Life

2, March 2026

Unending attack on medics and healthcare professionals in Cameroon’s separatist war; an unacceptable disgrace ⁰

In the shadow of nearly nine years of war in Cameroon, the line between professional medical practice and armed conflict has grown dangerously thin. What should be a neutral commitment to saving lives have, for many healthcare workers, become grounds for suspicion, arrest, and abuse. The conflict is pitting the separatist movement of Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) against the government of 93-year-old Paul Biya, who has been in power since 1982. The conflict has created an environment in which doctors, nurses and many other health professionals are increasingly forced to choose between their ethical duty and their personal safety.

In July 2020, Cameroon Concord News interviewed Peter Ngute in Kumba and Mary Tata in Bamenda, both practicing medics who had been arrested and detained for five months by Cameroonian security forces. In 2022, we spoke with many healthcare professionals and nurses, among them Enow Arrey Lucy who was harassed by government authorities for doing their jobs. Authorities accused them of aiding and abetting separatist fighters in Kumbo and other parts of the two English parts of the country. All were ultimately released without charge. However, they all allege that during their detention they were subjected to torture and inhumane treatment. Peter said, “were punished not for taking up arms, but for treating wounded individuals who arrived at their facilities. And this cannot be right because we are only doing our jobs”.

Their accounts mirror a broader pattern documented by Amnesty International, which reports longstanding and serious human rights violations committed by government security forces, militias, and armed groups in the Anglophone regions during the ongoing conflict. These violations include unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and torture. Within this climate of repression, healthcare workers have become particularly vulnerable. Both Médecins Sans Frontières and Human Rights Watch have documented cases in which medical personnel were accused of aiding combatants, detained on terrorism-related charges and harassed simply for carrying out their professional duties.

The legal framework protecting them is unambiguous. Cameroon ratified the Geneva Conventions in 1963, along with the First and Second Additional Protocols in 1984 and Protocol III in 2021. Under international humanitarian law, medical professionals must be permitted to treat the wounded and sick without discrimination. Medical neutrality is not optional, it is a binding obligation. Yet multiple testimonies suggest that, in practice, healthcare workers are being criminalised for adhering to that very principle.

Cameroon Concord News has gathered additional disturbing accounts. Dr. Tita Augustine, Susan Ndi, a radiologist, and nurse Adeline Nzouepet Sah are among several healthcare professionals who describe their lives as having been irreversibly altered after being accused of supporting separatist fighters. Arrests, threats, and intimidation have followed allegations that stem solely from the provision of medical care. Their experiences point to a troubling pattern upon which impartial treatment is increasingly equated with complicity.

Despite repeated requests for comment, authorities in Yaoundé have declined to respond to questions from Cameroon Concord News. Security forces have reportedly justified detentions by alleging that certain healthcare providers are supporting terrorism. However, such accusations raise fundamental questions about whether the state is conflating medical duty with political allegiance.

The persistent targeting of medics reflects a broader and deeply troubling reality in a conflict that has claimed more than 9,000 lives. When doctors and nurses are detained, intimidated, or tortured, entire communities lose access to essential and lifesaving care. The erosion of medical neutrality not only violates international law but also deepens civilian suffering.

The cases of Adeline Nzouepet Sah, Dr Tita Augustine and Susan Ndi, among many underscore the urgent need for international scrutiny, credible investigations, and accountability mechanisms. Without meaningful protection for healthcare professionals, the humanitarian cost of the conflict will continue to rise among those who are only stated offence is saving lives.

By Rita Akana in Yaoundé

1, March 2026

Miss Cameroon 2025 Dismissed ⁰

The reign of Josiane Harangada Golonga, elected Miss Cameroon on July 12, 2025, has ended abruptly. In a statement dated Feb. 25, 2026, the Miss Cameroon Organizing Committee (Comica) announced her “immediate removal,” citing “serious and repeated breaches of contractual obligations.”

Among the grievances cited were unjustified absences from several “major official events,” remarks deemed disrespectful toward the institution, the “unilateral cessation” of activities linked to her mandate, and the use of a personal manager “in violation of contractual clauses.” Despite “several requests for explanations, warnings and formal notices,” Comica said the titleholder remained in “culpable silence,” reflecting a refusal to honor her commitments.

The committee consequently stripped her of “all rights, privileges and benefits attached to the title of Miss Cameroon 2025.” The decision, signed by Ingrid Solange Amougou, president of Comica, took effect on Feb. 25, 2026, the date of notification. First runner-up Audrey Moutongo has been called upon to “ensure continuity of the function and preserve the image of the institution.”

The titleholder has implicitly challenged that account. Josiane Golonga is seeking two months of unpaid salary and the return of her official vehicle. She denies the accusations of “job abandonment” and breach of contract.

Before her removal, a final formal notice had been sent to her, giving her five days to appear at the committee’s headquarters or be considered to have resigned. The episode highlights recurring tensions between titleholders and the organization within a contractual framework that is regularly contested.

A pageant repeatedly shaken by scandals

The case is part of a series of crises that have marked the pageant’s recent history since its relaunch in 2002. In 2018, the Dec. 30, 2017 election was suspended following a complaint challenging the results. Caroline Aimée Nséké was ultimately confirmed in her role by the Yaoundé-Center Administrative Court of First Instance on July 3, 2018. The complaining candidate had sought 30 million CFA francs and the annulment of the vote.

In 2017, Julie Cheugueu Nguimfack, elected Miss Cameroon 2016, was removed for “indiscipline” and failure to comply with the code of conduct. Her crown was passed to her fourth runner-up, Ange Michèle Minkata, after several withdrawals. The former Miss denounced “maneuvers” by Comica in an open letter.

Over the years, allegations of embezzlement, harassment and disputes over sponsors’ prizes have also tarnished the pageant’s image, undermining its credibility.

State intervention: an attempt to regain control

In December 2018, citing “repeated incidents” affecting the pageant’s image, the state decided to “reclaim” the Miss Cameroon concept. The Ministry of Arts and Culture said at the time it aimed to “preserve the image of this event” and ensure its “efficient” organization.

Held under the high patronage of First Lady Chantal Biya and financially supported by the state, the pageant was presented as a national symbol. Comica resumed organizing the event in 2019 under the leadership of Ingrid Solange Amougou. Tensions, however, persist.

A structural crisis?

The recurrence of removals, legal disputes and public controversies raises questions about the pageant’s governance, including contractual ambiguity, diverging expectations, deficient communication or an imbalance in the relationship between candidates and the organization.

Presented as a showcase of culture and of “beauty, excellence and hope,” Miss Cameroon has repeatedly been overshadowed by institutional crises. The removal of the 2025 titleholder thus extends beyond an individual case and raises a broader question: can the pageant restore stability and credibility over the long term? Behind the spotlight, the issues now appear to lie in governance and transparency.

Source: Sbbc

25, February 2026

Biya regime orders 3,442 teachers to prove status or face payroll removal ⁰

Secondary Education Minister Nalova Lyonga on February 23 published a list of 3,442 teachers ordered to report to “door 507 bis” of her ministry within fourteen days. Those concerned must present “supporting documents confirming their current administrative status, failing which they will be simply and outright removed from the state payroll,” she said.

The summons follows a data collection exercise conducted by the Ministry of Finance through Cameroon’s airports. An analysis of travel records showed that the officials had traveled outside Cameroon in recent years. According to sources familiar with the matter, the objective is now to verify that they have returned to the country and are effectively present at their assigned posts.

Emigration to Canada in the Background

The operation comes amid continued emigration, particularly to Canada. In recent years, many Cameroonian teachers have left their posts to seek better opportunities abroad while continuing to receive salaries in Cameroon. For the state, the issue is also fiscal: such situations create budgetary losses and weaken the continuity of public education services.

Removing teachers who have emigrated to Canada or other countries from the payroll is part of the broader Physical Headcount of State Personnel (Coppe). Launched in 2018, the initiative aims to eliminate public employees who are illegally listed on the state payroll.

According to the Ministry of Finance, Coppe has already led to the removal of 10,000 fictitious public employees from the payroll, generating annual budget savings of about CFA30 billion since 2019. On November 27, 2025, at the National Assembly, Public Service Minister Joseph Lé also announced that, under the same operation, around 6,000 civil servants had been dismissed from the public service following disciplinary proceedings.

Source: Business in Cameroon

15, February 2026

Catholic University in Cameroon expands cooperation with Europe ⁰

The exchange of experience in the scientific, cultural, and social fields between two important Catholic academic centers is the result of an agreement signed in February between the Catholic University of Central Africa in Cameroon and the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin in Poland.

The agreement was signed by the rectors: Fr. Prof. Thomas Bienvenu Tchoungui of UCAC and Fr. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski of KUL.

Due to the academic reach of the Catholic University of Central Africa, the agreement extends beyond Cameroon to include Chad, Gabon, Guinea, Congo, and the Central African Republic.

The Polish Catholic university educates students from Poland and 45 other countries, mainly from Europe—Ukraine, Belarus, and Spain—as well as a large group of students from Central Asian countries and the United States.

Therefore, as Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski emphasizes, cooperation with the university in Yaoundé goes far beyond the borders of Central and Eastern Europe and Central Africa.

“The priority is not only knowledge, but also spiritual formation, which responds to the challenges of the contemporary world,” says the rector of KUL.

From left: Fr. Jean Paul Rene Ondua Omgba, Fr. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski, Fr. Prof. Thomas Bienvenu Tchoungui

An African existential approach to social challenges

The agreement is the result of a meeting and discussions between the two rectors in the Vatican several months ago.

Both universities see in this pan-continental exchange an opportunity to deepen their own experience and seek common solutions to contemporary challenges. This may be achieved through student and academic staff exchanges.

UCAC is a university with over thirty years of tradition, established by the Conferences of Bishops of Central Africa. For years, it has educated leaders and specialists who serve the Church and society in their respective countries.

Its programs include theology, philosophy, social sciences, law, and health sciences, aligning with local development needs. At the center of its mission is always the human person and human dignity.

UCAC has already been cooperating with universities in Western Europe for many years. This agreement expands that scope to another region of the continent.

The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin has a rich tradition of more than 100 years, and Karol Wojtyła was among its professors before becoming Pope John Paul II.

The university educates nearly 10,000 students and dynamically develops its research and teaching programs internationally. The partnership with the African university now represents an opportunity for its further growth.

“Above all,” adds Prof. Kalinowski, “it offers integration of European academic experience, especially in the humanities and social sciences, with the African existential approach to understanding reality and responding to concrete social challenges.”

Tools for building community and social change

“KUL’s experience in intercultural dialogue, humanistic ecology, public ethics, and the theory and practice of education can find creative application in the African context of UCAC, where education is also a tool for social change and community building,” the rector of KUL explains.

UCAC also brings to the partnership the experience of its students and lecturers, as well as their perspective on global processes that in Europe are often overlooked—especially where religious and social life intertwine with everyday existential challenges.

Cooperation in migration, ethics, and AI

Furthermore, the cooperation between the universities fits with the Church’s global vision as a community of universities that do not compete so much as support one another in fulfilling the missionary function of education.

“Within the framework of intercontinental dialogue, we can develop and create research and teaching programs related to migration, cultural changes, or devoted to ethical issues in the era of technology and artificial intelligence,” concludes Fr. Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski.

Source: Vatican News

5, February 2026

Cameroon sees decline in HIV, women account for most new cases ⁰

Cameroon has recorded further progress in its fight against HIV/AIDS, according to results from the second Cameroon Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (Camphia), released on February 2, by Public Health Minister Malachie Manaouda. Conducted between September 2024 and January 2025, the survey updates key epidemiological indicators and assesses the effectiveness of the national response.

The study estimates annual HIV incidence at 0.15% among people aged 15 to 49, down from 0.24% in 2017. In absolute terms, this corresponds to around 21,000 new infections each year nationwide.

The overall decline, however, conceals a persistent gender gap. Incidence stands at 0.24% among women, compared with just 0.06% among men, meaning women face a risk four times higher. The continued feminization of the epidemic remains one of the main challenges for public health authorities.

More than 500,000 people living with HIV

HIV prevalence among adults aged 15 to 49 is estimated at 2.6%, down from 3.4% in 2017. Across the general population, this represents about 503,000 adults aged 15 and over living with HIV. Gender disparities remain pronounced, with prevalence at 3.6% among women versus 1.6% among men.

Camphia data show that women account for roughly 75% of new infections. The epidemic also displays strong regional contrasts. Prevalence is around 1.5% in the North and Far North regions, but reaches up to 4.6% in the Centre region outside Yaoundé, indicating higher rates beyond major urban centers.

Another key finding relates to viral suppression, a measure of treatment effectiveness. Among people aged 55 and over living with HIV, about 95% have suppressed viral loads, reflecting strong treatment outcomes. Results are less encouraging among younger groups. Viral suppression stands at 53.7% among adolescent girls and young women aged 15 to 24, and 50.4% among men aged 25 to 34.

These gaps point to ongoing challenges in access to care, treatment adherence, and medical follow-up among younger populations, despite their higher exposure risk. The Ministry of Public Health says it plans to intensify community-based testing, with a focus on women, adolescents, and young people identified as the most vulnerable groups.

Authorities link the next phase of the response to broader health system reforms, including the rollout of universal health coverage and stronger engagement with international partners such as the Global Fund and UNDP. Cameroon’s objective remains to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

The National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections for 2021–2023, extended with projections to 2030, aims to accelerate prevention efforts, reduce new infections, eliminate mother-to-child transmission, and improve long-term quality of life for people living with HIV. Achieving these targets will require sustained investment, improved coordination, and deeper community involvement.

Source: Sbbc

31, January 2026

Fela Kuti is first African musician honoured with Grammys Lifetime Achievement award ⁰

Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti to make history as first African honoured with posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. After a lifetime of clashes with successive powers in Nigeria, the recognition comes nearly three decades after Fela’s death and long after his influence reshaped global music.

He is one of several artists getting the award at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Saturday, the eve of the main Grammys gala.

Others are Cher, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon and Chaka Khan.

In the 1970s, Fela the multi-instrumentalist and full-of-life performer invented Afrobeat: a mixture of jazz, funk and African rhythms.

That laid the groundwork for Afrobeats – a later genre that has attracted a global audience by blending traditional African rhythms with contemporary pop sounds, with its roots in Nigeria.

Two years ago the Grammys introduced the category of Best African Performance in 2024 and it has been dominated by Afrobeats artists, especially from Nigeria.

Of the five nominees for the Best African performance this year, three are Nigerian Afrobeats singers, after another Nigerian, Tems, won last year.

“Fela’s influence spans generations, inspiring artists such as Beyonce, Paul McCartney and Thom Yorke, and shaping modern Nigerian Afrobeats,” said a citation on the Grammys list of this year’s honourees.

Known also as the “Black President”, the activist and legendary musician, died in 1997 at the age of 58.

His legacy lives on through his sons, Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti, and grandson Made.

“This acknowledgment coming at this time when all three of us are present. It feels wonderful,” Grammy-nominated Made Kuti said.

“It feels wonderful that all of us are still practicing Afrobeat, still taking the legacy as far as we can take it.”

‘Better later than never’

Yemisi Ransome-Kuti, Fela’s first cousin and head of the family, said on Friday the award was “a celebration for the African people and they should take (it).. as their award. Another African is being celebrated.”

“But we also want to send a message to those who are giving these acknowledgements, please …not wait till people are dead,” she said.

As to what would have been Fela’s reaction, Ransome-Kuti said: “I’m sure he would have said better late than never” although “in his lifetime he was not particularly interested in being recognised in the external world, particularly the western world”.

Fela was arrested frequently by military governments during his career, sometimes for political activism and sometimes also on allegations of theft, which he denied.

His first brush with the law dated back to 1974 when he released his famous album “Zombie”, generally considered by the military authorities in power as a diatribe levelled at them.

His songs were long, defiant and explicitly anti-governments in power and anti-corruption.

His manager, Rikki Stein, speaking on the phone from Los Angeles where he will join the Kuti family at the ceremony, was confident the award would “significantly uplift Fela’s music”.

“Fifty albums out there. I’m sure it’s going to continue onward and upward.”

“An increasing number of people what weren’t even born when Fela died are expressing interest in listening to Fela’s music and hopefully Fela’s message,” he said

Source: AFP

30, January 2026

US: Former CNN host Don Lemon arrested after anti-ICE protests ⁰

Former CNN host Don Lemon has been arrested after he entered a Minnesota church and filmed anti-immigration enforcement protesters as they disrupted a service.

Lemon, now an independent journalist, was taken into custody by federal agents on Thursday night while in Los Angeles covering the Grammy Awards, according to a statement from his lawyer Abbe Lowell.

“Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court,” the attorney said. Lemon, 59, is due to appear in federal court in LA on Friday.

He went into the Cities Church in St Paul on 18 January with a group of protesters who said one of the pastors was an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official.

“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell said in a statement posted to his client’s Instagram account on Friday.

The lawyer added: “This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand.”

In his own defence, Lemon said in a recent video: “Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism, which was report on it.”

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Friday that federal agents also arrested three others: Trahern Jeen Crews, local independent journalist Georgia Fort and Jamael Lydell Lundy.

She accused them and Lemon of participating in a “coordinated attack” on the church. The exact charges the government will bring against Lemon is unclear. The BBC has contacted the Department of Justice for comment.

Source: BBC

16, January 2026

Biya regime resumes ENS, ENSET entrance exams after three-year suspension ⁰

After nearly three years of suspension, entrance exams for the Higher Teacher Training Colleges (ENS) and Higher Technical Teacher Training Colleges (ENSET) will officially resume for the 2025–2026 academic year. The announcement was made by Higher Education Minister Jacques Fame Ndongo in a statement signed on January 13, 2026. According to the document, the decision follows directives from the head of state aimed at revitalizing teacher training nationwide.

To frame the relaunch, the Ministry of Higher Education (Minesup) issued 32 official decrees detailing application procedures and eligibility requirements. Candidates are required to submit a complete application file, including an application form, certified copies of academic diplomas, proof of Cameroonian nationality, identity documents, and, where applicable, medical certificates. The ministry warns that any incomplete application will be automatically rejected.

Eligibility criteria are also clearly defined. Applicants must hold the required diplomas for the targeted program, comply with the maximum age limits set by decree, provide authentic documents, and meet the standards of conduct and integrity required by Minesup. Jacques Fame Ndongo urged candidates to carefully review the decrees in order to prepare their applications “under the best possible conditions.”

Entrance exams for the ENS and ENSET had been suspended since 2023 for budgetary reasons and replaced by admission based solely on application files. The text notes that this system did not guarantee fairness or effective integration into the civil service. On November 6, 2025, during his swearing-in ceremony, President Paul Biya announced the return of the exams, reiterating that youth development is a strategic priority of his new term.

The resumption comes amid high youth unemployment, at a time when access to professional training and public-sector jobs remains a key challenge. The decision is presented as an expression of the president’s stated intention to expand concrete opportunities for training and professional integration for young Cameroonians.

Source: Business in Cameroon

13, January 2026

Yaoundé to recruit 3,000 primary school teachers under Parec Program ⁰

Cameroon’s government has relaunched the recruitment of 3,000 primary school teachers through the Programme d’Appui à la Réforme de l’Éducation au Cameroun (Parec). The recruitment represents the seventh phase of the third contractualization program for preschool and primary school teachers.

The program targets candidates holding a CAPIEMP certificate issued no later than 2020 and aged 40 or below as of December 31, 2025. “The test is open to all CAPIEMP 2020 holders and to holders from previous years, whether they participated in prior recruitment phases or not,” the official launch order signed by the Minister of Basic Education and the Minister of Public Service states.

Testing Schedule and Background

Cameroon last conducted a similar recruitment in 2024, hiring 3,000 teachers. For this phase, the tests are set for February 14, 2026.

Parec has been implemented since 2018 with financial support from the World Bank. The program’s primary objective is to improve the allocation of government-recruited teachers across public primary schools. Its initial budget of CFA78 billion increased to CFA137.2 billion, and the implementation period extended from 2019–2023 to 2024–2026.

Source: Business in Cameroon

12, January 2026

Nigerian stars dominate All Africa Music Awards ⁰

Nigerian artists secured a string of victories at the 9th All Africa Music Awards (Afrima), which concluded in Lagos on Sunday night.

Global superstar Burna Boy claimed the prestigious Album of the Year award for his latest work No Sign of Weakness.

He also shared the award for Best African Collaboration with fast-rising compatriot Shallipopi, who separately won the coveted Song of the Year for his hit single Laho, which made waves on social media.

The week-long event, which had a diverse group of music experts from across Africa and the diaspora as jurors, brought together industry professionals, culminating in a ceremony where Nigeria’s current musical prowess was firmly on display.

Leading the tally for the evening was Rema, who took home three awards: Artiste of the Year, Best Male Artiste in Western Africa, and Best African Artiste in RnB and Soul.

Other notable Nigerian winners included Yemi Alade, who won Best Soundtrack in a Movie, Series or Documentary for her song You Are from the animated series Iyanu, and veteran rapper Phyno, named Best African Artiste in African Hip-Hop.

The awards also celebrated emerging talent. Qing Madi was crowned Most Promising Artiste of the Year, while Chella earned the title of African Fans’ Favourite.

While Nigerian stars dominated, the ceremony celebrated talent from across Africa.

Senegal’s Bakhaw Dioum won Song Writer of the Year and Algeria’s DJ Moh Green who scooped DJ of the Year award ahead of some notable South African DJs.

Ghana’s Wendy Shay won Best Female Artiste in West Africa, South Africa’s Nontokozo Mkhize won Best Female Artiste in Southern Africa and Tanzania’s Juma Jux was named Best Male Artiste in Eastern Africa.

The success of Nigerian artists underscores the continued global appeal of Afrobeats.

The genre, which fuses African rhythms with Western influences, has seen explosive international growth in recent years.

Burna Boy, a defining figure in this movement since its breakthrough, remains one of its most prominent ambassadors, with his album win cementing his influential status.

Source: BBC