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

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT NYP

UNITED NATIONS GATE, March 31 –After Paul Biya who has ruled Cameroon for 36 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 spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who put up then took down a podcast in which he brags about his "muatally assured destruction" relationship with journalists, here. With this green light to mass killing from the UN, it is any surprise that UN Security Council member Equatorial Guinea and long spurned wannabe permanent UNSC member Japan are blithely talking security, but not the killings, with Biya's minister? Consider this ghoulish read-out: The Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella on March 27, 2019 granted two separate audiences to the Japanese Ambassador to Cameroon, Tsutomi Osawa and the Am bassador of Equatorial Guinea to Cameroon, Anastasio Asumu-Mum Munoz, during which security issues were discussed in relation to the current dispensation. First to be received was the Japanese Ambassa dor who after the audience said he discussed bilateral and international security issues with the Minister of External Relations.  "We talked about various issues concerning our cooperation between the two countries and also international issues. With regards to our bilateral issues, Japan is going to have two big events this year. In August we are going to have the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) and in October, we are going to organize a ceremony on the new impact of Japan," he stated. Ah, Japan and Myanmar, Japan and its history.... Meanwhile Guterres' UNFPA is propping up Biya by, when visiting Yaounde, issuing this: "The Regional Director for West and Central Africa of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Mr. Mabingue Ngom, conducts a working visit to Cameroon from 25 to 28 March 2019. The visit is organized in the framework of UNFPA regional activities planning meeting, which is being held in Yaoundé. To this end, Mr. Mabingue Ngom will be joined by 23 UNFPA Country Representatives in West and Central Africa as well as technical and financial partners.   During his stay, the Regional Director of UNFPA will be received in audience by high level dignitaries of the State of Cameroon. Two working sessions will be held to strengthen the strategic lines of partnership between Cameroon and UNFPA. These meetings will involve the Ministry of External Relations and other Ministries, namely those dealing with sectors such as the economy, health, youth and women empowerment. The agenda would mainly focus on issues relating to the harnessing of the Demographic Dividend, the empowerment of young people and women...    On March 26, 2019, the delegation will visit humanitarian activities in the Far North Region, in the presence of the Ministers of Public Health and Youth and Civic Education as well as the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Cameroon." Of course, Guterres and Dujarric won't answer questions from Inner City Press not only about Cameroon but even about how 27 new Resident Coordinators are being recruited. Their UN is increasingly corrupt. Guterres' envoy Mohammed Ibn Chambas is ghoulishly lavishing praise on Cameroon and Amina J. Mohammed's Nigeria, which illegally refouled 47 to Cameroon, and on himself for what he called “remarkable progress” in demarcating the disputed Cameroon-Nigeria maritime border over the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula.  Obeying international law on non-refoulement? Not so much. But Big Tony doesn't care about that, quite the contrary. Chambas gushed, “The UN is doing everything it can to continue to make progress,” in Yaounde, after briefing Cameroonian Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute.  “We have not allowed anything to stand in its way. In spite of the rough terrain and security challenges, the work continues,” Chambas added.  Chambas, also chairman of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission (CNMC), continued: “The work that is left is something that can be managed as long as the good faith between the two sides remains." Like illegally sending back Ayuk Tabe and 46 others, while Amina J. Mohammed and Antonio "Golden Statue" Guterres say nothing.  On March 1 after the Nigerian federal high court sitting in Abuja declared illegal and unconstitutional the deportation of Ayuk Tabe and 46 others from Nigeria to Cameroon in January 2018, Dujarric who refuses questions from Inner City Press he has banned took a fake question from one of his favorites, who said "Anglophones did some shooting" - and said NOTHING about the new ruling. The refoulement took place with Guterres' Deputy SG Amina J. Mohammed there, and joining in censorship since. We'll have more on this, and this:  Azanwuli Chikere, a member of the panel which heard the case, said the Nigeria federal government lacks the power to deport refugees and asylum seekers from Nigeria. Ruling on an application filed by Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, the court awarded N5 million damages to each of the applicant and also ordered the government to ensure the Cameroonians are brought back to Nigeria.  Among those deported were Julius Tabe, Nfor Nfor, Fidelis Che, Henry Kimeng, Awasum, Cornelius Kwanga, Tassang Wilfred, Eyambe Elias, Ojong Okongho and Nalowa Bih. Amid Guterres' shameful silence, in Cameroon opposition leader Maurice Kamto on February 27 argued he cannot be tried in a military court - the UN seems fine with this - while supporters were held over in Kondengui prison until at least March 19. Meanwhile the UN World Health Program's Matshidiso Moeti praised Biya on, if it can be believed, health while Biya is in fact killing people. Shesaid she "was touched when the Minister of State 'told me that when we train health personnel we need to tell them not only to be efficient and knowledgeable but also to treat members of the public with kindness and compassion.'" Paul Biya and compassion? That's like Antonio Guterres false claim to care about and comply with freedom of the press. Doctor, heal thyself.

  More here.

***

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

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