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3, June 2016

Cameroon: Two suspected highway robbers killed at Touboro ⁰

The bodies of two suspected highway robbers were discovered early on Friday morning at Touboro in the North of the country. Cameroon Intelligence Report gathered from security sources that the two men were chased for days by elements of the mechanized infantry division (BIM) located in Touboro in the Mayo-Rey district. The heavily armed men fired the first salvo and were subsequently killed during exchanges of fire with Cameroon government forces.

Insecurity is growing in this small town in northern Cameroon. People live with fear every day. Traders are kidnapped and ransoms demanded. On May 24, some road bandits were killed in Bougoué, near Touboro, by plain cloth police officers operating within the locality. On the 1^st of June, a trader from the Mbai- Mboum village located 35 km from Touboro was kidnapped by heavily armed men. A ransom of 15 million CFA francs was demanded by the criminals.

3, June 2016

Spotlight on Miss Prestige Cameroon ⁰

The organizers of the Miss Prestige Cameroon competition organised a Press Conference on Wednesday, 13th April 2016 to brief pressmen on selection criteria for the competition. During the press conference in Yaounde, the Director General of the Miss Prestige Cameroon competition, Marina Fankam Tchassem explained that this year’s event shall centre on peace since culture has been identified as a means to promote peace in Cameroon.

In this light, those eligible for the competition include Cameroonians aged between 18 to 26 years who show proof of patriotism and possess entrepreneurship values. Miss Prestige Cameroon is a beauty contest which seeks to promote the values of intelligence and peace.

3, June 2016

Muhammad Ali in hospital ⁰

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali has been hospitalized for a respiratory issue, a family spokesperson has said. The 74-year-old is reportedly being treated and currently in fair condition.

Family spokesman Bob Gunnell confirmed Ali’s condition to the Associated Press. Ali suffers Parkinson’s disease. He was diagnosed in 1984 after quitting boxing. He was last seen out in public back in April when he attended the Celebrity Fight Night charity event in Arizona.

3, June 2016

African Fashion Week Nigeria 2016 ¹

Africa Fashion Week Nigeria 2016 invites you to the debutTextile and Garment Manufacturing Conference in Lagos as part of this year’s line up for the fashion week. Set to hold on 1st July 2016 at The Eko Hotel the conference will bring industry experts together under one roof to talk about maximizing the potentials within the fashion industry for greater economic benefits of Nigeria.

With topics like ‘Job Creation in the Garment Manufacturing Industry‘, ‘New Channels of E-commerce in the Fashion Industry‘, ‘is Textile Manufacturing a Viable Option?‘, ‘Retailing and Setting up a Fashion Business in Nigeria (The Dynamics) and Different Financing Options‘ and more lined up for the conference, budding designers and creatives in the fashion industry stand to gain a lot of knowledge at the first ever conference.

Pulse.ng

3, June 2016

Angola’s President appoints daughter as head of oil company ⁰

Angola’s President Jose Eduardo dos Santos has appointed his daughter as head of the state oil company Sonangol.

Isabel dos Santos, named by Forbes magazine as Africa’s richest woman, worth an estimated $3.3bn (£2.3bn), takes on the job after the entire board was sacked by her father in April.

Angola and Nigeria are Africa’s largest oil producers. Critics accuse President dos Santos, who has ruled since 1979, of being increasingly authoritarian.

BBC

3, June 2016

Schwarzenegger chased by an elephant ⁰

Arnold Schwarzenegger got chased by an elephant while on a trip to South Africa. The actor shared the experience on social media, imploring people to stop killing the animals for ivory and “take a photo, not a shot”.

BBC News

3, June 2016

Berlin says too early to discuss easing Russia sanctions ⁰

Germany says it is too early to discuss lifting the European Union’s economic sanctions against Russia over Moscow’s alleged interference in the Ukraine crisis. “I think the discussion about lifting of sanctions has come far too early. We are not anywhere close to having Minsk implemented,” said Christoph Heusgen, a foreign policy adviser to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, on Thursday. Heusgen added it was difficult to imagine the sanctions would not be extended for another half year given the ongoing fighting in eastern Ukraine.

The EU imposed a series of sanctions on Russia in 2014 over allegations that Moscow played a role in the separation of the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine and its reunification with Russia, which took place through a local referendum. However, Moscow has repeatedly rejected the claims. The remarks came as a number of EU states have suggested easing anti-Russia sanctions, which will expire in July, in order to defuse tension with Moscow even though a peace deal struck at Minsk early last year has not ended the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The EU members will decide about extending the bans against Moscow during a summit later this month. Any decision for the roll-over of sanctions needs unanimity. EU Ambassador to Russia Vygaudas Usackas said also on Thursday that the 28-nation bloc will lift the sanctions “entirely” when the Minsk agreements are fulfilled. Meanwhile, Kremlin has been engaged in diplomatic efforts over the past few weeks to influence the EU decision and relax the restrictions on its economy.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Greece, one of the supporters of lifting sanctions. The visit came days after Moscow freed Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko in a prisoner swap that is viewed as a measure to ease diplomatic tension between the two countries. Differences remain within the EU over the issue of extending sanctions. France and Germany, the former staunch supporters of the sanctions, are calling for a rethink of the decision.

Germany is reportedly considering options such as removing restrictions on Russian lawmakers’ travel, reducing the period of sanctions from six months to three or even easing sanctions in return for Moscow’s support for holding elections in Ukraine’s troubled east. Earlier this week, German businesses signed deals with Russia’s Kaluga and Kaliningrad regions worth €600 million in Munich to invest in farm equipment production in Russia. Since 2007, German companies have invested some €2 billion in production facilities of Kaluga, said Kaluga governor Anatoly Artamonov during a visit to Germany.

Presstv

3, June 2016

Amnesty says EU-Turkey deal on refugees illegal ⁰

Amnesty International has strongly denounced a recently-signed agreement between the European Union and Turkey to curb the flow of asylum seekers to Europe. The UK-based rights group said in a 35-page briefing on Friday that the EU-Turkey deal is “illegal” and “reckless,” urging the 28-nation bloc to stop plans to return asylum seekers to Turkey.

The rights body added that Ankara lacks the capacity to process asylum applications and cannot be considered “a safe third country.” The international rights group noted that the March deal is unlawful because refugees and asylum seekers do not have “effective protection” in Turkey. Turkey does not accord full refugee status, and most refugees in the country do not receive support from the Ankara government, Amnesty said.

The report also touched on the issue of forced returns, asserting that Syrians in Turkey are at risk of being forcibly sent back to their country. This comes as a number of rights activists and institutions, including the United Nations Refugee Agency, have voiced concern about the deal. Rights groups say the accord could lead to the collective expulsions of people fleeing war and violence, and is in violation of international law.

John Dalhuisen, Amnesty’s director for Europe and Central Asia, also took a swipe at the EU-Turkey deal on refugees, saying the bloc has misrepresented the realities on the ground. “In its relentless efforts to prevent irregular migrants to Europe, the EU has willfully misrepresented what is actually happening on the ground in Turkey.” Under the deal, Ankara is obliged to take back all refugees deported from Greece. In return, Ankara was promised financial aid, the acceleration of visa liberalization talks and progress in its EU membership negotiations.

The EU leaders are insisting that Turkey meet 72 conditions before the visa exemption is approved, including an end to prosecuting academics and journalists. Granting visa waiver to Turkey, a country of nearly 80 million, is highly controversial among EU states where some fear it would open the way for more refugees to the bloc already struggling with its worst migration crisis in decades. Europe is now concerned that the continent would face another refugee influx as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly warned that Turkey would allow the refugees to enter Europe if it failed to meet its commitments.

Presstv

3, June 2016

Cameroon League 1: The Battle for leadership ⁰

The battle for leadership will hit a higher gear this weekend as the championship enters the second and most decisive phase with matches counting for the 19^th day of play scheduled to take place in stadiums across the country. Four teams, separated by barely three points are engaged in the contention for the league title this year namely, UMS, Unisport, Yong Sport and Union of Douala in order of appearance on the point tally sheet.

The point of interest will be to find out if UMS of Loum will continue maintaining her lead on the championship when they take on the Benjamin of the championship, Cosmos in the second encounter at the municipal stadium in Mfou on Sunday. The runners-up, Unisport will also be out to catch up with the leaders when they play host to visiting Astres of Douala at the municipal stadium in Bafang. Third-placed Yong Sport with 31 points as Unisport but outsmarted on goal difference, will also be out to maintain their good form when they take on Apejes in Mfou.

Union in the fourth position with 30 points and Coton sport in the fifth position with 29 points are equally not left out of the contention for leadership. Union will be slotting it out with Eding Sport at the Reunification stadium in Douala while the colossus from the North, Coton Sport will knock horns with Panthere in their stronghold in Garoua.

While the top quartet or quintet will be jostling for leadership, teams below the relegation line will be fighting for survival in the elite championship by hopping out of the danger zone. This is the case with teams like Dragon, Lion Blessé, Botafogo and Cosmos. While all hopes can be said to have been lost for Cosmos and Botafogo who have so far earned only 14 points and 16 points respectively in 18 outings and Botafogo, Dragon mathematically can still salvage their season but with the poor form shown by the team from Yaounde since the beginning of the championship, it is unlikely that Dragon can accomplish such a super human feat.

Dragon will embark on a perilous journey to Bafoussam to challenge local side Racing while Botafogo will also be travelling to Mbalmayo to slot it out with Canon. Teams in the middle of the table will be seeking to comfort their stay so as to be able to negotiate matches towards the end of the season when thing gets rough.

Cameroon Tribune

3, June 2016

Cameroon: Senators shower praises on defense and security forces ⁰

The world’s most barbaric terrorist group, Boko Haram, is losing steam after carrying out attacks on civilian populations and Defence and Security Forces for about two years. While opening the Second Ordinary Session of the Senate yesterday, June 2, 2016, Senate President, Marcel Niat Njifenji extended Senators’ “warmest and heartiest” congratulations to Cameroon’s Defence and Security Forces as well as the “pride and gratitude” of the Senate for their vigilance and effectiveness.

“Boko Haram has been kept out of our borders and its logistical and operational capacities have been impaired,” he told the chamber, commending President Paul Biya for sparing no effort to give the Defence and Security Forces the best resources to bravely sustain the war against terrorism. While recommending the vigilance of the entire population, President Niat Njifenji praised Cameroonians for their resilient and mature spirit as they celebrated with patriotic fervour the 44^thNational Day last May 20, 2016.

The Senate President also dwelled on the need for socio-economic development, urging government to ensure that it is enjoyed by the entire population. Senators, he promised, will stand by the Head of State for the implementation of relevant recommendations of the International Economic Conference that held in Yaounde from17th to 18th May, 2016.

The plenary sitting was attended by the President of the National Assembly, Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang, the President of the Pan-African Parliament, Roger Nkodo Dang, as well as cabinet ministers, members of the diplomatic corps and other State dignitaries.

Cameroon Tribune