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31, December 2025

Guinea: Gen Mamady Doumbouya wins presidential election by landslide ⁰

Guinea’s junta chief Gen Mamady Doumbouya has won the presidential election by a landslide, getting 86.7% of the vote, according to provisional results published by the election commission.

The general is hoping to legitimise his rule after seizing power in a coup in 2021.

A civil society group calling for the return of civilian rule has condemned the election as a “charade” after Gen Doumbouya’s main rivals were barred from contesting, while opposition candidates said the poll was marred by irregularities.

The Democratic Front of Guinea’s flagbearer, Abdoulaye Yero Balde, came a distant second with 6.6%, followed by the Liberal Bloc’s Faya Lansana Millimono with 2%, provisional results show.

On Monday, internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported that access to social media platforms TikTok, YouTube and Facebook had been restricted as Guineans waited for the full results.

There has been no official comment on the restrictions, but opponents see it as an attempt by the junta to stifle criticism of the results.

The 41-year-old general’s victory gives him a seven-year mandate. Should the results be challenged, the Supreme Court has eight days to validate them.

Millimono said on Monday that the election was marred by “systematic fraudulent practices”, citing the expulsion of poll observers, ballot stuffing and intimidation.

The ruling party and the government have yet to comment on the complaints.

After overthrowing then-83-year-old President Alpha Condé in 2021, Gen Doumbouya promised not to seek election and to hand power to a civilian.

“Neither I nor any member of this transition will be a candidate for anything… As soldiers, we value our word very much,” he said at the time.

The junta leader broke his promise by putting his name on the ballot after a new constitution, implemented in September, permitted him to run for office.

Djenabou Toure, the country’s top election official who announced the provisional results, put the voter turnout at more than 80%.

However, a civil society group, the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution, said in a statement on Monday that the turnout was low.

“A huge majority of Guineans chose to boycott the electoral charade,” the National Front for the Defence of the Constitution was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

Eight other candidates took part in Sunday’s election, but with the exclusion of main opposition parties RPG Arc en Ciel and UFDG, none of the participants have a solid political footing.

According to the provisional results, six of them got less than 2% of the vote, with Mohamed Nabe getting 0.8%.

Although he is popular with many of Guinea’s youth, Gen Doumbouya has been criticised for restricting opposition activities, banning protests and stifling press freedom in the run-up to the elections.

The general justified deposing Condé on similar charges – including rampant corruption, disregard for human rights and economic mismanagement.

Guinea has the world’s largest bauxite reserves and some of its richest iron ore. Last month, authorities launched the gigantic Simandou iron-ore mine to widespread anticipation.

However, over half of the population lives in poverty, according to World Bank figures.

Source: BBC

31, December 2025

October 12: The truth about the Biya-Tchiroma affair ⁰

Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Anicet Ekane, Djeukam Tchameni and other allies did not agree to an early offer of appointments into the government of Paul Biya barely a week after the 12 October presidential election in Cameroon, even before the National Vote-Counting Commission had done its work.

Tchiroma declared he won the election but the Constitutional Council proclaimed the results a fortnight later in favour of Paul Biya.

“If this was not an acknowledgement of defeat and panic to pamper Tchiroma, what was it?” says a political commentator about Biya’s early offer, considered premature, considering the timing.

“Tell me who, sure to win an election, would undertake maneuvers to lure someone they were sure they have defeated. It’s all clear. Biya knew Tchiroma had won.”

In what appeared to be panic over early returns from the polls and perhaps state intelligence reports, suggesting Tchiroma was winning the election by a comfortable margin, henchmen of the Biya regime swung into action and approached Tchiroma and his allies. They offered him and them appointments into the government and certain government companies (otherwise called parastatals), according to authoritative sources, close to Issa Tchiroma Bakary.

A special envoy of the Presidency of the Republic, Philippe Mbarga Mboa went on a top secret mission to Douala on 19 October to discuss a deal with Tchiroma’s main allies Anicet Ekani and Djeukam Tchameni.

“That move was possibly both to use their influence to bring Tchiroma along, or failing which, they should abandon him and selfishly accept the appointments,” continued the commentator who sued for anonymity.

Mbarga Mboa who is Minister for Special Duties at the Presidency proposed to them appointments into the government as Prime Minister, ministers of state, ministers, minister delegate, secretaries of state, directors general and board chairs in government companies. Ekani and Tchameni did not accept the offer. Both men were later arrested. Ekani died in detention.

Tchiroma has said in several speeches and statements that he will not negotiate and will not betray the struggle to claim what he confidently calls his “victory in the 12 October polls”.

Contacted for comment via a WhatsApp call on 16 December, Mbarga Mboa asked me, “Why are you bringing this up now? To serve what purpose? When did this happen?”

When I gave him the date, he said, “That has been long. Is it necessary now?”

As a close collaborator of the Secretary General at the Presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Mbarga Mboa was seen playing a key role in the pre-election consultations with political forces from different regions of the country. Ngoh Ngoh, described as the de facto Vice President or even the “acting” President of the Republic as the aged Biya is often considered out of form, is understood to be the main push behind the actions of aides at the Cameroon Presidency to desperately retain power, despite what observers describe as clear signs Biya lost the election to Tchiroma.

Mbarga Mboa’s visit to Douala was ostensibly to meet and strategize with local CPDM barons and allies there, especially the northern kingpin in Douala, Bayero Fadil.

Faced with the failure of Mbarga Mboa’s mission, higher level steps were taken to reach out to Tchiroma. There have been reports of negotiations at different levels, some reportedly involving the government of France and other foreign partners to coarse Tchiroma to give up his claim to victory in the 12 October presidential election. But Tchiroma has repeatedly said he will not negotiate.

Feeling unsafe at his residence in Garoua where several high risk incidents had been reported, Tchiroma relocated to Nigeria and later to the Gambia.

He or his appointed spokesperson Barrister Alice Nkom have continued to claim his victory was stolen by Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), the institution charged with organizing elections in Cameroon and the Constitutional Council, the highest judicial organ in the country, charged with deliberating over election litigations and proclaiming election results. They insist Tchiroma’s stolen victory must be restored.

*The author, Franklin Sone Bayen, is a freelance investigative journalist trained in Israel and an Alfred Friendly (US) Press Partners Fellow. He can be reached at +237 656969090 (Direct calls and WhatsApp) and sonebayen@gmail.com

30, December 2025

Issa Tchiroma Bakary is Cameroon Concord Person of the Year ⁰

For forty-two years, the people of Cameroon have been fed stories that political change was an illusion. Many political commentators opined that the Unity Palace was fixed in place and the country resigned to its fate. Then came a man Issa Tchiroma in the October 12, 2025 presidential election and the whole narrative changed forever.

Issa Tchiroma Bakary (to use his three names) stepped out of a system he once served to confront the very power structure that made him. Tchiroma organized a campaign that became an unexpected rallying point for the entire nation with sell-out crowds, igniting debates, and awakening a people long numbed by routine elections with predictable outcomes.

Tchiroma, a long standing cabinet minister under Biya, broke with the governing body to run as a leading candidate, energizing Cameroonians with promises of change after decades of entrenched rule by the ruling CPDM crime syndicate.

The Tchiroma campaign drew large crowds and the former Biya acolyte stated that the will of the Cameroonian people was on his side.

On October 14, less than 48 hours after polls closed, Issa Tchiroma Bakary declared victory in the presidential election and urged President Biya to concede defeat and honour the truth of the ballot box.

Tchiroma’s majority following mobilized in all the nooks and crannies of the country following his electoral victory, with protests and demonstrations pressing for recognition of what they said was a great win for the Northern Cameroon political elite. These demonstrations underlined both the deep dissatisfaction among many Cameroonians and the intensity of political tensions.

However, officially and according to the Constitutional Council — the only body authorized to proclaim election results in Biya’s Cameroon —92-year-old President Biya was declared the winner, securing approximately 53.66 % of the vote as concocted by the ruling crime syndicate, compared with 35.19 % for Issa Tchiroma Bakary. Biya’s so-called victory guaranteed his continued stay in power and extended his decades-long rule.

The opposition rejected the Constitutional Council’s outcome with its leader Issa Tchiroma asserting that state institutions manipulated the results to deny him victory. From his base in Garoua, Tchiroma pressed his supporters and political allies to resist what he described as an illegitimate outcome and he framed his challenge as part of a broader struggle for democratic accountability in Cameroon.

There are moments in a nation’s life when the truth does not wait for official stamps or ceremonial announcements. Issa Tchiroma gave Cameroon that moment in October 2025.

Whether Cameroonians and their partners accept the Constitutional Council’s figures or Issa Tchiroma’s own declaration, one fact is undeniable: Tchiroma achieved what no challenger had managed in decades- he shattered the aura of inevitability that surrounded Biya’s 42-year rule.

Cameroon Concord Group readers in their thousands watched Tchiroma when he declared victory — whether or not the corrupt security and judicial establishments endorsed it — Tchiroma accomplished something historic: he forced the Cameroonian nation to imagine the end of the nasty Biya era. He destroyed the psychological monopoly of one man, one party and one narrative. He made the possibility of transition feel real, tangible and of course reachable.

In that sense, Issa Tchiroma Bakary defeated not just a corrupt, vicious and malicious political figure but a paralysis of hope.

The so called official results may have returned Biya to office. But the story Cameroonians will always remember is not simply about numbers; it is about a perfectly bilingual Cameroonian who stood against a decades-old machine and convinced a nation that change could be claimed, spoken aloud and above all demanded.

Cameroon Concord News People have voted!! Issa Tchiroma Bakary, you are the Cameroon Concord News Person of the Year!!

Your stolen victory will forever remain symbolic, moral and political because you successfully made Cameroonians to believe again. And once a people begin to believe, no regime, no matter how entrenched, sleeps comfortably.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Chairman/Editor-In-Chief

Cameroon Concord News Group

30, December 2025

Tributes as Joshua team members die in fatal crash ⁰

Two of Anthony Joshua’s “close friends and team members” were killed in the car crash in Nigeria in which the British heavyweight boxer was injured.

Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodeledied when the vehicle they were in, alongside Joshua and another passenger, collided with a stationary truck on a major road near Lagos.

Joshua is stable and conscious and did not require emergency medical help, according to Ogun state government., external

Joshua’s promoters Matchroom offered their “deepest condolences and prayers” to the family and friends of Ghami and Ayodele, who was also known as ‘Latz’.

“With profound sadness it has been confirmed that two close friends and team members Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele have tragically passed away,” read a statement.

“Matchroom Boxing and 258 BXG can confirm that Anthony sustained injuries in the accident and was taken to hospital for checks and treatment. He is in a stable condition and will remain there for observation.

“Our deepest condolences and prayers are with the families and friends of all those affected – and we ask that their privacy is respected at this incredibly difficult time.”

Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn said: “With the heaviest of hearts. Two great men. Rest in eternal peace Sina and Latz. My thoughts and deepest prayers are with everyone.”

A spokesperson for Joshua said Ghami and Ayodele were “integral” to the boxer’s team, adding the news of their deaths was “truly shocking and devastating”.

‘Massive parts of the Joshua machine’

Ghami was Joshua’s full-time sport and exercise rehabilitation coach and had worked with the 36-year-old for more than 10 years.

He helped the former heavyweight champion prepare for some of the biggest bouts of his career, including the title-winning fight against Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 and this month’s win over Jake Paul.

Ghami has also worked with former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell and the Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green.

Just hours before the crash, Joshua posted a video on Instagram of him playing table tennis with his long-time friend Ayodele, a personal trainer.

Boxing expert Steve Bunce described Ghami and Ayodele as “two of Joshua’s closest friends”.

“They’ve been with him, if not from the start, at least very early on. Latz is AJ’s personal trainer and Sina is his strength and conditioning man. They are with him all the time,” Bunce told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“He calls them his boys. They’re more than that. They are friends. They may have strict jobs, they might be his strength and conditioning coach, his personal trainer, his dietitian, his nutritionist, but they’re close and he loves that close circle.

“Sina and Latz are massive parts of the Anthony Joshua machine.”

Sina Ghami pictured in a busy boxing ring with boxers Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul at the end of their recent fight — Image caption,Sina Ghami (left) alongside Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul in the ring following their fight on 19 December

Fellow boxer Chris Eubank Jr was among those to pay tribute to Ghami and Ayodele, calling them “genuinely good men”.

The British middleweight said:, external “Thank god our heavyweight champ survived that horrible car crash. And pray for the two fallen soldiers Latz & Sina & their families. I knew both, they were genuinely good men. Rest in Peace boys.”

Joshua was in Nigeria after stopping American YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul in the sixth round of their heavyweight bout in Miami earlier this month.

Writing on X,, external Paul said: “Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.”

Former New Zealand rugby star Sonny Bill Williams posted pictures with Joshua and Latif,, external adding: “Rest easy brother Abdul Latif, may the most high make it easy for your loved ones.”

British bantamweight Shannon Courtenay said:, external “RIP Sina and Latz, two good guys. Last week we’re all having fun in Miami and today you’re gone, life really is too short. May the Lord look over their loved ones during this awful time.”

Video from the scene showed Joshua being helped out from the back seat of a wrecked large car.

Five adult men were involved in the crash in total, Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said.

They added that Joshua and another man – the vehicle’s driver – were rescued by the boxer’s security team.

The incident involved two vehicles, a black Lexus and a stationary red commercial truck, and took place on the busy Lagos-Ibadan expressway at around 12:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Monday.

The FRSC said the Lexus was “suspected to be travelling beyond the legally prescribed speed limit”, based on preliminary findings.

It said the car appeared to have “lost control during an overtaking manoeuvre” and crashed into the stationary truck by the side of the road.

‘Emotional impact of crash impossible to measure’

Joshua had only just returned to the ring after more than a year out, beating Jake Paul on Netflix in what was a huge pay day, and he was in Nigeria simply to spend New Year with family when this tragedy struck.

The plan had been for Joshua to fight again in Saudi Arabia in February before eventually moving towards the long-talked-about Tyson Fury bout later in 2026. But right now, those plans feel secondary.

Joshua has lost two people close to him, friends first and foremost, including his long-time strength and conditioning coach Ghami, and the emotional impact of that is impossible to measure. Ghami was by his side throughout fight week in Miami, and joined him in the ring after his win over Paul.

Whatever he decides to do next in the twilight of his career almost feels insignificant, with the boxing world united in hoping that one of Britain’s most accomplished fighters comes through this ordeal in good health.

Source: BBC

29, December 2025

Anthony Joshua injured in Nigeria car crash, with two others dead ⁰

British boxer Anthony Joshua has been injured, with two others killed, in a car crash near Lagos in Nigeria.

Local police tell the BBC that Joshua has been taken to hospital – they earlier said he suffered minor injuries but is “fine”

Officials suspect Joshua’s vehicle crashed into a stationary lorry while overtaking at speed – Joshua was pictured in the back of his vehicle

Other pictures, posted by officials, show a badly-damaged car and a dented lorry

Joshua – a two-time world heavyweight champion – has family roots in Sagamu, a town in Ogun State, Nigeria

One relative tells the BBC of their family’s shock – saying Joshua normally visits Nigeria around the New Year.

Source: BBC

26, December 2025

AFCON organisers allowing fans in for free to fill empty stands ⁰

Organisers at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco are allowing supporters in for free after kick-off in matches where stadiums are not full, a Confederation of African Football (CAF) source told AFP.

The Group F game between Cameroon and Gabon on Wednesday in Agadir kicked off in front of almost empty stands, but the ground filled up significantly over the course of the first half despite incessant rain.

The official attendance was later announced as 35,200 inside a venue that can hold over 45,000.

There have been similar scenes at numerous matches across the opening days of the competition, even leading to confusion over the attendance figures themselves.

The crowd at Tuesday’s Group D encounter between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Benin at Rabat’s Al Medina Stadium – which filled up considerably over the course of the game – was initially announced as 6,703 before later being corrected to 13,073.

The CAF source indicated that organisers, in agreement with African football’s governing body, were opening stands around 20 minutes into games to allow fans gathered outside to enter without paying.

Filling stadiums is an important issue for Cup of Nations organisers in Morocco, for which a successful hosting of the tournament is key as it builds towards the 2030 World Cup to be jointly held in the North African country, Spain and Portugal.

CAF’s official ticketing platform on Thursday showed seats available for almost all remaining group matches for prices starting at 100 MAD (US$10.96).

The only matches shown as sell-outs were hosts Morocco’s games against Mali on Friday and Zambia on Monday, as well as Algeria against Burkina Faso on Sunday and Algeria versus Equatorial Guinea next Wednesday.

Source: AFP

26, December 2025

US launches airstrikes on Nigeria ⁰

The United States has launched airstrikes in northwest Nigeria, with President Donald Trump casting the attack as a response to alleged anti-Christian violence—an assertion Nigerian authorities and analysts have long rejected as a misleading pretext for military action.

The strikes, which Trump announced late Thursday, were presented as a blow against an African branch of Daesh, which he said had carried out large-scale violence against Christians in Nigeria.

“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS terrorist scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries!” Trump said on social media.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the attacks targeted Sokoto State and were carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities.

“This has led to precision hits on terrorist targets in Nigeria by airstrikes in the North West,” the ministry said in a post on X, while not confirming Washington’s claim of persecution of Christians.

The US Department of War later released footage showing the launch of the airstrikes.

23, December 2025

Tel Aviv : Netanyahu appears in court for 65th time in ongoing corruption trial ⁰

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appeared before the Tel Aviv District Court for the 65th time to respond to corruption charges in cases that have haunted him throughout much of his premiership, according to Israeli media reports.

The Hebrew-language Maariv daily newspaper reported that the latest court session on Tuesday focused on Case 4000, which involves allegations of bribery in connection with Shaul Elovitch, the former controlling shareholder of Bezeq, Israel’s largest telecommunications company.

Prosecutors say that Netanyahu is accused of granting regulatory benefits to Bezeq in exchange for favorable media coverage on the Walla news website, owned by Elovitch, though the Israeli premier denies all charges.

Prosecutors also say Netanyahu and members of his family submitted “various demands” to the Elovitch couple regarding the tone and content of Walla’s news coverage, the paper reported.

Source: Presstv

22, December 2025

Southern Cameroons UN Situation Report ⁰

The security situation in the North-West and South-West (NWSW) regions remained highly fragile, characterized by persistent clashes between non-State armed groups (NSAGs) and State security forces (SSF). The context was marked by widespread violence, including kidnappings for ransom, loss of life from stray bullets, targeted killings, arbitrary arrests, and the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Six men and two women were kidnapped in Ako sub-division, NW region, and three men were kidnapped in Mbonge sub-division, SW region. All these kidnappings are based on allegations of people attempting to attend election campaign events.

A prolonged lockdown imposed by NSAGs from 8 September to 14 October in the NWSW regions disrupted school resumption and interfered with activities related to the presidential election. Throughout the lockdown period, civilians not only faced severe restrictions on their freedom of movement but were also exposed to protection risks and multiple forms of violence like kidnapping, threats, and mass arrests. The lockdown further compounded the situation by disrupting humanitarian operations, delaying the delivery of critical services, and significantly limiting access to vulnerable communities. Partners were compelled to suspend or adjust field operations due to insecurity and movement restrictions. Some adopted remote working modalities while others leveraged weekends to deliver life-saving assistance in hard-to-reach areas, when NSAGs temporarily lifted restrictions to allow civilians to restock essential supplies. This helped to reach over 36,000 people with multi-sectoral assistance, including food, health, nutrition education, WASH, and protection services.

Natural disasters, particularly floods, and ongoing violence have led to multiple population displacements. Over 1,419 people (313 households) have fled to nearby bushes, villages, and towns from Konye sub-division in the South-West region, as well as the Menchum Valley and Widikum sub-divisions in the North-West region. Additionally, pendular displacement has been observed in Mezam division (Bamenda II sub-division, NW). These movements left affected populations highly vulnerable and exposed to protection risks, as they repeatedly move between their homes and safer locations. Many displaced persons, especially victims of natural disasters, remain without shelter and live in precarious conditions.

Source: reliefweb

22, December 2025

Southern Cameroons: Security situation worsening ⁰

Daily life in Southern Cameroons today is defined by fear. Killings, armed confrontations between Ambazonia Restoration Forces and Cameroon government troops, kidnappings, enforced civil disobedience campaigns and arson have shutdown and disrupted education, healthcare and local economies.

The Southern Cameroons educational sectors have been particularly affected, denying a generation of children their right to learning. Anglophone farmers are struggling to access their land amid worsening poverty and food insecurity. These realities underscore a grim truth: the people of Southern Cameroons are bearing the brunt of a conflict they did not choose.

The security situation in the two English speaking regions is deteriorating at catastrophic rapidity. Years after the Ambazonia crisis started, violence continues to escalate, civilian suffering is deepening, and prospects for a sustainable peace are slowly but surely vanishing. The Southern Cameroons resistance that was once framed as a temporary security challenge by the failed regime in Yaoundé has hardened into a protracted conflict with devastating human consequences.

Despite repeated assurances from the Biya Francophone Beti-Ewondo regime, the government’s security-heavy approach has failed to restore calm in Southern Cameroons. Militarization of the entire English speaking regions has not delivered peace; instead, it has intensified cycles of retaliation and mistrust. Allegations of abuses by all sides—combined with a lack of credible accountability—have further alienated communities and fueled resentment. When justice appears absent, violence finds fertile ground.

The Southern Cameroons situation is indeed a hydra headed one. While calls for genuine talks persist, meaningful engagement remains limited. Fragmentation among Southern Cameroons restoration groups and the actions of hardliners deep within the Francophone dominated political structure in Yaoundé have stalled progress. Yet history teaches us that conflicts rooted in governance, identity, and rights cannot be resolved by military power alone. Without a genuine political process that addresses long-standing grievances—language rights, local governance, and equitable development—the conflict will continue to metastasize.

The international community’s attention has waned, but the crisis has not. Humanitarian needs are rising as displacement grows and basic services collapse. Silence and fatigue are dangerous allies of prolonged conflict. Renewed diplomatic engagement, targeted humanitarian assistance, and support for mediation are urgently needed.

Southern Cameroons now stands at a crossroads. Continuing down the current path promises only more suffering and instability. A decisive shift toward dialogue, accountability, and inclusive reform is not a concession to violence—it is an investment in peace. The cost of delay is already painfully clear.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai