By Matthew Russell Lee, New Platform
UNITED NATIONS, May 18 – While the UN Security Council visited Cameroon during the 94 day Internet cut off and said nothing publicly about it, Inner City Press has obtained and has exclusively published on Patreon and now Scribd, here Cameroon's "Urgent and Confidential" letter to the UN Security Council, about weapons. Italy is a member of the Security Council this year, and on the morning of May 18 including in light of Italian President Mattarella's meetings this year with Cameroon's 34 year president Paul Biya, Inner City Press asked Italy's Mission to the UN: "your Mission was part of the Security Council's trip including to Cameroon earlier this year, during the country's 94-day Internet shut off to millions of people in the Northwest and Southwest (or Anglophone) regions. The IMF, for what it's worth, told Inner City Press the government's Internet cut off is among other things a financial risk in 2017. Could you comment on your Mission's aware of the issue, during the Security Council visit to Cameroon and since, and on whether you believe the Secretary General and DPA, as a matter of prevention of conflict, may have a greater role to play in this long-standing, UN-related conflict or dispute?" Inner City Press also asked, " I notice that the Italian mission stopped sending Inner City Press any information at all in February 2017. Please explain." Six hours later, the Italian Mission's spokesperson Giovanni Davoli replied on the former, "Concerning Cameroon, I will get back to you" and then, two more hours later, "The situation you are mentioning was not in the agenda of the UNSC visit." There is still no explanation, at least not yet, on the latter. We'll have more on this. On May 17, Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujuarric what if anything Guterres is doing about Cameroon. From the UN transcript: Inner City Press: there are people saying that António Guterres' strategy of being Secretary-General is to sort of downplay the peacemaking powers of it and engage in quiet diplomacy. And I guess the reason I'm asking you is just objectively speaking, compared to the previous administration, there are many fewer readouts, there's less… there's less being said. Maybe it's to the good. But, does he believe that… that this approach is bearing fruit, and if so, what fruit can you point to?
Spokesman: I think the Secretary-General is a believer in the need for discreet contacts to be had in order to resolve crisis. And I think it's something I… well, I think we've all observed since he's come into office. And I think it's an important tool and not the only tool, but it's an important tool in the tools available to the world's top diplomat.
Inner City Press: I want to ask this very specifically because I've asked you this a couple of times. I keep hearing from people at various high floors that, in fact, the UN is concerned about Cameroon and not just the Internet, but what seems to be a case of preventive diplomacy. So, I wanted to ask you, is there anything actually being done? Am I missing some secret work that the UN…?
Spokesman: I think if… well, if it's secret, it's secret. Mr. [Francois Lonceny] Fall has been following and is the point person for the UN on this issue.
Spokesman: I think the Secretary-General is a believer in the need for discreet contacts to be had in order to resolve crisis. And I think it's something I… well, I think we've all observed since he's come into office. And I think it's an important tool and not the only tool, but it's an important tool in the tools available to the world's top diplomat.
Inner City Press: I want to ask this very specifically because I've asked you this a couple of times. I keep hearing from people at various high floors that, in fact, the UN is concerned about Cameroon and not just the Internet, but what seems to be a case of preventive diplomacy. So, I wanted to ask you, is there anything actually being done? Am I missing some secret work that the UN…?
Spokesman: I think if… well, if it's secret, it's secret. Mr. [Francois Lonceny] Fall has been following and is the point person for the UN on this issue.
Fall is failing. Or, Fall is the fall guy for Guterres. Now there is the use of what residents call another weapon: the devaluation and even destruction of the GCE education system, by purporting to administer the test after a period where no instruction or learning took place. UNESCO has said nothing, just as the UN stayed quiet during the Internet cut off. On May 15, Inner City Press asked the UN's holdover spokesman Stephane Dujarric, video here, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: In hearing UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization], I've been meaning to ask you this. There's a controversy in Cameroon where a school… a test is being administered today in the areas that didn't have internet for 94 days and the schools were closed. And a lot of people are saying the test… it's basically to destroy the Anglophone education system, and people are taking a test at gunpoint. And many people there said UNESCO said nothing. I don't know whose role it is. Is it [Francois] Loncény Fall? Is there anyone in the UN system that's looking at what's taking place there…?
Spokesman: I'll take a look that report. Okay. Thank you.
Spokesman: I'll take a look that report. Okay. Thank you.
We'll see. Some in UN headquarters approach Inner City Press where they can, since the UN Department of Public Information still restricts the Press, and say there's concern "upstairs" about events in Cameroon. But despite the claimed focus on preventative diplomacy, where is there UN action on this? Despite the restrictions, Inner City Press will be pushing forward with the story. Watch this site and this one, where it is reported that France blocked any European Union action on Cameroon and Paul Biya's 94-day cut off of the Internet in the Anglophone regions, in part to keep its hand in to compete economically with China in "its" FrancAfrique. When the EU's Federica Mogherini came to the UN Security Council stakeout on May 9 for questions, no Press questions on Cameroon were allowed, similar to Antonio Guterres' spokesman disallowingthe question three times at the recent joint African Union stakeout. Nor was the Cameroon question Inner City Press submittedto Guterres' paid-entrance, not livestreamed London Q&A posed. We'll have more on this.
Exclusive: From Cameroon to UNSC, "Urgent & Confidential" Memo About Weapons, Copter, Here by Matthew Russell Lee on Scribd
This comes amid reports that armaments Cameroon got ostensibly to fight Boko Haram have been spotted in the Anglophone regions. On May 2 when Inner City Press told the UN's spokesman Stephane Dujarric that it had a question on Cameroon, he walked off the podium, as he has done before. He and the UN Department of Public Information, whose Cameroon mis-information is profiled below, worked together to evict and still restrict Inner City Press.
Dujarric repeatedly refused to tell Inner City Press the name of the acting Resident Coordinator in Cameroon after failed Najat Rochdi was promoted and said to ask UNICEF, Inner City Press did. Inner City Press submitted these questions to two UNICEF spokespeople on April 20: "Please state who are UNICEF is the acting Resident Coordinator in Cameroon and what if anything they have said and done about the 92 day Internet cut off in two regions, including to schools, and on the current doctors strikes. What is UNICEF's position on the 92 Internet cut off in Cameroon, as impacts children and otherwise?" UNICEF's Najwa Mekki, Officer in Charge of the Media Section, replied "received, we'll get back to you as soon as we can." Five days later, nothing - not even the name of who's the head of UNICEF in Cameroon, despite a second question to Dujarric (who has declared Press criticism of the UN's performance to be harassment, and threw Inner City Press out of the Press Briefing Room and has it still restricted after 14 months).
Troublingly, UN official Francois Lonseny Fall has not only overly-praised the Biya government, but also admonished that the Internet not be used to "incite hatred or violence" - precisely the pretext Biya used to cut it off. Today's UN is disgusting - we'll have more on this.
Meanwhile when Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric about Monthe's comments, the UN had no response, wouldn't even after weeks tell Inner City Press who is in charge of the UN in Cameroon, following Guterres' promotion of Najat Rochdi who said nothing about the Internet and blocke on Twitter Inner City Press which is pursuing the issue. This is today's UN - and today's Cameroon. Watch this platform.
