Monthly Archives: February 2026

28, February 2026

Sona Ngoh Appointed to the Board of Ziaur Rahman International Research Centre ⁰

The Ziaur Rahman International Research Centre (ZRIRC) has announced the appointment of Sona Ngoh to its Board as a member of its international advisory panel, recognising his extensive professional experience and longstanding commitment to public service. He was elected from a pool of more than 100 nominees with another African MP and lawyer from Zambia, Mr Jeffery Mulebwa. Another Cameroonian, the economist, academic and former banker, Dr Rexon Nting, sits on the board as a member of the editorial committee.

Sona Ngoh is a distinguished chartered accountant with more than two decades of experience in auditing, taxation, and corporate finance. Throughout his career, he has consistently championed fiscal discipline, accountability, and transparency across both private and public sector roles. His strong command of financial systems has enabled him to contribute to sound economic management and responsible governance.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mr Ngoh serves as Vice President of the Committee for Finance, Infrastructure, Planning, and Economic Development at the South West Regional Assembly in Cameroon.

In this capacity, he has supported policies aimed at strengthening institutional accountability, encouraging sustainable development, and promoting economic growth for the benefit of local communities.

Mr Ngoh, as discussed by the board Chairman, Dr Mushfiqur Rahman, also brings valuable insight into governance, democracy, and human rights, developed through both research and practical engagement.

His interest in transparent institutions and inclusive development aligns closely with the centre’s mission to promote research, dialogue, and good governance.

His appointment to the Board is expected to enhance the centre’s strategic direction and strengthen its commitment to promote accountability, research excellence, and international collaboration.

He is likewise anticipated to leverage his role to deepen partnerships and commercial ties between Cameroon and Bangladesh. This will require him to frequently lead trade delegations to Bangladesh, as well as facilitate visits by Bangladeshi investors and business leaders to Cameroon and the broader sub-region that are keen to explore investment opportunities there.

He is expected in London soon for a meeting at the House of Commons with other board members.

The Ziaur Rahman International Research Centre was established as a Think Tank in London by scholars, former and current government officials, business figures, and supporters of Bangladesh who sought to honour the outstanding leadership of Ziaur Rahman, the former President and military leader of Bangladesh and founder of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. His son, Tarique Rahman, won the elections this February 2026 and now serves as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Following Ziaur Rahman’s assassination, his wife, Khaleda Zia, served as Prime Minister for many years.

By our London Correspondent

28, February 2026

Iran launches missile, drone strikes against Israel in response to US-Israeli aggression ⁰

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has announced the launch of a massive wave of missile and drone strikes against targets inside the Israeli-occupied territories, after Israel and the US initiated military assault against Iran.

In a statement on Saturday, the IRGC said it launched the first wave of Iran’s extensive missile and drone strikes targeting the occupied territories in response to the “aggression by the hostile and criminal enemy.”

The IRGC said they had targeted the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, other American interests in the Persian Gulf and Israel.

Explosions were also heard over central Doha and near Al-Udeid military base, the largest US facility in the region.

Iran’s region wide missile salvo could be heard in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE, as well as Israel and Iraq, in the hours following the first strikes, after it had repeatedly vowed to retaliate fiercely should it be attacked.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli regime and the United States launched unprovoked assaults targeting several cities in Iran, including the capital Tehran.

On Saturday morning, a number of loud explosions were heard in Tehran, Isfahan, Qom, Karaj, Tabriz, and Kermanshah.

A strike on a school in southern country of Minab in Iran killed at least 24 civilians and injured 45.

Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, the UAE and Israel all closed their airspaces to civilian traffic, at least in part, and multiple airlines cancelled flights to the Middle East.

US embassies in the Persian Gulf region urged American citizens to take shelter.

Source: Presstv

27, February 2026

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Situation Report ⁰

The security situation in the North-West and South-West regions remained tense in December. This period has been marked by frequent and intense violent clashes between non-state armed groups (NSAGs) and state security forces (SSF), leaving the security and humanitarian situation very fragile and volatile. Drawing towards the end of the year, multiplicity of illegal check points led to a high rate of extortion from the civilian population by NSAGs in the name of “Liberation tax” across most of the divisions in the two regions. Also, there has been an increase in arbitrary arrest, kidnapping for ransom, including some government current and former officials.

Over 14 incidents involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs) targeting government officials and military convoys were recorded in the North-West and South-West regions. One of these incidents involved IED targeting the convoy of the Donga Mantung Senior Divisional Officer, while another IED detonated beside a military base in Bamenda 1 subdivision targeting a senior SSF official in the North-West region. Another IED detonated against a SSF vehicle travelling along the Mundemba- Bulu road (Mundemba subdivision) in the South-West region. The use of IEDs in public places and on busy highways largely increases fear and poses high risk to civilian populations.

Continuous violence resulted in multiple population displacements with over 2,072 people from 400 households reportedly displaced to nearby bushes, villages, and towns from Donga-Mantung, Bui, and Mezam divisions, in the North-West and Manyu division in the South-West region with Bui, Manyu and Donga Mantung divisions being the most affected respectively. The displacements expose the affected communities to major protection risks among others, as they move to and from their homes seeking safety and protection, placing additional burdens on communities that are already very fragile.

Access was constrained due to insecurity and multiple informal check points with strict verification of “liberation tax” receipts, as well as imposition of large sums on road users including pedestrians. These restricted movements narrowed the humanitarian space and negatively affected response activities. With coordination support from OCHA, humanitarian partners mobilized to carry out needs assessment in preparation for a potential response to the affected population.

Source: reliefweb

27, February 2026

Ambazonia crisis reaches unenviable decade milestone ⁰

Ten years after it began, the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon is worsening and continues to be one of the most under-reported conflicts in the world.

The conflict, which has been ravaging the North-West and South-West regions, started in late 2016 and has grown into the worst crisis in the Central African country post-independence.

Pitting militants agitating for the autonomy of the English-speaking regions citing marginalisation by the French-speaking-dominated government, it has exposed civilians to human rights abuses.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) reports how the security situation remains tense, marked by frequent and intense violent clashes between non-state armed groups (NSAGs) and state security forces (SSF), leaving the security and humanitarian situation very fragile and volatile.

The UNOCHA notes that drawing towards the end of the year, multiplicity of illegal checkpoints led to a high rate of extortion from the civilian population by NSAGs in the name of “Liberation tax” across most of the divisions in the two volatile regions.

“Also, there has been an increase in arbitrary arrest, kidnapping for ransom, including some current and former officials,” said a spokesperson.

In December, according to the UN agency’s statistics, at least 14 incidents involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were reported in the North-West and South-West.

More than 2 000 people were reportedly displaced from 400 homes.

Humanitarian agencies decry how the displacements expose the affected communities to major protection risks among others, as they move to and from their homes seeking safety and protection, placing additional burdens on communities that are already very fragile.

Access during December was constrained due to insecurity and multiple informal check points with strict verification of “liberation tax” receipts, as well as imposition of large sums on road users including pedestrians.

“These restricted movements narrowed the humanitarian space and negatively affected response activities,” UNOCHA stated.

The crisis began as peaceful strikes and protests by English-speaking lawyers and teachers against the alleged “Francophonisation” of the legal and educational systems in Anglophone regions.

This situation escalated into an armed conflict between the military and separatist groups following a violent government crackdown in late 2016 and early 2017.

Separatists declared the symbolic independence of “Ambazonia.”

Independent since 1961 and previously a German colony, Cameroon was colonised by both Britain and France following the defeat of Germany in World War I.

Eight of Cameroon’s ten regions are predominantly Francophone.

Around 80 percent of the country of 30 million people is French-speaking.

Source: CAJ News

26, February 2026

Epstein probe: Bill and Hillary Clinton to testify before Congress ⁰

Bill and Hillary Clinton will testify in a US House investigation surrounding deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a spokesman for the ex-president said, heading off a potential vote to hold the couple in contempt.

They had originally refused to appear before lawmakers examining how authorities handled earlier investigations into the disgraced financier, who had connections and correspondence with the world’s business and political elite.

“The former President and former Secretary of State will be there. They look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone,” Angel Urena said on X.

The House Rules Committee had advanced resolutions accusing the Clintons of defying subpoenas to appear in person to explain their links to Epstein, who died in custody in 2019.

The Epstein affair continues to cast a long shadow over Washington, entangling some of the most prominent names in US politics and highlighting the sharp partisan battles that have shaped the scandal.

Democrats say the probe is being weaponised to attack political opponents of President Donald Trump – himself a longtime Epstein associate who has not been called to testify – rather than to conduct legitimate oversight.

Trump spent months trying to block the disclosure of investigative files linked to Epstein, who moved in elite circles for years, cultivating ties with billionaires, politicians, academics and celebrities.

Democratic divisions

Neither Trump nor the Clintons have been accused of criminal wrongdoing related to Epstein’s activities.

In letters where they initially refused to appear in Washington, the Clintons had argued that the subpoenas were invalid because they lacked a clear legislative purpose.

Republicans say the Democratic couple’s past links to the business tycoon, including Bill Clinton’s use of his private jet in the early 2000s, justify in person questioning under oath.

Instead, the couple submitted sworn written statements describing their knowledge of Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking.

Bill Clinton acknowledged flying on Epstein’s plane for Clinton Foundation-related humanitarian work, but said he never visited his private island.

Hillary Clinton said she had no meaningful interactions with Epstein, never flew on his plane and never visited his island.

The contempt vote and its targeting of the Clintons could have exposed divisions among congressional Democrats.

Some Democrats have privately acknowledged that their party has long argued no one should be beyond scrutiny in efforts to uncover the full scope of Epstein’s crimes.

But others feared that advancing the contempt resolutions would have played into a partisan strategy to shift attention away from Trump’s past contacts with Epstein.

The Justice Department released last week what it said would be the final batch of files related to the investigation into Epstein.

Source: AFP

26, February 2026

UN condemns death of opposition figure Anicet Ekane in custody ⁰

The United Nations said Friday it was “appalled” by the death in custody of Cameroonian opposition figure Anicet Ekane, who had been arrested in late October.

The left-wing nationalist politician, who died on Monday, was arrested in Douala on October 24, on the eve of the publication of presidential election results that returned 92-year-old Paul Biya to power for an eighth mandate.

The exact circumstances of Ekane’s death in detention in Yaounde remain unclear. He was 74 and led the African Movement for the New Independence of Cameroon (Manidem) party for several years.

“We’re appalled by the death in detention of opposition leader Anicet Ekane and concerned for the wellbeing of protesters detained following the presidential election,” the UN human rights office said on X.

“The authorities must ensure the investigation they have announced is thorough and impartial and results in full accountability.

“All protesters arbitrarily arrested must be immediately and unconditionally released,” it added.

Ekane was close to fellow opposition figure Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who contested Biya’s 43-year grip on power in the October 12 election.

Along with other political leaders, Ekane was arrested for publicly supporting Bakary’s self-proclaimed presidential victory ahead of the publication of official results.

Ekane, whose death triggered a groundswell of reactions on social media, ran as Manidem’s presidential candidate in 2004 and 2011.

Source: Mwanzotv

25, February 2026

Pope Leo to visit Yaoundé, Bamenda and Douala from April 15 to 18 ⁰

Pope Leo XIV will visit four African nations in April, the Vatican said Thursday, including Algeria – the first time a pope will travel to the North African Muslim nation.

The Vatican announced a series of international trips in the months ahead for the US pontiff, who was elected last year, including to Spain and Monaco.

But the official trip to Algeria, which will see Leo visit Algiers and Annaba from April 13 to 15, will be particularly symbolic.

Algeria is the birthplace of the fifth-century St Augustine and the pope belongs to the Augustinian order, which was founded in the 13th century.

Islam is the state religion but the constitution guarantees freedom of worship, subject to approval by the authorities for the place of worship and the preacher.

Leo’s visit, which is expected to focus on interfaith dialogue, comes 30 years after the beheading of seven French Trappist monks from a monastery during the 1990s civil war.

The head of the Catholic Church will then visit Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

Leo will visit Yaounde, Bamenda and Douala from April 15 to 18, then Luanda, Muxima and Saurimo between April 18 and 21, before travelling to Malabo, Mongomo and Bata between April 21 and 23.

The pope is likely to appeal for peace and dialogue while in Angola and Cameroon, where long-running separatist struggles continue to kill civilians.

Monaco, Spain

Before his trip to Africa, the pontiff will visit Monaco for a day, the Vatican said.

The visit to the principality on the French riviera will take place on March 28 and will be the first papal trip to the city state in modern times.

A statement from the principality in the name of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene said it would be “a historic moment for Monaco and stand as a strong sign of hope, in a spirit of dialogue, peace, and shared responsibility”.

Leo will also visit Spain from June 6 to 12.

The Vatican News website said he would first visit the capital Madrid, and then travel to Barcelona, where he will inaugurate the newest and tallest tower of the Sagrada Familia Basilica.

The visit marks 100 years since the death of its Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi, who was declared “venerable” by the Catholic Church in 2025, the first step on the path to sainthood.

Leo will then travel to the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of West Africa, a key point on the migration route to Europe.

The American pope, who became head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics in May, is a vocal defender of migrants, an issue which was also dear to his predecessor Pope Francis.

While in the Canary Islands, Leo will visit Tenerife and Gran Canaria, Vatican News said.

The announcements of the trips follow news the pope will visit a series of areas within Italy in the coming months, including the island of Lampedusa.

Source: AFP

25, February 2026

Yaoundé grants traditional chiefs power to issue provisional land certificates ⁰

Starting April 1, 2026, the Cameroonian government will allow third-degree traditional chiefs to issue provisional land certificates for portions of national land.

In a circular dated February 20, Minister of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure Henri Eyebe Ayissi introduced two documents intended to establish “initial proof of the occupation or exploitation of a parcel of national land by the applicant.”

The two documents are the Certificate of Recognition of Customary Land Rights (ARDFC) and the Certificate of Peaceful Enjoyment of Land (AJPTER). According to the circular, the ARDFC and AJPTER are “intermediate documents in the process of obtaining a land title, which is the official certification of real estate ownership.” Their introduction is described as part of an effort to align national practices with international standards in land governance.

The ARDFC is intended to promote land rights of customary communities, family groups and their members. The AJPTER seeks to strengthen protection of land occupation and use rights for individuals actively exploiting the land.

Issuance Assigned to Third-Degree Chiefs

The ministry specifies that these certificates will be issued by third-degree traditional chiefs within national land located in their areas of jurisdiction. One objective is to strengthen the role of traditional authorities in preventing and resolving land disputes involving national land.

The measure also aims to provide customary communities, family groups and land occupants with provisional instruments recognized by traditional authorities, confirming customary possession or peaceful enjoyment pending, where applicable, completion of the formal land title process.

Eligibility Conditions

Customary communities, family groups or their members, as well as holders of customary land rights, are the only parties authorized to request an ARDFC for national land they occupy or exploit.

The AJPTER may be requested by Cameroonian nationals who have demonstrably developed the land and who reside within a customary community, family group or village. It requires at least five years of proven development and peaceful occupation or use.

The minister stresses that these certificates apply only to occupied or exploited land classified as first-category national land. Vacant land, land free of occupation, or land that has not been developed is excluded.

Through these new instruments, the government says it intends to safeguard the vital space of customary communities by initiating a land security process while preventing disputes. The measures are also designed to strengthen recognition and protection of customary land rights for occupants, users and land developers.

Source: Business in Cameroon

25, February 2026

Biya regime orders 3,442 teachers to prove status or face payroll removal ⁰

Secondary Education Minister Nalova Lyonga on February 23 published a list of 3,442 teachers ordered to report to “door 507 bis” of her ministry within fourteen days. Those concerned must present “supporting documents confirming their current administrative status, failing which they will be simply and outright removed from the state payroll,” she said.

The summons follows a data collection exercise conducted by the Ministry of Finance through Cameroon’s airports. An analysis of travel records showed that the officials had traveled outside Cameroon in recent years. According to sources familiar with the matter, the objective is now to verify that they have returned to the country and are effectively present at their assigned posts.

Emigration to Canada in the Background

The operation comes amid continued emigration, particularly to Canada. In recent years, many Cameroonian teachers have left their posts to seek better opportunities abroad while continuing to receive salaries in Cameroon. For the state, the issue is also fiscal: such situations create budgetary losses and weaken the continuity of public education services.

Removing teachers who have emigrated to Canada or other countries from the payroll is part of the broader Physical Headcount of State Personnel (Coppe). Launched in 2018, the initiative aims to eliminate public employees who are illegally listed on the state payroll.

According to the Ministry of Finance, Coppe has already led to the removal of 10,000 fictitious public employees from the payroll, generating annual budget savings of about CFA30 billion since 2019. On November 27, 2025, at the National Assembly, Public Service Minister Joseph Lé also announced that, under the same operation, around 6,000 civil servants had been dismissed from the public service following disciplinary proceedings.

Source: Business in Cameroon

25, February 2026

Ngarbuh massacre trial short on justice ⁰

The lenient prison terms for defendants on trial for the February 2020 massacre in Ngarbuh, in Cameroon’s North-West region, compounds the authorities’ insufficient efforts to hold senior military officers accountable and compensate victims’ families, Human Rights Watch said today.

On February 20, 2026, a military court in Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé, sentenced three security force members and a pro-government militia member who was tried in absentia for the killing of 21 people—as well as other abuses—by the military and Fulani militiamen in Ngarbuh on February 14, 2020. The court handed down sentences of between 5 and 10 years and modest fines.

“Prosecutors did not pursue any evidence about who planned and ordered the killings,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The failure of Cameroon’s prosecutors and judiciary to investigate those bearing command responsibility, combined with the denial of reparations, exacerbates the suffering of victims’ families.”

The trial, which lasted more than five years, was marred by serious shortcomings. Authorities never arrested or charged senior officers who authorized and oversaw the operation. Seventeen ethnic Fulani militiamen accused of murder remain at large. Victims’ families had only limited access to and participation in the proceedings, key evidence was excluded, and the court rejected claims for compensation.

Human Rights Watch research found that government forces and allied ethnic Fulani militiamen killed 21 people in Ngarbuh, including 13 children and a pregnant woman. The assailants also burned at least five homes, looted dozens of properties, and beat residents during what appeared to be a reprisal operation against a community suspected of harboring separatist fighters. Since 2016, brutalviolence has engulfed Cameroon’s Anglophone North-West and South-West regions, where armed separatist groups are seeking independence.

Initially, the government denied any involvement of its forces in the killings and publicly discredited human rights groups, United Nations agencies, and media outlets that reported on the massacre. On March 1, 2020, following domestic and internationalpressure, President Paul Biya established a commission of inquiry.

The commission concluded that security forces and members of “local vigilance groups” carried out a reconnaissance operation in Ngarbuh, where they confronted separatist fighters, killing five. In the ensuing violence, 13 civilians were killed. The commission found that soldiers then attempted to cover up the killings by burning homes and filing a false report.

President Biya ordered disciplinary proceedings against the commander of the 52nd Motorized Infantry Battalion (Bataillon d’Infanterie Motorisé, BIM), who had authorized the operation, as well as criminal proceedings against three members of the security forces—two lower-ranking soldiers and a gendarme—who were arrested in June 2020.

The trial opened on December 17, 2020. The defendants included the three security force members—Baba Guida, Gilbert Haranga, and Cyrille Sanding Sanding—and the 17 ethnic Fulani militiamen. Only one of them, Tata Nfor, also known as “Bullet,” was identified by name and tried in absentia.

On January 15, 2026, the court convicted the three soldiers and Nfor as co-perpetrators in murder, arson, and destruction; Guida and Sanding were also convicted of disobeying orders and Haranga of disobeying orders and violence against a pregnant woman.

On February 20, the court sentenced Haranga and Nfor to 10 years in prison, Guida to 8 years, and Sanding to 5 years. Each was also fined 183,100 CFA francs (about US$328).

Under Cameroon’s penal code, murder is punishable by life in prison, and co-perpetrators are subject to the same penalties as principal offenders unless otherwise provided by law. The sentences imposed on two defendants in this case are relatively light, taking into account the gravity of the crimes, Human Rights Watch said.

While international law does not prescribe strict sentencing guidelines, international practice provides that punishment for serious crimes should reflect the gravity of the crime and serve the purposes, among others, of deterrence and retribution.

Barrister Menkem Sother, the lawyer representing the victims’ families, told Human Rights Watch that the public prosecutor initially requested five-year prison terms for the three security force members, contending that they were “brave soldiers” who had long participated in military operations. The judges ultimately confirmed a five-year sentence for Sanding, who has already served that time and is expected to be released in the coming days.

Sother requested 1,700,000,000 CFA francs (about $3,049,970) in compensation on behalf of the victims. The court rejected the claim as “unjustified,” asserting that the victims had already received a total of 80,000,000 CFA francs (about $143,528). Sother said, though, that there is no proof that any payment has been made.

The Ngarbuh proceedings were repeatedly delayed, often due to the absence of judges and other court officials. The court refused to admit key evidence, including death certificates to identify all of those killed, and the victims’ families were allowed only minimal participation. The military court in Yaoundé is about 450 kilometers from Ngarbuh, making it difficult for family members to attend. Family members’ lawyers had expressed concern about the issue. Only three victims’ relatives and one witness testified before the court, Sother said.

Defense and civil parties’ lawyers have 10 days to appeal the court’s decision. Henri Athanase Atangana, a defense lawyer representing Guida and Haranga, told the media that he would consult his clients before deciding whether to do so. Sother told Human Rights Watch that he does not intend to appeal, saying: “I have carried this cross alone.”

At the outset of the trial, there was sustained mobilization in support of the victims’ families, with several lawyers offering pro bono representation and numerous national and international human rights and civil society organizations attending or closely monitoring the proceedings. However, this collective engagement gradually waned, and for the final three years the families were represented solely by Sother, who represented their interests with unwavering dedication.

The UN Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa, which is based in Yaoundé and is mandated to promote and protect human rights, including through ensuring the rule of law and accountability for human rights violations, assigned a lawyer to attend one hearing in 2022. “But after that, I’ve never seen her again,” Sother said.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Cameroon ratified in 1984, provides that states parties should ensure that any person whose rights are violated has access to an effective remedy, determined by competent judicial, administrative, or legislative authorities, and that such remedies are duly enforced.

“The Ngarbuh trial has delivered neither full accountability nor meaningful redress,” Allegrozzi said. “The United Nations Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa should offer legal and technical assistance to the victims’ families, to enable them to file a well-grounded appeal seeking reparations and to ensure continued protection of their rights throughout the process.”

Source: Human Rights Watch