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2, August 2017

US: Staff removal shows chaos in Trump administration ⁰

US President Donald Trump has dismissed his recently appointed communications director, Anthony Scaramucci. The abrupt removal of the controversial figure after some 10 days of a crude verbal tirade against other senior staff indicates the tensions rising within Trump’s inner circle. Brent Budowsky, columnist of The Hill, believes the recent staff removal shows that there is “chaos” in Trump’s administration, adding that his presidency is in “big trouble.”

“So what you have is a sequence of firings and removals – the national security adviser, the White House chief of staff, the communications director, the press secretary, there have been a lot of them,” he said.

The analyst further praised the appointment of John F. Kelly as the White House Chief of Staff, expressing hope that he will succeed in bringing back some order out of the chaos and imposing some discipline that would be very valuable and helpful to Trump and to the United States.

He also opined that Anthony Scaramucci was an “absolute epic disaster” as communications director, reasoning that attacking other people in the White House as he did with former chief of staff, Reince Priebus, is not acceptable.

This file photo taken on July 21, 2017 shows Anthony Scaramucci, former White House communications director during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, DC. (Photo by AFP)

Elsewhere in his remarks, Budowsky noted that Washington generally has a problem with conflict of interests, asserting that Trump is taking it to “new epic heights” which is going to get him in a lot of trouble.

He also emphasized that the Trump administration should stop attacking former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton all the time, arguing that what it is doing right now is “wrong and silly”. The analyst concluded by saying that America’s political system is “dysfunctional”, stating that the American people in large numbers have rejected Trump politically and that they want change now.

However, Sameera Khan, the other panelist on the program, maintained that what is actually in chaos is the mainstream media which creates “an absolute frenzy” whenever the president fires one of his staff members. She also noted that the media as well as the Democratic elites want to portray Trump as “uniquely nefarious” which is the reason why they focus mostly on personality rather than policy positions.

The analyst further criticized the removal of Scaramucci, arguing that he was dismissed from the administration because of being a loud mouth, not his problematic policy positions. According to the analyst, the “US political discourse has been reduced to celebrity gossip” and that the basis of media coverage is not pro-facts or pro-objectivity.

Culled from Presstv

2, August 2017

Yaounde: Canada to improve relations with French Cameroun ⁰

Canada is committed to strengthening bilateral relations in all domains with La Republique du Cameroun especially at the level of the economy. This was highlighted at a press conference on the 31st of July 2017 in Yaoundé. The Canadian High Commissioner to Cameroun, Rene Cremose and the Africa Vice President of Afrique Expansion, Beatrice Bediang invited French Cameroun businessmen to be part of the Afrique Expansion Forum, a Canadian networking platform for investment in Africa.

The forum that sits every two years is in its 8th edition and will feature great names from the international and national business communities and has been slated for the 2nd to the 3rd October 2017 in Montreal – Canada. The Canadian High Commissioner and his team explained that the event will serve in revealing La Republique’s potential while showcasing the French Cameroun’s potentials.

For his part, Afrique Expansion’s Investment Adviser, Georges Meka Abessolo explained that the forum will focus on 19 sectors of the economy including agriculture, mining, transport, ICTs, infrastructure, energy and insurance. The Afrique Expansion representative also revealed that this year’s event will be exceptional as it will examine the digital economy which is one area, the Biya Francophone regime is interested in.

Bilateral relations between French Cameroun and Canada is limited only to Canadian business interest in the small Sub Saharan country especially as Canada is involved in projects like the renovation and expansion of the Douala Japoma Stadium and its annex as well as other sports facilities in the country.

Source: CRTV

1, August 2017

Madagascar: Bus crash kills at least 34 ⁰

At least 34 people died when a bus carrying young Christian worshippers plunged down a steep ravine in central Madagascar, police and hospital officials said Tuesday.

Police said 12 badly burned bodies were counted at the site, 70 kilometers (45 miles) north of the capital Antananarivo. Hospitals said that 22 other deaths had been confirmed after the late-night crash.

“The bus struggled to climb a road on a hill and fell down a ravine about 20 meters deep,” police spokesman Herilalatiana Andrianarisaona told AFP. “It caught fire after rolling several times.”

The main hospital in the capital Antananarivo said it had accounted for 18 dead, while a hospital in the town of Ankazobe bear the crash scene reported four dead. Passengers on the packed bus were travelling from the central town of Soavinandriana to a church meeting in the north-western coastal port city of Mahajanga when the accident occurred.

(Source: AFP)

1, August 2017

Biya sends special team to help fight Southern Cameroons at the UN ⁰

Following the visit of the interim leader of Southern Cameroons to the Republic of South Africa and the successful briefing of the UN by Southern Cameroons human rights activists, a French Cameroun delegation is expected in New York this month to counter the offensive. Confirming the decision made by President Biya, the Prime Minister’s office made public a press release that was sent to the Cameroon embassy in the US detailing the mission of the French Cameroun team.

The delegation is composed of Professor Ghogomu Paul Mingo, Minister without portfolio attached to the prime minister’s office, Prof. Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, former Minister and head of the so-called ruling CPDM academic think tank and Prof. Fabien Nkot, Technical Adviser to Prime Minister Philemon Yang. The communique also stated that the men will stay from the 3rd of August to the 9th 2017 in New York.

In a bid to cover up the war crimes committed against the people of Southern Cameroons ever since the revolution started, the Francophone delegation comprised two prominent Anglophones who are serving the regime and have all their investments in Yaoundé. During the mission, the Cameroon government officials will play a similar role like those of the KNDP 1961 delegation and will prospect and strengthen links with the UN as a one and indivisible Cameroon.

The mission is led by Ghogomu Paul Mingo who is wanted in Southern Cameroons on charges of rapes, extra judicial killings and arrests orchestrated by the Francophone dominated army in West Cameroon main counties including Buea, Kumba, Bamenda, Jakiri, Kumbo and Wum. While in the US, the delegation from La Republique is also expected to meet with the CPDM Section executive for North America to reactivate their party there against an increasing backdrop of an upsurge in the numbers of Anglophones joining the secessionist movement.

In his latest address to Southern Cameroonians, the interim leader of the Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Governing Council, Sisiku Ayuk Tabe noted that the journey to the restoration of the independence of our nation is in full gear. The leader said “We have heard your voices from Australia, China, Europe, Americas and Africa. We are very encouraged by the enormous show of support and solidarity from our people back home. We want you all to be reassured that we are in this journey together until we get to Buea, in a country that we will call our own.”

By Chi Prudence Asong
Cameroon Concord News

1, August 2017

The looting of Cameroon: Catastrophic revelations puts GM of CNPS in jeopardy ⁰

A French Cameroun newspaper La Tribune de l’Est Economie that recently reported on the salary situation of the current general manager of the National Social Insurance Fund CNPS, Noel Alain Olivier Mekulu Mvondo Akame has again made public disturbing revelations on the matter.

After threats against the publisher, Chantal Roger Tuile that reportedly came from the management of the CNPS, the newspaper does not seem intimidated. With additional new information on the monthly earnings of the boss of the National Social Insurance Fund, the paper opined in its lead story released on Monday, July 31, 2017 that “Biya’s nephews are running the country dry.”

The weekly in the first stanza of the report published a quote attributed to the general manager of CNPS. “I am the nephew of the Head of State. My name is Mekulu Mvondo, and everyone knows that the head of state’s father was called Mvondo. I’ll have Tuilé and all his acolytes shut up. My friends in the National Communications Council will dissolve La Tribune de l’Est Economie as they did with the other newspapers that were bothering us. People don’t mess around with me … Who are these Tuilés even? Are they stronger than the Roman Catholic bishops? His days on earth are numbered.”

The paper which announced earlier that the general manager of CNPS had a monthly salary of 11 million CFA francs has now revealed that instead of 11 million, the GM of CNPS has a monthly salary of 23 million. The newspaper also added that 200,000 francs have been allocated for the GMs water bills, 400,000 frs for electricity, 400,000 for the “telephone-Internet-Cable” section, and 900,000 for fuel.

The housing allowance amounts to CFAF 1,125,000 and the cost of sovereignty amounts to 16,700,000. La Tribune de l’Est Economie stated that “it is necessary to add to all this, the sum of 35 thousand for the “Health insurance, home management about 3 million, the mansion 7 million two hundred thousand, GM home furnishings and equipment, 40 million, two vehicles 100 million, installation premium 8 million.”

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Cameroon Info.Net

1, August 2017

North Korea can hit most of US ⁰

North Korea’s missiles are capable of hitting targets across most of the United States, American intelligence officials claim, citing evidence from Pyongyang’s latest missile test. North Korea test-launched a Hwasong-14 ballistic missile on Saturday, calling it a “stern warning” to the US that it would not be safe if it resorts to military action.

The consensus in Washington is that the Hwasong-14 in many ways resembled an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and proved the North’s ability to hit targets on American soil, Reuters reported Monday, citing two US intelligence officials.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the officials said the missile’s 47-minute flight time was indicative of a greater range compared to another missile that was tested on July 4^th, which flew 39 minutes.

This picture taken on July 4, 2017 and released by North Korea shows an intercontinental ballistic missile reportedly capable of reaching the US. (Photo by AFP)

The Hwasong-14 also made use of force stabilizing engines that gave it greater height, range and power by deflecting the effects of winds and other forces that could knock it off course while ascending. The Pentagon says the missile’s trajectory, although not direct enough to reach the US, showed that it had the potential.

In a press briefing, Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis refused to reveal the US military’s assessment but confirmed that the missile could fly at least 5,500 km (3,420 miles), the minimum range for what the Pentagon classifies as an ICBM.

“You could have the debate back and forth of whether the capability is proven or not, the fact of the matter is we take it seriously and we are prepared to defend against (it),” he noted. Last month, the United Nations Security Council imposed a fresh array of sanctions on Pyongyang in response to a number of missile tests carried out this year.

Source: Presstv

1, August 2017

Return of Nigerian Refugees from Cameroon Should Be Voluntary ⁰

The African Union Peace and Security Council has urged Cameroon to ensure the repatriation of Nigerian refugees fleeing Boko Haram is done on a voluntary basis. Hundreds of refugees, most of them children, complain they are thirsty and hungry as they leave Cameroon on their way back to Nigeria.

They are escorted by troops from the multinational joint task force fighting the Boko Haram insurgency. Cameroon Red Cross official Joseph Guisso is among the humanitarian staff accompanying the refugees. He said the military escort is necessary because Boko Haram fighters can surprise them at any moment.

He said they have confidence in the task force and strongly believe the killings will end soon. The soldiers told VOA Boko Haram has been organizing sporadic attacks on a small scale since January. During the past two years, the regional force has retaken much of the territory Boko Haram once controlled.

The number of Nigerian refugees repatriated from Cameroon has not been made public. In March, the governments of the two countries signed a tripartite agreement with UNHCR that stipulated the repatriations must be voluntary.

In June, the U.N. refugee agency condemned what it called the Cameroonian government’s forced repatriation of 887 Nigerian refugees to the border town of Banki. The United Nations said there had been other similar incidents. Cameroon’s government has denied allegations of forced returns.

Cameroon has struggled to meet the humanitarian needs of the approximately 115,000 Nigerian refugees within its borders, as well as an estimated 200,000 Cameroonians displaced by the conflict.

Suicide attacks have picked up recently in border areas in Cameroon, with at least 30 attacks reported in June, including some targeting refugee camps. Far North region of Cameroon Governor Midjiyawa Bakari has argued it would be better for refugees to go to safer localities in their own country.

A delegation from the African Union visited the northern town of Maroua on Friday. The chairman of the African Union Peace and Security Council, Nigerian-born Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, led the delegation. He told VOA only refugees who choose to go back should be repatriated.

“We want to thank the government and people of Cameroon first for hosting these refugees and coordinating all the necessary sectors. With the United Nations agencies, we are suggesting and proposing that all the refugees should return in safety and in dignity,” said Adeoye.

Aid agencies have also expressed concern about the conditions to which refugees are returning. UNHCR and Doctors without Borders have warned food, water and other resources are dangerously overstretched in border communities in Nigeria.

Source:VOANews

31, July 2017

Syria: President Assad says will of Syrian people, army defeated terrorists ⁰

President Bashar al-Assad has praised the Syrian people and army, saying their will has defeated terrorism in the country. “The will of the Syrian people and their determination as well as the heroism of the Syrian Arab Army” are the most important reasons that have helped the country defeat foreign-backed militants, Assad said on Monday.

Assad also appreciated the Syrian people, saying they did not allow terrorist groups and their backers to halt their daily activities. He made the remarks in a meeting with a delegation from Tunisia’s General Labor Union (UGTT), headed by its Assistant Secretary General Bu Ali Mubaraki, in the capital Damascus, Syria’s official news agency, SANA, reported.

During the meeting, Assad stressed that the delegation’s visit carried many messages to the world as it “reflects the pulse of the Arab public opinion and its orientations.” In turn, members of the Tunisian delegation confirmed that they came to Damascus to convey a message of support for the Syrian people.

The Syrian people have showed matchless support for their leadership and army, which are defending the dignity of the Arab nation, the delegation said. The Tunisian delegation stressed that the West does not want Syria to play any role except according to what they dictate.

The delegation said the West has targeted Syria because of its fair stance towards regional developments. The delegation also described Syria as a state which remains at the forefront of the campaign against terrorism. “If what is planned against Syria succeeded, the chaos would have prevailed throughout the Arab region. Therefore, defending it is defending all the Arabs.”

Syrian government forces inspect an area recently recaptured from the Daesh terrorist group in a mountain range near the village of Khanasir, in Aleppo province, on July 2, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning UGTT is known to many Tunisians for the role it played in the North African country’s historic revolution of 2011. Syria has been gripped by a deadly conflict since March 2011. The government has repeatedly blamed certain foreign countries for the spread of the devastating militancy in the country.

Over the past few months, Syrian forces have made sweeping gains against Takfiri elements, which have in turn increased their acts of violence across the country. Tunisia, too, has experienced violence since the 2011 uprising that ousted the country’s dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was in power for over two decades. The country has also been affected by the growing instability in neighboring Libya, which has been in chaos since former dictator Muammar Gaddafi was toppled and later killed in 2011.

During the past six years, Tunisia has witnessed multiple terrorist attacks. Tunisia is among the countries with the highest per capita number of extremist militants operating in other countries. Thousands of Tunisians have reportedly left their country since 2011 to fight alongside extremist groups in Iraq and Syria.

The gloomy status quo of Daesh has growingly worried Tunisians who fear that many militants would return to the North African country. Late last year, Tunisian authorities warned about the return of thousands of Takfiri militants, calling for “exceptional measures” to combat the phenomenon.

Source: Presstv

31, July 2017

Senegal: Ruling coalition claims election landslide in parliamentary vote ⁰

The ruling coalition of Senegal’s President Macky Sall has won a widely expected landslide in a legislative election, his prime minister says, bolstering Sall’s prospects for re-election in 2019.

The Benno Bokk Yakaar (BBY) coalition swept all except three of the country’s 45 electoral departments, said Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne, speaking to the public Senegalese press agency APS ahead of the official release of results.

The ruling coalition “emerged victorious” following the vote on Sunday, Dionne said, while the turnout was 54 percent among Senegal’s 6.2 million registered voters, an increase on voting in 2012.

Dionne said opposition coalition lists were likely to be ahead in the departments of Kedougou, Saraya and possibly Mbacke, but otherwise the BBY list of candidates “had been voted in by the Senegalese people.”

The official results are expected later this week. Some complained of being left off the electoral rolls on Sunday, and there were delays to voting in several places, partly due to bad weather.

Members of the election commission put up a placard at a polling station in Dakar on July 30, 2017 during Senegal’s legislative election. (Photo by AFP)

Sall’s main threat to increase his power in parliament was posed by ex-leader Abdoulaye Wade, 91, who was aiming to drum up support for his own list of candidates and his son, Karim, who is not on the ballot but has ambitions for the presidency.

His other serious opponent, Dakar Mayor Khalifa Sall (no relation), is in jail awaiting trial for what supporters say are politically-motivated embezzlement charges, and headed a list while campaigning from his jail cell.

The mayor had been seen as a key contender for 2019 and a potential threat to the president in parliament until he was charged in March with allegedly misappropriating 1.83 billion CFA francs ($2.85 million, 2.7 million euros) in city funds.

There were a record 47 lists of candidates contesting the election, with 165 lawmakers due to take seats in parliament. Police fired tear gas and arrested dozens during at times violent campaigning that left several injured in a country normally known for its peaceful democratic traditions.

Controversy also erupted over the failure to deliver enough new biometric ID cards needed to vote, which hundreds of thousands of Senegalese did not receive in time.

(Source: AFP)

31, July 2017

Roman Catholic Church Crisis: Days Numbered for Controversial Bishop of Bertoua ⁰

A violent demonstration staged by Roman Catholic faithful of the archdiocese of Bertoua was dispersed Sunday morning by the forces of law and order. The protesters called for the removal of Monsignor Joseph Atanga, the Bishop of Bertoua. If there’s a place in French Cameroun associated with rebellion these days, then it’s the city of Bertoua, where even the most pious of Catholics are protesting against their regional church leader, Bishop Joseph Atanga. For several years, the bishop who had served in Bafoussam has been a lightning rod for criticism because he has lived in luxury while simultaneously extolling the virtues of poverty and humility. More than anything, though, he has become a symbol of a Cameroonian Roman Catholic Church that has seen its membership swiftly dwindle following a series of scandals including the brutal murder of Bishop Jean Benoit Balla that have shaken public faith in the religious institution.

They reportedly arrived 30 minutes before the Eucharistic celebration and waved placards observing that “Bishop Joseph Atanga Must Go”. Some of the banners read “We’re tired of your mismanagement”, “the Church is not a business center” but were quickly snatched by law enforcement officers who had erected a huge security cordon at the church premise and mined all entrances to the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Bertoua.

In a letter sent to the National Episcopal Conference, the Apostolic Nuncio and the Governor of the Eastern Region, 250 parishioners did denounce what they consider to be “the poor behavior” of Monsignor Joseph Atanga.

They cited the fanciful transfer of priests, the calamitous management of the archdiocese of Bertoua, and the excessive affairs of the Bishop. They are demanding the departure of their “bad” shepherd.

So far, no official of the Roman Catholic Church in the East Region has commented on the prevailing situation. This is an additional scandal in an archdiocese which had already recently defrayed the chronicle through a case of homosexuality.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Cameroun Info.Net