Banking on Dictators

During the trial, BNP’s lawyer repeatedly tried to blame others, including China. It wasn’t BNP that enabled Bashir, their argument was. It was China. It is true: when I was in South Sudan covering the UN Security Council’s whirlwind visit, we stayed in the Beijing Juba hotel. It was a collection of trailers with a narrow walkway between them. In the reception building was a large red flag, that of the People’s Republic of China. The CCP had worked with Bashir, and now with Juba. At the UN, China used NGOs like the China Energy Fund Committee to buy access – including to Chad’s oil in exchange for Chinese weapons. They bribed the PGA – and made their moves on Antonio Guterres, just before he took over as SG. Guterres was getting paid by the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, which had been founded and funded by an oil company. CEFC bid on the oil company – and Guterres never disclosed any of it on his public forms. I asked, including at the noon briefing. From July 3, 2018 on I have been unable to enter and ask anything at the noon briefing. So I cover the courts – and the BNP trial. And China is still in Sudan – it’s drones, sold to the UAE, reappear in the hands of the RSF, bombing Port Sudan and churches. Both countries are signatories to the Arms Trade Treaty, but that has no effect. And in the UN, before I was thrown out, I reported on “crowd control” and outright weapons demonstrated and for sale in the hallway between the UN General Assembly and Conference buildings. I was told it was wrong to take photos of it: weapons sales right in the UN. The stench of UN hypocrisy is still in my nostrils.