Headline News

2, April 2025

President Putin begins biggest Russian military call-up in years ⁰

President Vladimir Putin has called up 160,000 men aged 18-30, Russia’s highest number of conscripts since 2011, as the country moves to expand the size of its military.

The spring call-up for a year’s military service came several months after Putin said Russia should increase the overall size of its military to almost 2.39 million and its number of active servicemen to 1.5 million.

That is a rise of 180,000 over the coming three years.

Vice Adm Vladimir Tsimlyansky said the new conscripts would not be sent to fight in Ukraine for what Russia calls its “special military operation”.

However, there have been reports of conscripts being killed in fighting in Russia’s border regions and they were sent to fight in Ukraine in the early months of the full-scale war.

The current draft, which takes place between April and July, comes despite US attempts to forge a ceasefire in the war.

There was no let-up in the violence on Tuesday, with Ukraine saying that a Russian attack on a power facility in the southern city of Kherson had left 45,000 people without electricity.

Although Russia has turned down a full US-brokered ceasefire with Ukraine, it says it did agree to stop attacking Ukraine’s energy facilities. In an apparent attempt to deny Moscow had broken the terms of that deal, Russian officials said they had told Putin that Ukrainian drones had carried out attacks with little sign of a break.

Russia calls up conscripts in the spring and autumn but the latest draft of 160,000 young men is 10,000 higher than the same period in 2024.

Since the start of last year, the pool of young men available for the draft has been increased by raising the maximum age from 27 to 30.

As well as call-up notices delivered by post, Russia’s young men will be receiving notifications on the state services website Gosuslugi.

In Moscow there were reports that call-ups had already been sent out on 1 April via the mos.ru city website.

Increasing numbers of Russians are trying to avoid the army by taking on “alternative civilian service”. But human rights lawyer Timofey Vaskin warned on independent Russian media that every new call-up since the start of the war had become a lottery: “Authorities are coming up with new forms of refilling the army.”

Quite apart from its twice-yearly draft, Russia has also called up large numbers of men as contract soldiers and recruited thousands of soldiers from North Korea.

Moscow has had to respond to extensive losses in Ukraine, with more than 100,000 verified by the BBC and Mediazona as soldiers killed in Ukraine.

The true number could be more than double.

Putin has scaled up the size of the military three times since he ordered troops to capture Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia’s defence ministry linked the December 2023 increase in the size of the military to “growing threats” from both the war in Ukraine and the “ongoing expansion of Nato”.

Nato has expanded to include Finland and Sweden, as a direct result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Finland has Nato’s longest border with Russia, at 1,343km (834 miles) and Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Tuesday that his country would join other states neighbouring Russia in pulling out of the Ottawa convention banning anti-personnel mines.

Poland and the Baltic states made similar decisions two weeks ago because of the military threat from Russia.

Orpo said the decision to resume using anti-personnel mines was based on military advice, and that the people of Finland had nothing to worry about.

The government in Helsinki also said defence spending would be increased to 3% of economic output (GDP), up from 2.4% last year.

Source: BBC

1, April 2025

Niger’s junta withdraws from Lake Chad anti-Boko Haram force ⁰

Niger’s ruling junta has quit a regional force fighting armed Islamist groups in west Africa’s Lake Chad area, cementing an acrimonious split from former allies in the region.

The decision to exit the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) was announced in a bulletin on state television over the weekend. The move “reflects a stated intent to reinforce security for oil sites”, the bulletin stated, without providing further details.

The MNJTF was formed in 2015 by Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria in the wake of increasing jihadist attacks across their territories. At its peak, it had an estimated 10,000 troops and fought many armed groups, especially Boko Haram and its offshoots. But any serious progress has been hampered or even undone by poor collaboration and equipping, analysts say.

“The force was never that effective, said Ulf Laessing, the Bamako-based director of the Sahel programme at Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German thinktank. Its decline, he added, was “good news for jihadists and it is bad news for villagers on the lake side, fishers or farmers who just want to go about their business but who will now get less military support”.

Niger’s exit from MNJTF came days after the junta’s leader, Abdourahmane Tiani, was sworn in as president until 2030 under a new charter that suspended the constitution and dissolved all political parties.

Niger has also isolated itself from the Economic Community of West African State (Ecowas), after Ecowas imposed a range of sanctions following the coup that ousted the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, in July 2023.

Within two months of the coup, it had joined the splinter Alliance of Sahel States (AES) along with Burkina Faso and Mali, where there have also been military takeovers since 2020.

Since then, AES has introduced new biometric passports to replace the old regional passports and on Monday, it announced a 0.5% levy on imported goods from Ecowas states.

Ikemesit Effiong, managing partner at Nigerian geopolitical risk advisory SBM Intelligence, said the levy put an end to “a long history of free trade across the western Sahel” and could change the dynamics of Ecowas’s negotiations with AES.

“When squared with Ecowas’s statement commitment to keep open trade and borders with AES states, I think this [levy] will force Ecowas to drop its kid gloves strategy and be more forceful with the AES,” Effiong said.

It remains unclear what impact Niger’s withdrawal from the MNJTF will have on a security agreement signed with neighbouring Nigeria last August. The countries share a border that spans 1,000 miles but Nigeria-led Ecowas’s push for a rapid return to democratic governance has caused friction between both countries.

Effiong said recent moves in the capital, Niamey, which has been seeking new military and economic partners since expelling French troops in 2023, are unsurprising.

“Niger has been pulling out of all its main regional bilateral and multilateral commitments, much of which it sees as western influenced or inspired,” said Effiong, who noted that MTNJTF had received military and intelligence aid from western partners in the past.

Source: The Guardian

1, April 2025

Former Nigerian head of state Obasanjo to invest $700mln in Kribi ⁰

Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria’s former president turned businessman, is set to visit the Kribi deep-sea port in Cameroon this April to launch his company, Obasanjo Agro-Allied Business Ltd (OABL). His venture aims to strengthen cross-border trade between Cameroon and Nigeria.

According to Agha Albert Ngwana, CEO of Aftel Cameroon Limited, a partner of Obasanjo’s group, OABL plans to invest $700 million (about CFA420 billion) in multiple sectors, including agriculture, maritime transport, hospitality, and oil.

As part of the project, Obasanjo will expand his farm operations into Cameroon, cultivating maize and soybeans on 610 hectares of land to support his livestock business. OABL has secured land concessions from the Kribi port authority and intends to set up packaging factories, wholesale fertilizer distribution, and warehouse facilities.

The company also plans to develop a 10-hectare site for wood processing and introduce various maritime services to ease congestion at Nigeria’s Apapa and Lekki ports. “Our goal is to provide transshipment services and other key operations at the Kribi deep-sea port,” Ngwana explained. OABL’s plans also include building oil and gas storage facilities for ship refueling and constructing a five-star hotel in Kribi.

Obasanjo’s investment comes as Kribi prepares to launch the second phase of its port expansion. China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), a subsidiary of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), completed the technical handover of the new infrastructure on February 21, 2025. The extension, which includes a 715-meter-long dock, is expected to boost efficiency and capacity when commercial operations begin in April.

OABL’s projects will not only strengthen economic ties between Cameroon and Nigeria—two of the region’s leading economies—but also support local producers, enhance regional development, and position Kribi as a key hub for cross-border trade. This aligns with the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by promoting intra-African commerce.

In 2023, trade between Cameroon and Nigeria was largely driven by exports, reaching CFA39.5 billion, with imports totaling CFA39.4 billion, according to Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics. However, authorities note that informal trade and smuggling significantly impact official trade figures, given the two countries share a long and porous 1,500-km border.

Source: Business in Cameroon

1, April 2025

Biya’s Succession: Catholic bishops urge electoral reform ahead of presidential election ⁰

Catholic bishops in Cameroon are calling for electoral reform as the country prepares for the 2025 presidential election.

In a March 28 Pastoral Letter, the bishops insist that the electoral code as it stands now cannot make for a free, fair and transparent election, echoing the demands of several opposition parties.

“The electoral process in Cameroon is governed by the Constitution and the 2012 Electoral Code?’ Despite this legal framework, the opposition parties and civil society in our country continue to criticize the electoral process for its lack of transparency, justice and fairness,” the bishops say.

They emphasized the need for a revised Electoral Code and improvements in the systems governing elections and campaign financing.

They acknowledged that immediate reforms may not impact this year’s elections but stressed the importance of establishing a code of good conduct.

“The code of good conduct for elections can be understood as a series of behavioral standards drawn up and adopted by all the parties involved in an electoral process and aimed at helping to create conditions conducive to the organization of fair, free, credible and transparent elections, and to the acceptance of the election results by all,” the bishops said.

Father Humphrey Tatah Mbuy, a leading priest and researcher in Cameroon, questioned the autonomy of the body in charge of managing elections in Cameroon, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), explaining that there was “too much interference by the Ministry of Territorial Administration or the government in ELECAM, and people are questioning very seriously if ELECAM is as independent and autonomous as it should be.”

“Once it is not, it goes without saying that everything they organize will be seen by others as if they are teleguided. Also, if you look at the whole election the way it is, we don’t have an electoral map. Nobody knows how many people are in what part of Cameroon at any given moment,” Mbuy told Crux.

He said the absence of data on population dynamics makes it hard for political parties and contestants for political office to identify where to seek the most votes.

The priest added that the electoral code is defective in several areas, but offered no specifics, saying simply that the government’s seeming allergy to revising it as advocated by several opposition parties and civil society organizations means “there is something that may be hidden.”

“Opposition parties have also worked on the electoral code and suggested what could be added and what could be subtracted, and what could be better in our code. The better it is, the better for all of us. If elections are fair, they are fair for everyone,” he told Crux.

On February 17, the mail service of the Presidency of the Republic admitted to having received a document detailing the proposals of the opposition parties and civil society on what to improve on Cameroon’s electoral code.

The proposals include the introduction of a single ballot paper; lengthening the duration of electoral campaigns (to 30 days instead of 15); lowering the security deposit required for legislative elections (from $5,000) to $825 per candidate) and municipals (from $8 t9o $40); and prohibiting polling stations from being set up in barracks or chieftaincies.

The proposed reform also seeks to reduce the abstention rate by suggesting that voting should be made compulsory.

In addition, the proposed reform seeks to make ELECAM more independent of government and the ruling party and seeks to make the counting of votes more efficient and transparent.

Besides reforms to the electoral code and electoral process, the Catholic bishops in their March 28 Pastoral Letter also propose that the media should exercise balance in the way they cover elections.

They said the media’s role in democratic participation was indispensable, noting that without a clear understanding of the political landscape, facts, and proposed solutions, meaningful participation becomes impossible.

They emphasized the need to promote pluralism in information and communication, supported by laws that guarantee equal access to these tools.

The bishops, however, expressed concern that the concentration of media ownership among a few individuals or groups poses a significant threat to democracy, especially when intertwined with governmental and financial interests.

“The information provided by the media is at the service of the common good. Society has a right to information based on truth, freedom, justice, and solidarity,” they said.

They said a diverse media landscape is essential for voters to access reliable and varied information, enabling free and objective choices. Unfortunately, some digital media outlets thrive on disinformation, defamation, and hate speech, often exploiting tribalistic sentiments.

This underscores the need for vigilance from bodies like the National Communications Council (NCC) and adherence to laws, such as the 2019 legislation against hate speech and tribalism.

“Men and women of the media must be competent; distinguished by their expertise and the quality of the information they broadcast, as well as by their ability to resist pressures that run counter to their professional ethics,” the bishops said in their statement.

Source: Crux

31, March 2025

Biya regime pledges to repay 616M CFA Francs to Baccalaureate examiners ⁰

The government has acknowledged a 616 million CFA franc debt owed to teachers by the Baccalaureate Office (OBC), stemming from unpaid travel allowances for examiners, anonymizers, and center supervisors, according to a statement released March 26 after discussions with education unions.

The government clarified that the debt results from tax deductions imposed by the Directorate General of Taxes on exam-related payments, which are legally exempt from withholding. Officials stated that “steps have been taken to rectify the situation,” indicating an intent to reimburse the wrongly withheld funds.

This revelation follows a prior admission by the OBC in February 2022 of a 1.4 billion CFA franc debt to teachers from the 2021 exam session. OBC Director Étienne Roger Minkoulou attributed the ongoing financial issues to “a systemic inability to plan ahead,” citing uncertainties in candidate numbers, personnel requirements, and available funding.

Separately, the government addressed outstanding payments to teachers by the General Certificate of Education Board (GCE Board), the anglophone equivalent of the OBC, pledging that disbursements would commence today, March 31, 2025. The statement also recommended a review of assessment procedures for the Baccalaureate and GCE Advanced Level exams to alleviate financial strain.

Source: Sbbc

31, March 2025

France: Marine Le Pen barred from running for public office for five years ⁰

France’s Marine Le Pen has been barred from running for office for five years after being found guilty of misappropriating European funds to finance her far-right National Rally (RN) party.

The momentous decision means Le Pen will likely not be able to stand in the 2027 French presidential election. It would have been her fourth attempt, and the one offering the greatest chance of victory.

Judges imposed immediate ineligibility with her conviction, meaning the ban on holding public office will now come into effect even if Le Pen appeals.

She has also been given a four-year prison sentence, of which two will be suspended. The other two can be spent with an electronic tag rather than in custody.

Le Pen has also been given a €100,000 (£82,635) fine.

She will very likely appeal the jail sentence, so it will not apply now.

At the start of the reading of the verdict, the judge, Bénédicte de Perthuis, said Le Pen had been at the “heart of the system” which saw the embezzlement of €2.9m worth of European funds.

Le Pen was accused, along with more than 20 other senior party figures, of hiring assistants who worked on her RN party affairs rather than for the European Parliament which paid them.

During the trial last year, Le Pen denied she had committed “the slightest irregularity”.

There has not yet been any comment from Le Pen, who left court before the sentence was issued alongside other defendants and headed to the RN’s Paris headquarters. She is expected to give an interview to French TV at 20:00 (19:00 BST).

At the weekend, Le Pen had told media that while she was “not nervous”, the judges had “the power of life or death over the [political] movement.”

Shortly before her sentencing, Le Pen received messages of support from the Kremlin, Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Italy’s Matteo Salvini.

“It is not just Marine Le Pen who has been unfairly sentenced: it’s French democracy that has been executed,” Jordan Bardella, the president of the RN, wrote on X.

But some of Le Pen’s opponents have also stated they disapprove of the judge’s decision.

“The choice to dismiss an elected official should only belong to the people,” said Jean-Luc Mélenchon of the far-left France Unbowed (LFI).

And Laurent Wauquiez, of the right-wing Republicans, said that the decision would “weigh very heavily on the functioning of our democracy”.

“It’s undoubtedly not the route that should have been taken.”

The reading of the verdict, which started shortly after 10:00 (09:00 BST), took nearly three hours.

Source: BBC

31, March 2025

FECAFOOT: Unity prevails amid Eto’o-Brys tensions ⁰

In the wake of a powerful public address by team captain Vincent Aboubakar earlier this week, the atmosphere surrounding the Cameroon national football team seems to be shifting. Following their impressive 3-1 victory against Libya in the qualifiers, questions arise about whether the tensions between the President of Fecafoot, Samuel Eto’o, and head coach Marc Brys will finally begin to ease. This pivotal match not only bolstered the team’s morale but also highlighted the essential need for unity within the squad at a critical time.

Aboubakar’s passionate speech resonated with players and fans alike, calling for solidarity in the face of adversity. His words served as a rallying cry, emphasizing the importance of coming together for the greater good of Cameroonian football. The Lions, known for their fierce spirit and determination, are now facing a crucial juncture. It remains to be seen whether the leadership can align their visions to support the national team adequately on their quest for World Cup glory.

The clash of wills between Eto’o and Brys has been a consuming story in the backdrop of Cameroon’s campaign. The team’s supporters are hopeful that, with a string of positive results, the pressure will decrease and harmony can be restored. As the squad gears up for upcoming challenges, every fan will be watching closely to see if this newfound determination translates into sustained success on the pitch.

Source: Footboom

31, March 2025

Yaoundé: EYUMEMA welcomes Honorable Rose Abunaw ⁰

The Yaoundé chapter of EYUMEMA has welcome former deputy speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Rose Abunaw into its fold in a major event held in the nation’s capital Yaoundé following her resignation from MOHWA for strictly personal reasons.

The event brought together many Manyu women and it was an opportunity for the women to display their unity of purpose and determination to bring development to a constituency that is begging for a facelift.

Speaking during the cross-over rituals, Hon. Rose Abunaw thrilled the sell-out crowd with a thought-provoking speech which reechoed the urgent need for unity and mutual respect deep within Manyu traditional establishments.

The Iron Lady sounded a note of caution to Manyu citizens all over the world and observed that something has to be done and done in a hurry geared towards empowering women in Manyu.

Honorable Rose Abunaw is a big catch for EYUMEMA and her fertile imagination and wisdom will be massive assets to the organization.

By Dr Joachim Arrey and Soter Agbaw-Ebai with files from Rita Akana in Yaounde

30, March 2025

CPDM Covid Scandal: Prosecutor seeks 10-Year ban for 4 officials ⁰

The Advocate General of the Chamber of Accounts of the Supreme Court requested on Thursday that financial penalties and disqualifications be imposed on four officials from the Ministry of Public Health implicated in mismanagement related to a public contract for the COVID-19 response in 2020, during today’s hearing.

Public prosecutor Félix Owona Etoundi, representing the state, called for a fine of 2 million CFA francs each against Élysée Amour II Eyenga Ndjomo, Technical Advisor No. 1 at the Ministry of Public Health; Ousmane Diaby, Head of the Studies and Projects Division within the same ministry; Rémy Bekolo Edou, Logistics Accountant at the minister’s office; and Abiba Ntue Ngapout, Paymaster at the specialized Treasury office attached to the Ministry of Public Health.

The Advocate General also requested “a five-year ban for the individuals from holding any role involving authorizing or managing funds in a public or semi-public body, or in a state-owned enterprise,” as well as “a ban from holding any position of responsibility in the public administration.” If the judges follow the prosecution’s recommendations, the accused would effectively lose their civil servant status for a decade.

To justify these sanctions, the prosecution cited no fewer than five acts of mismanagement. The first was the lack of qualification of the members of the commission tasked with receiving the 278 million CFA franc contract for the construction of an isolation center at Ngaoundéré Regional Hospital in 2020. This commission included the late former Secretary of State Alim Hayatou, Élysée Amour II Eyenga Ndjomo, Ousmane Diaby, Rémy Bekolo Edou, and the CEO of Grand Lux, the contractor. As the Advocate General reminded the court, some of the accused admitted they lacked the necessary qualifications to serve on the commission.

During the hearing, Élysée Amour II Eyenga Ndjomo stated that “strictly speaking, they should not have sat on this commission,” while Ousmane Diaby declared that “aside from myself and the delegated project owner, the late Alim Hayatou, the other members of the commission were not competent to sign a work acceptance report.” Rémy Bekolo Edou concurred, stating that “the commission should have changed the format of this report, because it was not, in principle, authorized to accept construction work.”

The second act of mismanagement, according to the prosecution, concerns the commission validating the reception of construction work instead of “goods, items, and materials,” as specified in the acceptance report.

The third alleged mismanagement involves an advance payment on the work set at 40%, whereas the public procurement code limits this type of advance to 20%.

The fourth act of mismanagement relates to the failure to pay the full guarantee deposit before issuing a start-up advance. Instead, the contractor Grand Lux paid the guarantee only eight months later.

Finally, the fifth act involves accountant Abiba Ntue Ngapout, accused of fully paying a purchase order of 111 million CFA francs before any services had been rendered.

For all these charges, the Advocate General called for “exemplary sanctions” because the judges’ decision is “highly anticipated.”

Following the defense pleadings presented by the two lawyers representing the accused—who rejected all charges brought by the prosecution—the panel of judges adjourned its decision until April 17.

Source: Sbbc

30, March 2025

Cameroon still faces power cuts despite full output from Nachtigal Dam ⁰

Nearly a month after blackouts began to worsen across Cameroon’s Southern Interconnected Grid, electricity outages continue to affect seven of the country’s ten regions. In Yaoundé, the planned power cuts announced to last four to six hours often extend for several days. Many neighborhoods are without power, and other towns and villages across the country are also affected. Homes and businesses are struggling to cope.

Power utility Eneo has been sending alerts to customers, citing repeated issues on the transmission network managed by Sonatrel, the national electricity transmission company. The alerts mention ongoing maintenance work, fallen poles, broken cables caused by trees falling during heavy rains, and fires at overloaded transformers. In recent days, Eneo has reported almost daily incidents at the Nyom substation, located on the outskirts of Yaoundé. This substation is newly built and plays an important role in transmitting power from the Nachtigal dam.

The Nachtigal hydropower dam has been connected to the national grid since the first half of 2024. The first of its seven turbines, each with a capacity of 60 MW, began generating electricity last year. On March 18, 2025, the dam reached full capacity, with all seven turbines injecting a total of 420 MW into the grid, according to NHPC, the company in charge of the project. The official inauguration of the dam is scheduled for April 3.

Despite the increase in electricity production, the distribution network remains unreliable. Many parts of the country are still experiencing power cuts. Sources close to the project say that some of the new power lines needed to deliver electricity from the Nachtigal project are not yet completed. As a result, it is difficult to use all the power produced by the dam. Industrial demand has also grown, with an estimated additional need of more than 300 MW, according to industry sources.

Under the agreement between the State of Cameroon and NHPC, the government is required to pay CFA10 billion each month as soon as the dam becomes fully operational. This payment is due whether the energy is consumed or not. Since March 18, when the dam began supplying its full 420 MW to the grid, this condition has been in effect.

Although the dam has increased Cameroon’s electricity production capacity by 30%, many consumers are still experiencing daily outages.

Source: Business in Cameroon