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By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT NYP

UNITED NATIONS GATE, July 9 –After Paul Biya who has ruled Cameroon for 37 years on January 28 had his opponent Maurice Kamto arrested, Inner City Press again asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and his spokesmen for their comment and action, if any. This came after Guterres had Inner City Press roughed up on 3 July 2018 after it interviewed Biya's Ambassador about the two men's Budget Committee deals and banned from the UN since - Guterres even tried to get Inner City Press banned from the Park East Synagogue, here, which was denied / dodged by his French spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who put up then took down a podcast in which he brags about his "mutually assured destruction" relationship with journalists, here.

  Now the UN system's International Financial Corporation, part of the World Bank group which has seen its impunity chipped away at by the U.S. Supreme Court's JAM v IMF decision, is blithely backing up Biya as his goons beat up the press: From July 10 to 12, IFC's Vice President for the Middle East and Africa Sergio Pimenta will visit Cameroon in the framework of the upcoming launch of Nachtigal dam (420 MW)’s construction project.  The project whose funds mobilization was coordinated by the IFC is 20% owned by the World Bank group’s subsidiary dedicated to the private sector’s financing. It will boost Cameroon’s energy generation capacity by 30%, create thousands of jobs and supply clean and affordable energy to residents and local companies.  During his visit in Cameroon, the vice president will meet high officials, private sector executives and many development partners. He will also conduct various field visits with IFC’s current and future clients.  The IFC’s active portfolio in Cameroon is estimated at $228 million. Apart from financial support, the institution also provides consulting services to help the government improve its business environment.  Once again, shameful support without any conditions or even caution, to Biya's murderous and openly corrupt government.

  After Guterres on June 28 tried to erase his failure and failure of credibility on Cameroon by embracing an attempt to mediate by Switzerland, in Geneva Swiss police used tear gas against protesters of Biya's corruption, right in front of the UN. Given Guterres' track records, perhaps it was this that he was welcoming.

Then even the Swiss police arrested for roughing up a journalist six of Biya's guards - in the way the NYPD has yet to act on Guterres' abusive guards Ronald E. Robbins, who roughed up Inner City Press after it questioned Cameroon's ambassador here, and others who didn't give their names, here. 

On July 4 six members of the Cameroonian president's security staff have been given suspended prison sentences in Switzerland over an attack on a journalist, the Geneva prosecution authority said Thursday.  The six — five men and a woman — “have been criminally convicted”, the Geneva attorney-general's office said... The journalis filed a criminal complaint stating he was assaulted by a group of men outside Geneva's luxury Intercontinental Hotel, where Biya is believed to have been staying since June 23.  He said he had been filming a clash between about a dozen demonstrators against Cameroon's 86-year-old president and members of the president's security detail, when they attacked him and grabbed his equipment, wallet and phone.  He was slightly injured in the assault and his possessions were damaged.  The attack spurred Bern to summon Cameroon's ambassador last week, describing the incident as “unacceptable” and adding “freedom of the press is protected and must be respected."

  Guterres does not agree. This contrasts with the total impunty for Guterres' guards including Lt Ronald E. Dobbins - now there is a "new" head of security, now in charge of a banned listing that is entirely political - we'll have more on this. Guterres and Biya are peas in a pod - but Guterres gets over in NY and in the USA, for now, instead of being jailed like Patrick Ho.

Inner City Press live tweeted the shameful UNSC session and uploaded Fall's failing statement here.

  More here.

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