Monthly Archives: September 2018

25, September 2018

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Writer urges Senators and MPs to play their roles ⁰

Southern Cameroonian writer and peace advocate, Dr. Joachim Arrey, has called on CPDM Anglophone senators and parliamentarians to use their influence to bring about an end to the carnage that is playing out in Southern Cameroons.

In a letter to the senators and parliamentarians, Dr. Arrey urged the people’s representatives to play their roles, adding that belonging to the ruling party did not imply that they could not discuss an issue facing their constituents.

See full letter below

Dear Sir/Madam,

I have been very reluctant to write to you, hoping that somewhere your consciences will kick in to remind you of your political responsibilities towards your constituents.

But for two years now, ever since the crisis started, none of you, not even old and experienced senators like Chief Victor Mukete and Achidi Achu whose time here on earth is almost over, have been able to express regrets for what is happening in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon.

Many around the world have been wondering if the numerous lives, that are being cut short, right in front of you, do not bring any feelings of regrets. Like you, I am not for a secession, but this does not imply that you cannot use your influence to call the government to order. Are you that too hungry and blind not to see the destruction of human life that is taking place in your constituencies?

How do you then consider yourselves as representatives of this people who are being mowed down indiscriminately by government forces? Does it imply that politics has robbed you of human feelings just because you need to earn a salary?

How heartless can you be when your own grandchildren are being mowed down by army soldiers who have been sent on a special mission to kill young, able-bodied Cameroonians who are your constituents?

The country is currently in campaign mode as the date for presidential elections approaches. As usual, you are expected to go and campaign for your candidate in your constituencies. What messages will you be carrying to these people whose loved ones have been murdered and their houses burnt?

Are you going to tell them that their misfortune is an act of God and that they should accept it without question? I thought as the people’s representatives, you would intercede between them and the government. You are supposed to negotiate when there are conflicts. But for two years, you have been silent and your silence, in this case, has been interpreted as an endorsement of the killing that has left the people of Southern Cameroons in a permanent state of bereavement.

The senate and parliament are supposed to be the ultimate places where political issues are supposed to be debated with a view to seeking long-lasting solutions. While a few opposition members of parliament have sought to table this issue, you of the ruling party have been working hard to scuttle any effort aimed at seeking a peaceful and constitutional solution to an issue that has been around for decades and which is threatening our country’s territorial integrity.

How can you be comfortable in your mansions when your people are dying in their numbers? How can you be so silent when our young soldiers are being killed on a daily basis by angry fighters? Your silence is tantamount to complicity and history will be very harsh on you. You have accepted responsibilities you cannot handle and today you have exposed your constituents to the wolves.

I am writing as a concerned citizen and I accept any consequences that might come as a result of this letter. You have decided to be on the wrong side of history and you should be prepared to face the consequences. You have allowed our country to go down the drain. Your silence over this carnage is testimony to the fact that you were never really voted by this people whose only crime has been complaining about a system that is hurting them.

You had all the time to meet with your constituents when the crisis started in order to defuse the situation, but you decided to barricade yourselves in your ivory towers. You are supposed to be the medium through which the people’s complaints can reach the executive branch of government. But from every indication, you have sold your souls to the devil for miserable pieces of silver. You even celebrate when your own constituents are being gunned down. How inhuman could you be?

How many more people have to die for you to know that you have a role to play in this? In two years, we have lost some 4,000 Cameroonians, including young innocent soldiers who are simply following orders. Did we really have to go through this to keep Cameroon one and indivisible? What happened to the negotiating table that is believed to hold many solutions to any conflict? Why have you not pushed for the inclusive dialogue that the world has been calling for? Why have you failed to learn from the errors of other countries?

Though many lives have been lost, you can still make amends for your errors. The upcoming presidential election is a golden opportunity which you can seize to bring about peace in our troubled country. Your party’s presidential candidate is still seeking your votes. Why don’t you tell him that for those votes to come, the killing must stop? Can angry and grieving constituents actually give you their votes when the blood is still flowing? The answer is yours. You owe your people a duty. You are supposed to protect your people’s interest. Your failure to put their interest above yours will haunt you forever. Use this election to right some of your wrongs.

Yours Sincerely,

Dr. Joachim Arrey

About the Author: The author of this letter has served as a translator, technical writer, journalist and editor for several international organizations and corporations across the globe. He studied communication at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and technical writing in George Brown College, Toronto, Canada. He also studied translation at the Advanced School of translators and Interpreters (ASTI) in Buea, as well as Languages and Linguistics at the University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria. He holds a Ph.D.

25, September 2018

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Killings intensify as Biya plans trip to Buea ⁰

The Southern Cameroons crisis which is into its second year has intensified with government troops stationed all over the two English-speaking regions. Buea, the Southwest regional capital, is awash with soldiers and gendarmes who have been deployed to scare any Southern Cameroonian fighters who may want to disrupt preparations for the arrival of the country’s president, Paul Biya, who is also known as the monarch presiding over a criminal syndicate that has ruled the country for more than three decades.

Yesterday, two young men returning from work in Buea were gunned down by army soldiers who have unfortunately become trigger-happy. The two young were responding to calls by the region’s governor for people to go about their businesses without fear.

Similarly, a popular taxi driver in Buea was also gunned down by a soldier. It has become systematic for soldiers to kill able-bodied young men in order to intimidate the local population. Other killings have also been reported in Kumba, Bali and Bafut and this is becoming a daily affair. Most of these killings are committed by army soldiers following instructions by the Defense Minister, Joseph Beti Assoumo, and Territorial Administration Minister, Paul Atanga Nji.

Mr. Biya, who has not visited the region in years will be heading to Buea before Election Day on October 7, 2018. The visit will be within the framework of presidential campaigns that are underway in the country. While other candidates are busy canvassing for support, Mr. Biya has been hiding at the country’s presidential palace in Yaounde, encouraging his surrogates to act on his behalf as his performance over the last three decades is dismal.

Since 1992, Mr. Biya and his party have never won any election and it is rumored that results of the upcoming election are already known. The country’s election body and the Constitutional Council that releases the results are dominated by Mr. Biya’s loyalists.

According to a source close to the Unity Palace, the president would like to talk to Southern Cameroonians and he would like to use this campaign period to share his perspective on a number of things. He needs their votes and he wants to make sure he gets directly in touch with the local population.

“The chairman of our party wants to reconnect with the people. He wants to talk with Southern Cameroonians so that they can understand he has their interest at heart,” he said in a telephone conversation.

Meanwhile, a senior member of the opposition who is also aware of the president’s intention to visit Southern Cameroons has indicated that the president seems to be provoking Southern Cameroonians.

“This man is heartless. After having instructed his soldiers to kill and maim our people, he is now planning to come and talk to those who are still suffering because of the pain he has inflicted on them.”

“Is he not aware that our people have left the region because of intimidation by his forces? After having chased them out, he is now coming to talk to trees and birds just to deceive the internationals community. How bad can a man be?” he quipped.

He added that “Cameroonians have been dying and the man who is supposed to protect and reassure them has been silent for two years and he now wants to give us the impression that he cares? He does not care. He just wants to be in power even when he has not got the capacity to do so. How devilish can a man be? With a lot of blood flowing, he has been indifferent to the plight of the people.”

“Just take a look at the atrocities taking place in the country. Who is that man who can have such a heart if he is not inhabited by the devil? Yesterday, I saw videos of army soldiers forcing Sacred Heart College students to perform pornographic dances in their school. Our country has become a dangerous place even for our own children. The government has been encouraging parents to send their kids to school, but when on their way to school, the soldiers kill them. When in school, the perverts he considers as soldiers force them to perform lewd acts just to satisfy their carnal desires. Why can Mr. Biya not try to see others as human beings?” he quipped.

Since the crisis started, the country’s president has not shown any interest in settling the issues raised by Southern Cameroonians. He has never addressed the people of the region directly. On the contrary, he and his collaborators consider all English-speaking Cameroonians as terrorists.

Instead of addressing the issue, the country’s president instead declared war on the English-speaking population in January 2018 upon arrival from one of his numerous trips abroad.

While Cameroonians are dying, Mr. Biya, has been spending more time abroad because of his failing health. He has just returned from a trip abroad which took him to China and Switzerland where he stopped for a quick health fix.

Mr. Biya travelled to China some two weeks ago for the Africa-China Summit where he was supposed to persuade Chinese businesses and investors to come and invest in his war-ravaged country.

In recent years, he has also been sucking up to the Chinese government, hoping that it will grant it some loans and grants. But the Chinese are not ready to pour their money into a dry hole.

The Biya government is noted for its recklessness and even the Chinese hold that it would be foolhardy to give huge amounts of money to a government that has constantly proven that it is incapable of managing its own affairs. While in China, Mr. Biya and his entourage toured a plane manufacturing company and even signed an agreement for the purchase of a presidential jet.

But this jet will not be delivered anytime soon. Cameroon has not got the resources to make a huge down payment as requested by the Chinese. Cameroon is cash-strapped and with its economy bleeding money on a daily basis, it will be hard for the government to find the resources to meet its commitments vis-a-vis the Chinese.

The country’s traditional business partners are hastily pulling out of the country due to a brutal civil war in the two English-speaking regions which account for more than 60% of the country’s wealth. Mr. Biya and his government have been running the country like a private farm and he has been using the national treasury like his personal piggy bank. The conflict in his country has taken a turn for the worse, with many citizens fleeing the war zone.

Over the last week, residents of the two English-speaking regions have been leaving the place following threats by Southern Cameroonian fighters to implement a strict movement of goods and persons within the region from September 16, 2018 to October 7, 2018 as presidential elections approach.

The Southern Cameroons crisis that started as a demonstration by teachers and lawyers has taken a turn for the worse. The adverse impact of the conflict is now spilling over into East Cameroon and this is a nightmare to government officials who are scared of a general revolt in East Cameroon.

Food and housing prices have gone up and many cities that are receiving these displaced persons do not have the proper infrastructure to deal with such a situation. According to a Douala City Hall official, the migration of Southern Cameroonians to the city of Douala is not only costly; it is also a major risk. He pointed out that among the displaced could be the fierce fighters who may use the situation to wreak havoc on innocent citizens in the city.

The country is in a deep political and military crisis that is costing the country an arm and a leg. Cameroon needs lots of money to overcome this challenge. After having been mired in a tough military, economic and social battle for two years, the Yaoundé government is now facing serious economic and financial crisis and this is keeping the country’s officials awake all night.

The crisis pitting Southern Cameroonian separatists against the Yaoundé government has seriously eroded the government’s financial base. The fighting is expensive and it has taken a huge bite out of the government’s fragile finances.

This is weighing on the government and the operation of heavy military equipment in the jungles of Southern Cameroons is costing the government an arm and a leg. This has been compounded by the economic sabotage that Southern Cameroonian fighters have engaged in.

Over the last six months, some of the country’s major state corporations which are great money spinners have had to deal with the angst of Southern Cameroonian fighters who are determined to bring the country’s economy to its knees.

Corporations such as PAMOL and CDC all require a shot in the arm, but the cash-strapped government of Yaoundé is incapable of providing the much-needed infusion. Priming the pump of these corporations will require huge amounts of money. PAMOL has completely shot down due to increased disruption by Southern Cameroonian fighters.

Some 3,000 PAMOL workers have been rendered jobless and the corporation’s equipment is gradually rotting. Some of the palm oil production corporation’s facilities have been burned down and threats from Southern Cameroonian fighters actually made some of the workers to throw in the towel even before the corporation announced its bankruptcy.

For the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), its operation capacity has been diminished over the last seven months. Ghost town operations and violence against its workers have made it hard for the country’s second largest employer to operate at full capacity.

The separatists’ economic sabotage is actually producing the desired effect as the government has seen some of its revenue streams diminishing. With many workers laid off from these two large corporations, the government has also witnessed a huge tax base erosion. The loss of more than 3,000 workers from these two corporations implies that income taxes paid to the government have diminished.

But the collapsing of these two corporations is not the worst news the Yaoundé government will be hearing. Southern Cameroonian separatists have their eyes set on the country’s lone refinery, SONARA, which is located in the southwest port city of Limbe.

They strongly believe that if they can successfully bring down SONARA, then they will be able to force the government to the negotiating table where some of the divorce issues can be discussed and addressed.

Mr. Biya’s coming to Buea may be big news for the crime syndicate he manages. For the people of Southern Cameroons, his presence will not change anything. His wickedness has resulted in the killing of thousands of Cameroonians. Cameroonians are sick and tired of him mismanaging the country. They just want to see him out. If he is smart, he should quit while he still has some respect. Cameroon needs to take a new and different direction and Mr. Biya is certainly not the right person to steer the country into the right direction.

By Kingsley Betek in Yaounde

A Cameroon Concord News Group Production

…

25, September 2018

World Leaders Recommit to Peace in Honor of Mandela ⁰

World leaders Monday recommitted themselves to the search for peace as they gathered for a United Nations summit marking the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s birth.

The session was being held ahead of Tuesday’s start of the annual debate of the U.N. General Assembly, where most of the world’s leaders are gathered this week.

“Today, we remember a man of great wisdom, quiet dignity and towering achievement, who worked tirelessly for peace and human dignity for people everywhere,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday at the summit’s opening. “This is our organization’s purpose, and as leaders, it is our responsibility.”

Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau addresses the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit in the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Sept. 24, 2018.

South Africa also gifted the U.N. with a life-sized bronze statue of Mandela — smiling, with arms raised — which South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled just before the summit.

“He would come to represent the hopes of millions of South Africans who dreamt of a life unshackled from a system that would limit their potential and stifle their possibilities based merely on the shade of their skin,” Ramaphosa said later at the summit.

The African Union declared 2014-2024 the Nelson Mandela Decade for Reconciliation in Africa. On July 18, 1918, the man affectionately known as “Madiba” was born in the South African village of Mvezo. Mandela died five years ago. In 1994, he was elected South Africa’s first black president.

Leaders and ministers from nearly 160 countries honored Mandela’s commitment to peace and democracy and his tremendous personal sacrifices to end apartheid in his country.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, chair of the African Union Commission, spoke of how Mandela would react to the many challenges facing the world today.

“He would have certainly have said not to be fatalistic. He would have told us certainly not to abandon our struggle for life,” Faki said. “Neither would he have told us to resolve conflicts through fire and blood, nor through hatred, exclusion, repression and oppression of the other. He would have invited us to redouble our efforts — to dare to fight, to dare to win.”

Graca Machel, member of The Elders, speaks at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit during the 73rd United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sept. 24, 2018.

During his lifetime, Mandela founded an organization known as The Elders, which mobilizes former leaders to work together for peace and human rights.

Mandela’s widow, Graca Machel, who co-founded the group, declared, “It is time to say, ‘Enough is enough!'” She told leaders, “Do not let this just be another summit of statements. Bold unprecedented action must follow.”

She urged them to address root causes that fuel conflicts and put aside ego-driven decision-making and inflexible political beliefs.

“You have a moral imperative and the ability to bring the death and destruction we witness on a daily basis to an end,” Machal added. “Humankind will hold you accountable should you allow suffering to continue on your watch.”

VOA

25, September 2018

Buea: Civilians killed in French Cameroun army attack ⁰

Three teenagers, including 6 women, were killed in a Cameroon government attack on Fako County in Southern Cameroons, witnesses told Cameroon Concord News on Monday. A council worker at the local mortuary in Buea reported seeing 14 dead bodies, including the three young boys and six women.

Several Southern Cameroonians were injured in the attack as forces loyal to the Biya regime in Yaounde continued to massacre innocent Ambazonian civilians. The Fako County is under siege from the Cameroon government forces blamed for thousands of civilian deaths over the past 2 years.

The Francophone dominated army surprise attack happened in the streets of Buea. The three teenagers were killed while traveling from their car wash. According to several witness accounts, the attack started when the ruling CPDM crime syndicate announced that the 85 year-old President Biya will kick off his campaign in Buea. Heavy and light caliber gunfire was heard for several hours.

The French Cameroun military targeted areas near the University of Buea and Mile 17 in Muea that is the trading settlement of several hundred Southern Cameroons inhabitants.

By Asu Vera Eyere and Sama Ernest

25, September 2018

Trump and Macron seek to smooth over differences ahead of UN General Assembly ⁰

Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump sought common ground on points of contention when they met Monday evening in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, France’s Elysée Palace said.

Meeting for almost an hour, the French and US presidents discussed a range of topics including Syria, Iran and disagreements over trade.

Trump said before the conversation that the two men have had “some very good experiences” but acknowledged, “On occasion not so good, but 99 percent very good.”

With US Vice President Mike Pence and the countries’ respective diplomacy chiefs looking on, the French and American leaders shook hands twice before the cameras, the gestures noticeably less effusive on this occasion than they have been during past encounters between the two presidents.

“We are here to obtain results,” said Macron, citing areas including security, the fight against terrorism and the Middle East.

A source close to the French presidency told Agence France-Presse that there are “differing points of view” between Washington and Paris on certain issues “but more on the approach and the method than on the objectives”. The source noted that “there are no new issues of confrontation” compared to last year’s annual United Nations gathering.

Trump is expected to visit France in November to commemorate the centenary of the end of World War I. Macron and Trump will each address the UN General Assembly on Tuesday morning in New York.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and AP)

25, September 2018

Modric beats Salah, Ronaldo to Best FIFA Men’s Player 2018 ⁰

Croatian international and Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric has been named the best footballer for the year 2018 by football’s world governing body, FIFA. Modric beat off competition from Egypt and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and his former teammate and Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

Modric, was an integral part of Madrid’s Champions League winning team, before leading his national side to runners-up position at the 2018 World Cup. He has adjudged the best player at the tournament in Russia.

It is the second major award that Modric has beaten the duo to. In August this year at an event in Monaco, Modric was named Europe’s best player.

The awards were presented at this season’s Champions’ League group-stage draw. The trophy returned to Madrid given that the holder till then was Ronaldo, who left Madrid to join Turin side, Juventus.

The Portuguese, who has three wins in total, and is the only player to have made the shortlist every year since UEFA created the award in 2011.

Salah’s one win, double loss

Egyptian international Mohamed Salah won the best goal award at the 2018 FIFA top awards ceremony. The event took place in London on Monday evening.

The Liverpool player’s goal against Merseyside rivals, Everton, in the Premier League was adjudged the best goal and winner of the Puskas Award.

The FIFA Puskás Award is an award established on 20 October 2009 at the behest of then-president Sepp Blatter, in order to award the player, male or female, judged to have scored the most aesthetically significant, or “most beautiful”, goal of the year.

Others awards given out so far are:

Didier Deschamps, Winner of #TheBest FIFA Men’s Coach 2018

Thibaut Courtois, Winner of #TheBest FIFA Goalkeeper 2018

Reynald Pedros, Winner of #TheBest FIFA Women’s Coach 2018

Kylian Mbappe, Winner of #TheBest FIFA Young Player 2018

Peru fans, Winner of #TheBest FIFA Fan Award 2018

Lennart Thy, Winner of The FIFA Fair Play Award 2018

Marta, Winner of #TheBest FIFA Women’s Player 2018

Culled from Africa News

24, September 2018

October 7: Biya facing political amateurs ⁰

Cameroon will head to the polls on October 7, to decide who will captain the country for another 7 years. According to an official list published by Elections Cameroon, 28 candidacy files were received by the commission that was charged with receiving files at the ELECAM headquarters and in Regional Delegations.

The elections governing body, ELECAM, on August 7, 2018 published a list of 9 candidates including the incumbent president, Paul Biya who is seeking another 7 years term to continue his 35 years rule over the country.

This year’s presidential poll seems to be very different from previous elections the country has witnessed considering the reduced number of candidates to take part in the elections and the insecurity which has plagued the country for over two years.

Get to know the Presidential Candidates

Biya will be facing political amateurs in the upcoming elections and an opposition which has failed despite several attempts to present a united front to challenge his candidacy.

Joshua Osih was picked on February 24 as the flag-bearer of the main opposition party, the Social Democratic Front, to replace Ni John Fru Ndi who has over the years been the strongest candidate to face Biya.

Akere Muna, and a host of others; Libii Li Ngue Cabril, Matomba Serge Espoir, Kamto Maurine and Njifor Afamwi will also be testing the waters for the very first time.

Paul Barthélemy Biya’a bi Mvondo

Paul Biya, Cameroonian native who hail from the South was born on 13 February 1933, in the village of Mvomeka’a.

He studied at the Lycée General Leclerc, Yaounde and the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, Paris and went on to the Institut des hautes études d’Outre-Mer where he graduated in 1961 with a Higher Education Diploma in Public Law.

He became a bureaucrat in his late 20’s under President Ahmadou Ahidjo.

He was Chargé de Mission at the Presidency of the Republic upon his return from Paris in October 1962 and Director of Cabinet of the Minister of National Education, Youth Affairs and Culture in January 1964.

He was named Director of Cabinet of the Minister of National Education, Youth Affairs and Culture in July 1965 and later Director of the Civil Cabinet of the President in December 1967

While still serving as Director of the Civil Cabinet, Biya was appointed Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Republic in January 1968.

He gained the rank of Minister in August 1968 and the rank of Minister of State in June 1970, while remaining Secretary-General at the Presidency.

Following the creation of a unitary state in 1972, he became Prime Minister of Cameroon on 30 June 1975.

Ahidjo unexpectedly announced his resignation on 4 November 1982, and Biya accordingly succeeded him as President of Cameroon on 6 November.

Joshua Osih

Joshua Osih joined the Social Democratic Front (SDF) in March 1991 in Douala.

In 2002 he was elected regional chairman of the Social Democratic Front for the South West region.

In 2006, he was elected 2nd Vice Chairman of the party.

In 2012 and 2018 he was voted in both instances as 1st Vice Chairman of the party. At the 2018 Extra-ordinary convention of the party that concludes the party’s primaries, he was chosen as the SDF’s presidential candidate for the 2018 presidential election of Cameroon to be held in October 2018.

Osih holds an MBA in Leadership and Sustainability, and has more than 25 years of experience in the aviation industry, notably in operations and management.

His is an established entrepreneur in Cameroon and is the founder and managing director of the notable companies including Camport PLC and Africa Travel Management.

Osih is a Member of the Cameroon Parliament for the Wouri Centre constituency in Douala.

He serves both as Vice President of the Finance and Budget Committee of the National Assembly, and Special Rapporteur for the National Assembly.

He is Deputy General Rapporteur in charge of state income, Vice Coordinator of the Hope for the Youth caucus, and a member of multiple parliamentary friendship groups.

Born on 9 December 1968, the 49-year-old lawmaker and native of the South West Region is married to Tina Osih with 3 sons.

Akere Muna

Akere Tabeng Muna is a Cameroonian lawyer who was born on August 1952 in the North-West region of Cameroon.

He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in International Relations in 1975 from the American University in Washington, D.C. and later moved to England, where he joined the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn.

After he was called to the Bar in England in 1978, he returned to Cameroon, and joined the legal practice of his brother, Bernard Muna. In 1984, the legal practice was converted into a law firm called Muna, Muna & Associates.

In 1997, he assumed the presidency of the Cameroon Bar Association after a landslide victory.

In 2000, Akere Muna founded the Cameroon chapter of the anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International.

In 2004, Akere was elected to the Board of Directors of Transparency International and was later designated as the Coordinator of the Coalition of African Chapters of TI.

In 2005, he was elected Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of TI and he stepped down in 2014, after serving the maximum number of terms.

He was thereafter appointed by the Board of Directors of TI as Chair of the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) Council.

Akere Muna was a founding member of the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), and in July 2005, he was unanimously elected president of the organisation by the heads of the various African bar associations.

In September 2008, Akere Muna was president of ECOSOCC and in 2012, he became a member of the High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa, a body established by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

On February 11, 2013, the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) approved the appointment of Akere Muna as Sanctions Commissioner of the African Development Bank.

Akere Muna is married to Beverly Bird, and a father of two daughters, Lydia Muna and Kandi Muna.

Adamou Ndam Njoya

Adamou Ndam Njoya is a Cameroonian politician, lawyer, author, and professor.

He is the President of the Cameroon Democratic Union (UDC), an opposition party

He served as the Minister of National Education from 1977 to 1980, and has been the Mayor of Foumban since 1996.

From 1997 to 2007 he was a Deputy in the National Assembly.

He became Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1969 to 1970 and joined the faculty of law at the University of Yaoundé in 1970.

Njoya worked for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Cameroon as director of the diplomatic training program from 1970 to 1972.

He was instrumental in the creation of the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC) where he served as its first director from 1972 to 1975.

He became a member of the Economic and Social Council of Cameroon in 1974, and he was then appointed as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs on 30 June 1975.

In December 1977, Ndam Njoya was appointed Minister of National Education. In July 1980, he was appointed Minister Delegate at the Presidency for General Inspection of State and Administrative Reforms.

Dismissed from government in 1982, Ndam Njoya focused on his writing and teaching as well as donating his time to philanthropic endeavors.

He later served as a member of the Executive Bureau of UNESCO from 1985 to 1989, and was the President of the Jury of the Grand Prix of Literary Associations 2014.

Ndam Njoya was born at Njika, Foumban, West Province, Cameroon, on 8 May 1942.

He is a holder of an MA and a PhD degree in public international law and political science at the University of Paris (Panthéon).

He studied diplomacy at the Institut International d’Administration Publique (IIAP), followed by three internships, with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the French Embassy in London, and with International Organizations at the United Nations European office in Geneva.

Culled from Africa News

24, September 2018

Nelson Mandela statue to be erected at U.N. headquarters ⁰

South Africa’s anti-apartheid hero and first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela will be honored at the United Nations General Assembly, with a statue erected in the organization’s headquarters.

Over 150 speakers are expected to participate in a peace summit held in Mandela’s honour on Monday, where the global icon’s role in fighting for justice and peace around the world will be recognised.

The 1.9m statue of Mandela, born 100 years ago, with arms outstretched at the U.N. building in New York, once unveiled be the first time a statue of a person will reside in the United Nations headquarters.

At the peace summit and the General Assembly, world leaders will address the planet’s pressing problems: war, poverty, disease, migration and climate change.

Emulating Nelson Mandela

The United Nations is declaring 2019-2028 as the “Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace,” and a declaration being adopted at Monday’s peace summit connects his qualities of humility, forgiveness and compassion to U.N. goals, including disarmament, human rights and poverty alleviation.

The declaration’s signatories recognise “that the world has changed significantly since the founding of the United Nations, and acknowledge that global peace eludes us to this day,” it says.

It goes ahead to praise South Africa, remembering the country’s dismantling of its nuclear weapons program toward the end of apartheid and Mandela’s appeal for the “total elimination of nuclear weapons.”

Monday is also a public holiday in South Africa, Heritage Day, introduced when Mandela was president to celebrate the country’s cultural diversity.

Source: Africa News

24, September 2018

Foreign ministers vow to champion women’s rights at first all-female summit ⁰

Female foreign ministers meeting in Canada for the first summit of its kind vowed on Saturday to bring a “women’s perspective” to foreign policy. The two-day meeting, which began Friday in Montreal and brought together more than half of the world’s top women diplomats, focused on topics such as conflict prevention, democratic growth and eliminating gender-based violence.

“This meeting represented a historic occasion,” said Canada’s top diplomat Chrystia Freeland, who also took the opportunity to announce the creation of Canada’s first ambassador for women, peace and security.

“This is not about creating a pink ghetto. This is quite to the contrary. This is about highlighting the importance and the role and the rights of women and girls in the world,” Freeland said.

“It’s about talking about the ways women in leadership positions can be particularly engaged in championing those rights,” she added.

Feminist foreign policy

The idea of feminist foreign policy was first coined by Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, another summit attendee, who published a handbook in August that shares the lessons and examples from her four years in office.

“In a worsening climate where human rights and women’s and girls’ rights are increasingly questioned and threatened, and in a world of shrinking democratic space, a feminist foreign policy is needed more than ever,” said Wallström.

Canada has embraced the policy too. Freeland, appointed by self-proclaimed feminist Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has overseen the renaming of Canada’s foreign aid programme in 2017. Now known as the Feminist International Assistance Policy, it “targets the empowerment of women and girls”.

But some civil society leaders haven’t been seduced by the spin. “Don’t just call it feminist – don’t just put the label on it,” said Beth Woroniuk from MATCH International Women’s Fund, one of 10 civil society leaders who met with the foreign ministers during the summit.

“We will be measuring you by your actions, we will be measuring your investments, we will be measuring and monitoring coherence across all areas,” Woroniuk said. “Because it makes no sense to have an initiative with women human rights defenders and then support for a Canadian mining company that makes life difficult for those defenders. It makes no sense to say that we believe in women’s human rights and then sell arms to Saudi Arabia.”

Planting a seed

The ministers will share their takeaways from the event during meetings taking place as part of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in the coming week.

The diplomatic chiefs from 17 countries promised to meet regularly — albeit informally — within the next year. “We planted a seed that will grow into, I believe, a plant with beautiful flowers,” said European Union diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini, who co-led the meeting with Freeland.

In addition to Freeland and Mogherini, the conference brought together ministers from Andorra, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Kenya, Namibia, Norway, Panama, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, South Africa and Sweden.

At the end of the summit, a dozen of the participants symbolically placed flowers on headstones erected in a Montreal park to commemorate 14 women killed in 1989 at the Ecole Polytechnique engineering school. The shooting, in which 14 other women were injured, was classified as a hate crime.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

24, September 2018

Understanding Southern Cameroons vicious war of secession ⁰

A vicious war of secession has ravaged the two Anglophone regions of Cameroon since January 2018. Non-state militias warring with the government aim to create an independent Ambazonian state. While central Africa has seen its share of wars of secession (the majority of which culminate in an agreement between the parties), aspects of Cameroon’s secessionists distinguish them, and this war, from others.

To refer to the group in public by the wrong name amidst the wrong strangers could invite a beating or even one’s murder. Therefore, in public civilians refer to secessionists as the Amba, or the Amba Boys. Privately, those who support the secessionists refer to them as freedom fighters, restoration forces, or, the army. Those who oppose them refer to them as the boys, the Ambazonians, and the terrorists.

But Anglophone Cameroonians overwhelmingly view secessionists positively. This is so even when they object to their tactics. For instance, secessionists call for Ghost Towns, or city-wide strikes every Monday. They call, too, for boycotting all primary and secondary schools. A secondary school teacher in the Southwest Anglophone capital region of Buea noted, “I don’t agree with preventing children from going to school, but I support the secessionists’ aims. Therefore, I tolerate it.” Others, like this 35-year-old entrepreneur in Buea, say, “I completely support all actions the freedom fighters take, and I am honored to keep my daughter from school. Students are just pawns of the Cameroonian president.” When asked whether targeting children and teachers was legitimate he added, “Yes, they are supporting the Biya regime.”

This perspective is not limited to the Anglophone regions. Anglophones in Francophone Cameroon like this cab driver in the country’s largest city, Douala, say, “Francophone Cameroonians do not understand the Anglophones’ plight. They assume everything the freedom fighters do is bad. They never listen to us, and cannot be trusted, so, independence is our only option.”

During the first few months of the conflict, the secessionists generally targeted only those who disobeyed their orders, or who they suspected had government affiliations. This has changed drastically in recent months. In villages and cities spanning both Anglophone regions, the secessionists extort, kidnap, and rape civilians. Public opinion seems increasingly impervious to such offenses. The secessionists lack a central command, and so when rape or extortion occurs people are quick to pin it on imposters, not the real secessionists.

Such deflections are not entirely without merit. There are more than 20 secessionist groups fighting in the two Anglophone regions at the time of this writing in September of 2018. The majority of these arose during the summer, correlating directly with the violence spike against civilians. Additionally, the so-called interim Ambazonian government has condemned all attacks and denied all responsibility. Such refutations are near impossible to verify given the informal secessionist structure which often as not is controlled from outside Cameroon.

Interestingly, purported, legitimate secessionists have punished others for abusing civilians. In August, secessionist leaders in Buea apprehended, publicly beat, and disposed of four people. The four were extorting locals supposedly on behalf of the secessionists. At the same time, however, individuals claiming separatist affiliations continue extorting civilians without punishment.

Which brings us to this tale’s central oddity: Anglophone Cameroonians attribute magical powers, or juju, to those who they believe to be legitimate secessionist fighters. They believe secessionist fighters adhere to strict codes of conduct that abhor rape, murder, and extortion. They believe in return for abiding by these rules the secessionists can shapeshift and are impervious to bullets and knives. The Cameroonian military has repeatedly turned its weapons over to secessionist fighters without a fight. Secessionist fighter deaths fail to dispel the illusion. They are proof that the fighters broke the conduct code or were illegitimate secessionists in the first place. As Cameroon’s crisis worsens, understanding the socio-cultural underpinnings of the conflict remains critical.

Source: Modern Ghana