Headline News

8, January 2021

Yaounde: With no power over government, Prime Minister Ngute digs in heels ⁰

Though technically the highest-ranked minister, Joseph Dion Ngute is only the head of government in name and it is Paul Biya’s advisors who manage the executive’s day-to-day actions.

It is not strange in the minds of every Southern Cameroonian. For over 57 years after independence and re-unification, there has never been an Southern Cameroons President or a Southern Cameroons Secretary General or Director of Civil Cabinet at the Presidency of the Republic. Nor has any British Southern Cameroonian ever held the strategic ministerial portfolio of Defense, Finance, Communication, and External Relations or even in charge of the Police, Gendarmerie, the Army and Intelligence services; not even ambassadors to English-speaking countries like the USA and Nigeria. For a region that represents about 20% of the population, accounting for over 60% of GDP, the fact that the lone oil refinery named in French (SONARA) is in Southern Cameroon, yet has been run by Francophone general managers with a predominantly Francophone workforce since its creation is unacceptable. It just cannot be that there are no competent Southern Cameroonians to occupy these positions.

Higher institutions like the National Polytechnic, ENAM, IRIC, ESSTIC, INJS, IFORD, CUSS, Public Works, ENSPT, IRAD, are heavily laden with French courses; another way of saying, British Southern Cameroonians need not apply.

Although La Republique du Cameroun passes officially for a bilingual country where both English and French are equal, the head of state has never ever made an official address to the nation in English! All official correspondences are in French, even when directed to British Southern Cameroonians. French is the language used in the administration, police, gendarmerie, army and the courts. Southern Cameroonians have to seek translators at their own expense. All road signs are in French and there is not a single word in English on the FCFA currency in circulation. Chief Dr Dion Ngute understands that this is not constitutional.

French Camerounians occupy all key positions in the Supreme Court – President of the Supreme Court; Attorney General; Head of Judicial Division; Head of Administrative Division; Head of audit Division; Head of Special Criminal Court; Special Attorney Special Criminal Court; Director of Military Justice; Registrar-In-Chief Supreme Court and Secretary General Supreme Court. 58 (39%) of the 148 magistrates in the Southern Zone of Ambazonia are French Camerounians while 54 (61%) of the 89 magistrates in the legal department in the same Southern Zone are French Camerounians. Prime Minister Dion Ngute is aware!

Of the 128 magistrates in the Northern Zone of Ambazonia, there are 67 French Camerounians (52 %). Of the 97 magistrates of the legal departments, 64 of them are French Camerounians, (65.9%); 22 (48.9%) of the 45 magistrates in Bamenda are French Camerounians. There are 27 magistrates in the legal department in Bamenda of which 21, (77.8%) are French Camerounians. Prime Minister Dion Ngute is very much aware!! There is no reference hospital and no functional airport or seaport in the entire Southern Cameroons.

Back by the French government in Paris ever since the so-called reunification, Yaounde has made it a point to assign French Camerounians who neither speak nor understand English to British Southern Cameroons.

French Camerounians disrespect British Southern Cameroonians in positions of authority, even the prime minister, head of government. Francophone ministers either ignore cabinet meetings called by the PM or come late, in breach of standard protocol.

By Chi Prudence Asong with files from Ekinneh Agbaw-Ebai

8, January 2021

African Nations Championship: Zambia, Guinea, Namibia and Tanzania ‘not safe’ in Southern Cameroons ⁰

The Southern Cameroons Interim Government has warned CAF that the city of Limbe is a war zone and unfit for African Nations Championship matches.

These matches include pool D games involving Namibia, Zambia, Guinea and Tanzania. The tournament is due to run from 16 January to 7 February across three cities. Other tournament venues are in Yaoundé and Japoma Douala.

“With regards to the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations, Ambazonia Intelligence Service (AIS) has briefed the Interim Government on sophisticated new strategies that would be employed to defend our national interest. We have informed French Cameroun and nations participating in this tournament that any attempt to bring its activities to Ambazonia would be considered a deliberate violation of our sovereignty, and our response will be prompt and definite” the Vice President of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government Dabney Yerima cautioned.

Many football fans around the continent have been expecting a reaction from the government in Yaounde. Cameroon Concord News understands that it is still unclear to the tournament organizers if the Ambazonia threat is authentic.

Other Southern Cameroon front line movements have unanimously backed the Interim Government and have strongly advised the African football governing body to immediately terminate any plan to play any game in Victoria (Limbe) or to host any team anywhere in the territory of Ambazonia for safety and security reasons.

The people of British Southern Cameroons have often claimed they are being unfairly treated by Paul Biya’s French-centred government. Paul Biya has held the reins in Cameroon for nearly four decades (and was prime minister before that).

This resulted in militant secessionist groups symbolically proclaiming the independence of a new nation — including the two Anglophone regions — called the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, which lies between Nigeria to the west and French Cameroon to the east.

The Interim President of Africa’s newest nation, Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, and other members of his cabinet are in French Cameroonian prisons where they have been sentenced for life.

It is a conflict which is scarred by violence and severe human rights violations from both security forces and armed groups, Amnesty International reported.

Over 6 000 people have died and close to half a million have been displaced. Multiple separatists groups have formed in the southwest and northwest of the country.

At least five people died and five more were wounded on Wednesday after a roadside bomb exploded in Momo County in the Northern Zone of Southern Cameroons.

By Isong Asu in London with files from Namibian.com

7, January 2021

A President Unhappy: 4 people died during the siege, more than 50 people were arrested ⁰

President Donald Trump said there would be an “orderly transition on January 20” after Congress concluded the electoral vote count early Thursday, certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, hours after he appeared to excuse the violent occupation of the US Capitol by his supporters. A woman was fatally shot, windows were bashed and the mob forced shaken lawmakers and aides to flee the building, shielded by Capitol Police.

Lawmakers formally certified Biden as the winner of the presidential election Thursday morning, clearing the way for his inauguration on January 20. Republican Vice President Mike Pence certified the Electoral College count of 306 electors in favour of Biden against 232 in favour of Trump.

Trump promised Thursday there would be an “orderly transition on January 20” after Congress concluded the electoral vote count. On Wednesday he told the crowd at a so-called Save America rally that he would “never concede” the 2020 election. He urged supporters to gather at the Capitol building to support the Republican lawmakers who had vowed to challenge Biden’s win.

Trump supporters fought with Capitol police and then forced their way into the building, breaking windows and scaling the outside walls. Several officers were wounded and the National Guards of several nearby US states were mobilised to provide support.

DC police said four people died during the siege – one woman was shot by police and died in hospital while three others had medical emergencies. More than 50 people were arrested.

As Trump supporters besieged the Capitol, President-elect Joe Biden called on Trump to go on national TV to denounce the “insurrection”, calling the scenes “disgraceful”.

Trump eventually gave a statement via a recorded video, repeating his false claim that the election was stolen but asking supporters to “stay peaceful”. Several hours later he called for the crowd to “go home” before adding: “We love you. You’re very special.”

Facebook, Twitter and YouTube removed the video from their platforms over Trump’s false election claim. Twitter said his account would be locked for the next 12 hours and threatened him with “permanent suspension”. Facebook announced it would block him from posting for 24 hours.

Other riots instigated by Trump supporters were staged outside legislatures in states including Georgia, New Mexico, Ohio and California, leading some to be evacuated. Some scuffles broke out but most demonstrations were small and led to only a few arrests.

Culled from France 24

7, January 2021

Ambazonians at Ikom rally demand UN-sponsored referendum in Southern Cameroons ⁰

Southern Cameroons activists at a rally in Ikom bordering Ekok in Nigeria have called on the United Nations (UN) to ensure the Federal Republic of Ambazonia’s right to self-determination by organizing a referendum in Ground Zero.

The Ambazonians at the rally in the outskirts of Ikom on Tuesday demanded the UN to support British Southern Cameroons push for the realization of the UN multilateral treaty obligation towards the Southern Cameroons on 1 October 1961 which Great Britain by some strange happenstance handed the articles of sovereignty over the territory to French vassal state of French Cameroun and France’s proxy army of occupation in the night of 30 September 1961.

The Southern Cameroonians chanted pro-independence slogans and urged the European Union and the US President-elect Joe Biden to take notice of the French Cameroun human rights violations in the English speaking-minority region.

Thousands of British Southern Cameroonians have died since a French Cameroun war erupted four years ago and more than a quarter of the population have fled their homes. Of these, 75,000 are refugees in neighbouring Nigeria.

Even though bloodshed has receded in intensity over the last two months, violence remains chronic. Ambazonia Restoration Forces hold sways over two-thirds of the territory. At least four people were killed on Wednesday January 6 2021 following an explosion of a home-made bomb in the Northern Zone of Southern Cameroons.

The Biya Francophone regime in Yaoundé confirmed that the convoy of the prefect of Momo came under attack from Ambazonia Restoration Forces.

At the heart of the crisis, which started in 2016, was a strike by teachers and lawyers, in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon. The professionals, supported by citizens of their areas, protested the unfair use of the French language and unjustified appointments of French speakers in their territories. Cameroon was passing for a bilingual country. By 2017, the situation had spiralled out of control and developed into a fully-fledged separatist war. Both government forces and separatists are now bogged down in a conflict that observers say, can only be resolved through dialogue.

By Kingsley Betek in Ekok

7, January 2021

CPDM Crime Syndicate: Biya ready to sell Camair-Co ⁰

Cameroon Concord News Group made some key points to the ruling CPDM crime syndicate when the disgraced Minister of State in charge of Transport Edgar Alain Mebo Ngo’o announced that renovation work had been completed at the Douala International Airport.

We asked if a neutral government body had gone to inspect the work done at the Douala International airport. What was replaced during the one month period of work? How much did it cost the Cameroonian task payer? Was the Minister of Transport Edgar Alain Mebo Ngo’o ready to vouch for the safety of the airport? And we concluded that with regard to that operation and money spent, the nation needed an independent assessment.

We told the world that the same was true with the national carrier Camair-co. But because the French Cameroun dictator Paul Biya heads a government that no one takes responsibility, no one apologize and no one resigns, Yaoundé kept on appointing new managing directors of Camair-co. To be sure, Louis-Georges Njipendi Kouotou successfully became the seventh managing director of Camair-co in recent times.

Louis-Georges Njipendi Kouotou and six others grounded the national carrier. Camair-co ever since President Biya and his Beti Ewondo kinsmen and women took over became short of viable planes. The situation grew from bad to worse and forced to travel by road for want of available Camair-Co aircraft, three French Cameroun government ministers ended up in a river. The accident again placed the national carrier’s management in a bind.

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, which has grounded aircraft all around the world, Yaoundé has been actively seeking a consultancy firm to help it to develop the country’s civil aviation industry destroyed by President Biya and his gang.

Recently, Camair-co managed to get back in the air with a plane hired from Ukraine but our senior economic reporter in Douala confirmed late on Monday that Camair-Co’s future is sealed: the government is making plans to privatise 51% of the national carrier.

By Rita Akana in Yaounde

7, January 2021

World leaders react with shock to Trump mob storming US Capitol ⁰

World leaders reacted with shock to the storming of the US Capitol building by enraged supporters of US President Donald Trump who are unable or unwilling to accept that he lost the November 3 election to Democrat Joe Biden. The Congress was in the process of certifying Biden’s win, with some objections from Republicans, when the siege began.

Leaders around the world condemned the storming of the US Capitol building by supporters of President Donald Trump on Wednesday, expressing shock at the chaos unfolding in a country long known for its peaceful transfers of power.

“Disgraceful scenes in US Congress,” tweeted Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, a staunch ally of the United States over generations. “The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.”

President of the European Parliament David Sassoli, who leads one of the largest legislatures in the world, also denounced the scenes at the Capitol. The European Union has spent four cantankerous years dealing with the Trump administration and its top officials have repeatedly said they are looking forward to a better relationship under President-elect Joe Biden.

“This is insurrection. Nothing less. In Washington,” tweeted Carl Bildt, a former prime minister of Sweden.

‘The looting of democracy’

French President Emmanuel Macron published a video on Twitter, criticising the violence in while reiterating his faith in the US democratic process.

Macron ended the video with a brief statement in English, which carried the hashtag “#WeAreOne.”

“I just wanted to express our friendship and our faith in the United States,” he said. “What happened today in Washington DC is not America. Definitely. We believe in the strength of our democracies. We believe in the strength of American democracy.”

Macron: ‘What happened today in Washington, DC, is not America’

Other allies were similarly appalled at what they described as an attack on American democracy, though many said they believed US democratic institutions would withstand the turmoil.

Several leaders blamed Trump directly for the violence, with some warning: “It won’t end today.”

“This is the widely anticipated outcome of Trumpism,” tweeted a retired Italian centre-left politician, Pierluigi Castagnetti. “And unfortunately it won’t end today. When politics is replaced by deception and fanaticism of the people the drift is inevitable.”

Many Italians watched with shock as the events unfolded in a country that helped Italy after its fascist era during World War II.

Turkey, a NATO ally that has sometimes been at odds with the Trump administration, expressed concern over the images of angry Trump supporters trying to thwart the certification of Biden as the new president. A foreign ministry statement urged all parties in the United States to use “moderation and common sense”.

“We believe that the United States will overcome this domestic political crisis with maturity,” the ministry said.

“Trump and his supporters should finally accept the decision of the American voters and stop trampling on democracy,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas wrote on Twitter. “From inflammatory words come violent deeds.”

He added that, “contempt for democratic institutions has disastrous effects”.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country was “deeply disturbed and saddened” by the events in the US, Canada’s closest ally and neighbor.

“Violence will never succeed in overruling the will of the people. Democracy in the US must be upheld – and it will be,” Trudeau tweeted.

Other reactions were not so supportive.

Venezuela, which remains under US sanctions, said events in Washington show that the US “is suffering what it has generated in other countries with its politics of aggression”. President Nicolas Maduro has survived US-backed opposition efforts to oust him despite accusations of human rights abuses and a humanitarian crisis that has seen much of its population descend into poverty and forced millions to flee the oil-rich country.

As his supporters stormed the Capitol, Trump issued a lukewarm call for them to “stay peaceful” but did not immediately ask them to disperse. Hours later he urged them to go home but added, “We love you” and called them “very special” people.

(FRANCE 24 with AP)

7, January 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Journalist shot dead in Mbengui attack ⁰

The death has been announced of Becky Jeme İyabo, the Divisional Delegate for Communication in Momo Division.

The journalist is said to be among six persons who fell when armed separatist fighters attacked the convoy of the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, for Momo Division on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.

Open sources say the SDO was returning from Njikwa when his convoy was attacked by separatists, leading to the death of Ms. Jeme İyabo and five soldiers.

Local journalists in Bamenda say the convoy fell on improvised explosive devices, IEDs, planted along the road by armed separatists in the area.

Fouda Etaba Benoit Nicaise, Senior Divisional Officer for Momo Division is said to have been in Ngie and Njikwa on Tuesday, January 5, 2021, for the installation of new sub divisional officers appointed to the aforementioned subdivisions.

On December 18, 2020, President Paul Biya signed a decree appointing and transferring some subdivisional officers across the country.

In Momo Division, North West Region of Cameroon, two new sub divisional officers were appointed.

Mr. Arrah Ama Tagana Maxime was appointed Sub divisional Officer of Ngie Subdivision. The Administrative Officer was previously the First Assistant Senior Divisional Officer of Momo Division. He replaced Mr. Nyaso Mohamadou Nfor, who has been transferred to other duties.

The December 18, 2020 decree also appointed Mr. Belinga Benjamin as Sub divisional Officer of Njikwa Subdivision. The Senior Executive Officer, previously Second Assistant Senior Divisional Officer of Momo Division replaced Mr. Shu Carnicious Numfor, who has been transferred to other duties.

Officials are yet to comment on the attack. Hon. Marinette NGO YETNA, Member of Parliament for Sanaga Maritime has however taken to Facebook to extend her condolences to the bereaved families. She also wonders when the crisis will end.

The 2004 batch of graduates of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, JMC, mourns one of theirs Jeme Iyabo. The people of her native Buea, the entire media family, and the people of Cameroon are in mourning.

Cameroon’s state forces have been battling to dislodge armed separatists who pitched their tents in the North West and South West Regions since Anglophone protests transformed into an armed conflict in 2017.

Source: Cameroon Info.Net

6, January 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Yaoundé says 3 French Cameroun troops, journalist killed in Momo County attack ⁰

At least four people were killed this Wednesday morning following an explosion of a home-made bomb in the Northern Zone of Southern Cameroons.

Yaoundé confirmed late today that the convoy of the prefect of Momo came under attack from Ambazonia Restoration Forces.

A statement from the Biya Francophone regime said “The prefect’s convoy was ambushed by the separatists on their way back from the sub-prefect’s installation in Njikwa.”

Cameroon Concord News gathered that the lead vehicle of the convoy mounted on an explosive device before the entire convoy then riddled with bullets by Ambazonia Restoration Forces responsible for providing security in the area.

Three Cameroon government army soldiers and a journalist lost their lives in the explosion, according to a provisional assessment.

The journalist Becky Jeme was in charge of communication in the Momo constituency. As such, she was part of the official French Cameroun delegation violating standing orders put in place by the Southern Cameroons Interim Government.

By Fon Lawrence

6, January 2021

US: Biden and then Trump call for US Capitol “insurrection” to stop ⁰

Angry supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol Wednesday, marching through the building, shouting and waving both Trump and American flags, and forcing a halt to congressional deliberations over challenges to Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. Senators were evacuated and some House lawmakers tweeted they were sheltering in place in their offices.

US President-elect Joe Biden called on Trump to go on national TV to denounce the “insurrection”, calling the scenes at the Capitol “disgraceful”, that they should “stop now”.

Trump supporters fought with Capitol Police and then forced their way into the building, not long after a rally near the White House, during which Trump had egged them on, saying: “We will never give up, we will never concede … We will stop the steal.”

Multiple police officers have been injured at the Capitol and the National Guard has been mobilised to provide support.

Vice President Pence has called for the violence to ‘stop now’ – but outgoing president Trump has not.

The violence at the Capitol came as Congress sat to certify the election victory of Joe Biden.

Source: France 24

6, January 2021

Dr Merkel confirms Germany will extend coronavirus lockdown until January 31 ⁰

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Tuesday that she has agreed with state governors to extend the country’s current lockdown by three weeks until Jan. 31.

Merkel said they also are tightening curbs on social contacts, in line with measures imposed at the beginning of the pandemic in March. And they called for new restrictions on movement for people living in areas with particularly high infection rates.

The decision came as new coronavirus cases and deaths are running at stubbornly high levels, and officials remain uncertain what effect the Christmas and New Year holidays have had on the situation.

Germany launched a nationwide partial shutdown on Nov. 2, closing restaurants, bars, leisure and sports facilities. That failed to reduce infection figures, and the current lockdown — which closed nonessential shops and schools, and further limited social contacts — took effect Dec. 16. It was initially due to run through Jan. 10.

Germany’s disease control centre on Tuesday reported 944 more COVID-19 deaths, fueling expectations that Chancellor Angela Merkel and the country’s 16 state governors will extend the country’s lockdown until the end of the month.

Merkel’s meeting with the governors on Tuesday will decide how long the lockdown should go on and to what extent schools will reopen. Another topic high on the agenda will be addressing criticism of the country’s vaccination program amid frustrations over its gradual start.

Vaccinations in Germany and the rest of the 27-nation European Union started over a week ago. In Germany, a nation of 83 million, nearly 265,000 vaccinations had been reported by Monday, the Robert Koch Institute said.

Opposition politicians and even some within Germany’s governing coalition have criticized the EU’s cautious advance ordering of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine — the only one so far cleared for use in EU nations. The EU’s medical regulator is also evaluating a vaccine by Moderna.

The country’s health minister has repeatedly said that the vaccinations are progressing as expected and that the slow start is because mobile teams are first going to nursing homes to vaccinate the most vulnerable, which takes more time than inviting people to mass vaccination centers.

Still, in a nod to the heavy pressure, Health Minister Jens Spahn said he has asked the country’s agency in charge of vaccinations if the second shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine could be delayed in order to be able to vaccinate more people right away with a first shot. Britain has embraced such a plan with its vaccinations, but the move is being hotly debated by scientists and governments around the world.

Germany’s new infections remain at more than twice the level of 50 per 100,000 residents over seven days, which the government wants to reach. In part because of lower testing and delayed reporting, it’s not yet clear what effect the Christmas holidays will have on Germany’s new coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

Germany has reported 35,518 virus-related deaths overall.

(AP)