By Matthew Russell Lee, interviews I, II, video
UNITED NATIONS, September18 – 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. On September 18, four days before Paul Biya is to give a UN General Assembly speech, Inner City Press asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: on Cameroon, there was a statement about the release of some Anglophone prisoners, but there's since been… even the country's own National Commission on Human Rights was denied access to prisons. And there's a video circulating of 12 people in an underground prison, Anglophones, is the UN continuing to follow this, or do they feel that with the release of some Anglophone prisoners, the issue is solved? Spokesman: "The issue is not solved, and we continue to follow it." Follow it how? Inner City Press followed up by ask the European Commissioner for Trade, Cecilia Malmstrom, about torture by Cameroon, video here. Now with Paul Biya's army using force including live fire in Kumbo and elsewhere to try to force Anglophone children back into the schools the Biya government has destroyed, the UN is still silent. Through its belated and far too upbeat statements, the UN helps cover this up. On September 5, Inner City Press asked Secretary General Antonio Guterres' three top spokespeople in writing: "In Southern Cameroons, Paul Biya government forces have used live fire, deadly in Kumbo, to try to force Anglophones back into the schools the Yaounde government has alleged destroyed. What is the UN's comment and action, by the Resident Coordinator, Mr Fall, the DSG and SG?" More than a day later, no answer at all. So at the September 6 briefing Inner City Press asked lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric about Kumbo - nothing - and something it first tried to ask UNHCR in writing: a self-described UNHCR "Community Protection Officer" Nadine Njoya born in Yaounde calling Anglophone protesters and urging a "harder repression." Inner City Press then tweeted the photos, here.
Dujarric said he would look into it. But when Inner City Press asked again on September 7, he passed the buck to UNHCR - and the UN transcript, below, edited out Inner City Press saying it HAS asked, or tried to ask, UNHCR (by emailing the photos to Antonio Guterres former spokesperson and adviser Melissa Fleming). So Inner City Press emailed not only Ms. Fleming, the long time spokesperson for now-Secretary General Antonio Guterres, but also three other UNHCR spokespeople, and has just received the response below: "Dear Matthew, The comments posted were not a UNHCR position and were done in staff member’s personal capacity. Please note that the staff member has since deleted the post, after realizing it was inappropriate and also receiving death threats. We are sharing with you below her response on the issue. “…..I do confirm that I did a comment on Tuesday 05/09 on my personal Facebook account. That comment was to give my opinion on the content of some flyers carrying threatening messages that are currently dispatched by unknown people in my country (Cameroon). I have attached the flyers here to and as you will notice, parents are warned not to send their children to school and the unknown persons behind the flyers, clearly promise to kill the children that would be sent to school or anyone who will not comply with their “ghost town” instruction. Therefore, my comment was to condemn the authors of those 2 flyers, as I felt that the rights of the Cameroonian children to safety, life and education were violated and fear/terror among the population was disseminated! It’s unfortunate that my words were taken out of their context. I do take note of your advice and please be informed that I had to delete my Facebook account yesterday……”
