Headline News

23, April 2019

A raft of crises now face Cameroon ⁰

Soccer fans in Cameroon were undoubtedly dismayed in January when the Confederation of African Football stripped the country of its hosting the 2019 June-July African Cup finals. The body cited security issues and lack of preparation in transferring the honor to six-time African Cup host Egypt.

But the recent ouster of two long-serving African presidents—Abdelaziz Bouteflika in Algeria and Omar al-Bashir in Sudan—has intensified the focus by Cameroonians on the nearly 37-year reign of their aloof 86-year-old president, Paul Biya. Citing corruption and political marginalization, opposition figures and Anglophone region activists strive to make Biya the third African leader ousted in 2019 as a result of popular protests. So far, Cameroon’s security services have managed to suppress protests that have broken out, but the Cameroonian diaspora in Europe has been effective in generating sustained attention for change.

While only intermittently covered by American media, and with the United Nations and African Union mostly mute, Cameroon is currently engulfed in three separate crises.

First, since 2014, Boko Haram has terrorized Cameroon’s far north region, adjacent to Nigeria’s Borno State (where Boko Haram was founded in the city of Maiduguri) with murders, kidnappings, and destruction of infrastructure. Despite military support, training, and equipment from the United States and others, Boko Haram in Cameroon remains a persistent, serious threat. Tens of thousands are displaced and livelihoods destroyed. With Boko Haram incursions on the rise in 2019, Yaoundé’s brutal security responses are so tainted with credible human rights allegations that the United States in February announced a reduction in its assistance.

Second, peaceful protests against linguistic and political marginalization in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions erupted in 2016. Anglophones account for approximately 20 percent of Cameroon’s population, with the rest considered Francophone (in addition to about 200 local languages). These protests quickly escalated in 2017 into a violent secessionist insurgency and counter-insurgency. Anglophone separatists hoping to create an independent state of “Ambazonia” in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon have attacked soldiers and government installations and killed civilians perceived to be government sympathizers. Local and international human rights activists have documented scorched-earth military reprisals and extrajudicial killings. With positions hardening on both sides, the government rebuffed mediation and dialogue facilitation offers by the United Nations and others, demanding that the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative for Central Africa Francois Fall, a former foreign minister of Guinea, end his quiet diplomacy in the Anglophone region. During his March 2019 trip to Cameroon in which he encouraged peaceful resolution of the Anglophone crisis, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy was sharply criticized by pro-government sources for “interference.”

In addition to the heavy burdens imposed by the Boko Haram and Anglophone crises, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that Cameroon—with a population of 24 million—hosts nearly 400,000 refugees fleeing violence in neighboring Nigeria and the Central African Republic.

Now, with the Algerian and Sudanese protests leading to the respective militaries’ removal of two long-serving presidents, previously disparate and quiescent opposition against President Paul Biya has mobilized to create Cameroon’s third, and—while not yet violent—potentially most serious crisis. With previous constitutional term limits abolished in 2008, Biya, who has ruled since November 1982 (and who served as prime minister from 1975 until 1982), was sworn in November 2018 for his seventh presidential term. The official election results, disputed by the opposition, gave him 71 percent of the vote, with opposition leader Maurice Kamto in second position, with just over 14 percent.

For years, fatigue and disenchantment with Biya’s rule has simmered below the surface in Cameroon and boiled openly in the Cameroonian diaspora. Complaints and jokes focus on his frequent and lengthy sojourns in Europe, corruption, aloofness, curtailment of civil liberties, lifestyle of his younger wife Chantal, and (given Biya’s age of 86) lack of any transparent succession planning. The lopsided official election results provoked protests in Cameroon and in diaspora communities, with Kamto claiming victory. The January 2019 arrest of Kamto and scores of protestors in the port city of Douala attracted scant notice in the media outside of Cameroon (despite condemnations from Nagy, EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, and others) but reinforced the opposition protests, especially in Europe. Expats attacked Cameroon’s embassies in Paris and Berlin and threatened to storm Geneva’s Intercontinental Hotel, should Biya, a frequent resident, again check in.

Now, with the removals of Bouteflika and Bashir, anti-Biya protesters hope to attract attention with new chants: “It can happen in Sudan; it can happen in Cameroon.” So far, Cameroon’s security services have managed to prevent sustained, mass demonstrations at home. As was the case in Algeria and Sudan while the protest movements swelled, it is not clear how the military would react should the Cameroon opposition movement gain momentum. The military’s performance in the Anglophone and Boko Haram violence is not encouraging, in terms of adherence to human rights norms. But fighting Boko Haram terrorists and Anglophone secessionists simultaneously may give Cameroon’s military leaders pause before taking on, in addition, political protestors in Cameroon’s Francophone political heartland, should Sudan-style mass protests materialize. Biya himself is taking no chances: Unusually for him, he has remained in Cameroon for more than 200 days without travel to Europe.

What is clear is that this is the time for conflict prevention efforts by African or other leaders, in hopes of moderating any response to protests in order to stave off the potential for a third Cameroon crisis turning violent. The problem is identifying a person, institution, or country with influence on Biya, who has been as aloof from his peers as from Cameroon’s citizenry. Despite his frequent and extended absences from Cameroon, he has not used the time abroad to bond with other leaders, rarely attending the annual United Nations General Assembly and only participating in a single African Summit in the last seven years. (Biya attended the March 2013 African Summit in Malabo, probably due to his shared Fang ethnic connection to Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.) Compared to other heads of state in Francophone Africa, Biya is not especially close to Paris. Given Biya’s de facto part-time residency in Switzerland, and in light of the Cameroonian diaspora’s focus on Geneva, the Swiss may have both interests and leverage, especially if backed by others such as Nagy’s, Mogherini’s, and African Union interventions.

Yet as failed conflict prevention efforts globally demonstrate, persuading any national leader to accept outside help to address a domestic political issue is hard. Biya’s response to U.N., U.S., and other efforts to focus on peaceful resolution of the Anglophone conflict is not encouraging. Regional and international unity to demand a political approach to address Anglophone grievances and expand political space (including release of opposition activists, including Kamto) might force Biya to adjust his approach but will require leadership by the United States or another power to muster. Credit agencies have already noticed that all is not well in Yaounde, with Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s both recently indicating a “negative outlook” to their respective B and B2 credit ratings.

Cameroon’s immediate neighbors are themselves facing challenges and are not in positions to offer much in the way of help or example. To Cameroon’s northwest, parts of Nigeria remain terrorized by Boko Haram. To Cameroon’s east, the Central African Republic remains deeply unstable and violent, despite the February agreement signed in Khartoum by 14 militias. South of Cameroon, Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba claimed victory in a disputed 2016 election (extending his family’s nearly half-century control over Gabon) but has since October 2018 been absent from Libreville for long stretches of time for health issues. On Cameroon’s southeastern border, the Republic of Congo under President Denis Sasso-Nguesso (no stranger to controversial lopsided election results) has used violence against demonstrators in the Pool region, leading to tens of thousands of displaced, in addition to hosting thousands of refugees fleeing violence in the neighborhood Democratic Republic of Congo. This part of Africa has no shortage of crises, but little in the way of obvious solutions.

Culled from The Brookings Institution

22, April 2019

Manchester United’s foundations at risk ⁰

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said prior to the humiliating 4-0 thrashing by Everton there would not be wholesale changes to Manchester United personnel in the close season, but Gary Neville, for one, believes he should think again.

United’s millionaire stars such as Paul Pogba and David de Gea put up a display described by the British press on Monday as “abject”, “an apology” for a performance, with the team derided as being generally “rudderless” and “spineless”.

However, whilst it came five years to the day when a 2-0 defeat by the same opponents cost David Moyes his job, it is not Solskjaer who is being targeted but the under-performing Pogba and his team-mates.

The World Cup-winning midfielder, after a series of encouraging performances when Solskjaer first assumed the reins in December, has returned to being the non-existent presence so often the focus of Jose Mourinho’s ire — although it was the Portuguese coach who was sacrificed.

His and Nemanja Matic’s failure to shore up midfield has been a contributing factor to United’s miserable run of six defeats in their last eight games and five successive away losses — their worst run on the road since 1981.

Seldom can a Manchester derby — they host title-chasing City on Wednesday — have been less eagerly anticipated by United fans.

Neville, United to the core and an integral member of Alex Ferguson’s side that accrued eight Premier League crowns and two Champions League trophies, was excoriating in his criticism of the players.

“If you’ve got weeds in the garden, you’ve got to get rid of them,” said Neville, who has become a respected pundit for Sky Sports.

“There’s some Japanese knotweed at that football club and it’s attacking the foundations of the house. It needs dealing with properly.

“I don’t need to name names, you know who they are.”

– ‘Level of happiness’ –

Former England international midfielder Jermaine Jenas, who has also turned to punditry since hanging up his boots, turned on the players as well.

The 36-year-old said such is the negativity in the team that even the younger talents have been sucked into the vortex of supine performances.

“They showed no heart, no desire and no will to win. They were woeful,” Jenas wrote in his column for the BBC website.

“Everyone was guilty.

“Even Marcus Rashford, who has got one of the best attitudes of anyone at the club, got sucked in by what I would describe as a vacuum of negativity.”

United fans may be wondering if the board jumped the gun in giving Solskjaer the job on a permanent basis — as the subsequent results appear to be reflective more of his unsuccessful stint in charge of Cardiff.

Indeed, just as his and the team’s fortunes have dipped, the man who was seen as his major rival for the job has seen his stock rise.

Mauricio Pochettino’s star has sparkled again thanks to Tottenham’s epic win over Manchester City in the Champions League.

But Neville has been slow to criticise his former team-mate Solskjaer.

The man dubbed ‘Red Nev’ after he led a players’ strike with England due to their anger over Rio Ferdinand being dropped because of a missed drugs test, took to the barricades when another unloved former United boss, Louis van Gaal, criticised Solskjaer a few weeks ago.

Van Gaal said Solskjaer was like Mourinho in parking the bus and relying on the counter-attack, only he was more popular because the results were going in his favour.

“Ole has brought in a level of happiness and excitement back to the fans,” retorted Neville.

“At least that’s something because, to be fair, it has been difficult in the last three or four years to watch what we’ve seen.”

Even Neville might be rethinking that statement in the wake of Sunday’s humiliation.

AFP

22, April 2019

At least 11 Malian soldiers killed in suspected jihadist attack ⁰

Suspected jihadists killed at least 11 soldiers in an attack Sunday in central Mali, the defence ministry said.

The military outpost at Guire was attacked at around five in the morning, the ministry said, adding that there were also a number of injuries and damage.

Earlier reports had put the number of soldiers killed at 10 or 12.

“The terrorists came out of the forest. They were on motorcycles and pick-up trucks. They burnt vehicles and took away others,” a security source, who asked not to be named, told AFP.

The Mali armed forces said on Twitter reinforcements were being sent to the Nara sector, about 370 kilometres (230 miles) north of the capital Bamako.

A local resident contacted by AFP said there had been heavy gunfire and the military “were taken by surprise” in the attack.

“I saw two terrorists put their motorcycles in an army vehicle and drive off with it,” he said.

Malian and foreign troops are regularly targeted by jihadist militia.

Suspected jihadists killed 21 Malian soldiers last month in a raid on another army camp in Dioura, central Mali.

On Saturday a UN peacekeeper was killed and four others wounded when a mine exploded as their convoy passed through a central region..

The UN mission was established in Mali after radical Islamist militias seized the north of the country in 2012 before being pushed back by French troops in 2013.

A peace agreement signed in 2015 by the Bamako government and armed groups was aimed at restoring stability. But the accord has failed to stop the violence.

The latest attacks came as President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita pursued consultations to pick a new prime minister.

The last one, Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, resigned with his entire cabinet two days ago, under fire from the ruling and opposition parties for failing to clamp down on the unrest.

Meanwhile, an influential Malian preacher and follower of the moderate Maliki school of Islam was on Sunday elected as head of the Islamic High Council of Mali (IHC). Cherif Ousmane Madani Haidara succeeds imam Mahmoud Dicko.

Dicko is one of Mali’s most prominent public figures who played a key role in the negotiations between the government and Islamist extremists ahead of the peace accord.

He was also a proponent of Wahhabism which he studied extensively in Saudi Arabia, the cradle of this strict Sunni doctrine.

(AFP)

22, April 2019

Sri Lankan police make two dozen arrests as death toll from blasts hits 290 ⁰

Sri Lankan police have arrested two dozen people in connection with a string of bomb attacks on several churches and hotels that have claimed the lives of at least 290 people.

The country went on lockdown on Easter Sunday after eight apparently coordinated blasts hit churches filled with worshipers as well as luxury hotels in the capital Colombo, and the cities of Negombo and Batticaloa.

Police announced the dramatic rise in the death toll on Monday morning, saying some 500 people had also been injured in the attacks, the worst of their kind since the end of Sri Lanka’s devastating civil war a decade ago.

There were 32 foreigners among those killed, including nationals from Britain, the United States, Turkey, India, China, Denmark, the Netherlands and Portugal.

Three police officers were also killed several hours after the attack, when they raided a house in Colombo. Police reported an explosion at the house.

PressTV-Sri Lanka’s bloody day: Blasts target churches, hotels

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility, but police say they have already made 24 arrests in connection with the bloodshed.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told reporters that “so far the names that have come up are local,” but investigators will look into whether the suspected attackers had any “overseas links.”

The premier also acknowledged that “information was there” about possible attacks. “While this goes on, we must also look into why adequate precautions were not taken.”

An intelligence memo warning of a possible attack had circulated 10 days earlier, raising questions about whether more preventative measures could have been taken.

“Serious action need to be taken as to why this warning was ignored,” Sri Lanka’s Minister of Telecommunications, Harin Fernando, tweeted along with a photo of the memo. The document, titled “Information of an alleged plan attack,” is dated April 11 and signed by Deputy Inspector General of Police, Priyalal Dissanayake.

Some intelligence officers were aware of this incidence. Therefore there was a delay in action. What my father heard was also from an intelligence officer. Serious action need to be taken as to why this warning was ignored. I was in Badulla last night

President Maithripala Sirisena, who was on a private visit to India and Singapore, called an emergency meeting of the National Security Council early on Monday, according to a government source.

He expressed his shock at the explosions, saying he had issued directives to the law enforcers – including police and the Special Task Force – to carry out investigation into the incident and take action against those involved.

The prime minister would also attend the meeting, the source added.

Authorities earlier convened an emergency meeting involving the heads of the army, air force and navy, according to Economic Reforms Minister Harsha de Silva.

Witnesses said soldiers armed with automatic weapons stood guard outside major hotels and the World Trade Centre in the business district.

Heavy security measures are also reported outside the St. Sebastian’s church in the city of Negombo — one of the churches that came under attack.

Security personnel stand guard outside the St. Anthony’s Shrine in the capital Colombo on April 22, 2019.(Photo by AFP)

Meanwhile, a police spokesman said the Sri Lankan military had found a homemade bomb near the departure gate of Colombo’s main airport late on Sunday as it was clearing a route in preparation for Sirisena’s return home. They disposed of the device in a controlled explosion, according to the spokesman.

Night-time curfew announced

A curfew that was enforced on the country from Sunday evening was relaxed early Monday morning, allowing many people to make their way home from the main airport, where they were stranded overnight due to the restrictions.

The government, however, ordered a night-time curfew that would run from 8:00 p.m. local time until 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday in the capital.

The curfew was announced as security forces said they are carrying out searches across the country for those behind the bomb attacks.

It was also announced that the president will declare a nationwide emergency from midnight on Monday.

“The government has decided to gazette the clauses related to prevention of terrorism to emergency regulation and gazette it by midnight,” the president’s media unit said in a statement.

Sri Lankan Army soldiers secure the area around St. Anthony Shrine after a blast in Colombo, April 21, 2019. (Photo by AP)

According to the president’s office, Sirisena will ask for foreign assistance to help track what it called international links to the bombings.

The government has also blocked access to social media and messaging sites out of concerns that “false news reports … spreading through social media” could lead to violence.

The services will be suspended until investigations into the attacks are concluded, the government said.

This has, however, concerned many, who believe it is very important for people to be able to communicate at times of crisis.

“This really puts people who already have vulnerable access to communication in a much worse position. It is a dangerous precedent to set,” said Joan Donovan, director of the technology and social change research project at Harvard Kennedy’s Shorenstein Center.

People gather outside a hospital following blasts in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, April 21, 2019. (Photo by AP)

Facebook issued a statement Sunday, offering its condolences to those “affected by this horrendous act,” stating it is “committed to maintaining our services and helping the community and the country during this tragic time.”

“We are aware of the government’s statement regarding the temporary blocking of social media platforms,” it said. “People rely on our services to communicate with their loved ones.”

‘Intl. network likely involved’

Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said on Monday that the attacks could not have succeeded without the help of “an international network.”

“We do not believe these attacks were carried out by a group of people who were confined to this country,” Senaratne said. “There was an international network without which these attacks could not have succeeded.”

He said that authorities were warned two weeks before the attacks, and had the names of suspects.

Meanwhile, security experts have warned that the attacks bear the hallmarks of the Takfiri Daesh and al-Qaeda terror groups.

A senior Asian counter-terrorism official who declined to be identified said the attack was likely carried out by a group with “significant operational capability and skilled commanders.”

US issues travel warning

In another development, the State Department issued a travel advisory for its citizens traveling to Sri Lanka, saying that “terrorist” groups “continue plotting possible attacks in Sri Lanka.”

It listed several potential targets, including tourist spots, transportation centers, markets, malls, government offices, hotels and places of worship, saying terrorists could attack “with little or no warning.”

Muslim leaders urge ‘maximum punishment’ for perpetrators

In the meantime, top Muslim leaders in the county demanded “maximum punishment” for the perpetrators of the attacks.

They also offered their condolences “to the people of Christian faith and extend our hands of friendship in solidarity.”

“We urge the government to provide security to all religious sites and to give maximum punishment to everyone involved in these dastardly acts,” said the All Ceylon Jamiyyathuul Ulama, or council of Muslim theologians.

The National Shoura Council, a group of 18 Muslim organizations, also said that the government must not “leave any stone unturned in its efforts to apprehend the culprits whoever they may be and to whatever part of the populace they may belong to.”

Fears of fresh post-civil war violence

The South Asian nation has a population of about 22 million people; 70 percent of whom are Buddhist, 13 percent Hindu, 10 percent Muslim and seven percent Christian, according to the country’s 2012 census.

Sri Lanka is reeling from a 26-year civil war that ended in 2009 with an estimated 100,000 deaths. The strife was mainly between the so-called Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government, and ended when government forces defeated the rebels.

Authorities are now concerned that the new spate of violence could upset the fragile peace in the country.

Police have already reported a petrol bomb attack on a mosque in Sri Lanka’s northwest and arson attacks on two shops owned by Muslims in the west.

Moreover, the country has recently witnessed a surge in ultra-nationalist Buddhism led by its most powerful Buddhist organization, the Bodu Bala Sena.

Source: Presstv

22, April 2019

Age cheating accusations hit Under 17 Afcon, Cameroon implicated ⁰

The ongoing Under 17 African Cup of Nations in Tanzania has been rocked by accusations of age cheating. Recently, Moroccan soccer administrative body accused Cameroon of using players who are way over 17. According to the body, the West African nation has a number players who are 25 years old.

The allegations came after Morocco’s loss to Cameroon in a final group B assignment. The young Indomitable Lions triumphed 2-1, a result which saw them seal a place at the Under 17 World Cup later this year.

According to President of the Moroccan soccer body Fouzi Lekjaa, they will report the matter to FIFA since CAF has failed to take appropriate action. He argues the continental body was alerted about the issue.

“I am sorry to say CAF is totally unable to handle this case relating to the age of the players. It is not enough to suspend players who are above the legal age. They should rather disqualify these teams and punish officials who are responsible for this situation,” said Lekjaa

At the ongoing tournament, 6 players were disqualified for age cheating and three of them are Cameroonians. This followed tests which were conducted.

Niger was disqualified for using over aged players at the 2009 tournament. Niger’s disqualification saw Malawi taking their place at the World Cup having automatically earned a semi-final spot. The semi-final line-up includes Angola, Cameroon, Guinea, and Nigeria. The four teams will represent Africa at the Under 17 World Cup later this year.

Source: Malawi24.com

21, April 2019

Junta expands purge as Sudan plans to unveil civilian rule ⁰

Sudanese authorities have arrested several top members of ousted President Omar al-Bashir’s ruling party in a bid to mollify protesters who are pushing for a civilian rule.

The arrests came as authorities said they had searched Bashir’s home and found suitcases loaded with more than $351,000 and six million euros, as well as five million Sudanese pounds.

Sudan’s attorney general also ordered the formation of a committee to oversee investigations into crimes involving public funds, corruption and criminal cases related to recent events.

The crackdown, observers say, is intended to placate protesters who want the military council which took over after toppling Bashir to hand power to civilians.

The new moves were taken on the eve of protest leaders’ planned announcement of a ruling civilian council they say will replace the country’s current ruling military body.

PressTV-Top members of former Sudanese govt. arrested, sacked

On Saturday, military rulers and protest leaders held a round of negotiations as thousands of demonstrators massed outside the army headquarters, calling for a civilian rule.

“We clarified our main demand, which is the transfer of power to civilian authorities,” Siddiq Yousef, a senior member of the umbrella group leading the protest movement, told state television.

“We agreed to continue negotiations to reach a solution that satisfies both the sides, so that the transfer of power will happen in a peaceful way,” he said.

He did not say whether protest leaders will go ahead with their planned unveiling of a ruling civilian council on Sunday.

Since Bashir’s ouster on April 11, Sudan has been ruled by a 10-member military council which has so far resisted calls to transfer power to a civilian body.

The foot-dragging has prompted thousands of protesters to remain camped outside the army headquarters in central Khartoum, calling on the military rulers to step down.

Protest leader Ahmed al-Rabia said he expected mounting pressure from the street and from the international community to make the military council cede power in “two to three weeks”.

“We are done with the easy part (toppling Bashir). We want to remove the entire regime,” said Rabia.

In order to appease the protesters, the military council has agreed to demands such as detaining Bashir and releasing many political detainees and protesters.

On Saturday, authorities arrested Ahmed Haroun, the acting head of Bashir’s party, former first vice president Ali Osman Taha, former Bashir aide Awad al-Jaz, the secretary general of the Islamic movement Al-Zubair Ahmed Hassan and former parliament speaker Ahmed Ibrahim al-Taher.

Parliament speaker Ibrahim Ahmed Omar and presidential aide Nafie Ali Nafie were also put under house arrest.

The military council further said it will retire all eight of the officers ranked lieutenant general in the National Intelligence and Security Service.

A judicial source also said Sudan’s public prosecutor had begun investigating Bashir on charges of money laundering and possession of large sums of foreign currency without legal grounds.

PressTV-'Large sums of cash' found at Sudan's Bashir home

However, the measures are unlikely to pacify the protesters and the push for power transition is expected to continue.

Source: Presstv

21, April 2019

Trump ridicules Romney for his 2012 loss to Obama ⁰

US President Donald Trump has swiped at Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) one day after Romney said he was “sickened” by Trump’s actions detailed in special counsel Robert Mueller’s report.

Romney issued a sharp rebuke of Trump Friday following the release of Mueller’s report, saying, “I am sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the President.”

Trump, in response, took to Twitter Saturday, mocking Romney for his loss to former President Barack Obama in the 2012 election.

His tweet also featured a video compilation of clips from Romney’s 2012 election night defeat. Romney, the current Utah senator and former Massachusetts governor, lost the election by over 100 electoral votes, while losing the popular vote to the incumbent Obama by about 4 percentage points.

Donald J. Trump✔@realDonaldTrump

If @MittRomney spent the same energy fighting Barack Obama as he does fighting Donald Trump, he could have won the race (maybe)

Trump has said the report “was written as nastily as possible” by “true Trump haters.”

In other tweets earlier on Saturday, he called Mueller a “highly conflicted” individual and described his investigation as “the greatest Witch Hunt in US political history.”

Donald J. Trump✔@realDonaldTrump

Despite the fact that the Mueller Report should not have been authorized in the first place & was written as nastily as possible by 13 (18) Angry Democrats who were true Trump Haters, including highly conflicted Bob Mueller himself, the end result is No Collusion, No Obstruction!

Congressional Democrats have taken a legal step to see all of Mueller’s evidence from his inquiry into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, with some members pushing for the impeachment of Trump just 18 months before the 2020 presidential election.

The redacted edition of the much-anticipated 400-page investigation, covering Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election, as well as Donald Trump and his team’s wrongdoings and possible presidential obstruction of justice, was released in the report on Thursday.

US Attorney General William Barr said Mueller did not discover any evidence that Trump’s election campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential election.

He also said the Mueller’s two-year investigation did not uncover any evidence that Trump obstructed the special counsel probe.

Source: Presstv

21, April 2019

Boko Haram: Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad, Niger Deploy Troops After Fresh Attack ⁰

The Multi-National Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin Commission made up of forces from Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Niger, has deployed troops after suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked Cameroon killing at least 13 people and leaving hundreds homeless. Cameroon has been asking its people to collaborate with the military, stating that more attacks will be reported during Ramadan, expected in a few weeks.

It is a very quiet and deserted Tchakarmari village on Cameroon’s northern border with Nigeria with carcasses of animals and torched houses reminding visitors of a sad event.

Torched Tchakarmari village. Tchakarmari, Cameroon, Apr, 20, 2019.

Resident Abba Malloum says the village of more than 400 people was reduced to ashes by Boko Haram fighters who came from neighboring Nigeria on the late Thursday night.

He says over a hundred Boko Haram fighters attacked their village, shooting indiscriminately and torching all of their houses. He says at least 13 people were either shot to death or slaughtered, many wounded, about a hundred men, women and children abducted, and their maize, beans, groundnuts and sheep burned as hundreds of their cattle were taken away.

Bachair Hachimi, traditional ruler of Tchakarmari says relative peace had returned to their village a year ago after several attacks by the terror group and residents who had fled started to return. He says even though dozens were killed in a series of suicide bombings, residents were determined to collaborate with the military in fighting Boko Haram, but the fresh attack has scared almost everyone.

He says because of the attack, people who had started returning home after the military pushed back Boko Haram fighters and installed a base of the Multi-National Joint Task Force have again fled to places they consider safe in the towns of Mora, Meme, Mokolo and Maroua. He says most of his people have lost everything they struggled to gather when peace returned to their village.

Children eating some food in Tchakarmari village, Cameroon, Apr, 20, 2019.

Midjiyawa Bakary, governor of the far north region of Cameroon has called for vigilance. He says after a crisis meeting, troops have been deployed to secure the area and bring back the abducted people whose number and whereabouts he said was still being investigated

He says he has asked for the remobilization and redynamization of self-defense groups and more vigilance from the population that had been dormant thinking that Boko Haram had been defeated. He says after a crisis meeting, the Multi-National Joint task force of the Lake Chad basin that is fighting Boko Haram has been instructed to organize regular patrols and systematic searches of people, vehicles and homes and suspected villages and towns.

Victims of Boko Haram attack taken to Mora hospital, Cameroon, Apr. 20, 2019.

This week, Cameroon authorities said they had detained 30 Nigerians who crossed the border Saturday on suspicion of links to Boko Haram Islamist militants.

Governor Bakary warned that Boko Haram was looking for opportunities to infiltrate when many people are travelling across the border for religious or national holidays. He said with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan beginning May 5, international Labor Day on May 1, and National Day on May 20, Boko Haram may want to infiltrate and kill people as they gather around mosques and markets.

More than 1,500 Cameroonians have been killed in attacks by Boko Haram since the insurgency began nine years ago.

Source: VOA

21, April 2019

Regime change in Africa: Next Stop—-Yaounde ⁰

In under a month, two African dictators have been brought down by mass protests. Algeria’s Abdelaziz Bouteflika, 82, and Sudan’s Omar Al-Bashir, 75, resigned after massive protests. Bouteflika had ruled Algeria for 30 years and was seeking re-election amidst declining health, while Al-Bashir had been at the helm of Sudan since 1989. These events have focused attention on long-serving dictators in Africa and how this wave might affect their political futures. Amongst them is Cameroon’s Paul Biya.

At 85, he has ruled Cameroon for 36 years and was recently declared winner in a hotly contested election that saw now detained opposition leader Maurice Kamto, declaring himself winner. There are striking similarities amongst the African dictatorships that have recently been toppled such as Gambia, Zimbabwe, Algeria and Sudan. These governments are characterized by huge deficits including dictatorship, long rule, abuse of institutions, poverty, corruption, and youth unemployment. These indicators are very present in Cameroon under the Biya regime and have implanted acute feelings of dissatisfaction, frustration and inertia triggering pockets of protest, resistance and rebellion across the country. Recent events in the country contain all the telltale signs of a regime in decline and a failing environment.

For a long time Paul Biya has relied on the usual dictatorial tactics to maintain his stranglehold on the country; ethnic divisions, brutal military crackdown on dissenters, arrest and imprisonment of opposition leaders, keeping a close college of cronies, most of whom are from his region of origin and have remained blind loyalists. Those that have shown signs of wavering have been quickly thrown in prison. Loyalists make dictators. Because above all else, the sustaining element of dictatorships is the willingness of a cross-section of the oppressed to not just acquiesce but to actively seek the oppression of all others. Biya has shrewdly eschewed a military coup, especially after the April 1984 attempt failed, by neutralizing the power of the military through the creation of several independent military and paramilitary bodies with him as the only centralized commander. In addition, the military, across its ranks is made up of members of his ethnic group.

The uncertainty of where power resides makes it difficult to stage a coordinated takeover. Following the October 7, 2018 presidential election, supporters of the leading opposition party, Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) staged peaceful demonstrations protesting election results and the government’s handling of the ongoing socio-political crisis plaguing the country’s two English speaking regions. The leader of the CRM and presidential candidate, Maurice Kamto was arrested and has been in detention alongside 131 supporters. In the meantime, he has been charged with rebellion, inciting insurrection, offence against the president of the republic and treason amongst others. Charges which if found guilty, he and his supporters will be facing the death penalty. All forms of anti-regime demonstrations are immediately banned in the country ensuring and fostering a system in which there is no space for democratic expression.

The government and its supporters have attempted to downplay demonstrations by CRM as a parochial group of people from the Western region of the country, lacking nationwide support, but who want to muzzle their way into power. The fallout has been the increase in hate speech and tribalism, especially on social media with supporters of Biya and Kamto referring to each other as ‘sardinards’ and ‘tontinard’, respectively. These two derogatory appellations which have gained widespread use are interpreted to mean Biya supporters are a selfish bunch who vote based on receiving cans of sardines, while tontinards means Kamto’s supporters as miserly and cheap. This trend of ‘us’ against ‘them’ has bled through the country manifesting in the description of Anglophones as “Biafrans” and “Ambazonians”, and Northerners as “Sheep”.

This is a country disintegrating on the crucible of hate speech and ethnicity. Perhaps one of the early signs of a crack in the government of Biya is the new trend of leaks of sensitive and classified documents. Because the government has a long history of withholding information from the public, the recent upsurge in leaks is indicative of fault lines within the government ranks. Just over a week ago, classified documents were leaked detailing the president’s planned sojourn to Switzerland and the accompanying security details. Hitherto, this would have been majorly unheard of, and its occurrence now signals a lot. No other happening right now spells more trouble for the Biya reign than the ongoing crisis in the English speaking regions of the country. The crisis is caused by Anglophone perceptions of over 57 years of marginalization by the two successive francophone-led governments. The Anglophone regions voted to join the French speaking side in 1961 in a federation.

Anglophones have over the years complaint about the abrogation of the terms of the union including the dismantling of the federal system and the destruction and neglect of pristine Anglophone culture and institutions such as the English common law system and the Anglophone educational system and the underrepresentation of Anglophones in government. These grievances have bulged into calls for outright secession to create the putative state of Ambazonia. The government’s reaction to the Anglophone protest was characterized by military clampdown and what has been described as imposition of measures and solutions on the protesters. Essentially, the government has failed to productively handle the grievances leading to armed resistance.

The crisis has dealt a severe blow on the country’s economy with thousands being internally displaced, with over half a million refugees in Nigeria, hundreds have been killed and education has been halted in many areas in the Anglophones regions by separatist militia. This crisis poses a serious existential threat to the country as a whole but more so to the longevity of the Biya reign. And this is largely due to its economic impact. Though Cameroon is not officially classified as a fragile state by the World Bank, it contains all the indicators including weak institutional coping capacity to withstand external shocks, pressures and risks; it is facing violent conflicts, high unemployment, corruption and embezzlement, poor health and educational infrastructure etc.

Quite frankly, the economic threat posed by the Anglophone crisis is what might just tip the country over to open mayhem. It can be argued that the reason why there is still an uneasy stability in the country is because it has not been completely tethered economically. Cameroonians can still afford basic needs and daily food but the prices of basic commodities are on a steady rise especially with the stall of free-flow of economic activities and products from many parts of the English speaking regions. In 2008, the country witnessed a nationwide strike due to hikes in fuel prices. This is indicative, and the government should understand this by now, that it would be brought to its knees by economic pressures as prices of commodities continue to soar.

The state-owned agro-industrial corporation, the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), is operating at below 10% of its capacity, losing billions as a result of attacks by separatists on their operations. CDC is one of the major employers in the country and the loss in production capacity has led to non-payment of salaries and arrears and general disgruntlement. It is only a matter of time before separatist block the flow of oil from the southwest region of the country as they have attempted and sometimes succeeded with other produce like timber. Blocking the flow of oil will paralyze the entire CEMAC zone which is dependent on the country’s oil refinery, SONARA. It is clear that the key strategy of separatists is to attack state institutions, stall their functioning, strain the government economically and then bring it to its knees.

Clearly, the government still survives because the crisis in the Anglophone regions and the protests in other regions like those spearheaded by opposition leaders have not been able to coalesce into a nationwide protest. However, with the current trend of economic decline, it is only a matter of time before economic disgruntlement matures into popular uprising. The trigger at that time, like in Sudan, might be something which a notoriously complacent regime would consider insignificant, such as bread.

Culled from Face2face Africa

21, April 2019

Southern Cameroons War: EU’s Mogherini urges humanitarian and human rights action ⁰

The Anglophone crisis in Cameroon must remain a priority for the European Union, particularly the need for humanitarian support for those displaced, said EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini in an address to the European Parliament.

“Regrettably, unlawful killings and atrocities continue to be reported regularly, allegedly involving both the security and defense forces and separatist groups,” said Mogherini. “The humanitarian consequences of this situation are alarming, with about half a million internally displaced people and over 32,000 refugees from Cameroon registered in Nigeria.”

The EU has consistently pressed for a national dialogue to resolve escalating conflict between the government of President Paul Biya and armed separatists in the English-speaking northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon.

The EU also urged Cameroon to release political prisoners where appropriate, and said it is closely watching the cases of 47 detained Anglophone leaders and their need for a fair and transparent trial.

“On behalf of all the 28 Member States we have asked for the release of detainees against whom hard evidence cannot be produced and we asked for an immediate halt to violence, to human rights violations and hate speech,” Mogherini said.

Cameroon’s situation is made worse by Boko Haram’s presence in its far north, and in neighboring Chad, Niger and Nigeria, she added. New refugees continue to arrive from Nigeria.

“If we consider both the Internally Displaced People and the refugees coming from Nigeria and the Central African Republic, if we consider that all together, there is about one million people in need of help,” she said. “I believe we have a humanitarian duty that we need to respond to.”

Source: Africa Times