Headline News

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Kidnapped teachers, education officials released in Ngo-Ketunjia

17, September 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Kidnapped teachers, education officials released in Ngo-Ketunjia 0

Gunmen have released five teachers of public schools and five education officials who were kidnapped in Ngo-Ketunjia, a division in Cameroon’s restive Anglophone region of Northwest, officials and security sources said on Wednesday.

The officials and the teachers were abducted on Tuesday while they were attending a meeting to plan on the new academic year, according to local authorities.

No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction but separatist fighters had threatened to disrupt schools in Cameroon’s two Anglophone regions where they have been clashing with government forces since 2017 in a bid to create an independent nation in the regions.

Source: Xinhuanet

French Cameroun: Three killed in Boko Haram attack in Far North region

17, September 2021

French Cameroun: Three killed in Boko Haram attack in Far North region 0

At least three have been killed in fresh attack by the Boko Haram group in Cameroon’s Far North region, according to local and security sources.

Boko Haram raided Moutchikar village of the region overnight into Thursday when the villagers were asleep and started shooting indiscriminately, killing people in the process, an army official who opted for anonymity said.

All those killed were civilians, according to local sources.

Local media reported that 20 other villagers “disappeared” after the attack.

It was the latest attack since infighting in the terror group caused hundreds of fighters to surrender to Cameroonian authorities.

Source: Xinhuanet

CPDM Crime Syndicate and the Africa Cup of Nations: Biya shies away from conflict meeting

17, September 2021

CPDM Crime Syndicate and the Africa Cup of Nations: Biya shies away from conflict meeting 0

The President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe arrived in Cameroon on Thursday, September 16, 2021. The visit of the South African comes almost a month to the day after his last trip in Cameroon during which he was instead taken to the village of the president of Fecafoot.

There is so much under-the-table talk about the unannounced visit at a time when things are falling apart deep within the ruling CPDM crime syndicate as regards to the hosting of the African Nations Cup.

CAF has not given any reasons for this surprised meeting between the Cameroonian authorities and Dr. Patrice Motsepe. However, what we do know now is that the 88-year-old Biya shied away from today’s meeting with the CAF boss, Dr. Patrice Motsepe and the Secretary General Mr. Veron Mosengo-Omba.

CAF President met Prime Minister Dion Ngute and the Minister of Sports and Physical Education accused of many financial crimes in the organization of the 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Cameroon Concord News gathered that the Minister of Sports and the so-called Dion Ngute government were not aware of this visit.

Dr. Patrice Motsepe reportedly complaint to the prime minister the delays in the organization, especially on the construction of the Olembe stadium, which is struggling to meet the deadline and will probably not be ready in November as announced by Professor Mouelle Kombi, Minister of Sports and Physical Education.

An informed source hinted this reporter that CAF may announce the relocation of the group from the 60 000 seats Olembe arena to another stadium. The construction of the Olembe stadium, the flagship of sports infrastructure in Cameroon is still on-going but it has been a source of glory and shame.

CAF has openly accused the Cameroonian authorities of having truncated the truth about the construction of the sports complex after the stadium hosted the Cameroon-Malawi match on September 3.

By Rita Akana

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Why the lockdowm

17, September 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Why the lockdowm 0

After more than four years of lockdown, one would think that those who pass up as leaders of this revolution would understand that the economic sabotage is hurting the ordinary man more than the Yaounde government that is still drinking tons of champagne and looking the other way as Ambazonian fighters intimidate and rob the people they claim to protect of their economic life and happiness.

The devastating impact of the crisis is all over the place and residents of the country’s two speaking countries are already showing some signs of fatigue and frustration with the unplanned and disorganized mess that has created massive uncertain in that part of the country.

One would think that the various factions involved in this conflict would coordinate their activities so as to agree on certain things with a view to allay the fears of the population and to diminish the impact of the economic crisis on the struggling businesses.

But all indicators point to well-organized chaos that is sowing more doubts in the mind of the weary and desperate population.

While the Yerima-led Interim Government does not see any wisdom behind the zealous announcement by the defunct Sako-led Interim Government, the lockdowm seems to be effective in many parts of Southern Cameroons, more out of morbid fear than out of a sound economic or well-thought-out political strategy.

Sako and his religious followers are rejoicing that things have gone according to their plan, but the euphoria is very likely to be ephemeral as the current situation has only brought the chronic differences between the factions on the ground to the surface.

Dr. Cho Ayaba, for his part, had thrown his weight behind the Yerima-led Interim government’s decision to question the rationale behind the lockdowm which will only make the people’s economic pain worse and will fragilize the organization of the upcoming Ambazonian Independence Day which many on ground zero are looking forward to with enthusiasm and joy.

Ayaba may not be agreeing with Yerima on many issues, but he seems to be reading from the same script as Yerima on this occasion.

The lockdown will not only further stifle the economy that is in the doldrums, it will also strike fear in the minds of those rural  kids who thought they could go back to school this year.

Already, there are pictures of intimidated school kids emerging, with some seriously wounded by trigger-happy young men who have been shouting their support for their demi-god, Sako Ikome from rooftops.

While Sako might be enjoying some popularity on ground zero, he should also understand that international organizations and the global community have begun seeing him as a terrorist who is intent on robbing children of their right to education.

If the global community has to change its view on him, he has to start cutting a different image and that image should demonstrate that he really wants the children on ground zero to receive the education he received in Tiko, South West Region, many years ago.

There is no rationale behind denying generations of children their right to a sound education.

Suffocating the economy and intimidating the kids out of school only cast those who have ordered this latest lockdown in very bad light.

Of course, the enemy will be affected. Yes, cities like Douala, Nkongsamba, Melong, Manjo, Bafoussam and others which are on the border with Southern Cameroons will be hurt in a way, but the primary victims will, for sure, be the very people who have been taking the brunt of the government’s frustration.   These people have shown great resistance and resilience over the last four years, but they are clearly showing signs of fatigue. They need some respite. They deserve some rest and peace!

Sako and his people might have wanted to flex their muscles and show their teeth to the government to prove that they are still a force to reckon with but this recent victory, if it can be seen as such, is pyrrhic and will not go down well with other groups operating in the two English-speaking regions of the country.

This is, indeed, a recipe for more violent clashes and this could spell death and destruction to the local population.

The Sako Group should reach out to other groups to assure them that his latest order was not designed to hurt them. Such an assurance can reduce animosity and bring the other factions to the table where they can find a common ground.

The people on the ground need a consensus. They need agreements. They want unified actions so as to rid their minds of any doubts or fear. Going it alone on this occasion is at best reckless. Sako must stop acting as a lone wolf.

By Dr Joachim Arrey in Paris Charles de Gaulle

Russia: Putin to remain in self-isolation after dozens of his entourage catch Covid-19

16, September 2021

Russia: Putin to remain in self-isolation after dozens of his entourage catch Covid-19 0

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he would have to spend “a few days” in self-isolation after dozens of people in his entourage fell ill with COVID-19, the TASS news agency reported.

Putin was speaking through a video link at a summit of a Russia-led security bloc which was held in Tajikistan. He had planned to attend in person before the news of the virus outbreak in his inner circle this week.

It was previously unclear how big the outbreak was and how long Putin would remain isolated.

“This is not just one person or two people, there are dozens of people,” he said.

“And now I have to remain in self-isolation for a few days.”

Putin, 68, who has had two shots of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, said this week he was now personally testing its efficiency while the Kremlin said the president himself was healthy.

The Kremlin has had a rigorous regime in place designed to keep Putin away from anyone with COVID-19.

Kremlin visitors have had to pass through special disinfection tunnels, journalists attending his events must undergo multiple PCR tests, and some people he meets are asked to quarantine beforehand and be tested.

Source: REUTERS

One million Nigerian children to miss school due to threat of violence

16, September 2021

One million Nigerian children to miss school due to threat of violence 0

One million Nigerian children will likely stay away from school because of the threat of violence after a series of mass kidnappings and attacks targeting students this year, the UN said on Wednesday.

More than 1,000 pupils have been snatched in mass abductions for ransom by criminal gangs in Nigeria’s northwest and central states since December with dozens still in captivity.

The UN children’s agency UNICEF said there had been 20 attacks on schools in Nigeria this year and more than 1,400 pupils were taken and 16 had died.

Most have been released after ransom negotiations, but only after weeks or months in captivity, often in appalling conditions in rural camps.

“Families and communities remain fearful of sending children back to their classrooms due to the spate of school attacks and student abductions,” UNICEF said in a statement.

More than 37 million Nigerian children are due to start the new school year this month, the agency said, while an estimated one million would likely not return.

Some state governments have temporarily closed up schools after kidnappings.

Northwest and central states have long struggled with tit-for-tat violence between nomadic herder and farmer communities who battle over land and water.

Attacks escalated with the emergence of heavily armed criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, who raid villages, steal cattle and kidnap for ransom.

Bandit gangs this year have targeted schools and colleges in Nigeria’s northwest, snatching pupils and taking them into forest hideouts while they negotiate payments.

Around 70 students abducted nearly a fortnight ago were freed this week in northwest Zamfara State, where the army has started an offensive against bandit kidnap gangs.

Source: AFP

Football: Solskjaer demands Man Utd response after Champions League defeat

16, September 2021

Football: Solskjaer demands Man Utd response after Champions League defeat 0

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits Manchester United must “do better” after their embarrassing midweek Champions League defeat as he prepares to take his Premier League leaders to face West Ham.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka was sent off against Young Boys in Tuesday’s opening Group F encounter, with Jesse Lingard’s errant back-pass gifting the Swiss hosts a goal in time added on in a 2-1 win.

But it is a different story in the Premier League, with United — now boasting Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks again — top of the table after three wins from their first four matches.

“Our attitude is like you’d expect it to be,” Solskjaer said at his pre-match press conference on Thursday. “They’re focused, of course a little disappointed but not too downbeat.

“You know, it’s a setback, we have to do better, and we’ve got five games to get those 10, 12 points that we need.

“Of course it’s not the start we wanted but we’re a good team that can bounce back again.”

The Norwegian boss said teams were judged by outcomes rather than intentions.

“It’s always the outcome that decides what headline we’ll see and very, very rarely is the game either fantastic or really, really bad,” he said. “It just hovers about good or not good enough.

“We know that the expectations are high and we expect more of ourselves as well. The performance level wasn’t up to our standard.”

Lingard, who tweeted how upset he was for his part in the defeat, returns to the London Stadium on Sunday, where he spent a productive spell on loan last season.

The England forward’s Red Devils contract expires at the end of the season and he would be able to talk to foreign clubs about a free transfer as early as January.

But Solskjaer said United were keen to tie the 28-year-old down to a new Old Trafford deal and were talking to him.

“We see him as a Man United player in the future as well,” he said. “Jesse has come back to us after a great spell at West Ham.

“He showed his qualities, he’s back in the England squad and he’s scoring goals for England.

“We really want to see the best of Jesse this season and we hope to see him, we support him, and we hope to keep him here with us. He’s a Red through and through.”

Source: AFP

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Yerima says he has no magic wand to fix the division among Amba groups

16, September 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Yerima says he has no magic wand to fix the division among Amba groups 0

Exiled Southern Cameroons leader Dabney Yerima says he has no magic wand to fix the existing division among Ambazonian restoration groups in Europe and the US, following the deadlock ever since the abduction of President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe in Abuja, Nigeria.

The Vice President of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government made the comment in a telephone conversation with Cameroon Concord News late on Wednesday, saying he has no magic wand to reconcile Southern Cameroons activists and leaders in the diaspora from one of the worst ever personality cult crises and that it takes humility on the part of those in the US and a great plan to achieve the hopes of the Southern Cameroons people.

Vice President Dabney Yerima opined that “I don’t have a magic wand. The recent call for an unnecessary lockdown of Amba land by some front line leaders in the US is an indication that the situation is very difficult” adding that there was no time to lose and no easy path to tackle Southern Cameroons revolution meltdown.

Yerima, however, pledged to work hard for the Federal Republic of Ambazonia to resolve its internal differences which is helping the occupying French-backed French Cameroun forces.

Vice President Dabney Yerima who is currently on an African tour, has promised to revive talks with Southern Cameroons diaspora groups to unlock the unhealthy rivalry and division.

By Isong Asu in London

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Yerima vows to stop conflicting IG signals from US front line leaders

15, September 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Yerima vows to stop conflicting IG signals from US front line leaders 0

The Vice President of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government has pledged to pursue the issue of unauthorized lockdown of Ambazonia territory by some front line leaders in the USA and to caution the US based Southern Cameroons principal actors to be mindful of the sufferings of Southern Cameroonians in Ground Zero.

“Continuing to act as if the Southern Cameroons quest for independence is a Nollywood movie is what is keeping the international community away from our struggle” Dabney Yerima said on Tuesday.

Yerima made the remarks during a meeting of the special committee responsible for Ground Zero Self Defense Operations.

“The Ambazonia Interim Government is committed to its intrinsic duty to liberate the people of Southern Cameroons legally, politically and internationally,” Vice President Yerima stressed.

He also highlighted the necessity of proper consultation before any major decision is made public keeping the memory of all Southern Cameroons martyrs alive.

During the meeting, which was hosted by the Southern Cameroons Department of Foreign Affairs and attended by the representatives of several Ambazonian European think tanks, the participants expressed their views with regard to the unauthorized lockdown of the homeland and concluded that Southern Cameroonians should ignore politics and embrace liberation.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Emmanuel Macron Is Dancing with the Dictators

15, September 2021

Emmanuel Macron Is Dancing with the Dictators 0

A week after Colonel Mamady Doumbouya seized power in Guinea, France is still unsure how to respond to the crisis unfolding in its former West African colony. For now, it seems content to let multilateral bodies such as the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States try and find a resolution.

They are unlikely to get very far. The AU has suspended Guinea’s membership, and Ecowas has held a “positive” meeting with the coup leader in Conakry, the country’s capital on the Atlantic coast. But there is little hope for a speedy restoration of a civilian government.

The most likely outcome is a junta led by Doumbouya, and the promise of a democratic transition somewhere down the line. That was the compromise formula that followed coups in two other Francophone countries, Mali and Chad, earlier this summer.

That arrangement suited French President Emmanuel Macron just fine. He had offered only muted criticism of the coup in Bamako and endorsed the appointment of the junta in N’Djamena. The promise of democracy in the future allayed the embarrassment of doing business with tyrants for the time being.

But France’s speedy accommodation of military strongmen was bound to inspire other wannabes in Francophone Africa. Doumbouya was among those paying careful attention.

It is not yet known how much time he spent with his fellow Colonel, Mali’s Assimi Goita, when the two men participated in a 2019 U.S.-led military exercise in Burkina Faso. But it can hardly have escaped the Guinean’s attention that Goita was able thereafter to lead two coups — ousting President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita in August 2020, and then transitional President Bah N’Daw in May — with little more than desultory disapproval from Macron. France suspended joint operations with the Malian military for barely a month.

Ironically, the man Doumbouya ousted was also counting on Macron’s hypocrisy. President Alpha Conde won reelection last year after having forced through a constitutional amendment to allow himself a third term. When the French leader blasted him for this power grab, Conde reckoned forgiveness would follow. After all, Macron had no qualms about congratulating the Ivory Coast’s Alassane Ouattara for having secured a third term with the help of some constitutional jiggery-pokery.

But Doumbouya’s coup comes at an especially awkward moment for the French president, who is limbering up for a reelection run of his own even as his party tries to recover from a humiliating defeat in June’s regional vote. As Macron hits the hustings, his foreign policy record is coming under especially close scrutiny, amid rumblings of disquiet among professional diplomats, who say he is more show than substance.

Improving relations with Francophone African countries, in the face of the growing Chinese, Turkish and Russian influence, has been one of Macron’s priorities. The region has provided him with opportunities to burnish his international stature, including a much-publicized summit earlier this summer. Perhaps more important, the cooperation of former French colonies is crucial to the president’s counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel, the belt of countries south of the Sahara.

These factors may explain why he is leery of antagonizing the new rulers of Mali, Chad and now Guinea. But by handing out yet another free pass to a military strongman, Macron is in effect inviting others to take advantage of his weak hand. Several other leaders in the region will now be looking nervously over their shoulders: Ouattara of the Ivory Coast, Faure Gnassingbe of Togo, Paul Biya of Cameroon and Patrice Talon of Benin.

Even if there are no more coups between now and the French presidential election next April, the democratic retrenchment in Africa will at the very least be a source of embarrassment for Macron. He will only have himself to blame.

Source: Bloomberg L.P.

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