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By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT NYP

UNITED NATIONS GATE, June 7 –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 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.

 On June 4 Guterres' envoy Francois Fall told the UN Security Council, in French, that Paul Biya's government is providing aid. Tellingly, he quoted Guterres on the territorial integrity of Cameroun. Now pro Biya media there has celebrated Guterres' sell out: "Guinean François Louncény Fall who heads the UN Regional Office for Central Africa hailed the Cameroonian government’s peacekeeping actions towards settling the ongoing Anglophone crisis. This was yesterday June 4 during an office briefing.  He also encouraged authorities to conduct a further inclusive dialog with separatists as to find a lasting solution to the crisis. According to Mr. Fall, this is the best way to preserve the country's stability, which is vital for the sub-region. In that regard, he welcomed the announcement from Prime Minister, Joseph Dion Ngute, on 9 May saying President Paul Biya was ready to engage in dialog on all issues, except those related to “separation” and “secession.”  This is a “step in the right direction,” said the UN representative. However, he pointed out, despite these positive achievements, the situation continues to deteriorate with frequent riots between secessionist armed groups and national defense and security forces." Riots?

On June 4 France through deputy Anne Gueguen said much the same; Belgium, as translated, referred to the "management of trans-humans." The UK's deputy Jonathan Allen said the UK shares Guterres' view. Maybe that's why his Mission withheld Cameroon and Yemen documents from Inner City Press, and minister Liam Fox bragged of UK-based New Age Oil's deal with Biya.

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

 The day before, a number of generally pro-UN groups, not one of which has taken any public action about Guterres' open targeting of Inner City Press with roughing up on 22 June and 3 July 2018 and banning for 334 days since, nor openly criticized Guterres' shameful golden statue performance on Cameroon, sent equally inactive UNSC members a letter including: "31 May 2019  To all UN Security Council Members  Your Excellency,   Ahead of the upcoming briefing of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) in the UN Security Council in June, we, the undersigned organizations, would urge you to please pay particular attention to the deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation in Cameroon.... As you prepare your remarks for the UNOCA briefing, we respectfully urge you to consider the following recommendations: The UN Security Council should hold regular formal briefings and discussions on the situation in Cameroon and formally add it to its agenda. It should request the UN Secretary-General and key senior UN officials - especially the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights – to report regularly on developments in Cameroon.  While we should not wait for the region to mobilize before taking action in New York, the African Union and Economic Community of Central African States should engage with Cameroon's government and armed separatists in order to prevent any further deterioration of the crisis in the Anglophone regions... The UN Security Council, with the support of the OHCHR, should urge the Cameroon authorities to investigate members of the security forces alleged to have carried out human rights abuses and prosecute those responsible. It should also publicly announce to armed separatist groups that their leaders will be held responsible for serious crimes committed by their fighters. The international community should encourage mediation between Anglophone communities and the government, as well as an inclusive national dialogue in order to find a lasting and sustainable solution to the crisis, which addresses root causes and underlying grievances.  Signed,   1. Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT-France) 2. Amnesty International 3. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) 4. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect  5. Human Rights Watch 6. Nouveaux Droits de l’Homme Cameroun 7. Presbyterian Church (USA) 8. Réseau des Défenseurs des Droits Humains en Afrique Centrale (REDHAC) 9. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)." No call, to Guterres - unlike even Refugees International.

  They are phoning it in, and thus is the UN dying.

  More here.

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