Cameroon

29, January 2025

UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang to visit India ⁰

The President of the United Nations General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang, will undertake an official visit to India from 4 January to 8 February 2025, at the invitation of the Indian Government. His visit will include stops in New Delhi, the capital, and Bengaluru, often referred to as the Silicon Valley of India.

During his visit, President Yang will aim to strengthen multilateral cooperation with India on key global issues, including international peace and security, as well as the Pact for the Future.

While in India, President Yang will hold bilateral meetings, including a courtesy call on the President of India, H.E. Ms. Droupadi Murmu, and discussions with the country’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar.

His itinerary will also include visits to a public health facility in Gautam Buddha Nagar and several key sites in Bengaluru, including the Infosys campus and the Indian Institute of Science. The President will also visit other important locations in both cities.

Additionally, President Yang will meet with the UN Country Team in India, led by UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Shombi Sharp.

Before arriving in India, President Yang will conclude an official visit to Japan from 31 January to 4 February 2025. In Tokyo, he will meet with Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Shigeru Ishiba, Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Takeshi Iwaya, and JICA President Mr. Akihiko Tanaka. The President will also visit Hiroshima, where he will pay his respects at the cenotaph for the atomic bomb victims and lay a wreath.

H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang was born in the Republic of Cameroon and served as Prime Minister, among other positions, of the Republic of Cameroon. In June 2024, he was elected as the President of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. His term as President of the UN General Assembly runs from September 2024 until September 2025.

Culled from The UN

29, January 2025

1,736 Cameroonians face deportation from US ⁰

A total of 1,736 Cameroonians, are at risk of deportation from the United States as part of President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to address illegal immigration. According to a document from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which was shared with the media, this move is part of a wider initiative to remove over 1.4 million non-citizens who are subject to final deportation orders.

The data, titled Noncitizens on the ICE Non-Detained Docket with Final Orders of Removal by Country of Citizenship, revealed that Cameroon is one of the countries most affected by the operation, alongside Mexico and El Salvador, which account for 252,044 and 203,822 deportations respectively.

The report outlined that as of November 2024, over 1.4 million individuals, including Cameroonians, have been placed under final removal orders. These individuals, although not currently detained, have exhausted their legal avenues to remain in the US. ICE’s primary mission is to enforce immigration laws and ensure that individuals who are in the US unlawfully are removed.

President Trump has been pushing for a tougher stance on immigration, which includes increased deportations. In a statement last week, Trump reiterated his administration’s position on deporting “criminal aliens” and reinforced his broader immigration agenda, including military deployment along the southern border with Mexico.

“America is respected again,” the White House declared in a recent statement, adding that its immigration policies are focused on securing national borders. The situation has stirred concerns, particularly among African migrants, with Cameroonians being a key group impacted by these measures. Although the Cameroonian government has not publicly commented on the deportation figures, the news is likely to cause apprehension among those facing removal.

27, January 2025

Yaoundé: Etoudi throws in the towel for African Development Bank presidency ⁰

Biya and his gang have decided not to put forward a candidate for the presidency of the African Development Bank, despite two profiles emerging in recent months, Africa Intelligence reported today.

Africa Intelligence also stated that Biya made the dramatic u-turn to avoid finding himself at odds with the Chadian leader.

Unity Palace had worked to promote its own candidate for the top African Development Bank seat, despite having officially supported Chad’s contender.

The regime in Yaoundé reportedly ordered Cameroonian diplomats to push for economist Albert Zeufack to take over the presidency of the African Development Bank, instead of the former BEAC governor whom N’Djamena is supporting.

As more candidates apply to take on the African Development Bank leadership role, the presidents involved have been quietly calling round to get a picture of the situation.

By Chi Prudence Asong with files from Africa Intelligence

22, January 2025

Douala: Gov’t targets customs corruption in new crackdown ⁰

To mark International Customs Day, Cameroon’s Ministry of Finance launched a campaign on January 14 in Douala to tackle corruption in the country’s customs service. The campaign, which will run until January 22, focuses on educating customs officers in Douala, Kribi, Limbe, and Yaoundé about the harm corruption causes to the nation’s growth.

The effort is backed by Africa Global Logistics (AGL), a key partner in the initiative. Speaking at the launch, Mama Nsounchiat, Deputy Managing Director of AGL Cameroon, underlined the need for accountability. “Corruption has no place in a system that aims for excellence. AGL is dedicated to supporting this fight by providing modern tools and innovative solutions to improve governance,” he said.

Corruption in customs has been a major issue in Cameroon for years. A 2016 report by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (Conac) detailed widespread fraud and misconduct within the sector. The report estimated that between 2010 and 2015, corruption cost the public treasury CFA1,246 billion in lost revenue.

Investigators also uncovered extravagant lifestyles among customs officers. Some were found to own luxurious properties in Douala and other cities, as well as significant bank balances. One case involved a customs officer in Maroua, in the Far North region, who reportedly owned 13 villas, a five-story building, 10 plots of land, trucks, buses, and several luxury cars.

The diaspora has also expressed frustration. In December 2024, Cameroon’s liaison officer to Interpol, Richard Evina Engolo, relayed complaints from Cameroonians abroad to the country’s ambassador in France. These grievances pointed to corruption and other unethical practices by customs officers at the ports of Kribi and Douala.

Source: Business in Cameroon

20, January 2025

Brenda Biya competing with poor saloon girls as the country burns ⁰

Her dad President Paul Biya is fast exceeding his quota of killing. Roads in the country are so bad that potholes are swallowing cars, okadas and bicycles the way his ministers Paul Atanga Nji, Laurent Esso and Ngoh Ngoh are swallowing opponents of the regime.

The Delegate General for National Security, Martin Mbarga Nguele observed recently that driving from the nation’s capital Yaoundé to Mutengene in the South West region, the only way to continue the journey is over the rooftop of the vehicle which the road has already eaten.

So, the best way to survive in Cameroon is by relocating to Bastos in Yaoundé with all your belongings including small shops, hair dressing saloons, beer parlours and cosmetic shops. This is what Brenda Biya, daughter of President Biya the so called Father of the Nation has just done.

Bastos is supposed to be a kind of Stamford Bridge hosting foreign diplomats, billionaires and those who matter deep within the Cameroonian society. But Brenda Biya and her dad President Paul Biya have made it a free for all with every Tom, Dick or Harry steaming up and down eating roast corn and plums like in Metta Quarter in Kumba.

Recently, a small shop Bree Cosmetics opened its doors in Bastos under the direct supervision of the Minister-Secretary General at the presidency of the republic Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh. Bastos is the place no one can be killed in Cameroon.

The decision by Brenda Biya to open her cosmetic shop in Bastos is essentially to keep her father’s failed and empty legacy alive. Brenda Biya is now competing with poor Cameroonian girls who are shuttling between Dubai and Douala to make ends meet!! And Cameroon is burning.

Brenda reportedly studied in one of the best universities in the USA when thousands of English speaking Cameroonians were being killed by the Francophone dominated military in a war that her dad declared against English speaking Cameroonians.

Today, the monstrous liability of a head of state and the all powerful Fon of Fons is watching his children either committing the same shameful errors or falling into spectacular new ones.

The fire burning up the Biya family is the result of him thinking that he is a god. His refusal to bow to demands for change in Cameroon and hand over power to the new generation and his corrupt policy in which the funds of Cameroon as a country are confused with his own, have led to a complete breakdown of law and order.

The Biya family is now opening a small cosmetic shop for Brenda Biya, after more than 42 years of watching the economic and political corruption that has reduced Cameroon to wretched and grinding poverty.

Roman Catholic Bishops have appealed to Mr Biya to step down, but he is not showing any sign of leaving. Cameroon Intelligence Report gathered that he is now struggling to pay his destitute army.

Although French speaking Roman Catholic Bishops are trying to chip away Mr Biya’s authority, the 92-year-old dictator is still firmly entrenched. The most powerful elements of the army, the gendarmerie, the police force and the media are all under his control.

Ultimately Biya’s survival depends on the loyalty of the secret service dominated by elements from his Beti-Bulu tribal extraction, the Francophone military including the National Gendarmerie and to this end, the privileged service men and women will be allocated funds to go and shop at the Bree Cosmetics Shop in Bastos. That will give them a special kind of divinity.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

20, January 2025

Minister Ngoh Ngoh attends opening of Brenda Biya’s Cosmetics boutique in Yaoundé ⁰

Brenda Biya, daughter of President Paul Biya, has officially launched her cosmetics boutique in Yaoundé’s Bastos district.

On Saturday 18 January 2025, Brenda Biya inaugurated her high-end cosmetics store in the heart of Cameroon’s capital. The shop, called ‘Bree Cosmetics’, offers a wide range of beauty products.

The inauguration ceremony was well attended with the Secretary General at the presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh also answering present.

‘I worked really hard on this project,’ says Brenda Biya in a promotional video about the opening of her boutique in the Bastos district of Yaoundé.

By Rita Akana in Yaoundé

20, January 2025

Biya’s continued stay in power: Bishop of Yagoua comes under attack ⁰

The President of the National Assembly Cavaye Yeguie Djibril has launched a scathing attack on the Bishop of Yagoua, who in a homily on 1 January 2025 denounced the inertia of the corrupt CPDM government in Yaoundé.

‘Even a devil should first take power in Cameroon and then we’ll see’, Bishop Barthelemy Yaouda of the Diocese of Yagoua said.

His Lordship the Bishop of Yagoua used the figure of speech to indicate that it was time for President Paul Biya to make way for someone else.

‘We’re not going to suffer any more than this. We’ve already suffered. The worst is not going to come. Even the Devil should first take power in Cameroon and then we’ll see.”

Cavaye Yeguie Djibril was visibly ‘touched’ by these remarks and has gone on the offensive against the Holy Roman Catholic Church lecturing a pro Biya audience on the notion of the devil and stating that it is imperative to summon Bishop Barthelemy Yaouda to Rome.

‘Catholics should summon that bishop to Rome to show us the devil. Otherwise, it means that all Catholics are saying the same thing. No one has yet seen the devil. Even pagans have never seen the devil. Nobody has ever seen the devil, only this bishop knows where the devil is’, said Hon. Cavaye Yeguie Djibril.

Cavaye’s childish outburst shows that the prelate’s homily is making waves inside the Unity Palace this election year.

By Rita Akana in Yaoundé

20, January 2025

French Cameroun: Martinez Zogo remains unburied 2 years after assassination ⁰

For 728 days, the body of Martinez Zogo (photo), the radio host whose remains were discovered on January 22, 2023, about 15 kilometers northeast of Yaoundé, has remained at the Yaoundé Central Hospital morgue.

According to his family’s lawyer, Calvin Job, a funeral is currently impossible. “Martinez Zogo’s body is a piece of evidence. In this sense, the court needs it,” Job explained following the January 13th hearing.

The trial, which began at the Military Tribunal in March 2024, has been plagued by significant delays, as highlighted by Job. He criticized the repeated postponements, stating, “This slow pace also hinders the burial process.”

The family has formally requested the release of Martinez Zogo’s remains for burial. However, military justice officials maintain that returning the body is premature, as explained by Christophe Bobiokono, a journalist and editor of Kalara, a publication specializing in judicial news. Bobiokono noted that the body must remain available for further investigation. “A new autopsy might be necessary at any time, as the cause of death could be contested,” he explained.

Bobiokono emphasized that some defendants may dispute the murder charges against them. “This could necessitate another autopsy to confirm or refute the assassination allegations,” he added, concluding that “the investigation remains incomplete.”

Ten months after the first session, procedural issues continue to dominate the hearings, with substantive debates yet to start. Martinez Zogo’s family has expressed frustration with the prolonged process, eager to conclude the trial so they can properly mourn. “We are awaiting the final verdict so they can release the body for burial. We have customs. As long as he [Martinez Zogo] remains in the morgue, we cannot perform the necessary rites,” Crescence Moungou, the late journalist’s elder sister, told Equinoxe TV in 2023.

Seventeen individuals were arrested and charged following the discovery of Martinez Zogo’s body. Among the accused are 12 agents from the Directorate General of External Research (DGRE), including Léopold Maxime Eko Eko, the former head of this powerful intelligence agency. The military tribunal is handling the case due to the involvement of military personnel, gendarmes, and police officers.

According to Bobiokono, who is also a member of the Human Rights Commission, all costs associated with preserving Martinez Zogo’s body are being covered by the military justice system.

Source: Sbbc

18, January 2025

Samuel Eto’o crowned as “Ntumfyon” ⁰

In a ceremony rich in tradition and emotion, Samuel Eto’o, the iconic former captain of the Indomitable Lions and current President of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), was crowned “Ntumfyon” by the traditional rulers of the North West region.

This title in the North West is an exceptional recognition of leadership and impact on society.

The ceremony was held in the heart of the ancestral lands of the North-West, with traditional dances, songs and rituals to consecrate Samuel Eto’o as an ‘Ntumfyon’.

Ever since he was elected president of FECAFOOT, Samuel Eto’o has focused his energy on reforming football in Cameroon, with a particular interest on young talent and creating opportunities for local communities. This new title reinforces his stature as a visionary leader and a unifying figure in Cameroon.

With this new distinction, Samuel Eto’o continues to make history, not only as one of Africa’s greatest footballers, but also as a true cultural icon and a symbol of hope for future generations.

By Fon Lawrence

17, January 2025

Southern Cameroons Crisis: 1 killed, 6 injured in Bamenda clash ⁰

At least one person was killed and six others injured on Thursday afternoon in a clash between government troops and Ambazonia Restoration Forces in Bamenda.

The exchange of fire occurred in the neighborhood of Bamenda, chief city in the North West region as the Francophone dominated military repelled an Amba infiltration attempt, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“They attacked a military outpost at Ntabessi. Our brave forces fought back and opened fire. It was then that stray bullets killed a civilian and injured six others. Our forces are pursuing them to their hideouts,” the official said.

A separatist insurgency has been going on in Cameroon’s two anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest since 2017. Armed separatists attempt to secede from the largely French-speaking Cameroon and create an independent nation in the regions.

By Fon Lawrence with files from Xinhuanet