About 20,000 refugees who fled the Republic of Cameroon are presently seeking asylum in Taraba State following the crisis rocking the Nigeria North-Western and South-Western regions of the Central African country.

The Cameroonians have been camping in five local government areas of the state, including Kurmi, Gashaka, Sardauna, Takum and Ussa.

The refugees had appealed to the Taraba State and Federal Government to assist in alleviating their sufferings.

Although worried about the security crisis rocking the state, the Taraba Governor, Agbu Kefas, has assured the refugees of their safety and protection pending the return of peace in their country.

Represented by his Deputy in a recent meeting, the governor promised to do his best to foster peaceful coexistence between the two neighbours.

The meeting is expected to draw recommendations that will facilitate a seamless integration of humanitarian services to refugees and vulnerable community members in line with global best practices on refugees.

Source: Dailypost

According to eyewitnesses, Cameroon’s Rapid d’intervention Battalions (BIR) also recaptured Abana from the pro Biafra militants.

Members of a pro Biafra separatist group, Black Marine, from Abana town, former capital of Bakassi Peninsula, have been dislodged by Cameroonian troops.

This incident was said to have occurred on Sunday morning.

According to eyewitnesses, Cameroon’s Rapid d’intervention Battalions (BIR) also recaptured Abana from the pro Biafra militants.

It was gathered that authorities in Cameroon had deployed more troops to Isangele subdivision. The troops have reportedly surrounded the town, including the residential quarters of oil companies.

The rebel group was reported to have engaged the troops in a gunfire in Abana sometime ago.

One Henry Edet, identified as an operational coordinator of Biafra National League, BNL, was quoted to have urged the Black Marine to retreat in Abana. Black Marine is said to be an arm of BNL.

Few days ago, the BIR troops launched airstrikes at Ine Mba forest in Idabato subdivision of Bakassi Peninsula, targeting Black Marine militants.

It was learnt that the militant group clashed with troops of the Joint Border Forces of Nigeria and Cameroon in the Gulf of Guinea.

Eyewitnesses confirmed that about two helicopters dropped explosives in the area, destroying the militant camps. However, no life was lost in the clash, according to the eyewitnesses.

By Engelis Okesack Besong

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo is expected in Yaoundé for the celebrations of the 15th anniversary of the transfer of the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon by Nigeria.  The arrival is announced in a letter sent on July 31 by Felix Mbayu, Minister Delegate to the Minister of External Relations, to Paul Atanga Nji, Minister of Territorial Administration. “I am pleased to inform you that the eve of the celebration of the 15th anniversary of the transfer of the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon by Nigeria (…) will be marked by the presence of the former Nigerian Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo, as a guest of honor of the Head of State Paul Biya…,” wrote Felix Mbayu.

The letter provides no further details on this forthcoming event. The subject of the letter is an incident involving Nigerian fishermen. According to the letter, on July 25 the Mouanko subdivisional officer, Roland Ngah Koa, temporarily suspended the Nigerian community of Mbiako from all fishing activities on the grounds that they boycotted the preparations for the 51st National Day (May 20, 2023).

For Felix Mbayu, this decision is likely to disrupt the celebrations marking the 15th anniversary of the transfer. According to Mbayu, the decision “is bound to give rise to speculation as to the treatment reserved for the Nigerian community living in Cameroon.” He, therefore, asked the Minister of Territorial Administration to take steps to “preserve social cohesion and harmony in this administrative unit“.

The Nigerian army left the Bakassi peninsula in the South-West region on August 14, 2008. This followed a judicial marathon that culminated in October 2002 with the International Court of Justice’s decision to recognize Cameroon’s sovereignty over this oil-rich part of the territory. The shared management of Bakassi -home to many Nigerians- came to an end on August 14, 2013, and the Greentree agreements were implemented with Cameroon becoming the sole authority in that peninsula.  Olusegun Obasanjo, President of Nigeria from May 29, 1999, to May 29, 2007, greatly contributed to the peaceful resolution of this dispute.

Source: Stopblablacam

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees, (UNHCR) has began verification of 18,000 Cameroonian refugees in Calabar, Cross River capital.

The refugees who are camped in different locations in Cross River were asked to come with their fact sheets and other relevant documents to be verified as registered refugees.

According to UNHCR, the verification is to improve its data on the economic capacities within the population, identify persons with specific needs and extremely vulnerable persons, It also targets them for life-saving interventions, including food assistance, non-food items and livelihood support.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday in Calabar, Udama Stephen, a Psychiatric Nurse, working with Red Cross Society, noted that the refugees were in Calabar to renew their identity cards which were issued by UNHCR as a source of identification.

Stephen said that the data the organization had showed that about 18,000 refugees from Cameroon would partake in the exercise and as they brought their cards, they would be treated free of charge.

“What we do here is also basically primary healthcare, we deal with common sicknesses like malaria, typhoid, ulcer, cold, body pains and so on but if it is beyond primary level we refer them to a more complex health facility.

“Some of them are sick because they lack access to healthcare, some are physically challenged and majority of them don’t have jobs, so the duty of UNHCR is to take care of their basic needs which includes their health need.

“Others include their nutrition, financial support and empowerment for the less privilege, basically for Cameroonian refugees in Cross River,” he added.

Similarly, an official of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) who preferred to be anonymous, said the officers were present in the verification centre to provide security.

He also noted that they were also ensuring that people who partake in the exercise were truly Cameroonians.

On his part, one of the refugees, 35 year old Tamfu Theodoni, from North-West Cameroon narrated his ordeal and why he decided to flee to Nigeria.

“I was a University Campus Driver but had to flee to Nigeria after my cousin who was also a driver was shot in the head by Cameroonian soldiers.

“I fled to Nigeria to find succour, I pray for peace and unity between the francophone and anglophone Cameroonians,” he narrated.

By Engelis Okesack Besong

Nigeria and Cameroon have beefed up security in the Gulf of Guinea and maritime borders as the 14 days ultimatum by the Biafra Nations League (BnL) to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi kanu, expired on May 20.

Recall that BnL had, on May 6, through its National Leader, Princewill Richards, given the two countries 14 days to release Kanu and withdraw troops from South East, as well as the Bakassi Peninsula.

Sources said there is heavy military presence as Nigeria and Cameroon have deployed heavy gunboats to the maritime borders in Bakassi Peninsula.

They noted that military presence on the major road to Calabar from Ikang has increased, while soldiers engage in stop and search operations.

The Guardian, however, observed that people were going about their normal businesses, as everywhere was calm and peaceful except for security men who were on red alert for any uprising.

An army personnel, who does not want to be mentioned, at one of the check points, said they were on a normal military exercise to forestall any violence, but declined to comment on the BnL ultimatum.

Operational Commander of BnL, Henry Edet, reacting to the reinforcement of troops, said: “They will end up intimidating indigenes, but they can’t stop anything that wants to happen.”

He noted that the BnL Chief of Staff in Ikang was alarmed that he received a call from Department of State Services (DSS) about the ultimatum, warning him against any violent action.

As part of efforts to check any violent situation, it was gathered that Richards was arrested and allegedly brutalised by police operatives in Ikot Ekpene, in Akwa Ibom State, as he was returning home after addressing the press in Calabar.

It was learnt they accused him of sending his boys to kill police operatives in Orlu, Imo State, and Essien Udim, in Akwa Ibom, as well as sending militants to vandalise pipelines in riverine areas, which he, reportedly, denied.

He has since been released on bail.

Source: The Guardian Nigeria

At least 3,000 people have been displaced in fresh fighting along the Nigerian-Cameroonian border, according to forces battling Boko Haram militants.

Refugees at Minawao, a camp on Cameroon’s northern border with Nigeria, say the number of people seeking humanitarian assistance in the camp increases by the day.

Isaac Luka, president of Nigerian refugees at Minawao, said the current influx caused by hunger and gun battles is making living conditions that were already bad in the camp even worse.

“There are Nigerians coming from the host community around the border,” he told VOA via a messaging app from Minawao on Wednesday. “They were given portions of land to start cultivating food, but this year the season was not good for the harvest and recurrent attacking at the border pushed them to the camp. They have their relations in the camp. They share the little they have. Some go selling firewood to earn something for their children.”

Luka fled Nigeria’s Borno state in June 2014 after Boko Haram terrorists killed more than 20 people in his village, including his family.

He said host communities around the camp are also overwhelmed by the number of civilians escaping hunger and battles between Cameroon government troops and Boko Haram fighters along the northern border with Chad and Nigeria.

Toudje Voumou, the highest government official in Mayo-Moskota district, said the Multinational Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, or MNJTF, has increased its presence on the border. The force has troops from Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad.

Voumou said for about two weeks there have been intense battles between Cameroon government troops and Boko Haram militants on both sides of the Cameroon-Nigeria border. Voumou added that several military posts have been erected to face Boko Haram militants hiding and harassing civilians in villages on both sides of the border.

MNJTF announced in February that the month of March will be dedicated to wiping out remaining Boko Haram fighters in the border area.

The force said several attacks have been launched on Boko Haram strongholds, but did not specify how many jihadists have been killed or wounded.

The Cameroon government said civilians should assist troops fighting the jihadists by reporting strangers in their villages. The government also said it has remobilized militias to assist with the ongoing battles against Boko Haram by reporting strangers and armed men hiding in the bush to government troops.

Olivier Guillaume Beer, the UNHCR representative in Cameroon, spoke to Cameroon state broadcaster CRTV this week, saying humanitarian conditions for displaced persons is concerning.

“We have 2,500 people in the transit center, which has a capacity of 300. These people are supposed to be registered and then go to the Minawao refugee camp, which is already very saturated. Sixty-seven thousand people in the camp,” Beer said. “So, these are our challenges. We need more resources to be able to register and document them, to provide health care, increase the number of classrooms, and alleviate the suffering of this population.”

During an April 2022 visit to Cameroon, the U.N.’s refugee chief, Filippo Grandi, vowed to give more support to displaced persons and refugees fleeing violence and natural disasters. However, the U.N. said it received only 23% of the $100 million it needed to take care of the growing needs of refugees in the central African state.

Boko Haram attacks broke out in Nigeria in 2009 before spreading to neighboring countries, including Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

More than 36,000 people have been killed, mainly in Nigeria, and 3 million have fled their homes, according to the United Nations.

Source: VOA