this
this Biya
administration
"tour" July
11-20 was
stage managed
by DC-based
lobbying firm
Patton Boggs
(reflected on
documents
Inner City
Press has this
morning
published),
including US
ex-Amb Frank
Wisner.
State
whether any
non-Cameroonians
were present
at the July 11
meeting and if
so, who they
were.
state whether
Amb Pierce has
had any
meetings with
Cameroonian
opposition or
Federalists or
separatists,
and if not,
why not.
Also,
as I asked on
August 1 in
advance of
these week's
UNSC meeting I
remained
banned from,
Last month
Sweden said at
the beginning
of the month
that it would
be seeking
agreed Press
Elements from
every
consultation.
Will the UK be
seeking Press
Elements from
this Western
Sahara
consultation?
And if not,
why not?
On
deadline.
Thanks you in
advance.
-Matthew."
Nothing.
The Patton
Boggs
FARA documents
show the agreement
is to run to
mid 2019,
long after
Biya's next
"election" in
October (also
made a
mockery of by
French
President
Emmanuel Macron
inviting Biya
to an event in
Paris as head
of state in November).
The
"confidential"
letter
agreement is
addressed by
Patton Boggs' Robert S.
Kapla to
Biya's Prime
Minister
Philemon Yang,
to be signed
by Ghogomu
Paul Mingo and
cites
Prof. Nkot.
It
says Joseph
Brand and "Ambassador
Frank
Wisner"
will work on
the Biya fileAfter
the abuses by
Cameroon's
security
forces have
been ignored
by the UN, as
Inner City
Press has
repeatedly
asked about
them until being
banned from
the UN on July 3
and since, new
leaked videos show
summary executions
and manhandling
of prisoners. On
July 14 and 25
Inner
City Press
raised the
issue, and
that of the
UN's censorship
to
the French
Mission to
the UN, and also
directly to
Deputy
Ambassador
Anne Gueguen.
Nothing,
from France
and from the
Security
Council as a
whole, not
even an "Any
Other
Business" briefing,
with none as
yet foreseen
under August's
Security
Council
president the
UK, whose
Liam Fox
bragged of UK
New Age's
gas deal with
Biya; Inner
City Press
asked UK
Ambassador
Karen Pierce about
it here,
before Guterres'
Security's
ouster and
ongoing ban on
which the UK
has done
nothing. July 20
video here.
After
that, Pierce said on
Twitter
- while ignoring
Inner City Press'
question as her
mission has in
recent days,
also on
Yemen - that she
had met with
Cameroon
ministers on
July 11. Inner
City Press
asked the UK
Mission in writing
on August
1 to
explain: "Amb
Pierce
disclosed in
yesterday's
Twitter
Q&A that
she “spoke to
a delegation
of Cameroon
ministers at
the UN on 11
July.” Did she
mean
government
ministers or
religious
ministers? If
the former,
who were they?
Which
departments?
And what was
it mean to say
“we were
watching the
situation
closely.” Does
this mean the
UK or the
Council? Is
there a role,
does the UK
think, for UN
envoy Francois
Lonseny Fall?
Or should
another
mediator be
assigned?"
Nothing, still
no answer as of
noon on August 6 from
the UK
Mission.
(Inner
City Press'
later on
August 6
online question
to returned-toTwitter
Deputy
Ambassador Jonathan
Allen on this
has yet to be
replied to.) Instead,
Pierce said
the initiative
is with
Biya
and his
government.
Now it
emerges that
Paul Biya sent a
delegation of
five from
July 11 to 20,
to DC and New
York to
meet members
of the UN Security
Council. This
while UNSG
Antonio
Guterres had banned
from the UN
Inner City
Press, which has ask
him for more
than a year
about the slaughter
in Cameroon and
his inaction,
as he needed the support of
the Cameroonian
chair of the
UN Budget Committee.
New filing on
Guterres and conflict
of interest, here.
We'll
have more on
this -
and this: ghoulishly
in Cameroon,
where there
is supposed to
be an election
in October,
French
Ambassador
Gilles
Thibault, of
whom Inner City
Press has
asked French
Permanent
Representative
Francois
Delattre
before being
banned from
the UN since
July 3,
has invited
Paul Biya to an Emmanual
Macron "Peace" event, as
Cameroonian
head of
state.. in
November. We'll
have more on
this. On
August
1 in a
briefing Inner
City Press was
banned from
Pierce said
the initiative is
with the
President and
government of
Cameron - that
is, 36 year
ruler Paul
Biya. On
August
2 Inner
City Press emailed
Guterres'
spokesmen and
team
including Alison
Smale and
officer in
charge Hua Jiang, "On
Cameroon and
refugees from
Cameroon in
Nigeria, what
is the
comment,
response and
action if any
of the
Secretargy
General to the
deaths of
eight
Cameroonian
refugees in
Ikom, Cross
River who died
of fumes from
a generator in
their room?
What has the
SG done about
the conflict
and crisis in
the Anglophone
areas of
Cameroon since
his visit to
Younde in
October 2017?
What has he
done in the
last 12 days?"
Haq did not
email any
response back
before heading
out to lunch.
On his
way back
in, Inner City
Press
reiterated the
question and he just
walked
by, as did Hua Jiang,
schooled in
this with
UNMIS in Sudan
it seems, part
of the censorship,
minutes later.
Video here.
This is
today's UN.
***
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