In Kenya Amid Starvation in
Turkana UN of Guterres Silent As 27
Coordinators Being Replaced Corrupt
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Video,
Video
II, Filing
UNITED NATIONS
GATE, March 17 – The UN
Secretariat's and its Kenya
Resident Coordinator Siddharth
Chatterjee's kids-glove
approach to the Kenyatta
government continues. In
Nairobi on 27 December 2018
police used tear gas against
people protesting the police's
killing of 23 year old student
Carilton David Maina, video here.
And from Sid? Nothing - as
from UN Secretary General
Antonio Guterres, whose
spokesman Stephane Dujarric
had not answered a single one
of Inner City Press' written
questions in weeks despite his
on camera promise
to answer. Now he, Guterres
and Sid, who may or may not be
replaced as resident
coordinators with 27 new ones
being recruited, remain silent
amid STARVATION in Turkana.
Shameful. Inner City Press
exclusively published video of
Guterres telling UN staff it
is impolite and arrogant to
ask governments about human
rights, here.
On February 10 from the
African Union summit in Addis
Ababa Dujarric on Kenya issued
this: "Today, the
Secretary-General met with
H.E. Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, the
President of the Republic of
Kenya. The
Secretary-General expressed
his condolences on the
terrorist attack in Nairobi
which caused numerous deaths
and injuries in January. He
commended the Government’s
response in this regard and
reiterated the United Nations
support to the Government’s
efforts in countering
terrorism, preventing violent
extremism and sustaining
peace.
They also exchanged views on
the main peace, security and
humanitarian challenges facing
the region." It's called
polite - or, the death of the
UN. Many of the refused
questions concern Guterres'
covering up for UN briber
China Energy Fund Committee.
And a story we are tracking in
Kenya is the seeming offering
of the Port of Mombasa as
collateral for a loan - we'll
have more on this, the
tightening Belt and
Road. Earlier in
December Miguna Miguna, who
was deported to Canada without
any comment or response from
the UN, was confirmed as
Kenyan and awarded $70,000 in
damages. This is to be paid by
Interior Minister Fred
Matiangi and the Permanent
Secretary for Immigration
Gordon Kihalangwa and not
taxpayers. The UN of Antonio
Guterres and Sid doesn't have
to worry - they have complete
impunity, having roughed up
and banned the Press then
refused to lift legal
immunity, and not processing
the two internal complaints
filed. From Nairobi to New
York, call it a circus of
impunity. On December 14 Inner
City Press, banned from the UN
for the 163rd day by Guterres,
submitted questions in writing
including "
December 14-4: On Kenya, what
is the SG's and separately RC
Chatterjee's comment on Miguna
Miguna having been illegally
deported to Canada and
“tortured,” and the court
awarded of $70,000 damages
because of it?" Needless to
say, no one let into the UN
noon briefing asked about
Kenya, or anything anywhere in
Africa. And Guterres and his
spokesmen did not answer. This
is today's UN. Kenyatta has
nominated as the country's
Ambassador to Turkey a General
whom the UN said was
responsible for allowing
hundreds of South Sudanese to
be slaughtered when he was
Force Commander of the UN
Mission there, Johnson
Ondieki. UN Secretary General
Antonio Guterres, of course, a
man of impunity and
censorship, tried to take the
edge off that UN finding. But
reward as an Ambassador? When
the finding was under Ban
Ki-moon, Sid's father in law
who promoted him without
recusal? We'll have more on
this. And on this: on
September 24, as Guterres had
Inner City Press barred from
an event about banks profiting
from slavery, he met with
Kenyatta then put out this
gushing read-out: "Today, the
Secretary-General met with
H.E. Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta,
President of the Republic of
Kenya. They exchanged
views on the recent positive
developments with regard to
peace and security in the
region, notably in South Sudan
and Somalia. The
Secretary-General noted the
commendable mediation efforts
of Kenya and the
Intergovernmental Authority on
Development (IGAD) member
States in the South Sudan
peace process." Meanwhile
Kenyatta shows up in a press
release as a champion of youth
with UNICEF, which earlier in
the month banned
Inner City Press even from a
book event, following the
corruption of Guterres. Here
is the press release, read
right to the bottom - hope
springs eternal, no even discredited
UN award is never not
ultimately doled out for money
once the watchdogs are roughed
up and banned: "NEW YORK, 21
September 2018 – World leaders
will launch a new partnership
to get every young person into
quality education, training or
employment by 2030, next week
at the 73rd session of the UN
General Assembly. Generation
Unlimited will tackle the
global education and training
crisis currently holding back
millions of young people and
threatening progress and
stability. Generation
Unlimited – which forms part
of the United Nations
Secretary-General’s Youth 2030
Strategy – will complement and
build on existing programmes
that support adolescents and
young people.
Generation Unlimited leaders
group members:
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder
and Chairman, BRAC; H.E. Dr.
Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister,
Federal Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia; Mr. Gordon Brown, UN
Special Envoy for Education,
United Nations; Ms. Julia
Gillard, Chair, Global
Partnership for Education; Mr.
António Guterres, Secretary
General, United Nations; H.E.
Mr. Paul Kagame, President,
Republic of Rwanda; President
Jim Kim, President, World Bank
Group; Ms. Graça Machel,
Founder, Graça Machel Trust;
Mr. Paul Polman, Chief
Executive Officer, Unilever;
Ms. Vibhu Sharma, Co-Chair,
Global Partnership for
Children with Disabilities
Youth Council.
Generation Unlimited board
members: Ms. Anne-Birgitte
Albrectsen, Chief Executive
Officer, Plan International;
Ms. Alice Albright, Chief
Executive Officer, Global
Partnership for Education; Mr.
Ahmad Alhendawi,
Secretary-General, World
Organization of the Scout
Movement; Ms. Audrey Azoulay,
Director-General, United
Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO); Ms.
Harriet Baldwin, Minister of
State, Department for
International Development,
United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland;
Mr. Sigve Brekke, Chief
Executive Officer, Telenor
Group; Ms. Sarah Brown,
Executive Chair, Global
Business Coalition for
Education; Ms. Ilwad Elman,
Director, Elman Peace Centre;
Mr. Tony Elumelu, Founder, The
Tony Elumelu Foundation; Ms.
Henrietta Fore, Executive
Director, United Nations
Children's Fund (UNICEF); Mr.
Michael Froman, Vice Chairman
and President of Strategic
Growth, Mastercard; Mr.
Napoleón García, Youth
Director, Nuestro Tiempo and
Censura Cero; Ms. Kristalina
Georgieva, Chief Executive
Officer, World Bank; Mr. José
Ángel Gurría, Secretary
General, Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD); Mr. Per
Heggenes, Chief Executive
Officer, IKEA Foundation; Ms.
Sri Mulyani Indrawati,
Minister of Finance, Republic
of Indonesia; Mr. Safiqul
Islam, Director of Education,
BRAC; Ms. Sigrid Kaag,
Minister for Foreign Trade and
Development Cooperation, The
Netherlands; Ms. Natalia
Kanem, Executive Director,
United Nations Population
Fund; Ms. Lise Kingo, CEO and
Executive Director, United
Nations Global Compact; Mr.
Michael Kocher, General
Manager, Aga Khan Foundation;
Ms. Shamma bint Suhail bin
Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of
Youth, United Arab Emirates;
Ms. Rosemary Mbabazi, Minister
of Youth, Republic of Rwanda;
Mr. Norbert Meder, Chief
Executive Officer, SOS
Children’s Villages
International; Ms. Federica
Mogherini, High Representative
of the European Union for
Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy, European Union; Mr.
Sobel Aziz Ngom, Founder and
Executive Director, Social
Change Factory; Mr. Hernán
Rincón, Chief Executive
Officer, Avianca Holdings; Mr.
Guy Ryder, Director-General,
International Labour
Organization (ILO); Mr. Achim
Steiner, Administrator, United
Nations Development Programme
(UNDP); Mr. Justin van Fleet,
Director, The Education
Commission; Ms. Jayathma
Wickramanayake, Secretary
General's Envoy on Youth,
United Nations; Mr. Liu
Zhenmin,
Under-Secretary-General for
Economic and Social Affairs,
United Nations
Generation Unlimited champions
group members: Mr. Alexander
De Croo, Deputy Prime Minister
and Minister for Development
Cooperation, Kingdom of
Belgium; H.E. Mr. Uhuru Muigai
Kenyatta, President, Republic
of Kenya." And there it is! As
Erik Solheim uses public funds
to flee Nairobi where he's
supposed to work. This
is Guterres' UN.
On
a past
February 5,
Inner City Press
asked
Dujarric, UN
transcript
here:
Inner City Press:
in Kenya,
there was a
court order
saying to
reopen the TV
stations that
were closed
down during
Raila Odinga's
self-inauguration.
And not all…
two have
opened, but
Citizen TV has
not
opened.
People have
been tear
gassed as they
protest for
opening
it. And
I'm wondering,
what does the
UN think about
this, the
Government not
only closing a
TV station but
not obeying a
court order to
reopen it? Spokesman:
Look, I think
it's important
that there be
a climate in
which
journalists
can operate
freely.
I think, as we
said earlier,
it's important
that all
Kenyan
political
actors work
together to
uphold the
Constitution
and work
together to
strengthen
governance and
uphold human
rights and the
rule of law."
Yeah - where's
Sid, the
head of the UN
in Kenya,
other than
promoting
himself? From
the UN's
January 30
transcript:Inner
City Press: on
Kenya.
Yesterday,
you'd said,
you know, sort
of generally
that the UN is
concerned
about… the TV
stations are
still closed
there.
The blogger I
named has
actually since
been
arrested.
There's been
grenade
attacks on an
MP [military
policeman],
and another
one has been
arrested.
So, I know
that you
expressed
concern.
What exactly
is the UN… I
mean, I know
that Mr.
[Olusegun]
Obasanjo was
sent and then
left. Is
the UN doing
anything about
this? Spokesman:
"You know, I
think contacts
continue to be
had, and we
would want to
see an
atmosphere in
which media is
able to
operate
freely."
Really? When
Sid blocks the
blogger
(reportedly
since released
but facing
charges) and
Inner City Press,
and the UN
continues to
restrict Inner
City Press?
On January 26,
after the UN
answered Inner
City Press
that Secretary
General
Antonio
Guterres sent
former
Nigerian
President
Obasanjo
to Kenya (and
this was
picked up, crediting
Inner City
Press, in an
article in
which
both Jubilee and
NASA denied
any contact
with Obasanjo),
Inner City
Press asked UN
Deputy Spokesman
Farhan Haq, UN video,
transcript here: Inner
City Press:
I also wanted
to ask you
about Mediator
[Olusegun]
Obasanjo's
trip to
Kenya.
There's now
reports in the
press there,
basically,
with both the
Government or
the Jubilee
Party and NASA
(National
Super
Alliance)
denying that
they had any
meeting with
him, so I
wanted to know
did he really…
did he
go? And who
did he meet
with?
Also is there
any comment on
the NASA
Coalition
announcing
what they call
"the authentic
results of the
August
election"
saying that
Raila Odinga
won? Deputy
Spokesman:
Well,
regarding
that, it was
in the context
of the
decisions by
the National
Super Alliance
that the
Secretary-General
asked former
President
Obasanjo to
visit
Kenya.
It's important
that Kenyans
continue to
uphold the
2010
Constitution,
and that the
opposition
carry their
political
activities
within the
confines of
the law.
We would like
to stress the
importance for
Kenyans to
work together
to strengthen
governance,
advance
inclusive
development,
and uphold
human rights
and the rule
of law. Deputy
Spokesman:
But did he
meet with any
representative
of the NASA
Coalition
while he was
there? Inner
City
Press:
I believe he
reached out
with a range
of
interlocutors
as part of his
work, and
he'll continue
to keep with
his various
contacts."
Interlocutors
but NOT Jubilee or
NASA? Who is
paying for
this? How
much? Back on
January 22,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, UN
transcript here: Inner
City Press: I
actually want
to ask you
about one of the
things you did
comment on
on Friday, and
it was Uhuru
Kenyatta, the
President of
Kenya, being
named as a
Global
Champion of
Youth by
UNICEF [United
Nations
Children’s
Fund].
It's given
raise rise to
a lot of
controversy in
the country,
given the
unrest around
the most
recent
election
including the
killing of
youth by the
Government.
And I've come
to understand
that, at least
after… I
believe after
the briefing
that we had on
Friday, you…
you said that…
that there is
no appointment
or you
understood
there to be no
appointment.
Is there an
appointment or
not of this
controversial
appointment of
Uhuru Kenyatta
as a Global
Champion of
Youth
Empowerment by
the UN system? Spokesman:
I think that's
a question for
UNICEF.
My
understanding
is that the
Executive
Director spoke
about the need
for youth to
be engaged,
and the
President said
he would
support
that.
But, beyond
that, I'm not
aware of any
specific
appointment. Inner
City Press: Okay.
And I also
wanted to ask,
because you
confirmed on
Friday that
Mr. [Olusegun]
Obasanjo was
going there in
some capacity,
and it's also
reported that
he's going to
the
inauguration
of George Weah
in
Liberia.
How lengthy
was the trip
to Kenya? Spokesman:
No, I think it
was just a
couple
days.
I'm not… as
far as his
presence in
Liberia, I'm
not aware
that's UN
business." But
it's unclear,
apparently
by designed.
On January
24, Inner City
Press asked
Dujarric,
video here,
UN transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: You may
have seen that
Mr. [Olusegun]
Obasanjo, who
I know is at
least a
part-time
mediator for
the
Secretary-General,
has issued an
open letter
calling on
President
[Muhammadu]
Buhari not to
run for
re-election
and to
retire.
And I just…
I'm assuming
that's not as
a UN official,
but what I
want to know
is… Spokesman:
That would be
a correct
assumption. Inner
City
Press:
But my
question is, in
cases going
forward, given
that he was
sent to Kenya,
but it wasn't
announced from
here and he…
people sort of
intuited from
there, is it a
better
practice to
say when he's
going on a UN
mission or not
say…? Spokesman:
You know, I
think,
obviously, to
state again,
those reports
have nothing
to do with the
UN. He's
not a
part-time
mediator.
He's, like all
the other
members of the
committee, of
the group, he
is… they are
as-needed
mediators.
So, they get
called on per
case.
You know,
obviously, we
would like to
be as
transparent as
possible, and
there may be a
number of
other missions
that we would
like to
advance…
announce in
advance.
Sometimes,
it's best to
try to do
things
discreetly so
as not to
raise pressure
or
expectations,
but… and,
while we may
want to do
that, others
may announce
things for
us. So,
it's on a
case-by-case
basis. Inner
City
Press:
And… and
thanks.
And you
mentioned the
private
sector, and I
wanted to
know… I think
it was nine
days ago, the
Secretary-General
said he would
look into
whether China
Energy Fund
Committee… Spokesman:
Yes, I’m in
contact with
the Global
Compact.
If I have
something, I
will share it
with
you.
Thank you,
all." Back
on
January 19,
Inner City
Press asked UN
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric,
video here,
UN transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
you if Mr.
Obasanjo is
headed to
Kenya.
There's this
stand-off
between Raila
Odinga and
Uhuru
Kenyatta, and
it said
that…
that I
guess… I
don't know if
he's… Spokesman:
It's
true.
The short
answer is it's
true. As
you know, the
political
situation in
Kenya is one
we've been
following
closely,
especially the
ongoing
preparation by
the
opposition,
the National
Super
Alliance, for
the
swearing-in
planned of in
January.
It's in that
context that
the
Secretary-General
asked the
former
president
Obasanjo who,
as you know,
is a member of
the
Secretary-General's
High-Level
Mediation
Panel, to
visit
Kenya.
It's important
that Kenyans
continue to
uphold the
2010
Constitution,
and that the
opposition
carry their
political
activities
within the
confines of
the law, and
we would like
to stress the
importance for
Kenyans to
work together
to strengthen
governance,
advance
inclusive
development,
and uphold
human rights
and the rule
of law. Inner
City Press:
And I wanted
to ask.
There's some
controversy
there
about…
remember
Roselyn
Akombe, there
was the whole
situation
where she… as
a… as a UN
staff member
on leave, she
called for a
boycott of the
elections.
It said that
she's actually
received a
promotion, I
guess, over
the possible
opposition of
the Kenyan
Permanent
Representative.
Is it true
that she's now
the Director
of Policy and
Planning of
DPA
[Department of
Political
Affairs]?
And UNICEF has
made Uhuru
Kenyatta,
despite this
controversy, a
Global
Champion for
Youth.
Are these
in… in
any way
related? Spokesman:
No, not at
all. Ms.
Akombe I think
has a new
job. And
as all staff,
they go
through a
process to get
that job."
We'll have
more on this.
The
UN's resident
coordinator
Siddharth
Chatterjee,
Ban Ki-moon's
son in law, is
of course
silent, other
than
self-promotion
including knee-jerk
defense of
Amina J.
Mohammed for
not answering
Press
questions
about her 4000
rosewood
signatures, for
which 98,000
people have
asked Ban's
successor
Antonio
Guterres to
investigate.
There's still
no
investigation
- nor any
comment on the abduction
of nine
Cameroon
opposition
officials in
Nigeria while
Amina J. Mohammed
was
there.
In
December as Kenya detained
journalist
Jerome Starkey,
Ban Ki-moon's
son in law
Chatterjee was
entirely
silent. Like
his father in
law has proved
to be with the
Press in New
York, he
is at heart a
censor. But it
makes a
mockery of Ban
Ki-moon's post
Sri Lanka
claims of
"Rights Up
Front," even
as Ban
angles to run
for President
on South
Korea.
In
fact, in Sri Lanka Ban's son in
law is implicated
in presumptive war crimes,
the Jaffna Hospital massacre and
the crushing of civilians with
tanks. And it's from him that
Ban took his advice on Sri
Lanka, where Ban oversaw the
killing of more than 40,000
civilians.
Ban
is allowing those scribes
who ignore this and praise him
to sell access to him on
December 16 for $1200 on Wall
Street. We'll have more on
this.
Tellingly,
as the UN's Resident Coordinator
in Kenya, Ban's son in law
Chatterjee has remained silent
not only on the targeting of
South Sudanese, but on the
protests profiled in a study
released by Article 19, here.
Ban's
son in law ignores Ban's
supposed “Rights Up Front,”
given his action in Sri Lanka
(see below) and because he is
entirely unaccountable: he could
only be fired by Ban Ki-moon,
his father in law. Nepotism is
harmful.
On
December 3 Inner City Press
reported the ever-increasingly
likelihood that Ban Ki-moon's
son in law Chatterjee was
involved in crimes of war in Sri
Lanka, which neither Ban's
spokesman Stephane Dujarric nor
Chatterjee himself when asked
in the UN lobby was
willing to answer.
For some time Inner City Press
has heard that Chatterjee, as
part of the Indian Peace Keeping
Force in Sri Lanka, was a war
criminal. Inner City Press asked
Ban's spokesman Dujarric if
Chatterjee was involved in the
Jaffna University raid, or the
Jaffna hospital massacre,
without answer.
In the UN lobby, Chatterjee said
he would
answer at an “opportune time.”
He has not answered.
Chatterjee had his commander, Dalvir
Singh, write a defense on
Huffington Post and
elsewhere, identifying himself
as the commander of Chatterjee
and of the 10th Para commandos.
And
that's the problem. More here
and here.
***
Feedback:
Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
UN Office: S-303,
UN, NY 10017 USA
Reporter's mobile (and weekends):
718-716-3540
Other, earlier Inner City Press are
listed here,
and some are available in the ProQuest
service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.
Copyright 2006-2018 Inner City
Press, Inc. To request reprint or other
permission, e-contact Editorial [at]
innercitypress.com for
|