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3, June 2018

At least three dead after Kenya building collapse ⁰

At least three people have been confirmed dead and several are feared trapped after a five-story building collapsed in a residential area of Nairobi, local media said on Sunday, June 3.

Eye witness accounts say locals rushed to the scene to help before rescue workers arrived, digging through the rubble of the building with their bare hands; they rescued a man and a woman who later died in hospital.

Former Governor Evans Kidero, said in June 2017 at the scene of a building collapse in a residential area of Nairobi, that at least 30,000 to 40,000 buildings constructed without approval in the Kenyan capital were at risk.

Kenya has seen similar tragedies in the past. A total of 49 people died in April 2016 when a six-story building in Huruma, a poor neighborhood, collapsed during a heavy nighttime downpour.

(Source: Reuters)

3, June 2018

The Federal Republic of Ambazonia: A nation in the making this time tomorrow ⁰

Crossing the Moungo Bridge from Douala gives you the feeling of arriving at a big family reunion. As you approach Tiko, one of the chief towns in the Fako County, you are greeted by children who have not been to school for the last two years but rehearsing the new Ambazonia national anthem. The situation is true for Manyu, Lebialem, Mezam, Menchum, Ndian, Meme, Kupe Muanenguba, Boyo and Fako.

Southern Cameroonians are talking of their baby nation with immense pride and hoping that the Interim Government is winning on the diplomatic front. The war has lasted barely two years and there are indications that it may drag for another decade which will eventually give Southern Cameroonians a good cause for celebration.

It is abundantly clear that there is going to be a referendum for independence in Southern Cameroons whether Biya and the French likes it or not and Ambazonians will vote decisively to split from French Cameroun. The resistance that is being displayed by Southern Cameroonians on Ground Zero with the support of the Ambazonia Self-Defense Council Restoration Forces represents a major achievement for the leadership of the Interim Government.

After the plebiscite in 1961 and the fraudulent reunification on October 1, most of Southern Cameroons remains profoundly underdeveloped, especially in more remote areas in Lebialem, Akwaya, Menchum, Bui and Oku. The Acting President of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, His Excellency Sisiku Ayuk Tabe noted during his last interview with the Cameroon Concord News Group that Ambaland is frequently misreported as being poor but its oil wealth and rich agricultural lands means that in GDP terms it is rich.

French Cameroun is heading towards collapse. The current proportion of Cameroon government’s revenue that is being consumed by the ruling CPDM crime syndicate and the Francophone dominated army is not sustainable. It will take considerable political courage for the Fulani-Beti-Ewondo military to tell Mr. Biya that he has overstayed his time.

The Interim Government (IG) of Southern Cameroons should establish an effective military force to deal with the rampant insecurity created by Mr. Biya and his appointees in Southern Cameroons and they should avoid following the route of other former African liberation movements which have succumbed to autocracy when in power. Like the great Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, Mola Sako Ikome should contribute his own quota and be ready to hand over the baton of command.

Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia was an independent state long before it joined La Republique du Cameroun. So, the Interim Government does not need to bother itself about continued negotiation with French Cameroun on sharing oil wealth and border demarcation. The greatest blunder the international community could make would be to juxtapose the establishment of the new Federal Republic of Ambazonia and the failures of the Biya regime in Yaoundé. The creation of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia should be seen by the US and the European Union as a bold step to create the necessary conditions for sustainable peace and security in Sub Saharan Africa.

Southern Cameroonians in the Diaspora who are busy creating funny organizations in order to undermine the authority of the Interim Government should understand that since the very beginning of the Southern Cameroons revolution, many of the problems faced by Southern Cameroonians on Ground Zero have been blamed on the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime. This will no longer be possible as the international community prepares to start mediating. Expectations are very high and Southern Cameroonians on Ground Zero will no more tolerate any nonsense from the Diaspora. The hard work of turning our fledgling Southern Cameroons nation into a functioning state with its own army will have to begin and end with the IG.

By Sessekou Asu Isong, London

3, June 2018

Nigerians mocked over ‘beautiful jersey’ following 2-1 loss to England ⁰

Nigerian fans are coming to terms with a loss to England in a friendly game at the Wembley on Saturday, just a day after their ‘beautiful’ jersey was the hottest sports story in the world.

First-half goals from Gary Cahill and captain Harry Kane helped England to victory, and Nigerians on social media shared their frustrations with the team that will be taking on on Lionel Messi’s Argentina, Croatia and Iceland at the World Cup.

The Super Eagles pulled a goal back shortly after the break through Alex Iwobi but only fleetingly threatened the hosts for much of the game.

The Super Eagles will hope to improve in the last warm up game against Czech Republic on June 6, while England are due to finish their preparations for the World Cup with a friendly against Costa Rica in Leeds on June 7.

Tunisia, Egypt register draws in World Cup warm up games

Meanwhile, England’s opening World Cup opponents Tunisia continued their preparations for Russia 2018 on Friday, with a draw against Turkey.

It was Tunisia’s second 2-2 draw this week, after they came back from 2-0 down against Portugal on Monday.

Egypt, who are playing without their injured star, Mohamed Salah could only manage a goalless draw against Colombia. The Pharaohs play their final warm-up match in Belgium on Wednesday before opening their World Cup campaign against Uruguay on 15 June.

Culled from Africa News

3, June 2018

US states resist Trump administration’s bid to replace ObamaCare ⁰

Some US states are defying the Trump administration’s plans to replace the ObamaCare insurance scheme in their bid to protect the Obama era health care policy and keep their insurance markets stable.

A number of states, including California and Maryland, are making efforts to impose limits on short-term insurance plans, even as the Trump administration intends to expand access to them throughout the country, US news outlets reported Saturday.

According to the reports, the states are taking the measure out of concerns that the availability of the newly-prescribed short-term plans will drive up premium costs for ObamaCare.

This is while northeastern states of Vermont and New Jersey have already passed state laws that require their residents to purchase health insurance. These individual mandate laws are aimed at replacing the now-repealed federal requirement.

Advocacy groups and state authorities backing such measures further underline that the states are seeking to protect advances made under ObamaCare from harassment by the Trump administration, which tried to repeal and replace the law and, failing that, initiated efforts to chip away at it.

US states are resisting Trump administration’s efforts to replace ObamaCare.

High costs are reportedly the major incentive behind the efforts by the largely Democratic states.

The administration proposed rules back in February that would allow people to purchase short-term health insurance for up to 12 months, lifting restrictions from the Obama administration that limited the coverage to a maximum of three months.

The short-term plans don’t need to meet ObamaCare’s consumer protections, so they would potentially be much cheaper than a traditional plan. But people with pre-existing conditions can be charged more.

The cost of health insurance premiums on the ObamaCare exchanges is expected to climb in the coming weeks and months. Several states may face major double-digit hikes next year.

The high costs are blamed on measures the Trump administration has taken that could cut into ObamaCare’s enrollment.

“There’s been a series of actions taken by the current administration that have undermined enrollment,” said president and CEO of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Chet Burrell, as he declared a potential 26-percent premium rise for next year in the state of Maryland.

Meanwhile, California also passed a bill that would completely ban the sale of short-term plans beginning in 2019, though it has yet to be signed into law.

Moreover, Hawaii lawmakers passed a bill that would essentially eliminate the state’s short-term health plan market by prohibiting their sale to anyone eligible for a plan on the ObamaCare exchange. That bill is also pending the governor’s signature.

Source: Presstv

2, June 2018

Akwa Ibom Urges Commission To Assist Refugees From Southern Cameroons ⁰

The Akwa Ibom Government has appealed to the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, to come to the assistance of Cameroonian refugees who have settled in the state.

The Permanent Secretary, Deputy Governor’s Office, Nkopuruk Ekaiko, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Uyo on Friday. Ekaiko said that the state government had been over stretched in rendering assistance to the refugees, calling on the commission to intervene.

According to him the commission has given assistance to refugees in the neighbouring states saying that those in Akwa Ibom should be so treated. He said: “What I am saying is that the relevant federal agencies should live up to the expectations of these people.

“The agencies should ensure that they provide relief materials to the refugees and rehabilitate them as they are doing in other states. “It is not only in Akwa Ibom state that we have these refugees. There are some in Cross River and there are kinds of interventions the commission has made there and other places.”

He disclosed that the state government had informed the commission about the presence of the refugees since last year and had been waiting for its response. The permanent secretary said the state government had expected that the commission would as a matter of urgency, come to the aid of the refugees.

He said: “Last year, there were some returnees and refugees from the Republic of Cameroon. Each of them was interviewed by the immigration services. “This office visited their camps at Mkpat Enin, Eket and Oron for some assessment. Immediately after that assessment late last year, the state government sent relief materials to them.”

Source: The Eagle Online

2, June 2018

Southern Cameroons chilling tale ⁰

Thirty-five-year-old Obot Ayuk, a cocoa farmer and father of three in Southern Cameroon town of Kembong which shares borders with Nigeria, watched helplessly as soldiers wreaked havoc in the community. He saw houses burning with elderly people in them. Farmlands were destroyed, women raped and about 11 unarmed civilians, including three teenagers were killed in one fell swoop.

Now an internally displaced person (IDP) in one of the camps in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital, Ayuk told our correspondent that his village had turned into a ghost town with goats and other domestic animals occupying homes. He had fled to Douala through the forest and was still searching for his wife and three children.

He said: “They invaded our villages, raped our women, burnt down houses and looted properties. They said we were hiding Ambazonian fighters, and for that reason, they would kill us all. Since October last year, we have not known peace in Kembong. The village has become desolate and our farmlands have been destroyed.

“Our people now live in forests, dying like chickens. There is no access to good water or medical care. Our streets have been overtaken by shallow graves. Those who die are just covered up in shallow graves without proper burial, while the living continue to move deeper into the bushes.”

Ayuk wondered how a government would do things like these to its people and still claim that the country is one.

He added: “In one fell swoop, the army murdered about 15 people, including three teenagers. People watched helplessly as their loved ones were killed by French-speaking soldiers. The only offence of the murdered people was that they were Anglophones.

“As I speak to you, I do not know where my wife and children are. I do not know where the rest of my family is. What kind of life is this? Why can’t they go after the Ambazonian warriors themselves? Why kill innocent civilians and tag them terrorists? I wonder why the world is keeping quiet to this carnage in Southern Cameroon.

“I came to Douala through the forest in February. These killings started September 28 last year. That was a few days after the secessionists announced breakaway from La Republique Du Cameroun (Republic of Cameroon). The next thing, soldiers invaded our community and started killing people.

“At first, I fled to Bakassi. But when the crisis got worse there, I had to return to Kenbong before leaving for Douala through the bush. I have lost everything I have worked for in my entire life.”

Similarly, on May 14, the traditional ruler of Down Mbeyan, another community in Anglophone Cameroon, Chief Ndip Arrey, was murdered. Arrey, according to natives, was captured by Cameroonian troops while on his way to commiserate with the family of a young man killed by the security agents.

The monarch, it was said, lost his only son and heir to the troops three weeks ago after he was alleged to be sympathetic to the cause of the secessionists.

Our correspondent, who was in Cameroon for four days, gathered that no fewer than 61 communities in the southern region had been completely razed since the Ambazonian Separatist Movement (ASM) declared the secession of the Anglophone region from Cameroon last September.

Angered by the action, Cameroon’s President, Paul Biya, had declared total war against the ASM, tagging them terrorists and enemies of the state. Unfortunately, the war has taken a toll on communities and cities in the south, following allegations of gross human rights violations against Cameroonian soldiers deployed to fish out the rebels.

Most of the communities our correspondent visited had become shadows of themselves with charred, mutilated or decomposing bodies everywhere.

There were also video footages showing some persons in military uniform dehumanising civilians. In one of the videos, about four of the uniformed men said to be Cameroonian soldiers, were beating a young man, dragging him in the mud, pouring water under his feet and whipping him with cutlasses. They marched his head with their jackboots and dragged him on the ground until he died.

According to locals, the soldiers, rather than go after the separatists, descended on unarmed civilians, torturing, killing and maiming them on allegations that they were shielding Ambazonian warriors.

A recent report from the United Nations indicated that at least a thousand persons had been killed and over 167,000 displaced as a result of the crisis. Among the affected towns are Kwakwa, Boa Bakundu, Bole Bakundu, Dipenda Bakundu, Big Ngwandi, Bakumba, Bokosso, Nake, Kombone Mission, Kake I, Kake II, Bekondo, Big Massaka, Nganjo, Foe Bakundu, Ekombe, Small Ekombe, Ediki, Kuke, Ebonji, Etam, Nguti, Mongo ndor, Bello, Anjang, Angin, Anyagwa and Azi.

Others include Kumba, Doti Nobi, Kugwe, Ambo, Efah, Kumku, Ashong, Ngie, Ejeke, Mbene, Bati-Numba, Kagifu, Dadi, Gurifen, Muyenge, Bafia, Ekwe, Kumbe-Balue, Ekona Mombo, Batibo, Bafut, Mbalangi, Oshie, Baingo, Bombele Mbonge, Kumu kumu, Bangele, Konye, Guzang, Widikum and Babadiehka.

“For each soldier killed by the rebels, a drone is deployed to level the community where the incident occurred,” said a lawyer who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity.

He added: “Three octogenarian women were said to have been burnt alive in their homes at Kwakwa following their inability to run out when the soldiers ordered people to vacate their residences or risk being burnt with them.

“The government is not handling this issue properly. Rather, it is making us, Southern Cameroonians, to have sympathy for the rebels. I do not support secession, but it is completely unacceptable to kill people, burn down communities and rape women.

“The government has deployed maximum force in the region and the French soldiers sent to the region are too proud. They do not want to work with locals to gain their trust and cooperation. They think they can achieve result by force, and that is why most times, no one gives them useful information.

“The problem did not start today. It is an agitation that has been on for a long time. This agitation is borne out of genuine desire for equal treatment. What the government needed to do was to look at the issues raised and see those that can be addressed immediately. But it chose to deploy maximum force against our people.”

A Cameroonian journalist who led our correspondent round some of the areas said he personally witnessed the dumping of over 80 corpses at the Buea General Hospital mortuary on October 1, last year, adding that the corpses were brought in military lorries.

He said the soldiers seized all the mobile phones of the people at the scene and removed all means of identification from the corpses, most of whom were youths staging peaceful protest with green leafs in their mouths and hands.

To cover up their crime, the journalist said, the soldiers announced that the corpses were those of terrorists who fled Nigeria into the country and were killed in battle.

“I do not think I have seen anything that callous. These were young boys, mostly students, who were staging peaceful protest against marginalisation of Anglophone Cameroon. They had green leaves in their mouths and hands. They had their identity cards in their pockets but the soldiers took them away and passed the deceased off as terrorists from Nigeria.

“The killings have not stopped since then. I get calls on a daily basis on the atrocities of the soldiers against civilians. It is really disturbing. Instead of applying diplomacy, the government has continued to use maximum force against the people. The worst part is that people are not talking.

“Even in Douala and Yaounde, it is a taboo to discuss the issue. If security forces should see images or videos of the carnage in Southern Cameroon on your phone, they will detain you instantly.

“The government has been busy singing unity and oneness. They even built a unification village in Yaounde to mark the Reunification Day celebrated every May 20. Circulars were sent to churches to ensure their services ended latest 8 am on Sunday, May 20. Civil servants across the country were also issued a stern warning to come out that day or risk sanctions.

“This whole tension is crumbling the economy of the country. Our major export is cocoa and much of these cocoa grow in the southern region. With this fight, farmers have fled their homes and farmlands have been destroyed. Nothing is really moving as it should and it bothers me that the government is too proud to consider certain compromises for peace to reign.”

What the agitators want

With the arrest of some government critics by the Nigerian Security forces and their subsequent repatriation to Cameroon on December 31 and February 25, the situation got worse as the people intensified their protest against the regime, demanding the unconditional release of all 48 deportees.

It was gathered that despite the claim by Cameroon’s Minister for Communication, Issah Tchiroma, that the detainees had returned, neither their relatives nor their lawyers have seen or known where they were being kept.

This, our correspondent was told, further worsened the situation, as the rebels were said to have gone after perceived allies of the government in the region.

Locals said the incarceration of alleged separatist leader, Ayuk Tabe, 53, alias Sisiku, and nine others arrested with him in Abuja- Tessang Fombang, 48; Nfor Nfor, 66; Shufai Berinyu, 51; Eyambe Ebai, 49; Fidelis Ndeh-Che, 41; Prof. Cheh Awasum, 50; Dr. Cornelius Kwanga, 47; Dr. Egbe Ogok, 53, and Dr. Henry Kimeng, 50- as well as all those the Nigeria Police rounded up at Gembu, Sarduana Local Government Area (LGA) of Taraba State, was a wrong move.

“The government cannot force unity on anyone. It cannot scream unity from one lip and then use maximum force, intimidation to silence critics. If the government truly wants peace and unity, the first thing it should do is allow those detainees access to their relatives and to lawyers.

“The government should also implement UN Resolution 1608 of 1961, as submitted by the Fourth Committee, A/4737.

“By virtue of the fact that the confederation deal was never conclusive, everything that has been done in Cameroon in the name of unity is null and void ab initio, and must be considered not binding on Ambazonia (Southern Cameroon), which has clearly and effectively proven that there were unpardonable discrepancies in the unity process that has led Cameroon to treat Anglophone Cameroonian masses as second class citizens, and above all, refused to be lawful and accountable to/on the acts of government.

“The non-implementation of UN Resolution 1608 is a glaring proof of a material breach of treaty and requires that the UN actively takes part in terminating the now too falsified relationship between Ambazonia and Cameroon before the situation turns into a bloody war of liberation,” said Ayuk Obot, a Cameroonian lawyer.

In a letter to Cameroon’s Attorney General dated May 15, counsel to the 46 deportees, Abdul Oroh, sought access to them under Article 14(3) of International Convention on Civil and Political Rights,1966, which provides that an accused person must be told his offence and given a fair trial with access to counsel of his choosing.

Oroh said: “Assuming without conceding, that our clients engaged in criminal acts against the law of Cameroon, it is important that they be treated with dignity and in accordance with the rule of law and international instruments with regards to their status.

“In line with the above mentioned international instruments and several others adopted and domesticated by Cameroon, we demand access to our clients as their counsel. This is in line with Article 14(3) of the International Convention of Civil and Political Right. This has been reaffirmed by the provisions of Article 7(1)(C) of African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which provides that every individual shall have his caused heard.

“This comprises the right to defence, including the right to be defended by counsel of his choice.

“We demand that the Cameroonian authority should ensure their fair treatment in line with international practices and conventions, and that the authorities in Cameroon ensure that our lawyers are safe during their visit to Cameroon.”

Faulting their deportation to Cameroon by the Nigerian government, Oroh said the detainees were recognised refugees, registered asylum seekers or legal residents of Nigeria, adding that the action violated all known international humanitarian and refugee laws.

“As counsel to the detainees, we are worried and our fear is fuelled by the continued silence of Cameroonian authorities on the welfare and safety of our clients, coupled with the fact that they have been denied access to their families, doctors and lawyers.

“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, recognises the inherent dignity and the equal inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. It is the main component of the Declaration expressing its main objectives and ideals.”

Efforts by our correspondent to obtain comments from the Cameroonian authorities did not succeed as calls made to the Communications Minister Issa Tchiroma’s lines went unheeded; he also did not respond to the text message sent to his phones.

However, in a statement obtained online, the government defended that its troops, in spite of provocation from the agitators, have always stuck to rules of international engagement in the handling of the Southern Cameroon situation.

Culled from The Nation

2, June 2018

US military continues to support Cameroon’s military despite US accusations of targeted killings ⁰

The US military is continuing to provide assistance to military forces from the African nation of Cameroon despite the US ambassador to that country recently accusing Cameroonian troops of carrying out “targeted killings” in its campaign against the country’s Anglophone separatists.

The African nation has been beset by violence between the government, which is led by French speakers, and Anglophones who inhabit English-speaking regions of Cameroon.

“There has been no change to the assistance (the Department of Defense) provides to Cameroon as a direct result of violence in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Sheryll Klinkel told CNN.

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Following his meeting with President Paul Biya last month, US Amb. Peter Henry Barlerin gave a speech that accused pro-government Cameroonian security forces of conducting “targeted killings, detentions without access to legal support, family, or the Red Cross, and burning and looting of villages.”

Barlerin also accused Anglophone separatists of committing “murders of gendarmes, kidnapping of government officials, and burning of schools.”

The US has hundreds of troops in Cameroon tasked with training, advising and assisting local forces in their fight against ISIS West Africa, Boko Haram and other violent extremist organizations in the Lake Chad Basin region.

Asked if any US-backed Cameroonian units were participating in the actions in the Anglophone areas, the Pentagon told CNN that all military assistance to Cameroon is “subject to an end-use monitoring process to ensure that DoD-funded assistance is not directed away from its intended purpose.”

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She added that US law prohibits the Department of Defense from “providing any training, equipment, or other assistance to a unit of a foreign security force if DoD has credible information that the unit has committed a gross violation of human rights.”

Klinkel said US Africa Command, which oversees US military operations on the continent, “will continue to coordinate all matters of security cooperation closely with Amb. Barlerin and fully supports his efforts to encourage Cameroonians to commit to dialogue and resolving issues in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon in a peaceful and democratic manner.”

However, when asked if the US trained units had been transferred from the fight against ISIS and Boko Haram to the Anglophone regions, Klinkel said the Department of Defense “fully recognizes that Cameroon is a sovereign nation and can transfer personnel between units.”

This is not the first time questions have been raised about the US military’s support for Cameroonian security forces.

US Africa Command launched an investigation last August to determine if US personnel were aware of allegations of torture of suspected terrorists being carried out by US-trained Cameroonian troops at a base that was also frequently used by US military advisers. Klinkel said the results of that investigation have not been made public.

Source: CNN

2, June 2018

Traffickers shoot dead 12 fleeing refugees in Libya ⁰

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says people smugglers shot dead more than 12 refugees who were attempting to flee a camp in Libya last week.

The incident, previously reported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and local sources, took place in the town of Bani Walid, south of Tripoli, on May 23.

“Human traffickers in Libya reportedly killed more than a dozen people and wounded many others after a group of some 200 Eritreans, Ethiopians and Somalis, being held captive, attempted to escape,” the UNHCR said in a statement on Friday, noting that those murdered “were shot”.

“The survivors spoke of torture abuse and exploitation at the hands of traffickers – some being held in captivity for up to three years,” the statement added.

Bani Walid is a hub for smugglers to bring refugees from Libya’s southern sub-Saharan neighbors to the coast, from where they are shipped by boat to Italy.

People smugglers and kidnappers control around 20 detention centers in the town, telephoning the refugees’ families to demand ransoms.

Since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi, chaos-ridden Libya has become a major transit hub for refugees trying to reach Europe.

Hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers fleeing violence and persecution have made the perilous journey through Libya and across the Mediterranean Sea to Italy. Many have perished en route.

“This latest deadly incident demonstrates, once again, the huge challenge of providing protection to refugees in Libya, where many people fleeing war and persecution fall prey to criminal networks,” the UN agency added.

Source: Presstv

2, June 2018

Russia to dispatch new missile cruiser to Mediterranean ⁰

Russia plans to dispatch its new cruise missile-launching warship to the Mediterranean to join the country’s naval task force in the region.

Russia’s Chief of Staff of the Black Sea Fleet Rear Admiral Viktor Liin told reporters on Friday that the Vyshny Volochok warship, which has already been added to the country’s Black Sea Fleet, will join the Russian Mediterranean Squadron.

The commander noted that the warship will take part in navigational assignments and combat training, adding, “All of this will be part of preparations for further missions in the Black Sea and in the Mediterranean.”

The Vyshniy Volochok is Russia’s newest warship equipped with Kalibr-NK cruise missiles designed for strikes at sea-based and land-based targets, Russia’s TASS news agency reported.

The multifunctional warship is capable of carrying high-precision missiles and is equipped with state-of-the-art artillery as well as anti-aircraft and radio equipment.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in May that the country plans to deploy a permanent naval standing force, including submarines and warships with Kalibr long-range cruise missiles, in the Mediterranean Sea.

Russia’s naval presence in the Mediterranean comprises a combination of ships from its Black Sea Fleet and Northern Fleet in the Arctic Ocean. The task force is mainly aimed at countering possible aggressive activities of NATO in the region, bolstering Russia’s defensive measures for its Black Sea borders and launching strikes against terrorist targets in Syria.

In December 2017, Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, approved a deal to extend the lease of a Mediterranean base used by the Russian Navy in the Syrian port of Tartus for 49 years and modernize the facility.

Source: Presstv

1, June 2018

Southern Cameroons Crisis: The calm before the storm ⁰

An unsettling calm seems to be permeating through Cameroon after the gruesome massacre of young Southern Cameroonians in the North West region of the country. The situation in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions has continued to deteriorate following the slaughtering of 30 young men and women in Menka-Pinyin last Thursday following a violent attack by government forces.

This unnecessary act of brutality has drawn wide condemnation around the world and the government seems to be bowing to the international pressure that comes with such condemnation. The American Ambassador to Cameroon, Henry Berlerin, had clearly called on the country’s president to have a rethink of his political agenda by urging him to emulate the examples of Nelson Mandela and George Washington. A coded language that has left the government and its surrogates in total confusion.

But what is of more concern is the fact that the U.S. Ambassador’s statement has the full backing of the U.S. Congress. Mr. Berlerin, who was viciously ridiculed by the regime and its praise singers, was simply delivering a message to the country’s president, Paul Biya; a message contained in a letter dated February 9, 2018 and signed by four American lawmakers. The Congressmen had instructed Mr. Berlerin to advise Mr. Biya that, after spending more than 35 years in office, it was time for him to hand over to the next generation and that a new leadership was necessary for governance in the country to experience some improvements.

“We respect the rights of Cameroonians to select their leaders and note that the past Presidential elections have been marred by allegations of fraud, electoral institutions bias, and an unfair playing field. We note that the political process is heavily controlled by President Biya and his party, and that the State Department’s Country Report on Human Rights covering Cameroon’s last presidential elections, in 2011, assessed the contest to have been “flawed by irregularities, including the failure to properly distribute all voter cards, late opening of polling stations, multiple voting, ballot-box stuffing, the absence of indelible ink, and intimidation of voters.” The most recent Human Right Report notes “restrictions of freedom of expression” as a top human right concern, and states that “opposition and civil society activists were harassed, detained and denied the right to assemble or operate by the government,” the letter signed by the Congressmen said, adding that …”After 35 years, new leadership is necessary for governance improvements.”

Regarding the conflict in the two English-speaking regions, the Ambassador’s press statement after meeting with Mr. Biya on the eve of May 20, 2018 celebrations tied in well with the letter of the congress men. The lawmakers had in the letter condemned violence on both sides, and particularly the disproportionate use of force and military power by the government. The Congressmen singled out the country’s Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), which they noted, had been notorious for many human right atrocities in Southern Cameroons and in the Northern part of the country.

“…Given that certain units of the BIR operating in the North have been found ineligible for assistance under the Leahy law due to human rights abuses, we ask that rigorous scrutiny be applied to the BIR and any other security forces operating in the Anglophone regions, to ensure that U.S assistance is not abetting violation of Cameroonians’ rights. Further, we respectfully ask you to convey the message that security force abuses can exacerbate resentments that fuel instability, and work with your partners both in the U.S military and among like-minded embassies to emphasize the need for respect for basic rights in the Anglophone regions” the letter added.

Even the United Nations has not been indifferent to what is happening in Cameroon, a country once touted as the oasis of peace in the Central African region. A statement by the United Nations in its emergency plan for Cameroon holds that the issues in the two English-speaking regions are mainly political, with some humanitarian components. This implies that the Yaounde government must bend over backwards to address the political issues that are ruining the country’s unity.

“The situation in the south-west and north-west remains primarily a political and human rights crisis, but is increasingly having humanitarian implications. Recent needs assessments indicate that at least 160,000 people have been internally displaced in the two affected regions, and they need humanitarian and protection assistance over the next three months. In addition, at least 21,000 Cameroonians have been registered as refugees in Cross River, Benue and Akwa Ibom States in Nigeria.”

The report adds that “The crisis in the south-west and north-west regions is taking place against a backdrop of several other humanitarian emergencies that are affecting 3.3 million people across the country, compounding pre-existing vulnerabilities. Since 2016, political and social instability, exacerbated by sporadic violence, has had a negative impact on the civilian population of Cameroon’s South-West and North-West Regions, hosting four million inhabitants (16 per cent of the total population). In November 2017, the socio-political crisis progressively translated into insecurity and armed violence. Since then, the escalation of tension and upsurge in hostilities between non-state armed groups and defence and security forces have triggered humanitarian needs across the two regions, linked to significant internal displacement.”

The document further points out that “The government’s decision to declare war on its own people has had a far-reaching effect. The crisis has impacted children’s right to education, with at least 40 schools affected and an estimated 42,500 school-aged children with limited access to education for the past two years. Several attacks by non-state armed groups have also targeted schools, leading to the death of at least two teachers, further disrupting the educational system. Where schools are still functional, there are significant gaps in teaching and learning material. The disruption of education is putting children at greater risk of exploitation, child labour, early marriage and unwanted pregnancy. This phenomenon is exacerbated by the perception that schools could be targets of attack, resulting in parents refusing to send their children to school.”

Life in the two regions has been disrupted by the crisis. The government believes in an all-out military victory, holding that brute force will being back peace to the country. But close to two years after, things are getting worse and the future looks very bleak. Before the crisis, most of the population in the two affected regions relied on agriculture and small trades. Threats of attacks continue to have a negative impact on trade, livelihoods and markets, and access to land. In Kumba, South-West region’s largest city, where at least 20% of the population fled to surrounding villages, food is identified as the main priority.

Farmers, small-scale fishermen and their families find themselves in an extremely vulnerable position due to the disruption of their activities. Internally displaced people (IDPs) have had to resort to negative food-related coping strategies, reducing the number of meals (to one meal a day) and adult consumption in order to feed the children. Additionally,restrictions on movements (curfews, security and administrative measures), poor infrastructures, and checkpoints continue to hinder access to land and markets. This situation will surely get worse in the days ahead if a peaceful settlement is not sort by the government

The days ahead do not hold out much hope for Cameroon. French-speaking Cameroonians living in the English-speaking regions are today living in fear. The Southern Cameroons Interim Government has issued an order for all French-speaking Cameroonians to pack and leave the two English-speaking regions. The Yaounde government is yet to make plans on how to receive its refugees. Southern Cameroonians have already started chasing their French-speaking counterparts and this will be getting worse in the days ahead.

On June 1, 2018, there were skirmishes in Etoko in Manyu Division between the Police and Ambazonian fighters who are already seeking to implement the Interim Government’s order. The threat of evicting French-speaking Cameroonians on a large scale and the admonishment and advice of the Trump Administration have left the Yaounde government in fear and confusion. And this explains the calm that has engulfed the country after the massacre in Menka-Pinyin.

After the Interim Government issued its order, a young Red Dragon fighter who has been in the jungles of Lebialem for more than six months said that Francophones had an interest to comply with the Interim Government’s orders, adding that they were running out of patience and would surely be staging a show that would shock the world once the deadline expired.

He added that “Let nobody think this is an empty threat. We have seen our brothers and sisters being killed by government forces and we are ready to revenge. There will be a bloodbath after the expiry of the Interim Government’s order. We have faith in our Interim Government and we will do all what it takes to ensure that the laws of the land are respected. If the Yaounde government thinks this is a joke, then it has not yet understood that it has a huge crisis on its hands. We are prepared to die. We have been enslaved for decades and now is the time to liberate our land. We have never thought that independence will come easy. We know it is never delivered on a platter of gold. We are aware of what happened to Eritrea, South Sudan and even in faraway Timor Leste. We are well read. We are also university graduates, but the government’s decision to declare a war on us will turn out to be its greatest undoing. If the world is still on the sidelines, then it really wants to play spectator to a Rwanda-style genocide at the end of the month. We will be staging a massive show that will shock everybody. We never asked for this war. It was imposed on us and we will do all in our power to end the oppression that has been ours for decades.”

Speaking to our correspondent in Mamfe recently, a fighter who had elected anonymity said that they were using different strategies to roll back the enemy. He stressed that all was fair in love and war, adding that the government had made a mistake to engage Southern Cameroonians in a battle that was not necessary.

“We are making sure the enemy feels the pain. The enemy has resorted to indiscriminate killings and this is hurting our people. We too are using all the means available to us to strike the enemy who is scared of dying. The young Beti soldiers who have been sent to come and destroy our cities and towns will pay a huge price. They have been killing our people as if they are animals. We will pay them in their own coins,” he said.

He added that “In Njeke, a small town close to Kembong, we deceived the enemy. We had a small party in Njeke where we killed a goat as part of the party. We cooked everything. We poisoned a whole pot and ate the part that was not poisoned. We sent someone to inform the hungry soldiers that we were partying. By the time they arrived the venue of our party, we had melted into the bushes. They seized a whole pot of goat meat. They also started feasting on it without suspecting anything. But that pot had poison in it. Today, some of them have already died and many are fighting for their lives. We will continue to delete them from the face of the earth using any means we know. The soldiers are hungry. Their masters in Yaounde cannot sustain them. The population is hostile to them and this has left them with lots of butterflies in their stomachs.”

It is heartrending to know that things have declined to such levels where Cameroonians are today killing each other. This is the unfortunate legacy Mr. Biya is leaving for Cameroonians. Mr. Biya, once touted as the one person who could transform the country into a modern paradise, is today a nightmare that will not go away anytime soon. Cameroonians – Francophones and Anglophones – have always lived in peace, but the government’s corruption, nepotism and inefficiency have ruined the love and peace that once existed between these two linguistic groups.

The government’s brutal action over the last 18 months has shattered any hopes of dialogue and unity. Despite global condemnation, Yaounde authorities have continued to behave like gangsters instead of disciplined officials who should, at any moment, seek to work out things through dialogue.

The Yaounde regime has never taken time to investigate any killings. All it has always done is to resort to collective punishment wherein the houses of innocent civilians are razed, and innocent youths gunned down point blank. The actions of the country’s armed forces have created more fighters over the last six months, as ordinary civilians – both boys and girls – now believe they have to defend themselves against a military that is using their tax money to murder the people they are supposed to protect.

Southern Cameroonians have been calling for international assistance. They now want the world to protect them against their supposed protectors. The government’s mass murdering tactics and collective punishment have drawn a lot of flak in recent times and even the Trump Administration has been disappointed by the methods the dictatorial government in Yaounde is using to restore order in the two restive English-speaking regions of the country.

The letter of the American congressmen should be seen as a warning. The words of the American ambassador must also be viewed as a sound piece of advice that must be taken seriously. The Yaounde regime must look into the mirror of history to understand how Americans operate around the world.

In the early 90s, the American Ambassador to Zaire, Bill Richardson, had advised Mubutu to quit power and that if he did not act accordingly, he would be humiliated and this actually came to pass. A few months after that friendly advice, Zaire unraveled and the “Leopard of Zaire”, another name for Mr. Mubutu, was chased out of power by a ragtag military that had the support and blessing of Western countries.

The pressure on the government and its supporters is mounting and it is clear that the Biya regime is gradually crumbling under pressure, especially as the order of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government will enter into force today. The tough guy appearance that government official spotted at the beginning of the crisis seems to be melting. Government officials who caused the crisis to escalate are today staying away from the spotlight. Fame Ndongo, Laurent Esso and Issa Tchiroma are all keeping a very low profile as they know they are to blame for the gory genocide that is playing out in Southern Cameroons.

No matter what happens today in Cameroon, a few things are obvious. The country’s unity has been shattered and life will never be the same in that country. While it will be hard for Southern Cameroons to be independent, it is clear that after the spilling of blood and the destruction of homes in the north-west and south-west regions of the country, a new political dispensation must be engineered if both linguistic communities have to live in peace.

The new Cameroon will surely not have the same political features like the old Cameroon. While Southern Cameroonians have a huge appetite for independence, they must find ways to tamper their appetite. The international community is gradually injecting itself into the game. Unfortunately, it has a very low appetite for independence. Federalism may be the median path that may bring some peace to the troubled country. But for now, the calm in the country is scarier than the sound of guns.

By Kingsley Betek in Yaounde