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On Western Sahara UN Guterres Criticized For Delay In Replacing Kohler While Bans Press From UNGA

By Matthew Russell Lee, Periscope, song, II

UN GATE, Sept 17 – On Western Sahara, Inner City Press has repeatedly asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, his spokesmen and now Communications chief Melissa Fleming about sexual harassment charges against his representative Colin Stewart, which it has exclusively reported as credited here and even here.

 Guterres has refused to answer, including in the last eighteen days in which by denying Inner City Press access to the UNGA week he lets dozens of Moroccan state media into he and Fleming continue the ban on Inner City Press supported by a frivolous complaint filed against Inner City Press' coverage from the UN Security Council stakeout. On Sept 16, see "prayer" video here.

Now amid Guterres' unfairness and failure, in a letter to Security Council members, the Frente POLISARIO’s Brahim Ghali writes:  “Three months have now passed since former Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Mr Horst Köhler, abruptly resigned. Little has been done in the ensuing period to advance the UN peace process on Western Sahara. The delay in appointing a new Personal Envoy has all but paralysed the political process, which appears to have returned to ‘business as usual’, despite Security Council members’ repeated assurances to the contrary.  “For over 40 years, our people have endured the dire consequences of Moroccan illegal occupation of our land. The fundamental right of our people to self-determination has been denied, and the basic human rights of our fellow women, men and children are being systematically violated in the Sahrawi occupied Territories. Our natural resources have been plundered. While we remain fully committed to our obligations under the ceasefire and related military agreements, we reserve our legitimate right to act in response to all hostile actions by Morocco—including its recent incursions into the  Buffer Strip—which aim to entrench its illegal occupation of parts of our national Territory. Morocco would be making a serious mistake if it tried to test the patience of our people who are more determined than ever to defend their rights and legitimate national aspirations.  “After months of silence from Council members, no appointment of a new PESG, and no action to restart peace talks, hope has given way to frustration. We cannot understand the Security Council’s delay in fulfilling its commitment to upending the status quo and its failure to respond robustly to Morocco’s escalating and destabilising actions, which have undermined the fragile peace forged in 1991 by the UN-supervised ceasefire.    “The Council must not allow a return to the status quo in Western Sahara, and it must not underestimate the consequences of allowing Morocco’s intransigence to go unanswered. We strongly urge the Security Council to insist that there be no further delay in appointing a new, qualified PESG, who shares his or her predecessor’s strong convictions, stature and resolve. We urge all Security Council members to redouble their commitment to the political process and to insist on the resumption of direct, substantive negotiations between the two parties, with a view to achieving a peaceful and lasting solution that fully respects the right of our people to self-determination and independence.”

 On the eve of Morocco's National Day, Inner City Press asked Guterres: "July 29-4: On Morocco and Western Sahara / MINURSO, what is the comment of the SG on that on 19 July, when Sahrawi football fans flooded the wide Smara Boulevard, the main route through Laayoune, the territory’s largest city... security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets, and used water cannons? And "  July 29-3: On transparency and to assess even-handedness, please immediately confirm or deny that SG Guterres will attended the Morocco National Day on July 30?" Again, no answer - this even as Guterres' censorship and favoritism of state media including Morocco's results in UN noon "press" briefing with no questions, like here on 26 July 2019.

  Now Guterres' favored China, to which he is financially linked through UN briber CEFC China Energy and Gulbenkian Foundation, is exploiting phosphate from Western Sahara.
Sinochem Corporation, a Chinese conglomerate engaged in the production and trading of chemicals and fertilizer, has received complaints against its "illegal, unethical and immoral import of stolen phosphate cargoes from the occupied territories of Western Sahara."  Sinochem Group is a major customer of the Office Cherifien des Phosphates (OCP). In October 2017, OCP and Sinochem signed a five-year agreement giving, allowing the Chinese firm to get 5 million tons of Moroccan phosphates. And Guterres loves it. We'll have more on this. And this:

  "Ms Nazha El Khalidi, who was arrested on 4 December 2018 simply for using her phone to record and live-stream a peaceful demonstration in the city of El Aaiún, the capital of occupied Western Sahara."

But Guterres hates live streaming - he banned Inner City Press from streaming his craven grip and grins, before having Inner City Press roughed up and banned now 342 days. As Guterres' retaliatory ban on Inner City Press even entering the UN, now in its 300th day and based on a frivolous Morocco Mission complaint, the UN Security Council passed, only 13-0-2, an extension of MINURSO's mandate for six months. Banned Inner City Press is putting the resolution online here, and notes that under Guterres the UN has yet to solve anything, while making most conflicts worse.  Before the December 19 UN noon briefing Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres, his Spokesman Stephane Dujarric and Global Communicator Alison Smale who promised answers, questions including this: "December 19-3: On Western Sahara, confirm SG receipt of and state his response to letter of Polisario urging him to clear “mines that threaten the lives of Saharwis” and that on Friday, December the 14th, two mines caused the “death of a Sahrawi man and serious injuries to others”? Dujarric didn't read out the question the way for example even the IMF does with Inner City Press' questions; he entertained questions from pro-Morocco scribes to which he and Guterres and Smale give UN office space even if they write no articles. Today's UN is corrupt.  

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