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1, February 2024

Central Africa Communication Ministers Discuss Ways to Stop Hate Speech ⁰

Communication ministers from the Economic Community of Central African States, ECCAS, are meeting in Bangui, Central African Republic, this week to map out ways to stop the spread of hate speech.

Officials from central African states say some influential politicians, business moguls and community leaders are using radio, television and social media to propagate information that has fueled regional crises, resulting in the displacement of millions of people.

Simplice Mathieu Sarandji, prime minister of the Central African Republic, said leaders of the 11-member ECCAS expect communication ministers at the meeting in Bangui to propose lasting solutions to xenophobic statements that are propagated on media outlets.

Sarandji said humanitarian crises are spiraling in ECCAS states because of widespread hate speech.

A separatist crisis in western Cameroon, which has killed more than 6,000 people, was fueled in part by social media propaganda by rebel leaders who are based in Europe and the United States, according to Cameroonian officials.

Hate on social media also fueled an ongoing conflict between ranchers and fishers in northern Cameroon and Chad. Clashes there have killed more than 100 people and displaced more than 80,000.

The 1994 genocide in Rwanda was sparked by hate speech, mostly over radio, by Hutu extremists against Tutsis.

Joanne Adamson, deputy head of MINUSCA, the U.N. stabilization mission in the Central African Republic, spoke about the Bangui meeting on state TV in the CAR.

She said the focus on hate speech is an important step toward finding solutions to fighting that sparked a mass movement of people fleeing in search of safety. By organizing the forum, Adamson added, the 11 ECCAS member states indicate they are ready to support and defend values that are vital to consolidate peace and security and promote human rights.

The ministers said they will enact legislation to punish people who use TV, radio and print media to propagate hate speech, but gave no further details. They also have agreed to control harmful content they say runs rampant on social media.

Charly Gabriel Mbock, an anthropologist and conflict resolution specialist at the Yaounde-headquartered Catholic University of Central Africa, said the ministers should launch campaigns against hate speech in restive central African towns and villages.

To do this, Mbock said, ECCAS communication ministers must educate clerics and traditional rulers that peace is priceless, before using radio, television and print media to call on civilians to reject and denounce calls for violence, especially on social media. He said central African governments should also make sure media laws being prepared against hate and xenophobic language do not infringe on press freedom.

The communication ministers say they will submit their recommendations to ECCAS governments with the hope that if hate speech and xenophobic statements can be stopped, peace will return to restive areas.

Source: VOA

1, February 2024

Douala businessman Hervé Bopda arrested for ‘great number’ of rapes ⁰

Cameroonian socialite Hervé Bopda has been arrested after abuse allegations against him prompted national outrage.

Earlier this month, Mr Bopda and his acquaintances were accused by a popular activist of committing a number of crimes against roughly 200 victims.

Dozens of social media users have subsequently posted fresh allegations of sexual and physical abuse, many using the hashtag #stopbopda.

Mr Bopda, known for his jet-setting lifestyle, has denied all wrongdoing.

On Wednesday, after Mr Bopda was arrested, his lawyer said the accusations were “scandalous”.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Ojong Ashu acknowledged that the recent slew of abuse allegations prompted his client’s arrest, but insisted that Mr Bopda had been arrested for his own safety.

On 19 January, Cameroonian activist and internet personality N’zui Manto began releasing what he said were “testimonies” from men and women who alleged they had been assaulted by Mr Bopda and his acquaintances.

These included allegations of rape, kidnapping, harassment and physical assault.

The ensuing allegations from social media users, mostly women, sparked calls for Mr Bopda to be investigated by police.

By Monday, the hashtag #stopbopda had become the number one trending topic among Cameroonian users on X, formerly Twitter.

Public figures have also voiced concern. Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa, Cameroon’s minister for women’s empowerment, called the accusations “unspeakably serious” in a statement last Friday.

Ms Ondoa said she encouraged “all victims to break the silence in order to break the chain of violence and to provide the judicial authorities with the information they need to carry out proceedings aimed at establishing the facts and, where appropriate, convicting the perpetrators of these appalling crimes”.

She also commended a group of Cameroonian human rights lawyers who had lodged a police complaint against Mr Bopda.

Alongside the lawyers and Ms Ondoa, celebrities from Cameroon and the wider African continent have called for action.

Popular Nigerian Afrobeats musician Ayra Starr posted “#StopBopda!!!” on X last Thursday.

Mr Bopda is widely known within Cameroon as a socialite, businessman and the son of late construction magnate Emmanuel Bopda.

Source: BBC

1, February 2024

Hamas chief due in Cairo for Gaza truce discussions ⁰

The head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas is due in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, for talks on a new ceasefire proposal, as the Israeli regime continues its brutal war against the besieged Gaza Strip.

Ismail Haniyeh is scheduled to attend a meeting in Cairo on Thursday to discuss the proposal for a six-week truce plan put forward by senior Qatari and Egyptian officials during recent meetings in France.

The three-stage plan would start with an initial six-week halt to the war that would see more aid deliveries into Gaza, AFP quoted a Hamas source as saying.

The source further said that there would also be “negotiations around the withdrawal of Israeli forces,” with possible additional phases involving more captive-prisoner exchanges.

The territory’s rebuilding is also among the issues addressed by the deal, the source said.

In a press statement on Tuesday, Haniyeh confirmed that the movement had received an invitation to visit Cairo in order to reach an “integrated vision” on the new ceasefire proposal and discuss requirements for the implementation of a potential agreement.

Source: Presstv

1, February 2024

Buea Attack: Biya regime ‘main losers’ of Southern Cameroons war, incapable of eliminating Amba fighters ⁰

The Vice President of the Ambazonia Interim Government says 91-year French Cameroun dictator and his Francophone military barons have failed to eradicate Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces and have lost their war in Southern Cameroons.

Comrade Dabney Yerima said the recent attack on the city of Buea is the result of the failure of Yaoundé and its Francophone dominated military to eliminate Amba fighters through the war.

“In the Buea restoration action, we see that La Republique du Cameroun is not capable of destroying Ambazonia Restoration Forces in Southern Cameroons. Southern Cameroons Restoration Force is a liberation and legitimate movement and will remain in Ground Zero,” Yerima said in an interview with Cameroon Concord News on Wednesday.

“The winner of the war in Southern Cameroons is the Federal Republic of Ambazonia and all resistance groups. So far, Biya and his Beti Bulu soldiers have been the main losers of this war” Dabney Yerima furthered.

Yaoundé waged the war on English speaking Cameroon seven years ago after the leader of the Ambazonian people Sisiku Ayuk Tabe declared the independence of West Cameroon from the Francophone majority.

Since the start of the war, the Biya regime has killed over 10,000 Southern Cameroonians, mostly women and children, and left vast swathes of villages in ruins.

An additional, some 4,000 Cameroon government army soldiers have been reportedly killed by Amba fighters with scores injured.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

30, January 2024

Africa Cup of Nations: Nollywood star Kanayo Kanayo angers Cameroonian Fans ⁰

Nollywood legend Kanayo Kanayo might not be visiting Cameroon anytime soon, but thousands of his fans both in English and French speaking Cameroon have made it clear that if he has any plans to come to Cameroon he needs to be prepared for a very different retelling.

The veteran Nigerian actor who became famous in Cameroon following the role he played in the movie Rituals, recently showered praises on Victor Osimhem, the Super Eagles striker after the victory over the Indomitable Lions in the Africa Cup of Nations 2023.

The reaction from Smiling George as he referred to himself in the movie has not gone done well with his fans in Buea, Bamenda, Douala and Yaoundé the nation’s capital.

“It is disheartening to read that Smiling George who has maintained a kind of silence of the lamb on every issue deep within the continent is now talking about football” a Kanayo fan in Buea told Cameroon Concord News.

“It is weird! weird! I think Amba fighters will eventually track him down whenever he comes here—hahahahahahaahahaha” another Kanayo fan in Douala quipped.

“Maybe Kanayo provided six human heads for Victor Osimhen to sign the contract with Napoli” Cameroon Concord News editor who always referenced the movie Rituals said of the renowned Nigeria movie star.

Kanayo Kanayo sang the praises of Osimhen, declaring him the Footballer of the Year.

Congratulating Nigerians, he added that to whom much is given, much is expected.

He said: “Eheeennnn. Victor Osimhen has shown the stuff a footballer of the year is made of. To whom much is given……….Congratulations Nigeria. Football lives here.”

By Kingsley Betek in Douala

30, January 2024

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Amba attack leaves at least one person killed in Buea ⁰

Ambazonia fighters killed at least one person and injured several others in the Molyko area of Buea, Southwest Region, at around 23:30 Jan. 29.

Cameroon Concord News gathered that the armed Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces were deployed in the city of Buea to force residents to comply with lockdown orders, which aimed to paralyze economic activities.

Several cars were also torched.

The French speaking governor of the South West region has reportedly promised to launch targeted operations against the separatist fighters in the region after the Buea attack.

By Rita Akana

30, January 2024

IMF Executive Board Approves US$183.4 million for Cameroon ⁰

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved today an 18-month arrangement for Cameroon under the IMF Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) for a total amount of SDR 138 million (about US$183.4 million, 50 percent of quota), with disbursements to start when the First Review of the arrangement is completed.

Cameroon is highly vulnerable to climate change, with risks from recurrent droughts, floods, landslides, and coastal erosion. The RSF will support Cameroon’s efforts to adapt to and mitigate the impact of climate change and replace more expensive financing. It will help address climate vulnerabilities by supporting the authorities’ efforts to strengthen the country’s institutional framework for governance and policy coordination related to climate change, mainstream the climate agenda into public financial management, enhance national adaptation policies, and step up mitigation efforts. The reform measures under the RSF are also expected to reinforce the growing engagement of development partners and other stakeholders in climate-resilient development and catalyze additional climate finance.

The RSF arrangement coincides with the remaining 18 months under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangements approved in July 2021 and extended in December 2023 to support the country’s economic and financial reform program.

At the conclusion of the Executive Board’s discussion, Mr. Kenji Okamura, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, made the following statement:

“Cameroonis a fragile and conflict-affected state facing substantial risks from climate change, including an imminent threat to livelihoods and potentially significant output losses, which could worsen food insecurity and conflicts and exacerbate poverty, inequality, and population displacements. The country’s regional diversity exposes it to a variety of climate-related events, including droughts, floods, and coastal erosion. If not appropriately addressed, climate change could delay human capital accumulation and jeopardize development and inclusive growth.

“Addressing the impact of climate change is an important priority in the country’s national development strategy. Cameroon is signatory of the COP21 and other key international conventions on climate change and is committed to a sustainable management of natural resources and adaptation and mitigation policies.

“The identified reforms under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangement build on the authorities’ national strategies and plans and on the diagnostics on climate change. The RSF reform package will help address key climate-related policy challenges, including creating an enabling environment for policy implementation, with appropriate institutional and public financial management frameworks; strengthening the national disaster risk management framework to step up adaptation efforts; and leveraging fiscal management in forestry as a climate mitigation policy.

“A resolute implementation of reforms under the RSF arrangement will help improve Cameroon’s medium-term climate policy stance, replace more expensive financing, and augment buffers against climate shocks and related prospective balance-of-payment needs. The arrangement should also help catalyze other climate financing. Capacity development efforts and close coordination among government entities and development partners involved in Cameroon’s climate agenda will be important.”

Source: IMF.org

29, January 2024

Rigobert Song blames inexperience to Cameroon loss to Nigeria ⁰

Cameroon Coach Rigobert Song has attributed his team’s defeat to Super Eagles to the inexperience of his players.

The Indomitable Lions suffered a 2-0 loss to Super Eagles in the round of 16 Africa Cup of Nations clash on Saturday at the Stade , with Ademola Lookman scoring both goals.

Speaking after the game, Song added that he is building a next generation of stars for the Indomitable Lions, stressing that they would be ready in two years.

“We faced a Nigerian team that was well organized. At a time, we were in the game but later it became difficult for us. My players lacked experience to play against Nigeria. We played with young players and my players are not capable to play to some certain level. I’m rebuilding and it takes lots of time to rebuild a team. I think by two or three years they would be better,” Song said

“My players played with fear. When you face a team like Nigeria, it can disturb you. We tried our best but our best was not enough. Let us acknowledged that they have done their best but they lack experience to face a team like Nigeria.”

The former Cameroon captain said he will learn from his side’s defeat to Nigeria.

“This is a game that you learn every day. When you are a player and manager, it is a very different thing. I’m still learning and I am open to criticism but constructing criticism.”

Source: The Nation

29, January 2024

Douala: Businessman Faces Sex Abuse Probe After Social Media Outcry ⁰

Lawyers in Cameroon have called for prosecutors to launch an inquiry after dozens of women accused a businessman of sexual attacks in anonymous posts on social media.

The Bar association’s human rights commission said it was aware from social networks of anonymous testimony alleging “indecent exposure, sexual harassment, rapes, threats, illegal confinement and violence against several victims”.

The association’s letter called for an inquiry and urged the prosecution to bring the suspect to court “so that justice can be served in line with the law”.

Minister for women’s empowerment Marie-Therese Abena Ondoa on Friday said she was pleased to see the legal authorities take up the affair.

She urged victims “to break the silence” and offered to “supply the legal authorities with the elements needed to carry out procedures to establish the facts”.

The nation’s human rights commission took up the case on January 19 but on Saturday voiced regret at not being able “to deal with the affair properly” with a full investigation because the accusations are anonymous.

Since mid-January, more than 70 anonymous testimonies have been posted on social networks by a blogger accusing the businessman of sexual violence.

The hashtag StopBopda has taken off on a wave of indignation and seen more than 100,000 tweets on X, former Twitter, as African artists, athletes and influencers take up the cause.

In Douala’s Bali quarter, some 20 activists dressed in black gathered on Friday after the “Stand Up for Cameroon” movement called a protest.

“I am sickened, particularly since the person said to be a kidnapper and rapist is still at liberty on the streets of Douala,” said activist Chantal Egbe, calling on the justice system to prevent him from causing further harm.

Some 22 women linked to civil society groups also sent an open letter to the authorities on Thursday condemning the failure of government services to react to the allegations of sexual violence.

Source: AFP

29, January 2024

Minister Atanga Nji must face probe over killing of journalist Samuel Wazizi ⁰

The leader of the Ambazonia Interim Government says French Cameroun government actions that killed journalist Samuel Wazizi must be investigated as a war crime.

Separate investigations by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International revealed that the Ministry of Territorial Administration was directly involved in the killing of the Anglophone journalist.

On Saturday, Vice President Dabney Yerima called for an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation by the International Criminal Court that holds Minister Paul Atanga Nji and other Francophone perpetrators to account for the crime.

Cameroon Intelligence Report correspondent in Yaoundé hinted recently that evidence indicates that Minister Paul Atanga Nji teleguided the operations that killed Wazizi, making it a war crime.

Dabney Yerima told members of the Southern Cameroons war cabinet that the brutal murder of journalist Samuel Wazizi remains an unlawful and apparently deliberate attack on the free press in Southern Cameroons.

Yerima furthered that for over six years now, French Cameroun military operations have been direct attack on Southern Cameroons civilians that must be investigated as a war crime.

“No Southern Cameroons journalist should ever be targeted or killed simply for carrying out their work. Biya and his French speaking gangs must not be allowed to kill and attack Southern Cameroons journalists with impunity,” Yerima concluded.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai