Headline News

1, September 2023

90-year-old Biya, who has ruled for over 40 years, condemns Gabon coup ⁰

The National Chairman of the ruling CPDM crime syndicate in Yaoundé has condemned the recent coup in Gabon that ousted sit-tight leader, Ali Bongo Ondimba.

Paul Biya, one of the longest-serving dictators in Africa has ruled for 41 years.

A statement issued by the Minister of Communication, René Emmanuel Sadi, on Thursday, said, “The Government of Cameroon has taken note of and is worried about the events that occurred in Gabon on 30 August 2023.

“It condemns the ongoing anti-constitutional change of Government which violates the fundamental principles and values of the Economic Community of Central African States and of the African Union.

“It calls on all the stakeholders to ensure the physical integrity of President Ali Bongo Ondimba and members of his family, the rapid restoration of constitutional order, and the preservation of peace and stability so dear to the sons and daughters of Gabon and the other Central African countries.”

The situation in Gabon reportedly forced Biya to make new appointments at the Defense Ministry’s central administrative unit.

Biya has ruled as the President of Cameroon since November 6, 1982, having previously been Prime Minister of Cameroon from 1975 to 1982.

With the latest coup in Gabon on Wednesday, Africa has experienced eight coups over the last three years, since August 2020 which is good news for the suffering new generation.

By Chi Prudence Asong with additional reporting from Ewang Miriam Metchane

1, September 2023

Biya instructs the implementation of marking reform dreaded by brewers ⁰

In his recent circular relating to the preparation of the 2024 State Budget, President Paul Biya instructed the effective implementation of the beer-marking system to fight fraud in Cameroon. The said reform was considered years ago but it was not implemented due to reservations expressed by brewing companies. In 2019, the companies even introduced an appeal asking the government to abandon the reform.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the marking will start with beers and then be extended to include cigarettes and other medicines (goods that are listed among the most exposed to smuggling). As is the case with wines and spirits since June 1, 2012, it involves fixing an identification sticker on the goods.

The government explains that the aim of the reform is to boost tax revenues by ensuring traceability and production control for products most affected by illicit trades. At the same time, we learn, the marking will provide manufacturers with solutions enabling them to protect and authenticate their production. From that point of view, it’s a win-win situation.

Another rise in the prices of beer

Despite the positive points put forward by the government, brewing companies seem not convinced. “Cameroonian brewery companies, well aware of food safety and public health challenges, have committed themselves to food safety quality standards, which obliged them, in recent years, to acquire an automated state-of-the-art traceability system,” explains a brewing company’s executive.

According to the latter, the introduction of tax marking that will be implemented by a service provider contracted by the government means brewers will have to abandon the marking and traceability system that they invested huge financial resources to acquire a few years ago.

In addition, we learn, that marking also means “modifying the layout of the production lines acquired, in order to integrate the specifications of the supplier’s equipment, bearing the losses inherent in the installation and testing phases, or bearing the costs of adapting and training staff in the use and mastery of these new technologies.” For brewing companies, these will generate additional costs that could lead to further increases in beer prices in Cameroon.

A feared service provider

In addition to the technical reservations expressed by brewers, the identity of the service provider announced by the government to implement the beer marking reform is also a cause for concern. To implement this reform, the Cameroonian government is said to have discreetly recruited the Swiss company Sicpa, which has already benefited or is still benefiting from contracts of the same type in Kenya and Morocco. In these two African countries, argue the brewers whose statements are corroborated by certain media, the contract awarded to Sicpa for the marking of liqueurs, tobacco, water, and sweetened beverages is controversial.

In 2016, for example, Kenyan politician Raila Odinga, former Minister of Finance and several-time presidential candidate, openly criticized the “dubious conditions” under which the Swiss company had been awarded the contract. The politician also accused the company of illegally collecting taxes but the Swiss company outright rejected the accusations.

In Morocco, it was Sicpa’s prices that were criticized by brewers, cigarette manufacturers, and lemonade makers. Indeed, we learn, in 2014, before renewing the contract it signed in 2010, Sicpa was supplying a cigarette sticker at a cost 15 times higher than the price it was offering in Canada and Turkey. In addition, to pay the service provider, Moroccan tax authorities imposed outrageous annual fees on the producers operating in the sectors whose goods are concerned by the marking.

For a tax expert, “these operational constraints can be overcome with collective willingness.” He believes that brewing companies should also consider the fact that the marking protects their market by helping combat “fraudulent, contraband and counterfeit products, sold at unbeatable prices.” The expert claims that only dishonest taxpayers should fear the sticker, which will enable tax authorities to control the quantities of goods produced or imported by every economic agent.

Source: Business in Cameroon

1, September 2023

Hottest Rapper, Stanley Enow, drops the ultimate pan-African anthem- ‘Take Ova’ ⁰

Long live the King Kong of Afrobeat! Stanley Enow has once again proven his musical prowess with the release of his electrifying single, ‘Take Ova.’ The song is more than just a hit; it’s an anthem of hope, a battle cry of resilience, and a call to arms for Afro descendants worldwide to rise and conquer in the name of the continent’s glory.

Enow’s journey to global stardom reaches its zenith with ‘Take Ova,’ which has stormed its way into the hearts of fans across the globe. The track has taken the music world by storm, showcasing the artist’s signature blend of infectious beats and profound lyrics.

The Maestro’s melody has caught the attention of none other than Greek tycoon Alki David’s Swissx, catapulting ‘Take Ova’ to astronomical heights. With the weight of such a powerhouse backing him, Enow’s unstoppable rise is undeniable.

But that’s not all. The musical maestro has unveiled an eye-popping, jaw-dropping visual masterpiece on his official YouTube channel. Brace yourself for a visual journey that matches the intensity of the track itself.

Enow isn’t new to the winner’s circle. With previous smashes like ‘Parapariparo,’ ‘My Way,’ and ‘Cassanova,’ this multi-award-winning sensation is no stranger to the limelight. His star has shone brightly since bursting onto the scene over a decade ago, and his meteoric rise shows no signs of slowing down.

Beyond the mic, Enow’s talents have extended to becoming a beloved radio and television personality, as well as a captivating voice actor. His versatility knows no bounds, and he continues to amaze and inspire audiences across all mediums.

Whether you’re a die-hard Enow fan or new to the Afrobeat scene, ‘Take Ova’ is a must-listen that transcends borders and unites hearts. Join the movement, feel the rhythm, and embrace the anthem that’s igniting a new era of Pan-African pride!

Ready to be swept off your feet? Tune in to ‘Take Ova,’ which has already been streamed more than 300 million times on such platforms as Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music, and witness the magic for yourself.

Source: Shockya.com

1, September 2023

General Brice Oligui Nguema, the man who destroyed the Bongo dynasty ⁰

General Brice Oligui Nguema, who was named Gabon’s new leader in the hours following a military takeover on Wednesday, served the central African country’s long-time former president Omar Bongo before turning on his son, ousted leader Ali Bongo.

General Nguema has been chief of the republican guard, the country’s most powerful army unit, since 2019, with close sources describing him as charismatic and respected. The first statement announcing the coup was read out in the courtyard of the presidential palace, a fortress protected by his military unit.

Said to be discreet and secretive, Nguema was absent from the first three statements read out by senior army officers on national television to announce the coup.

But Gabonese television kept broadcasting the same images: a man, apparently Nguema, in fatigues and a green beret being carried through the streets of the capital Libreville by jubilant soldiers chanting, “Oligui président.”

Nguema also emerged as a spokesperson in the hours following the announcement, answering questions from French newspaper “Le Monde”.

Bongo – who was declared the winner of Saturday’s elections just an hour before the coup began – had been forcibly “retired” but he still “enjoys all his rights”, Nguema said. “He had no right to serve a third term; the Constitution had been flouted and the election method itself was not good. So the army has decided to turn the page, to fulfill its responsibilities.”

He underscored the “discontent” in Gabon and Bongo’s “illness”, referring to a stroke in 2018.

As Bongo was confined to house arrest, Nguema himself was named to lead Gabon’s transitional authority, held aloft by his troops amid jubilant celebrations in the streets of the capital Libreville and the economic hub of Port-Gentil.

A ‘man of consensus’

Born to a Fang father, Gabon’s main ethnic group, Nguema, 48, mostly grew up with his mother in Haut-Ogooue province, a Bongo stronghold.

Nguema served as an aide-de-camp to Ali Bongo’s father, Omar Bongo, who ruled Gabon with an iron fist for almost 42 years until his death in 2009.

“He’s someone who knows the Gabonese military apparatus very well, a good soldier, trained at good military schools,” including Morocco’s Meknes royal military academy, according to a member of Bongo’s Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) who was speaking on condition of anonymity.

“When I met him, he was a fairly intelligent man, easy to talk to and not afraid of journalists,” Francis Kpatindé, a journalist and lecturer specialising in Gabon at Sciences-Po University Paris, told FRANCE 24.

Nguema was known to be extremely close to the elder Bongo, serving him from 2005 until his death in a Barcelona hospital.

But Nguema was sidelined in 2009 after Ali Bongo was elected to succeed his father, beginning a 10-year stint as a military attaché at Gabon’s embassies in Morocco and Senegal.

He returned to prominence in 2018 as the republican guard’s intelligence chief, replacing Ali Bongo’s half-brother Frederic Bongo, before getting promoted to general six months later.

As the keystone of Gabon’s security forces, the bald and athletically built Nguema pushed Ali Bongo to improve his men’s working and living conditions by upgrading their facilities, funding schools for soldiers’ children and refurbishing accommodations.

The measures earned him respect and sympathy from his colleagues, according to the PDG source.

“He isn’t very talkative, but very appreciated by his men. He’s a Julius Caesar, and Julius Caesar cares for the comfort of his legionaries,” the source said, referring to the Roman general.

The former colleague praised Nguema as “a man of consensus, who never raises his voice, who listens to everyone and systematically seeks compromise”.

Nguema included officers from all army branches in the junta’s Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions, which has been established to lead Gabon into its next political era. Coup leaders have not yet offered a timeline for a return to civilian rule.

Source: AFP

1, September 2023

Niger revokes French ambassador’s diplomatic immunity, orders his expulsion ⁰

Niger’s military junta said it revoked the diplomatic immunity of France’s ambassador and ordered police to expel him from the country, according to a statement. The French foreign ministry has said the junta, which seized power last month, has “no authority” to expel the French ambassador.

The mutinous soldiers who ousted Niger’s president more than one month ago gave French Ambassador Sylvain Itte 48 hours to leave the country last week. The deadline expired on August 28 without France recalling Itte.

The French government says it does not recognise the coup rulers as the country’s legitimate leaders.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday said the ambassador would stay in the country despite the junta’s pressure.

The latest communique sent by Niger’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Itte “no longer enjoys the privileges and immunities attached to his status as a member of the diplomatic staff of the embassy.”

The document also said the diplomatic cards and visas of the ambassador’s families have been canceled.

Since toppling Niger’s democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, the junta has leveraged anti-French sentiment among the population to shore up its support. People chant “Down with France” at near daily rallies in front of a French military base in the capital, Niamey.

Regional tensions rising

France has some 1,500 military personnel in Niger who trained and conducted joint operations with Nigerien security forces to beat back a growing jihadi insurgency linked to al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS) group. The operations have ceased since the coup, and jihadist attacks are increasing.

Insurgents killed 17 soldiers and wounded nearly 24 this month, the first major attack in half a year against the army in Niger.

Regional tensions are also rising as the junta ignores calls from other West African countries to release and reinstate Bazoum, even amid the threat of military force.

The regional bloc ECOWAS deployed a “standby” force and ordered it to transition Niger back to constitutional rule. The force has not yet entered Niger, and the bloc says the door remains open to dialogue but it won’t wait forever.

The junta has appointed a new government and said it would return Niger to the system of government prescribed by the constitution within three years, a timeline that ECOWAS has rejected.

Source: Reuters

31, August 2023

Biya regime closes border to Gabon over coup ⁰

Yaoundé has deployed hundreds of armed soldiers in its 297 km border with Gabon.

Cameroon Intelligence Report sources hinted that President Biya directed the Minister Delegate at the presidency in charge of defense Beti Assoumou to order the deployment.

Our source added that there are fears in Yaoundé of a Russian-backed group plotting to oust the 90-year-old President Biya from power.

We gathered that the closure of the border precisely at Kye-Ossi town was to prevent weapons from entering Cameroon from Gabon.

Etoudi has revealed that it would confront the new Gabonese leadership on the security situation in the border towns and villages.

By Miriam Metchane Ewang

31, August 2023

From Burkina Faso to Niger to Gabon, Western hegemony dying in Africa ⁰

Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 was undeniably one of the biggest evil summits in modern history. Greedy and racist European colonialists sat down in the German city and divided Africans as if they were sharing bread on a breakfast table.

The conference was organized by Otto von Bismarck, the first chancellor of Germany at the request of King Leopold II of Belgium, the Western genocidal barbarian that murdered more than 10 million innocent Africans in Congo.

Most Africans are not even aware of this genocide in Congo perpetrated by the Belgium colonialists because it is not in our history books written by the white colonialists.

European colonialism in Africa lasted more than a century with only the ancient Kingdom of Ethiopia spared because they defeated the Italian colonialists on the battlefield.

Trillions and trillions of dollars were stolen from Africa, millions of Africans were murdered by the European colonialists and Africans were massively brainwashed that they had no history before European colonialism.

The wave of ‘independence’ in Africa from the 1950s and 1960s did not represent true independence. What actually happened was that colonialism was cleverly replaced with neocolonialism by the genocidal imperialist barbarians of the West.

The massive looting of rich resources in Africa continued under Western puppet leadership. The courageous African leaders who refused to dance to the tune of the European colonialists were eliminated.

This was what happened to African heroes, Patrick Lumumba of Congo and Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso. Congo has all mineral resources except for crude oil.

The uranium used by the US regime to make the atomic bombs unleashed on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was mined in Congo.

French greed in Africa

Among the European colonialists, French colonialism was more brutal and exploitative.

France killed more than 1.5 million civilians in Algeria alone. They murdered tens of thousands of civilians in other African countries.

One of the Modus Operandi of the French colonialists was to assemble Islamic scholars in a hall and exterminate all of them. They did this in Algeria, Chad, Mali and Senegal.

And the greed of their neocolonialism is extreme. Even after independence, France is still controlling the wealth of its former colonies in Africa.

The rich resources of French nations are still controlled by France and they continue to pay colonial tax to France.

French goods and services dominate their markets. The domineering presence of France in these countries has been excruciating and devastating for local populations.

Niger Republic does not know the quantity of uranium France was taking from there, which is worst than slavery.

No evil lasts forever

There is a popular saying that “No evil lasts forever”.

France’s neocolonialism in Africa will not last forever. Popular military coups against puppets of France imperialism have started and are gathering momentum.

The recent military coup in the West African state of Niger Republic does not stand in isolation but follows similar upheavals in the neighboring countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea in recent years.

Mali is facing insurgency that is backed by Western hegemony. Mali expelled French troops because they were actively aiding the insurgents to justify its military presence in the African country.

Now, on Wednesday, we woke up with the news of another puppet of the Western hegemonic barbarians in Gabon overthrown by the military. Ali Bango inherited the Gabon presidency from his corrupt Father, Omar Bongo.

Early on Wednesday, some military personnel appeared on state TV and announced that they were seizing power and dislodging a family that has ruled the country for 56 years.

The military officers introduced themselves as members of the Committee of Transition and the Restoration of Institutions.

“Today the country is undergoing a severe institutional, political, economic, and social crisis,” the officers said in a statement, dubbing the recent election illegitimate.

“In the name of the Gabonese people … we have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the current regime.”

Pertinently, Gabon’s former president had 70 bank accounts, 39 apartments, 2 Ferraris, 6 Mercedes Benz cars, 3 Porsches and a Bugatti in France. He ruled for 42 years (from 1967 to 2009). French leaders loved Bongo because he was loyal to them.

His son, Ali Bongo has been the president for 14 years (2009 – 2023). He has just been overthrown in a coup.

Failure of Western liberal democracy

The fact is that the Western liberal democracy has not only failed in Africa but has failed woefully.

Democracy in Africa has become a tool for the corrupt ruling elites to steal the wealth of their respective countries and transfer it to Western financial institutions while the populations remain in abject poverty and hunger.

Democracy is just another system of government hijacked by the Western hegemonic barbarians, the biggest enemies of the human race. Democracy is now an imperialist tool of Western hegemony in Africa. This is a bitter and undeniable fact.

The people of Gabon will definitely celebrate this military coup as it marks the end of French interference and looting in their country. Another setback for the French leaders.

Africa must rise again

The most noticeable current in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Niger Republic and Gabon is that the change of governments all have popular support as the people of those countries are tired of France’s imperialism, arrogance and terrorism.

Today France has the 4th largest gold reserves in the world and there is no single gold mine in France.

These gold mines are all in Mali, Niger Republic and other African countries. The France neocolonialism in Africa must end. Its time has come.

Culled from Presstv

31, August 2023

Battle of the Banks seeks to find the best young bankers in Africa – do you have what it takes? ⁰

As banks across Africa navigate a challenging economic climate and come to terms with an increasingly digitised continent and the immense opportunity this brings, there’s an opportunity for bankers and banks to battle it out for top honours in the prestigious pan African competition, Battle of the Banks Africa 2023.

The winning bank and their team of star bankers will be regarded as the best new talent on the continent in terms of business and financial performance, with a sharp understanding of risk management strategies and corporate governance.

In the first-of-its-kind in Africa, ICAP Training Solutions has partnered with global Capital Markets Professional Services firm Andile, to bring ProBanker’s Battle of the Banks simulation engine to market. Inviting Africa’s young bankers to enter. The Battle of the Banks Africa is a robust competition and training opportunity that will see entrants gain insight into how different areas of a bank interact to enhance overall business and financial performance. In addition to this, entrants will develop important skills and understanding of how macroeconomic indicators impact the decision-making process at the highest levels of bank leadership.

ICAP Training Solutions’ CEO Yonatan Rom says: “The Battle of the Banks Africa provides a simulated environment where young bankers must think about what it takes to run an entire organisation and make strategic, corporate governance, risk and financial decisions. The simulated banking market provides practical experience and learning in a hands-on manner.”

The simulation provides bankers with skills that cannot be obtained anywhere else, other than through years of experience. Those banks who enter teams also benefit from the training as entrants can apply their learnings to their everyday roles and responsibilities back in the office.

Alongside the learning and upskilling, the top performing teams progress to the final four “shoot-out” on 22 November. Here teams will prepare a 4-quarter performance report which will be delivered via a 25-minute presentation on their simulated bank’s performance.

The ‘Battle’ is based on stock performance, net income, loan performance, Basel ratio and capitalisation usage. Each of these areas is afforded its own weighting metric and has an overall weighting of 65%. Making up the other 35% is the conceptual learning (15%) and the simulated assignments (20%).

“Our intention behind Battle of the Banks Africa is to drive practical experience, provide a unique learning simulation, develop skills and business acumen, give access to online training tools and webinars and enable networking with other young bankers from across Africa. The winners will emerge as the best young bankers in Africa,” says Pieter Kelbrick, Andile’s Managing Director.

To enter as a team, visit www.battleofthebanks.org and sign-up before 15 September 2023. Entrance costs $2,750 for a team of four. First prize winners will receive a prestigious floating trophy for the best performing young bankers on the continent, other prizes to be awarded are individual winners’ trophies, gold medals and certificates as well as a $2000 ICAP Academy coupon. There are also prizes for the second, third and fourth winners. The Most Aggressive Bank, Most Cautious Bank and Best Bank presentation in the Grand Finale will also receive prizes.

31, August 2023

Fall of Ali Bongo: End of strongmen era ⁰

At the heart of democracy is the premise that the governors are accountable to the governed. Harris Soche defines democracy as the people’s government, where the population is the power holder. With this power, the population defends and protects themselves from the tyranny of those in power. This concept underpins liberal democracies around the world. As many African countries gained political independence in the 1960s, the founding fathers had democratic governance at the forefront of how they intended to rule their new nations.

As Nkrumah, Nyerere, Ahidjo, Ahmed Ben Bella, Lumumba and the other giants of Africa were planning to build a united and prosperous Africa with accountability at the heart of it, the colonizers who had been kicked out against their will were plotting to wreck their lofty dreams. The dream of government for the people was killed in Africa after the golden ’60s and ’70s when, one after the other, the colonialists used strongmen to eliminate the founding fathers. From Nkrumah to Lumumba, from Ahmed Ben Bella to Agostinho Neto, through violent coups and dubious and brutal assassinations, politicians who had the best interest of their nations and Africa in mind were replaced by political strongmen.

These strongmen are bloodthirsty and experts at projecting fear. Terror is their tool. They are incredibly clever at their game; hire political consultants to run their machinery and work to design more effective instruments of control while acting like people who love democracy. Strongmen are manipulators who pretend to be humble servants of the people, while their main goal is to exploit political power for their gains. Strongmen ruled their countries uninterrupted with blessings from Western capitals for decades with nothing productive to show. Mobutu Seseseko ruled Zaire with an iron fist and without sentiments for 27 years. Before he was deposed in 1997 during a civil war, he had more money in his private Swiss bank accounts than his country’s official reserves.

Omar Bongo was another strongman who ruled oil-rich Gabon for over 42 years from 1967 till his death in 2009. Like all strongmen, Bongo was a crude and malicious political operator who tolerated no opposition and bled the oil-rich country’s treasury dry to enrich his 54 children. Today, Paul Biya of Cameroon and Teodoro Obiang Nguema are two strongmen who have ruled for 41 and 44 years, respectively, with citizens of both oil-rich countries poorer now than when these leaders came to power more than four decades ago.

As the world changed politically and economically in the 1990s, Western nations and others benefitted from globalization and the internet miracle. Consequently, the drums for multiparty politics around Africa were louder, and strongmen became imaginative and accepted multiparty politics in their countries. This move was designed to keep international aid agencies and institutions like the IMF and the World Bank quiet as foreign aid was now linked to democratic reforms.

Since the 90s, strongmen have claimed to accept democracy as a system of government in their countries, but their instincts and actions have been otherwise. These leaders profess democratic norms but preside over oppressive and unaccountable regimes. They organize elections to keep the eyes of international donors away from them. These elections have all fallen short of democratic standards, and these countries’ constitutions have constantly been amended to suit the demands of these political entrepreneurs.

Strongmen never leave the political stage alive. Consequently, as they die in power, they leave leadership vacuums. And nowhere is that more profound than in Gabon, where yesterday, August 30th 2023, the army launched a successful coup that ended the Bongo family clamp on power. Ali Bongo became president in 2009 after his father died. His election in 2009 was rigged, and his reelection in 2016 against Jean Ping was substantially disputed as he won with less than 5,000 votes. The post-election violence saw many people killed by the security forces. In 2018, President Bongo suffered a stroke and has been going around his business with a walking stick to support his paralyzed frame. However, he was a candidate in the recent presidential election on August 26th, 2023—the coup leaders point to this disputed election as their motive to restore democratic and constitutional order in the country.

The story of Gabon, like many countries in Africa, is one that strongmen have destroyed. According to the World Bank, Gabon has a population of 2.5 million, and the real GDP per capita is 20% lower in 2020 than in 1990, and 30% of its citizens live below the $5.50 per day poverty line. This is astounding as the country is extremely rich in natural resources, and the soil is fertile with excellent weather for agriculture. Still, poverty is an unwanted and ever-present companion of the population.

Today in Gabon, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea and many parts of Africa, thousands celebrate with the army after coups not because they despise civilian rule and don’t want democracy. Democracy is not a perfect experiment and has flaws. Around Africa, people are acutely aware that despite its flaws, a government of the people is better than men in military fatigues. Still, the reign of strongmen in Africa over the last six decades has brought more misery than happiness. And at this juncture, anything is better than civilian strongmen. These are sad days for Africa, but the future can’t be bleaker than the past.

By Isong Asu

London Bureau Chief

Cameroon Concord News Group

31, August 2023

Biya reshuffle military positions after Gabon coup ⁰

As coups continue to spread on the African continent, some leaders are taking proactive steps by reshuffling defense portfolios.

On Wednesday, 90-year old President Paul Biya made major changes to the country’s ministry of defense.

Among the posts reshuffled were the delegation at the presidency in charge of defense, air force staff, navy, and the police. A captain and two army colonels were appointed to head operations in the presidential guard and report directly to the presidency.

The Biya decree also restructured the Secretariat for Defense (SED) and the National Gendarmerie. Prominent among the new officers appointed by the 90-year-old are Colonel Chimala Jonas and Lieutenant –Colonel Boum Mbadi Louis Charles.

Biya came to power in 1982. His early years on the saddle were marred by reports of oppression and human rights violations.

Although he subsequently allowed multiparty elections in the country, the 90-year-old has remained president since he rode to power.

By Asu Isong with files from The Cable.Ng