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By Matthew Russell Lee, Video

UN GATE, September 3 -- Ireland is a wanna-be member of the Security Council, and it is already bowing cravenly before Paul Biya's goverment looking for a vote, like Antonio Guterres. "A special envoy of the government of Ireland was on June 24 at the Ministry of External Relations to present the candidacy of his country.  The Minister Delegate to the Minister of External Relations in charge of Cooperation with the Commonwealth, Felix Mbayu on June 24, 2019 received in audience the special envoy of the government of Ireland, Ambassador Kenneth Thompson ... Thompson said the reason he was in Cameroon and at the Ministry of External Relations was because Ireland is looking for a sit as a non-permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations for the years 2021 and 2022." Shameful.

 Now on September 3, this: "The Vice President met today with the Taoiseach of Ireland Leo Varadkar at Farmleigh House in Dublin, Ireland.  The Vice President underscored the unwavering strength of the U.S.-Ireland relationship, and highlighted the robust trade and investment ties between the United States and Ireland. The leaders discussed the current status of Brexit negotiations and its potential impact on the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Vice President encouraged the European Union and United Kingdom to work together in good faith to find a solution to the challenge Brexit poses to the free flow of goods across Ireland’s border with Northern Ireland. The leaders also discussed the great economic opportunities presented by a future U.S.-EU free trade agreement, and affirmed it would be mutually beneficial to work towards an agreement as soon as possible.  The Vice President commended Ireland’s ongoing cooperation with the United States and NATO partners on cyber security and counter-terrorism efforts, and urged Ireland to carefully consider the risks posed by untrustworthy vendors engaged in the development of 5G telecommunications infrastructure. The leaders agreed to work together to address this issue."

 From the UN, this: on Friday, August 30 MALU issued a one-line denial of access: "Greetings Matthew Lee from Inner City Press,  Your media accreditation request, with reference no: M5413398, has been declined for the following reason: Media accreditation was withdrawn on 17 August 2018." Ireland has done nothing so far.

   Belgium is a member of the Security Council, and heard what was said in the UNSC on May 13. Even the sanitized Lowcock and handpicked NGO version was troubling. But on May 25, "friends of Cameroon in Belgium joined officials of the Cameroon's embassy in celebrating the 47th edition of the National Day. The day was celebrated in Belgium on May 25, 2019 with a garden party organized at the courtyard of the residence of Cameroon's Ambassador to Belgium Daniel Evina who said this year's theme of the National Day was carefully chosen by the Head of State with emphasis on unity and living together within the present context where these virtues are seriously threatened especially in the North West and South West Regions of our great Fatherland. "This clearly shows that peace, unity in diversity and living together constitute cardinal values constantly preached by the Head of State, Paul Biya, the architect of our national unity and a leading peace crusader. Despite the security threats, our country has continued to follow its determination towards emergence in 2035," he stated. During the garden party, images on the touristic potentials of Cameroon, ongoing and accomplished projects were being projected on a giant screen with the Ambassador promising at the end to constantly make available verifiable and authentic information on the evolution of situations in Cameroon. The guests on their departure from the ceremony were each handed sachets of Cameroon coffee as well as the last four special editions of 'Jeune Afrique Economique' Magazines. Three of these magazines have President Paul Biya at their cover pages with information therein elaborately on an improved image of Cameroon." Wow. We'll have more on this.

And on this: early on the morning of May 6 Inner City Press submitted written questions, this one to the UN Mission of Belgium which has done nothing at all about Guterres' now 312 days of banning Inner City Press: "Press Q re Cameroon, any UNSC meeting, Belgian Mission's position on that and continued banning of Inner City Press from entering UN - To: peter.verbrugghe [at] diplobel.fed.be, isabelle.bardijn [at] diplobel.fed.be, newyorkUN [at] diplobel.fed.be: this is a Press request to the Belgian Mission as a member of the UN Security Council to be informed this morning of your Mission's knowledge of any upcoming UNSC meeting about Cameroon of any kind, including Any Other Business informal consultations, whether May 13 or any other date. Inner City Press wrote to you about this in July 2018, below.     Also, what is your country's position on the situation there and what will / would it seek to accomplish at any UNSC meeting (and if there is no meeting, why not). Relatedly, please explain how it is legitimate for the UN to bar entry to Inner City Press after ousting it while it covered the 3 July 2018 Fifth (Budget) Committee then chaired by Cameroon, and asked about this situation and other under-performance by the UN. Inner City Press' most recent application for re-accreditation to enter and cover the UNSC stakeout, submitted on 15 April 2019, was denied without explanation on April 17. ("Greetings Matthew LEE from ICP     INNER CITY PRESS,  Your media accreditation request, with reference no: M66561081, has been declined.") What has your Mission does, or what will it do, about this?" 25 full days later, after UN noon briefings promoting Guterres' and Dujarric's current European junket, and still no answer. Collusion in censorship - and more...

  More here.

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