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

By Matthew Russell Lee, Photos, Periscope

UN GATE, Nov 13 – With the UN Security Council presidency for November being taken over by the UK Mission and its Karen Pierce, she bragged in his 1 November 2019 press conference that the UK would have a lot of meetings about Africa. Video from presser here.

  But none, it quickly became clear, about Cameroon, despite Paul Biya's killings there. This remained the case on November 13, even as UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric left unanswered this written questions from Inner City Press: "November 13-1: On Cameroon, what are the comments and actions if any of SG Guterres on Paul Biya saying, in Paris for the "Paris Peace Conference," that he "tried" to assimilate residents of SW and NW but failed (and will presumbly accelerate his murders in these regions)?  November 13-2: Again, while in Paris, did Guterres meet Biya? Beyond Macron, with whom did Guterres meet? Where are the read outs? Did Guterres discuss Cameroon, or Guinea, with Macron? Why no UN read out even on Cyprus meeting?"

  With no answers, Guterres is corrupt. But what about the UK? Deputy Ambassador Jonathan Allen did a palsey stakeout about the DR Congo, on which Guterres also refuses questions - but it it is not even on UNTV archive. It's as if it never happened. So too Karen Pierce's dodging apparently off camera evasion on North Korea later on November 13.

  On Cameroon as it turns out, just as Liam Fox bragged about New Age oil's deal with Biya, now London-based Tower Resources is bragging about its "in" with Biya's ministry: "Tower Resources said it had hired Geoquip Marine Operations to conduct a site survey of a planned well location at its Thali block in Cameroon.  The contract provided for investigator to arrive in Cameroon between 15 November and 30 December, subject to all relevant permits and the requisite license extension being received from the Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development...  'We are looking forward to getting the site survey underway, which should be the final operational step before commencing drilling operations at Njonji,' chief executive Jeremy Asher said.  'We are still awaiting the formal extension from the ministry, but we are confident that this will be in place in good time for the survey.'"

   The UK has denied Inner City Press' FOIA request on its role in Cameroon, and its Mission and Pierce did nothing when UNSG Antonio Guterres had Inner City Press roughed up and banned now 485 days amid its questions about Guterres' Budget Committee deal with Biya's Tommo Monthe, procedural favors for silence.

  By Africa Pierce apparently meant only those countries where neo-colonial UK still wants to have a role, if only by getting its national appointed to UN roles, like Somalia and Libya.

  While there were mostly softball questions about rugby and, from Chinese state media, on the UK's supposed love of mediation and/or reconciliation, Pierce pointedly and repeatedly demanded to know who one questioning journalist was, and his media.

 Apparently Inner City Press which would have her, as it did Jonathan Allen, about Cameroon was not enough - she wanted only friendly questions. She said UK diplomacy is alive and well. That's not the story that FOIA, and the Mission's continued support of Guterres' ban on Inner City Press, tells.

 The UK has have a debate on Africa on November 4, and reconciliation on the 19th. There's Libya on the 18th, and Somalia no less than twice (but no Somaliland, Pierce made clear). November 22 is Yemen, on which Pierce took a question from a Saudi media she often pals around with, Jamal Khashoggi notwithstanding.

  Cyprus, of course, on November 25 - and Big Tony's Big Lunch on November 20. Inner City Press will cover as many of these as it can, including from the Delegates Entrance Gate where the UK Mission watched and did nothing, or worse, as censorship of Press took place right in front of them. Watch this site.

***

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 2006-2018 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com for