By Matthew Russell Lee, Photo, Video, CJR
UN GATE, June 11 – Burundi's government wanted all human rights presence out, and its then UN ambassador Albert Shingiro pushed it, using a shadow Twitter account @Jabaga70 which talked about killing "dogs" - meaning humans, not canines. Inner City Press outed him here, and asked UN about it here.
See also this (Guterres grinning cravenly at Shingiro), and Inner City Press video of Shingiro inside the UN, and here outside the UN after dictator (loving) Guterres threw Inner City Press out. No answer, video here
Then the "new" Burundi government ordered the UN rep Office closed by Dec 31, 2021 - and Guterres has said nothing, while banning Inner City Press which asks. The retirees and Chinese and Middle Eastern state media he lets in do not ask about it. Typically, silence from Guterres who has been evading and violating COVID quarantine rules, going to Boston to meet a flight from Lisbon. The COVID - Nkurunziza connection has been reported even by those who ignore Guterres' censorship. And this while Guterres and Melissa Fleming take money from IKEA and Pierre Omidyar's Luminate to "drown out" speech they don't like, Inner City Press first story here.
Now in June 2021, from Burundi: "during the community work of the ruling party (CNDD-FDD) on the construction site of the office of the presidency located in the palace grounds presidential election in Gitega province, President Evariste Ndayishimiye called on Burundians tocontribute massively for this i nfrastructure. He was accompanied by the Vice-President of the Republic, Prosper Bazombanza, Senior State Officials and economic operators. the President of the Republic has promised to offer his salary for the month of April 2022 and an envelope of 10 million Burundian Francs in the name of the presidential family. Its Vice-President, the members of the government, senior executives of the Presidency of the Republic, of the Vice-Presidency and the Primature announced their contributions. Most have offered their monthly salary in addition to other amounts they earn from their income generating activities. Economic operators including bankers, insurers, industrialists, agri-breeders have promised sums of money, others have promised bags of cements. Subsequently, officials in different
sectors of public administration have been
forced, in spite of themselves, to also carry out the contributions for this infrastructure of the country. By way of illustration, the General Inspectorate of the Burundian National Police organized a meeting to present the ceilings to those concerned of these contributions. The rank of General Officer pays one month's salary, that of Senior Officer 200.000FBu, the Junior Officer 100.000FBu, the Non-commissioned officer pays 10,000 FBu and an Agent of font 5000FBu. These amounts must be withdrawn on salaries for a period of three months and/or paid into account CC13360 opened at the BRB before presenting the payment slip." And from Guterres and Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming? No answers.
Guterres' "ASG for Africa" Bintou Keita went to Burundi and said that everything is fine, you - or perhaps just she - can move around the country at any hour and there is no problem. UN propaganda article here, ghoulish laughing English audio here. Expect nothing or worse from the UNSC meeting on Burundi set for the end of October by Kafando and the South Africa mission, complicit in Guterres' now 728 day ban on Inner City Press.
So far in 2020, Guterres and his spokespeople Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming have refused to answer any of Inner City Press' written questions on Burundi and other topics.
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