Cameroon’s second largest employer, the Cameroon Development Corporation, says it may be forced to downsize because thousands of workers have fled fighting between security forces and separatists seeking an independent English-speaking state.

The atmosphere is quiet at the workers’ residential area of the Cameroon Development Corporation in Illoani, a village of about 5,000 people. But it’s not a holiday. Many workers at the CDC, a state-run agro-industrial company in the English-speaking southwest, have simply fled.

Armed separatists seeking an independent English-speaking state in April killed a Cameroonian soldier in the area. The attack touched off sporadic clashes that have since led thousands of villagers to flee the area, including more than 2,000 of the CDC’s 20,000 workers.

54-year-old William Kangue, a father of three, said he abandoned his job and fled the area because of ongoing clashes.

“The secessionist guys attacked in broad daylight,” he explained. “There were bullets flying everywhere, flying over my house. People got shot, civilians must [flee] especially. Many people have gone away from their communities and so their farms have been abandoned.”

The military on Sunday said separatists attacked at least nine villages in the southwest over the weekend, killing a policeman and four soldiers. More than 200 separatist fighters clashed with the military at Wotutu village, according to a military communique, home to hundreds of CDC workers.

The military’s report could not be independently verified.

Separatists seeking to establish an English-speaking republic within Cameroon consider the state-run CDC a legitimate target. The company’s vehicles, tractors, buildings and warehouses have been torched and some of their staff kidnapped.

Despite ongoing violence, some locals refused to run away.

Fifty-seven-year old CDC nurse Suzan Nenda said they have received threats from separatists to stop working and leave the area. But she rejects leaving the village of her birth.

“If death comes, then it is God’s making that I have to die,” she said. “People are not living in their houses. Most of them are in the bushes. Some of the houses are burned, some of the villages are burned. People don’t have places to stay so they have decided to stay in the bush. They build huts in the bush and stay there.”

The CDC runs banana, palm oil, and rubber plantations in Cameroon’s troubled southwest. But its Director General Franklin Njie said only one of its 11 estates is functioning normally.

“Most of our units, estates, oil mills, factories are shut down completely while some are operating timidly,” he said. “It is the only Debuncha palms estate that is operating normally, but amidst threats. Since the first of July 2018, the banana sector has been hit. The pack house [warehouse] was attacked and set ablaze. Till today, no work is going on.”

Njie said CDC’s gross revenue has dropped by 75 percent. He said if the attacks continue, they may be forced to lay off as many as 5,000 workers.

The unrest in Cameroon began in November 2016, when English-speaking teachers and lawyers protested being forced to use French in schools and courts and called for greater autonomy. The government crackdown that followed only encouraged separatists to take up arms.

Authorities say at least 300 people, including soldiers and police, have been killed in the fighting since.

Culled from the VOA

The crisis in anglophone Cameroon is damaging the Southwest Region’s economy, with palm oil plantations closing and the cocoa trade tumbling, an NGO report said Wednesday. The Southwest Region faces almost daily clashes between the army and separatists in a conflict that originated mainly in Cameroon’s second anglophone area, the Northwest Region.

The state-run palm oil company Pamol has deserted some of its plantations, and cocoa and coffee production has stopped because villages have abandoned their crops, according to the Cameroon NGO Human Is Right. Sources at the private firm Telcar Cocoa, a market leader, told the NGO that insecurity in the region had caused an 80 percent fall in cocoa trade. Company officials should negotiate with fighters to secure their facilities in remote villages, the sources said. Meanwhile rubber and oil plantations have been abandoned in two of Southwest Region’s six districts, Ndian and Meme.

The crisis has led to a 70 percent increase in unemployment in the agricultural sector, the report found. Both the Southwest Region and the Northwest Region were once under British rule before joining francophone Cameroon in 1961 after independence. For years, resentment built among anglophones, fostered by perceived marginalisation in education, the judiciary and the economy at the hands of the French-speaking majority. Demands for greater autonomy were rejected by 85-year-old President Paul Biya, in power for more than 35 years, leading to an escalation that saw the declaration of the self-described “Republic of Ambazonia” in October last year.

www.vanguardngr.com

South Africa on Friday launched a set of limited edition bank notes and gold coins to mark the 100th anniversary on July 18 of the birth of Nelson Mandela.

The South African Reserve Bank said the notes depict Mandela’s life including his upbringing in rural Eastern Cape as the son of a chief, his 27-year incarceration and the end of apartheid in 1994 when he became president. Mandela died in 2013 aged 95.

The launch forms part of events across the world, culminating locally in an annual Mandela Day lecture by former U.S. president Barack Obama next week.

The etching on the 1-ounce gold coin of a smiling middle-aged Mandela with his hair parted down the middle was designed by Zimbabwe-born Sindiso Nyoni, whose work includes stinging rebukes of former Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe.

“Growing up and living most of my life under a dictatorship, we were not able to experience this feeling of democracy that South Africans have,” Nyoni said. Mandela’s face already graces all South Africa’s banknotes.

Source: Africa News

The economy of the troubled English-speaking regions in northwest and southwest Cameroon is slowly grinding to near halt as the long-drawn out security crisis is forcing local businessmen to put their safety over commerce. It is also driving away many of the biggest traders originally from neighboring Nigeria who have traditionally run key markets in towns around the regions.

The crisis, which started as a modest industrial strike action by English-speaking lawyers and teachers against the imposition of French, has spiraled into an unprecedented internal armed conflict. There are fears the country could slide into civil war as the conflict persists. In recent months, frequent clashes between government forces and separatists seeking to establish a state they would call ‘Ambazonia’ has left scores of civilians dead, including women and children.

The recurrent deadly confrontations have provoked mass movement of people. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that no fewer than 160,000 people have been internally displaced, while a further over 21,000 have crossed to next door Nigeria as refugees.

In a bid to express dissent activists have instituted a civil disobedience action called “ghost town”; which grounds daily activities every Monday, with extensions to some other key days. Traders who spoke to Quartz see the operation as economically damaging as at least one full business day is lost each week since late 2016. Those who dare defy the order risk facing the wrath of unknown arsonists who have burned down shops in nearby towns.

Restrictions of the movement of people and goods have further worsened the already deteriorating situation for businessmen. Armed secessionists called “Amba Boys” mount intermittent road blocks on-and-off along major highways in the troubled area. The government has also had to officially close its western borders with Nigeria on at least two occasions, while dusk to dawn curfews instituted by some local administrative authorities have simply helped to worsen the precarious situation.

The conflict has also been marked by the disruption of essential utility services, especially the supply of electricity and network interruptions to telecommunication services. Internet services were cut off for 136 days between October 2017 and February this year.

Nigerian trade

Kumba, the economic hub of the South West region, located some 70 kilometers from the city of Buea, has a sizable Nigerian business community who are principally engaged in trade; selling motor spare parts, liquor, electronics, fabrics, cosmetic products, among others. Like in Nigeria itself, many of the traders are of the Igbo ethnic group and their neighborhood in Kumba is named “Igbo Quarter”.

Igbo traders are a fixture in markets across western Africa and beyond with key networks at home and even out to China, a primary source of many goods they sell. Most of the Nigerian traders in Kumba have been doing business in the town in the last two decades. But many are now considering leaving for both safety and business reasons. Similar to Cameroon, some ethnic Igbo political activists have over the last two years been reviving a call for the separate Biafra state to be carved out of Nigeria’s eastern region close to Cameroon. When this happened in earnest 51 years it sparked the Nigerian civil war which eventually led to the loss of well over a million lives.

Many Nigerian traders are not keen to wait to find out if the Cameroonian troubles eventually subside.

Fabric traders, Mr & Mrs Okezie, are preparing to return to their hometown in Abia state in Nigeria. The husband says it has been difficult to get supplies from Nigeria over the last three months, while the whereabouts of most of their customers who took wares on credit are unknown. “Like some of our other brothers, we just have to return home and see what life has to offer there,” he said. “Things are really tough here now and we see no way forward.”

Another Nigerian businessman who asked not to be named given the security uncertainty, said “the business environment has become extremely hostile.” He said sales had dropped off and he no longer felt safe being in Kumba. “On at least two occasions, Amba Boys have visited me requesting for groundnuts [cartridges for Dane guns] or money to support the struggle.

Kevin Ndubuisi, president of the over 250-man strong Imo State Union in Kumba says his Nigerian compatriots have been returning in their numbers. “But no one tells you when he is returning. Some have just gone back as though they were going for a business trip but never returned.”

Source: Quartz

Cameroon-based Engineering Construction Manufacturing and Trading Ltd (ECMT) has announced the construction of a cement plant in Ebolowa (south) for a cost of CFA15bn (US$26.7m), following an agreement signed with the Investment Promotion Agency (API).

The new plant will have a cement capacity of 0.5Mta and will bring the number of cement plants in Cameroon to five. These plants include the 1.5Mta Cameroon Cement works (CIMENCAM), a subsidiary of LafargeHolcim, and Dangote Cement Cameroon’s (DCC) 1.5Mta plant in Douala. The other two facilities include a 0.5Mta plant operated by Ciment d’Afrique (CIMAF), owned by the Moroccan Addoha Group, and Medcem Cameroon (Eren Holding, Turkey) that has a new 0.5Mta plant in Douala.

Published under Cement News

The 2018 Careers in Africa Employer of Choice Survey has ranked the African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) the fourth best company to work with in Africa. Of 100 companies listed, the top four include the World Bank Group, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and the African Development Bank.

Over 20,000 African professionals answered questions about employee engagement and employment conditions. Opportunities to learn new skills, quality of healthcare provisions, leadership and opportunities for advancement emerged as key indicators of great employers.

Commenting on the African Development Bank ranking, Alex Mugan, Managing Director of the Global Career Company and co-author of the survey with UK-based firm Willis Towers Watson said: “The importance of making a positive impact came through strongly in responses to the Study. This, together with the on-going organisational transformation at the African Development Bank, explains the continued high esteem in which the Bank (as an employer) is viewed by many African professionals worldwide.”

Trust in senior leadership, especially leaders that listen, those who set a good ethical example, and who deliver the values of the business, emerged as the top three most important factors in choosing an employer in Africa. “Employees are interested in leaders that push a good mission. Brands whose leaders are very visible doing those things have tended to do well,” Mugan further indicated.

According to Akinwunmi Adesina, President of the Bank, “the ranking is further validation of the work of the Board and Management to accelerate critically needed institutional changes and efforts to attract the best and the brightest to help implement the Bank’s High-5 agenda to Power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the quality of life of Africans.”

The Bank scored high in attracting top talents from across all Africa. It also retained its position in the top 5 of established corporate and multilateral organizations. The report highlights a shift in the talent landscape with an increased interest in investment finance from job seekers and a quest for digital savvy experts from employers.

Overall, the survey revealed that job security is considered one of the main reasons to remain in an organization. In addition to attraction drivers for men, including skills development, the Report suggests that female professionals have a greater interest in healthcare opportunities, flexible working conditions, work-life balance, and ethics.

More than just a listing, the report seeks to shape the conversation around what makes a great employer in Africa, and through that positively change employee experience across the continent.The 100-list includes banks, oil companies, FMCG brands and mobile phone operators.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Cameroon Airlines Corporation (Camair-Co) has resumed flight between Douala and Lagos after some years of absence from the route. At the welcoming ceremony at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, the Consul General of Cameroon in Lagos, Dr Ekorong A. Dong expressed delight to see Camair-Co back to the economic route of Douala-Lagos saying:“Today we are witnessing together a new benchmark, a new landmark between Nigeria and Cameroon.”

Speaking at the event, Nigeria’s Country Manager for the airline, Madam Agnes Ndikum who reinstated the determination of the airline to continuously serve the Lagos-Doula route, declared: “Let me state here that Camair-Co is finally here to stay and provide quality air travel between Nigeria and Cameroon. We appreciate the efforts of APG Nigeria, our General Sales Agent (GSA) for their continuous support in making this relaunch of the Lagos-Doula route a reality”.

Also speaking at the event, the pilot in charge of the flight, Captain Kono Bihina Constant while expressing his delight to return to Nigeria after a long while remarked: “We haven’t flown into Nigeria for a long time. Nigeria is so advance when it comes to aviation, and we are very pleased to be back here. Camair-Co is working so hard round the clock to ensure travellers rely on our airline and not to go elsewhere.”

Source: Nigerian Tribune

Getting an accommodation in Cameroon’s Douala city is a nightmare, as one is required to pay 6 months or even a year’s rent advance. As a result, many young working people who are faced with this harsh reality, prefer to stay longer with their parents.

Socrate Tanleu is a tenant and is frustrated by this practice.

“For example, I have had to pay up to 12 months to get an apartment and for a young person who is just entering the workforce, it is not easy to find 12 months to pay a landlord to get an apartment’‘, Tanleu told Africanews.

The practice is illegal, but many apartment owners are defiant.

“Legally, this practice is not normal because rent is payable after occupation. The rent advance is not legal”, said Cameroonian-based lawyer, Nicolas Ntamag.

But for many homeowners, this practice is a safety net against an unstable labour market.

Bertrand Tashinda owns an apartment in Douala.

“We have the public sector which employs very few people and with the private sector, there is no guarantee of employment. At any time you can lose your job for more misleading reasons than any other. So it makes the landlords think it’s better to take a year and with a year he can even build up a little reserve of money to be able to repair his apartment if necessary”, said Tashinda.

Like Ivory coast, Cameroon wants to put in place a more advanced legal framework for tenants and property owners.

The country plans to limit payment of rent advance and the deposit to two months. It hopes this will facilitate access to housing for many Cameroonians.

Source: Africa News

Ten people were killed and another 10 injured after a dumping site for copper mining waste collapsed in the town of Kitwe in Zambia’s Copperbelt province, police said on Wednesday.

“The incident happened this morning and at least 10 people have been confirmed dead,” Copperbelt police chief Charity Katanga said by phone from Kitwe, 400 km (248 miles) north of the capital Lusaka.

Zambia is Africa’s second largest copper producer and houses operations of many global mining companies including Vedanta, Barrick Gold Corp and Glencore.

Glencore’s Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) has been forced to halt production in recent years due to similar fatal incidents in the copper-rich area, which is also known for illegal mining around the dumpsites.

The latest incident happened at Black Mountain where artisanal miners have taken to re-mining the waste site for copper and other metals.

In February the government’s mining investment arm gave a 10 percent stake in the waste site to small-scale miners to empower surrounding communities riven by unemployment and poverty.

There remain, however, serious concerns about safety measures at the site which continues to suffer periodic collapses.

(Source: Reuters)

The Cameroon Development Corporation, CDC has executed an immediate shut down of 8 of its Estates due to increased insecurity. Cameroon Concord News gathered that these estates include Mbonge, Illoani, Mukonje, Mondoni, Tombel, Malende and Meanja. Our source who is a management staff also hinted that the affected workers would be paid 50% of their salary.

The Director of Human Resources who spoke to our undercover reporter confirmed the company’s decision and further pointed out that the agro industrial plant may be close down completely if the fighting intensifies in Southern Cameroons.

CDC is the second largest employer after the CPDM government. Yaoundé recently ordered an investigation into the management of CDC and reportedly bailout the corporation with the sum of 90 billion FCFA.  Insiders say the Estates will remain shut down for as long as security procedures are not in place for the public and CDC personnel. The shutdown is likely to be indefinite as the crisis in the Federal Republic of Ambazonia is showing no signs of ending.

The shutdown will have a direct impact on the crisis noted a highly placed Cameroon government official contacted by our correspondent in Limbe. The management immediately told the government of its decision to close down some Estates earlier this week. Since the conflict started, the Yaounde government has made one mistake after another. In January 2017, it arrested and jailed Southern Cameroonian leaders who had called for a federal system that would guarantee that the people take ownership of their own development projects.

Barrister Felix Nkongho Agbor-Balla, Dr. Fontem Neba and Mr. Mancho Bibixy were captured and hastily taken to Yaounde in the belief that the population’s anger would be doused. This only inflamed Southern Cameroonians, and things actually took a turn for the worse.

To ensure that its atrocities in the region were not captured on video, the government cut off Internet and other communication systems. In the process, many businesses were killed and the unemployment rate in the region reached alarming rates. Silicon Mountain, a hub for many start-ups in the South West regional headquarters of Buea, was put out of business. The disconnection of the Internet created many Internet refugees and ever since, Silicon Mountain has become a thing of the past.

Rather than seek to appease a people who have been hurting for decades, the Yaounde government proceeded to employing tricks in the hope that it will come out of the conflict victorious. After more than six months in jail for no crime committed, Barrister Felix Nkongho Agbor-Balla, Dr. Fontem Neba and others were released, while Mr. Mancho Bibixy was left in jail. He was later convicted of many flimsy crimes, including terrorism.

Once the leaders were released in 2017, the ruling party’s propaganda immediately kicked in. It portrayed the releases as an act of magnanimity on the president’s part. But the tricks of the past could no longer work the miracles they had produced in the past. The people were sick and tired of the government’s manipulation and trickery. Southern Cameroonians no longer want to have anything to do with their unfortunate past. The calls for federalism have now developed into independence and secession.

By Tina Nene Nganda

Cameroon Concord News Group