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15, September 2025

Southern Cameroons Crisis: 1 killed, 4 injured in Batibo ⁰

At least one person was killed and four others injured on Sunday when an improvised explosive device detonated in a bar in Cameroon’s restive Anglophone Northwest region, security sources said, APA reports citing Xinhua.

The blast took place in Batibo, a locality of the region, with the bomb planted in a bar near a police station, according to officials.

“A group of terrorists targeted the bar because policemen frequently gather there,” a regional security officer told Xinhua. “However, no officers were present during the explosion. All victims were civilians enjoying time with friends and family.”

No group has claimed responsibility, but local authorities attributed the attack to separatist fighters active in the area.

On Monday, separatists initiated a month-long lockdown in Cameroon’s English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions to disrupt school reopenings and the October presidential election.

Separatists have been clashing with government forces in the regions since 2017 in a bid to create an independent nation.

Source: Xinhuanet

2, September 2025

Cameroon Road Network Crisis: 75% requiring rehabilitation ⁰

Three-quarters of Cameroon’s road network remains in a poor or mediocre state despite public investment, according to a September 2025 project review by the country’s Ministry of Public Works. The report reveals that 91,405 km of the nation’s 121,873 km road system are in disrepair, presenting a significant obstacle to economic activity.

Only 25% (30,468 km) of the network is rated as being in good or fair condition. The quality varies significantly by road type. While 100% of the country’s small stretch of motorways (109 km) are in good condition, only 18% of crucial municipal roads meet this standard. National roads fare better, with 69% rated as good or fair, but regional routes lag at just 35%.

The report indicates a marginal five-percentage-point improvement in overall network quality compared to 2024. Progress is being hampered by several systemic issues, including pavement degradation, the impacts of climate change, and a lack of discipline among road users.

A critical factor cited is the weakness of the domestic construction sector. The ministry noted that many local firms lack the financial, technical, and logistical capacity to execute projects effectively. This has led to the termination of 27 contracts between 2019 and 2024 and the closure of several other projects at the request of the struggling companies.

In response, the government is implementing structural reforms. A 2022 law aimed at protecting national road assets is being enforced to increase infrastructure durability. Furthermore, a decree from July 2025 has reorganized the national Road Fund to improve resource allocation for maintenance and rehabilitation.

As of December 31, 2024, Cameroon’s road network consisted of 10,576 km of paved roads and 111,297 km of dirt roads.

Looking ahead, the government plans to launch 132 major new road projects starting in 2025. The initiative aims to pave 882 km of new roads, rehabilitate 661 km of existing paved roads, and perform maintenance on another 828 km by 2027, covering a total distance of 2,371 km.

Source: Business in Cameroon

26, August 2025

Southern Cameroons minerals: Elias Pungong, Colin Mukete at daggers-drawn positions ⁰

The Nkout (2.7 billion tons) and Ntem (98 million tons) iron ore deposits in southern Cameroon are at the heart of a legal and financial battle. At the center of the dispute is Cameroon Mining Exploration (Caminex), the local subsidiary of the bankrupt British group International Mining and Infrastructure Corporation (IMIC).

The control of Caminex is being contested by two parties: Libyan Foreign Bank (LFB), a subsidiary of the Libyan central bank and IMIC’s main creditor, represented in Cameroon by Elias Pungong; and Caisse Capital Ltd, an investment firm owned by Cameroonian billionaire Colin Mukete, who was also a financier of the British group.

At the heart of the dispute are the legality of LFB’s claim to IMIC’s shares in Caminex and the true amount of financing invested in the exploration of the Nkout and Ntem deposits.

According to Elias Pungong, LFB’s takeover of Caminex was a result of a London court decision. He asserts that after IMIC went bankrupt and could no longer repay its debts, LFB, as the main creditor, went to court in London. The court ruled in favor of LFB buying all of IMIC’s shares, making the Libyan bank the majority shareholder of Caminex.

This version is disputed by other creditors, including Caisse Capital. Its lawyer, Etah Akoh, claims that “the London court only went so far as to pronounce the liquidation of IMIC and appoint a liquidator.” He insists that by law, only a Cameroonian court could rule on the shares of a local company like Caminex. “In claiming otherwise, Mr. Pungong has lied, and we plan to sue him for false testimony,” the Caisse Capital lawyer said.

According to Etah Akoh, the London court could not have awarded the Caminex shares to LFB in any case, since the Libyan bank was only one of IMIC’s creditors. He stated that LFB was fully aware of Caisse Capital, which had injected $5 million into the project. “LFB made contact with us, and discussions took place,” he said. “How, under these conditions, can the bank now want to seize IMIC’s assets in Caminex for itself?“

In response, Elias Pungong said LFB’s $200 million claim against IMIC justified its status as a “senior debt,” or priority claim. “False,” Etah Akoh retorted. “From a legal standpoint, it’s not the amount that matters, but the structure and guarantees. A bank that lends $10 million with a mortgage takes precedence over one that lends $100 billion with no security.” In a Nov. 22, 2024, letter to the Minister of Mines, Industry, and Technological Development, Etah Akoh’s firm, Etah-Nan & Co, informed the mining authority that “LFB’s intrusion in Caminex’s affairs has no legal basis.”

Conflicting Claims Muddle Battle for Iron Ore Assets

The dispute also extends to investment figures. LFB claims that IMIC invested more than $400 million in exploration activities at Nkout and Ntem, financed by loans taken out by IMIC to fund Caminex’s activities. Sources say LFB claims the bulk of these investments in documents submitted to the Cameroonian government. LFB also acknowledges a $5 million debt owed to Caisse Capital by IMIC.

Contacted by Business in Cameroon, Elias Pungong claimed that LFB granted nearly $200 million in loans to IMIC and its subsidiary Affero Mining. He also stated that IMIC raised another $200 million on the London Stock Exchange to finance its activities in Cameroon, bringing the total invested in the country to over $400 million. He said the funds were used to acquire machinery, cover headquarters costs, and conduct exploration studies on the two mining sites.

However, these figures diverge from those advanced by Gordon Partnership, IMIC’s legal counsel. In a Feb. 21, 2018, letter to LFB, the London-based firm detailed its client’s debt situation. “In summary, IMIC owes LFB approximately $81 million and other creditors $70 million. Its subsidiary Affero owes LFB nearly $94 million,” the letter read. In other words, IMIC’s total debt would amount to $245 million, of which $175 million is owed to LFB. The law firm makes no mention of the $200 million IMIC allegedly raised on the stock exchange.

The difference of $155 million between the claimed investment and the debt figures fuels suspicions of fraud.

Caisse Capital alleges that the $400 million in investments put forward by LFB is fraudulent. According to its lawyer, no tangible proof has ever been provided for the financing LFB claims it provided through IMIC to Caminex. “A mining project that receives 224 billion CFA francs would inevitably leave visible traces. Yet at the time of IMIC’s bankruptcy, Caminex was buried under more than 2 billion CFA francs in tax debts, had 160 million in unpaid wages, had lost its offices, and was trying to sell a few vehicles to pay its employees. Its workforce was limited to a few workers abandoned in the bush due to lack of pay. Is that the face of a company that would have absorbed nearly $400 million? Certainly not,” Etah Akoh said.

Caisse Capital shares the position that only a small portion of the $175 million borrowed by IMIC and Affero Mining was actually used for the project. “Based on my experience as a lawyer in this sector, the monthly costs of such a company do not exceed 30 to 50 million CFA francs. Over three years, even including laboratory analyses in London or Canada, expenses could not have exceeded 15 billion CFA francs per permit. How then can you explain the 224 billion CFA francs announced by LFB? These figures are implausible.”

Despite the disagreements, LFB is claiming a central role in the management of the Cameroonian permits and is attempting to convince the government in Yaoundé to grant it a mining convention.

Caisse Capital argues that this is merely a maneuver to erase its own status as a creditor. Colin Mukete’s firm maintains that its $5 million loan to IMIC should entitle it to a stake in any future convention. It is firmly opposed to an agreement being signed for the sole benefit of Caminex and LFB, which it accuses of artificially inflating its contributions. “LFB is not a mining company. Its strategy is to deceive the Cameroonian government and then find a buyer who will acquire Caminex to recoup the $400 million it claims to have invested. This investment is fictitious,” Etah Akoh charged.

A Test for Cameroon’s Business Climate

The Ministry of Mines, however, seems favorable to resuming discussions with Caminex and LFB. This prospect alarms Caisse Capital, whose lawyer has threatened to go to Cameroonian and international courts to have any convention signed under these conditions annulled. “LFB and Mr. Pungong can try to obtain a mining convention with government support. I cannot prevent them from doing that. But I can, and I will, initiate legal proceedings to annul any convention signed on such a false basis. And once the proceedings begin, no serious lender will take the risk of financing this project,” said Caisse Capital through its legal counsel.

Beyond this standoff between creditors, the future of two of Cameroon’s most significant iron ore deposits remains uncertain. The government, having been solicited by LFB for a mining convention, will have to arbitrate a case that involves not only millions of dollars but also the credibility of the country’s business climate.

Source: Business in Cameroon

20, August 2025

Old CPDM Tricks: Sonara to audit staff as part of refinery restructuring plan ⁰

Cameroon’s state-owned oil refinery Sonara has launched an audit of its human resources and career management. The company has opened a CFA80 million tender, according to a call for bids signed by Managing Director Bako Harouna.

The goal is to give management “an effective and lasting match between its workforce and its jobs, in terms of staffing, qualifications, and profiles.”

The selected firm will be tasked with reviewing staff numbers, evaluating the quality of job profiles, and assessing the alignment between skills and roles. The audit will also include an evaluation of the monitoring and control systems for human resources to determine whether they are suited to Sonara’s responsibilities and workload.

The review will extend to career management, including promotions, identifying shortcomings, and recommending improvements to boost management efficiency. It will also highlight areas where new human resources policies and procedures are needed.

The initiative follows the board of directors’ approval of an ambitious restructuring plan known as the Acceleration Plan for Restructuring and Rehabilitation Measures for Refining Recovery within 24 Months (Parras 24). The program aims to restore the refinery’s capacity to pre-2019 levels, before a fire destroyed part of its facilities.

Sonara has been out of operation for six years, adding to its debt burden with traders, banks, and the tax authorities. In this context, the staff audit is seen as a key step to determine whether the refinery has the skills needed for its industrial revival.

Source: Business in Cameroon

16, August 2025

Newspaper Publishers welcome CAMASEJ Ethics Committee ⁰

The newly-installed Ethics & Disciplinary Committee (EDC) of the Cameroon Association of English-speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ) has been well received by newspaper publishers.

Publishers of newspapers who are the main employers of members of CAMASEJ expressed kind words and made proposals to the Executive Secretary of EDC in the first outing by the Ethics Committee since it began its operations about a week ago.

Paying a courtesy call on newspaper publishers in Buea on 5 June, EDC’s Executive Secretary, Franklin Sone Bayen, had a brief exchange with them on the sidelines of the CENPA Awards organized by the Cameroon English Language Newspaper Publishers’ Association (CENPA) at Mountain Hotel in Buea.

For about 30 minutes, Bayen engaged with nearly 20 newspaper publishers, explaining the vision, mission and methods of EDC to achieve its objectives.

“As newspaper publishers, you are employers of CAMASEJ members as well as many of you are members of CAMASEJ, thus EDC concerns you,” said the EDC Executive Secretary in his opening statement.

“We are told Jesus came to die for our sins but I think he also came to understand mankind, to have our human experience so that when he sits in judgement besides God the Father, he would use his experience in human frailty to tamper the wrath of God who is perfect. He would beg the Father to take it easy because he lived the experience of the temptations that lead Man to commit sin. He would tell the Father, for example, that being in the company of Mary and Martha and feeling the sensation of a woman oiling his feet, He understands better why Man can fall into sin, though sexual misconduct may not be totally excused,” Bayen went on.

“Likewise, we, members of EDC, being your colleagues, will not act as if we are perfect. We’ll act with an understanding of the challenges of our profession and its pitfalls though we must uphold values because blatant misconduct must not be tolerated, else impunity and abuses would thrive,” he said.

Bayen said that is why the best media regulation is self-regulation under peer review.

He told the publishers that EDC is not a declaration of war on journalists and publishers but a partner to assist publishers in maintaining order in their newsrooms by guiding and cautioning reporters and editors who could be perpetrators of professional ethical misconduct which could be costly to publishers themselves.

“Unlike undertakers and others in the death industry like coffin makers and hearse rentals who may wish for people to die for their business to thrive, we at ED rather wish for fewer or no media offences as the absence of offences would be good news to us, because it means less work for us and also that would suggest that journalists are increasingly ethically consciousness,” the Ethics henchman went on.

Bayen said EDC wishes to collaborate with publishers for a number of reasons. He said EDC wants publishers to give it logistic support by making available their newspapers to ease EDC monitoring due to its limited means.

EDC also wants publishers to take the commitment to enforce EDC recommendations and decisions on its staff because that would also save them the troubles the unethical misconduct of their staff can bring upon them.

Reacting, some newspaper publishers expressed certain concerns. Choves Loh, publisher of The News newspaper, proposed the inclusion of non-CAMASEJ members in EDC to broaden its scope of influence beyond just CAMASEJ members.

Elias Ngalame, publisher of Eco-Outlook advised EDC to bear in mind the commercial interests of newspapers and understand that ethical considerations may be limited in commercial reporting or “advertorials” in the local Press parlance.

Bouddih Adams of The Post said clearcut distinctions between news, editorials and commercial or advertorial content would save newspapers EDC’s wrath.

Responding to the publishers, the EDC Executive Secretary said EDC would take their concerns into consideration where possible but pointed out that as a general principle, commercial stories must be labelled as “advertorial” or “spotlight” or “special report”, without which they are ethically wrong.

Bayen told the publishers that in continuation of EDC’s outreach, it will visit individual newsrooms in the coming days to hold working sessions with their staff and sign Memorandums of Understand with publishers.

Besides watching over ethics in news media, EDC also has the duty of ensuring discipline among CAMASEJ members.

12, August 2025

Macron admits France’s ‘repressive violence’ in Cameroon during decolonisation ⁰

Macron has acknowledged that France waged a “war” in Cameroon during and after the African country’s decolonisation in the late 1950s, marked by “repressive violence”, in a letter published Tuesday.

The letter, sent to his Cameroonian counterpart last month, follows an officially commissioned report, published in January, which said that France implemented mass forced displacement, pushed hundreds of thousands of Cameroonians into internment camps and supported brutal militias to squash the central African country’s push for sovereignty.

The historical commission, the creation of which had been announced by Macron during a 2022 trip to Yaounde, examined France’s role leading up to when Cameroon gained independence from France on January 1, 1960, but also during the subsequent years.

“The historians of the commission made it very clear that there was a war in Cameroon, during which the colonial authorities and the French army carried out repressive violence of several kinds in certain parts of the country in a war that continued after 1960 when France supported the actions carried out by the independent Cameroon authorities,” Macron said in the letter to Cameroonian President Paul Biya, published by the French presidency.

“It is incumbent on me today to accept France’s role and responsibility in these events,” he said.

Source: AFP

12, August 2025

‘The Elders’ group of global leaders warns of ‘unfolding genocide’ in Gaza ⁰

A group of distinguished world leaders, known as The Elders, has characterized the situation in the Gaza Strip as an “unfolding genocide,” calling for decisive measures to halt Israel’s obstruction of aid into the besieged Palestinian territory, which is causing a “famine.”

The Elders, a nongovernmental organization founded by former South African President Nelson Mandela in 2007 to address global human rights issues and abuses, made the remarks in a statement on Tuesday, following its delegates’ visit to the Rafah border crossing in Egypt.

“Today we express our shock and outrage at Israel’s deliberate obstruction of the entry of life-saving humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the group said.

“What we saw and heard underlines our personal conviction that there is not only an unfolding, human-caused famine in Gaza. There is an unfolding genocide,” it added.

Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand, emphasized the urgent need for Israel to open the Rafah border crossing to allow the delivery of aid after her visit to the site.

Source: Presstv

8, August 2025

Yaoundé: Is the world’s oldest leader set for an eighth term? ⁰

Cameroon’s constitutional council has upheld the decision by the country’s electoral body to exclude opposition leader Maurice Kamto from the 12 October presidential election.

While the firebrand political figure was sidelined, 92-year-old President Paul Biya whose candidacy also faced opposition, was cleared to run for what would be his eighth term in the oil-rich Central African nation.

If he were elected for another seven-year term, he could remain in power until he was almost 100.

Kamto was ruled out because a rival faction of the Manidem party which endorsed him presented another individual as a candidate, highlighting an internal squabble.

His exclusion sparked outrage, with his lawyers describing the rejection of his petition as more of a political than a legal move.

Who are the main candidates?

Of the 83 candidates who submitted their applications to the electoral body, only 12 have been approved.

The reasons given by Elections Cameroon (Elecam) for the disqualification of the 71 range from incomplete files, non-payment of the required deposit, to multiple candidacies from the same party.

Of all the contestants, six are seen as the main contenders:

1. Paul Biya

At 92, Paul Biya is the world’s oldest serving head of state. He has been in power for nearly 43 years since 1982. Biya leads the ruling CPDM party which dominates the political scene. He is widely considered the favourite, now that his main rival, Kamto, is out of the way.

The veteran politician has never lost an election since the return of multi-party politics in 1990. However, his victories have been marred by allegations of vote rigging – claims which his party and the government have continuously denied.

Announcing his intention to run, Biya said his eighth mandate would focus on the wellbeing of women and young people.

2. Bello Bouba Maigari

Bello Bouba Maigari, 78, is an experienced politician who hails from Cameroon’s vote-rich northern region.

He is the president of the National Union for Democracy and Progress (NUDP) party founded in 1990. He served in the governments of both of Cameroon’s presidents -Ahmadou Ahidjo and Paul Biya.

In fact, he was Biya’s first prime minister between 1982 and 1983. Since 1997, Maigari has forged an alliance with Biya’s CPDM party that helped the latter clinch significant votes from the north.

However, this political marriage ended in June following pressure from within his party to run independently.

While serving as Minister of State for Tourism and Leisure, Maigari announced his resignation and declared himself a candidate against Biya, who he also faced in the 1992 presidential election.

3. Issa Tchiroma Bakary

Another former Biya ally whose candidacy came as a surprise is 75-year-old Issa Tchiroma Bakary. Like Maigari, he is from the country’s north and has been influential in helping Biya secure the region’s votes.

After a 20-year stint in different government roles, Tchiroma finally pulled the plug on his time with the 92-year-old leader, resigning from his role as Minister of Employment and Vocational Training to announce his candidacy.

Tchiroma, who heads the Cameroon National Salvation Front (CNSF) party, criticised Biya’s governance style and hinged his presidential bid on a promise to overhaul the system, which he described as “suffocating”.

AFP via Getty Images A man painted in green and white colours — Supporters of Joshua Osih came out in donned in party colours when he campaigned in the 2018 election, but he came fourth

4. Cabral Libii

Cabral Libii, president of the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation (PCRN), is a vibrant member of parliament who is making his second attempt at getting the country’s top job.

In 2018, he was the youngest of the nine presidential candidates, aged just 38, coming third with 6% of the vote.

Libii’s candidature in this year’s election was challenged by PCRN founder Robert Kona, who disputed the lawmaker’s legitimacy to lead the party.

However, the Constitutional Council rejected Kona’s petition and upheld the electoral body’s decision to allow Libii to stand.

5. Akere Muna

Akere Muna was a candidate in the 2018 presidential election but pulled out at the last minute and threw his weight behind Kamto. This time around, Muna, a staunch international anti-corruption lawyer, says he wants to challenge Biya himself.

The 72-year-old is from a family of politicians – his late father Solomon Tandeng Muna served as Prime Minister of West Cameroon after independence, Vice-President of the then Federal Republic of Cameroon and Speaker of the National Assembly.

As Speaker, Solomon Muna swore in Biya when he took over as president after Ahmadou Ahidjo resigned.

Muna is promising to rid the bilingual country of the corruption and bad governance that he says have soiled its image at the international scene.

6. Joshua Osih

JoshuaOsih is jumping into the presidential race for the second time after his first attempt in 2018 proved futile.

He heads the Social Democratic Front (SDF) party, succeeding the iconic late opposition leader John Fru Ndi. The SDF used to be the country’s main opposition outfit, but its influence later dwindled, exacerbated by infighting and the expulsion of several party members in 2023.

Osih, 56, came fourth in the 2018 polls with 3%, but is hoping to defeat Biya through a promise of social and institutional reforms.

AFP via Getty Images A close-up shot of Maurice Kamto. He has short hair and glasses and is wearing a blue jacket. — Maurice Kamto was President Paul Biya’s main challenger in the previous election

Who poses the strongest challenge to Biya?

For many decades, President Biya has succeeded in maintaining a firm grip on power, making it difficult for him to lose elections.

The decision of political heavyweights Bello Bouba Maigari and Issa Tchiroma Bakary to challenge him appeared to make life more difficult, but some analysts believe they do not pose a significant threat to Biya.

Dr Pippie Hugues, a policy analyst with Cameroonian think-tank Nkafu Policy Institute, argues that their alliance with the current regime lessens their credibility with opposition voters.

“Cameroonians need more than just a resignation to trust them,” he told the BBC. “Both have been with the system and watched the nation suffer.”

Dr Hugues further suggested that the two northern candidates might be part of a political plot staged by the regime.

However, ruling party officials have portrayed the rupture as genuine, acknowledging that the CPDM could struggle to obtain as many votes from the north as before.

Given Kamto’s exclusion, Biya’s strongest challenger in 2018, third-placed Libii could arguably claim to be his main threat this year.

Although he got just 6% of the vote, Libii’s political evolution since then has been praised.

He led his party to win five seats in parliament and seven local councils during the 2020 legislative and municipal elections. Since becoming a member of parliament in the process, he has challenged the government on key policy issues, promising sweeping changes if he takes over the reins of power.

However, Dr Hugues says Libii’s vision is opaque, citing Akere Muna as a more convincing candidate with a much clearer project for the nation of nearly 30 million people.

“Muna has a wealth of international experience and diplomatic character, and that is what the nation needs now,” he said, while praising the renowned lawyer’s five-year transition plan to “put the nation back on track”.

Could the opposition unite?

Historically, Cameroon’s opposition has been fragmented especially during elections, with analysts saying this has disadvantaged them.

Ahead of this year’s presidential election, there has been much talk about the need for the opposition to unite and harmonise strategies to take on Biya. But with each candidate prioritising their own interests, it remains unclear if most – let alone all – of them would work together, despite the risk this could help the president.

“It might be the end of their political careers, or their parties, if they don’t come together,” said civil society leader Felix Agbor Balla.

“Kamto and the others must look for someone in the opposition who can carry the baton – and they must put the nation first, rise above their personal ego to look for a consensual candidate that can give the CPDM a run on the 12th of October,” he told the BBC.

Anadolu via Getty Images Protesters gather at Place de la Republique in Paris on May 31, 2025, at the call of the Cameroonian diaspora. Waving flags, holding placards and banners, they expressed their opposition to President Paul Biya, — Maurice Kamato has drummed up support among Cameroonians in the diaspora, as protests in support of him have taken place in Paris, France

Dr Hugues agrees that Kamto should use his influence to drum up support for an opposition coalition since he is now out of the race.

He insists “change must not [only] come with him [Kamto], but change can come through him”.

He added that an opposition coalition is possible and made reference to a meeting attended by opposition figures on 2 August in Foumban town in the West region.

Prince Michael Ekosso, president of the United Socialist Democratic Party (USDP), who took part in the meeting, told the BBC the aim was to lay the groundwork for a “consensual candidate”.

While no specific candidate has been designated yet, the criteria for consideration were laid down.

“We want a figure who is going to be responding to the aspirations of Cameroonians, someone who is flexible to work with others, someone who is bilingual and able to mobilise other candidates and political actors,” Ekosso said.

In the 1992 presidential election, firebrand opposition leader John Fru Ndi was backed by the Union for Change, a coalition of political parties and civil society organisations.

Although he was not the only opposition candidate, analysts say the coalition helped him get 36% of the vote – just shy of Biya’s 40%.

That was the closest anyone has ever got to beating Biya. Fru Ndi even claimed victory, but the authorities rejected allegations of vote rigging and confirmed Biya as the winner.

Many believe if the opposition doesn’t band together as it did in 1992, Biya might have an easy ride to the presidency.

“He has the experience, the human resources and the system to his advantage,” says Dr Hugues.

Source: BBC

29, July 2025

African liberation movements: West trying to divide and dominate continent again ⁰

Liberation movements from six African countries have gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa, to strengthen unity against Western interference, warning that external forces are attempting to divide African countries and recapture the continent economically.

Several heads of African states whose liberation movements now serve as governing parties in their respective countries gathered in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, over the weekend.

They reflected on their roles in the struggle for freedom and recommitted to unity while defending democratic gains against neo-colonialism.

The delegates also reflected on their role in improving and uplifting the standard of living on the continent.

Apart from internal political issues gripping the organizations, the leaders of the political parties also criticized the interference of Western countries in African affairs, blaming external forces from the West for fueling divisions on the continent.

In a united front, the parties, which were mostly represented by their presidents, vowed not to allow colonialists to recapture the continent through economic and other sanctions.

In response to the latest sanctions by US President Donald Trump, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the external forces have been unrelenting in their quest to obliterate liberation movements from the political radar in the region.

“However, we must remain emboldened by our rich liberation history, which is our greatest teacher. The millions of people who look to liberation movements with hope for a better tomorrow should be a source of inspiration,” he noted.

Mnangagwa added that the liberation movement needs the same vigor and energy that defeated the colonial powers to defeat them again.

“We defeated them in the past, and we shall defeat them again, and again and again. Through our unity and unbreakable solidarity, victory is always certain,” he said.

The president of Namibia and Swapo, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, said that there were concerted efforts by those who were opposed to independence, who masqueraded in economic, political and diplomatic conspiracies to undermine the gains of the movement.

“They are motivated, as we are all aware, by both domestic and foreign policy interests and actively seek to undermine the political dominance of our liberation parties, with the long-term objective of weakening and unseating us from power altogether,” she said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah underlined that those external forces wanted to divide and conquer while extracting the wealth of the continent to benefit their countries.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, for his part, said liberation movements should refuse to accept colonialism as fate.

“We also recall that the project to dismantle apartheid, racism, colonialism and hate was one which profited from international solidarity with the [Organization of African Unity] OAU Liberation Committee as well as the progressive diaspora and friends at the forefront,” he said.

Ramaphosa reminded the delegates that the struggles were not simply for political independence but for the total liberation of their people: economic, cultural, intellectual and social.

The African National Congress (ANC) closed the summit by handing over the leadership to the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) of Tanzania, which is scheduled to host the forthcoming summit.

Source: Presstv

26, July 2025

2025 Presidential Elections: CPDM regime puts Cameroon on a war path! ⁰

Elections Cameroon known as ELECAM has released the list of approved presidential candidates for the upcoming presidential elections and it is clear that Prof. Maurice Kamto, the man who has the entire nation behind him and the only opposition candidate who strikes fear in the CPDM corrupt regime has been cut out.

The news has hit Cameroonians like a ton of bricks and many are so disappointed with the CPDM regime which has held the country hostage for forty-three years.

Cameroon has witnessed significant decline in all sectors over the last four decades and it will take a different mindset for the country to walk away from the destructive mentality that has sent many innocent souls to an early grave.

Besides cutting out Prof. Maurice Kamto from the race, Anicet Ekane, the president of MANIDEM, the political party which has nominated Prof. Kamto, has been put under arrest.

The question is: Why is Anicet Ekane under house arrest? Is it by practicing violence on Cameroonians that the beleaguered Biya regime will perpetuate itself in power?

Cutting out Prof. Kamto from the 2025 presidential election is one mistake the government might regret in a few days. Tensions are high in the country and Cameroonians living abroad are already talking about financing a civil war. The Yaoundé regime has clearly demonstrated that political change in Cameroon will never come through the ballot box and this implies that Cameroonians should pick up arms and start killing each other.

ELECAM has decided to destroy Cameroon. It must be held accountable and its members have simply opened themselves up for personal attacks. There are discussions currently underway on how to eliminate those ELECAM officials who succumbed to the pressure from the country’s territorial administration minister, Atanga Nji. Cameroonians are frustrated. They are hungry and the pain is beyond measure. It should not be a surprise when bombs start going off in Cameroon in the coming days.

This act by the government and ELECAM, which is a government political tool, demonstrates that the CPDM cannot genuinely win an election. The CPDM cannot destroy itself by always resorting to actions which discredit it.

The CPDM can run a successful election without resorting to this barbarism that has become its hallmark. The CPDM simply needs to fill in the right candidates in every election and it will post impressive results. The CPDM is the only political party in Cameroon with a national reach. Why the fear!

What is the rationale behind imposing a 93 year old man on Cameroonians? The CPDM has many youthful and strategic brains which can lead the country to a new and prosperous era. President Biya whose health and age are already a handicap is not the only person who can rule Cameroon. The CPDM should understand that some of its acts like the decision to cut Prof. Maurice Kamto out only make violent change inevitable.

There is surely going to be violence in the coming days. If what has been playing out in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon has not taught the Yaoundé regime any lessons, then the government was never designed to learn.

If an armed conflict erupts in East Cameroon, it will certainly find a rear base in Southern Cameroons where armed groups are still creating havoc.

Cameroon’s future is bleak. The CPDM must understand that old tricks cannot always work. This is the era of cutting edge technology and with the Internet; the world can easily understand the mess that is playing out. Would it not have been a lot wiser to beat Prof. Kamto in the ballot box?

Why put the country on a war path when everyone understands that the CPDM regime is on its last leg? President Biya is dying, that is, if he is not already dead. Why push the country to a bloody civil war because of a man who had the opportunity to transform Cameroon into an El-dorado but spent most of his time sleeping at the switch?

Cameroon must change and it will change this year. The CPDM regime has chosen its side. It wants to plunge the country into a bitter civil war and this will surely happen sooner rather than later.

There are many young unemployed men who constitute a huge pool of fighters. All they need now is weapons and a few dollars bills for them to transform that country into another Democratic Republic of Congo. Is the Yaoundé regime really prepared for such a doomsday scenario?

The ball is in court of those young men whose future has been mortgaged by a regime that is inimical to development and economic prosperity. Cameroonian youths must take their responsibility. Prayers and wishes will never address unemployment, despondency, desperation and poverty. Sometimes, real freedom comes through the barrel of the gun. The government has thrown down the gauntlet. It is up to the youths of that country to demonstrate that they can bring about real change by taking to the streets and changing a regime that has been insensitive to the plight of the people.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Editor-In-Chief