About soter

Posts by :

24, June 2016

Boko Haram indicted in Cameroon ⁰

The nebulous terrorist sect, Boko Haram, has been indicted for gross violations of human rights in the Far North Region of Cameroon. “The Boko Haram sect has committed several violations of the rights to life and to physical integrity by roads ambushing, throat slitting, recurrent kidnapping of foreigners and nationals, planting landmines on roads…” the 2015 report on the situation of Human Rights in Cameroon presented yesterday June 23, 2016, by the Cameroon Bar Association states.

While condemning human rights abuses such as torture and inhumane treatment compounded by the security situation in the Far North Region, the report states that the situation in detention and prison cells, access to justice, Public Service amongst others, still leaves much to be desired. The 82-page document divided into four parts notably Civil and Political Rights, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Rights of Specific Groups and Cross-Cutting Issues respectively, there are several discrepancies between domestic laws and international law provisions leading to a difficult and haphazard implementation of human rights. This is evident in civil and political rights as well as rights of specific groups that are protected under international human rights laws.

Barrister Simon Pierre Eteme Eteme, head of the project dubbed “Bar Association-Governance and the Situation of Rights” supported by European Union, calls for the harmonization of international and domestic legal instruments in order to create an enabling environment for the promotion of human rights in Cameroon.

The President of the Bar Council, Barrister Ngnie Kamga, stressed the determination of the Bar Association to continue to press for the implementation of international legal instruments aimed at promoting human rights. Meanwhile, the President of the General Assembly of the Bar Association, Barrister Nico Halle, underlined peace, love, justice and harmony as the bedrock of human rights.

Cameroon Tribune

24, June 2016

Disgraced Makossa star to be heard by the Douala appeal court ⁰

There will be another hearing of the case Zakaria Abakar Terio, a Chadian businessman living in Cameroon against Ferdinand Din Din, alias Mota Nguigna- the celebrated Makossa star. A court in Douala announced on Tuesday, June 21, 2016 that the appeal will be heard on the 16^th of August by the Court of Appeal in the Littoral. Papillon was sentenced to 4 months in prison for fraud on May the 17^th. The star has reportedly presented some guarantees and is seeking his freedom.

Three years ago, the Cameroonian musician was accused of extorting money from Abakar Zakaria Terio, following an altercation between the Chadian resident and a Malian over a 23 million CFA francs deal that involved a job at the United Nations. Papillon arbitrated between the two men while posing as a police commissioner. He subsequently received 500,000 CFA francs and did promise the complainant to plead on his behalf to the State Prosecutor. Having realized it was a scam from the artist, Abakar Zakaria Terio filed a complaint to the Judicial Police, and the star was arrested.

Ebong Kingsley (Cameroon Concord News Group)

24, June 2016

Construction of Kumba-Ekondo Titi road awarded to a Tunisian company ⁰

Construction work on the Kumba-Ekondo Titi road has been awarded to Souroubat, Tunisian company. Cameroon Concord News was reliably informed that the contract worth 38.2 billion CFA francs. The road project which falls within the three-year emergency plan agreed last year by the President of the Republic will be executed over a period of 24 months.

It is the first time that Souroubat with expertise on roads, sewerage, drainage, bridges and buildings construction has won a Cameroon government contract. Several companies from several African countries, including Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, and Chad are already in the public works sector in Cameroon.

Sama Ernest (Cameroon Concord News Group)

24, June 2016

Equatorial Guinea: Teodoro Nguema Obiang to succeed the father ⁰

The son of President Obiang Nguema, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue is now the second personality of Equatorial Guinea. He was appointed Vice-President on Wednesday by presidential decree signed by his father. Cameroon Concord News learned that the decision was read over Asango TV antennas on national television.

As the Vice President of the ruling Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea, the son of Obiang Nguema is evidently the successor to his father. Political observers see him as the future head of state of the small oil rich Sub Saharan country of less than one million inhabitants.

The 49 years old Vice President is wanted in France over allegations of “ill gotten wealth” which he dubiously acquired from Equatorial Guinea as a businessman.

Chi Prudence Asong (Cameroon Concord News Group)

24, June 2016

Cameroon ranks 17th in the classification of African countries using Face book ⁰

Cameroon has been ranked 17th in the classification of African countries using Face book. Cameroon Concord News gathered from the data released by Face book that over one million Cameroonians are registered on this social network. 620,000 are men (64%), and 340 000 of them (36%) are women.

Another study on the data presented by the social network Mark Zuckerberg noted that Cameroonian youth are those who are most interested in social media. 170 000 subscribers are between the ages of 13 and 19 years, 17%; 440 000 between the ages of 18 and 25 years (46%). The 35 years are only 156,000 people (16.25%).

The ranking is dominated by Egypt, South Africa, Morocco and Nigeria. However, the social network is attracting more and more companies.

Rita Akana (Cameroon Concord News Group)

24, June 2016

Fighting corruption: Special Criminal Court jails CPDM mayor ⁰

A well fed CPDM mayor of Mombo in the Mungo Division in the Littoral region and two of his colleagues have been sentenced to 12 years in prison by the Special Criminal Court for embezzling the sum of 32 million FCFA from the municipality.

Mayor Jean Claude Djouokou of Mombo and his cashier, Gérard Njanpouop Mbomda must also repay the sum of 18 million FCFA back into the treasury.

Sama Ernest (Cameroon Concord News Group)

24, June 2016

Penal Code Crisis: North West lawyers stage massive demo ⁰

Cameroonian lawyers from the North West region have staged a massive demo on Thursday morning in Bamenda, against the new Penal Code. Dressed in their black robes, the legal practitioners carried banners expressing their discontent and demand for the immediate withdrawal of the Penal Code adopted by the CPDM dominated National Assembly.

Late last week, the board of the Bar Association of Cameroon had urged the government to withdraw the document and submit the text to a national consensus.

Last Wednesday in the Chamber of the National Assembly, MPs of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) and the MRC walked out when their colleagues of the ruling CPDM were preparing to vote on the text. The opposition is demanding the removal of items that grant immunity to members of the government.

Cham Victor Bama (Cameroon Concord News Group)

23, June 2016

3 billion FCFA to help Congo Basin communities ⁰

Some prominent NGOs announced on Wednesday in Yaounde the nation’s capital that they will invest nearly 3 billion CFA francs to secure the livelihoods of communities in the Congo Basin.

The consortium of NGOs (Well Grounded, Forest Peoples Program, Fern, ClienEarth and Rainforest Foundation Uk), coordinated by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), launched on Wednesday, June 22^nd the project “Congos”, which aims to support sustainable development and secure the livelihoods of communities in the Congo basin.

Five countries are involved in the scheme. They include Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville and Gabon. Cameroon Concord News understands the total cost of the project is an estimated 3 billion CFA francs from the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2019.

Anang Valerian (Cameroon Concord News Group)

23, June 2016

Enfin!! Henri Bedimo signs for Olympique Marseille ⁰

Cameroon’s Henri Bedimo has signed a contract with Olympique Marseille that will keep him at the club for the next three seasons. Bedimo was out of contract with Olympique Lyonnais and became a free agent before the move to Marseille.

The 32 years old former League 1 champion with Montpellier (2012), will begin a new adventure and he has become the 12^th Cameroonian to play for the great club after Joseph-Antoine Bell, Stéphane M’Bia, Modeste Mbami, Salomon Olembe etc

Chi Prudence Asong (Cameroon Concord News Group)

23, June 2016

Corruption scandal rocks SODECOTON as 580 million disappears from company coffers ⁰

The CEO’s of public companies in Cameroon have continued their CPDM policy of looting in the open. This is the case with the Cameroon Cotton Development Company, SODECOTON, where 580 million FCFA have been stolen recently. Cameroon Concord News learned that SODECOTON created in 1974 by the Cameroon government is facing the worse ever financial crisis in its history.

Our chief intelligence officer hinted at the time of filing this report that a dozen company executive members have already been interrogated by prosecutors at the Special Criminal Court and 6 of them are in police custody. A sister publication, Cameroon Intelligence Report revealed that some of those highly placed SODECOTON officials arrested over the week end were transported to Yaoundé by a military plane from Garoua including the out gone general manager, Abdou Namba.

This is not the first time that cases of misappropriation of public funds have been reported in Sodecoton. In 2007, more than 174 million CFA francs disappeared from the state enterprise. The funds were reportedly diverted to Cotton Sport Garoua- a football club partly owned by SODECOTO.

The most recent case is that of Iya Mohammed, former general manager of Sodecoton, serving a 15 years sentence at the Kondengui central prison. He was charged in September 2015 for embezzling 11 billion FCFA.

Tambe Peter (Cameroon Concord News Group)