Certainly, the kidnapping of 79 Cameroonian students by gunmen last week was a veiled message to the government that the Ambazonian separatists are indefatigable in their demand for autonomy and would make all sacrifice to achieve the goal
Though the gunmen were not immediately identified and the students have been released, it is instructive that they rejected ransom. Rather, they demanded that the school should be closed. It is not the first time students would be kidnapped but it is the first time such a large number of students were involved and ransom was not demanded.
Apparently, the demand for the closing of schools is to ensure the safety of the students. However, the kidnapping of students by insurgents to drum home their message has remained a worrisome development in the subregion. But beyond the closure of schools in the two regions, what is clear now is that Cameroon is sliding into civil war. Last week, President Biya asked the separatists to lay down their arms or face the rigour of the law and the determination of the defense and security forces. He spoke during his inauguration for the 7th term in office.
He reportedly promised to defeat terrorism in the country. Agency reports quoted him as saying that they would continue fighting terrorism until separatists in the two English-speaking regions drop their guns or are defeated. He however said “a good number of responses” will be provided “through the framework of accelerating the decentralization process which is underway,” adding that “the future of our compatriots in the Northwest and Southwest lies in the framework of our republic.”
In this report, Nigerian journalist, lawyer, activist and Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) African Bar Association, Mr Osa Director comments on the crisis and proffer solution. African Bar Association has been is a strong advocate of respect for fundamental human rights in Cameroon and other African countries.
Asked to react to the kidnapping of the 79 students, Director condemned the act, describing it as “an unfortunate development.” He said: “No sane and rationally minded human being will be happy at the incarceration or deprivation of the freedom of others.”Kidnapping is an issue that is subjected to immense physical torture. So, I felt sad and disappointed.”
With a cautious voice, Director was quick to say it is also important to identify the factor(s) that may have instigated the action of the gunmen. “However, we have to look at the root cause of such incident which I think is not unrelated to the crisis in Cameroon, where the English-speaking people are seeking independence from the dominance of the French-speaking north.
But for how long will Cameroon remain in a state of anarchy? Director said “until injustice and lopsidedness in national affairs in Cameroon is property addressed with a sense of fairness, justice and equity, we will continue to have incidence like this.” Director is aware of the implications of kidnapping of students by insurgents, either in Cameroon or in Nigeria. He pointed to the situation in Nigeria and how payment of ransom has encouraged kidnapping. “Unconfirmed source indicated that the Nigerian government always pays ransom to Boko Haram, although the government had continued to deny it. But even the international community continues to insist that certain ransom were paid.
“Those kind of attitude will embolden other kidnappers, knowing that it is now a veritable way of making money. So, it has serious implications for Nigeria in the sense that whatever happens in Cameroon can easily dovetail into the Nigerian states having borders with it . . . Akwa Ibom and Cross River.” He expressed fear that “some of these kidnappers could even be operating from the borders of Nigeria, knowing how porous our borders can be.” He suggested the tightening of Nigerian borders. “It means we have to tighten our security network and processes to ensure that the impact is not maximally felt in Nigeria as a way of causing tension and putting life at risk in these states.’
The Cameroonian crisis started with peaceful protests against the imposition of the French language on the schools and courts in the two Ambazonian regions where English is the general language used in schools and other public institutions. The thinking among observers at the time was that the crisis would be resolved, especially after international bodies like the European Union and the United Nations called for peace. So, what happened? Director believes that “in a situation like this, there must be a meeting ground.”
Since the crisis started, calls for dialogue between the government and the separatists have been made without tangible result. Director puts “the blame at the doorstep of the government.” He wondered why the government is reluctant to embrace dialogue when “the right to self determination is guaranteed under the UN charter. And if people say they want to secede, all you need do is to have discussion with them, it is possible that after the discussion, they may change or review decision.”
Describing President Biya as a tyrant and dictator, he said the president has been uncooperative, recalcitrant and reluctant to dialogue with the separatists. He wants the government of Cameroon to know that “nothing on earth can muzzle people who are determined and who are focus.” He believes that it is going to be a matter of time for the Ambazonians to realize their dream.
He dismissed claims that the separatists were giving tough conditions for dialogue with the government. “In negotiation, one of the parties should not be in a position of immense superiority. The Ambazonians are saying if we have to dialogue, the environment had to be equitable and there must be unbiased mediators in this process. So, it cannot be said that the Ambazonians are giving impossible conditions if the Cameroonian government is unwilling to have unbiased mediators in the process and in an environment that is seen to be equitable to both parties.”
Some observers have argued that Nigeria has the vigour to resolve the crisis but it is shying away even as some of its states are overwhelmed with Cameroonian refugees. Director agrees with this school of thought. “Nigeria is seen as a big brother in Africa and especially in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) but in this particular circumstance, it has played a very disappointing role,” he said.
Buttressing his argument, he said Nigeria bowed to the demand of the Cameroonian government when it “deported nine Cameroonians, seven of them are professors in Nigerian universities.” According to him, some of the deported Cameroonians are naturalized Nigerians. But even more surprising to him was that the deportation took place “in spite of the fact that some of my colleagues, Abdul Oroh and Femi Falana had gone to court to enforce the fundamental human rights of the Cameroonians. The government deported them before the application was held in court.”
Nigeria is a democratic country that has respect for fundamental human rights. It against this backdrop that Director said: “If Nigeria can connive with a dictatorial regime to deport even naturalized Nigerians, even though they were originally Cameroonians, that tells you that it has not been up and doing in trying to resolve the challenges in the Ambazonian regions. He accused Nigerian of not acting with an open mind and with a sense of transparency and fairness to all the parties involved He wants Nigeria to have a rethink on its position over the crisis.
“I will urge the Nigerian government to sit back and review its foreign policy disposition and ensure that if it wants to interfere or interface with areas of conflict in the subregion, it should be done with a sense of commitment, fairness, determination and be resolute in its decision irrespective of whose Ox is gourd, not by oppressing the weaker side and backing the government in power.”
The Cameroonian crisis came on the heels of agitation for secession by several groups in the south-south and northeast regions of Nigeria and the Federal Government has been mindful of its action in some neighbouring countries. Perhaps, it does not want to be seen as supporting secession in those countries. Director thinks differently. Hear him: “Yes, you can say that sentimentally and diplomatically, it would appear as if it is not in the interest of Nigeria to encourage secession in neighbouring countries when there are also pockets of agitations within Nigeria. “But as I said earlier, even though people are asking for self-determination, at the end of the day, all parties must sit on the round table and have discussion. And even at the end of the day, every war ultimately gets decided at the conference table.”
What exactly does Director wants Nigeria to do? His response: “If the Ambazonians say they want to secede, what I expect the Nigerian government to do is to encourage dialogue between the two parties just like we are saying in Nigeria that any region that is agitating for secession should not be crushed by military might.
“It does not necessarily mean that when a group says it wants to secede, it really meant it, it is only saying so because it believes it has been deprived of fairness, justice, equity and access to development and the enforcement of their full constitutional rights in the present set up. And if the government can guarantee those conditions, it will not secede.”
Though ECOWAS has been praised as an active subregional body in Africa, analysts say the body seems to lack the capacity to intervene in the Cameroonian crisis. They point at the speed with which the crisis is escalating without pronouncements by ECOWAS. The analysts are not alone. Director also believes ECOWAS has not lived up to expectation. He explains thus: “It is with a sense of disappointment that most of us have watched ECOWAS behaving like a lame duck, unable to resolve conflicts within its own subregion.
“ECOWAS has left much to be desired as far as this matter is concerned. And that may not be unrelated to the fact that the key drivers of ECOWAS like Nigeria are sending conflicting signals and are being lukewarm too, in confronting and trying to resolve the crisis in the Ambazonian regions. That in a way has brought out the general outlook, character and disposition of ECOWAS in the crisis in Cameroon.”
He does not agree with those who believe Africa must depend on Europe and America to resolve its problems. Referring to African leaders, he said “these are the same people when they are being rebuked by the international community, we would say we are independent nations. “But when there is crisis in another sphere, they would say what is America doing, what is UK doing and what is EU doing.” He said it must be remembered always that “you can’t approbate and reprobate. The only way the subregion can progress is by ensuring that it is able to solve its own problems in its own way, taking into consideration the historical peculiarities and nuisance of the subregion or continent.”
Hundreds of people filled a northern Indiana church to remember a missionary who was killed in Cameroon two weeks after arriving there with his wife and their eight children.
Charles Wesco died Oct. 30 after he was shot in the head during fighting between armed separatists and soldiers in the West African nation. The Mishawaka man was sitting with his wife, Stephanie, in a car being driven by another missionary when he was shot.
Wesco was the older brother of Republican state Rep. Tim Wesco of Osceola (o-see-O’-la).
The South Bend Tribune reports that during Monday’s memorial service at South Bend’s Community Baptist Church, fellow missionary Tom Needham told mourners that Wesco’s widow has already forgiven her husband’s killer, saying she “has no bitterness in her soul against anyone.”
At least 15 people have been killed in a new bout of fighting between Cameroon army troops and separatist rebels, the two sides said on Tuesday, in a rise in violence since President Paul Biya won a seventh term in power in October.
The conflict between Anglophone separatists, who want to create an independent state called Ambazonia, and government forces has killed more than 400 people in western Cameroon since last year and has emerged as Biya’s greatest security problem in nearly four decades of rule.
The two sides often provide conflicting accounts of the fighting, but both have reported heavier casualties in recent weeks, with dozens killed.
Twenty-three separatists have been killed in clashes with government troops since Nov. 10 near the town of Nkambe in Cameroon’s English-speaking Northwest region, while another six have been killed in nearby Ndu, Army representative Didier Badjeck said.
Ivo Tapang, spokesman for the Ambazonian Defence Force, one of the main Anglophone secessionist militias, confirmed that fighting had occurred in Nkambe, but disputed Badjeck’s account.
He said ADF troops had encircled a government army truck near Nkambe after it was overturned by a roadside bomb on Saturday.
“Two of our fighters were killed and we killed 13 of them,” he said.
The fighting follows clashes on Oct. 23 that killed at least 10 and up to 30 combatants, according to differing accounts from the two sides that could not be independently verified.
Separatist militias launched an insurrection last year against the predominantly Francophone central government after authorities violently repressed peaceful protests against perceived marginalisation of the English-speaking minority.
The army has burned villages and killed unarmed civilians, residents have told Reuters, forcing thousands to flee to French-speaking regions or neighbouring Nigeria.
Threats by the separatists disrupted voting in Cameroon’s two Anglophone regions during the Oct. 7 election, which Biya won in a landslide to extend his 36-year rule.
The linguistic divide harks back to the end of World War One, when the League of Nations divided the former German colony of Kamerun between the allied French and British victors.
A memorial service was held in South Bend Monday afternoon in honor of Charles Wesco, a local missionary who was killed while serving in Cameroon.
Charles Wesco surrounded by children in Cameroon.
Wesco was caught in the crossfire during a gunfight between armed separatists and soldiers on October 30.
“I can’t explain the peace that God has given me,” said Wesco’s wife, Stephanie. “Even though my husband is gone, I will never walk alone. That’s such a comfort to know that he will never leave me nor forsake me and he will never leave my children.”
“The kids keep talking about little things that [my husband] did with them that meant so much to them,” she added. “He was a visionary, he always had a plan for our family.”
Charles Wesco felt called by God to serve as a missionary in Cameroon with his family, who shared in his vision to serve.
“He loved working with children, so he had brought tons of different Bible memory booklets and harmonicas and a chalk easel set to do chalk-talk pictures,” said Stephanie. “He would preach and our sons would draw.”
Though Wesco is gone, his love for the people of Cameroon lives on.
“For now, we’re looking at moving back and relocating here,” said Stephanie. “My heart is still in Cameroon, so I’m still praying for God to work there in a mighty way because part of us will always be there.”
As for their children, Stephanie says she plans to raise them how her husband would’ve wanted, teaching them to live by faith.
“I pray that God would send them back to Cameroon,” she said. “That each of them would have their daddy’s heart for the people there and for the people around the world.”
Stephanie says she thanks the community for their prayers, and asks that people also pray for the country of Cameroon.
It is with greatest concern and respect for the future of women, children and people of Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) that I greet you in this unusual correspondence. It is my hope and certainly my trust that this letter finds you in the best of health.
I still recall the excitement and joyous day on April 23rd, 1994, when as a young woman you got married and became the First Lady of the Republic of Cameroon. I celebrated that day for two reasons; that the country had as First Lady a younger woman and with the establishment of the Chantal Biya Foundation that same year, you demonstrated your desire to attend to the sufferings of the vulnerable,underprivileged, the sick and weak in Cameroon. I knew that as a woman and a mother, the sanctity of life and the burning desire to protect it was very close to your heart and this has been demonstrated through your philanthropic and humanitarian efforts through the years.With your humanitarian credentials, there was no doubt in my mind that you would protect the best interest of the people of Cameroon as their First Lady.
However, I write to you today, forced into exile and no longer in Cameroon, nearly twenty-four years later with a heavy heart. I hold a heavy heart because of the desperate and horrific situation in Southern Cameroons
The conflict in the Southern Cameroons has taken a terrible toll on the vulnerable community and the stench of death and desolation has engulfed the villages,towns and cities. The depravity and senseless disregard of human life by the security forces of the government of Cameroon is alarming. We are seeing scenes reminiscent of the Ethiopian civil war in the 80s with dead bodies abandoned on the side of our roads, charred bodies of our elderly and vulnerable, burnt alive in their homes and entire villages incinerated from the face of the earth.
The security forces are carrying out extra-judicial killings of the population, the lives of our active young men are no longer assured today than it is tomorrow, and our young women are raped with reckless brutality by the security forces of the government of Cameroon. The trauma and scars of death on the desolate eyes of our children seeing their parents savagely bludgeoned by the security forces is leaving a painful impact characterized by nightmares in these young minds. Most of the indigenous population has been forced into the open forest and exposed to the elements. Nursing mothers and women under their period are left with no options, but to use dead vegetation for their basic hygienic needs. It is a terrible sight to behold.
Cash crops like cocoa, coffee, palm kernels have been abandoned to waste in the farms because the farmers have either been forced to flee or are too afraid to even hold their artisanal tools like cutlasses to go to the farms because that is in itself a death sentence from the security forces. Almost 300,000 IDP and about 100,000 refugees living in squalid conditions in neighboring Nigeria, thousands killed, and some buried in mass graves and thousands arrested, abducted and whisked to dangerous dungeons in Cameroon. The economy of Southern Cameroons that have been systematically abandoned for the last 57 years has been completely eviscerated and devastated by the conflict, punitive curfews and road closures that make movement and commerce between villages and towns perniciously impossible and frustrating.
My hearts bleeds for the children and women rendered orphans and widows, my heart bleeds upon the dark clouds circling above Southern Cameroons, My heart bleeds for the painful and horrific burning of elderly men and women in their homes, the pain, the anger, the complete obliteration of entire communities and cultures. I weep for the mothers and wives of the young soldiers whose lives are also being wasted in this senseless war.
It was permissible in the beginning of this crisis that you stayed silent, it was permissible that you remained indifferent, but it is no longer permissible in light of what we know now. It is no longer permissible as a mother of the nation who understands the pain of childbirth to remain indifferent to the plight of the people of Southern Cameroons. It is a travesty that the pain and suffering of mothers and young women who looked up to you, who sang, praised and celebrated you have been abandoned and treated with this level of disdain. How do you sleep at night as a mother knowing that young children have been deprived of education because of the security situation for the past two years, how do you wake up each morning not knowing what may happened to your loved ones in Southern Cameroons and how can you stay mute for this long with the unravelling refugee crisis in Southern Cameroons. What has happened to the humanity in you? Cry My Beloved Country!
As the wife of Sissiku Julius Ayuk-Tabe (leader of Southern Cameroons), I understand the political implication of this crisis. However, there are times when humanity and government come together for a common goal. In this case, the goal is the protection of humanity; the innocent and helpless men, women and children in Southern Cameroons. They are unable to speak or defend themselves. They live in terror because they never know when they hear the sound of guns in their village, if it is their turn to be killed or taken away in the darkness of the early morning. Imagine the terror that overcomes them when they hear the deafening screams of a sister, aunt, cousin, a playmate or a mother being brutally raped. They know then that they are next. It is compared to an execution queue where men are waiting to be taken away for execution, and they hear the deadly sound of the firing squad as they queue in and wait their turn. The torture, taunts and torments are unimaginable, and you could hear grown men crying.
I realize that I may come under criticisms and accusations for writing this letter to you. I have no other motive to write this letter, other than for you to rally the mothers of Cameroon and bring pressure to bear on your husband and the government of Cameroon for an inclusive dialogue and a negotiated solution to this crisis and the immediate release of our leaders including my husband. The deafening silence from you is no longer acceptable. The lives of 8 million Southern Cameroonians and the fate of their leaders in jail is in your hands. Madam First Lady set the example for other women to follow.
It is not too late for you to send the message; that the mothers of Cameroon will no longer tolerate this war. The Southern Cameroons women will applaud you and women around the world will celebrate you.
The Lives of Southern Cameroons children, mothers and fathers also Matter and the continuing silence in the face of these killings is collusion.
I look forward to collaborating with you to look for an inclusive and negotiated solutions to this crisis.
Respectfully,
Lilian Ayuk-Tabe
Now that you are here
The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons. The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.
The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers. However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization. It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.
Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
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The Board looks forward to hearing from the readers.
Signed by the Group Chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors
The political class has failed Cameroon and it is presently driving the divided nation closer to a failed state. The church has contributed enormously to this failure and the chaotic situation that has rocked Cameroon is made worse by the Christian community leaders who are now acting like agents of the CPDM crime syndicate.
The case of the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, Rev Fonki Samuel is very glaring and many including the Cameroon Concord News Group are of the opinion that it is time the PCC looks for a decent man to run its spiritual affairs.
Under Rev. Fonki Samuel, Presbyterian Christians have grown cold in their prayer lives and the power of a praying church that was the motto of the PCC is now a thing of the past. The choice of this editorial has been informed by the observable trend of cold and insincere prayer attitude that characterised the Presbyterian community in particular and the entire Christian fold in Southern Cameroons; the reason why the situation of Cameroon has not possessed the wishes of God for his people.
The heart of the PCC which is the Bastos congregation in Yaounde is now operating like a commercial centre and Presbyterians there have not been praying enough because both their spiritual leader and the Moderator have compromised with the Biya regime rather than keep to their calling of being the prophetic voices of the people.
Rev Fonki Samuel and the Archbishop of Yaounde have failed Cameroon and the Christian Community and the need for fervent prayer culture to oust both men from their respective positions of trust should and must become highly important as it is a command by God, which is an acceptable link between God and his children and an avenue to demonstrate God’s power.
Rev Fonki Samuel is a good example to demonstrate that practice does not make perfect. Criticised for opening a Protestant University in Bali and at the same time sending his own kid abroad for studies, the so-called Man of God and Moderator abandoned children who were reportedly kidnapped by armed militia backed by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji and rushed to congratulate 85 year President Biya for stealing the October 7 polls.
We of the Cameroon Concord News and the Cameroon Intelligence Report can authoritatively say that the leadership of the PCC has abandoned the role of the church which is to salvage the course of the nation through godly behaviours and Rev Fonki is behaving like a common Christian leader running a small church in a ware house near the Mamfe Motor Park.
A complete change of leadership will help the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon and its fast growing Diaspora and this can only be achieved through the cries of the righteous in prayer. It is on this note that we of the Cameroon Concord News Group are calling on the pastors of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon and all the Rev Fathers in the Archdiocese of Yaounde to rise up to all the challenges posed by poor spiritual leadership through persistent prayers and righteous living to enable Christians wade into the appalling situations of the nation.
By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Now that you are here
The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons. The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.
The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers. However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization. It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.
Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Banking IBAN: GB51 BARC 2049 1103 9130 15
Swift BIC BARC GB22XX
SORT CODE 20-49-11, ACCOUNT NUMBER – 03913015 Barclay PLC, UK
The Board looks forward to hearing from the readers.
Signed by the Group Chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors
I want to begin this appreciative note by thanking God almighty for my release from the Douala Central Prison in New Bell on Saturday November 10, 2018. God’s love towards his children is ever fresh and ever growing.
To YOU my friends, you demonstrated that a friend in need is a friend indeed. I will forever remain indebted to the numerous calls through my lawyers and mother, your visits, your gifts and your prayers.
To YOU my visual friends (social media platforms) yes, we have never met, but you treated my case with an exceptional and undiluted attention. All over, you changed your profile pictures, wrote messages, and contributed money for my defense among others. I ask myself today, what I really did, to have deserved these special treatments from you, whom I describe today as “Good Samaritans.” God bless you.
To YOU my colleagues, I have never seen such a solidarity demonstrated by media men and women in Cameroon. Tears ran down my cheeks when I read the stories you published in your newspapers, online campaigns on websites, radio and television reports. In fact I can now say, we have reached that level of mobilization we used to see only in the judicial core.
Special thanks to the National Union of Cameroonian Journalists, SNJC, which took the case to another level by also providing me with a defense team. I cannot forget the indefatigable efforts put in place by CAMASEJ Douala Chapter and National Bureau to mount pressure for my release.
To YOU Equinoxe Television and my immediate colleagues, I watched a replay of the news and it made me cry. You did not only stand for me, but you stood for justice and press freedom. You all had sleepless nights, from my bosses, Mr Sèverin Tchounkeu, Theophile Biamou and to every member of La Nouvelles Expression media group; God bless you all for standing by me till this moment.
To YOU my family, you gave me comfort, you gave me hope, you gave me attention and I want to say today that I am happy to have come from our wonderful family. Family is indeed gold.
To YOU my defense team, you demonstrated resilience and professionalism, even without taking a dime, you defended me, you stood by me and provided every legal assistance till my release, the case might still be on but you have fought a good fight.
I am happy for my release but at the same time I feel that every journalist who is in prison today needs to be out. Their place is on the field, gathering and disseminating information and not in jail. I have been a strong advocate of press freedom and that has not changed.
Thank YOU all, friends, colleagues, lawyers, family, immense thanks to Cameroonians at home and in the Diaspora, National and international press, NGOs, Organisations, Associations, politicians and well wishers.
The God we serve is more powerful; and He bless us all
Mimi Mefo Takambou, Editor In Chief for English Service at EQUINOXE Television, Publisher Mimi Mefo Info
Now that you are here
The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons. The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.
The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers. However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization. It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.
Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Banking IBAN: GB51 BARC 2049 1103 9130 15
Swift BIC BARC GB22XX
SORT CODE 20-49-11, ACCOUNT NUMBER – 03913015 Barclay PLC, UK
The Board looks forward to hearing from the readers.
Signed by the Group Chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors
US National Security Advisor John Bolton vowed Tuesday to “squeeze” Iran “until the pips squeak”, a week after a tough new round of sanctions came into force.
President Donald Trump has dramatically increased pressure on Tehran, withdrawing from an international agreement aimed at ending its nuclear programme and introducing several rounds of unilateral US sanctions.
The latest tranche of measures have been touted as the toughest yet, and aim to significantly reduce Iran’s vital oil exports and cut off its banks from international finance.
Speaking in Singapore ahead of a summit, Bolton said: “We think the government is under real pressure and it’s our intention to squeeze them very hard.
“As the British say, squeeze them until the pips squeak.
“We are also going to significantly increase the enforcement of sanctions.”
The sanctions have been opposed by other parties to the deal aimed at ending Iran’s nuclear drive — Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia — who have vowed to keep the accord alive.
UN inspectors say Iran is abiding by the agreement.
Washington is demanding that Iran end policies rooted in the 1979 Islamist revolution, including its support for regional proxies such as the Lebanese militia Hezbollah and its development of missiles.
The only support for the US position has come from Iran’s regional rivals, notably Saudi Arabia and Israel.
The International Monetary Fund has forecast that the sanctions will cause Iran’s economy to contract 1.5 percent this year and 3.6 percent next year.
AFP
Now that you are here
The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons. The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.
The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers. However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization. It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.
Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Banking IBAN: GB51 BARC 2049 1103 9130 15
Swift BIC BARC GB22XX
SORT CODE 20-49-11, ACCOUNT NUMBER – 03913015 Barclay PLC, UK
The Board looks forward to hearing from the readers.
Signed by the Group Chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors
The Ambazonia Self-Defense Council (ASC) calls on the people of Buea specifically to join all other Ambazonians on ground zero and the world over to stand up and do what they need to do to prevent the capture and derailing of the process of the liberation of our Motherland. To this end we note that from the 19th to the 23th of November 2018, there shall be a complete lock down of Buea specifically and the whole of Ambazonia to prevent the holding of the purported AAC3 Conference.
We want to remind the great people of Ambazonia that the resolution of this conference had been prepared and we had circulated copies – even before the setting of the date of the conference. The essence of the come together is to rubber stamp a document concocted by individuals who do not have the interest of our people at heart.
Therefore we call on you all to ensure that there will be no AAC3 conference, no movement of people and vehicles. Our protest shall include the closure all businesses and markets as the soldiers of LRC have been tasked to brutalize and kill innocent civilians if they come out to protest. However, this is a battle that we absolutely must win if we intend to tell the world that we are united in our opposition to the rule of the dictator in Etoudi.
No constructive discussion can take place in Ambazonia with the likes of Dr. Munzu, Christian Cardinal Tumi, Peter Mafany Musonge or Barrister Agbor Balla. The Interim Government was very clear when they announced the conditions for the holding of an inclusive conference. These included the following:
The release of all our leaders and compatriots arrested and locked in all prisons as a result of this conflict
The holding of the conference in a neutral ground that is devoid of all intimidation and fear mongering.
The invitation and participation of neutral global powers like the US, the UK, the UN and the AU.
The use of a mediator that is agreeable to both parties in the conflict
We therefore alert the entire peoples of Southern Cameroons that anyone who chooses to take part in this meeting shall be treated as an enemy to the revolution and shall only have themselves to blame for whatever shall befall them as a consequence of their betrayal.
We strongly urge all Ambazonians to caution family members and friends about the dangers of going against this advice.
Now that you are here
The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons. The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.
The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers. However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization. It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.
Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Banking IBAN: GB51 BARC 2049 1103 9130 15
Swift BIC BARC GB22XX
SORT CODE 20-49-11, ACCOUNT NUMBER – 03913015 Barclay PLC, UK
The Board looks forward to hearing from the readers.
Signed by the Group Chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors
Hundreds of villagers fled their homes in Nigeria’s northeast late on Saturday after an attack by militants from the Boko Haram group, militia officials and witnesses said.
No casualties were reported but the raid highlighted fragile security in Nigeria’s northeast, where the army is still battling to end a conflict that erupted in 2009.
Militants arrived in trucks in Jimmi, 5 km (3 miles) from Maiduguri city, and opened fire, setting homes ablaze and also attacking an informal refugee camp.
“Boko Haram terrorists this evening attacked Jimmi village,” militia leader in Maiduguri Musa Ari said. “They burnt homes in Jimmi and tents in the camp.”
Military authorities scrambled reinforcements and fighter jets to repel the attack, said militia leader Ibrahim Liman.
Panicked villagers from the area fled to nearby Maiduguri, capital of Borno state which along with neighboring Yobe state has been at the center of the militant insurgency.
“We left our village to escape Boko Haram who attacked our neighbors in Jimmi,” said Bale-Shuwa village resident Suleiman Balarabe.
Children try to salvage valuables from a burnt house following multiple attacks by Boko Haram Takfiri terrorists at Dalori and other neighboring villages outside the Borno state capital of Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, November 1, 2018. (Photo by AFP)
He said villagers saw military jets flying overhead towards Jimmi.
“The sounds of guns coming from Jimmi terrified us and made us leave our homes because we were afraid they were going to attack our neighborhood,” said Sanda Gini, a resident of Jiddari-Polo area on the outskirts of Maiduguri.
In April, scores of Boko Haram fighters launched a gun attack on Jiddari-Polo when they advanced on Giwa barracks where hundreds of their militant comrades are being detained.
Insurgents fired automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades at troops before they were repelled with aerial support.
Despite government insistence Boko Haram militants are near defeat, in recent months the militant group has carried out major attacks on military targets, killing dozens.
Boko Haram’s nine-year conflict has killed an estimated 27,000 people and displaced two million, creating a humanitarian crisis and spilling into Nigeria’s northern neighbors.
(Source: AFP)
Now that you are here
The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons. The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.
The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers. However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization. It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.
Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Banking IBAN: GB51 BARC 2049 1103 9130 15
Swift BIC BARC GB22XX
SORT CODE 20-49-11, ACCOUNT NUMBER – 03913015 Barclay PLC, UK
The Board looks forward to hearing from the readers.
Signed by the Group Chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors
14, November 2018
Nigerian Activist says ECOWAS must take the initiative to resolve the Ambazonia crisis 0
Certainly, the kidnapping of 79 Cameroonian students by gunmen last week was a veiled message to the government that the Ambazonian separatists are indefatigable in their demand for autonomy and would make all sacrifice to achieve the goal
Though the gunmen were not immediately identified and the students have been released, it is instructive that they rejected ransom. Rather, they demanded that the school should be closed. It is not the first time students would be kidnapped but it is the first time such a large number of students were involved and ransom was not demanded.
Apparently, the demand for the closing of schools is to ensure the safety of the students. However, the kidnapping of students by insurgents to drum home their message has remained a worrisome development in the subregion. But beyond the closure of schools in the two regions, what is clear now is that Cameroon is sliding into civil war. Last week, President Biya asked the separatists to lay down their arms or face the rigour of the law and the determination of the defense and security forces. He spoke during his inauguration for the 7th term in office.
He reportedly promised to defeat terrorism in the country. Agency reports quoted him as saying that they would continue fighting terrorism until separatists in the two English-speaking regions drop their guns or are defeated. He however said “a good number of responses” will be provided “through the framework of accelerating the decentralization process which is underway,” adding that “the future of our compatriots in the Northwest and Southwest lies in the framework of our republic.”
In this report, Nigerian journalist, lawyer, activist and Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) African Bar Association, Mr Osa Director comments on the crisis and proffer solution. African Bar Association has been is a strong advocate of respect for fundamental human rights in Cameroon and other African countries.
Asked to react to the kidnapping of the 79 students, Director condemned the act, describing it as “an unfortunate development.” He said: “No sane and rationally minded human being will be happy at the incarceration or deprivation of the freedom of others.”Kidnapping is an issue that is subjected to immense physical torture. So, I felt sad and disappointed.”
With a cautious voice, Director was quick to say it is also important to identify the factor(s) that may have instigated the action of the gunmen. “However, we have to look at the root cause of such incident which I think is not unrelated to the crisis in Cameroon, where the English-speaking people are seeking independence from the dominance of the French-speaking north.
But for how long will Cameroon remain in a state of anarchy? Director said “until injustice and lopsidedness in national affairs in Cameroon is property addressed with a sense of fairness, justice and equity, we will continue to have incidence like this.” Director is aware of the implications of kidnapping of students by insurgents, either in Cameroon or in Nigeria. He pointed to the situation in Nigeria and how payment of ransom has encouraged kidnapping. “Unconfirmed source indicated that the Nigerian government always pays ransom to Boko Haram, although the government had continued to deny it. But even the international community continues to insist that certain ransom were paid.
“Those kind of attitude will embolden other kidnappers, knowing that it is now a veritable way of making money. So, it has serious implications for Nigeria in the sense that whatever happens in Cameroon can easily dovetail into the Nigerian states having borders with it . . . Akwa Ibom and Cross River.” He expressed fear that “some of these kidnappers could even be operating from the borders of Nigeria, knowing how porous our borders can be.” He suggested the tightening of Nigerian borders. “It means we have to tighten our security network and processes to ensure that the impact is not maximally felt in Nigeria as a way of causing tension and putting life at risk in these states.’
The Cameroonian crisis started with peaceful protests against the imposition of the French language on the schools and courts in the two Ambazonian regions where English is the general language used in schools and other public institutions. The thinking among observers at the time was that the crisis would be resolved, especially after international bodies like the European Union and the United Nations called for peace. So, what happened? Director believes that “in a situation like this, there must be a meeting ground.”
Since the crisis started, calls for dialogue between the government and the separatists have been made without tangible result. Director puts “the blame at the doorstep of the government.” He wondered why the government is reluctant to embrace dialogue when “the right to self determination is guaranteed under the UN charter. And if people say they want to secede, all you need do is to have discussion with them, it is possible that after the discussion, they may change or review decision.”
Describing President Biya as a tyrant and dictator, he said the president has been uncooperative, recalcitrant and reluctant to dialogue with the separatists. He wants the government of Cameroon to know that “nothing on earth can muzzle people who are determined and who are focus.” He believes that it is going to be a matter of time for the Ambazonians to realize their dream.
He dismissed claims that the separatists were giving tough conditions for dialogue with the government. “In negotiation, one of the parties should not be in a position of immense superiority. The Ambazonians are saying if we have to dialogue, the environment had to be equitable and there must be unbiased mediators in this process. So, it cannot be said that the Ambazonians are giving impossible conditions if the Cameroonian government is unwilling to have unbiased mediators in the process and in an environment that is seen to be equitable to both parties.”
Some observers have argued that Nigeria has the vigour to resolve the crisis but it is shying away even as some of its states are overwhelmed with Cameroonian refugees. Director agrees with this school of thought. “Nigeria is seen as a big brother in Africa and especially in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) but in this particular circumstance, it has played a very disappointing role,” he said.
Buttressing his argument, he said Nigeria bowed to the demand of the Cameroonian government when it “deported nine Cameroonians, seven of them are professors in Nigerian universities.” According to him, some of the deported Cameroonians are naturalized Nigerians. But even more surprising to him was that the deportation took place “in spite of the fact that some of my colleagues, Abdul Oroh and Femi Falana had gone to court to enforce the fundamental human rights of the Cameroonians. The government deported them before the application was held in court.”
Nigeria is a democratic country that has respect for fundamental human rights. It against this backdrop that Director said: “If Nigeria can connive with a dictatorial regime to deport even naturalized Nigerians, even though they were originally Cameroonians, that tells you that it has not been up and doing in trying to resolve the challenges in the Ambazonian regions. He accused Nigerian of not acting with an open mind and with a sense of transparency and fairness to all the parties involved He wants Nigeria to have a rethink on its position over the crisis.
“I will urge the Nigerian government to sit back and review its foreign policy disposition and ensure that if it wants to interfere or interface with areas of conflict in the subregion, it should be done with a sense of commitment, fairness, determination and be resolute in its decision irrespective of whose Ox is gourd, not by oppressing the weaker side and backing the government in power.”
The Cameroonian crisis came on the heels of agitation for secession by several groups in the south-south and northeast regions of Nigeria and the Federal Government has been mindful of its action in some neighbouring countries. Perhaps, it does not want to be seen as supporting secession in those countries. Director thinks differently. Hear him: “Yes, you can say that sentimentally and diplomatically, it would appear as if it is not in the interest of Nigeria to encourage secession in neighbouring countries when there are also pockets of agitations within Nigeria. “But as I said earlier, even though people are asking for self-determination, at the end of the day, all parties must sit on the round table and have discussion. And even at the end of the day, every war ultimately gets decided at the conference table.”
What exactly does Director wants Nigeria to do? His response: “If the Ambazonians say they want to secede, what I expect the Nigerian government to do is to encourage dialogue between the two parties just like we are saying in Nigeria that any region that is agitating for secession should not be crushed by military might.
“It does not necessarily mean that when a group says it wants to secede, it really meant it, it is only saying so because it believes it has been deprived of fairness, justice, equity and access to development and the enforcement of their full constitutional rights in the present set up. And if the government can guarantee those conditions, it will not secede.”
Though ECOWAS has been praised as an active subregional body in Africa, analysts say the body seems to lack the capacity to intervene in the Cameroonian crisis. They point at the speed with which the crisis is escalating without pronouncements by ECOWAS. The analysts are not alone. Director also believes ECOWAS has not lived up to expectation. He explains thus: “It is with a sense of disappointment that most of us have watched ECOWAS behaving like a lame duck, unable to resolve conflicts within its own subregion.
“ECOWAS has left much to be desired as far as this matter is concerned. And that may not be unrelated to the fact that the key drivers of ECOWAS like Nigeria are sending conflicting signals and are being lukewarm too, in confronting and trying to resolve the crisis in the Ambazonian regions. That in a way has brought out the general outlook, character and disposition of ECOWAS in the crisis in Cameroon.”
He does not agree with those who believe Africa must depend on Europe and America to resolve its problems. Referring to African leaders, he said “these are the same people when they are being rebuked by the international community, we would say we are independent nations. “But when there is crisis in another sphere, they would say what is America doing, what is UK doing and what is EU doing.” He said it must be remembered always that “you can’t approbate and reprobate. The only way the subregion can progress is by ensuring that it is able to solve its own problems in its own way, taking into consideration the historical peculiarities and nuisance of the subregion or continent.”
Culled from Sunnewsonline
14, November 2018
Hundreds attend memorial for missionary slain in Southern Cameroons 0
Hundreds of people filled a northern Indiana church to remember a missionary who was killed in Cameroon two weeks after arriving there with his wife and their eight children.
Charles Wesco died Oct. 30 after he was shot in the head during fighting between armed separatists and soldiers in the West African nation. The Mishawaka man was sitting with his wife, Stephanie, in a car being driven by another missionary when he was shot.
Wesco was the older brother of Republican state Rep. Tim Wesco of Osceola (o-see-O’-la).
The South Bend Tribune reports that during Monday’s memorial service at South Bend’s Community Baptist Church, fellow missionary Tom Needham told mourners that Wesco’s widow has already forgiven her husband’s killer, saying she “has no bitterness in her soul against anyone.”
Source: AP
14, November 2018
Nkambe: 15 killed in clashes between army, amba fighters 0
At least 15 people have been killed in a new bout of fighting between Cameroon army troops and separatist rebels, the two sides said on Tuesday, in a rise in violence since President Paul Biya won a seventh term in power in October.
The conflict between Anglophone separatists, who want to create an independent state called Ambazonia, and government forces has killed more than 400 people in western Cameroon since last year and has emerged as Biya’s greatest security problem in nearly four decades of rule.
The two sides often provide conflicting accounts of the fighting, but both have reported heavier casualties in recent weeks, with dozens killed.
Twenty-three separatists have been killed in clashes with government troops since Nov. 10 near the town of Nkambe in Cameroon’s English-speaking Northwest region, while another six have been killed in nearby Ndu, Army representative Didier Badjeck said.
Ivo Tapang, spokesman for the Ambazonian Defence Force, one of the main Anglophone secessionist militias, confirmed that fighting had occurred in Nkambe, but disputed Badjeck’s account.
He said ADF troops had encircled a government army truck near Nkambe after it was overturned by a roadside bomb on Saturday.
“Two of our fighters were killed and we killed 13 of them,” he said.
The fighting follows clashes on Oct. 23 that killed at least 10 and up to 30 combatants, according to differing accounts from the two sides that could not be independently verified.
Separatist militias launched an insurrection last year against the predominantly Francophone central government after authorities violently repressed peaceful protests against perceived marginalisation of the English-speaking minority.
The army has burned villages and killed unarmed civilians, residents have told Reuters, forcing thousands to flee to French-speaking regions or neighbouring Nigeria.
Threats by the separatists disrupted voting in Cameroon’s two Anglophone regions during the Oct. 7 election, which Biya won in a landslide to extend his 36-year rule.
The linguistic divide harks back to the end of World War One, when the League of Nations divided the former German colony of Kamerun between the allied French and British victors.
Source: Reuters
14, November 2018
Amba Crisis: Wife of missionary killed says faith strengthens their family 0
A memorial service was held in South Bend Monday afternoon in honor of Charles Wesco, a local missionary who was killed while serving in Cameroon.
Wesco was caught in the crossfire during a gunfight between armed separatists and soldiers on October 30.
“I can’t explain the peace that God has given me,” said Wesco’s wife, Stephanie. “Even though my husband is gone, I will never walk alone. That’s such a comfort to know that he will never leave me nor forsake me and he will never leave my children.”
“The kids keep talking about little things that [my husband] did with them that meant so much to them,” she added. “He was a visionary, he always had a plan for our family.”
Charles Wesco felt called by God to serve as a missionary in Cameroon with his family, who shared in his vision to serve.
“He loved working with children, so he had brought tons of different Bible memory booklets and harmonicas and a chalk easel set to do chalk-talk pictures,” said Stephanie. “He would preach and our sons would draw.”
Though Wesco is gone, his love for the people of Cameroon lives on.
“For now, we’re looking at moving back and relocating here,” said Stephanie. “My heart is still in Cameroon, so I’m still praying for God to work there in a mighty way because part of us will always be there.”
As for their children, Stephanie says she plans to raise them how her husband would’ve wanted, teaching them to live by faith.
“I pray that God would send them back to Cameroon,” she said. “That each of them would have their daddy’s heart for the people there and for the people around the world.”
Stephanie says she thanks the community for their prayers, and asks that people also pray for the country of Cameroon.
Source: wndu.com
13, November 2018
A Call For Compassion: An Open Letter To Mrs. Chantal Biya 0
Madam Chantal Biya
The First Lady of the Republic of Cameroon
The Unity Palace
Yaounde, Cameroon
Central Africa
November 13, 2018
It is with greatest concern and respect for the future of women, children and people of Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) that I greet you in this unusual correspondence. It is my hope and certainly my trust that this letter finds you in the best of health.
I still recall the excitement and joyous day on April 23rd, 1994, when as a young woman you got married and became the First Lady of the Republic of Cameroon. I celebrated that day for two reasons; that the country had as First Lady a younger woman and with the establishment of the Chantal Biya Foundation that same year, you demonstrated your desire to attend to the sufferings of the vulnerable,underprivileged, the sick and weak in Cameroon. I knew that as a woman and a mother, the sanctity of life and the burning desire to protect it was very close to your heart and this has been demonstrated through your philanthropic and humanitarian efforts through the years.With your humanitarian credentials, there was no doubt in my mind that you would protect the best interest of the people of Cameroon as their First Lady.
However, I write to you today, forced into exile and no longer in Cameroon, nearly twenty-four years later with a heavy heart. I hold a heavy heart because of the desperate and horrific situation in Southern Cameroons
The conflict in the Southern Cameroons has taken a terrible toll on the vulnerable community and the stench of death and desolation has engulfed the villages,towns and cities. The depravity and senseless disregard of human life by the security forces of the government of Cameroon is alarming. We are seeing scenes reminiscent of the Ethiopian civil war in the 80s with dead bodies abandoned on the side of our roads, charred bodies of our elderly and vulnerable, burnt alive in their homes and entire villages incinerated from the face of the earth.
The security forces are carrying out extra-judicial killings of the population, the lives of our active young men are no longer assured today than it is tomorrow, and our young women are raped with reckless brutality by the security forces of the government of Cameroon. The trauma and scars of death on the desolate eyes of our children seeing their parents savagely bludgeoned by the security forces is leaving a painful impact characterized by nightmares in these young minds. Most of the indigenous population has been forced into the open forest and exposed to the elements. Nursing mothers and women under their period are left with no options, but to use dead vegetation for their basic hygienic needs. It is a terrible sight to behold.
Cash crops like cocoa, coffee, palm kernels have been abandoned to waste in the farms because the farmers have either been forced to flee or are too afraid to even hold their artisanal tools like cutlasses to go to the farms because that is in itself a death sentence from the security forces. Almost 300,000 IDP and about 100,000 refugees living in squalid conditions in neighboring Nigeria, thousands killed, and some buried in mass graves and thousands arrested, abducted and whisked to dangerous dungeons in Cameroon. The economy of Southern Cameroons that have been systematically abandoned for the last 57 years has been completely eviscerated and devastated by the conflict, punitive curfews and road closures that make movement and commerce between villages and towns perniciously impossible and frustrating.
My hearts bleeds for the children and women rendered orphans and widows, my heart bleeds upon the dark clouds circling above Southern Cameroons, My heart bleeds for the painful and horrific burning of elderly men and women in their homes, the pain, the anger, the complete obliteration of entire communities and cultures. I weep for the mothers and wives of the young soldiers whose lives are also being wasted in this senseless war.
It was permissible in the beginning of this crisis that you stayed silent, it was permissible that you remained indifferent, but it is no longer permissible in light of what we know now. It is no longer permissible as a mother of the nation who understands the pain of childbirth to remain indifferent to the plight of the people of Southern Cameroons. It is a travesty that the pain and suffering of mothers and young women who looked up to you, who sang, praised and celebrated you have been abandoned and treated with this level of disdain. How do you sleep at night as a mother knowing that young children have been deprived of education because of the security situation for the past two years, how do you wake up each morning not knowing what may happened to your loved ones in Southern Cameroons and how can you stay mute for this long with the unravelling refugee crisis in Southern Cameroons. What has happened to the humanity in you? Cry My Beloved Country!
As the wife of Sissiku Julius Ayuk-Tabe (leader of Southern Cameroons), I understand the political implication of this crisis. However, there are times when humanity and government come together for a common goal. In this case, the goal is the protection of humanity; the innocent and helpless men, women and children in Southern Cameroons. They are unable to speak or defend themselves. They live in terror because they never know when they hear the sound of guns in their village, if it is their turn to be killed or taken away in the darkness of the early morning. Imagine the terror that overcomes them when they hear the deafening screams of a sister, aunt, cousin, a playmate or a mother being brutally raped. They know then that they are next. It is compared to an execution queue where men are waiting to be taken away for execution, and they hear the deadly sound of the firing squad as they queue in and wait their turn. The torture, taunts and torments are unimaginable, and you could hear grown men crying.
I realize that I may come under criticisms and accusations for writing this letter to you. I have no other motive to write this letter, other than for you to rally the mothers of Cameroon and bring pressure to bear on your husband and the government of Cameroon for an inclusive dialogue and a negotiated solution to this crisis and the immediate release of our leaders including my husband. The deafening silence from you is no longer acceptable. The lives of 8 million Southern Cameroonians and the fate of their leaders in jail is in your hands. Madam First Lady set the example for other women to follow.
It is not too late for you to send the message; that the mothers of Cameroon will no longer tolerate this war. The Southern Cameroons women will applaud you and women around the world will celebrate you.
The Lives of Southern Cameroons children, mothers and fathers also Matter and the continuing silence in the face of these killings is collusion.
I look forward to collaborating with you to look for an inclusive and negotiated solutions to this crisis.
Respectfully,
Lilian Ayuk-Tabe
Now that you are here
The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons. The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.
The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers. However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization. It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.
Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Banking IBAN: GB51 BARC 2049 1103 9130 15
Swift BIC BARC GB22XX
SORT CODE 20-49-11, ACCOUNT NUMBER – 03913015 Barclay PLC, UK
The Board looks forward to hearing from the readers.
Signed by the Group Chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors
Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Email: soteragbawebai@gmail.com
13, November 2018
Rev.Fonki is a good example to demonstrate that practice does not make perfect 0
The political class has failed Cameroon and it is presently driving the divided nation closer to a failed state. The church has contributed enormously to this failure and the chaotic situation that has rocked Cameroon is made worse by the Christian community leaders who are now acting like agents of the CPDM crime syndicate.
The case of the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, Rev Fonki Samuel is very glaring and many including the Cameroon Concord News Group are of the opinion that it is time the PCC looks for a decent man to run its spiritual affairs.
Under Rev. Fonki Samuel, Presbyterian Christians have grown cold in their prayer lives and the power of a praying church that was the motto of the PCC is now a thing of the past. The choice of this editorial has been informed by the observable trend of cold and insincere prayer attitude that characterised the Presbyterian community in particular and the entire Christian fold in Southern Cameroons; the reason why the situation of Cameroon has not possessed the wishes of God for his people.
The heart of the PCC which is the Bastos congregation in Yaounde is now operating like a commercial centre and Presbyterians there have not been praying enough because both their spiritual leader and the Moderator have compromised with the Biya regime rather than keep to their calling of being the prophetic voices of the people.
Rev Fonki Samuel and the Archbishop of Yaounde have failed Cameroon and the Christian Community and the need for fervent prayer culture to oust both men from their respective positions of trust should and must become highly important as it is a command by God, which is an acceptable link between God and his children and an avenue to demonstrate God’s power.
Rev Fonki Samuel is a good example to demonstrate that practice does not make perfect. Criticised for opening a Protestant University in Bali and at the same time sending his own kid abroad for studies, the so-called Man of God and Moderator abandoned children who were reportedly kidnapped by armed militia backed by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji and rushed to congratulate 85 year President Biya for stealing the October 7 polls.
We of the Cameroon Concord News and the Cameroon Intelligence Report can authoritatively say that the leadership of the PCC has abandoned the role of the church which is to salvage the course of the nation through godly behaviours and Rev Fonki is behaving like a common Christian leader running a small church in a ware house near the Mamfe Motor Park.
A complete change of leadership will help the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon and its fast growing Diaspora and this can only be achieved through the cries of the righteous in prayer. It is on this note that we of the Cameroon Concord News Group are calling on the pastors of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon and all the Rev Fathers in the Archdiocese of Yaounde to rise up to all the challenges posed by poor spiritual leadership through persistent prayers and righteous living to enable Christians wade into the appalling situations of the nation.
By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Now that you are here
The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons. The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.
The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers. However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization. It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.
Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Banking IBAN: GB51 BARC 2049 1103 9130 15
Swift BIC BARC GB22XX
SORT CODE 20-49-11, ACCOUNT NUMBER – 03913015 Barclay PLC, UK
The Board looks forward to hearing from the readers.
Signed by the Group Chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors
Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Email: soteragbawebai@gmail.com
13, November 2018
“You treated my case with an exceptional and undiluted attention” Mimi Mefo on regaining her freedom 0
Dear Family,
I want to begin this appreciative note by thanking God almighty for my release from the Douala Central Prison in New Bell on Saturday November 10, 2018. God’s love towards his children is ever fresh and ever growing.
To YOU my friends, you demonstrated that a friend in need is a friend indeed. I will forever remain indebted to the numerous calls through my lawyers and mother, your visits, your gifts and your prayers.
To YOU my visual friends (social media platforms) yes, we have never met, but you treated my case with an exceptional and undiluted attention. All over, you changed your profile pictures, wrote messages, and contributed money for my defense among others. I ask myself today, what I really did, to have deserved these special treatments from you, whom I describe today as “Good Samaritans.” God bless you.
To YOU my colleagues, I have never seen such a solidarity demonstrated by media men and women in Cameroon. Tears ran down my cheeks when I read the stories you published in your newspapers, online campaigns on websites, radio and television reports. In fact I can now say, we have reached that level of mobilization we used to see only in the judicial core.
Special thanks to the National Union of Cameroonian Journalists, SNJC, which took the case to another level by also providing me with a defense team. I cannot forget the indefatigable efforts put in place by CAMASEJ Douala Chapter and National Bureau to mount pressure for my release.
To YOU Equinoxe Television and my immediate colleagues, I watched a replay of the news and it made me cry. You did not only stand for me, but you stood for justice and press freedom. You all had sleepless nights, from my bosses, Mr Sèverin Tchounkeu, Theophile Biamou and to every member of La Nouvelles Expression media group; God bless you all for standing by me till this moment.
To YOU my family, you gave me comfort, you gave me hope, you gave me attention and I want to say today that I am happy to have come from our wonderful family. Family is indeed gold.
To YOU my defense team, you demonstrated resilience and professionalism, even without taking a dime, you defended me, you stood by me and provided every legal assistance till my release, the case might still be on but you have fought a good fight.
I am happy for my release but at the same time I feel that every journalist who is in prison today needs to be out. Their place is on the field, gathering and disseminating information and not in jail. I have been a strong advocate of press freedom and that has not changed.
Thank YOU all, friends, colleagues, lawyers, family, immense thanks to Cameroonians at home and in the Diaspora, National and international press, NGOs, Organisations, Associations, politicians and well wishers.
The God we serve is more powerful; and He bless us all
Mimi Mefo Takambou, Editor In Chief for English Service at EQUINOXE Television, Publisher Mimi Mefo Info
Now that you are here
The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons. The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.
The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers. However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization. It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.
Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Banking IBAN: GB51 BARC 2049 1103 9130 15
Swift BIC BARC GB22XX
SORT CODE 20-49-11, ACCOUNT NUMBER – 03913015 Barclay PLC, UK
The Board looks forward to hearing from the readers.
Signed by the Group Chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors
Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Email: soteragbawebai@gmail.com
13, November 2018
US security chief Bolton vows to ‘squeeze’ Iran 0
US National Security Advisor John Bolton vowed Tuesday to “squeeze” Iran “until the pips squeak”, a week after a tough new round of sanctions came into force.
President Donald Trump has dramatically increased pressure on Tehran, withdrawing from an international agreement aimed at ending its nuclear programme and introducing several rounds of unilateral US sanctions.
The latest tranche of measures have been touted as the toughest yet, and aim to significantly reduce Iran’s vital oil exports and cut off its banks from international finance.
Speaking in Singapore ahead of a summit, Bolton said: “We think the government is under real pressure and it’s our intention to squeeze them very hard.
“As the British say, squeeze them until the pips squeak.
“We are also going to significantly increase the enforcement of sanctions.”
The sanctions have been opposed by other parties to the deal aimed at ending Iran’s nuclear drive — Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia — who have vowed to keep the accord alive.
UN inspectors say Iran is abiding by the agreement.
Washington is demanding that Iran end policies rooted in the 1979 Islamist revolution, including its support for regional proxies such as the Lebanese militia Hezbollah and its development of missiles.
The only support for the US position has come from Iran’s regional rivals, notably Saudi Arabia and Israel.
The International Monetary Fund has forecast that the sanctions will cause Iran’s economy to contract 1.5 percent this year and 3.6 percent next year.
AFP
Now that you are here
The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons. The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.
The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers. However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization. It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.
Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Banking IBAN: GB51 BARC 2049 1103 9130 15
Swift BIC BARC GB22XX
SORT CODE 20-49-11, ACCOUNT NUMBER – 03913015 Barclay PLC, UK
The Board looks forward to hearing from the readers.
Signed by the Group Chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors
Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Email: soteragbawebai@gmail.com
13, November 2018
Stop Munzu, Agbor Balla and Cardinal Tumi!! Stop AAC3 0
The Ambazonia Self-Defense Council (ASC) calls on the people of Buea specifically to join all other Ambazonians on ground zero and the world over to stand up and do what they need to do to prevent the capture and derailing of the process of the liberation of our Motherland. To this end we note that from the 19th to the 23th of November 2018, there shall be a complete lock down of Buea specifically and the whole of Ambazonia to prevent the holding of the purported AAC3 Conference.
We want to remind the great people of Ambazonia that the resolution of this conference had been prepared and we had circulated copies – even before the setting of the date of the conference. The essence of the come together is to rubber stamp a document concocted by individuals who do not have the interest of our people at heart.
Therefore we call on you all to ensure that there will be no AAC3 conference, no movement of people and vehicles. Our protest shall include the closure all businesses and markets as the soldiers of LRC have been tasked to brutalize and kill innocent civilians if they come out to protest. However, this is a battle that we absolutely must win if we intend to tell the world that we are united in our opposition to the rule of the dictator in Etoudi.
No constructive discussion can take place in Ambazonia with the likes of Dr. Munzu, Christian Cardinal Tumi, Peter Mafany Musonge or Barrister Agbor Balla. The Interim Government was very clear when they announced the conditions for the holding of an inclusive conference. These included the following:
We therefore alert the entire peoples of Southern Cameroons that anyone who chooses to take part in this meeting shall be treated as an enemy to the revolution and shall only have themselves to blame for whatever shall befall them as a consequence of their betrayal.
We strongly urge all Ambazonians to caution family members and friends about the dangers of going against this advice.
Now that you are here
The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons. The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.
The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers. However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization. It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.
Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Banking IBAN: GB51 BARC 2049 1103 9130 15
Swift BIC BARC GB22XX
SORT CODE 20-49-11, ACCOUNT NUMBER – 03913015 Barclay PLC, UK
The Board looks forward to hearing from the readers.
Signed by the Group Chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors
Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Email: soteragbawebai@gmail.com
12, November 2018
Hundreds flee after Boko Haram raid in Nigeria 0
Hundreds of villagers fled their homes in Nigeria’s northeast late on Saturday after an attack by militants from the Boko Haram group, militia officials and witnesses said.
No casualties were reported but the raid highlighted fragile security in Nigeria’s northeast, where the army is still battling to end a conflict that erupted in 2009.
Militants arrived in trucks in Jimmi, 5 km (3 miles) from Maiduguri city, and opened fire, setting homes ablaze and also attacking an informal refugee camp.
“Boko Haram terrorists this evening attacked Jimmi village,” militia leader in Maiduguri Musa Ari said. “They burnt homes in Jimmi and tents in the camp.”
Military authorities scrambled reinforcements and fighter jets to repel the attack, said militia leader Ibrahim Liman.
Panicked villagers from the area fled to nearby Maiduguri, capital of Borno state which along with neighboring Yobe state has been at the center of the militant insurgency.
“We left our village to escape Boko Haram who attacked our neighbors in Jimmi,” said Bale-Shuwa village resident Suleiman Balarabe.
He said villagers saw military jets flying overhead towards Jimmi.
“The sounds of guns coming from Jimmi terrified us and made us leave our homes because we were afraid they were going to attack our neighborhood,” said Sanda Gini, a resident of Jiddari-Polo area on the outskirts of Maiduguri.
In April, scores of Boko Haram fighters launched a gun attack on Jiddari-Polo when they advanced on Giwa barracks where hundreds of their militant comrades are being detained.
Insurgents fired automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades at troops before they were repelled with aerial support.
Despite government insistence Boko Haram militants are near defeat, in recent months the militant group has carried out major attacks on military targets, killing dozens.
Boko Haram’s nine-year conflict has killed an estimated 27,000 people and displaced two million, creating a humanitarian crisis and spilling into Nigeria’s northern neighbors.
(Source: AFP)
Now that you are here
The Cameroon Concord News Group Board wishes to inform its faithful readers that for more than a decade, it has been providing world-class reports of the situation in Southern Cameroons. The Board has been priding itself on its reports which have helped the world to gain a greater understanding of the crisis playing out in Southern Cameroons. It hails its reporters who have also helped the readers to have a broader perspective of the political situation in Cameroon.
The Board wishes to thank its readers who have continued to trust Southern Cameroon’s leading news platform. It is therefore using this opportunity to state that its reporters are willing to provide more quality information to the readers. However, due to the changing global financial context, the Board is urging its readers to play a significant role in the financing of the news organization. It is therefore calling on its faithful readers to make whatever financial contribution they can to ensure they get the latest developments in their native Southern Cameroons, in particular, and Cameroon in general.
Bank transaction: Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Banking IBAN: GB51 BARC 2049 1103 9130 15
Swift BIC BARC GB22XX
SORT CODE 20-49-11, ACCOUNT NUMBER – 03913015 Barclay PLC, UK
The Board looks forward to hearing from the readers.
Signed by the Group Chairman on behalf of the Board of Directors
Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Email: soteragbawebai@gmail.com
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