Breaking News

17, June 2026

Cameroon, Nigeria sign border security pact ⁰

Nigeria and Cameroon have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral defense cooperation, with a focus on securing their shared southern border and strengthening maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

The agreement was signed in Yaoundé on Wednesday by Nigeria’s Minister of Defense, General Christopher Musa (retd.), and Cameroon’s Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defense, Mr Joseph Assomo, following two days of deliberations by defense and security experts from both countries.

According to a statement on Wednesday by Musa’s media aide, Leah Katung-Babatunde, the MoU establishes a framework for cooperation across terrestrial and maritime domains and covers intelligence sharing, operational coordination, logistics support, joint military training, personnel exchange programmes, and collective response mechanisms to emerging security threats.

“In a major step toward regional stability, the Honourable Minister of Defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Christopher Musa (retd.) OFR, today signed an MoU with the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence of the Republic of Cameroon, Mr Joseph Assomo, to deepen bilateral defence cooperation and secure their shared southern border.

“The signing ceremony in Yaoundé concluded two days of intensive deliberations by defense and security experts from both nations. The agreement establishes a modernised framework to counter emerging threats across both terrestrial and maritime domains.

“The Memorandum of Understanding establishes a renewed framework for cooperation in securing the terrestrial and maritime domains along the Nigeria–Cameroon southern border and reinforces the long-standing defence relationship between both nations.

“Key areas highlighted during the engagements included enhanced operational coordination, intelligence sharing, logistics support, joint military training, personnel exchange programmes, and strengthened mechanisms for collective response to emerging security challenges,” the statement partly read.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Musa said the agreement “would henceforth provide a structured framework for military cooperation and operations between both countries and further institutionalise collaboration in addressing common security concerns.”

Both sides also discussed the operationalisation of the Combined Maritime Joint Task Force, described as a strategic platform for enhancing maritime security and safeguarding economic interests within the Gulf of Guinea, where Nigeria and Cameroon are key stakeholders.

On defense industry cooperation, General Musa noted that “one of the enduring challenges confronting African defence capability development has been limited indigenous production of military hardware,” and stressed the need for stronger regional industrial partnerships. He highlighted opportunities under Nigeria’s Defence Industries Corporation framework and reaffirmed Nigeria’s openness to collaboration in defence manufacturing, technology transfer, research and innovation.

Assomo, in response, expressed interest in advancing cooperation in defense technology and confirmed that a formal proposal framework is being finalised to concretise bilateral arrangements in that area.

The signing marks what both governments described as a pivotal milestone in Nigeria–Cameroon relations, reinforcing their shared commitment to regional peace and sovereignty.

The signing comes days after armed Cameroonian soldiers allegedly invaded the Danare community in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, causing widespread panic.

Culled from Punch Nigeria

17, June 2026

Yaoundé: US ambassador signals shift from aid to investment ⁰

The United States is stepping up efforts to expand trade and investment ties with Cameroon, positioning itself as a business partner rather than a traditional aid donor. At a conference organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Cameroon (AmCham) during the PROMOTE 2026 Enterprise Fair in Yaounde on June 16, John Robinson, Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Cameroon, said Washington is prioritising investment, financing and private-sector partnerships to drive economic growth in Cameroon and across Africa.

Robinson said US agencies continue to support trade, export promotion, project financing and entrepreneurship while encouraging American companies to pursue opportunities in Cameroon through partnerships with local businesses. He added that Washington’s approach to commercial diplomacy in Africa centres on mutually beneficial economic partnerships designed to stimulate sustainable growth and create opportunities for businesses on both sides.

“Washington’s vision for commercial diplomacy in Africa is clear. We want to be a reliable partner for economic growth, one that emphasises mutually beneficial trade, investment and technology transfer rather than aid. We recognise that a thriving private sector is the engine of economic growth,” Robinson said.

He noted that agencies including the US Commercial Service, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Small Business Administration remain active in supporting entrepreneurs, facilitating trade and connecting American companies with opportunities across Africa.

According to Robinson, the US Embassy works closely with AmCham Cameroon to strengthen the country’s business ecosystem and create conditions that allow both American and Cameroonian companies to expand their operations. He said the objective is to help local firms benefit from American expertise, technology and investment while encouraging US companies to increase their presence in the Cameroonian market.

Cameroon positioned for expanded commercial partnerships

Robinson described Cameroon as a strategic economic partner and said the participation of American businesses at PROMOTE reflected growing interest in the country’s commercial opportunities. He encouraged Cameroonian firms to engage with AmCham and the embassy’s commercial services to explore programmes designed to support expansion into new markets and investment partnerships.

“AmCham’s presence sends a clear signal that American companies are ready to compete, partner and succeed in Cameroon. Together, we can build a stronger and more dynamic US-Cameroon economic partnership,” Robinson said.

Speaking to reporters after the conference, AmCham Cameroon President Laure Djoukam said several US agencies continue to provide support for bilateral trade and investment through financing facilities, business matchmaking and commercial promotion programmes.

She cited the DFC’s role in financing projects and joint ventures involving American and Cameroonian partners, as well as support from the Export-Import Bank for projects involving equipment and products sourced from the United States. Djoukam noted that while some requirements have evolved under the current US administration, particularly regarding American content in supported projects, the agencies remain actively engaged in promoting trade.

“We have concrete achievements. Companies have been established following trade missions and business missions, particularly in agribusiness, processing and poultry production. There is also activity in the energy sector and a major hotel project being developed through American financing,” Djoukam said.

She pointed to developments in agribusiness, poultry production, energy and hospitality as examples of investments linked to business missions and commercial exchanges between the two countries. Among the projects cited was the construction of a major Radisson hotel supported through American financing.

While Cameroon remains outside the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) framework, business leaders at the conference expressed optimism that efforts to restore the country’s eligibility could further strengthen trade relations. In the meantime, officials say ongoing investments in key sectors suggest that commercial engagement between the United States and Cameroon continues to expand through private-sector partnerships, financing arrangements and business development initiatives.

Source: Business in Cameroon

16, June 2026

Yaoundé earns CFA15 billion from Chad Oil Pipeline transit fees in 5 months ⁰

Cameroon collected CFA15.1 billion in transit fees from the transport of Chadian crude oil between January and May 2026, according to data reviewed by Business in Cameroon.

Monthly revenue reached CFA2.94 billion in January, CFA3.52 billion in February, CFA2.85 billion in March, CFA2.83 billion in April, and CFA2.95 billion in May. The latest figures extend a positive trend recorded earlier in the year. By the end of April, transit fees had already generated CFA12.15 billion for the Cameroonian Treasury, up CFA1.2 billion, or 11%, from the same period in 2025.

According to the Petroleum Products Pricing Stabilization Fund (CPSP), the increase reflects sustained crude oil volumes moving from Chad’s oil fields to Cameroon’s Atlantic coast through the Chad-Cameroon pipeline.

Between January and April 2026, about 16.1 million barrels of crude oil were transported through the 1,080-kilometer pipeline. As a landlocked country, Chad relies heavily on the pipeline to export its crude oil to international markets. The oil is transported to the offshore terminal at Kribi in southern Cameroon, where it is loaded onto tankers for export. In return for the use of its territory, Cameroon receives a transit fee on every barrel shipped through the pipeline. The fee currently stands at $1.321 per barrel.

The current rate is the result of negotiations launched by Cameroon in 2013 to secure periodic increases in the tariff. When the pipeline entered service, the transit fee was set at just $0.41 per barrel. The rate was subsequently revised upward in 2013 and again in 2018, reaching its current level.

Under the agreement between the two countries, another review of the tariff was expected to take effect from October 1, 2023. As crude volumes continue to move through the pipeline, the issue of a new increase in transit fees could return to discussions between Yaoundé and N’Djamena.

Source: Business in Cameroon

10, June 2026

Biya regime cracks down on counterfeit money networks ⁰

Cameroon’s security forces have intensified efforts against counterfeit currency networks after separate operations in Douala and Yaoundé uncovered large quantities of fake money and equipment used to produce it. In Douala, the National Gendarmerie dismantled an alleged network specializing in the production and distribution of counterfeit coins. Acting on what authorities described as reliable intelligence, officers raided a workshop hidden inside a commercial store that served as a front for the operation.

According to reports from state broadcaster CRTV and several local media outlets, the suspects were involved in manufacturing fake CFA500 and CFA100 coins. Equipment used in the production process was discovered at the site, providing evidence of an organized counterfeiting operation. The case highlights a lesser-known form of financial crime that often receives less attention than counterfeit banknotes: the production of fake coins.

Investigators are now working to determine the size of the network, its distribution channels, and whether accomplices helped circulate the counterfeit currency through markets and informal trading networks. In a separate operation, officers from the Ahala Gendarmerie post in Yaoundé arrested a 21-year-old suspect on May 21 in connection with an alleged counterfeit currency trafficking scheme.

The suspect was apprehended in the Carrefour Banane area of Yaoundé II while carrying a large quantity of counterfeit banknotes that had been carefully packaged. According to the National Gendarmerie, the fake currency seized in the operation had an estimated face value of nearly CFA100 million. Authorities said the counterfeit notes included foreign currencies, notably U.S. dollars and Swiss francs, based on preliminary findings.

The suspect and the seized materials were transferred to a gendarmerie unit, where an investigation has been opened to identify possible accomplices and determine the full extent of the network.

The arrests come as security agencies maintain heightened vigilance over counterfeit currency circulation in Cameroon. Several major seizures have been reported in recent months, including operations in Douala and Maroua in the Far North Region.

According to security officials, some of the counterfeit banknotes recovered during these operations appear to imitate the Bank of Central African States’ “Type 2020” banknote series, which was introduced across the CEMAC region in December 2022. The discovery underscores the ability of counterfeiters to adapt despite enhanced security features incorporated into the new currency series.

Authorities say the growing number of cases points to increasingly organized criminal networks that combine local production, distribution channels, and potentially cross-border operations. Informal markets, small businesses, currency exchange activities, and cash-based transactions remain particularly vulnerable.

For security agencies, the challenge is twofold: dismantling production and distribution networks while also raising public awareness about counterfeit currency. In a country where cash remains the dominant payment method, officials warn that fake coins and banknotes pose a direct threat to merchants, households, and confidence in everyday commercial transactions.

Source: Sbbc

9, June 2026

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Suspected Ambazonia fighters kill two students in Bambui ⁰

Gunmen suspected to be Ambazonia Restoration fighters shot and killed two students Monday in Bambui, a locality some few kilometers away from Bamenda the chief city in the North West region.

Cameroon Concord News gathered that the students were riding a commercial motorcycle when the gunmen opened fire.

The victims were university students residing in Bambui.

Police reports indicate that attacks on students and teachers have become frequent in Bambui.

Cameroon’s English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions have been experiencing an armed separatist conflict since 2017, with separatists seeking to create a new nation known as the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

By Fon Lawrence

9, June 2026

BEAC halts key refinancing facility for productive investments across CEMAC ⁰

The Bank of Central African States (BEAC) has suspended new refinancing operations under a key facility designed to support productive investment across the six-member Central African Economic and Monetary Community (Cemac), according to sources familiar with the matter.

The decision was reportedly made after heated discussions during a meeting of the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) in Yaoundé on April 2.

The suspension affects medium-term credit refinancing for investment projects, a mechanism that allows commercial banks to obtain funding from the central bank after extending loans to businesses undertaking qualifying projects. According to a BEAC source, the measure is temporary and is intended to give the institution time to modernize the facility.

“This is a provisional suspension that will allow us to update the operating framework of a mechanism that has been in place for decades. For now, we are no longer accepting new refinancing requests from commercial banks, but we continue to process applications submitted before the suspension took effect,” the source said.

The move follows comments made by BEAC Governor Yvon Sana Bangui during a September 2025 press conference, when he announced plans to reform the facility, formerly known as Window B. At the time, he said the review was intended to adapt the mechanism to current economic realities.

A Tool Designed to Support Investment

The Cemac money market operates through two main channels. The first is the interbank market, where commercial banks lend to one another using liquidity held at the central bank. The second consists of BEAC interventions through two refinancing facilities known as Window A and Window B.

“Window A is the traditional monetary policy channel through which liquidity is injected into or withdrawn from the banking system. Window B is dedicated to refinancing medium-term loans granted for productive investment,” Bangui previously explained.

Under the rules governing the facility, BEAC financing cannot exceed 60% of a project’s total cost.

Refinancing requests of up to CFA20 billion can be approved directly by the governor. Applications above that threshold require approval from the Monetary Policy Committee. National BEAC directors can approve requests of up to CFA4.5 billion per quarter, with a monthly ceiling of CFA1.5 billion.

For years, commercial banks across Cemac made extensive use of Window A while largely ignoring Window B. “In June 2025, we brought together all commercial banks in Bangui and presented the facility. The finding was striking: many banks were simply unaware that the instrument existed,” Bangui revealed following the September 2025 MPC meeting.

That changed after BEAC’s outreach campaign. Cameroonian banks, in particular, began using what the central bank now calls the Special Refinancing Facility. In 2025 alone, BEAC approved refinancing for CFA41.2 billion in loans linked to the Bipindi-Grand Zambi iron ore project in Cameroon and CFA31.3 billion in financing for telecommunications operator Camtel’s investment program.

CCA Bank was also authorized to raise CFA30 billion from the central bank to help finance a mining project in the Republic of Congo. Afriland First Bank sought refinancing support for a CFA20 billion palm oil processing plant project being developed by the Cotton Development Company (Sodecoton).

Given the growing interest from commercial banks, the suspension temporarily removes an important source of funding for both lenders and industrial projects. Until the revised framework is finalized, banks and businesses across Cemac will have one less tool available to finance investments considered critical to the region’s industrial development.

Source: Business in Cameroon

4, June 2026

What does President Biya really want? Money, women or cigarettes? ⁰

Paul Biya came to power at 49. Fewer people in Cameroon at that time were criminals and what did he do? Nothing.

After more than 40 years as head of state, Biya is now a champion of incompetence and a pretty mess in human form.

This begs the question: what does President Biya really want? Money, women or cigarettes? The answer is none of the above.

What every long-serving dictator in Africa eventually wants is something far more elusive. To be sure, another tomorrow that looks exactly like yesterday.

Money? At a certain point in power, the treasury is just accounting.

Women? We of the Cameroon Concord Group can only speculate, but the Unity Palace has a bigger fish to fry.

Cigarettes? Even a chain smoker eventually puts one out.

Frankly speaking, the true object of desire in our editorial office in London is longevity itself. Not biological longevity, not political longevity but the ability to wake up, glance at the calendar and discover that another decade has quietly slipped by while you remained in the same chair.

In this current dispensation, ministers come and go. Presidential advisers come and go. Political trends in Yaounde come and go. Prime Ministers are being appointed. Governments are being changed. Citizens complain. Yet Unity Palace remains as immovable as a mountain that has misplaced its retirement paperwork.

Concerned citizens have been asking, “Why stay so long?” Supporters answer, “Why leave?” Civil administrators answer, “Register your media outlet with the authorities in Yaoundé before asking difficult questions.”

Meanwhile, the nation is watching a political drama so long-running that it risks being reclassified as a geological formation.

So what does President Biya really want?

According to this editorial: not money, not women not cigarettes.

Biya wants the same thing every veteran of power is accused of wanting by journalists all over the world: One more term. Then one more after that. And perhaps, just for administrative convenience, one more after that.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

2, June 2026

Israel: Senior Mossad official quits after Gofman appointed as head ⁰

A senior Mossad official has resigned from his position after the appointment of Roman Gofman as head of the Israeli spy agency, a move that pundits say is a clear sign of tensions within the Tel Aviv regime’s intelligence service.

According to the Israeli Hebrew-language Channel 12, the official, known by the letter “D”, used to serve as the head of the Teifel department, which is responsible for foreign intelligence relations in Mossad.

He announced his resignation on Monday, just a few hours after the Supreme Court issued a ruling confirming Gofman’s appointment as head of the organization.

The report added that “D” was among the most serious options for the position of the head of Mossad and, before resigning, held the highest position among the heads of the organization’s departments.

According to the Israeli channel, the “Teifel” (meaning “world”) department is responsible for managing Mossad’s foreign intelligence relations and coordinating with intelligence agencies around the world. It is also responsible for developing and managing communication channels and diplomatic relations with countries with which Israel does not have formal relations.

The public Israeli broadcaster KAN also noted that more senior Mossad officials are expected to resign shortly.

Source: Presstv

2, June 2026

Yaoundé Forum backs shift from transit corridors to industrial value chains ⁰

Stakeholders from the transport and industrial sectors, policymakers, investors and regional institutions have called for Central Africa’s transport corridors to evolve from transit routes into industrial integration platforms capable of accelerating local processing, strengthening regional value chains and expanding participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The call was made at the opening of the fifth edition of Pro Meet Up in Yaounde on June 1. Held under the theme “Central Africa 2035: Integrator Corridors, Catalysts for the Development of Sub-Regional Value Chains,” the forum brings together public and private sector actors seeking to identify projects that can transform logistics infrastructure into drivers of industrial production and cross-border competitiveness. Organisers say the objective is to move beyond discussions centred solely on transport efficiency by developing pilot projects capable of converting existing corridors into platforms for local transformation of raw materials and value-chain expansion.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Transport Minister Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, representing Prime Minister Dr Chief Joseph Dion Ngute, in the presence of the Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Achille Bassilekin III, alongside economic operators and technical partners.

Chief Executive Officer of Pro Meet Up, Carole Mbessa Elongo, said the initiative aims to generate concrete projects within the next three months that can be presented to financing institutions.

For her, the region must now move beyond a model in which corridors derive value primarily from the movement of goods.

“Existing corridors have created value through transit, but the challenge now is to shift towards a new generation of corridors that support local transformation of products and raw materials,” Mbessa Elongo said.

She explained that the objective is to develop local industrial processing capable of serving both domestic markets and the wider AfCFTA market of 1.4 billion people.

The emphasis, she added, is now on implementation. “The focus of this edition is concrete action. Within the coming months, we expect to place bankable projects on the table that financial institutions can support to move regional industrialisation to the next stage,” she said.

According to organisers, the forum is expected to identify high-impact logistics and industrial projects, define implementation mechanisms, strengthen public-private collaboration and establish a framework allowing strategic corridors across Central Africa to join the initiative. The discussions also highlighted the role of payment infrastructure in supporting regional trade.

During the event, the integration of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) and the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) into the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) was also announced.

PAPSS Chief Executive Officer Mike Ogbalu described payment efficiency as a decisive factor in trade competitiveness, noting that delays and transaction costs directly affect business performance across borders.

“Payment costs and delays reduce the capacity of traders to rotate inventory and complete transactions efficiently. That is why reducing settlement timelines from several days to no more than 120 seconds can significantly multiply both trade volumes and transaction value,” Ogbalu said.

He explained that the system allows transactions to be initiated, processed and settled entirely within Africa, eliminating the need to route payments through external financial hubs.

“By keeping payment flows on the continent, we eliminate unnecessary conversion costs and delays. The immediate priority now is for commercial banks in the CEMAC zone to connect their digital channels so payments can become as seamless as sending an SMS,” he said.

Beyond payment facilitation, participants also discussed the physical and institutional conditions needed to support regional integration. Transport Minister Ngalle Bibehe said the theme of this year’s forum reflects the urgency of developing resilient and competitive corridors capable of supporting sub-regional integration.

He noted that Cameroon has intensified investments in ports, rail infrastructure and the digitalisation of logistics procedures to strengthen connectivity while addressing competitiveness and transport safety challenges.

Roundtable discussions and technical panels focused on corridor governance, industrial financing mechanisms, payment facilitation and the institutional frameworks required to support implementation across Central Africa.

Source: Business in Cameroon

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