Headline News

30, September 2017

UN Human Rights Council extends Burundi abuses probe ⁰

The UN Human Rights Council voted Friday to extend the mission of an international probe into atrocities in Burundi, overriding strong pushback from the government accused of crimes against humanity.

The adoption of the European Union resolution to prolong the mandate by a year came a day after the council’s African bloc approved a separate measure to send a team of experts to Burundi that would report their findings to the government.

The controversial African proposal, strongly supported by Burundi’s UN delegation, angered Western delegations and rights groups.

They blasted it as an underhanded attempt to suppress the impact of the UN-backed probe, which has collected evidence of egregious crimes orchestrated by Burundi’s government and security forces.

The EU proposal, which was backed by the United States, passed Friday with 22 votes in favor, 11 against with 14 abstentions.

The African group was split on the EU measure: South Africa and Ghana voted against, while Kenya, Nigeria and Ivory Coast abstained.

With both Burundi resolutions having been approved by the council, the crisis-riddled country is now in the rare circumstance of being subject to two investigations.

In accordance with the African-backed plan, three experts will be “urgently” dispatched to Burundi to study the situation and then “forward” their findings to the judicial authorities, who will assess their validity.

The EU resolution extends the work of the independent Commission of Inquiry, which earlier this month accused the government of crimes against humanity, including executions and torture.

“The Commission can now continue its crucial work to end the abuses and hold perpetrators accountable,” the Geneva director for Human Rights Watch, John Fisher, said in a statement.

“Burundi’s victims deserve no less”, he added.

Burundi plunged into crisis in 2015 after the country’s President Pierre Nkurunziza sought a fiercely contested third term in office.

The violence claimed between 500 and 2,000 lives, according to differing tolls from the UN and civil society groups, while more than 400,000 Burundians have fled abroad.

(Source: AFP)

30, September 2017

Cameroon bans pro-independence rallies in Anglophone area ⁰

Cameroon has banned public meetings and travel in a mainly English-speaking region ahead of a protest to demand independence for the area. The South-West region’s border with Nigeria has also been shut to block “infiltration” by people threatening Cameroon’s unity, officials said.

Pro-independence marches have been planned for Sunday, the 56th anniversary of Cameroon’s unification. English speakers accuse the Francophone majority of discrimination. They say they are often excluded from top civil service jobs, and that the French language and legal system have been imposed on them.

The government denies the allegations and insists that it treats all citizens equally. The divisions in the central African state date back to the post-colonial settlement. Cameroon was colonised by Germany and then split into British and French areas after World War One. Following a referendum, British-run Southern Cameroons joined the French-speaking Republic of Cameroon in 1961.

It is now divided into the South-West and North-West regions. Demands for independence have grown in the two regions in recent years and tension has been escalating ahead of Sunday’s planned protests, reports the BBC’s Randy Joe Sa’ah from the capital, Yaoundé.

The South-West region’s governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, has called protest organisers “dogs”, and has warned them that they will be met by troops if they take to the streets on Sunday, our correspondent adds. At least six protesters were killed and dozens arrested during protests earlier this year. Access to the internet in the Anglophone regions was also blocked from January to April.

Announcing the new security measures, Mr Bilai said there would be a ban on gatherings of more than four people, and travel between towns, from 20:00 GMT on Friday until 08:00 GMT on Monday. The region’s border with Nigeria would also be closed during this time “following persistent threats of destabilisation” by individuals based outside Cameroon, he added.

In a statement on Thursday, the UN said Secretary-General António Guterres was concerned about tensions ahead of Sunday’s protests. He urged Cameroon’s government to address the grievances of its Anglophone population, and to take steps to promote national reconciliation, it said.

“The Secretary-General supports upholding the unity and territorial integrity of Cameroon and urges all parties to refrain from acts that could lead to an escalation of tension and violence,” the statement added.

Culled from the BBC

30, September 2017

Troops deployed ahead of Southern Cameroons independence declaration ⁰

President Paul Biya has sent in the army to deter Anglophone secessionists from declaring their independence as massive protests break out. But this appears to have done little to weaken their resolve.

Cameroon soldiers patrol the far north region near the border to Nigeria (picture-alliance/dpa/N. Chimtom)

The Cameroon government has deployed thousands of troops to the anglophone northwest and southwest of the country in an attempt to stop separatist groups from declaring independence on October 1.

Authorities also announced temporary restrictions on travel into Nigeria in the wake of violent protests, sparked by ongoing complaints of economic and political discrimination and demands for more Anglophone rights in the predominately Francophone country.

But at the border locality of Ekok, at least 700 people are ignoring calls for peace by political leaders and civil society groups, and continue to hold demonstrations and attack government buildings while proudly hoisting what they call the flag of their new independent state, Ambazonia.

27-year-old Tambe Elias, who claims to be the head of the group, says they no longer recognize President Paul Biya as their leader.

“He is nobody and he will never mean anything to the Ambazonians. This is the border between southern Cameroon and Nigeria, at the frontier Ekok. You can see the flags, this is the border. Now they have closed the border, they don’t want us to cross to Nigeria, but we are already there. Biya must go.”

The demonstrators attempted to cross over to the Nigerian border state of Enugu, with whom they have strong cultural ties, in order to inform authorities that a new nation had been born, however Nigerian immigration police ultimately prevented them from doing so. So they returned to Ekok, loudly singing their new national anthem while hoisting their blue and white flag and chasing away any Cameroon government workers who crossed their path.

A looming crisis

Despite the setbacks, the separatists have vowed to secede from Cameroon on October 1 – at least symbolically – and have appointed the exiled Julius Ayuk Tabe as their interim leader.

In response, the Cameroonian government has deployed troops to major towns in the country’s English-speaking region in an attempt to stop the demonstrations, although many separatists have simply relocated to smaller regions like Ekok where there is little to no military presence.

Cameroonians in New York call for national unity during the Anglophone crisis (picture alliance/AP Photo/B. Matthews)

Cameroonians in New York call for national unity during a United Nations visit by President Paul Biya

French-speaking Cameroonian, Debong Ignatius, is concerned that the military getting involved may only make matters worse. He spoke to DW about his own recent experience.

“Men in uniform and the police circled our neighborhoods, entered the various houses insisting that people should bring out any Ambazonian flags which they were hiding. But I do not think it is their duty to go harassing people at this precise moment because it can exacerbate the situation.”

Government ministers step in

Almost all English-speaking government ministers and senior state workers in the capital Yaounde have been sent home by President Biya with orders to convince people not to support the separatists.

Secretary of State in the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Technological Development, Fuh Calistus Gentry, told DW he plans to focus on speaking with his constituents about the dangers of believing in false hope.

“First of all this is a psychological war where people are frightened because some groups of people have taken their minds hostage. Secondly there is a false hope that is put into peoples’ minds. We have tried to assure people that the state will go to any extent to assure the fundamental rights of every person. We have also gone out to detoxify the minds of people which is built around false hope.”

Schools remain shut

Cameroon Anglophone independence protesters are released from custody (Reuters/Stringer)

Anglophone independence protesters are released from custody at Yaounde prison

Schools have been closed in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions since November 2016, when lawyers and teachers called for a strike against what they believe is the overuse of the French language.

Many of those involved in the strike were arrested, with pressure groups calling for their immediate and unconditional release. Fifty-five of the 75 protesters were released and charges were dropped, with observers viewing this as a significant concession to the strikers’ demands.

But with separatists now calling for complete independence from Cameroon, President Biya has made it clear that he is not open to any form of negotiation over the issue, saying the country will remain indivisible.

Source: DW

29, September 2017

Southern Cameroons Crisis: “President Biya may have escaped arrest” ⁰

The former head of the ruling CPDM parliamentary group, Hon. Albert Dzongang, who has been a very close collaborator to President Paul Biya and to whom he remains attached has said that he does not understand why Biya is still abroad at the moment when the Southern Cameroons crisis is aggravating.

“How can you be away when your country is in danger? I believe that the head of state is feeling the danger and has fled! CPDM militants must make public motions to support Biya so that he returns.”

Albert Dzongang opined that he is vehemently opposed to the French Cameroun idea of subduing Southern Cameroonians. “Have you ever heard that arms have won any conflict? In that case, America would have dominated the world. America has not won in Iraq, Libya or Afghanistan even with sophisticated weapons! CPDM will not win in Anglophone Cameroon using the army.”

The CPDM defector enumerated the advantages of a federal system. “Federalism is the art of living together differently. No federalism is dangerous. Cameroon was federal. Those who are in Yaoundé are power drunk. They do not want to give up. By regionalizing, the budget will be divided by 10. What will remain in central administration will not allow them in their greed to steal billions and billions. That’s why they prefer to see Cameroon burn, rot.”

By Eyong Johnson, CCN

29, September 2017

October 1: UN chief urges all parties to refrain from acts that could escalate tension ⁰

Expressing “deep concern” over the deteriorating security situation in parts of Cameroon as well as heightened tensions related to planned events this Sunday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called all parties to refrain from acts that could lead to further tensions and violence.

According to a statement attributable to his spokesperson, Mr. Guterres encouraged the Cameroonian authorities to continue their efforts to address the grievances of the Anglophone community.

“He urges the authorities to promote measures of national reconciliation aimed at finding a durable solution to the crisis, including by addressing its root causes,” the statement added.

It also noted that the UN chief supports upholding the unity and territorial integrity of the country and believes that genuine and inclusive dialogue between the Government and the communities in the South-West and North-West regions is the best way to preserve the unity and stability of the country.

The Secretary-General stands ready to support these efforts, including through the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), the statement read.

Source: UN.org

29, September 2017

2 Cameroonian soldiers killed in the Far North ⁰

Two Cameroonian soldiers were killed on Thursday in the Far North following an explosion of an improvised device. The two soldiers were serving with the Joint Multinational Force headquartered in Mora, in the Mayo-Sava Division in Far-North region of La Republique du Cameroun.

The service men were killed early in the morning while on patrol in a field mission at the Bonderi locality as part of the war against the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram. The device exploded as a group of soldiers passed, killing two on the spot.

Cameroon Concord News gathered from military sources that the explosive was placed by Boko Haram terrorists, whose exactions in Cameroonian territory have already caused the death of at least 2,000 people and made more than 100 thousand internally displaced persons.

By Sonne Peter, CCN

29, September 2017

La Republique: Schools yet to resume in Ocean Division ⁰

Some schools have remained completely closed in La Republique du Cameroun, despite vain attempts by the Francophone Ministers of Basic and Secondary Education to get academic institutions to begin classes in Southern Cameroons. Parents of children are in complete disarray in GHS Makoure and many other secondary schools in the Ocean Division and for good reason. Since the beginning of the school year, no teacher or even the principals of these government establishments have been visible.

Cameroon Concord News understands the governor of the South Region, Felix Nguelé Nguelé, completed a tour on September the 5th and announced on state radio and television that schools had effectively resumed. Cat calls have greeted the governor’s pronouncement with elites saying GHS Makoure never opened its doors on September 4th.

We learned teachers have not even returned to work three weeks after schools officially started throughout French Cameroun. In anger, the parents are pointing an accusing finger at Sieur Bikanda, the Divisional Delegate for Secondary Education. He is accused of having done nothing to improve the situation.

“The delegate wants to be the only elite in the area. His children are in Yaoundé and abroad studying in the best schools,” a parent said. The divisional delegation has however reacted saying, the situation is due to the fact that teachers were not assigned to the locality. In general, several institutions in the Ocean Division have assigned teachers who prefer to reside only in Kribi.

By Sama Ernest, CCN

29, September 2017

Movement restricted in Southern Cameroons ahead of independence day ⁰

Authorities in the South West Region of Cameroon have restricted movement of people and vehicles and banned meetings from Friday to Monday. The ban imposed by the Francophone Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai affects the celebration of independence day in the region on October 1.

Among the regulatory measures announced on Thursday are the closure of all borders, bars, night clubs, parks and “prohibition of any public gatherings and assembly of more than four persons in any public location”.

He said the measures are intended to preserve public peace and guarantee security “following persistent threats of destabilization through manipulation by individuals acting from outside the national territory.” This was followed by another ban on restriction imposed by the Senior Divisional Officer of the Manyu Province in the region, Oum II Joseph from Friday to Tuesday.

“All public meetings and manifestations are banned within the entire division with effect from Tuesday 26th September to Tuesday 10th October 2017,” he added. The measures follow last week’s massive demonstrations in several English-speaking towns in the North-West and South-West Regions against the continuous detention of some of the inhabitants of the regions and independence from French Cameroon.

It started in Bamenda last Friday despite a ban on movement of persons imposed the night before by Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique following a bomb attack that injured three police officers. The demonstration spread to Buea in the South-West Region where women led the march with hundreds behind them carrying leaves, tree branches and flags of the Cameroon separatist movement.

It was the same scene in the towns of Fontem, Kumba and Mamfe among others in the same region who are also demanding to be independent from French Cameroon. Tensions are still high ahead of the October 1 independence day celebrations which risk facing demonstrations in the Anglophone regions.

Culled from Africa News

28, September 2017

Americans embarrassed to have Trump as president ⁰

A majority of American voters believe Donald Trump is not “fit to serve as president” of the United States, a new poll shows.

Fifty-one percent of American nationals contacted said they are embarrassed to have Trump serve as president, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday.

Fifty-nine percent of respondents said Trump is not an honest man, 60 percent said he does not have good leadership skills and 61 percent said he does not share their values.

A majority of voters also advised Trump to stop tweeting about every issue.

The poll also showed that Americans are split along racial lines on Trump. Ninety-four percent of black voters said the Republican president is not fit to serve, 60 percent Hispanic voters said the same, while 50 percent white voters said he is fit for the role.

Sixty-two percent of voters disapproved of the way Trump has dealt with race relations, and 60 percent said the controversial president is doing more to divide the country than unite it.

The poll also revealed divisions among men and women. Men are divided 49 percent to 49 percent, while 63 percent of women say Trump is not fit.

The poll was conducted from September 21 to 26 by phone in which 1,412 voters nationwide participated.

Another recent poll found most Americans disapprove of Trump’s leadership and see him as a divisive figure who has not fulfilled his campaign promise to positively change the US government.

More than twice as many Americans – 66 percent vs. 28 percent – said Trump is doing more to divide the country than to unify it, according to an ABC/Washington Post poll published on Sunday.

Trump has been widely criticized for his response to the deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, after he said “both sides” were to blame for the violence.

Critics say that Trump’s divisive rhetoric and policies against immigrants and minorities before and after his election have emboldened far-right groups and promoted hate crimes across the country.

Culled from Presstv

28, September 2017

Southern Cameroonians express optimism at Independence Day celebration ⁰

A Special Edition Poll results released by Cameroon Concord News Group have revealed that a majority of Anglophone Cameroonians (98 percent) believe Southern Cameroon’s Independence is worth celebrating in spite of the extra judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and rapes including the economic recession that has rocked the territory. However, it should be noted that this is a vast increase from the 2006 value, indicating that the the union between West Cameroon and French Cameroun has failed.

More findings revealed that of those who believe Southern Cameroons’s Independence is worth celebrating (despite the militarisation of the territory by the French Cameroun government and challenges facing the young nation), a significant proportion (35 percent) stated that Independence Day is worth celebrating because it is Southern Cameroon’s day of independence and some (60 percent) also asserted that it marks the day Southern Cameroons was liberated from colonial rule and the correction of the 56 years injustice meted on Southern Cameroonians by Francophone political elites.

In addition, many Southern Cameroonians reported that they love being Southern Cameroonians mostly because of the Anglosaxon heritage where political leaders are held accountable. Furthermore, the poll results revealed that most Southern Cameroonians consider the the Southern Cameroons Governing Council as the legitimate body running the affairs of Southern Cameroons. Poll results show that 9 percent of Anglophones who do not think Southern Cameroon’s Independence is worth celebrating indicated that it is because people are suffering. These are some of the key findings from the Independence Day Poll conducted by the Cameroon Concord News Group in the week of September 26th 2017.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from CCN and CIR