Headline News

WHO chief Tedros plans to seek second term: report

3, May 2021

WHO chief Tedros plans to seek second term: report 0

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus — who has become the face of the agency’s battle against the pandemic — will run for a second term, Stat News reported Monday.

The 56-year-old former Ethiopian health minister and minister of foreign affairs has not said publicly whether or not he plans to seek another term.

But an unnamed source close to Tedros told the US health news site that the director-general intends to stand for re-election when his term expires next year.

When contacted by AFP, the WHO did not say whether Tedros would indeed run for a second term, only that the nomination period opened last month.

“Member states may nominate candidates between now and September,” the agency said in an email.

“All proposals are sent in sealed envelopes to the Chair of the Executive Board and are strictly confidential until opened in due course,” it added.

Tedros was elected as the head of WHO in 2017, becoming the first African to ever take the helm of the UN health agency.

WHO director-generals may serve a maximum of two five-year terms, and must be elected by WHO member states each time.

Tedros was thrust onto the global stage with a number of high-profile health emergencies — most notably the Covid pandemic, but also several fresh Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in West Africa.

The WHO has found itself at the heart of efforts to coordinate the global pandemic response.

Its handling of the crisis has been widely praised, but has also met harsh criticism from some quarters, and in particular from the administration of former US president Donald Trump.

Trump accused the organisation of being a puppet to China and began withdrawing the United States from the organisation in protest — a decision immediately rescinded by President Joe Biden when he took office in January.

Source: AFP

US Secretary of State says China acting ‘more aggressively abroad’

3, May 2021

US Secretary of State says China acting ‘more aggressively abroad’ 0

An increasingly powerful China is challenging the world order, acting “more repressively” and “more aggressively” as it flexes its influence, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an interview that aired Sunday.

“What we’ve witnessed over the last several years is China acting more repressively at home and more aggressively abroad. That is a fact,” the top American diplomat said in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes.”

His comments came after President Joe Biden, in his first address to Congress on Wednesday, underscored that he was not seeking conflict with Beijing.

Biden said he told Chinese President Xi Jinping that in the competition to be the dominant power of the 21st century, “we welcome the competition — and that we are not looking for conflict.”

Blinken said China is “the one country in the world that has the military, economic, diplomatic capacity to undermine or challenge the rules-based order that we care so much about and are determined to defend.

“But I want to be very clear about something… our purpose is not to contain China, to hold it back, to keep it down; it is to uphold this rules-based order that China is posing a challenge to.”

Tensions have risen sharply with China over the past few years as the United States also takes issue with Beijing’s assertive military moves and human rights concerns, including what Washington has described as genocide against the mostly Muslim Uyghur minority.

Source: AFP

German police bust darknet child porn network ‘with 400,000 members’

3, May 2021

German police bust darknet child porn network ‘with 400,000 members’ 0

German police said Monday they had shut down “one of the biggest darknet child pornography platforms in the world” and arrested four of its members in a series of raids in mid-April.

The platform, named as “Boystown”, had existed since 2019, counted over 400,000 members and was “set up for the worldwide exchange of child pornography”, federal police said in a statement.

The darknet forum allowed users to communicate with others and share graphic image and video content which included “serious sexual abuse of toddlers”, the statement said.

Three men between the ages of 40 and 64 were arrested in seven raids in Germany, while a further suspect was detained in Paraguay on the request of German authorities.

The suspect in Paraguay’s Concepcion region, also a German citizen, is to be extradited back to Germany on the basis of an international arrest warrant issued by a court in Frankfurt.

Three of the men are accused of having managed the platform as administrators, providing technical support and advice to members on how to avoid being discovered by the authorities, while another was “one of the platform’s most active users”, police said.

Investigators added that the months-long, German-instigated operation had been coordinated by Europol and supported by law enforcement in the Netherlands, Sweden, the United States and Canada.

Both “Boystown” and other chat platforms were taken offline following the raids.

(AFP)

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Yerima registers for Ambazonia’s Interim Government Vote

2, May 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Yerima registers for Ambazonia’s Interim Government Vote 0

Southern Cameroons exiled Vice President Dabney Yerima reportedly signaled his intention to continue in his capacity as deputy to President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and to intensify efforts to defeat Ambazonia’s adversaries and restore calm and security in Southern Cameroons.

Vice President Yerima hinted the Interim Government War Cabinet of his decision to forward his request to the Ambazonia Restoration Council.

Dr Patrick Ayuk, a senior Yerima aide confirmed this and noted that “Just as Vice President Yerima and Southern Cameroons Self Defense Groups have managed to confront French Cameroun occupational forces in the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, each and every Southern Cameroonian should rally behind the Interim Government and resist the French Cameroun regime.”

Dabney Yerima was made Vice President after the disgraced Samuel Ikome Sako and Chris Anu siphoned huge amounts of money contributed by Ambazonians to fund the struggle for independence and Yerima has retained the capacity by winning the hearts of the people of Southern Cameroons.

In a telephone conversation with our correspondent in Holland, Comrade Dabney Yerima said that registering for the Ambazonia Interim Government Vote is simply a process to assure Southern Cameroonians that once we get to Buea, the Interim Government will pass legislation enabling the creation of a multi-party political system in the country.

By Isong Asu

French Cameroun: 7 children injured in Far North Boko Haram attack

2, May 2021

French Cameroun: 7 children injured in Far North Boko Haram attack 0

Seven children were injured in a homemade bomb explosion on Friday 30 April 2021, a security source has said.

The explosion occurred in Gouma, a locality in the Makary district of the Logone-et-Chari division in the Far North.

The improvised explosive device was concealed in a bag and was detonated from a distance. Cameroon Concord News gathered that seven children were injured in Friday’s explosion.

Some of the injured were treated and others returned to their families.

The attack has not yet been claimed. But security sources suggest that Boko Haram is behind it.

The governor of the Far North region refused to comment on this latest attack.

Since 2014, the Far North region has been the scene of bloody incursions by Boko Haram fighters.

Cameroonian soldiers serving with the Joint Multinational Force stationed in Wouglo, a locality bordering Nigeria, were also attacked by Boko Haram on 22 April.

The attackers were repelled and the army reportedly suffered no casualties.

By Rita Akana

Bodies of three Europeans killed in Burkina Faso arrive in Spain

1, May 2021

Bodies of three Europeans killed in Burkina Faso arrive in Spain 0

The bodies of three Europeans killed in Burkina Faso were flown to Spain on Friday, with Madrid pledging to keep up a “relentless” fight against the jihadist insurgency raging in Africa’s Sahel region.

The two Spanish journalists and an Irish wildlife activist were ambushed during an anti-poaching patrol in the impoverished West African nation which has been struggling with a surge in Islamist attacks since 2015.

Journalists David Beriain and Roberto Fraile were with Rory Young, head of the Chengeta Wildlife group, in the Arly National Park in eastern Burkina Faso when the attack occurred on Monday.

They were with a group that included soldiers and forest rangers when the assailants turned up in pickup trucks and on motorbikes, with the three Europeans initially reported missing.

The Burkina authorities said they had been “executed by terrorists”, becoming the latest victims of the ruthless Islamist insurgency gripping one of the poorest countries in the world.

Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya and Defence Minister Margarita Robles were on the tarmac at Torrejon de Ardoz airbase as three wooden coffins were carried off the plane by 24 air force officers.

“These are the heroes of the day: David and Robert, who have done so much to give a voice to those who do not have one, who have done so much to shed light on the realities that surround us and that are sometimes invisible,” Gonzalez Laya said.

The pair had been working on a documentary on conservation in Burkina Faso.

The Irish ambassador to Spain, Sile Maguire, was also at the airbase.

Young’s body was to be flown back to Ireland later on Friday, the Spanish foreign ministry told AFP, without giving further details.

‘We will be relentless’

Hailing the pair for “doing so much to give a voice to the voiceless,” Gonzalez Laya said the government was posthumously awarding them the Order of Civil Merit “for their work in pursuit of a journalism that enhances our democracy”.

The violence had highlighted the importance of Spain’s continued involvement in “efforts for peace and stability” in the war-torn Sahel region, she said.

Extending condolences to the families who were also at the airport but not on the tarmac, Robles said Spain would do “everything possible to find out who was behind these appalling acts”.

She vowed that Spain would press ahead with efforts to help those fighting the Islamist insurgency in the region.

“The fight against terror in these areas is not going to stop, we will be relentless,” she said.

Hotbed of lawlessness

Burkina, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger have joined forces in a French-backed alliance called the G5 Sahel to fight jihadism on the southern edge of the Sahara, with the initiative also backed by Spain, Germany and Italy.

In a joint statement on Friday, Spain, France, Germany and Italy pledged continued security support for nations in the Sahel region which stretches from Senegal to Sudan and has turned into a hotbed of lawlessness over the past decade.

“We will continue existing initiatives to support the armies of the region, as well as the gendarmerie and internal security forces in their operations, training and capacity building,” they said.

Since 2015, more than 1,300 people have been killed and one million have fled the violence in Burkina Faso, which has ravaged this land-locked nation’s once-vibrant tourist industry

(AFP)

Football: Maradona was left to die, say medical experts

1, May 2021

Football: Maradona was left to die, say medical experts 0

Argentine football icon Diego Maradona received inadequate medical care and was left to his fate for a “prolonged, agonizing period” before he died last year, an expert medical panel concluded Friday.

In a 70-page document, the panel stated that Maradona, who succumbed to a heart attack on November 25 at the age of 60, “started to die at least 12 hours before” the moment he was found dead in his bed.

Maradona died just weeks after undergoing brain surgery on a blood clot.

A panel of 20 experts was convened by Argentina’s public prosecutor to examine the cause of death and to determine if there had been any negligence.

Maradona’s neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov and psychologist Carlos Diaz are under investigation as well as two nurses, a nursing coordinator and a medical coordinator.

The finding could result in a case of wrongful death, and a prison sentence of up to 15 years if convicted.

The legal proceedings were prompted by a complaint filed by two of Maradona’s five daughters against Luque, whom they blamed for their father’s deteriorating condition after the brain operation.

Maradona underwent surgery on November 3, just four days after he celebrated his 60th birthday at the club he coached, Gimnasia y Esgrima.

However, he appeared in poor health then, and had trouble speaking.

‘Deficiencies and irregularities’

Maradona had battled cocaine and alcohol addictions during his life.

He was suffering from liver, kidney and cardiovascular disorders when he died.

Two of the football great’s daughters have accused Luque of responsibility in Maradona’s deteriorating health.

The panel concluded that Maradona “would have had a better chance of survival” with adequate treatment in an appropriate medical facility.

He died in his bed in a rented house in an exclusive Buenos Aires neighborhood, where he was receiving home care.

Maradona did not have “full use of his mental faculties” and should not have been left to decide where he would be treated, the experts said.

They also found that his treatment was rife with “deficiencies and irregularities” and the medical team had left his survival “to fate”.

Sebastian Sanchi, a former spokesman for Maradona, told AFP, “it is clear that the panel says that things were not done right.”

Maradona is an idol to millions of Argentines after he inspired the South American country to only its second World Cup triumph in 1986.

An attacking midfielder who spent two years with Spanish giants Barcelona, he is also loved in Naples where he helped Napoli win the only two Serie A titles in the club’s history.

Source: AFP

Biya regime humanitarian dashboard (January to December 2020)

1, May 2021

Biya regime humanitarian dashboard (January to December 2020) 0

Cameroon continues to be affected by three concurrent, complex humanitarian situations caused by the conflict and violence in the Far North region, hostilities in the North-West and South-West regions, and the presence of over 293,000 refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) in the eastern regions (East, Adamawa and North). Humanitarian needs are compounded by structural development weaknesses and chronic vulnerabilities that further challenge the long-term recovery of affected people. The preexisting situation has been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over 3.9 million people were estimated to be in need in 2020 before the COVID-19 outbreak – a number which rose to 6.2 million due to the impact of the epidemic.

As of 31 December 2020, almost 2 million people were displaced within Cameroon, either as internally displaced persons, refugees or returnees.

The number of displaced persons in the Far North is steadily increasing mainly due to the armed conflict. As of December 2020, over 560,000 people were forced to leave their homes. Displacements in the Far North often take place in anticipation of attacks, allowing the population to carry a minimum of goods, and sometimes food stock, with them.

These internal displacements are characterized by their short distances: more than 80 per cent of the IDPs find refuge in a locality within their division of origin. Furthermore, daily pendular displacements are also reported in areas affected by conflict. Due to insecurity, families work in their fields during the day, but leave their villages at nightfall to sleep in the mountains or nearby villages.

Heavy rain and flooding in the Far North aggravated the impact of armed violence and exacerbated existing food insecurity and poverty, especially affecting destitute households and persons displaced from previous emergencies. While the region is flood prone and some degree of flooding occurs annually due to the Logone river overflowing, in 2020 the scale was more severe. In September 2020, heavy rains impacted lowland locations, pushing people to leave their villages to less affected areas, especially in the Logone et Chari and Mayo-Danay divisions. Houses and farmland were damaged or destroyed and many roads rendered impassable, isolating villages, making it difficult to assess damages and needs and to provide assistance. The situation further deteriorated in November 2020 as downstream areas closer to Lake Chad became more impacted. Overall, this flooding affected over 162,000 people, in comparison to 80,000 in 2019, causing substantial loss of livelihoods (loss of over 3,200 animals and the destruction of 19,676 hectares of farmland).

A multi-sectoral needs assessment which was carried out in the Far North in December 2020 found that food is the priority need for the displaced population as well as for the host community, followed by access to drinking water and health for the host community and shelter for the displaced population.

As of December 2020, the crisis in the North-West and South-West led to the displacement of over 1.1 million people, including almost 706,000 IDPs, 361,000 returnees and 64,000 people who fled to Nigeria. People continue to move within the two regions and to other regions, some being displaced by violence several times. Temporary displacements continue to be recorded as civilians flee for safety. 11,479 sudden internal displacements were reported in the North-West and South-West due to ongoing violence from October to December 2020. Most displaced individuals intend to go back to their locations of origin once the situation would allow them to. Protection continues to be a major humanitarian concern in the two regions.

Since the reopening of schools on 5 October 2020, after a months-long period of school closure due to COVID-19 restrictions, a noticeable increase in school enrolment rates was followed by a spike in attacks against education. From October to December, 35 attacks against education were recorded in the North-West and South-West regions. This figure almost certainly underestimates the real impact, as some incidents may not have been reported. Major incidents took place in Meme (SW), Fako (SW), Mezam (NW), Bui (NW), and Boyo (NW) divisions, with the Kumba massacre on 24 October 2020 being the most violent incident. Major incidents included cases of killing, torture and abduction of students and teachers, as well as arson of education facilities.

The number of Central African refugees located in the eastern regions of Cameroon, has increased from 284,000 in September to 293,000 in December 2020. 70 per cent of these refugees have no formal education and 47 per cent are without employment. 27 per cent live in formal sites while 73 per cent stay with host communities. Mounting tension and hostilities before, during and after the 27 December 2020 Presidential elections in the Central African Republic led to an anew flight of Central Africans to Cameroon.

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

One of Southern Cameroons greatest footballers of all time dies

1, May 2021

One of Southern Cameroons greatest footballers of all time dies 0

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, Meme Works, Canon Yaoundé, Cammark Bamenda, Manyu Tigers and the world of football are mourning the death of Ashu James, in many Anglophone Cameroon eyes the greatest player of all time, following an accident on his motorbike in Besongabang. He was 60.


Captain Ashu with Captain Kunde Emmanuel

Mbeng Ebot, one of his kinsmen who announced his passing on social media said that Nsok Manyi popularly known as “goal scorer” was a magical footballer who took PWD Kumba to the highest of the nation with his virtuoso performances.

When his death was announced, the Chairman of the Cameroonian community in Essen, Germany Ndakwa Martin Talli could not hold back his tears. “Part of our football childhood has died,” he said. “I thought he could never die,” he added.

Ashu James had an accident in Besongabang on Thursday the 29th of April 2021 at about 2:30 p.m and was rushed to the Mamfe Divisional Hospital where he breathed his last.


Le buteur (The goal scorer)

Le buteur leaves behind his wife and 6 children to mourn him.

By Oke Akombi Ayukepi Akap in Glasgow with files from Mamfe

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Five Cameroon gov’t troops killed in Ambazonia Attack (Video)

30, April 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Five Cameroon gov’t troops killed in Ambazonia Attack (Video) 0

Five Cameroon government soldiers were killed and several injured and dozens missing when Ambazonia Restoration Forces also known as the Marines of Bambalang in the North West Region attacked a military base last night, a military officer told Cameroon Concord News.

Fighters from the Ambazonia Restoration Forces successfully dislodged Cameroon government troops from a base in Menfung in the Ngalim district after a gunfight.

“The Amba fighters killed five soldiers and injured several others in the attack on the base,” a military officer told Cameroon Concord News.

The Ambazonia Restoration Forces sacked the base, forcing troops to withdraw in disarray, hinted another military officer, who gave Cameroon Concord News the same toll.

We gathered that so far 22 army soldiers have returned while 32 are still missing and are presumed to have escaped the attack.

Yaoundé has reportedly launched a search and rescue operation to locate the missing soldiers.

The Marines of Bambalang have also released a video of the attack which is attached to this report.

By Alain Tabot-Tanyi

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