Headline News

30, January 2018

Africa Cup of Nations 2019: Biya regime’s fate will be decided today ⁰

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will decide the possibility of Cameroon’s hosting the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday, when CAF discusses the country’s preparedness to organize the biannual championship.

CAF’s Business consultancy, Roland Berger, toured the country from January 12 to January 23 January to assess preparations, and the continental football body will on Wednesday discuss his findings.

“An intermediary report will be sent by the inspectors,” CAF Director of Communications, Junior Binyam, said. “That will be part of the Africa Cup of Nations committee agenda on 31 January.”

“The report of the Nations Cup committee meeting is part of the Executive Committee agenda on 1 February.”

CAF will hold a General Assembly the following day in Morocco, which is currently staging the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN).

There have been concerns about Cameroon’s preparations ever since CAF President Ahmad said last August that the country would “have work to convince” African football’s rulers that it was ready.

The tournament, which has expanded from 16 to 24 teams since Cameroon won the right to host in 2014, is set to be staged in five different cities – Bafoussam, Douala, Garoua, Limbe and Yaounde.

Having hosted games during the 2016 Women’s Africa Cup of nations, both the stadium in Limbe and the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde are largely ready – as is the arena in Bafoussam, which opened in 2016.

The Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium is one of two arenas set to be used in the Cameroonian capital, with the other – the Paul Biya Stadium in the Olembe area – far from ready.

Source: The Independent

30, January 2018

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Rising internet shutdowns aimed at ‘silencing dissent’ ⁰

Governments around the world are increasingly shutting down internet access in an apparent attempt to silence discontent and dissent, activists say. In 2017, internet access was cut off more than 80 times around the world, up from 56 times the year before, drawing concerns from digital rights activists.

“We do see this as evidence for a global trend in the wrong direction,” Peter Micek of Access Now told Al Jazeera. One of the countries that have seen several shutdowns in the past year is Cameroon. People in the Anglophone region of the West African nation erupted in protests against the imposition of the French language, which is spoken by the majority of the population.

For four months now, access to social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter and messaging services like WhatsApp has been blocked in the English-speaking parts of the country. The blockage, implemented in early October after protests against the Cameroonian government, was the second shutdown in Anglophone regions in 2017. From January to April, all internet access was cut.

The United Nations, human rights organisations, and even the pope condemned the first shutdown. “Rather than dialogue, the government embarked on a crackdown and shutting down the internet was a way of stopping the world from seeing or hearing about the atrocities being committed and stopping information flow between groups planning peaceful demonstrations and civil disobedience,” Cameroonian human rights activist Judith Nwana told Al Jazeera.

For Nwana, the issue goes further than her home country. According to her, governments that feel threatened can use the internet as another repressive tool, with no consequences. “Every time I hear of an episode of internet shutdown I feel very frustrated. They are becoming more frequent, which reflects the fact that governments know they can get away with it with no repercussions,” she said.

Nwana’s claim that shutdowns are happening more often is backed up by research from the Brookings Institute and Access Now. For people in Iran, the power authorities have over the internet became apparent again in December when protesters took to the streets. Social media and messaging apps were blocked by the government to prevent demonstrators from organising.

Micek from Access Now said internet shutdowns to suppress peaceful demonstrations are a slippery slope. “Edward Snowden sent out a tweet last year which stated that once shutdowns become the norm in places like Cameroon and nobody says anything about it, this type of behaviour tends to spread to other places,” Micek said.

And when a country orders a shutdown of the internet, there is not much that can be done by its citizens, private companies, or the international community.

What can the UN do if your country cuts the internet?

“There should be a way of pressuring or sanctioning the perpetrators so shutdowns can be lifted as soon as possible. Failing that, it should be a case of putting that government to shame and under pressure through media coverage, advocacy and diplomacy,” Nwana said.

Micek said he thinks the only option to get the internet switched back on is to hit blocking countries where it hurts, namely their wallets.

“The International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a loan of hundreds of millions of dollars to Cameroon, which came shortly after the first shutdown in January 2017. What message does this send when an international finance institution throws treasure at governments that clearly disrespect the rights of its citizens?” Micek said.

“Many institutions just need to quietly express their frustration and put down some real consequences, make the governments feel the pain that the citizens are put through.”

But Cameroonians are not willing to wait for others to intervene, so they have recently taken authorities to the Cameroonian Constitutional and High courts with the help of Access Now and Internet Sans Frontieres.

The lawsuit says Anglophones are being discriminated against since the shutdowns are only happening in English-speaking areas. It also states the ban is in violation of several international human rights charters signed by Cameroon.

“Depriving people of the internet interferes with a range of fundamental human rights,” the lawsuit states, citing the United Nations and the European Court of Human Rights. The case comes several months before the October elections, which may be heavily affected by the closures, according to Nwana.

She is not sure if elections should even take place at all given the current state of the country, she said.

“For successful elections anytime this year in Cameroon, registration, campaigning and dissemination of information should be going on right now. Most people, especially the young who form the larger proportion of the population, get their information via social media,” Nwana said.

“How are elections going to be planned or made possible in those regions with internet restrictions right now?”

Micek agreed that having elections under the current circumstances might not be a good idea, not just for Cameroon, but for any country that shuts down the internet. “When you have an entire population that’s silenced and shut out of political discourse, that’s not a recipe for a healthy and stable democracy.”

Source: Aljazeera

30, January 2018

Ambazonia Crisis: It’s all up to you ⁰

The news of Mr. Ayuk Tabe and his collaborators being shipped to Cameroon has hit Southern Cameroonians like a ton of bricks. The announcement of Mr. Ayuk Tabe being in the custody of Cameroon security officials was made yesterday by Mr. Issa Tchiroma, the country’s communications minister, who is known for his manipulation, deception and deceit. While many still argue that Mr. Tchiroma is simply playing pranks on the minds of Southern Cameroonians, many legal analysts are already at work and are calling upon Mr. Biya and his government to live up to their international commitments vis-à-vis people alleged to have committed crimes against their country.

The doubts surrounding this case will only be removed when the right time comes, as lawyers are already at work. It is a requirement under international law that those arrested must have a right to legal services and Barristers Ben Muna, Assira and Felix Nkongho Agbor-Balla are already on the file and will be asking Cameroon government officials to grant them access to those they claim are in their custody. The government of Cameroon has that obligation and until those lawyers identify the “presumed terrorists”, Southern Cameroonians will continue to question the veracity of Mr. Tchiroma’s public statement.

But the issue is not about how the legal battles will be fought. Mr. Ayuk Tabe will not be killed like a little stray dog. The world has evolved. The days when people could disappear without a trace have past. The international community is aware of the drama playing out in Cameroon and it will surely keep an eye on how things unfold. The international community may not have a huge appetite for secession, but it will surely not countenance the government of Cameroon in its efforts to transform the country into a slaughter house.

It is true the Francophone press has already judged and condemned Mr. Ayuk Tabe. Reading through a cross section of the government-sponsored media this morning, Mr. Ayuk Tabe has already been branded a terrorist and in their score board, he is already guilty and it is incumbent upon him to prove his innocence. This is one aspect of Francophone law that still baffles Anglophones who hold that anybody arrested is a suspect and it is incumbent upon those who have arrested him to prove his guilt.

The burden of proof should therefore be on the government and not on Mr. Ayuk Tabe who, in many minds, is just an incarnation of the aspirations of most Southern Cameroonians. The presumption of innocence does not seem to exist among Francophones, many of whom hold that killing your adversary is the best solution even when you have not yet establish guilt. And this is one of the many reasons why Southern Cameroonians have been seeking to walk away from this marriage that has brought more pain than gain to them.

But rather than focus on the noise that those media houses and their paid analysts will be making in the coming days, it is up to Southern Cameroonians to focus on the next steps. It is incumbent upon Southern Cameroonians to unleash the full spectrum of their financial, psychological and intellectual resources in order to keep the pressure on a government that is already on the back foot.

Mr. Ayuk Tabe might have been arrested, but the Southern Cameroonian struggle might not be stopped. From every indication, this struggle is bigger than an individual. Many Southern Cameroonian leaders have been arrested before, but instead of dousing the fire, the fire has been burning out of control. From reactions across the globe, it is obvious that many Southern Cameroonians are already lining up to take on the mantle of leadership.

The struggle for Southern Cameroons is an idea whose time has come. The government might be celebrating in public, but in private, it understands it has a huge crisis on its hands. It has been deluding itself that Anglophone restorationists are in the minority. The reality on the ground is unfortunately different. Its violence against an unarmed people has transformed an entire people into secessionists. Its misuse of the word “terrorist” has radicalized almost every Southern Cameroonian. Until it changes the way it speaks and addresses its people, the government of Cameroon will continue to breed revolutions within its own territory. Instead of standing in the way of change, it stands to gain if it leads that change in a transparent and honest manner.

The wind of change will continue to blow in Cameroon and the government will do itself a favor in watching the direction of the wind. The Southern Cameroons crisis has triggered something in Cameroon. The seed of a rebellion has been sown by the government itself through its own marginalization plan and injustice. If it does not take appropriate actions, the next phase of the struggle will come like a tornado that will rip everything in its path. The Francophone majority might be quiet and docile, but that does not imply it is not feeling the pain. The day it will wake up from its slumber, the world will be shocked by its reaction. The silence of many Francophones should not be misconstrued as an acquiescence of the government’s reckless irresponsibility and oppression. When the right conditions will be in place, this majority will make its impact felt. It’s up to the government to defuse the bomb before it goes off.

The government of Cameroon has never treated Southern Cameroonians with respect. East Cameroon has always considered West Cameroon as a conquered territory and this has caused certain mentalities to stand the test of time. Though blessed with many natural resources, Southern Cameroons has been neglected for decades. Its people have been pushed into exile by the government’s marginalization policy that has been robbing the people of Southern Cameroons of their dignity and opportunities. Though Cameroon’s oil fields are located in Southern Cameroons, most of the proceeds from the oil do not trickle down to the people to whom God had given the oil. The country’s lone national oil corporation located in the southwest coastal city of Limbe is managed by Francophones while the locals watch from a distance as sorry spectators of how their wealth is being carted to East Cameroon.

But it is up to Southern Cameroonians to change their destiny. If a particular arrest can stop them in their tracks, then they are not yet ready to obtain the results they are all hankering after. If you look into the mirror of history, you will find out that many leaders of many political movements have, at many points in their lives, been prisoners. Mandela is an example that will never leave our minds. It will be preposterous to fear jail and continue to think that the oppressor will one day become clement and understanding. Those who oppress others never understand that the oppressed are also human beings. Freedom is never handed to the oppressed on a platter of gold. It is seized.

Mr. Ayuk Tabe knew this day would come. He has been psychologically and financially prepared for this day. His family is safe in a land where freedom of speech and human dignity are respected. Like Mandela, he is prepared to lay down his life for this struggle. It will be a disappointment for anyone to spend time thinking of what will befall him in Yaounde. He will be a lot happier to know that some six million Southern Cameroonians are keeping the flame alight. The pressure on the government must continue. This is a government that is hell bent on destroying its own country before it disappears. This is a government that is prepared to destroy the economy and render young Cameroonians unemployed. This is a government that has no regard for the rule of law.

The Southern Cameroons crisis is a unique moment for Cameroonians to change their fate and destiny. Mr. Ayuk Tabe might be in a physical jail, but Southern Cameroonians do not have to be in a psychological jail. They have to keep on posing challenges to a government that has run out of ideas. Your fate is worse than death. Why not change things for future generations? It’s up to you!

Cameroon Concord News Production

30, January 2018

FBI’s No. 2 quits after Trump attack amid Russia probe ⁰

FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has stepped down after criticism by US President Donald Trump, who is being investigated for possible collusion with Russia in the wake of his 2016 victory.

Sources told Politico on Monday that the 49-year-old official was going on “terminal leave,” which means he will be on payroll by the time he retires.

The decision was made amid the ongoing Russia probe by special counsel Robert Mueller, which has implicated some key figures in Trump’s inner circle.

The president, who fired former FBI Director James Comey last year, has complained that McCabe is biased.

Like Comey, McCabe had been urged by Trump to drop the investigation into Russia’s alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

“How can FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, the man in charge, along with leakin’ James Comey, of the Phony Hillary Clinton investigation (including her 33,000 illegally deleted emails) be given $700,000 for wife’s campaign by Clinton Puppets during investigation?” Trump tweeted last month.

In another tweet, the Republican president said, “FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!”

After reports emerged that McCabe is stepping down, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that Trump had nothing to do with it.

“I can say that the president wasn’t a part of this decision-making process,” she said, yet asserting that “the president stands by his previous comments” about the FBI deputy director.

McCabe was tasked with overseeing Hillary Clinton’s use of private email servers as the secretary of state, a scandal that dominated the 2016 presidential election in favor of the New York billionaire.

Source: Presstv

30, January 2018

Southern Cameroons human rights situation deteriorates as AU, UN unconcerned ⁰

Human rights groups including the leadership of the Roman Catholic have sounded a note of caution and warned about the significant deterioration of human rights in La Republique du Cameroun, stating that no international pressure on the Sub Saharan country has emboldened the ruling CPDM regime of President Biya not to shy away from its heavy-handed crackdown on Southern Cameroons citizens.

Biya’s Cameroon is now clearly sliding in a new and very dangerous direction with 47 people including the Southern Cameroons Ambazonian political leaders arrested in Nigeria now in Yaoundé. “The fairly weak level of restraint that was there last year with the existence of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium has all but gone,” noted our chief correspondent in the Bamenda County. There is an urgent need for the US administration and France to wield their influence on the Yaoundé regime and step up their criticism.

Activists who fled to neighbouring Nigeria said at a meeting in Ikom on Monday that the human rights situation has deteriorated in Southern Cameroons as 100s of people were killed in Kwa Kwa village and more than five thousand have abandoned their homes in Kembong, Dadi and Ekok in the Manyu State. There are renewed reports of torture in detention and military courts in Yaoundé, Bafoussam and Douala and many including radio host Bibixy Mancho and the extradited leaders are now sitting on death row.

A senior pro Yaoundé Southern Cameroons political elite who spoke to us late last night said many within the regime are seriously worried about the health of imprisoned Anglophone activists. Last week alarming signals multiplied regarding the heavy deployment of Francophone soldiers in Manyu, Meme and Bui constituencies.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Biya regime Issa Tchiroma Bakary who also moonlights as minister of communication announced that the Ambazonian leadership handed over to Yaounde by the Buhari administration will face the death penalty.

The Interim Head of State of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and his top aides were arrested in Abuja Nigeria by the country’s Secret Service and with no due legal process were handed over to the authorities of La Republique du Cameroun.

Amnesty International and other human rights groups have already censured the Abuja arrest and called for the release of the Southern Cameroons leaders. The Biya Francophone regime has gone to great lengths to clamp down on any sign of Anglophone dissent. Recently we got intelligence that troops from the Republic of Chad were deployed to assist the Francophone dominated Cameroon armed forces in its crackdown in Southern Cameroons.

Hundreds of British Southern Cameroonians including women and children have lost their lives and thousands of others sustained injuries or got arrested as a result of the Biya regime’s crackdown.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

29, January 2018

Nigeria extradites 47 Southern Cameroonians to Yaounde for trial ⁰

The Cameroon minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma, has finally ended speculation about Nigeria’s extradition of the President of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, Ayuk Tabe, along with some other 46 Southern Cameroonians to Yaounde where they are expected to be judged according to the laws of the Republic of Cameroon. News about their extradition has been the subject of debates and analyses over the weekend and this has resulted in increased tension both in Yaounde and Southern Cameroons, with many Southern Cameroonians vowing to fight on despite their leaders’ detention in Yaounde.

Speaking in Yaounde on Monday, January 29, 2018, a subdued Tchiroma said the arrested Southern Cameroonians would be judged in accordance with the law. This therefore implies that lawyers will be granted access to the detainees and their identities will be established. Though the information has been made official, many across the globe still doubt the government’s version and argue that the same government has been manipulative and deceptive for many decades and it will be hard to believe its version.

However, despite the sad news, many Southern Cameroonians argue that the battle must continue as the revolution is bigger than any single individual. Speaking to a dejected Southern Cameroonian in WashingtonDC over the phone, our West African Bureau chief was advised that the revolution was an idea that would not be crushed through intimidation and military violence. The Southern Cameroonian, who elected anonymity, added that things only escalated when Felix Nkongh Agbor Balla, Fontem Neba and Macho Bibixy were arrested and that the current situation would only escalate attacks on the military.

He argued that Nelson Mandela was in jail for over three decades, but South Africans did not relent in their effort to unseat the racist bastion that had reduced them to second-class citizens in their own country. He said Southern Cameroonians would, over the coming days, designate their new leaders and would be informing the boys on ground on what steps to follow.

Also speaking from London, Sesekou Asu Isong, said that Southern Cameroonians should not believe that they could attain their objective without loss of life and imprisonment. He stressed that “freedom has never been attained through courteousness and gentlemanliness, adding that loss of life is and has always been part of such a struggle.”

He called on Southern Cameroonians to pour money and energy into the struggle. “As it is apparent that we are now in an armed struggle, we have a duty to pour money and energy into this cause. We have a duty to arm and train young determined fighters on the ground. If we don’t, the lives of the departed and those in incarceration would have been a waste,” he stressed.

Mr. Isong’s point of view ties in well with what is currently happening in many Southern Cameroons community across the globe. It is worth stressing that huge fundraising efforts are currently underway in most Western capitals. Southern Cameroonians across the globe are making significant financial contributions to support the tough Southern Cameroonian fighters who have become a nightmare to government forces in Southern Cameroons. In California alone, more than half a million dollars was raised last week to secure more aid and arms for the boys who are determined to roll back government forces that have been deployed across Southern Cameroons.

Also writing from Boston in the United States, Mr. EkinnehAgbaw-ebai, a graduate of the prestigious Harvard University, pointed out that “Irrespective of whatever anyone thinks, let it be said again with emphasis that Ambazonia will never die. Ambazonia is a spirit which animates our yearning for freedom and even if Biya kills all eight million Anglophones and raze all our villages, our ghosts shall rise from our graves to seek freedom and demand justice. Mandela was jailed, but the ANC continued until Apartheid was defeated. Bin Laden is dead, but that has not stopped Al Qaeda; rather ISIS was born. If Biya sincerely believes, as he claims, that a majority of Anglophones want to remain in bondage and servitude in a united Cameroon, let him organize a referendum. Voting should take place only in Anglophone regions under international supervision as was the case in 1961,” he pointed out angrily.

It should be noted that Mr. Ayuk Tabe had said that the struggle was his life and that he was prepared and willing to lay down his life for the total liberation of Southern Cameroons, though he has always advocated non-violence. Many Southern Cameroonians are of that opinion and there are many meetings currently taking place across the globe to step up the pressure on the government.

It is also worth noting that Mr. Cho Ayaba, the man who leads the military wing of the Southern Cameroons struggle, had earlier called for the fighters on the ground to step up military actions against government troops following the arrest of Southern Cameroonian leaders in Nigeria and the attacks have increased significantly across the entire Southern Cameroons. Cameroon military personnel have in recent days been attacked and killed in various cities in Southern Cameroons and as late as today, some of them were attacked in Bangem in the Kupe Manogouba Division in the South West region where even the senior divisional officer was taken hostage.

Currently, there are reports that following Mr. Tchiroma’s announcement, there have been heavy gun fire in several villages in Manyu Division which is the birth place of Mr. AyukTabe who is revered and loved by his people. The days ahead would be challenging for Cameroon as many Southern Cameroonians are yet to accept that their leaders are in jail in Yaounde.

Meanwhile, many young fighters who have flooded refugee camps in Nigeria are already indicating their intention to return to the jungle to continue operations as advised by Mr. Cho Aya more than two weeks ago. Today’s statement by Mr. Tchiroma has fired many of them up. Speaking to Cameroon Concord News Group on Monday, January 29, a young Southern Cameroonian fighter who unexpectedly showed up in Abuja said the fighters needed more sophisticated war machines so as to take the fight to the enemy.

He pointed out that with rudimentary equipment, the fighters had given government troops in Manyu Division a run for their money, adding that sophisticated equipment would enable them to post more impressive results. “We are ready to turn that country into a huge fire ball. Southern Cameroonians have been marginalized for more than five decades and the government is refusing to acknowledge this. Since the government thinks it cannot dialogue with our leaders, we are determined to split the country so as to put an end to the marginalization that has brought death and destruction to our parents,” he said, adding that “once we lay our hands on sophisticated war machines like AK-47s, we will be able to get into the Littoral and West regions where we would be able to create hordes of refugees; a situation that will surely catch the attention of the international community.” “We are not scared of death and we have been informed that our brothers in the Diaspora are raising funds to ensure we get the tools for our job. This is a huge challenge and it requires a huge tool box,” he stressed.

It has been reported that some three hundred government troops have already been sent to an early grave since Ambazonian Tigers decided to take up arms against a regime that is tone deaf to calls for an inclusive and sincere dialogue. As a response to the losses, the government has decided to deploy more troops to the regions. But many analysts hold that the more troops the government deploys, the more targets it creates for the fighters. The situation in the two Anglophone regions is getting more complex by the day.

Currently, there are more than five militia groups operating in many parts of Southern Cameroons and this is troubling to the international community that is already seeing the phenomenon of warlords playing out in Cameroon. It should be recalled that Somalia that has been a hotspot for more than three decades went through a similar situation like the one unfolding in Cameroon following the ousting of the country’s dictator, Said Barre, in the eighties.

Today’s statement by the country’s communication minister sounds like a huge victory for the beleaguered government of Mr. Paul Biya, but the days ahead seem to be gloomy and the road ahead is bumpy. It will be too soon for the government to cry victory. The Southern Cameroons revolution is like a hydra. You may be happy that you have cut off its head, but it is confident it will grow a new one. Mr. Biya and his government must agree that dialogue holds out more hope. Arresting people and dumping them in jail or killing innocent civilians just to send home a strong message will not address the issue. There are more than seven million Southern Cameroonians, and many are already lining up to take on the mantle of leadership.

The Southern Cameroonian Diaspora is wealthy, and it will continue to destabilize the government if the government does not work hard to make peace with it. After more than one year of a bloody contention, the Yaounde government should understand that Southern Cameroonians will not be surrendering anytime soon.

A Cameroon Concord News Production

29, January 2018

12 detained Ambazonian leaders in Yaounde ⁰

A senior Nigerian elected representative Hon. Abdul Oroh has in a statement confirmed that the interim Head of State of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and 11 top aides of the Southern Cameroons government in exile were flown to Yaounde on Friday the 26th of January 2018.

Hon. Abdul Oroh noted that the Buhari administration made the decision ‘without due regard to local and international humanitarian law.” Cameroon Intelligence Report understands the Interim Government is aware of this latest development. A statement is expected today from the Secretary of Communication, Chris Anu.

29, January 2018

Cameroon 2019 AFCON preparations to be assessed ⁰

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) will discuss Cameroon’s ability to host the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday. Business consultancy Roland Berger toured the country from 12-23 January to assess preparations.

“An intermediary report will be sent by the inspectors,” Caf Director of Communications Junior Binyam said.

“That will be part of the Africa Cup of Nations committee agenda on 31 January.” “The report of the Nations Cup committee meeting is part of the Executive Committee agenda on 1 February.”

Caf will hold a General Assembly the following day in Morocco, which is currently staging the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN).

There have been concerns about Cameroon’s preparations ever since Caf President Ahmad said last August that the country would “have work to convince” African football’s rulers that it was ready.

The tournament, which has expanded from 16 to 24 teams since Cameroon won the right to host in 2014, is set to be staged in five different cities – Bafoussam, Douala, Garoua, Limbe and Yaounde.

The state of readiness of the cities’ stadiums varies across the country.

The Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium is one of two arenas set to be used in the Cameroonian capital, with the other – the Paul Biya Stadium in the Olembe area – far from ready.

Captain Benjamin Moukandjo carries the Nations Cup trophy onto Cameroonian soil — Cameroon are the reigning African champions, having beaten Egypt in last year’s final in Gabon

This venue will be part of a multi-sports complex, as will the Douala-based 50,000-seater Japoma stadium – where there is also considerable work to be done by the Turkish construction company in charge.

Caf appointed PriceWaterhouseCoopers to conduct an initial visit last August but the trip was cancelled at short notice after the audit firm withdrew without giving reasons why.

Business management consultancy Roland Berger later stepped in as the independent assessors.

The group is expected to conduct further visits prior to the tournament in June 2019, with Caf having moved the timing of the tournament from January and February last year.

Caf president Ahmad has said on several occasions that African football’s ruling body will find an alternative host if Cameroon – which has always insisted it will be ready – is unable to host the finals.

Morocco has put itself on standby to host the finals, given concerns about Cameroon’s preparations.

Cameroon are the reigning African champions, having beaten Egypt 2-1 in a thrilling 2017 Nations Cup final in Gabon.

Source: BBC

29, January 2018

Abbas turns to African states after saying no future role for US in Palestinian issues ⁰

Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas calls on African states to join a multilateral mechanism to discuss the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, after spurning any US role in such negotiations.

“Pursuing peace efforts requires the establishment of a multilateral mechanism under the umbrella of the United Nations. We call on the African Union and its member states to have representatives in this mechanism,” he told an African Union meeting in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on Sunday.

Palestinians have long been complaining of US bias towards Israel. The last straw, however, came last month after US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as the so-called capital of Israel.

Trump’s decision triggered an international outcry, and more than 120 countries voted at the UN Security Council to call on Washington to withdraw its declaration.

The move also infuriated Palestinian Authority leaders, who feel deceived by Trump after being assured of Washington’s support for their demands.

Palestinians have historically sought East al-Quds as the capital of their future independent state.

“We do not accept any role of the United States in the political process from now on, because it is completely biased towards Israel,” Abbas said after Trump’s announcement.

The Palestinian Authority president then sent delegations to China and Russia to ask them to take a greater role in the Middle East negotiation process.

In his address to the African Union on Sunday, Abbas said such a mechanism should be based on the realities of the 1967 borders and “the end of the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem.”

Israel has been building hundreds of illegal settlements on the occupied territories in the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds, with the aim of gradually annexing them.

All talks with the aim of putting an end to the conflict have foundered so far because of Israel’s refusal to stop its settlement expansion as demanded by the international community.

On Sunday, Abbas said Palestinians would be opening a future Palestinian state “to all of the heavenly religions, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism to practice their rituals and prayers in peace and security.”

His remarks to the African Union came only days after he met with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Brussels to urge the European Union to join the “peace” efforts.

“We are keen on continuing the way of negotiations,” the Palestinian Authority president said there. Abbas also said the EU had assured him that it supported the bid to have East al-Quds as the Palestinian capital.

Source: Presstv

29, January 2018

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Foreign mercenaries join the fray ⁰

The Southern Cameroons crisis that started with demands by lawyers and teachers has gradually taken different dimensions after more than a year following the government’s decision to embrace the war path instead of the honest and inclusive dialogue that many across the world have called for. For many months, there have been speculations that foreign fighters have been guiding and training young Southern Cameroonians, but the first serious confirmations have been made by the SDF vice-president, Joshua Osih, who had to meet with them while taking his father’s remains to his native Ndian Division. Mr. Osih, a respected SDF parliamentarian had to walk miles into the jungle where the Ambazonian fighters were lurking to seek permission and passage rights to his native village so as to give his late father a decent burial.

According to our source at the SDF Secretariat, Mr. Osih almost came under attack when he finally reached where the Southern Cameroons fighters were lying in wait for any government troops that might be heading to Ndian Division. Luckily for him, he was recognized by some of the zealous fighters who considered him a responsible and respected son of the South West region of the country. He was subjected to serious questioning and was asked if government officials would be attending the event.

He said none had been scheduled to be present at event. He was let go when he handed a huge wad of cash to the fighters who informed him that they would be keeping an eye on the event to ensure government agents did not infiltrate the location. The fighters later accosted my Osih at his residence in his village when they noticed that some government officials had made their way to the event. Mr. Osih had to explain himself and expressed his sincere apology, adding that he had not invited them, but they had shown up on their own.

Mr. Osih, who informed his colleagues at the SDF secretariat about the situation, said he had come face-to-face with foreign mercenaries, some of whom were white. Our reporter in Ndian Division who is very close to the fighters has also confirmed that some white South African mercenaries are already on the ground to help structure the Amba Tigers and other groups and to provide short intensive training on hit-and-run tactics.

It should be noted that Mr. Osih has nothing to do with the rebellion that is playing out in the two Anglophone regions of Cameroon. He is a politician with strong faith in republican values. He is a much-respected politician and is expected to succeed the aging and ailing SDF Chairman, John Fru Ndi, soon. Many analysts hold that Mr. Osih could be the next president of the country if free and fair elections were held in 2018. He is very bilingual and has a sound understanding of the issues and challenges facing the country.

Meanwhile huge fundraising efforts arecurrently underway in most Western capitals. Southern Cameroonians across the globe are making significant financial contributions to support the tough Southern Cameroonian fighters who have become a nightmare to government forces in Southern Cameroons. In California alone, more than half a million dollars was raised last week to secure more aid and arms for the boys who are determined to roll back government forces that have been deployed across Southern Cameroons.

Recently, a young Southern Cameroonian fighter who unexpectedly showed up in Abuja said the the fighters needed more sophisticated war machines so as to take the fight to the enemy. Speaking to our West Africa Bureau Chief, Kingsley Betek, he said that with rudimentary equipment, the fighters had given government troops in Manyu Division a run for their money, adding that sophisticated equipment would enable them to post more impressive results. “We are ready to turn that country into a huge fire ball. Southern Cameroonians have been marginalized for more than five decades and the government is refusing to acknowledge this. Since the government thinks it cannot dialogue with our leaders, we are determined to split the country so as to put an end to the marginalization that has brought death and destruction to our parents,” he said, adding that “once we lay our hands on sophisticated war machines like AK-47s, we will be able to get into the Littoral and West regions where we would be able to create hordes of refugees; a situation that will surely catch the attention of the international community.” “We are not scared of death and we have been informed that our brothers in the Diaspora are raising funds to ensure we get the tools for our job. This is a huge challenge and it requires a huge tool box,” he stressed.

It has been reported that some three hundred government troops have been sent to an early grave since Ambazonian Tigers decided to take up arms against a regime that is tone deaf to calls for an inclusive and sincere dialogue. As a response to the losses, the government has decided to deploy more troops to the regions. But many analysts hold that the more troops the government deploys, the more targets it creates for the fighters. The situation in the two Anglophone regions is getting more complex by the day.

While the situation in the Anglophone regions is spiraling out of control, the country’s president, Mr. Paul Biya, has disappeared to Switzerland where he is seeking medical attention for his failing heart and prostrate. He has been traumatized by the Southern Cameroons crisis to the extent that he has lost sleep for many months. But Cameroonian activists are already at work to locate where the most inefficient dictator on the African continent is taking refuge. They argue that his place is not in Switzerland but in Cameroon where he has not built any good hospitals for thirty-five years and has transformed the country into an open-air killing field.

According to our source at the presidency, the word Anglophone sends Mr. Biya into deliriums. Our source adds that he has been very withdrawn in recent times and is making conscious efforts to avoid Anglophone senior officials such as Atanga Nji and Victor Mengot Arrey Nkonho who are working at the Presidency, as he holds that their loyalty to him is not sincere.

He believes that they are sympathizing with their fellow Anglophones, though they pretend to side with the government. This is polluting the atmosphere at Unity Palace and other offices where there are senior Anglophones. Many of these Anglophones now watch whatever they say in order not to hand any talking point to the Beti Mafia that is keeping an eye on them. They know any mistakes on their part could lead them to Kondengui, the country’s notorious maximum security prison, where some of their colleagues have taken up residence for many years.

In a related event, rumors about the extradition of Anglophone leaders to Cameroon are still swirling in Yaounde despite all the evidence indicating that they are still occupying the luxurious villa given to them in Abuja. Our sources in Yaounde hold that the Yaounde government has been frustrated by the Nigerian government which holds that the extradition should play out in court. The Nigerian government wants the international community to see it as a fair player when it comes to human rights. It had agreed with UNHCR that Southern Cameroons leaders in detention would be visited by UN officials to determine their status. The Nigerian government has further reassured the UNHCR that the detained leaders would not be returned to Cameroon. This is contained in a UNHCR report on the situation in Cameroon released on January 24, 2018.

From the look of things, the Cameroon government will surely have to negotiate a way out of this crisis that is consuming many lives. It will have to come down its ivory tower to meet Southern Cameroons leaders halfway. Time is fast running out and the more time it loses, the more complex the situation becomes as many armed groups are throwing their caps into the ring. Dialogue is the answer. The government must dialogue with Anglophone leaders. You never dialogue with your friends, you dialogue with your enemies to find a peaceful solution to a thorny situation like the one that has given the country a bad name because of the government’s inability to understand that times have changed and mentalities have evolved. Old ways will no longer work. Intimidation and corruption cannot cow everybody into silence. It’s time to change tactics and strategies if Cameroon has to avoid becoming the next Somalia where warlords and mercenaries will be the masters.

A Production of the Intelligence Department of the Cameroon Concord News Group

With files from Kingsley Betek in Abuja, Nigeria