UNITED NATIONS, April 16 -- Long after the UN Security Council met about Burundi, on April 4 the Netherlands' Ambassador Karel van Oosterom told Inner City Press that a UNSC Presidential Statement, he hoped, would be adopted later in the day. Vine video here. But it did not happened on April 4; it was scheduled for 3 pm on April 5. (Here it is.) Nevertheless, AFP and Voice of America have reported that the Statement has already come out. Mistakes can be made - but these are two media which urged the UN to evict Inner City Press, which happened and where Inner City Press is still restricted. This UN is corrupt. On April 16 Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, video here, UN transcripthere: Inner City Press: In Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza had said that he's basically going to suspend talks under Arusha through the East African Community. And I'm asking you this because some have noted that there was a statement that went up on the AU's [African Union] website saying that the AU and the UN were deeply concerned about this, and then it went down. But, a sort of a version of it is still up, in fact, the… so, I wanted to know, is the… is, in fact, the UN concerned about this? And, if it is concerned, why did it express…
Spokesman: I will check on Burundi." Nine hours later, nothing. Days after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held an initially undisclosed meeting with Sudan's Omar al Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court, his UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Burundi bragged about supporting a government radio station - run by the wife of Pierre Nkurunziza. Now Nkurunziza's constitutional change referendum's date has been set, for 17 May 2018. It would break from the Arusha peace agreement - but what has Guterres or his part time envoy Michel Kafando had to say? On March 21, Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you, in Burundi, now they've set the date for the constitutional referendum that some way would take… would swear off the Arusha peace agreement, of course, March… May 17th. What I really wanted to ask you about, specifically, is, the person that refused to register, Simon Bizimana, was arrested for, quote, obstructing the electoral process for refusing to register to vote. He was taken into police custody, and he has died in police custody. And people say that he was essentially…
Spokesman: I will check on that…
Inner City Press: …beaten to death.
Spokesman: I will check on this report…
Inner City Press: The reason I ask… I mean, I asked you before about the three groups that were… were sent… the three activists sentenced to ten years for setting up a human rights workshop, and you said you were looking into it. I don't know who… who in the UN is actually tracking this?
Spokesman: Well, you know, I think the various departments are tracking it. I think the Secretary-General in… notably in his report, expressed his concern of the human rights situation, and I think that concern still stands today." The UN Security Council and its Burundi penholder, aware of Nkurunziza's party declaring him "Supreme Eternal Guide" or visions, never followed through the deployed the 228 UN police they "mandated." This comes as Nkuruziza goes after independent radio journalists like Jean Claude Nshimirimana of Radio Isanganiro, see below - and, ghoulishly, as Agence France Presse (AFP) claims that Guterres "takes aim at Burundi leader." Yeah - takes aim with financial support. Now Burundi has sentenced to 10 years in prison each three people for trying to organize a human rights workshop: Emmanuel Nshimirimana, Aime Constant Gatore and Marius Nizigiyimana, members of Parcem. So on March 13, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: I wanted to ask about Burundi, since there is an envoy. One, three human rights activists from the group PARCEM have been sentenced to ten years in jail for reportedly organizing a human rights workshop. So, it seemed to many people to be a pretty extreme sentence, and I wonder if there's any comment on that. And, two, the President, Pierre Nkurunziza, has been reportedly named the Eternal Supreme Guide of the CNDD-FDD party, which people see as part of a progression. They now say he's just a visionary, but I guess I wanted to know,does the UN think what's happening in Burundi, given that you have an envoy, is it leaning more towards sort of one-person eternal visionary rule, or are things going in the way in which the envoy was supposed to be trying to work on it? Spokesman: I would… listen, it's not for me to comment on party roles that leaders… titles that leaders may get. I think the Secretary-General's position on Burundi and his concerns about Burundi are outlined in his latest report on Burundi, and they stand. On the human rights access, I will check." We'll see. On March 1, Inner City Press asked the new President of the UN Security Council, the Netherlands, why there was no read-out of the Council's consultations on Burundi earlier in the week, after previous Council president Kuwait told it France was working on a Press Statement. On March 2, this response in the Kingdom of the Netherlands' (or KNL's) national capacity: "Council members are currently discussing a PRST on Burundi." So on March 7, Inner City Press asked French Ambassador Francois Delattre, What's up with the press statement on Burundi? Delattre turned to his two aides, then one aide and said, We are working with Quentin on it. With Quentin? Next, the French Mission omitted this Q&A from its transcript of the press encounter. A quick search of the Mission's website finds one Quentin Teissere - the third man in this video - working not only on Burundi and Rwanda but also DRC. But how can France be working with itself on aSecurity Council press statement on Burundi, eight days after the meeting? Perhaps France is holding too many pens, and should get a yellow card. In Burundi, on the pitch, Nkurunziza is having officials Cyriaque Nkezabahizi and Michel Mutama arrested after he was "roughed up" in a soccer or football match... This after an offer from FIFA of an honorary post didn't dislodge him. On February 26 after the UN Security Council met about Burundi, Inner City Press ran after Kafando and at the elevator asked him if Mkapa is quitting. No, he said, unless there is more recent news. In the chamber, Burundi's Ambassador Shingiro delivered a self staisfied speech. At the stakeout there was no media other than Inner City Press, which the UN evicted and still restricts. This is today's UN. On February 27, Inner City Press asked Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: Mkapa, could you finally… I just wanted to ask you… Spokesman: As far as I know, he did not resign.
Inner City Press: He did NOT brief. So, do you… but that's…?Spokesman: "That's… as far as I understand it, he had expressed the possibility that he would. But, as far as I know, he did not. Okay. Thank you all." Yeah. On February 22, Inner City Press asked the UN's top two spokesmen Stephane Dujarric and Farhan Haq about reports that mediator Benjamin Mkapa is quitting. The two spokesmennot onlyl did not answer - they didn't even confirm receipt, or provided the promised data on UN sexual harassment. Inner City Press has asked, " On Burundi, it seems Benjamin Mkapa has quit. What is the UN's / UNSG's / Kafando's comment, and plan going forward? Also, maybe I missed it, but where are the sexual harassment statistics it seemed would be emailed out after today's briefing?" Meanwhile Burundi's Ambassador to the UN Albert Shingiro told Inner City Press on February 21 that he had spoken with 13 of the Security Council's 15 members, with the final two - he declined to name them - scheduled for the coming days. It's come to this, at the UN. What did the UN say, and what if anything did it do, about the detention of Aloys Habimana at the DR Congo - Burundi border? He was taken to a detention facility in Bujumbura and remains in custody of the Service National de Renseignements (SNR – National Intelligence Services). Inner City Press and others reported on the disappearance; we have now told he has been released.
Spokesman: I will check on Burundi." Nine hours later, nothing. Days after UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held an initially undisclosed meeting with Sudan's Omar al Bashir, indicted by the International Criminal Court, his UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Burundi bragged about supporting a government radio station - run by the wife of Pierre Nkurunziza. Now Nkurunziza's constitutional change referendum's date has been set, for 17 May 2018. It would break from the Arusha peace agreement - but what has Guterres or his part time envoy Michel Kafando had to say? On March 21, Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you, in Burundi, now they've set the date for the constitutional referendum that some way would take… would swear off the Arusha peace agreement, of course, March… May 17th. What I really wanted to ask you about, specifically, is, the person that refused to register, Simon Bizimana, was arrested for, quote, obstructing the electoral process for refusing to register to vote. He was taken into police custody, and he has died in police custody. And people say that he was essentially…
Spokesman: I will check on that…
Inner City Press: …beaten to death.
Spokesman: I will check on this report…
Inner City Press: The reason I ask… I mean, I asked you before about the three groups that were… were sent… the three activists sentenced to ten years for setting up a human rights workshop, and you said you were looking into it. I don't know who… who in the UN is actually tracking this?
Spokesman: Well, you know, I think the various departments are tracking it. I think the Secretary-General in… notably in his report, expressed his concern of the human rights situation, and I think that concern still stands today." The UN Security Council and its Burundi penholder, aware of Nkurunziza's party declaring him "Supreme Eternal Guide" or visions, never followed through the deployed the 228 UN police they "mandated." This comes as Nkuruziza goes after independent radio journalists like Jean Claude Nshimirimana of Radio Isanganiro, see below - and, ghoulishly, as Agence France Presse (AFP) claims that Guterres "takes aim at Burundi leader." Yeah - takes aim with financial support. Now Burundi has sentenced to 10 years in prison each three people for trying to organize a human rights workshop: Emmanuel Nshimirimana, Aime Constant Gatore and Marius Nizigiyimana, members of Parcem. So on March 13, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: I wanted to ask about Burundi, since there is an envoy. One, three human rights activists from the group PARCEM have been sentenced to ten years in jail for reportedly organizing a human rights workshop. So, it seemed to many people to be a pretty extreme sentence, and I wonder if there's any comment on that. And, two, the President, Pierre Nkurunziza, has been reportedly named the Eternal Supreme Guide of the CNDD-FDD party, which people see as part of a progression. They now say he's just a visionary, but I guess I wanted to know,does the UN think what's happening in Burundi, given that you have an envoy, is it leaning more towards sort of one-person eternal visionary rule, or are things going in the way in which the envoy was supposed to be trying to work on it? Spokesman: I would… listen, it's not for me to comment on party roles that leaders… titles that leaders may get. I think the Secretary-General's position on Burundi and his concerns about Burundi are outlined in his latest report on Burundi, and they stand. On the human rights access, I will check." We'll see. On March 1, Inner City Press asked the new President of the UN Security Council, the Netherlands, why there was no read-out of the Council's consultations on Burundi earlier in the week, after previous Council president Kuwait told it France was working on a Press Statement. On March 2, this response in the Kingdom of the Netherlands' (or KNL's) national capacity: "Council members are currently discussing a PRST on Burundi." So on March 7, Inner City Press asked French Ambassador Francois Delattre, What's up with the press statement on Burundi? Delattre turned to his two aides, then one aide and said, We are working with Quentin on it. With Quentin? Next, the French Mission omitted this Q&A from its transcript of the press encounter. A quick search of the Mission's website finds one Quentin Teissere - the third man in this video - working not only on Burundi and Rwanda but also DRC. But how can France be working with itself on aSecurity Council press statement on Burundi, eight days after the meeting? Perhaps France is holding too many pens, and should get a yellow card. In Burundi, on the pitch, Nkurunziza is having officials Cyriaque Nkezabahizi and Michel Mutama arrested after he was "roughed up" in a soccer or football match... This after an offer from FIFA of an honorary post didn't dislodge him. On February 26 after the UN Security Council met about Burundi, Inner City Press ran after Kafando and at the elevator asked him if Mkapa is quitting. No, he said, unless there is more recent news. In the chamber, Burundi's Ambassador Shingiro delivered a self staisfied speech. At the stakeout there was no media other than Inner City Press, which the UN evicted and still restricts. This is today's UN. On February 27, Inner City Press asked Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: Mkapa, could you finally… I just wanted to ask you… Spokesman: As far as I know, he did not resign.
Inner City Press: He did NOT brief. So, do you… but that's…?Spokesman: "That's… as far as I understand it, he had expressed the possibility that he would. But, as far as I know, he did not. Okay. Thank you all." Yeah. On February 22, Inner City Press asked the UN's top two spokesmen Stephane Dujarric and Farhan Haq about reports that mediator Benjamin Mkapa is quitting. The two spokesmennot onlyl did not answer - they didn't even confirm receipt, or provided the promised data on UN sexual harassment. Inner City Press has asked, " On Burundi, it seems Benjamin Mkapa has quit. What is the UN's / UNSG's / Kafando's comment, and plan going forward? Also, maybe I missed it, but where are the sexual harassment statistics it seemed would be emailed out after today's briefing?" Meanwhile Burundi's Ambassador to the UN Albert Shingiro told Inner City Press on February 21 that he had spoken with 13 of the Security Council's 15 members, with the final two - he declined to name them - scheduled for the coming days. It's come to this, at the UN. What did the UN say, and what if anything did it do, about the detention of Aloys Habimana at the DR Congo - Burundi border? He was taken to a detention facility in Bujumbura and remains in custody of the Service National de Renseignements (SNR – National Intelligence Services). Inner City Press and others reported on the disappearance; we have now told he has been released.
