Headline News

23, October 2019

“Yaoundé has never had an incompetent and corrupt president as they have today” ⁰

La Republique du Cameroun has never had such an incompetent and corrupt president as they have today in the person of Paul Biya. A former aide to the 86 year old leader recently told Cameroon Concord News Group that “Biya should be arrested, brought into the streets of Yaoundé, openly disgraced and shot.”

The French Cameroun dictator faces an unending political crisis in Southern Cameroons including the re-emergence of the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram. However, he continues to run every aspect of the nation without due process or fairness or any legal rights.

Whatever Biya wants, Biya gets! And of course he and the chartered members of his ruling CPDM crime syndicate have never been held to account for their crimes in Southern Cameroons which includes killing of thousands of innocent Ambazonia citizens and raping and harassment of women. Now he uses the word terrorist to describe genuine opposition directed at him.

Biya has constantly been modifying the constitution of the nation and we of this publication believe that he no longer has a clue what the Constitution requires of the president of the republic. Biya has committed high crimes and misdemeanors. His kinsmen and women including some of his supporters see his being in power as God-sent and the most magnificent win any tribe could have experienced.

This is of course incredibly offensive to Southern Cameroonians who are people with a conscience and who believe in the rule of law. The Ambazonia resistance and quest for an independent nation is a very serious moment in La Republique du Cameroun’s history.

La Republique du Cameroun has never had such an incompetent, oafish, intellectually challenged leader as Yaounde have today. Soon and very soon, even his Beti Ewondo supporters will be forced to see how dangerous he is to the so-called one and indivisible Cameroon.

Not all of Biya beneficiary- supporters will abandoned this sinking CPDM ship, but eventually more and more members of the French Cameroun army will be looking out for their own best interests, and hopefully the interests of La Republique du Cameroun.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

22, October 2019

Ambazonia: Father Paul Njokikang freed ⁰

Father Paul Njokikang, the director of Caritas in Cameroon, has been released from detention. Yesterday, Independent Catholic News reported his arrest following Mass on Sunday. He was held by Cameroonian security services at a military base, and freed on Monday night.

It is believed that the Yaounde regime of President Paul Biya came under sustained pressure from the Catholic church both in Cameroon and further afield. On Monday, ICN’s article was sent to the papal nuncio in London and Ottawa.

One British Cameroonian activist (requesting anonymity for his own safety) commented, “The pressure on Biya’s regime was just too much.” He thanks ICN for its role in securing Father Paul’s release.

Father Paul came to international attention last May when he addressed the United Nations in New York. He described the deteriorating security situation in Cameroon’s Anglophone region, saying that the heavy-handed actions of the security services had provoked an extreme response from some English-speaking activists. He reported on the widespread destruction of schools and hospitals by Anglophone separatists who demand their region becomes a new country called Ambazonia. He also told of the disproportionately violent response of Cameroonian security services, leaving more than 3,000 dead and 530,000 displaced.

Regarded as a moderate voice, Father Paul urged the Biya regime to engage in genuine and inclusive dialogue to stop the polarisation of attitudes in the region. Although Yaounde held a national dialogue recently, many Anglophone Cameroonians criticised it for being a publicity stunt aimed at pacifying foreign criticism of the regime.

While the Cameroonian Diaspora in the UK has welcomed Father Paul’s release, its members remain concerned about the fate of hundreds of non-violent Anglophone activists being held in jail, some without charge or access to lawyers.

Among those detained is the academic, Abdul Karim Ali, an outspoken critic of the Biya regime who was arrested on September 25th. He had just returned from Switzerland where the Swiss authorities are attempting to start negotiations between the Cameroonian government and Ambazonian separatists and other Anglophone civil society groups. Abdul Karim Ali is on hunger strike at SED prison (the State Defence Secretariat) in Yaounde. He is charged with secession, funding terrorism and terrorism. Human Rights Watch has previously documented the widespread use of torture at SED.

Source: Independent Catholic News

22, October 2019

Battle for Ambazonia: French Cameroun To Buy Russia’s Panstir-S1 Anti-Aircraft System ⁰

Cameroon is eyeing a Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft system purchase from Russia, said Mahamat Paba Sale, Ambassador of the African Republic, on Tuesday.

“We are hoping to sign a contract. We are interested, and I believe this will be done. Russian equipment are of very high quality,” the diplomat said, during an interview with RIA Novosti.

The Central African nation also wants to buy armored personnel carriers and military transport and combat helicopters from Russia, he said.

The Pantsir-S1 is a self-propelled air defense system designed to provide protection from small military, administrative and industrial facilities from all means of air attack in an adverse radio-electronic situation. Its missiles and artillery shells can hit all types of manned aircraft and drones.

Source: Defenseworld.net

22, October 2019

Cameroon: Vigilance committees’ dilemma in the fight against Boko Haram ⁰

Boko Haram is attacking Cameroon’s Far North Region almost daily – especially the country’s vigilance committees and defence and security forces. On 7 October the group killed a man and a woman and kidnapped four members of the local vigilance committee in Kerawa (see Figure 1).

Civilian-led vigilance committees are informally structured groups made up of community-based volunteers. They emerged in areas affected by Boko Haram, especially in the Far North and North Regions of Cameroon. They vary in size and composition from one village to another. Their main function is to monitor people’s entry and exit into and from their villages, and to inform the authorities about suspicious activities.

Being community members themselves allows vigilance committees to play a critical early warning role – in collaboration with administrative authorities and security forces – to prevent violent extremist attacks. Though seemingly benign, the existence, structure and functioning of the committees inevitably creates new power dynamics within communities. They also serve as a buffer against Boko Haram’s recruitment of new members from the communities they attack.

Security forces work with these committees and traditional authorities on strategies to prevent and combat violent extremism. This role however also makes them vulnerable to targeted attacks by Boko Haram.

Pushed back by the Multinational Joint Task Force’s (MNJTF) counter offensives launched on 21 February along the Komadougou River and on the islands of Lake Chad, Boko Haram is looking for new territories. In response to increased military efforts, the extremist group has resorted to using the cover of darkness to attack villages. They massacre, kidnap, loot, burn houses, shops and granaries, steal cattle and lay landmines.

Most of these assaults target vigilance committees, their communities and traditional authorities. The attacks are meant to discourage these community groups’ collaboration with the security forces, and to deny the military its community-based battlefield advantage.

Vigilance committees are not a long-term security substitute in Cameroon’s border villages

However not all members of vigilance committees are as committed to Cameroon’s stability, and some are suspected of collaborating with Boko Haram. In a deadly attack on 10 June on a security outpost on Darak, a Cameroonian island in Lake Chad, Boko Haram reportedly had the help of locals who worked with scouts sent by the extremist group beforehand. The attack resulted in 37 fatalities – 21 military and 16 civilian – and caused serious material damage.

The attack on Darak could be seen as an attempt by Boko Haram to conquer new territory and gain control over commercial routes between the Logone and Chari Division of Cameroon and the Hadjer-Lamis Province of Chad (see Figure 2 below). Control of these routes would help them generate income through agriculture, pisciculture, cattle rearing, cross-border trade and collecting taxes from civilians.

Some vigilance committee members allegedly provide operational and economic support to Boko Haram. They reportedly give information on army positions and personnel, food reserves, shops and cattle to be looted, or abet the entry of Boko Haram members into Cameroonian territory in exchange for money.

They are also accused of providing cover for the sale of goods and livestock stolen during attacks, bolstering Boko Haram’s economic resilience. Some committee members are former cattle rustlers and highway robbers, which could explain why they are not entirely trusted.

The vigilance committees are thus caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, communities have grown hostile and distrustful towards them, and on the other hand, they are persecuted by Boko Haram through kidnappings and executions.

Resolving the situation is important because of the key role the committees play in the fight against Boko Haram. They alert the defence forces to threats and limit the access of people associated with Boko Haram into their territories, due to their knowledge of the environment.

Cameroon’s government has shown its appreciation of the committees’ efforts and provided them with logistical support. Some committees have also been restructured to maintain the trust of their communities and make them adaptable to the changing threat environment. However this hasn’t protected them from targeted attacks by Boko Haram, let alone from public suspicions of collusion with the extremist group.

There are several ways to make vigilance committees more effective. Committee members need to be trained in their responsibilities, accountability, human rights and due process. Campaigns aimed at making communities aware of the role of their vigilance committees should be a priority. A coherent government policy is also needed to enhance the protection of civilians.

Policies and awareness campaigns clarify the rules that govern roles and responsibilities. This provides some degree of certainty and predictability for all social actors concerned. Without them, it is difficult for communities to continue collaborating with the committees.

Some vigilance committee members allegedly provide operational and economic support to Boko Haram

Vigilance committees should also be provided with both operational training and material support (torches, safety shoes, raincoats, etc.) to enable them to fulfil their role as informal community-based security actors.

Vigilance committees are not a long-term security substitute in Cameroon’s border villages. But with the spate of Boko Haram attacks in the region, they are an important source of information and early warning. Without them, communities would not be safe. But while relying on vigilance committees is necessary in the short term, it isn’t enough for the foreseeable future.

The government’s civil protection capabilities – a combination of police, judicial and administrative figures – need to be improved to properly manage the country’s border regions. This must be accompanied by the gradual demobilisation of vigilance committees in the areas under effective state control.

Source: Reliefweb

22, October 2019

Japanese emperor publicly proclaims enthronement in centuries-old ceremony ⁰

Japanese Emperor Naruhito formally proclaimed his ascendancy to the throne on Tuesday in a centuries-old ceremony attended by dignitaries from more than 180 countries, pledging to fulfill his duty as a symbol of the state.

Naruhito became emperor in May in a brief, tradition-filled ceremony but Tuesday’s “Sokui no Rei” was a more elaborate ritual at the royal palace in which he officially announced his change in status to the world.

“I swear that I will act according to the constitution and fulfill my responsibility as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people,” the 59-year-old declared, his voice slightly hoarse, in front of about 2,000 participants, including Britain’s Prince Charles.

“I sincerely hope that Japan will develop further and contribute to the friendship and peace of the international community, and to the welfare and prosperity of human beings through the people’s wisdom and ceaseless efforts.”

The first Japanese emperor born after World War Two, Naruhito acceded to the throne when his father, Akihito, became the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in two centuries after worrying that advancing age might make it hard to perform official duties.

Emperor Naruhito (L) and Empress Masako (R) attend a ceremony to proclaim the emperor’s enthronement to the world, called Sokuirei-Seiden-no-gi, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, October 22, 2019. (Photo by Reuters)

“As he is young and energetic with outstanding leadership, I hope he’ll support the people of Japan, which has faced continuous disasters and typhoons,” said Tomoko Shirakawa, 51, who was among small groups of umbrella-clutching supporters outside the palace.

The long-planned celebrations were tempered by Typhoon Hagibis, which killed at least 80 people when it tore through Japan 10 days ago, and pouring rain on Tuesday.

A public parade was postponed until next month to allow the government to devote its attention to the typhoon clean-up, while Tuesday’s inclement weather forced the palace to scale back the number of courtiers in ancient robes taking part in the courtyard ceremony although the skies cleared as it began.

Naruhito began the day’s ceremonies by reporting his enthronement to his imperial ancestors at one of three shrines on the palace grounds, dressed in a black headdress and pure white robes with a long train borne by an attendant.

He was followed later by Empress Masako, 55, his Harvard-educated wife, dressed in 12-layered white robes and attended by two women in violet robes to arrange her train.

Japan’s Empress Masako makes her appearance during a ceremony to proclaim Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement to the world at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, October 22, 2019. (Photo by Reuters)

Tradition-bound ceremony

For the main ceremony in the Matsu-no-Ma, or Hall of Pine, the most prestigious room in the palace, Naruhito wore a traditional burnt-orange robe and headdress, as his father did nearly three decades ago.

He declared his enthronement from the “Takamikura” – a 6.5-metre (21 feet) high pavilion that weighs about 8 tones – with an ancient sword and a jewel, two of the so-called Three Sacred Treasures, placed beside him.

Together with a mirror called Yata-no-Kagami, which is kept at the Ise Grand Shrine, the holiest site in Japan’s Shinto religion, the three treasures comprise the regalia that symbolize the legitimacy of the emperor.

Masako, wearing 12-layered robes and an elaborate, upswept hairstyle, also took part, her throne smaller.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered a congratulatory speech before guests including Prince Charles, who with then-wife Princess Diana attended Akihito’s enthronement, as well as US Transport Secretary Elaine Chao and Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Abe then led the assembled dignitaries in giving three “banzai” cheers for the Emperor.

Imperial family future

A court banquet is due to be held on Tuesday evening, before Naruhito and Masako host a tea party for foreign royalty on Wednesday afternoon.

While the public parade was postponed until Nov. 10, the NHK national broadcaster said there were 26,000 police providing security on Tuesday.

Naruhito is unusual among recent Japanese emperors since his only child, 17-year-old Aiko, is female and as such cannot inherit the throne. The future of the imperial family for coming generations rests instead on the shoulders of his nephew, 13-year-old Hisahito, who is second in line for the throne after his father, Prince Akishino.

Japan’s Crown Princess Kiko and other members of the royal family arrive at the ceremony site where Emperor Naruhito will report the conduct of the enthronement ceremony at the Imperial Sanctuary inside the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan October 22, 2019. (Photo by Reuters)

Naruhito’s grandfather, Hirohito, in whose name Japanese troops fought World War Two, was treated as a god but renounced his divine status after Japan’s defeat in 1945. Emperors now have no political authority.

Though many Japanese welcomed the enthronement ceremony, some shrugged it off as a nuisance.

“There is no need for such an elaborate ceremony. Traffic has been restricted and it is causing inconvenience for ordinary people,” said Yoshikazu Arai, 74, a retired surgeon.

“The emperor is necessary now as a symbol of the people, but at some point, the emperor will no longer be necessary. Things will be just fine without an emperor.”

(Source: Reuters)

22, October 2019

French Cameroun: 7 soldiers plead not guilty to executing women and children ⁰

Seven Cameroonian soldiers accused of killing two women and their children in an alleged summary execution that was caught on video pleaded not guilty at a military tribunal on Monday.

The six soldiers and a captain have been charged with joint participation in murder, breach of regulations and conspiracy, according to the indictment.

The video that went viral on social networks in early July 2018 showed men in military uniform summarily executing two women, blindfolded and on their knees, along with a little girl and a baby one of the mothers was carrying on her back.

The video was initially dismissed as “fake news” by the Cameroonian authorities. But Amnesty International revealed credible evidence that Cameroon’s military was responsible, and the authorities later announced that the seven soldiers depicted in the video had been arrested and would be prosecuted.

For the first time, the military tribunal in Yaounde trying the soldiers allowed them to enter their pleas, all of which were not guilty, an AFP journalist reported.

The killings took place in 2015 in Zeleved, in Cameroon’s Far North region where troops have been deployed to fight Boko Haram jihadists who have crossed over from Nigeria to wage attacks in the neighbouring country.

During the investigation, the six soldiers claimed they acted on orders from the captain, their superior officer, according to a lawyer involved in the case.

The captain has contested this version of events, claiming he told the soldiers to hand over the two children and their mothers, accused of ties to Boko Haram, to the police, the same lawyer added.

The tribunal has set the next hearing in the case for November 4.

Source: AFP

22, October 2019

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Roman Catholic Church leaders want answers after arrest of Caritas head ⁰

A Catholic priest who runs the local Caritas for his Cameroonian archdiocese was arrested on Sunday, and a local bishop says he has no idea why.

Father Paul Njokikang was picked up early Sunday morning after celebrating Mass in Mbinfibe, near Bamenda, the capital of Cameroon’s North West region.

He was reportedly taken by security forces to a military camp at the Bafut airport.

“No reason as yet has been advanced for his arrest,” Archdiocese of Bamenda auxiliary Bishop Michael Bibi told Crux. “It is only when Father will be released that we will get to know why he was arrested.”

The archdiocese has called the arrest “arbitrary” and said Njokikang was being held illegally.

Cameroon’s English-speaking North West and South West regions have been experiencing a civil conflict since 2016, when demonstrations broke out after there were demands to use French – the majority language in Cameroon – in their common law courts and English-modeled schools.

English speakers make up around 20 percent of the country’s population and have long complained about being marginalized by the French-speaking ruling class.

After Cameroon’s security forces’ heavy-handed response – including using live ammunition on demonstrators – rebel movements arose calling for the independence of Anglophone Cameroon, saying the new country would be called Ambazonia.

In a statement issued Monday, the Humanitarian Family in Bamenda – which offers assistance to those affected by the conflict -condemned the arrest and called for the priest’s immediate release.

“Cameroon’s military is arbitrarily detaining Father Paul at their concentration and torture camp at the Bafut Airport near Bamenda,” the organization said.

The statement said the local population sees Njokikang as a local version of Mother Theresa who is known for his good works towards the poor and vulnerable people suffering due to the ongoing strife.

The priest came to prominence when he addressed the United Nations Security Council in April, describing the worsening humanitarian and security situation in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions. He also detailed the human rights abuses of the government’s security forces.

“The disappearance and death of young males is no longer news. Some of those who have been killed are persons with disabilities or special needs, or the aged who cannot run away to safety,” he told the international body.

Njokikang said both the government and the separatist fighters are committing human rights violations, “which acts as an instrument of terror to the local people.”

It is not clear if his arrest was in retaliation for his remarks at the UN. The military has not responded to Crux’s repeated requests for comment.

In the UK, the priest’s arrest was condemned by Lord David Alton, who accused the government of long-serving leader Paul Biya of cracking down on moderate voices.

“Father Paul represents a moderate Anglophone voice in an increasingly polarized conflict. The international community must demand his unconditional release,” he said in a statement.

“There can be no constructive dialogue while the Biya regime undermines the work of impartial charities. The UK should use its influence at the UN and in the Commonwealth to press the Cameroon authorities to hold genuine and inclusive negotiations,” Alton said.

According to the UN, about 530,000 people have been forced from their homes in the restive Anglophone regions. Some 3,000 people have been killed in three years of violence.

Originally a German colony, Cameroon was divided between France and Britain after Germany’s defeat in World War I.

When British Cameroon joined the already independent French Cameroon in 1961, it did so under a federal system that allowed both parts to practice the legal and educational systems inherited from their colonial powers.

However, the country’s first president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, scrapped the federation in 1972 and introduced a unitary national government through a hastily organized referendum. Most observers see this event as the seed for the current rebellion.

The government sought to address some of these issues when it organized a “Major National Dialogue” from September 30 -October 4 in Yaoundé.

The meeting came up with a series of proposals, including the adoption of a special status for the two Anglophone regions; the restoration of the House of Traditional Chiefs; the election of local governors, the immediate relaunch of certain airport and seaport projects in the two regions; the rapid integration of ex-combatants into society; and a return to the name United Republic of Cameroon.

The president released a major opposition figure – Cameroon Renaissance Movement leader Maurice Kamto – on Oct. 5 as a sign of reconciliation.

However, separatist militia leaders refused to take part in the conference, calling it a “smokescreen.”

Since the end of the meeting, separatists have intensified their attacks against the government.

Source: Crux

22, October 2019

Battle For Ambazonia: Field Marshal Names Himself ‘King’ of Lebialem ⁰

There is outrage in Cameroon after a separatist fighter who chased several traditional rulers from the English-speaking Lebialem district enthroned himself as king. Raids by the military to capture the fighter and ensuing battles led to the deaths of 11 suspected fighters and the beheading of a police officer.

Heavily guarded by his fighters and accompanied by several women he said are his wives, Lekeahka Oliver, dressed in local traditional regalia, announces that he is the only king of Lebialem.

Recently, Oliver’s fighters attacked and chased away many local traditional rulers and notables. He said they supported the central government in the war to make the North-and Southwest regions independent from the rest of Cameroon and its French-speaking majority. At least two of the traditional rulers were killed.

Andreas Lekunze Nembo, traditional ruler of Bamumbu village and president of the Lebialem chiefs conference, said the escaped chiefs are outraged by the desecration of their palaces.

“There is fire in the house. Fire because our customs, tradition and cultural heritage continue to be abused. The desecration of a palace by separatists. Secondly there is general insecurity, intimidation and barbaric actions to our greatest surprise,” said Nembo.

In an attempt to capture Oliver, the military said it mounted raids on separatist camps in Lebialem, killing at least six fighters within the past three days.

Other battles were reported in the northwestern towns of Bamenda and Ndop, killing another five separatist fighters.

The fighters also beheaded a policeman.

Colonel Sone Joseph Ajang, director of administrative and regulatory affairs in Cameroon’s Ministry of Defense, said the separatists have beheaded seven people over the past month.

“We ask ourselves, why do you chop off the head of someone they have already killed? This is to send some warning waves to the mind of soldiers, but we stay resolute as far as our duties are concerned irrespective of all the atrocities we have,” he said.

Deben Tchoffo, governor of the English-speaking Northwest region, said security services are attempting to stop the barbarism.

“It is unbearable and on behalf of the government of the republic, we condemn it strongly and investigations are ongoing to uncover those that have done [are responsible for] that devilish act,” said Tchoffo.

Early this month, Cameroon’s President Paul Biya organized what he called a national dialogue to solve the separatist crisis that has killed close to 3,000 people since 2016. Separatist groups on social media called the dialogue a non-event and refused to participate.

Source: VOA

21, October 2019

Cameroon-Nigeria: The centre of maritime piracy, armed robbery and kidnap ⁰

Nearly all maritime kidnappings and hostage-takings in the nine months to the end of September this year took place in or near the Gulf of Guinea, said global maritime piracy watchdog the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).

New data from the IMB shows that worldwide there have been 70 actual kidnappings of seafarers and 49 hostage-takings year to date. The West African country of Guinea alone saw 23 hostage-takings, Nigeria a further 12 and the West African country of Togo an additional seven. Cameroon and Nigeria were hot spots for kidnapping, too.

The IMB says about 86% of all maritime hostage-taking and 82% of all actual kidnappings happen in or near the Gulf of Guinea. The body adds that there were at least 119 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships from January through September. That’s a 31% decline compared to the 156 incidents recorded in the same period in 2018.

Incidents are down globally but Gulf of Guinea remains a concern

“Although incidents are down, the Gulf of Guinea continues to be a concern for piracy and armed robbery-related activities, with kidnappings of crew members increasing in both scale and frequency,” said Pottengal Mukundan, a director of the IMB.

That said, the IMB freely concedes that there’s a high degree of under-reporting. The assistant director of the IMB, Cyrus Moody, told FreightWaves that the IMB’s own research indicates there’s roughly a 50% under-reporting of incidents.

Possible reasons why include the fear that insurers will hike rates if it is known that a ship was attacked. There are also fears that if an attack on a ship is reported then criminals may “go harder on the crew,” the next time the same ship is attacked. Some operators may worry that local authorities could hold or delay the ship.

Gulf of Guinea – piracy at the center of the world

The Gulf of Guinea lies between West Africa and Central Africa. It’s the sea-space at zero degrees longitude and zero degrees latitude. There are different definitions what constitutes the Gulf of Guinea. The international “Guidelines for Owners, Operators and Masters for protection against piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea region,” a document issued by the major global maritime shipping organizations, applies to the waters off the countries of Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon.

However, the Guidelines also say pirate attacks have occurred as far south as Angola and as far west as Sierra Leone, so the area of threat is enormous.

The Gulf of Guinea is an attractive area of operations for marine criminals for several reasons.

Many high-value, poorly-defended targets

Firstly, it has many high-value targets.

There are many ships because there are numerous ports and a great deal of cargo. And, because vessels are entering or leaving port, ships may be traveling slowly. They may be sitting low in the water, and are therefore easier for pirates to board, because they are fully laden. Or they may be at anchor waiting for commercial instructions or repairs or for any number of other reasons. As Moody pointed out, ships are constantly entering and leaving, or waiting around or in, the area of high threat.

Secondly, the targets are poorly defended because of certain provisions of international law. That is also the reason why experts talk of “piracy” and “armed robbery against ships,” and why there is a distinction between the two in statistical tracking, even though they’re physically the same crime.

What is “piracy”? What is “armed robbery against ships”?

A summary of Article 101 of the UN Convention on the International Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) indicates that maritime piracy is any illegal act of violence committed for private ends by the crew or passengers of a private ship and directed on the high seas, or in a place outside the jurisdiction of any country, against another ship.

The International Maritime Organization, a specialized body of the United Nations, uses the international definition for piracy to define “armed robbery against ships” but with the difference that the crime happens within the borders of a country.

The key parts are the concept of “high seas” and “outside the jurisdiction of any country.” Or, to put it another way, whether a maritime crime is “piracy” or an “armed robbery against a ship” depends upon where the crime happens in relation to the international/territorial border.

So a crime against a ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is piracy. But a criminal attack on a ship in, say, the Port of Long Beach, California, is armed robbery against a ship in the U.S.

Where is the maritime border?

On land, a man-made barrier, or a natural barrier such as a river, often marks the location of the border. While there are no visible barriers or landmarks at sea, nonetheless, there is still a border. Under UNCLOS, a country’s sovereignty can extend from the coast out to sea up to a limit of 12 nautical miles (about 13.8 U.S. miles). This sea-space is known as the territorial sea.

Just as crimes against crew and ships in U.S. territorial waters are subject to U.S. law, crimes against crew and ships in the waters off Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Cameroon are subject to the criminal laws of those countries. The close proximity of all those sovereign nations poses several challenges.

Hot pursuit and armed guards

Law enforcers have a right of “hot pursuit” under article 111 of UNCLOS. Marine police (or navies) can chase and capture criminals who flee out of a country’s jurisdiction and onto the high seas. But if the criminals cross the border into a neighboring country, the chasing police lose that right. And, just as happens with neighboring countries the world over, police and criminal investigators cannot wander freely back and forth across borders to tackle crime.

A few years ago there was a big problem with Somali pirates attacking ships as they sailed through the Gulf of Aden. Deployment of armed guards aboard ships was the primary means of tackling Somali piracy along the east coast of Africa. Unlike ships in the Gulf of Guinea, however, ships sailing off the coast of Somalia were attacked in international waters and therefore the law of the local coastal state did not apply. So armed guards were a legally sensible response.

But that wouldn’t work in the Gulf of Guinea. Ships have to enter and leave the territories of the coastal states to visit the local ports. Nations jealously guard their monopoly on the right to use armed force in their jurisdictions and generally do not allow large numbers of openly armed foreigners to enter and hang around in their territory. So ship-borne foreign armed guards would not be allowed.

Local law enforcement and judicial systems

National sovereignty presents a further problem to deterring or stopping pirates because not every country has a well-developed law enforcement and judicial system. There’s a good reason there’s no piracy epidemic immediately off the coast of, say, the state of Oregon. U.S. law enforcement would take decisive action against repeated acts of organized piracy or armed robbery in that area. And the U.S. has prosecutors, courts, judges and a penal system to try, convict, sentence and imprison pirates and other maritime criminals.

That’s not so in the Gulf of Guinea.

“Nigeria did not even have piracy as a crime,” Moody explained to FreightWaves. So piracy (if outside the territorial sea) or armed robbery against ships couldn’t even be prosecuted as such in Nigeria. However, Moody pointed out that Nigeria has more recently enacted laws against piracy.

“You always have maritime crime where the response from law enforcement and the judicial system is not adequate or robust,” Moody told FreightWaves.

Culled from FreightWaves.Com

21, October 2019

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Director of Caritas Revered Father Njokikang arrested ⁰

As the Anglophone uprising in Cameroon enters its fourth year, the Caritas Director, Father Paul Njokikang, has been arrested. His detention has been condemned by Lord Alton as a further assault on moderate voices within Anglophone civil society.

In May, Father Paul testified at the United Nations about the deteriorating situation in the mainly English-speaking North West and South West regions of Cameroon. Conflict is escalating between Anglophone Cameroonians, who make up a fifth of the country’s twenty-four million population, and the Francophone government of President Paul Biya. More than 300 Anglophone activists remain in prison, some serving life sentences for calling for greater autonomy or independence for their region.

The UN estimates that 530,000 people, more than 10% of the Anglophone population, have been forced from their homes in the violence. More than 30,000 have fled to neighbouring Nigeria, while as many as 3,000 are believed to have been killed. Impartial human rights organisations have condemned the disproportionate force used by the Cameroon armed forces against peaceful unarmed civilians.

The crackdown has driven some Anglophones to support secession from Cameroon, creating an independent nation called Ambazonia. Extremists, called Amba Boys, have demanded school closures and have intimidated civilians who resist their call for strikes. Hospitals, schools and businesses have been burned down. As a result, hundreds of thousands of children have been unable to attend schools for years.

Father Paul told the UN that the pro-independence fighters have made life intolerable for civilians, while humanitarian aid agencies are unable to reach those in need. He described kidnapping and devastation by the Amba Boys, as well as ferocious revenge attacks by the Cameroonian armed forces.

“A military solution has never been a solution,” he told UN delegates. “Dialogue is the solution.” He called on the UN to demand a ceasefire and genuine negotiations, including demilitarising the region, and scaling up humanitarian assistance. “We are sandwiched between the security forces and the Amba Boys,” he explained. However, despite Father Paul’s moderate stance, he was arrested after Mass on Sunday.

President Paul Biya’s government recently held a national dialogue conference, but many English-speaking activists were excluded. They have denounced the process as a sham, aimed at pacifying the international community, rather than addressing long-standing Anglophone grievances. The uprising began with peaceful demonstrations when the Francophone government forced French-speaking teachers and judges on schools and courts in the Anglophone region.

Lord Alton commented: “Father Paul represents a moderate Anglophone voice in an increasingly polarised conflict. The international community must demand his unconditional release. There can be no constructive dialogue while the Biya regime undermines the work of impartial charities. The UK should use its influence at the UN and in the Commonwealth to press the Cameroon authorities to hold genuine and inclusive negotiations.”

Source: Independent Catholic News