News

Unity Palace: Why accusations against Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh are causing a scandal

1, August 2026

Unity Palace: Why accusations against Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh are causing a scandal 0

A deserter facing an arrest warrant for fraud, the former head of Paul Biya’s military intelligence bureau has broken his silence from Europe. His accusations against the secretary-general of the presidency Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh are rocking Yaoundé.

Accusations from exile

The former intelligence chief, who is currently characterized as a deserter and is facing an arrest warrant for fraud, has used his position in Europe to target one of the most powerful figures in the Cameroonian government.

His claims against Ngoh Ngoh have triggered a political scandal in Yaoundé, as they come from an individual who once held a high-level security role within the presidency’s inner circle.

Context of the dispute

The situation is complicated by the legal status of the accuser. Having left the country, he now faces official warrants related to fraud allegations, while simultaneously attempting to challenge the reputation of the Secretary-General.

The intensity of the reaction in the capital suggests that the claims have hit a sensitive nerve within the administration of President Paul Biya.

Implications for the presidency

The scandal highlights internal frictions within Cameroon’s top security and administrative apparatus. Because the accusations originate from a former military intelligence lead, they carry a weight that typically causes significant disruption within the halls of power in Yaoundé.

As the situation develops, the presidency has yet to provide a formal response to the specific claims made from Europe.

Source: Businessselitesafrica

Biya may have suffered a stroke

31, July 2026

Biya may have suffered a stroke 0

Speculation is swirling that President Paul Biya has suffered a massive stroke and is gravely ill in a private clinic in Geneva, Switzerland. A Belgian brain surgeon recruited by the Biya family is believed to have flown to Geneva to treat the 93-year-old dictator; a well-placed source has hinted Cameroon Intelligence Report.

Africa’s most unpredictable nation is thought to be heading for a succession crisis involving the three pillars of state – the Biya family, the army and the ruling CPDM Party… after a record 53-day absence by the world’s oldest head of state in his native Cameroon.   

There is no sign of Biya, 93, anywhere in Yaoundé and the country’s state media CRTV is silent about his absence.

“There is reason to believe President Paul Biya has suffered a serious health setback, possibly a stroke,” a Cameroonian intelligence official told Cameroon Intelligence Report, speaking on condition of anonymity.  

Another official hinted our Yaoundé City correspondent that reports of Biya’s possible health problems are based in part on intelligence gathered by several people in the know and that rumours had been circulating for months about the state of Biya’s health and his control over the Cameroon government.  

“What we do know is that he has been out of the country for 53 days now,” a CEMAC intelligence official said, speaking on condition of anonymity about the Biya administration’s internal assessment. “53 days is quite unusual and reinforces a lot of what the international community is hearing.”

While Cameroon military officials have been speaking and suing for anonymity, the CPDM government has said little publicly.

Biya’s last public appearance was in May, and rumours about his health began circulating soon after.

A top army brass, General Tchemo who recently questioned the president’s prolonged absence from the country and was sent on retirement has even stated that Biya may have died and that his acolytes may be planning to use body doubles at public events.

Biya, known to Cameroonians as “Mis-Leader in Chief,” took over the reins of Cameroon’s highly centralized Francophone dominated government when the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo resigned.

Biya has so many children from different mothers, but has not publicly named any of them as his successor.

His rumoured health issues come as Cameroon is facing the worst socio-economic crisis it’s seen since the 1990s.

The army and the national gendarmerie are holding secret talks about their shared fear of instability.

By Rita Akana

53 days and counting: where is Paul Biya?

31, July 2026

53 days and counting: where is Paul Biya? 0

A record 53-day absence by the world’s oldest head of state has renewed speculation in his native Cameroon about whether he is dead or alive, even though discussing his health is illegal in the country.

On 7 June, 93-year-old Paul Biya left for Switzerland for what officials described as a “brief private stay” alongside his wife, Chantal. Almost two months later, neither the president nor the first lady have addressed the country or been seen publicly.

Biya, who took office in 1982 after a seven-year stint as prime minister, has taken increasingly long absences from Cameroon in recent years, spending much of his time at the five-star InterContinental hotel in Geneva.

No official timetable has been announced for the president’s return from his latest trip abroad, leaving Cameroonians to rely on a succession of conflicting statements from government officials.

The minister of communication, René Emmanuel Sadi, said Biya was in good health and “working from Geneva, where he currently resides”.

“Reports claiming otherwise are pure fantasy and malicious manipulation aimed at destabilising opinion,” he added. Jacques Fame Ndongo, a senior official from the ruling party and the higher education minister, said Biya had been “meticulously following the files submitted to him by his aides … wherever he is”.

The labour minister, Grégoire Owona, gave a different explanation, saying the president was on annual leave and comparing him to regular Cameroonian citizens. “Paul Biya, elected by the Cameroonian people and paid by them, is a worker who has the right to annual leave,” he said. “His employer is obliged to grant it. He informed his employer before leaving and will do the same upon his return.”

Cameroonian authorities banned discussion of Biya’s health in October 2024, during another absence. Nevertheless, local media have published claims in recent weeks that he is critically ill, and jokes about Biya being a work-from-abroad president or a remote-work president have resurfaced on social media.

Mamadou Mota, the vice-president of the opposition Cameroon Renaissance Movement party, said Biya’s latest absence had created a “glaring institutional vacuum”. “A country cannot be governed by remote control while critical socioeconomic challenges go unaddressed,” he said.

Last November, Biya was sworn in for his eighth consecutive seven-year term, a month after a presidential election marred by widespread allegations of irregularities and voter suppression. Although the Constitutional Council dismissed post-electoral complaints by opposition parties, many of them refused to recognise the outcome, arguing that the election had further eroded public confidence in Cameroon’s democratic institutions.

Biya has yet to name a government since being sworn in for his latest term. With parliamentary and municipal elections expected in early 2027, many are worried that the ripple effect of that and his prolonged absence could disrupt the electoral cycle.

Cameroon has the largest economy in central Africa, but unemployment rates, high inflation and poor public infrastructure are stymieing the prospects of its young people, who make up about two-thirds of its estimated population of 30.6 million.

“Politics should be about serving the people, but the [ruling] CPDM [party] appears more interested in holding on to power than addressing the concerns of Cameroonians,” said Kohtem Sambit, the secretary general of the opposition Movement for Patriotism and People’s Prosperity.

“The minister of the economy borrowed more than 21bn [Central African francs] in the name of the Cameroonian people, saying it was approved by Mr Biya,” Sambit told the Guardian. “How do we justify this? You do not see the person who signed, nor do you know his whereabouts. That debt will be paid by the public.”

Referring to Owona’s remarks, Sambit said: “If the president is on annual leave, he is still accountable to the Cameroonian people because he is paid with taxpayers’ money. His whereabouts should therefore be disclosed.”

Another opposition party, the Social Democratic Front, has argued that the issue is not whether the president has a constitutional right to travel, but rather the government’s failure to explain the extension of what had initially been described as a brief private visit. Another opposition leader, Patricia Tomaïno Ndam Njoya, of the Cameroon Democratic Union, has called for an impartial procedure to determine any “temporary or permanent incapacity of the head of state”.

In April, parliament reintroduced the office of vice-president as part of a constitutional overhaul, but the position has yet to be filled, leaving Cameroon without a designated deputy should the president become incapacitated. As Biya’s son and stepson reportedly jockey for position, public disagreements between cabinet ministers have become commonplace.

Last week, the party’s secretary general, Jean Nkuete, convened a rare meeting of senior party officials. The CPDM described the gathering only as an “important working session” and did not release an agenda or further details. Attempts to obtain comment from senior party figures were unsuccessful. Several party officials have declined interview requests, citing personal reasons.

For the businessman Nji Lucas, the president’s prolonged absence has become an economic concern. “I do not have confidence because it is almost as if the country is on autopilot,” he said. “No serious investor wants to commit resources in a country where there is uncertainty over political leadership. There is no trust, and investors require certainty before making long-term decisions.”

Culled from The Guardian

Iran warns Bulgaria against hosting US warplanes, secures assurances from Cyprus

30, July 2026

Iran warns Bulgaria against hosting US warplanes, secures assurances from Cyprus 0

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has issued a diplomatic warning to Bulgaria over reports that the country is preparing to host US military aircraft, while simultaneously securing assurances from Cyprus that foreign bases on its territory will not be used for hostile actions against the Islamic Republic.

In a telephone conversation with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ventsislava Petrova on Thursday, Araghchi firmly condemned Sofia’s reported agreement to allow the United States to station military aircraft at the Bezmer air base.

Tehran views the move as a direct contribution to US military posturing and tension-building in West Asia.

“Allowing the territory of one state to be used by another state for the purpose of committing an act of aggression against a third state constitutes an act of aggression itself,” Araghchi stated, citing Article 3 of UN General Assembly Resolution 3314, which defines acts of aggression under international law.

The Iranian foreign minister emphasized that such a decision is unacceptable and contradicts the traditional friendly relations between the two nations, urging the Bulgarian government to urgently reconsider its stance.

He reiterated that the Islamic Republic will not hesitate to defend its national security and interests, warning that “any party that participates in any way in a military attack against Iran must bear responsibility for its consequences.”

In response, the Bulgarian foreign ninister recalled the historically good relations between the two countries, asserting that Bulgaria has no intention of participating in any war and reaffirming its commitment to diplomacy and regional de-escalation.

Securing neutrality in Cyprus

In a separate diplomatic push, Minister Araghchi spoke with Cypriot Foreign Minister Konstantinos Kombos, stressing the critical importance of preventing hostile forces from misusing foreign military bases stationed in Cyprus to target Iran.

The Cypriot foreign minister affirmed his country’s commitment to the principles of international law and the peaceful resolution of disputes.

Kombos announced that Cyprus has been in direct contact with the UK government and has received explicit assurances that the foreign military bases on the island will not be used against any country, including the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The diplomatic warnings come amid reports that the Bulgarian government is seeking parliamentary approval to station up to eight US aerial refueling tanker aircraft at the Bezmer military facility, located southeast of Sofia.

US opposition to war on Iran grows as Trump’s ratings fall

30, July 2026

US opposition to war on Iran grows as Trump’s ratings fall 0

Public opposition to the US aggression against Iran is growing across the United States, with a new poll showing rising dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump’s handling of the war.

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey, conducted between July 23 and July 27, found that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe the war against Iran has not been worth fighting.

Only about two in 10 Americans support continuing the war against Iran. By comparison, about three in 10 favor pausing the aggression to pursue negotiations, while another two in 10 want the war to end altogether.

Even among Trump’s supporters, backing for the war was limited. The survey found that only about half favored continuing the war, while roughly three in 10 supported either a ceasefire or an immediate halt to US military aggression.

The poll also showed Trump’s approval rating for his handling of the Iran war falling to 28 percent down from 34 percent last month, while his overall job approval stood at 33 percent.

The backlash has extended to Trump’s political base, with Republican approval of his handling of the war dropping from 71 percent in June to 61 percent, signaling growing discontent over the military campaign.

Economic concerns also emerged as a major source of public dissatisfaction, with about 72 percent of respondents saying preventing further increases in domestic oil and gasoline prices is an extremely or very important priority.

About four in 10 Americans said gasoline prices have become a major source of financial stress in their daily lives, up from about three in 10 when the war began earlier this year.

The survey also found broad public support for diplomacy, with about 7 in 10 Americans saying securing a permanent ceasefire with Iran is an extremely or very important priority.

The latest round of aggression against Iran began on February 28, when US and Israeli forces launched large-scale strikes on Iranian territory.

Iran responded with daily waves of missile and drone attacks targeting US and Israeli assets across the region, while also restricting traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran and the United States later signed the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on June 17 in an effort to end the war across all fronts.

However, renewed US military aggression in recent weeks has prompted Tehran to resume missile and drone strikes against US assets in the region.

Mola Lysinge: a perfect example of how to be true

29, July 2026

Mola Lysinge: a perfect example of how to be true 0

Pastores dabo vobis, iuxtacor meum, the Lord says to the Prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 3:15) – I will give you shepherds after my own heart! Bishops are primarily, pastors, successors of the apostles. That is how the Catholic tradition understands them. And this process of self-understanding, of ecclesial maturation, has unfolded in the Church’s long history. At the First Vatican Council (1869-1870), in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Pastor Aeternus, the Council taught the infallibility of the Bishop of Rome. It taught that the Bishop of Rome as Supreme Pontiff, when he teaches ex cathedra, that is, from the chair, meaning in his capacity as Pope, Successor to the Apostle Peter, what he teaches, pertaining to faith and morals, is solemnly binding on the universal church and Catholics are expected to give an assent of mind and heart to such a proclamation. The outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) interrupted the Council and prematurely ended it. That left Catholicism with an unbridled monarchical papacy, in which the Bishop of Rome was left hanging alone, as it where, above the Church.

With the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the Bishops gathered in Council, as Successors of the Apostles, sought to do an ecclesial balancing act of the unfinished business of the First Vatican Council. In the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, and in the Decree Concerning the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church, Christus Dominus, the Bishops taught that as Successors of the Apostles, Bishops were not mere emissaries or ambassadors of the Pope. Pertaining to their local churches, they are proper pastors who, certainly, together with the Pope, sub et cum Petro, constitute an apostolic college charged with the governance of the universal Church. In this way, Vatican II enfleshed the monarchical character of governance of the Petrine ministry, with a collegial character of the Episcopate.

This is the body, the Episcopate, into which on April 21, 1999, Francis Teke Lysinge was called into, by the Grace of God and the Apostolic See. Born in Bokwango on December 28, 1938, to Albert Lysinge and Juliana JofiMbua, Francis Teke Lysinge is the second son in a family of four boys and three girls. His father was from Bokwango Village while his mother was from Buea Town. His father was a teacher in the Native Authority (NA) School of Muea and so eventually moved from Bokwango to Muea. His parents were Protestants, and so originally Bishop Lysinge was baptized in the Basel Mission Church Bimbia-Victoria where he started his Primary School in 1945 as Godwill Teke Lysinge (Agbaw-Ebai, 2013: Bishop Francis T. Lysinge, A Retrospective Legacy).

As a young man, Godwill Teke Lysinge, as he was then known, had gone to Sasse College, the Premier Secondary School in the then West Cameroon, to pursue the dreams of a brighter future, the aspiration of every young person. He studied in Sasse from 1953-1958. Bishop Lysinge did not go to Sasse to become a priest! It was in 1955, while in Sasse, that the young Lysinge felt that the Lord, whom he had always loved and knew, might have other plans for him. Living with Bishop Lysinge as his private secretary, he repeatedly told me that priesthood was never in his mind when he entered Sasse. He will later on say YES to the Lord, proceeding to Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu, Nigeria, for Major Seminary Studies in Philosophy and Theology. On April 17th, 1966, together with his lifelong friend, Christian Cardinal Tumi, and others, Godwill Teke Lysinge who, upon “converting” to Catholicism had taken the name Francis after St. Francis Xavier, said ad sum to the Lord’s call, and was ordained a priest of God, secundum ordine Melchizedek. His service as Spiritual Director in St. Thomas Aquinas’ Major Seminary is legendary.

Geographic Reference

Now is not the time to offer an assessment of the rich episcopacy of Francis Teke Lysinge. I will offer two indications that are pointers to what I consider to be the most enduring legacy of our beloved Bishop  Lysinge. And all are derived from the choices he made from the Word of God, first, at his ordination as priest, and second, at his episcopal appointment.

At his ordination as a priest, the young Fr. Francis Lysinge chose as his ordination motto, the self-effacing words of St. Paul: I am what I am, by the grace of God (1 Corinthians 15:10). To Aquinas, no being can act beyond the limits of its specific nature since the cause must always be of a higher potency than its effect. The gift of grace therefore surpasses every capacity of created nature, since it is nothing other than a certain participation in the divine nature, which surpasses every other nature. For just as it is impossible for anything to make fiery but fire alone, so it is necessary that God alone should make Godlike, by communicating a share in his divine nature by participation and assimilation – Summa Theologica, I, II, Q. 112, 1.Anyone who has ever encountered Bishop Lysinge knows that it is never about Francis Lysinge. Meeting Bishop Lysinge, it is always about God. His instinctual temperament could best be described with the words of John the Baptist vis-à-vis Our Lord: He must increase, I must decrease (Jn. 3:30).As a teacher and spiritual director, Bishop Lysinge often repeated the classical maxim on grace: grace before, grace during, grace after, all is grace.

And this is what grace essentially does to nature, it brings nature to its fullest potential, which is, the Christification of nature. Human freedom is not God leaving me alone to get on with things. True freedom means my actions are caused by God without me ceasing to be free – gratia operans and gratis cooperans – as Aquinas teaches, Summa Theologica, I, II, q. 111, 2. Grace is the result of God’s action in me that draws me to God’s self. Grace is not just some help to my acting on my own. Hence, only God is the cause of grace, for only what is divine can impart divine life.As Karl Rahner explains, in receiving God, the human being does not cease to be human. Rather, God’s ontological, total, self-communication actualizes humanity’s deepest potential. We are spirit-in-the-world in that we are radically conditioned by matter and history, on the one hand, and radically opened to the absolute holy Mystery, on the other hand. That explains why Rahner describes the human being as  das übernatürlicheExistenzial, the supernatural existential. We are supernatural existential because we are intrinsically oriented to intimacy with the Absolute Mystery, God. Supernatural existential is the longing for God’s presence, longing to be with God, a longing that exists in us because God freely planted it there. (Foundationsof Christian Faith). In effect, the more we become like God through the gift of Grace, the more human we become. Our humanization takes place in direct, not inverse, proportion to our divinization. And this is the beauty of the witness of Bishop Lysinge that has attracted so many: with the grace of God, he has consistently chosen to live for God, and by so doing, live for all persons placed on his path by God. For to live for God is to live for our brothers and sisters.

If the date of one’s birth can have a significance for one’s life, then the birth of Francis Teke Lysinge on December 28, 1938, could very well be read as prophetically symbolic. December 28 is still within the Octave of Christmas, which is a time when the Church recalls in her liturgical and spiritual life, that at the fullness of time, God sent his Son into the world (Gal. 4:4). At the heart of Christmas is the basic, essential truth: God has entered the world. God is close to us. God is near us. We are not alone. I am not alone. God is hidden in the world, to reference Rahner once more. I am what I am, by the grace of God! Isn’t this essentially what the Christmas message causes to happen? Because God has entered history, I am! I am! I have being. I am someone. I am being, to cite Heidegger. I am not nothingness. I have a name. God knows my name. Even if the powerful of the world do not know me, do not acknowledge me, do not recognize me, I am, by God’s grace. In this priestly ordination motto of the young Lysinge, one encounters a deeper theological metaphysics. It is an affirmation that my life is grounded on the firmer ground of the Lord: “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:25).

Fiat VoluntasTua – Thy Will be Done!On April 21,1999, Francis Teke Lysinge who all along had always seen himself as a being, thanks to grace of God, -I am what I am by the grace of God,-  entered into a new consciousness of what it means to live by the grace of God. For his episcopal motto, he chose, Fiat VoluntasTua(Matthew 6:10). This is taken from the prayer of Jesus to the Father. The Our Father mirrors the relationship of intimacy between the Father and the Son. With this choice, Francis Teke Lysinge, in his unassuming way, manifested the core of his rich spiritual life: God is the center. My responsibility is to follow God. But what does it mean to follow God? Essentially, and Bishop Lysinge’s life is a testimony to this, it is not a calculatedness in which I fashion God into my own image and likeness. To follow God is to place my life in the hands of God, knowing that it will ultimately end well, for even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for your shepherd rod and staff protects me (Ps. 23:4). Bishop Lysinge often repeated to me, “God will vindicate the innocent man.” And again, “every priest has his own unique calling. If priests were to realize that each one has his own unique calling, there won’t be wrangling amongst priests.” As if to drive home his point, he surprised me with a gift, a book by Jesuit, Herbert Alphonso, The Personal Vocation. He repeatedly stressed to me, Maurice, discover your personal calling, find out why the Lord called you to the priesthood. In many ways, these words of Bishop Lysinge have never left me. As I mature in the priesthood, it is increasingly becoming clear to me that every priest has three vocations: the vocation of a being a Christian; the vocation of the priesthood; and the specific vocation that God assigns to that priest within the priestly vocation. How I love these words of John Henry Cardinal Newman: God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I have a part in a great work. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught (…) Therefore I will trust Him. Whatever, where ever I am, I can never be thrown away. I firmly believe that once a priest finds out the specific mission the Lord has assigned to him in the priesthood, he becomes truly happy. All else ceases to matter. And that is how Boethius defines happiness in the Consolation of Philosophy, an understanding of happiness that I continue to find most beautiful and compelling.

I am what I am by the grace of God! Thy Will Be Done!In these two texts from Scripture, and the consistent and admirable way in which Bishop Lysinge is living them, we can be sure, that in Bishop Lysinge, the Diocese of Mamfe and the Church in Africa, is offering the universal Church a sign of God’s presence, a mark of lowliness and humility, a presence of translucent holiness. I grew in my appreciation of the holiness and saintliness of Bishop Lysinge. I remember one particular incident that has stayed with me ever since. Shortly after he ordained me priest, we were sitting in the chapel one Friday morning, when he turned to me and asked me to hear his confession. I spontaneously protested: Domine, non sum Dignus. I am not worthy to hear your confession, My Lord, I told him. He won’t take no for an answer! He insisted. He said to me: I ordained you a priest. You were validly ordained. And before I realized it, he imposed a purple stole over my shoulders, and began his confession! And that started a Friday rendezvous that became mutual. Living with Bishop Lysinge, I increasingly became convinced that I was living with a living saint. If sainthood is found in the little things that are really the big things, then God has blessed us with a saintly witness in Bishop Lysinge. I have always felt it one of the greatest blessings of my life, to have begun my priesthood with Bishop Lysinge in the same house. He put up with my failures, weaknesses and youthfulness, with a graciousness that could only be the mark of a saint. I never for once doubted that his father love. And the remarkable thing about Bishop Lysinge is that everyone that encounters him, can say the same thing. He has this capacity for loving everyone, of supporting everyone, that left all those who met him feeling cared for. After he retired and his sight began deteriorating faster, his successor, now Archbishop Andrew Nkea, sent him to Rome, Italy, for medical attention. I left next door Germany to visit him. I can never forget one of the statements he made to me:Fr Maurice, though I am retired, I am not retired from prayers. I pray for you daily. The only work I do now for Mamfe is to pray for Mamfe and for my successor, so that Mamfe diocese will continue to grow. It was a deeply emotional moment for me, listening to him utter those words. I am not retired from the work of prayer. So Ratzingerian a choice of words! Only saints like Lysinge and Ratzinger speak with such spiritual succinctness and depthness.

We can be sure, that now that his sight has failed him, Bishop Lysinge is seeing much more now with the heart, like Blessed John Henry Newman – Cor ad cor loquitur – Heart speaks to heart. The one who throughout his life has spent countless hours before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, gazing at the Lord, looking at him, listening to him, falling in love with the Lord, speaking with the Lord, now has those biological eyes that give him physical sight, taken away. Bishop Lysinge, like the saints before him, has entered into his own via Crucis. And like most of the saints, has accepted the crosses that come with aging:

“O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup; it is you yourself who are my prize.
The lot marked out for me is my delight: welcome indeed the heritage that falls to me! I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart. I keep the Lord ever in my sight:since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm. And so, my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;even my body shall rest in safety.For you will not leave my soul among the dead, nor let your beloved know decay. You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right-hand happiness forever” (Ps 16:5-11).

Thank you, God, for the gift of your priest, holy Bishop Francis Teke Lysinge. May your grace sustain him during this Nunc Dimittis period of his life. And may his prayers for Mamfe, for his successor, for Church, and for  the world, continue to keep the window of the world open to the life-giving breath of God, saving us from a suffocating despairing nihilism! As your servant, Benedict XVI reminded us in his Bundestag Address, a world without God is a life in a bunker with no widows! Thank you that Bishop Lysinge is such a window of you, God. Thank you for giving him to us as a gift, and may his prayers continue to sustain us, transforming our world into something beautiful for you, Trice Holy God, Amen.

Concluding Unscientific Post-Script

When the very dear Fr Christopher Eboka of the Communications Office of Mamfe Diocese contacted me to write a few words to mark the 25th anniversary of the episcopal ordination of Bishop Lysinge, I immediately protested. I told him I was in the middle of a conference on Ratzinger and the Philosophical Tradition at the Panamericana University, Mexico City, Mexico, and that, given time constraints, I did not think I could do justice to the task he was assigning me, especially if he has to go to Press by Monday, April 22, 2024. If you find the words above insufficient and inadequate, I crave your indulgence and I understand your feelings. And I ask to be forgiven, trusting that Providence will give me another opportunity to write a more substantial tribute to this future saint of the Church.

Rev. Maurice Agbaw-Ebai

Sunday, April 21, 2024.

Bishop Emeritus Lysinge: May he enter with joy, into the house of the Father

29, July 2026

Bishop Emeritus Lysinge: May he enter with joy, into the house of the Father 0

With profound sorrow but unwavering faith in the promise of the Resurrection, we join the Catholic faithful, the people of Mamfe Diocese, and the entire Christian community in mourning the passing into eternal glory of His Lordship Bishop Emeritus Francis Teke Lysinge, the pioneer Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mamfe.

Bishop Francis Teke Lysinge was more than a shepherd of souls; he was a visionary, a builder of faith, and a father to generations of priests, religious and lay faithful. Appointed by Pope Saint John Paul II as the first Bishop of the newly erected Diocese of Mamfe in 1999, he accepted the enormous responsibility of laying the foundations of a young diocese with remarkable courage, wisdom and unwavering trust in God.

During his episcopal ministry from 1999 to 2014, Bishop Lysinge dedicated himself tirelessly to evangelization, the formation of clergy, the promotion of Catholic education and the strengthening of healthcare and pastoral structures across the diocese. Under his fatherly leadership, the Diocese of Mamfe experienced remarkable growth in parishes, vocations and Catholic institutions, leaving behind a vibrant local Church that continues to flourish today.

A humble servant of Christ, Bishop Lysinge lived by his episcopal motto, “Fiat Voluntas Tua” — “Thy Will Be Done.” His life reflected deep humility, simplicity, compassion, and steadfast fidelity to the Gospel. Whether celebrating the Eucharist in remote communities, encouraging catechists, mentoring young priests or comforting the suffering, he embodied the loving presence of the Good Shepherd.

His legacy extends far beyond buildings and institutions. He inspired hope where there was despair, nurtured unity among God’s people, and planted seeds of faith that continue to bear fruit throughout the Diocese of Mamfe and beyond. His pioneering work laid the firm foundation upon which his successors have continued to build.

Today, as Bishop Aloysius Fondong Abangalo announces his passing into eternity, the Church gives thanks for a life generously offered in the service of God and humanity. Though our hearts are heavy with grief, we rejoice in the certainty that Bishop Francis Teke Lysinge has gone to meet the Lord whom he faithfully served for decades as priest, bishop, teacher, and shepherd.

May the angels lead him into paradise. May the saints welcome him into the heavenly kingdom. May Christ, the Eternal High Priest, reward His faithful servant with the crown of everlasting life.

Farewell, Bishop Francis Teke Lysinge.

Your faith inspired us.

Your leadership strengthened us.

Your humility touched us.

Your legacy will endure for generations.

May you enter with joy, into the house of the Father Amen.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Netanyahu visits White House for first Trump talks during Iran war

28, July 2026

Netanyahu visits White House for first Trump talks during Iran war 0

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House Tuesday for his first in-person talks with President Donald Trump since the Iran war began, with the Israeli leader saying they discussed ensuring Tehran does not acquire nuclear arms.

The closed-door talks — which the White House described as “positive and productive” — lasted for about an hour and a half and came as Netanyahu and Trump sought to patch over public disagreements on the war.

Netanyahu said in a video message after the meeting that it was “one of the best conversations I’ve ever had with the president of the United States” and that it touched on “our common goal: ensuring that Iran does not obtain nuclear weapons.”

The Iran war began in late February with US-Israeli strikes but has seen a recent pause in the fighting, with Washington saying it wants to give negotiations a chance.

Israel has not taken part in the latest round of hostilities between the United States and Iran, which flared earlier this month as an April ceasefire collapsed.

The meeting was the eighth between the two leaders since Trump’s return to office in early 2025 and came ahead of key electoral tests later this year for both Netanyahu and the US president: national elections in Israel and midterm polls in the United States.

Netanyahu’s office said he attended a private memorial dinner in Washington on Monday evening in honor of the late senator Lindsey Graham.

He also went to a memorial service for Graham after the meeting with Trump on Tuesday.

Relations between Trump and Netanyahu reached a low point in April during negotiations on the ceasefire with Iran, with Trump unleashing profanity-laced tirades against his Israeli ally.

Trump later described Netanyahu in an interview as a “very difficult guy.”

Netanyahu downplayed the exchanges as “tactical disagreements,” saying they were aligned on the goals of the war.

On Tuesday, the leaders were expected to discuss the implementation of a US-sponsored framework deal signed by Israel and Lebanon last month, whose application on the ground has been challenging.

The talks were also expected to touch on Gaza, as diplomatic efforts to kick-start the devastated Palestinian territory’s reconstruction are at a standstill.

Nearly three years after the war between Israel and Hamas broke out, the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, and Israel continues to regularly target people the military says are militants.

‘No break’ in ties

Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, said Tuesday that Netanyahu’s visit came at a “critical time for the Middle East,” with Iran continuing “to choose terrorism over negotiations” and blocking the key Strait of Hormuz waterway.

Yonatan Freeman, an international relations expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said the primary aim of the visit was to dispel reports of a cooling in ties between the allies.

“I think that the main issue… is to show the world, to show Iran, and also even Lebanon and others… that there is no break or any kind of major disagreement between the United States and Israel,” he told AFP.

“There’s more in agreement between the two leaders than disagreement.”

For Freeman, any differences between Trump and Netanyahu concern the means — timeline, intensity, immediate objectives of operations — rather than the ends of the war.

He also suggested that Trump would mainly seek to focus on his two regional priorities, namely Iran and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, rather than on Gaza, which he sees as less of a priority.

The Abraham Accords are a series of US-brokered normalization agreements signed during Trump’s first term, under which Israel established formal diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain for the first time. Morocco later followed.

But other observers believe that the talks could address the possible easing of Israel’s military presence in the region, such as in Lebanon, Syria or Gaza.

Source: AFP

FIFA president asked to appear before US Congress over Trump ties

28, July 2026

FIFA president asked to appear before US Congress over Trump ties 0

US House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin has launched an investigation into FIFA President Gianni Infantino, requesting documents detailing the football governing body’s interactions with US President Donald Trump, his administration, and his family business.

In a letter sent on Sunday, Raskin asked Infantino to provide records and communications related to any gifts, payments or benefits provided to Trump and his associates. The request also seeks visitor logs for FIFA’s office in Trump Tower, which the organization opened after acquiring the space last year. Raskin additionally requested that Infantino appear for a transcribed interview.

The letter sets an August 9 deadline for FIFA to provide the requested documents and arrange the interview. However, Raskin cannot compel Infantino to testify because Democrats do not hold a majority in the House unless he secures Republican support.

Investigation cites transparency, ethics concerns

In the letter, Raskin linked the request to concerns over FIFA’s governance and its relationship with the Trump administration.

“Your election as FIFA president was supposed to mark a red-card break from a decades-long culture of corruption and scandals that dressed down world soccer’s reputation,” Raskin wrote.

“Instead, at the start of your tenure, you dismantled FIFA’s ethical guardrails and disabled the organization’s ethics committee by pushing out most of its members. This lack of transparency and oversight has since paved the way for you to ingratiate yourself with the Trump administration via tactics that a New York University law professor and one of your former ethics committeemen described as ‘legal bribery.’”

The letter also refers to the US Department of Justice’s decision to “dismiss the indictments” of defendants in US government investigations into corruption in global football, including the 2015 prosecution involving more than 20 senior FIFA officials and sports-marketing executives.

World Cup events drew renewed scrutiny

Infantino’s relationship with Trump received heightened attention before and during this summer’s FIFA World Cup.

At the World Cup draw in Washington in December, Trump received a newly created “FIFA peace prize” at the Kennedy Center, where renovations were reportedly rushed on the administration’s orders ahead of the event. FIFA also opened its office in Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan last July.

During the tournament, Trump made several calls to Infantino, urging a review of US striker Folarin Balogun’s controversial red-card suspension before the Americans’ round-of-16 match against Belgium. FIFA later reversed the suspension, a decision that drew criticism from teams and football associations.

Trump also joined Infantino, alongside the top officials of Canada and Mexico, for the World Cup trophy presentation after Spain defeated Argentina in the final. The pair watched the match together from a glass-enclosed luxury seating area before taking to the field, where they were met with boos from spectators at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Raskin’s letter also addresses FIFA’s World Cup ticketing policy, which is already under investigation by several US state attorneys general.

The use of dynamic pricing during the tournament prompted criticism after ticket prices surged, making matches unaffordable for many fans.

“The most recent quid pro quo that FIFA and President Trump orchestrated is not a victimless crime. It hurts Americans. FIFA has taken its newfound favored status in the Trump administration as a sign that it may rip off its consumers, most notably, by employing illegal price-gouging and fraudulent sales tactics for the World Cup,” Raskin wrote.

Ambazonia war leaves 2.9 million still without adequate water services

28, July 2026

Ambazonia war leaves 2.9 million still without adequate water services 0

More than 2.9 million people, including about 1.5 million children, still needed access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services in Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions during the first half of 2026, highlighting the continuing humanitarian impact of the country’s anglophone crisis.

The figures come from UNICEF’s humanitarian situation report for Cameroon, published on July 23. According to the UN agency, communities in the two English-speaking regions continue to face heightened risks related to health, protection and access to basic social services.

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) remain among the most pressing challenges. UNICEF attributes the situation to a combination of prolonged insecurity, repeated population displacement, damaged water infrastructure, disease outbreaks and inadequate public facilities. More than 2.9 million people in the Northwest and Southwest, including approximately 1.5 million children, continued to require safe water, sanitation and hygiene services, the agency said.

Women and Girls Bear the Heaviest Burden

Limited access to water has consequences that extend well beyond household supply. According to UNICEF, women and girls are disproportionately affected because they are often responsible for collecting water. Long journeys to water points consume time that could otherwise be spent in school, at work or on income-generating activities.

Those trips also expose women and adolescent girls to greater risks of violence, assault and harassment when they travel through isolated or insecure areas.

Limited sanitation facilities further complicate menstrual hygiene management, contributing to school absenteeism among adolescent girls and reinforcing existing barriers to education.

Schools Continue to Face Major Infrastructure Gaps

Schools across the two regions also lack adequate sanitation infrastructure. UNICEF reported that one in four schools had no sanitation facilities, more than one-third lacked separate latrines for boys and girls, and many facilities remained inaccessible to children with disabilities.

The absence of functioning toilets and water points increases health risks for students and teachers while making schools less welcoming, particularly for girls.

The lack of gender-separated sanitation facilities disproportionately affects adolescent girls, while inaccessible infrastructure excludes many children with disabilities. These shortcomings illustrate how the water and sanitation crisis extends beyond households, undermining education in regions already affected by years of conflict.

Rehabilitation Projects Deliver Local Gains

Despite the challenges, UNICEF and its partners continued implementing water and sanitation projects during the first half of 2026.

In the Southwest region, rehabilitation of the Mile 4 gravity-fed water system in Limbe significantly improved access to safe drinking water for nearby communities. According to UNICEF, the time required to collect water fell from about four hours to roughly 30 minutes.

The reduction gives affected families more than three additional hours each day that can be devoted to education, income-generating activities, household responsibilities or rest. The project demonstrates how restoring water infrastructure can quickly improve living conditions.

Needs Still Far Outpace Assistance

While projects such as the one in Limbe show the benefits of targeted investments, they remain small compared with the scale of unmet needs. UNICEF said restoring water networks, installing secure water points and building sanitation facilities in schools will require sustained funding as well as reliable humanitarian access to conflict-affected communities.

In the most insecure areas, humanitarian teams continue to face difficulties reaching communities and maintaining existing infrastructure. Repeated population displacement also places additional pressure on newly built or rehabilitated facilities.

The Limbe project illustrates the immediate health, education, protection and economic benefits that improved water and sanitation services can provide. At the same time, it underscores the wide gap between progress in individual communities and the needs of millions of people across Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions.

Source: Sbbc

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