In Other Media-eg New Statesman, AJE, FP, Georgia, NYT,  Azerbaijan, CSM Click here to contact us     .

By Matthew Russell Lee, Scope, song, II, song II

UN GATE, Jan 16 – What is it about the UN, not holding referendums they are supposed to, then issuing canned statements about belated ones? On January 16, while Antonio Guterres opportunistically grabs for an UNmerited second term, this: The Secretary-General welcomes the Presidential decree issued yesterday by President Mahmoud Abbas to hold legislative, presidential and Palestinian National Council elections later this year, beginning in May.   The holding of elections in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza will be a crucial step towards Palestinian unity, giving renewed legitimacy to national institutions, including a democratically elected Parliament and Government in Palestine.     The Secretary-General calls on the Palestinian authorities to facilitate, strengthen and support women’s political participation throughout the electoral cycle.     The Secretary-General hopes that the holding of the elections will contribute to restarting a process towards a negotiated two-State solution based on the pre-1967 lines, and in accordance with relevant UN resolutions, bilateral agreements and international law.     The United Nations stands ready to support efforts for the Palestinian people to be able to exercise their democratic rights.     Eri Kaneko, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General  New York, 16 January 2021." Fraud. Kaneko blocks the Press on WhatsApp and answers none of its questions, even when the one on duty.

On Western Sahara, Inner City Press has repeatedly asked  Guterres, his spokespeople including Kaneko and now Communications chief Melissa Fleming about sexual harassment charges against his representative Colin Stewart, which it has exclusively reported as credited here and even here.

 Guterres has repeatedly refused to answer, and denied Inner City Press access to the UN he lets dozens of Moroccan state media into as he and Fleming continue the ban on Inner City Press supported by a frivolous complaint filed against Inner City Press' coverage from the UN Security Council stakeout. So, after the December 2020 developments, on SoundCloud this song, here.

  On December 26 and now 27, amid report of abuse below, Morocco trolls comically called out not only Inner City Press, banned for questioning Guterres not only on his support for colonialism not only in Western Sahara but also Cameroon, CAR and elsewhere, but also a UN insider, "The Plant," Abdel Hamid Siyam, here.

This guy is let into every UN briefing, usually only asking about one issue, entirely silent on UN ban of Press. But the trolls don't like his questions either, though when asked what secret (or "closet") meeting it covered, they reply "We don't need to remember the facts.. Everyone knows the story."

  Various coordinated accounts for few followers followed up on December 27 (see for example here and here, "Well done, Sr @AntonioGuterres"), bragging about Guterres and Melissa Fleming banning anti-colonial questions. Similarly, Morocco's foreign minister Bourita bragged to Axios: Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita:  "We realistically think the administration will find a good rationale to preserve this," Bourita told [Axios] in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of a trilateral U.S.-Israel-Morocco summit on Tuesday in Rabat.  “We hope the next administration will continue this positive dynamic and nourish what we have built because it was done for peace."
Yeah - and phosphorous.

More Bourita: "Late King Hassan II did it and King Mohammed VI is ready to do it when conditions are there and when there is a request. His majesty has credibility," Bourita said." No.

  But what would Antony Blinken and, at the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield do, in a UN from which Guterres bans questions about Western Sahara and Cameroon while allow colonial state media in? Watch this site.

Guterres' role in orchestrating colonial lies, from Western Sahara to Cameroon, and censoring and banning independent Press and refusing its questions, is decisive. Here are just some of the Morocco state media Guterres and Melissa Fleming let in, and Steph Dujarric answers, from the UN Censorship Alliance (UNCA) --

Enhari Naoufal Moroccan News Agency (MAP) UN correspondent United Nations Secretariat Building Room S-0419 New York NY 10017 enharinaoufal@gmail.com Tel: 917-530-2673

Benyoussef Bouchra Quid.MA  Tel: (212) 758-6461 Mobile: (201) 873-5656 www.quid.ma @b.bouchra2001 -- "does not exist" (also a UN staff member - incredible)

There are more, and there will be more. Guterres should be fired.

***

Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com

Past (and future?) UN Office: S-303, UN, NY 10017 USA
For now: Box 20047, Dag Hammarskjold Station NY NY 10017

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 2006-2020 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com for