Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
UN Briber China Energy Fund Cttee Belatedly Challenged in NGO Cttee UN Omits Ho and Guterres Link
UNITED NATIONS GATE, January 22 – While UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was refusing throughout 2018 to begin any UN audit into China Energy Fund Committee, implicated in the UN bribery prosecution US v Patrick Ho, Guterres had a secret: his role on the board of Gulbenkian Foundation which was trying to sell its Partex Oil affiliate to CEFC. See Inner City Press' first exclusive report here.
Now while Guterres continues to ban from entry the Press which asked him about his CEFC links, in the UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations on January 21 the US belatedly requested the suspension or dis-accreditation of CEFC from the UN. This is what Guterres has refused to act on for more than a year, while concealing his links to the group. Inner City Press on the morning of January 21 wrote to Guterres, Alison Smale and their spokesmen: "January 21-1: Please immediately provide the SG's response on the request made this morning in the UN NGO Committee to disaccredit China Energy Fund Committee whose Patrick Ho was indicted and convicted of UN bribery, explain why SG Guterres never even started a OIOS audit of CEFC and why he omitted his paid directorship in Gulbenkian Foundation from his UN Public Financial Disclosure form covering 2016, and on Gulbenkian trying to sell its Partex Oil to CEFC China Energy in 2018." There's been no answer - as there have been no answers from Guterres and Smale and Dujarric for two weeks despite promises to UNSR David Kaye and on camera. And the UN's "meeting summary" omitted even Patrick Ho's name, much less the UNSG Guterres never audited CEFC as it tried to buy Partex Oil from the Gulbenkian Foundation Guterres was a paid board member of while omitting it from his public financial disclosure covering 2016. Here is the entirety of the UN meetings coverage on this: "The representative of the United States, expressing regret that some organizations come to the United Nations to perpetrate fraudulent and illicit activities, said her delegation wrote to the Committee last week requesting that the special consultative status granted in 2011 to the China Energy Fund Committee be withdrawn, after one of its officials was convicted by a United States federal court in November 2018 on corruption, money laundering and conspiracy charges. The Committee must take prompt action, she said, adding that if the organization in question wishes to respond, it should do so before 25 January."
Inner City Press also wrote to three at the US Mission to the UN: "I noticed in the UN NGO Committee this morning that USUN belatedly requested a review of China Energy Fund Committee, whose Patrick Ho was indicted for UN bribery, FCPA and money laundering in 2017, convicted in 2018. This is a Press request for a copy of the USUN statement read out in the NGO Committee, for the materials reference there in and distributed to Committee members, and for the Mission's / Amb Cohen's and Amb. Currie's comment on it, why it took so long, and on UNSG Antonio Guterres having not disclosed his paid directorship of Gulbenkian Foundation in his UN Public Financial Disclosure form covering 2016 and refusal to start any OIOS audit of CEFC, which was trying to buy Partex Oil and Gas from Gulbenkian in 2018. Also, on Guterres and Alison Smale's ongoing ban on US-based investigative Inner City Press even entering the UN, without hearing or appeal, see 2 January 2019 Kaska-eque denial of accreditation, below." USUN Spokesperson John Degory responded, so far, with the text of Deputy Rep to ECOSOC Courtney Nemroff's remarks including: "Last week, we sent a Diplomatic Note to the Committee’s outgoing Chair and to all members of this Committee with our request that this Committee recommend withdrawing the ESOCOC special consultative status of the NGO China Energy Fund Committee, or CEFC, which was granted in 2011. This request was carefully considered and is being made in the first session of this Committee following the conviction of an individual in U.S. federal court on serious criminal charges relating to his use of the organization as a platform for criminal activity, the details of which are provided in the Diplomatic Note. It is a shame to see an NGO subvert and manipulate its ECOSOC accreditation in this manner, so it is with deep disappointment that we bring this situation to the attention of the Committee today. We are making this request before the full Committee in the full interest in due diligence, transparency, and openness. We believe it is important that the Committee carry out its responsibility to protect and ensure the continued integrity of the ECOSOC accreditation process by taking prompt action to address this case. CEFC is registered in both Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and in the State of Virginia in the United States as a not-for-profit or charitable organization. CEFC received ECOSOC special consultative status in 2011. On December 5, 2018, a jury in a Manhattan federal court found Chi Ping Patrick Ho, CEFC’s Deputy Chairman and Secretary General, guilty of taking part in a multi-year, multimillion-dollar scheme to bribe foreign leaders in exchange for business advantages for CEFC China Energy a Shanghai-based corporate entity that was the primary financial benefactor of the CEFC. Mr. Ho was convicted of violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, international money laundering, and conspiracy to commit both. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, he utilized CEFC’s ECOSOC special consultative status to access UN resources and people and advance commercial goals, including through bribery schemes. We also have been unable to document any activity by this organization out of its Virginia-based location since Mr. Ho’s arrest in 2016, and note that it has not filed the requisite tax documents required of not-for-profit organizations in the United States since that date. We have provided all NGO Committee members with further details on the case, including a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice on the conviction, and are prepared to provide member states with any additional information they may require. ECOSOC resolution 1996/31 governs the process for ECOSOC consultative status. Article 57(a) of 1996/31 stipulates that the consultative status of non-governmental organizations shall be suspended up to three years or withdrawn “if an organization, either directly or through its affiliates or representatives acting on its behalf, clearly abuses its status by engaging in a pattern of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.” Article 57(b) of 1996/31 further stipulates that consultative status be suspended up to three years or withdrawn “if there exists substantiated evidence of influence from proceeds resulting from internationally recognized criminal activities such as the illicit drugs trade, money-laundering or the illegal arms trade.” In view of the conviction of Mr. Ho on money laundering charges and the use of the organization for criminal activity and bribery activities that involved the use of the organization’s consultative status and other organizational resources, the United States has determined that a request to withdraw consultative status in accordance with Article 57 of ECOSOC resolution 1996/31 is appropriate and necessary. We believe the Committee has a responsibility to ensure that ECOSOC special consultative status is not misused as a platform for criminal activity. We understand, per ECOSOC resolution 1996/31, that CEFC has the right to respond to the request to recommend withdrawal of its consultative status. We request that the Secretariat inform CEFC of its right to respond immediately. We further request that if CEFC chooses to respond, that the Secretariat request it do so before the tenth meeting of this Committee on Friday, January 25, to then allow this Committee sufficient time to consider the U.S. request further. We also remain prepared to provide additional information regarding this matter to the Secretariat, and encourage the Committee and the Secretariat to handle all proceedings in this case as openly and transparently as possible." But will the US administration, or if necessary individual members of Congress, ensure that Guterres is held accountable for the cover up and proliferation of corruption and censorship during his tenure? CEFC has until January 25 to respond. China did not respond in the ill-attended Committee meeting which Inner City Press, banned from entry by Guterres, never the less covered. Watch this site.
Inner City Press continues its exclusive series on some of the CEFC connections in and through the UN that should have been identified in the audit that Guterres corruptly refused to begin, with his conflict of interest. (Even his predecessor Ban Ki-moon ordered an audit after Ng Lap Seng was indicted - Guterres still hasn't after Patrick Ho was convicted.)
One of the people identified in the Ban Ki-moon audit of Ng Lap Seng and South South News was Ion Botnaru. He was allowed to retire, after changing a UN General Assembly document along with then President of the General Assembly John Ashe, who died under indictment ostensibly crushed by his own barbell, to benefit Ng's Sun Kian Ip group. Botnaru reappears again with CEFC, here. And, crying out for audit, the President of the General Assembly who swore in Guterres, Peter Thomson of Fiji, traveled like Ashe and Vuk Jeremic and Sam Kutesa to meet CEFC's Ye Jianming in Hong Kong.
Inner City Press has asked Guterres and his spokespeople, among many other questions, "Beyond the 37 questions from Inner City Press you refused to answer last week, still set forth below for promised answer, this is a request, given that Peter Thomson is the SG's rep on Oceans that you describe in detail Thomson's 2017 meeting with now disappeared Ye Jianming of CEFC, name which UN DSS officials were with him and what reports they filed, what their duties were; what was seen by those accompanying Thomson, at least two of whom are still in the UN (one is with China)."
Typically, Guterres and his spokespeople did not answer. So here, pending listing those from UN Department of Safety and Security the group which roughs up the Press without accountability and maintains a retaliatory "lifetime" banned from the UN list, are the names: "During his two-day visit, the President of the UN General Assembly was accompanied by his senior advisors Abdelghani Merabet, and Zhang Yi, as well as by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs’s Director of the Division for Sustainable Development, Zhu Juwang." Now, Thomson staffer or embed Zhang Yi has gone (back, or more openly) to working for the Chinese government: "On August 14 [2018], Deputy Director-General of China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges Zhang Yi was invited to attend the FOCAC - Africa-China Poverty Reduction and Development Conference, an important sub-forum under the FOCAC hosted by the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development and co-organized by the International Poverty Reduction Center in China and the China Belt and Road Institute for Agricultural Cooperation of China Agriculture University. Attending were more than 300 participants including government officials, international organizations’ representatives, non-governmental organizations’ officials, business leaders, experts and scholars from China, United States, Japan, Denmark and 40 African countries like Angola, Botswana and Mauritius."
What did they see during Thomson's meeting with now-known briber Ye Jianming? Zhu Juwang is still with UN DESA; Abdelghani Merabet is with the current PGA. We'll have more on this: the UN should be answering these questions, now.
In 2017, the year in which CEFC's Patrick Ho was indicted and arrested for UN bribery, CEFC in the UN engaged at least twice with Lenni Montiel, including for example on 6 July 2017, and also with DESA official Pingfan Hong. Some photos here. Inner City Press before Guterres had it roughed up and banned now 176 days for its inquiries into Guterres' corruption has politely questioned both Montiel and Hong - but Guterres has made that impossible and his Spokesmen refused to answer any written questions, for more than a week now. There are more connections.
Guterres got favors from Peter Thomson when Thomson was President of the General Assembly. Rudimentary open source research - including on the UN's own website here - finds that Thomson, like implicated Sam Kutesa and John Ashe and Vuk Jeremic, visited CEFC's Ye Jianming in Hong Kong. What was discussed? Inner City Press previously covered, critically but civilly, Thomson. Now corrupt Guterres has had Inner City Press roughed up and banned 175 days, with his Spokesman Stephane Dujarric refusing to answer any questions despite the promise of Guterres' USG Alison Smale.
After receiving favors from Thomson as PGA, Guterres gave him a job in his Secretariat, Representative on Oceans. Here is Patrick Ho, interviewed by Guterres' DESA, on Oceans. There should have been an audit. There still should be. Another of Guterres' special advisers, Jeffrey Sachs, after denying Inner City Press' documented report Sachs was on a UN - CEFC board, abruptly closed his Twitter account, story here. Guterres goes on robo-tweeting from parts unknown, spending public money undisclosed. Guterres should explain and / or resign. We will have more in this series.
A now-removed Gulbenkian Foundation web page says Guterres continued as a board member into 2018. Archived here. In fact it was on 9 February 2018 that Gulbenian tweeted that Guterres was no longer on the board - AFTER it was reported that Gulbenian was trying to sell, or even had already sold, Partex to CEFC. This is called guilty knowledge.
While Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric is refusing to answer Inner City Press' written questions, contrary to promises by Guterres' Global Communicator Alison Smale, it appears Guterres' evasive defense is claiming that he left Gulbenkian in November 2016 and therefore somehow had no conflict of interest in refusing and blocking the obviously needed UN audit of CEFC after the arrest of its Patrick Ho for UN bribery. This defense is dubious.
Why did Gulbenkian take down its webpagedisclosing that Guterres remained on board into 2018? Why - sixteen months after Guterres ostensibly left - did they wait until February 2018 to tweet that he left? Because their negotiations with CEFC became public (see 2 February 2018 Bloomberg here, and 6 February MacauHub here: "CEFC China Energy buys Portugal’s Partex Oil & Gas.")
In any event, Guterres' "2017" Financial Disclosure, which explicitly says it covered the year 2016 in which even in this new story he remained on Gulbenkian's board into November, more than 80% of the year - did not disclose his role in Gulbenkian, only on the Club of Madrid. Guterres has had previous financial disclosure omissions, for example in Portugal, here. CEFC was hardly unknown: it bought a Portuguese insurance company in November 2017, here.
Guterres' failure to disclose and, separately and even more so, his refusal to audit CEFC in the UN was a direct conflict of interest, which he has tried to cover up by roughing up and banning Inner City Press which asked him about it. (See January 2018 press conference here, July 2018 roughing up by Guterres' UN Security here, banning letter via Press Freedom Tracker here.)
Three times now Dujarric, his deputy Farhan Haq and Office of the Spokesperson colleagues Marcia Soares Pinto and Keishamaza Rukikaire, as well as Guterres, his chief of staff Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti and Deputy SG Amina J. Mohammed have refused to answer this: "Beyond the 36 questions from Inner City Press you refused to answer last week, still set forth below for promised answer, this is a reiterated request past deadline that you (1) state when SG Guterres left his position on the Gulbenkian Foundation, (2) state why Gulbenkian was not listed on SG Guterres' public financial disclosure which covered 2016; (3) explain how it is not a conflict of interest for SG Guterres to have refused to start an audit of CEFC in the UN, as requested by Inner City Press in January 2018, given CEFC's bid for the oil business of Gulbenkian. Also, again, state why under SG Guterres there have been no updates to the UN public financial disclosures since those filed for 2016. Also, again, explain your refusal to answer any of Inner City Press' questions this week despite USG Smale's statements to GAP, me and UNSR David Kaye." No response at all, even as spokesman Dujarric for example tweets at actor Seth Rogin. Dujarric, as simply one example, on 1 March 2018 evaded Inner City Press' in-person questions about CEFC and Guterres, less than a month after Gulbenkian said Guterres was off the board, amid oil negotiations with CEFC. Video here. Then Guterres and Dujarric had Inner City Press roughed up and banned from the UN. Guterres' wife Catarina Vaz Pinto also worked for Gulbenkian. This is today's corrupt UN.
For years Guterres received money as a board member of the Calouste Galbenkian Foundation, which despite its name is the 100% owner of Partex Oil and Gas. Partex has operations in Angola, Abu Dhabi, Brazil, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Oman and Portugal. It was to a Portuguese court that Guterres, while justifying no listing some of his income, disclosed in 2016 that he was paid at least € 2735 per month for his position with the Gulbenkian Foundation.
But while a now deleted Foundation web page (archived here) stated that Guterres continued with Gulbenkian into 2018, Guterres did not list it on his most recent, and so far lone, UN Public Financial Disclosure, which covered 2016 ("Disclosing financial and other interests for the 2016 reporting year").
So why did Guterres disclose his position with the Club of Madrid, but not with the Gulbenkian Foundation / Partex Oil and Gas? It is worth noting that Guterres' wife Catarina Vaz Pinto has also been connected to Gulbenkian.
Following the roughing up and banning from the UN of Inner City Press which has covered the CEFC scandal throughout, Guterres' head of Global Communications Alison Smale promised UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression David Kaye, who asked, that the UN would still answer Inner City Press' written questions.
But as 2018 came to a close Guterres' spokesmen Stephane Dujarric and Farhan Haq left unanswered 36 questions in a row from Inner City Press, including this: “Beyond the 35 questions from Inner City Press you refused to answer this week, this is a request on deadline that you (1) state when SG Guterres left his position on the Gulbenkian Foundation,
(2) state why Gulbenkian was not listed on SG Guterres' public financial disclosure which covered 2016;
(3) explain how it is not a conflict of interest for SG Guterres to have refused to start an audit of CEFC in the UN, as requested by Inner City Press in January 2018, given CEFC's bid for the oil business of Gulbenkian.
Also, again, state why under SG Guterres there have been no updates to the UN public financial disclosures since those filed for 2016. Also, again, explain your refusal to answer any of Inner City Press' questions this week despite USG Smale's statements to GAP, me and UNSR David Kaye. On deadline.”
The question was also sent to the e-mail addresses of Guterres, his chief of staff Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, his Deputy Amina J. Mohammed, and Smale, who earlier in the week told Inner City Press she would take “under advisement” her 17 August 2018 pretextual withdrawal of Inner City Press decade long UN media accreditation.
It seems clear that Guterres and his team have engaged in censorship for corruption, to conceal a blatant conflict of interest by Guterres. It has been raised by Inner City Press to the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services, and others. Watch this site.
It seems clear that Guterres and his team have engaged in censorship for corruption, to conceal a blatant conflict of interest by Guterres. It has been raised by Inner City Press to the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services, and others. Watch this site.
Back on 5 December 2018 Patrick Ho was found guilty of seven of eight counts of violating the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and month laundering. (He was only not guilty on money laundering in Chad - where the bribe was not through any US bank but in cash, $2 million in a gift box). The evidence showed that the NGO he ran, China Energy Fund Committee, used its ongoing UN consultative status to pay bribes to Ugandan foreign minister - and Ashe's successor as President of the UN General Assembly -- Sam Kutesa.. He was working with precedessor Vuk Jeremicwhile Jeremic was UN PGA. CEFC even offered weapons, tanks and drones, to Chad's long time president Idriss Deby for oil blocks or a stake in the Chad Cameroon pipeline. (Inner City Press published documents here.)
The night of the verdict I asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres what he will do to clean up the UN, where he has left CEFC without any audit, still in consultative status with the UN. On his way from his Mercedes to a glitzy fundraiser including George and Amal Clooney, Guterres refused to answer. The next day when asked by another journalist why Guterres had refused to answer banned Inner City Press' question, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric claimed that the UN has “cooperated” with the prosecution. But the bribery group remains in the UN, unaudited.
Why has the case of US versus Ho, and now the guilty verdicts, garnered relatively so little interest, with the corruption of the UN exposed by it scarcely mentioned all? SG Guterres is hoping it goes away. In terms of corruption, he did not disclose and refuses to answer on the African business links of his son Pedro Guimarães e Melo De Oliveira Guterres. He refuses to answer how much he spends in public funds flying to his home in Lisbon at least sixteen times sofar as SG.
So CEFC remains an accredited non governmental organization with the UN's Economic and Social Council, while investigative Inner City Press for which I have been covering the case has been dis-accredited by and ousted from the UN, put on a list of those permanently banned without notice, due process or appeal. On December 7 I was informed I am banned from a “UN Human Rights” event on December 10 to be addressed by Guterres and his human rights commissioner Michelle Bachelet. But this reporting will not stop - Guterres' corruption of the UN must be addressed, through oversight or as is discussed elsewhere, impeachment. From the lofty goals of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to Guterres' censorship for corruption is UNacceptable.
With UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and her Deputy Andrew Gilmour set to speak in the UN on human rights day on December 10, Inner City Press responded to an invitation and was told, "Thank you for registering to attend the Human Rights Day event at the United Nations on Monday 10 December. On Monday, please come to the UN Visitors’ Gate on First Avenue opposite 45th street starting at 2pm, at which time entry passes will be distributed."
Then, past six p.m. on Friday, December 7 thisfrom Bachelet's and Gilmour's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: "Dear Matthew, We have received notification from UN Security that your name was flagged as "BARRED" on the list we submitted for passes for Monday's event (3pm, ECOSOC Chamber).We will therefore not have a pass for you and are unable to facilitate entry.
Thank you for your interest and best regards,
OHCHR New York Office." Photo of email here.
Thank you for your interest and best regards,
OHCHR New York Office." Photo of email here.
Inner City Press immediately wrote back, to the sender and Bachelet and her assistant, to Andrew Gilmour and to the moderator of the event, "Particularly since you are the UN Office of the High Commissioner for *Human Rights,* did you not ask why a journalist who asks the Secretary General and his spokesmen about the killings in Cameroon, Burundi, UN corruption, UN peacekeepers' sexual abuse of civilians, and Sri Lanka, is “BARRED” from attending your human rights event - without any hearing or appeal? I will appreciate your Office's answer to this." We'll have more on this.
Bachelet gave a speech on October 15 in the UN's Third Committee, she emphasized a prioritization of social and economic rights and said one of the officials of her office is "on mission in Silicon Valley" in the US. There are questions about this - but Inner City Press which has covered human rights and the UN for more than a decade was for the first time banned from access a High Commissioner's speech. This has been raised repeated to Bachelet since she took office but she has so far done nothing, not even responded. Meanwhile on October 12 Cameroon, from whose Paul Biya Secretary General Antonio Guterres took a golden statue and favors in the Fifth (Budget) Committee and remains silent on the slaughter of Anglophones, was elected to a seat on the UN Human Rights Council. This system is failing - but if Bachelet cannot even answer on Guterres maintaining a secret banned list including not only Inner City Press but also "political activists" - and anti-corruption campaigners - then the UN of Guterres has hit its newest low.
Monday, January 21, 2019
On Cameroon UN Guterres Said Biya Has Spoken With Him Six Times Dujarric Refuses Any Read Out to Press
UNITED NATIONS GATE, January 18 --After Paul Biya who has ruled Cameroon for 36 years lied that Transparency International was observing his re-coronation, and burned village after village in the Anglophone regions while hiring lobbyists to seek and get support from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, on October 22 he claimed to win over 71% of the vote and even that 16% of those eligible voted in the Anglophone North-West and South-West regions. None of this is credible. Nor, in context, is the January 18 statement on Cameroon and return of refugees - but not the outrageous refoulement of Ayuk Tabe and others from DSG Amina J. Mohammed's Nigeria - by the UN refugee agency UNHCR which Guterres used to run. Guterres himself, having had Inner City Press roughed up and banned from entering the UN for 201 days and counting, ghoulishly said in his January 18 Press-less press conference, on "Cameroon, I have spoken, I don't know, probably more than six times with the President of Cameroon. Our people on the ground has been working actively to try to de‑escalate the tension in the country." Video here, Vine here. Really? De-escalated how? More like, advise Biya on how to cover up his killings, while seeking favors in the UN Budget Committee which Cameroonwas chairing.
On January 21 Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokes- / hatchetman Stephane Dujarric, in writing, "January 21-5: Given the SG's statement on January 18 that he has spoken with Paul Biya six times, please immediately state in what time frames, the dates, topics and read-outs of the meeting. When was the last such conversation?" Six hours later, no answer at all from Dujarric, despite his on camera promise of answers. To this depth of censorship for corruption have Guterres and Dujarric brought the UN. We'll have more on this. The January 19 statement: "UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is extremely alarmed by reports of the forced return by Cameroon this week of several thousand refugees into violence-affected Borno State in northeast Nigeria. This follows the forced return of 267 Nigerian refugees on 16 January. They had crossed into Cameroon in 2014. We are gravely concerned for the safety and well-being of all these people. An estimated 9,000 Nigerians fled across the border into Cameroon earlier in the week after militants attacked and ransacked the small border town of Rann in Nigeria’s Borno State. The militants went on a rampage by targeting military installations, civilians and humanitarian facilities. At least 14 people are reported killed. “This action was totally unexpected and puts lives of thousands of refugees at risk,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. “I am appealing to Cameroon to continue its open door and hospitable policy and practices and halt immediately any more returns and to ensure full compliance with its refugee protection obligations under its own national legislation, as well as international law.” Cameroon is currently home to more than 370,000 refugees, including some 100,000 from Nigeria." We'll have more on this. From the New Years address by Paul Biya: "If my appeal to war mongers remain unheeded to, the defense and security forces will be instructed to neutralize them. I am aware of the situation and difficulties the rebels are putting the people in. It will not continue,” Biya said. On January 2, banned Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres, his spokesmen and chief of staff and others, "On Cameroon, what is the SG's comment and action on Paul Biya in his New Year message threatening to 'neutralize' opponents?" Guterres and his spokesmen including Farhan Haq refused to answer the question, or any other Inner City Press question. Then Haq called on a softball in-person version on January 3, like Dujarric entertains the correspondent who admits she's never written about Cameroon, just asked about "the Anglophones doing some shooting." Today's UN is entirely corrupt. Meanwhile Biya keeps in prison those illegally refouled from Nigeria while Guterres' Deputy SG Amina J. Mohammed was there. Here's on Guterres equally but differently not-credible New Years message. This corruption (including Guterres' cover up of China Energy Fund Committee, here) and censorship should not continue. Also not credible: Guterres' spokesman and censor Stephane Dujarric, refusing to answer dozens of Cameroon questions from banned Inner City Press, servicing only those he allows in his briefing room including theself described Huffington Post contributor who earlier cracked, "The Anglophone have been doing some shooting." Video here. Designated or self-styled patsie, producing nothing, elbowing out others, classic UN. Here is the video. The money (literally) quote is that Guterres is "in touch with the government." YouTube here. On December 29, weeks after Inner City Press published on this, astute Anglophones revisited it, referring directly as Inner City Press had not to Evelyn Leopold and HuffPost - drawing this telling response or admission: "I never wrote about Cameroon and have not contributd to HuffPost in over a year. Your tweet is unreadable." Photo here. Wait a minute - the correspondent the UN has used during its 179 day barring of Inner City Press to claim it is still answering about Cameroon, if only from a Biya perspective, now admits she "never wrote about Cameroon"? So the asking was just a scam? And why is her profile "Huffington Post"? To this the UN of Alison Smale and Guterres gives a free UN office and full access, while roughing up and banning Inner City Press which has published hundreds of stories, dozens of exclusives about abuses in Cameroon and elsewhere? We'll have more on this - the UN's ban must be immediately and long belatedly reversed. Inner City Press before Dujarric's December 17 briefing asked: "December 17-4: On Cameroon, on which you have been refusing Inner City Press' questions, what is the SG's comment and action on Paul Biya's government's use of the charge of “fake news” to not only insult but lock up journalists covering Biya's army's killing there? Again Francois Fall describes “Gender Desks” in police stations but an Inner City Press reader today called the Kumba police station and they'd never heard of it. What was the basis of Mr. Fall's statement?" During his December 17 briefing, Dujarric joked about "une cuisine interne" - an internal cooking that Guterres and he and Alison Smale have turned the UN into. And still no answers. Also not credible are parts of this UN World Food Program pitch, which leads with "NSAG" violence in a way it would not in, say, Syria: "In November 2018, 21,748 people (10,439 men, 11,309 women) from the North West and South West (NW/SW) regions residing in the Littoral region received food assistance.
WFP Cameroon urgently requires US$ 24 million in the next 6 months to provide food assistance through general food distribution to 400,000 vulnerable displaced and local host populations affected by the NW/SW crisis.
Since June 2018, non-state armed groups (NSAG) have intensified their operations, notably around Kumba, Buea, Mamfé and Bamenda. While attacks were previously confined to rural areas and the Nigerian border, main town centres and peripheries are increasingly affected by the violence. On the other hand, security forces have intensified operations against NSAGs in the SW in October, and NW in November. Between March and October 2018, a drastic increase in the number of IDPs was recorded, going from 40,000 to a total of 440,000.
Through joint efforts, WFP continues to coordinate with other agencies to assess the security situation and ensure favourable conditions on the ground for distributions (particularly in Kumba). A recent mission organized jointly with OCHA, UNDSS and the Logistics Cluster confirmed roads and access to markets have been significantly affected, as well as access to transport and warehouse facilities. Strengthened coordination on the ground is in place.
In an effort to respond to the growing needs of IDPs, WFP is scaling up its support to reach approximately 400,000 IDPs and local host populations affected by the NW/SW crisis who are in dire need of food assistance in the North West, South West, West and Littoral regions by April 2019. If the food security situation in NW/SW improves, WFP will gradually scale down its intervention after the lean season from July 2019, transitioning into recovery activities for the extremely vulnerable." We'll have more on this. Also not credible is the new report by Guterres' failed envoy Francois Lounceny Fall, nor Fall's presentation to the Council, entry to cover which Guterres is corruptly barring Inner City Press on December 13, for the 162nd day. After Fall's pitch, and dubious claims of concern from countries which are withholding all documents about Cameroon which Inner City Press has requested from them under Freedom of Information laws like the Dutch WOB, on December 13 and 14 Inner City Press asked the UN: "December 14-6: On Cameroon, on which you have been refusing Inner City Press' questions, now that Francois Fall has said he visited in November and met Government officials, state with whom else he met. He describes “Gender Desks” in police stations but an Inner City Press reader today called the Kumba police station and they'd never heard of it. What is the basis of Mr. Fall's statement?" Hours after the December 14 UN noon briefing at which those allowed in asked not a single question about anything in Africa, much less Cameroon, Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq sent this: "Regarding question December 14-6, we have provided Mr. Fall’s briefing to the Security Council, in which he details his concerns about Cameroon and his work there." And the Gender Desks? Here is a paragraph of Fall's and Guterres' report: "5. The security situation in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon
continued to deteriorate. Sporadic fighting between security forces and armed groups
was reported throughout the reporting period. On 12 July, the convoy of the Minister
for Defence was attacked on two separate occasions near Kumba in the South-West
region. On the night of 28 to 29 July, an armed group attacked a prison in Ndop in the
North-West region, resulting in the escape of 163 inmates. On 26 September, armed
individuals also attacked a prison in Wum in the North-West region, leading to the
escape of 80 inmates. On 5 November, nearly 80 students and staff from a secondary
school in Bamenda, in the North-West region, were kidnapped. All of the students
were released the following day. During the reporting period, there were reports of
sexual violence perpetrated by both security forces and armed groups. In response,
“gender desks” were established at police stations in the South-West region in an
effort to establish a safe and confidential reporting process on sexual and genderbased
violence and related crimes. On 11 October, religious leaders of the Catholic,
Protestant and Muslim communities in the English-speaking regions held a meeting
in preparation for an “Anglophone General Conference” scheduled to be held in Buea,
in the South-West region, on 21 and 22 November, but which was later postponed. At
the same meeting, they reiterated their appeal for the cessation of military and
insurgent operations in the English-speaking regions." And Antonio Guterres... took Biya's golden statue, made a Budget Committee deal to stay quiet on the slaughter, and had roughed up and banned for 161 days and counting the Press which asked him about it. Then there is the Paul Biya government's denial via Xinhua of having killed a priest from Kenya, below, nor Guterres' UN system's belated expressions of concern after he sold out for more than a year and most recently has been refusing through two spokesmen to respond to or even acknowledge Inner City Press' formal written questions - even when about circulating reports of the use of chemical weapons. Before 9 am on November 28, heading to cover the third day of the UN bribery trial of US v Ho, Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres and his spokesmen, "November 28-2: On Cameroon, beyond the many unanswered questions, what is the SG's comment and action on that ten leaders who were [illegally refouled] from Nigeria earlier this year will face trial next month on terrorism charges that could lead to the death penalty, one of their lawyers said after a court hearing on Tuesday. Among them is Sisuku Julius Ayuk Tabe. Mr Tabe and his co-defendants have been charges with 10 offences, including terrorism, advocating terrorism, secession, civil war and revolution." Nine hours later, while answer another question about Romania, no answer at all on Cameroon and Guterres heading out of town again, with Inner City Press which asks banned for the 147th day, no end in sight. The UN of Guterres is cortupt. On November 26Inner City Press asked in writing Guterres, his Deputy Amina J. Mohammed, Communicator Alison Smale and two spokesmen questions including"November 26-1: On Cameroon, what is the SG's comment and action on the killing by government forces, of Kenyan priest Cosmas Omboto Ondari, Vicar of the St Martin of Tours Parish in Kembong, Mamfe, now what Kenya's FM Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau has demanded answers from the Biya government? What is the UN's knowledge of and action on the alleged use of chemical weapons (!) in Bali in Cameroon?" While lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric's deputy Farhan Haq sent responses to two other questions - one a mere link to a press conference Guterres banned Inner City Press from, the other an evasive recycled statement from the first UN bribery case - nothing on Cameroon. Guterres comments on reports of chemical weapons in, for example, Syria. What explains his silence and censorship on Cameroon? On November 25 Kenya's Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and former UN official, Macharia Kamau said the ministry would continue pursuing the answers on circumstances that led to the priest's death. "The government of Kenya, through its High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria has urgently and formally inquired from the government of the Republic of Cameroon about the circumstances leading to Father Ondari's death," Macharia said. "As we mourn the death of one of our citizens, the ministry continues to relentlessly pursue answers on this sad event." Here's hoping he does - he has seen the corruption of the UN, when it awarded Nairobi based UNEP to an absentee director, and under the time of Antonio Guterres and his lax sending RoselynAkombe, censorship of Press, and more. We'll have more on this. On November 21 banned Inner City Press reported Biya's forces' murder of a Kenyan priest - the Bishop of Mamfe cites eye witnesses the shotswere fired by government soldiers, from their passing vehicle. Now with the UN silent and once again covering up, even where Guterres is, Biya's government is again denying as they did after killing Charles Wesco, now via Xinhua: "The preliminary investigations reveal that the authors of this criminal act did this to discredit the defense and security forces." Joseph Beti Assomo, Cameroon's Defense Minister said in a statement on Friday." Guteres is silent and missing; he has refused to audit China Energy Fund Committee which is charged with bribery in th UN, and has banned Inner City Press which asked about that and about Cameroon for 140 days and counting. On the morning of November 23 Inner City Press asked out of town Guterres (by email, which he is supposedly scrolling) and his spokesmen: "November 23-2: On Cameroon what is the SG's comment and action on the murder, by government forces, of Kenyan priest Cosmas Omboto Ondari, Vicar of the St Martin of Tours Parish in Kembong, Manyu, and what follow up the SG / UN even did on the murder of missionary Charles Wesco." Guterres' spokesman's office was ope and people getting paid (though Dujarric didn't sign Guterres' derivative statement on Pakistan), but no answer. We have more on Father Cosmas Omboto Ondari, a Mill Hill Priest from Kenya, serving as the Parochial Vicar of the St Martin of Tours Parish in Kembong, near Mamfe in Manyu. It's said, now by many, that he was shot twice by the Cameroonian military in front of the Church at about 3PM, Wednesday November 21, 2018. Biya's soldiers were shooting out of their vehicles. Ondari been ordained on Sunday March 26, 2017 in Kisii, Kenya together with two others by Bishop Joseph Mairura Okemwa and appointed to Mamfe -- shot dead 11 days after the burial of Charles Trumann Wesco, an American missionary from Indiana. In that similar case, Biya's government locked up Mimi Mefo for reporting who killed Wesco (and, only after repeated written questions from Inner City Press and more UN noon briefing pantomine like questions from the friend of UK USG Alison Smale who said smirking, The Anglophones were doing some shooting, Guterres issued a wan call fr an investigation which he typically never followed up on. Previously the military shot and killed a Ghanaian Missionary, Isaac Attoh of the Destiny Impact Ministry on Saturday July 14, 2018 in Batibo in North West Region. So when will the UN Security Council act. Guterres is still trying to cover it up. See November 20 video here. After refusing Inner City Press' Cameroon question and driving off in his / your Mercedes, Guterres left town, without the UN saying to where or who's paying. Sounds like Biya.
WFP Cameroon urgently requires US$ 24 million in the next 6 months to provide food assistance through general food distribution to 400,000 vulnerable displaced and local host populations affected by the NW/SW crisis.
Since June 2018, non-state armed groups (NSAG) have intensified their operations, notably around Kumba, Buea, Mamfé and Bamenda. While attacks were previously confined to rural areas and the Nigerian border, main town centres and peripheries are increasingly affected by the violence. On the other hand, security forces have intensified operations against NSAGs in the SW in October, and NW in November. Between March and October 2018, a drastic increase in the number of IDPs was recorded, going from 40,000 to a total of 440,000.
Through joint efforts, WFP continues to coordinate with other agencies to assess the security situation and ensure favourable conditions on the ground for distributions (particularly in Kumba). A recent mission organized jointly with OCHA, UNDSS and the Logistics Cluster confirmed roads and access to markets have been significantly affected, as well as access to transport and warehouse facilities. Strengthened coordination on the ground is in place.
In an effort to respond to the growing needs of IDPs, WFP is scaling up its support to reach approximately 400,000 IDPs and local host populations affected by the NW/SW crisis who are in dire need of food assistance in the North West, South West, West and Littoral regions by April 2019. If the food security situation in NW/SW improves, WFP will gradually scale down its intervention after the lean season from July 2019, transitioning into recovery activities for the extremely vulnerable." We'll have more on this. Also not credible is the new report by Guterres' failed envoy Francois Lounceny Fall, nor Fall's presentation to the Council, entry to cover which Guterres is corruptly barring Inner City Press on December 13, for the 162nd day. After Fall's pitch, and dubious claims of concern from countries which are withholding all documents about Cameroon which Inner City Press has requested from them under Freedom of Information laws like the Dutch WOB, on December 13 and 14 Inner City Press asked the UN: "December 14-6: On Cameroon, on which you have been refusing Inner City Press' questions, now that Francois Fall has said he visited in November and met Government officials, state with whom else he met. He describes “Gender Desks” in police stations but an Inner City Press reader today called the Kumba police station and they'd never heard of it. What is the basis of Mr. Fall's statement?" Hours after the December 14 UN noon briefing at which those allowed in asked not a single question about anything in Africa, much less Cameroon, Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq sent this: "Regarding question December 14-6, we have provided Mr. Fall’s briefing to the Security Council, in which he details his concerns about Cameroon and his work there." And the Gender Desks? Here is a paragraph of Fall's and Guterres' report: "5. The security situation in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon
continued to deteriorate. Sporadic fighting between security forces and armed groups
was reported throughout the reporting period. On 12 July, the convoy of the Minister
for Defence was attacked on two separate occasions near Kumba in the South-West
region. On the night of 28 to 29 July, an armed group attacked a prison in Ndop in the
North-West region, resulting in the escape of 163 inmates. On 26 September, armed
individuals also attacked a prison in Wum in the North-West region, leading to the
escape of 80 inmates. On 5 November, nearly 80 students and staff from a secondary
school in Bamenda, in the North-West region, were kidnapped. All of the students
were released the following day. During the reporting period, there were reports of
sexual violence perpetrated by both security forces and armed groups. In response,
“gender desks” were established at police stations in the South-West region in an
effort to establish a safe and confidential reporting process on sexual and genderbased
violence and related crimes. On 11 October, religious leaders of the Catholic,
Protestant and Muslim communities in the English-speaking regions held a meeting
in preparation for an “Anglophone General Conference” scheduled to be held in Buea,
in the South-West region, on 21 and 22 November, but which was later postponed. At
the same meeting, they reiterated their appeal for the cessation of military and
insurgent operations in the English-speaking regions." And Antonio Guterres... took Biya's golden statue, made a Budget Committee deal to stay quiet on the slaughter, and had roughed up and banned for 161 days and counting the Press which asked him about it. Then there is the Paul Biya government's denial via Xinhua of having killed a priest from Kenya, below, nor Guterres' UN system's belated expressions of concern after he sold out for more than a year and most recently has been refusing through two spokesmen to respond to or even acknowledge Inner City Press' formal written questions - even when about circulating reports of the use of chemical weapons. Before 9 am on November 28, heading to cover the third day of the UN bribery trial of US v Ho, Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres and his spokesmen, "November 28-2: On Cameroon, beyond the many unanswered questions, what is the SG's comment and action on that ten leaders who were [illegally refouled] from Nigeria earlier this year will face trial next month on terrorism charges that could lead to the death penalty, one of their lawyers said after a court hearing on Tuesday. Among them is Sisuku Julius Ayuk Tabe. Mr Tabe and his co-defendants have been charges with 10 offences, including terrorism, advocating terrorism, secession, civil war and revolution." Nine hours later, while answer another question about Romania, no answer at all on Cameroon and Guterres heading out of town again, with Inner City Press which asks banned for the 147th day, no end in sight. The UN of Guterres is cortupt. On November 26Inner City Press asked in writing Guterres, his Deputy Amina J. Mohammed, Communicator Alison Smale and two spokesmen questions including"November 26-1: On Cameroon, what is the SG's comment and action on the killing by government forces, of Kenyan priest Cosmas Omboto Ondari, Vicar of the St Martin of Tours Parish in Kembong, Mamfe, now what Kenya's FM Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau has demanded answers from the Biya government? What is the UN's knowledge of and action on the alleged use of chemical weapons (!) in Bali in Cameroon?" While lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric's deputy Farhan Haq sent responses to two other questions - one a mere link to a press conference Guterres banned Inner City Press from, the other an evasive recycled statement from the first UN bribery case - nothing on Cameroon. Guterres comments on reports of chemical weapons in, for example, Syria. What explains his silence and censorship on Cameroon? On November 25 Kenya's Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and former UN official, Macharia Kamau said the ministry would continue pursuing the answers on circumstances that led to the priest's death. "The government of Kenya, through its High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria has urgently and formally inquired from the government of the Republic of Cameroon about the circumstances leading to Father Ondari's death," Macharia said. "As we mourn the death of one of our citizens, the ministry continues to relentlessly pursue answers on this sad event." Here's hoping he does - he has seen the corruption of the UN, when it awarded Nairobi based UNEP to an absentee director, and under the time of Antonio Guterres and his lax sending RoselynAkombe, censorship of Press, and more. We'll have more on this. On November 21 banned Inner City Press reported Biya's forces' murder of a Kenyan priest - the Bishop of Mamfe cites eye witnesses the shotswere fired by government soldiers, from their passing vehicle. Now with the UN silent and once again covering up, even where Guterres is, Biya's government is again denying as they did after killing Charles Wesco, now via Xinhua: "The preliminary investigations reveal that the authors of this criminal act did this to discredit the defense and security forces." Joseph Beti Assomo, Cameroon's Defense Minister said in a statement on Friday." Guteres is silent and missing; he has refused to audit China Energy Fund Committee which is charged with bribery in th UN, and has banned Inner City Press which asked about that and about Cameroon for 140 days and counting. On the morning of November 23 Inner City Press asked out of town Guterres (by email, which he is supposedly scrolling) and his spokesmen: "November 23-2: On Cameroon what is the SG's comment and action on the murder, by government forces, of Kenyan priest Cosmas Omboto Ondari, Vicar of the St Martin of Tours Parish in Kembong, Manyu, and what follow up the SG / UN even did on the murder of missionary Charles Wesco." Guterres' spokesman's office was ope and people getting paid (though Dujarric didn't sign Guterres' derivative statement on Pakistan), but no answer. We have more on Father Cosmas Omboto Ondari, a Mill Hill Priest from Kenya, serving as the Parochial Vicar of the St Martin of Tours Parish in Kembong, near Mamfe in Manyu. It's said, now by many, that he was shot twice by the Cameroonian military in front of the Church at about 3PM, Wednesday November 21, 2018. Biya's soldiers were shooting out of their vehicles. Ondari been ordained on Sunday March 26, 2017 in Kisii, Kenya together with two others by Bishop Joseph Mairura Okemwa and appointed to Mamfe -- shot dead 11 days after the burial of Charles Trumann Wesco, an American missionary from Indiana. In that similar case, Biya's government locked up Mimi Mefo for reporting who killed Wesco (and, only after repeated written questions from Inner City Press and more UN noon briefing pantomine like questions from the friend of UK USG Alison Smale who said smirking, The Anglophones were doing some shooting, Guterres issued a wan call fr an investigation which he typically never followed up on. Previously the military shot and killed a Ghanaian Missionary, Isaac Attoh of the Destiny Impact Ministry on Saturday July 14, 2018 in Batibo in North West Region. So when will the UN Security Council act. Guterres is still trying to cover it up. See November 20 video here. After refusing Inner City Press' Cameroon question and driving off in his / your Mercedes, Guterres left town, without the UN saying to where or who's paying. Sounds like Biya.
Even banned from Guterres' UN for 140 days and counting for quoting Guterres' own staff on WHY he sold out - for favors in the UN Budget Committee -- we continue to transmit the UN's statements of concern, here from UNHCR whose staffer Nadine Njoya called for "harsher repression" of Anglophones by Paul Biya and whose Deputy Volker Turk refused to answer on that, and appeared not to know there ARE any refugees from Cameroon in Nigeria: "The number of Cameroonian refugees fleeing violence and seeking refuge in Nigeria crossed the 30,000 mark this week. Refugees fleeing the South-West and North-West Regions of Cameroon have been arriving since September 2017. Almost 600 arrived in refugee settlements in the last two weeks.
Four out of every five of those registered so far are women and children, driven out after last year’s protests turned violent. They are being sheltered in Nigeria’s states of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Benue and Taraba, most of them being hosted within local communities.
Most of the latest arrivals come from the Akwaya and Eyumojock sub-divisions in Cameroon. People are telling us they were ordered to leave their houses due to increasing violence in their home areas.
As official border entry points remain closed, UNHCR and its partners are present at the border areas inside Nigeria, around the most used informal access points, to assess the situation and the needs of new arrivals.
UNHCR is facilitating the voluntary relocation of refugees from the border points to the settlements of Adagom (Cross River) and Anyake (Benue), which provide better security and shelter as well as access to essential services such as food, health or education.
We are working with the Nigerian Government, through its National Commission for Refugees (NCFRMI), and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
This crisis erupted last year after protests turned violent, amid calls for secession. So far this year, some 400 civilians have been killed in escalating attacks between separatist groups and government forces, according to rights groups.
Currently, more than 9,000 Cameroonian refugees have been moved to new settlements, where they receive food as well as essential items such as mattresses, mosquito nets, stoves and cooking utensils, as well as equipment to build shelters. With bricks, timber, nails or corrugated iron sheets, they can start to rebuild a place to call home.
These settlements allow better access to critical assistance. Our partners on the ground distribute dignity kits for women and girls. These kits include, among other items, buckets, soap and towels.
In some instances, cash assistance is provided to enable refugees in the settlements to buy food directly from the markets in host communities, as those settlements are meant to facilitate the integration of those forced to flee and those welcoming them.
Despite all our efforts and those of our partners, the needs of the refugees are far from being met.
Another 21,000 refugees are currently living with host communities, in over 50 localities spread across an area of some 116,000 square kilometres.
The rainy season and harsh road conditions to remote areas makes the assistance to the refugees outside of the newly-developed settlement very difficult, with acute needs for food, shelter, water and sanitation.
Education is also one of such essential needs, with 48 per cent of the registered refugees being of school age yet out of school, for more than two years for many of them.
Inside Cameroon, access to areas affected in North West and South West is very limited. Humanitarian agencies are discussing with the government the need for improved access to the displaced population. It is estimated that some 436,000 people may be internally displaced. Together with OCHA, which coordinates the UN response in the country, we have started deploying personnel in Buea to help meet the needs of the displaced people." Some of this is dubious - Deputy Turk of UNHCR, when Inner City Press asked, did not even seem to know there ARE Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria, see below. Similarly the stories told to date about the 90 students now released do not add up. The government railed about 79 released, at a video of 11 student circulated. The parents were not allowed into the school, nor told which of their children were kidnapped and which not. Now 90 have been released, with the quiet announcement that 11 had been kidnappe earlier, on October 31. So they were the ones in the video, not the 79? The media which have not covered, or mis-covered, Biya's abuses will move on, like the UN, declaring this a victory. We'll have more on this. On November 4 Biya's forces arrested more people for protesting the fraudulent results, in Bafoussam in the West region of Cameroon denouncing what they call an “electoral hold up” by Biya. This follows arrests in Douala and Yaounde, on all of which Antonio "Traveling Man" Guterres has beencharacteristically silent. Nor have Guterres' spokesmen being answering Inner City Press' questions on Cameroon including this onNovember 6: "November 6-1: On Cameroon, first please immediately now five days after ASG Ursula Mueller's Nov 1 presentation (at the Norway Mission) about Cameroon provide a copy or summary of her remarks. Second, what is the SG's knowledge of, comment and action on, the reporting kidnapping of students in Anglophone Cameroon, with the kidnappers caught saying 'tu perds ton temps'?"
Four out of every five of those registered so far are women and children, driven out after last year’s protests turned violent. They are being sheltered in Nigeria’s states of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Benue and Taraba, most of them being hosted within local communities.
Most of the latest arrivals come from the Akwaya and Eyumojock sub-divisions in Cameroon. People are telling us they were ordered to leave their houses due to increasing violence in their home areas.
As official border entry points remain closed, UNHCR and its partners are present at the border areas inside Nigeria, around the most used informal access points, to assess the situation and the needs of new arrivals.
UNHCR is facilitating the voluntary relocation of refugees from the border points to the settlements of Adagom (Cross River) and Anyake (Benue), which provide better security and shelter as well as access to essential services such as food, health or education.
We are working with the Nigerian Government, through its National Commission for Refugees (NCFRMI), and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
This crisis erupted last year after protests turned violent, amid calls for secession. So far this year, some 400 civilians have been killed in escalating attacks between separatist groups and government forces, according to rights groups.
Currently, more than 9,000 Cameroonian refugees have been moved to new settlements, where they receive food as well as essential items such as mattresses, mosquito nets, stoves and cooking utensils, as well as equipment to build shelters. With bricks, timber, nails or corrugated iron sheets, they can start to rebuild a place to call home.
These settlements allow better access to critical assistance. Our partners on the ground distribute dignity kits for women and girls. These kits include, among other items, buckets, soap and towels.
In some instances, cash assistance is provided to enable refugees in the settlements to buy food directly from the markets in host communities, as those settlements are meant to facilitate the integration of those forced to flee and those welcoming them.
Despite all our efforts and those of our partners, the needs of the refugees are far from being met.
Another 21,000 refugees are currently living with host communities, in over 50 localities spread across an area of some 116,000 square kilometres.
The rainy season and harsh road conditions to remote areas makes the assistance to the refugees outside of the newly-developed settlement very difficult, with acute needs for food, shelter, water and sanitation.
Education is also one of such essential needs, with 48 per cent of the registered refugees being of school age yet out of school, for more than two years for many of them.
Inside Cameroon, access to areas affected in North West and South West is very limited. Humanitarian agencies are discussing with the government the need for improved access to the displaced population. It is estimated that some 436,000 people may be internally displaced. Together with OCHA, which coordinates the UN response in the country, we have started deploying personnel in Buea to help meet the needs of the displaced people." Some of this is dubious - Deputy Turk of UNHCR, when Inner City Press asked, did not even seem to know there ARE Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria, see below. Similarly the stories told to date about the 90 students now released do not add up. The government railed about 79 released, at a video of 11 student circulated. The parents were not allowed into the school, nor told which of their children were kidnapped and which not. Now 90 have been released, with the quiet announcement that 11 had been kidnappe earlier, on October 31. So they were the ones in the video, not the 79? The media which have not covered, or mis-covered, Biya's abuses will move on, like the UN, declaring this a victory. We'll have more on this. On November 4 Biya's forces arrested more people for protesting the fraudulent results, in Bafoussam in the West region of Cameroon denouncing what they call an “electoral hold up” by Biya. This follows arrests in Douala and Yaounde, on all of which Antonio "Traveling Man" Guterres has beencharacteristically silent. Nor have Guterres' spokesmen being answering Inner City Press' questions on Cameroon including this onNovember 6: "November 6-1: On Cameroon, first please immediately now five days after ASG Ursula Mueller's Nov 1 presentation (at the Norway Mission) about Cameroon provide a copy or summary of her remarks. Second, what is the SG's knowledge of, comment and action on, the reporting kidnapping of students in Anglophone Cameroon, with the kidnappers caught saying 'tu perds ton temps'?"
Dujarric's Deputy emailed banned Inner City Press: "Regarding your first question, we have just issued the following statement:
The Secretary-General condemns the reported kidnapping on 5 November of students and staff from a secondary school in Bamenda, North-West region of Cameroon. He calls for their immediate release and return to their homes and families. There can be no justification for these crimes against civilians, particularly minors.
The Secretary-General reiterates the need for a peaceful solution to the crisis in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon through an inclusive dialogue process. The United Nations stands ready to assist in this regard.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General
New York, 6 November 2018" So what about that French? No answer. Now the issue will be pushed behind, with the release of 90 and not the state 79 students. Nor did the UN informInner City Press, despite its questions, that Guterres' Ursula Mueller, who previously visited Cameroon without going to the Anglophone areas (Inner City Press asked her why, before being roughed up and banned), had given a November 1 briefing a Norway's mission to the UN on 50th Street, leaked invitation here. We will ask the UN about this, even amid Guterres' ongoing censorship of Press. Should we expect a UN statement on students kisnapped or taken hostage? Who would draft it? Watch this site. On November 2 Inner City Press asked the deputy of the UN refugee agency UNHCR Volker Turk about the refoulement of AyukTabe and 46 others from Nigeria, the Cameroonian refugees and the UNHCR staffer who previously called online for harsher repression by Biya. Video here.Troublingly, Volker first responded about only the Far North of Cameroon, then implied that displaced Anglophones all remain inside Cameroon and not in deplorable conditions across the border in Nigeria, from which some were illegally returned. He did not answer the question about UNHCR's own staffer, whom will therefore name: Nadine Njoya. How is this acceptable? The UN of Antonio Guterres remains silent, including the the face of multiple questions from the Press (which Guterres has banned) as journalists and peaceful protesters, bystanders and perceived opponents are arrested. On the morning ofOctober 29 Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric, "October 29-3: On Cameroon, what is the SG's comment and action on the government's arrests of peaceful protesters in Douala, Yaounde and elsewhere over the weekend?" Now on October 30, no answer at all, while Dujarric is tweeting his photos from a ferry to the Upper East Side and blocking the Press. On November 2 when, after questioning UNHCR's Turk Inner City Press asked Dujarric if Guterres has congratulated Biya, Dujarric said "I don't know" and biked away. Video here, looped 6-second Vine here. Guterres has gone for four days on the UN's and public's dime to his real home in Lisbon, for a speech with little to do with the UN and a dubious award. We'll have more on this. Among the journalists outrageously locked up by Biya: ElvisMcCarthy, Thomas Awah Junior, Tsi Conrad and Mancho Bibixy; quickly added to by the detentions of Michel Biem Tong and Mathias Mouenda Ngamo. Then again, Guterres and Dujarric (and others) worked to have Inner City Press which asks them about Cameroon and corruption roughed up, twice, and now banned from the UN for 118 days from noon briefing in which, for days, no one let it ask anything about anything in Africa, much less Cameroon. The UN of Guterres and Dujarric is corrupt. We'll have more on this
The Secretary-General condemns the reported kidnapping on 5 November of students and staff from a secondary school in Bamenda, North-West region of Cameroon. He calls for their immediate release and return to their homes and families. There can be no justification for these crimes against civilians, particularly minors.
The Secretary-General reiterates the need for a peaceful solution to the crisis in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon through an inclusive dialogue process. The United Nations stands ready to assist in this regard.
Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General
New York, 6 November 2018" So what about that French? No answer. Now the issue will be pushed behind, with the release of 90 and not the state 79 students. Nor did the UN informInner City Press, despite its questions, that Guterres' Ursula Mueller, who previously visited Cameroon without going to the Anglophone areas (Inner City Press asked her why, before being roughed up and banned), had given a November 1 briefing a Norway's mission to the UN on 50th Street, leaked invitation here. We will ask the UN about this, even amid Guterres' ongoing censorship of Press. Should we expect a UN statement on students kisnapped or taken hostage? Who would draft it? Watch this site. On November 2 Inner City Press asked the deputy of the UN refugee agency UNHCR Volker Turk about the refoulement of AyukTabe and 46 others from Nigeria, the Cameroonian refugees and the UNHCR staffer who previously called online for harsher repression by Biya. Video here.Troublingly, Volker first responded about only the Far North of Cameroon, then implied that displaced Anglophones all remain inside Cameroon and not in deplorable conditions across the border in Nigeria, from which some were illegally returned. He did not answer the question about UNHCR's own staffer, whom will therefore name: Nadine Njoya. How is this acceptable? The UN of Antonio Guterres remains silent, including the the face of multiple questions from the Press (which Guterres has banned) as journalists and peaceful protesters, bystanders and perceived opponents are arrested. On the morning ofOctober 29 Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric, "October 29-3: On Cameroon, what is the SG's comment and action on the government's arrests of peaceful protesters in Douala, Yaounde and elsewhere over the weekend?" Now on October 30, no answer at all, while Dujarric is tweeting his photos from a ferry to the Upper East Side and blocking the Press. On November 2 when, after questioning UNHCR's Turk Inner City Press asked Dujarric if Guterres has congratulated Biya, Dujarric said "I don't know" and biked away. Video here, looped 6-second Vine here. Guterres has gone for four days on the UN's and public's dime to his real home in Lisbon, for a speech with little to do with the UN and a dubious award. We'll have more on this. Among the journalists outrageously locked up by Biya: ElvisMcCarthy, Thomas Awah Junior, Tsi Conrad and Mancho Bibixy; quickly added to by the detentions of Michel Biem Tong and Mathias Mouenda Ngamo. Then again, Guterres and Dujarric (and others) worked to have Inner City Press which asks them about Cameroon and corruption roughed up, twice, and now banned from the UN for 118 days from noon briefing in which, for days, no one let it ask anything about anything in Africa, much less Cameroon. The UN of Guterres and Dujarric is corrupt. We'll have more on this
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