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10, April 2018

Nigerian President Buhari to seek second term in 2019 ⁰

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari confirmed on Monday he will seek another term in elections next year, ending months of speculation about his future after bouts of ill health.

The 75-year-old said he would seek his party’s presidential ticket to contest elections in February 2019 during a closed door meeting of the national executive committee of his All Progressives Congress (APC) party.

The announcement by Buhari, a northern Muslim who became the first opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent at the ballot box, was widely expected although stocks on the Nigerian market fell 1.01 percent on Monday to a three-month low.

“It takes away the concern of an open race which would have fueled uncertainty,” said a Lagos-based equity sales analyst.

Buhari took office in May 2015 after vowing to improve security and crackdown on endemic corruption, but Africa’s top oil producer fell into its first recession in 25 years in 2016, largely caused by low crude prices and militant attacks in the Niger Delta, and its recovery remains fragile.

After spending five months in Britain last year being treated for an undisclosed ailment, opposition groups in Africa’s most populous nation and other critics said he was unfit for office and his administration was beset by inertia.

If Buhari is selected to contest the presidential election, it is not clear who he would face as the PDP, which prior to the former general’s 2015 victory had held power since Nigeria adopted civilian rule in 1999, has yet to select a candidate.

Incumbency factor

“The president said he was responding to the clamor by Nigerians to recontest in 2019, adding that he wanted to give NEC the honor of notifying them first,” Buhari’s spokesman Garba Shehu said in an emailed statement.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari arrives for the 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and the Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia January 28, 2018. (Photo by Reuters)

Antony Goldman, of Nigeria-focused PM Consulting, said although Buhari’s party – a broad coalition of groups which largely united to oust the PDP – was riven by divisions, it was nevertheless likely that he would become the APC candidate.

“With the PDP weak and still discredited, incumbency is still a powerful factor,” said Goldman. “It would be a huge surprise if he was not the APC’s candidate and the candidate to beat in 2019,” Goldman added.

Buhari led a short-lived military regime that was overthrown in a coup in 1985. His election victory three years ago was in large part due to his military credentials and his vow to end the extremist militant Boko Haram militancy.

The militants have lost most of the territory the size of Belgium that they held in northeast Nigeria in late 2014 but continue bomb attacks and kidnappings in the northeast.

Other security challenges – militant attacks in the Niger Delta oil production heartland as well as communal violence between nomadic herdsmen and settled farmers, plus a resurgence of separatist sentiments, have flared up during his tenure.

(Source: Reuters)

10, April 2018

CAR: Calm returns to Bangui after military operation ⁰

Calm is gradually returning to Bangui’s PK 5 neighbourhood following a military operation against armed groups in Central African Republic’s capital.

Heavy gunfire erupted in Bangui’s PK5 neighourhood as UN peacekeepers and domestic security forces moved in to dismantle militia bases.

“In Bangui, the whole city is calm, apart from PK 5, – inhabited mostly by muslims – where there are hotbeds of tension.You have self-defense groups raiding traders, oppose to the authority of the state.They have closed the police station in the 3rd district.They are hostile to the return of state authority in this area.This pushed the government with the support of the MINUSCA to bring order in this neighborhood. “

Some residents of PK 5 have condemned the joint military operation by the MINUSCA and Central African forces.

Eric Ngaba, Bangui reporter

“There was a peaceful march by inhabitants of PK 5, denouncing the operation of the government together with the support of MINUSCA to neutralize the self-defense groups. MINUSCA’s commander, General Bala Keita, however, says that the operation is still under consideration. “

The Central African government is determined to restore authority in the capital and it has not ruled out resumption of military operations in PK 5 especially as the leaders of the militias escaped arrest .

Written By AFP

10, April 2018

Southern Cameroons War: Biya regime says detained Ambazonia leaders are in good health ⁰

The Cameroon government has finally broken its silence on the state of separatists deported from Nigeria in early January 2018.

In an interview with the RFI English service, Information Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary, said all the detainees were in good health and being treated in accordance with the law.

He said three months on, investigations were ongoing to ascertain which charges were going to be leveled against them. He also stressed that they were enjoying all constitutional rights and would most likely be tried in a military tribunal.

They’re engineering, they’re masterminding all what is taking place in the country – assassinations, burning public institutions – you cannot imagine the kind of ordeal our population are submitted to in the northwest and southwest, and they are at the helm.

“All of them are doing very well, all of them are in very good health, all of them are enjoying whatever is enshrined in our constitution, the law of the republic.

“Which means that in case any need be, as far as the health is concerned, they receive all doctors or anyone who is capable of addressing the problem that they are confronted with.

“But I would like to emphasize the fact that whatever is taking place right now is being done in accordance with our law and penal court procedure,” the Minister said.

Supporters of the detained separatists hold that their lawyers have not been given access to their clients, the Minister addresses that point by saying that whatever processes are ongoing are within the laws of the country.

He accused the detainees of being the brain behind all the chaos that has rocked the Anglophone regions of the country. “They’re engineering, they’re masterminding all what is taking place in the country – assassinations, burning public institutions – you cannot imagine the kind of ordeal our population are submitted to in the northwest and southwest, and they are at the helm,” said Bakary.

“The likelihood that they will be court marshaled is obvious, because as I told you many people have been killed are being killed. Many people have already been slaughtered … the judiciary system will charge,” he added.

The group of over 40 detainees include the known leader of the so called interim government of Ambazonia, Sissuku Ayuk Tabe. Their extradition was criticised by the United Nation who called out Nigeria for breaching international law.

The secessionists declared an independent state called Ambazonia Republic on Oct. 1, 2017. Since then, violent scenes that have resulted in loss of lives for both the secessionists and government forces have played out in the Northwest and Southwest regions.

At the end of World War One, Germany’s colony of Kamerun was carved up between allied French and British victors, laying down the basis for a language split that still persists.

English speakers make up less than a fifth of the population of Cameroon, concentrated in former British territory near the Nigerian border that was joined to the French-speaking Republic of Cameroon the year after its independence in 1960. French speakers have dominated the country’s politics since.

The crisis which has attracted considerable international attention has become the gravest challenge yet to President Paul Biya, who is set to seek a renewal of his 35-years in power in an election slated for later this year.

Culled from Africa News

9, April 2018

Southern Cameroons War: Bomb blasts rock Lebialem County ⁰

Cameroon Concord News has learned that another bomb exploded today in the Lebialem County in Southern Cameroons. We understand the installation ceremony for the new DO for Lebialem was slated for today Monday in Menji, the headquarters of the Division. Our correspondent in the Ambazonia constituency reported that the DO arrived Alou in the morning from Dschang in a military convoy.

The DO and his French Cameroun military entourage came under attack around Nchobenyae. We gathered that 7 soldiers were killed and several others were seriously wounded. The remains of the troops were transported to Menji and later to Dschang. The wounded are currently receiving treatment at MHA Hospital in Nveh. The DO’s car managed to escape the attack.

Earlier on Saturday a military truck transporting soldiers from Mamfe to reinforce the deployment in Azi was also attacked by the Lebialem Dragons. The soldiers reportedly screamed and begged for help. In Alou, a military truck on patrol came under fire but no casualties were recorded. Today’s explosion in Lebialem is the 4th in Just 3 Days. An explosion at Beluah last Friday killed 9, and injured several other soldiers.

By Chi Prudence Asong with files from Menji

9, April 2018

Mayor Patrick Ekema: From a Brobdingnagian to an academic Lilliputian ⁰

The University of Buea this week withdrew a Bachelor and a Masters degree awarded to the so-called Lord Mayor of the Buea City Council in Southern Cameroons after a committee found he had gained admission into the institution using fake GCE O and A level certificates.

Interestingly, Patrick Ekema Esunge, a chartered member of the ruling CPDM crime syndicate also holds a PhD from an American University. The Buea University senate revoked the degrees and confirmed that after a very intensive and productive investigation, Ekema will face legal action from the Ministry of Higher Education.

A message sent to our London editorial desk stated inter alia that the mayor of Buea “Mr. Patrick Ekema now has a birth certificate, marriage certificate, baptism card, GCE O’ level with 4 E grades, a First School Leaving Certificate, a gun license and a driver’s license.” The Ekema Buea University affair can best be painted using Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels-from a Brobdingnagian to an academic Lilliput.

The Brobdingnagians were giants: they averaged around 60 feet tall, and their lands and animals were correspondingly huge. Gulliver was incredibly vulnerable in this country, which is why it made sense that the satire turned increasingly towards the fragility (and grotesqueness) of the human body. Gulliver stumbled into cow pats and was nearly drowned by a frog. (Mbella Moki) All of these tales were truly dire to him, but to the Brobdingnagian court, they were a laugh riot.

The Lilliputians inhabited the first island Gulliver visited. They all stood about six inches tall, with proportionally tiny buildings and trees and horses. The Lilliputians were ruled by an Emperor who appointed his high court officials according to their skills with rope dancing rather than their actual abilities. In other words, they’re exactly governed according to rational principles. The court of Lilliput like the CPDM crime syndicate mostly seems to spend its time plotting against one another. Gulliver, unfortunately, formed one of the primary targets of these plots. His enormous size made him both expensive and dangerous for the Emperor to keep, so, even though he made himself useful in Lilliput’s wars against Blefuscu, (Ambazonia) Gulliver eventually had to flee the country to avoid having his eyes put out.

A prominent human rights lawyer, Barrister Tambe Tiku first posted fraud accusations, prompting the Biya regime to ask the university to investigate. A report from the same lawyer looking into the case was handed to the press and that forced the university council to invalidate the degrees.

Mayor Ekema has not commented on the situation and nothing has been said by his entourage on whether he intends to challenge the university’s decision. He is yet to admit to any deliberate wrongdoing or deception. But if he fails to put up a resistance, Mola Ekema will become the first highly profiled Southern Cameroonian in the consortium of CPDM crime syndicates under the direction of President Biya to lose his academic credentials.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

9, April 2018

In Senegal, Iran’s chief diplomat urges stronger trade ties with Africa ⁰

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called for the expansion of Iran’s economic ties with Senegal, the first destination in his tour of African and Latin American states.

The top Iranian diplomat arrived early Monday in Senegal as part of his four-nation tour, which will also take him to Namibia, Brazil and Uruguay at the head of a high-level political and economic team.

Upon arrival, Zarif said the enhancement of bilateral ties in general, and economic relations in specific, with the destination countries is on the agenda of his tour.

He said Iran has good economic cooperation with Senegal as an important West African nation, adding that his talks in Dakar would focus on trade ties besides political and regional issues.

The Iranian minister highlighted Iran’s active role in Senegal’s automotive sector, expressing hope that the ground be paved during the trip for Tehran to begin exporting non-oil products as well as technical and engineering services to the country.

The Islamic Revolution in 1979 resulted in a fundamental overhaul of Iranian foreign policy, changing its focus from the West to the developing world.

Zarif last toured Africa in October 2017, visiting South Africa, Uganda, and Niger.

He also went on a six-leg Latin America tour a year earlier, traveling to Cuba, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia, and Venezuela.

Source: Presstv

9, April 2018

Limbe to host COURAGE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS 2018 ⁰

Press Release

Limbe, Monday, April 9, 2018: After its maiden edition in 2016 and following a break in 2017 due to
uncertainties from the ongoing Anglophone Crisis, the COURAGE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS is back. The
awards will be presented in a ceremony in Limbe on World Press Freedom Day, May 3, 2018.

Journalists, news organizations and journalism enthusiasts among the general public are requested to
nominate articles that fulfill the following criteria:

– Articles, blogs, broadcast and podcast clips published between May 4, 2017 and April 25, 2018;
– Articles, blogs, broadcast and podcast clips that demonstrate courage in newsgathering, courage
in the tone of narration and courage in the decision to have them published;
– Articles and blogs published in a newspaper or online, radio or TV broadcasts or podcasts:
– Entries that meet journalism standards;
– If none of the entries fulfill these conditions, awards may not be presented.

The following shall constitute the Panel of Judges:
– Alice Esambe Tatah: former CRTV journalist of Morning Safari fame;
– Hilary Kebila Fokum: Publisher/Editor of The Messenger and Yaounde Messenger;
– Gideon Taka: Emeritus Radio Cameroon/CRTV Editor and Station Manager and Journalism
Trainer;
– Victor Epie’Ngome: Emeritus Radio Cameroon/CRTV Editor-in-Chief, Director of Civil Initiatives
for Development with Integrity (CIDI) and Journalism Trainer

The Judges shall be assisted by Franklin Sone Bayen, Publisher of MEDIApeople and Journalism Trainer,
as Administration Secretary.
Entries may be nominated in the following ways:
– ONLINE ENTRIES: email the link(s) with name of author(s) and news organization
– NEWSPAPER: scan the entire article(s) and email with name of author(s), issue reference (date
and serial no.);
– RADIO/TV: email uploaded clip or link or post CD/DVD to the Jury as follows:
– South West: Victor Epie’Ngome (677524478/654741961)
– North West: Gideon Taka (694126830/650072258)
– Yaounde: Alice Esambe Tatah (673026370)
Hilary Kebila Fokum (677339858/696847781)
Franklin Sone Bayen (677897167/693693881)

– All entries must be received latest April 25, 2018 at midnight local time.
Entries for the COURAGE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS may be emailed to:
courageinjournalismawards@gmail.com
The COURAGE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS is organized jointly by MEDIApeople, CiDi and CReAM.

9, April 2018

Abduction of Retired Justice Mbeng Martin: Why Barrister Felix Agbor Nkongho is WRONG ⁰

Cat-calls have greeted Dr. Barrister Felix Agbor Nkongho’s published reaction on the abduction of Retired Justice Mbeng Martin in Ewelle village in the Manyu County and we in Western Europe believe and fervently too that he got it all wrong. Barrister Agbor Balla’s arrogant write-up sparked outrage and even some pro Yaoundé supporters were aghast at his bid to blame the suppression of freedom of speech on the Ambazonian freedom fighters.

The retired judge has always been apolitical and has never ever expressed an opinion on the Cameroon political story including the Southern Cameroons revolution. Consequently, there is more to his abduction than Mr. Agbor Felix claims to know. As Barrister Felix Nkongho tries to come back into the Southern Cameroons lime light, the action taken by Ambazonians that forced a TV channel in Kenya to cancel an interview they had with him reveals Southern Cameroonians and Barrister Agbor Balla are no longer an item.

Agbor Balla claimed that by abducting Justice Mbeng, the perpetrators were “Suppressing freedom of speech, association and attacking others with different views do not represent the values we ought to build.” The man of law added that “We must not be bullied into silence through the barrel of a gun by armed groups.” It is evidently clear that Barrister Agbor Nkongho is seeking for notice and merely speaking for himself. Correspondingly, he is close to two years behind West Cameroon leadership. To be sure, his ill-advised reaction has instead endangered the life of Justice Mbeng Martin.

The press release on Justice Mbeng Martin shows how out of touch Barrister Agbor Balla is with the mood of the Southern Cameroons nation. Far from wanting to score political concessions, the overwhelming majority of Southern Cameroonians want separation from French Cameroun and for the Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia to get on with making a success of the divorce process.

Sessekou Isong Ashu

London, UK

9, April 2018

Ambazonia: Interim Government slams Biya’s Southern Cameroons crackdown ⁰

French Cameroun is becoming more and more evil in its crackdown on Southern Cameroonians seeking independence for the South West and North West regions. A well-placed source within the Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia indicated that the Acting President Dr. Samuel Sako is also wary of what evil the Biya regime and its acolytes in French diplomatic missions in Yaoundé and Abuja are capable of in their relentless crusade to crush the Ambazonians desire for independence.

Some forty thousand Southern Cameroonians have fled to neighboring Nigeria after the Francophone dominated army launched a crackdown to stop a declaration of independence for the Anglophone regions by the Ambazonia government of President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe Julius. The Ambazonian leader, who is currently being held at the National Gendarmerie headquarters in Yaoundé, is expected to be charged by the Francophone regime.

The international communities including the main Nigerian opposition party, the PDP have condemned the Buhari administration for accepting French Cameroun’s extradition request against Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and 46 members of his government.

Approximately one thousand Southern Cameroonians including hundreds of French Cameroun soldiers have been killed ever since the 85 year-old dictator, President Biya declared war against the English speaking population. The Acting President of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia has appealed to all Southern Cameroonians to face the struggle with a mixture of determination and confidence.

The Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia has also accused the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime of committing grave rights abuses and genocide in its way of treating Southern Cameroonians.

The Communication Secretary of the Ambazonia government, Hon. Chris Anu was quoted recently as saying “I am hopeful that justice will prevail but the abuses of human rights by French Cameroun authorities are unprecedented — they get worse and worse day by day,” said the Ambazonian minister.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

9, April 2018

London struggling to fight unprecedented crime spike ⁰

Officials in the UK capital London are struggling to control an unprecedented surge in crimes as murder rate is predicted to surpass the highest numbers in the early 2000s.

Concerns peaked in February and March, when London surpassed New York City in terms of homicides for the first time in history.

London has never recorded more murders in a year than America’s most populous city, which recorded 290 homicides in 2017, the lowest number in decades, compared to London’s 130.

This year, however, it has been a different story as 37 people were killed in London in February and March this year compared to the 35 murders that happened in the Big Apple.

Both cities are similar in terms of population and size but one noticeable difference between them is that London banned in 1997.

Police and community workers have attributed the spike to battles over control of the illegal drug trade and a “postcode war” between street gangs, among other things.

Part of the blame has also been put on Mayor Sadiq Khan, who oversees London’s Metropolitan Police. The Labour mayor, however, says it is the Tory government’s budget policies that have weakened the police and affected the city’s overall safety.

“Since I first became mayor, I have been saying to the government that it’s not sustainable to make the level of cuts they have been making to London,” Khan said recently.

The huge cuts, that according to Labour leader Jeremy COrbyn have seen over 20,000 officers removed from the streets, is not the only gripe critics have with Conservative government’s policy.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s administration has also cut funding to local councils, forcing them to shutter youth clubs, libraries and programs for young people in order to save money.

May herself has been held responsible by some critics for the policies that she undertook when serving as Home Secretary. During her tenure, May put curbs to police stop-and-search powers and made it more difficult for security forces to detect potential crime.

Source: Presstv