Headline News

The looting of Cameroon: Catastrophic revelations puts GM of CNPS in jeopardy

1, August 2017

The looting of Cameroon: Catastrophic revelations puts GM of CNPS in jeopardy 0

A French Cameroun newspaper La Tribune de l’Est Economie that recently reported on the salary situation of the current general manager of the National Social Insurance Fund CNPS, Noel Alain Olivier Mekulu Mvondo Akame has again made public disturbing revelations on the matter.

After threats against the publisher, Chantal Roger Tuile that reportedly came from the management of the CNPS, the newspaper does not seem intimidated. With additional new information on the monthly earnings of the boss of the National Social Insurance Fund, the paper opined in its lead story released on Monday, July 31, 2017 that “Biya’s nephews are running the country dry.”

The weekly in the first stanza of the report published a quote attributed to the general manager of CNPS. “I am the nephew of the Head of State. My name is Mekulu Mvondo, and everyone knows that the head of state’s father was called Mvondo. I’ll have Tuilé and all his acolytes shut up. My friends in the National Communications Council will dissolve La Tribune de l’Est Economie as they did with the other newspapers that were bothering us. People don’t mess around with me … Who are these Tuilés even? Are they stronger than the Roman Catholic bishops? His days on earth are numbered.”

The paper which announced earlier that the general manager of CNPS had a monthly salary of 11 million CFA francs has now revealed that instead of 11 million, the GM of CNPS has a monthly salary of 23 million. The newspaper also added that 200,000 francs have been allocated for the GMs water bills, 400,000 frs for electricity, 400,000 for the “telephone-Internet-Cable” section, and 900,000 for fuel.

The housing allowance amounts to CFAF 1,125,000 and the cost of sovereignty amounts to 16,700,000. La Tribune de l’Est Economie stated that “it is necessary to add to all this, the sum of 35 thousand for the “Health insurance, home management about 3 million, the mansion 7 million two hundred thousand, GM home furnishings and equipment, 40 million, two vehicles 100 million, installation premium 8 million.”

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Cameroon Info.Net



North Korea can hit most of US

1, August 2017

North Korea can hit most of US 0

North Korea’s missiles are capable of hitting targets across most of the United States, American intelligence officials claim, citing evidence from Pyongyang’s latest missile test. North Korea test-launched a Hwasong-14 ballistic missile on Saturday, calling it a “stern warning” to the US that it would not be safe if it resorts to military action.

The consensus in Washington is that the Hwasong-14 in many ways resembled an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and proved the North’s ability to hit targets on American soil, Reuters reported Monday, citing two US intelligence officials.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the officials said the missile’s 47-minute flight time was indicative of a greater range compared to another missile that was tested on July 4th, which flew 39 minutes.

This picture taken on July 4, 2017 and released by North Korea shows an intercontinental ballistic missile reportedly capable of reaching the US. (Photo by AFP)

The Hwasong-14 also made use of force stabilizing engines that gave it greater height, range and power by deflecting the effects of winds and other forces that could knock it off course while ascending. The Pentagon says the missile’s trajectory, although not direct enough to reach the US, showed that it had the potential.

In a press briefing, Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis refused to reveal the US military’s assessment but confirmed that the missile could fly at least 5,500 km (3,420 miles), the minimum range for what the Pentagon classifies as an ICBM.

“You could have the debate back and forth of whether the capability is proven or not, the fact of the matter is we take it seriously and we are prepared to defend against (it),” he noted. Last month, the United Nations Security Council imposed a fresh array of sanctions on Pyongyang in response to a number of missile tests carried out this year.

Source: Presstv



 

Return of Nigerian Refugees from Cameroon Should Be Voluntary

1, August 2017

Return of Nigerian Refugees from Cameroon Should Be Voluntary 0

The African Union Peace and Security Council has urged Cameroon to ensure the repatriation of Nigerian refugees fleeing Boko Haram is done on a voluntary basis. Hundreds of refugees, most of them children, complain they are thirsty and hungry as they leave Cameroon on their way back to Nigeria.

They are escorted by troops from the multinational joint task force fighting the Boko Haram insurgency. Cameroon Red Cross official Joseph Guisso is among the humanitarian staff accompanying the refugees. He said the military escort is necessary because Boko Haram fighters can surprise them at any moment.

He said they have confidence in the task force and strongly believe the killings will end soon. The soldiers told VOA Boko Haram has been organizing sporadic attacks on a small scale since January. During the past two years, the regional force has retaken much of the territory Boko Haram once controlled.

The number of Nigerian refugees repatriated from Cameroon has not been made public. In March, the governments of the two countries signed a tripartite agreement with UNHCR that stipulated the repatriations must be voluntary.

In June, the U.N. refugee agency condemned what it called the Cameroonian government’s forced repatriation of 887 Nigerian refugees to the border town of Banki. The United Nations said there had been other similar incidents. Cameroon’s government has denied allegations of forced returns.

Cameroon has struggled to meet the humanitarian needs of the approximately 115,000 Nigerian refugees within its borders, as well as an estimated 200,000 Cameroonians displaced by the conflict.

Suicide attacks have picked up recently in border areas in Cameroon, with at least 30 attacks reported in June, including some targeting refugee camps. Far North region of Cameroon Governor Midjiyawa Bakari has argued it would be better for refugees to go to safer localities in their own country.

A delegation from the African Union visited the northern town of Maroua on Friday. The chairman of the African Union Peace and Security Council, Nigerian-born Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, led the delegation. He told VOA only refugees who choose to go back should be repatriated.

“We want to thank the government and people of Cameroon first for hosting these refugees and coordinating all the necessary sectors. With the United Nations agencies, we are suggesting and proposing that all the refugees should return in safety and in dignity,” said Adeoye.

Aid agencies have also expressed concern about the conditions to which refugees are returning. UNHCR and Doctors without Borders have warned food, water and other resources are dangerously overstretched in border communities in Nigeria.

Source:VOANews



Syria: President Assad says will of Syrian people, army defeated terrorists

31, July 2017

Syria: President Assad says will of Syrian people, army defeated terrorists 0

President Bashar al-Assad has praised the Syrian people and army, saying their will has defeated terrorism in the country. “The will of the Syrian people and their determination as well as the heroism of the Syrian Arab Army” are the most important reasons that have helped the country defeat foreign-backed militants, Assad said on Monday.

Assad also appreciated the Syrian people, saying they did not allow terrorist groups and their backers to halt their daily activities. He made the remarks in a meeting with a delegation from Tunisia’s General Labor Union (UGTT), headed by its Assistant Secretary General Bu Ali Mubaraki, in the capital Damascus, Syria’s official news agency, SANA, reported.

During the meeting, Assad stressed that the delegation’s visit carried many messages to the world as it “reflects the pulse of the Arab public opinion and its orientations.” In turn, members of the Tunisian delegation confirmed that they came to Damascus to convey a message of support for the Syrian people.

The Syrian people have showed matchless support for their leadership and army, which are defending the dignity of the Arab nation, the delegation said. The Tunisian delegation stressed that the West does not want Syria to play any role except according to what they dictate.

The delegation said the West has targeted Syria because of its fair stance towards regional developments. The delegation also described Syria as a state which remains at the forefront of the campaign against terrorism. “If what is planned against Syria succeeded, the chaos would have prevailed throughout the Arab region. Therefore, defending it is defending all the Arabs.”

Syrian government forces inspect an area recently recaptured from the Daesh terrorist group in a mountain range near the village of Khanasir, in Aleppo province, on July 2, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning UGTT is known to many Tunisians for the role it played in the North African country’s historic revolution of 2011. Syria has been gripped by a deadly conflict since March 2011. The government has repeatedly blamed certain foreign countries for the spread of the devastating militancy in the country.

Over the past few months, Syrian forces have made sweeping gains against Takfiri elements, which have in turn increased their acts of violence across the country. Tunisia, too, has experienced violence since the 2011 uprising that ousted the country’s dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was in power for over two decades. The country has also been affected by the growing instability in neighboring Libya, which has been in chaos since former dictator Muammar Gaddafi was toppled and later killed in 2011.

During the past six years, Tunisia has witnessed multiple terrorist attacks. Tunisia is among the countries with the highest per capita number of extremist militants operating in other countries. Thousands of Tunisians have reportedly left their country since 2011 to fight alongside extremist groups in Iraq and Syria.

The gloomy status quo of Daesh has growingly worried Tunisians who fear that many militants would return to the North African country. Late last year, Tunisian authorities warned about the return of thousands of Takfiri militants, calling for “exceptional measures” to combat the phenomenon.

Source: Presstv



Senegal: Ruling coalition claims election landslide in parliamentary vote

31, July 2017

Senegal: Ruling coalition claims election landslide in parliamentary vote 0

The ruling coalition of Senegal’s President Macky Sall has won a widely expected landslide in a legislative election, his prime minister says, bolstering Sall’s prospects for re-election in 2019.

The Benno Bokk Yakaar (BBY) coalition swept all except three of the country’s 45 electoral departments, said Prime Minister Mahammed Boun Abdallah Dionne, speaking to the public Senegalese press agency APS ahead of the official release of results.

The ruling coalition “emerged victorious” following the vote on Sunday, Dionne said, while the turnout was 54 percent among Senegal’s 6.2 million registered voters, an increase on voting in 2012.

Dionne said opposition coalition lists were likely to be ahead in the departments of Kedougou, Saraya and possibly Mbacke, but otherwise the BBY list of candidates “had been voted in by the Senegalese people.”

The official results are expected later this week. Some complained of being left off the electoral rolls on Sunday, and there were delays to voting in several places, partly due to bad weather.

Members of the election commission put up a placard at a polling station in Dakar on July 30, 2017 during Senegal’s legislative election. (Photo by AFP)

Sall’s main threat to increase his power in parliament was posed by ex-leader Abdoulaye Wade, 91, who was aiming to drum up support for his own list of candidates and his son, Karim, who is not on the ballot but has ambitions for the presidency.

His other serious opponent, Dakar Mayor Khalifa Sall (no relation), is in jail awaiting trial for what supporters say are politically-motivated embezzlement charges, and headed a list while campaigning from his jail cell.

The mayor had been seen as a key contender for 2019 and a potential threat to the president in parliament until he was charged in March with allegedly misappropriating 1.83 billion CFA francs ($2.85 million, 2.7 million euros) in city funds.

There were a record 47 lists of candidates contesting the election, with 165 lawmakers due to take seats in parliament. Police fired tear gas and arrested dozens during at times violent campaigning that left several injured in a country normally known for its peaceful democratic traditions.

Controversy also erupted over the failure to deliver enough new biometric ID cards needed to vote, which hundreds of thousands of Senegalese did not receive in time.

(Source: AFP)



Roman Catholic Church Crisis: Days Numbered for Controversial Bishop of Bertoua

31, July 2017

Roman Catholic Church Crisis: Days Numbered for Controversial Bishop of Bertoua 0

A violent demonstration staged by Roman Catholic faithful of the archdiocese of Bertoua was dispersed Sunday morning by the forces of law and order. The protesters called for the removal of Monsignor Joseph Atanga, the Bishop of Bertoua. If there’s a place in French Cameroun associated with rebellion these days, then it’s the city of Bertoua, where even the most pious of Catholics are protesting against their regional church leader, Bishop Joseph Atanga. For several years, the bishop who had served in Bafoussam has been a lightning rod for criticism because he has lived in luxury while simultaneously extolling the virtues of poverty and humility. More than anything, though, he has become a symbol of a Cameroonian Roman Catholic Church that has seen its membership swiftly dwindle following a series of scandals including the brutal murder of Bishop Jean Benoit Balla that have shaken public faith in the religious institution.

They reportedly arrived 30 minutes before the Eucharistic celebration and waved placards observing that “Bishop Joseph Atanga Must Go”. Some of the banners read “We’re tired of your mismanagement”, “the Church is not a business center” but were quickly snatched by law enforcement officers who had erected a huge security cordon at the church premise and mined all entrances to the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Bertoua.

In a letter sent to the National Episcopal Conference, the Apostolic Nuncio and the Governor of the Eastern Region, 250 parishioners did denounce what they consider to be “the poor behavior” of Monsignor Joseph Atanga.

They cited the fanciful transfer of priests, the calamitous management of the archdiocese of Bertoua, and the excessive affairs of the Bishop. They are demanding the departure of their “bad” shepherd.

So far, no official of the Roman Catholic Church in the East Region has commented on the prevailing situation. This is an additional scandal in an archdiocese which had already recently defrayed the chronicle through a case of homosexuality.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Cameroun Info.Net


Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Governing Council leader’s address to the nation

31, July 2017

Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Governing Council leader’s address to the nation 0

Fellow Southern Cameroonians, fellow Ambazonians:

Accept warm greetings from the Governing Council. This journey to the restoration of the independence of our nation is in full gear and we want to thank you all for your messages from all corners of the world. We have heard your voices from Australia, China, Europe, Americas and Africa. We are very encouraged by the enormous show of support and solidarity from our people back home. We want you all to be reassured that we are in this journey together until we get to Buea, in a country that we will call our own.

Let me start by addressing the three categories of Southern Cameroonians / Ambazonians in the face of what has become known as the Anglophone problem. There are three categories :- Unionist, Federalist and my camp the Nationalist.

The Unionists (Status quo in Government)
Political groups part of the System: No allegiance to their people, No concern for the future.
Civil Servants income from government Contractor and agents of these system: Their financial security is threatened; main income is grossly from their government jobs.
No interest but migrated simply by fear: Mothers with children who have mastered Francophone.

The Federalists
They may be motivated by other motives but some are afraid of a war and the massacre of SCians
The landscape here shows people for the most part of an older generation.

The Nationalists – Restoration of our glory land
The future of SC does not lie in the hands of the older generation.
They deserve to know a commitment that the younger generations have demonstrated in obtaining their freedom. This particular group of SC are clamouring for the restoration and they believe that the job must be completed

No matter your group
You have the right to belong to your group and nobody should force you to belong to our group. The fight for freedom must be desired from within and cannot be imposed by everyone else. Consequently, if people want to give in the status quo, God bless them, they have the right to stay where they are. You make your choices and your choices will eventually make you.

Federalists
Free to make their choice
What benefit have you derived in this union for the past 56 years?
Have you not been told to speak in French
Have you not been considered as Second-class citizen when you interact with people of LRC??
Have your children not been passed over or discriminated in admission into National Institutions, jobs, pay, promotions.
Is that what you want to continue to live under?
What exactly do you benefit from the system other than your daily bread and something to cater for your children?
Do you believe this system would ever change and if it does, will it not change for the worse?
Why do you now believe that this bond and will is going to cure they terminal illness that the regime has inflicted for all these 56 years?
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Our people should not be lured into insanity and our youths are clearly aware of that. It should be known that we are tired and we have to set ourselves free.

FEDERALISM: Who believes and advocate that we can gain the restoration of our independence only through war- by implication, what groups are actually selling is that the Biya regime will continue to carry out the brutal restoration of our people who are claiming independence. If they are right and God forbid, what then does it say of a system that would exterminate people without arms because they are fighting for their rights? How can anyone believe that they can remain in such an oppressive system and enjoy their God-given right of freedom and Liberty?

On the other hand, others have said that we cannot achieve restoration of our independence by making our case to the outside world. These groups of SC elites believe that since they tried earlier and failed, we should fold our hands and not try again. It is surprising and shocking that these are the same people advocating dialogue with LRC as if there have not been dialogue in the past 56 years. What makes them believe therefore that another round of dialogue this time will yield any fruit, when the actors with whom you have to dialogue have been in power for over 35 years? If these SCian elites believe that they can dialogue with this regime that has subjugated us for this long with that principal leader who has been in power for 35 years and counting, they are free to go ahead.

Why do they not believe that another try at the UN, AU, ICC, and ICJ could achieve results? The passage of time, the evolution of the world’s human right election and influence, and the fire in our youths of today give me the confidence to say that this is the time for action.
The idea of Federalism, no matter the form it takes, will result in a centralized government that will continue to oppress the inalienable rights of the minority people of SC.

Now, let me talk about the case for the restoration and our independence. This Struggle:

Our dreams of independence come with UN resolution 1608. At that point, we were independent. Let me take that again; after the passage of UN article 1608 our nation of British Southern Cameroons was independent. Later in 1961, we were given two options to complete our sovereignty by joining with another independent country (either Nigeria or the Republic of Cameroun). The third option which would have saved us the servitude of the last 56 years:- that of forming our nation on our own, building on the institutions that were already in the works from 1954, was selfishly ignored.

Our fore fathers believed in the sincerity of the leaders of LRC and therefore believed that the union, which was based on two separate independent States, would be a stronger national union, a win-win for both nations. We have come to see that the course of events has proven them wrong. Different dates, promises and bad faith have been the order of business from the two successive governments of LRC.
Given that all of these things never materialized what non-revocable guarantees can this government give you to ensure that your children and your children’s children will be given their full rights as human beings?

Now please indulge me to address President Paul Biya at this point.
Mr. President, notwithstanding the above mentioned failures of your stewardship on the notion of the people of SC; you are once again given an opportunity to show your leadership as a father. This occurred when lawyers and teachers expressed their rights to be granted. This requests were made because of the way and inefficient government that you have led over all these years.
You failed to listen to the cries of the people. 8 months have passed and the situation festered and has degenerated to where we are today. Instead of attending to the demands of the civil society groups, your government banned them, incarcerated their leaders, jailed other advocates, imprisoned other people, raped our daughters and militarized our towns and village. Your government’s lack of response led to the manifestations on the streets. Mr. President, it is only when there was successful ghost town on Monday 9th January 2017 that your government agreed to dialogue. This has been and continues to be the people’s protest. The people of SC are speaking clearly and loudly by their actions. You better listen to them. No one can lead a people without their consent. The people of SC are making their voices heard by their actions (actions speaks louder than words).

Mr. President, I almost certain that had you shown a depth of leadership at the start of this disruption in Oct/Nov2016 by coming out and addressing the people of SC with respect and genuine concern, you may have pulled off some groundwork from these people. However, you ignored them with disdain and sent your troops to betroth them, killing, torturing, raping, arresting leaders, abducting people to be tried in military courts. Abducting a justice of the Supreme Court.

If a justice of the supreme court can be treated like Justice Ayah Paul Abine has been treated, if a lawyer like Barrister Nkongho Agbor Balla has been treated, if a renown academic can be treated like Dr. Fontem Niba has been treated, if a journalist and a popular talk-show host can be treated like Mancho Bibixy has been treated, what treatment should we expect for the ordinary man/woman in SC?

A people whose backs have been pushed against the wall, have no other option than to push back with the last energy in their body and when they fight back, they will not be fighting to stay in the Satus quo, they will fight to go to a new place, saying that any place is better than here. Therefore Mr. President, you and your government have forced the people of SC to leave and go for good.

Mr. President, we are aware of all the manipulative plans that your government has been taking to manipulate and deceive and appease the people of SC. We know that there is currently a plan in the works by the French government to the LRC to invest $35 Billion in the NW region, in addition to the 18 km of tarred roads in the city of Bamenda, as well as the ridiculous re-opening of the Bamenda airport. We are also aware of discussions in the pipeline for large investments in the SW region. Allow me to say, Mr. President that these ridiculous investments, coming at this time, are a disdain to our people. These investments, if they become real, are a right and should have come many years ago.

Mr. President, you can kill every Southern Cameroonian who wants to be free but you cannot kill the spirit of freedom in the Southern Cameroonian. In addition to all the intrigues, your government has repeatedly tried to divide the people of SC with the usual NW/SW slogans. People have been offered bribes, positions and large amounts of money. This time however, due to the spirit of Southern Cameroons that is sweeping our territory, your offer was turned down. You have failed to recognize a basic lesson of life; that no one can trade their freedom for 30 pieces of silver.

Now, let me address my people, People of SC, As I said earlier, our struggle for the restoration of the independence of SC is not imposed on anyone but derived from the determined spirit of each and every Southern Cameroonian who desires to be free.

What does it mean to be free? The people of Southern Cameroons / Ambazonia want to be free to:-
send their children to schools where they are taught in English, except when they are studying another language.
Go to the courts and practice the Common Law to common law magistrates and counsel.
Go to hospitals and be consulted by physicians who do not need interpreters.
Go to the police and speak to their commissioners in English
Talk to their administrators in English
Know the allocation of resources to their respective Counties
Hold their leaders accountable
Elect their Governors and State legislators
Given the choices that I have outlined for the unionist, federalism and the nationalist (freedom fighter), it is important for all SCians to know that there is no need for infighting amongst our people in spite of their different opinions. It is equally important to know that there are traitors and spies among you, who come with the sole goal to disrupt and weaken our resolve. Do not be deceived by such infiltrators. However, we must fight our enemies of this struggle. They will use all kind of means and force of argument to splinter our freedom movement. Some of them would seek to discredit your leaders at every opportunity, to source for financial assistance and impose their leadership. Many things are happening that you may not be aware of. We have to be very watchful as we carry out our mission for our enemies will spend all the resources at their disposal, to sabotage our efforts. Therefore, we shall keep our plans confidential until we find the moment appropriate for us to do so. We are fortunate that our heavy contributors are the silent majority.

The sacrifices of our people back home are too enormous to count. To our mothers and fathers back in our homeland, to our brother and sister, to our children: – we owe you a great deal of gratitude for the effort you are making to keep the struggle alive. The Lord will reward you not only with a new nation that you can call your own, your children’s children will live free to realise their true potential in this land.
Some people are asking us, where we get the courage and energy to lead this struggle. We are strengthened by the echo of late Chief Ayamba, the clarity of delivery of Mola Njoh Litumbe, the tone of appreciation of Fon Gorgi Dinka, the dedication and commitment of our people back home and the army of youths on Social Media who have realized that they want their freedom and the time for that freedom is now.
I am further reenergised by news from back home like that of the grandmother in Bamenda who with her friends were going to pray at 5:30am. When she looked back and noticed her friend further back, she called out loudly “… waka quick, come make we go pray for Sisiku”. Grandma and friends, thank you for your prayers – please know that I will never let you down. The Governing Council will not let you down. This new generation of Southern Cameroonians will not let you down. We may not all get there, but be rest assured that the question of going to Buea is a question of When and not if. When will we get to Buea? We are working very hard to make sure that this happens as soon as possible, so that we will sing songs of victory and carry our grandmother and grandfathers on our shoulders as we enter Buea in triumph.

Let me now address the pressing issue that confronts us today: – that of school assumption in SC. Permit me to first express my dissatisfaction with those who have treated our clergy and the proprietors of private school with disrespect and disregard. The dilemma that our clergy and proprietors find themselves today, in the face of a lawless system of government whereby anyone’s security is at risk, is something that we should all appreciate. The episcopal letter, by the Bishops of the Bamenda episcopal diocese, to the government of LRC remains one of the best written documents that addresses the Anglophone problem in our two nations. It still holds true today as it did when it was written. We must continue to show gratitude for all that our clergy have done so far. The decision-making process of these leaders in the current circumstances can be compared to walking on a mine-field. They must tread very cautiously. We might not agree with some utterances that they are making now but we remain respectful of the church in the hope that throughout history, the church and people of good conscience have always stood for the presumption of human right and the protection of the weak.

Let me also address the students, teachers and parents.
Dear Students, losing a year or two or even more in anyone’s life is like asking the person to start the race all over, when others are ahead and finishing. Throughout this struggle, you have been the most resilient, because you know what we adults do not know; that you are fighting to have a better future for yourself. And just like anywhere in the world, where freedom has been gained, such freedom has been led by the young and the fearless. Your destiny is in your hands. We ask you to stay focus and never to lose sight of your goal.
Dear Teachers, like lawyers, you bare the brunt of the current struggle. Some of you have flown into neighbouring lands as refugees, some of you have become farmers, some of you are doing other jobs to put food on the tables in your families. We owe you a huge debt that will be repaid. The future of our children is at stake. It is this stake that made you to go out on the streets in November 2016. Anytime you feel tired, ask yourself if anything has changed in the schools that you deserted 8 months ago. If not, why should you go back there now?

Dear Parents, the final decision on school resumption might rest in your hands. You made the wise decision in November 2016 to withdraw your children from the third-class education that they were receiving. Your hope is that in the 21st century, your children should receive education that makes them globally competitive. This was not the case in November 2016 and it is still not the case today.
Some might ask if anything has changed since November 2016, in the education sector in Southern Cameroons. Naively, many would say that nothing has changed. The same French-speaking teacher is still due to teach Geography in our land. On the contrary, I can tell you that so much has changed since then: – Dear parents, since you withdrew your children from school, their sisters have been raped, many have been beaten, tortured and jailed, our leaders have been locked up and remain in Kondengui, our Chief justice of the supreme court, Justice Ayah Paul Abine, is languishing at the Gendarmerie cell in Yaoundé, and many have died. Would you resume school, knowing that these people paid these prices for your child to have a better education, while some have death penalties hanging over their heads? If your child goes to school, what happens to the child of your neighbour who is in prison because he/she was fighting this course?

Fellow Southern Cameroonians:
Few have borne a heavier sacrifice than teachers without pay, lawyers without court appearances, traders whose shops are locked, mothers whose children have become prays to people without conscience. Some have been put in different terrible conditions that we deploy. We denounce any crimes committed by people who take advantage of young people.

To conclude on this issue, there will be no school resumption in September 2017. On the fist day of school resumption in LRC in September 2017, all our people will have white handkerchiefs tied on young tree branches. This will be a sign of the Passover of the moribund education that we will never again be our portion. Please tie the handkerchiefs and tree branches around your houses, on doors, gates and fences. This is a sign of your support to our struggle. We will observe ghost town on that day from dawn to 5:00pm. At the end of the ghost town, people should pour out into the streets with whistles blowing in the air, singing songs of praise to God in celebration to show the world that they have refused to be enslave again. That we will set the agenda for the education of our children. Our children will remain at home until October 1st, the day of our lost independence. On or before Oct 1st we will make a further announcement on the way forward. Be rest assured that our team is working tirelessly on an education platform that will transform the sector and prepare our children for the 21st century workplace.
To the Southern Cameroonian in the Diaspora. You have been the engine of this struggle. Your moral and financial support has been very complementary to keeping this struggle alive. The urgency of the moment calls on each person to double our efforts. One of the big mistakes of Mr Biya’s government is in undermining our resolve to participate in the change that will bring us all back to the place of our birth. Almost all of us will rather be back home than wherever we find ourselves today. If the Divinity of our birth cannot be questioned, then our true legacy must be to the people of our land. You may own an American passport. Some may call you British, German, Canadian, Nigerian or South African but the location of your origin is Divine. You cannot and should not forget this.

Our nation will be rebuilt by experts who are originally Southern Cameroonians / Ambazonians. The curse of the last 56 years that has seen us thrown into all countries on the planet will become a blessing when we bring back our experiences, expertise, skills and money to rebuild our true home. We were scattered as seeds across other lands. Through hard work and commitment, we are now mature trees ready to recapture the forest. I urge you all to contribute to this struggle, financially and otherwise. Wait not for the struggle to be over then you join the bandwagon to Buea. Ask yourself, what can you do to move us one giant step closer to Buea? I encourage you to start preparing to come back home, come back to Buea to celebrate the restoration of our nation but importantly start planning to come and resettle in Southern Cameroons. Of course your dual-citizenship will be assured in Southern Cameroons / Ambazonia. Come and rebuild your nation. Think of the great opportunity that has been bestowed on your generation to rebuild your nation from scratch. With time, effort and imagination, we would make our new nation, an investor’s paradise. With transparency, accountability and high performance governance, we will invite people to come and see what a good thing the Lord has done for us. In the days ahead, the Secretary General of the Governing council will present a blue print of the nation we dream.

Some are asking if the Governing Council is ready for dialogue with Mr Paul Biya’s government. While the chances him initiating this dialogue look slim by each passing day, we are ready and open for frank dialogue in a neutral country, mediated by representatives from the UN, AU, ECOWAS, France, England and Nigeria.

To conclude, a few may doubt the chances of our success but I have no doubt in my mind that our freedom and the restoration of the independence of Southern Cameroons / Ambazonia is sacrosanct. We must achieve it now or forever regret. Our forefathers that we now blame for yesterdays errors were younger, less educated and less travelled when they made the costly decision in 1961. We will have no excusable reason to justify our children, if we let the opportunity of the moment slip pass without tangible positive results. I know that we will succeed because we are matching forward together.
God bless Southern Cameroons / Ambazonia.

Sisiku AyukTabe
Chairman
Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Governing Council



Yaounde: Francophone Minister signs order renaming Southern Cameroons territory

31, July 2017

Yaounde: Francophone Minister signs order renaming Southern Cameroons territory 0

The Minister of Youth and Civic Education, Mounouna Foutsou has in a circular to the heads of various departments in his ministry renamed Southern Cameroons territory. The Francophone member of government also ordered his subordinates to attach strict observance to his instruction. The ministerial order stated that the South West and North West regions shall no longer to refer to as the Anglophone regions but simply North West and South West with the French appellation region du sud-ouest and region du nord-ouest being authentic.

Minister Foutsou’ order has been interpreted by members of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium as an insult to the people of West Cameroon. Nothing has so far come out of the Star Building following the publication of the circular at this delicate time in our country’s history.

In time, Southern Cameroons MPs and members of government including Prime Minister Philemon Yang have swallowed their pride and acceded. But for Southern Cameroonians in the struggle, denied a viable part of their identity has gone a long way to energize the sense of injustice festered over three generations and will be a major factor in the battle for secession.

Biya and his Francophone regime have offered many, sometimes contradictory, rationales for the rapes, extra judicial killings and arrests in Southern Cameroons ever since the revolution started. But this recent action by the Youth and Civil Education minister will of course have far reaching consequences.

By Rita Akana
Cameroon Concord News



UK-EU freedom of movement will end in 2019

31, July 2017

UK-EU freedom of movement will end in 2019 0

UK government ministers have said that the free movement of people between Britain and the European Union will end in March 2019. UK Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis told the BBC that the government is “very clear” that “free movement of labor ends when we leave the European Union in the spring of 2019.”

It was a “simple matter of fact” that EU free movement rules would not apply after 2019, Lewis said. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said after March 2019, EU workers moving to Britain will have to register, at least until a permanent post-Brexit immigration policy is implemented.

Rudd said the “implementation phase” would involve new EU workers registering their details when they come to the UK.” “We will ensure we continue to attract those who benefit us economically, socially and culturally,” she added.

“But, at the same time, our new immigration system will give us control of the volume of people coming here – giving the public confidence we are applying our own rules on who we want to come to the UK and helping us to bring down net migration to sustainable levels.”

The UK is currently due to leave the EU at the end of March 2019. Immigration was one of the central topics of last year’s Brexit referendum, which resulted in 52 percent of voters voting in favor of leaving the EU.

British finance minister Philip Hammond said Friday that the Brexit transition could last until 2022 and the UK will try to keep as many aspects of its EU membership in place as possible.

UK and EU negotiators held their first full round of Brexit talks earlier this month. The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier says that both sides still have “fundamental” differences remaining.

Brexit Secretary David Davis said last week that there is a “moral imperative” to reach a quick deal on the rights of EU nationals living in Britain and UK citizens in the bloc.

Source: Presstv



 

Kenya: 2 killed in attack on deputy president’s home

31, July 2017

Kenya: 2 killed in attack on deputy president’s home 0

Two people have been killed in an attack on Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto’s residence, police say, days before the African country’s next presidential election on August 8.

A gunman and a police officer were killed on Saturday night after police engaged in a shootout with the attacker outside Ruto’s house in the western town of Eldoret, a senior administrator said Sunday. The attack left another guard injured.

Police said Ruto, who is the running mate of President Uhuru Kenyatta in the upcoming vote, and his family were not home during the gunfire.

“From the exchange of fire we thought it was more than one attacker, because he used different firearms, but after we subdued him, we found only one man dead, plus our officer who he had killed,” Rift Valley regional coordinator Wanyama Musiambo, told reporters.

Further investigation showed that the attacker was unarmed first but was able to use a range of weapons by breaking into the police armory after making his way into the compound.

“After the operation we discovered that it was one gunman, but because he was inside there, he could change position and firearms because he had access to the guns. And the guns he was using were ours,” Musiambo said.

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta (R), flanked by Deputy President William Ruto, gestures during the unveiling of the Jubilee Party’s manifesto in Nairobi, June 26, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Police were still looking for more clues to see whether the attacker was alone or had help, the official noted. Ruto addressed the attack in a tweet, offering condolences to the family of the fallen guard. Police had initially said that the attacker was wielding a machete and holed himself up in an outbuilding after injuring one police officer. Kenyatta’s office said in a statement that Ruto had spent the day campaigning with the president.

Decades-long power struggle

The August 8 election will see Kenyatta and the ruling Jubilee Party defend their throne against Raila Odinga, who was Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. Odinga has been endorsed by the National Super Alliance (NASA), a group of five opposition parties.

The Odinga and Kenyatta families have been involved in a power struggle since 1966, three years after the country’s independence from the UK.

 

Source: Presstv



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