Headline News

22, October 2020

Four years after the Eseka train accident: CPDM Crime Syndicate’s list of broken, failed promises ⁰

4 years after the Eseka train accident in French Cameroun which according to CPDM crime syndicate figures killed 79 people and injured 551, the promises made by the Biya Francophone regime are still awaited by the victims.

On 21 October 2016, the derailment of an Inter City 152 train plunged the entire CEMAC region into shock. Following the accident described as the “worst tragedy” experienced by the Bolloré group, the regime in Yaoundé had promised to build a memorial for the victims.

Among Yaoundé’s numerous promises, the then Prime Minister Philemon Yang announced the redevelopment of the Eséka-Makak-Ngoumou highway and the provision of medical ambulance to the district hospital of Eséka.

Cameroon Railway Company, Camrail reportedly made the compensation of victims its priority and paid the funeral expenses of the deceased. Approximately 215 million CFA francs (about 327,995 euros) was handed over to the families of the victims on October 3, 2018 in Yaoundé.

Cameroon Concord News understands that as of 31 July 2019, a majority of the injured passengers had already been compensated while three cases that were subject to a medical evacuation abroad were still being treated.

While the Bolloré subsidiary has respected its commitments, Yaoundé’s promises are still being awaited.

Indeed, 4 years later, La Republique du Cameroun is still waiting for the completion of construction work at the Eseka train accident memorial, the redevelopment of the Eséka-Makak-Ngoumou highway and the provision of medical ambulances to the district hospital of Eséka.

All these promises were announced in the presence of the international media with great fanfare by the Biya regime in the wake of the worst railway tragedy in French Country’s history.

By Rita Akana

22, October 2020

African Union ‘strongly’ condemns deadly violence in Nigeria ⁰

The African Union on Thursday strongly condemned deadly violence in Nigeria’s biggest city Lagos and called on all parties to “privilege dialogue”.

African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat “strongly condemns the violence that erupted on 20 October 2020 during protests in Lagos, Nigeria that has resulted in multiple deaths and injuries”, his office said in a statement.

“The Chairperson appeals to all political and social actors to reject the use of violence and respect human rights and the rule of law,” the statement said.

Mahamat’s comments came as protests escalated in Lagos, following the shooting of peaceful protesters by security forces earlier this week.

At least 12 people were killed by the Nigerian army and police in two locations in Lagos on Tuesday in a deadly crackdown on demonstrations, Amnesty International said.

Peaceful protesters had gathered despite a curfew imposed to end spiralling protests over police brutality and deep-rooted social grievances.

“Evidence gathered from eyewitnesses, video footage and hospital reports confirm that between 6:45pm (1745 GMT) and 9:00pm (2000 GMT) on Tuesday 20 October, the Nigerian military opened fire on thousands of people,” Amnesty said in a statement.

The Lagos governor at first insisted no fatalities had been recorded but later said the authorities were investigating the death of one person resulting from “blunt force trauma to the head”.

He said at least 25 people were wounded.

Masks and army uniforms

Demonstrator Paul Sunday who was at the scene told AFP that the men who shot at the crowd were wearing masks and had army uniforms.

“They attacked us from back and front,” he said. “They came around 7pm when everywhere is dark.”

Pictures and videos showing scenes of chaos in the aftermath of the shooting were widely shared on social media.

The shooting drew international condemnation, with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet saying reports suggested it could have been premeditated.

“There is little doubt that this was a case of excessive use of force, resulting in unlawful killings with live ammunition, by Nigerian armed forces,” she said.

“Reports that CCTV cameras and lighting were deliberately disabled prior to the shooting are even more disturbing as, if confirmed, they suggest this deplorable attack on peaceful protestors was premeditated, planned and coordinated.”

Human Rights Watch corroborated reports that the Nigerian army had opened fire on the crowd in “a shooting spree”.

“The authorities should immediately withdraw the military from the streets,” said Anietie Ewang, a Nigeria researcher with the rights group.

Source: France 24

22, October 2020

Ambazonian fighters claim attacks in Muea and Besongagabang, gunfire heard ⁰

Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in Muea in the Fako County and Besongabang in Manyu on a beer parlour, mainly used by the Cameroon government army, late on Wednesday after powerful gun shots were heard all around Muea and Besongabang.

Gunfire rang out over the busy street in Muea for more than 45 minutes where Cameroon government security forces had taken up positions.

Security officials told Cameroon Intelligence Report that dozens of heavily armed Amba fighters were in Muea, suggesting a coordinated operation against the Cameroon government army.

There was no immediate word on casualties from the Biya Francophone regime authorities in Buea, although the Ambazonian Restoration Forces claimed there were “five dead and wounded” in Besongabang.

After the attacks on Muea and Besongabang, Cameroon government security forces closed off streets in Muea and the main highway linking Besongabang to Mamfe.

Columns of vehicles carrying troops and police were in both Muea and Mamfe and heavy automatic gunfire could be heard fired by the Cameroon army.

By Fon Lawrence and Kingsley Betek

22, October 2020

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Ambazonia General killed in combat buried ⁰

Fonteh Lucas Ndefru alias ‘General’ Mad Dog, separatist fighter killed by soldiers on September 5, 2020, has been buried at their family compound in Ntamulung, Bamenda this Wednesday, October 21, 2020.

The remains of the separatist strongman were coffined at the Bamenda Regional Hospital Mortuary under the watchful eyes of elements of Cameroon’s Defence and Security Forces. Prayers were said at the chapel of the mortuary.

Soldiers only left the family compound at Ntamulung shortly after Fonteh had been buried. Brigadier General Nka Valère, Commander of the 5th Joint Military Region said on September 6 that Fonteh alias Lord Luga was killed on the night of Saturday, September 5, 2020, by a commando squad of the Rapid Intervention Battalion, BIR.

General Nka said they had put a bet on the head of Fonteh, a man who had been “terrorizing the population of Bamenda for over ten years – both as a criminal and as a terrorist”.

“For the last five or even ten years, that criminal and terrorist had killed more than 100 people, men and women, children, civilians and members of the defense and security forces,” Nka said, adding that a bounty was put on Mad Dog’s head after he led a gang of armed men that attacked the Head Office of Mitanyen Cooperative Credit Union Limited, MitaCCUL, at Sonac Street Bamenda on Friday, August 21, 2020.

“It is a great day for us. We are celebrating the death of a very famous, notorious amba terrorist,” said the Brigadier General.

Nka extended the congratulations of the hierarchy to the defense and security forces working in the North West region to secure the population and restore peace.

“Let me congratulate the squad of commandos that carried out this operation because last week, we put a bet on Fonteh. That whoever will take him, whether dead or alive will receive an envelope. I will not give the amount but those guys will be rewarded for what they have done,” Nka revealed.

The Commander of the 5th Joint Military Region assured the population that the killing of Fonteh alias Mad Dog is part of measures to make sure that “we clean Bamenda off all these amba terrorists.” Mad Dog was gunned down on Saturday night during an operation “cleverly planned” by the 5th Joint Military Region, RMIA5.

The operation in Bamenda, capital of Cameroon’s North West Region was conducted by commandos of the 3rd regiment of the Rapid Intervention Brigade, the BIR – an elite unit of the country’s army.

Open sources say the dreaded rebel figure fell into the dragnet of the military in Ntasen, Nkwen, although his remains were left at Liberty Square (City Chemist Roundabout) in Mankon early the next day for the public to see.

It is not known if Rebel General Ayekeh killed in Lebialem last October 13, 2020, will be buried in a similar fashion.

Source: Cameroon Info.Net

22, October 2020

Spain becomes first EU nation to reach 1 million Covid-19 cases ⁰

Spain has become the first European Union nation to surpass a million coronavirus infections, official data showed Wednesday. The Mediterranean country doubled its tally in just six weeks despite the government’s fresh restrictions on public life to curb the spread of the disease.

The country recorded 16,973 confirmed cases of Covid-19 over the past 24 hours, the health ministry announced Wednesday, taking the total to 1,005,295 since its first case was diagnosed on January 31 on the remote island of La Gomera, in the Canary Islands.

Of this number, 34,366 people have died, after 156 more deaths were recorded in the previous 24 hours.

After slowing to a trickle in the wake of Spain’s strict March to June lockdown, the infection rate accelerated to frequently exceed 10,000 cases a day from late August, and hit a new peak of more than 16,000 last week.

Hurried lockdown exit

A hurried exit from confinement before tracing systems were in place let transmission get out of hand faster than in other countries, said Dr. Rafael Bengoa, co-founder of Bilbao’s Institute for Health and Strategy.

Spain, which is home to around 47 million people, is only the sixth country in the world to cross this grim milestone after the United States, India, Brazil, Russia and Argentina, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

The new wave of contagion has been less deadly than in late March and April and the height of the health crisis, when fatalities routinely exceeded 800 per day, as the median age of new infections has dropped.

But with healthcare workers warning the spike could once again overwhelm hospitals, health minister Salvador Illa said Tuesday the government is considering several new measures, including night-time curfews such as those recently put in place in France and Belgium.

“We are facing very tough weeks ahead, winter is coming, the second wave is no longer a threat, it is a reality across Europe,” he told a news conference, adding the government was “open to everything” to contain the virus.

‘Political weapon’

The health ministry is set to meet Thursday with representatives from Spain’s powerful regional governments, who are in charge of healthcare, to update the country’s plan to respond to the pandemic.

Spain was one of the worst-affected countries when the coronavirus struck Europe early this year before one of the world’s most stringent lockdowns helped reduce the outbreak’s spread.

But infections have surged since the lockdown measures were fully removed at the end of June, with the rise blamed on the rapid return of nightlife and a lack of an efficient system to track and trace infections.

Messy disagreements between the central and regional governments, and between political parties, have also hampered the response, experts say. “The pandemic has been used as a political weapon to fight and argue with your adversaries instead of trying to find a middle ground and the best solution for everyone,” Salvador Macip, an expert in health sciences at Catalonia’s Open University who has written a book called “The Great Modern Plagues”, told AFP.

Fresh restrictions in Madrid, Catalonia, La Rioja and Navarre

As infections have picked up, Spanish regional authorities started imposing fresh restrictions.

While daily deaths have been hovering around 100 – a far cry from the peak of nearly 900 registered in late March – nationwide hospital admissions have jumped 20 percent in two weeks and 70 percent in the north-eastern region of Catalonia. That may potentially force some Barcelona hospitals to suspend non-urgent procedures

Madrid and several satellite cities have since early October been under a partial lockdown, while Catalonia has imposed a 15-day shutdown of all bars and restaurants.

The tiny wine-producing region of La Rioja joined nearby Navarre in announcing a blanket ban for all non-essential travel to and from the area.

Angela Hernandez Puente, a doctor and the deputy secretary of Madrid’s Amtys medical association, said the situation was very worrying, but not comparable with the overwhelming pressure the health system came under in March when intensive care units were full and staff lacked personal protective equipment.

‘Tired and angry health staff’

But she said the gains of Spain’s tough lockdown were wasted due a lack of preparation for a second wave of infections, citing as an example the failure to hire more doctors for public primary care centres, the first line of defence against the virus as they handle testing and tracing potential cases as well as treating the sick.

“It’s as if they thought that since infections lowered over the summer, ‘That’s it, it’s over’, when in fact it was the moment to prepare,” Hernandez Puente told AFP.

“Health care staff are tired and angry, many doctors feel that more should have been done in June, July and August to not let the public health system become overburdened as it is now,” she added.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP & REUTERS)

22, October 2020

Nigeria: Protests escalate after deadly crackdown by security forces ⁰

Buildings were torched in Nigeria’s biggest city Lagos on Wednesday as authorities shut down the economic hub, after the shooting of peaceful protesters by security forces caused international outrage.

At least 12 people were killed by the Nigerian army and police in two locations in Lagos on Tuesday in a deadly crackdown on demonstrations, Amnesty International said.

Peaceful protesters had gathered despite a curfew imposed to end spiralling protests over police brutality and deep-rooted social grievances.

The Lagos governor at first insisted no fatalities had been recorded but later said the authorities were investigating the death of one person resulting from “blunt force trauma to the head”.

He said at least 25 people were wounded.

Demonstrator Paul Sunday who was at the scene told AFP that the men who shot at the crowd were wearing masks and had army uniforms.

“They attacked us from back and front,” he said. “They came around 7pm when everywhere is dark.”

Pictures and videos showing scenes of chaos in the aftermath of the shooting were widely shared on social media.

The shooting drew international condemnation, with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet saying reports suggested it could have been premeditated.

“There is little doubt that this was a case of excessive use of force, resulting in unlawful killings with live ammunition, by Nigerian armed forces,” she said.

Human Rights Watch corroborated reports that the Nigerian army had opened fire on the crowd in “a shooting spree”.

“The authorities should immediately withdraw the military from the streets,” said Anietie Ewang, a Nigeria researcher with the rights group.

The Nigerian army did not respond to AFP’s requests for comment but on Twitter it called reports of soldiers firing on protesters “fake news”.

The west African ECOWAS bloc appealed to the Nigerian government, its youth and civil society “to urgently pursue dialogue for an early and amicable resolution of this social unrest and maintain the Nigerian image as a bastion of law and order.”

Nana Akufo-Addo, chairman of ECOWAS and president of neighbouring Ghana, said in a statement that he had spoken with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who had “begun the processes that will lead to reform”.

‘Inferno’

The centre of Lagos, a sprawling city that is home to 20 million people, was largely deserted and shops were closed on Wednesday under a curfew.

An AFP journalist said several buildings were burnt around the area of the shooting and remnants of the violence—broken glass, torn banners—could be seen.

A few people were drifting around, but protest hotspot Lekki Toll Gate had emptied out, only graffiti denouncing police violence and bad governance remaining.

A dozen soldiers and heavily armed police officers patrolled nearby.

In another district a bus station was set ablaze and there were sporadic clashes between bottle-throwing youths and police, who occasionally fired into the air.

A TV station linked to one of the ruling party’s most powerful politicians was also torched.

Concerned by the escalating violence reported on Wednesday in a string of cities including Lagos, the International Committee for the Red Cross called for restraint.

“It is of paramount importance that first responders and ambulances are respected by all, so they can reach injured people safely,” said Eloi Fillion, head of the ICRC delegation in Nigeria.

In a television broadcast, Lagos state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu ordered all “state activities” to be halted across the city for three days.

He said he had asked for a probe into “the rules of engagement employed by the men of the Nigerian army that were deployed” at the scene during the shooting on Tuesday.

“Soldiers clearly had one intention – to kill without consequences,” said Osai Ojigho, Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.

‘Indefinite curfew’

At least 56 people have died across the country since the protests began on October 8, with about 38 killed on Tuesday alone, according to Amnesty.

President Buhari was yet to directly address Tuesday’s incident but in a statement on the protests the presidency said he had appealed for “understanding and calm across the nation”.

A coalition of civil society organisations in Nigeria said on Wednesday that they were “deeply shocked by the killing of peaceful protesters”.

“The attempt to fight for justice over police brutality has again revealed the brutal nature of the Nigerian state,” it said in a statement.

According to the group, “not less than 40 Nigerians have lost their lives as a result of violent attempts to crack down or disrupt the ongoing protests against police brutality.”

Nigeria, where the median age is 18, is a tinderbox of profound economic and social grievances.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said on Wednesday he was “deeply concerned” by violence in Nigeria.

“The Nigerian government must urgently investigate reports of brutality at the hands of the security forces and hold those responsible to account,” he said in a statement.

Since Tuesday, Rihanna, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Ugandan pop star-turned politician Bobi Wine and Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo added their names to a list of celebrities who have supported the protesters.

Source: AFP

22, October 2020

British PM Johnson lambasted by EU lawmakers ⁰

Never before in the European Parliament has a British Prime Minister attracted so much criticism. In a debate on Wednesday, MEP after MEP lambasted Boris Johnson over his handling of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Boris Johnson has been lying to the people in the UK. The Brexit transition period ends on the 31st of December. If the EU and UK fail to reach a trade deal before then, chaos will ensue, many argue.

Johnson says there will be no further face-to-face negotiations with the EU until such time as the bloc takes the UK’s position seriously. However, almost every lawmaker in the Brussels chamber is blaming him for the impasse. A no trade deal scenario could lead to mayhem at borders between the EU and UK. Experts warn disruption to major trading corridors will have wide-ranging economic consequences.

Although very much in the minority, some eurosceptics in the European Parliament blame Brussels’ bureaucracy for the breakdown in EU-UK relations. But there are warnings that millions of jobs are at risk, and the livelihoods of fishermen and farmers hang in the balance. Most MEPs say no agreement on a future EU-UK relationship would be disastrous.

During the debate one lawmakers suggested there are now a maximum of two weeks to reach a deal, so as to allow time for parliaments to scrutinise and endorse any accord that might be agreed.

Source: Presstv

22, October 2020

Eto’o says Moukoko should be Messi’s successor at Barcelona ⁰

The Cameroon superstar has urged his former employers to sign the Borussia Dortmund sensation. Barcelona should target Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Youssoufa Moukoko as the long-term successor to Lionel Messi, according to Samuel Eto’o.

The 15-year-old has been included in BVB’s Champions League squad this season, even though he isn’t eligible to feature in Europe’s premier club competition until he turns 16 on November 20.

Despite not yet making his senior debut for Dortmund, Moukoko is the player Barca should be targeting as they look for a long-term successor to 33-year-old Messi according to the Argentine’s former teammate Eto’o, who was twice a Champions League winner during five years at Camp Nou.

“[There’s] a young player who plays for Dortmund called Youssoufa Moukoko,” Eto’o told Goal when asked who he’d love to see as Barcelona’s next big signing. “[He’s] 15 years of age, and he’s the next top player, for me, after Messi.

“As Messi gets older, we could prepare the future of Barcelona very well.”

Eto’o believes that Moukoko could form a dream post-Messi front three alongside France duo Antoine Griezmann and current Paris Saint-Germain attacker Kylian Mbappe, who is another player he’d love to see move to the Camp Nou.

“With Antoine and Youssoufa [up front together], that team would go forward very well,” Eto’o concluded. “[I’d like to see] Kylian Mbappe at Barcelona also.”

Messi appeared close to an exit from Barcelona at one point this summer, having handed in a transfer request following a tumultuous 2019-20 season, which saw the Catalan heavyweights humiliated 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals and dethroned by Real Madrid in La Liga.

The six-time Ballon d’Or winner ultimately opted to remain at the Camp Nou this term, despite reservations about the direction the club are heading in under Ronald Koeman.

Barca, who begin their Champions League campaign against Ferencvaros on Wednesday, are currently ninth in La Liga after four matches, having fallen to a 1-0 defeat at Getafe on Saturday.

German-Cameroonian forward Moukoko, who was ranked 44th in Goal’s NxGn 2020 list celebrating the 50 best wonderkids in football, is the youngest player to play and score in the Uefa Youth League.

He has already represented Germany at U-20 level, and has scored an eye-watering 134 goals in 86 appearances for Dortmund between U-17 and U-19 levels.

Source: Goal.com

21, October 2020

US: President Trump records show Chinese business pursuits and bank account ⁰

Donald Trump spent years cultivating business projects in China, where he maintained a previously unknown bank account, The New York Times reported Tuesday, as the US president attempts to portray election rival Joe Biden as weaker on Beijing.

Trump has spent recent days promoting a murky claim that Biden’s son Hunter sold access to his father in Ukraine and China when he was vice president under Barack Obama.

It is Trump, however, who maintained an office in China during his first run for president, and partnered with a major government-controlled company, the Times reported.

Trump additionally keeps a previously unknown bank account in China, controlled by Trump International Hotels Management, according to an analysis of his tax records by the paper. It is one of only three foreign nations — including Britain and Ireland — in which he does so.

The tax records show the company “paid $188,561 in taxes in China while pursuing licensing deals there from 2013 to 2015,” the Times reported.

Trump Organization lawyer Alan Garten said the company had “opened an account with a Chinese bank having offices in the United States in order to pay the local taxes.”

“No deals, transactions or other business activities ever materialized and, since 2015, the office has remained inactive,” he told The Times. “Though the bank account remains open, it has never been used for any other purpose.”

Under his “America First” banner, Trump has portrayed China as the greatest threat to the United States and global democracy.

He has launched a massive trade war that has cost China billions of dollars, harangued Chinese tech firms and laid blame for the coronavirus pandemic with Beijing.

Even so, in 2008 Trump attempted an ultimately unsuccessful office tower project in Guangzhou, and in 2012 he opened a Shanghai office, the Times said.

Additionally, Trump Hotel Collection (THC) negotiated with the State Grid Corporation of China — an electricity company, and the country’s largest state-owned enterprise — to brand and manage a major development in Beijing, sources told AFP. But the bid was later abandoned.

Biden’s income tax returns and financial dealings meanwhile show no business connection to China.

Source: AFP

21, October 2020

Federal Republic of Ambazonia: Leader calls for unity ⁰

“Collaboration we need, not collaboration we want. Ultimately, we will get that which we deserve.”

1. The lives of 8 million Ambazonians are in our hands.

2. The destiny of future generations of Ambazonians is in our hands.

3. The fate of our people in the different detention centers across our land and in La République du Cameroun is in our hands.

4. The return of our people from refugee camps in America, across Africa, especially in Nigeria, Cameroun and Ghana, as well as those internally displaced within homeland is in our hands.

5. The freedom and restoration of the Independence of our nation is in our hands. We have more in common than the minor issues that challenge and divide us.

The Restoration of our Independence and Sovereignty.

Our people are watching us; the International Community is watching us, and we are failing to conduct ourselves in a manner that reflects maturity and leadership. These qualities are needed to truly represent our people in every sphere. We are delaying attainment of our ultimate goal and deepening the suffering of our people instead of alleviating it. Are we blinded by our self-interests to their pain?

What legacy do we leave behind? Would we leave success in taking our people to our homeland or failure in not attaining Ambazonia and in everything else we are trying to prioritize?

The Journey ahead of us might still be very long. Negotiations, if and when they happen, will be very tough. Should we not focus our energies and resources on that which is important to helping us attain our Independence?

Note

Power concedes nothing. LRC is not ready to concede anything. If we don’t stand together for that which we want; the restoration of the independence of Ambazonia, we will always be begging for a few crumbs under the LRC table. In our restoration struggle, there is no more room for spectators amongst Ambazonians. We all must be active participants. Remember that if there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm. Given what we now know about what we are capable of accomplishing together, evidenced by the 2020 Takumbeng & Independence Days celebrations, why then do we have the infighting? I urge all and sundry to look up to the Ambazonian flag and refrain from attacking or insulting others.

For the attention of:

HRM Fon Gorji Dinka, Pa Nfor Ngalla Nfor, Sessekou Christmas Ebini. Hon Wirba,

Dr. Fontem Neba, Dr. David Makongo, Abdul Karim Ali, Milan Atam, Milton Taka,

Chris Anu, Dr Larry Ayamba, Eric Tataw, Mark Bareta, Tapang Ivo. Tassang

Wilfred, Patrick Ndangoh, Mancho Bibixy, Penn Terence Khan, Tita Tebit, Tsi

Conrad, Pa Augustine Ndangam, Rev Andrew Ambiazeh, Elvis Kometa.

Special attention:

Self-defense groups and our Takumbeng mothers