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12, August 2017

Anglophone Crisis: School administrators in Kumba say they’re getting death threats ⁰

There are reports of tension mounting in Kumba, the chief city in the Meme constituency in Southern Cameroons over the issue of ‘back to school’. Cameroon Info.Net recently revealed that the many key players in the educational sector have received threats from unknown Southern Cameroons militant groups ordering them to end all forms of activities in their schools latest August 14.

We gathered that some schools in Kumba had started organizing holiday and catch-up classes in preparation for the anticipated academic year 2017/2018. However, most proprietors confirmed that they are not ready to risk their lives, or that of their pupils and students or even their assets for school resumption.

Registration of students and pupils for the new academic year in Southern Cameroons has remained very slow as the revolution enters its 11 month. Some proprietors and school administrators confirmed that many parents were sending their children to schools in Yaounde, Douala and Bafoussam.

The demand for transfer certificates by Anglophone parents to send their kids to schools out of West Cameroon has been unprecedented. Most of the parents are still skeptical about school resumption in the Anglophone regions after the failure and political GCE that was staged last academic year by the Francophone regime in Yaoundé. In Kumba in particular, tension has generated panic and safety issues to the effect that most parents do not want to send their kids to school.

Source: Cameroon Info.Net

11, August 2017

Egypt: Train collision kills 36, injures dozens ⁰

A train collision near Egypt’s coastal city of Alexandria has killed 36 people and injured 123 others, Egyptian officials say. The two trains collided head on –one was coming from the capital of Cairo, to the south of Alexandria, and the other was coming from the city of Port Said, located on the northern tip of the Suez Canal.

The head of the ambulance services in the Alexandria’s western sector, Dr. Mohamed Abu Homs, said the collision took place in the district of Khorshid, southeast of the city.

Abu Homs said he fears the death toll and the number of injured could rise further. Egypt’s railway system has a poor safety record, mostly blamed on decades of badly maintained equipment and poor management. Footage from the scene broadcast on state television showed dozens of people crowding around the damaged train cars, with dead bodies strewn on the ground.

State television, citing transport ministry officials, reported that the crash was probably caused by a malfunction in one of the trains that brought it to a halt on the rails. It was the deadliest train accident in the North African country since a November 2013 collision between a train and a bus killed 27 people south of Cairo.

(Source: Agencies)

11, August 2017

Trump thanks Putin for kicking out US diplomats ⁰

US President Donald Trump has thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for kicking out hundreds of American diplomats, because the United States is “trying to cut down [its] payroll.” “I want to thank him because we’re trying to cut down our payroll … I’m very thankful that he let go of a large number of people because now we have a smaller payroll,” Trump told reporters at his New Jersey golf club on Thursday.

“There’s no real reason for them to go back,” he added. “I greatly appreciate the fact that we’ve been able to cut our payroll of the United States. We’re going to save a lot of money.” It is however unclear how President Putin’s booting out American diplomats would remove them from the US payroll.

The Republican-controlled Congress approved the new sanctions package last month against Russia, Iran and North Korea. The bill was passed with overwhelming margins, eliminating the prospect of a presidential veto. The legislation is particularly aimed at punishing Moscow for its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and the reunion of Crimea with Russia.

Russia responded by saying the sanctions amounted to a full-scale trade war and an end to hopes for better ties with the Trump administration. President Putin ordered 755 US diplomats to leave the country after Congress passed the sanctions bill.

The Trump administration, which had sought better relations with Russia, described the Russian move as another setback. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that “this had created serious mistrust,” adding that the United States would respond to Moscow’s decision.

Trump’s desire for better ties with Moscow has been hampered by accusations from US intelligence agencies that Russia operated a series of high-profile cyber attacks to change the outcome of the November 8 presidential election in favor of Trump.

A special counsel, former FBI director Robert Mueller, as well as several congressional committees are investigating whether the Russian government coordinated with Trump’s associates during the 2016 campaign and transition. Trump denies any collusion by his campaign and Moscow denies any meddling.

US President Donald Trump speaks during a security briefing on August 10, 2017, at his Bedminster National Golf Club in New Jersey. (Photo by AFP)

Trump has voiced his criticism about that the probe, but he he said on Thursday he will not fire Mueller. “I want them to get on with the task,” Trump said, despite the fact that Mueller is investigating “something that never happened.”

Trump said Democrats are the ones who should be investigated for collusion, not him. “There was no collusion between us and Russia. In fact, the opposite,” Trump said. “Russia spent a lot of money on fighting me, and if you think about it, I want a strong military — you see our budget is up by — it will be hundreds of billions of dollars soon. Our military budget. Russia doesn’t like that. Hillary was going to cut the budget substantially — the military budget. Russia — is very important for Russia — oil. Oil and gas. We are now an exporter because of an incredible six months that — an exporter of oil and gas. That’s bad for Russia.”

“I don’t think Russia wants me because I want a strong military and I want low energy prices. Energy is a disaster, low energy prices is a disaster for Russia,” he added. Trump has previously said Russia would have preferred a weak American leader, like his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

Source: Presstv

11, August 2017

CPDM Francophone GCE: Delays hit exam results ⁰

The so-called candidates for the General Certificate Education (GCE) are still waiting for their results and this is causing general panic among families that betrayed the Southern Cameroons struggle to sit in for the exams. La Republique du Cameroun has launched many public entrance examinations into the public service and children from West Cameroon were unable to take part because the GCE results have still not been released.

Some of the directors of the professional colleges like Jean Marie Dongo of the National Post, Telecommunications and Information Technologies have announced that Southern Cameroons students can still sit for the entrance examination while awaiting the results.

Correspondingly, pressure is set to be mounting on the Board Registrar, Humphrey Ekema Monono who recently affirmed that the issues are very complicated than it was anticipated. Dr. Monono told CRTV that “Candidates registered in Bamenda in the Northwest Region and took the exams but in Yaoundé because of the Anglophone crisis. The GCE board must take this into account.”

However, Cameroon Concord News sources at the GCE board reported that the results in Southern Cameroons were catastrophic and there are talks about how to lower the scores and the grading. The GCE was indeed a complete fiasco as candidates who had missed school for a whole academic year also had to deal with special centers created by the French Cameroun political elites.

By Rita Akana
Cameroon Concord News

10, August 2017

La Republique is 5th in FIFA Africa’s new ranking ⁰

La Republique du Cameroun is now fifth (5th) in the FIFA African ranking made public today August the 10th, 2017 behind Tunisia in fourth position.

The country that is currently at daggers-drawn positions with the new leadership of the Confederation of African Football Association is ahead of Nigeria (6th), Burkina Faso (7th), Algeria (8th), Ghana (9th) and Côte d’Ivoire (10th).

With a decisive 2018 World Cup qualifier against Nigeria, Cameroun also ranked 35th, progressing from one place in the World classification.

By Sonne Peter
Cameroon Concord News

10, August 2017

North Korea says plans to fire missiles at Guam ready by mid-August ⁰

North Korea has announced that it will develop plans by mid-August to fire four intermediate-range missiles at the US territory of Guam. North Korea’s state media made the announcement on Thursday, noting that the plans will be presented to the country’s leader Kim Jong-un who will decide on whether to launch the missiles.

“The Hwasong-12 rockets to be launched by the KPA (Korean People’s Army) will cross the sky above Shimane, Hiroshima and Koichi Prefectures of Japan,” said the report, citing KPA Commander General Kim Rak-gyom.

“They will fly 3,356.7 kilometers for 1,065 seconds and hit the waters 30 to 40 kilometers away from Guam,” added the report. The KPA commander was cited in the reported as saying that US President Donald Trump was “bereft of reason” and only “absolute force can work on him.” He added that Trump’s recent “fire and fury” comments were a “load of nonsense.”

“They will be met with the fire and fury and, frankly, power, the likes of which this world has never seen before,” said Trump speaking in New Jersey on Tuesday. Meanwhile, North Koreans took part in a mass rally arranged by Pyongyang authorities in protest at recent sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council. The UN Security Council on Saturday passed a resolution slapping sweeping sanctions on the North over its first test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.

The council members, including Pyongyang’s traditional allies Beijing and Moscow, voted 15-0 for a partial ban on exports, aimed at slashing the North’a $3 billion foreign revenue by a third.

The sanctions ban all exports of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore, as well as fish and seafood from the country. They also block North Korea from increasing the number of workers it sends abroad, and prevents new joint ventures with Pyongyang or increasing investments in current ventures.

During the Wednesday rally, the protesters gathered in Pyongyang’s central square where senior North Korean officials delivered speeches to the crowd. Also on Wednesday, France urged all the concerned parties in the North Korean crisis to act responsibly and towards de-escalating the situation.

“France’s position is that it’s preoccupied by what is happening. You all know like me that today North Korea is capable of firing an intercontinental ballistic missile with missiles which can cross distances of 6,000 to 9,000 kilometers. And then, the American media have reported these past days about the North’s capacity to nuclearize its ballistic missiles,” said French government spokesman Christophe Castaner. “We call on all parties to act responsibly and de-escalate the situation,” He added.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric also told reporters that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is deeply worried over the surge in aggressive rhetoric by parties to the North Korea crisis.

“The secretary general remains extremely concerned by the ongoing situation and is troubled by the increase in confrontational rhetoric,” said Dujarric.

In a relevant development on Wednesday, Russia’s UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia (seen below), expressed hopes that the US would keep “calm” in the crisis with Pyongyang.

“A military solution is not an option anyway,” he said.

“Our strong wish is that the United States keeps calm and refrains from any moves that would provoke another party to actions that might be dangerous,” he added.

North Korea has been under UN sanctions over its missile and nuclear development programs since 2006. The sanctions have, however, failed to dissuade the country from pursuing its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.

Pyongyang says it needs to continue developing its missile force as a deterrent against the US and its regional allies’ aggression and expansionism. Since early July, the North has tested two ICBMs, which it says can hit the US mainland.

Source: Presstv

10, August 2017

Indian nun rescues Cameroonian sex slaves from Middle East ⁰

A celebrated Indian nun who rescues Cameroonian women from slavery in the Middle East has called for greater support for victims to help them recover from the horrors of being drugged, raped and abused. Sister Vanaja Jasphine says she has identified more than 200 women who have been trafficked from the central African nation and enslaved in the Middle East in recent years.

The 39-year-old nun last year helped to bring home 14 trafficking victims, whom she refers to as Cameroon’s “children”. A rising number of African women are heading to the Middle East for domestic work, driven abroad by the lack of jobs at home, rights activists say. Yet many have their passports confiscated and end up trapped in modern-day slavery.

“One woman was thrown from the balcony of a two-storey building by her employer after she accidentally burnt her boss’s shirt whilst ironing,” Jasphine said of a victim in Kuwait. Others are drugged and turned into sex slaves – being raped multiple times a day and even forced to have sex with animals.

“They come home with a lot of trauma,” Jasphine, coordinator of the Justice and Peace Commission of Kumbo, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a seminary in the capital Yaounde. “Sometimes, a (woman forced to be a) sex worker can be exploited 15 times a day – physically, mentally, she’s drained … she’s gone,” added the nun, who moved to northwest Cameroon almost a decade ago to work with the country’s poorest.

“In the end, she doesn’t have anything. She comes back in the same dress she left in.” Jasphine was hailed in June as one of eight global heroes in the fight against trafficking at the launch of the United States’ annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, which grades countries on their efforts to stamp out modern-day slavery. But Jasphine has no time for celebrations. She is too busy seeking funding, counselling and support for victims left traumatised by their ordeal abroad.

Jasphine says she identifies trafficking victims by working with activists, community leaders and civil society groups. To raise awareness about their plight, she has helped organise demonstrations, where women have marched with placards reading: ‘Bring back our suffering daughters’. “We got a lot of support from the people,” said Jasphine.

“It touches every heart because they (the people) feel: ‘It’s my own child who is affected, who is exploited’.” She has also lobbied government officials, all the way to the country’s prime minister, to do more to help the women.
Cameroon has made strides towards meeting the U.S. minimum standards to end trafficking, having provided services to some victims and sent a delegation to the Middle East to discuss Cameroonian workers’ rights, the 2017 TIP report said.

Yet the state has not funded repatriation for slavery victims stranded in the Middle East, and continues to rely on civil society groups to bring trafficking cases to its attention and provide most services for victims, the report said.

The government has tried to crack down on Cameroonians travelling to the Middle East, but traffickers have changed tactics, and are instead flying women via Nigeria, Jasphine said. She said the government must now do more to help those coming home.

Although her organisation and other groups try to help victims get back on their feet, take them to hospital and provide counselling, it is simply not enough, the nun warned. “It is very disheartening,” Jasphine said, showing a series of distressed text messages from one of the women she helped to rescue from Kuwait, who is now struggling financially.
“Much more needs to be done.”

Culled from Thomson Reuters Foundation

9, August 2017

Kenya: Opposition claims ‘vote fraud after hack,’ rejects results ⁰

Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has claimed “massive fraud” in the general elections, rejecting the preliminary results, which have put his longtime rival, incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta, in the lead.

According to the official website of Kenya’s election commission (IEBC), Kenyatta was holding on to a commanding lead with 54.8 percent, while Odinga has only secured 44.4 percent after nearly 13 million ballots were counted from more than 35,000 of the 40,833 polling stations.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Odinga claimed that the results of Tuesday’s general elections are not reliable as the election commission’s voting systems had come under cyberattack, leading to “massive and extensive” vote fraud.

“Hackers gained entry into our election database” and “created errors,” Odinga said. “You can only cheat the people for so long,” the opposition leader said. “The 2017 general election was a fraud.”

He called on his supporters to maintain calm, but said “I don’t control the people.” Odinga’s deputy, Kalonzo Muyoka, also made a similar call, adding, however, that the opposition might urge “action” at a later date, without elaborating.

The opposition figure had earlier in the day decried the tallying process as a “sham.” Odinga alleged that the IEBC had not provided documents showing how the tallies were obtained, saying “it is the machine that has voted. These results are wrong.”

The hacking claims prompted Kenya’s election commission to react and counter the allegations, assuring Kenyans that “all is well.” Despite Odinga’s call for calm, a group of his supporters took to the streets to protest the results, chanting “No Raila, no peace.”

The protest, however, turned violent after police forces intervened and fired tear gas at the crowd. At least one protester was killed as riot police opened fire during the clashes in Kisii County, said Leonard Katana, a regional police commander.

Anti-riot units of the Kenyan Administration police are positioned outside a police station on the outskirts of Kibera in Nairobi, on August 9, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Kenyatta, 55-year-old son of Kenya’s first president after independence from British colonial rule, campaigned on a record of key infrastructure projects — many backed by China – while claiming strong economic growth. Odinga, who is also the 72-year-old son of a leader of the independence struggle, presented himself as a champion of the poor as well as a fierce critic of corruption in the country.

Many voters, however, were expected to vote along ethnic lines. Kenyatta is broadly regarded as the candidate of the nation’s largest ethnic group of Kikuyu, while Odinga is affiliated with the Luo voting bloc, which has never won a presidential race.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta speaks to the media after voting at a polling station during the August 8, 2017 presidential election in Gatundu, Kiambu county. (Photo by AFP)

The top opposition candidate, who is making his fourth presidential run, has further accused his rival of stealing victory from him through rigging both in 2007 and 2013 polls. In 2007, the disputed election led to two months of ethnically-driven political violence that killed nearly 1,100 people and displaced 600,000 others.

The challenged poll in 2013 was referred to the courts, and ended largely peacefully even though Odinga emerged defeated. Tensions have been high leading up to this year’s election since late last month, when Chris Msando, a key administrator of the biometric voting system, was murdered.

“We fear that this is the precise reason why Mr. Chris Msando was assassinated,” Odinga emphasized, pointing to his allegation of fraud. However, IEBC appeared undeterred by Odinga’s statements.

Commissioner Roslyn Akombe said despite a request by an unnamed political party to halt releasing preliminary results the body has decided to “continue to display the results.”

Source: Presstv

9, August 2017

New York: Biya delegation told to implement measures to build confidence with Southern Cameroonians ⁰

The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Amina J. Mohammed has stressed the importance of implementing measures to build confidence between French Cameroun and the Southern Cameroons community.

The UN diplomat met a French Cameroun delegation on Tuesday led by Paul Ghogomu, the Director of Cabinet at the Prime Minister’s Office and called for inclusive dialogue in attempts at resolving the Southern Cameroons crisis.
The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations welcomed the efforts announced by the Biya Francophone regime and wished that the rights of the persons prosecuted in the context of the Southern Cameroons revolution be respected.

Dozens of Southern Cameroons arrested in the context of the Anglophone crisis, including three of the leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium are currently prosecuted by the Yaoundé military court.
They are tried for acts of terrorism, popular insurrection, civil disobedience, contempt of the head of state … and risk the death penalty.

The situation has becoming more intractable following the election of an interim leader and the creation of the Southern Cameroons Governing Council including the intensification of the civil disobedience campaign by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium.

By Chi Prudence Asong
Cameroon Concord News

9, August 2017

CRTV-Amadou Vamoulke Affair: The shocking truth about Charles Ndongo’s involvement ⁰

Amadou Vamoulke, the former general manager of the Cameroon Radio and Television (CRTV), has been questioned at the Special Criminal Court in a new case just three days after the start of his trial in the Gervais Mendo Ze affair. The so-called new case relates to his management of the Cameroon radio and television (CRTV).

Cameroon Concord News sources revealed that this new file which could open comes after an audit report commissioned by Charles Ndongo the current general manager of CRTV on the management of his predecessor. For more than four hours on the 3rd of August, Amadou Vamoulke was interrogated at the Special Criminal Court.

Amadou Vamoulke who is incarcerated in the Kondengui Central prison in Yaoundé, was called to explain the purchase without tender the rights of re transmissions of certain major football competitions. Charles Ndongo alleges that Vamoulke violated the procurement procedure in connection with the purchase of these rights.

We understand the prosecutors at the Special Criminal Court and French Cameroun financial crime experts did not find any evidence against Amadou Vamoulke in the audiovisual (TV tax) scandal estimated at 3.9 billion FCFA. For instance, Amadou Vamoulke could not have been able to falsify an account operated by the treasury department in Yaoundé.

Alice Nkom one of the lawyers of the former GM of CRTV was quoted as saying that “Amadou Vamoulke is a victim of political and judicial fury. In the first case the judges were put under pressure to charge a citizen who did not steal anything. The Special Criminal Court hired experts who in their reports proved that the former General Manager of CRTV did not commit any crime, but in spite of these conclusions from the experts, our client is still in jail.”

By Rita Akana
Cameroon Concord News