Cameroon

11, December 2024

Cameroon Concord Person of the Year 2024: Longue Longue, the musician ⁰

In this year’s razor-thin Cameroon Concord News Group contest, singer Longue Longue received the nod over Samuel Eto’o. According to our Yaoundé Bureau Chief, Cameroon Concord readers decided that Longue Longue is the one to receive Cameroon Concord News Group’s annual distinction.

So, we of the Cameroon Concord News Group are today announcing singer Simon Longkana Agno, aka Longue Longue as our annual Person of the Year.

We were preparing to publish a headline “Men of the Year” rather than “Person of the Year” as Samuel Eto’o was reportedly neck-to-neck with Longue Longue. But Eto’o’s boycott of the veteran’s international friendly against Brazil was indeed counterproductive for the man who was one of the world’s best strikers in the 2000s, and who was elected president of the Cameroonian Football Federation on December 12, 2021.

Longue Longue narrowly defeated Samuel Eto’o for the Cameroon Concord Person of the Year title, which recognizes the person who, for better or worse, has had the most impact on the year’s events.

On fighting for human rights in Cameroon, Longue Longue remains a study in resoluteness and mastery.

Cameroon Concord People voted for Longue Longue for midwifing a new human rights order and a new quest for justice in Cameroon that has had a decidedly favorable impact on the course of events in Yaoundé and in Paris.

Longue Longue singlehandedly remade and united the Cameroonian nation by exposing the evil perpetuated on innocent citizens by the regime in Yaoundé.

Longue Longue’s amiable demeanor tapped into a desire to liberate the entire Francophone Africa with his songs earned him huge support from our readers all over the world particularly from the diaspora in Europe and North America.

Longue Longue, renowned for making hits about bad governance in Cameroon, colonialism and other social ills was seen in a video recorded in a Douala gendarmerie station, hands cuffed behind his back, sitting on the floor in his underwear as the soles of his bare feet are beaten with a flat machete.

The ruling CPDM crime syndicate said in a poorly worded statement that they have “opened an investigation into the Longue Longue incident.”

Longue Longue went through all of this for the Cameroonian people and for his freedom of thought.

Cameroonians watched Longue Longue in panic with his underpants underneath a chair!

Cameroonians watched a leg standing on Longue Longue’s knee!

Cameroonians watched the arrest of Longue Longue in 2019 after posting a video saying that the 91-year-old President Biya had rigged the 2018 election and that Maurice Kamto of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement was the rightful winner of the polls.

Longue Longue’s torture video is indeed a reminiscent of the horrific treatment Cameroonian opposition figures, journalists, Southern Cameroons activists including Roman Catholic clerics are facing under the 42-year- old Biya regime.

The renowned Barrister Akere Muna said Longue Longue’s treatment was a “stark reminder of the depths of depravity to which humanity can descend”.

More than three decades after he left Yabassi to Douala on the back of a truck for a job that eventually gave him nothing; Longue Longue won the Makossa Best Artist Award after his huge success with the album “Ayo Africa”.

He told the Cameroonian people to always wait for God’s time. “There is nothing to do but wait” he said instead of rushing to consult witch doctors to be successful in life.

He is the first Cameroonian singer to get a majority of the Cameroon Concord News vote. Only Archbishop Andrew Nkea had done that in all of our history.

We of the Concord Group are proud of his work as a singer and also as an activist, singing against injustice and fighting for human rights in Cameroon. We today congratulate Longue Longue for the richly deserved recognition accorded him by a tremendous majority of Cameroon Concord News and Cameroon Intelligence Report readers. 2025 will bring more success stories to the Cameroonian nation.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Chairman/Editor-In-Chief

Cameroon Concord News Group

11, December 2024

Ban on NGOs: Rebecca Enonchong weighs in on Atanga Nji’s performance ⁰

Despite Paul Atanga Nji’s continued stay in office as Minister of Territorial Administration, his recent suspension of several NGOs is now being branded a disaster by many including renowned businesswoman Rebecca Enonchong.

Biya regime suspended the activities of several NGOs and associations for three months, and banned two other entities. The decision was defended by Paul Atanga Nji, Minister of Territorial Administration, who justified it on the grounds of suspected illicit financing, money laundering and terrorist financing.

The organisations targeted by this measure include the Charitable Socio-cultural Association of Cameroon (ACSCC), Reach Out Cameroon (ROC), the Réseau des droits humains en Afrique centrale (REDHAC) and the L.M Nanje Foundation INC. The suspensions and bans were issued without prior notice, sending shockwaves through the human rights community.

On social network X, Rebecca Enonchong denounced the measure. ‘Suspending human rights groups by an administrative measure, without due process, is pure provocation. Defending these organisations is our duty. We cannot allow our common rights to be flouted with impunity’ noted the businesswoman.

Atanga Nji, the conman par excellence had told his bosses in Yaoundé that if accorded the territorial administration portfolio, he would end the crisis in Southern Cameroons given that he knew the terrain and was an Anglophone.

The man with very limited formal education is now seeing the end of the massive scam that his government has put in place and has decided to destroy the civil society.

By Rita Akana

10, December 2024

Biya’s live facial recognition project still trying to identify a banker ⁰

The President of Cameroon, Paul Biya, last week directed his government to source for money from a Chinese bank for the partial financing of a national video surveillance project with live facial recognition.

The move comes weeks after another Chinese partner, China Construction Bank Corporation (CCBC), decided to discontinue negotiations to offer the government a loan of FCFA 33 billion (approximately US$52 million).

In a decree signed on December 2, the president asked the Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey, to sign a loan agreement with the Shenzhen branch of China Citic Bank Corporation Ltd worth $52 million for the partial financing of the project’s second phase.

At the close of September, Cameroon’s debt management company (CAA) disclosed in a public debt report that CCBC had decided to withdraw from the deal. Although the CAA’s report didn’t mention CCBC by name or the reason for the withdrawal, it is clear that an authorization had been given in 2021 to contract a loan with the bank for the project, as reported by Business in Cameroon.

In March this year, the government also got presidential authorization to secure another loan from the Hong Kong branch of Banco Santander for the same project.

The funding from these two banks, when obtained, will enable the government to start the second phase of the facial recognition project which will see the construction of command and data centers in each of the ten regional capital of the country, installation of base stations, and the inter-connection of police services for more efficient crime detection.

Phase I of the project has already been completed with hundreds of CCTV camera planted in the two largest cities of Yaounde and Douala, as well as in other regional cities. This phase has already seen the construction of two major command centers, the second of which was inaugurated last year in Douala.

Apart from capturing crime scenes, the system is meant to record traffic accidents, disruption of road traffic such as through violation of traffic lights, or any other form of urban disorder that warrants prompt police intervention.

It is being implemented by the General Delegation for National Security (DGSN) in partnership with Cameroon’s state-owned telecommunications company (CAMTEL) and Chinese tech giant Huawei. Huawei supports similar video surveillance projects in other African countries in what appears to be a growing trend across the continent.

The video surveillance projects, despite the advantages touted by governments, have faced criticism from digital rights advocates over concerns related to privacy and human rights.

Source: Biometricupdate

9, December 2024

Barrister Tamfu Affair: Beti Assomo says gendarmes entitled to self-defense ⁰

Defense Minister Joseph Beti Assomo spoke out on the actions of gendarmes who assaulted lawyer Richard Tamfu on November 27 in Douala, while appearing before the Finance and Budget Committee on December 3.

The minister, while defending his ministry’s 2025 budget, confirmed an investigation had been launched into the incident but emphasized his condemnation of “insults and incivility by citizens against gendarmes and military personnel,” stressing their right to self-defense if attacked.

This defensive stance aligns with findings from an investigative report obtained by SBBC. The report, from the National Gendarmerie, accuses barrister Tamfu Ngarka Tristel Richard of “violence against public officials, rebellion, destruction of military property, obstruction of justice, and insults.” It states that five gendarmes assaulted Tamfu in response, and they now face charges of abuse of office, causing minor injuries, and violating orders.

Source: Business in Cameroon

5, December 2024

CPDM Crime Syndicate: Biya approves CFA49bn loan for electricity recovery ⁰

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has authorized a loan of €74.25 million (around CFA49 billion) from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to support the country’s emergency electricity recovery plan. The decree, signed on December 3, grants Economy Minister Alamine Ousmane Mey the authority to secure the loan.

The funds will be used to implement the Support Program for the Recovery of the Electricity Sector in Cameroon (Parsec). This program aims to improve electricity production, distribution, and governance. The presidential approval follows the AfDB board’s green light for the loan on December 14, 2023, which will finance the first phase of Parsec.

Parsec is part of a series of ambitious reforms to address key challenges in Cameroon’s electricity sector. Between 2024 and 2025, the program will support the government’s efforts to implement these reforms. The long-term goal is to increase electricity production to 5,000 MW, which will meet domestic demand and allow Cameroon to export energy, especially to Chad.

The electricity sector in Cameroon faces significant problems, including low transmission and distribution efficiency, a lack of skilled workers, and inefficient payment collection systems. Parsec includes concrete actions to address these issues. These measures include reducing commercial electricity losses, improving payment collection, and introducing prepaid metering systems, particularly in public buildings. A public awareness campaign will also help educate citizens about the prepaid system and how it works.

The program focuses on workforce development by creating training opportunities to build skilled personnel throughout the electricity value chain, from production to distribution. These efforts aim to address technological, organizational, environmental, and financial challenges while improving governance.

The loan responds to a request submitted by the government of Cameroon to the AfDB in May 2023. It comes at a time when the sector is financially strained, with limited access to electricity and underperforming operators.

In February 2023, the government launched a Recovery Plan for the Electricity Sector to guide reforms and actions needed from 2023 to 2030. This plan, requiring CFA6,000 billion in investments, seeks to overcome obstacles in production, distribution, and governance to support the country’s energy ambitions.

Source: Business in Cameroon

4, December 2024

“Nyene Mawn queens are fully committed to France 2025 and the leadership of Dr. Patience Abangma” Tabe Maureen ⁰

The chairperson of the organizing committee for the Manyu Women International Association Nyene Mawn 2025 convention in Paris France, Lady Tabe Maureen has said that all Nyene Mawn members are fully committed to France 2025 and that Dr Mrs. Patience Abangma reigns supreme as the current president-general of the association.

Lady Maureen Tabe who also moonlights as a member of the national governing body of Nyene Mawn was among the hundreds of Manyu women who laid the foundation for the successful take off of Nyene Mawn in Belgium.

Speaking exclusively to Cameroon Concord News today in Paris after the venue for the August 2025 event was secured, Lady Maureen Tabe said that Nyene Mawn queens will be hosting their 2025 annual come together at 14 Rue de la Pointe, 93130 in the Noisy La Sec in Paris, France.

Asked what Nyene Mawn France would be bringing on the table based on the fact that Nyene Mawn has gained a massive following in Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin Republic and South Africa, Maureen Tabe said France 2025 will multiply and consolidate the 4 point plan announced by its leader Dr Mrs. Patience Abangma geared towards strengthening the association on the international stage.

According to her, Nyene Mawn will establish a worldwide electronic data base for all its members, adopt a constitution, and launch its new uniform including holding elections to usher in the new generation.

“Chief Patience Abangma has actually made things much easier by building the Nyene Mawn Worldwide Whatsapp Forum and marketing her 4 point plan to the entire Nyene Mawn chapters all over the world”.

Lady Tabe Maureen also said the Manyu Women International Association has a huge following in Nigeria, South Africa, France, Belgium and Germany.

“The new administration that will be elected in France will of course leverage on the creative potentials that comes with these huge numbers to bring progress to Nyene Mawn”.

Tabe Maureen furthered that “We in Nyene Mawn are very much aware of the vicious and malicious attacks on our leader Dr Mrs. Patience Abangma. But Nyene Mawn does not respond to social media gossips or social media negativity!! We have a great leader who is doing so well and she is highly respected all over the world, and if some Nyene Mawn detractors do not like her, it is their business”

Our job as members of Nyene Mawn France is to ensure that all Manyu citizens and friends of Manyu who come to Paris in August will leave much happier with what they will receive, and get that sense that their wives, sisters and the Manyu girl child have a place in Nyene Mawn, Tabe Maureen concluded.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from our Paris Bureau

2, December 2024

Ambazonia: Pan African Forum petitions ICC to probe alleged war crimes ⁰

The Pan African Forum Ltd, an African lobby group, has submitted a formal application to the International Criminal Court (ICC), seeking an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes linked to President Paul Biya.

The allegations are tied to the ongoing conflict in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon.

Filed on Friday, November 22, 2024, the 142-page petition is supported by extensive evidence of widespread atrocities.

The group urged the ICC prosecutor to examine alleged violations, including the targeting of civilians, forced displacements, and other abuses during the conflict between government forces and separatist movements.

The application follows years of escalating violence in Ambazonia, where English-speaking communities’ calls for independence have been met with harsh military crackdowns.

Several activists and human rights organisations have accused the government of committing grave human rights violations, including extrajudicial killings and destruction of property.

The Pan African Forum Ltd’s petition, it was learnt, is intended to amplify international scrutiny of the crisis and encourage accountability at the global level.

The ICC’s response to the application remains pending. But, critics argued that the situation in Cameroon requires urgent intervention to prevent further suffering.

The petition alleged that the conflict is spilling over to Nigeria with dire consequences for the countries.

The application on the heels of President Biya’s long tenure and management of the Anglophone crisis drawing international criticism.

The Pan African Forum Ltd is a forum for defence of Africa and African people on the continent. It was established on September 2012, in Kenya.

The organisation constitutes an informal network of African scholars and university student leaders both current and past.

It was formed as a lobby group to support the African Union objectives on international aspects and other initiatives, at national, sub regional, regional and international levels.

Culled from The Nation

2, December 2024

Yaoundé: New ambassadors present credentials to Biya ⁰

Eight newly accredited ambassadors presented their credentials to President Paul Biya at the Unity Palace in Yaoundé last Friday. The ambassadors represent Russia, Israel, Belgium, India, Switzerland, Côte d’Ivoire, Saudi Arabia, and Gabon. These countries maintain close ties with Cameroon, collaborating on various areas including infrastructure financing, trade, defense, security, health, and education.

Several months ago, these ambassadors had already submitted copies of their credentials to the Ministry of External Relations.

The new Gabonese ambassador has assumed his role, replacing Patrick Biffot. After concluding his tenure in Cameroon, Biffot was granted a farewell audience by President Biya on November 1. As the longest-serving diplomat in Yaoundé, Biffot had held the position of dean of the diplomatic corps.

Source: Business in Cameroon

1, December 2024

SOBA America icon Edwin-Daniel Ndoko dies sparking flood of tributes ⁰

A senior member of the SOBA America family Edwin -Daniel Ndoko is dead. The refined academic from Saint Joseph’s College Sasse was a strong personality of the 1979 Class.

In a statement, SOBA America said Edwin-Daniel Ndoko passed away on November 30th, 2024, in Dallas, TX.

He was a very influential figure who worked tirelessly for the growth and development of SOBA all over the world and pushed SOBA UK under President Akoh Arrey to establish a good relationship with the Cameroon Concord News Group.

Cameroon Concord Editor-in-Chief, Mr Soter Agbaw-Ebai, confirmed the death of the renowned SOBA in a telephone conversation with our London Bureau Chief.

Agbaw-Ebai said, “According to SOBA America, Mola Ndoko died in Dallas after a brief illness.

Tributes have been pouring out online after it was announced that Ndoko has died.

Here is the official release from SOBA America

Fellow SOBANS,

With profound sadness, I announce the passing of our beloved brother, SOBAN Edwin-Daniel Ndoko of the 1979 Class, on November 30th, 2024, in Dallas, TX.

SOBAN Ndoko, fondly known as Senator and Papa DE Papa, was a devoted member of SOBA Dallas and a President’s Club member. His infectious enthusiasm, warm smile, and remarkable photography skills made him a cherished presence at our conventions.

We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support from our SOBA America family during his illness. Your kindness, messages, and prayers brought comfort to SOBAN Ndoko and his loved ones during that challenging time. Thank you for being a source of strength and hope.

SOBAN Ndoko leaves behind his sweetheart, Princess Rabialu Limunga; children, Dylan and Lauren; mother; siblings; extended family; classmates; and friends. May we rally around them with love, prayers, and support during this difficult time.

As a SOBAN in good standing, SOBAN Ndoko will receive an official SOBA America Farewell Protocol at his funeral. We will communicate details shortly.

Let us join together to pray for the repose of his soul and for his family. May his legacy of love, kindness, and camaraderie continue to inspire us.

May his gentle soul rest in peace with the Lord.

SOBANLY,

Your Servant-in-Chief,

POSA

By Chi Prudence Asong in London

30, November 2024

419: Cameroonian, Thailand woman arrested in ‘CP’ export scam ⁰

A Cameroonian man and a Thai woman have been arrested for operating a company that deceived buyers into thinking it was affiliated with a major agribusiness company, resulting in more than 3.5 million baht in damages, police say.

Police from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) executed a warrant on Saturday to arrest Etienne Kukwa, 35, and a 36-year-old Kanchanaburi native, identified only as Wipaporn, on charges of defrauding the public and entering fraudulent information into a computer system.

Authorities were acting on reports filed by Thai and Malaysian import-export businesses, which claimed the duo had set up a company named CP Processing to mislead clients into believing it was connected to the well-known Thai conglomerate with a similar name. The real CP is authorised to export raw livestock to Malaysia.

The suspects managed to secure orders for raw chicken worth 3.58 million baht, but the orders were never delivered.

Complainants indicated that the duo’s actions not only caused financial losses but also harmed the reputation of the original company.

Ms Wipaporn was listed as the president of the fraudulent enterprise and was found to have made transfers to Mr Kukwa.

The woman was apprehended in Wang Thong Lang district of Bangkok, while the Cameroon national was apprehended in Bang Phongphang in Yan Nawa district.

Authorities seized 70,500 baht in cash, 14 bank passbooks, two passports, 11 communication devices and 17 credit cards. Bank accounts containing 2 million baht have also been frozen.

Both suspects have denied the charges, but police claim to have strong evidence and will pursue legal action.

Source: Bangkok Post