By Matthew Russell Lee, UN Audio
UNITED NATIONS, November 15 – The government of Cameroon, where Paul Biya has been president for 35 years, has sentence journalist Ahmed Abba to 10 years in prison on terrorism-related charges. On November 15 in New York, Abba was given, in absentia, an International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
The event was in a hotel ballroom three blocks from the United Nations, where Inner City Press had earlier on November 15 asked the deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres if Guterres had even raised Abba's case when he met with Biya and received from his a gold statue in late October in Yaounde. (The answer appears to be, No.)
So Inner City Press went to cover the event, and in the absence of the imprisoned Abba interviewed the coordinator of CPJ's Africa program Angela Quintal, mostly on Cameroon but also on Burundi, Zambia, Tanzania, the UN and Lesotho, which Quintal brought up.
Quintal said that Cameroon had “stalled” visas when CPJ was slated to visit the country in April and so the visit never happened. Citing Inner City Press' questions to the UN, she brought up the Anglophone areas and journalists arrested there. Inner City Press asked her about the cut-off and now hindering of the Internet in the Northwest and Southwest of the country, so that government abuses cannot be reported. She said that is of concern to CPJ, and opined that the Biya government wants to ensure that conflicts cannot be reported, even less so than in neighboring Nigeria.
She said Biya's Information Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary is “pretty good at stalling,” and said CPJ has tried to get Abba's case raised by the EU, US and African Union. Inner City Press asked her about Burundi, where it seems international focus has waned. She did not disagree, noting that the number of journalists trying to leave Burundi has fallen, because most who wanted to leave already have. She said on where to devote CPJ resources there are hard choice, and then went off the record, which we respect.
Back on the record, Quintal noted that CPJ has had success in getting a journalist released in Zambia (Chanda Chimba) while acknowledging that more must be done. That much is true. As Inner City Press rushed out of the Grand Hyatt to get back to the UN before the 7 pm curfew imposed on it for the past 21 months for reporting on a meeting, in the UN Press Briefing Room, of the UN Correspondents Association to see if they discussed funds received for their ball from now convicted UN briber Ng Lap Seng, CPJ welcomed to its fundraiser an UNCA president who vowed to get Inner City Press thrown out of the UN if it did not remove an article from the Internet. CPJ was informed of all of this, and has done nothing. Yes, there are hard choices. We'll have more on this. And on this, on Cameroon: a week after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres accepted a golden statue from Cameroon's 35-year president Paul Biya in Biya's palace in Yaounde, there were threats of prosecution against people who refuse to celebrate Biya's 35 years in power. Photo of letter here. So is this was Guterres celebrates, under the Guterres Doctrine? What is the relation to the illegal lumber exports signed off on by Guterres' Deputy, Amina J. Mohammed in the #RosewoodRacket? This involves "smuggling from Cameroon." See EIA video, here. There were threats to Inner City Press' accreditation at the UN, here. On November 15, Inner City Press asked Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, UN transcripthere: Inner City Press: since the Secretary-General's going to give this speech on… on countering terrorism while it's en… you know, holding up values, tonight, Cameroonian journalist Ahmed Abba is going to get an award… the International Press Freedom Award, not in person because he's been sentenced to ten years in jail for reporting on the conflict in Cameroon. He's been convicted under antiterrorism laws. So, it made me wonder, when the Secretary-General visited, met with President of Cameroon, Paul Biya, who's largely responsible for this prosecution and imprisonment of a journalist, was this issue raised? And… and does it fall within the ambit of the Secretary-General's views of proper use or improper use of terrorism laws, in this case, to imprison a journalist? Deputy Spokesman: "The Secretary-General has made it clear that any measures that are counter-terrorist measures should not be used to restrict the enjoyment of human rights in any aspect, including freedom of expression and freedom of the media. And that would be the case here, as well." But did Guterres raise it? Will he? Meanwhile in the South West Region, there is a curfew and demand to register and give "weapons" to the government. On November 13, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: over the weekend, in Cameroon, in both the northwest and southwest, there was a collection apparently in light of not only armaments, rifles and handguns, but even hoes and cutlasses, it said, basically a total disarmament and… and… impinging on even farming work by people. And I'm wondering, given that François Fall is… calls for a dialogue, what… is the UN aware of this? There are written orders online that you can see telling people to turn all of these things in… Spokesman: "I have nothing on these reports as of now." Nor six hours later. On November 9, Inner City Press asked UN official Najat Rochdi, who was the head of the UN system in Cameroon until earlier this year and is now its deputy in the Central African Republic where Guterres just visited before Cameroon, if Guterres had spoken to her at all about Cameroon. No, she said, he had wanted to optimize his time. Video here. So apparently Guterres gets his information, and gold statues, from Paul Biya, or from Khassim Diagne, who was part of Rochdi's system. It is closed loop, and a total failure. On November 8, Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric (drawing a response of sorts, that "The Anglophones have been doing some shooting today"), UN transcript here: Inner City Press: on Cameroon, I know that there was a call by François [Lounceny] Fall and, I guess, the Secretary-General for dialogue with the “Anglophone regions”. It's reported in the press in Yaoundé that the Government has sought international arrest warrants for 15 Anglophone leaders, and I'm wondering if that would be viewed as consistent with this call for dialogue and, if not, if the UN has anything to say about it. Spokesman Dujarric: I don't have any information on those arrest warrants. We, obviously, continue to call for calm and reiterate the availability of the UN to support the search for a lasting solution in the Anglophone provinces. And we call on the… also on the authorities to ensure maximum restraint by security forces. Evelyn? Evelyn Leopold: Yes. I think the Anglophones did some shooting today." Video here; Leopold is retired from Reuters, still demands first questions at UN press conferences "on behalf of the United Nations Correspondents Association," wihch will charge money for an event with Antonio Guterres in mid-December - we will have more on this. On November 7 Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Duajrric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you two questions about Cameroon. One is, since the Secretary-General's visit, one, there's a… there are reports of a crackdown in a place called Jakiri, where one gendarme was killed, and now basically everyone is being told there will be collective punishment unless a gun is turned over. And I wanted to know, is Mr. [François Louncény] Fall… who… after the visit, who's keeping track of it? Also, bigger picture maybe, the… the Cross River State Governor in Nigeria, Ben Ayade, has said that the border has essentially been closed for people fleeing the Cameroon… the anglophone region of Cameroon, and I wanted to know whether that's something that either Mr. Fall or on the… you know, UNHCR is aware of. Spokesman: UNHCR, you can check with them. I will… I don't have anything on… more on Cameroon. Inner City Press: if Mr. Fall was there on the trip… he wasn't in the photograph with the…Spokesman: He was there. We already said he was there. Inner City Press: All right. So what was the… was any plan reached for continued work…? Spokesman: If there's a further visit that he's able to make, we will announce it." Nothing. On November 6, Inner City Press asked Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, UN transcript here: Inner City Press:has to do with Cameroon, where the Secretary-General stopped, met President [Paul] Biya. Today, they're celebrating the thirty-fifth anniversary of his accession to power. And a letter's emerged that orders all Government employees to participate in the ceremony marking the thirty-fifth year in power of Paul Biya, saying, basically, names should be provided, and they will be punished for not. Given… I guess I'm just wondering, is the Sec… was the Secretary-General, when he stopped, when he took this golden statue, what did… was he aware of this? What does he think of… is it… is it permissible, from the UN's point of view, for a Government to order its civil servants to mark the thirty-fifth year in power of a leader or face punishment, or should this be discouraged? And does he have any comment on it? Deputy Spokesman: Obviously, people everywhere have the right to freedom of movement, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly. Those freedoms need to be respected in all circumstances. Regarding the gift, Stéphane [Dujarric] made very clear to you that's a standard protocol gift — which happens in many different countries and contexts." The UN delivered a threat to Inner City Press to “review” it accreditation on October 20, using as its pretext an undefined violation with Periscope in UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' 38th floor conference room, and publishing audio from a UN stakeout, citing Cameroon. On October 31 at the UN Security Council stakeout, Cameroon's Ambassador approached Inner City Press and issued his own threat. Of the UN's 38th floor, he demanded of Inner City Press, "Who asked you to go to 38? I'm going to call, say for Matthew not to go upstairs. You've started... asking nasty questions." On November 2, Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it, video here, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: a statement made by Cameroon's Permanent Representative to me at the Security Council stakeout, in a public area, saying, on 38, "Who asked you to be up there? I'm going to make a call to make sure Matthew is not up there anymore. You ask nasty questions." So my question to you is, if a Member State, in this case a Member State that is subject to questions, nasty or not, were to call the 38th floor and say, I want a particular media to not be up there, why are [they] up there — what would be the response from the 38th floor? I ask because I've gotten an accreditation threat for being up there. That's why it’s strange… Spokesman: Well, I think you're mixing… you know, if an event is open to the press, to the wider press, then everybody is welcome. We are not… journalists here have to do their job. There are obviously restrictions placed, depending on the event, but I guess the answer would be no. Thank you." This from the UN Spokesman who threw Inner City Press out of the UN Press Briefing and then from its office, keeping it still restricted. This is today's UN. But can Inner City Press publish this threat, meant to hinder or prevent coverage of mass killing and displacement of Anglophones, without the UN's Department of Public Information's censorship machinery moving to review its accreditation, or using it as its rationale for continuing to keep Inner City Press from its long time office, keep it restricted in movement? DPI boss Alison Smale said she saw the need to respond to petitions to restore Inner City Press to its office and normal access - then her Department issued its October 20 threat. Now this. Watch this site - audio here. Be aware: the audio is from Smale's own DPI. This UN has become disgusting. The UN official who signed the letter, when Inner City Press went to ask about the undefined violation of live-streaming Periscope video at a photo op by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, had already left, minutes after sending the threat. What to make of the letter's vague statement, "filming and recording on the 38th floor are limited to official photo opportunities, and recording conversations of others in the room is not permitted. It has been brought to our attention that you breached that rule recently"? It's not only vague as to when, but absurd: once a Periscope is authorized to start streaming, it is impossible to not record someone who speaks loudly at the photo op. This comes two days after Inner City Press asked Guterres about the UN inaction on threatened genocide in Cameroon, and the UN claimed Guterres hadn't heard the 15-second long question. Recently at a photo op, Guterres' adviser on Cameroon Khassim Diagne spoke loudly. Inner City Press later reported, based on sourcing, that Diagne who was previously the representative to Cameroon for UNHCR, the UN refugee agency Guterres ran, speaks in favor of Cameroon's government. Is this letter a response to the reporting? Is it retaliation? Is it intimidation to stop reporting on this threatened genocide? We can't ask the complainant, Maher Nasser: after the threat was delivered, he blocked Inner City Pres on Twitter, here.
Quintal said that Cameroon had “stalled” visas when CPJ was slated to visit the country in April and so the visit never happened. Citing Inner City Press' questions to the UN, she brought up the Anglophone areas and journalists arrested there. Inner City Press asked her about the cut-off and now hindering of the Internet in the Northwest and Southwest of the country, so that government abuses cannot be reported. She said that is of concern to CPJ, and opined that the Biya government wants to ensure that conflicts cannot be reported, even less so than in neighboring Nigeria.
She said Biya's Information Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary is “pretty good at stalling,” and said CPJ has tried to get Abba's case raised by the EU, US and African Union. Inner City Press asked her about Burundi, where it seems international focus has waned. She did not disagree, noting that the number of journalists trying to leave Burundi has fallen, because most who wanted to leave already have. She said on where to devote CPJ resources there are hard choice, and then went off the record, which we respect.
Back on the record, Quintal noted that CPJ has had success in getting a journalist released in Zambia (Chanda Chimba) while acknowledging that more must be done. That much is true. As Inner City Press rushed out of the Grand Hyatt to get back to the UN before the 7 pm curfew imposed on it for the past 21 months for reporting on a meeting, in the UN Press Briefing Room, of the UN Correspondents Association to see if they discussed funds received for their ball from now convicted UN briber Ng Lap Seng, CPJ welcomed to its fundraiser an UNCA president who vowed to get Inner City Press thrown out of the UN if it did not remove an article from the Internet. CPJ was informed of all of this, and has done nothing. Yes, there are hard choices. We'll have more on this. And on this, on Cameroon: a week after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres accepted a golden statue from Cameroon's 35-year president Paul Biya in Biya's palace in Yaounde, there were threats of prosecution against people who refuse to celebrate Biya's 35 years in power. Photo of letter here. So is this was Guterres celebrates, under the Guterres Doctrine? What is the relation to the illegal lumber exports signed off on by Guterres' Deputy, Amina J. Mohammed in the #RosewoodRacket? This involves "smuggling from Cameroon." See EIA video, here. There were threats to Inner City Press' accreditation at the UN, here. On November 15, Inner City Press asked Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, UN transcripthere: Inner City Press: since the Secretary-General's going to give this speech on… on countering terrorism while it's en… you know, holding up values, tonight, Cameroonian journalist Ahmed Abba is going to get an award… the International Press Freedom Award, not in person because he's been sentenced to ten years in jail for reporting on the conflict in Cameroon. He's been convicted under antiterrorism laws. So, it made me wonder, when the Secretary-General visited, met with President of Cameroon, Paul Biya, who's largely responsible for this prosecution and imprisonment of a journalist, was this issue raised? And… and does it fall within the ambit of the Secretary-General's views of proper use or improper use of terrorism laws, in this case, to imprison a journalist? Deputy Spokesman: "The Secretary-General has made it clear that any measures that are counter-terrorist measures should not be used to restrict the enjoyment of human rights in any aspect, including freedom of expression and freedom of the media. And that would be the case here, as well." But did Guterres raise it? Will he? Meanwhile in the South West Region, there is a curfew and demand to register and give "weapons" to the government. On November 13, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: over the weekend, in Cameroon, in both the northwest and southwest, there was a collection apparently in light of not only armaments, rifles and handguns, but even hoes and cutlasses, it said, basically a total disarmament and… and… impinging on even farming work by people. And I'm wondering, given that François Fall is… calls for a dialogue, what… is the UN aware of this? There are written orders online that you can see telling people to turn all of these things in… Spokesman: "I have nothing on these reports as of now." Nor six hours later. On November 9, Inner City Press asked UN official Najat Rochdi, who was the head of the UN system in Cameroon until earlier this year and is now its deputy in the Central African Republic where Guterres just visited before Cameroon, if Guterres had spoken to her at all about Cameroon. No, she said, he had wanted to optimize his time. Video here. So apparently Guterres gets his information, and gold statues, from Paul Biya, or from Khassim Diagne, who was part of Rochdi's system. It is closed loop, and a total failure. On November 8, Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric (drawing a response of sorts, that "The Anglophones have been doing some shooting today"), UN transcript here: Inner City Press: on Cameroon, I know that there was a call by François [Lounceny] Fall and, I guess, the Secretary-General for dialogue with the “Anglophone regions”. It's reported in the press in Yaoundé that the Government has sought international arrest warrants for 15 Anglophone leaders, and I'm wondering if that would be viewed as consistent with this call for dialogue and, if not, if the UN has anything to say about it. Spokesman Dujarric: I don't have any information on those arrest warrants. We, obviously, continue to call for calm and reiterate the availability of the UN to support the search for a lasting solution in the Anglophone provinces. And we call on the… also on the authorities to ensure maximum restraint by security forces. Evelyn? Evelyn Leopold: Yes. I think the Anglophones did some shooting today." Video here; Leopold is retired from Reuters, still demands first questions at UN press conferences "on behalf of the United Nations Correspondents Association," wihch will charge money for an event with Antonio Guterres in mid-December - we will have more on this. On November 7 Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Duajrric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you two questions about Cameroon. One is, since the Secretary-General's visit, one, there's a… there are reports of a crackdown in a place called Jakiri, where one gendarme was killed, and now basically everyone is being told there will be collective punishment unless a gun is turned over. And I wanted to know, is Mr. [François Louncény] Fall… who… after the visit, who's keeping track of it? Also, bigger picture maybe, the… the Cross River State Governor in Nigeria, Ben Ayade, has said that the border has essentially been closed for people fleeing the Cameroon… the anglophone region of Cameroon, and I wanted to know whether that's something that either Mr. Fall or on the… you know, UNHCR is aware of. Spokesman: UNHCR, you can check with them. I will… I don't have anything on… more on Cameroon. Inner City Press: if Mr. Fall was there on the trip… he wasn't in the photograph with the…Spokesman: He was there. We already said he was there. Inner City Press: All right. So what was the… was any plan reached for continued work…? Spokesman: If there's a further visit that he's able to make, we will announce it." Nothing. On November 6, Inner City Press asked Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, UN transcript here: Inner City Press:has to do with Cameroon, where the Secretary-General stopped, met President [Paul] Biya. Today, they're celebrating the thirty-fifth anniversary of his accession to power. And a letter's emerged that orders all Government employees to participate in the ceremony marking the thirty-fifth year in power of Paul Biya, saying, basically, names should be provided, and they will be punished for not. Given… I guess I'm just wondering, is the Sec… was the Secretary-General, when he stopped, when he took this golden statue, what did… was he aware of this? What does he think of… is it… is it permissible, from the UN's point of view, for a Government to order its civil servants to mark the thirty-fifth year in power of a leader or face punishment, or should this be discouraged? And does he have any comment on it? Deputy Spokesman: Obviously, people everywhere have the right to freedom of movement, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly. Those freedoms need to be respected in all circumstances. Regarding the gift, Stéphane [Dujarric] made very clear to you that's a standard protocol gift — which happens in many different countries and contexts." The UN delivered a threat to Inner City Press to “review” it accreditation on October 20, using as its pretext an undefined violation with Periscope in UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' 38th floor conference room, and publishing audio from a UN stakeout, citing Cameroon. On October 31 at the UN Security Council stakeout, Cameroon's Ambassador approached Inner City Press and issued his own threat. Of the UN's 38th floor, he demanded of Inner City Press, "Who asked you to go to 38? I'm going to call, say for Matthew not to go upstairs. You've started... asking nasty questions." On November 2, Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric about it, video here, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: a statement made by Cameroon's Permanent Representative to me at the Security Council stakeout, in a public area, saying, on 38, "Who asked you to be up there? I'm going to make a call to make sure Matthew is not up there anymore. You ask nasty questions." So my question to you is, if a Member State, in this case a Member State that is subject to questions, nasty or not, were to call the 38th floor and say, I want a particular media to not be up there, why are [they] up there — what would be the response from the 38th floor? I ask because I've gotten an accreditation threat for being up there. That's why it’s strange… Spokesman: Well, I think you're mixing… you know, if an event is open to the press, to the wider press, then everybody is welcome. We are not… journalists here have to do their job. There are obviously restrictions placed, depending on the event, but I guess the answer would be no. Thank you." This from the UN Spokesman who threw Inner City Press out of the UN Press Briefing and then from its office, keeping it still restricted. This is today's UN. But can Inner City Press publish this threat, meant to hinder or prevent coverage of mass killing and displacement of Anglophones, without the UN's Department of Public Information's censorship machinery moving to review its accreditation, or using it as its rationale for continuing to keep Inner City Press from its long time office, keep it restricted in movement? DPI boss Alison Smale said she saw the need to respond to petitions to restore Inner City Press to its office and normal access - then her Department issued its October 20 threat. Now this. Watch this site - audio here. Be aware: the audio is from Smale's own DPI. This UN has become disgusting. The UN official who signed the letter, when Inner City Press went to ask about the undefined violation of live-streaming Periscope video at a photo op by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, had already left, minutes after sending the threat. What to make of the letter's vague statement, "filming and recording on the 38th floor are limited to official photo opportunities, and recording conversations of others in the room is not permitted. It has been brought to our attention that you breached that rule recently"? It's not only vague as to when, but absurd: once a Periscope is authorized to start streaming, it is impossible to not record someone who speaks loudly at the photo op. This comes two days after Inner City Press asked Guterres about the UN inaction on threatened genocide in Cameroon, and the UN claimed Guterres hadn't heard the 15-second long question. Recently at a photo op, Guterres' adviser on Cameroon Khassim Diagne spoke loudly. Inner City Press later reported, based on sourcing, that Diagne who was previously the representative to Cameroon for UNHCR, the UN refugee agency Guterres ran, speaks in favor of Cameroon's government. Is this letter a response to the reporting? Is it retaliation? Is it intimidation to stop reporting on this threatened genocide? We can't ask the complainant, Maher Nasser: after the threat was delivered, he blocked Inner City Pres on Twitter, here.
It also comes after Alison Smale the head of the Department of Public Information which would “review” Inner City Press' accreditation has ignored three separatepetitions from Inner City Press in the six weeks she has been in the job, urging her to remove restrictions on Inner City Press' reporting which hinder its coverage of the UN's performance in such crises as Yemen, Kenya,Myanmar, and the Central African Republic where Guterres travels next week, with Smale's DPI saying its coverage of the trip will be a test of its public relations ability. But the UN official who triggered the complaint is Maher Nasser, who filled in for Smale before she arrived.
UN's Letter Threatening to Review Inner City Press' Accreditation for Audio Report While Staking Out on Cam... by Matthew Russell Lee on Scribd
His complaint is that audio of what he said to Inner City Press as it staked out the elevators in the UN lobby openly recording, as it has for example with Cameroon's Ambassador Tommo Monthe, here, was similarly published.
A UN “Public Information” official is complaining about an article, and abusing his position to threaten to review Inner City Press' accreditation. The UN has previously been called out for targeting Inner City Press, and for having no rules or due process. But the UN is entirely UNaccountable, impunity on censorship as, bigger picture, on the cholera it brought to Haiti. And, it seems, Antonio Guterres has not reformed or reversed anything. This threat is from an official involved in the last round of retaliation who told Inner City Press on Twitter to be less "negative" about the UN - amid inaction on the mass killing in Cameroon - and who allowed pro-UN hecking of Inner City Press' questions about the cholera the UN brought to Haiti and the Ng Lap Seng /John Ashe UN bribery scandal which resulted in six guilty verdicts. We'll have more on this.
