About soter

Posts by :

Cameroon’s cocoa export revenue plunges 63% as shipments and prices fall

26, August 2026

Cameroon’s cocoa export revenue plunges 63% as shipments and prices fall 0

Cameroon’s cocoa export earnings fell 63% during the 2025-26 season, hit by a sharp decline in both shipments and international prices, a reversal that could cost cocoa its newly acquired position as the country’s largest export product.

Cameroon exported 125,469 tons of raw cocoa beans during the season that officially ended July 15, 2026, according to data released by the National Cocoa and Coffee Board, or ONCC, at the launch of the 2026-27 season. That was 66,543 tons, or 34.7%, below the 192,012 tons shipped a year earlier.

The value of those exports at the port of Douala dropped even more sharply, to CFA400.9 billion from CFA1.07 trillion in the previous season, a decline of CFA673 billion.

The ONCC did not provide a specific explanation for the steep fall in export volumes, which came alongside a decline of more than 15% in locally processed beans. Its figures, however, point to lower marketed production and a sharp increase in end-of-season inventories.

Marketed cocoa production fell 19.9% to 247,914 tons in 2025-26 from 309,518 tons the previous season, reducing the volume of beans available for purchase.

Meanwhile, closing stocks nearly tripled to 40,446 tons from 13,946 tons. That means the volume of beans remaining in inventory increased by 26,500 tons between the two seasons.

Europe Takes More Than 84% of Exports

Telcar Cocoa regained its position as Cameroon’s largest cocoa exporter, shipping 40,631 tons, or 32.4% of the season’s total.

The company, led by Kate Fotso, had lost the top spot in 2024-25 following the end of its partnership with U.S. commodities trader Cargill. Telcar exported 30,497 tons that season, giving it a 15.7% market share.

Ofi Cam ranked second in 2025-26 after exporting 24,394 tons, or 19.4% of the total. SBET, the previous season’s market leader, slipped to third place with 23,223 tons, representing 18.5%.

Together, the three companies accounted for 70.3% of Cameroon’s cocoa bean exports.

Europe remained by far the largest destination, led by the Netherlands. ONCC data show the continent received 84.6% of Cameroon’s exports. Asia accounted for 14%, while the Americas and Africa each received about 1%.

Lower Prices Deepen the Revenue Hit

The 63% collapse in export revenue reflects not only fewer shipments but also a steep decline in cocoa prices between the two seasons.

According to the ONCC, FOB prices at the port of Douala ranged from CFA3,808 to CFA7,536 per kilogram during the 2024-25 season. In 2025-26, the range dropped to CFA1,520-CFA3,110 per kilogram.

That represents a decline of roughly 58% to 60% between the two seasons.

The combination of lower production, fewer exports and weaker prices could have broader implications for Cameroon’s external trade.

Cocoa overtook crude oil as the country’s largest export product in 2025 after benefiting from the earlier surge in global prices. According to the National Institute of Statistics, cocoa beans generated 26.3% of Cameroon’s export revenue that year, compared with 22.9% for crude oil.

With cocoa export earnings down 63% in the latest season, maintaining that lead in 2026 could prove difficult. The downturn therefore represents more than a weak cocoa season: it could reshape the composition of Cameroon’s export earnings just one year after cocoa displaced oil at the top.

Source: Business in Cameroon

Yaoundé steps up road safety enforcement, but deadly crashes persist

26, August 2026

Yaoundé steps up road safety enforcement, but deadly crashes persist 0

Cameroon has stepped up road safety checks and prevention measures on major highways, but deadly crashes continue to expose the limits of enforcement efforts aimed at reducing fatalities over the long term.

The latest accident occurred Sunday, Aug. 23, in Sikoum, between Douala and Edéa, killing seven people and injuring 10, according to an official toll reported by state-owned newspaper Cameroon Tribune. The crash came in the middle of a special nationwide road safety campaign and has renewed questions about how effectively current measures can address persistent risks on the country’s roads.

The accident occurred in the morning on National Road No. 3, or RN3, the main highway linking Yaoundé and Douala. A passenger bus carrying residents of the same Douala neighborhood was returning from Bafia via Yaoundé after they attended a funeral when it collided head-on with a dump truck, according to the state-owned newspaper.

Esther Ngo Yemba, the Transport Ministry’s divisional delegate for Sanaga-Maritime, said preliminary information indicated that the bus driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel. The vehicle then reportedly drifted out of its lane and struck the oncoming truck.

All 17 people killed or injured were aboard the bus. Transport Minister Jean-Ernest Masséna Ngalle Bibehe traveled to Edéa after the accident and visited the injured at the city’s regional annex hospital.

A Road Safety Campaign Already Stepped Up

The Sikoum crash occurred during a special road safety and prevention campaign that began June 25 and is scheduled to run through Sept. 30. The nationwide operation is intended in part to reduce accidents during the vacation period and ahead of the start of the school year.

Authorities have recently intensified enforcement on some of the most exposed routes. At the campaign’s halfway point, the Transport Ministry reported 35 accidents on certain highways since June 1 that it attributed to dangerous parking or improper use of vehicles carrying general and hazardous goods.

In response, Ngalle Bibehe ordered a special operation to remove improperly parked vehicles from major highways in a statement signed Aug. 14. RN3, which connects Cameroon’s two largest cities, is among the main roads covered by the operation.

On Aug. 20, the fourth day of the operation between Yaoundé and Douala, ministry teams identified several cases of illegal parking despite earlier awareness campaigns. For the ministry, the objective is not simply to remove vehicles that violate parking rules but to prevent them from creating conditions that could lead to collisions.

The Sikoum accident also came just days after another deadly crash highlighted a different road safety risk. During the night of Aug. 13-14 in Nomalé, in the Ndikinimeki district, 16 people were killed and about 40 injured when a passenger bus collided with a truck loaded with planks that was stopped on the roadway, according to the official toll.

At Nomalé, the stationary truck was one of the key factors in the accident. At Sikoum, preliminary information instead points to suspected driver fatigue.

The Challenge of Lasting Behavioral Change

The two crashes illustrate the range of risks facing road users. Dangerous parking is one threat, but it forms part of a broader chain that includes driver fatigue, behavior behind the wheel, vehicle condition, compliance with transport rules and traffic conditions.

That complexity is one of the central challenges for Cameroon’s current road safety policy. Authorities have increased checks, removed improperly parked vehicles and continued awareness campaigns, yet some high-risk behavior persists.

RN3 illustrates the problem. Even with the Transport Ministry concentrating part of its enforcement efforts on the highway, serious accidents continue to claim lives. The question is therefore no longer simply whether controls exist, but whether they can produce lasting changes in behavior.

The issue is particularly relevant because the government says the current campaign has coincided with a decline in road deaths. While that would indicate an overall improvement, it has not eliminated mass-casualty crashes.

The Nomalé and Sikoum accidents alone killed 23 people in less than two weeks and injured dozens more. That does not invalidate the broader decline in fatalities reported by authorities, but it shows that lower overall road deaths have not eliminated high-risk situations. Some routes remain particularly exposed, while dangerous behavior continues to have deadly consequences.

With the new school year approaching, the special road safety campaign is entering a critical phase. Authorities still have several weeks to turn individual enforcement operations into measures that address the underlying causes of crashes.

The challenge for the government is to ensure that stronger enforcement produces a sustained reduction in serious accidents rather than a cycle of temporary operations followed by the return of the same dangerous practices.

Source: Sbbc

Music legend Dolly Parton dies at 80

25, August 2026

Music legend Dolly Parton dies at 80 0

Dolly Parton, the country music star who rose from grinding poverty in Tennessee to become a rhinestone-studded cultural icon with hits like “Jolene” and “9 to 5,” has died at 80, her family said Tuesday.

Parton was more than a singer — she wrote 3,000 songs, acted in major Hollywood films and donated millions of dollars to charities in her home state and beyond.

She was also an accomplished businesswoman, with her interests spanning from her popular Dollywood theme park to cosmetics, pet apparel, baking mixes and even a truck stop.

“Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus,” her nephew Bryan Seaver said in a video announcing her death on social media.

He said the multiple award-winning artist — known for her glittering style, curvy figure and larger-than-life blonde wigs — had “opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life.”

The family did not give a cause of death, but Parton had spoken about her recent ill health. Her husband Carl Dean died last year.

A small private funeral service will be held, her representative told People magazine, encouraging fans to leave messages on her website.

Tributes quickly poured in for Parton, who won 10 Grammys and 13 Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards during her long career.

“May her legacy live on through her songs, the lives she touched, and the countless artists she inspired. There will never, ever be another one like her,” the Grand Ole Opry, America’s temple of country music, said on social media.

Her co-stars from the hit 1980 movie “9 to 5,” which sparked her soundtrack smash, expressed their shock.

Oscar winner Jane Fonda said she was “devastated” while Lily Tomlin said only: “No words.”

The news even sparked a rare moment of unity in a country often bitterly at odds over Donald Trump’s presidency, the war against Iran and cultural issues.

Trump ordered the lowering of American flags to half-staff across the United States for a week, calling Parton’s passing a “true loss for millions of people.”

“There has never been anyone like her, and never will,” Trump posted on his Truth Social network.

Democratic former president Bill Clinton called her “one of a kind.”

New York’s Empire State Building was to be lit later Tuesday in pink in the singer’s honor.

Born in 1946 as one of 12 children in rural Tennessee, Parton headed for the country music capital Nashville right after graduating from high school.

By 1967, at age 21, she was among the most recognized figures in American music, having joined Porter Wagoner’s syndicated country music television show that broadcast her voice and face into millions of US homes.

During a prolific career that spanned six decades, Parton penned some 3,000 tunes.

They included “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and the iconic ballad “I Will Always Love You,” which became an international success for Whitney Houston.

Releasing 49 studio albums and more than 100 compilation and collaboration albums, she earned the title of “queen of country music.”

Never one to downplay her striking looks, Parton essentially wrote the book on how a woman can rule the airwaves in a male-dominated industry, ultimately becoming an American treasure with songs covered by everyone from Shania Twain to Sinead O’Connor.

“Instant Sainthood,” Jack White, who covered “Jolene” with the White Stripes, wrote on Instagram.

Last year, Parton postponed a series of Las Vegas concerts, citing ongoing health concerns. In May, she canceled them altogether, sparking new fears.

In videos posted to her social media accounts, she said that while treatment for an unspecified illness was going well, she was not ready to perform.

Just last week, she said in a statement to People magazine: “I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”

“She brought so many people together, we will all miss her so much,” said Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger.

Source: AFP

Manyu: We Must Learn!

25, August 2026

Manyu: We Must Learn! 0

For many decades, many young people of Manyu descent have been asking why Manyu towns and villages are not growing as fast as they should though they have the population.

For lack of a proper response to their questions, many of these young people easily assume that the Division’s failure to turn its fortune around is basically because the Manyu political elites have not been doing their job. Can a region’s economic development depend entire on a few politicians?

Of course, it is easier to criticize and lay blame whenever there is an issue than to seek real intellectual answers to the socio-economic issues which dog us every day like stubborn shadows.

If today’s young men of Manyu descent really want to witness change in the Division of their birth, they must walk away from the intellectual laziness that has robbed their parents of the capacity to understand how development and politics relate and how, if employed properly, could bring about sustainable transformative change in a Division like Manyu which is screaming and begging for development.

Manyu is a Division endowed with huge natural and human resources which if well exploited could trigger a massive wave of development. But exploiting resources requires a huge understanding of how wealth and development operate.

Manyu might have sent many of its children to school and education is one asset that can cause a geopolitical environment to grow by leaps and bounds, but the education most young Manyu boys and girls receive these days clearly belongs to the past and is unfortunately inadequate.

Like most young Cameroonians, the education young people of Manyu descent receive these days is pointing them in the wrong direction and it clearly belongs to a distant past. It is not designed for an era which underscores the importance of knowledge. Today’s job market underscores skills. It prioritizes knowledge over certificates.

Today’s education in Cameroon prioritizes certificates over knowledge and skills and this educational system is keeping many young men and women unemployed and frustrated for a very long time. They are not being educated for today and the future. They have been trained for an economy that no longer exists.

Besides, the Manyu educated population only seems to have been wired for an office and this makes it hard for young Manyu graduates to even identify opportunities which can deliver better financial and economic situations. This is indeed an old mentality that is hurting many young men and women.

The Manyu man loves his white shirt and tie. He loves to be formally dressed even under the scorching sun in his native Mamfe. He loves to demonstrate his knowledge even when not necessary and even when his pockets are empty. To the Manyu man, modesty is still a foreign concept and this obnoxious behavior appears to be genetic and it has been transmitted from generation to generation with current generations posting the same outcomes like their parents.

Strangely, it is the young people who are bearing ideas and behaviors which belong to the past who accuse their seniors of having not given Manyu an economic facelift. It is these same young men who attack their political representatives openly for dereliction of duty without seeking to know the terms of reference of each political player.

A Member of Parliament does not have the same duties as a minister though both can work together to help move the Division forward if that opportunity shows up.

A minister like a parliamentarian does not create jobs but if there are openings in his ministry, he can help a few people in his constituency. He cannot help everybody as his ministry is a national ministry and not a divisional ministry.

A parliamentarian, for his part, does not have a corporation. His role is purely legislative. However, he can use his position to lobby for opportunities for his constituency and this does not imply that he must always succeed. He can intercede for his people where possible. He can negotiate for his people if he is aware of any job opportunities.

But before the minister and the parliamentarian can lend a helping hand when it comes to employment, they must be sure that the candidates they want to promote have the right certificates and skills. It will be preposterous of anyone who wants to help to engage in a game he knows will not deliver the right results.

Before young Manyu graduates can blame their politicians and those who hold high positions, they must ensure they have the right information, top-notch skills and relevant certificates. They must understand that a politician cannot help everyone on the same day, and that the politician will be diminishing his own significance and credibility by placing people in positions they cannot handle or do not qualify for.

Before we blame, let’s ensure we check every box on the list. Do we have the right skills? Do we have certificates relevant to the position? Do we have the right attitude? Can we deliver as required? Do we have the right CV that can attest to our experience?

I am not holding a brief for our Manyu politicians. I also want our politicians to do more, but looking forward to greater performance and delivery on the part of our politicians also implies that we must exercise patience and demonstrate a sound understanding of processes and procedures.

Of course, some complaints and criticisms could be right but how we package those complaints could make or mar our objective. Publicly disrespecting someone because they have not met our personal expectations is an error that might trigger negative sentiments and it could be counter-productive.

Our politicians are humans and they cannot be exceptions. They too deserve respect and they understand that their actions are being scrutinized.

As people of Manyu Division, we must start learning. It behooves us to avoid errors of the past. If Manyu Division has not posted any impressive economic outcomes over the last five decades, it is also because of our own mindset.

The Manyu mentality of unnecessary anger and show-off are also to blame for our Division’s economic demise. Our attitude which breeds unnecessary conflict makes it hard for us to work as a well-oiled unit. The time has come for us to shrink our ego if we have to work as a team.

Manyus always think we are more knowledgeable than those we expect can and should help us. We blame without doing our investigation. This is the tragedy that has destroyed Manyu and will continue to destroy it if we do not mend our ways.

Blaming is an idea whose time has passed. We, the people of Manyu, usually criticize not to make things better but to demonstrate that the other person is stupid and does not deserve what he has. This is our Achilles heels.

Our political leaders are not asking for unnecessary praises. They don’t want to be seen as gods. They just want us to be constructive. No reasonable person will hate constructive criticism.

It is time for us to think differently. We must start to learn from our past mistakes. Our disunity is our worst enemy. We must strive to promote social cohesion not just for celebrations but also for economic development.

We must understand that even if we do not like our politicians, we must respect them as every human being deserves respect. Respect is a key ingredient in the game of collaboration. If we make mutual respect our hallmark, then it will be easier for us to build leverage; the leverage that will enable us to work collaboratively to give Manyu the development it deserves.

Manyu’s journey to genuine and meaningful development starts with mutual respect. It is a journey which requires patience, collegiality and sacrifice. No individual, no matter how rich or well-placed can develop Manyu alone. That is why we must understand that creating conflict through disrespect and ill-informed opinions about others does not work in our favor. A word to the wise is enough!

By Dr. Joachim Arrey

Trump administration to revoke up to 200,000 asylum visas

25, August 2026

Trump administration to revoke up to 200,000 asylum visas 0

US President Donald Trump’s administration said on Monday it planned to revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who have applied ​for or ‌are currently seeking asylum status in the US, marking its latest step in ⁠a sweeping immigration crackdown.

A State Department spokesman said it was coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security “to identify and revoke the non-immigrant visas of ‌foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, ⁠but then file for asylum to stay here permanently.”

The State Department statement did not specify the number of visas that will be revoked in the process.

The Associated Press put ​the number of foreigners whose business and tourism visas is planned to be ‌revoked at up to 200,000, which if materialised, would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in US history. The AP cited State Department documents and two US officials.

The State Department will revoke so-called B1 and ‌B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 whose holders have sought asylum or are now seeking asylum, the AP report added. The B1 ​and B2 non-immigrant visas are issued for business and tourism travel.

The visa revocations would not necessarily result in immediate deportation, the AP report said, adding that most of those with asylum cases currently pending ​would be re-categorised but would lose their status as business or tourism travelers.

Earlier on Monday, Deputy ​Secretary of State Christopher Landau alleged on X that the American immigration ​system “has long been swamped by frivolous asylum claims.”

The State Department said earlier this month that under the Trump administration, it has revoked more than ​175,000 visas of foreign nationals.

Trump has pursued an immigration crackdown that includes revocations of visas and green cards and an aggressive deportation drive.He says the crackdown aims to improve domestic security.

Rights groups say the crackdown has violated free speech and due process rights and created an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities, who have ⁠raised concerns about racial profiling.

While Trump campaigned in 2024 on a platform of stopping illegal immigration, his administration has also made ⁠legal immigration more difficult – ​for example, by imposing new and expensive fees for applicants of certain work visas. The government’s crackdown has faced legal challenges.

Source: Reuters

Biya has had his era; Cameroon must now be allowed to enter its next one

25, August 2026

Biya has had his era; Cameroon must now be allowed to enter its next one 0

Cameroon has reached a moment when political loyalty must give way to a more fundamental question: how much longer can the country be governed under a system that appears increasingly unable to meet the demands of the present?

President Paul Biya has served Cameroon for more than four decades. His longevity in office is extraordinary, but longevity should never become an argument for indefinite political stagnation. A country of young people, ambitious citizens and enormous potential cannot remain trapped in a political era that seems increasingly disconnected from the realities of a new generation.

Recent public appearances by the president have raised serious questions about his ability to carry the enormous physical and political burden of the presidency. Images of him requiring assistance at public events, reports and footage that appear to show him struggling during international engagements and the increasingly limited public presentation of his day-to-day activities have intensified concerns about the future of Cameroon’s leadership.

These observations should not be turned into cruelty or ridicule. Age and physical frailty are human realities and Biya deserves dignity. But respecting the dignity of an elderly head of state does not mean refusing to ask legitimate questions about the capacity of the presidency and the future of the nation.

Cameroon is not a Biya family possession, nor should the presidency become an institution organized around one individual indefinitely. The country belongs to its citizens, including the millions of young Cameroonians who have never known another president.

The current difficulty in forming or reshaping a government only adds to the sense of political inertia. At a time when Cameroon needs decisive action on unemployment, insecurity, corruption, infrastructure, education, healthcare and economic opportunity, the country cannot afford prolonged uncertainty at the very top. There comes a time when leadership means knowing when to make way.

President Biya should therefore consider a dignified transition of power and hand the responsibility of governing Cameroon to a new generation. Such a transition would not erase his place in the country’s history. On the contrary, voluntarily creating space for renewal could become one of the most consequential decisions of his political career.

Cameroon needs fresh ideas, new energy and leaders who understand the aspirations of a generation shaped by a very different world from the one in which Mr. Biya began his political journey.

This is not a call for humiliation. It is not a call for chaos. And it is certainly not a call to deny the president his dignity. It is a call for renewal.

Enough of a political system in which the future of an entire nation appears tied to the health, age and continued presence of one man. Enough of waiting for change to happen by accident. Cameroon deserves a deliberate, constitutional and peaceful generational transition. President Biya has had his era. Cameroon must now be allowed to enter its next one.

The time has come to hand over the baton.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

António Guterres says war on Iran exposes limits of superpowers

25, August 2026

António Guterres says war on Iran exposes limits of superpowers 0

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has stated that the recent US-Israeli military aggression against Iran has exposed the limitations of superpower dominance, marking a definitive and irreversible shift toward a multipolar global order.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Financial Times as he approaches the end of his decade-long tenure at the helm of the UN, Guterres described a world being reshaped by the decline of unilateral US hegemony and the humbling lessons learned from “wars of choice” where Cold War-era superpowers have failed to secure decisive victories.

Guterres emphasized that the era of superpowers dictating global outcomes through force is over, citing the Iran and Ukraine wars.

“It’s time for superpowers to understand the limits of their power,” Guterres told the Financial Times from his offices at the UN headquarters in New York. “If you look at what happened in recent times, the capacity of superpowers to impose their will or their strength or their force in several situations has been severely limited.”

Addressing the Middle East, the UN chief pointed directly to the failure of Washington’s strategic objectives in Iran.

“Superpowers need to understand that things have changed, the weight of different countries has changed,” Guterres said, casting these geopolitical setbacks as clear evidence of the transition away from the US-led post-Cold War order.

The UN Secretary-General’s remarks reflect the geopolitical reality following the unprovoked US-Israeli military aggression against Iran that began in February 2026.

The war was designed to cripple Iran’s defensive capabilities and force political capitulation through a rapid, overwhelming display of force.

However, the operation quickly stalled as Iran responded with a powerful, calculated, and highly effective asymmetric defense strategy.

Utilizing advanced domestic missile and drone technology, integrated air defense networks, and regional deterrence capabilities, Iran not only neutralized the immediate threats but also inflicted high strategic and material costs on the aggressors.

The failure of the US to achieve its maximalist objectives has been widely interpreted by global analysts as a definitive end to the doctrine of unconditional American military supremacy in West Asia.

Central to Iran’s successful deterrence strategy has been its assertion of sovereign control over the Strait of Hormuz. As the world’s most vital maritime oil chokepoint, through which roughly 20% to 30% of global petroleum consumption passes daily, the Strait represents a critical geopolitical lever.

Tehran has established new regulatory frameworks requiring commercial vessels to register, obtain permits, follow Iran-designated routes, and utilize Iran-provided security and insurance.

This strategic maneuver ensures that passage through the Strait is no longer an unconditional right guaranteed by US naval hegemony, but a privilege managed by the coastal state.

Littoral Region: 7 killed, 10 injured in bus-truck collision

24, August 2026

Littoral Region: 7 killed, 10 injured in bus-truck collision 0

Seven people were killed and 10 others injured Sunday when an intercity bus collided head-on with a truck in Cameroon, officials said.

The crash occurred in Sikoum in the Sanaga-Maritime division of the Littoral region, where the commercial capital Douala is located. The bus was carrying residents from the same neighborhood in Douala who were returning from a funeral, said Esther Ngo Yemba, Sanaga-Maritime divisional delegate for transport.

State media Cameroon Tribune reported that the bus driver fell asleep at the wheel, causing the vehicle to veer into the opposite lane and crash into the oncoming truck.

The crash comes just days after 16 people were killed and 40 others injured in a separate accident on the Yaounde-Bafoussam highway.

Deadly road accidents are frequent in Cameroon, often linked to poor road conditions and reckless driving. Ministry of Transport data shows that around 1,500 people die in road accidents in the country each year.

Source: Xinhuanet

Biya’s hand: a source of glory and shame

23, August 2026

Biya’s hand: a source of glory and shame 0

President Paul Biya’s return to Cameroon after more than two months abroad should have been a moment of reassurance. Instead, it has once again placed the question of presidential visibility at the centre of public debate.

At Yaoundé-Nsimalen International Airport, Cameroonians were not given the familiar image of a president stepping out before the cameras, greeting the nation and demonstrating that he was firmly in command. Television images instead showed the presidential convoy leaving the airport, while a hand was briefly seen waving from inside the vehicle believed to be carrying the 93-year-old president.

That Biya’s hand has become more than a hand. It has become a symbol. For Biya’s supporters, the gesture can be read as a sign of resilience: the hand of a president who, despite his age and long absences, has returned to the country and continues to exercise the authority of the state. His subsequent reception of the Cameroon female national football team at the State House reinforced the message that he remains present and engaged in the affairs of the nation.

But for many Cameroonians, the same hand evokes an uncomfortable question: why must the country repeatedly search for evidence of its president’s presence?

A presidential hand waving through a car window may appear harmless, even reassuring. Yet when such a gesture becomes the clearest public image of a head of state, it also exposes the deeper problem of presidential communication. A country of nearly 30 million people deserves more than glimpses and speculation. It deserves clarity.

The hand is therefore both a source of glory and shame.

It is a source of glory because it represents survival, endurance and the remarkable longevity of a political career. Few leaders anywhere have occupied the presidency for as long as Biya has. To his admirers, his continued presence is evidence of political strength and stability.

But it is also a source of shame because it symbolises the extraordinary distance that has developed between the presidency and the people. When citizens must scrutinise television footage to determine whether their president is physically present and well, something has gone fundamentally wrong with the relationship between public office and public accountability.

The issue is not whether President Biya waved his hand. The issue is why that hand has been left to carry such an enormous political burden.

A modern presidency cannot be reduced to rumours, convoys, carefully controlled images and fleeting gestures. Leadership requires visibility, communication and confidence-building. Citizens should not have to interpret a movement of the hand as a political message.

Biya’s return should therefore be an opportunity for more than ceremony. It should be an opportunity to restore transparency around the presidency and to demonstrate, unmistakably, that the head of state is capable of communicating directly with the nation.

The hand that waved from inside that vehicle may have been intended as a simple greeting. Yet it has become a mirror reflecting Cameroon itself: proud of its endurance, but uneasy about its leadership; respectful of the office, but hungry for openness.

For nearly four decades, Paul Biya’s presidency has shaped modern Cameroon. His latest return should not merely answer the question of whether he is back. It should provoke a larger question: what kind of presidency does Cameroon want to see going forward? The answer cannot be found in a waving hand alone.

That hand may still command glory. But after so many years, it also carries the weight of shame.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Iran urges UK, France to heed veteran diplomats’ warning on Israel

23, August 2026

Iran urges UK, France to heed veteran diplomats’ warning on Israel 0

A senior Iranian diplomat urges the UK and France to take concrete measures against the Israeli regime, citing an open letter signed by 102 former British and French diplomats warning that Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territories are moving towards “ethnic cleansing” and the “eradication of Palestine.”

Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi made the remarks in a post on X on Saturday.

He noted how the former diplomats had called for an end to arms transfers to the regime, a ban on trade with illegal settlements, and implementation of decisions by courts in The Hague.

The official added, “London and Paris must not hide behind the phrase ‘expressing concern’ over this situation. Continuing to supply arms and providing any form of support to the regime constitutes a conscious choice to cooperate with and participate in the Israeli regime’s crimes.”

The open letter, published earlier on Saturday by Le Monde, called on France and the United Kingdom to jointly sanction the regime and “act together to uphold international law in Palestine.”

The signatories include former British ambassadors to the United Nations, Jeremy Greenstock and Emyr Jones Parry, and former French West Asia directors, Yves Aubin de la Messuziere and Denis Bauchard.

The diplomats said Palestinian house demolitions and settler violence, which occur with the “connivance of the Israeli army and police,” amount to “ethnic cleansing.”

The letter called for suspending the European Union’s and the UK’s trade agreements with the regime, halting arms transfers and military cooperation, banning trade with illegal settlements, and restricting citizens from purchasing “property” on occupied Palestinian land.

It also called for guaranteed humanitarian access to Gaza through UNRWA and other UN agencies, as well as protected access for journalists, diplomats, and parliamentarians.

Nicholas Hopton, a former British ambassador to Iran, Qatar, and Yemen, said the immediate concern was settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.

“There is a move” by Tel Aviv to “allow settlements to be created in the West Bank in a way that would almost realistically prevent a future Palestinian state being able to be created there,” he said.

The letter said France and Britain had recognized a Palestinian state in 2025 and argued that the recognition now needed to be “made real by urgent action.”

It also called for accountability for those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, saying, “Only then can our governments rebut the accusation of double standards.”

Hopton said the United States remained the most influential external actor, warning that continued inaction “will create a longer-term, irreconcilable problem and store up future violence and future tragedies.”

«< 12 13 14 15 16 >»
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance (opens in a new tab)
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.