In
Nigeria Buhari Jails
Journalist Abri As UN DSG
Mohammed Silent and Restricts
Inner City Press
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS,
June 20 –
Nigeria under Buhari has not
only violated international
law by refoulement of 47 to
Nigeria - it is also violated
basic principles of freedom of
the press. Journalist Jones
Abiri has been held by
Buhari's Department of State
Security for nearly two years.
Garba Shehu, presidential
spokesperson, confirmed that
Abiri remained in DSS custody
and said he would be charged
in court on allegations of
being a militant. In April
2018 Shehu said Buhari would
be made personally aware of
Abiri's ongoing detention.
Since then, from Buhari - and
at the UN, from Amina J.
Mohammed, see below --
nothing. In February and March
2018, the DSS also arrested
Tony Ezimakor, the Abuja
bureau chief of the privately
owned Daily Independent
newspaper. Nigeria will
hold elections in February
2019. Where is Amina J.
Mohammed? Her spokesman
Stephane Dujarric continues to
restrict Inner City Press
after evicting it. And some of
those virtue signaling on
press freedom have done
nothing, about the UN.
Mohammed, who while she was
the Buhari Government's
Environmental Minister signed
some 4000 certificates for
endangered rosewood already
exported to China from Nigeria
and Cameroon, was in Abuja
when dozens of Cameroonians
were refouled to Yaounde, and
has yet to speak out. On May
7, Inner City Press asked UN
Spokesman Stephane Dujarric
about Nigeria, from the UN
transcript: Inner City Press:
letter from Nigeria from the
People's Democratic Party and
its Chairman, Uche Secondus,
describing what they describe
as violations by President
[Muhammadu] Buhari of the
rights of journalists and of
opponents. And I wanted
to know, has that one been
received and what's the…
Spokesman: I will
check. I'm not aware
that it has.
Inner City Press: And is
the DSG (Deputy
Secretary-General) going to
have any involvement in
responding?
Spokesman: Let's see if
the letter's been received,
and then we'll see the
response." A full day later,
nothing from Dujarric, nor
from Mohammed, under whom
Inner City Press remains
restricted to minders, and
less access than state media
from Egypt and elsewhere. So
on May 8 Inner City Press
asked Dujarric again - and he
still wouldn't confirm receipt
of this widely reported
letter. Nor would he explain
the non-availability of the
UN's May 8 transcript even by
7 pm. So, video of his denial,
here.
[Later, the transcript became
available, here:
Inner City Press: I'm going to
ask you again about can you
announce the receipt of a
letter from the People's
Democratic Party of Nigeria
that they say was sent to the
Secretary-General, complaining
about human rights abuses by
[Muhammadu] Buhari?
Spokesman: No, I have
not had a confirmation of
that."] Amid the worsening
crackdown by the army of
36-year Cameroon president
Paul Biya in the country's
Anglophone areas, a video has
circulated depicting soldiers
burning down homes. Click here
for one upload of it. Noted by
many residents and activists:
blue helmet of the type used
by UN peacekeepers. On April
30 Inner City Press asked UN
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres' spokesman Stephane
Dujarric about the video, the
day after publishing a story
about it, in Google News.
Dujarric said he hadn't seen
the video but militaries
should to use UN equipment or
colors, presumably when
burning civilians homes down.
Video here;
from the UN transcript:
Inner City Press: a video
emerged over the weekend from
Cameroon showing or depicting
soldiers burning people's
homes in the Anglophone areas,
and what… what a lot of people
focused on is that one of
them, at least, is wearing a
blue helmet. I don't
think it means the UN is doing
it, but I do wonder, what are
the rules? I wanted to
ask you, what are the rules if
people have served in UN
peacekeeping missions… have
you seen the video?
Spokesman: "I haven't
seen that particular video, so
I can't comment on the
particular helmet, whether it
was just blue or a UN
helmet. We have seen, in
different parts of the world,
various security forces and
army… we've seen reports of
them using equipment that they
own, which had been painted
white or blue and reused
domestically. It is a
responsibility to ensure that
no equipment that has UN
markings is ever used in any
domestic operation. But,
again, I'm not… that's a
matter… that's an issue of
principle. I haven't… I
can't comment on that specific
report." Hours later, still
nothing.
The lack
of confidence in the UN in
these areas, and on this
issue, was inflamed as UN
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres in October 2017
stopped by Yaounde on his way
from the Central African
Republic (where the UN pays
Biya's government for
peacekeepers who have been
charged with sexual abuse).
Guterres did not meet with any
opposition figures, and
accepted a golden statue from
Biya.
Guterres'
envoy Francois Lounceny Fall
has publicly said that
secessionist are extremists,
the word used by Biya to
justify the scorched earth
strategy exemplified by the
video. Inner City Press asked
UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights Prince Zaid why his
Office hasn't updated the
death figures and he claimed
it was because the UN has no
access.
Guterres'
humanitarian Assistant
Secretary General Ursula
Mueller visited Cameroon, but
not the Anglophone areas.
(Inner City Press asked her
why, here).
Human Rights Watch didn't even
include Cameroon in its 2018
“World Report,” and told
Inner City Press this is
because it does not view it as
among the 90 most serious
problems in the world.
Guterres' Deputy Secretary
General Amina J. Mohammed as
in Abuja in her native Nigeria
when 47 Cameroonians were
illegally sent back by the
Buhari government. Buhari will
be in Washington on April 30
and a protest of Ambazonians
is planned. Earlier in April,
Inner City Press asked
the US State Department about
the refoulement to Cameroon
and received a day later a
statement. But what will
happen on this video, and on
the underlying issues? Watch
this site.
***
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