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19, August 2025

When portraits rule: The presidency becomes a shrine! ⁰

Ah! What a grand spectacle of democracy turned into pilgrimage, where citizens no longer travel to Jerusalem or Mecca, but to Etoudi—armed not with rosaries or Qur’ans, but with envelopes of pledges and pockets emptied of 5 to10K contributions. The Presidency has become a shrine, and Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh its high priest, who, like the Pope’s emissary, receives all delegations on behalf of the invisible God-King.

Here is the paradox: to meet the Head of State, one must never see the Head of State. His presence is too divine, too sacred, too holy for mortal eyes. Instead, portraits hang like sacred icons on the walls, absorbing prayers, oaths of allegiance, and the groveling of chiefs. Some even went further: dragging a lifesize statue as if Israel’s golden calf had found a rebirth in Yaoundé. Indeed, Biya is no longer a president; he has been canonized into an idol, an untouchable effigy, the Fon of Fons, the deity of marble and ink.

The absurdity glitters like a carnival: chiefs who once commanded warriors now parade as errand boys; student leaders and academics, who ought to grade truth and knowledge, now grade their own loyalty before the altar of the portrait; women examiners, included for “gender balance,” chant in chorus, proving that even equality can be prostituted to idolatry. And for this grand pilgrimage? Each member must pay their own offering—2,000 CFA—like indulgences in medieval Europe, except here it is not for salvation, but for a photo-op with a frame.

What greater hypocrisy! A regime so petrified of its own mortality that it hides behind paper portraits and lifeless statues, yet insists the nation believes the ghost still breathes, still rules, still reigns. The people are told: do not look for the man, only believe in the image. It is politics turned into a cargo cult—where the mere sight of a statue, a portrait, or a signature photocopied a hundred times is enough to summon the aura of authority.

If irony were oxygen, Cameroon would have long suffocated. For in this land, the living leader is absent, the absent leader is omnipresent, and the portrait of the absent leader rules more firmly than the man ever did.

So what’s the purpose of leaving all the way from Bamenda, Garoua etc to Yaoundé when you will still end up talking with a portrait? Millions of whose copies are available nationwide? Let the Chief priest save people the inconveniences by telling them to pledge loyalty at all district levels, just like local congregations worshipping the almighty God!

By Wepngong Moses

19, August 2025

Security guarantees for Ukraine still unclear after Washington summit ⁰

President Donald Trump on Tuesday ruled out sending US troops to back up any Ukraine peace deal but suggested air support instead, as European nations began hashing out security guarantees ahead of a potential Russia summit.

In a flurry of diplomacy aimed at ending the war, Trump brought Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to the White House on Monday, three days after his landmark encounter with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

But while Trump said Putin had agreed to meet Zelensky and accept some Western security guarantees for Ukraine, those promises have been met with extreme caution by Kyiv and Western capitals, and many details remain vague.

Putin proposed holding the summit with Zelensky in Moscow, three sources familiar with Trump call told AFP. One source said Zelensky immediately said “no” to meeting in the capital of his country’s invader.

Source: France 24

18, August 2025

Battle for Etoudi: ELECAM considers relocating polling stations ⁰

Elections Cameroon (Elecam), the country’s election body, is moving to change the locations of certain polling places after a formal request from a presidential candidate.

In an official message obtained by SBBC, Elecam Director-General Erik Essousse asked his ten regional delegates to “urgently submit proposals for changing the locations of polling stations, particularly those situated in police stations, traditional meeting huts, chiefdoms, and military barracks.”

The directive follows a complaint from Joshua Osih, the presidential candidate for the Social Democratic Front (SDF), who argued that 1,153 polling stations did not meet legal requirements for neutrality, accessibility, and security.

Osih stated that holding elections in military barracks or headquarters was “legally and materially unacceptable” because these are not neutral or civilian public spaces. He added that the presence of armed personnel and weapons at these sites violates a legal ban on weapons in polling stations.

In response, Elecam’s director-general set an August 16 deadline for regional delegates to propose new locations for the contested polling stations.

Source: Sbbc

18, August 2025

Southern Cameroons Crisis displaces 300 in June amid exam season violence ⁰

About 300 civilians were forcibly displaced from Banga-Bakundu in Cameroon’s Southwest Region in June, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The U.N. agency reported that the civilians moved to nearby communities, including Banga, Muyuka, Bombe-Bakundu, and Mbalangi. OCHA said the displacement was a result of the community’s “strategic position,” which has made it a flashpoint in the ongoing conflict.

Since 2017, government forces have been fighting separatist fighters in the Northwest and Southwest regions who are seeking to create an independent state called Ambazonia. The conflict has killed more than 8,000 people and displaced nearly 500,000 refugees and about 400,000 internally displaced people, according to OCHA figures.

Tensions spiked in June around official examinations, including the First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) on June 10 and 11, and the General Certificate of Education (GCE) from June 3 to June 20. OCHA recorded eight attacks on the education sector, as non-state armed groups threatened parents and teachers not to participate in the exams.

In addition to the fighting between government forces and separatist groups, OCHA reported ongoing tensions between farmers and herders in parts of the Northwest’s Donga-Mantung department. The disputes are linked to grazing lands and damage caused by livestock. On June 16, a Fulani herder attacked and wounded two women in their field in Dumbo, accusing them of trying to seize his cattle. Similar incidents were reported on June 19 in Misaje and on June 26 in Mamba, where a Fulani herder and a woman were injured, respectively.

Source: Sbbc

18, August 2025

Sonara adopts 2-year plan to restart Limbe refinery by 2027 ⁰

Cameroon’s National Refining Company (Sonara) approved on August 13 the Acceleration Plan for Restructuring and Rehabilitation Measures for Refining Restart within 24 months (Parras 24). The initiative agreed upon during a Board Meeting aims to resume production by 2027 with government support.

“Parras 24 is designed to relaunch Sonara’s core functions and ensure the continuity of petroleum product supply,” the company’s official statement said. The plan calls for recapitalization and new partnerships to fund the rehabilitation and quick restart of production. Sonara has not yet clarified whether recapitalization will involve debt buyback or fresh capital injection. In June, a joint delegation from UBAF, ING, and Mauritius Commercial Bank had proposed potential financing for the project.

Technically, Parras 24 aims to restore facilities to their state before the May 2019 fire that severely damaged part of the refinery. At the same time, Sonara will implement a workforce management program to strengthen staff skills and prepare for operations to restart.

The company continues to struggle with high debt. It currently owes CFA261 billion to banks, restructured over 10 years since 2021 at an interest rate of 5.5%. It also owes CFA185 billion to Vitol, CFA8.5 billion to PSTV, CFA14 billion to Trafigura, and CFA20 billion to Mercuria Energy. Repayment of these debts has been ongoing since 2022 through a state mechanism that collects CFA47.8 on each liter of fuel sold at the pump.

While Parras 24 is underway, Sonara has assured partners and customers of steady supply. “The supply of refined products on the national and international market will continue in both quantity and quality until the full restart of the refinery,” the company said.

This ambitious plan, combining strategic financing, technical rehabilitation, and workforce development, marks a decisive step for Cameroon’s oil sector and the stability of its domestic market.

Source: Business in Cameroon

18, August 2025

Race for the Unity Palace: Tchiroma dismisses party secretary amid tribal controversy ⁰

Jeanne Nsoga, the former secretary general of the Cameroon National Salvation Front (CNSF), has been expelled by its leader, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, just as he launches a presidential bid.

Nsoga, previously unknown to the public, gained attention in recent weeks for her frequent appearances alongside the former minister, who resigned from the government on June 24 to run for president. However, on Monday, August 11, Bakary permanently expelled her for “very serious misconduct.” The party declined to comment on the decision, with one close associate of Bakary only saying, “it’s a long story.“

Nsoga herself revealed the reason for her departure. In a resignation letter dated August 12 and addressed to the national party president, she stated she was leaving the CNSF because Bakary failed to support her against accusations of tribalism. These accusations came from supporters of Maurice Kamto, leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), who was recently removed from the presidential race.

“After observing your attitude in the face of the cyber-harassment I am a victim of from Mr. Maurice Kamto’s supporters, who accuse me of tribalism – when you know that my fight is to demand the restitution of the lands of the indigenous communities, once seized by the militiamen of the Cameroon National Liberation Army (the armed wing of the UPC) – I have decided to inform you of my immediate resignation from the CNSF,” she wrote.

For several weeks, there had been growing calls for Nsoga’s expulsion as her previous remarks, deemed tribalist, resurfaced. Some observers believe her ousting is linked to a potential alliance between Bakary and Kamto, whose voting instructions are now highly sought after. Nsoga’s letter alludes to this possibility, stating, “The doubt that has set in me no longer allows me to walk alongside you or to disrupt with my presence the new alliances you might seal.”

This political maneuvering comes as opposition leaders intensify negotiations to nominate a single candidate against the incumbent president, who is seeking re-election. Several contenders still in the race are now courting Kamto, hoping to bring him into a coalition.

Source: Sbbc

16, August 2025

Bishop of Bafoussam urges citizens to vote with conscience in October presidential poll ⁰

Bishop Paul Lontsié-Keuné of Cameroon’s Catholic Diocese of Bafoussam has called on citizens of the country to remain vigilant, uphold truth, and vote with integrity in the country’s upcoming elections, warning against corruption, tribalism, and the sale of conscience.

In his Thursday, August 14 homily during the Diocese’s annual Peace Pilgrimage, Bishop Lontsié-Keuné described the Church event as “a rather special context”, coming less than two months before the October 12 Presidential Poll.

Bishop Lontsié-Keuné noted that pre-electoral attitudes can shape the post-electoral context, urging citizens to examine their speech, reject inflammatory language, and ensure that prayers for peace inspire concrete action.

“If we are sincere and really Christians, and not traitors, then our prayer for peace must inspire our action, and our action in return must also be prayer. We have the two sides of a coin,” he said.

Bishop Lontsié-Keuné spoke about the need for the Church to speak, especially in the face of wrongdoings, noting that silent “would be to be an accomplice of evil”.

“We who observe the simple sociopolitics of our country cannot be silent,” he said. “To be silent would be to be an accomplice of evil. To be silent would be to abandon these people who are the voice of those who have the mouth to speak and no longer know how to speak,” the Cameroonian Catholic Bishop said.

The Bishop reminded the people of God that the pilgrimage has long been a moment for Bafoussam’s Catholics to look to heaven and implore the Virgin Mary for peace in Cameroon. But he cautioned against any misunderstanding of that commitment.

“We are not naive. It must be understood by all: it is not because we pray for peace that we are naive. We cannot ask for peace and crucify the poor. We cannot ask for peace and crucify anyone who dares to open his mouth,” the Catholic Church leader said.

He insisted that “the path of peace is the truth” and warned against the illusion of power or wealth:

“It is no longer by their army… It is no longer by the beautiful discourse… nor by their wealth. Peace protects the people, and the people protect peace. But a people that murmurs… the murmur can be the source of death,” Bishop Lontsié-Keuné said.

Addressing the pilgrims, he urged, “Wake up! Do not sleep! The Holy Spirit that we received… is the sacrament of Christian maturity… [that] must give us to exorcise fear… to bear witness to the Gospel. And we do not bear witness to the Gospel by lying to you but by telling it to you.”

“It is not a spirit of fear that God gave us, but a spirit of strength, of love, and of tenderness… Is a confirmed person afraid of death? Do not be afraid!” the Local Ordinary of Bafoussam, since February 2022, following his transfer from Cameroon’s Yokadouma Catholic Diocese, where he had started his Episcopal Ministry in July 2017, said.

He called Christians to remember their baptism and to allow the Holy Spirit, “a spirit of truth”, to guide every aspect of life.

“To be a Christian is to be forced on a daily basis to be led by the Holy Spirit… There is no space where we put Him aside to wait for Sunday… Our conviction of faith must be a personal answer to the question that Jesus asked: ‘For you, who am I?’” he posed.

Bishop Lontsié-Keuné provided the contrast between authentic Christian maturity and the political reality in which he said some leaders send their children abroad and travel overseas for medical care while the majority suffer.

Reflecting on tribalism, the Cameroonian Catholic Bishop said, “The word ‘tribalism’ does not exist in the Christian lexicon… Who told you that in Cameroon there are sub-Cameroonians and super-Cameroonians?… We are all sons and daughters of Jesus Christ, and everyone has the right to life.”

He called on the faithful to “behave” as Christians, allowing the Holy Spirit to act in their lives, and to discern “which side we must be on” in the light of the Gospel.

Turning to the upcoming elections, Bishop Lontsié-Keuné did not endorse any candidate but made a strong moral appeal.

“By voting, refuse to sell your conscience, whatever the proposed price. No one must, at any stage of the process, change the value of the vote of a single citizen,” he said.

The Catholic Bishop warned against “electoral irresponsibility,” which “undermines confidence… weakens democracy, leads to instability and violence,” and called for election officials to act with integrity.

He emphasized that all who call themselves Christian must ensure that their faith informs their political actions.

Bishop Lontsié-Keuné repeated the profile of a leader outlined by Cameroonian students in Bouillac: integrity, humility, a clear vision for national development, the ability to unite, a commitment to reconciliation, and the capacity to inspire confidence and manage the economy responsibly.

“Choosing is renouncing,” he said, adding, “Christ invites us to renounce lies… and to reject whatever compromises the dignity of the poor.”

Bishop Lontsié-Keuné called on civil society to educate the population to critically evaluate campaign promises and to salute the courage of those — journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens — who “dare to say what no one wants to say.”

He insisted that the Church seeks “peace in law, justice, truth, light, and love,” not peace based on force or inequality.

“As long as the right of the force will take over the force of the right, the people will die… and we will scream, scream, scream until we are heard,” Bishop Lontsié-Keuné said.

He warned that manipulating votes is “to steal nationality” and “to subjugate” citizens. He urged the faithful to guard their vote, saying, “Otherwise, it will be useless to register and to vote.”

“May the Spirit be with you in the strength to walk in the light, whatever it costs… Our Lady of Peace, pray for us. God bless you. Amen,” Bishop Lontsié-Keuné implored.

Source: aciAfrica

16, August 2025

Newspaper Publishers welcome CAMASEJ Ethics Committee ⁰

The newly-installed Ethics & Disciplinary Committee (EDC) of the Cameroon Association of English-speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ) has been well received by newspaper publishers.

Publishers of newspapers who are the main employers of members of CAMASEJ expressed kind words and made proposals to the Executive Secretary of EDC in the first outing by the Ethics Committee since it began its operations about a week ago.

Paying a courtesy call on newspaper publishers in Buea on 5 June, EDC’s Executive Secretary, Franklin Sone Bayen, had a brief exchange with them on the sidelines of the CENPA Awards organized by the Cameroon English Language Newspaper Publishers’ Association (CENPA) at Mountain Hotel in Buea.

For about 30 minutes, Bayen engaged with nearly 20 newspaper publishers, explaining the vision, mission and methods of EDC to achieve its objectives.

“As newspaper publishers, you are employers of CAMASEJ members as well as many of you are members of CAMASEJ, thus EDC concerns you,” said the EDC Executive Secretary in his opening statement.

“We are told Jesus came to die for our sins but I think he also came to understand mankind, to have our human experience so that when he sits in judgement besides God the Father, he would use his experience in human frailty to tamper the wrath of God who is perfect. He would beg the Father to take it easy because he lived the experience of the temptations that lead Man to commit sin. He would tell the Father, for example, that being in the company of Mary and Martha and feeling the sensation of a woman oiling his feet, He understands better why Man can fall into sin, though sexual misconduct may not be totally excused,” Bayen went on.

“Likewise, we, members of EDC, being your colleagues, will not act as if we are perfect. We’ll act with an understanding of the challenges of our profession and its pitfalls though we must uphold values because blatant misconduct must not be tolerated, else impunity and abuses would thrive,” he said.

Bayen said that is why the best media regulation is self-regulation under peer review.

He told the publishers that EDC is not a declaration of war on journalists and publishers but a partner to assist publishers in maintaining order in their newsrooms by guiding and cautioning reporters and editors who could be perpetrators of professional ethical misconduct which could be costly to publishers themselves.

“Unlike undertakers and others in the death industry like coffin makers and hearse rentals who may wish for people to die for their business to thrive, we at ED rather wish for fewer or no media offences as the absence of offences would be good news to us, because it means less work for us and also that would suggest that journalists are increasingly ethically consciousness,” the Ethics henchman went on.

Bayen said EDC wishes to collaborate with publishers for a number of reasons. He said EDC wants publishers to give it logistic support by making available their newspapers to ease EDC monitoring due to its limited means.

EDC also wants publishers to take the commitment to enforce EDC recommendations and decisions on its staff because that would also save them the troubles the unethical misconduct of their staff can bring upon them.

Reacting, some newspaper publishers expressed certain concerns. Choves Loh, publisher of The News newspaper, proposed the inclusion of non-CAMASEJ members in EDC to broaden its scope of influence beyond just CAMASEJ members.

Elias Ngalame, publisher of Eco-Outlook advised EDC to bear in mind the commercial interests of newspapers and understand that ethical considerations may be limited in commercial reporting or “advertorials” in the local Press parlance.

Bouddih Adams of The Post said clearcut distinctions between news, editorials and commercial or advertorial content would save newspapers EDC’s wrath.

Responding to the publishers, the EDC Executive Secretary said EDC would take their concerns into consideration where possible but pointed out that as a general principle, commercial stories must be labelled as “advertorial” or “spotlight” or “special report”, without which they are ethically wrong.

Bayen told the publishers that in continuation of EDC’s outreach, it will visit individual newsrooms in the coming days to hold working sessions with their staff and sign Memorandums of Understand with publishers.

Besides watching over ethics in news media, EDC also has the duty of ensuring discipline among CAMASEJ members.

15, August 2025

Maroua: Boko Haram militants abduct 11 bus passengers ⁰

About 11 passengers of a bus have been kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram militants in Cameroon’s Far North region, security sources said on Thursday.

The bus left the town of Kousseri in the region on Wednesday and was heading to the region’s chief town, Maroua, when it was intercepted by gunmen.

“The terrorists kidnapped all the men on the bus and freed the women. They allowed the driver to continue the journey with the women but seized his documents,” an official in the region, who asked not to be named, said by phone.

“We only learned about the abduction today (Thursday). Our forces have launched an operation to rescue them,” the official added.

Abduction for ransom is common in the region where the terror group Boko Haram has been operating since 2014.

Culled from Xinhuanet by Miriam Metchane Ewang

14, August 2025

Rome: Philémon Yang meets Pope Leo XIV ⁰

Pope Leo XIV received Philémon Yang, the president of the UN General Assembly, on August 11, as his one-year presidential term nears its completion. Neither the Vatican nor the United Nations issued a statement on the topics of the conversation.

The president of the UN General Assembly, elected by his peers, chairs the meetings of the body. Shortly after Pope Francis’s death, Yang, a Cameroonian diplomat, paid tribute to the late Pontiff as “a moral voice and a global conscience. With humility and courage, he championed the dignity of the marginalized, the poor and the voiceless.”

Source: Catholic World News