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26, January 2020

Biya is now doing a Robert Mugabe ⁰

Cameroon strongman Paul Biya, will turn 87 in about three weeks. Nearing 45 years in power, he is Africa’s and the world longest ruling non-royal executive national leader.

Biya is now doing a Robert Mugabe. Decades in power, in his 90s, and ill, the former Zimbabwe dictator clung to power, insisting on attending international events and making a spectacle of himself. If you are a big man, at some point you have join other rulers on a stage for things like a photograph, or get on a pulpit to deliver some great wisdom.

Unwell, Mugabe would try to take a few steps to join his peers, and would stall on the stairs, clinging desperately to the rails as he slowly slid to the ground. Guards would rush to hold him up.

At the India-Africa Forum Summit, host Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to rescue him from disgrace.

At the end of last year, a video circulated on the internet, showing Biya on an official visit to Paris.

He was being ushered through a grand entrance, and had to take just one step. Flailing like a feather in the wind, he approached the stairs, unable to take that one step. A French official helped him over, and he wobbled inside.

Speaker podium

One of the most valuable traits we can have, is knowing our limits and coming to terms with the march of the clock, that comes to us all.

Thus, it is only a foolishly optimistic 100-year-old man who takes a 25-year-old wife. An ailing 90-year-old president should know that if he insists on mounting the speaker podium at the UN General Assembly, he will likely embarrass himself and country.

In life, we have caring family who protect us from such disgrace. The older children of the 100-year-old widower, would veto their father’s bid to marry a 25-year-old if they love him.

If as a president you can’t walk from the bedroom to the dining table on your own, a diligent First Lady will draw the line and say you will not go to a state visit to Europe where you will be required to walk twice the distance to make a toast.

If your children, wife (or husband) can’t prevent such calamity, the state should have the structures to do so. It couldn’t in the case of Mugabe, and can’t in the case of Biya, because they were/are the state. They are the law. They are the beginning. They are the end.

This in part is because too much, including the economy, is still too concentrated in the African state, for many people, they won’t eat or live a good life, unless they please the ruler.

Acting in any way that acknowledges his frailties and infirmities, can be career-ending, because it would be saying he’s unfit to be in office. So, they all play along.

A government position is so crucial, a few days ago in Uganda a young politician recently appointed minister by President Yoweri Museveni, was hoisted and sat on a plastic on a hot tin roof of a house in his village, when he visited to celebrate winning a political lottery. Such a man would tell Museveni he can win the London marathon with a new record, even if “Mzee”, as they call him, couldn’t get out of a wheelchair.

Culled from The East African

26, January 2020

Biya says security situation in Southern Cameroons has improved ⁰

Cameroonian President Paul Biya said on Friday the security situation in the troubled English-speaking region of the country has improved since a national dialogue to end the conflict took place last year.

“Thanks to the determination of our defence and security forces to protect our fellow citizens in the northwest and southwest (Anglophone regions), the situation has significantly improved,” Biya said here in a speech during the 37th graduation ceremony of the Combined Services Military Academy.

“It is hoped that the new measures taken following the major national dialogue will contribute towards restoring lasting peace and calm,” Biya said.

He regretted that despite the peace efforts, “few (armed) groups” continue to commit atrocities and to destroy the property of citizens in the region.

“For those who persist in going down the wrong road to use violence, we will have no other choice but to combat them to protect our fellow citizens,” Cameroon’s Minister of Defense Joseph Beti Assomo told Xinhua following the ceremony.

Since 2017, government forces have been clashing with armed separatist forces who want the northwest and southwest English-speaking regions to secede from the majority French-speaking nation and form a new country known as “Ambazonia.”

Source: Xinhuanet

25, January 2020

Football: Barca beaten by Valencia in early blow for Setien ⁰

Quique Setien’s honeymoon period lasted less than a fortnight as he tasted his first Barcelona defeat on Saturday in his second La Liga game in charge after a 2-0 loss to Valencia.

Maxi Gomez’s strike and a Jordi Alba own goal at Mestalla handed Barca their fourth league defeat of the campaign, giving Real Madrid the chance to move three points clear of the champions at the top of the table when they visit Real Valladolid on Sunday.

Barcelona had most of the ball but their opponents had the best chances as Gomez missed a penalty and also hit the crossbar in the first half. Gabriel Paulista saw a third goal ruled out late on.

While performances under previous coach Ernesto Valverde were stodgy, he left a team that sat top of the table. Setien promised a new style but despite dominating possession, Barcelona went nowhere with it and as Valencia grew in confidence, they ceded control.

“It should not take us long,” Setien had said on Friday, when asked how quickly his players could adapt to his methods.

Valencia climb to fifth and continue to improve under Albert Celades. This success came without their captain Dani Parejo and, largely, without star striker Rodrigo Moreno, who has been linked with a January move to Barcelona.

The hosts hardly touched the ball for the first six minutes, their fans whistling as they urged a more aggressive approach.

But the plan was to sit and absorb and it worked, with Barcelona unable to cut through or create a single clear chance.

– Valencia dangerous –

And when Valencia did intervene, they were more dangerous too. With their first attack they won a penalty as Jose Gaya slipped past Gerard Pique and would surely have scored from eight yards before being brought down.

Pique was booked and, with Parejo absent, Gomez stepped up, only for his driven shot to be well saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, albeit with the help of half a yard’s headstart off his line.

Barca were riding their luck. Sergi Roberto’s header cannoned off Pique but fell just close enough for Ter Stegen, who parried a Gomez shot onto the crossbar and almost spilled another to Kevin Gameiro.

Referee Gil Manzano puts his hands together as if to apologise after failing to play advantage when Ferran Torres was clear but the frustration of Valencia’s fans turned to ecstasy shortly after half-time.

Pique’s flicked header landed at the feet of Gomez, whose driven effort took a cruel deflection off Alba and flew in.

Setien traded the patience of Arthur Melo for the physicality of Arturo Vidal and Rodrigo came on to a rousing reception.

Barcelona exerted some pressure and Lionel Messi led the way, hauled to the ground by Francis Coquelin and then denied by a brilliant Gabriel tackle. He fired past the post, headed wide and saw a curling free-kick saved.

Yet just as a Barcelona equaliser began to feel inevitable, Valencia struck again. A quick throw caught Alba out of position and Torres did well to cut inside and switch to Gomez. He took a touch and curled into the corner.

Gabriel thought he had a third after volleying in from a corner but VAR persuaded Manzano there had been a push. When Messi ballooned a late free-kick into the stands, Valencia knew their win was secure.

Source AFP

25, January 2020

Ambazonia Self Defense Council weighs in on Bui County incident ⁰

The Bui event is another indicator of the need and urgency to achieve a unified self-defense front in the Ambazonia war of independence

The Ambazonia Self-Defense Council (ASC) notes with dismay the unfortunate event in Bui that has resulted in the loss of some of our bravest fighters due to miscalculation among defense forces. We are deeply saddened by the news. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your families.

In fact, the ASC strongly condemns any act that results in the taking away of the life of a person, maiming a person or any act that is contrary to the recognized norm of self-defence against illegally occupying military and administrators of La Republic du Cameroun within the territory of Ambazonia. Instead, we must strive to minimize internal misunderstanding and by coming together under a united front in order to better confront our common enemy: La Republique du Cameroun.

We encourage those responsible for the forces, both Bui Warriors and ADF forces, to conduct thorough investigations for the appreciation of the people of Ambazonia and identify concrete corrective steps, and implement them to prevent such incidents from happening again anywhere across Ambazonia.

While expecting the concerned authorities in Bui and ADF to investigate the Bui event to help inform the Ambazonia public on what happened, why it happened, and how it happened, we would like to offer some best practices that can be implemented immediately to minimize misunderstanding in Ground Zero.

Moving forward, we encourage all Self-Defence forces to incorporate and abide by following five rules of engagement:

Every fighter or unit that plans to move into or pass through a friendly territory must notify the appropriate commanders operating in advance of at least 12-24 hours. The advance notification time is necessary to allow consultations, determine if the request is from a friendly fighter or unit, and assess that the intent of the request is genuine, prior to deciding whether to approve. Do not inform them while on the move because by then it would be too late and you will be mistaken for an enemy. On the other hand, the receiving commander who is in the territory should address the request in a timely manner usually within 12 to 24 hrs. This is a necessary mechanism to avoid friendly fire exchange.

Neighboring commanders must maintain constant communication amongst themselves to ensure they are aware of their surroundings and avoid any intruder.

We are our brothers’ keepers. Every self-defence force must ensure the safety of the force. Any disputes must be addressed by the leadership in a timely manner. No restoration force or the commander should make life and death decisions on the battlefield by themselves regarding other Restoration forces. Any of such actions that occur will be addressed through the appropriate hierarchy as soon as possible.

The priority of every self-defence force or unit on GZ is the protection of civilians and their property against the forces of La Republique du Cameroun that has increased acts of massacre, arrest for ransoms, and burning to ashes economic assets of our people and their homes including humans.

All Self-Defense forces must act at all times in a disciplined manner and professionalism to earn the trust and confidence of our civilian population, who is the most important person we are fighting for. In turn, we call on our civilian population to continue to provide the support to all our Self-Defence forces until we completely liberate our land from the illegal occupying and terrorist forces of President Paul Biya.

Long Live Ambazonia

25, January 2020

Achidi Achu: Will he still support the CPDM? (Video) ⁰

The home of former Prime Minister, Simon Achidi Achu, has been burnt and his son shot, then roasted in the northwest regional capital of Bemenda.

The incident happened on Friday, January 24, 2020, as government efforts to roll back separatist attacks have intensified since the beginning of this year.

Mr. Achidi Achu is a staunch member of the ruling CPDM and one of the architects of the strategy the government is using in its efforts to oppress the people of Southern Cameroons.

The government has been on a home-burning spree over the last two weeks in the two English-speaking regions of the country in a bid to organize municipal and parliamentary elections in the entire country

The results of the elections are already known, and the ruling CPDM will emerge as the winner on February 9, 2020, but the government is desperate to prove to the international community that its victory has came after free and fair elections.

Southern Cameroons fighters had said they would disrupt the elections and the Southern Cameroons Interim Government had declared a lockdown which will ensure that the population of Southern Cameroons does not participate in elections many hold will not change anything in Cameroon.

Many Southern Cameroonians have been killed by trigger-happy government forces over the last three years, and Mr. Achidi Achu, considered as a major voice in the country, has never condemned the violent method the government has been employing to fighter restoration forces, most of whom live in the jungle.

With this incident, many are asking if Mr. Achidi Achu will still go about his business as if nothing has actually happened?

Many are also asking if he will still militate in a party whose method of dealing with descent has been condemned by the international community.

Speaking to a senior civil servant in Yaounde who elected anonymity, it was clear that many government officials are not in accord with what government forces are doing in the two English-speaking regions of the country.

The source said the situation was really unfortunate, adding that after all the killing and burning of homes, will it still be possible for Southern Cameroonians to feel at home in a country wherein the only way of addressing issues is by using military force?

“How can we continue to think that Cameroon is one and indivisible when we see such pictures?,” he quipped.

He said he would be very disappointed if something was not done to end this barbaric actions still used by the government.

“Will Mr. Achidi Achu still continue to be part of this party, which many consider as a crime syndicate?,” he asked.

The knife is turning inwards, he said, adding that this is an opportunity for Mr. Achidi Achu to petition the government for these criminal operations to be suspended.

“If innocent people are being killed and senior government officials are not safe, who then can really trust this government,” he asked.

“If so many people are being rendered homeless because their homes have been burnt, how will these same people vote on election day when their national identity cards and voters’ cards have been lost in the fire set by government forces?,” he quipped.

He urged the international community to intervene forthwith, adding that at this level no government policies can address this unfortunate situation that has been going on for three years.

“Where is the special status the president talked about? Is the killing of people and burning of homes part of the special status?,” he asked.

He regretted having being part of a country wherein dialogue never exists when people disagree.

We cannot continue like this, he concluded.

By Joachim Arrey in Canada

25, January 2020

France confirms first three cases of Wuhan coronavirus in Europe ⁰

France confirmed on Friday its first three cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, with two patients being hospitalised in Paris and the other in the southwestern city of Bordeaux.

Health Minister Agnes Buzyn told a news conference authorities had confirmed two cases, Europe’s first, and that more cases were likely to occur in France.

In a separate statement on Friday, the health ministry announced the third case, a relative of one of the first two.

Earlier, the charity SOS Medecins said it had treated one of the cases, a patient of Chinese origin who was showing symptoms of a fever and who said he had been in contact with people from Wuhan in China, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak.

Buzyn said the patient was 48 years old and had returned two days ago from a trip to China which included a stop in Wuhan.

“He’s been put in an isolated room so as to avoid any contact with the outside world. He’s fine”, she said.

Most of the cases and all of the deaths so far have been in China, where officials have imposed severe restrictions on travel and public gatherings.

The virus has created alarm, but there are still many unknowns surrounding it, such as just how dangerous it is and how easily it spreads between people. It can lead to pneumonia, which has been deadly in some cases.

The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the virus an “emergency in China”, but stopped short of declaring it a global health emergency.

Buzyn said the official advice to those suspecting they might have caught the virus was not to go to hospital – to avoid spreading it – but to call a special number where they would be told what to do.

The minister said she planned to hold daily news conferences on the issue.

(REUTERS)

25, January 2020

US says 34 troops suffered traumatic brain injury in Iran strikes on Iraqi base ⁰

The Pentagon disclosed Friday that 34 US service members had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury following Iran’s missile strikes on an Iraqi base earlier this month, a number higher than the military had previously announced. The revelation belies US President Donald Trump’s initial claim that no Americans were harmed in the attack.

Eight of the 34 injured arrived in the US on Friday from Germany, where they and nine others had been flown days after the January 8 missile strike on Iraq’s Ain al-Asad air base. The nine still in Germany are receiving treatment and evaluation at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, the largest US military hospital outside the continental United States.

Jonathan Hoffman, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said the eight in the US will be treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, or at their home bases. The exact nature of their injuries and their service and unit affiliations were not disclosed.

Trump and other top officials initially said Iran’s retaliatory strikes for the January 3 killing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani had not killed or injured any US service members.

The military said symptoms of concussion or traumatic brain injury were not immediately reported after the strike and in some cases became known only days later. Many were in bunkers before nearly a dozen Iranian ballistic missiles exploded.

Trump: ‘I heard they had headaches’

Last week, US military officials said 11 troops had been treated and transferred out of Iraq for concussion symptoms after the attack on the Ain al-Asad base.

Responding to the disclosure while he was in Davos Wednesday, Trump appeared to dismiss the injuries.

“I heard they had headaches,” said Trump at a news conference. “I don’t consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries I have seen.”

Senator Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat and his party’s ranking member on the Armed Services Committee, called on Trump to apologise.

“TBI is a serious matter,” said Reed in a statement, referring to Traumatic Brain Injury. “It is not a ‘headache,’ and it’s plain wrong for President Trump to diminish their wounds. He may not have meant to disrespect them, but President Trump’s comments were an insult to our troops. He owes them an apology.”

“It’s plain wrong for President Trump to diminish their wounds,” Mr. Reed, who served as an officer in the 82nd Airborne Division, said in a statement Friday. “He may not have meant to disrespect them, but President Trump’s comments were an insult to our troops. He owes them an apology.”

Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, has become a bigger concern for the military in recent years as medical science improves its understanding of its causes and effects on brain function. It can involve varying degrees of impairment of thinking, memory, vision, hearing and other functions. The severity and duration of the injury can vary widely.

Renewed questions of US military policy on brain injuries

The question of US casualties took on added importance at the time of the Iranian strike because the degree of damage was seen as influencing a US decision on whether to counterattack and risk a broader war with Iran. Trump chose not to retaliate, and the Iranians then indicated their strike was sufficient for the time being.

Pentagon officials have said there had been no effort to minimise or delay information on concussive injuries, but its handling of the injuries following Tehran’s attack has renewed questions over the US military’s policy regarding how it deals with suspected brain injuries.

While the US military has to immediately report incidents threatening life, limb or eyesight, it does not have an urgent requirement to do so with suspected traumatic brain injury, or TBI, which can take time to manifest and diagnose.

Hoffman said US Defense Secretary Mark Esper had directed the Pentagon to review the process for tracking and reporting injuries.

“The goal is to be as transparent, accurate and to provide the American people and our service members with the best information,” Hoffman said.

Various health and medical groups for years have been trying to raise awareness about the seriousness of brain injuries, including concussions.

According to Pentagon data, about 408,000 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury since 2000.

(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)

25, January 2020

African Union of Broadcasting issues CAF rights fees warning ⁰

The African Union of Broadcasting, the body of free-to-air broadcasters, has called for a drop in the rights fees paid by African public broadcasters for major football tournaments held in the continent.

The AUB outlined its position following meetings in Douala, Cameroon with the general directors of public broadcasters.

AUB member broadcasters’ bids for rights to both the 2020 African Nations Championships and the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations could be affected by the stance. Both tournaments will be held in Cameroon with the 2021 Afcon having recently been rescheduled to take place in January and February.

Grégoire Djaka, the AUB director general, said that the cost of the broadcast rights “is very high and represents a third of the broadcasters’ budget in some countries”.

Quoted by the Actu Cameroun website, Djaka said that he hopes to “use everything we have in our culture to make these costs accessible to everyone”. He invited the public broadcasters to “address their difficulties in order to take good decisions and improve what has happened until now”.

No guidance has been offered by the AUB in terms of how much it is proposing to reduce its rights costs (or bids) by.

Broadcast rights to the two tournaments have been sold by Lagardère Sports but the Confederation of African Football recently informed the agency of its decision to terminate the $1bn (€903m) agreement, which was due to run from 2017 to 2028.

At the end of last year, the AUB and CRTV, the public broadcaster in Cameroon, ended a dispute over outstanding rights fee payments.

The resolution followed a stand-off over rights fee costs to Fifa competitions and qualifying matches for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

The two parties said in December that they have come to an agreement for CRTV to “do everything possible” to ensure a $160,000 payment is made for rights to Fifa-sanctioned events in 2016. The payment is to be made “without undue delay”.

With regards to an outstanding rights fee for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches, CRTV has vowed to “once again refer the matter to the public treasury [in Cameroon] for the execution of the payment order”.

Source: Sports Business

25, January 2020

Boundary commission sensitises Nigeria-Cameroon border communities on peaceful co-existence ⁰

The National Boundary Commission (NBC), has embarked on sensitisation and advocacy visits to communities along the Nigeria-Cameroon International Boundary in the Northeast.

According to a statement by the commission’s Head of Press, Mrs Efe Ovuakporie, the aim is to reinforce peace and cooperation, preparatory to the continuation of the demarcation of the Nigeria/Cameroon boundary in line with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) requirements

The sensitisation, which was led by the Acting Director-General of the Commission, Mr Adamu Adaji, focused on Adamawa and Taraba.

Adaji, while addressing the Governor of Adamawa, Alhaji Ahmad Fintiri, said that the commission had been crisscrossing several border communities in the country with the message of peaceful co-existence.

“In the light of the previous cooperation and successes recorded with the state government in similar exercises, the team is in the state to seek further support in the enlightenment of the people in border communities about the forthcoming pillar emplacement exercise, LOT5.

“I also want to canvass for the active participation of the relevant state boundary committee officials for proper coordination and record purposes,” Adaji said.

The NBC boss called on the Adamawa State government to assist the commission in the provision of Base and Forward Camp Sites to support security and logistics for those that would be engaged in the emplacement exercise.

In his response, Fintiri pledged his government’s support, stressing that the exercise was in the interest of the people in particular, and the country at large.

The NBC boss also visited the chairmen of Ganye and Toungo Local Government Areas where he solicited for their cooperation toward boosting awareness creation among their communities ahead of the exercise.

The team equally visited the traditional leader of Ganye Chiefdom who promised to mobilise his subjects to assist the NBC team during the demarcation exercise.

The emplacement exercise, otherwise known as the ‘Lot 5 stage’, is scheduled to take place at the Gotel Mountain and will involve the emplacement of 322 pillars.

Source (NAN)

25, January 2020

Football: Eto’o says Drogba owes him two titles ⁰

FC Barcelona legend Samuel Eto’o has jokingly suggested that Didier Drogba owes him two African Footballer of the Year awards.

The African legend officially hung up his boots in September 2019 after glittering success at club level and Cameroon over a remarkable 22-year career.

With 18 major titles, which includes two Africa Cup of Nations winners medals and four African Footballer of the Year awards, Eto’o is considered as one of the greatest the continent has ever produced.

However, in an exclusive interview with Kick Off Magazine, Eto’o claims he probably deserved more as he reflects on his achievements in the game.

Eto’o retires as Cameroon’s all-time record goalscorer with 56 goals in 118 caps between 1997 and 2014.

“Normally, I should have won that award [African Football of the Year] 12 times, but I fought with all of CAF about that,” Eto’o said. “They only gave it to me four times and not 12!”

When pressed that the likes of Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure provided him with healthy competition for the prestigious honour he remained unperturbed: “I think two [African] Ballon d’Ors of Didier is mine!”

Source: KickOff