Headline News

28, July 2025

Manidem plans appeal for Kamto’s rejected candidacy ⁰

Erik Essousse, director of general elections, informed Maurice Kamto that his candidacy for the 2025 presidential election was rejected due to “multiple nominations by the Manidem” party. The Electoral Council also disqualified Dieudonné Yebga, who submitted his bid under the same party affiliation. According to Elecam, this dual endorsement caused legal confusion, rendering both Kamto’s and Yebga’s candidacies inadmissible.

Anicet Ekane, founder of Manidem, strongly disputed the decision against Maurice Kamto. He stated that Elecam’s reason does not reflect the truth. “The CPDM and Paul Biya, feeling [already] defeated, want to avoid a face off with the Manidem candidate,” he said. Ekane claimed the decision resulted from a calculated political maneuver. He added, “Even before the announcement of this unprecedented candidacy carrying the hopes of the people, the regime in Yaoundé had already leaked Mr. Kamto’s personal documents prepared for the application.”

The Manidem founder further accused the government of a disinformation campaign about candidacy eligibility requirements. He also claimed the government crudely altered “the official registration of Manidem’s leadership on the website of the Ministry of Territorial Administration” while orchestrating the submission of a “so-called second candidacy,” referring to Dieudonné Yebga, within the party.

In response to the rejection, Anicet Ekane’s Manidem announced its intent to appeal to the Constitutional Council, as permitted by law. Regulations allow candidates rejected by Elecam 72 hours to file a petition with this body. Ekane stated, “What happens next depends on the response of the Constitutional Council,” emphasizing that the future of Kamto’s candidacy now rests on this decision.

The pre-election dispute warrants close attention as the situation remains unresolved for Manidem. The outlook appears even more challenging for Maurice Kamto, especially since Dieudonné Yebga, in a statement dated July 26, also expressed his intention to contest Elecam’s rejection of his candidacy. As a result, both Kamto’s and Yebga’s bids are at stake, potentially leading to tangled legal proceedings and escalating political tensions surrounding the electoral process.

Source: Business in Cameroon

28, July 2025

Nigeria kidnappers kill 35 hostages even after ransom paid ⁰

Kidnappers in Nigeria have killed at least 35 people they abducted from a village in northern Zamfara state despite ransoms being paid for their release, a local official told the BBC.

In recent years, criminal gangs in the region, known in the country as bandits, have taken to kidnapping people as a means to raise money.

In this incident, 56 people were taken from Banga village, Kauran Namoda local government area in March. The gunmen then demanded a ransom of one million naira ($655; £485) per captive, media in Nigeria report.

Local government chairman Manniru Haidara Kaura said that most of those killed were young people who “were slaughtered like rams”.

“What happened was that the bandits demanded ransom money, and after some back-and-forth, they were given what they asked for. They then released 18 people, including 17 women and one young boy, on Saturday,” Haidara added.

“Only they [the gunmen] know why they killed them. They are senseless and heartless people. They forget that they are killing their own brothers, and we will all meet before Allah.”

Sixteen of those released on Saturday are in the hospital receiving treatment, while the bodies of the 38 killed by the bandits are unlikely to be returned as in these cases corpses are rarely released.

In an attempt to curb the spiralling and lucrative kidnapping industry, a law was enacted in 2022 making it a crime to make ransom payments. It carries a jail sentence of at least 15 years, however no-one has ever been arrested on those charges.

It also made abduction punishable by death in cases where victims die.

But families often feel forced to pay to save their loved ones, citing the government’s inability to ensure their safety.

Source: BBC

27, July 2025

Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province challenged to renew missionary zeal ⁰

Bishop Michael Miabesue Bibi of the Catholic Diocese of Buea has urged the people of God in the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province (BAPEC) to rekindle their missionary zeal as the province marks the 25th anniversary of its Provincial Pastoral Plan, a roadmap adopted in 2000 to guide evangelization, catechesis, and development efforts across the province’s five Dioceses.

In his homily during the Thursday, July 24 anniversary celebration, Bishop Bibi called on pastoral agents to recommit themselves to the vision of the pastoral plan, which he described as “a prophetic document” and a “powerful tool for evangelization.”

“As we celebrate 25 years of the Bamenda Provincial Pastoral Plan, we are invited to renew our zeal for evangelization and missionary work,” the Cameroonian Catholic Bishop said during the celebration that was held at Bishop Rogan Minor Seminary of Buea Diocese.

He added, “Let us not treat this celebration as a mere ritual or historical marker. It must be a call to action.”

Bishop Bibi, who chairs the BAPEC Commission for the pastoral plan, said the 2025 Silver Jubilee year is “an opportune time to reawaken our commitment to what this Plan truly stands for – building a vibrant, participatory, and missionary Church in our province.”

“We cannot afford to be passive. Our people, especially the young, must own this vision. The Plan was never meant to gather dust in archives; it was meant to guide how we live our faith daily,” the Catholic Church leader said.

He noted that while progress had been made over the past 25 years, some Dioceses had “excluded themselves technically” from fully participating in the newly elected Provincial Pastoral Council.

“I don’t know whether some members did not want to take their responsibility or just wanted to be out of it completely,” he said.

Reflecting on the multi-year Synod on Synodality that was concluded on 27 October 2024 in Rome, Bishop Bibi praised the Bamenda province for being ahead of the curve.

“While others are discussing how to implement synodality, we’ve already lived it for 25 years. That should encourage us to keep working hard,” he said.

He added, “The Church teaches in paragraph 873 of the Catechism that there is diversity of ministries, but only one mission. That mission is the work of evangelization — and our plan is our roadmap.”

Bishop Bibi called on pastoral agents to explore the pastoral plan documents anew and to continue forming agents of evangelization capable of catechizing and uniting communities.

“Yes, we are celebrating 25 years. But this is not the end. May God continue to give us the grace to remain true to the content of this plan in season and out of season,” he implored.

The Bamenda Provincial Pastoral Plan, adopted in 2000 after a synodal process involving clergy, religious, and laity from the dioceses of Bamenda, Buea, Kumbo, Mamfe, and Kumba, laid out a 25-year vision rooted in Small Christian Communities, deep catechesis, justice and peace, and holistic human development.

Source: aciafrica

27, July 2025

Path to war: Maurice Kamto banned from challenging Biya ⁰

Maurice Kamto has been excluded from the list of candidates in the 12 October presidential election.

Only 13 of the 83 names submitted to the country’s electoral body Elecam were accepted.

Kamto came second in the 2018 elections amid allegations of fraud. He has not yet commented on the decision.

President Paul Biya, 92, the world’s oldest president, was included on the list and will seek an eighth term in office.

Defying calls to step down, he says he still has a lot to offer Cameroonians despite being in power for nearly 43 years.

Biya will be challenged by two former allies, Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maigari, who both come from the vote-rich north of the country.

Kamto was excluded because he was one of two candidates registered to represent the Manidem party.

Even though he had been officially adopted by the party’s ruling body, another candidate from a splinter group also registered himself under the party’s name.

Manidem president Anicet Ekane described Kamto’s exclusion as “arbitrary and provocative”.

“We call on all Cameroonians to show calm and restraint because for the moment, it is only an offside goal. This tackle from behind must be sanctioned by the Constitutional Council which we will turn to,” he added.

Those disqualified from the presidential race have two days to file a legal challenge.

Kamto was the candidate for the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) in 2018 but the party was not allowed to endorse anyone this year due to its lack of elected representatives in parliament or local councils.

So Kamto recently joined the Manidem party, which does have local representation.

Renowned anti-corruption lawyer Akere Muna, Social Democratic Front (SDF) leader Joshua Osih, and lawmaker Cabral Libii are among the other candidates cleared to run.

Firebrand Mayor of Foumban Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya is the only female candidate on the list.

Source: BBC

26, July 2025

2025 Presidential Elections: CPDM regime puts Cameroon on a war path! ⁰

Elections Cameroon known as ELECAM has released the list of approved presidential candidates for the upcoming presidential elections and it is clear that Prof. Maurice Kamto, the man who has the entire nation behind him and the only opposition candidate who strikes fear in the CPDM corrupt regime has been cut out.

The news has hit Cameroonians like a ton of bricks and many are so disappointed with the CPDM regime which has held the country hostage for forty-three years.

Cameroon has witnessed significant decline in all sectors over the last four decades and it will take a different mindset for the country to walk away from the destructive mentality that has sent many innocent souls to an early grave.

Besides cutting out Prof. Maurice Kamto from the race, Anicet Ekane, the president of MANIDEM, the political party which has nominated Prof. Kamto, has been put under arrest.

The question is: Why is Anicet Ekane under house arrest? Is it by practicing violence on Cameroonians that the beleaguered Biya regime will perpetuate itself in power?

Cutting out Prof. Kamto from the 2025 presidential election is one mistake the government might regret in a few days. Tensions are high in the country and Cameroonians living abroad are already talking about financing a civil war. The Yaoundé regime has clearly demonstrated that political change in Cameroon will never come through the ballot box and this implies that Cameroonians should pick up arms and start killing each other.

ELECAM has decided to destroy Cameroon. It must be held accountable and its members have simply opened themselves up for personal attacks. There are discussions currently underway on how to eliminate those ELECAM officials who succumbed to the pressure from the country’s territorial administration minister, Atanga Nji. Cameroonians are frustrated. They are hungry and the pain is beyond measure. It should not be a surprise when bombs start going off in Cameroon in the coming days.

This act by the government and ELECAM, which is a government political tool, demonstrates that the CPDM cannot genuinely win an election. The CPDM cannot destroy itself by always resorting to actions which discredit it.

The CPDM can run a successful election without resorting to this barbarism that has become its hallmark. The CPDM simply needs to fill in the right candidates in every election and it will post impressive results. The CPDM is the only political party in Cameroon with a national reach. Why the fear!

What is the rationale behind imposing a 93 year old man on Cameroonians? The CPDM has many youthful and strategic brains which can lead the country to a new and prosperous era. President Biya whose health and age are already a handicap is not the only person who can rule Cameroon. The CPDM should understand that some of its acts like the decision to cut Prof. Maurice Kamto out only make violent change inevitable.

There is surely going to be violence in the coming days. If what has been playing out in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon has not taught the Yaoundé regime any lessons, then the government was never designed to learn.

If an armed conflict erupts in East Cameroon, it will certainly find a rear base in Southern Cameroons where armed groups are still creating havoc.

Cameroon’s future is bleak. The CPDM must understand that old tricks cannot always work. This is the era of cutting edge technology and with the Internet; the world can easily understand the mess that is playing out. Would it not have been a lot wiser to beat Prof. Kamto in the ballot box?

Why put the country on a war path when everyone understands that the CPDM regime is on its last leg? President Biya is dying, that is, if he is not already dead. Why push the country to a bloody civil war because of a man who had the opportunity to transform Cameroon into an El-dorado but spent most of his time sleeping at the switch?

Cameroon must change and it will change this year. The CPDM regime has chosen its side. It wants to plunge the country into a bitter civil war and this will surely happen sooner rather than later.

There are many young unemployed men who constitute a huge pool of fighters. All they need now is weapons and a few dollars bills for them to transform that country into another Democratic Republic of Congo. Is the Yaoundé regime really prepared for such a doomsday scenario?

The ball is in court of those young men whose future has been mortgaged by a regime that is inimical to development and economic prosperity. Cameroonian youths must take their responsibility. Prayers and wishes will never address unemployment, despondency, desperation and poverty. Sometimes, real freedom comes through the barrel of the gun. The government has thrown down the gauntlet. It is up to the youths of that country to demonstrate that they can bring about real change by taking to the streets and changing a regime that has been insensitive to the plight of the people.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Editor-In-Chief

25, July 2025

7,000 Cameroonians face deportation as U.S. court backs Trump’s action ⁰

On Monday, a U.S. district judge lifted an earlier injunction that had blocked the administration from ending TPS protections for nationals of Cameroon and Afghanistan, effectively clearing the path for the implementation of Trump’s April directive to revoke their protected status.

According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, about 7,900 Cameroonians currently benefit from TPS. The court’s decision could compel them to return to a country still plagued by political unrest and violence, especially in the conflict-ridden Anglophone regions.

The ruling also affects approximately 14,600 Afghans, many of whom face similar risks amid ongoing insecurity in their home country.

In April, the Trump administration announced plans to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Afghans and Cameroonians living in the United States, intensifying its sweeping immigration crackdown.

The Trump administration maintains that conditions in both Cameroon and Afghanistan have improved enough to justify ending the protections

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed the decision, which marks a significant shift in America’s humanitarian immigration policy.

TPS offers temporary legal status and protection from deportation to nationals of countries facing armed conflict or natural disasters. Cameroonians were granted this protection due to ongoing violence and a deepening humanitarian crisis in their country.

Following the announcement, more than 100 Democratic lawmakers urged top U.S. administration officials to reconsider, warning that ending TPS would force vulnerable immigrants back to “devastating humanitarian and economic conditions.”

Despite widespread opposition, the Trump administration maintains that conditions in both Cameroon and Afghanistan have improved enough to justify ending the protections, an assessment strongly contested by human rights groups and immigration advocates.

Critics argue the move not only endangers thousands of lives but also reflects a broader, hardline approach to immigration under President Trump’s renewed tenure.

Multiple advocacy groups have vowed to challenge the decision in court, raising concerns about safety, due process, and the erosion of the United States’ longstanding humanitarian commitments.

Source: Business Insider Africa

25, July 2025

Indomitable Lions: Marc Brys denies he has quit as coach ⁰

Marc Brys has denied he has quit as coach of Cameroon despite the country’s football federation confirming his exit on Wednesday, as the Belgian said his email was likely hacked and his alleged resignation letter did not come from him.

It is the latest twist in a long-running battle between Brys and the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) since his appointment by the country’s sports ministry in April 2024.

A letter dated July 21, supposedly from Brys to the sports ministry and FECAFOOT, said he had made the decision to terminate his contract “due to the non-payment of my remuneration and that of my staff for more than 60 days.”

When the letter came into the public domain on Wednesday, FECAFOOT said in a statement they had noted the resignation and would “implement a coordinated response to mitigate the impact of this vacancy at the head of the national team’s technical staff.”

However, Brys later said in a letter to the sports ministry that his email had likely been hacked, and that he had not resigned.

Cameroon’s sports ministry confirmed that Brys remained in his role. FECAFOOT has not responded to the coach’s denial.

It comes five months before the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco and with Cameroon’s qualification for the 2026 World Cup undecided.

Brys has had a testy relationship with FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o since taking the job last year, but his position is funded by the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education.

Cameroon have been drawn in a group with defending champions Ivory Coast, Gabon and Mozambique at the December 21-January 18 finals of the AFCON.

They are currently second in their qualifying pool for next year’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, a point behind Cape Verde with four rounds remaining.

Only the top team automatically earns their place at the finals, with Cameroon set for a crunch tie away against Cape Verde in September.

Source: Reuters

25, July 2025

CPDM Crime Syndicate: Martinez Zogo Murder trial postponed again ⁰

An administrative delay on July 21 postponed a military court hearing in Yaoundé for the murder case of journalist Martinez Zogo, adjourning it without debate. The Court of Appeal’s rulings from July 17 had not yet reached the Military Tribunal, effectively halting further proceedings. For nearly six months, hearings before the military jurisdiction have been on hold pending these decisions, which lawyers had requested while challenging various aspects of the case. The Court of Appeal ultimately rejected these challenges.

“At this point, we are simply waiting for the case to be referred back to the military tribunal so that the prosecution can present the facts as outlined in the indictment, the witnesses can be heard, and the process can move forward,” explained lawyer Mbuny, counsel for Lieutenant Colonel Justin Danwe, one of the defendants. The military tribunal set the next hearing for August 11.

This marks another adjournment without debate on the merits, one and a half years after the trial began. Discussions continue to focus primarily on procedural compliance and objections regarding how the preliminary investigation and judicial inquiry were conducted.

These two phases revealed that three commandos from the General Directorate for External Research (DGRE), the state counterintelligence service, tailed, abducted, tortured, and murdered Martinez Zogo, head of radio station Amplitude FM, in January 2023. Lieutenant Colonel Justin Danwe, DGRE head of operations, led the unit.

An investigative commission, composed of gendarmes and police officers and established by the President, implicated DGRE chief Divisional Commissioner Maxime Léopold Eko Eko in addition to Danwe and his arrested men. In total, 12 DGRE agents were arrested.

Civilians, including businessman Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, Bibey Mayor Martin Savom, and a notorious fake DGRE agent, were also taken into custody.

Source: Sbbc

25, July 2025

US wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies aged 71 ⁰

Hulk Hogan, one of America’s best-known wrestling stars, has died at the age of 71.

The star, born Terry Gene Bollea and known for his flowing blond hair and iconic handlebar moustache, died at his home in Florida on Thursday.

Hogan began his professional wrestling career in 1977, but shot to fame after signing for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), as it was known before it became World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), in 1983.

He was one of the most prominent characters as the popularity of wrestling exploded, and later became well-known for his reality show, Hogan Knows Best, which aired on VH1 from 2005 to 2007.

Hogan’s manager Chris Volo said the wrestler suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Clearwater, Florida, and died surrounded by his family.

More recently, Hogan had been a vocal a supporter of US president Donald Trump.

In a post on his social media site Truth Social, Trump wrote that he had “lost a great friend today”, the “Hulkster”.

“Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way — Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart. He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week,” Trump wrote in the post, referencing his slogan, Make America Great Again.

The WWE star had neck surgery in May and heart surgery in June.

In a post on Instagram, his family wrote that they had “lost a legend”.

“May we all take solace in the wonderful memories he left behind for the millions of fans worldwide whose lives he touched for more than four decades,” they wrote. “He will be missed, but never forgotten.”

Police officials said on Thursday that emergency services responded to a medical call at 10:00 EST (15:00 BST), where they found Hogan experiencing a serious medical issue.

He was taken to a hospital where he died at 11:17. There will be an investigation, they said, but there is no suspicious activity surrounding his death.

Source: BBC

24, July 2025

Togo: Furious protests at move to cement ruling family’s grip on power ⁰

A new constitution that has allowed Togo’s long-time head of state Faure Gnassingbé to shift to a new role as all-powerful prime minister – and escape the constraint of presidential term limits – has triggered anger on the streets of the capital, Lomé. Protests are set to continue this Friday.

At least five demonstrators have died while confronting official security forces in recent weeks.

But it is not the orthodox political opposition – predictably crushed in local elections last week – that has mobilised frustrated young Togolese people.

Instead it is musicians, bloggers and activists who have tapped into popular anger and weariness with a regime that has been in power – under the leadership of Faure Gnassingbé or, before him – his father Gnassingbé Éyadéma, for almost six decades.

That outstrips even Cameroon’s 92-year old President Paul Biya – who has just confirmed his intention to stand for an eighth successive term in elections later this year – or Gabon’s father-and-son presidents, Omar Bongo and Ali Bongo, latter of whom was deposed in a coup in August 2023.

The lessons of that episode did not escape Faure Gnassingbé, a shrewd and often discreet operator who quickly moved to devise a new constitutional structure for Togo, to prolong his own hold on power while playing down his personal profile, in a bid to defuse accusations of dynastic rule.

He will no longer need to stand for re-election in his own name.

The 59-year-old holds the premiership because his Union pour la République (Unir) party dominates the national assembly – and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, thanks to a constituency map gerrymandered to over-represent its northern heartlands and understate the voting weight of the pro-opposition coastal south.

Gilbert Bawara, Togo’s civil service and labour minister, maintains the 2024 election was above board, with “all the major political actors and parties” taking part.

“The government cannot be held responsible for the weakness of the opposition,” Bawara told BBC Focus on Africa TV last week.

He added that those with a genuine reason to demonstrate could do so within the law, blaming activists abroad for inciting “young people to attack security forces” in an attempt to destabilise the country.

The new constitutional framework was announced at short notice in early 2024 and quickly approved by the compliant government-dominated national assembly. There was no attempt to secure general public approval through a referendum.

A one-year transition concluded this May as Gnassingbé – who had been head of state since 2005 – gave up the presidency and was installed in the premiership, a post now strengthened to hold all executive power and total authority over the armed forces.

To occupy the presidency, a role now reduced to a purely ceremonial function, legislators chose the 86-year old former business minister, Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové.

Source: BBC