In Other Media-eg CJR, Independent, Fox, New Statesman, AJE, FP, NYT,  CSM Click here to contact us     .

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR Letter PFT Q&A

UNITED NATIONS GATE, August 21 – While in Khartoum non violent protesters were shot, then a "power sharing" deal reached, the UN of Antonio Guterres remains useless, with the Secretary General having dumped on the country an envoy he already withdrew from Somalia for asking human rights questions.

  Now on August 21, this: "The Troika countries (United Kingdom, United States and Norway) congratulate Dr. Abdalla Hamdok on his appointment as prime minister by the Sovereign Council and welcome the extensive professional experience he brings to the role. We welcome this step in creating a civilian-led government. As Prime Minister Hamdok begins the process of selecting ministers and identifying the government’s priorities, we look forward to working with Sudan’s new institutions."

 Meanwhile the UN's man is Haysom, whom Guterres threw under the bus on Somalia, then said: "The Secretary-General is encouraged by the agreement reached between the Forces for Freedom and Change and the Transitional Military Council on 5 July towards the establishment of transitional governing bodies.  He congratulates the African Union and Ethiopia for their role in mediating the Sudanese-led talks and commends the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for its support to the process.     The Secretary-General encourages all stakeholders to ensure the timely, inclusive, and transparent implementation of the agreement and resolve any outstanding issues through dialogue.  He also welcomes the parties' commitment to conducting an independent investigation into the violence perpetrated against peaceful protesters, including the events on 3 June.       The Secretary-General expresses his solidarity with the people of Sudan and reiterates the commitment of the United Nations to assist in the transition process.     Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General  New York, 5 July 2019." We'll have more on this.

  On June 30, after Guterres at the G20 in Osaka praised Xi of China without mentioning the Uighurs or Hong Kong, he was also silent on this: tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Sudan’s capital Khartoum, nearly Omdurman and elsewhere in the country Sunday calling for civilian rule nearly three months after the army forced out Omar al-Bashir, who had just taken a family photo with Guterres . A government official low-balled that at least seven people had been killed and 200 injured during the demonstrations. And Guterres? Praising autocrats and censoring the Press, 363 days and counting. #DumpGuterres.

  From Khartoum on June 3, the thirtieth anniversary of China's massacre in Tiananmen Square on which Guterres had "no particular comment" despite repeated written questions from Inner City Press he has banned, includes that Sudanese security forces have moved against a protest sit-in camp, besieging the site and setting fire to tents.

Now on June 11 from the UN Security Council which Guterres has banned Inner City Press from staking out like Xinhua and others, this: "The Members of the Council strongly condemned the recent violence in the Republic of the Sudan and expressed their regret for the loss of lives and injuries amongst civilians. The Members of the Council expressed their deep sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured. The Members of the Council called for the immediate cessation of violence against civilians and emphasised [sic] the importance of respect for human rights and of ensuring full protection of civilians, accountability and justice. The Members of the Council took note of the announcement by the Transitional Military Council to investigate the incidents. The Members of the Council encouraged the Secretary-General to continue to support regional and international efforts, in particular those led by the African Union, to facilitate and agree on a national transitional process for the benefit of the people of Sudan, and without prejudice to future agreements of Sudanese stakeholders and, as stated by the African Union, without external interference. The Members of the Council called upon all stakeholders to continue working together towards a consensual solution to the current crisis. The Members of the Council reaffirmed their strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of the Sudan." We'll have more on this.

  Inner City Press asked Guterres and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric in writing: "June 3-1: On Sudan, what is the SG's comment and action on that today Sudanese security forces have moved against a protest sit-in camp of non violent demonstrators, besieging the site and setting fire to tents, witnesses and protest leaders said. Machine gun fire and explosions were heard; protest organizers said at least five people were killed?"

 Dujarric did not by day's end acknowledge much less answer this and other Inner City Press questions including on Cameroon and Sri Lanka. At the noon briefing to those he allowed in - who called it "important" - Dujarric said, " The Secretary-General... urges all parties to act with utmost restraint." Yeah, to Guterres those non violent protesters definitely have to show more restraint. And on Tiananmen Dujarric said Guterres has no particular comment. He is corrupt and killing the UN.

  The UK says it has quietly asked for a closed door meeting of the UNSC, on Tuesday afternoon blocking out a meeting including Cameroon which the UK also blocks out, and blacks out by withholding documents from the Press its Alison Smale bans from the UN, under UK FOIA. Germany too is another quiet sponsor entirely fine with censorship at and by the UN.

  Despite Sudan's Omar al Bashir being indicted for genocide, Antonio Guterres repeatedly met with him, as acknowledged to Inner City Press by Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq on 29 January 2018 (before Guterres had Inner City Press roughed up and banned from the UN for 281 days now).  On April 11, state media in Khartoum reported that Bashir is out - and from Guterres, silence. Now on April 20, with Guterres on "annual leave" with location undisclosed and his $15 million mansion on New York's Sutton Place empty, suitcases full of more than $351,000, €6m ($6.7m; £5.2m) and five billion Sudanese pounds ($105m) have been found in Bashir's home. From Guterres, silence. What's in HIS mansion?  Guterres likes strongmen like Cameroon's Paul Biya, from whom he took a golden statue. CEFC, which tried to buy the oil company of Gulbenian Foundation whose payments to Guterres were omitted from his public financial disclosure covering 2016, brought $2 million in cash in gift boxes to Idriss Deby in Chad... On April 6 amid protests in Sudan and around the world, there was a protest in front of the UN. Inner City Press filmed the tail end of it, here on YouTube, here on Facebook. Guterres was away, meeting strongman Haftar in Libya as he had met the killing Paul Biya in Cameroon, and taken a golden statue from him. Guterres is the most corrupt Secretary General yet of the UN, and may be its demand. If you want to save the UN, #DumpGuterres: #NoSecondTerm. On the morning of April 8, Inner City Press sent questions to Guterres, Amina J. Mohammed, Alison Smale and Stephane Dujarric who held a briefing these four banned Inner City Press from the 278th day, including: "April 8-1: On Sudan, what is the SG's comment and action if any on that security forces in Sudan have used teargas and baton charges in an effort to break up a protest by tens of thousands of peaceful anti-government demonstrators who have been camped for more than 48 hours in central KhartoumThe demonstrators are calling for the president, Omar al-Bashir, who seized power in a military coup in 1989, to resign. At least one protester, a laboratory doctor, was killed on Saturday when huge crowds surged through the centre of Khartoum. Activists say the number of casualties may be much higher. Again, how many times has Mr. Guterres met with Bashir? Why?"

   On the afternoon of April 8 Dujarric send this out: "The Secretary-General is following closely the demonstrations in Sudan. He appeals to all actors to exercise utmost restraint and avoid violence.  He calls for full respect for human rights, including the freedom of assembly, the freedom of expression, and the release of detained protestors.  He further calls on the Government of the Sudan to create a conducive environment for a solution to the current situation and to promote an inclusive dialogue.       The Secretary-General affirms that the United Nations stands ready to support any efforts agreed by the Sudanese to peacefully resolve the current crisis.     Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General  New York, 8 April 2019." On March 13, this: "ACJPS calls upon Sudanese authorities to urgently investigate the reported torture and custodial death of three University students who were detained by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) for participating in the ongoing protests. Mr Muhajoob Eltaj Muhajoob, a 25-year-old student from Khartoum died on 24 December 2018 shortly after being detained on the same day by NISS of Khartoum. Reliable information indicates that he was subjected to torture including beatings on different parts of his body using horse pipes and sticks while in NISS custody.   In January 2019, ACJPS documented the custodial and suspicious deaths of two students arrested for participating in peaceful protests by NISS in Khartoum and Al Gaderef states. The dead bodies of both students retrieved from River Nile in Khartoum and Al Gederef hospital had serious marks of torture. One of the deceased students had a bullet wound in his mouth and his hair was shaven off.  [Then there are the] 48 University students who remain in NISS custody since protests broke out on December 19 2018, given reports about the torture and ill-treatment. The students were arrested during raids on students' residence by NISS in the states of Khartoum, Sennar and Port Sudan among others." What will Guterres say?  Guterres met with Bashir again, in Addis Ababa. Inner City Press on February 13 before the UN noon briefing run by Guterres' lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric asked him, Alison Smale, Amina J. Mohammed and others: "February 13-2: On Sudan and the ICC, please immediately deny or confirm and read out that " United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with Sudan’s president on the sidelines of the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, said Foreign Minister El-Dirdeiry Ahmed in a statement released on Monday.  The meeting of al-Bashir with Guterres was reported by the official news agency SUNA saying it took place at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa on the sidelines of the 32nd Ordinary Summit of the African Union." How many times in total has Guterres met Bashir - and any other ICC indictees?" None of these have answered, despite promises including to UNSR David Kaye that they would. But the UN has become such a scam that inside the February 13 noon briefing Inner City Press was banned from one of Dujarric's partners in censorship, James Bays of Al Jazeera (see Dujarric's false claims to the Columbia Journalism Review, here) asked a question not about the meeting with Bashir, but only about Guterres standing next to Bashir in the African Union "family photo." Dujarric was, not surprisingly, able to dismiss the issue by saying the AU chose where people stood. Did the AU make Guterres meet with Bashir? Watch this site. On February 9 there was a protest outside the UN in New York, demanding action on Bashir - this while INSIDE Guterres' UN the Delegates' Dining Room was given over to yet another China Intangible Cultural Heritage event, and Guterres continues to cover up his links to CEFC China Energy. Bashir under fired it offering as an inducement for support raises and new housing to "his" police. (At the UN Guterres has used UN Security to rough up the critical Press and put it without due process on a non-public "barred" list that his official in charge of media access Alison Smale said she has nothing to do with, but would take under advisement - then nothing, including no answers to questions.) On January 23 US State Department deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino issued this: "The United States is concerned about the increasing number of arrests and detentions, as well as the escalating number of people injured and killed, following four weeks of protests across Sudan.  The United States supports the right of the Sudanese people to gather peaceably to voice their demands for political and economic reform and a more peaceful and inclusive Sudan.  We condemn the use of violence, including the use of live fire, and the excessive use of tear gas by the Sudanese security forces.  A new, more positive relationship between the United States and Sudan requires meaningful political reform and clear, sustained progress on respect for human rights.  This must include prohibiting the security services’ use of arbitrary detention and excessive force against protesters, and ending the government’s harassment and intimidation of journalists, human rights defenders, political opposition, medical personnel, students, and other civil society actors.  We urge the government to release all journalists, activists, and peaceful protesters who have been arbitrarily detained, and to allow those facing charges full access to legal representation and the opportunity to seek legal review of their detention.  We also call on the government to allow for a credible and independent investigation into the deaths and injuries of protesters.  Moreover, to address the legitimate grievances of the population, the government must create a safe and secure environment for public expression and dialogue with the opposition and civil society in a more inclusive political process." On January 14 Inner City Press asked Guterres and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who had promised to answer, "On Sudan, what is the SG's comment and action on that Sudanese security forces Sunday fired tear gas and real bullets on Khartoum North Hospital and other medical facilities in other towns said a statement issued by the Sudan Doctors’ Syndicate? Again, please state when and why Mr Guterres met Omar al Bashir." But there has been no answer.  Rather, now on January 17 a statement by Michelle Bachelet whom Guterres picked as Rights Commissioner and who has said nothing about Guterres' own roughing up and banning of the Press, now for 196 days. Here's from Bachelet: "Credible reports of the use of excessive force, including live ammunition, by State security forces against protestors across Sudan over the past month are deeply worrying, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Thursday. Bachelet called on the Government to protect the exercise by all of their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, regardless of their political affiliations.  The demonstrations since 19 December 2018 have taken place in a number of cities across Sudan, including Wad Madani, Port Sudan, Al-Qadarif, Atbara, Berber, Dongla, Karima, Al-Damazin, Al Obeid, Khartoum, Sinar, Bara, Nyala and Omdurman. The Government has confirmed that 24 people have died in the course of the protests, but other credible reports suggest the death toll may be nearly twice as high. Many others have been injured. According to information received, security forces have also followed some protestors into the Omdurman Hospital and fired tear gas and live ammunition inside the premises of the hospital. Reports also suggest that police fired tear gas inside Bahri Teaching Hospital and Haj Al-Safi Hospital. These two hospitals are in Khartoum North, where a large protest was organized by opposition groups.  Authorities have also confirmed that up to 6 January, at least 816 people were arrested in connection with the demonstrations. Reports indicate that these include journalists, opposition leaders, protestors and representatives of civil society.  “A repressive response can only worsen grievances,” High Commissioner Bachelet said.  “I am very concerned about reports of excessive use of force, including live ammunition, by Sudanese State Security Forces during large-scale demonstrations in various parts of the country since 19 December." So she calls for freedom of expression? Everywhere but in the UN, where Guterres banned critical Inner City Press even from her own events? Under Guterres and now Bachelet, the UN is rotting into hypocrisy, mere words from arrogant absentees. We'll have more on this. Back on 20 December 2018, banned Inner City Press asked Guterres and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric and Farhan Haq, "December 20-2: On Sudan, what is the SG's comment and action on the anti-government protests that started on Wednesday in northern Sudan and have been spreading to other cities?" Even by 7 pm on December 28 with more journalists arrested in Sudan, for example Ahmed Younes from Al-Sharq Alowsat newspaper and Maha Al-Tilib from Attayar newspaper, both just for reporting on the protests in Wad Nubawi, Omdurman, there was no answer at all, nor to 46 other questions Inner City Press has submitted including on conflicts of interest by Guterres. It turns out the UN has become so corrupt under Guterres that one of lead Spokesman Stephane Dujarric's Associate Spokespeople Ms Keishamaza Rukikaire who actually seems to care or at least re-tweet about Sudan has been ordered not to answer banned Inner City Press' written questions about Sudan, etc, see here.

***

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

UN Office: S-303, UN, NY 10017 USA

Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540

Search innercitypress.com  Search WWW (censored?)

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

 Copyright 2006-2019 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com for