Headline News

22, November 2021

Israel’s Netanyahu obsessed with image, court told ⁰

Israel’s former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought “total and complete” control over his media image, his ex-spokesman told the graft trial of the veteran leader on Monday.

“If we use the term ‘control freak,’ he is much more than that,” said Nir Hefetz. “In everything relating to the media, he demands to know everything, down to the smallest detail.”

The testimony of Hefetz, seen as a key prosecution witness in Israel’s highest-profile trial, had been postponed from last week at the request of Netanyahu’s legal team.

Netanyahu — who was Israel’s longest serving prime minister, including a record 12-year tenure from 2009 to 2021, and now head of the opposition — has been charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

The indictments collectively accuse him of accepting improper gifts and illegally trading regulatory favour with media moguls in exchange for positive coverage.

Hefetz said in his district court testimony that Netayahu’s “control over everything relating to media matters and his social media channels could not be higher”.

“Netanyahu spends at least as much as his time on media as he spends on security matters, including on matters an outsider would consider nonsense.”

The session focused on Netanyahu allegedly granting favours to Shaul Elovitch, then-head of Israel’s largest telecom company, Bezeq, in exchange for favourable coverage by its Walla news website.

Netanyahu is accused of offering regulatory benefits that could have been worth millions to the company in return for the politically advantageous coverage.

Hefetz said that in 2015, shortly before elections, Elovitch contacted him regularly to lobby for governmental approval of his group’s merger with cable TV operator Yes, and to find out who would be the next communications minister.

“I think he (Elovitch) was thinking at the time: who knows who will win; so the Yes deal had to be signed first,” Hefetz said.

Netanyahu left after the first few hours of testimony Monday after receiving permission from the court.

Source: AFP

22, November 2021

Kenya to seek proof of Covid vaccination ⁰

Kenyans will have to prove they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to gain access to government services and public places such as national parks, bars and restaurants under new health regulations.

The move comes despite Kenya recording a declining number of coronavirus infections in recent weeks, but against a backdrop of heightened restrictions in some European countries that are battling soaring cases.

Kenya will require people to show vaccination certificates from December 21, and is planning a 10-day mass inoculation campaign from November 26, Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe said in a statement issued late Sunday.

Visitors from Europe will also have to provide proof of full vaccination, he added.

Kenya, Kagwe said, has seen a “marked decrease” in the number of severe cases and deaths, with a positivity rate over the last 14 days ranging from 0.8 percent to 2.6 percent.

Since the start of the pandemic, the East African powerhouse has recorded a total of 254,629 cases and 5,325 deaths.

‘Not yet time to celebrate’

“I have no doubt that looking at these statistics, it’s very easy to become complacent and fail to appreciate the magnitude of the problem that we still face with the pandemic,” Kagwe said.

“The current decline in the number of new infections may be attributed to a buildup of immunity both through natural exposure to the disease and the ongoing vaccination exercise. Nonetheless we know that it’s not yet time to celebrate.”

Only 2.4 million people, or less than nine percent of Kenya’s adult population, have been vaccinated, according to official figures, compared with a government target of 30 million by the end of next year.

Kagwe voiced concern about the low uptake of Covid shots, particularly among the elderly, and said it had slowed after the lifting of a night-time nationwide curfew last month.

He said Kenya had received a total of 10.7 million vaccine doses and expected to get another eight million, without giving a timeframe.

Under the new measures, in-person access to government services including hospitals, education, tax and immigration offices will be limited to those carrying proof of vaccination.

Similar restrictions will be imposed for public places such as national parks and game reserves, hotels, bars and restaurants, while all indoor gatherings will be limited to two-thirds capacity for vaccinated people only.

All those working in the public transport sector, such as pilots, drivers and “boda boda” motorcycle taxi drivers must also be fully inoculated.

Source: AFP

22, November 2021

Ambazonia Interim Gov’t derives legitimacy from Southern Cameroonians ⁰

Five years into the war in Southern Cameroons, the Biya French Cameroun occupying regime’s attempts to criminalize the struggle of the Ambazonian people have failed.

“The killing of our people including women and children will not deter us from continuing to defend our homeland by all legitimate means through self defense,” Vice President Dabney Yerima told the Ambazonia war cabinet late on Sunday.

Dabney Yerima said resisting La Republique du Cameroun occupation by all available means, including armed resistance, is a right granted to people under occupation all over the world and protected by international law.

Yerima observed that the Paris that fought for the rights of French speaking Canadians has been bias in favour of the French Cameroun regime and its policies that are based on murder, terror, massacre, and destruction.

The Vice President of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government concluded that Ambazonian noble fighters, and the rest of the resistance factions will continue to fight the enemy until achieving liberation and victory.

The ongoing armed conflict in the territory of the Southern Cameroons has finally redefined itself. It has redefined itself from a war simply of self-defense against the predatory onslaught of France through its vassal state of French Cameroun, to a decolonization war. It is a decolonization war against France, French Cameroun and its hawkish Bulu-Beti minority tribe. That tribe dominates and controls the government, the legislature, the judiciary, and the military in French Cameroun. It believes the people of the Southern Cameroons and their territory must remain imprisoned under French Cameroun colonization, spoliation, and occupation.

By Chi Prudence Asong with additional reporting

22, November 2021

NERA 10 serving as important pillar of Ambazonia struggle, Professor Anyangwe says ⁰

Professor Carlson Anyangwe has lauded the Ambazonian leader President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and his top aides as very important pillars of the Southern Cameroons nationalism, saying they are the crucial source of support for all Ambazonia restoration groups.

The much respected Southern Cameroons academic pointed out in a conversation with Cameroon Intelligence Report that the sufferings of the NERA 10 deep inside the Kondengui Maximum Security Prison in French Cameroun is of strategic significance because President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, Ambazonia Revolutionary Guards including all Southern Cameroons detainees are the important pillars of the Southern Cameroons struggle.

Anyangwe revealed that the continued detention of the Ambazonian leadership in French Cameroun is helping the resistance and provides political, material and military support to the fighters in Ground Zero. He slammed the so-called CPDM Southern Cameroonians over their policies towards the struggle, including helping the occupying forces in killing their own people.

“The silence on the part of Musonge, Philemon Yang, Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, Paul Tasong and Paul Atanga Nji these days is shocking, especially as their Biya regime continues to kill inncoent primary school children,” the Southern Cameroons front line leader said.

Carlson Anyangwe noted that many of the CPDM Southern Cameroons elites will end up in French Cameroun jails through the efforts they are currently making to curry favor with the 88-year-old Biya.

Since the Southern Cameroons crisis hit the global stage some five years ago, some 10,000 Cameroonians have been killed, with army soldiers accounting for close to 35% of the deaths.

Thousands of civilians and soldiers have been maimed and scarred for life in a conflict that could have been addressed through negotiations and genuine dialogue.

By Asu Vera Eyere

21, November 2021

Manchester United Crisis: Zinedine Zidane is an early favourite with bookmakers ⁰

Manchester United have sacked manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at Watford.

The club have won just one of their past seven Premier League matches and are seventh in the table, 12 points behind leaders Chelsea.

First-team coach Michael Carrick has been placed in temporary charge while United seek an interim manager to the end of the season.

“It is with regret that we have reached this difficult decision,” United said.

The club’s recent run of poor form includes a 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool on 24 October and a 2-0 defeat by Manchester City on 6 November.

United added: “While the past few weeks have been disappointing, they should not obscure all the work he has done over the past three years to rebuild the foundations for long-term success.

“Ole leaves with our sincerest thanks for his tireless efforts as manager and our very best wishes for the future.”

Solskjaer is a former Red Devils player, scoring 126 goals in 11 seasons from 1996-2007 including the winner in the 1999 Champions League final.

United said in their statement: “His place in the club’s history will always be secure, not just for his story as a player, but as a great man and a manager who gave us many great moments.

“He will forever be welcome back at Old Trafford as part of the Manchester United family.”

United next play when they travel to Spain to take on Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday, before league games against Chelsea and Arsenal.

Darren Fletcher will stay on as technical director, while Mike Phelan and Kieran McKenna – who were part of Solskjaer’s coaching set up – will also remain at the club for the time being.

Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, currently out of work, is an early favourite with bookmakers to become United’s next manager.

Source: BBC

20, November 2021

Prominent Nigerian Senator says no evidence linking Ambazonia fighters to Taraba Attack ⁰

Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume has rejected the idea that the recent attack by Ambazonia fighters on a community in Taraba State is a threat on the territorial integrity of Nigeria.

He said what happened should not be viewed as an attack by the separatist group or Cameroon on Nigeria as a country.

According to the lawmaker, the area of attack is a border community between Nigeria and Cameroon, hence based on information available so far on the incident, what happened was a communal clash.

Ndume said Ambazonia is a “stateless” group that cannot challenge the territorial integrity of Nigeria, adding that the government must take measures to protect those staying in border communities.

“I don’t want you to take it the way you say now like an external aggression. I have listened to the governor, this is more of communal or tribal conflict that affect communities along our borders,” he said.

Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku had claimed that Ambazonia separatist militants from Cameroon attacked Takum LGA of Taraba State killing the village head and some residents of Manga community.

Reacting to the Nigerian governor’s take on the Taraba attack, the Vice President of the Ambazonia Interim Government Dabney Yerima issued a statement saying “We have not taken this war to La Republique du Cameroun, there is no reason whatsoever for our Liberation fighters to take it to a friendly neighboring country. Our liberation fighters have no motive or interest to invade another friendly Anglo-Saxon country.”

The Ambazonia Vice President furthered “On the 10th of November 2020, Buhari was in Paris with Macron shortly after French Cameroun soldiers illegally entered into Taraba State (Nigeria) for unknown reasons and caused havoc on the people living in that community. This shameful heinouscrime perpetuated by Paul Biya’s military Junta on part of another sovereign country was reported by the Daily post of Nigeria on the 22nd of October 2021. It is believed Paris invited Buhari to cool down the tension and influence him to come up with a whitewash story through another news tabloid in Nigeria so as to continue to manipulate the people of Taraba and the world.”

By Chi Prudence Asong with files

20, November 2021

Football: Thomas Nkono says Cameroon mentally tougher than Nigeria ⁰

The Espanyol stopper explains what gave his country the trophy-winning edge over their rivals in continental competition. Thomas Nkono believes Nigeria suffered for their relative lack of mental strength in epic Cameroon encounters

While at international level Nigeria has a strong head-to-head record against their neighbouring rivals, things are skewed in the favour of the five-time African champions when meetings at the continental showpiece are taken into account.

Cameroon have memorably pipped Nigeria to AFCON success on three different occasions at the Final stage, boasting wins in 1984, 1988 and 2000, the latter of which came at the National Stadium in Surulere.

N’Kono was a part of the 80s playing squads, and was also in Pierre Lechantre’s technical staff for the penalty shoot-out triumph in Lagos. He believes it was the Lions’ greater psychological fortitude that gave them the edge in crunch meetings with Nigeria.

“I’ve been very fortunate to play against Nigeria,” the Espanyol legend said. “We won great Finals against great players in the African Cup, playing against Nigeria. It’s true that it was many years ago.

“I was also fortunate to accompany the new generation of players who won the African Cup in Nigeria (in 2000). Obviously, these can be tense moments. We’re talking about a neighbouring country that also wants to win. It’s like a derby for us, and you know the atmosphere is tremendous.

“But it’s all about mentality. Each player has to use the best of their skills to win the match. Fortunately for us, we had very strong players in terms of their mindset, their mentality. Because these things can get to your head, they can really affect your mind. Mental preparation is very important, and if you are well prepared in that respect you can play against anyone and beat them anywhere in the world.”

Organisation – there is no other way

Since his retirement in the late 1990s. N’Kono has been a goalkeeping coach at Espanyol, the club for whom he first played in Europe and with whom he amassed close to 300 La Liga appearances.

His time in Spain has taken in football’s last great evolution, as the Iberian nation has been at the forefront of tactical development in Europe and the world. La Roja won three straight international tournaments between 2008 and 2012, with their possession-based style greatly influencing the direction of football in the last two decades.

Amidst all of this, African football has found itself largely left behind internationally. Since Cameroon thrilled and danced their way to the quarter final at the 1990 World Cup, there has been no quantum leap forward for the continent, despite Senegal and Ghana reaching the same stage in 2002 and 2010 respectively.

Having been in a unique position to witness it all, the 65-year-old believes there is one hurdle the continent must overcome in order to remain relevant at the highest level of football.

“I think there is one very important aspect that we have to highlight, and that is organisation,” N’Kono said. “Until Africa is able to organise football better, it’s going to be difficult.

“In my opinion, there are certain shortcomings in terms of organisation, particularly travel, the provision of hotel accommodation. Young players don’t benefit from the same organisation in Africa as they do when they come to Europe, and that is a very important handicap in my opinion.

“Then we can also question and consider the preparation for each match in training. If Africa wants to develop further and try to win, or get close to winning a title, very similar to what Cameroon did in the team I played in, then we really need that organisation, there is no other option. Because otherwise Africa will always be behind.”

Greater appreciation for goalkeepers

There has been a groundswell of criticism against the shortlist for the FIFA Ballon D’Or following the exclusion of Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

The Senegal international was instrumental to the Blues’ run to Champions League glory in 2020/21, keeping a record number of clean sheets (nine) to usher Thomas Tuchel’s side to glory.

His exclusion follows a general theme of underappreciation around goalkeepers in football, and has led to calls for a separate award for the net-minders going forward.

It is an opinion to which N’Kono is sympathetic. “Unfortunately, it’s always been the case that goalkeepers have largely been ignored,” he said. “But I think people are becoming more and more aware of the importance of goalkeepers and their role.

“We have to remember that, in my opinion, the most demanding position on the pitch today is that of a goalkeeper. I’m sure that organisations like FIFA that arrange these kinds of awards will probably create one to compensate goalkeepers and recognise their performance, to acknowledge the best goalkeeper.

“We always end up just recognising strikers, the ones who score goals. What about the ones who prevent goals being scored, which is perhaps more important in being able to win a match?”

N’Kono’s Espanyol will, this weekend, come up against city rivals Barcelona in La Liga action at Camp Nou.

Source: Pulse.ng

20, November 2021

Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad Say New Jihadist Terrorism Threats Warrant Change of Military Response ⁰

Cameroonian, Nigerian and Chadian troops fighting terrorism in the Lake Chad basin say attacks on military positions have been increasing since Boko Haram leader Aboubakar Shekau was declared dead in May.

Military officials from the three countries say the Islamic State in West Africa Province group, or ISWAP, is completely changing terrorism tactics to gain the sympathy of Lake Chad basin civilians. They say ISWAP is emerging as the terrorist group that is taking over from Boko Haram, which is weakened by the death of its leader Shekau.

Major General Saly Mohamadou is commander of Cameroon’s troops fighting terrorism in the Lake Chad Basin. He says, unlike Boko Haram, which attacked civilians for supplies and killed both the military and people who opposed the terrorist group when it was very active, ISWAP only attacks military positions to gain support from civilians. He says ISWAP is fighting to control border areas between Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria.

Mohamadou said senior military officials of the Multinational Joint Task Force or MNJTF met in Maroua, Cameroon this week to formulate a strategy toward the new terrorism threat.

The task force, headquartered in the Chadian capital of N’djamena, is made up of more than 10,000 troops from Niger, Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria.

The MNJTF says militants have carried out scores of attacks on its military positions since May, causing many casualties, but gives no further details.

Officials accuse ISWAP of infiltrating areas along the Cameroon-Nigeria-Chad border. Cameroonian authorities say ISWAP promises jobs and better living conditions to convince vulnerable and jobless youths to join the terror group.

The governor of Cameroon’s Far North region, on the border with Nigeria and Chad Midjiyawa Bakari says Cameroon is carrying out actions that will keep its civilians from sympathizing with terrorists. He says besides fighting terrorists, Cameroon troops have been teaching children in schools abandoned by teachers because of terrorism. He says military medical teams treat wounded and sick civilians who are in villages on Cameroon’s northern border with Nigeria that are hard to reach. Bakari says the military distributes food and water to civilians in former Boko Haram strongholds.

The governor also said that to stop ISWAP from recruiting vulnerable youths, Cameroon ordered the creation of militias in all northern villages.

ISWAP has not made any formal statement on its expansion to the Lake Chad Basin.

In August though, the International Institute for Strategic Studies said African states should act quickly to stop the restructuring of ISWAP. It says if the countries fail to act, Islamic State’s plans to expand in the region will further endanger millions of Africans.

Source: VOA

20, November 2021

Who will be Cameroon Concord Person Of The Year 2021? ⁰

Intended to be an honorary award since 1999, the people chosen to be the most significant in Cameroon and deep within the African continent have predominantly been men and women of English expression, indicative of either Commonwealth political and cultural clout, or simply English speaking parochialism. By routine Anglophone Prime Ministers in Cameroon get selected immediately after their appointments, regardless if they ever did any significant thing beyond sitting in the so-called Star Building and pretending to be running government business.

Just as prime movers and shakers like the late Cardinal Tumi, Simon Achidi Achu, John Fru Ndi, Tataw Eta Stephen, V.E. Mukete missed being winners of the award, the title of Cameroon Concord Person of the Year has however been awarded to people the world remembers.

In December every year Cameroon Concord News and Cameroon Intelligence Report decide on persons who generate the most news in the past 12 months and our readers vote to get the winner.

Cameroonian football legend Samuel Eto’o, Bishop Emeritus Francis Teke Lisinge, the Southern Cameroons leader President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, and former Nigerian Head of State, Goodluck Jonathan including Cameroonian dictator Paul Biya have all won the award.

Last year Judith Nwana a strong advocate for human rights and a Steering Committee member of CHRI (Cameroon Humanitarian Relief Initiative) emerged winner.

Our editorial team recently shortlisted 5 persons for this year’s award and the winner shall be made public on Decemeber 1, 2021 at midnight.

The list include Barrister Amungwa Tanyi Nicodemus, one of the lawyers representing President Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, the jailed leader of the Ambazonia Interim Government, and several other people arrested in connection with the Southern Cameroons crisis, Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, Enow Ngashu, Director General of the National Football Academy, Prof Maurice Kamto of the MRC party and Archbishop Andrew Nkea of the Bamenda Eclessiastical Province.

SO, who will be Cameroon Concord Person Of The Year 2021?

Voting is only by email via: Cameroonconcordnews@gmail.com

By Isong Asu

London Bureau Chief

20, November 2021

Russian fleet of diesel tankers heading to US amid fuel crisis ⁰

A Russian fleet of tankers, carrying the most substantial amount of diesel to the United States in recent years, is heading to the US East Coast to help alleviate a fuel shortage that has led to the soaring of prices in the country to a seven-year high.

A fleet of four tankers laden with 2 million barrels of Russian diesel are set to arrive in New York, New Haven, and Connecticut next week, Bloomberg reported, citing data from energy cargo-tracking agency Vortexa.

“Russia is better positioned to supply diesel than other refiners in Europe because of its access to cheap natural gas,” said Clay Seigle, a managing director for Vortexa in Houston.

“It’s very rare we’d see volumes this large coming to the East Coast,” he added.

The Russian shipment of diesel is heading to the US at a time when stockpiles in the East Coast, the largest US importing region, are close to the lowest seasonally since 2017.

US imports of European gasoline hit a nine-month low in October. The price of diesel and other fuels have skyrocketed across the globe since energy demand has been back with the world economy reopening but supply simply has not kept up.

Deliveries of European gasoline to the US plunged last month by 51% month-on-month to about 202,000 barrels per day, the lowest monthly tally since January.

Europe is also facing an energy crisis as natural gas prices have more than tripled there.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month that his country could help ease Europe’s natural gas shortage. But Russian supplies have so far not been enough as a Russian pipeline, the Nord Stream 2, is held up by permitting delays in Germany. Germany on Tuesday suspended the approval process for the pipeline project.

Source: Presstv