Editorial

Minister Mengot and Chief Tabetando: Politics must never trump humanity

13, July 2026

Minister Mengot and Chief Tabetando: Politics must never trump humanity 0

Minister Victor Mengot, the political boss of the great Manyu constituency was conspicuously absent from the funeral of the late Senate Vice President His Royal Highness Chief George Tabetando.

Minister Victor Mengot’s reported absence from all the funeral rituals in honour of the late Chief Tabetando allegedly because of political differences, is deeply disappointing. To be more accurate, it is shameful, disgusting and disgraceful to the entire Manyu community and calls for a new kind of political leadership to represent Manyus in Yaoundé.

Victor Mengot’s decision is not only unfortunate but it reflects a troubling disregard for basic Cameroonian values of respect, compassion and national unity.

For men like Minister Victor Mengot who do not know, a funeral is not a political rally in Mamfe, Yaoundé or Douala. It is a solemn occasion where family, friends, colleagues and even political rivals come together in harmony to honor a life that has ended.

Throughout Cameroonian history, leaders have set aside their differences at moments of grief because death reminds us of our shared humanity. Political disagreements should never become an excuse to withhold respect from someone who served the nation.

Chief George Tabetando’s passing should have been an opportunity for all Manyu leaders particularly those of the ruling CPDM party regardless of political affiliation or personal disagreements to demonstrate maturity and statesmanship. Choosing not to attend Chief Tabetando’s funeral solely because of political differences sends the wrong message to the Cameroonian people. It suggests that political rivalry is more important than decency and that division outweighs dignity.

Minister Victor Mengot’s conduct deserves very strong criticism because it undermines the values expected of public officials in a Cameroon going through very difficult time. Citizens look to their leaders not only for policy decisions but also for examples of character. At times of national mourning, leadership is measured by humility, empathy and the willingness to rise above partisan conflict.

If Minister Victor Mengot’s absence was indeed motivated by political differences, it was a shameful, disgraceful and deeply regrettable choice. The post of a cabinet minister in the Biya government carries responsibilities that extend beyond politics. Respect for the deceased and sympathy for grieving families should transcend personal or political disputes.

The nation deserves leaders who can disagree fiercely in public life yet still stand together in moments of loss. That is the hallmark of true leadership and democratic maturity. Politics is temporary; respect for human dignity should be permanent.

To say that President Biya sent Minister Mengot on a mission abroad on the same day that His Royal Highness Chief Tabetando was going home to rest, is simply not true.

Minister Victor Mengot will want Manyus to forget this nasty action! But Manyus as a people will never forget.

To this I put my name

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Chairman/Editor-In-Chief

Cameroon Concord Group

Inoni Ephraim: how yesterday’s indispensable Biya ally quickly became today’s discarded liability

2, July 2026

Inoni Ephraim: how yesterday’s indispensable Biya ally quickly became today’s discarded liability 0

The public humiliation endured by some of President Paul Biya’s most loyal collaborators, including former Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni, serves as a powerful reminder of a political reality that has defined the Biya era for decades: unwavering loyalty to the regime offers no guarantee of protection.

For years, Inoni was among the most trusted faces of the ruling CPDM crime syndicate. He occupied one of the highest offices in the land, faithfully implementing government policy and defending the Biya system. Yet when political winds shifted, he found himself prosecuted, imprisoned and stripped of the prestige that had accompanied his years of service. Whether Cameroonians believe the legal proceedings against Inoni were fully justified or politically motivated, the broader lesson remains difficult to ignore. In the Biya system, yesterday’s indispensable ally can quickly become today’s discarded liability.

Inoni is far from an isolated case. Several prominent ministers, senior civil servants, military officers and ruling party stalwarts have similarly fallen from grace after years of devoted service. Many who once stood at the very center of power eventually discovered that political survival depended less on loyalty than on the ever-changing calculations of the presidency and the balance of power within the regime.

This recurring pattern raises important questions about governance and institutional trust. Stable political systems are built on predictable institutions, transparent accountability and equal treatment before the law. When prosecutions or political downfalls appear selective or unpredictable, they inevitably fuel public perceptions that justice may be influenced by political considerations rather than applied consistently.

The message sent to those serving within the current administration is sobering. Absolute loyalty does not necessarily translate into lasting security. Years of dedicated service may not shield an official from disgrace should circumstances change. In such an environment, trust becomes fragile, and fear often replaces confidence.

For the Cameroonian public, these episodes also reinforce a broader concern about the concentration of power. Institutions that depend heavily on the decisions of a single political center rather than on strong, independent processes risk creating uncertainty for both officials and ordinary citizens alike.

The story of Chief Ephraim Inoni and other once-powerful figures is therefore more than the personal tragedy of fallen elites. It illustrates the precarious nature of political patronage in an entrenched system where proximity to power can be temporary and where loyalty, however steadfast may not be reciprocated.

Ultimately, the humiliation suffered by many of President Biya’s closest former associates stands as a cautionary tale. It suggests that in a system where political fortunes can change overnight, trust is not earned through years of faithful service but remains contingent on circumstances that few can control. That is a lesson not only for those within the corridors of power but for every observer seeking to understand the dynamics of Cameroon’s political landscape.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Samuel Eto’o: some critics only find their voice when they have someone to attack

28, June 2026

Samuel Eto’o: some critics only find their voice when they have someone to attack 0

The relentless attacks on the President of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) Samuel Eto’o have begun to resemble a familiar pattern: Cameroonians who seem to derive their relevance not from building something of their own, but from constantly tearing someone else down.

Recent scathing attacks on Samuel Eto’o remind one of those imaginary musicians who only found inspiration while Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Every song they wrote revolved around his captivity. Every performance fed off that single story. Then, the day Mandela walked free, so did their creativity. Without that convenient subject, the music stopped because there was nothing genuine driving it.

That is how some of Eto’o’s loudest critics like Professor Owona Nguini and Dr Laziz Nchare appear. Their public identity has become so intertwined with criticizing him that one wonders what remains if President Samuel Eto’o is removed from the FECAFOOT equation. Would there still be speeches? Headlines? Interviews? Or would the silence be deafening?

As we of the Cameroon Concord Group noted earlier, constructive criticism is healthy and necessary in football business. No leader, be it in politics or in the entertainment industry should be beyond scrutiny.

But there is a profound difference between accountability and obsession. When every development—good or bad is filtered through the lens of attacking one individual, criticism loses credibility and begins to look like a personal campaign.

Cameroonian football deserves debates about infrastructure, youth development, governance, financial transparency, coaching standards and long-term planning. These are the conversations that move the game forward. Endless personal attacks do not.

Those who genuinely care about football should ensure that their legacy is measured by the solutions they offer, not merely by the names they oppose. Criticism should illuminate a path forward, not become a permanent performance sustained by hostility.

In both English and French Cameroun, history remembers builders longer than perpetual critics. That is why Cameroonians speak regularly of the late Samuel Eboa and not Joseph Owona (both men were Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic)  If someone’s political or public relevance depends entirely on Samuel Eto’o remaining the target, perhaps the problem is not Samuel Eto’o—it is the absence of an independent vision worth talking about.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Owona Nguini’s attacks on Samuel Eto’o are becoming increasingly unconvincing

23, June 2026

Owona Nguini’s attacks on Samuel Eto’o are becoming increasingly unconvincing 0

Professor Mathias Éric Owona Nguini is among the many French Cameroun political elites facing war crime charges in Southern Cameroons.  The so-called professor has every right to criticize the leadership of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) and its president, Samuel Eto’o.

Frankly speaking, healthy debate is essential in football administration. However, Owona Nguini’s recent attacks increasingly appear driven more by personal and political motives than by a balanced assessment of the realities facing Cameroonian football.

In the aftermath of the Indomitable Lions’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Owona Nguini publicly blamed the Cameroon Football Federation and Eto’o for the disappointment. The Cameroon Football Federation responded by rejecting his accusations and defending its role during the qualification campaign.

What is very disturbing is that the so-called professor’s interventions rarely come with practical solutions. Cameroon football has suffered from administrative conflicts, CPDM government interference, poor infrastructure and institutional rivalries for decades. Reducing every problem to Samuel Eto’o is an oversimplification that ignores the broader challenges that existed long before Eto’o arrived at FECAFOOT and deliberately ignoring the destruction that was caused by Owona Nguini’s late dad Professor Joseph Owona and his gang during their time at the FIFA Normalization Committee.

Many football commentators and observers are beginning to wonder whether Owona Nguini’s constant criticism is linked to a desire to maintain the influence once exercised by his late father within Cameroonian football circles. Whether that perception is fair or not, the so-called professor’s repeated attacks risk looking like a campaign against a man rather than a constructive contribution to football governance in Cameroon.

Samuel Eto’o’s tenure has not been free of controversy. He has faced criticism and disciplinary issues during his time as FECAFOOT president, and those matters deserve scrutiny. But criticism should be accompanied by credible alternatives and concrete proposals.

For those who do not know like Owona Nguini, Cameroon football does not need endless personal battles. It needs ideas, reforms and unity. If Mister Owona Nguini wants to be taken seriously as a stakeholder in the future of the Cameroonian game, he should spend less time launching personal attacks and more time presenting solutions. So far, many of his interventions have generated headlines and controversy, but little in the way of a roadmap for improving Cameroonian football.

The future of the sport in Cameroon will not be built through nostalgia, Owona family legacies or media confrontations. It will be built through competence, accountability and results—standards that should apply equally to President Samuel Eto’o, CPDM Professor Owona Nguini and anyone else seeking influence in the Cameroonian game.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Dr Joachim Arrey speaks of drugs and teenage girls lured into forced sex in Manyu

21, June 2026

Dr Joachim Arrey speaks of drugs and teenage girls lured into forced sex in Manyu 0

When it comes to Anglophone Cameroon and Manyu Division affairs, there is one man who will always like to share his thoughts and pearls of wisdom with the public. God in HIS infinite image created and planted him in Manyu Division. Dr.  Joachim Arrey who grew up in New Layout Mamfe town is very concerned when the Manyu constituency is in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. The news that the Division is in the grip of a drug crisis has kept him awake all week and he says the issue can be addressed if the Division’s elite and Diaspora lend a helping hand. Read and enjoy this conversation with our Editor-In-Chief Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai  

Cameroon Concord News: Manyu is in the spotlight these days for all the wrong reasons and that is unsettling. Drugs have taken over the lives of the Division’s youths. What do you make of this and how can the issue be addressed?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: Thank you for inviting me to share my pearls of wisdom with the citizens of Manyu. Indeed, my mind bleeds for those parents whose kids have been caught up in the drug crisis that is giving Manyu a very bad name. When I hear that my beloved Manyu is dealing with a massive drug crisis, I am very disturbed. I grew up in New Layout Mamfe and I carry the Division in my heart. I have gone round the world where I have seen beautiful towns and cities, but I still hold that I can, with the help of other people, transform Mamfe and the other villages into an El-dorado if given the chance to do so. News about those hard drugs is keeping me awake all night. I have seen videos of desperate men and women demonstrating in Egbekaw-Mamfe, Sumbe and other villages of Manyu in a bid to stem the tide of drugs which is hurting their children.  In my days as a young man walking the streets of Mamfe, I never had any concerns. There was security. There were no drugs. Every old person was like my father or mother and each person you saw only gave you advice for you to focus on your studies. As a child, I respected everyone and like many of my friends, we listened to our elders without questioning their wisdom. Our parents and elders knew that the future of the Division was in our hands. It was always a great joy across Manyu when we passed our exams. In those days, it really took an entire village to raise a child and every child was expected to live by known social norms. These days, things have changed and young men and women have opted to go down a dangerous path that is likely to rob them of a beautiful future. They are flushing their future down the toilet and this is not good for the Division. This crisis can be addressed if all Manyu elites and the Diaspora lend their voices to those of our brothers and sisters who are on the ground combatting this scourge that is blighting the lives of our children and grandchildren.

I think in the short term, efforts should be focused on identifying the suppliers whose objective is to make money even when lives are being destroyed. This will require administrative and political leaders as well as security authorities to be part of this vast effort. According to some people I have spoken to in Mamfe, some of the suppliers have been  identified but the unfortunate thing is that whenever the matter is taken to the police, the suspect gets arrested, but he gets released shortly after and he continues plying  his trade as if nothing has happened. The police and administrative officials who are also parents must help us. We need help! Our people cannot do it alone. They should be seen as partners in this complicated war which is tough to be prosecuted and is destroying young lives.

As a people, we must talk to our children. Real education starts from home. Parents must let their children know that engaging in irresponsible behavior will hurt them and their future. Members of our Diaspora can also help by weighing in. Their voices count and their financial support to those NGOs which are struggling to combat this plague will go a long way. No amount is too small, especially when it can deliver a child from the throes of this crisis. We must use the radio stations in Manyu to sensitize our youths to the need to stay focused in order to prepare for a beautiful life. Our children should choose people who have succeeded in life as their role models and not drug addicts and unscrupulous individuals.

Cameroon Concord News: In addition to the drug crisis, there is another crisis which is hurting young innocent girls. The level of promiscuity among young girls of fourteen and up is disturbing. What is your take on this?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: This is very disturbing. Our kids must focus on their education if they really want to have a bright future. Parents must encourage their teenage girls to postpone sex for a better life. I have heard of girls having sex with irresponsible men, some of whom could be their grandparents or are uniform officers. This is wrong and we must decry it. The residents of Manyu must be made to understand that it is a criminal offense to engage in sexual activities with minors. I understand that the humiliating and dehumanizing poverty prevailing in the country is morally disarming young girls in Manyu, but our young girls and children should resist temptation if they want to have a good life tomorrow. Our Manyu women organizations such as Nyene Mawn, EYUMEMA and MOHWA which are well structured could lend a useful hand to efforts currently underway to bail the Manyu girl child out of sexual exploitation and distraction. I am therefore urging the sons and daughters of Manyu Division to channel their financial assistance to these organizations for them to deliver on their mandate. I am personally prepared to make a financial contribution for this purpose.

Cameroon Concord News: There is also a more serious moral crisis which is tearing the Manyu social fabric apart. It is alleged that a few young men in Manyu who have made a little money are adversely changing the social dynamics in Manyu. There is no respect for elders and even the chiefs have fallen prey to financial temptation. What is your opinion regarding this unfortunate situation?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: I read in one of your articles published last week that money has restructured our people’s thinking and this is leading to a collapse of the social fabric of our Division. Our chiefs are not only traditional leaders; they are supposed to be moral authorities whose word should carry a lot of weight. If they are letting themselves to be tainted by money and sex, then they should know that they are shooting themselves in the foot. Some people allege that the distribution of Manyu traditional titles to any and everybody is immoral as it is money-induced, especially as one businessman, Tabe Bisong, is involved in some of those projects. I heard he brought a prophet from Nigeria who left Mamfe with the title of Sesekou. I do not know the bases upon which the prophet was handed such a title and it will be preposterous of me to condemn something whose details I do not know. I would also like to point out that I do not really believe that those titles are being awarded because money has changed hands. However, our chiefs must never throw caution to the wind. We count on them to uphold those values and principles which make Manyu a respected Division. For Tabe Bisong, I don’t know him. He is younger than I am but would advise that such a young man should be protected if his wealth is genuine. It is not everyone who knows how to make money and if Manyu has finally found someone who can create wealth, I think we should advise and protect him. In your article, you insinuated that the source of his wealth could not be determined and now that drugs have taken over the lives of our children, anyone whose wealth cannot be accounted for is a suspect. You may have your reasons to think so and as a seasoned journalist and writer, you have your sources on the ground. I would, however, like to point out that Tabe Bisong is innocent until proven guilty. I have heard that he is hard-working, strategic and humane. I have been reliably informed that he had a huge share of the cocoa market for a long time, and he single-handedly ran beer operations in Manyu Division at the height of the socio-political crisis. He brought Brasseries du Cameroun drinks to Manyu and this initiative delivered much money to him. I think if he is engaged in such businesses, his riches should be legitimate. However, I have one piece of advice for him. His love of the spotlight is hurting him in a big and bad way. In life, if you want to be heard very early, know that you could be beheaded.  When you step into the spotlight, know that you have opened yourself up for criticism. That is human nature and none of us is capable of rewriting human nature.

Cameroon Concord News: Dr. Arrey, you now speak like a real politician. Does this imply that you will eventually end up in the political arena, especially as it is rumored that you are the right person to replace Senator Tabetando of blessed memory?

Dr.Joachim Arrey: Senator Tabetando is dead and gone, and he was buried a few days ago. He should be with his ancestors now where he is rendering account of his time on earth. He did his best as a lawyer, a businessman and a senator. May his soul rest in peace! I don’t know where you get your information but I trust that as a successful and respected journalist, you are talking to many people in Manyu Division. If the majority if the people want to pin their trust on me, I would not reject that. In my 60s, I have already achieved all the goals I set for myself. At this stage in life, I really do not have anything to prove to anyone. If that is the choice of the people then what you have in mind will come true. Vox populi, vox dei (The voice of men is the voice of God). Always remember that 2028 is still two years away and a lot can happen between now and 2028. You should also understand that the road ahead is still long and senatorial elections are not popular elections where everyone can vote. Party leadership has a key role in determining who has to represent the party. Moreover, Manyu has many competent human resources and there are other people who are also holding their cards so close to their chests. Regardless of the situation, we must always bear in mind that it is all about Manyu and that we must strive to make Manyu a better place than we met it.

Cameroon Concord News: Thank Dr. Arrey for sharing your brilliant thoughts with our audiences.

Dr. Joachim Arrey: The pleasure is mine. Let’s keep on sharing our perspectives with a view to educating the younger ones who will eventually take over the mantle of leadership tomorrow. Thank you, once more, for giving me this platform for me to share my golden nuggets of knowledge with our people.

Cameroon to expire in December

17, June 2026

Cameroon to expire in December 0

After careful observation of the 2026 GCE leaks, recurring examination scandals, corruption allegations, administrative confusion and the national talent for turning every crisis into a committee meeting, the Republic of Cameroon is now approaching its expiration date. Please check the label beneath the national coat of arms for details.

The latest GCE scandal saw examination papers circulating online before candidates entered exam halls, forcing authorities to postpone several exams. Officials described it as a serious breach of integrity and internal failure. At this point, the exam papers seem to know the questions before the students do.

One candidate reportedly opened his exam booklet and shouted, “Wait, this is the old leak! Where is the updated version?”

Another student complained that he studied honestly and therefore entered the examination hall at a competitive disadvantage.

Meanwhile, corruption in Cameroon has become so experienced that it no longer walks—it teleports. When a scandal emerges, everyone is shocked, investigations are launched, statements are issued and somehow the scandal graduates with distinction while accountability fails the resit.

The nation has become a place where roads are under construction longer than some university degrees! Public projects age before completion! Committees are created to investigate why previous committees failed.

Every GCE leak is blamed on “a few bad individuals,” despite the fact that the few bad individuals apparently number in the thousands.

The GCE was once a test of knowledge. Today it risks becoming a test of internet speed. Students revise textbooks while others revise WhatsApp groups. Teachers prepare lessons while fraudsters prepare answer keys. Parents pray for success while officials pray that the next leak waits until after the press conference.

If things continue at this rate, Cameroon may not expire from natural causes. It may simply receive a notification:

“System Error 404: Governance Not Found.”

Yet the tragedy behind the joke is real. Examination leaks undermine trust, punish honest students and weaken confidence in educational institutions. Recent reports note that repeated leaks and fraud concerns have raised serious questions about the credibility and security of national examinations.

If corruption remains permanent, accountability remains temporary and every scandal becomes tomorrow’s forgotten headline, then the nation risks something worse than expiration: getting used to dysfunction. And this is a far more dangerous disease than any exam leak.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Iran deal: the cards are now in Tehran’s favour

16, June 2026

Iran deal: the cards are now in Tehran’s favour 0

The US president’s 80th birthday began with a bang that kicked off on social media, resonated in the roars on the White House South Lawn as fighters pummeled each other in a cage, and left Middle East experts reeling as they examined the geostrategic impact of Donald Trump’s birthday gift to the world.

The president had made it known that he wanted an Iran “peace deal” on his birthday, come what may. So, when Israel kicked off the day with strikes in Dahiyeh, the Hezbollah stronghold in the southern suburbs of Beirut, he was incensed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Why did Bibi have to do a fucking attack,” Trump fumed in an interview with US news site Axios. “He has no fucking judgement,” he added.

By the end of the day, the storm had settled. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to X to announce a deal had been reached, which was followed by a Trump post on Truth Social declaring “The Deal” was “now complete”. The 55-word message stated that the US president had “authorized” the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and that “ships of the world” could “start their engines”.

This was just as things were before the US and Israel started the Iran war, when the Strait of Hormuz was open for business with 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas passing through the critical waterway.

‘Back to square one’

Now that the celebrations on the South Lawn have wrapped up, the international community is looking the gift horse in the mouth and asking who got the biggest party favor at the end of the day.

Trump’s Sunday night announcement was “both a birthday gift for himself and a gift for the Iranian regime”, said Karim Emile Bitar, international relations professor at Beirut’s Saint Joseph University and lecturer at Paris-based Sciences Po university.

“It is quite ironic that the main accomplishment of this deal is reopening a strait (the Strait of Hormuz) that was wide open four months ago. It showed that Iran found out that the control of the strait could be a deterrent, arguably even more important than a nuclear deterrent, that they could have the entire world’s economy basically slowed down by simply closing this trade,” Bitar noted.

The details of what Trump calls “the deal” and diplomats call “the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)” will not be released before Friday. But news reports based on multiple sources say the agreement provides for a 60-day cessation of hostilities during which the two sides will negotiate a final peace deal.

While Trump’s message on Sunday declared the Strait of Hormuz would be opened “toll free”, senior administration officials had no details on the time schedules.

In an interview with CNBC television on Monday, Vice President JD Vance was asked if the MoU provided a toll-free opening of the waterway for just the initial 60-day period. Vance replied that, “Our expectation is that the strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long term, and that’s the sort of thing that we’re going to figure out in these technical negotiations.”

Trump on Monday declared that many ships loaded with oil are starting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, calling it “totally safe, secure and pristine”. But maritime trackers have yet to show an uptick in traffic since the deal was announced. Minesweeping operations are expected to last several weeks, while France and the UK prepare a support mission to help the reopening of the vital waterway.

More than a century after US writer and satirist Mark Twain wryly noted that, “God created war so that Americans would learn geography,” the Trump administration may have finally had a crash course in geostrategic waterways. But critics say the lesson came too late for Washington, handing Tehran a win as the war dragged past the three-month mark.

“Over the three-month trajectory, what Iran showed is that, yes, they were the underdog, attacked by two nuclear powers with military supremacy. But they also had their own cards to play,” said Negar Mortazavi, senior fellow at the Washington-based Center for International Policy, in an interview with FRANCE 24.

“The defining point in this war is the strategic geographic advantage that Iran has over the Strait of Hormuz. And it seems like President Trump and the US just couldn’t get them to reopen the strait with force. This brought [the US] to the negotiating table and, essentially, back to square one, because the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t even a problem before the war.”  

First US president to negotiate directly with Iran

In the past, the US has held only indirect, mediated talks with the Islamic Republic, such as the negotiations leading up to the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – the 2015 nuclear deal Iran signed with six world powers – during the presidency of Barack Obama.

But Washington has never had to negotiate with Iran for peace, noted FRANCE 24’s Noga Tarnopolsky, reporting from Jerusalem. 

“No previous American president has tried to make peace with the Islamic Republic of Iran. It was never on the table, there was never an actual war between the United States and Iran necessitating a peace. Before this, Iran has always been viewed as a threshold nuclear state that is increasingly dangerous. That was the aim of Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, to try and curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions. It didn’t go beyond that,” Tarnopolsky explained.

The period between the 2015 signing of the JCPOA and Trump’s 2018 withdrawal from the nuclear deal during his first presidency were “the only three years when Iran’s nuclear program was held back and was scrutinized by international authorities”, Tarnopolsky said.

Details of Iran’s nuclear commitments under the terms of the new Islamabad MoU have been vague. In his comments to the press, Trump has noted that “the Iranian enriched uranium file will be dealt with” at a later date. The US president also stressed that the nuclear issue will be the focus of in-depth and direct negotiations during the 60 days following the signing of the agreement.

Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program was for civilian energy purposes only, and under the JCPOA its enrichment activities were limited to 3.67 percent – a level sufficient to power nuclear reactors, but far short of the 90 percent needed for weapons. After Trump withdrew from the agreement, Iran announced it would begin enriching to 60 percent.

Under the JCPOA, Tehran also agreed to nuclear inspections by the IAEA, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, and had begun complying with shipping parts of its uranium stockpile to Russia, which was also a signatory to the 2015 nuclear deal.

The Iran war has not resolved the critical nuclear non-proliferation issue, Bitar noted, adding that the current deal leaves the world worse off.

“The Iranians did not make any concessions so far. They just reiterated what they had said for the past 20 years, and that was already clearly written in the JCPOA,” he said.

“We’re back to the original sin of Donald Trump: out of obsession or jealousy [of] Barack Obama, tearing down an agreement that was much better negotiated – which was not just a bilateral US-Iranian agreement but that also involved Europe, the United Nations, Russia and China. That we have reached this stage of America showing its impotence is, to a large extent, because Donald Trump committed this major mistake of tearing up the JCPOA in 2018.” 

‘Good old protection racket’ of Gulf states

Iran’s nuclear ambitions were a major threat to the Gulf states and a key driver of the US security umbrella for oil-rich Sunni monarchies facing a giant Shiite power across the Persian Gulf. 

The Iran war has forced the Gulf states to hedge their security bets as missiles from Tehran wreaked havoc on their economies. Earlier this month, Reuters reported that the United Arab Emirates agreed to pay Iran billions of dollars in exchange for a de-escalation.

Sources told Reuters that the UAE had agreed to release a total of $10 billion, more than $3 billion of which had already been delivered. While there was no clarity on whether the funds earmarked for the transfers belong to the UAE or originate in ​long-blocked Iranian accounts in the UAE banking system, the report noted that Iranian attacks on Emirati facilities had decreased over the past few weeks.

“Deep down, there is no love lost between the Iranian and Emirati regimes. But it’s definitely true that the UAE realized that their security and economic development was heavily dependent on having better relations with Iran. So they seem to have succumbed to the good old protection racket,” said Bitar.

The lifting of Western sanctions and access to Iran’s frozen funds abroad have been key demands of the Islamic regime. Iran’s Mehr news agency reported that the MoU stipulates the release of $24 billion in frozen Iranian funds during the 60-day negotiation period. The report has not been confirmed by Iranian or US authorities.

‘Victim of American amateurism, Iranian cynicism and Israeli hubris’

While the international community has been left in the dark about much of the details of the Islamabad MoU, the one issue that Pakistani PM Sharif has confirmed is that the cessation of hostilities covers all fronts, “including Lebanon”.

But Sharif has been here before. On April 8, just hours after Sharif declared that a Pakistan-mediated US-Iran ceasefire included Lebanon, the Israeli military conducted massive strikes across Lebanon, offloading more than 100 bombs in just 10 minutes and killing more than 360 people under Operation Eternal Darkness. The Lebanese called it “Black Wednesday”.

Trump’s expletive-riddled birthday rant against Netanyahu on Sunday underscored his fears that Israel, which was not involved in the MoU negotiations, could scupper the latest agreement.

“This deal has been considered unacceptable by Israel. Israel seems determined to continue its occupation of south Lebanon. It is an electoral season in Israel,” said Bitar, referring to Israeli legislative elections being held later this year. “So, I very much doubt that Netanyahu can withdraw from Lebanon. At the same time, this deal does not seem to have imposed on Iran any conditions to stop financing and supporting Hezbollah. So, Lebanon could once again end up being the victim of American amateurism, Iranian cynicism and Israeli hubris.”

The biggest losers are the Iranian people, who rose up in mass protests against the regime in December-January. Five months after Trump told Iranians who were protesting that “help is on its way”, the regime today is more hardline than it was before the start of the war, experts say.

“This really solidified the regime and their argument that Iran is the only country in the region that can fight two superpowers. And they were able to defend the country’s sovereignty, independence, the system and bring the world’s [foremost] superpower to the negotiating table in three months,” said Mortazavi.

Israel’s initial decapitation strikes at the start of the war might have killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, but his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has close links to Iran’s hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), whose powers have increased since the February strikes. 

“The regime in Iran is more emboldened and more hardline, consolidated by an IRGC that is essentially governing in a police state fashion,” said Tara Kangarlou, adjunct professor at Georgetown University and author of “The Heartbeat of Iran”, in an interview.

“Life for ordinary Iranians in Iran is worse than how it was before the war against a collapsed economy. They’re left with a younger, more emboldened Khamenei regime. This is not what they wanted and asked the world for. The regime has stayed and Donald Trump is presumably interested in making a peace with this same regime. The price has been paid by ordinary people.”

Source: France 24

Exam leaks in CPDM Cameroon: A symptom of a deeper corruption crisis

12, June 2026

Exam leaks in CPDM Cameroon: A symptom of a deeper corruption crisis 0

The recurring problem of examination leaks in Cameroon is often treated as an isolated failure of educational administration. However, many Cameroonians have now opined that these incidents reflect a broader culture of bad governance, lack of accountability and corruption that has developed under the long rule of the 92-year-old President Paul Biya and his CPDM government based in Yaoundé.

For members of the ruling CPDM crime syndicate who do not know, examination leaks undermine the integrity of the country’s education system. The leaks devalue the hard work of honest students, erode public confidence in academic qualifications and create unfair advantages for those with access to privileged networks. Yet such leaks do not occur in a vacuum. They require the involvement or at least the negligence of individuals entrusted with safeguarding examination materials in all the ten regions of Cameroon.

Some commentators contend that the persistence of these scandals points to a deeper governance problem in Yaoundé. When state institutions lack transparency and government officials are rarely held accountable for misconduct, corruption can spread throughout public service establishments. In such an environment, the temptation to exploit confidential examination materials for personal gain becomes greater, while the likelihood of meaningful consequences remains low.

Under President Biya’s administration, opposition figures and civil society groups have frequently raised concerns about corruption, patronage and institutional weakness. They argue that these systemic issues have contributed to declining public trust in state institutions, including the education sector. From this perspective, examination leaks are not merely educational failures but symptoms of broader political and administrative shortcomings.

Supporters of the corrupt Biya regime, however, maintain that examination malpractice is a challenge faced by many countries and should not be attributed solely to national political leadership. They point to efforts by education minister Prof Nalova Lyonga to strengthen security measures, investigate leaks and punish offenders.

Nevertheless, the repeated occurrence of examination leaks raises difficult questions. If anti-corruption measures are effective, why do similar scandals continue to emerge? Why do students and parents repeatedly fear that examination results may be compromised? These concerns suggest that stronger oversight, greater transparency and more robust accountability mechanisms are needed.

Ultimately, restoring confidence in Cameroon’s education system will require more than tightening examination security. It will require building institutions that reward integrity, punish misconduct and operate independently of political influence. Until those broader governance challenges are addressed, examination leaks are likely to remain a troubling reflection of deeper problems within the state.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Biya is already in Hell as Yaoundé unravels

9, June 2026

Biya is already in Hell as Yaoundé unravels 0

His Eminence Cardinal Tumi stated that Hell is the place of eternal punishment for the wicked after death. No one in Cameroon would have put it better than Tumi.

However, there is a kind of Hell that requires no flames, no demons and no final judgment standing in front of Angels and Arch Angels. It is the hell of watching a system decay while still sitting on the throne as head of state. By this measure, President Paul Biya is already in Hell.

For decades, Biya has projected the image of permanence. Leaders and governments changed everywhere!  Strongmen and women rose and fell and crises erupted and subsided. Yet Biya remained. Political power after all, can create the illusion that time itself has stopped. But time never stops. It accumulates.

Today, the greatest pain for any “long standing” dictator is not necessarily losing power. It is witnessing the consequences of power exercised for so long that institutions become brittle, public confidence erodes and a capital city begins to mirror a nation’s frustrations.

When Cameroonians complain about failing services, economic hardship, decaying infrastructure or political stagnation, they are not merely criticizing the 42-year old Biya administration. They are delivering a verdict on years of bad governance. In this sense, the real punishment is not exile to the InterContinental Hotel in Geneva. It is ownership.

As frustrations mount in Yaoundé, the nation’s capital, every pothole from Obili to Bastos and from Soa to Ngoa-ekele, every SOCADEL-Eneo blackout and every expression of public disappointment becomes part of a legacy that can no longer be separated from the big man at the top. Paul Biya commands the army, the National Gendarmerie, the Secret Service and the Police Force. Biya issues presidential decrees and occupy official residences with his Beti-Bulu so-called political elites but none of these things will shield him from history’s judgment.

The tragedy of prolonged rule is that it often begins with promises and ends with maintenance of the status quo. The energy that once justified authority gives way to inertia. The future becomes something to manage rather than something to build.

If Hell according to Cardinal Tumi’s prescription is the realization that the world you shaped is slipping beyond your control, then it is possible to imagine Biya experiencing it already. Not as a literal destination, but as a political condition.

Biya is now a leader surrounded by the symbols of authority yet confronted by the visible deterioration of public trust. Biya is now a president who still possesses power but increasingly struggles to command enthusiasm.

The streets of the capital city Yaoundé tell their own stories. They reveal whether Cameroonians feel hopeful or trapped, whether the Biya government inspires confidence or resignation. No CPDM speech can fully silence this verdict.

The ultimate irony is that leaders like Biya who remain the longest often have the least ability to escape responsibility. Successes may be shared among many, but failures become concentrated at the top. History remembers who was in charge.

And so the image of a “Biya already in Hell” is not one of fire and brimstone. It is the image of a man forced to watch the consequences of an era unfold around him, unable to separate himself from them, while the city at the heart of his rule reflects a growing sense that things are falling apart. That may be the harshest judgment politics can deliver.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

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

4, June 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cigarettes? Even a chain smoker eventually puts one out.

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

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

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

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

So what does President Biya really want?

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

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

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

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