In SDNY Third of Four Nigeria Oil Company Cases Gets Stayed But Judge Berman Says Last Time

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon

SDNY COURTHOUSE, July 23 – There are no fewer that four big oil cases pending against the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The cases involve arbitration awards and various oil fields; a backdrop includes longstanding human rights abuses by and allegations of corruption in Nigeria's oil sector.    

Back on July 16 Inner City Press sought to attend and cover a status confernce in one of the cases, Statoil and Texaco v. NNPC, 18-cv-02392 before SDNY Judge Richard M. Berman. But the matter was put over until July 23 at noon.    When Inner City Press arrived at noon, eschewing a simultaneous proceeding involving Harvey Weinstein before SDNY Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, both the plaintiffs and defendants tables were full; the courtroom was otherwise empty.    

The law firm for Texaco and Statoil, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP quickly told Judge Berman that the proceeding should be off the record and "in camera."    

Judge Berman said "we have a member of the press in the courtroom, a blogger," and asked the parties to say what they could in open court. The request, in essence, was for a stay of the proceedings, such as similar cases before SDNY Judges Stanton and Kaplan have been stayed. (SDNY Judge William Pauley has pushed one of the four cases forward, on which we intend to report more.)    

The Freshfields counsel told Judge Berman that a six months stay would avoid for the court "the burden of heavy discovery and motion practice."   Judge Berman replied, "That's why we're here, it's not really a burden for us."    

The law firm for the Nigerian state oil company, Chaffetz Lindsey LLP, repeated the argument for secrecy. In a July 18 letter to Judge Berman marked "MEMO ENDORSED" the firm wrote "on behalf of all parties to respectfully request that the status conference scheduled for next Tuesday, July 23, take place in camera and that any transcript of the proceedings be placed under seal."    

Judge Berman to his credit declined to taken things off the record. He told the parties that he was granting their request for a stay, until January 14, 2020 at 11 AM but that it is "very likely there will be no further stay."     

Will the same apply to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation cases before SDNY Judges Stanton and Kaplan? Inner City Press is inquiring into the SDNY Court's policies. Watch this site. 

Footnote: Ironically, the Nigerian government through its Mission to the UN has argued elsewhere in the SDNY that the recent elections explained it failure to even respond to a lawsuit by a young New Yorker run over by a Nigerian Mission vehicle with both registration and insurance expired.  Here's that story, July 10:

A few blocks from the United Nations on 49th Street and Second Avenue on 6 April 2018 Jennifer A. Edward was heading to her work as a lawfirm paralegal when a Nigerian Mission to the UN vehicle struck her, causing serious injury.    The vehicle's registration and insurance were both expired, in violation of the U.S. Diplomatic Relations Act. 

The driver who was working for Nigeria's Mission had previously had accidents. But Nigeria and its mission refused to pay, or even fo months to respond to the lawsuit that was filed, and legally served as far away as Nigeria. Call it impunity, so prevalent in and around the UN.     

On July 10 the case came up before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Paul G. Gardephe. While denying Ms. Edward's motion for default judgment, Judge Gardephe essentially mocked the Nigerian Mission's argument that they needed more time to explore the issue of pre-existing condition.     

Ms. Edward is in her 20s, and has run a New York City marathon. The Nigerian mission in belated filings with Judge Gardephe has tried to blame their failure to response on the recent elections leading to the continuation of rule by President Buhari.     

Inner City Press, having seen Buhari's administration engage in illegal refoulement to Cameroon, unremarked on by the UN's Nigerian Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed, and having seen the UN claim impunity for cholera in Haiti and roughing up and banning the Press in New York, went to cover the July 10 proceeding.    

Afterward it spoke generally with Ms. Edward's lawyer Scott A. Harford. He explained the difficulty of getting the lawsuit served in Nigeria, and the lack of responsiveness by the U.S. Mission to the UN which is supposed to ensure that other countries' Missions to the UN at least maintain car insurance. 

The case is moving to Magistrate Judge Debra C. Freeman, more on Patreon here, and Inner City Press will continue to cover and pursue this and other related cases against impunity. 

Vivian Wang, who as money manager for convicted UN briber Ng Lap Seng's South South News made payments to disgraced President of the UN General Assembly John Ashe, was given a time served sentence on June 26 by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge George B. Daniels.

   Wang's lawyers at Goodwin Proctor, in a heavily redacted sentencing submission, stated that her deceased husband Forest Cao "was 57 years old adn had no known health problems of medical conditions. No autopsy was performed."

 It also says, as to UN President of the General Assembly John Ashe, that while awaiting trial on UN bribery charges "his death was reported as the result of a 'weightlifting accident' after a barbell apparently crushed his throat."

  After the sentencing, Inner City Press with covered the Ng Lap Seng trial before SDNY Judge Vernon Broderick daily asked Wang's lawyer Derek A. Cohen if he was implying that Forest Cao and John Ashe were killed, and why he had so heavily redacted this sentencing submission.

 "It speaks for itself," Cohen said by the elevators. Likewise the Assistant U.S. Attorney on the case Daniel C. Richenthal declined Inner City Press' question about who beyond Ng Lap Seng Ms. Wang had cooperated against.

 Judge Daniels did not preside over the trial of Ng Lap Seng. He accepted the government's recommendation of time served with very little inquiry. 

  He said as if by rote that corruption of the UN is a serious matter. But if so, why should a person who paid bribes in the UN get such a light sentence with little public showing of the benefit of their cooperation?

   Corruption has continued at the UN since the prosecution of Ng Lap Seng, resulting in his four year prison sentence. A second, separately prosecution was brought against Patrick Ho of CEFC China Energy, an entity which also tried to buy the oil company of Lisbon-based Gulbenkian Foundation which employed current UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres as a compensated board member. 

  Neither in the Ho nor Ng Lap Seng cases where any of the UN Secretariat officials implicated in the bribery schemes prosecuted. 

  This laxity can be contrasted with another SDNY proceeding a mere hour later, in which Judge P. Kevin Castel looked behind the U.S. Attorney's Office's 5k1.1 cooperation letters and imposed jail time on the four siblings, the Seggermans, who evaded taxes. That underlying case was USA v. Little, 12-cr-647 (Castel). This bifurcated case is USA v. Wang, 16-cr-495 (Daniels).

 Vivi Wang helped bribe the UN, and on June 26 she got a time served sentence for undefined cooperation. Judge Castel looked behind the government's 5K1.1 letter but Judge Daniels did not. And the UN continues corrupt. Inner City Press will have more, much more, on this.

As UN Bans Inner City Press E-Asks Spox Dujarric of Cameroon Corporate UN China Taiwan Tibet Togo Ngo and SG Censorship 600+ UNanswered

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR LetterPFT Q&A, NY Post

UNITED NATIONS GATE, July 2 – Inner City Press on July 5 was banned from entering the UN, the day after it filed a criminal complaint against UN Security for physically removing it from covering the meeting about the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' $6.7 billion peacekeeping budget, as witnessed and essentially cheered on by senior UN official Christian Saunders, tearing its reporter's shirt, painfully and intentionally twisting his arm and slamming shut and damaging his laptop. On August 17, Guterres' Global Communicator Alison Smale issued a letter banning Inner City Press from the UN - for life. With no due process. She and Guterres have put the UN in the US Press Freedom Tracker, here. Smale said, again, that the UN would answer Press questions to the Spokesman Stephane Dujarric and his Office; Dujarric said the same oncamera. On July 2 three hours before the UN noon briefing, Inner City Press submitted 1000questions, including why it continues to be lawlessly banned from entering to ask questions in person: "There are more than 600+ questions UNanswered. And Monday Sept 17, Tuesday Sept 18, Wed Sept 19 and  Thurs and Fri Sept 21, that whole week, no questions answered. Nor Sept 25, nor 28th - nor October 2 nor 3. While appreciating and using what was belatedly sent on May 20 about sexual exploitation allegations and on March 28 in partial request to Inner City Press' questions about the UN bribery sentence of Patrick Ho of CEFC and CEFC's 2018 attempt to buy the oil company of Gulbenkian Foundation which paid the SG, no answers on Dec 17 or 18 or 19 or 20 or 21 - another FIVE days in a row, even as SG's direct conflicts of interest and failure to disclose emerge, and a newest low. No answers on January 30 nor 31 nor February 1 nor 4 nor 5 nor 6 nor 7 nor 11 nor 12 nor 13 nor 14 nor 15 nor 18 nor 19 nor 20 nor 21 nor 22 nor 25 nor 26 nor 27 nor March 1 - 27 (!) And nowApril 1, 3-30 (one answer in the entire month - corrupt), and now May 1-13, 15-17, 21-31,June 3-28, and July 1, many questions. No answers at all during those four days of the US v Ho trial showing corruption in the UN says it all. This ban is just censorship - and Inner City Press must be allowed back into the noon briefing to ask its questions in person and follow up on them.  

July 2-1: On Cameroon (and Switzerland), what is Guterres' comment and action if any on the use of tear gas on opponents of Paul Biya, right next to the UN Palais? Is this approach consistent with the mediation the SG applauded? What is his response to  this Geneva question: Was the use of tear gas by police against Cameroonian demonstrators justified?   

July 2-2: On DRC, what is the SG's comment and action if any on that police fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators who tried to defy the ban on demonstrations in Kinshasa? Opponent Martin Fayulu, escorted by the police to his home, denounces a "lawless" state. In Goma, a demonstrator died of his injuries, according to police.  

July 2-3: On the corporatization of the UN under Guterres, what is his comment and response to "new corporate and government marriage quietly took place last week when the leadership of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the United Nations (UN) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to partner with each other. While this MOU is proudly displayed on the WEF website, it is nowhere to be found on the UN website. The only indication on the UN website of this important new development is a picture of the pen used to sign the agreement, and two pictures of the signing ceremony.  One reason for this difference is that the UN’s corporate-centered Global Compact has received a good deal of bad press. Now the new WEF-UN agreement creates a second special place for multinational corporations inside the UN. There is no similar institutional homes in the UN system for civil society, for academics, for religious leaders, or for youth. It is hard to imagine a national government signing a similar formal partnership with one of its business organizations."  

July 2-4: On Togo and the dubious June 30 elections, what is the SG's comment and action if any on that the main civil society associations did not have their accreditation to observe these elections and the participation rate remained very low?  

July 2-5: On UN bribery, again, please immediately state what if anything the UN has bothered to find about how Cheikh Gadio, who was arrested for arranging bribes inside the UN, got into the building, including if any resident representative or coordinator was involved, and why Guterres has not audited CEFC China Energy's activities in the UN (while he failed to disclose in his online public financial disclosure covering 2016 the payments he received from Gulbenkian Foundation which tried to sell its oil company Partext to CEFC China Energy).  

July 2-6: On China and Taiwan and Czech Republic, what is the SG's comment and action if any on that following a Czech High Court verdict in favor of deporting eight Taiwanese telecom fraud suspects to China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Tuesday (July 2) expressed concern about their human rights. In the latest case, the Chinese authorities asked Interpol...  

July 2-7: On China and Tibet, what is the SG's comment and action if any on that The Tibetan community in Switzerland and Liechtenstein organized a demonstration paralleling the ongoing 41st session of the UN Human Rights Council in front of Palais des Nations, on Friday, 28 June... “The human rights situation inside Tibet continued to be concerning, however, UN member states under the influence of China’s distorted facts and its economic ties, they are silent on Tibet”  

July 2-8: On press freedom, what is the SG's comment and action if any on the attack in Seattle on Andy Ngo by masked men that resulted in an alleged brain bleed.“Through the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker—a joint collaboration with Freedom of the Press Foundation—we’ve covered more than 97 cases of journalists being physically assaulted" - What is SG Guterres' response / reaction to UN DSS and Guterres' actions on Inner City Press being listed in the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker: https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/independent-journalist-matt-lee-forcibly-removed-un-stripped-press-credentials/  In the UN, what has the accountability been for Lt Ronald E. Dobbins and those those refused on camera to give their names? What is each of yours - particularly the SG's - response to the letter written and sent by Burundi activist Manisha Lievin? To the April 15 letter to the SG, DSG and USG Smale for which receipt has not even been acknowledged, other than a single lawless line from MALU: "Your media accreditation request, with reference no: M66561081, has been declined"? This is a formal request for the UN's explanation of grounds for this denied, and since SGcentral, the SG's chief of staff and Deputy SG and USG Smale haven't even confirmed receipt of the April 15 letter much less responded, for reconsideration. AGAIN, immediately explain how it is legitimate to ban from enter into the UN the media that has been asking about these and other questions, with no hearing or appeal. 

June 14-5: Since the SG claimed publicly that the mansion he lives in "cannot" be sold, please immediately provide any and all documents with such a restriction, and separately explain why the concept of cy pres or reformation of donor intent has not been explored. Separately,  Boutros Boutros Galli wrote in his book that the building was given by Arthur Houghton through the United Nations Association of the USA. What actual inquires, with UNA-USA or any successor to Houghton or Corning Glass, has Guterres made?  

June 11-1: On Cameroon, what is the SG's comment and action if any on this report from Chinese state media: "YAOUNDE, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Cameroon's House Speaker of National Assembly Cavaye Yeguie Djibril on Monday denounced foreign interference in the country's internal affairs which he referred to as "conspiracy."  "Cameroon has become an object of conspiracy intended to destabilize the country. To justify their interference in internal affairs, the conspirators pretend to denounce it." Again, how many offices / desk does the Secretariat give to Chinese state media inside the UN?  

June 4-3: On UN sexual abuse and exploitation, AGAIN as requested on the morning of June 3 immediately disclose what IS the new "allegation of SEA" which the UN on the morning of June 3 announced by e-mail. Clicking through to the UN website, the previously announced case against South Africa peacekeeper is no longer at the top of the page, and it is unclear what the new allegation is. This lack of clarity is unacceptable.

May 15-3: On the Public Financial Disclosures for 2017 belatedly published over the weekend of April 27-28, please state why Mohammed Ibn Chambas, like the Executive Secretary of the UN Biodiversity Convention, Cristiana Paşca-Palmer, UNICEF's Henriette Fore, with documented links to ExxonMobil and others, USG Mark Lowcock (undisclosed while the Secretariat's speaker at the UNSC Arria on Cameroon), UNCTAD's Mukhisa Kituyi, UN Women's Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, UNOG chief Michael Moller, UNDP chief Achim Steiner,  Heidi Mendoza, Adama Dieng, UN Security chief Peter Drennan, Rosemary DiCarlo and Nicholas Haysum, is not even on the list. OIOS chief Inga-Britt Ahlenius reported - why not Mendoza? Where IS Mendoza? Isn't it a bad practice for the UN's head (anti) genocide definition official to conceal from the public even cursory financial disclosure? Did DiCarlo decline to make any public disclosure despite being the UN's top political officer? What is the even plausible applicability of this line from SG Guterres' web page: "Please note that given the multi-cultural environment of the UN and the often security sensitive locations where UN staff are either working or come from, full public disclosure may not always be a viable or sensible option for certain staff members"? Why has Guterres changed the previous system in a which a "choosing not to disclose" statement was upload and listed, to one which helps conceal who reports and who does not?  Again, state why considering the UN bribery conviction of Patrick Ho of CEFC, and CEFC's attempt to purchase the oil company of Gulbenkian Foundation which paid Mr. Guterres in 2016 was omitted from his online public financial disclosure covering 2016, and why Guterres has not even started an audit of CEFC in the UN.  

More here.

UNSG Guterres Gets Called Out On Capitulation to China on Uighurs By US Amid His Links to CEFC China Energy and Censorship

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR LetterPFTracker, Vine video

UNITED NATIONS GATE, June 14 – Before Inner City Press was roughed up by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' Security on June 22 and July 3, 2018 and banned since then, it insistently asked for disclosure of Guterres' links to convicted UN briber CEFC Chaina Energy and of how many of Guterres' publicly funded trips took him through his real home, Lisbon. 

The questions are not been answered by Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who on 2 November 2018 simply bicycled away as Inner City Press asked about Guterres' failure in Cameroon and attempt to get even Park East Synagogue to oust Inner City Press from covering his 31 October 2018 speech about tolerance.  

 Now on June 14 from the US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, this: "Deputy Secretary John J. Sullivan spoke by phone today with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to convey deep concerns regarding Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office Vladimir Voronkov’s planned travel to Xinjiang, China.  The Deputy Secretary expressed that such a visit is highly inappropriate in view of the unprecedented repression campaign underway in Xinjiang against Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Muslims.  The Deputy Secretary noted that Beijing continues to paint its repressive campaign against Uighurs and other Muslims as legitimate counterterrorism efforts when it is not, and stressed that the UN’s topmost counterterrorism official is putting at risk the UN’s reputation and credibility on counterterrorism and human rights by lending credence to these false claims.  The Deputy Secretary advocated for unmonitored and unhindered access to all camps and detainees in Xinjiang by UN human rights officials."

  So Guterres' capitulation politically to China is becoming known. But what about his personal financial links, and his censorship of the Press to cover them up? Watch this site.

  Three times in early June 2019 banned Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres and Dujarric, "On China and human rights, what is the SG's belated comment today on the 30th anniversary of the slaughter by the government of non violent demonstrators in Tiananmen Square?" In the June 3 UN noon briefing, here was Guterres' answer: 

Inner City Press@innercitypress

On #Tiananmen UNSG @AntonioGuterres has "no particular comment;" @UN_Spokesperson @StephDujarric no answers to banned Press

2

9:23 AM - Jun 4, 2019

See Inner City Press's other Tweets

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Q: Secretary‑General's comment on 30 years anniversary of Tiananmen case, please?  

Spokesman Dujarric:  "No, I have no particular comment on that.  Okay.  Thank you very much.  See you tomorrow." Vine video here.

  No, only those they allow in to the UN and its briefing. So while ignoring Inner City Press' follow up questions, inside his briefing room Dujarric issued this dodge: "I think the Secretary… we're commenting on things that are happening today, right now, under his watch." 

 In light of this "bygones" dodges, why is Guterres blaming the UN's budget crunch on the previous Secretary General who hasn't been at the controls for two and a half years? Guterres is killing the UN.

 On May 14, Inner City Press asked Guterres and Dujarric, "May 14-1: On China, human rights and NYC, what is the SG's comment and action if any on that a state-owned Chinese shipping company refused to lease an office space in NYC to  Amnesty International USA? Cosco Shipping acquired Orient Overseas in 2017, and took ownership the company’s real estate investments, including the office building in question, called Wall Street Plaza.  Amnesty said the organization was told that it is “not the best tenant” for a building owned by a Chinese state-owned firm." More than a day later, no answer. One wonders the position of Mayor De Blasio and his International Affairs representative Penny Abeywardena...

  On May 15, Inner City Press asked Guterres and Dujarric, "May 15-1: On China and the UN, beyond the ban on Taiwan journalists, what is the SG's explanation and/or action on that former political prisoners in China who now reside in the United States were informed by the UN accreditation desk in Geneva that they could not enter the premises without a passport from a UN member state. As political dissidents who have fled from China, the visitors did not have valid passports from the country? Dissidents who flee their home countries due to persecution are often not issued passports from their countries of refuge but are rather issued other valid forms of identification." 

  Eight hours later, no answer. But there's this, sent to Inner City Press by several outraged UN staffers: "Scheduled demonstration outside VIC Gate 1 on Thursday, 16 May 2019, 10:00 -12:00 hours.   This is to inform VIC staff that on Thursday, 16 May 2019, between 10:00 hrs and 12:00 hrs there will be an authorized demonstration of approximately 100 demonstrators in Muhammad Asad Platz outside VIC Gate 1.  The organizers describe their demonstration message to "Support Taiwan’s participation to the World Health Organisation".  The UN Security and Safety Service, together with the host country police, will monitor this event for its duration.   Office of the Chief, Security and Safety Service United Nations Department of Safety and Security United Nations Office at Vienna." Yeah, Guterres' UN will monitor this event, and movement, for the duration. To (try to) save the UN, dump Guterres.

  While Guterres was in China banned Inner City Press in writing asked him and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric about China's crackdown in Hong Kong - no answer at all. Now even according to CNBC, tens of thousands of people marched on Hong Kong’s parliament on Sunday to demand the scrapping of proposed extradition rules that would allow people to be sent to mainland China for trial — a move which some fear puts the city’s core freedoms at risk.  Opponents of the proposal fear further erosion of rights and legal protections in the free-wheeling financial hub — freedoms which were guaranteed under the city’s handover from British colonial rule to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Guterres said nothing. And when, CNBC reports, China censored its reporting from being broadcast in China, again nothing. Then again, Guterres has had critical Press roughed up and banned from the UN, for 298 days. He is corrupt.

  On April 27 from Beijing, from Guterres' second craven Belt and Road Initiative speech in as many days as he conceals his links with BRI briber China Energy Fund Committee which tried to buy the oil company of Gulbenkian Foundation which has paid Guterres: "I can assure you, Mr. President [Xi Jinping of China], that the UN will do everything possible to help towards the success of the Belt and Road Initiative... the Belt and Road Initiative, with its huge volume of investment, is an opportunity we cannot miss." Guterres will do anything to conceal his own personal financing link to UN briber CEFC China Energy, through Gulbenkian Foundation whose payments to him he omitted from his public financial disclosure covering 2016.  From Guterres's April 26 singing for supper speech: "Convened by President Xi Jinping, we come together at this forum on the Belt and Road in the face of uncertainty and unease around the globe.      I want to recognize China for its central role as a pillar of international cooperation and multilateralism... United Nations country teams stand ready to support Member States in capacity and governance building, and in achieving a harmonious and sustainable integration of the Belt and Road projects in their own economies and societies in accordance with national development plans, anchored in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The world needs to take profit of the Belt and Road Initiative to help close significant financing gaps for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in the developing world, in particular, the need for about $1 trillion needed for infrastructure investments in developing countries.... The United Nations is poised to support the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the Sustainable Development Goals, to share knowledge, and to make the most of the opportunities of this large-scale initiative for maximum sustainable development dividends.      Let us work together to restore trust by making good on the shared promise of the 2030 Agenda and our common commitment to leave no one behind.     Thank you."

Before 10 am on April 25, Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric, as well as Guterres' email address and that of his deputy and Alison Smale, "April 25-1: Now that SG Guterres is lavishing praise on China's "Belt and Road" please immediately provide the full transcript of Guterres' "interview with Chinese journalists" from which this propaganda came out: "UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that the Belt and Road Initiative is a "very important opportunity" to the world. With such a huge volume of investment for international cooperation as the Belt and Road Initiative, it is a "very important opportunity for enhancing the capacity to implement the sustainable development goals and an important opportunity to launch green perspectives in the years to come," Guterres said during an interview with Chinese journalists at the UN headquarters before leaving for the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. (Xinhua)." Immediately state how many staff of Xinhua and other Chinese state media the UN DPI/DGC has granted accreditation to to currently enter the UN.  

April 25-2: Immediately state how much Guterres and team's trip to China is costing, the size and composition of the UN delegation, and who is paying for it (given that even the PGA now discloses this information).  Again, state whether after the UN bribery conviction of Patrick Ho of CEFC, and CEFC's attempt to purchase the oil company of Gulbenkian Foundation which paid Mr. Guterres in 2016 (omitted from his online public financial disclosure covering 2016), he intends to raise corruption and UN bribery issues with China." More than seven hours later, no answer at all. But the UN South South Cooperation Office, which fronted for Chinese businessman Ng Lap Seng, was tweeting photos of its meetings in Beijing including Jorge Chediek and his (Chinese) deputy Xiaojun Grace Wang, here. China was bragging that Guterres would cravenly show up at its Belt and Road event, after Guterres refused to audit UN briber CEFC China Energy. CEFC tried to buy the oil company of Lisbon based Gulbenkian Foundation the payments of which to Guterres were not included in his public financial disclosure covering 2016. This was  days after Guterres' Alison Smale and Tal Mekel summarily denied Inner City Press application to re-enter the UN to ask questions, and after guards physically pushed Inner City Press out of the line for a press freedom event in the UN it was invited to and had a ticket for, then refused to provide the banned-by-Guterres list they said was the basis of their action.

 We'll have more on this. On March 2 with Guterres presumably in New York but not in the mansion at 5 pm - there were no UN security vehicles nearby - he nonetheless left all lights in the second floor blazing. This is pure waste, pure hypocrisy given what Guterres claims about his commitment to sustainability - all the more so because it was broad day light. On matters ranging from censorship and corruption to this, the hypocrisy gets worse and worse. On November 20, the day Guterres accepted the resignation of Erik Solheim -- which Guterres hypocritically demanded on November 19 -- for similar misuse of public funds to travel to Oslo and Paris, Inner City Press asked Guterres who his travel to Lisbon was any different. Guterres refused to answer, got into the back of his publicly funded Mercedes and drove off. Video here. On November 21 Dujarric was asked how / where Guterres would spend the next day, US Thanksgiving and replied Guterres would be "glued to his email." But past 11 am on November 21 there was none of the usual UN Security in front of the $15 million publicly funded mansion on Sutton Place where Guterres (sometimes) lives. Vine video here. Before 9 am on Monday November 26 Inner City Press in writing asked Guterres, his Deputy Amina J. Mohammed and his two spokesmen: "November 26-3: As asked November 23 without any answer at all, please immediately state where SG Guterres has been since November 21, how much it has so far cost the UN budget / public, including in light of the Spokesman's response on Nov 21 that the SG would be “scrolling his email” and in the context of officials such as previous host city Mayor and now UN official Bloomberg disclosing when he was out of town and where - and of SG Guterres now reported role in demanding Erik Solheim “pull himself, now” for just such undisclosed personal travel?" Twelve hours later this was not answered, despite the promise of answers from Guterres' Communicator Alison Smale to UNSR David Kaye. But at the day's noon briefing Inner City Press was banned front, when asked why Guterres has said nothing on Ukaine, Dujarric said: "the Secretary-General is on plane on his way back to New York as we speak.  He is being fully briefed on the situation." So that's admitting Guterres was gone - while refusing to say where or how much it cost. And so much for being "glued to his email." Today's UN is corrupt. On Friday November 23 when the Spokesperson's Office was open, people getting paid, Inner City Press submitted five written questions including, beyond Cameroon, DRC and India, this: "November 23-3: Please immediately state where SG Guterres is, how much it is costing the UN budget / public, including in light of the Spokesman's response on Nov 21 that the SG would be “scrolling his email” and in the context of officials such as previous host city Mayor and now UN official Bloomberg disclosing when he was out of town and where." Even by the next day, not one of the questions was answered, including about a Kenyan priest killed by Biya's army in Cameroon, despite UK USG Alison Smale's promise to UNSR David Kaye that questions would be answered. This on the eve of a trial that will show how irresponsible and corrupt Guterres has been as UNSG.  And Friday evening, still the empty mansion, Vine here.Seems Guterres has taken off again. Even Trump tells the public where he is going (Florida). Even billionaire NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who unlike Guterres didn't use public money for his travel, ended up disclosed he was going to the Caribbean. How untransparent and arrogant can Guterres get, while having roughed up and still banned the Press that asks? Guterres has had Inner City Press banned from the UN for life, by his Alison Smale. But Inner City Press, even banned, on August 28 published the first in an exclusive and detailed series. Now on November 3 with this total lack of transparency from the UN Secretariat itself, Inner City Press can exclusively report that Guterres' current four day trip to Lisbon, his 16th as Secretary General, was only booked on October 24, making it more expensive, and is entirely paid for by the public. What was the pretext for the trip? A 15 minute "Web Summit" speech; Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric said it would be live streamd - free, one assumed - on the Web Summit platform. But there, to see it, members of the public had to "pre-register" for €850 for the 2019 Web Summit (purchased by Lisbon for 10 years). Now we can report that on each of his 16 publicly-funded junkets to Lisbon Guterres has taken two UN Security with him. How much does it cost? The UN refuses to answer, prefers to rough up and ban the Press that asks. This time they have refused to confirm - or attempt to deny - that Guterres staffer Aguinaldo Baptista went as well. Inner City Press asked, 23 hours ago: "November 5-1: Please state the cost to the UN budget of the SG's current trip to Lisbon, deny or confirm that staffer Aguinaldo Baptista has also traveled there and if so the cost and rationale for that, Web Summit (?) or CPLP, and what the benefit to the UN and public is of travel to receive this CPLP award. What other UN staff and security went, for how long, and how much has it cost the public?" No answer. Totally unaccountable, not unlike Paul Biya's use of funds from Cameroon's coffers to pay hotel bills in Geneva in cash. Birds of a feather. As to the Lisbon speech, Inner City Press immediately put a how to see it question to Dujarric and his deputy - no answer on that. So clicking the obligatory "yes" to pre-register and accept Web Summit promotions, even then just as Guterres began blathering about medical devises and dating apps the screen was cut off and the promotion blocked it again, unable to be moved. Vine video here. Guterres has put the UN up for sale, sometimes intentional, sometimes because he just has contempt. Also at the Summit, behind this promotional paywall, is Tony Blair. Inner City Press also raised the issue to Guterres' Global Censor Alison Smale, Deputy SG Amina J. Mohammed, her chief of staff Nelson Muffuh and staffer Aguinaldo Baptista, who along on the public dime. Was this justified by Guterres' personal Prize from the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries, CPLP - previously awarded to, among others, the currently incarcerated Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva? The decision to give it to Guterres was made months ago in July in Cabo Verde, where Guterres' son Pedro Guimarães e Melo De Oliveira Guterres does UNdisclosed business; no recusals or safeguards from Guterres, only the roughing up and banning of the Press which asks. On November 5, Inner City Press asked: "it was said that the SG's speech in Lisbon will be streamed on Web Summit platform. But there, after a mere minute, it says To continue watching, pre-register for the 2019 Web Summit. So it is for-pay? Question Nov 5-1 is reiterated: “November 5-1: Please state the cost to the UN budget of the SG's current trip to Lisbon, deny or confirm that staffer Aguinaldo Baptista has also traveled there and if so the cost and rationale for that, Web Summit (?) or CPLP, and what the benefit to the UN and public is of travel to receive this CPLP award. What other UN staff and security went, for how long, and how much has it cost the public?” And as Guterres' 15 minutes speech, ostensibly justifying all this public spending, approached there was no answer. We'll have more on this. 

As Cameroon Arrested Kamto Inner City Press Asked UN Guterres Now Concern For Biya Embassies

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR Goot PFT NYP

UNITED NATIONS GATE, January 29 --After Paul Biya who has ruled Cameroon for 36 years on January 28 had his opponent Maurice Kamto arrested, Inner City Press again asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and his spokesmen for their comment and action, if any. This came after Guterres had Inner City Press roughed up on 3 July 2018 after it interviewed Biya's Ambassador about the two men's Budget Committee deals and banned from the UN since. On Cameroon here is what Inner City Press has asked in writing to Guterres, his deputy Amina J. Mohammed (in Nigeria), USG Alison Smale, spokesman Farhan Haq and Stephane Dujarric and others: 

"While your Administration and Office of the Spokesperson have refused to answer a single written question from Inner City Press for fourteen work days, in contravention of conventions USG Smale made to UN Special Rapporteur David Kaye and Spokesman Dujarric made on camera, two formal questions for immediate answer and confirmation of receipt  1) in Cameroon it is reported that opposition figure Maurice Kamto as been arrested, after the 100+ arrests and shootings Inner City Press asked you about earlier today. What is the SG's comment and action, what are the read-outs of his six conversations with Paul Biya and of Francois Fall's visit there?  2) Again, what is the SG's response to the attached petition from South Sudan about (his) peacekeepers killing two civilians there?     Please explain how it is legitimate to ban from enter into the UN the media that has been asking about these and other questions, with no hearing or appeal.  On deadline." For sixteen hours, no answer, no acknowledgment of receipt, nothing. Then at the noon briefing, with Inner City Press banned, Dujarric read out a statement saying "we've been asked." Inner City Press tweeted video here. (The reference was to Biya's embassy in Berlin, not Brussels, mea culpa.) Then Dujarric's deputy Farhan Haq sent this, "On your request, we have the following to say:        We are concerned about reports of violence and use of force by security forces during demonstrations in Douala, Republic of Cameroon in recent days. We condemn incidents of violence at Cameroonian embassies in Paris and Berlin.     We are also concerned about the reported arrest of Mr. Maurice Kamto, leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) and some members of his party on 28 January. We call on Cameroonian authorities to respect the freedoms of assembly, association and expression and stress the need for restraint by all political actors.     The Secretary-General reiterates the need for all Cameroonian stakeholders to engage in an inclusive and genuine political dialogue to address the challenges facing the country. The United Nations stands ready to support such efforts." We'll have more on this, and on Guterres. On January 26 he stayed in his / the public's $15 million mansion until 10:35 am, skipping a 9 am urgent meeting in the UN Security Council on human rights, video here. Guterres, having had Inner City Press roughed up and banned from entering the UN for 205 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 Cameroon was chairing. On January 25 the UN's deputy spokesman Farhan Haq who has refused this week to answer a single question from Inner City Press made much of a presentation in Geneva by Guterres' Resident Coordinator, now controlled by Nigeria's Amina J. Mohammed, Allegra Baiocchi. Haq who has refused to provide this information to Inner City Press blathered about failed envoy Francois Lounceny Fall, who equated secessionists with extremists and whose UN visits Inner City Press is banned from covering. On Cameroon with Biya's minister the UN put up a video clip -- which did not mention Biya's burning of villages, nor show who was co-presenting and asking for money with Baiocchi: Biya's own  Civil Protection Director, Ms. Yap Mariat. The raw video they put out showed the correspondents the UN allow in, nodding and taking transcription, no question. Inner City Press which asks why Guterres took Biya's golden statue and UN Budget Committee favors and stayed silent, was roughed up and still banned after 205 days, including from a film screening in the UN on January 23 that Amazon invited it to (but then allowed Guterres' censorship). We'll have more on this. 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.

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'?"

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 - and this: here are just some of Inner City Press questions to Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric, which USG Alison Smale promised UNSR David A. Kaye would be answered - but not a single one has: "October 22-1: On Cameroon, what is the SG's comment and action on... the surrounding of Kah Walla's house by police, the slowing / shut off of Facebook and WhatsApp, etc? What is his comment on Obiang of Equatorial Guinea having congratulated Biya on re-election 2 days before the results?
October 23-1: On Cameroon, does the SG agree that there were “irregularities in the re-election” of Paul Biya? Again, what is his comment on the government's false claim that Transparency International observed the election? Does he think the reported turn-out and results in the Anglophone regions are credible? Where IS Francois Fall? When is the last time he was in Cameroon?
October 24-1:  On Cameroon, beyond the unanswered questions below, what is the SG's comment and action on the arrest of journalist Michele Biem Tong? In terms of corruption and the credibility of the Oct 7 election, what is the SG's comment and action on “Cameroon’s government has issued a public tender for the construction of a new residence for the president of the Constitutional Council, the same legal body that just two days ago announced the re-election of long-time President Paul Biya”?
   No answers, just a reiterate that Guterres has put Inner City Press on a permanently banned list that the UN will not disclose, under Global Censor Alison Smale. We'll have more on this.

Major countries' business with Biya continues, not only from Biya's long time supporter France but also the UK's New Age natural gas deal of which Minister Liam Fox bragged. UK Minister for Africa Harriett Baldwin was asked about her congratulations to Biya and doubled down, calling it a "new" government. After 36 years, what's new about it? Now another journalist has been arrested, according to multiple credible souces: Mathias Mouene Ngamo. And from the UN, where banned Inner City Press asks SG Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric, no answer, despite the promises of USG Alison Smale. This while Inner City Press appeal of the FCO's withholding of Cameroon information remains pending with the Information Commissioner's Office and another request, on collusion in censorship, pends. At 11 am on October 22 Inner City Press asked the UN, in writing because banned by SG Antonio Guterres for 110 day and counting, "October 22-1: On Cameroon, what is the SG's comment and action on the claim of Paul Biya to have won over 70% of the vote with an unobserved 16% turn out in the NW and SW regions, the surrounding of Kah Walla's house by police, the slowing / shut off of Facebook and WhatsApp, etc? What is his comment on Obiang of Equatorial Guinea having congratulated Biya on re-election 2 days before the results?"And nearly two hours later, this from Guterres' deputy spokesman: "Regarding question 22-1, we are saying the following: The Secretary-General takes note of today’s official announcement of final results by the Constitutional Council.  All electoral disputes should be handled through established legal channels. He also reiterates his encouragement to all stakeholders to prioritize dialogue as the surest path to social cohesion and national unity." Really. We'll have more on this. Now the US State Department has chimed in, at least noting - while still not providing FOIA documents - irregularities: "The United States congratulates the people of Cameroon for largely peaceful elections on October 7. We urge all parties – including the government – to respect the rule of law, resolve peacefully any disputes through established legal channels, and avoid hate speech.

While we welcome the Cameroonian Election Commission’s demonstrable improvement over the 2011 elections, there were a number of irregularities prior to, during, and after the October 7 election. These irregularities may not have affected the outcome but created an impression that the election was not credible or genuinely free and fair. We commend the African Union Election Observation Mission for its preliminary statement, notably that “the current framework needs to be strengthened in order to safeguard the democratic principles of separation of powers, fairness, and independence and impartiality.”

With the conclusion of the presidential election, the United States strongly encourages both sides involved in the conflict affecting the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon to focus on resolving differences through peaceful dialogue and to allow unhindered access to humanitarian aid workers." With Cameroon's 36-year ruler Paulimposed a curfew on the Anglophone regions a week before his planned re-election on October 7, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' genocide adviser Adama Dieng in an interview with BBCsaid "things seem to be under control." Here from 2:40, and see below. Now after a canned statement to all sides by Guterres, who has bannedInner City Press from any entry into his UN, on Guterres' banned list with "political activists," the charades of an election in which Biya's spokesman declared victory even before the polling. On October 21, opposition figure Kah Walla's house was surrounded by police, journalists detained - and from Guterres' UN, nothing. Walla said, "Update 18H44-Am still under house arrest totally illegal. Fifteen policemen outside say they don't know what time it ends. They 'got orders' to stay in front of my house all day & "Wait for orders" to leave. My poor country!"  Biya's fellow long time ruler Teodoro Obiang Nguema has already congratulated Biay for re-election, days before the results were to be announced on October 22: ""Sincere and effusive congratulations for your re-election... The people of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and his Government join me in expressing to your Excellency our sincere and heartfelt congratulations on your re-election as President of the Republic of Cameroon in the past presidential election," Obiang's congratulations read. One imagine Antonio Guterres getting his congratulations ready, the subtext being thanks for help as chair of the UN Budget Committee, for covering of which Inner City Press ws roughed up on July 3 and banned for 108 days since. Opposition candidate Maurice Kamto argued that the poll should be canceled in seven out of 10 regions of the country, because his team observed "massive irregularities", "disregard of electoral laws", and in particular "insecurity and fraud in troubled Anglophone regions" during the vote. "After examining the nine complaints of Maurice Kamto, the Council declares that the petition lacks evidence, is unfounded and therefore rejected," Clement Atangana, president of the Constitutional Council, said - Biya's man.Biya's forces have shut down a press conference by Maurice Kamto. And now it is concluded that Guterres' "colleagues" statement this week about hate speech in Cameroon was in fact again on behalf of 36 year rule Biya, and directed only at the opposition. From Yaounde: "Yesterday’s hearing was filled with Elecam and government’s reaction to post electoral complains from Maurice Kamto’s legal team. Taking the floor, Gregoire Owona, Cameroon’s Minister of Labor and Social Security, accused Maurice Kamto of being an ungrateful tribalist. Owona wondered why the CRM Presidential candidate brought up the issue of Bamileke and Beti to the court. To him, by using such examples, Maurice Kamto is trying to promote hate among peaceful Cameroonians." So those whose press conferences are shut down by Biya are then accused of hate speech by the UN of Guterres, who had Inner City Press roughed up and banned for 107 days and counting. We'll have more on this. In the first of two days of hearings on objections, Justice Clement Atangana, president of the Constitutional Council, pronouned that "Only the President of the Republic who appoints members of the Council has the jurisdiction to sack or question the neutrality of the Council members," Atangana said, "so the petition is inadmissible." So only incumbent candidate Biya controls this review.  The public be damnded: Rigobert Aminou Gabanmidanha, a voter,  demanded complete cancellation of the vote, citing "irregularities, disregard of electoral code and rigging" observed during the poll. Atangana said the Council rules only on petitions filed by candidates, political parties which took part in the election or any person serving as a representative of the administration for the election. "You were not a candidate. You were not a representative of the administration for the election. Therefore, you have no quality to petition the Council," Atangana said, dismissing the petition as "null and void". Reuters edited by Edward McAllister purported to cover the hearing without mentioning these outrageous rulings and reasoning. Call it a colonial cover up, like Guterres' UN.The final nail is expected to be declared by the Council by Oct. 22.Inner City Press sent questions to Guterres' spokesman day after day; on October 16 lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric at his "noon" briefing read out a statement and his deputy Farhan Haq e-mailed it to Inner City Press after 2 pm, here: "Our colleagues of the UN Country Team in Cameroon are expressing their concern about hate speech focused on ethnicity following the October 7th presidential polls The UN received reports of individuals from opposing communities threatening to attack members of other communities, their properties in Yaoundé, businesses in Douala and other parts of the country, while others have been inciting hatred and violence along ethnic lines, using derogatory language.
The United Nations reiterates that all stakeholders must exercise restraint and ensure a peaceful process as Cameroonians await the final elections on October 22nd. The UN condemns all threats of violence or acts of intimidation and urges all actors to prevent risks to the electoral processes.
The United Nations continues to follow the situation in Cameroon and expresses concern about increasing violence in the North-West and South-West regions." Compare to this, from Maurice Kamto: "information of the electoral results from the National Vote Counting Commission of the recent presidential election is currently circulating in the social media. According to this information, candidate Paul BIYA has won with an overwhelming victory. In reaction to this falsified victory, CRM and its coalition of political parties and other organisations built in support of the candidacy of Maurice KAMTO have categorically rejected these falsified results. These fake figures are originating from fabricated result shits of some fake observers who claimed to be of Transparency International, but were later on unmasked, as they were trying to convince the national and international public to accept.

The coalition in this election continues to insist on the victory of Maurice KAMTO in relation to the original result shits of the polls at the end of the day of October 7, 2018.

In addition, the coalition rejects all forms of violence the regime is struggling to attribute on the coalition. It wishes to inform the national and international public of the regime's acts in orchestrating provocation to trigger post-election violence and at the same time blaming it on the coalition.

For example: 1) The questioning and hearing of some of our militants in various localities of the country by the security forces;

2) The intimidation of our militants and sympathizers by people who seem to belong to a militia in the neighbourhoods;

3) The incitement of ethnic hatred between communities by the use of tribalistic and ethnic slurs;

4) The spread of hate speech in the public and certain private media;

5) The arbitrary arrest and detention of Mr. Thierry OKALA EBODE, Deputy National Treasurer of the CRM, whose only fault is to have denounced a fraud that involved the usurpation of his identity by another voter; the latter haven been assisted by the president of the polling station is until now surprising protected;

6) The expulsion, manu militari, from polling stations of representatives of CRM in most of the three Northern regions - Adamaoua, North and Far North , as well as in the East and South Regions, and certain divisions in the Centre, West and South West Regions;

7) Permanent harassment of coalition members by the security forces.

The coalition urges the people to remain vigilant and not to allow their victory to be stolen.

The Coalition for the candidacy of Maurice KAMTO." On October 11 this US State Department statement, attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert: "The United States reiterates its neutrality with respect to Cameroonians’ right to choose their leader and calls for calm and the careful, non-partisan conclusion of the remaining phases of the vote tabulation process.  We appeal to all Cameroonians to exercise patience and avoid hate speech. We encourage Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) and the Constitutional Council to release results polling site by polling site to enhance transparency and citizens' confidence in the outcome.  Any disputes should be resolved peacefully and through established legal channels.  The United States remains a committed partner on electoral, political, economic, and human rights reforms in Cameroon." Biya has a new contract to lobby the US and "multilateral" organizations like the UN, where Guterres offered to help Biya's government and has banned Inner City Press from entering the UN in any capacity at all. Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric has not answered "October 9-1: On Cameroon, describe the UN's support to ELECAM and its communications, which have included the statement the voting went of “without a hitch” amid burning of homes by the government." More than a day later, no answer from Guterres' Spokesman Stephane Dujarric who on October 11 cut off a question as to why and on what basis Guterres banned Inner City Press from entering the UN in any capacity. Meanwhile he has not answered this: "October 11-1: On Cameroon, what is the SG's comment and actin on that at a hearing at the Yaounde Appeals Court today for the fifth time, Sissiku Ayuk Tabe and his fellow defendants -- refouled from Nigeria while the DSG was there -- were not present in court, despite a court order saying they should be there. “We have fears that if they cannot be brought even at the level of the court of appeal, then there is something wrong,” Mr Ndong said The next hearing comes up on 1 November and the lawyer said if the defendants are not physically present, then the government "should present certificates of life to show that they are alive”. Also, what is the SG's comment on Cameroon being set to be elected to the UN Human Rights Council tomorrow on a “clean” slate?" We'll have more on this. Now as Biya's state television has lied that Transparency International observed and approved the electoral process, the UN is silent and refuses to explain whether its support of ELECAM's communications included or encouraged this. Meanwhile, Biya's government has signed a new public relations and lobbying contract, with Glover Park Group for more than $600,000. The one-year contract went into effect Sept. 1. Either party upon receipt of 30 days' notice may terminate the contract. If the termination occurs before Feb. 28, Cameroon's embassy will pay the WPP Group unit all monthly fees and expenses through Feb. 28.The FARA filing says, "Registrant will provide government affairs and communications services and support to the Embassy of the Republic of
Cameroon and related agencies with regard to its relations with the United States and relevant multilateral institutions" - more UN lobbying. On October 8, Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman in writing (since it remains banned from noon "press" briefing, 97 days and counting), "On the Cameroon election, given the low turn out and state violence in the Anglophone areas what is the SG's comment and action?" See below. From the UK's Minister Harriett Baldwin, this: "UK concerned by reports of violence & casualties on polling day in Anglophone regions of #Cameroon & by how difficult it was for citizens to vote there. UK calls on all parties to follow proper procedures for tallying results, exercise restraint & avoid pre-empting the outcome." Call them crocodile tears, as the UK never called a UN Security Council meeting on Biya's slaughter in the area, and its FCO has yet to provide documents in response to Inner City Press' Freedom of Information request about the UK Mission's role in British UN official Alison Smale's ghoulish no due process ban for life of Inner City Press from the UN. See bus stop studio interview of October 8,here. Inside the UN, from which Inner City Press was banned for the 97th day, tor the second time in a week, the retired - from UK Reuters - correspondent, good friend of Guterres' Global Censor Alison Smale, who famously said "the Anglophones have been doing some shooting." This is Guterres' UN.