Headline News

9, April 2025

France to recognize Palestinian state in June ⁰

France plans to recognize a Palestinian state within months and could make the move at a UN conference in New York in June on settling the Israel-Palestinian conflict, President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview broadcast Wednesday.

“We must move towards recognition, and we will do so in the coming months,” Macron, who this week visited Egypt, told France 5 television.

“Our aim is to chair this conference with Saudi Arabia in June, where we could finalise this movement of mutual recognition by several parties,” he added.

“I will do it because I believe that at some point it will be right and because I also want to participate in a collective dynamic, which must also allow all those who defend Palestine to recognise Israel in turn, which many of them do not do,” he added.

Such recognition would allow France “to be clear in our fight against those who deny Israel’s right to exist — which is the case with Iran — and to commit ourselves to collective security in the region,” he added.

France has long championed a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, including after the October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militants Hamas on Israel.

But formal recognition by Paris of a Palestinian state would mark a major policy switch and risk antagonising Israel which insists such moves by foreign states are premature.

‘No one will invest a cent’

France’s recognition of Palestinian statehood “would be a step in the right direction in line with safeguarding the rights of the Palestinian people and the two state solution,” Palestinian minister of state for foreign affairs Varsen Aghabekian Shahin told AFP.

Nearly 150 countries recognise a Palestinian state. In May 2024, Ireland, Norway and Spain announced recognition, followed by Slovenia in June, in moves partly fuelled by condemnation of Israel’s bombing of Gaza that followed the October 7 attacks.

But France would be the most significant European power to recognise a Palestinian state, a move the United States has also long resisted.

In Egypt, Macron held summit talks with President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II and also made clear he was strongly opposed to any displacement or annexation in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

US President Donald Trump has suggested turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East” with the Palestinians moving elsewhere — a suggestion that has sparked bitter condemnation.

Macron responded that the Gaza Strip was “not a real estate project.”

“Simplistic thinking sometimes doesn’t help,” he added, and, in a message to Trump said: “Perhaps it would be wonderful if one day it developed in an extraordinary way, but our responsibility is to save lives, restore peace, and negotiate a political framework.”

“If all this doesn’t exist, no one will invest. Today, no one will invest a cent in Gaza,” he said.

Source: AFP

9, April 2025

Nigerian governor warns of Boko Haram comeback ⁰

The governor of Nigeria’s Borno state has warned that jihadist group Boko Haram is making a comeback after its fighters staged a series of attacks and seized control of some parts of the north-eastern state.

Babagana Zulum called for more military assistance for soldiers fighting the insurgency.

The Nigerian government has downplayed the governor’s fears, saying security in the country has improved in the last 18 months.

Borno state has been at the centre of a 15-year insurgency by Boko Haram, which has forced more than two million people to flee their homes and killed more than 40,000.

At the height of its insurgency in 2015, Boko Haram controlled huge areas in Borno state before being beaten back.

The militant group gained international notoriety in April 2014 when it kidnapped more than 270 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok, also in Borno state.

Following a relative lull, the militants have been targeting army bases, police stations and rural communities.

In January, an ambush by the Boko Haram breakaway faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap), reportedly killed at least 20 Nigerian soldiers, while another attack in the same period left 40 farmers dead.

Governor Zulum said it was disheartening that the group now attacked and kidnapped people in many communities almost on a daily basis.

In a meeting with national security officials, he said that Borno State was “losing ground,” against the jihadists.

Security analysts say the concentration of soldiers in north-western Nigeria to deal with banditry and kidnappings has led to a reduction in the number of troops on the frontline with Boko Haram in Borno and other parts of the north-east.

The fight against the militants became even more challenging after neighbouring Niger withdrew its troops from a regional force set up to tackle the jihadist group.

Another analyst, Hamisu Sani, told the BBC that it wouldn’t be easy to defeat Boko Haram but it wasn’t impossible.

“No matter how our military weaken them, they can always regroup and will remain a threat,” he said.

“The solution would be to crush the fighters in their entirety – which is possible given the right support to our military.”

Source: BBC

8, April 2025

Algeria blocks flights from Mali after drone shot down ⁰

Algeria has closed its airspace to all flights to and from Mali as the row over a drone that was shot down close to their common border escalates.

On Sunday, Mali accused its northern neighbour of being a sponsor and exporter of terrorism after Algeria attacked one of its drones last week.

A strongly worded statement from Mali’s foreign ministry challenged Algeria’s earlier explanation that the unmanned surveillance aircraft had violated its airspace.

The statement described the downing of the drone as a “hostile premeditated action”. Algeria described the allegations as “lacking in seriousness [and they]… warrant no attention or response”.

Mali’s armed forces are fighting ethnic Tuareg separatists in the north. They have a stronghold in the town of Tinzaoutin, which straddles the Mali-Algeria border.

The shooting down of the drone raised diplomatic tensions, as Mali, along with its allies Niger and Burkina Faso, recalled their ambassadors from Algiers.

Last year, the three junta-led countries formed a regional bloc, the Alliance of Sahel States, known by its French acronym AES.

In their joint statement condemning Algeria, they said the shooting down of the drone “prevented the neutralisation of a terrorist group that was planning terrorist acts against the AES”.

Mali has also summoned the Algerian ambassador in Bamako over the incident, declaring that it would file a complaint with “international bodies”. It also withdrew from a regional security grouping that includes Algeria.

In its response on Monday, Algeria said it noted the Malian and AES statements with “deep dismay”. It described Mali’s allegations as an attempt to divert attention away from its own failures.

It also said this was the third violation of its airspace in recent months.

“Due to the repeated violations of our airspace by Mali, the Algerian government has decided to close it to air traffic coming from or to Mali, effective today,” Algeria’s defence ministry said on Monday.

Last Wednesday, Algeria acknowledged that it had shot down an “armed reconnaissance drone” close to Tinzaoutin saying it had “penetrated our airspace over a distance of 2km”.

But the junta in Bamako denied that the drone had violated Algeria’s airspace. It said that the aircraft’s wreckage was found 9.5km inside its borders.

Giving more details on Monday, Algeria said that the aircraft had entered its airspace “then exited before returning on an attack trajectory”.

Mali regularly accuses Algeria of giving shelter to Tuareg armed groups.

The north African country once served as a key mediator during more than a decade of conflict between Mali and the separatists. Their relations have soured since 2020 after the military took power in Bamako.

Algeria recently deployed troops along its borders to prevent the infiltration of militants and weapons from jihadist groups who operate in Mali and other countries in West Africa’s Sahel region.

Source: BBC

8, April 2025

CRTV pays 850M CFA Francs, settling artist royalty arrears ⁰

State broadcaster, CRTV, has cleared its 850 million CFA franc debt to artists, settling royalties owed for the 2015-2017 period.

The final payments, totaling 531.25 million CFA francs, were disbursed after an initial 318.75 million CFA franc installment in December 2024. This resolves the second tranche, also 318.75 million CFA francs, due since December, and the third, 212.5 million CFA francs, due since February 2025.

These arrears stemmed from the use of artistic works, including songs, photos, and books, broadcast, performed, or adapted by CRTV. The payments cover rights holders represented by the former Collective Management Organizations (OGCs) authorized before December 2017: Sociladra, Scaap, CMC, Socam, and Socadap. A memorandum of understanding governing the settlement was signed between these OGCs and CRTV on September 4, 2024.

The announcement comes after artists began a strike on April 2, 2025, outside the Prime Minister’s office, demanding the owed royalties. This payment appears to address their demands.

“This outcome will give artists some breathing room,” said Élise Mballa Meka, general supervisor of the Special Collection Operation for Royalty Arrears (Orsar).

Sam Mbende, deputy general supervisor of Orsar, added that “the five OGCs will proceed with a social distribution of the funds in the coming days, for the benefit of the rights holders of the reference period (2015-2017).”

In July 2021, Sam Mbende, then vice president of the Special Commission for the Recovery of Royalty Arrears, revealed that approximately 25 billion CFA francs ($41 million) in arrears were owed by roughly 30 companies and users following six months of fieldwork across Cameroon. He highlighted that three brewing companies alone owed 16 billion CFA francs ($26 million) for the 2005-2017 period, according to the former chairman of CMC’s board.

Source: Sbbc

8, April 2025

Niat tops list of 10 oldest senate presidents in Africa ⁰

The latest data from International Parliamentary Union (IPU) reveal the oldest Senate presidents in Africa.

Senators serve as stabilising forces in the political landscape, and often, the leaders of these chambers are individuals with decades of experience in public service. The role of these seasoned legislative leaders remains crucial in shaping Africa’s politics.

Here are the top 10 oldest current senate leaders in Africa

1. Marcel Niat Njifenji – Cameroon (91 years old)

At 91, Marcel Niat Njifenji stands as the oldest Senate leader on the continent. As President of the Senate in Cameroon, he has played a key role in the country’s legislative processes since 2013. His long political career has made him a central figure in Cameroon’s governance.

2. Paulette Missambo – Gabon (76 years old)

Leading Gabon’s Transitional Senate, Paulette Missambo brings decades of public administration and political activism to the role. At 76, she is one of the few women heading a parliamentary body in Africa .

3. Pierre Ngolo – Republic of the Congo (71 years old)

Pierre Ngolo has served in various governmental roles and is known for his influence within Congo’s legislative circles. At 71, his leadership continues to shape national policy making.

4. María Teresa Efua Asangono – Equatorial Guinea (68 years old)

As the first woman to preside over the Senate in Equatorial Guinea, María Teresa Efua Asangono, 68, symbolizes progress in gender representation in high political office.

5. Mabel M. Chinomona – Zimbabwe (67 years old)

Mabel Chinomona, 67, holds the distinction of being the President of Zimbabwe’s Senate. With a background in education and grassroots politics, she emphasises unity and institutional reform.

6. Richard Ravalomanana – Madagascar (66 years old)

At 66, Richard Ravalomanana serves as President of Madagascar’s Senate, where he plays a critical role in promoting democratic governance.

7. Kandia Kamissoko Camara – Côte d’Ivoire (66 years old)

Also aged 66, Kandia Camara is the first woman to lead the Ivorian Senate. With a strong background in education and diplomacy, her presidency is seen as an important moment in Côte d’Ivoire’s push for inclusive governance.

8. François-Xavier Kalinda – Rwanda (63 years old)

François-Xavier Kalinda, 63, heads Rwanda’s Senate with a focus on institutional resilience and reconciliation. His tenure reflects Rwanda’s post-genocide emphasis on unity, justice, and sustainable development.

9. Godswill Akpabio – Nigeria (63 years old)

At 63 former governor and minister, Godswill Akpabio brings a wealth of political experience to his role as Senate President in Nigeria.

10. Lindiwe Dlamini – Eswatini (60 years old)

At 60, Lindiwe Dlamini leads Eswatini’s Senate. Her leadership exemplifies the blend of modern political systems with cultural heritage in the kingdom.

Source: Business Today

8, April 2025

UN says 78,000 Southern Cameroonians sought asylum in Nigeria ⁰

At least 78,962 persons sought asylum in Nigeria from 2000 to 2024.

This is based on a collation of published data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for the period reviewed.

The records, compiled from its decades-long tracking of forcibly displaced populations, reveal Cameroon, Niger and Liberia as the top three countries of origin for asylum seekers during this period.

Nigeria’s National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons is the primary agency that manages asylum requests with oversight from the Nigerian Immigration Service, guided by UNHCR’s global frameworks.

Founded in 1989, during the Babangida regime, NCFRMI says it is “dedicated to ensuring that their rights are upheld and that they receive the support necessary to live in safety and dignity.”

The data showed that 52,187 Cameroonian nationals lodged the highest number of applications to Nigeria. In 2017, over 8,000 Cameroon nationals applied for asylum in Nigeria. The numbers jumped again in 2019 (over 19,000) and peaked in 2023 (over 22,000), with the majority located in Madagali, Mubi North, Mubi South and Michika local government areas in Adamawa State.

This surge coincides with the ongoing conflict in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions, which began in late 2016 but escalated around 2017. Thousands fled across the border into Cross River and Taraba states, where humanitarian organisations report acute needs in shelter, healthcare, and education.

Cameroonian refugees are predominantly from the North-West and South-West regions of the country, affected by the conflict between the government and activists calling for the secession of the Anglophone regions.

According to rights groups, over 700,000 Cameroonians have been displaced since the war broke out in September 2017.

While Cameroon dominates the overall total, Niger Republic ranked second with a total of 11,327 asylum requests. 2023 figures showed a significant jump in applications from the Sahel nation, with about 9,800 requests.

Source: The Punch

6, April 2025

Yaoundé relies on short-term debt to cover budget needs in 2024 ⁰

Cameroon leaned heavily on 26-week Treasury bills to raise funds on the Central African regional debt market managed by the Bank of Central African States (BEAC). A report released by the BEAC on April 1, 2025, shows that 76.9% of the country’s Treasury bill issuance was made up of these six-month instruments.

The data also shows that Cameroon’s Treasury raised CFA159 billion through 52-week bills and another CFA80.7 billion via 13-week bills. In contrast, the country raised only CFA281 billion through longer-term Treasury bonds.

This clear preference for short-term securities points to ongoing cash flow difficulties for the government. Treasury bills known for their short maturities ranging from 13 to 52 weeks are often used by governments to cover temporary budget gaps and smooth out short-term liquidity issues.

Source: Business in Cameroon

6, April 2025

Southwesterners form SWELA Chapter in Belgium to strengthen bonds ⁰

At the residence of Chief Bate Arrengang in Antwerpen in the Kingdom of Belgium prominent citizens of the South West region gathered – some from Fako, others from Kupe Muaneneguba and Meme Divisions one common thread unites them –they are all from the South West region extraction.

This is the South West Elites Association, Belgium Chapter formed by South West indigenes to foster the culture and development of their region.

Ngoh Austine Itoe, Barrister Tabi Kefie, Penda Mwaka, Ewang Samuel and Bate Arreyngang all said the birth of SWELA in Belgium is to create a social space where the South West diaspora community can connect and re-connect to their culture and development.

Speaking exclusively to Cameroon Concord News, Chief Ewang Samuel, the supreme leader of the Bakossi people in Belgium noted that SWELA Belgium aren’t simply about culture and development of the home constituency but also a place where Bantus, Semi Bantus and the Tikars of Lebialem can become a family.

SWELA Europe was once a place for South Westerners to make new friends, create a community, and possibly even meet future partners.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai in Antwerpen

6, April 2025

Pope greets crowds at Vatican in first appearance since leaving hospital ⁰

Pope Francis made a surprise entrance to St. Peter’s Square during a special Jubilee Mass for the sick and health workers on Sunday, marking his first public appearance at the Vatican since his release from the hospital two weeks ago.

The pontiff waved at the crowd that stood and applauded as he was rolled unannounced to the front of the altar in the square.

“Good Sunday to everyone,’’ Francis said, speaking into a microphone, which he tapped to make sure it was working on a second attempt. “Thank you very much.”

The pontiff’s voice sounded stronger than when he addressed well-wishers outside of Gemelli hospital on the day of his release March 23, after battling life-threatening pneumonia during a five-week hospital stay. He has just completed two weeks of at least two months of doctor-ordered rest as he continues physical, respiratory and speech therapy, as well as treatment for a lingering lung infection.

The pope referred to his experience with illness in both the traditional Sunday blessing and the homily read by Archbishop Rino Fisichella, organiser of the Holy Year that is expected to bring some 30 million pilgrims to Rome.

Addressing the sick among the crowd, the pope said in the homily read by Fisichella that “In this moment of my life I share a lot: the experience of infirmity, feeling weak, depending on the others for many things, needing support.

“It is not easy, but it is a school in which we learn every day to love and to let ourselves be loved, without demanding and without rejecting, without regretting, without despairing, grateful to God and to our brothers for the good that we receive, trusting for what is still to come.”

He also urged the faithful not to push the fragile from their lives “as unfortunately a certain mentality does today. Let’s not ostracise pain from our surroundings. Let’s instead make it an opportunity to grow together, to cultivate hope.”

In the traditional Sunday blessing, he offered prayers for doctors, nurses and health care workers “who are not always helped to work in inadequate conditions, at times the victims of aggression. Their mission is not easy and must be supported and respected.”

Source: AP

6, April 2025

Yaoundé: Influential ex-defense minister Mebe Ngo’o jailed for corruption ⁰

The Special Criminal Court has sentenced a former highly influential defence minister to 30 years in prison for corruption, illicit enrichment, embezzlement and money laundering.

Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o was not ordered to pay any fine and his bank accounts and property in the capital Yaoundé and the commercial city of Douala will also not be confiscated by the state even though the judge said Mebe Ngo’o could not justify the origin of his assets.

At a hearing held late in the night of 4 to 5 April 2025, the former Defense Minister was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He was accused of embezzling public funds to the tune of CFAF 196 billion.

The final verdict of the Special Criminal Court charged Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o with money laundering, over-invoicing and misappropriation of public assets.

Cameroon Intelligence Report gathered from a source close to the case that the charges are valued at 23.8 billion CFA francs.

The court also sentenced Maxime Mbangue and Colonel Ghislain Mboutou to 25 years’ imprisonment. The two main co-accused of the former Defence Minister were found guilty by the panel of judges of complicity in embezzlement, complicity in corruption and aggravated money laundering.

Depicting the Special Criminal Court established to prosecute alleged corrupt government officials and the several Alibabas responsible for pilfering from the public treasury as the President’s court is no misnomer. We of the Cameroon Concord News Group call it the President’s court because it is one instrument of power through which the President is reining in on perceived opponents from within his CPDM power conduit. An attribute of a genuine court is the fairness of the trial proceedings in cases which are brought before the court for trial. It is not the number of convictions entered against accused. A court is legitimate and recognized as such because of its exercise of judicial, executive, legislative and administrative independence. A court that is independent must be accessible to all citizens after all, is equality before the law, not a constitutionally protected value? The Special Criminal Court is lacking in these attributes of impartiality, judicial independence and accessibility. It is perceived more as the President’s Court than a Court of Justice.

Establishing this court was President Biya’s way of saving himself the embarrassment of being humiliated during his perennial trips abroad as the President of the most corrupt countries in the world. This ranking of the country as the most corrupt or one of the most corrupt countries had a potential to hamper President Biya’s personal pecuniary interests far from the borders of Cameroon. There was therefore a personal interest need to establish the court. Another personal interest need was to avail himself of a legal tool under his direct control to consolidate absolute power, blackmail potential rebels and competitors within the system and to stifle any form of institutional opposition. He perceived the court as a tool with which to whitewash his more than thirty years of corrupt governance and the rape of the economy. With the war against Boko Haram, the fight against corruption using the Special Criminal Court has afforded Paul Biya justification contest in the next institutionally flawed elections in order to eternalize power purportedly to direct the war against terror and the war against corruption. True to the name the President’s Court, the President has exclusive preserve in referring cases to the Special Court and the power to terminate them. He decides who will be arrested, who will be investigated and who will serve time and who will not.

In one instance, he ordered a detained Minister Bapes Bapes released from remand custody at Kondengui when a warrant was issued for his arrest without the presidential fiat. Titus Edzoa a former Secretary-General at the Presidency of the Republic benefitted from a purported Presidential pardon whose primary purpose was the release of a French citizen Thiery Atangana from jail. The fear of a presidential referral to the Special Criminal Court on additional charges of corruption under a practice devolved under the supervision of Paul Biya called “rouleur compresseur” pushed Titus Edzoa to rejoin the CPDM Party without a public resignation or repudiation of his membership of the party on which he intended to contest presidential elections prior to his incarceration. Edzoa was a victim of this system of presidential justice when new charges were brought against him when his first imprisonment was about to end in other to maintain him in prison.

Cameroonians want the rule of law to be the guarding principle on which justice is administered in the name of the people of Cameroon and not that of the President. To the extent that the Special Criminal Court functions at the pleasure of the President, it fails to meet this threshold. The justice rendered in the court cannot be said to be free and fair nor independent. Because the court serves the political interests of the President, it is institutionally unjust and thus an affront to the tenets of justice and fundamental fairness. Cameroon needs to confront the scourge of institutional corruption, the abuse of public trust, the arrogance of power and the impunity of misrule. The Special Criminal Court as presently constituted is the wrong institution to confront these systemic crimes.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai