Headline News

29, November 2025

Yaoundé: Divisional Officer blocks MRC Convention planned for Kamto’s return ⁰

Two days before the planned convention of the Mouvement pour la renaissance du Cameroun (MRC), the divisional officer of Yaoundé IV formally prohibited the gathering through an order issued on November 27. The administrative authority justified the ban by citing a “serious threat of public disorder” linked to the opposition party’s event.

Faced with this decision, the MRC leadership was forced to postpone the assembly. Mamadou Mota, the party’s interim president, announced that the meeting would be rescheduled to a later date. The setback is significant for the party, as the extraordinary convention of November 29 was expected to renew its executive board, notably marking the return of Maurice Kamto as president.

Kamto’s planned return to the MRC leadership

Maurice Kamto, the MRC’s emblematic leader, stepped down in July to avoid a conflict with the law when he ran in the October presidential election under the banner of Manidem. With no local elected officials, the MRC could not nominate a presidential candidate. Manidem, led by Anicet Ekane, agreed to sponsor Kamto on the condition that he formally join the party. To avoid belonging to two political parties at once, he handed the MRC presidency to first vice-president Mamadou Mota.

A leadership race without internal competition

The November 29 convention, which opened executive positions to competition, received only one candidacy for the presidency: Maurice Kamto’s. The assembly was therefore expected to confirm his return as party leader, closing the chapter opened by his temporary departure during the presidential race.

With the authorities’ decision to block the convention, a period of uncertainty opens for the MRC, which had intended to use the meeting to clarify its leadership and internal structure.

For the party, the convention was crucial to reorganizing ahead of the 2025 legislative and municipal elections. The administrative block comes at a decisive moment, just as the MRC sought to reposition itself on the political scene.

For the ruling camp, the stakes lie in keeping the MRC out of an upcoming local election cycle seen as challenging. The governing party recently posted its weakest result in more than thirty years in the latest presidential election.

Source: Sbbc

29, November 2025

FECAFOOT: Eto’o secures second term ⁰

Cameroonian football legend Samuel Eto’o has secured a second term as president of the country’s football federation after winning re-election by an overwhelming margin on Saturday.

The vote, held at the CAF Centre of Excellence in Mbankomo, saw the former Barcelona and Chelsea striker run unopposed.

Of the 87 delegates eligible to cast ballots, 85 endorsed his continuity at the helm, with two ballots declared invalid.

The result hands him a commanding 97.7 per cent approval rate and extends his mandate for another four years.

Eto’o’s renewed tenure comes despite a turbulent first term marked by criticism and internal pressure.

Cameroon’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup fuelled dissatisfaction, while a series of controversies involving the federation kept his leadership under scrutiny.

Even so, Saturday’s outcome underscores the enduring influence and support he maintains within Fecafoot, setting the stage for another chapter in his stewardship of Cameroonian football.

Source: Africa Soccer

28, November 2025

Hungary’s Orban defies EU partners and meets Putin again in Moscow ⁰

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, days before Russia holds talks on a US push to end the war in Ukraine.

Orban is seen as one of Putin’s closest allies in Europe and he has consistently angered his Nato and EU allies by undermining solidarity against Russia.

“We are aware of your balanced position on the situation in Ukraine,” Putin told Orban in remarks carried by Russian state TV.

Posting later on social media, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the Hungarians had got what they came to Moscow for: guaranteed supplies of Russian oil and gas, and agreement to continue the construction of the Paks nuclear power station.

Reacting to news of Orban’s visit, Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany, the EU’s biggest member state, told reporters: “He is acting without a European mandate and he is doing so without consulting us but that is nothing new.”

Referring to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Merz said of Orban: “He has his own ideas about ending this war. So far, they have not been realised. If someone has a better idea than us, then that is very welcome. Unfortunately I just doubt that this time will be more successful than last time.”

Putin thanked the Hungarian prime minister for proposing Budapest as a potential venue for a Russia-US summit with President Donald Trump.

“Trump immediately said: ”We have good relations with Hungary, you have good relations with Viktor, and I do too, so I suggest this option.’ Of course, we happily agreed,” Putin said.

According to Reuters news agency, Orban told Putin that Hungary was “interested in peace” and added: “Our meetings today give me the opportunity to confirm, Mr President, that Hungary is ready to provide a platform for such negotiations.”

However, the atmosphere when the delegations met in Moscow appeared surprisingly frosty and at one point Orban inadvertently bumped into his Russian host, after shaking hands with other members of the Russian delegation.

One independent Hungarian media outlet also suggested that Putin’s words had been mistranslated into Hungarian, to sound more positive.

Plans for a Budapest “peace summit” were proposed last month but they were shelved, reportedly because the Russian side had refused to compromise on Putin’s maximalist demands for an end to the war.

The Hungarian leader’s Fidesz party faces parliamentary elections in April and polls suggest that for the first time in 15 years it could be defeated at the ballot box. If he were to host a Trump-Putin summit in Budapest, it could help boost his chances of re-election.

Orban, who last visited Moscow in July 2024, has repeatedly challenged EU attempts to end European imports of Russian oil and gas.

He billed Friday’s visit as the second leg of a strategy to ensure Russian energy supplies this winter, for Slovakia and Serbia as well as Hungary.

Earlier this month in Washington, he secured exemption from US sanctions on Russian fuel – but only as long as he remains in power.

Ever since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Orban has claimed to have been on the side of peace and told Hungarian state radio last week that “Europe has decided to go to war in Ukraine”.

He has strongly backed Trump’s 28-point peace plan to end the war and during frantic diplomacy after it emerged, the Orban government and pro-Orban media have accused EU leaders of “war-mongering” for trying to adapt the plan to take account of Ukraine’s objections.

Joining Orban and Putin in the Kremlin were leading Russian officials, including Putin aide Yuri Ushakov, who is part of Russia’s negotiating team with the US.

In a letter this week to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Hungarian leader called for immediate, unconditional peace talks, for the EU to launch direct negotiations with the Kremlin. He stressed his opposition to further EU funds for Ukraine, and rejected the use of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukrainian defence.

Source: BBC

27, November 2025

Yaoundé: 2026 budget deficit set to double on higher spending needs ⁰

Cameroon expects its 2026 budget deficit to more than double due to a sharp rise in spending aimed at supporting economic activity amid continued global instability, according to a draft finance bill presented to Parliament late on Wednesday.

Cameroon is highly exposed to external shocks, including price volatility, due to its heavy reliance on imports of fuel, wheat and automobiles.

The overall deficit is projected to be 631 billion CFA francs ($1.11 billion), up from 309.9 billion in 2025, raising the government’s total financing needs to 3,104.2 billion CFA francs in 2026, compared with 2,326.5 billion this year.

The government has proposed a 2026 state budget of 8,816.4 billion CFA francs, up 14% from 2025, driven by higher personnel costs, goods and services, transfers and debt payments.

The draft bill is expected to pass as President Paul Biya’s ruling CPDM party holds a majority in both houses of Parliament.

Economic growth is expected to improve, reaching 4.3% in 2026, up from an estimated 3.9% in 2025.

“This growth would be driven primarily by the strong performance in the non-oil sector, while the oil sector is expected to contract slightly by 0.1% in 2026,” a government statement said, adding that inflation would ease by 0.2% from the current 3.2%.

To cover its financing gap and other obligations, the government plans to rely on 1,000 billion CFA francs in external borrowing, 826.7 billion CFA francs in project loans, 589.7 billion CFA francs in bank financing and 400 billion CFA francs from issuing government securities, along with budget support and exceptional financing.

Cameroon, Central Africa’s largest economy with major sectors in oil and gas, cocoa and timber, has recently stepped up borrowing to plug budget shortfalls and fund infrastructure.

Over the past few years, Cameroon has suffered from liquidity problems, pushing the government to carry out structural reforms and broaden its tax base.

Source: Reuters

27, November 2025

Indomitable Lions: date announced for Marc Brys’ departure ⁰

The fate of current Indomitable Lions head coach Marc Brys is all but sealed. The Belgian tactician is set to leave his position.

Marc Brys is edging closer to Saudi Arabia, where he is expected to sign in January. The Belgian coach, who took charge of the Indomitable Lions in April 2024, boasts an impressive record to date. In 15 matches, he has suffered only one defeat, and successfully led the Cameroonian team to qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

Early reports suggest Patrice Carteron is the front-runner to take over. Carteron is no stranger to African football, having led Mali to a bronze medal at AFCON 2013. He is, however, better known for his club achievements on the continent, winning multiple titles. With TP Mazembe, he lifted the CAF Champions League trophy in 2015, before clinching back-to-back CAF Super Cups in 2019 and 2020—first with Raja Casablanca and then with Zamalek SC.

Source: Foot Africa

27, November 2025

The Holy Father arrives in Turkey on first foreign trip of papacy ⁰

Pope Leo XIV has arrived in Turkey at the start of the first foreign trip of his papacy, where he will mark an historic Christian anniversary, before heading to Lebanon days after Israeli airstrikes on its capital, Beirut.

As he travelled to Ankara, the Pope summed up the message of his trip by saying that “all men, women can truly be brothers and sisters, in spite of differences, in spite of different religions, in spite of different beliefs”.

Visits to both countries had originally been planned by the late Pope Francis, but the overarching theme – building bridges – is one Pope Leo has made his own from the moment he stepped on to the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica after his election in May.

Since he became pontiff six months ago, he has conveyed a sense of being extremely measured, even cautious. But on this trip, his powers of diplomacy will be closely scrutinised.

A key moment of the trip will take place in the Turkish town of Iznik, the site of the ancient city of Nicaea. Pope Leo and leaders of other Christian traditions will gather to mark the anniversary of an ancient council that took place there 1,700 years ago. In 325 AD, among other key decisions, more than 200 bishops at the council affirmed the belief that Jesus was the son of God, eventually leading to what is known as the Nicene Creed.

Eastern and Western branches of Christianity later dramatically split, but during this trip there will be messages of togetherness and healing divisions.

In Turkey the Pope will also visit the Blue Mosque, as both his immediate predecessors Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI had done. He will have meetings with other religious leaders in a gesture of inter-religious dialogue before flying on to the second leg of the trip.

Source: BBC

26, November 2025

US: Two National Guard in critical condition after shooting near White House ⁰

Two National Guard members are in a critical condition after they were shot in Washington DC, FBI Director Kash Patel says.

The suspect has been taken into custody and the scene near the White House is secured, police say.

The attacker came around a corner at 14:15 local time (19:15 GMT), raised his firearm, and shot at the National Guard members, officials say

The suspect was also shot during the incident and taken to hospital – US President Donald Trump says they were “severely wounded”

West Virginia’s Governor Patrick Morrisey earlier said both National Guard members had died, before posting that he was hearing “conflicting reports” about their condition.

Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth says Trump has asked him to send 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington DC after the attack.

Source: BBC

26, November 2025

France: ex-president Sarkozy risks second final conviction for illegal campaign financing ⁰

France’s top appeals court on Wednesday rules in a case of alleged illegal campaign financing against former president Nicolas Sarkozy – his last chance to escape adding a second definitive conviction to his growing rap sheet.

The Court of Cassation in Paris will rule on whether a lower court was right to convict him of illegal financing in his failed 2012 re-election campaign.

If it upholds Sarkozy’s conviction, he will serve a six-month term, possibly with an electronic bracelet.

Sarkozy, a one-term president from 2007-2012, has faced a series of legal challenges since leaving office.

Wednesday’s hearing is his last chance to escape a second conviction after he was sent to jail last month in a separate case related to an earlier election campaign.

In that trial, the 70-year-old was found guilty of allowing aides to seek to collect money for his 2007 presidential run from Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

His 20 days behind bars made him the first post-war French leader to serve jail time before he was released on November 10 under judicial supervision pending an appeal in that case also.

In December last year, he exhausted his last legal recourse in a third case, after being convicted of trying to extract favours from a judge.

He served that sentence with an electronic ankle tag, which was removed in May after several months.

Campaign funding accusations

The case under review on Wednesday focuses on charges that Sarkozy’s right-wing party worked with a public relations firm, Bygmalion, to hide the true cost of his 2012 re-election bid.

Prosecutors said Sarkozy spent nearly €43 million (almost $50 million) on his 2012 campaign, nearly double the permitted amount of €22.5 million.

Unlike his co-defendants, he was not implicated in the double-billing system allegedly used to cover costs but was held accountable as the beneficiary of illegal campaign financing in his capacity as a candidate.

Sarkozy has denied “any criminal responsibility” in the case, denouncing the allegations as “lies”.

A lower appeals court in February last year confirmed his conviction in the case, but the Court of Cassation could order a retrial if the appeal is found to be valid.

Despite his legal problems, the ex-leader remains an influential figure on the right.

He was received by President Emmanuel Macron before entering prison and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, a former protege, sparked criticism by meeting Sarkozy inside Paris’s La Sante jail.

A court later barred Sarkozy from seeing the minister and other officials as part of restrictions tied to his release from prison.

A fortnight after his release, the ex-leader announced he would publish a book next month about his experience of serving three weeks in jail.

Source: AFP

26, November 2025

Eulogy for HRH Nfor Professor Teddy Ako of Ossing ⁰

This Friday, 28 November 2025, Ossing will lay to rest their Chief, Nfor Professor Ako Edward Oben, who passed away on 18 August 2025 after a brief illness. Chief Ako was a scholar of rare distinction, a traditional ruler with integrity, and a true son of Manyu whose light will shine forever. His life was a journey of learning and service, one that lifted his family, advanced Ossing through development projects and enriched generations of Cameroonians.

Born on 18 May 1951 in Ossing Village, Eyumojock Subdivision, Manyu Division, Chief Professor Ako hailed from the Boh Ako clan of Ebarensi Quarter. From childhood, he displayed uncommon brilliance and a firm moral compass. Those who knew him as a boy remember his sharp intellect, calm nature, and sense of purpose far beyond his years. He began his education at Basel Mission Primary School, Ossing, obtaining his First School Leaving Certificate in 1963. His teachers quickly recognised his intelligence and discipline. He went on to the Bilingual Grammar School, Man O’War Bay, where he earned his GCE Ordinary Level in 1969, and then to the Cameroon College of Arts, Science and Technology, Bambili, where he completed his Advanced Level in 1971.

In 1975, he graduated from the University of Yaoundé with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in English and French, a bilingual foundation that defined his academic identity. Ever eager to broaden his horizons, he travelled to the United States in 1976 and obtained a Master’s degree in Afro-American Studies from Atlanta University in 1978. His research explored African American, Afro-French, and Caribbean literatures, reflecting his deep engagement with the shared struggles and triumphs of people of African descent. Determined to go further, he pursued a PhD in Comparative Literature at the University of Illinois, which he completed in 1982.

While completing his doctorate, he lectured at the University of Illinois, earning admiration for his brilliance, humility, and dedication. Yet even at the height of his promise abroad, his heart remained at home. Upon earning his PhD, Dr Teddy Ako returned to Cameroon, determined to serve the nation that had shaped him.

While studying in the United States, he met and married Mrs Ray Ako, his lifelong companion and pillar of support. In 1982, after returning to Cameroon, he joined the University of Yaoundé as a Senior Lecturer, beginning a long and distinguished academic and administrative career. Over the years, he served as Dean of Student Services, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Vice-Rector for Research and Cooperation, and Chair of the Department of English. In 2005, he rose to the rank of Full Professor of American and Commonwealth Literature.

Beyond academia, Professor Ako also served his country as Technical Adviser at the Secretariat General of the Presidency of the Republic. From 2008 to 2017, he was Rector of the University of Maroua, where he played a vital role in expanding higher education in Cameroon’s Far North Region. Since 2017, he had served as Pro-Chancellor of the University of Buea, continuing his lifelong commitment to nurturing minds and strengthening institutions.

A teacher to many and a mentor to more, Professor Ako’s influence reached across continents as he supervised more than twenty doctoral theses, over forty master’s dissertations, and countless research projects. His former students, many now professors, administrators, and leaders, speak of him with gratitude and reverence. His classrooms were places of transformation, where intellect met integrity.

Yet beyond the university and the nation, his heart remained anchored in his beloved Ossing village. For decades, he was a pillar of community life, serving as Branch President of the Ossing Development and Cultural Association (ODCA) and Assistant Secretary-General of the Manyu Elements Cultural Association (MECA) in Yaoundé. He believed that true progress begins at home in unity and culture.

When fate called again in 2019, after the passing of Nfor General James Tataw, the chieftaincy stool of Ossing returned to the Boh Ako clan. Guided by ancestral wisdom, the elders and kingmakers unanimously chose Professor Teddy Ako to lead the village. He was presented to the Cameroon administrative authorities and to the world on 9 August 2020, and formally enthroned as Chief of Ossing on 9 December 2022, a historic day that affirmed the people’s faith in his ability to unite and transform their village.

From the outset of his reign, Chief Ako focused on rebuilding and modernising Ossing. One of his earliest projects was the installation of solar streetlights throughout the village, illuminating every quarter and bringing safety after dark. He also expanded access to clean water, ensuring that most quarters had functional boreholes. The Agborkem Quarter and Market Square, now with a 24-hour water supply, stand as symbols of his practical leadership.

Under his stewardship, the Ossing hospital, long abandoned was restored, and the government schools that were derelicts due to the Anglophone crisis revived, returning essential services to the community. Perhaps his most ambitious vision was the Ossing Multipurpose Centre, now partially completed but already serving as a hub for social, cultural, and educational activities. Equipped with running water and modern flushing toilet facilities, it stands as a living testament to his foresight and commitment. Fittingly, he will lie in state in this monumental hall, a place he dreamed, designed, and delivered.

Chief Ako led with transparency and accountability. When Chief Ako took over the village in 2022, there was little appetite from the Ossing children to contribute towards development in the village. The Traditional Council had barely any money in its coffers. However, after his coronation, Ossing’s sons and daughters at home and abroad gave generously towards development projects because they all felt confident in his stewardship. In less than three years, he mobilised over 100 million CFA francs for development, funding boreholes, solar lighting, and the multipurpose hall. Among his final acts was the revival of the Badi Water Project, now operational. At his passing, the Ossing Traditional Council’s account held CFA 7,745,594, evidence of his integrity and careful management.

Fluent in Kenyang and Keyaka, he bridged the linguistic divide in the village with ease. He valued every quarter and treated all his subjects with fairness and respect. Chief Professor Ako lived by principle, and was gentle in speech, humble in manner, and steadfast in purpose. He sought not wealth or political status and appointment, but impact. Those fortunate to know him remember his calm voice, his patient listening, and his quiet wisdom.

Together with his lifelong wife, Mrs Ray Ako, they raised four children and were blessed with five grandchildren, all living embodiments of his values of service, faith, and integrity. He also leaves behind his loving sister, Mama Catherine Ako, and the entire Ossing community, who mourn him deeply. As Ossing mourns, it also celebrates a life that uplifted many and brought genuine development to the village. Chief Professor Ako leaves behind a proud village, and a grateful nation. To Ossing, he was more than a chief; he was a bridge between past and future, proof that integrity, compassion, and leadership can walk hand in hand.

His legacy lives not only in the papers and books he wrote, and the students he mentored, but in the light shining over Ossing’s streets, the clean water flowing through its quarters, the schools operational in Ossing now, the multipurpose centre that bears his vision, and the hearts he inspired. His life reminds us that greatness is not measured by titles or possessions but by the lives we uplift and the values we leave behind. Though he has journeyed to join Ta-Ako, Ta-Tanyi Besong, Nfor SA Arrey, Ta-Agborebang, Nfor Tataw, Ta-Etchu, Ta Ta-Manyi, and other distinguished ancestors of Ebarensi and Ossing, his legacy will endure because Ossing is a better place because of Nfor Prof. Ako Edward Oben.

May his soul rest in eternal peace. May his wisdom continue to guide Ossing. Long live Chief Ako’s legacy. Long live Ossing.

By Sessekou Isong Asu, London, with additional information from Ossing Traditional Council

25, November 2025

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Yerima reacts to Archbishop Nkea’s letter ⁰

We begin by expressing our appreciation for the release of the five Reverend fathers and sisters who were previously held. Their release is a welcome act of humanity and restraint, consistent with our values and the principles that guide our quest for justice, dignity, and self-determination.

However, we must address, with due seriousness, the recent letter from the Archbishop of Bamenda, paragraphs 4.2 and 4.3, calling for churches and schools to close and for followers to march to Baba to demand the release of Father Berinyuy. While we recognize the emotional weight of this call, we must equally point out the long-standing silence and selective activism of certain church leaders in the face of a brutal and ongoing genocide unleashed by the Biya regime against the people of Ambazonia.

For years, Ambazonian Catholic Christians and other Christians, men, women, catechists, youths, and even clergyhave been arbitrarily arrested, tortured, disappeared, and killed by the Cameroon military. Yet, we have not witnessed these bishops organizing a march to free their parishioners unjustly detained in Yaoundé, Buea, Bamenda, or Douala. We have not seen a call to action from them when entire villages were burned, children mutilated, and pregnant women murdered. We have not heard sermons dedicated to truth and justice when political prisoners, fathers, mothers, pastors, and teachers are languishing in jail for exercising their right to self-determination.

Instead, the Archdiocese of Bamenda has increasingly become entangled, willingly or unwillingly, in narratives that legitimize oppression, sanitize injustice, and indirectly uphold the machinery of a genocidal regime. Some within the church hierarchy have chosen the comfort of cooperation over the courage of conviction, prioritizing political positioning, financial incentives, and state approval over prophetic truth.

Let it also be known:

The Ambazonian struggle for self-determination is grounded in internationally recognized legal frameworks, including the African Charter, the UN Charter, and international humanitarian law. Our guiding principle is clear, we do not target religious institutions nor harm servants of God. The Biya regime has a history stained with the blood of murdered priests, pastors, and bishops, but we will never walk that dark path. Our Liberation Volunteers are instructed to uphold life, dignity, and the protection of all clergy, regardless of denomination.

We have consistently and unequivocally condemned kidnapping for ransom, and we do so again today. Whoever is holding Father Berinyuy must release him immediately and unconditionally. Our fight is not against the clergy, nor education, nor the church, it is against military occupation, systemic injustice, and the deliberate attempt to erase a people and their identity.

To the church, we say:

Your biblical mandate is to stand with the oppressed, defend the weak, and speak truth to power, not to collaborate with oppression. If the church has the moral strength to call for marches, let those marches be for peace and justice, for the release of innocent political prisoners, for truth, dialogue, and genuine reconciliation, not only when a cleric is involved.

We call on all clergy to live out their prophetic role. Do not be silent when your Christians are killed. Do not be quiet when children are burned alive. Do not close your eyes when the French Cameroun government commits crimes against humanity in Ambazonia.Let your voice be the voice of justice, not selective compassion.

Our message is clear:

We remain committed to a peaceful, lawful, and principled struggle for the freedom and dignity of our people. We will not tolerate crimes that stain our righteous cause, and we will not accept attempts to derail it through emotional manipulation, intimidation, or misinformation.

May truth prevail.May justice reign.May peace be built on the foundations of dignity, not silence.

For the Ambazonian People

Dabney Yerima

Vice President,

The Federal Republic of Ambazonia