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15, May 2026

Bundes: Chancellor Merz says he wouldn’t advise young Germans to move to US ⁰

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has warned young people in his country against moving to the United States, citing a worsening “social climate” there.

Addressing young people at the German Catholic Congress in Würzburg on Friday, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) said that he would not advise German youth to move to the United States for either study or work.

“Today, I would not recommend that my children go to the US to receive their education and work there,” Merz said, adding, ”A different social climate has developed there.”

Merz said German youth need to think twice before pursuing education or work in the US, saying that Germany offers better long-term opportunities to its people.

He emphasized, “[T]oday, even the best-educated people in the US have great difficulty finding a job.”

Germany’s social market economy continues to offer strong prospects, including employee participation rights and the opportunity to have a say at all levels, he insisted, adding that despite the economic fallout from international conflicts and wars, the long-term opportunities in the country were still better than elsewhere.

“I want to encourage all of us to stay optimistic that, despite many challenges, we can make it happen. I keep trying to do that, including by explaining things,” Merz said.

“It is my firm conviction that there are few countries in the world that offer such tremendous opportunities, especially for young people, as Germany does.”

Source: Presstv

14, May 2026

Cameroon’s gold sector: investigation uncovers more than 200 illegal mining companies ⁰

An investigation into Cameroon’s gold sector has uncovered more than 200 illegal artisanal mining companies, most of them foreign-owned, the country’s mines ministry said on Wednesday.

The investigation was launched after huge discrepancies emerged between Cameroon’s official gold exports and far higher import figures reported by other countries, in particular the United Arab Emirates.

“About 200 illegal companies have been identified in the east and Adamawa regions, more than 95 percent of them foreign firms,” the ministry said in a statement.

According to a list published by the ministry, many of the companies are run by Chinese nationals.

Authorities have called on the firms to “immediately halt mining activities” but did not mention possible sanctions or legal action.

A 2023 report published last December by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative showed major discrepancies in official figures.

Cameroon reported producing 953 kilograms of gold that year, with just 22.3kg officially exported. But importing countries reported receiving 15.2 tonnes (15,200kg), nearly 680 times more.

“This suggests a large share of gold, especially artisanal mining, bypasses official channels and is diverted into informal networks or smuggled,” said researcher Aicha Pemboura in a March report on organised crime in central Africa.

Despite a new mining code adopted in 2023, Pemboura says corruption and the influence of powerful elites still limit enforcement.

Source: AFP

13, May 2026

Colonel Hamad Kalkaba Malboum: Cameroon mourns a guardian of national pride ⁰

The President of the National Olympic and Sports Committee of Cameroon is no more! Retired Colonel Hamad Kalkaba Malboum died today in Yaoundé, the nation’s capital. No details have been released regarding the circumstances of his passing. But family sources have hinted that his funeral is scheduled to take place in a few hours at the Etoudi Mosque in Yaoundé. The nation is not mourning only a sports administrator but a builder of dreams, a guardian of national pride and a giant of African sport who has travelled to the land of his ancestors aged 76.

Colonel Hamad Kalkaba Malboum was a gentleman par excellence who believed in the Anglo-Saxon tradition of integrity and he carried the Olympic spirit not as a title but as a calling. To be sure, he stood at the crossroads of discipline and vision, blending the firmness of a Cameroonian soldier with the heart of a mentor. Under Colonel Hamad Kalkaba’s leadership, Africa’s sporting movements found not only integrity and dignity but also direction. He believed and fervently too that sport could unite tribes, generations and nations and he dedicated his whole life to making that belief real.

From stadiums in Douala, Buea, Bamenda, Garoua and Yaoundé to international Olympic assemblies, Colonel Hamad Kalkaba Malboum’s voice carried the hopes of African athletes. Kalkaba fought endlessly for the recognition of African sport on the world stage, ensuring that the dreams born on dusty training grounds could shine beneath Olympic lights.

But far beyond the medals, the international congresses and the titles, Colonel Hamad Kalkaba Malboum will be remembered for something deeper: his unwavering faith in the Cameroonian youth.

Colonel Kalkaba saw potential where everyone saw limitation.

Colonel Kalkaba inspired courage where others saw obstacles.

Colonel Kalkaba reminded the world that excellence belongs to Africa too.

Colonel Hamad Kalkaba Malboum left something behind that is very difficult to describe but the world is very much aware!

Even in death, Colonel Kalkaba’s legacy lives on:

in every Cameroonian athlete who dares to dream,

in every African flag raised in international competition,

and in every young sportsman or woman who now believes the world stage is within reach. Colonel Kalkaba did not merely lead institutions. Kalkaba shaped destinies.

May Yaoundé remember Colonel Kalkaba’s footsteps.

May Cameroon honour Colonel Kalkaba’s sacrifice.

May Africa never forget his service.

And may his soul find eternal peace among the champions he inspired.

Born on November 11, 1950 in Kawadji near Kousséri, he served as President of the National Olympic and Sports Committee of Cameroon since 1998, President of the African Athletics Confederation (CAA), and Vice President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) since August 2015.

He replaced Lamine Diack following the death of Primo Nebiolo and lost the presidency of the International Military Sports Council in 2014. In 2024, he was elected President of the African Olympic Sports Confederation.

Rest well, Colonel! Your race was long, your finish was honorable and your legacy is immortal.

To this I put my name

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

13, May 2026

Uganda: President Museveni sworn in for new 5-year term ⁰

Ugandan President-elect Yoweri Museveni was sworn in on Tuesday for another five-year term at a ceremony in the capital, Kampala.

The ceremony was attended by several African heads of state, former presidents, and dozens of foreign delegations. It also featured an air show and a military parade showcasing various military equipment.

In his inaugural address, the 81-year-old president said his government would continue implementing wealth-creation programs to lift people out of poverty.

He also called on African countries to strengthen regional markets such as the East African Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Museveni said Africa’s economy has remained underdeveloped over the past 70 years due to the export of raw materials, urging African countries to focus on value addition instead of exporting unprocessed or semi-processed products.

It is Museveni’s seventh five-year term since Uganda’s general elections in 1996. He was declared the winner of the January general election after securing more than 70 percent of the vote. ■

President Yoweri Museveni inspects the guard of honor after being sworn in at the presidential swearing-in ceremony in Kampala, Uganda, on May 12, 2026. Ugandan President-elect Yoweri Museveni was sworn in on Tuesday for another five-year term at a ceremony in the capital, Kampala.

President Yoweri Museveni delivers an inaugural address at the presidential swearing-in ceremony in Kampala, Uganda, on May 12, 2026. Ugandan President-elect Yoweri Museveni was sworn in on Tuesday for another five-year term at a ceremony in the capital, Kampala.

Culled from Xinhuanet

11, May 2026

There are reasons why Israel has been President Biya’s key ally since 1984 ⁰

In October 2025, Cameroon’s 92-year-old authoritarian president, Paul Biya, secured another term in elections widely regarded as undemocratic and fraudulent. For 42 years, Biya has ruled Cameroon through repression, violence, the detention of political opponents and journalists, and widespread corruption.

Yet Cameroon remains one of Israel’s most important partners in Africa, while Israel has been one of President Biya’s key allies since 1984.

The official website of Israel’s embassy in the Cameroonian capital, Yaoundé, presents a polished version of bilateral relations. It states that “the Republic of Cameroon and the State of Israel have maintained cooperative ties since Cameroon’s independence in 1960. Cooperation was temporarily suspended in 1973 (with the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War), when many African countries severed bilateral relations with Israel. In 1986, Cameroon was among the first African states to renew diplomatic ties with Israel.”

On the resumption of relations, the official account offers little detail. It notes that in 1986, Israel’s ambassador to Cameroon, Gadi Golan, said the two countries were “jointly engaged in a human-scale enterprise,” pursuing “direct and practical cooperation in line with the needs of a century nearing its end.” It also highlights a visit that August by Prime Minister Shimon Peres to Yaoundé, described as a mission to restore diplomatic ties. Peres reportedly brought emergency medical supplies and personnel to assist victims of a devastating volcanic gas disaster that killed thousands of Cameroonians.

Partially declassified files from Israel’s State Archives tell a different story. As in other African countries, the renewed relationship was driven less by humanitarian concerns and more by Israeli military assistance aimed at helping Biya consolidate power during a critical period – following a failed coup attempt and amid fears of his predecessor, Ahmadou Ahidjo, and his supporters. The cables confirm reporting published over the years while adding new details.

A Foreign Ministry review dated September 20, 1985, states that contacts began in March 1984, during a visit to Cameroon by the ministry’s director-general, who met Biya. “In April 1984, there was a failed coup attempt. The coup was suppressed and a purge was carried out.” In June 1984, “a large security delegation arrived in Israel, headed by the president’s military secretary, and was received by then–Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir.”

The following month, an Israeli delegation – including military and intelligence personnel – traveled to Cameroon. Agreements reached with Biya included appointing a representative for Israeli interests in Cameroon, Israeli assistance in training the presidential guard, intelligence cooperation, and large-scale arms purchases. “All of the above agreements were implemented,” the document notes. Immediately after the meeting, “as a gesture of goodwill, Cameroon transferred $12 million to an account of the Defense Ministry.” Golan arrived in Yaoundé in late August 1984, accompanied by a large delegation from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and military industries.

In an October 23, 1984 cable, Golan – who initially served as head of the Israeli interests section attached to the Belgian embassy, before being appointed ambassador following President Paul Biya’s official announcement of the renewal of relations in August 1986 – reported that he had met with Samuel Missomba, head of the local internal security service, the National Documentation Centre (CND). Missomba told him that Cameroon required Israeli assistance “in establishing an intelligence-gathering system, as well as help in setting up units for operations abroad to collect intelligence or carry out missions against training camps of supporters of the former president in neighboring countries,” and also assistance in “monitoring the activities of the former president and his supporters.”

In a December 28, 1984 cable, the Foreign Ministry Africa Department director reported that CND chief Missomba told him at a dinner that two training courses would be conducted in Cameroon by Israel’s Mossad. In another cable dated May 24, 1985, Golan reported that he had met with Missomba, who said that participants in the Mossad training told him they had “never studied or even come into contact with the material being taught to them – it is an entirely new world for them,” and that a second cycle of the program had been scheduled. According to a cable Golan sent on December 26, 1986, Israel also conducted an intelligence course for the unit responsible for the protection of Biya.

A Foreign Ministry review from September 5, 1985, states that “military and intelligence assistance is being provided on a significant scale, with the Cameroonians paying in advance for services and equipment.”

According to an October 30, 1986 cable from the Israeli mission in Yaoundé, Biya approved sending security personnel to Israel for counterterrorism training. A November 28, 1986 cable reports that the head of the president’s office signed an extension of contracts for Israeli military advisers. An earlier cable, dated February 25, 1986, indicates that 11 IDF officers were involved in training Cameroon’s presidential guard and army.

Between October 26 and 29, 1987, a five-member delegation from a newly established intelligence service, the National Centre for Studies and Research (CENER), visited Israel to meet with the Mossad. In a November 20, 1987 cable, Golan wrote that Missomba – who had been appointed to head CENER and took part in the visit – said he was “deeply moved” by his time in Israel, including meetings with the Mossad chief and the prime minister.

A September 11, 1987 cable included a list of four Cameroonian officers set to travel to Israel “to examine electronic equipment for counterterrorism.”

According to a Foreign Ministry review dated December 11, 1987, “an IDF delegation is training the presidential guard and instructing at the parachuting school. The trained units have received advanced Israeli-made military equipment worth $40 million, paid in full in advance,” and the president had “an Israeli adviser on intelligence matters.”

In a December 19, 1987 cable, Golan described a meeting with Biya, who “expressed satisfaction with the development of cooperation with the Mossad” and sought advice on a successor to Missomba. According to Golan, Biya said that CIA officials had advised against appointing a police or military figure. He asked Golan’s opinion of Missomba’s deputy; Golan replied that the deputy had made a good impression during a visit to Israel.

Between January 10 and 17, 1988, a delegation led by Cameroon’s police commissioner and senior police officers visited Israel. According to a summary of the visit prepared by Foreign Ministry Africa Department director Benaad Avital, agreements were reached on training Cameroonian police – both in Israel and in Cameroon – in counterterrorism and firearms use, as well as in the operation of communications equipment purchased from Israel. Earlier, in a cable dated December 17, 1987, Golan noted that almost all of Cameroon’s police communications equipment was Israeli-made.

Most Foreign Ministry files on Cameroon remain classified. In 2018, however, we – a group of 76 Israeli human rights activists – petitioned the Supreme Court of Israel to revoke export licenses for arms supplied to the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), known in Cameroon as “the Israeli unit,” which was found to have committed serious crimes against civilians in opposition areas. Our petition was based on verified evidence from Cameroonian journalists and opposition activists showing that Israelis had trained and advised the unit, whose soldiers used Israeli weapons including Galil, Galil ACE, Tavor rifles, and Negev machine guns. The court imposed a gag order on the case.

Just as President Biya has relied on Israel, Israel has also relied on him personally to maintain the stability of their bilateral relationship. How relations between the two countries will evolve after a change of power in Cameroon remains an open question.

Source: m.thewire

9, May 2026

Notorious General Philippe Mpay blamed for deplorable actions in Douala dies ⁰

One of the most senior Francophone army officers to serve in Douala during the break down of law and order and who in his later years faced natural justice in a ghastly car crash has died aged 87.

General Philippe Mpay led Cameroon government military operations in the city of Douala and went on to become a hate figure for his leadership that saw the killing of many innocent civilians.

Major General Philippe Mpay of the Francophone dominated Cameroon government army passed away at the military hospital in Yaoundé. Mpay died in the early hours of Saturday, May 9, 2026 according to multiple family sources.

The soldier man was a very influential figure deep within the military and headed the notorious Operational Command established to combat serious crime in the Douala metropolis in 2000.

Mpay was promoted to Brigadier General on February 5, 1993, and then to Major General on September 25, 2001. Until his passing, the late Major General served as Commander of Military Schools and Training Centers and also in the Military Chambers of courts of appeal in nearly all regions of Cameroon.

Born in 1939 in Nguibassa in Nyong-et-Kellé, General Philippe Mpay passed away a few days after former Senate President Marcel Niat and former National Assembly President Cavaye Yeguie Djibril.

By Rita Akana in Yaoundé

7, May 2026

US Secretary Rubio meets Pope Leo XIV in bid to ease tensions ⁰

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio paid a fence‑mending visit to the Vatican on Thursday, highlighting close ties between the two sides after President Donald Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo XIV over his opposition to the Iran war angered the Holy See and triggered an ongoing public spat.

The US State Department underlined its “strong relationship” with the Vatican on Thursday after talks between top diplomat Marco Rubio and Pope Leo, weeks after US President Donald Trump’s astonishing attack on the first American pontiff.

“The conversations today were friendly and constructive,” a State Department official told AFP following the US secretary of state’s private audience at the Vatican.

Rubio’s visit comes after Trump accused Leo, the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, of being “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” following critical comments the pope made about the Middle East war.

After the talks, US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Leo and Rubio discussed the Middle East as well as their mutual interests in the Western Hemisphere – a phrase used by the US to refer to Latin America.

“The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity,” Pigott said.

A US official confirmed that the Catholic Church’s work in Cuba was discussed.

The Holy See has long played an active role in Cuban diplomacy, while Rubio – a Cuban-American – has led the US administration’s efforts to bring major change to the communist-run country.

Rubio also met with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, with whom he discussed subjects including religious freedom, according to Pigott.

Rubio, a devout Catholic, had earlier sought to play down the rift between Trump and the pope, which sparked global headlines and risked alienating Catholic US voters.

The US ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, told reporters this week it would likely be a “frank conversation”.

For the Vatican’s part, “we’ll listen to him”, Parolin had said on Wednesday, noting that Washington had initiated the meeting.

The Trump administration had celebrated the election one year ago – May 8, 2025 – of Leo, the first US pontiff in history.

But its relations with the Holy See have since sharply deteriorated.

Trump’s unprecedented attack came after Leo called for peace in the Middle East war launched by Israel and the United States.

The pontiff condemned a threat by Trump to destroy Iranian civilisation as “truly unacceptable”.

Before leaving for Rome, Rubio said the trip had been planned before the clash, adding: “There’s a lot to talk about with the Vatican.”

On Thursday, a US source hailed the welcome extended to Rubio, saying it “exceeded expectations”.

Rubio’s motorcade entered the Vatican through the Arch of Bells, an honour normally accorded to heads of state, and he was greeted by the Swiss Guard.

‘Pope being pope’

Despite the peace-making attempt, Trump again criticised the pope in an interview on Monday, alleging that Leo believes it is “OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon”.

“I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people,” Trump said of the pontiff.

Asked about the comments on Tuesday, Leo said that the Catholic Church’s mission was to “preach peace” and the Gospel.

“If anyone wishes to criticise me for proclaiming the Gospel, let them do so truthfully,” he told reporters.

“The Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons for years, so there is no doubt about that, and I simply hope to be heard for the sake of the value of God’s word.”

Parolin said Wednesday that attacking the pope “seems a little strange to me”, adding: “The pope is being the pope.”

Leo’s nationality means his words carry more weight in Washington than those of his predecessors – and he has used them, notably criticising the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

But it was the pontiff’s increasing anti-war rhetoric that triggered Trump’s ire.

The pope and Rubio met for the first time last year at the Vatican, alongside US Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, just days after Leo’s election.

Sources: AFP and AP

5, May 2026

Mali leader Assimi Goïta assumes role of defense minister ⁰

Mali leader, Assimi Goïta, will assume the additional role of defense minister, according to a decree read on state TV on Monday, following the death of the previous minister in large-scale attacks.

Mali’s army chief of staff, General Oumar Diarra, ⁠will serve as minister delegate for defense, said the report, which described the move as a “strategic decision coming in a security context that remains ‌sensitive”.

The simultaneous attacks beginning on the morning of April 25 showed how fighters from different groups with different goals were ‌able to strike at the heart of the West African country’s military government, which took power after coups in 2020 and 2021.

Sadio Camara, the former defence minister who was instrumental in forging stronger ties with Russia, was killed when a car laden with explosives driven by a suicide attacker drove into his residence, the government has previously said.

The attacks set off fighting across Mali’s vast desert north, raising the prospect of significant gains by armed groups that have shown an increasing willingness to strike neighbouring countries and, analysts say, could eventually ⁠set their sights further afield.

Source: AFP

5, May 2026

BEAC says Cameroon is dominating Mobile Money in Central Africa ⁰

Cameroon remains the leading Mobile Money market in Central Africa, strengthening its position in 2024 even as competition across the region intensifies.

According to a report on payment services published by the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), the country accounted for 65.1% of all Mobile Money accounts in the CEMAC zone—Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, and the Central African Republic—up from 62.1% in 2023.

Cameroon also represented 57% of the total value of Mobile Money transactions in the region. However, this share declined from 63.58% a year earlier, pointing to faster growth in other markets.

As of December 31, 2024, more than 51.2 million Mobile Money accounts were recorded across CEMAC, a 28% increase year over year. Of these, 30.9 million were in Cameroon, up by more than 6 million accounts compared with 24.86 million in 2023.

The BEAC attributes this growth to the broader adoption of mobile banking applications. These tools now allow users to hold Mobile Money accounts alongside traditional bank accounts, expanding access to digital financial services.

Technological changes have also made it easier to open accounts. Payment accounts are no longer tied to a single telecom operator, meaning users can now open multiple Mobile Money accounts using the same phone number with different providers.

These shifts have driven both transaction volumes and values higher across the region.

In 2024, the number of Mobile Money transactions in CEMAC rose by 6.42% to reach 3.7 billion. The total value increased more sharply, climbing 20.33% to CFA34,778.5 billion.

Cameroon alone accounted for CFA26,773 billion of that total—nearly four times the combined value recorded in Congo and Gabon.

The central bank points to several factors behind this expansion, including promotional campaigns by payment providers, renewed activity from some operators, the growth of interoperability between financial institutions, the spread of small-value payments, and the rollout of new services such as microloans and international transfers.

Source: Business in Cameroon

5, May 2026

Dipanda Mouelle: Supreme Court head for over two decades has died aged 84 ⁰

Cameroon’s judicial community is in mourning following the death of Alexis Dipanda Mouelle, a former head of the country’s Supreme Court and one of its most enduring legal figures. He passed away at the age of 84, after months of illness according to multiple sources.

Born on March 25, 1942, in the Littoral Region, Dipanda Mouelle built a long and influential career within Cameroon’s judiciary. After completing his legal training in Paris, he entered the magistracy in the mid-1960s and steadily rose through the ranks over the years.

He would go on to preside over the Supreme Court from 1990 to 2014, making him one of the longest-serving judicial leaders in the country. His tenure spanned key moments in Cameroon’s political and legal history, placing him at the center of several high-profile national developments.

Dipanda Mouelle is also remembered for his crucial role during the contested 1992 presidential election, reports suggest the scores were tied between Paul Biya and Ni John Fru Ndi but Paul Biya was announced president. His public remarks at the time, “my hands are tied” suggesting limitations in his capacity to act, have remained part of the broader narrative surrounding that election.

Beyond national borders, he contributed to international legal work, notably serving within the United Nations Committee Against Torture.

After leaving office, he remained in the public eye, including through legal action he initiated in 2015 against the state over his departure from the judiciary, which he considered an early retirement.

His death comes only three months after the passing of his spouse, adding a personal dimension to the loss felt by those close to him.

Source: Lebledparle.com