After Cameroon Spun UN, It Belatedly Drops Some Prosecutions, UN Claims It Helped, False

By Matthew Russell Lee, interviews I, II, video

UNITED NATIONS, August 30 – From Cameroon, officials of Paul Biya's more than 30 year government August 8 met with the UN's Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed to spin Biya's abuse of Anglophone Southern Cameroons, including cutting off the Internet for 94 days during which the UN stayed largely silent. Now as the Biya government bans or purports to ban an Anglophone television station, it belatedly stops its entirely unjustified proceedings against Nkongho Felix Agbor-Balla and Fontem Aforteka’a Neba. As noted, others are still languishing in prison. 

Later on August 30, Secretary General Antonio Guterres or really his spokesman Stephane "The Evicter" Dujarric issued a statements, while refusing to answer actual Press questions about Cameroon: "The Secretary-General welcomes the release in Cameroon of a number of leaders from the South West and North West regions and the dropping of all charges against them following a 30 August order by President Paul Biya. The Secretary-General hopes that this positive step will lead to a further lowering of tensions and strengthened political dialogue. The Secretary-General encourages the Cameroonian authorities to pursue their efforts to address the grievances of the Anglophone community and promote measures of national reconciliation in order to find a durable solution to the crisis. The Secretary-General reiterates the readiness of the United Nations to continue to support such efforts."  On August 29 before noon, Inner City Press asked the top three spokespeople of Mohammed and of Secretary General Antonio Guterres the following: "Following the Deputy Secretary General's meeting with the Cameroon delegation, now the government has in Anglophone Bamenda 'permanently sealed off the affected areas, stopping shop owners being able to reach their businesses' in an attempt to stop non-violent protest. On that and increased deployment of troops in the Anglophone areas a/k/a Southern Cameroon, what is the UN's comment? What follow up has there been?" Hours there, no answer at all from the UN, not even the requested confirmation of receipt. DSG Mohammed left the Security Council with her chief of staff and a UN Security officer who was shown, at the Ng Lap Seng trial, as having accompanied John Ashe on a visit to Ng. We'll have more on this. The UN has quietly disclosed child sexual abuse -- rape -- charges involved the Cameroonian "peacekeeping" contingent in the Central African Republic. Inner City Press first tweeted the UN disclosure, here. What will Amina Mohammed, and Secretary General Antonio Guterres, do about this? On August 25, Inner City Press asked their holdover spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: on Cameroon.  I know the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, after meeting with the delegation of the Biya Government, said she didn't want to use a sledgehammer, but she was going to continue to work on it. And the UK's understanding is that it's somehow on the radar. Given that journalists are now being arrested for just reporting on the Anglophone issue and there were people filmed in an underground prison, three of whom are now near death, what exactly has the UN done on the southern Cameroon issue since this visit to Amina Mohammed… Spokesman:  "The contacts are continuing, and, obviously, our, our principled stand on making sure that people are free to report stands." Later on August 25 Amina Mohammed left the UN, with a polite hello to Inner City Press; but no answers and Inner City Press remains restricted in its movements in the UN, its workspace given to a no-show Egyptian state media. Inner City Press might have asked their holdover spokesman Stephane Dujarric, before the August 23 noon briefing - but Dujarric has refused to even confirm receipt of, much less answer on, UN corruption including this. The UN evicts and still restricts, and doesn't answer its mail. In Cameroon the post Internet cut GCE exam results are in, and they are both unprecedentedly bad, and fraudulent: "The Cameroon General Certificate of Education board, GCEB, has recorded one of the worst results since its creation. According to this year’s ordinary level results, out of 80,212 who registered, only 46, 532 sat for the exams, only 11,770 passed with a percentage pass of 25.29 contrary to last year where 110702 who registered 102, 857 sat for the session and 63,951 passed with a percentage of 62.17. For the Advanced level, the results released earlier on Friday August 11, is extremely low with success rate of 35.52 and 22.36 for both the general and technical fields respectively. Out of the 33037 candidates who sat for the exams, only 11670 passed. The results witnessed a drastic drop compared to 2016 were the percentage passed was 66.52. Many have blamed the poor results on the anglophone crisis which paralyzed learning activities for many schools in English speaking Cameroon." And from the UN, after the spin trip, nothing. On August 9 as Inner City Press asked UK Ambassador Matthew Rycroft about Southern Cameroons, Reuters cut off the question and Rycroft walked away. His acting spokesperson said the question would be answered after checking with the High Commission. While Inner City Press persisted and asked Rycroft again on August 10 - he said the issue is on the UN's radar, where it should be - the question to / of the High Commission remained, as now does the issues of Southern Cameroonians' protest of the Biya spin-tour right on London. High Commissioner Brian Olley has  reportedly, but not confirmed, that he raised human rights issues to Paul Biya. Meanwhile London Stock Exchange traded "Victoria Oil & Gas Plc is engaged in gas exploration, production and distribution in Cameroon." On August 14, the lead spokesman for Rycroft, now away for two weeks, returned and replied, "I understand the Ambassador answered your question on Cameroon last week," while referring to "major international outlets" which it seems never asked Rycroft or him about Cameroons and its Anglophone regions, or incoming High Commissioner Rowan James Laxton. We'll have more on this. On August 10, only by waiting in the UN lobby from which was was UNable on August 8 to pursue the story as non-censored UN correspondents could, Inner City Press asked Mohammed, who said it is not her approach to use a sledgehammer, here.  But even the next day, August 11, Paul Biya's government reportedly detained and disappeared a Southern Cameroonian coming in from Japan, Oliver Ntungfor. And there are others detained underground in secret prisons in Yaounde, while the streets of Bamenda are mud due to Biya's under-development, as he send only soldiers. (The UN Committee against Torture says it will considering Cameroon - but not until its November 6 - December 6 session.) There are even ghoulish calls for Biya to use chemical weapons. Amina Mohammed and Secretary General Antonio Guterres are the recipients of a number of related communications like the one below, and this. On the afternoon of August 8, Inner City Press asked the Biya delegation if for example their imprisonment of ex-UN legal adviser Felix Agbor Balla was addressed. No, they said. It was not that kind of meeting. Video here.They ascended to the second floor, where Inner City Press unlike other no-show UN correspondents was not allow to follow them. This was explained to a UN official later on August 8, and we will have more on that, particularly given that the UN declined to even say who beyond Mohammed met with Biya's spinners. On August 9 Inner City Press' question on Cameroon to UK Ambassador Matthew Rycroft was cut off by Reuters' correspondent,here. Inner City Press asked Rycroft again on August 10, video here, UK transcript here: Inner City Press: Amina Mohammed also on Tuesday met with this delegation from Cameroon. I just wanted to get your thoughts on whether the UN should be doing more, could be doing more? Have you seen a read out?

Amb Rycroft: Obviously I wasn’t in the meeting myself but I was very glad to hear that the delegation were here and they had a meeting with Amina Mohammed. I think that demonstrates that the UN is keeping it on their radar as they should and I support that.

  The day before on Cameroon, Inner City Press responded to the UK request for the cut-off question with: "Since Amb Rycroft has previously said that the UK monitors the situation in Cameroon's Anglophone areas, where the Internet was cut off for 94 days this year and many leaders still arrested facing the death penalty, what does the UK think of the Yaounde delegation that came to the UN yesterday? They said that the continued detention of ex-UN legal adviser Felix Agbor Balla did not come up. Should the UN do more? What is the UK's position on this situation in the Anglophone regions sometimes called Southern Cameroons?" Hours later, from the now re-staffed UK Mission, this: I’m currently double checking with our High Commission in Cameroon overnight and will get back to you tomorrow." Watch this site. At the noon briefing on August 9, Inner City Press asked asked UN Spokesman Dujarric, about why Agbor Balla wasn't raised, if the Biya government's torture documented by Amnesty International came up, and if anyone from UN Human Rights was there (seems not). 

On North Korea Missile, UNSC To Adopt Presidential Statement, ICP Publishes Draft Here

By Matthew Russell Lee, Periscope, Letter, Photos

UNITED NATIONS, August 29 – After North Korea submitted a letter to the UN Security Council about the joint US - South Korea military exercised (Inner City Press put it online here), North Korea fired a missile right over Japan's Hokkaido island. Now on August 29, there is an emergency UN Security Council meeting - and set for reading out and adoption in the Council chamber at 7:30 pm, this Presidential Statement: 

DRAFT PRST FOR DPRK AUGUST 28 LAUNCH OVER JAPAN 

The Security Council strongly condemns the August 28 2017 (local time) ballistic missile launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) that flew over Japan, as well as the multiple ballistic missile launches it conducted on 25 August 2017. The Security Council further condemns the DPRK for its outrageous actions and threats against another UN Member State, and demands that the DPRK immediately cease all such actions. The Security Council stresses that these DPRK actions are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN Member States.The Security Council expresses its grave concern that the DPRK is, by conducting such a launch over Japan as well as its recent actions and public statements, deliberately undermining regional peace and stability and have caused grave security concerns around the world.The Security Council, resolute in its commitment to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula, emphasizes the vital importance of immediate, concrete actions by the DPRK to reduce tensions in the Korean Peninsula and beyond.    The Security Council demands that the DPRK not proceed with any further launches using ballistic missile technology and comply with resolutions 1695 (2006), 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013), 2270 (2016), 2321 (2016), 2356 (2017), and 2371 (2017), as well as the statements of its President of 6 October 2006 (S/PRST/2006/41), 13 April 2009 (S/PRST/2009/7) and 16 April 2012 (S/PRST/2012/13), by suspending all activities related to its ballistic missile programme and in this context re-establish its pre-existing commitments to a moratorium on missile launches.  The Security Council further demands that the DPRK immediately comply fully with all of its other obligations under all relevant Security Council resolutions, including that it shall: abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and immediately cease all related activities; not conduct any further nuclear tests or any further provocation; and abandon any other existing weapons of mass destruction in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner. The Security Council calls on all states to strictly, fully, and expeditiously implement all relevant Security Council resolutions including 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013), 2270 (2016), 2321 (2016), 2356 (2017), and 2371 (2017). The Security Council reiterates the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in North-East Asia at large, expresses its commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation, and welcomes efforts by Council members, as well as other States, to facilitate a peaceful and comprehensive solution through dialogue.”" Earlier, French Deputy Ambassador Gueguen read a statement but did not answer any questions, as she previously declined to answer on Togo killing protesters, when asked by Inner City Press. Japan's Ambassador Koro Bessho said the first order of business will be to make sure Council members are all on the same page; he declined to answer if Japan will ask for an oil embargo. There is talk of "elements to the press" today, something more formal later in the week, perhaps on the UN's Eid holiday on August 31. On their way in, Nikki Haley conferred with UK Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, who then came to the stakeout with a statement, also on Myanmar, saying the August 30 meeting agreed to will "shine a spotlight." Inner City Press asked, So an open meeting? It was not answered. Periscope here. On the morning of August 29, US Ambassador Nikki Haley stopped at the Security Council stakeout and said, as to North Korea, "Enough is enough." Alamy photos here. UK Deputy Ambassador Jonathan Allen said that he didn't want to prejudge the meeting, but that the entire world condemns North Korea's action. (This included, however belatedly, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, or at least his Associate Spokesperson. Under Guterres, the UN World Intellectual Property Organization has helped North Korea with cyanide patent(s), as Inner City Press aske Nikki Haley about, see below.) Late on August 28, Inner City Press ran to the UN Security Council stakeout and raised a Periscope video, here. Japan's Ambassador Koro Bessho said We are still gathering facts, at this time, I have nothing to say. Egypt's Ambassador, President of the UN Security Council for August, emerged and said there has been no request for an emergency meeting, yet. Inner City Press asked him a question, here (Alamy photos here); Egyptian state media Akhbar al Yom, to which the UN is trying to give Inner City Press' long time UN work space, was not even present. Now Japan has announced, "#NorthKorea's #ballisticmissile launch - @JapanMissionUN @USUN & @ROK_Mission have just requested urgent @UN #UNSC consultations. #DPRK." It will be late Tuesday, whenever the previously scheduled Egyptian debate on peacekeeping ends. Now the White House has issued this read-out: "President Donald J. Trump spoke yesterday with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan to address North Korea’s launch of a missile that overflew Japanese territory.  The two leaders agreed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, as well as to countries around the world.  President Trump and Prime Minister Abe committed to increasing pressure on North Korea, and doing their utmost to convince the international community to do the same." Watch this site. After North Korea's most recent missiles, the EU said, "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) today launched a number of short range ballistic missiles. Such actions violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions and seriously undermine regional peace and stability. The DPRK must halt all launches using ballistic missile technology and abandon its ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, as required by the UN Security Council. There is an urgent need for a de-escalation of tensions on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. We  expect the DPRK to refrain from further provocations and to immediately re-engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue with the international community aimed at pursuing the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation through peaceful means. The European Union supports such a process in consultation with key partners." Meanwhile the chair of the UN Security Council 1718 Committee, Sebastiano Cardi of Italy, told Inner City Press DPRK arms sales to Syria and/or the UAE was not discussed in his August 25 meeting. Vine Camera video here. The UN Security Council on Saturday August 5 met and adopted new sanctions, including a ban on the export of seafood, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore. On the evening of August 4 the UN itself allow North Korea to censor an art exhibit in its lobby (exclusive Inner City Press coverage here), at an event attended by (former?) US Mission to the UN spokesperson Kurtis Cooper. On August 8, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), top Democrat on the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that “a miniature nuclear warhead in North Korea is a massive and unacceptable threat to the United States... We need a coherent and comprehensive strategy from the Trump administration that focuses on immediate direct diplomacy and increased economic pressure, along with military deterrence with regional allies to confront this grave national security threat.  Last weekend, the United Nations Security Council imposed sweeping new sanctions to slash North Korea’s exports by upwards of $1 billion. The UN took an important step, but... President Trump must work to start direct and immediate talks with North Korea.  We cannot afford to wait any longer. The consequences of inaction are too great.” We'll have more on this. In other UN censorship news, while Inner City Press remains under restriction, the Egyptian state media the UN is trying to give its office to didn't even come in, with Egypt as Security Council president. The UN was asked but would not explain this absurdity. On August 4 Inner City Press notice a sign outside windowless UN Conference Room A, of a "Mission of the United States of America: Security Council Experts Meeting [Closed]," to begin at 11 am. Photo here. Inner City Press staked it out, but no one went into the room at that time. Nevertheless by the afternoon a lone Security "Council diplomat" was spoon-feeding Reuters that on Saturday, with a high likelihood, the Council would ban exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. Seafood! What about the UN's World Intellectual Property Organization's work on North Korea's cyancide patent?

UN's Anti-Corruption Posture on Guatemala Undercut by Ng UN Bribery Inaction, Censorship

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 28 – Today's UN presenting itself as a champion against corruption, as in Secretary General Antonio Guterres' August 27 statement about Guatemala, is more than a little ironic. Less than a month ago, Macau-based businessman Ng Lap Seng was convicted in the U.S. on six counts of UN bribery. Yet UN officials exposed in the trial as having helped Ng still work at the UN; there has been no accountability. 

When Inner City Press directly asked Guterres for his comment on the verdict, he refused to answer. His lawyers have claimed that the UN was the victim and should get paid. And on August 25, when Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales came to New York to meet with Guterres, simultaneously in the UN's ECOSOC chamber an event was allowed to take place sponsored by an NGO with multiple links to, for example, former El Salvador ambassador Carlos Garcia who was shown in Ng's trial to have helped him launder bribe money. Inner City Press asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric about these links before the August 25 event - and during it, written questions that have still not been answered. Dujarric had Inner City Press evicted from the UN Press Briefing Room - empty this week - and from its office, still restricted, for its pursuit of the Ng Lap Seng scandal. We'll have more on this. As to Guatemala, on August 25 media mostly Spanish and Inner City Press set up a stakeout in the UN Secretariat lobby, to afterward hear his views on Ivan Velasquez and the future of the CICIG. The meeting began at 5 pm, but it was well after 6 pm when Guterres came down to his waiting car and driver. Inner City Press asked, Que pasa con la CICIG? But Guterres merely waved. Moments later his spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who declined to answer or even confirm receipt of written questions from Inner City Press, issued a canned read-out which "reiterated his confidence in Commissioner Ivan Velásquez.” Now on August 27, after not speaking at or even coming to the waiting stakeout at the UN, Morales has issued a video, on Twitter, declaring Valasquez persona non grata. Here.Guterres is with sheikhs in Kuwait; Inner City Press asked his spokesman Stephane Dujarric: "This is a Press request on deadline for the UN's / Secretary General's response to this, from Jimmy Morales of Guatemala. Also please explain why UN Photo still does not have any photo of the Morales / SG photo op online, and state where Yemen envoy IOCA is, if he is not in Kuwait (didn't see him in the photo). Inner City Press has more questions and will be submitting them for responses, while noting that Friday's question was not even acknowledged, much less answered. Please explain." He replied, "Statement coming shortly." Then, a tweet from Jeffrey Feltman's DPA: ".@UN Secretary-General shocked at announcement that Guatemala's President has declared @Ivan_Velasquez_ persona non grata." Shocked implies that Morales didn't raise this possibility in their long meeting on Friday. More to follow.

 More to come.

After UN Sold to Ng, UNCA Promotes WOGC With Guterres & Garcia, Laundered For Ng

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video here

UNITED NATIONS, August 23– After the UN was exposed as having been bought and corrupted by Macau-based businessman Ng Lap Seng, convicted less than a month ago on six counts of UN bribery, money laundering and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations, what has changed? Very little: on August 25 new Secretary General Antonio Guterres is listed as a speaker at an event in the ECOSOC Chamber, promoted by the UN Correspondents Association, by a group that had plead-guilty Francis Lorenzo and demonstrated money laundering helper Carlos Garcia at its founding.

While the spokesmen for Guterres evade the questions asked by Inner City Press, for example about the UN rewarding Ng for his South South News' coverage of Ban Ki-moon's Central America trip in 2015, murky uses of the UN and its building, movement inside which Inner City Press is still restricted for its anti-corruption coverage, continue. 

 For example, on August 23-24 the UN General Assembly Hall was scheduled be taken over by an NGO named “World Development Foundation” headed by Guo Xiangang. After Inner City Press asked and wrote about it, it was canceled, with the UN ascribing the cancellation entirely to... Suriname, see below. Now on the same day, the UN Correspondents Association sends out an invitation to an August 25 event by the "World Organization of Government and Competitiveness" (WOGC), whose founding event, photo here, featured Francis Lorenzo (pleaded guilty to UN bribery) and is linked with Carlos Garcia (who helped Ng launder money in the Dominican Republic - email here, article here). Here is the video of WOGC's founding, featuring Garcia and other UN people - more on this to follow. UN Spokesman Dujarric has refused to state Garcia's status in the UN, despite clear exhibits in the Ng trial which ICP covered. A whistleblower forwarded this to Inner City Press: "UNCA is extending an invitation from the Permanent Mission of Zambia to the UN and the World Organization of Governance and Competitiveness to a High-level Global Meeting discussing 'Road to the Future of Sustainable Development: Moving from Commitments to Results through Inclusive Innovation,' taking place on Friday, August 25th from 1:30 - 6:00 pm in ECOSOC chamber. Sherwin Bryce-Pease, President, United Nations Correspondents Association." The promotion: "H.E Mr. Lazarous Kapambwe, Permanent Representative of Zambia to the United Nations, Mr. Cary Yan, President of WOGC, Special Guests include: H.E. Mme Marie Chatardová, President of the Economic and Social Council (tbc), H.E. Mr. António Guterres, United Nations Secretary General (tbc), H.E. Mme Lorena Herrera, Vice President of Honduras, H.E. Mr. Alvaro Colom, Former President of Guatemala, H.E. Mr. Kessai H. Note, Former President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, H.E. Mr. Francisco Merino, Former Vice President of El Salvador, Hon. Mr. Freidi Torres, Former President of Legislative Assembly of the Republic of Panama." The press release says Antonio Guterres will speak. We'll have more on this. As to the WDF event, Inner City Press was urged to remove its reporting from the Internet - just as then UNCA president Giampaolo Pioli told it to remove an article about his renting of an apartment to Sri Lanka's ambassador from the Internet or get thrown out of the UN, which UNCA "leaders" and the UN in turn did - and to interview Suriname's Ambassador (we DO have questions). But the UN is covering up. The NGOs Dujarric refused to answer about have already been partnered with by the UN Department of Public Information, photos here and here; the now-cancelled event was still promoted in a DPI NGO newsletter sent out on the afternoon of August 23, with a greeting from DPI's Maher Nasser. Again, UNreformed DPI which views its role as pro-UN coverage cannot be allowed to evicted and still restrict the independent Press. We'll continue on this. On the now-canceled event, attendance list and junket offer below; voice mail after UN refused to answer, here, UN Spokesman's one-quarter answer, below; second voicemail here. In a third voicemail, an interview of with the Ambassador of Suriname, just as he was interviewed by South South News in Macau, was offered here. But Inner City Press' questions were and are to the UN, how it vetted the NGOs - UNanswered. Now a fourth voicemail, here, asking that Inner City Press take down article(s) - and, on August 23, the event was not taking place in either the General Assembly Hall, nor Conference Room 4. We'll have more on this. Inner City Press first reported on this group in May 2016, noting that the UN Department of Public Information was partnering with a group that at that time did not even have a website. This came after DPI's then-chief Cristina Gallach did no due diligence of Ng Lap Seng's purchase of events in the UN lobby and even its slavery memorial, then evicted Inner City Press after it asked her about her links to Ng's South South Awards. The UN's holdover Spokesman Stephane Dujarric has been involved, including in both the eviction and continuing restrictions. On August 22, Inner City Press asked and e-mailed Dujarric about the August 22-24 event. Video here; UN transcript here: Inner City Press: there's an event this week in the General Assembly, and some of the sponsors are those who attended the Macau event sponsored and paid for by Ng Lap Seng in August 2015 just before he was indicted and arrested.  So, I wanted to know — maybe you can find this out today — it's said that it's going to be webcast.

Spokesman:  What's the event?  I don't, what's the event?

Inner City Press:  The event has to do with sustainable tourism.  It's sponsored by an NGO and two Member States, both of whom went to Macau.  So, my question to you is, you've said the things have radically cleaned up…What's the UN's role in the event…  Who's paying for the-

Spokesman:  I need… drop me off a piece of paper with information about the event and I will…

Inner City Press: I'm going to give you the email as well, the one about…

Spokesman:  Perfect.

Inner City Press: …Yiping Zhou and the one that you said you hadn't seen.

Spokesman:  Okay, thank you.

  Inner City Press immediately sent Dujarric as well as his top two deputies the Yiping Zhou email and some questions. Five hours later when he left, Dujarric had not answered nor even, as requested, confirmed receipt. After 8 pm one of the sponsors called Inner City Press, audio here. But the answer should come from the UN Secretariat, which had been asked eight hours previously. Inner City Press called the caller how to ask Dujarric, and Dujarric did respond to this NGO, emailing Inner City Press: "Dear Matthew, The event is sponsored that the Mission of Suriname. They are responsible for the content of the event and we have been assured that no one is being charged for this event. Sincerely, Steph." But this didn't answer the questions that Inner City Press had asked (while showing that Dujarric had received them - we'll have more on this, and this.)

New DPI chief Alison Smale will have to deal with all this - and clean it up. For now, this is how the UN under Guterres remains. Watch this site. Legal footnote: the prosecution of Ng Lap Seng was by Assistant US attorneys Douglas Zolkind, Janis Echenberg and Daniel Richenthal of the US Attorney’s Office, David Last, on detail with the criminal division fraud section's FCPA unit, and Aashna Rao and David Louison. There are (many) further exhibits they are supposed to disclose to the Press, through spokespeople Nicholas Biase and Dawn Dearden and DC. We'll have more on all this.

After Cameroon Spun UN's Mohammed, Child Rape Charges Against Biya Soldier in CAR, UN Silent

By Matthew Russell Lee, interviews I, II, video

UNITED NATIONS, August 18 – From Cameroon, officials of Paul Biya's more than 30 year government August 8 met with the UN's Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed to spin Biya's abuse of Anglophone Southern Cameroons, including cutting off the Internet for 94 days during which the UN stayed largely silent. Now the UN has quietly disclosed child sexual abuse -- rape -- charges involved the Cameroonian "peacekeeping" contingent in the Central African Republic. Inner City Press first tweeted the UN disclosure, here. 

What will Amina Mohammed, and Secretary General Antonio Guterres, do about this? Inner City Press might have asked their holdover spokesman Stephane Dujarric, before the August 23 noon briefing - but Dujarric has refused to even confirm receipt of, much less answer on, UN corruption including this. The UN evicts and still restricts, and doesn't answer its mail. In Cameroon the post Internet cut GCE exam results are in, and they are both unprecedentedly bad, and fraudulent: "The Cameroon General Certificate of Education board, GCEB, has recorded one of the worst results since its creation. According to this year’s ordinary level results, out of 80,212 who registered, only 46, 532 sat for the exams, only 11,770 passed with a percentage pass of 25.29 contrary to last year where 110702 who registered 102, 857 sat for the session and 63,951 passed with a percentage of 62.17. For the Advanced level, the results released earlier on Friday August 11, is extremely low with success rate of 35.52 and 22.36 for both the general and technical fields respectively. Out of the 33037 candidates who sat for the exams, only 11670 passed. The results witnessed a drastic drop compared to 2016 were the percentage passed was 66.52. Many have blamed the poor results on the anglophone crisis which paralyzed learning activities for many schools in English speaking Cameroon." And from the UN, after the spin trip, nothing. On August 9 as Inner City Press asked UK Ambassador Matthew Rycroft about Southern Cameroons, Reuters cut off the question and Rycroft walked away. His acting spokesperson said the question would be answered after checking with the High Commission. While Inner City Press persisted and asked Rycroft again on August 10 - he said the issue is on the UN's radar, where it should be - the question to / of the High Commission remained, as now does the issues of Southern Cameroonians' protest of the Biya spin-tour right on London. High Commissioner Brian Olley has  reportedly, but not confirmed, that he raised human rights issues to Paul Biya. Meanwhile London Stock Exchange traded "Victoria Oil & Gas Plc is engaged in gas exploration, production and distribution in Cameroon." On August 14, the lead spokesman for Rycroft, now away for two weeks, returned and replied, "I understand the Ambassador answered your question on Cameroon last week," while referring to "major international outlets" which it seems never asked Rycroft or him about Cameroons and its Anglophone regions, or incoming High Commissioner Rowan James Laxton. We'll have more on this. On August 10, only by waiting in the UN lobby from which was was UNable on August 8 to pursue the story as non-censored UN correspondents could, Inner City Press asked Mohammed, who said it is not her approach to use a sledgehammer, here.  But even the next day, August 11, Paul Biya's government reportedly detained and disappeared a Southern Cameroonian coming in from Japan, Oliver Ntungfor. And there are others detained underground in secret prisons in Yaounde, while the streets of Bamenda are mud due to Biya's under-development, as he send only soldiers. (The UN Committee against Torture says it will considering Cameroon - but not until its November 6 - December 6 session.) There are even ghoulish calls for Biya to use chemical weapons. Amina Mohammed and Secretary General Antonio Guterres are the recipients of a number of related communications like the one below, and this. On the afternoon of August 8, Inner City Press asked the Biya delegation if for example their imprisonment of ex-UN legal adviser Felix Agbor Balla was addressed. No, they said. It was not that kind of meeting. Video here. They ascended to the second floor, where Inner City Press unlike other no-show UN correspondents was not allow to follow them. This was explained to a UN official later on August 8, and we will have more on that, particularly given that the UN declined to even say who beyond Mohammed met with Biya's spinners. On August 9 Inner City Press' question on Cameroon to UK Ambassador Matthew Rycroft was cut off by Reuters' correspondent, here. Inner City Press asked Rycroft again on August 10, video here, UK transcript here: Inner City Press: Amina Mohammed also on Tuesday met with this delegation from Cameroon. I just wanted to get your thoughts on whether the UN should be doing more, could be doing more? Have you seen a read out?

Amb Rycroft: Obviously I wasn’t in the meeting myself but I was very glad to hear that the delegation were here and they had a meeting with Amina Mohammed. I think that demonstrates that the UN is keeping it on their radar as they should and I support that.

  The day before on Cameroon, Inner City Press responded to the UK request for the cut-off question with: "Since Amb Rycroft has previously said that the UK monitors the situation in Cameroon's Anglophone areas, where the Internet was cut off for 94 days this year and many leaders still arrested facing the death penalty, what does the UK think of the Yaounde delegation that came to the UN yesterday? They said that the continued detention of ex-UN legal adviser Felix Agbor Balla did not come up. Should the UN do more? What is the UK's position on this situation in the Anglophone regions sometimes called Southern Cameroons?" Hours later, from the now re-staffed UK Mission, this: I’m currently double checking with our High Commission in Cameroon overnight and will get back to you tomorrow." Watch this site. At the noon briefing on August 9, Inner City Press asked asked UN Spokesman Dujarric, about why Agbor Balla wasn't raised, if the Biya government's torture documented by Amnesty International came up, and if anyone from UN Human Rights was there (seems not). August 9 video here. From the UN transcript: Inner City Press: the individuals that attended from the Cameroon side, when they came down, they said that, for example, the imprisonment of UN… former UN legal adviser Felix Agbor Balla did not come up; it was not that type of meeting.  So, I wanted to ask you — I mean, I’ve read it several times, the readout — if it didn’t come up, if the imprisonment of a former UN legal adviser didn’t come up, can you explain why that would be?  Did it… did…  And just one other thing.

Spokesman:  Yeah, go ahead.
Inner City Press:  There’s also been a recent, non-related to the Anglophone areas but to the country itself, this Amnesty report of torture in military bases related to the fight against… the Government says Boko Haram.  That seems like a pretty serious report from a highly credible organization, and it just… can you… if you don’t… can you find out whether that came and up and whether Mr. [Andrew] Gilmour or anyone on the human rights side of the organization attended this meeting?

Spokesman:  The Deputy Secretary-General represented the organization in the meeting.  I think the readout we gave you was fairly extensive.  We have in the past and reiterate our concern of the continuing detention of Anglophone leaders, any and all Anglophone leaders. And I think the readout was very clear in the issues that were discussed.  We don’t go into detail, verbatim detail, as to what points were discussed, but I think the readout gives you a pretty strong readout of the issues that were raised and our concern at these issues.

Inner City Press: It says the Government… welcomes the steps taken by the Government, and given that most… people… at least, you know, from… from what it seems from here, many people in the Anglophone areas don’t… don’t see those steps and see their leaders still imprisoned.  [inaudible]

Spokesman:  I think we have seen some steps in the right direction and as… I would refer you back to the readout.

  From the August 8 UN noon briefing transcript: Spokesman Dujarric: Cameroon while your… while Periscope is on.
Inner City Press: The meeting's taking place today at 12:30 p.m. with the DSG, I wanted to ask you, apparently, there's not a photo op, so could you--

Spokesman:  There will be a UN photographer there, and those photos, as you well know, are available, free of charge for your website.
Inner City Press:  Sure, but who else is attending on the UN side?

Spokesman:  There will be a readout, and the Deputy Secretary-General will be leading the UN delegation.  If we're able to release other names, we shall.

Inner City Press:  Can she… is there some way, either on the way out in some way, she can answer questions

   But this did not take place, as Inner City Press explained. Instead for now this read-out from the UN, with no mention even of the UN's own Agbor Balla: "Readout of the Deputy Secretary-General’s meeting with a delegation led by Prof. Paul Ghogomu, Director of Cabinet of the Prime Minister of Cameroon: On 8 August, the Deputy Secretary-General met with a delegation led by Prof. Paul Ghogomu, Minister and Director of Cabinet of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Cameroon. They discussed the internal situation in the Republic of Cameroon, particularly in the Anglophone regions. The Deputy Secretary-General welcomed the efforts being undertaken by the Government to de-escalate tensions and highlighted the importance of further confidence building measures, including ensuring that justice is given to all and that human rights are upheld and respected, and noting that those responsible for rule of law are to be held to a higher standard. The Deputy Secretary-General also reiterated the willingness of the United Nations, through the good offices of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Africa and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), Mr. François Louncény Fall, and the United Nations country team, to support inclusive dialogue efforts to address the outstanding root causes of the tensions in the affected regions. The Deputy Secretary-General commended Cameroon for its generosity towards refugees from Central African Republic and Nigeria and conveyed that the United Nations looks forward to working with Cameroon, Nigeria and Chad to reintegrate those affected, especially women, youth and children. The Deputy Secretary-General and Prof. Ghogomu also discussed the 2030 Agenda and the United Nations development system reform, as well as the situation in the Bakassi Peninsula and the fight against Boko Haram. "

   Previously, Mohammed attended Biya's long time UN Ambassador's celebration of independence day, video here, which is seen quite differently in the Anglophone zone, from which a delegation met with a representative of the UN's genocide prevention office. Inner City Press on August 7 asked that at least some coverage of DSG Mohammed's meeting be allowed, and a read-out given. Mohammed and her chief of staff Nelson Muffuh have been made aware, repeatedly, of the UN's restrictions on the Press, which have yet to be reversed: Inner City Press is still Banned. Their acting head of (partial) "Global Communications" Maher Nasser, when asked, would not explain the restrictions still on Inner City Press compared to free access to no-show sycophants, here.

After Ng Bribery Conviction, ICP Asks Of UN Rewarding Ng For SSN Coverage of Ban Trip

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video and audio

UNITED NATIONS, August 18 – Three weeks after the UN bribery verdict of six guilty counts against Ng Lap Seng was delivered by the jury on July 27, on August 16 Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for his response to the verdict. He scoffed and walked off. Video here. On August 17 Inner City Press asked Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq about trial exhibits it has begun to receive, on Meena Sur and the Global Compact, for first examples. Video here; from the UN transcript here, text below. On August 18, Inner City Press asked Haq about another of the many exhibits, moving closer to home: UN transcript here: Inner City Press: as these exhibits from the Ng Lap Seng trial continue to come in, I wanted to ask you, I was surprised to see it, because it wasn't, at least the days that I went, presented in the trial. There are documents that show that the office, UN Office of South-South Cooperation, wrote a letter supporting the conference centre in Macau, specifically after South-South News covered a Ban Ki-moon trip.  I think they were the only media to cover it, and afterwards, they were congratulated by the Office of South-South Cooperation, and a letter was produced by Mr. Yiping Zhou supporting the conference center. From the document, it appears that the UN system as a whole, whether the Secretary-General knew or not, essentially rewarded positive coverage of this Ban Ki-moon trip with a letter for a conference centre that's now been totally discredited and was not built because it was based on bribery.  And I wanted to know, what is the UN's position on this?  What is… I know Mr. Yiping Zhou has left, but what was the connection between the South-South News travelling with and covering Ban Ki-moon's trip and this letter that was given to the, the Sun Kian Ip Foundation to build a conference centre in Macau?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, I'm not aware of any connection.

Regarding concerns about South-South News, we've explained to you at the time what our concerns had been about South-South News and its activities.  They are no longer accredited, and the Office of South-South Cooperation, as you know, had undergone different reforms under its new leadership, and I believe they've been in touch with you about that.

Inner City Press: My question really at this point goes to the Secretariat, if you see what I'm saying, because the… the activity of South-South News that UNDP's [United Nations Development Programme] Office of South-South Cooperation was rewarding with this letter was coverage of the Secretary-General's trip.  So was this done with no knowledge by the Secretariat… by the Secretariat?

Deputy Spokesman:  We, we don't, we don't "reward" coverage of trips by Secretaries-General.  I mean, there are many trips.  Many, many outlets cover them.

Deputy Spokesman:  If they were all getting rewarded for them, that would be lots and lots of rewards to hand out. Have a good weekend, everyone.

  From August 17: Inner City Press: now that the Ng Lap Seng verdict has been rendered, Inner City Press has been obtaining the exhibits.  And I wanted to ask you, because, even going back and looking at the audit, several things were not solved.  Number one, there’s now specific emails involving current DGACM (Department of General Assembly and Conference Management) employee Meena Sur to Francis Lorenzo regarding the insertion of the name Sun Kiang Ip Group into a GA (General Assembly) document, that’s referenced in the audit.  Many people say Mr. [Ion] Botnaru retired.  That’s why nothing was ever done.  I guess what I want to know is, what’s been done?  Is there some explanation, again, of a current UN official having worked on the insertion of this company name into a GA document improperly?

Deputy Spokesman:  Regarding the general issue, without getting into the cases of specific individuals, the fact is the Department of Management has followed up on the various conclusions brought in by these reports and has made sure that all actions are properly undertaken.

Inner City Press: There’s another email, which is the Global Compact responded to Francis Lorenzo actually but about Sun Kiang Ip Group joining the Global Compact.  And it said, “We’ll get back to you after review of one or two weeks.”  So, I wanted to know, in terms of the Global Compact, given that Sun Kiang Ip Group is involved in casinos and other businesses, what review on the front end… I know it’s often said, once you join the Global Compact, the only thing that’s required is the filing of reports, not anything substantive.  But what review is done if, in fact, a casino business itself already involves controversy at the time can join?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, I believe the Global Compact on its own website tells you exactly what its priorities are and what it asks of incoming members, so I would just refer you to that.

Inner City Press:  So how do they join?

Deputy Spokesman:  No, just look at the website. It shows you what it expects from incoming members.  Have a good afternoon, everyone.

  On October 7 Judge Vernon S. Broderick allowed Ng to remain under house arrest, at least pending sentencing. Ng's $4 million 47th Street apartment, across the street from what was the office of his South South News, was called "not large" despite its 3,100 square feet. On August 7, he was allowed to remain out of jail. In the hearing, which Inner City Press attended, it emerged that Ng has had a closed-door masseuse four to ten hours a day, who also cooked for Ng's guards for "Guidepost Solutions LLC," whose Brendan P. Finn acknowledged visitors are not body searched and conversations in Chinese are not understood. Inner City Press rushed north to the UN and at Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman's noon briefing asked for a list of any UN affiliated person has visited or had contact with Ng since his indictment in October 2015. Video here. The spokesman, Stephane Duajrric, said no, apparently without checking. Ng has hired Paul D. Clement for his appeal. It's a nice life if you've got money. More to follow. Inner City Press began asking the UN about the people still at the UN who were shown to have worked for or taking money from Ng, or both. So far the UN has done nothing. For example, the trial exposed the role of Carlos Garcia, former Salvadoran Ambassador and since then a bridge for NGOs, in helping "free" Lorenzo's bribe money from Ng. On August 4, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcripthere: Inner City Press: has to do with the Ng Lap Seng case, believe it or not.  In the case, among the evidence that… that came out leading to the guilty verdict was evidence of former Permanent Representative of El Salvador, Carlos Garcia, assisting Francis Lorenzo in getting ill-gotten gains released from the Dominican Republic.  I've asked you about him before because, since serving as a permanent representative, he seems to be a kind of bridge to NGOs [non-governmental organizations].  He had an NGO called Global Governance for the UNSDGs.  I still see him around 1B squiring people around.  So, my request to you is, given… and, again I don't know if OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services] tracked the case or not.  Given what was shown on the screen and put into evidence regarding his assistance in Mr. Francis Lorenzo getting bribe money released, does he have some, he has some kind of a pass.  Is there some kind of emeritus status for diplomats, or how it does it work?

Spokesman:  I'm not aware of any em… emeritus, yeah, emeritus status except for journalists, so I will look into it.  Thank you.

  We'll see - and we'll follow up. For further example, during the trial an email was shown that current UN official Meena Sur emailed back and forth helping on the brochure for Ng's fraudulent UN conference center.  But even today, in the Department of General Assembly and Conference Management organogram, Meena Sur is the chief of the "Documents Management Section." Documents for Ng Lap Seng. There is a history here: for the Dominican Republic mission, that is Francis Lorenzo, Meena Sur was also involved with a shadowy IGO "World Sports Alliance," heavily involved in mining but not sports. See for example this: "The World Sports Alliance (WSA) team briefed President Leonel Fernandez on his 19th September visit to Baruch College of the City University of New York during Hispanic Heritage Month. The World Sports Alliance is a multi-stakeholder partnership launched by XL Generation Foundation, Give Them a Hand Foundation, and the Informal Regional Network of the NGO Section/DESA that uses sports to create local economic development and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Ambassador Francis Lorenzo of the Mission of the Dominican Republic to the UN facilitated the meeting. Ms. Meena Sur, Programme Officer of the NGO Section/DESA, Mr. Gordon Tapper,
President of Give them a Hand Foundation, as well as Mr. Alain Lemieux, President of
the WSA, attended the President’s speech at the college as Special Guests of thePermanent Mission of the Dominican Republic." More on this soon - who in the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services followed up on any of this? The UN is corrupt - and incompetent. DGACM's UN Journal for August 3 calls that day, a Thursday, "Tuesday." Photo here. We will continue on this. Where is OIOS under Heidi Mendoza? They never followed up on the blatant conflict of interest of DPI chief Gallach, who appears in OIOS' own cover-up audit of the Ng Ashe affair, in evicting Inner City Press, and leaving it still restricted. The UN is corrupt. UN Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq who has repeatedly dodged questions about the case from Inner City Press wasquoted by Reuters that the UN was "a victim of these crimes" and later that "We are exploring the possibility of requesting restitution as a victim to these crimes, including recovering expenses incurred to provide the requested cooperation." On July 31, Inner City Press asked Haq's also holdover boss Stephane Dujarric to explain how this could be, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: last week, as you know, Ng Lap Seng was found guilty in one day on six charges of bribery, foreign corrupt practices act, money-laundering.  And I just want… I really want to understand this.  I've been looking at the idea that the UN will be… is… considers itself a victim of the case and will be requesting restitution as a victim.  And I wanted to understand.  It was said by Farhan [Haq], and I didn't have a chance to ask him about… is this just OLA [Office of Legal Affairs] trying to… in the same way as Haiti cholera, cover itself by saying we're a victim, we bear no responsibility, or is it literally António Guterres' position that the UN should be paid for a process in which its own DGACM [Department of General Assembly and Conference Management] gave a document to the guy?  There are still people here that worked on the proposal… I want to understand…

Spokesman:  I think the overall point is that the UN was used for what it appears for criminal activity by the gentleman who was found guilty.

Inner City Press:  Right, but what about the office South-South Cooperation?  Is there any guilt on the side of the UN side? Mr. Yiping Zhu that left immediately upon the indictment, is… was he victimized?  Did he not understand what he was doing?

Spokesman:  Mr. Yiping Zhu is no longer a staff member of this organization.

Inner City Press:  Right, but doesn't an organization have some responsibility for what its people do?

Spokesman:  I will leave it at that. 

  We won't. Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Haq on July 28 to explain how the UN is the victim, and how it dares say it should be get for corruption. Video 8 from Minute 8:40. Haq said, This is the position of our Legal Council. Now Inner City Press has asked above. Watch this site. The UN even refused to tell the prosecution whom it spoke to for its Task Force Report, which said it has no ethical standards. The UN will ask for money, while paying nothing to the 10,000 people it killed in Haiti? Reuters doesn't even raise that - it has a conflict of interest.  UN official Ion Butnaru put the name of Ng's company Sun Kian Ip Group into a General Assembly resolution long after it was voted on, took a free trip to Macau and an iPad there. Victim? Ng's company South South News bought full page ads in the ball program of the UN Correspondents Association, then went to their ball at Cipriani and got photos with then Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. (Reuters then as now had a seat on UNCA's board, something not disclosed in its coverage of Ng and the UN). A current UN official Meena Sur was shown in the trial to have held on Ng's brochure for his planned Macau conference Center. The UN remains UNreformed. Inner City Press, which has covered the scandal from the beginning and remains restricted by the UN for its coverage, rushed down to the courthouse and asked Ng Lap Seng, as he left by the side door to Worth Street, what he thinks of the UN and those there who took his money and favors, a list well beyond John Ashe and Francis Lorenzo. Periscope video here. He did not answer, understandable. He will be back in court on August 7 for arguments on if his house arrest can continue. Before Ng left, Inner City Press witnessed his lawyers leaving. They told the judge they will appeal. But now that Ng is guilty, will the UN act on those exposed as corrupt, and reverse its censorship?

 Ng Lap Seng's $3 billion UN convention center plan had been assisted by Meena Sur, still working for the UN Department of General Assembly and Conference Management. Inner City Press asked the UN spokesman Farhan Haq, who dodged by saying the UN was waiting for the verdict. But the UN is not on trial, because it has and cited immunity. 

Likewise, high UN official Navid Hanif attended Ng Lap Seng's murky event in Macau in August 2015, and remains at at the UN. Spokesman Haq refused to answer about him, while telling Inner City Press that lower UN staff member Frances Fuller “separated from service” in September 2016, just after Inner City Press asked about her. 

Francis Lorenzo, who took more money from Ng than the now deceased John Ashe, was given a UN.org email address by DGACM despite never being pictured among Ashe's Special Advisers, and never giving up his day job as the Dominican Republic's Deputy Permanent Representative. 

Even on July 26, DGACM's Executive Officer told Inner City Press that the UN still hands such UN credential to anyone whom a President of the General Assembly tells them too. So nothing has been reformed. 

The Department of Public Information under Cristina Gallach took Ng Lap Seng's money for its slavery memorial, and allowed fraudulentevents in the UN lobby. But UN lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who allowed the content of Ng's South South News to be included in UNTV archives under his watch, said this was just an issue of “judgment,” not malfeasance. 

The UN Correspondents Association, to whom Dujarric “lent” the UN Press Briefing Room then evicted and still restricts Inner City Press for seeking to cover the event to see if they discussed taking South South News' money and providing a venue for Ng's photo op with Ban Ki-moon, did not have a single member correspondent covering the month-long UN bribery case. Other dubious events were being hosted. 

And so, while awaiting the jury's verdict on Ng Lap Seng - which may be not guilty given how corrupt the UN and the star witness against him Francis Lorenzo have been shown to be - it is clear that the UN has not reformed and remains corruption and a censor, seven months into the reign of “new” Secretary General Antonio Guterres. It is the UN that should be prosecuted, or invited to leave. Watch this site. 

Legal footnotes: counsel to Ng Lap Seng, Park Jensen Bennett, Partners Tai H Park and Douglas Jensen in New York; and Alexandra Shapiro in New York; Assistant US attorneys Douglas Zolkind, Janis Echenberg and Daniel Richenthal of the US Attorney’s Office, David Last, on detail with the criminal division fraud section's FCPA unit.

On Morocco's Censorship in Rif, ICP Asks UN 18th Time, Spox Says UN Has Nothing To Say

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video, New Platform

UNITED NATIONS, August 18 – Amid arrests and censorship by Morocco in the Al-Rif region, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric told Inner City Press on June 6, "I should hopefully have something for you tomorrow." But on June 7 when Inner City Press asked, not only did Dujarric not have anything at all - he refused to accept follow up questions, saying "I'm done" and running off the podium. Video here.  Since then, more arrests, more censorship, and more fightback, not only in Geneva, Holland and elsewhere, but also in the US. At the UN, the Moroccan state media the UN gives offices and full access to don't even come into the building, must less ask questions. Today's UN is corrupt - but it is being opposed. On August 18, Inner City Press asked the UN spokesman for the 18th time, UN transcript here: Inner City Press:
I'd like to ask you again about the… the Rif Region of, in Morocco.  There's a controversy now between Reporters Without Borders and the Government's Ministry of Culture, where Reporters Without Borders has reported on number of cases of reporters that were locked up and sentenced for covering the unrest in Al Hoceima and elsewhere in the Rif, and the Government says bloggers aren't journalists and, and they, they totally reject it.

So I'm wondering, given the statements by the UN in favour of freedom of the press, do you have a view, number one, on whether reporters have been restricted in their ability to cover this unrest in the Rif region?  Number two, whether online citizen journalists are journalists subject to the protections of Article 19 and otherwise?

And just, what's your view… there's also, apparently, another protester has been killed.  Mr. al-Haddad died from his injuries of the tear gas crackdown by the Government, so those are my questions.

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, we would be concerned about any restrictions that would impede the freedom of the press, and, also, regarding what you just said, the freedom of people to enjoy their right to peaceful assembly, so we'd have concerns about that, but we'll also have to see what our human rights colleagues have to say about the situation for, for journalists more generally there.

Inner City Press: But there's still no… comment from, from DPA about the ongoing situation there and, including the press freedom situation?

Deputy Spokesman:  If there were, we would share it with you.

Inner City Press: I guess there isn't.

Deputy Spokesman:  One more?

   There will be more. On August 9, Inner City Press asked the UN Spokesman for the 17th time, video here. From the UN transcript: Inner City Press:  I wanted to ask you again about the ongoing situation in the Rif region of Morocco.  One of the people injured during he crackdown with teargas, Imad El Attabi, has died, and there are many people saying that this is a bad development; this is something that it’s still calling for that… that the situation continues to get worse.  So, I’m just wondering, this being the seventeenth time that I’ve asked you about this, is DPA (Department of Political Affairs) considering… looking at that?  I’ve seen…

Spokesman:  I think the various parts of the United Nations are keeping an eye on the situation.  When we have something to say, we shall.

  On July 20, before interviewing Rif activists outside the UN's gates, here, Inner City Press asked the UN about Rif for the 15th time, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: in the ongoing protests in the Rif Region of Morocco, there's a large protest today by which the Government has responded to by blocking roads, trying to block entry by sea, slowing down the Internet.  And so, I just wanted to know… I know this has come up and at one point, Stéphane [Dujarric] said that there may be something coming down.  Given that, in fact, the protests are growing and the oppression and the number of people locked up has grown, has the Department of Public… excuse me, Political Affairs or the Secretariat taken any note of this?

Deputy Spokesman:  "Certainly, we take note of this and I'll check with them about any response." A day later, and after these interviews, there was NOTHING from the UN, despite the use of tear gas, a man in a coma, etc. On July 21 Inner City Press asked again, video here from 16:58; Haq said, "We've asked our colleagues in the Department of Political Affairs. If there's any response, I'll share it with you." UNreal. Inner City Press has received, and in the face of the UN's silence, publishes: "a street demonstration started at 1800 local time, ongoing peacefully as we did during 9 months since the death of Mouhcine FIKRI the fish seller who was mushed by Moroccan authorities in a garbage truck
3- Interventions by Moroccan authorities was the worst one since last June 26th 2017 which was reported to you, the intervention was to impede people assembly at Al-hoceima's central plaza of Martyrs which was previously occupied by all Moroccan authorities cars
4- Tears gas was indiscriminately used against all people and in all popular districts although this is prohibited by international law causing asphyxia and a lot of evacuations to the hospital.
5- Detention of activists included those who were evacuated by ambulances to the hospital, we are informed that in all ambulances there were the Moroccan spies to detain all activists. A lot of people are detained, we do not know the exact number, one known journalist Mr. ELMAHDAOUI was detained for sure.
6- Ms. Naoual BENAISSA an important activist women in the RIF's popular movement is right now at the hospital in dangerous status due to Moroccan authorities blows...
7- Mr. Imad ELATTABI, we are informed last minutes that he is near to death due to moroccan authorities brutal blow by stones or tears gaz bomb, he is evacuated at 0600 am to Rabat's military hospital in critic status." On July 7, Inner City Press asked the UN, Spokesman Dujarric, for the 14th time, video here, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: I've asked you before about the… the continuing situation in the Rif region in Morocco, and you may have seen that The Economist… I know your DPA's [Department of Political Affairs] work is not driven by publications, but it's a pretty respected one, and their analysis is that things are getting significantly worse and that it threatens, you know, the… the situations elsewhere in the country, and the Government has recently said that they have at least 176 people under "preventative detention", based on what's basically a non-violent protest, including on a beach where they were banned from going into the water.  So, I just wanted to know, has DPA done anything on this?  Have they reached out to the country?  Do they have any expression of concern as, you know, respected observers say the situation is getting worse?

Spokesman:  I don't have anything specific.  I mean as a matter of principle, we stand for the people's right to demonstrate peacefully. 

  Right. On June 27, after a crackdown on Al Hoceima on the previous day's Eid holiday, Inner City Press asked the UN for the 13th time, video here, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: in the Rif region of Morocco, on Eid, there were more arrests made in this Al-Hoceima and people were blocked from actually even traveling to the town.  The king has said that his ministers can no longer go on vacation due to a failure to implement what's being demanded by the protesters there.  I'm just wondering, is [the Department of Political Affairs] any closer to either saying something, doing something?

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric:  I don't have anything.

   This as Moroccan King Mohammed VI has banned some of his ministers from traveling or vacation, claiming it was them who failed to follow through on his royal plan to supposedly address 90% of the residents' demands. Somehow the King didn't realize this during the now more than eight months of protests, as his forces arrested more than 100 people. As in the Bogart movie, the King is shocked - shocked - in Casablanca. On June 21, Inner City Press asked Dujarric's deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, UN transcript here: Inner City Press:  I want to ask you one more thing about the Rif region of Morocco.  I’d asked Stéphane a few times.  It seemed like a comment might be coming down.  Since then, at least two media, one editor of Rif24 has been put under solitary confinement; another one has been sued with criminal defamation charges.  Press freedom groups like IFEX have been speaking about it.  There have been other arrests.  Is it something that… was it just… did it almost give rise to a DPA [Department of Political Affairs] comment?  Is DPA, in fact, looking at this situation which it doesn’t seem to be abating?

Deputy Spokesman:  We’re looking at the matter.  If we have any further comment, I will let you know.

  On June 15, Inner City Press asked Dujarric about Morocco imposing year and a half jail sentences on 25 protesters, and new French President Macron's comments. UN transcript here: Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you again about the Al Rif region of Morocco, because, since I last asked, sentences have been imposed on a number of the protesters, a year and a half to 25 people, six months to five people.  And French President [Emmanuel] Macron was in Rabat and said that King Mohammed VI — I don't know if that's translated right — stood ready to assuage the issues of Al Rif.  So I'm just wondering, if it's now viewed as international in that way, does the UN have no guidance at all?  What about year-and-a-half sentences to peaceful protestors?  Is that something that the…

Spokesman:  I'm not aware of the details of the particular case.  As I said, when we have something to say, we shall.  Thank you.

 How does Guterres STILL have nothing to say? That is the case- without explaining the now eight day delay, Dujarric repeated when he has something to say he will. But what will it be? On June 14, Inner City Press asked Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: I'd asked you in writing about the situation the Rif region of Morocco.  Now there's more than 100 allegedly detained and now allegations of torture of some of those detained.  So, I'm wondering, there's been… Rifians have asked the Human Rights Council or Prince Zeid to send observers.  And I'm just wondering, since a week ago, you said you hoped to have something from DPA [Department of Political Affairs].  Is DPA aware of this?  Are they watching this?  And what do they say about it?

Spokesman Dujarric:  I think we're… as I said, if I have any comment to make on this particular situation or any other situation, I shall make them.  Obviously, if people appeal to the Human Rights High Commissioner, you should follow up with them.

  That's called passing the buck. On the mornings of June 12 and 13 Inner City Press went more formal, in writing: "On Morocco and Rif, give the large demonstration in Rabat over the weekend and use of tear gas in Rif, at least 86 arrested, reiterating for eighth time Inner City Press' question: what is the SG's or DPAs comment on this, to the Moroccan authorities?" This was not answer before noon, at noon or in the 29 hours and counting after. Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid has been asked for "urgent intervention in order to note in particular the serious violations of human rights perpetrated against the Riffian population especially the militants of the non-partisan and non-violent citizen movement set up seven months ago, since the 29th October 2016 after the death of Mohcine FIKRI crushed in a garbage truck. At this moment, more than 80 activists have been abducted, tortured and detained by the Moroccan authorities, several of them were sent to Casablanca remained without legal assistance for more than five days, and others are detained in the city of Al-Hoceima without any legal assistance in the first three days until their presence before the court of Al-Hoceima. There are strong confirmations that torture has been inflicted on several detainees and confirmed in Al-Hoceima and Casablanca by their Lawyers present at first audience or before the crown prosecutor in Casablanca, and as announced by several detainees in Casablanca before their arrest, they are ongoing hunger strike [and so request by, among others] the European Coordination Committee of support to the popular Movement in the Rif: To deal with this urgent human situation and urge the presence of human rights observers in the region, especially in trial procedures as requested by our Lawyers. To shed full light on the various attacks perpetrated by the Moroccan authorities, which only perpetuates a campaign of reprisals against militants and civil pacific protesters,Protecting the Rif people from state terrorism perpetrated by all the police forces present in the Rif region, we are certain that this would send a strong message to the Moroccan leaders who had been little worried for continuing to perpetrate violent abuses against the Riffian people since decades." Inner City Press also asked Guterres' holdover spokesman Dujarric on June 9, from the UN transcript: Inner City Press: on this issue of Rif,  I want to ask you, now there's the use of tear gas on protesters and at least two journalists have been arrested and taken to Casablanca for questioning, and charges are unclear.  They're from AWAR TV and Rif Press.  I know three days ago you said you'd hoped to get something.  What does DPA [Department of Political Affairs] think about this?

Spokesman:  You know, obviously, as a matter of principle, we believe wherever that people have a right to demonstrate peacefully but, more specifically, I have nothing to share with you. 

  Nothing. Then he refused to say where Secretary General Guterres will be. From the UN June 7 transcript: Inner City Press: I wanted to ask you, yesterday, you'd said that hopefully today you would have something after 4:00… on the situation in the Al Rif region of Morocco.

Spokesman:  I don't have anything for you.

Inner City Press: So when you said that you might have it, does that mean that DPA [Department of Political Affairs] is…

Spokesman:  No, it just means…

Inner City Press Be quiet?

Spokesman:  That I… I'm sorry?

Inner City Press:  No, no…  Does it mean that…

Spokesman:  It just means that I don't have anything to share with you.

  This is today's UN. Back on April 9 Inner City Press reported UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' proposal of Horst Kohler of Germany to replace Christopher Ross as the UN's Western Sahara envoy. Guterres' holdover spokesman Stephane Dujarric, when Inner City Press, repeatedly refused comment. On May 5 Dujarric said Guterres "has communicated to his parties his preferred candidate to replace Christopher Ross, you know, who had announced his intention to leave.  Right now, the Kingdom of Morocco has not yet responded to the information passed on to it." As of June 1, when Inner City Press asked Dujarric again, no update. Nor even on June 5, after Guterres' letter. And on Al-Rif, after the arrest of two more protest leaders, on June 6 Inner City Press asked Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: I did want to ask you because I'd asked last week and I… given the reporting around world about the… the situation in the Al Rif region of Morocco, not only was the one protest leader arrested and called for a general strike, now two other protest leaders, Najik Alhamjik [phonetic] and Silia Zianni [phonetic] were both arrested.  And there's been a press fallout of… expulsion of reporters and now a report… a newspaper in Bahrain ordered closed for reporting on the protests.  So… I guess I'm asking you again, it seems like it's a… it's a…

Spokesman:  Yeah, I don't have anything for you on this today.  I should hopefully have something for you tomorrow.  But, obviously, on the issue of the press, we stand loud and clear for the rights of reporters to report.

  So, tomorrow. The UN didn't even Google the names of those arrested. On June 5 when Inner City Press asked "Do you have anything on Morocco and Rif?" the UN Spokesman Dujarric said, "No, I do not." Then he indulged for the third time a lengthy question from the Moroccan state media he and the Department of Public Information give multiple resident correspondent full access passes to, while restricting Inner City Press. Also on June 1, Inner City Press asked Dujarric about the now six days of protest in the Al-Rif region of Morocco, following the crushing of fish salesman Mouhcine Fikri and now the arrest of protest leader Nasser Zefzafi for supposedly "undermining the security of the state." But all Dujarric said was that he had nothing on Morocco today - no prepared statement. Video here at 18:16. On June 2, Inner City Press asked Dujarric's Deputy Farhan Haq, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: there's a press release by Amnesty International entitled “Morocco Rif protestors punished with wave of mass arrests”.  It says that the… Morocco in the [inaudible] had carried out a chilling wave of arrests rounding up scores of protestors, activists and bloggers in Rif, northern Morocco.  And I know that yesterday I'd asked, and you'd said that Stéphane [Dujarric] had no… had nothing on it.  Is… is DPA [Department of Political Affairs] unaware of this?  Does DPA have any comment on what's taking place and what Amnesty International has put out this press release about?

Deputy Spokesman:  No, no, the Department of Political Affairs is aware of the situation, and we're checking on them about a reaction.  We'll let you know once they have a reaction to give.

  Hours later, still nothing. From the June 1 UN transcript: Inner City Press: Two questions on Morocco.  One is, there have been six days of protests in Al-Rif region following the crushing of a fishmonger, which obviously echoes what happened in Tunisia, and now the arrest of protest leader Nasser Zefzafi.  So, I wanted to know… he's called for a three-day strike.  It's being reported all over the world.  Is the UN or DPA [Department of Political Affairs] aware of it?  And do they have any words of wisdom of how it should be addressed?

Spokesman:  No, I don't have anything on Morocco for you today.

Inner City Press: On the envoy or the Special Adviser, personal envoy on Western Sahara, has there been any response in terms of confirming…?

Spokesman:  I think we're… we may be nearing the end of a process.  So, as soon as we have something to announce, we shall.

  Today's UN is a failure. Back on May 31, Inner City Press asked Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press:  So the UN Global Compact has a provision where if NGOs or civil society complain against a corporation, they set up a talk, because that's the one thing that seems to be required of corporations is to actually engage with their critics.  So there's a company called [inaudible], which is under fire for exploitation of natural resources in Western Sahara.  And a group commented, and the Global Compact set up a dialogue between them and then cancelled it, saying that there had been leaks, and if there are leaks, no discussions.  And I just wanted to know, the group itself is unclear who is leaking.  They think the Global Compact did.  But is that… does… has the Secretary-General… since he's come in, has he looked at this mechanism of the UN having a body that raises corporations?  And is it enough to say…

Spokesman:  The Global… first of all, we have to look in the specific case. The Global Compact has, throughout years, removed companies that have not lived up to its ideals.  I will look into the specific case you mention. 

  Hours later, nothing. Dujarric's office didn't even look it up to get the company's name, preferring to call it "inaudible." It is Vigeo Eiris. On May 15, Dujarric said"the last update I had is that we had not gotten approval from… the formality on a name to replace Mr. Ross.  We're still awaiting clearance." While pro-Morocco trolls insist this doesn't ascribe the delay to their King, in context it surely does. We'll have more on this: more questions, more stories. Watch this site.  Dujarric also, again, refused to explain the now week-long censorship of the Western Sahara stakeout of April 28. Now, after ten days of censorship, the UN has annexed the stakeout to this video and put it online, While it dispenses with pro-Morocco trolls' arguments,  explanations of the delay, and policy, remain needed. Inner City Press asked Dujarric for both and was told the UN likes to re-invent the wheel; no explanation was offered for the Turkish Cypriot Community getting their own, immediately archived UNTV stakeouts and this ten day delay. Watch this site. A ship moving phosphate taken from Western Sahara to New Zealand has been impounded in South Africa: the Marshall Islands flagged bulk carrier NM Cherry Blossom. The issue is the illegality of Morocco's exploitation of the natural resources of the Western Sahara territory it occupied, a question Inner City Press asked about at the UN Security Council stakeout on April 28, still not put online by the UN. So on May 4, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric about both issues: the ship and exploitation of Western Sahara's natural resources. On the first, Dujarric merely alluded to Antonio Guterres' report. On the UN's ongoing censorship of the April 28 Q&A stakeout including on exploitation of resources, Dujarric said he has nothing new - it's been six days and we will keep asking. At Morocco's "Universal Periodic Review" at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on May 2, the representative of the US urged  the Kingdom of Morocco to release detained journalists, and Sweden called on Morocco to respect freedom of the press. This call is apparently not heard by Morocco's Ambassador to the UN Omar Hilale, who even after Inner City Press published a blurring Morocco-AU document at his request used the UNTV microphone to claim that all of Inner City Press' publication are anti-Morocco. Nor is the call heard by the UN, which five days after the back to back stakeouts by Hilale and the Polisario representative has refused to put the latter video online. Inner City Press for the third day -- "question 228" by Hilale's count -- asked Dujarric about the delay; he again offered no explanation despite this same scenario having arisen in the past. From the May 3 UN transcript: Inner City Press: I’m sorry to ask you this again, but it’s… the stakeout took place Friday.  It’s now Wednesday.  So it’s five days later.  You’d said that it’s something working on.  I’d like you to explain it, because in April 2016, after, I think, a shorter period of time, it was decided to append the Polisario stakeout behind Algeria.  What’s the difference now?

Spokesman:  When I’m ready to have something to announce.  I will announce it and I will explain it.

Inner City Press: Does that solution…?

Spokesman:  That’s all I can say.

  Censorship. After several delays, the UN Security Council renewed for one year the mandate of its Western Sahara mission MINURSO at 6 pm on April 28. Final resolution put on Scribed by Inner City Press here. After the vote when Morocco's Permanent Representative to the UN Omar Hilale came to the UNTV stakeout, and after questions from Moroccan state media, Inner City Press asked Hilale three questions, on Horst Kohler as possible new envoy, on the C-24 Committee visiting the regions, and what Morocco had accomplished by ousting the MINURSO peacekeepers. Hilale rather than answering used the podium to, as he put it, give some statistics. 6-second Vine Camera video here.

He said that Inner City Press has asked 225 questions about the conflict in the past year - quelle horreur -- and had had the temerity to write 150 articles about it. Inner City Press pointed out that it has written more about other countries, such as these days Cameroon. But Hilale went on from there. Video here. Three days after the stakeouts, the UN Department of Public Information had put on its website only two of the three speakers that evening (May 1 photo here). So on May 1 Inner City Press asked the UN's holdover spokesman Stephane Dujarric, video here, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: This happened before, so maybe you’ll have an answer to it.  On Friday, after the meeting on Western Sahara, in the Security Council, there were three stakeouts, Morocco, Algeria and then Polisario.  And three days later, only Morocco and Algeria are up and not Polisario.  Now, the last time it took several days, and then it was appended behind Algeria.  How did the same thing happen again, or it hasn’t even been… [inaudible]

Spokesman:  I can look into it.

Inner City Press  But isn’t it… I mean, after last time…

Spokesman:  I said I would look into it.

   Seven hours later, nothing. So here is part of the video. What is wrong with the UN, and its DPI?