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Southern Cameroons GCE: CPDM Board moves for another deadline extension

4, March 2017

Southern Cameroons GCE: CPDM Board moves for another deadline extension 2

The Council of the Cameroon General Certificate of Education (GCE) Board has “exceptionally authorized” the registrar to extend the deadline for the 2017 GCE registration for the Ordinary and Advanced Levels in all centers across the country to March 20, 2017. The decision that comes after two other postponements was taken at the end of an extra-ordinary council meeting of the Board in Buea on Friday March 3. The previous deadline expired on Tuesday February 28.

The Registrar of the GCE Board, Humphrey Ekema Monono, told state radio and television on Tuesday that slightly over 70.000 candidates had registered nationwide to sit for the 2017 session of examinations organized by the Board—a figure estimated to be about three times less than the number that sat for the exams in 2016. The extension is seen by critics as a government move to lure teachers and students to go back to school as allegations are rife that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) could declare a blank academic year in the country due to the numerous teaching hours lost in the two English speaking regions.

According to a release read on CRTV Radio, the session that was attended by representatives of teachers’ trade unions, teachers’ associations of the South West and North West regions, religious and private institutions, “also unanimously called on teachers, students and pupils to resume classes latest Tuesday March 7, 2017 at 7:30am.”

It is the third time the deadline is being extended. Registration was initially due to end December 30, 2016 but rocking Southern Cameroons which has paralyzed activities in schools and courts forced authorities to postpone. Schools in the English speaking North West and South West regions have remained closed since teachers in the regions began a sit-in strike in November last year.

Despite the repeated postponements, some observers still believe the holding of GCE this year is still implausible. They argue that schools are yet to resume and students have been out of activity for months though government says “measures have been taken” to avert such.

Cameroun Info.Net

 

Biya regime makes vain attempt to rob the Consortium of legitimate teachers support

3, March 2017

Biya regime makes vain attempt to rob the Consortium of legitimate teachers support 4

The government has announced several measures aimed at making up for the lost teaching hours caused by the teachers’ strike in the North West and South West Regions. Among the measures prescribed in a release by Secondary Education Minister, Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe is two weeks of classes for students of examination classes and one week for others during Easter holidays that begins on Friday March 31 to Monday April 17, 2017.

The secondary education boss has also called for the continuation of catch up classes “that have been going on for some time now in the Francophone section,” the communiqué said. The Minister has appealed to “all members of the education community” to put all hands on deck in their different spheres of competence for the full implementation of the measures. The teachers’ strike that began in November 2016 has disrupted the 2016/2017 school year with several teaching hours lost.

Though the government claims schools have resumed in the two regions, reports on the ground show classes are still empty. There are fears the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) could declare a blank academic year in the country due to the numerous  teaching hours lost in the two English speaking regions.

Cameroun Info.Net

Yaounde and Abuja sign deal to repatriate Nigerian refugees in Cameroon

3, March 2017

Yaounde and Abuja sign deal to repatriate Nigerian refugees in Cameroon 0

Yaounde, Abuja and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees have signed a tripartite agreement for the voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees settled in Cameroon. The agreement signed in Yaoundé concerns the 84,325 Nigerian refugees who have fled the exactions of the Islamist sect Boko Haram. These refugees are currently living in the Far-North region of Cameroon. Of these, 60,895 are settled in the camp located at Minawao, created on 2 July 2013. A recent profiling by the organization in charge of migration, registered some 20 416 other refugees, who live with foster families.  The High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that there are thousands of other Nigerians who fled the Boko Haram violence but due to insecurity could not be registered.

Two UN surveys carried out between April and September 2016 among refugees at the Minawao camp on return intentions revealed that 70 per cent of the 9,300 sampled wanted to return to their areas of origin, as soon as the situation permits. Only 27% want to stay in Cameroon. The two sides agreed to provide clear and precise information on the situation of their return areas, particularly in the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa (Northeastern Nigeria).

Cameroonian authorities say, it is not a forced repatriation, “the Government of Cameroon will continue to ensure the protection of Nigerian refugees on its territory and will spare no effort to help those who wish return to Nigeria in accordance with international agreements, “said René Emmanuel Sadi, the Cameroonian Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization.

We gathered that Abuja was pleased with the agreement, “Nigeria is pleased to be part of this agreement by stressing the importance of working together to bring about a lasting solution to the situation of refugees, who are our fellow citizens . As a government, we will remain committed to ensuring  a conducive atmosphere to facilitate the return of our fellow citizens in safety and dignity and in accordance with the principles of international protection, “said Lieutenant-General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazu, the Nigerian Minister of the Interior.

For his part, the High Commissioner’s Special Representative, Kouassi Lazare Etien, said he was satisfied with the agreement. He further pointed out that the agreement reveals a real desire of Cameroon and Nigeria to find a durable solution for refugees who are willing to return safely and in dignity with the support of the UN.

Chi Prudence Asong

Sudan’s Bashir appoints first premier since 1989 coup

3, March 2017

Sudan’s Bashir appoints first premier since 1989 coup 0

Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has appointed a prime minister for the first time since the post was abolished following a coup in 1989. Bakri Hassan Saleh, 68, took the oath of office at the presidential palace in Khartoum on Thursday, a day after he was named as prime minister by the executive bureau of the president’s National Congress Party (NCP).

A close confidante of Bashir, Saleh has served in several ministerial portfolios in the Sudanese government, including interior and defense. The army general, who is known as “Bashir’s shadow,” was head of Sudan’s all powerful National Security and Intelligence Service in the 1990s.

Saleh was an influential military officer in the 1989 coup which brought Bashir to power. He has been a key aide to Bashir and served as first vice-president, a post he will continue to occupy in the future.

The appointment is part of reforms proposed by a year-long national dialogue between the Sudanese government and some opposition groups.

Bashir, who has faced criticism over his way of dealing with dissent, concluded in October last year a national dialogue involving his government and several opposition groups. The main aim of the initiative is to resolve insurgency in Sudan’s border regions and heal the country’s crisis-wracked economy.

Bashir scrapped the post of prime minister after he launched the 1989 coup against then premier Sadiq al-Mahdi. Lawmakers approved constitutional amendments last year while Mahdi returned to Sudan from a two-year exile last month. The post of prime minister was created by constitutional amendments.

Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir arrives with Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Saleh to take group photos with Ministers at Council of Ministers in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 2, 2017. (Photo by Reuters)

Many say the appointment of a new prime minister would help Bashir revive his decades-old rule and give it a new look. Khaled Tigani, a senior journalist, said Sudan would hardly differ under Saleh’s premiership as it would be a continuation of Bashir’s rule.

“General Bakri’s appointment is broadly a continuation of Bashir’s rule rather than a new chapter in Sudan’s politics,” he told AFP, adding, “But at the end of the day it depends on the leadership that General Bakri manages to show.”

Saleh said in a brief statement after taking oath that his cabinet would represent various political forces. “Our country is at a historic moment as it harmonizes all political parties and powers who participated in the national dialogue,” Saleh said.

Presstv

Committee to Protect Journalists flays Biya regime over arrest of Anglophone newsmen

3, March 2017

Committee to Protect Journalists flays Biya regime over arrest of Anglophone newsmen 0

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a U.S. based independent press freedom advocacy organization, has tasked the government to give clarifications regarding the reported imprisonment of at least eight journalists arrested in the wake of the crisis rocking the country’s English speaking regions.

In an open letter to the Minister of Communication and government spokesperson, CPJ said the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms (NCHRF), had confirmed the detention of at least five journalists as of February 20.

“Since then we have heard reports of at least three other journalists jailed in Cameroon,” CPJ said. It reminded the communication minister that he claimed media practitioners in Cameroon “can speak their mind” and there was no journalist was in prison in country. “You requested that we forward you a list of detained journalists. We did this privately the same day and repeatedly but unsuccessfully attempted to follow up with you directly,” independent press freedom advocacy group reminded the minister citing a February 15 conversation.

CPJ said it is requesting the minister’s assistance in reconciling his contention that no journalists are jailed in Cameroon with the conclusions of NCHRF, “and request clarification on the location” of Atia Tilarious Azohnwi of The Sun newspaper, Amos Fofung of The Guardian Post, Thomas Awah Junior, of the monthly Aghem Messenger magazine, Mfor Ndong of Voice of the Voiceless, Hans Achumba, of Jakiri Community Radio and Tim Finnian, publisher of Life Time newspaper among others.

It urged the minister to clarify the reasons for their detention, where they are held, and their current legal status. The government spokesperson was yet to officially react to the letter which CPJ said was faxed to his office.

CPJ noted in the letter that it is aware the government has taken “increasingly drastic” steps to suppress the rights to transmit and receive information in Cameroon, particularly in predominantly Anglophone regions in recent months.  Media outlets have also been suspended, and journalists have been banned from practicing their craft, according to the CPJ.

Cameroun Info.Net

UN Security Council inspectors in Yaounde

3, March 2017

UN Security Council inspectors in Yaounde 0

UN Security Council inspectors are currently visiting countries in the Lake Chad Basin combating the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram since 2013. The delegation comprising 15 members arrived Cameroon on Thursday for a working visit. A statement signed by Minister Adoum Gargoum, in charge of relations with the Islamic world said that the UN mission to Cameroon has gotten the high approval of President Paul Biya. The delegation is conducting a field mission for the first time in the Lake Chad Basin.

Cameroon Concord News understands the mission will continue in all the countries of the Lake Chad Basin and ends on March 7th. The countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission including Benin set up the Joint Multinational Force to confront Boko Haram. With approximately 10,000 troops, the Joint Multinational Force has contributed greatly to militarily weakening Boko Haram, which paid allegiance to the Organization of the Islamic State and is now called, Province of the Islamic State in Africa.

By Sama Ernest

 

Revealed: Consortium to lodge a complaint with the International Criminal Court

2, March 2017

Revealed: Consortium to lodge a complaint with the International Criminal Court 2

The former deputy prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda responsible for the 1994 genocide has announced that crimes against humanity have been committed in Southern Cameroons. Speaking of the Anglophone crisis that began in November 2016 in Cameroon, renowned Barrister Bernard Acho Muna during a press conference on March 1 2017 revealed that a complaint will be lodged with the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“According to the Geneva Convention of 1949, we speak of genocide when you want to change the way of life of a people with a culture of their own. Anglophones are a national group, wanting to enjoy their justice system as Francophones also enjoy their judicial system. In trying to force these people to adopt a culture that is not their own, it is genocide. When you break the doors of students in the university residential area, you roll them in mud, it is also genocide. When you shut down internet, this is an element of genocide.” The much respected Muna said.

On the subject of the complaint to be submitted to the ICC, Bernard Acho Muna said that, “I have been in contact with some lawyers in London to assist in the process and the legal proceedings have been mandated by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium currently led by Barrister  Agbor Felix Nkongho.”

By Sama Ernest

3 deadly fire accidents recorded in East Cameroun

2, March 2017

3 deadly fire accidents recorded in East Cameroun 0

Three separate fire incidents in 24 hours have caused untold suffering to victims in East Cameroun. In Djeleng 5, a locality in Bafoussam, four persons were killed in fire outbreak which occurred Tuesday night around 11 PM. Security sources say a lady called Beatrice who works in a local financial institution and her three kids perished in the inferno leaving the entire population in total pandemonium. Neighbors recounted how they heard loud noises from the apartment of the victims but were helpless as the wild flames became unbearable to control even with the intervention of the Baffoussam fire fighters.

In a similar development, this time around in New Bell Douala 2 municipality, a family was rendered homeless following a fire outbreak that shattered the area on Tuesday afternoon at about 1pm. The fire reportedly ravaged a small house constructed with planks and according to the owner, the sum of 300 thousands FCFA was consumed by the flames. Other valuable items also vanished in the inferno. Locals suspect a short circuit may have cause the accident. Late on Wednesday March 1, 2017 another fire incident reduced to ground level a house in Bepanda entrée Lycee in Douala 5 municipality.

Cameroun Info.Net

US: Trump shifts rhetoric on immigration policy

2, March 2017

US: Trump shifts rhetoric on immigration policy 0

US President Donald Trump has offered a more moderate tone on immigration policy, telling lawmakers in Congress that he was open to immigration reform. Addressing the country during his first speech to Congress on Tuesday, Trump shifted from the harsh rhetoric that he had expressed over illegal immigration during his election campaign and first month in the White House.

The president’s wide-ranging speech was long on promises but short on specifics on how to achieve the pledges he made in his election campaign. Trump was seeking to regain the confidence of Americans that are rattled by his leadership thus far.

On immigration, the new president took a more measured tone, appealing to Republicans and Democrats to work together on immigration reform. Trump also said immigration to the US should be based on a merit system, rather than relying on lower-skilled immigrants.

“I believe that real and positive immigration reform is possible, as long as we focus on the following goals: to improve jobs and wages for Americans, to strengthen our nation’s security, and to restore respect for our laws”, Trump said in a conciliatory tone.

However, the US president reiterated his pledge to build a wall along the border with Mexico. “We want all Americans to succeed — but that can’t happen in an environment of lawless chaos. We must restore integrity and the rule of law to our borders. For that reason, we will soon begin the construction of a great wall along our southern border,” he said.

Trump built a base of support behind his presidential campaign by vowing to fight illegal immigration. Building a wall on the US-Mexico border to stop the influx of refugees and undocumented migrants coming from Central and Latin America was a hallmark of Trump’s presidential campaign. During his campaign, Trump also characterized Mexican migrants living in the US as murderers and rapists and pledged to build a wall that he said Mexico would pay for.

Since his inauguration, Trump has faced nearly non-stop protests and rallies condemning his divisive rhetoric and controversial immigration policy. Trump’s first month in office was dominated by a battle over his temporary travel ban on people from seven Muslim-majority countries and harsh personal criticism of federal judges who blocked his immigration order.

Presstv

Southern Cameroons: HYSACAM signs a 5 year deal with the Bamenda Urban Council

2, March 2017

Southern Cameroons: HYSACAM signs a 5 year deal with the Bamenda Urban Council 0

The Health and Sanitation Company of Cameroon (HYSACAM) has signed a five-year contract with the Bamenda Urban Council in Southern Cameroons. The company has successful managed urban waste chain: collection, transport, treatment, recycling and recovery for the past 46 years. The French establishment deployed its team and heavy equipments in the Bamenda province of Southern Cameroons on February 22, 2017.  We understand the city of Bamenda is the 10th chief city that has contracted HYSACAM for the professional collection of household garbage in Cameroon.

There are 15 Cameroonian towns and cities served by HYSACAM. They include Yaoundé, Douala, Bafoussam, Ngaoundéré, Garoua, Maroua, Bertoua, Buea, Limbe, Kribi, Edéa, Ebolowa, Sangmélima, Meyomessala and Bamenda.

The CEO Michel Ngapanoun was quoted as saying that “We had to industrialize the urban waste collection and treatment methods and we created almost 4,000 jobs. So in 40 years, there has been an expansion. Little by little, together we have woven the canvas of cleanliness irrigating in the cities of Cameroon.”

Report by CIR

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