Headline News

9, July 2020

German Chancellor Merkel says Covid-19 has exposed the limits of ‘fact-denying populism’ ⁰

Chancellor Angela Merkel presented Germany’s priorities for its six-month term at the helm of the EU presidency on Wednesday, urging swift action to shore up economies in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic while underscoring that the crisis had exposed the limits of “fact-denying populism”.

The coronavirus pandemic is showing the limits of “fact-denying populism,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the European Parliament on Wednesday as she set out her country’s plans for its six-month presidency of the European Union.

Germany took over the task of chairing EU meetings on July 1 and faces the challenge of seeking a compromise on a coronavirus recovery fund for the 27-nation bloc as well as the EU’s budget for the next seven years as the continent faces up to the task of pulling out of a deep recession.

Merkel ‘has no illusions about how tough it will be’

“The depth of the economic decline demands that we hurry,” Merkel told lawmakers. “We must waste no time – only the weakest would suffer from that. I very much hope that we can reach an agreement this summer. That will require a lot of readiness to compromise from all sides – and from you too.”

“We must not be naive: In many member states, opponents of Europe are just waiting to misuse the crisis for their ends,” she said. “We must show them all where the added value of cooperation in the European Union lies. We must show that a return to nationalism means not more, but less control.”

Without explicitly naming any countries or politicians, Merkel pointed to cautionary examples elsewhere.

“We are seeing at the moment that the pandemic can’t be fought with lies and disinformation, and neither can it be with hatred and agitation,” she said.

“Fact-denying populism is being shown its limits,” she added to applause. “In a democracy, facts and transparency are needed. That distinguishes Europe, and Germany will stand up for it during its presidency.”

Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron in May proposed creating a one-time 500 billion-euro ($563 billion) recovery fund that would be filled through shared EU borrowing. That is a big step for Germany, breaking with its long-standing opposition to any kind of joint borrowing.

The EU’s executive Commission expanded on the proposal, putting forward plans for a 750 billion-euro fund made up mostly of grants. It faces resistance from countries dubbed the “Frugal Four” – Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden – that oppose grants and are reluctant to give money away without strings attached.

“It is right and important for the regions particularly hard hit by the crisis, and above all the people who live there, to be able to count on our solidarity,” Merkel said Wednesday. “It is in our very own interests – but at the same time, that also means the effort that is necessary for the good of all must not overburden the economically strong member states in a one-sided way.”

Source: AP

9, July 2020

Ambazonia Interim Gov’t: Maryland cabal policy of sending anti Sisiku Ayuk Tabe messages serves French Cameroun’s interests ⁰

A senior adviser to Vice President Dabney Yerima has said the disgraced former Southern Cameroons representatives, Sako Ikome and Chris Anu are pursuing a policy of weakening Ambazonia Self Defense Forces against the French Cameroun military, noting that the Maryland cabal’s agenda serves the interests of the Biya Francophone regime in Yaoundé.

“The anti President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe messages flashed out incessantly by Mr Sako and Mr Chris Anu are meant to force the people of Ambazonia into capitulating to French Cameroun policies and achieving Biya regime’s objectives” Feh Peter Forbin noted in an interview with Cameroon Concord News.

“To be accurate, the Ambazonia Interim Government under the stewardship of Comrade Dabney Yerima is a thorn in the side of French Cameroun and poses a threat to the Biya Francophone regime. Sako and Chris are therefore helping Biya and his French Cameroun gang to pull the plug on the Interim Government” added Feh Peter.

The Yerima aide further highlighted the non existence of mask in Southern Cameroons amid the coronavirus, saying Sako Ikome and Chris Anu are primarily responsible for the problem because their social media outings is blocking the flow of cash into the Interim Government.

Elsewhere, Vice President Dabney Yerima censured French Cameroun’s continuous military operations in the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, saying Yaoundé’s hostile policy against the people of Southern Cameroons will not weaken the Ambazonia revolution but will strengthen it.

By Oke Akombi Ayukepi Akap in Glasgow

9, July 2020

Ambazonia homemade bombs hit positions deep in Yaounde ⁰

An unknown Southern Cameroons group says its homemade bombs have hit targets in Yaoundé, following warnings that retaliatory attacks would hit deep in French Cameroun territory if the Biya Francophone regime did not stop its aggression against Ambazonians.

A spokesman for Southern Cameroons’s Restoration Forces said in a statement that Ambazonian Self Defense groups have not conducted any operation inside French Cameroun. But an audio aired in pidgin said that Ambazonian fighters used locally made bombs in the Yaoundé operation.

The audio also emphasized that legitimate retaliatory attacks would continue as long as the Biya Francophone regime pressed ahead with their war in Southern Cameroons and that Ambazonia fighters will continue to target French Cameroun military installations that are spearheading the aggression against the people of Southern Cameroons.

On July 1, 2020, French Cameroun’s Lieutenant Colonel Anaba was shot by unknown gunmen in Besongabang, a village some 3 km from Mamfe the chief town in Manyu County where there is a military barracks while he was celebrating his promotion. Lieutenant Colonel Anaba is currently in Douala where he is fighting for life in a military hospital.

French Cameroun and its leader Paul Biya launched a devastating war on Southern Cameroons four years ago in an attempt to subdue an uprising that is clamouring for an independent state known as the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

The UN estimates that the war has claimed more than 3,000 lives over the past four years.

By Isong Asu in London

8, July 2020

Ivory Coast COVID-19 Drama: President Ouattara’s next of kin dead ⁰

The Ivorian government has confirmed the death of Prime Minister Amadou Gon Coulibaly. He died at the age of 61 in the capital Abidjan. Multiple news sites including Jeune Afrique reported the death late Wednesday citing multiple official sources.

The deceased returned home last week (July 2) after a two-month absence during which period he was receiving medical treatment in France. Coulibaly is a close ally of Ouattara and has held the Prime Minister portfolio since 2017.

He was the presidential candidate of the ruling Rally of Republicans party in upcoming polls meant to choose a new president as incumbent Alassane Ouattara leaves office after two terms. The party elected him as flag bearer in March 2020 for the October polls.

“I am back home to take my place at the President’s side, to continue the work of development and construction of our country, Côte d’Ivoire,” Coulibaly said upon his return.

He had been part of a cabinet meeting this morning according to reports. His official Twitter handle posted messages lauding the efforts and leadership of Ouattara.

Source: Africa News

8, July 2020

Ambazonia Crisis: THERE IS NO LOCKDOWN FROM 10 JULY 2020 ⁰

INTERIM GOVERNMENT OF AMBAZONIA STATEMENT: THERE IS NO LOCKDOWN FROM 10 JULY 2020

Fellow Ambazonians,

Today, Wednesday, 8 July 2020, the Interim Government of Ambazonia was inundated with calls and enquiries from Ground Zero and the diaspora regarding a Lockdown starting Friday 10 July 2020.

After consulting with other frontline movements of our struggle, your Interim Government is hereby stating that these rumours are inaccurate and unfounded.

As a government, the safety and security of our people in Ground Zero is our utmost priority and your Interim Government would consult with our self-defence heroes before making public notices of national significance.

These rumours are speculative and must be disregarded. Daily business and community activities within the territory of Ambazonia should proceed with vigilance and without interruption.

Our self-defence forces are called upon to perform their duty of protecting our people and their properties dutifully.

We have committed to getting our freedom and independence. At the core of our current challenges, let us remember that solidarity and integrity must be our companions in this journey.

May God bless you all.

Thank You

Dabney Yerima

Vice President

Federal Republic of Ambazonia

8, July 2020

Football: Cameroon midfielder Boya claims he snubbed Rangers move ⁰

Cameroon midfielder Frank Boya has revealed he turned down the chance to sign for Rangers this summer to move to Antwerp instead.

The 24-year-old signed for the Belgian side earlier this month after his contract expired at Royal Mouscron, who he joined after playing for German side Munich 1860.

And Boya claimed he turned down the chance to sign for Steven Gerrard’s Gers because he wanted to stay in the Belgian League.

He said: “The proof that I did well at Mouscron was the amount of offers I received from big clubs.

“I had no shortage of offers and Rangers and Werder Bremen were the most keen for me to join them.

“So leaving Belgium could have been a solution, but I wanted my future to be settled quickly and none of the teams interested have as much ambitions as at Antwerp.

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard was aware of the midfielder’s availability

“As soon as I moved here, I knew it was the right decision.

“The staff here integrated me from my first day and my new teammates have been a huge help.

“I always believed I would make it because football is an environment where everything is possible.

“You just have to give yourself the means to get there.”

Source: The Sun

8, July 2020

ICC opens new representative office in Cameroon ⁰

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has established a new presence in Cameroon, building on the organisation’s regional focus in Africa.

On 23 June, ICC’s World Council approved the opening of a new regional office (known as a national committee) in Cameroon. ICC Cameroon, which is located in Douala, works in cooperation with the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Artisans of Cameroon. The new office is led by Perrial Jean Nyodog, as Chair, and Ebenezer Njanga, as Secretary General. Mr Nyodog is also the CEO of Tradex, which trades in oil and oil by-products, while Mr Njanga is also the CEO of the Free Market Foundation of Central Africa.

John W.H. Denton AO said: “We’re pleased to welcome ICC Cameroon to our growing community of regional offices around the world. As Cameroon is a critical economy in Central Africa, ICC Cameroon will equip local businesses – both large and small – with the expertise required to address emerging challenges and forge long-term solutions for the future.”

The opening of ICC Cameroon is the latest step in ICC’s regional expansion in Africa. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Denton convened a landmark Sub-Saharan Africa action group that brought together participants from close to 20 African countries to discuss a wide variety of regional issues, including operationalising the African Continental Free Trade Area. This past week, ICC joined the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and other partner organisations to launch a major survey to understand the unique challenges faced by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in least-developed countries (LDCs), such as Burkina Faso.

ICC Cameroon will add to the success of these regional initiatives, by strengthening dialogue with regional, continental and international business communities. Local commissions and working groups are being created by ICC Cameroon in the following areas: arbitration and law; banking and finance; e-Commerce and digital economy; energy and environment; intellectual property; international trade; marketing and communication; and transport and logistics.

Mr Njanga, ICC Cameroon’s Secretary General, said that his team is well positioned to strengthen commercial relations between Central African businesses and ICC’s global network of over 45 million companies. “ICC Cameroon is looking forward to working with the ICC Global Headquarters in Paris and with ICC offices and members around the world to bring the perspective of Cameroonian businesses to ICC’s policies and standards for global trade,” said Mr Njanga. “This partnership will strengthen ties between Cameroon and the international business community, which will lead to improved development opportunities for all.”

Mr Njanga also noted the timeliness of the announcement as the world continues to respond to the economic and social consequences of COVID-19. “ICC Cameroon’s action plan includes activities that will allow companies to efficiently tackle challenges and issues that negatively impact international trade – and more urgently – give support to Cameroon and the business community in our ongoing response against COVID-19.”

With the addition of Cameroon, ICC now operates national offices in 90 countries worldwide. ICC Cameroon becomes the latest national committee since ICC Vietnam, which opened in November 2019.

Culled from International Chamber of Commerce

8, July 2020

Biya has achieved what Russia’s Vladimir Putin hopes to achieve ⁰

Paul Biya may not feature prominently in discussions about how Irish politics might be made more representative, more engaging, and less unattractive to myriad intelligent, socially aware, and committed citizens discouraged by the unchanging, numbing predictability of it all.

The personal and family costs risked by participation can be dissuading too.

So are the increasingly toxic, anti-democratic, character assassinations on consequence-free social media. Biya, at 88, is the world’s longest-serving state leader. He has been president of Cameroon since 1982, and served as prime minister from 1975 to 1982. He consolidated his power in 1984 during an attempted coup when he eliminated most of his rivals.

Biya has achieved what Russia’s Vladimir Putin hopes to achieve — authority for life. Just last week, Putin saw 77.9% of voters endorse ending presidential term limits allowing him the possibility of power until 2036.

China’s president, Xi Jinping, did not feel the need to even ask when, two years ago, the term limits of the Chinese presidency were abolished. When conversations about what might happen if US president Donald Trump loses in November but refuses to quit office began, they seemed liberals’ paranoia but maybe no longer.

Should he be re-elected, it seems at least possible he may try to imitate Putin and Xi . To even suggest that may seem bizarre but then most of what he does is bizarre.

We may not, hopefully, have a Biya, Putin, Xi, or Trump hiding in the long grass but we do have a cohort all too comfortable with life-long careers as politicians.

Culled from Irish Examiner

8, July 2020

Biya Regime Refuses to Hand Over Body of Journalist ⁰

Cameroonian rights and press groups are alleging a military cover-up in the death of journalist Samuel Wazizi, after the military on Monday refused to hand over his body to the family. Cameroon’s military in June admitted Wazizi had died at a military hospital in August last year after months of silence on his whereabouts or condition. Supporters of Wazizi, who was arrested for allegedly collaborating with anglophone rebels, have accused the military of torturing him to death — a charge they deny.

Spokesman for Cameroon’s military Serge Cyrille Atongfack says they will not hand over the body of journalist Samuel Wazizi to his family any time soon.

Atongfack says no family member or lawyer can have access to Wazizi’s body now because it has been sealed. He says the body was sealed to allow investigators to determine the cause of death, as ordered by Cameroon’s President Paul Biya. Before Biya ordered the investigation, says Atongfack, Wazizi’s family had 10 months to remove the journalist’s body from the mortuary but they refused.

Wazizi family member and spokesman Tah Javis rejects Atongfack’s claim, which conflicts with the public record.

He notes the family had been seeking the journalist’s whereabouts since his arrest and disappearance last August, when they filed a complaint, but authorities did not respond.

The military — under public pressure — in June finally admitted that Wazizi had died at a military hospital just days after his arrest.

Javis says the family immediately went to court.

“The family filed a case in court for the court to actually grant that Wazizi’s body be handed over to the family or be brought to Buea,” he said. “The person who actually kept the corpse in the mortuary was the government. And, till now, the government has not contacted the family officially.”

French Ambassador to Cameroon Christophe Guilhou said President Biya in a June 5 meeting promised an investigation to determine the cause of Wazizi’s death.

Family members, their lawyers, and colleagues accuse the military of torturing and killing Waizizi — a charge the military denies.

President of the National Trade Union of Cameroon journalists Denis Kwebo says the military’s months of silence and refusal to hand over the body is clearly a cover-up.

He says the government confiscated the body of Samuel Wazizi to hide evidence of torture the journalist underwent before the military killed him. Journalists are reiterating that a national, independent commission should be set up, says Kwebo, to investigate what killed Samuel Wazizi.

Wazizi was a presenter for Chillen Media Television based in the southwestern town of Buea.

Cameroon’s military arrested Wazizi in Buea for allegedly supporting anglophone rebels who want independence from the French-speaking majority.

Cameroon’s four-year separatist conflict in its western regions has displaced more than half a million and left over 3,000 people dead.

Rights groups have accused both sides of committing atrocities in the conflict, including abductions and murders of civilians.

Source: VOA

8, July 2020

Southern Cameroons Crisis: The long road ahead! ⁰

Despite the press release issued by the country’s communication minister, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, Cameroonians are still hopeful that meaningful talks will soon take place after the first informal meeting between government representatives and Southern Cameroonian leaders in Yaounde.

After four years of bloodshed and a stressful existence, Cameroonians on both sides of the Mongo are now scanning the horizon for lasting peace. Last week’s meeting was, indeed, a silver lining on a huge dark cloud that has been hanging over the country for four years.

Cameroonians now know that without peace, economic development is a near impossibility. Even government officials who have been playing tough for a long time are now softening their stance and this is music to the ears of the international community that has been pushing for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

The Southern Cameroons crisis that started as a protest by teachers and lawyers rapidly morphed into a civil war that has hit the country’s economy where it hurts the most and consumed more than 5,000 lives. The economy is currently on its knees and the government has lost many income streams that were used for development purposes.

Current peace efforts are being promoted by the country’s Prime Minister, Dion Ngute, a native of the Southwest region where the scars of war are visible, and the economic impact will linger for a long time. Most state corporations that were in the region are simply out of business and thousands of south westerners are out of work, making it hard for their children to go back to school. Life is tough and the people are bleeding internally.

However, there is hope on the horizon, although the Yaounde government is divided over how to proceed. Mr. Rene Sadi’s press release is a clear indication of the divisions within the government. While moderates like the Prime Minister want to go the full distance, hardliners like the Secretary-General at the Presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, are still frozen in their positions, holding that Southern Cameroonians in jail are all terrorists and should be treated as such. A huge mistake that will haunt the country for a very long time.

Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh’s camp does not seem to know that the dynamics have changed, and that Cameroon will never be the same again. If the arms must be silenced, then the mentalities of the leaders must also keep pace with the changing times.

Southern Cameroonians will never be caged in silence. They may be frustrated, but they will never be intimidated, as they know that the government is a bully and must be challenged and confronted if things must evolve. Southern Cameroonians know how to kick against the pricks and their resistance of the government’s military onslaught for four years speaks volumes of their bravery and determination to bring about change in Cameroon.

However, with the international community breathing down the government’s throat, the reactionaries in the government are bound to change their position. The economy is ailing, and the coffers are empty. The government’s focus is now on paying the salaries of the civil servants as its liquidity issues continue to grow.

The government is currently having problems buying cars for Members of Parliament and it has clearly advised the Members of Parliament that the resources available are just for the payment of salaries. This is causing some pain among the Members of Parliament, most of whom are members of the ruling party who do not have a choice.

Regarding future peace talks, the road ahead is still long as government officials are still looking at the conditions put forward by the Southern Cameroonian leaders as preconditions for any frank and fruitful talks to take place. Southern Cameroonian leaders have clearly indicated that the government must call for a ceasefire which would require the military to return to its barracks, making it possible for Southern Cameroonians to go about their business without fear of military violence and aggression.

The country’s military is not professional and disciplined. Some of its rogue elements are still exploiting the population and they have turned the crisis into a money-making operation. On Monday, army soldiers in Mamfe invaded homes in Banya, a popular neighborhood in Mamfe, arresting any and everybody.

They usually pretend to check for national identity cards and in the process, they ask the poor civilians to give them money. They are not even ashamed to bother women and children who know nothing about the fighting that will not likely stop if these army soldiers do not change their ways. Their harassment of the population is revolting the fighters on the ground and this has resulted in attacks on military targets.

On July 1, 2020, Lieutenant Colonel Anaba was shot by unknown gunmen in Besongabang, a town some 3 km from Mamfe, where there is a military barracks while he was celebrating his promotion. Lieutenant Colonel Anaba is currently in Douala where he is fighting for life in a military hospital. For such attacks to stop, the military must learn how to win hearts and minds instead of fanning the embers of conflict by harassing the local population.

Southern Cameroonian leaders also called for the unconditional release of all those who have been detained and imprisoned as a result of the crisis, as well as a declaration of a general amnesty for all Southern Cameroonians in the Diaspora, making it possible for them to visit their homeland without any embarrassment from the Yaoundé authorities. They also called on the Yaoundé government to participate in a genuine, open and inclusive dialogue without preconditions, with a timetable and venue, in the presence of an independent and impartial mediator acceptable to both parties.

These conditions are still very challenging to a government that has misused its mouth by tagging all Southern Cameroonians as terrorists. It is always hard to walk backwards, but in this case, it will be more challenging for the government, as its hawks had said a lot of things that would be hard for them to take back.

But they must bend over backwards if they must have the support of development finance institutions which are still very reluctant to give Cameroon loans and grants because of the fighting in the two English-speaking regions of the country where some of the country’s most important projects like the ring road are located.

The ball is in the government’s court. Southern Cameroonians are ready. They have put their faith in their president, Julius Ayuk Tabe and his team, and they are prepared to talk with a view to bringing about peace in Cameroon. The government must come up with its own team, but with many cracks on the government’s wall, it will be hard for the talks to hold anytime soon. The Yaounde government must clean up its mess. It must place the country’s interest above any individual’s interest if it wants Cameroon to return to its former status as an oasis of peace in a desert of chaos. The world is watching, and it is running out of patience as more people get killed every day in Southern Cameroons.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Global Headquarters

Cameroon Concord News Group London