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4, February 2026

Francophone officials tighten controls to curb cocoa exports to Nigeria in the South West ⁰

Cameroon’s National Cocoa and Coffee Board (ONCC) is stepping up efforts to curb illegal cocoa exports to Nigeria, which continue to affect export revenues and sector oversight. On January 13, ONCC Director General Michael Ndoping chaired a high-level consultative meeting in Douala, on the instructions of Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana.

According to the ONCC, the discussions brought together public and private stakeholders, including exporters, customs officials, and administrative authorities. Talks focused on three priorities: strengthening coordination, addressing operational challenges, and improving trade flows between Cameroon and Nigeria. The consultations form part of the implementation of new regulatory texts aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area, aimed at securing cross-border transactions.

The renewed effort comes as Nigeria is accused of siphoning part of Cameroon’s cocoa output, particularly from the Southwest region, through fraudulent imports. Data from Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics show that Nigeria absorbed CFA41.4 billion worth of informal Cameroonian cocoa in 2024. The issue had already reached a critical level during the 2022–2023 season, when the government officially reported losses of about CFA70 billion due to fraudulent exports to Nigeria.

In response, Mbarga Atangana introduced a precautionary measure during that season, banning cocoa bean exports to the neighboring country. The government then adopted a new marketing system based on tighter controls over land, sea, and air exports, aimed at reducing undeclared outflows and restoring traceability of volumes.

Since then, Nigeria has gradually formalized its purchases. According to the ONCC, it became the leading African importer of Cameroonian cocoa in the 2024–2025 season, buying 2,100 tons. The shift has not eliminated fraud risks but has altered the balance, with part of the flows moving into formal channels while illicit exports persist in border areas.

In this context, the ONCC is accelerating the rollout of the National Unified Cocoa Traceability System. The tool is intended to meet international requirements, including the European Union’s deforestation regulation, while securing volumes exported to neighboring countries.

Source: Sbbc

4, February 2026

Epsteingate: Former Prince Andrew moves out of Royal Lodge home ⁰

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has moved out of his home in Windsor to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

The former prince left Royal Lodge on Monday night and is currently living at Wood Farm on the Sandringham Estate while his permanent home undergoes renovations.

Buckingham Palace had said the move would happen in early 2026, but the fallout from the latest drop of Jeffrey Epstein files appears to have sped up his departure.

Pressure has been building on Mountbatten-Windsor to give evidence in the US over his relationship with the paedophile financier. He has always denied any wrongdoing.

The Palace announced that he would be moving from Royal Lodge in October, at the same time his title of prince was removed.

The Sandringham Estate is privately owned by the King and he will pay the costs of his brother’s new home. It is believed he will ultimately live at Marsh Farm on the estate.

The Andrew problem has been challenging for the Royal Family and, at times, decisions around how to handle the former prince have seemed slow and ineffective.

His lease of Royal Lodge had become symbolic of the wider problems his relationship with Epstein has caused. It raised questions about privilege, transparency and the use of public money.

It is hoped the move to Sandringham will be a decisive change that keeps Mountbatten-Windsor out of the public eye where possible.

Sources close to the Royal Family also say that although Mountbatten-Windsor’s poor judgement needed sanction, he does remain a member of the family and on a personal level there is a duty of care owed to him, hence the provision of a home in Norfolk funded by the King.

Mountbatten-Windsor, also formerly known as the Duke of York, is expected to return to Windsor over the next few weeks to collect the remainder of his belongings but his permanent base is now officially in Norfolk.

He was last seen in Windsor on Monday, riding on horseback close to his previous home. He was also photographed driving away from Windsor Castle waving at passers by.

The images were poorly received by the Palace.

Source: BBC

4, February 2026

Libya: Gaddafi’s son reportedly shot dead ⁰

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of Libya’s former leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, has reportedly been shot dead.

The death of the 53-year-old, who was once widely seen as his father’s heir apparent, was confirmed by the head of his political team on Tuesday, according to the Libyan News Agency.

His lawyer told the AFP news agency a “four-man commando” unit carried out an assassination at his home in the city of Zintan, though it was not clear who may have been behind the attack.

In a competing version of events, his sister told Libyan TV that he had died near the country’s border with Algeria.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was long seen as the most influential and feared figure in the country after his father, who ruled Libya from 1969 until being ousted and killed during an uprising in 2011.

Born in 1972, he played a key role in Libya’s rapprochement with the West from 2000 until the collapse of the Gaddafi regime.

After his father’s removal, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi – who was accused of playing a key role in the brutal repression of anti-government protests – was jailed by a rival militia in the city of Zintan for almost six years.

The International Criminal Court wanted to put him on trial for crimes against humanity for his alleged role in the suppression of opposition protests in 2011.

In 2015, he was given a death sentence in absentia for his role in the crackdown by a court in Tripoli, in the west of the country, where control is in the hands of the UN-backed government.

But he was released by militia in Tobruk, in the east, under an amnesty law two years later.

Since the overthrow of Gaddafi, Libya has been split into areas controlled by various militias and is currently divided between two rival governments.

During his father’s time as leader, he shaped policy and led high-profile negotiations despite having no official role in government, including those which led his father to abandon his nuclear weapons programme.

Such agreements saw international sanctions on the north African country lifted, and some considered Gaddafi a reformist and acceptable face of a changing Libya.

Gaddafi had always denied that he wanted to inherit power from his father, saying the reins of power were “not a farm to inherit”.

However, in 2021 he announced he would run for the presidency in elections which were then postponed indefinitely.

Source: BBC

3, February 2026

Southern Cameroons: sharp rise in casualties linked to improvised explosive devices ⁰

Cameroon recorded a sharp rise in casualties linked to improvised explosive devices in 2025. Figures released on January 29, 2026, during the 16th session of the National Commission in charge of combating the use of IEDs show that 99 people were affected last year, compared with 19 in 2024, an increase of 421%.

The toll highlights the scale of the threat across the country. The North-West, South-West, and Far North regions accounted for most incidents, with 36, 30, and 33 victims respectively in 2025. The figures include civilians as well as members of the defense and security forces, underlining the indiscriminate nature of these homemade devices.

In the North-West and South-West, insecurity is linked to the sociopolitical crisis that began in late 2016 and escalated into an armed conflict in 2017 between separatist groups and state forces. In the Far North, pressure remains driven by incursions by Boko Haram since Cameroon declared war on the group in 2014. In these areas, IEDs have become “the weapon of choice for terrorist groups,” according to Brigadier General Elokobi Daniel Njock, central director for coordination at the National Gendarmerie.

In response to this trend, the commission, created in 2022 by the Presidency, issued several recommendations. These include strengthening the operational capacities of the defense and security forces through modern equipment for IED detection and neutralization, stepping up national and cross-border coordination, particularly in the Far North, to disrupt explosive supply networks, and improving medical care for the injured as well as psychosocial support for security personnel and affected communities.

Multilateral, bilateral, and subregional partners

In the fight against IEDs, Cameroon relies on multilateral, bilateral, and subregional partnerships. Working with the United Nations system, including the United Nations Mine Action Service, the country says it has obtained an initial UN level 1 certification in IED-related training.

France and the United States also support Cameroon through training and equipment. At the subregional level, engagement includes participation in the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic and the Multinational Joint Task Force against Boko Haram.

Authorities also say the country has a specialized laboratory, dedicated IED neutralization equipment, and trained specialists who are regularly deployed nationwide and in external operations. They stress that countering IEDs is a permanent challenge requiring constant adaptation to armed groups’ tactics, ongoing strengthening of human and material capacities, and greater public awareness of the risks.

Source: Business in Cameroon

3, February 2026

Sonara turns to Dangote for funding, fuel supply as debt pressures mount ⁰

Cameroon’s national oil refinery Sonara has opened discussions with Nigeria’s Dangote Group as it looks for financing and supply solutions to support its long-delayed restart, against the backdrop of a CFA479 billion debt burden.

From January 20 to 23, 2026, a Sonara delegation led by Chief Executive Officer El Hadj Bako Harouna traveled to Lagos to meet members of the management team of the Dangote refinery. The talks focused on potential financial backing and technical support as part of Sonara’s broader recovery strategy.

Sonara said the visit aimed to lay the groundwork for a lasting technical and commercial partnership that would help secure Cameroon’s fuel supply, ensure adequate domestic consumption, and support the country’s push toward energy independence.

Fuel supply and loans at the core of Sonara’s recovery plan

In the short term, Sonara is seeking to negotiate fuel supply arrangements with the Dangote refinery while also exploring the possibility of a loan from the group controlled by Aliko Dangote. These discussions are part of Sonara’s “Parras 24” recovery plan, which targets a return to refining within 24 months and is estimated by the company at CFA291.9 billion.

The first phase of the plan is scheduled for 2026–2027 and focuses on rehabilitating facilities damaged in the 2019 fire that shut down the refinery. Any deeper involvement by Dangote, however, remains tied to progress in restructuring Sonara’s debt, which stands at CFA479 billion and is owed mainly to banks and fuel traders.

Since 2022, debt servicing has been supported by a state-backed mechanism that levies CFA47.8 on every liter of fuel sold at the pump. The measure is intended to stabilize repayments and remains in place pending full implementation of the recovery plan and subsequent modernization phases.

Multiple financiers, BEAC option still on the table

Dangote is not the only potential source of funding. Several lenders and partners have expressed interest in the Sonara file, including the Union of Arab and French Banks, Dutch bank ING, Mauritius Commercial Bank, Cameroon’s National Hydrocarbons Corporation, and the Ariana/RCG consortium.

The Bank of Central African States has also indicated its willingness to step in through its “window B,” which is reserved for refinancing medium-term loans tied to productive investment. The regional central bank has said it could cover up to 60% of Sonara’s financing needs.

In the near term, Dangote’s most immediate role could be as a strategic supplier. With Sonara still offline, Cameroon relies entirely on imports to meet domestic fuel demand. According to the Finance Ministry’s latest economic outlook, the country imported CFA333.7 billion worth of fuels and lubricants in the first half of 2025, representing about 899,000 tons supplied to the local market.

Source: Business in Cameroon

1, February 2026

Football: Bamboutos Mbouda arrives at stadium with 8 players, no technical staff ⁰

An unusual occurrence in Cameroon’s second division, Elite Two! Bamboutos Mbouda club, which was scheduled to play Avion FC Académie on Saturday, 31 January 2026, in the first round of the 2025-26 season, showed up with only eight players.

The team also arrived without any technical staff. During the match, two of the eight players on the pitch were injured and left their teammates. Bamboutos Mbouda could not continue the match with only six players. As a result, the match was stopped by the officials.

It is now up to the Disciplinary Committee of the Cameroonian Football Federation to decide on the outcome of the match.

Source: Dailysports

31, January 2026

Congo-Kinshasa: More than 200 killed in coltan mine collapse ⁰

More than 200 people were killed this week in a collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Lumumba Kambere Muyisa, spokesperson for the rebel-appointed governor of the province where the mine is located.

Rubaya produces around 15% of the world’s coltan, which is processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal that is in high demand by makers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines. The site, where locals dig manually for a few dollars per day, has been under the control of the AFC/M23 rebel group since 2024.

The collapse occurred on Wednesday and the precise toll was still unclear as of Friday evening.

“More than 200 people were victims of this landslide, including miners, children and market women. Some people were rescued just in time and have serious injuries,” Muyisa said, adding that about 20 injured people were being treated in health facilities.

Source: Agencies

31, January 2026

Fela Kuti is first African musician honoured with Grammys Lifetime Achievement award ⁰

Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti to make history as first African honoured with posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. After a lifetime of clashes with successive powers in Nigeria, the recognition comes nearly three decades after Fela’s death and long after his influence reshaped global music.

He is one of several artists getting the award at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday, the eve of the main Grammys gala.

Others are Cher, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon and Chaka Khan.

In the 1970s, Fela the multi-instrumentalist and full-of-life performer invented Afrobeat: a mixture of jazz, funk and African rhythms.

That laid the groundwork for Afrobeats – a later genre that has attracted a global audience by blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, with its roots in Nigeria.

Two years ago the Grammys introduced the category of Best African Performance in 2024 and it has been dominated by Afrobeats artists, especially from Nigeria.

Of the five nominees for the Best African performance this year, three are Nigerian Afrobeats singers, after another Nigerian, Tems, won last year.

“Fela’s influence spans generations, inspiring artists such as Beyonce, Paul McCartney and Thom Yorke, and shaping modern Nigerian Afrobeats,” said a citation on the Grammys list of this year’s honourees.

Known also as the “Black President”, the activist and legendary musician, died in 1997 at the age of 58.

His legacy lives on through his sons, Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti, and grandson Made.

“This acknowledgment coming at this time when all three of us are present. It feels wonderful,” Grammy-nominated Made Kuti said.

“It feels wonderful that all of us are still practicing Afrobeat, still taking the legacy as far as we can take it.”

‘Better later than never’

Yemisi Ransome-Kuti, Fela’s first cousin and head of the family, said on Friday the award was “a celebration for the African people and they should take (it).. as their award. Another African is being celebrated.”

“But we also want to send a message to those who are giving these acknowledgements, please …not wait till people are dead,” she said.

As to what would have been Fela’s reaction, Ransome-Kuti said: “I’m sure he would have said better late than never” although “in his lifetime he was not particularly interested in being recognised in the external world, particularly the western world”.

Fela was arrested frequently by military governments during his career, sometimes for political activism and sometimes also on allegations of theft, which he denied.

His first brush with the law dated back to 1974 when he released his famous album “Zombie”, generally considered by the military authorities in power as a diatribe levelled at them.

His songs were long, defiant and explicitly anti-governments in power and anti-corruption.

His manager, Rikki Stein, speaking on the phone from Los Angeles where he will join the Kuti family at the ceremony, was confident the award would “significantly uplift Fela’s music”.

“Fifty albums out there. I’m sure it’s going to continue onward and upward.”

“An increasing number of people what weren’t even born when Fela died are expressing interest in listening to Fela’s music and hopefully Fela’s message,” he said

Source: AFP

30, January 2026

South Africa and Israel expel envoys in deepening feud ⁰

South Africa ordered Israel’s top diplomat to leave the country within 72 hours on Friday, citing a “series of violations” and prompting the Israeli government to expel Pretoria’s own diplomatic representative.

Several protests have taken place in South Africa against Israel’s actions in Gaza, with some calling for the embassy in Pretoria to be closed

Ties between the nations are already strained by South Africa’s case before the United Nations top court in 2023 to argue that Israel’s war on Gaza amounts to genocide.

The South African foreign ministry said it had informed Israel that its charge d’affaires, Ariel Seidman, was “persona non grata” and “required to depart from the Republic within 72 hours”.

“This decisive measure follows a series of unacceptable violations of diplomatic norms and practice which pose a direct challenge to South Africa’s sovereignty,” it said.

Breaches included “the repeated use of official Israeli social media platforms to launch insulting attacks” on President Cyril Ramaphosa, the statement said.

The foreign ministry also accused the embassy of a “deliberate failure” to inform South Africa of visits by senior Israeli officials.

The Israeli foreign ministry swiftly responded that South Africa’s senior diplomatic representative, Shaun Byneveldt, “is persona non grata and must leave Israel within 72 hours”.

South Africa laid a case before the United Nations top court in 2023 to argue that Israel’s war on Gaza amounted to genocide, which it denies.

In a statement on X, it accused Pretoria of “false attacks against Israel in the international arena” and described Seidman’s expulsion as a “unilateral, baseless step”.

Seidman was Israel’s most senior representative in South Africa after Tel Aviv recalled its ambassador in 2023.

‘Abuse of privilege’

South African officials were angered by a tweet from the Israeli embassy in November that commented: “A rare moment of wisdom and diplomatic clarity from President Ramaphosa.”

The post was in reaction to a news story citing Ramaphosa as saying “boycott politics doesn’t work”, in reference to US President Donald Trump’s decision to not attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg.

Source: France 24

30, January 2026

US: Former CNN host Don Lemon arrested after anti-ICE protests ⁰

Former CNN host Don Lemon has been arrested after he entered a Minnesota church and filmed anti-immigration enforcement protesters as they disrupted a service.

Lemon, now an independent journalist, was taken into custody by federal agents on Thursday night while in Los Angeles covering the Grammy Awards, according to a statement from his lawyer Abbe Lowell.

“Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court,” the attorney said. Lemon, 59, is due to appear in federal court in LA on Friday.

He went into the Cities Church in St Paul on 18 January with a group of protesters who said one of the pastors was an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official.

“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell said in a statement posted to his client’s Instagram account on Friday.

The lawyer added: “This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand.”

In his own defence, Lemon said in a recent video: “Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism, which was report on it.”

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Friday that federal agents also arrested three others: Trahern Jeen Crews, local independent journalist Georgia Fort and Jamael Lydell Lundy.

She accused them and Lemon of participating in a “coordinated attack” on the church. The exact charges the government will bring against Lemon is unclear. The BBC has contacted the Department of Justice for comment.

Source: BBC