UNITED NATIONS
GATE, December 18 – When on
Kosovo the International
Monetary Fund's Executive
Board considered an annual
Article IV statement on
December 17, it decided it
didn't need to meet in person
about, just go through a time
lapse or silence procedure.
This came as the UN Security
Council had an emergency
meeting about Kosovo on
December 17, discussing not
only the moves to form an army
in alleged violation of UNSC
Resolution 1244 but also talk
of 100% taxes or tariffs just
imposed, click here.
That didn't make it into the
IMF statement: "On December
17, 2018, the Executive Board
of the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) concluded the
Article IV consultation with
Kosovo, and considered and
endorsed the staff appraisal
without a meeting.
Following three years of
robust economic growth, the
economy is expected to
continue to grow at 4.0
percent in 2018, led by
investment, consumption, and
services exports. Inflation is
projected to remain subdued at
0.9 percent. The budget
deficit under the fiscal rule
definition is expected to be
around 1½ percent of GDP, well
within the fiscal rule ceiling
of 2 percent. Adding
investment exempted from the
deficit rule, the overall
deficit is expected to reach 3
percent of GDP, which is also
accompanied by a widening of
the current account deficit to
7 percent of GDP. The banking
system remains sound and
financial deepening continues.
For 2019, growth is expected
to increase to 4.2 percent
supported by a temporary
increase in public investment,
and over the medium term to
remain at its potential of 4
percent on the back of robust
domestic demand and exports.
Stronger reform progress,
especially in labor market and
governance areas, could lead
to higher growth. However,
there is an increased risk
that spending pressures and
tax revenue shortfalls could
further crowd out productive
spending or potentially
increase the fiscal deficit
and undermine confidence.
Although the proposed new
power plant would alleviate
energy bottlenecks and provide
an impulse to growth, it would
widen the current account
deficit during the
construction phase
and—depending on its financial
arrangements—could
significantly increase public
debt.
Executive Board Assessment
Prudent fiscal and financial
policies helped preserve
macro-financial stability,
while growth remains robust.
The economy continues to grow
at a healthy clip, outpacing
Kosovo’s neighbors. Fiscal
discipline has been
maintained, reflected in a
2018 budget deficit that is
expected to remain well-below
the fiscal rule’s ceiling,
while financial soundness
indicators continued to
improve. Despite some progress
in regaining competitiveness,
the external position remains
moderately weaker than implied
by fundamentals and desirable
medium-term policy settings.
Reserves are low in regional
comparison, but at comfortable
levels using standard metrics.
Together with a government
bank balance of 4.5 percent of
GDP at the CBK they provide
sufficient cushion for
external, fiscal or liquidity
shocks.
However, structural challenges
remain largely undented, and
should be at the forefront of
the policy agenda. An
underdeveloped private and
export sector, widespread
informality, reliance on
remittances are mirrored in
high unemployment and
inactivity rates, and a large
trade deficit. Tackling these
deep-rooted challenges through
structural fiscal, financial
sector, product and labor
market reforms remain a
priority to create the jobs
and growth needed to reduce
unemployment, outward
migration, and the still wide
income gap with the rest of
Europe. However, in a complex
political environment
important structural reforms
have stalled and pressures to
introduce fiscally costly,
populist initiatives have
increased.
The fiscal rule remains an
appropriate anchor for fiscal
policy and underpins the 2019
budget, though execution risks
are significant. It
accommodates large pension
increases and space for other
wage and social benefit
initiatives, relying on large
and uncertain gains from
reforms in tax administration
and war veteran benefits.
While the authorities are
committed to adjust spending
in case of revenue shortfalls,
this should be reinforced by
limiting specific non-priority
spending until the targeted
revenue gains have been
realized. Financing needs to
be diversified to reduce
roll-over risks and avoid
crowding out credit to the
private sector, while the
central bank’s holdings of
government securities are to
be gradually reduced.
Revenue administration reforms
should be accelerated to
strengthen revenue collection
and improve the business
environment. Revenue remains
some 10 percent below the
regional average and the tax
base is narrow, limiting the
space for productive spending.
In line with earlier Fund
advice, the tax and customs
administration need to be
overhauled to reduce the high
informality and large tax gaps
and tax debts. The ambitious
revenue targets included in
the 2019 budget lend more
urgency to these reforms.
Further, to protect tax
revenues, any changes to the
import VAT collection should
include strong safeguards, and
the granting of new tax
expenditures be avoided, and
existing ones reviewed. There
is also room to increase tax
rates in the medium term,
given that they are still low
by regional standards.
Fiscal risks need to be
contained to avoid crowding
out pro-growth spending within
the limits of the fiscal rule.
To contain social benefit
pressures, it is essential to
move ahead with war veteran
reforms and resist introducing
new benefits schemes, such as
for teachers, the police, and
other types of benefits, while
any pension increase should be
limited to the basic pension
only. To contain wage bill
pressures, public
administration and health care
reforms should be (re-)
designed to fit within the
limits of the wage bill rule.
To contain contingent
liabilities, plans to
restructure public enterprises
need to move ahead and any
government support for the new
power plant through guarantees
or financing need to be
consistent with the fiscal
rule and public debt
sustainability. Planned
pension reforms need to
protect the second pillar and
be carefully designed to avoid
creating sizeable unfunded
liabilities in the medium
term.
Spending efficiency needs to
be significantly enhanced to
improve outcomes and support
growth, including through
strengthening fiscal
institutions and governance.
Social benefit reform would
create space for much-needed
investment to reduce human and
physical capital gaps. Yet,
any additional space for
spending on education, health,
the judiciary, active labor
market policies, and
infrastructure needs to be
complemented by
efficiency-enhancing reforms
to improve outcomes in these
areas. In addition,
accelerating reforms to
strengthen fiscal
institutions, such as tax
administration, public
procurement, public investment
and public enterprise
management will be important
not only to improve spending
efficiency, but also to
enhance transparency and
accountability as well as
reduce corruption
vulnerabilities." Hmm. After
Inner City Press repeatedly
asked UN Secretary General
Antonio Guterres and his
spokesman about Cameroon's
Internet cut-off and abuses,
the UN's answer after its
Resident Coordinator was shown
to block the Press and then
left for the Central African
Republic was that the UN
Office on Central Africa
(UNOCA) envoy Francois
Lounceny Fall would be
visiting. This turned out to
be misleading like so much
with today's UN system, which
since July 5, 2018 has banned
Inner City Press for covering
the UN's Budget Committee and
the deal UNSG Antonio Guterres
is said by sources close to
him have made with Cameroon as
chair of the committee (Fox
News story here,
GAP blogs I
and II).
Now on December 17 the
International Monetary Fund
has announced more money to
Paul Biya's government, while
not answering Inner City Press
question about Biya losing the
African Cup of Nations on
which the IMF relied. The
December 17 announcement: "The
Executive Board of the
International Monetary Fund
(IMF) today completed the
third review of the
arrangement under the Extended
Credit Facility (ECF)
Arrangement for Cameroon. The
completion of the review
enables the disbursement of
SDR 55.2 million (about
US$76.3 million), bringing
total disbursements under the
arrangement to SDR317.4
million (about US$438.9
million).
In completing the third
review, the Executive Board
also approved the authorities’
request for a waiver for the
non-observance of the
performance criterion on the
ceiling on net BEAC financing
and the modification of two
performance criteria
pertaining to the ceiling on
net borrowing of the central
government from the central
bank, excluding IMF financing,
and the continuous performance
criterion on new
non-concessional external debt
contracted or guaranteed by
the government.
Cameroon’s three-year
arrangement for SDR 483
million (about US$667,8
million, or 175 percent of
Cameroon’s quota), was
approved on June 26, 2017 (see
Press Release No.17/248 ). It
aims at supporting the
country’s efforts to restore
external and fiscal
sustainability and lay the
foundations for sustainable,
inclusive and private
sector-led growth.
Following the Executive Board
discussion, Mr. Mitsuhiro
Furusawa, Deputy Managing
Director and Acting Chair,
made the following statement:
“Cameroon’s performance under
its ECF-supported program is
broadly satisfactory. Most
end-June 2018 targets have
been met and structural
reforms have advanced, with
completion of key delayed
financial sector reforms.
“The authorities remain
committed to the concerted
regional effort to rebuild
CEMAC’s fiscal and external
buffers. To that end,
addressing revenue shortfalls
and containing investment
spending will be key to
reaching the 2018 deficit
target. Steadfast
implementation of the 2019
budget, including measures to
mobilize non-oil revenue by
gradually removing exemptions
and further spending
rationalization will be
essential to mitigate the
risks from the challenging
security situation, increasing
commodity price volatility and
other shocks to growth.
“Public external debt has
increased rapidly in 2018,
mainly owing to
faster-than-envisaged
disbursements of foreign
project loans. Strictly
limiting new non-concessional
borrowing and addressing the
stock of contracted but
undisbursed loans are
essential to maintain debt
sustainability. Gradual
adjustments in administered
prices would help reduce
subsidies and restore the
financial viability of key
public utility companies,
while lowering risks from
contingent liabilities.
“Financial sector reforms
should continue to advance,
including effective resolution
of ailing banks and reduction
of overdue loans. Other
structural reforms should
focus on tackling governance
issues and improving the
business environment to
support private investment and
enhance competitiveness.
“Cameroon’s program continues
to be supported by the
implementation of supportive
policies and reforms by the
regional institutions in the
areas of foreign exchange
regulations and monetary
policy framework and to
support an increase in
regional net foreign assets,
which are critical to the
program’s success.” Inner City
Press last week - when the IMF
did answer it on Yemen and
Haiti - asked, "On Cameroon,
gives the IMF's references and
reliance on the 2019 African
Cup of Nations (CAF) football
tournament which has now on
November 30 been stripped from
the country, what is the IMF's
comment and modified estimates
on this development in
Cameroon and the IMF's program
there?" We are still waiting,
as as the IMF on December 17
answered when Inner City Press
asked, " I wanted to ask for
IMF's response, if you can, to
this sent to Inner City Press
from South Africa, that for
her visit here there are no
public events scheduled (?),
and an information void?
Substantively, does the IMF
have a view of these loans /
trends:
·
in 2013, $5 billion from the
China Development Bank, mainly
for Transnet’s purchase of
imported infrastructure
inputs, especially for corrupt
port-petrochemical expansion
in Durban and a coal export
rail line to Richards Bay
(billions of rands were
illicitly directed via China
South Rail to the Gupta
empire); and
·
in 2016, $5 billion again from
the China Development Bank,
mainly for Eskom’s other
coal-fired mega-generator,
Kusile, initially arranged by
Molefe and renewed at the
BRICS Sandton summit last
July." The IMF answered, "Dear
Matthew, Thank you for your
question. Please be advised
that Ms. Christine Lagarde,
IMF Managing Director, will
hold a press briefing with Mr.
Lesetja Kganyago, Governor of
the South African Reserve
Banks, on Wednesday at 4 pm SA
time (SARB premises). You will
receive a media advisory
tomorrow with further
details." Watch this
site. Back in October
the IMF published this blithe
report on Cameroon: "An
International Monetary Fund
(IMF) team, led by Ms. Corinne
Deléchat, visited Yaoundé
during November 5-13, 2018 to
conduct discussions on the
third review of the program
supported by the Extended
Credit Facility (ECF) that was
approved in June 2017.
At the end of this visit, Ms.
Deléchat issued the following
statement:
“The IMF team reached
staff-level agreement with the
authorities on economic and
financial policies that could
support approval of the third
review of their three-year
program under the ECF. The IMF
Executive Board could consider
the third review in
mid-December 2018.
“Overall economic growth is
projected to reach 3.8 percent
in 2018, from 3.5 percent in
2017. This slight recovery in
economic growth is mainly
driven by construction
activity related to public
infrastructure projects and
the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations
(CAN). Medium-term prospects
remain positive, with growth
expected to improve gradually
to 4.4 percent in 2019.
However, the outlook entails
significant risks from
heightened global uncertainty,
insufficient adjustment at the
regional level, and continued
insecurity in the anglophone
regions.
“Budget execution at
end-September 2018 was broadly
as envisaged under the program
despite slightly
lower-than-projected non-oil
revenue mobilization and good
progress continued to be made
on structural reforms.
“The authorities identified
revenue and spending measures
to ensure that the end-2018
overall fiscal deficit target
can be met. They committed to
enhance non-oil revenue
collection, re-prioritize
domestically financed public
investment to offset the
higher-than-expected
disbursements on foreign
financed investment, and
tighten control of current
spending while protecting
social sectors.
“The mission highlighted the
importance of presenting to
the National Assembly a draft
budget law for 2019 that is in
line with the objectives of
the ECF-supported program and
includes strong measures to
boost non-oil revenue
mobilization through an
expansion of the tax base,
tightens current expenditures,
prioritizes capital spending,
and limits exceptional budget
procedures.
“The mission took note of the
government’s efforts to
preserve public debt
sustainability, including by
limiting non-concessional
borrowing. The team welcomed
the authorities’ commitment to
adopt, in the coming days, a
plan to validate and reduce
balances on non-performing
contracted-but-undisbursed
loans. Ongoing efforts to
strengthen monitoring of
state-owned enterprises’
liabilities would help contain
contingent liabilities. The
mission however highlighted
the risks posed by
administered utility prices on
the financial viability of key
public enterprises and
encouraged the authorities to
liberalize these prices.
“Structural reforms should
continue to strengthen public
financial management and
address key obstacles to
boosting the private sector’s
contribution to growth. This
will require to effectively
implement the new tax measures
included in the 2019 draft
budget law, accelerating the
implementation of the reform
agenda on expenditure
management and taking actions
to improve the business
climate, governance, and
financial inclusion.
“The mission welcomed the
authorities’ commitment to
implementing policies
consistent with the stability
of the region’s monetary
arrangement, which requires in
particular a recovery of
BEAC’s foreign reserves. The
authorities indicated that, to
this end, they will support
regional institutions’ efforts
to strengthen compliance with
foreign exchange regulations,
notably regarding repatriation
of export earnings including
oil export proceeds.
“The team met with Prime
Minister Philemon Yang, State
Minister of Justice Laurent
Esso, Minister Secretary
General at the Presidency
Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Minister
of Finance Louis Paul Motaze,
Minister of Economy, Planning,
and Regional Development
Alamine Ousmane Mey, BEAC
Governor Mahamat Abbas Tolli,
BEAC National Director
Jean-Marie Benoit Mani, and
other senior officials. The
mission also met
representatives of the
diplomatic and donor
communities.
“The team wishes to thank the
Cameroonian authorities for
their hospitality,
cooperation, and the
constructive dialogue.”
UNreal. On July 23 the IMF
published a report on
Cameroon, including touching
on the economic impact of the
"anglophone crisis." The IMF
report states: "The current
anglophone crisis takes its
roots in Cameroon’s
unification in 1961. The 1972
constitution replaced
federalism with a unitary
state. Throughout the years,
the anglophone population,
which resides mostly in the
north-west and south-west
regions and account for 20
percent of Cameroon’s total
population of 25 million, has
demanded more autonomy and
rights, while the state has
become increasingly
centralized. They founded the
largest opposition party
(Social Democratic Front) in
the 1990s.
The crisis has escalated to an
armed separation movement with
rising humanitarian costs. The
crisis started in October 2016
with strikes by lawyers and
teachers and was followed by a
boycott of schools, protests
and ghost towns. It
subsequently morphed into an
armed movement for
independence marked by
violence on both sides, which
escalated in recent months to
killings and detentions,
burning and looting of
villages, and kidnappings of
government officials and
civilians. Despite a heavy
military presence, the
insecurity has spread leading
to rising humanitarian costs.
The United Nations’ Office for
the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs estimated
that more than 20,000 people
have fled to Nigeria, and
160,000 have become internally
displaced persons (IDPs). This
adds to the burden from
340,000 refugees from Nigeria
and the Central African
Republic. The United Nations
High Commission for Refugees
estimates that the cost of
assisting refugees and IDPs in
Cameroon has risen to US$87
million, of which only US$15
million are funded. Anecdotal
evidence suggests that the
anglophone crisis is taking a
toll on the economy. A
rigorous quantification is
difficult because of lack of
adequate data. However, real
exports of coffee and cocoa,
grown mostly in the anglophone
areas, have decreased by about
10 percent in 2017. Coffee
export volumes further
declined by 72 percent in the
first quarter of 2018 (y/y).
Tax revenues decreased by 8–9
percent in both regions in
2017 compared with 2016, due
to lower economic activity and
difficulties to collect taxes.
Additional security expenses
amounted to 0.4 percent of GDP
in 2017 and at least 0.2
percent of GDP in 2018." Inner
City Press was informed, not
by the IMF, that on July 10
the IMF held a conference call
with NGOs, while continuing as
recently at July 6 to dole out
funds to the Paul Biya
government. In late June a
group of lawyers and human
rights organizations wrote to
the IMF's Christine Lagarde to
flag a possible breach of IMF
loan terms by the government
of Cameroon. The loan, which
was approved in June 2017,
“aims to restore the country’s
fiscal and external
sustainability and unlock
job-rich, private
sector-driven growth.” Under
its terms, Cameroon agreed to
a recurring obligation to
report, within two weeks,
“[a]ny decision, decree, law,
order or circular having
economic or financial
implications, from its
publication date or effective
date.” It seems clear
however that Cameroon did not
report at least two instances
when the government shut or
slowed down internet services
in certain regions of the
country, which experts say
would have cost millions to
the country’s economy. A
conservative estimate of the
economic harm done places it
at $3.2 million, while others
estimate that the costs may
have been as high as $38.8
million. “The result is that
the government’s unlawful
interference with internet
freedom has had a debilitating
effect on the economy,
affecting not only media
companies but also businesses,
as they are dependent upon
internet for transactions and
operations,” reads the letter.
Then there was a call. We hope
to have more on this - there
is an IMF press briefing on
July 12. On July 6, 2018 the
IMF announced: "IMF Executive
Board Concludes 2018 Article
IV Consultation, Completes
Second Review Under Extended
Credit Facility Arrangement,
and Approves US$77.8 Million
Disbursement for Cameroon.
Growth is estimated to have
decelerated to 3.2 percent in
2017 mainly due to a steep
decline in oil production
despite the gradual rebound in
international prices.
The macroeconomic outlook for
2018 remains positive, with
growth expected to rebound to
4 percent, driven by the onset
of gas production,
construction activities for
the 2019 African Cup of
Nations (CAN).
The Cameroonian authorities
have adopted a comprehensive
economic reform program to
restore fiscal and external
sustainability and buttress
private sector-led and
inclusive growth, supported by
the IMF’s ECF arrangement.
On July 6, 2018, the Executive
Board of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded
the Article IV consultation[1]
and completed the second
review under the Extended
Credit Facility (ECF)
arrangement for the Republic
of Cameroon. Completion of
this review enables the
disbursement of SDR 55.2
million (about US$77.8
million).
The three-year ECF arrangement
with a total access of SDR 483
million (about US$680.7
million or 175 percent of
Cameroon’s quota) was approved
by the IMF Executive Board on
June 26, 2017.
Following the Board discussion
of the ECF review, Mr.
Mitsuhiro Furusawa, Deputy
Managing Director, and Acting
Chair, made the statement
below:
“Cameroon’s performance under
its ECF-supported program has
been mixed against the
backdrop of slower economic
activity and security
concerns. End-year spending
overruns offset strong non-oil
revenue collection, resulting
in a higher-than-envisaged
fiscal deficit. Nonetheless,
structural reform
implementation has been
broadly satisfactory and net
foreign assets accumulated
faster than anticipated owing
to a narrowing of the current
account deficit.
“The authorities have
reiterated their commitment to
the program and have
implemented corrective
measures to bring the fiscal
adjustment back on track in
2018, including preparing a
revised 2018 budget and
tightening expenditure
controls. Strict
implementation of the 2018
revised fiscal targets will be
essential to support the
buildup of fiscal and external
buffers for Cameroon and the
region. With significant
spending pressures associated
with the 2018 elections, a
worsening security situation,
and the 2019 African Soccer
Cup, any additional oil
revenue should be saved.
“Public debt has risen in 2017
owing to faster-than-envisaged
execution of investment
projects. Strictly limiting
new borrowing and tilting its
composition toward
concessional borrowing would
be key to maintaining public
debt sustainability. The stock
of contracted but undisbursed
debt should also be reduced.
Financial sector and
structural reforms would
reduce vulnerabilities and
address remaining
competitiveness bottlenecks.
Cameroon’s program is
supported by the
implementation of supportive
policies and reforms by the
regional institutions in the
areas of foreign exchange
regulations and monetary
policy framework and to
support an increase in
regional net foreign assets,
which are critical to the
program’s success." After the
IMF told Inner City Press is
viewed Yaounde's policies
toward the Anglophone areas as
a fiscal risk, on June 26 the
IMF board handed the Biya
government $171 million. Now
on December 20, as Biya
ratchet up his killing in
Mamfe and elsewhere in
Ambazonia, the IMF is
disbursing more money, $117
million: "The Executive Board
of the International Monetary
Fund (IMF) today completed the
first review of the
arrangement under the Extended
Credit Facility (ECF)
Arrangement for Cameroon. The
completion of the review
enables the disbursement of
SDR 82.8 million (about US$
117.2 million), bringing total
disbursements under the
arrangement to SDR 207 million
(about US$ 292.9 million).
Cameroon’s three-year
arrangement for SDR 483
million (about US$ about
US$683.5 million, or 175
percent of Cameroon’s quota),
was approved on June 26, 2017
(see Press Release No.17/248).
It aims at supporting the
country’s efforts to restore
external and fiscal
sustainability and lay the
foundations for sustainable,
inclusive and private
sector-led growth. Following
the Executive Board
discussion, Mr. Mitsuhiro
Furusawa, Deputy Managing
Director and Acting Chair,
made the following statement:
“Fiscal and external
adjustment in Cameroon and
other CEMAC countries,
combined with external
financing, have led to a
gradual buildup in CEMAC
reserves. However, the
region’s recovery remains
fragile, and Cameroon’s
continued leadership of the
regional effort will be
essential to sustainability.
“Cameroon’s performance under
the ECF-supported arrangement
has been broadly satisfactory.
The authorities remain fully
committed to fiscal
consolidation and the 2018
budget is in line with program
objectives. However, meeting
the deficit targets may be
challenging in the context of
weaker-than-envisaged revenue,
and spending pressures in 2018
and 2019. “To meet program
objectives, stepped-up efforts
to expand the non-oil revenue
base and better prioritizing
spending will be essential
while preserving social
spending." Like in Ambazonia?
Did they get a golden statue
like Antonio Guterres took
from Paul Biya on October 27?
Back on October 13 after Inner
City Press asked the IMF
during its Africa press
conference during its Annual
meeting, about the rising
crisis in Southern Cameroon,
the IMF's Abebe Aemro Selassie
Director of the IMF's African
Department, said on camera
that it is hard to assess the
impacts but the IMF tries to
pay heed to "situations like
the one you refer to." Really?
(He was upbeat on Gabon, too,
with no reference to the
protests.)
Cameroon's UN
Ambassador Tommo Monthe, who
told Inner City Press that
Paul Biya stands ready to cut
the Internet again, and
partied with UN Secretary
General Antonio Guterres'
Deputy SG and chief of staff
while singing songs for
Chantal Biya, is already at
the meeting Fall will attend.
Tommo Monthe is quoted, "We
need to exchange views on all
these insecurity situations
before we bring it back to the
UN during its forthcoming
general assembly session." On
May 29 Fall issued this canned
quote: "We will continue to
support efforts of the
subregion in its determination
to prevent, to combat and to
bring an end to the
uncontrolled flow of arms in
Central Africa. This would
strengthen confidence among
states and reassure the
population, the main victims
of this phenomenon, which is
also a hindrance to the
sustainable development of
Central Africa." This is the
focus on Lonseny Fall's
much-hyped visit to Yaounde,
while Guterres' Deputy SG and
chief of staff party with Paul
Biya's representative amid songs for Chantal Biya and
French champagne. We'll have
more on this. Well over a week
ago, Inner City Press asked UN
Secretary General Antonio
Guterres' holdover spokesman
Stephane Dujarric about
Cameroon administering in
areas to which it cut off the
Internet for 94 days a General
Certificate of Education test,
specifically citing UNESCO.
Dujarric said he would look
into it. Having received no
answer even as Guterres'
Deputy and Chief of Staff
appeared at Cameroon's
(boycotted) national day, on
May 23 Inner City Press asked
again about this, and Amnesty
International's press
conference on 10 year
sentences to students (whose
jokes included the GCEs) being
shut down.
Inner City Press: Did
you ever look into the testing
thing? I'd asked you
about administering a test…
Spokesman: Yes, I think…
we were given some guidance by
UNESCO...
Now here it is:
"Your question on the Cameroon
tests: Regarding a previous
query on a test being
administered in the Anglophone
regions of Cameroon despite
the regions being affected by
school closures and a internet
blackout, while this is not an
issue covered by UNOCA, but
rather UNESCO, UNOCA has
informed that there have been
reports of abstentions from
the examinations in the North
West and South-West regions of
the country. We are not aware
of any reports of these tests
being taken at gunpoint.
Nonetheless it is of concern
that these examinations
[General Certificate of
Education] were held, despite
school closures and the
internet blackout for over
three months, which disrupted
normal activities. However
that is an issue for the
relevant national authorities
to respond to. UNOCA, in close
cooperation with the Acting
Resident Coordinator, is
monitoring the situation in
the North West and South West
regions of Cameroon and will
continue to liaise with the
authorities to promote a
peaceful resolution to the
grievances of the Anglophone
population."
While the UN
Security Council visited
Cameroon during the 94 day
Internet cut off and said
nothing publicly about it (but
see below), Inner City Press
has obtained and has
exclusively published
on Patreon and now Scribd,
here Cameroon's "Urgent
and Confidential" letter to
the UN Security Council, about
weapons. On May 23, Inner City
Press went to the New York
event for Cameroon's
"National" Day, which was
boycotted in the Anglophone
regions of the country. In New
York, however, UN Deputy
Secretary General Amina J.
Mohammad and Antonio Guterres'
Chef de Cabinet Maria Luiza
Ribeiro Viotti attended, along
with French Permanent
Representative to the UN
Francois Delattre, Burundi's
Albert Shingiro and others.
Video here.
Periscope
inside was not possible due,
ironically, to a lack of
Internet. There were toasts in
French for Chantalle Biya and
for the UN officials; on the
way out UN staffers told Inner
City Press it was sure to
criticize them. What matters,
as always, is what happens
going forward. Italy is a
member of the Security Council
this year, and on the morning
of May 18 including in light
of Italian President
Mattarella's meetings this
year with Cameroon's 34 year
president Paul Biya, Inner
City Press asked Italy's
Mission to the UN: "your
Mission was part of the
Security Council's trip
including to Cameroon earlier
this year, during the
country's 94-day Internet shut
off to millions of people in
the Northwest and Southwest
(or Anglophone) regions. The
IMF, for what it's worth, told
Inner City Press the
government's Internet cut off
is among other things a
financial risk in 2017. Could
you comment on your Mission's
aware of the issue, during the
Security Council visit to
Cameroon and since, and on
whether you believe the
Secretary General and DPA, as
a matter of prevention of
conflict, may have a greater
role to play in this
long-standing, UN-related
conflict or dispute?" Eight
hours later, the Italian
Mission's spokesperson
Giovanni Davoli replied on
Cameroon that "the situation
you are mentioning was not in
the agenda of the UNSC visit."
To his credit, Swedish
diplomat Carl Skau tells Inner
City Press, "I can confirm
that the issue was raised by
the delegation in meetings."
Now Italy's spokesman insists,
"I confirm: it was not in the
agenda of the visit. Whether
it was raised, it is another
matter on which I have no
elements." Meanwhile, party in
interest France has yet
to respond, while
Emmanuel Macron is in Mali.
We'll have more on this. On
May 17, Inner City Press asked
UN Secretary General Antonio
Guterres' spokesman Stephane
Dujuarric what if anything
Guterres is doing about
Cameroon. From the UN transcript:
Inner City Press: there are
people saying that António
Guterres' strategy of being
Secretary-General is to sort
of downplay the peacemaking
powers of it and engage in
quiet diplomacy. And I
guess the reason I'm asking
you is just objectively
speaking, compared to the
previous administration, there
are many fewer readouts,
there's less… there's less
being said. Maybe it's
to the good. But, does
he believe that… that this
approach is bearing fruit, and
if so, what fruit can you
point to?
Spokesman: I think the
Secretary-General is a
believer in the need for
discreet contacts to be had in
order to resolve crisis.
And I think it's something I…
well, I think we've all
observed since he's come into
office. And I think it's
an important tool and not the
only tool, but it's an
important tool in the tools
available to the world's top
diplomat.
Inner City Press: I want
to ask this very specifically
because I've asked you this a
couple of times. I keep
hearing from people at various
high floors that, in fact, the
UN is concerned about Cameroon
and not just the Internet, but
what seems to be a case of
preventive diplomacy.
So, I wanted to ask you, is
there anything actually being
done? Am I missing some
secret work that the UN…?
Spokesman: I think if…
well, if it's secret, it's
secret. Mr. [Francois
Lonceny] Fall has been
following and is the point
person for the UN on this
issue.
Fall is
failing. Or, Fall is the fall
guy for Guterres. Now there is
the use of what residents call
another weapon: the
devaluation and even
destruction of the GCE
education system, by
purporting to administer the
test after a period where no
instruction or learning took
place. UNESCO has said
nothing, just as the UN stayed
quiet during the Internet cut
off. On May 15, Inner City
Press asked the UN's holdover
spokesman Stephane Dujarric,
video here,
UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: In hearing
UNESCO [United Nations
Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization], I've
been meaning to ask you
this. There's a
controversy in Cameroon where
a school… a test is being
administered today in the
areas that didn't have
internet for 94 days and the
schools were closed. And
a lot of people are saying the
test… it's basically to
destroy the Anglophone
education system, and people
are taking a test at
gunpoint. And many
people there said UNESCO said
nothing. I don't know
whose role it is. Is it
[Francois] Loncény Fall?
Is there anyone in the UN
system that's looking at
what's taking place there…?
Spokesman: I'll take a
look that report. Okay.
Thank you.
We'll see.
Some in UN headquarters
approach Inner City Press
where they can, since the UN
Department of Public
Information still restricts
the Press, and say there's
concern "upstairs" about
events in Cameroon. But
despite the claimed focus on
preventative diplomacy, where
is there UN action on this?
Despite the restrictions,
Inner City Press will be
pushing forward with the
story. Watch this site and this one, where it
is reported that France
blocked any European Union
action on Cameroon and Paul
Biya's 94-day cut off of the
Internet in the Anglophone
regions, in part to keep its
hand in to compete
economically with China in
"its" FrancAfrique. When the
EU's Federica Mogherini came
to the UN Security Council
stakeout on May 9 for
questions, no Press questions
on Cameroon were allowed,
similar to Antonio Guterres'
spokesman disallowing
the question three times at
the recent joint African Union
stakeout. Nor was the Cameroon
question Inner City Press submitted
to Guterres' paid-entrance,
not livestreamed London
Q&A posed. We'll have more
on this.
This comes amid
reports that armaments
Cameroon got ostensibly to
fight Boko Haram have been
spotted in the Anglophone
regions. On May 2 when Inner
City Press told the UN's
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
that it had a question on
Cameroon, he walked off the
podium, as he has done before.
He and the UN Department of
Public Information, whose
Cameroon mis-information is
profiled below, worked
together to evict and still
restrict Inner City
Press.
***
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