The Cameroonian government has secured new financial support as part of the reconstruction of the war-torn Anglophone regions of the Northwest and Southwest. Yesterday, the Minister of Economy, Alamine Ousmane Mey, signed a loan agreement of €32.250 million (about CFA21.1555 billion) with Muhmmad Al Jasser, Head of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

This financing, the Cameroonian official said, “will support the government’s efforts to rebuild and rehabilitate essential infrastructure, strengthen social cohesion and revitalize the local economy in the targeted regions”. It is another helping hand in this reconstruction process, for which fund mobilization remains a headache.

Out of a requested CFA154 billion (about $258 million), Cameroon only raised CFA11.5 billion by mid-2022, representing a mobilization rate of 7.4%, official data showed. In detail, Paul Tasong, who coordinates the project, explained that 75% of this amount came from the State itself; the private sector contributed CFA1.2 billion; the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) CFA400 million; and Japan CFA1.5 billion. Last March, Japan approved an additional CFA1.3 billion, bringing its total contribution so far to CFA2.8 billion.

Source: Business in Cameroon

The Vice President of the Ambazonia Interim Government says October 1, 2023 will begin a new path of the struggle for liberation of the entire Southern Cameroons territories from the clutches of the vicious French Cameroun regime.

Speaking exclusively to Cameroon Intelligence Report on Tuesday about the situation of the Southern Cameroons resistance, Dabney Yerima stated that October 1 this year will be a new beginning for the Ambazonia revolution and actions will be staged by Amba fighters that will hasten the liberation of the entire British Southern Cameroons.

Yerima said that all Southern Cameroons restoration groups will be at the forefront of such a campaign, emphasizing that the actions will go beyond the Moungo.

Dabney Yerima highlighted that Southern Cameroons resistance groups are moving towards the formation of a central command system in Ground Zero that will end the French Cameroun occupation.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Yerima also condemned the recent killing of a Southern Cameroons journalist in Bemanda and he underscored the need for Amba fighters to protect the people of Southern Cameroons.

Dabney Yerima stated that the Ambazonia Interim Government under the stewardship of President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe has gloriously and proudly emerged triumphant over problems in the past years, describing the extent of internal crises that the Biya French Cameroun regime is currently facing in Yaoundé as unprecedented since the 1984 coup.

He went on to note that Southern Cameroonians in Ground Zero are at the forefront of defending the homeland, emphasizing that special emphasis must be laid on providing generous support to Amba fighters.

By Chi Prudence Asong

Hundreds of biometric visas have already been issued by different diplomatic services of Cameroon since the online application system went live on May 1.

The country’s embassy in Belgium said it issued more than one hundred visas within two days after the system rolled out, according to information from the Foreign Ministry in Yaoundé.

Ahead of the launch, Foreign Minister Mbella Mbella, in a briefing on April 25, explained the purpose and functionalities of the biometric visa system, saying it is the first step in a series of government efforts aimed at improving the country’s diplomatic machinery by aligning it with cutting-edge international best practices in the domain of visa issuance.

“Cameroon is writing a new page in its history. If things go on as planned, from May 1, applicants will be able to get their entry visa into Cameroon within a period of 72 hours upon submission of the online application,” said Mbella Mbella at the briefing.

He also explained the category of visas available for long and short visits and their fees, which have seen an increase from the previous visa regime, in line with the prescriptions of the 2023 state budget.

Short-stay visas have a validity of six months while long-stay ones are valid for 12 months, costing between 100,000 Central African francs (US$167) and XAF 200,000 ($334) depending on the type (either ordinary or express). Express visas are issued within 24 hours.

The government official also explained that the new system has been designed in a flexible way to deliver secure visa stickers. The process is fast, efficient and cuts wait time and other procedural bottlenecks, he added.

In a previous government communication, Mbella Mbella had explained how the system works and the various stages involved in the application process.

Impact Palmarès R&D SAS is the Cote d’Ivoire-based company running the system under a ten-year contract on a Public-Private Partnership basis. It is reported that per the contract terms, the company earns 30 percent of the fee paid for each visa issued.

Since the system went live, the Foreign Ministry has been running an awareness campaign on its official social media pages on how the system works. It publishes short messages explaining the online application process to applicants, and calling on them to guard against cybercriminals who may try to create a prototype system.

Source: Biometric update

At least 15 people have been killed and 19 others injured in a bus accident in Cameroon, local police said.

The tragedy occurred Tuesday afternoon in a village along the highway linking the East and Adamawa regions.

Police said the driver of the bus, which was heading to Adamawa regional chief town of Ngaoundere, lost control, and the vehicle crashed and then exploded because it was also transporting fuel.

Cameroon Radio Television, the state television, reported that a three-year-old child was among the dead. Local media reported that seven women were also killed.

The injured were rushed to hospital and “are under intensive medical care,” the police said.

The Cameroonian Ministry of Transport estimates that 1,500 people die in road accidents each year in the central African nation.

Source: Xinhuanet

A fresh crisis is brewing over the process of getting a new Fon of Baba I situated in Ngoketunjia Division in the North West region, as all ten kingmakers have rejected one Fue Nghaper as the candidate for the stool.

The ten notables in the Ngumba who constitute the Mohs have separately petitioned the North West administrative authorities, warning against the recognition of a primary school pupil who they described as not ready for the throne.

Ever since the late Fon Fuekemshi II travelled to the land of his ancestors, members of the Ngumba have met and performed the noble rituals but Cameroon Intelligence Report North West Bureau Chief observed that no discussion was opened on succession.

A source with strong ties to the Baba I palace contacted by this reporter revealed that the Fon of Guzang with the support of some Baba I political elites in the ruling CPDM crime syndicate were part of the dubious process that brought the young Fue Nghaper II to the limelight as the new Fon of Baba I.

The Baba I kingmakers are expected to make public a statement soonest calling on the administration to be wary of recognizing Fue Nghaper II as the new Fon.

Some concerned Baba I elites have also voiced their support for the Ngumba saying that Fue Nghaper is unqualified and they have appealed to the kingmakers to stop the desecration of the customs and tradition of the Baba I people.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from CIR Bamenda Bureau

At least 123 civilians have been killed since the beginning of the year during the conflict in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon.

Communities are demanding self-rule from the Central African country. They cite marginalisation by the government of President Paul Biya, with a majority of officials from the majority French-speaking zones.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) disclosed the death toll, which could be higher since the figures are for the period covering January to March.

The crisis is escalating in the North-West and South-West regions.

UNICEF reported that during the period, no less than 187 people had been injured in the clashes perpetrated by the Ambazonian militants, who are running battles against the military and civilians.

Some 539 people were arrested during military searches or operations in both regions.

In the North-West and South-West, at least ten lockdown days were imposed and observed during official events organized by the Cameroonian government.

Most localities in these regions continue to comply with the ongoing, so-called Monday ghost town days.

However, humanitarian organizations report that during this reporting period, 11 civilians were killed for not observing the curfews.

In the northwestern division of Momo, humanitarian activities, including food movements, were suspended due to roadblocks mounted by non-state armed groups.

Elsewhere, suspected members of Boko Haram from neighbouring Nigeria are terrorising communities.

An estimated 1 652 people have been newly displaced due to this ongoing insecurity in the Far North. There, unidentified gunmen abducted 82 civilians in February.

Torrential rains have exacerbated matters in the South-West region.

Rains that struck the city of Buea in March caused mudslides that affected an estimated 900 people.

At least two fatalities, four injuries and one person missing were documented.

Water supply infrastructure and latrines serving over 3 000 people were damaged.

Without immediate funding of US$940 000) required by UNICEF, there will be a shortage of ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF), leaving over 20 000 children aged 0-59 months without treatment and an increased risk of death.

The secessionist crisis in the country of 28 million started in 2017, leaving hundreds dead. Critics also accuse Biya of rigging elections.

Aged 90 and in power since 1975 as Prime Minister and in 1982 as president, he is the longest consecutively serving current non-royal national leader and the oldest head of state in the world.

Source:  CAJ News

The Ambazonia Interim Government has strongly denounced the killing of another English speaking journalist in Bamenda, saying such targeted killings will never help the Biya French Cameroun regime advance its fiendish plots.

Vice President Dabney Yerima in a statement released Monday, announced that the heinous crime of assassinating journalist Anye Nde Nsoh, in Bamenda, the chief city in the Northern Zone of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia bears the hallmarks of the Atanga Nji Boys supported by the regime in Yaoundé.

“The targeted killings of young and aspiring Southern Cameroons journalists and Amba fighters will in no way help La Republique du Cameroun materialize the plots which it has heavily counted on. On the contrary, such moves will strengthen the Ambazonia resistance,” the Dabney Yerima statement said.

“The killing of journalist Anye Nde Nsoh comes at a time when the French Cameroun enemy is dealing with several strikes that Ambazonia forces are carrying out deep inside French Cameroun territory,” the Ambazonia Interim Government stated.

Cameroon Concord News understands Anye Nde Nsoh was the North West Bureau Chief of The Advocate Newspaper and member of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists killed in a cowardly assassination with bullets bearing the fingerprints of the regime in Yaoundé.

The assassination was carried out by direct shooting at Don Simon a popular Snack Bar around Che Street in Ntarinkon, Bamenda.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

A journalist has been shot dead in Bamenda the chief city in the North West region.

It’s the third killing of a journalist in Cameroon this year. The other two journalists killed in recent months died in the nation’s capital, Yaoundé.

Anye Nde Nsoh was the North West Bureau Chief of The Advocate Newspaper and member of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists.

The city of Bamenda is one of the areas worst-affected by several years of conflict involving the Francophone dominated Cameroon government military and Ambazonia Restoration Forces.

Cameroon Concord News gathered that the young Mankon citizen was caught by a stray bullet at Don Simon a popular Snack Bar around Che Street in Ntarinkon, Bamenda.

By Fon Lawrence in Bamenda

Two people have been killed in Boko Haram raids in Cameroon’s Far North region, local media and security sources said Friday.

Heavily armed militants of the terrorist group Boko Haram raided Zize village in the Kolofata subdivision of the region Thursday night but were repulsed by the Cameroon army, according to a military official in the region.

A civilian, who was part of a group that was tracking down the terrorists to recover their stolen property, died in the attack.

“Our valiant soldiers killed one of the militants and seized his weapon. Others escaped with bullet wounds,” the official who asked not to be named said.

In another attack early Friday, militants raided Yegoua and Gance localities of the region, killing a middle-aged man and stealing property including foodstuff, livestock, clothes, and household utensils, according to local media.

Close to 1,000 civilians have been displaced from their homes in the last three weeks in the region due to frequent attacks by the terrorist group, according to local authorities.

Source: Xinhaunet

The Cameroonian government, through its National Strategy for Inclusive Finance (SNFI), announced the disbursement of CFA10.5 billion to boost agricultural financing in the country over the next five years.

“Since farmers’ needs are specific and particular, they require tailored financial services instead of conventional banking services,” the SNFI explained. Part of the money will come from the Public Investment Budget (BIP) and the remainder will be raised from development partners, we learned. The government plans to rely on its existing partnerships with the Agency for the SME Promotion Agency (APME) to reach the target. The plan also includes training and support sessions for stakeholders on agriculture financing and the establishment of permanent consultation frameworks between financial institutions and producer organizations.

CFA6 billion worth of credit lines will also be opened with selected banking institutions and intended for actors in the agricultural and agri-food sector. This incentive approach will help build the capacities of financial institutions on financing approaches for agricultural value chains. The implementation timeline and modalities of this strategy have not yet been defined, but the main goal is to increase local production and processing to significantly reduce the country’s dependence on imports.

In March of this year, Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute signed a decree to establish and operate a fund financed jointly by the State and the AfDB to facilitate the supply of credit for the development of agricultural value chains, livestock, and fish farming.

As a reminder, Cameroon previously attempted to create the National Agriculture Financial Rural Corporation (CAFRUC), which was supposed to be a financial institution dedicated to financing the agro pastoral sector, but the project was eventually halted.

Source: Business in Cameroon