About soter

Posts by :

28, May 2026

Kenya: Fire in girls’ school dorm kills 16 ⁰

The fire broke out shortly before 1:00 am local time at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County, around 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of the capital Nairobi, officials said.

There have been many devastating school fires in Kenya, where boarding schools are common as a colonial legacy of missionaries and the British.

“We have 16 fatalities. It’s an unfortunate incident,” education minister Julius Migos Ogamba told reporters at the scene, without giving ages for the victims.

The affected dormitory had shattered windows, blackened walls and a crumpled corrugated iron roof, an AFP journalist saw.

Parents of the victims were in the process of being informed by health workers at the site mid-afternoon as bodies were identified.

A distraught mother, Leila Matura, 52, said her 18-year-old daughter was still missing.

“We went to the hospital to see if she is there, she is not there. So they are telling us, she is not around, she is among the missing,” she told AFP.

“Whether she is dead or alive, we do not know. I’m hopeless,” she added.

Another mother, who did not wish to be named, said her 17-year-old daughter was in hospital.

“She broke both her legs jumping from the window. Thank God she is strong. It is every mother’s nightmare,” she said.

The school is linked to the National Police Service and most pupils are the children of officers.

“When we arrived, the fire was still blazing. It was so big… It took about 45 minutes to extinguish the flames because of the mattresses inside,” a firefighter, who identified himself only as Fred because he was not authorised to speak to the press, told AFP.

–‘Unimaginable tragedy’-

Authorities say they are still investigating the cause of the fire.

“Our hearts and prayers are with the families who have lost their beloved daughters,” President William Ruto said on X, describing it as an “unimaginable tragedy”.

Children have been accused of deliberately starting school fires in Kenya in the past. One report found there were 63 arson cases at schools in 2018 alone.

Pupils were accused after a 2001 dormitory fire in the southern county of Machakos killed 67.

On Thursday the education minister said the ministry had closed around 350 schools since 2024 for failing to comply with safety standards.

“We will continue inspections to ensure that our schools meet the safety standards” in force, he pledged.

Source: AFP

28, May 2026

Vatican declares Cameroonian religious brother Jean-Thierry Ebogo “Venerable” ⁰

The Catholic Church has taken a new step in recognizing the spiritual legacy of Brother Jean-Thierry Ebogo after the Vatican officially declared the young Cameroonian religious figure “Venerable.”

In a letter dated May 25, 2026, the Apostolic Nunciature in Cameroon informed President Paul Biya that Pope Leo XIV had granted the title to the member of the Discalced Carmelite order, who until now had held the status of “Servant of God.” The decision marks an important stage in the Catholic canonization process.

Within the Church, the title “Venerable” is granted to individuals whose “heroic virtues” have been formally recognized by the Vatican. It comes before possible beatification and eventual canonization. Born in Cameroon on February 4, 1982, Jean-Thierry Ebogo joined the Sainte-Thérèse Carmel of Nkoabang, on the outskirts of Yaoundé.

He became known for his strong involvement with youth groups, prayer communities, and Catholic movements. Church officials and faithful often described him as deeply committed to spiritual and community life. His story, however, took on greater significance after he developed bone cancer.

In an attempt to save his life, doctors amputated one of his legs. According to testimonies relayed by the Apostolic Nunciature, the young religious brother transformed his suffering into a spiritual offering and lived through illness with profound Christian faith.

He was later transferred to Italy for medical treatment and died on January 5, 2006, in Legnano, near Milan, at just 23 years old. Over time, his journey — marked by suffering, faith, and self-sacrifice — drew growing emotion and admiration within Catholic communities in Cameroon and beyond.

With this recognition, Jean-Thierry Ebogo becomes the second Cameroonian officially declared “Venerable” by the Roman Catholic Church after Simon Mpeke, widely known as Baba Simon, the missionary figure closely associated with evangelization efforts in northern Cameroon.

Following the Vatican’s announcement, several faithful and religious leaders traveled to the Edith Stein Monastery of the Discalced Carmelites in Nkolbisson, where the young religious brother is buried.

During a pilgrimage held there on May 25, 2026, Yaoundé Archbishop Jean Mbarga praised the spiritual depth of Jean-Thierry Ebogo’s life. “He gave everything to the Lord, transcending the sufferings of this world and of his own body as he gradually rose toward heaven,” the archbishop said. “May this place truly be recognized as a sanctified site through his story, and may we always find comfort there in our faith.”

The declaration has further strengthened the emotional and spiritual significance surrounding Jean-Thierry Ebogo’s memory. For many Catholic faithful — especially young believers — he represents a figure of courage, resilience, and spiritual surrender in the face of suffering.

The Vatican’s decision also comes at a time when the African Catholic Church increasingly seeks to highlight local figures of holiness whose lives closely reflect the continent’s social and human realities. For many observers, the journey of the young Cameroonian Carmelite fits squarely within that movement.

Source: Business in Cameroon

27, May 2026

The situation of people sentenced to death in Cameroon ⁰

In 2016, Cameroon handed down the highest number of death sentences. Although the death penalty has not been carried out in the country since 1997, nearly 300 death sentences were handed down in 2015 and 2016. Together Against the Death Penalty, Droit et Paix and the Network of Cameroonian Lawyers Against the Death Penalty (RACOPEM) have published a fact-finding mission report highlighting the human tragedy that the death penalty represents. Through the stories of those sentenced to death, as well as their families and lawyers, it highlights their experiences in the criminal justice system and their harsh conditions of detention.

This report is the result of a fact-finding mission carried out in Cameroon between March and October 2025 by the Cameroonian association Droits et Paix, the Network of Cameroonian Lawyers Against the Death Penalty (RACOPEM) and ECPM. The teams of investigators visited 10 prisons, met with 45 people sentenced to death and 6 prison staff members.

The death penalty as a political tool since Independence

This report traces the key stages in the history of the death penalty in Cameroon, showing how, since independence, this punishment has been used as an instrument of political control and legitimisation.

Assessing trends in the use of the death penalty in Cameroon remains difficult due to the authorities’ marked lack of transparency on the issue. This opacity, which seems to reflect a resolve to maintain secrecy around death sentences, severely limits access to reliable data. During the examination of Cameroon’s state report at the 67th ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in 2023, the authorities nevertheless indicated that as of 31 October 2020, 120 people were sentenced to death, including 80 Cameroonian men, 36 foreign nationals and 4 women. According to monitoring by Droits et Paix and RACOPEM, 105 people are believed to be sentenced to death in Cameroonian prisons by the end of 2025, including at least one woman.

The criminal justice system of Cameroon: a chain of black holes

From the moment of arrest through to the exhaustion of legal remedies, the criminal justice trajectory of those sentenced to death unfolds in a context where investigations are frequently conducted under duress, legal assistance remains largely illusory, challenging the charges is often impossible, and cases remain unaddressed for years. Some die in detention, having waited decades for legal remedies that never materialised.

The report examines in detail the structural failings of Cameroon’s criminal justice system, drawing on a number of testimonies and case studies documenting breaches of the right to a fair trial.

Precarious and unfair detention conditions

“Here, if you have no money, you’re not entitled to anything.” Kelvin, sentenced to death in Buea.

There are no prisons specifically designated for individuals sentenced to death. Although the Cameroonian authorities provide no official data on where such people are held, civil society estimates they are scattered across approximately 50 of the country’s 76 prison facilities. During visits to ten prisons in both French- and English speaking areas, the fact-finding mission was able to confirm the presence of people sentenced to death in eight of them.

In these prisons, overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, food shortages and very limited access to healthcare – including psychiatric care – create an environment where suffering becomes a daily experience, marked by depletion, distress and abandonment. The testimonies gathered from people sentenced to death reveal constant fear, persistent physical and mental harm, and a widely shared feeling of having been forgotten by the state.

Culled from ecpm.org

27, May 2026

Biya, how long must the nation wait for the government it was promised? ⁰

Cameroon and Senegal are two French dominated African countries. The similarities end there. Every presidential election season in Cameroon arrives wrapped in familiar Paul Biya promises.

President Biya always promise economic reform, renewal, efficiency and a ministerial cabinet ready to confront the nation’s mounting political, economic and social problems. Yet months after the last presidential poll that made the 92-year-old president for life, many Cameroonians are still asking a very simple question: Where is the new government President Paul Biya promised?

Biya’s delay in forming a new cabinet is no longer just a matter of political timing. It has become a test of credibility.

Immediately after Biya took office in 1982, he made the nation to operate under a political culture where reshuffles are treated as strategic instruments rather than urgent democratic obligations. Cabinet ministers remain in office forever and ever regardless of performance, while Cameroonians are regularly told that change is coming at the appropriate time.

Indefinite waiting for a new cabinet is sending the wrong message to citizens of a country facing youth unemployment, rising living costs, insecurity in several regions and growing public frustration.

A cabinet reshuffle should not merely be ceremonial to make Biya and his Beti-Bulu tribal acolytes happy! It should always reflect national priorities and signal accountability. If cabinet ministers have failed to deliver positive results, the citizens deserve to see consequences. If new policies are needed, the head of state must appoint people capable of implementing them. And if Biya truly intends to renew confidence in state establishments, this delay only deepens skepticism.

This deliberate silence surrounding the formation of a new administration in Yaoundé has created a vacuum filled by speculation. Is the Unity Palace divided internally? Is the reshuffle being used to balance competing political factions including that of exiled Issa Tchiroma? Or are the Biya CPDM barons simply unwilling to disrupt the status quo? In the absence of communication, Cameroonians are left to guess.

What makes the current situation more disturbing is the sharp contrast between the urgency of public problems and the slow pace of political action. The nation’s young population is becoming increasingly impatient. Many in both French and English speaking regions no longer judge governments by speeches but by visible outcomes such as jobs, infrastructure, security and opportunity. Delays in leadership decisions suggest either hesitation or detachment from the realities ordinary Cameroonians face daily.

Defenders of the corrupt Biya regime have opined that ministerial cabinet formation is a sovereign process requiring meticulous consultation. It could be true! Stability matters. Experience matters. But governance also requires responsiveness. An administration cannot claim urgency on national issues while moving at a pace that appears disconnected from public expectations.

The longer the wait continues, the more the promised “new CPDM government” risks looking like an old Beti-Bulu political habit: announcing change without delivering it promptly.

Cameroon does not simply need another reshuffle of the same faces. It needs a government with energy, competence and a clear mandate to address the nation’s pressing challenges. Whether that happens next week or months from now, it will say much about how Biya understands the current political moment.

The real question is no longer whether a new cabinet will be formed. It is whether Cameroonians will still believe in the promise by the time the cabinet arrives.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

26, May 2026

Football: Trabzonspor pushing to keep goalkeeper André Onana ⁰

Trabzonspor are continuing efforts to keep goalkeeper André Onana at the club despite uncertainty surrounding his future following the end of his loan spell from Manchester United.

The Turkish side is reportedly keen to secure another temporary agreement for the 30-year-old ahead of next season, with club president Ertuğrul Doğan said to be personally involved in negotiations over a possible extension.

Although recent comments and messages from the goalkeeper appeared to suggest a farewell, Trabzonspor remain determined to convince him to continue his stay in Turkey.

The club’s hierarchy is understood to value not only Onana’s performances on the pitch, but also his influence inside the dressing room, where he has established himself as one of the senior figures within the squad.

During his time with Trabzonspor, the Cameroon international has been regarded as an important presence due to both his experience and leadership qualities.

Despite the growing interest from Trabzonspor, Onana is yet to make a final decision on the next stage of his career.

Onana is currently expected to wait until the end of his holidays before carefully reviewing the different offers available to him from clubs across Europe.

The former Ajax and Inter Milan goalkeeper is believed to want time to evaluate all sporting opportunities before deciding whether to remain in Turkey or pursue a new challenge elsewhere.

His situation is therefore expected to remain unresolved for the coming weeks as discussions continue between the parties involved.

Trabzonspor’s desire to retain the goalkeeper underlines the importance they place on maintaining stability within the squad ahead of the new campaign, particularly in a position considered crucial for the club’s ambitions next season.

For now, however, Onana’s future remains open, with the Cameroon international taking time before making a definitive choice on where he will play next season.

Source: Africa Soccer

26, May 2026

Cameroonians in Leicester: funeral contributions must never become a marketplace for corruption ⁰

The recent creation of a Commission of Inquiry into the alleged embezzlement of funds raised for the repatriation of the remains of Tata Jeff Osife Mokube who died in Leicester in the Midlands is the most vital and commendable action toward restoring trust, accountability and integrity within the Cameroonian community in Great Britain.

It is common knowledge deep within the Cameroonian community in the UK that at any time of grief whether in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland including the Irish State, solidarity always prevail.

Whenever Cameroonians and their well-wishers contribute money to ensure that one of their own receives a dignified home-going, they do so “in good faith”, believing that their generous contributions would serve a holy and humanitarian purpose. Any insinuation that such money may have been diverted for personal gain, strikes not only at the heart of trust within the Cameroonian UK family but also at the moral conscience of the Cameroonian community itself.

Consequently, the decision by the Cameroonian community in Leicester UK to establish a Commission of Inquiry into what is now known as the Tata Jeff Osife Mokube Affair deserves widespread support. To be sure, it sends a clear message that no individual should exploit tragedy for selfish enrichment and more importantly, the Leicester UK decision demonstrates a commitment to transparency and justice, values that are indispensable in preserving unity among Cameroonians both at home and in the diaspora.

We of the Cameroon Concord News Group are happy with this decision and we hope that the inquiry will be conducted independently, professionally and without prejudice against the team headed by Ben Ntamack. The objective of this Commission of Inquiry should not be vengeance or public spectacle, but truth and accountability.

Ben Ntamack and his acolytes should know that deep within the Cameroonian community in Great Britain, those entrusted with handling community money carry a heavy moral responsibility, especially in matters involving death and bereavement. If wrongdoing occurs as it is now being reported all over the UK in the Tata Jeff Osife Mokube Affair, the Cameroonian people deserve to know the full extent of it and appropriate measures must be taken to prevent a recurrence.

Far from determining culpability, the Leicester Commission of Inquiry is also offering Cameroonians in Great Britain an opportunity for institutional reform. Cameroonian fundraising initiatives in the UK, particularly those organized in moments of crisis should be governed by clearer financial procedures, transparent reporting mechanisms and stronger oversight. In this regard, we of the Cameroon Concord News Group salute the leadership of the Manyu Solidarity Group UK for their single-guided vision towards development and unity of purpose. Diaspora communities are often most vulnerable during emergencies, and systems must exist to protect both donors and beneficiaries from abuse.

Equally important in this Tata Jeff Osife Mokube Affair is the need to preserve the dignity of the deceased and the emotional wellbeing of the bereaved family both in the UK and back home in Cameroon. The present controversy surrounding the late Tata Jeff Osife Mokube contribution is creating pain and division. A credible inquiry can help bring clarity, closure and reassurance that justice and integrity still matter.

In welcoming this Leicester Commission of Inquiry on the Tata Jeff Osife Mokube Affair, we of the Cameroon Concord News Group affirm a simple but powerful principle: compassion must never become a marketplace for corruption. The generosity of ordinary Cameroonians in the UK deserves respect, and every contribution made in the name of humanity must be accounted for faithfully.

The Cameroonian community in the Midlands now has an opportunity to turn a painful episode into a defining moment for integrity, responsibility and collective renewal.

To this I put my name

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

26, May 2026

Iran Supreme Leader invites Muslim nations to shape new regional order, says US era is over ⁰

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei urges Muslim countries to deepen cooperation and shape a new regional and global order beyond American dominance.

“The [global] Muslim Ummah (Nation) and the nations of the region possess many shared capacities and common interests that will shape the new order and the future architecture of the region and the world,” Ayatollah Khamenei wrote in a message on Tuesday.

The message, issued on the occasion of the Day of Arafah, the second day of the Hajj pilgrimage, said Muslim nations were entering a historical phase in which regional realities were changing irreversibly and American military influence was steadily diminishing.

“The hands of time will not turn back, and the nations and lands of the region will no longer serve as shields for US bases,” the Leader stated.

He added that the United States “will no longer have a safe haven for its mischief and for establishing military bases in the region” and was “growing more distant from its former status day by day.”

“The future belongs to the Muslim Ummah and the new Islamic civilization.”

Source: Presstv

26, May 2026

Biya regime tightens gold mining controls to curb smuggling ⁰

Cameroon announced on May 21 new measures to tighten control over artisanal gold mining, targeting illegal operations, gold smuggling and revenue losses in the sector.

The reforms were unveiled during a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute in Yaounde. They include a minimum monthly declaration threshold of five kilogrammes of gold for companies seeking exploitation rights and an environmental hazard tax of CFA 63 million for operators working on more than 21 hectares.

The government said the measures are aimed at improving transparency in gold production, increasing state revenues and strengthening oversight of mining activities.

Interim Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development Fuh Calistus Gentry said illegal mining had created major discrepancies between officially declared production and volumes traced abroad. He said the reforms would help formalise the sector and improve state control over gold exports.

“Illegality represents the gap between what is declared and what is exported. Once restructuring is accepted, it will generate immediate revenue for the State estimated in several hundreds of billions. We are also projecting a minimum increase of three tonnes in the State’s gold reserves every year,” he said.

The minister added that the reforms would strengthen the role of Cameroonians in artisanal mining, while foreign operators would be limited to technical and financial partnerships as provided by law.

Government figures presented during the meeting showed that nearly 200 illegal semi-mechanised mining sites had been identified in the Adamawa and East regions, compared with only 57 officially authorised gold operations. Authorities said the illegal activities had contributed to gold smuggling and major losses in public revenue.

“If 100 companies align with the declaration threshold, projections already point to 10 tonnes being declared. Many companies are already complying, and tax payments are now being enforced,” Fuh Calistus said.

Officials also said mining operators would face stricter environmental restoration obligations under the “polluter pays” principle. Between 2020 and 2026, the government issued 57 environmental conformity certificates for mining and quarry projects.

On labour issues, Minister of Labour and Social Security Grégoire Owona said more than 1,700 enterprise inspections were carried out during the first quarter of 2026, leading to 188 formal notices against employers found in violation of labour regulations.

“Our role is to protect workers against all forms of abuse. We will intensify inspections, continue sensitisation campaigns on workers’ rights and finalise reforms to the Labour Code to strengthen protection mechanisms,” he said.

At the end of the meeting, Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute instructed ministries to strengthen coordination and ensure strict enforcement of the new measures, particularly on illegal mining, environmental compliance and labour protection.

Source: Business in Cameroon

25, May 2026

Pope Leo apologises for Church’s historic role in slavery ⁰

Pope Leo on Monday issued the clearest apology yet from a pontiff for the Catholic Church’s ‌role in slavery, acknowledging both its delay in condemning the practice and its historic involvement in legitimising it.

In a key passage of his first papal encyclical, Leo said the Church had taken centuries to fully recognise “the scourge of slavery” as incompatible with human dignity, calling the legacy “a wound in Christian memory.”

“For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for ⁠pardon,” he wrote in the wide-ranging manifesto, expressing “deep sorrow” for the suffering endured by enslaved people.

Leo acknowledged that Church authorities had, at times, responded to rulers by regulating and legitimising forms of subjugation, including the enslavement of non-Christians.

He also acknowledged that before that time, in the Middle Ages, ecclesiastical institutions had their own slaves.

He said the Church only reached a “formal, absolute and universal condemnation” of slavery in the 19th century, under Pope Leo XIII, after what the current pope described as a long period of inconsistency in teaching and practice.

PREVIOUS PAPAL STATEMENTS ON SLAVERY

The remarks mark the most ‌explicit ⁠papal admission to date of institutional responsibility, going beyond earlier statements by previous popes that focused on the actions of individual Christians rather than the Vatican itself.

Pope John Paul II, during a 1985 visit to Africa, asked forgiveness from Africans for the suffering caused by “men belonging to Christian nations” in the slave trade.

Leo’s predecessor ⁠Francis condemned the plight of modern-day slaves and formally repudiated papal documents from the 15th century which were used by colonial powers to give legitimacy to their actions, which included slavery.

But such statements stopped short of ⁠directly addressing the role of the papacy, instead framing responsibility in broader terms tied to Christians or historical circumstances.

Leo’s intervention was made in his debut encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), which addresses the ethical ⁠challenges of artificial intelligence and warns of new forms of exploitation linked to the global economy.

Genealogical research published after Leo’s election last year showed that history’s first U.S.-born pope had a diverse ancestry that included both enslaved people and slaveholders.

Source: Reuters

25, May 2026

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Dozens abducted in Bamti ⁰

The weekend turned tense for residents of Bamti in Noni Subdivision, Bui Division, after dozens of civilians were forcefully taken by armed separatist fighters.

Local sources indicate that the incident occurred on Saturday morning, May 23, when the fighters rounded up community members accused of refusing to participate in a road work activity they had imposed on the population.

Among those taken were pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, raising concerns over the conditions in which they are being held.

Residents say the abducted individuals have been asked to pay a sum of 15,000 CFA francs each as a condition for their release, a demand that has left many families in distress.

In several parts of the North West region, such actions have become increasingly frequent, with armed groups enforcing their own rules through intimidation, financial demands and compulsory participation in local initiatives.

As of now, there has been no official communication from administrative or security authorities regarding the incident.

Source: Lebledparle.com