About 30 passengers were abducted by armed separatists on Friday along Fundong-Bamenda highway in the Northwest, one of the two war-torn English-speaking regions of Cameroon, local authorities confirmed Saturday.

“Three transport buses left Fundong for Bamenda and were stopped at Belo by armed separatists,” Samuel Nkwain, a driver who witnessed the incident said.

“All passengers were ordered to step down and hand over their identification cards. They were then taken to the bush to an unknown destination. There are still with them right now,” said Nkwain.

Locals interviewed by Xinhua said the abduction followed in-fighting between armed groups in the area.

“The other group was angry that another group collected their weapons and refused to hand over to them, so they say they are holding the passengers hostage until the weapons are handed over to them,” a local resident, who asked not to be named, told Xinhua.

Movement along the highway has been halted and the search for the hostages has been launched, according to local authorities.

Cases of kidnapping are on the rise amid escalating conflict in the troubled English-speaking regions of the largely French-speaking African country.

The United Nations estimates that more than 430,000 people have been displaced internally since government forces started clashing with armed separatists in November 2017.

Source: Xinhuanet

The crisis in Cameroon has been lamented as the fastest displacement tragedy in Africa following the worsening bloodshed in the English-speaking regions and attacks by the Boko Haram terror group.

Some 1 800 people have been killed in the western regions during the past few months as communities demand autonomy from the government dominated by French speakers. Government has reacted with brutality while separatists have also intensified their campaign.

The majority of women have reportedly been raped.

Over 500 000 people have been displaced and 700 000 children prevented from attending school.

David Miliband, Chief Executive Officer of the international Rescue Committee (IRC) described the crisis as the worst displacement problem in the continent.

“The international community must make joint efforts in humanitarian aid,” he said at the end of his mission to the Central African country.

“Without a radical change in the internal political dynamic, a generalised civil war is sadly at stake,” Miliband warned.

Education Cannot Wait, a non-profit organisation, this week allocated US$2,7 million to support the emergency education response.

The re-election of President Paul Biya in 2018 has aggravated the Cameroon crisis.

In power since 1982, critics accuse him of heading an administration that marginalizes English speakers, who make up 20 percent of the country’s estimated population of 25 million.

His government faces a rising threat by the Boko Haram from neighbouring Nigeria.

– CAJ News

Cameroon is not only taking China’s money to build a new National Assembly building — all of the work will be done by, and the jobs go to, a Chinese firm. This is a total sell out, to the same “Belt and Road” bribers Antonio Guterres has tried to conceal his financial links with, including by roughing up and censoring the Press. Here’s the state media announcement: “The construction of Cameroon’s new National Assembly headquarters is scheduled to begin by the end of the month of July, official reports have confirmed.

The information was disclosed by the President of the follow up committee in charge of the construction of the project, Hon. Theodore Datouo during a press conference held today in Yaounde today.  The project reportedly financed by the Chinese government at an amount of 54.5 Billion CFA frs will commence by the end of this month.

According to Hon. Theodore Datouo, the constructions will be hosted on three different sites which are Wada, Municipal Lake and at the National Gendarmerie. The later and all its occupants will relocate to Olembe.  Reports hold that the building is expected to stand on a surface area of over 90,000 square metres with facilities like a 400 sitter parliamentary chamber, several entry points as well as gardens.

Announced several months ago, the construction becomes imminent with the reported arrival to Cameroon of the Chinese enterprise selected for the job that will be delivered in 48 months.” A Chinese enterprise will do all the work, and take all the money. How’s that for empowerment? This is the new world order, assisted and covered up for by corrupt Antonio Guterres.

After Guterres on June 28 tried to erase his failure and failure of credibility on Cameroon by embracing an attempt to mediate by Switzerland, in Geneva Swiss police used tear gas against protesters of Biya’s corruption, right in front of the UN. Given Guterres’ track records, perhaps it was this that he was welcoming.

Source: Inner City Press

The Bamenda Military Tribunal yesterday the 12/07/2019 handed down judgment in the People Vs Numvi Walters, Che Clovis, Tabukum Andrew and Kongnso Stephen affair. The Accused Persons herein were charged with terrorism, Secession, Revolution and other offences which all carry sentences from 10 years upwards otherwise known as felonies.

Numvi Walters and Che Clovis were sentenced to serve 15 years imprisonment terms each and then pay fines of 300000frs and 200000frs CFA respectively.  Kongnso Stephen’s charge was reclassified to Failure to inform public authorities of the impending danger and sentenced to 4 years imprisonment with Fine of 100000frs CFA whilst Tabukum Andrew was discharged and acquitted.

Cameroon Concord News understands that the case was started in 2015 by Barrister Shufai Blaise Sevidzem Berinyuy and Barrister Harmony Bobga but has now been completed by a college of lawyers led by Barrister Awah Joseph Fru .

The other lawyers in court yesterday for the defense included Barrs SUH FUH Benjamin, ALAMBI and Barr FORNKWA Paul NDEY who recently returned home to serve his people after a brilliant career as a High Court Judge in The Gambia.

The case started with a very serious illegality …

That the boys were arrested and investigated by the Judicial Police on the basis of an Administrative Order of the governor of the North West Region who is a political appointee. It is a very serious illegality because   Criminal actions are commenced by way of an order of a Magistrate acting either as State Counsel, Investigating Magistrate or Judge of the court and never by an administrative officer.

Numvi Walters and Che Clovis had been arrested on the 07 May 2015 allegedly manufacturing explosives to use to blow off government structures and frustrate celebration of 20th May 2015 in their country, The Federal Republic of Ambazonia which allegation they are said to have confirmed before the Governor LeLe L’Afrique of NW Region and his whole Etat Major! The governor therefore signed the 15 days renewable Administrative Order which he renewed twice to enable the officers of Judicial Police carryout investigations.

The whole trial has been a travesty of Justice

Numvi Walters a High School dropout and Che Clovis a student at Government Technical High School Bamenda and Tabukum Andrew a metal “Bender” as they call him were arrested in Bamenda sometime on the 7th May 2015 for allegedly manufacturing bombs to blow up government structures including grand stands in Bamenda, Buea, Kumbo, Limbe and other localities to frustrate any celebrations for la Republique du Cameroun National Day, 20th May 2015.

Stephen Kongnso was arrested in his Kumbo residence as a suspect on Saturday 9th May 2015 whilst Pa Vincent Jumbam was another suspect later released after close to 7 months of incarceration and torture.  Vincent Jumbam is a retired teacher and activist arrested inside the Catholic Church located at To-oy in the outskirts of Kumbo during Holy Mass on Sunday 9th May 2015.

APPEARANCES:

1. FOR THE COURT
2. a) President: Colonel Magistrate Kengne
3. b) Vice President: Justice Ignatius Che Ajuyoh
4. c) Vice President: Justice Anita Ngulle Dion
5. FOR THE COMMISSIONER FOR GOVERNMENT
6. a) Commissioner for the Government: Major Magistrate Tsuite
7. b) First Assistant: Lt Bekita
8. c) Second Assistant: Magistrate
9. FOR COUNSEL OF THE ACCUSED
10. i) Paddy Yong
11. ii) Joseph Awah Fru

iii)           Alambi Gabriel Ngang

1. iv) Tifuh Ochard
2. v) Fongo Edwin
3. FOR CC

Tributes to a Legend, Fighter, Leader, Teacher and Comrade Rtd Justice Frederick A. Ebong

A State Burial is hereby announced for our great leader, Comrade Retired Justice Frederick A. Ebong.

Amongst every great people, in every great nation, history always records that the foundation lies in men and women of substance, integrity and determination. Men and women who stood up and faced the challenges of their time. 

As Ambazonians, our history is rich with many such greats. We are sad to announce that Comrade Justice Frederick Ebong will be laid to rest this weekend (12th-13th of July 2019) in Washington, USA. Both days are declared days of national mourning. Our people will be in black and the Ambazonia flag will fly at half-mast.

The Interim Government joins his family, the people of our nation, Ambazonia, to celebrate the life of this unique leader who gallantly fought for freedom, justice and peace for our people right through his last breath on earth. As he exits the stage, our duty is to emulate this giant by continuing this quest for independence and freedom. Our duty is to pick the baton of selflessness and courage to keep this flame of justice and independence burning till the end.

As we reflect on the life-threatening sacrifices you made for our collective freedom, we want to reassure you that your life struggle is our struggle and we will deliver on the ultimate prize by taking our people to Buea. We will not falter on the mandate you have handed over to us to complete this historic assignment. You led a resistance movement that at its start held little prospect of success. But you were fully persuaded in the justness of our cause and nothing stopped you, not even your own freedom from pursuing this noble objective of setting your people free.

You showed us what being persuaded in the concept of a free homeland means. You showed us the power of action; of taking risks when nothing else mattered but for the freedom of your people. Perhaps like Nelson Mandela, you were right that you inherited, “a proud rebelliousness, a stubborn sense of fairness” from those who came before you.

Ambazonia will remember you for your wisdom, boldness, determination, humility, courage, your servant-leadership style, your patriotism and your statesmanship. Even when the challenges of life seemed insurmountable, with courage and determination, you taught us that we can overcome the evils of our societies. Eternal gratitude is what we owe you for your efforts and steadfastness in standing for the freedom of your people at all cost.

For our nation to see a new dawn, it had to take the sacrifice of countless people to take us to where we are today. You have left your mark. Rest in Perfect Peace Comrade, Rest in Perfect Peace our Leader.

As you rest in peace, intercede for Ambazonia. As you rest in peace, we pray that the Good Lord blesses us and our descendants with the wisdom he bestowed upon you.

 God Bless the soul of Justice Frederick A. Ebong 

God Bless the Federal Republic of Ambazonia 

 Yours in Servant Leadership,

 Dabney Yerima

 Vice President – Federal Republic of Ambazonia

On June 28, armed separatists beat and kidnapped John Fru Ndi, a well-known Cameroonian politician considered by some as one of the country’s old guard of political activism, from his home in Bamenda, North-West region. The attack was only the latest in a litany of abuses implicating armed separatists in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions.

Fru Ndi, chairman of the opposition party Social Democratic Front (SDF), has been a prominent advocate for the rights of Cameroon’s Anglophone minority. This was his second kidnapping in two months. Three days before his most recent abduction, armed separatists abducted and released another high-profile figure, Cornelius Fontem Esua, the archbishop of Bamenda.

Since 2017, armed separatists in the Anglophone North-West and South-West regions have kidnapped hundreds of people, including students and clergy, amid growing calls for the Anglophone regions to secede.

Fru Ndi told Human Rights Watch that the separatists beat him repeatedly. “I heard shooting and I ran out of my house,” he said. “Three separatists put me down on the rough cement ground of my courtyard. They hit me in the head and in the stomach. I was grabbed like an animal to be slaughtered.” They shot his bodyguard in the leg.

Fru Ndi said he was brought to an abandoned house in the nearby forest where he was told to withdraw his party’s representatives from parliament. “I was taken to what the separatists called their ‘prison.’ I saw at least 15 separatists there, armed with assault rifles. They were smoking marijuana and were under the effects of other drugs. They took off my shirt, raised the Ambazonian flag and sang their anthem. They took pictures of me,” he said. “The separatists pretend to be protecting the Anglophone people, but they are just abusing them.” They released Fru Ndi on June 29.

Since late 2016, violence has gripped the Anglophone regions of Cameroon, claiming the lives of about 2000 people and forcing half a million to flee their homes.

The grievances expressed by Anglophone groups over political marginalization and lack of recognition of their cultural identity are real. But kidnapping and abusing civilians will do little to address these grievances.

Culled from Human Rights Watch

The government of Cameroon this week began rolling out an unlikely weapon in the fight against Boko Haram militants.

Authorities are distributing thousands of goats and sheep to young Cameroonians in villages along with border with Nigeria.

The program aims to providing livestock for a basic income in order to stop the Islamist militant group’s recruiting tactics. The hope is that the livestock will empower thousands of vulnerable families and stop them from joining the extremists, who promise jobs.

In the village of Salak, 17-year-old Oumar Nafisatu received four sheep.

Nafisatu says she is looking forward to having baby sheep so she can sell them to pay for her school fees. She is the only one to take care of herself, she says, after her father and mother passed away.

Boko Haram fighters killed Nafisatu’s parents, along with 21 others, when they attacked her village in 2017, forcing her to flee.

Just a week later, Nafisatu’s only sister was killed in a suicide bomb attack in a mosque at Kolofata. Boko Haram had recruited her with promises of a job as a house cleaner, then forced her to carry out the attack.

Cameroon’s government plans to distribute 60,000 goats and sheep by the end of the year.  The minister of livestock, known only as Dr. Taiga, said the animals will go to those who have suffered in the fight against Boko Haram.

He said the initiative is to help families who are vulnerable by providing animals that are fruitful and enable them to have money. They will provide for their basic needs, said Taiga, take care of their families, and help to avoid temptations that can jeopardize peace and bring chaos.

The Lake Chad Basin Commission, with eight member nations in the region including Cameroon, says some areas attacked by Boko Haram have unemployment rates as high as 90 percent.

Midjiyawa Bakary, governor of Cameroon’s Far North region, notes there have been no major Boko Haram attacks in the past year but says the militants are still recruiting, and the military remains on alert.

He said people should be vigilant because Boko Haram is recruiting jobless youths with promises to improve their living conditions.  Village militias, known as self-defense groups, should be reactivated to work in collaboration with the military, officials, traditional rulers and the clergy, said Bakary. He said they can share information on any suspected activities that may upset the peace that has been returning to villages and towns.

Source: VOA