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25, September 2020

Football: ‘Nothing surprise me anymore,’ says Messi lamenting Suarez departure ⁰

Lionel Messi bid an emotional farewell on Friday to Luis Suarez, the day after the Uruguayan striker had said tearful goodbyes to Barcelona after the club sent him to Atletico Madrid.

“Today I went into the dressing room and the awful truth hit me,” Messi posted on Instagram, before renewing his criticism of club management.

“You deserved to be sent off as what you are: one of the most important players in the history of the club,” Messi wrote. “And not to be fired in the way they did it.”

“The truth is that at this point nothing surprises me anymore.”

Messi has a long-running feud with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu which intensified after Barcelona were humiliated 8-2 by Bayern in a Champions League quarter-final in August.

Messi tried to force his exit from Barcelona but finally accepted that he would have to see out the final year of his contract. Meanwhile, two of his closest friends on the team, Suarez and the Chilean Arturo Vidal have left.

The 33-year-old Suarez moves to Atletico on a two-year contract on a free transfer, although, if he does well, Barcelona could receive some money.

Suarez, who hit 198 goals for Barca, becoming the third highest goalscorer in the history of the club, cried as he bid an impromptu farewell to the club on Thursday.

“I’m going to keep playing, with fresh motivation, with the objective to show I can continue competing,” Suarez said.

“Everyone knows the relationship we have, Leo and me. I’ve already played against him in the Uruguay-Argentina matches, playing against each other is not going to change the feelings we have for each other,” Suarez said.

Messi and Suarez were neighbours in the beachside suburb of Castelldefels and would arrive at training together.

“How difficult it is going to be not to continue to share the days with you, both on the pitch and off it” wrote Messi in a post accompanied by seven pictures of the two men together, sometimes with their families. “We are going to miss you very much. It’s been many years, many cups of mate, lunches, dinners…Many things that I will never forget.”

“It’s going to be weird to see you with another shirt and much more to face you,” wrote Messi. “But I wish you all the best in this new challenge. I love you very much, I love you very much. See you soon, my friend.”

Source: AFP

25, September 2020

US: Top Republicans promise peaceful transition after Trump sows election doubts ⁰

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other top Republicans on Thursday repudiated President Donald Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, assuring American voters the lawmakers would accept the outcome of November’s election.

Trump declined on Wednesday to embrace a peaceful transfer in response to a reporter’s question and said he expected his election battle with Democrat Joe Biden to be settled by the Supreme Court.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trump said he did not know that an “honest” election could be held on Nov. 3 “with this whole situation, unsolicited ballots.”

The Republican president’s rhetoric on Wednesday, which largely referred to voting by mail, set off a fury that prompted several Republicans in Congress to distance themselves from Trump.

Despite four years of incendiary statements by Trump, members of his own party have been loath to criticise him, as many feared political retribution.

“The winner of the November 3rd election will be inaugurated on January 20th. There will be an orderly transition just as there has been every four years since 1792,” McConnell wrote in a morning tweet.

Like other Republicans, McConnell did not directly criticize Trump.

By midday, with the controversy raging, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told a news briefing: “The president will accept the results of a free and fair election.”

But for months, Trump has cast November’s election as being rigged and repeatedly attacked Democrats for promoting widespread use of mail-in ballots for voters who do not want to risk contracting the deadly COVID-19 virus by casting their ballots at potentially crowded polling centers.

In an interview on Fox News Radio, Trump called mail-in ballots “a horror show,” despite studies showing no significant problems with that method of voting over the years.

Michael Waldman, president of New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice, said voting arrangements were steadily advancing. In an interview with Reuters Television, he added: “The system is not broken. States are actually improving their voting rules day by day.”

Democrats accused Trump of threatening American democracy and further politicising his upcoming choice to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg by suggesting the yet-to-be named nominee would have a role in the election’s outcome.

Some of McConnell’s fellow Republicans joined the effort to quell election fears, including Senators Marco Rubio and Mitt Romney and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who told reporters: “It will be a smooth transition regardless of the outcome.”

Trump, who trails Biden in national opinion polls, has long sought to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election, asserting without evidence that mail-in voting would be rife with fraud.

“President Trump, you are not a dictator and America will not permit you to be one,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, calling him “the gravest threat” to U.S. democracy.

Senator Bernie Sanders, who lost to Biden in the Democratic Party’s presidential nominating race, called for an independent commission to oversee the upcoming election.

Democratic House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi cautioned against panicking over the remarks of a president who she said admires autocratic leaders. At a news conference, she urged Americans to cast their ballots and admonished Trump: “You are not in North Korea, you are not in Turkey, you are not in Russia.”

Court challenges

If November’s election is close, Trump could contest the results in federal courts in hopes of being awarded enough Electoral College votes to retain the White House, according to political analysts.

Only one U.S. presidential election, the 2000 contest between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore, has had its outcome determined by the Supreme Court.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally who will play a significant role in whether Trump’s upcoming Supreme Court nominee will be confirmed, said there could be litigation over the presidential election. “The (Supreme) Court will decide and if the Republicans lose, we will accept that result,” Graham told Fox News. “But we need a full court.”

If Trump nominates a conservative to serve on the Supreme Court, as expected, and the Republican-controlled Senate confirms the nominee, it will have six justices considered to be conservative and three viewed as liberals.

(REUTERS)

25, September 2020

Mali: Designated interim president makes first public appearance ⁰

Bah Ndaw, a retired colonel who has been designated Mali’s interim president following last month’s coup, made his first public appearance on Thursday, meeting a regional mediator, AFP reporters saw.

Ndaw, 70, met former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, in Bamako on a mission for the 15-nation bloc ECOWAS, on the eve of his swearing-in.

Ndaw’s appointment was announced on Monday by Colonel Assimi Goita, who heads a junta of young military officers who seized power on August 18, ousting elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Goita himself will serve as vice president, under the announcement.

The interim president will rule for a maximum of 18 months before staging nationwide elections.

ECOWAS — the Economic Community of West African States — slapped sanctions on Mali on August 20 to push for swift restoration of civilian government, including the appointment of civilians as interim president and prime minister.

The bloc may announce on Friday whether the plan meets criteria for easing sanctions, Jonathan said on Thursday.

An official close to the sanctions discussion, who declined to be named, said that “there are still consultations going on”.

Jonathan was due to meet other Malian officials on Thursday, besides Ndaw, including prominent figures whom the military detained after last month’s coup.

ECOWAS has demanded the release of all detainees. Keita was released, but former prime minister Boubou Cisse, among other officials, remains in detention.

Mali’s neighbours have taken a hard line with the junta, fearful that the fragile nation of some 19 million people could spiral into chaos.

Swathes of the vast country already lie outside of government control, due to a lethal jihadist insurgency that first emerged in 2012. It has also inflamed ethnic tensions.

Current restrictions include border closures and a ban on commercial trade and financial flows but not on basic necessities, drugs, equipment to fight coronavirus, fuel or electricity.

Source: AFP

25, September 2020

Southern Cameroons records 9 cholera cases and 1 death in Buea ⁰

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Cameroon has said on September 23 that nine cholera cases have been confirmed and one death recorded in Buea, the chief town of the Southwest region of Cameroon since the declaration of the cholera outbreak last week, according to a news report by Cameroon Online.org.

Officials have expressed concerns that the epidemic could spread even more rapidly in the town that is hosting several internally displaced persons escaping from an armed separatist conflict principally in the rural areas of the region.

“The cholera outbreak declared in Buea is very concerning due to limited access to clean water, a health system weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that Buea town is hosting thousands of displaced people due to insecurity in the region,” OCHA said in a statement.

“Humanitarian actors are supporting the Regional Delegation of Public Health to develop a robust and rapid response, including the establishment of a Cholera Treatment Centre at Buea Regional hospital,” the statement added.

On Friday, health authorities in the region called on the residents to “be on the guard” and adopt hygiene and sanitation practices.

Cholera spreads through contaminated food and drinking water, causing diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

Source: Xinhuanet

25, September 2020

Indomitable Lions: Coach António Conceicao is on the search for new talent ⁰

Indomitable Lions coach António Conceicao says he is looking to improve his squad by looking for new talent both in Cameroon and further afield.

The Portuguese has now been in charge of the former African champions for a year after taking over from Dutchman Clarence Seedorf.

While the chance to train with his players and play matches has been affected by the global Covid-19 pandemic Conceicao has been keeping busy.

“I’m in regular dialogue with Fecafoot (the Cameroon Football Federation) to extend our work to the youth national teams, to make the best of our experience to for those teams,” he told BBC Sport Africa.

“Finding and developing new talent and bringing them to the national team is something that will make Cameroonians proud.

“I’m trying to improve the network in the countries where there are big Cameroonian expatriate communities through personal contacts and I can then observe players that I have identified.

“We’ve also been reaching out to young Cameroonian players playing abroad that can end up playing for other countries, in order to try to bring them on-board and want to play for Cameroon.”

Planning ahead

Since he took charge, after their exit from last year’s Africa Cup of Nations in the last 16 at the hands of Nigeria, the Indomitable Lions have been limited to playing three matches.

October’s international break gives him the chance to hold a training camp and play a friendly against Japan in the Netherlands.

“We will have the chance to bring together a squad of players for the first time after a break of almost a year,” he said.

“We’ll bring the group together, and work on team spirit; exchange ideas with the players on what we want to bring to the national team.

“Also get to know and observe players who are new to the team; give players the opportunity to play for the national team, so that we can also draw conclusions and get new ideas for the future.”

In November the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers resume and although Cameroon have qualified as hosts they are taking part in the campaign and have back-to-back games against Mozambique.

Conceicao has admitted that the coronavirus pandemic has created new problems for his team and Fecafoot.

“There are a number of additional logistical difficulties in organising team gatherings, with the increased difficulty of bringing in players to Africa,” he explained.

“I don’t want to focus on the problems instead I have to focus on the solutions that despite all the limitations will allow us to work with Fecafoot for the best of the team.

“At the moment I am working hard with Fecafoot to try and improve training conditions for the team, working conditions in general, and the running of the team.

“Things are going well with the federation, and we feel they’re open to co-operating.”

He also insisted that taking part in the Nations Cup qualifying process despite qualifying as hosts is something he feels is important.

“I want to look at this situation as a way of improving the national team and bring in new players, so as to be able to have the best possible squad for the tournament itself,” he explained.

Conceicao is fully aware of what is expected of him and his team by the Cameroon fans.

It is a major responsibility, I know how important the national team is for all the people in Cameroon and the pride they have in their national team,” he added.

“There is the added responsibility of hosting the Nations Cup in Cameroon in 2022. So I am very conscious of the hard work and the difficulties that come with this task but I am very motivated.”

Source: BBC

25, September 2020

Biya regime holds fair to promote development ⁰

The 9th edition of the Cameroon government exhibition forum dubbed “Sago” kicked off in the capital city Yaoundé on Tuesday to promote public actions towards development and stimulate citizens’ participation in public affairs.

The fair saw the participation of all government structures and partners and a large number of companies, according to Emmanuel Rene Sadi, minister of communication and government spokesman who officially opened the fair.

“Sago’s objective is to let people know about what the government is doing and to also let our fellow citizens know exactly what we, the government, offer opportunities of investment,” Sadi told reporters at the start of the fair.

“There are so many things that we are doing in this country, which are not known by fellow citizens. An initiative like this needs to be sustained,” he added.

During the week-long event, different ministerial departments will organise conferences where they explain their actions to the public.

The fair, taking place in strict respect of COVID-19 barrier measures, will enable development partners to understand the real needs of the population in order to redirect their support, Sadi said.

Source: Xinhaunet

25, September 2020

French Cameroun: Kamto says protest to continue until Biya resigns ⁰

Cameroon’s opposition leader, Maurice Kamto, has been confined at home for planning Tuesday’s anti-government protests.

A video showing police vehicles outside the leader’s house has been shared online. The leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) told Voice of America that he was neither beaten nor detained, but feared that he would be arrested if he stepped out of his guarded house.

Mr Kamto called for protests to demand an end to the Anglophone crisis and a reform of the electoral code. Demonstrators were dispersed by police in major towns and the opposition says one person was killed and several injured.

Mr Kamto on Wednesday tweeted wishes of a speedy recovery to those injured and termed Tuesday’s protests as “a resounding success”. He said the protests were a powerful force and that they will continue until President Paul Biya resigns.

Source: BBC

25, September 2020

East Cameroon Military atrocities: A ten-year prison sentence is not only weak, it is insignificant ⁰

A video showing soldiers executing two women at close range, kneeling and blindfolded, along with a girl and a baby two years ago had caused massive outcry in Cameroon. But there is even more outcry now.

At the time, the government denied any involvement before recanting and arresting seven soldiers.

Four of them have now received a 10-year prison sentence for the killing. Another, sentenced to two years. The last two acquitted. Human rights groups are disgusted.

Maximilienne Ngo Mbe is the Director of the Network of Human Rights Defenders in Central Africa.

“A ten-year prison sentence is not only weak, it is insignificant. It is not only insignificant, but it is insignificant because those who get ten years are not, in fact, those who ordered the murders.” the human rights campaigner explains.

The defence counsel however in fact wants to appeal the verdict. Me Sylvestre Mben is a lawyer for the incriminated soldiers. He says “we should not forget a legal provision in our procedural code which states that the allegations of one co-accused against another can only be valid if they are confronted by other evidence. It is for this reason that we believe that there was, at the very least, some doubt.”

The video was one of several to emerge in recent years of alleged atrocities by Cameroonian forces during operations against Islamist Boko Haram militants in the northern part of the country and against Anglophone separatists in the west.

The trial started in January and was conducted behind closed doors.

Source: Africa News

24, September 2020

French Cameroun protesters call for end to bloodshed in Southern Cameroons ⁰

Police on Tuesday used tear gas and water cannon to break up a protest by hundreds of people in Cameroon’s economic capital Douala calling for an end to bloodshed in the country’s anglophone regions.

Several parties, including that of opposition leader Maurice Kamto, had called for “peaceful marches” against President Paul Biya, 87, who has ruled the central African country with an iron fist for nearly 40 years.

The marchers called for a ceasefire and negotiations to end a long-running conflict between anglophone separatists and security forces that has claimed more than 3,000 lives.

The protesters also sought a reform to the electoral system.

They converged at a major intersection in a working-class district of Douala, shouting slogans such as “Enough Is Enough” and “Paul Biya Must Go” before police dispersed them, making some arrests.

The police and soldiers had taken up positions in several cities the night before.

On August 24, Kamto, head of the Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon (MRC) and runner-up to Biya in a 2018 election, labelled his government a “kleptocracy”.

He accused Biya of “ruling through disdain and terror” and urged a “giant campaign calling for the pure and simple departure of Mr Paul Biya from power”.

Biya on September 7 called regional elections for December 6 — prompting the call for Tuesday’s marches.

Meanwhile in Paris, about 50 Kamto supporters who demonstrated Tuesday outside the Cameroonian embassy were met with tear gas after clashing with France’s CRS riot police, an AFP journalist saw.

Protesters waved Cameroonian flags and held posters reading “Chase away the Tyrant” and called for the end of “Francafrique”, the term for France’s post-colonial meddling in Africa.

Some threw chairs from a nearby restaurant at police, and traffic was blocked as officers repeatedly dispersed the crowd.

Source: Africa

24, September 2020

Indomitable Lions: Another former defender M’Bom dies ⁰

Former Cameroon defender Ephrem M’Bom died on Sunday (20 September 2020) in Douala after a long illness. He was 66.

M’Bom was a member of The Indomitable Lions squad that played in the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations in Libya, and later in the same year he was part of the Cameroon squad that made its FIFA world Cup debut in Spain.

He spent his entire career at home, most notably with the legendary Canon Yaounde, winning five Cameroonian League titles (1979, 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1986) and three Cameroon Cups (1978, 1983 and 1986).

M’Bom also won three CAF trophies with Canon Yaoundé, namely the African Cup of Champion Clubs (now CAF Champions League) twice in 1978 and 1980, plus the defunct African Cup of Cups’ Winners in 1979.

M’Bom also had spells with Rail and Leopard in Douala and Dragon Yaoundé, before retiring in 1990. He held various positions in Cameroonian sports afterwards until his death.

Source: Boxscorenews