Headline News

26, June 2019

Rouhani warns of ‘decisive’ response if Iran space violated again ⁰

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says Tehran is not after war with Washington, but will give the United States a “decisive” response if it once again violates Iran’s territorial space.

Rouhani made the remarks in a telephone conversation with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on Tuesday, stressing that Iran did not want war with the United States but would confront any aggression.

“If the Americans want to violate the waters or airspace of Iran again, Iran’s armed forces have a duty to confront them and they will give a decisive response,” Rouhani said.

The Iranian president also emphasized that Tehran has been always committed to providing the region with security and stability.

Macron, for his part, said that tensions in the region will not be useful for any country and called for avoiding a “dangerous escalation” in the region.

PressTV-NATO urges US-Iran talks amid growing tensions

Tensions have been running high between the two countries since Washington’s decision in May last year to abandon the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions on Tehran as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at forcing it to renegotiate a new deal that addresses its ballistic missile program and regional influence as well.

The US has also sent warships, bombers and additional troops to the region in the wake of suspicious tanker attacks in the Sea of Oman, which it has blamed on Iran without providing evidence.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran hit a new high after Iran shot down a US surveillance drone on Thursday following its violation of Iranian airspace. However Washington insists that the aircraft was flying above international waters.

PressTV-Iran’s IRGC shoots down intruding US spy drone

Iran not to ‘renegotiate’ nuclear deal

Elsewhere in his remarks, Rouhani pointed to Trump’s abrupt decision last year to withdraw the US from a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and said Tehran will not “renegotiate” the landmark accord.

“Under no circumstances are we going to renegotiate a deal that was struck after two years of marathon negotiations,” Iran’s president said. “In violation of international principles, the Americans proved through the imposition and intensification of sanctions against the Iranian nation that they are no way after the settlement of disputes.”

During the phone call, Macron denounced as “remorseful” the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and the imposition of sanctions against Tehran, saying France has made every effort to maintain the landmark accord and convince the parties involved in the nuclear talks, the US in particular.

PressTV-‘Europeans lack resolve to implement JCPOA commitments’

Last year, US President Donald Trump unilaterally pulled his country out of a 2015 multilateral nuclear deal with Iran, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and unleashed the “toughest ever” sanctions against Tehran, notably targeting its energy sector.

Since its withdrawal from the JCPOA, Washington has been trying to coerce other countries into joining its anti-Iran pressure campaign.

In April, the White House terminated sanctions waivers for major buyers of crude from the Islamic Republic in an attempt to bring Iran’s oil exports to “zero.”

Bowing to Washington’s pressure, Europe has been throwing only verbal support behind the agreement, refusing to guarantee the Islamic Republic’s business interests in the face of American bans despite being contractually obliged to do so.

Source: Presstv

26, June 2019

Bonus payment rows rock AFCON 2019 ⁰

Nigeria’s national team at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2019) became the latest to stage a strike over unpaid bonuses, when it refused to train ahead of Wednesday’s clash against Guinea.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons who represented the country at the Women’s World Cup in France also staged a sit-in strike at a hotel, while Cameroon and Zimbabwe have also come to AFCON 2019 with unresolved payment issues.

In this article, we look at the prevailing bonus payment disputes, and how they have been managed.

Nigeria’s teams

The Super Eagles of Nigeria who had been striking over over unpaid bonuses at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations underway in Egypt, eventually suspended their strike on Tuesday.

The players had reportedly not received a $10,000 match bonus that they had each been promised.

The team finally agreed to train in Alexandria ahead of their game against Guinea in Alexandria, after the Nigerian Football Federation promised to pay a win bonus from their 1-0 victory over Burundi on Saturday.

Nigerian Football Association spokesman Ademola Alajire said the matter had been resolved, conceding that funds for the tournament had arrived late.

The Nigerian under-20 team and the women’s team, whose world cups are ongoing in Poland and France respectively, also went on strike over unpaid bonuses.

Cameroon’s late arrival at AFCON

Cameroon’s arrival at the tournament in Egypt was delayed by 24 hours when the squad refused to board their plane in Yaounde while they haggled over increased appearance fees and bonus monies.

They eventually boarded after negotiations with government officials and coach Clarence Seedorf suggested on Sunday that the experience might well turn out to be a positive.

“All teams in the world at some point in their history experience such troubles,” said the former Netherlands international and four-time Champions League winner, “but it will not affect our morale or our preparations.”

“Actually the bonus crisis has reinforced the team spirit and the determination within the squad to perform well. There was some tension but the players have behaved maturely and they’ve decided to be here to fight for Cameroon.

Cameroon won their tournament opener against Guinea Bissau at Ismailia on Tuesday, and are top of Group F after Benin and Ghana settled for a 2-2 draw in the other Group F game.

Zimbabwe’s AFCON uncertainty

While Zimbabwe’s football federation denied allegations that the national team threatened to boycott AFCON 2019 over a pay dispute, the team’s striker Khama Billiat said he was happy with his country’s performance against Egypt ‘under the circumstances’.

‘‘I think the guys are really professional, if credit to them for that, that we put everything away in the space of a few hours, and shifted our focus to the game,’‘ Billiat said after Zimbabwe’s 0-1 loss to hosts Egypt.

“ZIFA and Warriors have signed a contract and both parties will honour and respect all contractual obligations,’‘ the football association had reiterated before the tournament opener.

Source: Africa News

26, June 2019

Human Rights Watch accuses Ambazonia Self Defense Forces of torture ⁰

Separatist groups active in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon have been accused of torture and abuses against civilians.

These allegations were made by Human Rights Watch NGO on Monday criticizing the acts in a statement.

The organization claims to have watched a video, filmed in mid-May, showing “armed separatists torturing a man in an abandoned school in the north-western region of Cameroon”.

According to the NGO, dozens of other people have been tortured.

Since the beginning of the crisis in 2016, most schools have been closed due to the blockade imposed by the separatists.

Today, these regions are the scene of armed conflict that has continued to grow and in which civilians are caught in between.

Elements of the armed forces are also regularly accused of committing acts of violence against civilians.

This crisis has already pushed more than 530,000 people out of their homes, according to UN figures. In twenty months, the conflict has killed 1,850 people, according to the International Crisis Group, a centre for geopolitical analysis.

Source: Africa News

25, June 2019

AFCON 2019: Mali thrash Mauritania, Angola and Tunisia draw, Ivory Coast off to winning start ⁰

Mali produced three stunning goals as they thumped Africa Cup of Nations debutants Mauritania 4-1 on Monday, handing their neighbours a harsh lesson in their first ever match at the finals.

Abdoulaye Diaby blasted Mali in front and Moussa Marega converted a penalty to put them 2-0 ahead by halftime.

Adama Traore added a third before substituted by his namesake Adama Traore who then scored the fourth, both from outside the penalty area.

In between, El Hacen El Id made history by converting a penalty for Mauritania’s first ever goal at the tournament.ADVERTISING

Mali, playing at their seventh successive finals, became the first team to score more than two goals in a match at the tournament and also produced arguably the best performance so far.

Mauritania began brightly but were let down by too many elementary mistakes. They completely messed up one free kick around 30 metres from goal, gifting possession to their opponents, and their first touches were often heavy.

Mali took a while to get going but, with a young team of players based mainly in France and Portugal, were impressive once they got into full flight.

Diaby broke the deadlock after collecting a pass around 30 metres from goal, shuffling past two defenders and firing a rising shot into the net from just outside the area.

The powerful Moussa Marega was a constant threat for Mali, and after being denied several times, finally got on the scoresheet with a penalty in the 45th minute after Hamari Traore was tripped by Mauritania goalkeeper Brahim Souleimane.

Mali continued to dominate after halftime and, 10 minutes after the re-start, Adama Traore slipped past a couple of defenders and beat Souleimane with a low shot from outside the area.

Mauritania kept pressing forward and were rewarded with a penalty which El Hacen El Id converted, prompting delirious celebrations amid the players and officials.

Those were cut short, however, when substitute Adama Traore curled in from 25 metres to complete the scoring in style.

Angola snatch draw

In Group E’s other encounter Monday, Angola salvaged a surprise but deserved 1-1 draw against an uninspired Tunisia after Djalma Campos cancelled out a Youssef Msakni penalty.

In a generally disappointing game, Tunisia went ahead against the run of play in the 34th minute but failed to build on the lead and paid the price when Djalma snapped a rebound in the 73rd minute.

The game was played in hot conditions, although a sea breeze made the temperature more bearable and it did not seem to unduly affect the players. The stadium was barely one quarter full with spectators scattered around the arena.

“It was a very difficult and demanding game … I think we played the best African team,” said Angola coach Srđjan Vasiljevic. “We had enormous difficulties in the preparation period but we faced a strong rival and got a good result.”

There was a lot of probing by both sides early on but Angola were more positive and Wilson Eduardo went close with a looping shot across the face of the goal.

Tunisia went ahead with a penalty as Msakni found Sliti Naim who cut inside Salomao Paizo and was brought down by the Angolan’s clumsy lunge. There were few complaints from Angola and Msakni fired the spot kick into the roof of the net.

The North Africans, the second highest African team in the FIFA rankings, sat on their lead and Angola, back at the tournament after missing the previous two, took advantage.

Tunisia goalkeeper Farouk Ben Musthapha spilled a shot by Matheus and Djalma turned in the rebound.

Tunisia twice came close to a stoppage time winner as Wahbi Khazri prodded the ball wide after a free kick and Msakni sent a free shot wide of the post from the edge of the penalty area.

Two-time champions Ivory Coast off to winning start

Earlier Monday, striker Jonathan Kodjia struck 26 minutes from time to hand Ivory Coast a 1-0 win over South Africa as the two former champions kicked off their Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

Kodjia squandered several earlier chances before finally breaking the deadlock in the 64th minute of the Group D match at the Al Salam Stadium in Cairo.

The goal was scored at the end of a swift move out of defence by the Ivorians.

It took just two passes to find the forward, who was goalside of the defence and had only the keeper to beat.

Kodjia had been in a similar position in the first half but instead of placing the ball, he blasted it to allow South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams to come up with a brilliant close-range stop in the 32nd minute.

The Aston Villa striker was also twice set up with goal scoring chances in the opening 11 minutes, but both times failed to get a touch.

The Ivorians also struck the woodwork just after the half hour mark as Nicolas Pepe curled a left-footed effort on the crossbar.

Pepe had another set piece chance two minutes from time but Williams made a finger-tip stop to deny the Ivorians a second.

With the temperature in the stadium touching 36 degrees Celsius, it stifled the tempo of what was a largely scrappy affair.

South Africa, who won their only Cup of Nations title in 1996, were unable to get their short passing game going and only had one half chance which captain Thulani Hlatshwayo headed wide of goal.

Two-time winners Ivory Coast join Morocco, who edged Namibia with a last gasp goal on Sunday, at the top of the group standings.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)

25, June 2019

Nigerian widow opens her doors to Southern Cameroonian refugees ⁰

When the insecurity in Cameroon’s restive western region forced Susan Agbo to leave her home, she did not know what lay ahead. All she knew was that she needed to get her eight grandchildren to a safer place. She found that safer place in Nigeria.

“When I came to Nigeria, I had no place to stay,” says Susan, who fled Cameroon nearly two years ago.

She struggled with homelessness for months, relying on the goodwill of the local Nigerian community for shelter.

“I was staying with people for a few weeks here and there and then I would leave and stay somewhere else for a month,” explains Susan, who is in her 60s.

Escalating violence in Cameroon has displaced hundreds of thousands of people within the country’s borders and forced about 37,000 more like Susan to seek safety in Nigeria.

“I saw she had run away and had no place to stay.”

The constant movement from one place to another, with her grandchildren in tow, was exhausting for the sickly grandmother who longed for a lasting solution to her situation.

Lucia Ikuru, who lives near Agbokim Waterfalls on the border with Cameroon, sympathized with Susan’s predicament and offered her shelter without a second thought.

“I saw she had run away and had no place to stay,” says the 77-year-old Nigerian widow. “I gave her a house and told her to stay there.”

Lucia’s large compound has several rooms that she has turned into shelters for other Cameroonian refugees including Susan.

“I try to help them, and whatever little I have, I give them,” adds Lucia.

Susan is grateful for the shelter, solace and friendship that she has found here and is especially grateful for the food that Lucia provides her grandchildren.

Nigeria. UNHCR launches appeal for Cameroonian Anglophone refugees

Susan Agbo, a 60-year-old Anglophone refugee from Cameroon sits outside her temporary home in Agbokim, Nigeria. © UNHCR/Will Swanson

“When she cooks, she feeds my grandchildren and they eat. I am happy,” says Susan, adding that she has no means of supporting them herself.

She explains that due to the conflict, their parents’ whereabouts is unknown – a constant source of worry for her.

“I don’t know where they are since they ran away so now the children are here with me,” she says.

To keep her worries at bay, she talks to Lucia often, sitting with her in the courtyard and carving wooden sticks into toothbrushes and toothpicks to sell at the local market.

“I’m happy that I have her staying here with me,” says Lucia. “If something happened to her, I wouldn’t feel happy.”

“I am happy because we are like friends.”

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has launched an urgent appeal to increase support for displaced Cameroonians who have survived nearly two years of ongoing violence. But of the US$184 million required for UNHCR’s operations in Cameroon and Nigeria – including US$35.4 million needed urgently for critical life-saving assistance to newly displaced Cameroonians – just four per cent has been raised.

The majority of the refugees – over 50 per cent of the population – live in host communities in over 47 villages along the border. The support they receive from kind Nigerians like Lucia is crucial and reflective of the sense of solidarity that most refugees experience from their Nigerian hosts

Susan hopes that the situation back home will improve so that she can return. But for now, she continues to adjust to life here and is grateful for Lucia’s kindness and that of the Nigerian people.

“I don’t know where I would have been,” she says. “I am happy because we are like friends.”

UNHCR continues to seek funding to provide basic assistance to refugees and carry out projects that empower the host communities, also in need.

Source: UNHCR

25, June 2019

Placating International Community: Biya regime to prosecute 7 soldiers over ‘atrocity’ video ⁰

Cameroon’s defence ministry said Monday it would prosecute seven soldiers suspected of summarily killing two women and their two children, a video of which was distributed on the internet to widespread outrage.

“Seven soldiers arrested on suspicion of extrajudicial executions in the Far North region will be brought before a military court in Yaounde… where they will be tried in line with the law,” communications official Cyrille Serge Atonfack Guemo told AFP.

The charges are for joint participation in murder, breach of regulations and conspiracy to commit these crimes, he said.

The date of the trial has yet to be set.

“Cameroon does not compromise over behaviour that is incompatible with law relating to war, human law and the protection of people and their belongings,” he said

The killings occurred last July in a region plagued by cross-border raids by Boko Haram fighters from neighbouring Nigeria.

The assailants in the video accuse the four of being members of the jihadist group.

The Cameroonian government initially branded the video “fake news” and a “horrible montage” but said it would investigate. It made seven arrests the following month.

Amnesty International for its part said it had “credible evidence” that the men in the video were Cameroonian soldiers.

The United States and Britain were among those which called for a probe and to hold those responsible to account.

Cameroon’s armed forces have also been accused of abuses in two western regions where anglophone separatists have launched an armed campaign against the predominantly French-speaking state.

Acts of violence there have been committed by both sides, say monitors.

According to the International Crisis Group think tank, 1,850 people have been killed, while more than 530,000 people have been forced from their homes, according to UN figures.

Source: AFP

25, June 2019

Whiles Biya, Others sit-tight: Niger, Mauritania, Tunisia presidents bowing out ⁰

About a half dozen African leaders have secured their long-term political futures after tweaking their respective constitutions to allow them remain viable to engage in elective politics.

In the north, Egypt’s Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi, down the Sahara Chad’s Idris Deby Itno, on the West African coast Togo’s Faure Gnassingbe.

Cameroon’s Paul Biya shows no signs of slowing down with a seventh consecutive term secured in 2018. Then there is Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Denis Sassou Nguesso of Republic of Congo.

But whiles these long serving “servants” have usually hogged the media headlines with the schemes they employ to amend laws in their favour, there are a number of leaders who have left and others ready to retire.

In January this year, we published an article looking back at African leaders who left officeeither after losing elections or after serving their terms.

In this piece, we look at three leaders ready to leave office when their tenures expire. Mohammed Ould Abdul Aziz (Mauritania), Mahamadou Issoufou (Niger) and Beji Caid Essebsi (Tunisia).

Mohamed Ould Abdul Aziz

Came to office: After a coup d’etat in August 2008
Won elections: Restored democratic order and won two elections in 2009 and 2014 (for final term).
Tenure expires: This year with the swearing in of a successor.
Preferred candidate: Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, the former Minister of Defense.
Best remembered for: A clampdown on opposition bloggers, active participation in the G5 Sahel force.

Oul Abdel Aziz

Beji Caid Essebsi

Came to office: December 2014 after the Arab Spring ousted Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Tenure expires: When next elections are held in November, he is not contesting
Preferred candidate: Neither Beji of his Nidaa Tunis party have named one. His current PM Youssef Chahed is leading a new party, Tahya Tounes.
Best remembered for: Being Tunisia’s first democratically elected president.

“I will say frankly that I do not want to present for a second term because Tunisia has a lot of talents,” Essebsi said at a meeting in April of his party Nidaa Tounes in Monastir.

Tunisia’s president

Mahamadou Issoufou

Came to office: 2011 after overthrow in 2010 of Mamadou Tandja. Won 2011 elections and secure final term in 2016.
Tenure expires: 2021 when next polls are to be held.
Preferred candidate: Mohamed Bazoum, the Minister of Interior
Best remembered for: Playing key role in migration crisis. Participation in G5 Sahel block and Boko Haram combat.

Niger president

25, June 2019

Biya in Europe amid strife in Cameroon ⁰

President Paul Biya left Cameroon on Sunday for “a brief stay” in Europe amidst growing global indignation over human rights abuses in the country.

The crisis in the English speaking western part of the country is causing outrage from the United Nations to the sports fields and movie theatres as social influencers also demand intervention.

“This is genocide and we are acting like it does not matter. African leaders keep acting like the presidency is the birthright or inheritance,” Nollywood Stella Damasus tweeted on June 18, in an attempt to raise awareness on the civil war in Cameroon that appears to be passing under the international radar.

Under the hashtag #helpcameroon Ms Damasus pleaded with “everyone who has social media and can type a message” to spread the word.

“People are dying, babies are being killed please. We can put a post on our pages and condemn this,” she wrote, asking people with connections with the UN or any agency to “reach out to them and speak out.”

The actress’ was not a lone voice.

Source: The East African

24, June 2019

Cameroon face inquiry and possible action after England defeat ⁰

Cameroon face an inquiry and possible disciplinary action from soccer authorities after a series of incidents in their 3-0 defeat by England in the last 16 of the women’s World Cup on Sunday.

Cameroon players furiously protested refereeing decisions and twice delayed the game while appearing to consider leaving the contest.

The ill-tempered match also included an incident where Cameroon defender Augustine Ejangue spat on the arm of England forward Toni Duggan.

FIFA’s disciplinary body is likely to look, as part of its routine reviews of matches, at some of the incidents while Isha Johansen, the chair of the women’s football committee for the African Football Confederation (CAF) said her body will be opening an inquiry.

“Whilst remaining proud of our African teams that participated in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, yesterday’s match between England and Cameroon reflected badly, not only on African women’s football but African football on the whole,” said Johansen, who is also president of the Sierra Leone Football Association.

“It is an issue which will be addressed and dealt with at the appropriate levels of governance,” she added in a statement.

FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

England manager Phil Neville has heavily criticized the behavior of his side’s opponents.

“I am completely and utterly ashamed of the opposition,” said the former Manchester United player.

“If that was my team – and it will never be any of my players – they would never play for England again. Those images are going out worldwide about how to act, the young girls playing all over the world that are seeing that behavior. For me, it’s not right,” he added.

Cameroon coach Alain Djeumfa pointed the finger at the referee, calling the 3-0 defeat a “miscarriage of justice”.

Source: Reuters

24, June 2019

US: Trump says he might win 2020 election despite gloomy polls ⁰

US President Donald Trump has confidently spoken about his intention to sweep the country’s upcoming presidential polls, playing down poll returns that have cast doubt on his reelection chances in some key states.

CNN and other American media outlets have reported that the US president is behind key Democratic hopeful and former vice president Joe Biden in states like Michigan and Wisconsin.

Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Trump, however, said, “I’m probably not too prepared to lose. I don’t like losing. I haven’t lost very much in my life.”

The head of state has also ordered firing of several pollsters in reaction to the unwelcome statistics.

In 2016, a mechanism called the Electoral College system, which overrides the popular vote making 538 electors across different states liable for electing the chief executive, handed the presidential election’s victory to Trump over the Democratic Party’s Nominee Hillary Clinton. This is while voters had given the latter three million more votes.

Still, Trump claimed he did not “believe” in the validity of “a lot” of votes cast which showed he had lost the popular vote to Clinton.

“I’ll say something that, again, is controversial. There were a lot of votes cast that I don’t believe,” he said on NBC.

Trump, though, hailed Clinton as “a great candidate,” saying, “She was very smart. She was very tough. She was ruthless and vicious.”

He suggested that he would find running against Biden to be much easier than having to contend against Clinton again. “[Biden’s] sleepy. She was not sleepy.”

The US president formally launched his re-election campaign on June 18.

PressTV-Trump launches re-election bid amid low approval rating

“We are going to keep America great again,” Trump told a packed arena in Orlando, Florida, distancing himself from his trademark 2016 election slogan of “Make America Great Again,” which had invited him much controversy.

He sidestepped the issue of a consistent unfavorable performance in popularity votes, which has dogged him ever since he took office, and took credit for a strong economy.

The US economy has grown to some extent under Trump. Economists, however, put the growth down to his cutting the country’s contribution to various international accords and humanitarian funds as well as huge increase in the American arms exports to flashpoint areas across the world under the president.

Source: Presstv