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10, June 2020

Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea Agree to Demarcate Border after Skirmishes ⁰

Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea have agreed to jointly map out a disputed border area after skirmishes between their troops left several wounded and property destroyed. Officials from the two countries are asking hundreds of traders and farmers who relocated because of the clashes to return to the disputed area but, some are reluctant.

Officials from Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea agreed to work on defining their disputed border after a crisis meeting Monday night.

Cameroon’s South Region Governor Felix Nguele Nguele said in the past two weeks there have been several skirmishes along the border with Equatorial Guinea’s military.

Nguele said while nobody was killed, several troops were wounded, and goods were destroyed on both sides of the border.

After the meeting Monday, he said Cameroon instructed local officials and traditional rulers to meet with their Equatorial Guinean peers to map out a proposed border.

Nguele said after local officials agree on a proposed new border, the central governments in Malabo and Yaoundé will be able to decide if there will be a new demarcation or not. But for the time being, he said, people should go about their daily activities peacefully.

Farmers and traders last week fled the border town of Kye-Ossi after tensions with troops on both sides.

Justo Javier Ndong Engon is governor of Equatorial Guinea’s Kie Ntem Province on the border with Cameroon.

He said at the meeting the two sides agreed to return troops to their barracks while waiting for the governments to find a lasting solution to the border dispute.

Engon said the crisis meeting resolved that border authorities ask community leaders and chiefs to urge farmers to return to their farms and traders to their shops. He said both sides ordered an end to the destruction of goods and asked that farm produce like maize, cassava, tomatoes and vegetables – which were stuck at the border – be given access into Equatorial Guinea.

Engon did not say how many Equatorial Guineans were affected by the conflict.

Cameroon said on its side about 350 farmers and traders had fled the border in the last few weeks but that many were returning.

Cameroonian vegetable seller Derric Sama said despite the assurances that troops have pulled back, he will not return to Kye-Ossi.

He spoke via a messaging application from the town of Ebolowa, where he relocated.

“It is not the first time the military from Equatorial Guinea cross over to destroy our goods or seize vegetables and fruits from us. Cameroon government tell us every time that they will solve the problem, but no solution seems to be coming,” said Sama.

It’s not the first time tensions have erupted along the two countries’ border.

In August, Equatorial Guinea began to erect a wall along the 183-kilometer border, sparking condemnation from Cameroon.

Cameroon said Equatorial Guinea constructed markers on its territory and instructed the military not to tolerate any unlawful intrusion.

Equatorial Guinea has also often sealed its border with Cameroon, complaining of security threats posed by illegal immigration.

In December 2017, Equatorial Guinea said it had arrested 30 foreign armed men from Chad, the Central African Republic and Sudan on the border who planned to destabilize the government.

Cameroon said at the time it also arrested 40 additional heavily armed men but gave no details.

Source: VOA

10, June 2020

Cameroon tops list of world’s most neglected displacement crises ⁰

Africa is home to nine of ten of the world’s most neglected crises and for a second year running Cameroon topped the list as the most neglected on the planet in 2019. Three separate emergencies faced the corrupt African nation: an exacerbation of Boko Haram attacks in the north, a violent conflict in the English-speaking west, and a Central African refugee crisis.

Ineffective conflict resolution, global news silence and a massive aid funding shortfall all contributed to Cameroon topping this year’s list according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.

Cameroon was followed by DR Congo, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Venezuela, Mali, South Sudan, Nigeria, Central African Republic and Niger.

Humanitarian crises in these countries are expected to worsen throughout 2020, compounded by the global coronavirus pandemic that is adding further hardship to millions according to Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

“Covid-19 is spreading across Africa, and many of the most neglected communities are already devastated by the economic shocks of the pandemic. We need solidarity with these conflict-stricken communities now more than ever, so the virus does not add more unbearable disaster to the myriad of crises they already face,” said Egeland.

The Sahel region of Africa was prominent in this year’s list, with Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria and Niger all embroiled in the extreme violence that engulfed the region, yet with massively underfunded aid appeals. Niger and Burkina Faso appeared on the list for the first time.

The neglected crisis list is based on review of over 40 displacement crises based on three criteria: lack of funding, lack of media attention, and political and diplomatic neglect. Cameroon scored high on all three, followed closely by DR Congo and Burkina Faso, two other crises where a lack of public attention contributed to a lack of funding to run aid operations.

The ten most neglected displacement crises

Cameroon

The Democratic Republic of the Congo

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Venezuela

Mali

South Sudan

Nigeria

Central African Republic

Niger

Every year, NRC presents a list of displacement crises the world has neglected.

Culled from Reliefweb.int with additional editing from Camcordnews

9, June 2020

At George Floyd’s funeral: Joe Biden calls for racial justice ⁰

George Floyd’s funeral took place on Tuesday in Houston, two weeks after his death while being held by police in a Minneapolis street, as more anti-racism rallies inspired by his treatment were set to take place in the United States and Europe.

George Floyd, whose death has sparked a global protest movement, is to be buried beside his mother in a cemetery in Houston.

“When there is justice for George Floyd, we will truly be on our way to racial justice in America,” said Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden in a video address at George Floyd’s funeral in Houston.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a global fight against racism and discrimination.

The mayor of Houston announced a ban on chokeholds by police.

Houston police will increase their audit of taser and body camera usage.

Pastor Steve Wells told mourners at George Floyd’s funeral that they have “awakened the conscience of a nation”.

Delivering the eulogy, the Reverend Al Sharpton reserved his sharpest criticism for President Donald Trump. “You take rubber bullets and tear gas to clear out peaceful protesters, and then take a Bible and walk in front of a church, and use a church as a prop. Wickedness in high places,” Sharpton said.

Source: France 24

9, June 2020

5 Ambazonia prisoners of conscience taken from Kondengui to unknown destination ⁰

Interim Governement Statement on Ambazonia Prisoners of Conscience taken From Kondengui to Unknown Destination

Today, the 9^th of June 2020, the Interim Government of Ambazonia was briefed by its security services that five Ambazonian Prisoners of Conscience, illegally detained at the Kondengui Central Prison were suddenly removed from their cells. The five Ambazonians were taken out of the prison at about11 am by a battalion of heavily armed Gendarmerie officers and transported in a mini bus to an unknown destination.

The five Ambazonian Prisoners of Conscience are;

Fuh LutherChe
Jones Njilah
AnyamNjim Austin
Abang Ramsey Jafara
TitaTebid

I have instructed our lawyers to engage without delay in the process of establishing their whereabouts and wellbeing. Every Ambazonian life matters and as a government, the safety and security of our people is our foremost concern.

The Interim Government of Ambazonia is putting the regime in Yaoundé on notice that it is communicating this matter with its international partners over the coming hours.

The Interim Government of Ambazonia will make regular updates on this matter as we gather the facts from our legal team.

Thank You

Dabney Yerima

Vice President

Federal Republic of Ambazonia

9, June 2020

Yaounde: WHO abandons COVID-38, begins capacity building program to support COVID-19 fight ⁰

World Health Organization (WHO) in Cameroon on Monday began a five-day capacity building training for some health authorities in a bid to support the country’s COVID-19 fight.

Officials said the training was timely, given the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

“This training is to train people who have come from the regions in order for them to go back and train colleagues in the district hospitals and district management centers in management, infection prevention and control,” Phanuel Habimana, WHO representative for Cameroon told reporters at the start of the training in the capital Yaounde, adding that WHO has the responsibility to fight against the pandemic together with local medical workers.

The training will arm medical workers, especially in rural areas, with the knowledge and skills to fight the pandemic that has so far affected all the 10 regions of the country.

Cameroon COVID-19 cases exceeded 8,000 on Sunday, including 206 death and more than 4,500 recoveries.

Source: Xinhuanet

9, June 2020

Call for independent probe into Samuel Wazizi’s death ⁰

International press freedom lobby groups have called for an independent investigation into the death of Cameroonian journalist Samuel Ajiekah Abuwe alias Samuel Wazizi, who died while in military custody 10 months ago.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) questioned his detention, the cause of his death and why it took long for his death to be made public.

Police arrested the journalist on August 3, 2019 in a suburb in the conflict-ridden Southwest region of the country, according to a statement by the Ministry of Defence.

He was transferred to military custody on August 7, then ferried to the capital Yaoundé six days later, Cameroon military spokesperson, Col Colonel Cyrille Serge Atonfack Guemo, explained.

The military said he arrived in Yaoundé feeling feverish and died on August 17 due to an infection. “As a matter of fact, he [Wazizi] died as a result of a severe sepsis and not from any acts of torture or physical abuse,” the statement added.

CPJ said the Cameroonian government’s “cruel treatment” of the journalist “is truly shocking” and it is unbelievable that authorities covered up his death in custody for 10 months despite repeated inquiries from press freedom advocates and his family, colleagues, friends, and lawyers.

“An independent autopsy should be conducted immediately, and Cameroon must also launch an independent commission of inquiry so that those responsible for Wazizi’s death are held accountable,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa programme coordinator.

RSF condemned the “bogus account” of the TV presenter’s death provided by Cameroonian authorities and called for an “impartial and independent investigation” into the circumstances leading to his death.

The defense ministry’s statement said the journalist had been in contact with his family while in custody but the press freedom lobby groups say the statement fell short of providing a credible explanation of how Wazizi died two weeks after his arrest.

CPJ said Wazizi’s sister-in-law, Metete Joan Njang, told them that their family had not been able to contact him after his arrest, and they were not made aware of his death but only saw it in a news report on June 3, 2020.

According to RSF, Wazizi’s brother also denied claims the journalist was in contact with the family while in detention. The unnamed brother told the advocacy group that neither Wazizi’s lawyers nor any relative had any contact with him after soldiers took him.

The Defense Ministry further added that the journalist was not arrested for his work but because he had links with terrorists.

“After thorough investigations, elements of the security forces had established that the latter [Wazizi], claiming to be a presenter on a local television station, was in fact a logistician for various terrorist groups,” the statement said.

His lawyer Lyonga Edward Ewule had earlier told the CPJ that Wazizi was accused of “collaborating with separatists” and “spreading separatist information,” but had not been formally charged. He said a court case against the journalist was adjourned several times.

On social media, journalists, politicians and activists have been using the hashtag #JusticeForWazizi to express their outrage over his death. Wazizi presented the popular pidgin language news programme, “Halla Ya Matta.”

Cameroon has a history of detaining journalists incommunicado, according to CPJ and RSF. At least seven other journalists are currently being held in pretrial detention in the country according to data by the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ).

Cameroon’s press freedom ranking worsened this year. The central African country is ranked 134th out of 180 countries where one is the freest, according to RSF’s 2020 World Press Freedom Index. The score is three places lower than its 2019 position of 131.

Source: The East African

9, June 2020

Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza has died aged 55 ⁰

Burundi’s government says President Pierre Nkurunziza has died of a heart attack at age 55.

A statement says the president was admitted to a hospital overnight Saturday after not feeling well. He appeared better Sunday but “to very great surprise” his health abruptly worsened Monday morning, and several hours of effort failed to revive him.

Nkurunziza took office 15 years ago, and his decision to run for a disputed third term in 2015 led Burundi into turmoil that left hundreds of people dead. Facing allegations of widespread abuses, his government angrily rejected scrutiny, becoming the first country to leave the International Criminal Court.

His death comes on the heels of elections on May 20 in which his hand-picked successor, Evariste Ndayishimiye, secured a seven-year term as president — a result confirmed by the constitutional court last Thursday.

Ndayishimiye was due to be sworn in in August.

The statement from Burundi’s presidency on Tuesday the country would observe seven days of mourning beginning Tuesday.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

9, June 2020

Covid-19 lockdowns saved millions of lives and easing curbs risky, studies find ⁰

Lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 have saved millions of lives and easing them now carries high risks, according to two international studies published on Monday.

“The risk of a second wave happening if all interventions and all precautions are abandoned is very real,” Samir Bhatt, who co-led one of the studies by researchers at Imperial College London, told reporters in a briefing.

Most European nations, worried about the economic impact of their lockdowns, have started to ease restrictions as the number of new COVID-19 cases falls.

The Imperial study analysed the impact of lockdowns and social distancing steps in 11 European countries and found they had “a substantial effect”, helping to lower the infection’s reproductive rate, or R value, below one by early May.

The R value measures the average number of people that one infected person will pass the disease on to. An R value above 1 can lead to exponential growth.

“But any claims that this is all over, that we’ve reached the herd immunity threshold, can be firmly rejected,” Bhatt said. “We are only at the beginning of this pandemic.”

The Imperial team estimated that by early May, between 12 and 15 million people in total in Austria, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland – around 4% of their combined population – had been infected with COVID-19.

By comparing the number of deaths counted with deaths predicted by their model if no lockdown measures had been introduced, they found some 3.1 million deaths were averted.

A second study by scientists in the United States, published alongside the Imperial-led one in the journal Nature, estimated that lockdowns in China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, France and the United States had prevented or delayed around 530 million COVID-19 cases.

Focusing on those six nations, the U.S. team compared infection growth rates before and after the implementation of more than 1,700 local, regional and national policies designed to slow or halt the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

They found that without anti-contagion policies in place, early infection rates of SARS-CoV-2 grew by 68% a day in Iran and an average of 38% a day across the other five countries.

“Without these policies, we would have lived through a very different April and May,” said Solomon Hsiang, who co-led the second study at the University of California, Berkeley.

(REUTERS)

9, June 2020

Ambazonia Vice President on Mola Litumbe’s passing: Revolution lost very valuable personality ⁰

The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, Dabney Yerima has in a message offered the Interim Government’s condolences over the demise of the veteran Mola Njoh Litumbe.

In this week’s war cabinet meeting that examined the situation of Southern Cameroons media gurus targeted by the French Cameroun regime, the exiled Ambazonia leader also invoked the legacy of Njoh Litumbe and observed that “I extend my condolences on the passing away of Mola Njoh Litumbe to the people of Ambazonia and all fighters whose hearts are with the Southern Cameroons issue, especially the Ambazonia Restoration Forces and also the family of this blessed departed soul,” Yerima said.

Vice President Dabney Yerima added that “the Federal Republic of Ambazonia lost a very important figure and I hope that with the guidance and help of our ancestors and the Almighty God, Southern Cameroonians will get to Buea and honour Litumbe.”

The late Mola Njoh Litumbe helped to establish a strong and enduring Southern Cameroons governing authority and catapulted the Ambazonian cause to the international arena. He successfully took the Southern Cameroons case to all corners of the globe and dared the colonizer and its criminal network in Southern Cameroons territory on his own terms and left them defeated and humiliated.

By Chi Prudence Asong in London

9, June 2020

Yaounde launches new drug structure in fight against coronavirus ⁰

Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health, Dr. Malachie Manaouda on June 4 has launched a new drug structure in the fight against coronavirus in the presence of the Korean Ambassador, according to a news report by ‘journalducameroun’.

“Set up within the framework of the fight against the COVID-19, the structure, Mediline Medical Cameroon SA, will also be specialized in the supply will focus on the importation and distribution of pharmaceutical products, supply chain, medical equipment, medical consumables, reagents, and food supplements,” Dr. Malachie Manaouda said.

Stakeholders said at the launch of the structure that for a start, it will have two logistics centers based in Douala and Yaounde while for its logistical deployment, the company has a Cheyenne-type cargo plane with a capacity of half a ton for the rapid and secure transportation of these products to the ten regions of Cameroon. The distribution chain is supported and secured by software that guarantees the management, tracking, and traceability of all products.

“Cameroon has these past years invested huge efforts in the in terms of health and continue to do so within this health crisis. I am delighted to see the setting up of this structure which is a fruit of the cooperation between our countries and we know it will go a long way to improve on the health of the population, “outgoing Korean Ambassador, Bok Ryeol Rhyou said.

Culled from Devdiscourse