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By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT NYP

UNITED NATIONS GATE, June 24 –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 "mutually assured destruction" relationship with journalists, here.

Guterres' head of human rights Michelle Bachelet has continued her record of inappropriate wishy washy statements on Cameroon while supporting Guterres' censorship of Press to try to conceal his shameful role, coming up on a full year now. Bachelet is turning out to be a joke. On June 24 while bragging about the relevance of the human rights mechanisms she is weakening, Bachelet in Geneva (Biya's home) said: "My mission to Cameroon last month took place in a context of intensifying crisis, including in the North-West and South-West regions of the country, as well as increasing restrictions on the democratic space. The authorities expressed openness to finding human rights-based solutions to the challenges facing the country, including through possible technical cooperation in the military, security and justice sectors.  A number of positive signals followed that mission, including visits and discussions by the Prime Minister in the North-West and South-West regions. However, there have also been reports of extensive burning of houses and shops by security forces in Bamenda, and at least one extrajudicial killing; as well as other reports of human rights abuses by separatist armed groups, including burning of houses, crops and granaries. Furthermore, the arrest of over 350 people following demonstrations organised by the opposition on 1 June is disturbing.  I call on the authorities to uphold the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and to ensure due process. I also encourage the authorities to view the opposition as partners in the broadly inclusive dialogues which will be indispensable to laying the foundation for sustainable peace in Cameroon; and to promptly investigate all allegations of human rights violations by the security forces." Of course, such investigations never happen or have any impact; Biya's killings continue, as well inside the UN Guterres' collusion and censorship. Yes, Bachelet is turning out to be a bad  joke. We'll have more on this.

  But others who fiddled while Buea burned, like HRW which told Inner City Press Cameroon was not in their view a top 90 problem to be included in their World Report 2018, now belatedly scramble, amid admonishing fight back, with previously withheld citations to torture in the Yaounde "detention" facilities of Biya's State Defense Secretariat (Secrétariat d’Etat à la défense, SED). Nor has Inner City Press' September 2018 Freedom of Information Act request, here, been responded to. From the request: "On behalf of Inner City Press and in my personal capacity as its United Nations bureau chief, Matthew Russell Lee, this is a request pursuant to the federal Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552 for the following information: 1) most pressingly, for the report on human rights abuse by the Cameroon military and of the US' knowledge thereof, on information and belief headed by Brig. Gen. Timothy McAteer and concluded in November 2017; 2) any and all other records in your possession concerning abuses by the Cameroon security forces, including but not limited to in the North-West and South-West regions, from January 1, 2017 to the date of your response to this request.  This request, particularly (1) above which can and should be treated separately, should be afforded expedited treatment. Inner City Press is reporting on abuses in Cameroon, including with the knowledge of the US - and why there has been no UN Security Council meeting on Cameroon. The US is for this month the president of the US Security Council and this request should be fully responded to in that time frame, including any necessary appeal."  Not a single document yet. We will have more on this.

In the run up to the so-called National Day on May 20 - in New York, before having Inner City Press roughed up and banned, Guterres' chief of staff Maria Luiza Viotti and his Deputy SG Amina J. Mohammed partied with Tommo Monthe in a Manhattan townhouse singing "Buvez du champagne," Video here, from 4:30 -- this: "The insecurity in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon keeps paralysing activities in that part of the country despite the failure of administrative officials to admit the fact. The Divisional Officer of Alou, Lebialem Division of the South West region has convened a meeting in Dschang to prepare for the National Day celebrations.  Due to the insecurity in Alou, the meeting can not hold in the locality but in neighbouring Dschang in the West region of Cameroon." We'll have more in the approach to this ghoulish Cameroun National Day, including in New York. In the village of Ikata in SW Cameroon on April 26 Paul Biya's soldiers shot unarmed civilians including a woman named as Glory, and burned houses down. While Guterres' UN does nothing about the outrage of Nigeria sending back to military custody refugees and asylum seekers, Julius Ayuk Tabe and nine others are expected in court on Monday April 29 where their hearing continues but they have now released a statement through their defense team saying they will not be appearing.  Their lawyers say given the fact that they have taken the matter to Appeal court all proceedings at a lower jurisdiction (military tribunal) must be halted as per the law on criminal proceedings.  The lawyers have since appealed a decision by the Military tribunal to judge the detained leaders in Cameroon despite the fact that they are refugees and asylum seekers. One would have thought that former UNHCR chief Guterres would not collude in this, but that was before the golden statue and UN Budget Committee deals with Biya's ambassador Tommo Monthe.  Guterres is killing what's left of the UN's credibility with his corruption and no due process censorship. 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, nor about the UN's own rapes. Their UN is increasingly corrupt.

  More here.

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