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29, May 2025

Sidi Ould Tah elected president of African Development Bank ⁰

Sidi Ould Tah of Mauritania was today elected President of the African Development Bank Group at the Bank’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Tah was elected by the Bank’s Board of Governors, comprising Finance and Economy Ministers or Central Bank Governors of the Bank Group’s 81 regional and non-regional member countries. The board is the highest decision-making authority for the Bank Group.

The results were announced by Niale Kaba, Minister of Planning and Development for Côte d’Ivoire, and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Bank Group.

The winning candidate is required to obtain at least 50.01% of both the regional and non-regional votes.

A Mauritanian national, Tah brings over 35 years of experience in African and international finance. He served as president of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) for 10 years from 2015, where he led a full transformation that quadrupled the Bank’s balance sheet, secured a AAA rating, and positioned it among the top-rated development banks focused on Africa.

A former Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance of Mauritania, Tah has held senior roles in multilateral institutions and has led crisis response, financial reform, and innovative resource mobilization for Africa, including the establishment of BADEA’s $1 billion callable capital program for African MDBs.

The Board of Governors Steering Committee received and approved a total of five candidates by the closing date of 31 January 2025. The list of candidates was officially announced on 21 February 2025.

The other candidates in the election were:

Amadou Hott (Senegal)
Samuel Maimbo (Zambia)
Mahamat Abbas Tolli (Chad)
Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala (South Africa)

Tah will assume office on 1 September 2025, for a five-year term, following the end of the second mandate of current President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina.

The African Development Bank’s past heads since its inception in 1964 are:

Mamoun Beheiry (Sudan), 1964-1970
Abdelwahab Labidi (Tunisia), 1970-1976
Kwame Donkor Fordwor (Ghana), 1976-1980
Willa Mung’Omba (Zambia), 1980-1985
Babacar N’diaye (Senegal), 1985-1995
Omar Kabbaj (Morocco), 1995-2005
Donald Kaberuka (Rwanda), 2005-2015
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina (Nigeria), 2015-2025.

The election of a new president comes at a crucial time in the Bank Group’s six decades of existence. Africa has remained resilient despite climate shocks, economic disruption, and a shifting geopolitical landscape, but needs to move faster or risk falling behind on delivering on the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals, summed up in the Bank Group’s High 5’s.

The 2025 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group are taking place from May 26 to 30 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire under the theme “Making Africa’s Capital Work Better for Africa’s Development.”

The African Development Bank Group comprises three entities: the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund and the Nigeria Trust Fund. Its shareholder countries include 54 African countries or regional member countries, and 27 non-African countries or non-regional member countries.

Source: CNBC News

22, May 2025

Biya regime to borrow as much as $348m to bolster finances ⁰

Cameroon’s finance minister has been authorised to raise up to 200 billion CFA francs ($348 million) from international financial markets to shore up government cash flows for fiscal year 2025, according to a presidential decree.

Kelly Mua Kingsly, Head of Finance Operations of the State at Cameroon’s Ministry of Finance, told Reuters on Wednesday that the government would consider using several market instruments, but most likely syndicated loans.

“This is most likely given the urgency and nature of liquidity needs. It is also attractive due to shorter structuring time and flexible drawdown options,” Kingsly said.

In addition, he said concessional or semi-concessional loans suitable for budget support components and assimilable treasury bonds or treasury bills on the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) market could also be considered.

Eurobonds were less likely, he said, due to high global interest rates, low sovereign credit ratings and lower appetite from international capital markets for frontier markets in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and during a period of geopolitical risk.

The borrowing plan comes as Cameroon faces slow disbursement of external financing and delays in revenue mobilisation, notably non-oil tax collection deficits.

Tight monetary policy by the regional central bank to curb inflation and stabilise the CFA franc currency has provoked a liquidity squeeze across Central Africa, while the BEAC’s reserve requirement has impacted treasury liquidity.

Officials also say the government is keen to diversify its sources to avoid excessive domestic borrowing that could crowd out private sector investment.

Cameroon has recently relied on domestic and external borrowing to bridge budget deficits.

($1 = 575.5000 CFA francs)

Source: Reuters

20, May 2025

May 20: Will the real Biya please come out and meet the Cameroonian people ⁰

No one in Yaoundé including those serving the regime can say authoritatively that today’s so-called national day celebration recorded a good parade. But everything went well without any incident.

The world watched a fine military display from a contingent of Nigerian army soldiers in a celebration of national unity that not all political parties were invited.

This was the third time that Cameroonians saw their head of state on duty in 2025. Biya is a president who lives abroad and only goes home thrice a year: on December 31, on February 11 and on May 20 for a fête de je ne sais quoi.

Photos and videos were forbidden!! State television did not show the Cameroonian people when the 92-year-old President Biya got out of his presidential limousine and when he finally took his seat at the ceremonial ground.

Guests were asked to leave their android telephones at home or in a locker that was provided by the Francophone dominated secret service. All this maneuverings were undoubtedly to avoid the public from noting errors between the real and fake Biya. Today in Yaoundé, Biya was so fake that his effigy that was displayed everywhere, showed a figure in his 40s, younger than his son Franck.

Everyone at the May 20 Boulevard today looked like Biya and our Yaoundé city reporter couldn’t tell one from another. It appears the ruling CPDM crime syndicate came up with the idea that every male citizen attending today’s ceremony had to look exactly like Biya.

What makes today’s national day celebration more interesting is that no one had an idea of which of the Biyas was sitting there as head of state. This is going to be a major problem for Cameroonian voters come October! If you are going to cut off the head of a snake, which snake are we talking about?

The real Biya cannot walk, can’t talk and cannot stand for more than twenty minutes! The one million dollar question is: Is the ruling CPDM planning to use an impostor at public rallies in October?

It is still a secret, but the Cameroonian opposition now headed by Barrister Akere Muna has ordered the Chinese to develop a device that can tell the difference between a real Paul Biya and a false one.

Cameroon Intelligence Report does not know when it will be ready, but intelligence forces are well aware that there is no sense killing innocent Cameroonians when it is now evidently clear that Biya will die before October.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

16, May 2025

Football: Emmanuel Kunde dies aged 68 ⁰

African football has been struck with yet devastating news following the death of one of its revered sons Emmanuel Kunde, heralded as one of the greatest defenders of all time from Africa.

Former Cameroon international Emmanuel Kunde passed away at the age of 68, on Friday, May 16 leaving behind a legacy that helped shape African football across two golden decades.

According to initial reports, the legendary centre-back went to bed on the evening of Thursday, May 15, and tragically never woke up. His remains have been deposited at the Yaoundé Central Hospital mortuary, pending further announcements from the family.

Among the many tributes pouring in, Cameroon FA president and African football icon Samuel Eto’o shared his sorrow via Instagram, using sad face emojis to mourn the fallen legend. Meanwhile, UK-based Nigerian journalist Osasu Obayiuwana also expressed deep shock at the news, stating: “This is sad to hear. What happened?” He went on to describe Kunde as a footballer whose game intelligence and physicality made life miserable for even the most clinical strikers.

Who is Emmanuel Kunde? Kunde’s name resonates across generations not just because of his decorated CV but due to the commanding aura he brought to the game. Known for his strength, tactical intelligence, and versatility, he operated primarily as a central defender, but was equally effective as a defensive midfielder.

He remains Cameroon’s fifth-most-capped player and, remarkably, is also among their top 10 goal scorers — a rare feat for someone in his position. His eye for goal, especially in set-piece situations, became a signature weapon for the Indomitable Lions.

Kunde was instrumental in Cameroon’s Africa Cup of Nations triumphs in 1984 and 1988. On the world stage, he represented his country at the 1982 and 1990 FIFA World Cups, with the latter tournament marking Cameroon’s historic run to the quarter-finals, a first for an African nation. He began his football journey at Mbankomo FC before featuring for clubs such as Canon, Tempête de Nanga-Eboko FC, Provenance, and Olympic Mvolyé. Following his retirement from active play, Kunde took his leadership skills to the dugout, managing teams including PWD Bamenda, Canon Yaoundé and US Bitam across two spells.

Source: yen.com

8, May 2025

Vatican: Cardinal Robert Prevost is now Pope Leo XIV ⁰

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been announced as the new Pope. Here’s a brief overview of his background and history:

Early Life and Education

– Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1955

– Holds degrees from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome

Career Highlights

– Joined the Augustinian mission in Peru in 1985, serving as a priest and later as bishop of Chiclayo in northern Peru

– Elected as the head of the Augustinians’ Chicago-based province in 1999

– Served as prior general of the worldwide Augustinian order from 2001 to 2013

– Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis, advising on bishop appointments worldwide

Notable Qualities

– Languages: Speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, with reading proficiency in Latin and German

– Pastoral Experience: Served in various roles, including teaching in the diocesan seminary, leading a parish, and working with the Roman Curia

– Synodality: A vocal proponent of Pope Francis’ emphasis on synodality, promoting inclusivity and participation in church structures

Papal Election

– Elected as the new Pope after a conclave of 133 cardinals in Rome’s Sistine Chapel

– Chose the papal name Pope Leo XIV.

– Emerged onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to greet spectators after his identity was confirmed

28, April 2025

Dozens of African migrants killed in US strike on Yemen ⁰

At least 68 African migrants have been killed in a US air strike on a detention centre in Houthi-controlled north-western Yemen, the armed group’s TV channel says.

Al Masirah reported that another 47 migrants were injured, most of them critically, when the centre in Saada province was bombed. It posted graphic footage showing multiple bodies covered in the rubble of a destroyed building.

There was no immediate comment from the US military.

But it came hours after US Central Command announced that its forces had hit more than 800 targets since President Donald Trump ordered an intensification of the air campaign against the Houthis on 15 March.

It said the strikes had “killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders”, including senior officials overseeing missile and drone programmes.

Houthi-run authorities have said the strikes have killed dozens of civilians, but they have reported few casualties among the group’s members.

The migrant detention centre in Saada was reportedly holding 115 Africans when it was hit on Sunday night.

Despite the humanitarian crisis in Yemen caused by 11 years of conflict, migrants continue to arrive in the country by boat from the Horn of Africa, most of them intending to cross into neighbouring Saudi Arabia to find work.

Instead, they face exploitation, detention, violence, and dangerous journeys through active conflict zones, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

In 2024 alone, it says, almost 60,900 migrants arrived in the country, often with no means to survive.

Earlier this month, the Houthi-run government said a series of US air strikes on the Ras Isa oil terminal on the Red Sea coast killed at least 74 people and wounded 171 others. It said the terminal was a civilian facility and that the strikes constituted a “war crime”.

Centcom said the attack destroyed the ability of Ras Isa to accept fuel and that it would “begin to impact Houthi ability to not only conduct operations, but also to generate millions of dollars in revenue for their terror activities”.

Source: BBC

22, April 2025

Cardinal Kevin Farrell will be the next Pope ⁰

When the world learned of Pope Francis’ death on Monday morning, an Irish-American cardinal, little known in the wider world, was the one to break the news.

After announcing that the pope had “returned to the home of the Father”, Irish-American Cardinal Kevin Farrell took on one of his biggest roles yet: the “camerlengo”, or the person who runs the Vatican after the death or resignation of a pope.

Pope Francis nominated the cardinal for the role in 2019. The cardinal will remain in the position during the “Apostolica Sedes Vacans”, the period between the death or resignation of a pope until the election of the next pontiff.

He also will play an important role in the centuries-old ceremonies to mourn Pope Francis.

Born in 1947 in Dublin, Farrell attended the University of Salamanca in Spain and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, according to the Vatican.

He held roles in churches around the world, serving as a chaplain at the University of Monterrey in Mexico as well as at a parish in Bethesda, Maryland.

All told, the 77-year-old spent more than 30 years working for churches in the US.

Farrell was appointed Bishop of Dallas in 2007 until Pope Francis asked him in 2016 to serve as the leader of the Vatican’s new department responsible for the pastoral care of families, raising him to the rank of cardinal.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell and other Vatican officials announce the death of Pope Francis in a video statement from the Vatican on 21 April.

Years after naming him as camerlengo, in 2023, Francis chose Farrell as president of the Supreme Court of Vatican City State. He was also named president of the Commission for Confidential Matters.

How the next Pope is chosen

As camerlengo, Cardinal Farrell will be tasked with making arrangements for the conclave, the process through which the next pontiff is selected.

Technically, a camerlengo can become pope, as has happened twice in history: Gioacchino Pecci (Pope Leo XIII) in 1878 and Eugenio Pacelli (Pope Pius XII) in 1939.

The cardinal also will preside over the certification of Francis’s death, laying his body into the coffin. After that, the cardinal is expected to lead a procession moving the pope’s body from the chapel of the Domus Santa Marta to St Peter’s Basilica.

The ceremony could take place as soon as Wednesday morning, according to the Vatican.

Source: BBC

15, April 2025

Pope Francis transfers Cameroonian-born Nigerian Apostolic Nuncio in Sri Lanka to Ethiopia ⁰

Pope Francis has transferred Cameroonian-born Archbishop Brian Udaigwe, who has been serving as Apostolic Nuncio in Sri Lanka to Ethiopia.

The Addis Ababa-based Apostolic Nunciature has been vacant since May 2024, when the Holy Father transferred Archbishop Antoine Camilleri to Cuba.

The latest appointment of Archbishop Udaigwe, a Nigerian national who previously served as the representative of the Holy Father in Benin and Togo was made public on Saturday, April 12, by the Holy See Press Office.

Born in Brian in July 1964 in Cameroon’s Catholic Diocese of Buea, Archbishop Udaigwe was ordained a Priest in May 1992 for the Catholic Diocese of Orlu in Nigeria.

He joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1994. The holder of a Doctorate in Canon Law served in the Apostolic Nunciatures in Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Haiti, Bulgaria, Thailand, as well as in the United Kingdom before he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio.

While Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Benin in February 2013, assigning him the Titular See of Suelli, his Episcopal Consecration on 27 April 2013 took place at the start of Pope Francis’ Papacy.

Archbishop Udaigwe, who officially presented his credentials in Benin in June 2013 was the following month appointed the representative of the Holy Father in Togo.

Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Sri Lanka in June 2020.

Source: AciAfrica

15, April 2025

CDC banana exports hit 10,400 tons in Q1 2025 ⁰

The Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) exported 10,400 tons of bananas between January and March 2025, according to data from the Banana Association of Cameroon (Assobacam). This is the company’s best quarterly performance in seven years.

The last time CDC reached this first-quarter level was back in 2018, when it shipped 11,631 tons. Later that year, the company was forced to halt operations due to the escalating Anglophone crisis in the South-West and North-West regions. Armed separatist groups took over CDC plantations, turned some into operational bases, destroyed infrastructure, and killed staff. By September 2018, the company had completely stopped exporting bananas.

CDC resumed activities in June 2020, after nearly two years of shutdown. But recovery was slow. In Q1 2021, it exported just 5,317 tons of bananas. That number dipped to 4,541 tons in Q1 2022, then rose to 7,289 tons in 2023 and 7,712 tons in 2024. Breaking past 10,000 tons this year signals real progress, driven by the gradual reopening of CDC’s abandoned banana farms in 2021.

The return to form is tied closely to improved security in the region and renewed support from the government, CDC’s sole shareholder. Since 2021, the state has been working to stabilize the company and help it recover.

In a speech delivered on January 15, 2025, in Buea, South-West Region, Finance Minister Louis Paul Motazé explained how the government stepped in to address the company’s heavy debt load. He announced that the state reached a deal with two local banks—Société Générale and AGF Bank (formerly Banque Atlantique Cameroun)—to take over and restructure CDC’s social and wage-related debt.

“The state, through a debt takeover agreement, transferred CDC’s debt of CFA59.8 billion to the two banks. This included CFA35.4 billion in unpaid wages and CFA24.1 billion in social security contributions. As part of the deal, CFA20 billion was paid to workers in 2024, and the remaining CFA15 billion will be paid this year. The tax debt of CFA31.8 billion was converted into CDC equity,” the minister said.

With the final wage payments expected in 2025—covering all salary arrears as of June 2023—CDC may finally get the breathing space it needs. There is also a broader effort underway. According to Paul Tasong, Minister Delegate at the Ministry of the Economy, the government is currently in talks with international partners to secure funding for CDC.

Source: Business in Cameroon

14, April 2025

Algeria to expel 12 French embassy officials ⁰

Algeria has asked 12 French embassy staff to leave the country within 48 hours, France’s foreign minister has said.

Jean-Noël Barrot added that it was linked to the indictment of three Algerians in France on Friday, one of whom is a consular official.

They are accused of involvement in the abduction last year of Amir Boukhors, 41, an outspoken critic of Algeria’s government who has an audience of more than one million people online. He had reportedly been granted asylum in France in 2023.

Barrot urged Algeria to “abandon” the expulsions and said France was ready to “respond immediately” if they went ahead.

Boukhors, also known as Amir DZ, has lived in France since 2016.

He was abducted in April 2024 in the southern suburbs of Paris and released the following day, according to his lawyer Eric Plouvier.

Plouvier told the AFP news agency that Boukhors had been “the subject of two serious attacks, one in 2022 and another on the evening of April 29 2024”.

French media reported that he was forced into a car with a flashing light by “fake police officers”, then released the next day in woodland without explanation.

Algerian authorities accuse the influencer of being “a saboteur linked to terrorist groups”. The North African nation has issued nine international arrest warrants against him, accusing him of fraud and associations with terrorist organisations.

He denies the allegations. In 2022, the French courts refused attempts to extradite him to Algeria.

The case is the latest in a growing number of incidents to have exacerbated a rift between France and Algeria.

They include the arrest and imprisonment in Algeria of French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal, who was accused of undermining Algeria’s territorial integrity.

Algeria recalled its ambassador from Paris last year after France backed Morocco’s claim to the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

The 12 French officials asked to leave on Monday include some members of the French interior ministry, a diplomatic source told AFP.

On Monday, Barrot said: “I am asking Algerian authorities to abandon these expulsion measures… if the decision to send back our officials is maintained, we will have no other choice but to respond immediately.”

Barrot claimed that the expulsions were a response to the indictment of three Algerian nationals on Friday in Paris – including the consular official – on charges including abduction, arbitrary detention and illegal confinement and participating in a terrorist organisation.

Algeria’s foreign ministry said it had summoned French ambassador Stéphane Romatet in response to “express its strong protest” and called for the official’s immediate release, according to the official Algerian news agency.

It added that the individual “was arrested in public and then taken into custody without notification through the diplomatic channels”.

The ministry claimed the move was “not a coincidence as it happens in a very specific context with the aim of stymying the process of relaunching bilateral relations”.

Tentative steps have been made to repair relations between the two nations with a phone call between French President Emmanuel Macron and President Abdelmadjid Tebboune taking place in March.

“The two presidents had a long, frank and friendly exchange on the state of bilateral relations and the tensions that have built up in recent months,” a joint statement read.

Following an official visit to Algeria on 6 April where he met with Tebboune, Barrot said he hoped for a “new phase” in relations.

Source: BBC