News

Prime Minister Ngute revives push for Limbe Deep Seaport

22, June 2026

Prime Minister Ngute revives push for Limbe Deep Seaport 0

Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, has ordered government administrations to fast-track the long-delayed Limbe Deep Seaport project, signalling a renewed push to expand the country’s maritime infrastructure and reduce pressure on the Port of Douala.

The directive was issued during an enlarged inter-ministerial meeting in Yaounde that reviewed feasibility studies, land demarcation plans and governance arrangements for the future port. At the end of the meeting, Ngute instructed all stakeholders to accelerate preparations and move the project towards implementation.

Strategic project back on the agenda

Located in Fako Division in the South West Region, the Limbe Deep Seaport is expected to become a major gateway for hydrocarbons and agricultural exports while boosting regional trade. The project was revived by presidential decree in May 2020, but progress has remained limited since then.

Speaking after the meeting, Transport Minister Jean Ernest Ngalle Bibehe said discussions focused on assessing the feasibility of implementing existing studies and determining the next steps required for construction.

“After various presentations, we noted the strategic character of this project which has the same quality as the Ring Road. The Prime Minister instructed all relevant administrations to get involved so that this strategic structure sees the light of day,” he said.

Officials identified several priority actions, including the completion of the port’s territorial delimitation and the establishment of governance and operational structures needed to manage the facility.

According to the Transport Minister, the Prime Minister also instructed relevant administrations to examine all available options and submit a comprehensive report on the project’s implementation.

Administrative and municipal authorities from Fako Division participated in the meeting, presenting local concerns and proposals aimed at resolving outstanding issues.

Local authorities seek management appointments

The Senior Divisional Officer for Fako, Engelbert Viang Mekala, welcomed the renewed momentum behind the project but stressed the importance of appointing the port’s leadership.

“It is important for the top management of the Limbe Deep Seaport to be appointed because if the top management of the port is known, I think that all the actions will be taken,” he said.

Mekala added that discussions on land demarcation had advanced and expressed hope that the process would be completed before the end of June 2026.

The renewed focus on Limbe comes as the Port of Douala-Bonabéri continues to handle more than 95 percent of Cameroon’s maritime trade while serving several landlocked countries in Central Africa.

Government authorities have repeatedly identified port diversification and logistics modernisation as priorities for improving trade efficiency and supporting economic growth. The Limbe Deep Seaport is expected to play a central role in that strategy by providing additional capacity and strengthening Cameroon’s position as a regional trade hub.

Closing the meeting, Prime Minister Dion Ngute reiterated his instruction for all stakeholders to accelerate their assigned tasks and ensure the project advances from planning to effective implementation.

Source: Business in Cameroon

U.S. Forces return to Cameroon

21, June 2026

U.S. Forces return to Cameroon 0

The United States military is finalizing plans to redeploy troops to Maroua, the capital of Cameroon’s Far North Region, ending a roughly 7-year absence and filling a critical surveillance gap left by the 2024 closure of its drone hub in Agadez, Niger. The move, first reported by Africa Intelligence on 5 June 2026 and confirmed by the Cameroon News Agency, marks a strategic pivot for U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).

The Salak base in Maroua, home to Cameroon’s elite, Bataillon d’Intervention Rapide (BIR), has undergone refurbishment and is now ready to receive American personnel under the local command of Colonel Albert Bias, with General François Pelene coordinating at the BIR level. The incoming U.S. contingent will focus exclusively on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) support, real-time aerial and electronic intelligence fed to Cameroonian units tracking fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), the Boko Haram faction that split from the main movement. American troops will not engage in direct combat.

THE NIGER EFFECT

The immediate driver behind the Cameroon redeployment is the loss of Air Base 201 in Agadez, Niger. The $110 million facility, once the largest U.S. Air Force construction project in history, was shuttered on 5 August 2024, after Niger’s military junta expelled nearly 1,000 American personnel following the July 2023 coup. The base had served as AFRICOM’s primary ISR node for the entire western Sahel, flying armed drones over vast stretches of Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Lake Chad Basin. Its closure left a surveillance gap that adversaries quickly exploited. Washington responded by negotiating basing access in several coastal West African states, including the Ivory Coast and Benin, and by strengthening partnerships further east. The Cameroon slot had been occupied by British military personnel since 2021, due to cooperative friction with the BIR command, which led to British forces departing in early 2024, opening the position for American forces to reclaim.

The U.S. history at Salak stretches back to the peak of the original Boko Haram campaign. In October 2015, President Barack Obama authorized the deployment of up to 300 troops to Cameroon. The American forces established and operated a drone base in Garoua, where unarmed MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones (an army-specific variant of the Predator line) were used to maximize 24-hour regional surveillance coverage, track militant movements, and feed targeting data to the Multinational Joint Task Force. U.S. forces withdrew from Salak around late 2019, partly as a result of systemic torture and illegal detentions conducted by the BIR at Salak.

The U.S. has simultaneously established operations at Bauchi Airfield in northeastern Nigeria, deploying around 200 personnel alongside MQ-9 Reaper drones, a platform with roughly four times the payload and twice the endurance of the older Predator in March 2026. The drone hubs operating from Bauchi and the refurbished base in Salak can provide overlapping coverage of the Lake Chad Basin without either platform needing to fly from a distant coastal base. Electronic intelligence gathered at Salak feeds Cameroonian units directly, reducing the time between detection and action, a gap that has historically allowed ISWAP units to dissolve before conventional forces can respond. Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, followed with a 3-day working visit to Washington in early May 2026, cementing the parallel Nigeria partnership at the senior political level.

AFRICOM Commander General Dagvin Anderson visited Yaoundé, Cameroon, in September 2025. He held meetings with Cameroon’s President Paul Biya and Defence Minister Joseph Beti Assomo, reinforcing what AFRICOM described as Cameroon’s status as “a key security partner”. The 2026 U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy, which underpins both deployments, moves away from large independent footprints toward a model built on partner-force development, intelligence sharing, and capacity building under host-nation command authority.

The Cameroon footprint fits within a larger, coordinated AFRICOM push across the Lake Chad Basin. The ISR architecture now taking shape treats the region as a single operational theater. The redeployment gives AFRICOM a wider aperture to watch that economy move and, in time, to help Cameroonian and Nigerian forces interdict it.

Culled from Military.Africa

Dr Joachim Arrey speaks of drugs and teenage girls lured into forced sex in Manyu

21, June 2026

Dr Joachim Arrey speaks of drugs and teenage girls lured into forced sex in Manyu 0

When it comes to Anglophone Cameroon and Manyu Division affairs, there is one man who will always like to share his thoughts and pearls of wisdom with the public. God in HIS infinite image created and planted him in Manyu Division. Dr.  Joachim Arrey who grew up in New Layout Mamfe town is very concerned when the Manyu constituency is in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. The news that the Division is in the grip of a drug crisis has kept him awake all week and he says the issue can be addressed if the Division’s elite and Diaspora lend a helping hand. Read and enjoy this conversation with our Editor-In-Chief Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai  

Cameroon Concord News: Manyu is in the spotlight these days for all the wrong reasons and that is unsettling. Drugs have taken over the lives of the Division’s youths. What do you make of this and how can the issue be addressed?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: Thank you for inviting me to share my pearls of wisdom with the citizens of Manyu. Indeed, my mind bleeds for those parents whose kids have been caught up in the drug crisis that is giving Manyu a very bad name. When I hear that my beloved Manyu is dealing with a massive drug crisis, I am very disturbed. I grew up in New Layout Mamfe and I carry the Division in my heart. I have gone round the world where I have seen beautiful towns and cities, but I still hold that I can, with the help of other people, transform Mamfe and the other villages into an El-dorado if given the chance to do so. News about those hard drugs is keeping me awake all night. I have seen videos of desperate men and women demonstrating in Egbekaw-Mamfe, Sumbe and other villages of Manyu in a bid to stem the tide of drugs which is hurting their children.  In my days as a young man walking the streets of Mamfe, I never had any concerns. There was security. There were no drugs. Every old person was like my father or mother and each person you saw only gave you advice for you to focus on your studies. As a child, I respected everyone and like many of my friends, we listened to our elders without questioning their wisdom. Our parents and elders knew that the future of the Division was in our hands. It was always a great joy across Manyu when we passed our exams. In those days, it really took an entire village to raise a child and every child was expected to live by known social norms. These days, things have changed and young men and women have opted to go down a dangerous path that is likely to rob them of a beautiful future. They are flushing their future down the toilet and this is not good for the Division. This crisis can be addressed if all Manyu elites and the Diaspora lend their voices to those of our brothers and sisters who are on the ground combatting this scourge that is blighting the lives of our children and grandchildren.

I think in the short term, efforts should be focused on identifying the suppliers whose objective is to make money even when lives are being destroyed. This will require administrative and political leaders as well as security authorities to be part of this vast effort. According to some people I have spoken to in Mamfe, some of the suppliers have been  identified but the unfortunate thing is that whenever the matter is taken to the police, the suspect gets arrested, but he gets released shortly after and he continues plying  his trade as if nothing has happened. The police and administrative officials who are also parents must help us. We need help! Our people cannot do it alone. They should be seen as partners in this complicated war which is tough to be prosecuted and is destroying young lives.

As a people, we must talk to our children. Real education starts from home. Parents must let their children know that engaging in irresponsible behavior will hurt them and their future. Members of our Diaspora can also help by weighing in. Their voices count and their financial support to those NGOs which are struggling to combat this plague will go a long way. No amount is too small, especially when it can deliver a child from the throes of this crisis. We must use the radio stations in Manyu to sensitize our youths to the need to stay focused in order to prepare for a beautiful life. Our children should choose people who have succeeded in life as their role models and not drug addicts and unscrupulous individuals.

Cameroon Concord News: In addition to the drug crisis, there is another crisis which is hurting young innocent girls. The level of promiscuity among young girls of fourteen and up is disturbing. What is your take on this?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: This is very disturbing. Our kids must focus on their education if they really want to have a bright future. Parents must encourage their teenage girls to postpone sex for a better life. I have heard of girls having sex with irresponsible men, some of whom could be their grandparents or are uniform officers. This is wrong and we must decry it. The residents of Manyu must be made to understand that it is a criminal offense to engage in sexual activities with minors. I understand that the humiliating and dehumanizing poverty prevailing in the country is morally disarming young girls in Manyu, but our young girls and children should resist temptation if they want to have a good life tomorrow. Our Manyu women organizations such as Nyene Mawn, EYUMEMA and MOHWA which are well structured could lend a useful hand to efforts currently underway to bail the Manyu girl child out of sexual exploitation and distraction. I am therefore urging the sons and daughters of Manyu Division to channel their financial assistance to these organizations for them to deliver on their mandate. I am personally prepared to make a financial contribution for this purpose.

Cameroon Concord News: There is also a more serious moral crisis which is tearing the Manyu social fabric apart. It is alleged that a few young men in Manyu who have made a little money are adversely changing the social dynamics in Manyu. There is no respect for elders and even the chiefs have fallen prey to financial temptation. What is your opinion regarding this unfortunate situation?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: I read in one of your articles published last week that money has restructured our people’s thinking and this is leading to a collapse of the social fabric of our Division. Our chiefs are not only traditional leaders; they are supposed to be moral authorities whose word should carry a lot of weight. If they are letting themselves to be tainted by money and sex, then they should know that they are shooting themselves in the foot. Some people allege that the distribution of Manyu traditional titles to any and everybody is immoral as it is money-induced, especially as one businessman, Tabe Bisong, is involved in some of those projects. I heard he brought a prophet from Nigeria who left Mamfe with the title of Sesekou. I do not know the bases upon which the prophet was handed such a title and it will be preposterous of me to condemn something whose details I do not know. I would also like to point out that I do not really believe that those titles are being awarded because money has changed hands. However, our chiefs must never throw caution to the wind. We count on them to uphold those values and principles which make Manyu a respected Division. For Tabe Bisong, I don’t know him. He is younger than I am but would advise that such a young man should be protected if his wealth is genuine. It is not everyone who knows how to make money and if Manyu has finally found someone who can create wealth, I think we should advise and protect him. In your article, you insinuated that the source of his wealth could not be determined and now that drugs have taken over the lives of our children, anyone whose wealth cannot be accounted for is a suspect. You may have your reasons to think so and as a seasoned journalist and writer, you have your sources on the ground. I would, however, like to point out that Tabe Bisong is innocent until proven guilty. I have heard that he is hard-working, strategic and humane. I have been reliably informed that he had a huge share of the cocoa market for a long time, and he single-handedly ran beer operations in Manyu Division at the height of the socio-political crisis. He brought Brasseries du Cameroun drinks to Manyu and this initiative delivered much money to him. I think if he is engaged in such businesses, his riches should be legitimate. However, I have one piece of advice for him. His love of the spotlight is hurting him in a big and bad way. In life, if you want to be heard very early, know that you could be beheaded.  When you step into the spotlight, know that you have opened yourself up for criticism. That is human nature and none of us is capable of rewriting human nature.

Cameroon Concord News: Dr. Arrey, you now speak like a real politician. Does this imply that you will eventually end up in the political arena, especially as it is rumored that you are the right person to replace Senator Tabetando of blessed memory?

Dr.Joachim Arrey: Senator Tabetando is dead and gone, and he was buried a few days ago. He should be with his ancestors now where he is rendering account of his time on earth. He did his best as a lawyer, a businessman and a senator. May his soul rest in peace! I don’t know where you get your information but I trust that as a successful and respected journalist, you are talking to many people in Manyu Division. If the majority if the people want to pin their trust on me, I would not reject that. In my 60s, I have already achieved all the goals I set for myself. At this stage in life, I really do not have anything to prove to anyone. If that is the choice of the people then what you have in mind will come true. Vox populi, vox dei (The voice of men is the voice of God). Always remember that 2028 is still two years away and a lot can happen between now and 2028. You should also understand that the road ahead is still long and senatorial elections are not popular elections where everyone can vote. Party leadership has a key role in determining who has to represent the party. Moreover, Manyu has many competent human resources and there are other people who are also holding their cards so close to their chests. Regardless of the situation, we must always bear in mind that it is all about Manyu and that we must strive to make Manyu a better place than we met it.

Cameroon Concord News: Thank Dr. Arrey for sharing your brilliant thoughts with our audiences.

Dr. Joachim Arrey: The pleasure is mine. Let’s keep on sharing our perspectives with a view to educating the younger ones who will eventually take over the mantle of leadership tomorrow. Thank you, once more, for giving me this platform for me to share my golden nuggets of knowledge with our people.

Biya regime values state-owned property in Yaoundé and Douala at CFA1.5 trillion

20, June 2026

Biya regime values state-owned property in Yaoundé and Douala at CFA1.5 trillion 0

The Cameroonian government has identified 1,522 state-owned buildings in the departments of Mfoundi and Wouri, with a combined value of more than CFA1.5 trillion ($2.6 billion).

The figures were disclosed by Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute during a presentation to the National Assembly on June 12 as part of the first phase of a nationwide inventory and valuation of state-owned physical assets.

According to the prime minister, properties located in Mfoundi, home to the capital Yaoundé, are valued at about CFA1.07 trillion. In Wouri, which includes the economic capital Douala, the state’s real estate portfolio is estimated at nearly CFA442 billion. Together, the two cities account for approximately CFA1.512 trillion in public real estate assets.

Valuable Assets, but No Private Insurance Coverage

The data were released in response to questions from lawmakers about the government’s policy on insuring state-owned property.

Joseph Dion Ngute acknowledged that Cameroon currently does not rely on private insurance to cover government-owned real estate assets. He said the situation reflects the unique legal status and characteristics of public property. Administrative buildings, public facilities, infrastructure, and other state-owned properties are difficult to insure under standard market conditions because of their large number, geographic dispersion, and high value, he explained.

“As a result, administrative buildings and assets belonging to the state’s private domain, including public facilities, structures, infrastructure, and real estate, have characteristics that make them difficult to insure through private insurance companies under normal market conditions, given their scale, geographic spread, and considerable value,” the prime minister told lawmakers.

He added that responsibility for state-owned real estate, like government vehicle fleets, falls under the Ministry of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure, which serves as the custodian of public assets.

The distinction highlights the difference between conventional insurance coverage and the administrative management of public property by the state itself.

From Inventory to Asset Management

Joseph Dion Ngute said the government intends to strengthen preventive measures in line with a 1984 decree governing the protection of state-owned real estate. The measures include preventive maintenance of public infrastructure and equipment, greater awareness among government agencies of regulations governing public assets, and stronger practices related to asset preservation and upkeep.

The inventory underscores the scale of public property holdings in Cameroon’s two largest cities. With more than CFA1.5 trillion in identified assets, the challenge extends beyond simply maintaining records of state-owned buildings. It also raises questions about asset management, maintenance, security, and the potential fiscal cost of deterioration.

The government’s next task will be to move from inventorying assets to managing them more actively. The value of the properties identified so far points to the need for better maintenance planning, clearer responsibilities among public institutions, and stronger risk-prevention strategies, even in the absence of a broad private insurance mechanism.

Source: Business in Cameroon

Trump says Israel would have been ‘crushed’ without US backing

20, June 2026

Trump says Israel would have been ‘crushed’ without US backing 0

US President Donald Trump says Israel’s security and military position in the region depends heavily on support from the United States, stressing that Tel Aviv would have been “crushed” without American backing.

Speaking about US-Israeli relations on Friday, Trump noted that American assistance has been critical to Israel’s so-called defense capabilities.

“If it weren’t for my intervention, Israel would have been crushed,” Trump said, adding that Washington provides key military assets, including advanced weapons systems, the Iron Dome air defense network, and B-2 bombers.

Trump also described his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as positive, while emphasizing Washington’s influence over Israeli decision-making.

“Netanyahu, who worked well with me, will tell you that we are the ones who have the weapons, we are the ones who have the Iron Dome, and we are the ones who have the B-2 bombers,” he said.

The US president claimed that Israel holds him in high regard and would listen to his advice, saying that Washington plays an important role in shaping Israeli actions.

“Israel has a lot of respect for me,” Trump said. “But we have to keep him a little bit sensible,” he added, referring to Netanyahu.

The comments come as Israel continues its military aggression against Lebanon despite Trump’s push to secure a ceasefire between the occupying regime and the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah.

Source: Presstv

Gov’t denies report about Biya’s health condition in Geneva

19, June 2026

Gov’t denies report about Biya’s health condition in Geneva 0

Minister of Communication and government spokesman Rene Emmanuel Sadi on Thursday denied reports about President Paul Biya’s health, assuring the public that the president is fine.

On Tuesday, the news magazine Jeune Afrique reported that Biya had been admitted to a hospital in Switzerland after falling ill during activities to mark the country’s National Day on May 20.

In a statement, Sadi said the report was “based on malicious and unfounded speculation.”

“The head of state is indeed in Geneva, Switzerland, but is by no means admitted in any medical facility nor is he in a state of health that requires medical care,” Sadi said, adding that Biya continues to monitor the affairs of the country with “due diligence” and will return to Cameroon “as soon as possible.”

Biya, 93, has been president of Cameroon since 1982.

Source: Xinhuanet

Biometric census prompts review of 11,000 education ministry employees

19, June 2026

Biometric census prompts review of 11,000 education ministry employees 0

Cameroon’s Ministry of Secondary Education (Minesec) has launched a major review of its workforce following a nationwide physical and biometric census conducted in early 2026. After consolidating the data, the ministry asked more than 11,000 employees to clarify their administrative status within 14 days. Through the exercise, the ministry is doing more than updating its records. It is also exposing the scale of the weaknesses that continue to affect its human resources management system.

In a series of notices signed on June 15, 2026, Minister Pauline Nalova Lyonga called on several categories of personnel to report to the relevant services of the ministry to clarify their status. The figures released by Minesec paint a troubling picture. The ministry identified 5,659 employees reported by their supervisors as having abandoned their positions, 392 employees classified as absent or deserters, 1,319 personnel reported to be living outside the country, and 3,172 employees whose administrative status is considered “unknown.”

One of the most striking findings concerns 392 individuals who continue to receive salaries from the ministry despite reportedly not belonging to any of its official structures. That figure alone highlights one of the operation’s main objectives. Beyond verifying attendance, Minesec is also seeking to regain control of an administrative and payroll database whose reliability now appears seriously compromised.

The personnel concerned have 14 days from the publication of the notices to submit the required documentation. The file must include, among other documents, census forms generated through the biometric platform and validated by supervisors, a certificate confirming effective presence at the workplace and indicating attendance levels and administrative status, a detailed account of the employee’s administrative situation over the past three years, a copy of the recruitment document, and a recent payslip. The ministry warned that any missing document will result in the rejection of the application.

The strict nature of the procedure reflects the scope of the operation. The ministry is no longer focusing on isolated irregularities. Instead, it is reviewing cases that could affect career management, actual staffing levels in schools, and the use of public funds.

The physical and biometric census that triggered the process took place nationwide between March 9 and April 8, 2026. It covered personnel working in schools as well as employees on training assignments or seconded to other government institutions. Officially, the goal was to establish a reliable picture of the workforce within the secondary education system. The initial findings, however, suggest that the exercise has revealed a deeper problem involving administrative traceability.

The operation comes at a time when the education sector already faces significant human resource challenges. For years, the administration has struggled to monitor staffing levels, fill certain positions, and retain personnel. These issues have been compounded by growing migration abroad among teachers and other public servants, although the figures released by the ministry do not indicate where the employees identified as living outside the country are located.

That is what gives the exercise a significance that goes beyond disciplinary concerns. Minesec is not simply dealing with cases of job abandonment or prolonged absence. It is also trying to determine who actually belongs to its services, who is physically present, who continues to receive a salary, and how these situations were allowed to persist administratively.

In that sense, the biometric census has become a tool for restoring control. It allows the ministry to compare its records against the reality of employee attendance, assignments, and administrative positions. At the same time, it reveals the extent of the administrative disorder that routine procedures had evidently failed to address.

The ministry presents the operation as a way to clean up personnel records, secure data, and improve human resource management. But the figures already made public show that it is also a test of the administration’s own credibility. When a ministry is forced to ask more than 11,000 employees to justify their status, questions inevitably arise about its actual control over its workforce.

The review could lead to disciplinary measures, administrative regularizations, and a broader cleanup of personnel records. More importantly, it should help the ministry distinguish between employees who are effectively serving in their positions and those whose administrative, professional, or payroll status now requires closer examination.

At Minesec, the biometric census no longer looks like a routine monitoring exercise. It is already emerging as a sign of deeper structural weaknesses in the management of secondary education personnel. Through the irregularities it has uncovered, it also serves as a reminder that staffing challenges are not only about teacher shortages, but also about the state’s continuing difficulty in determining precisely who still belongs to its own workforce.

Source: Sbbc

US VP Vance rebukes warmongering Israeli ministers for attacking Iran Deal

19, June 2026

US VP Vance rebukes warmongering Israeli ministers for attacking Iran Deal 0

US Vice President JD Vance has sharply criticized warmongering Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for their aggressive opposition to the landmark memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the United States and Iran to end the war, describing their stance as detached from reality and harmful to Israel’s own interests.

In an interview with The New York Times published on Thursday, Vance directly named the ultranationalist so-called National Security Minister Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Smotrich, calling out their public attacks on the agreement signed remotely by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

“What is your exact proposal? You’re a country of 9 million people. You can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have,” Vance stated, referring to the Israeli regime.

Vance emphasized that the deal represents a positive path forward for the region.

He noted pointed out that the majority of defensive weapons protecting Israel in recent months were American-made and funded by US taxpayers.

“Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time,” Vance said, adding that anyone believing their biggest problem is the US president “needs to wake up and smell the reality.”

The MoU calls for a permanent end to hostilities across all fronts, the removal of the US naval blockade within 30 days, the restoration of commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a reconstruction plan worth at least $300 billion, and the lifting of US sanctions.

Under the MoU, the two sides have entered a 60-day negotiation period, with the goal of reaching a comprehensive final agreement. In-person negotiations are scheduled to begin on June 19 in Switzerland, with Pakistan and Qatar serving as mediators.

The agreement followed an unprovoked US-Israeli war of terrorism against Iran that began in late February.

Source: Presstv

EU leaders back stronger trade defenses amid Chinese export surge

19, June 2026

EU leaders back stronger trade defenses amid Chinese export surge 0

EU leaders agreed during talks Thursday that the bloc must develop beefed-up trade defenses to curb a surge of Chinese exports deemed an existential threat to European industry by Brussels — while simultaneously seeking “constructive dialogue” with Beijing.

There is a growing consensus in the European Union that it is too dependent on China, and Brussels fears this makes it vulnerable to potential coercion and supply shocks.

The 27-nation bloc’s trade deficit in goods hit around 360 billion euros ($413 billion) last year, meaning Chinese exports sharply exceeded the EU’s.

During a two-hour summit dinner in Brussels, leaders chewed over how the EU could address the imbalance, and whether the bloc needed to boost its arsenal.

After talks ended early on Friday, an EU official said the leaders tasked the commission with continuing to engage “in a constructive dialogue with our main economic partners” but did not directly say China.

They also asked the executive “to develop and eventually complement the toolbox in the area of trade defense” and to make sure the EU has “all the instruments it needs to defend its interests and derisk”, the official said.

While EU capitals agree on a common diagnosis, the positions differ on the cure and several leaders on Thursday had called for dialogue as a priority.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez struck a more conciliatory tone than his counterparts before the dinner.

“We need friends, we need balanced relationships, we need to be pragmatic, and we need to build bridges both with major economies and potential allies, such as China,” Sanchez told reporters.

Following Trump’s playbook?

One way to beef up the EU’s arsenal could be creating a new tool to impose sector-specific tariffs such as chemicals or green tech — taking a page out of President Donald Trump’s playbook.

French President Emmanuel Macron last month called for a “European equivalent of Section 301” — the trade tool Trump has employed to set sweeping tariffs — arguing Europe’s “sovereignty is at stake”.

Germany has until now adopted a cautious posture because its economy is more exposed to potential retaliation, while Spain has sought to avoid tensions as it chases Chinese investment.

But Berlin appeared to be coming around to France’s way of thinking.

A German official said Berlin was “open” to new tools if they are necessary so long as they were “not targeted at specific recipients”.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, however, would not be drawn on China by reporters in Brussels.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said before the dinner he wanted to see “the shape and nature of any mechanisms” introduced but warned Europe had to make sure it understood the consequences.

The EU official did not comment on what any new tools would look like.

Concern about Chinese dominance is not limited to the EU.

Fears are rising in the West over Beijing’s control in the market for rare earth minerals used in everyday electronic appliances, and China was on the agenda of G7 talks in France this week.

Brussels often evokes the need for fair competition, pointing to the unfair advantage Chinese companies have because of massive state subsidies.

Between 2005 and 2024, Chinese firms received around three to eight times more government support than firms in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, according to the OECD, which called it “a conservative estimate”.

EU appetite for a fight?

Even as its resolve appears to be hardening, the EU has shown no appetite to trigger a broader trade war with China.

Fears over Chinese retaliation are not unfounded.

After the EU hit Chinese electric cars with higher tariffs in 2024, China imposed anti-dumping duties on European cognac.

And Beijing has vowed to hit back if the EU pushes through rules that would exclude certain products manufactured outside the bloc from public contracts.

Sefcovic has invited Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao to Brussels later this month as the bloc still hopes it can prevent escalation through dialogue with China — but an EU official would not confirm the visit.

Source: AFP

Manyu Division: dancing chiefs compromised because of alcohol and sex

17, June 2026

Manyu Division: dancing chiefs compromised because of alcohol and sex 0

A few days ago, a video shot in Mamfe, Manyu Division in the South West Region of Cameroon in which a so-called Mamfe businessman, Richard Tabe Bisong, was bowing to the South West Governor, Okalia Bilai, like Angels do to God, went viral not because online communities thought it was pleasant to see but because a man who prides himself on his business intelligence was being reduced to a desperate conman in search of validation and protection from administrative officers.

Mr. Tabe Bisong who is being touted in Manyu Division as a successful cocoa exporter has been spraying money all over the place as if he never worked for that money.

While some people are hailing him for his financial success, calling him “financial waterfall” many others are very suspicious of his money.

Many people hold that Mr. Tabe Bisong, who is desperate for recognition, is supposed to be exporting cocoa beans to neighboring Nigeria, but over the last two years, the business of cocoa has run into a massive storm with cocoa prices hitting new lows.

A kilo of cocoa once sold for CFAF 6,000 but the last two years have been a disaster to many cocoa farmers who have seen their profit margins take a nosedive due to declining global demand for cocoa.

Manyu Division has been hit hard by the declining global demand for cocoa but one man continues to give the impression that cocoa is now the new “gold”.

But not many people are buying into his gimmick. Many hold that there is more to his business than meets the eye.

Manyu Division is in the grip of a massive devastating drug addiction crisis and anybody whose wealth cannot be accounted for, is considered a suspect.

It is alleged that Mr. Tabe Bisong is currently the highest ‘administrative authority’ in Manyu as he has already brought the government’s Senior Divisional Officer under his control. He is now seen in grandstands in the Division whenever there is an important event.

According to our sources in Mamfe, Mr. Tabe Bisong’s relationship with the Senior Divisional Officer for Manyu is a real cause for concern.

It is being rumored that Mr. Tabe Bisong took the Manyu Senior Divisional Officer (SDO) to China where the SDO went on a wild spending spree at Mr. Tabe Bisong’s expense.

Mr. Tabe Bisong’s behavior at the funeral of the SDO’s father’s funeral in the West Region where he lined up CFAF 10,000 bills for the SDO to walk on has not escaped the attention of the country’s secret service which is on the businessman’s trail.

It is also being rumored that Tabe Bisong may be exporting cocoa beans to Nigeria but may also be engaging in other unorthodox operations.

“Cocoa alone cannot deliver the type of money Tabe Bisong says he is making. He has been boasting that last year alone, he made CFAF 6 billion from his trade with Nigeria, but so far, there is no bank in the South West in general and Mamfe in particular that is holding Mr. Tabe Bisong’s money,” a resident of Mamfe said.

“We hear that the secret service is investigating his financial claims and that his relationship with senior administrative officers, including the South West Governor, is really under scrutiny,” the resident whose son has been overwhelmed by tramadol said angrily.

“The country’s administrative officials should not be seen with a man whose money carries multiple question marks. The people of Mamfe are concerned and they want answers to some of the issues confronting them, including the drug crisis that has killed some young men and destroyed many,” the father of three said, pointing to the demonstrations in Egbekaw-Mamfe against drug suppliers.

The bitter Manyu resident condemned what he saw in the video which is now known as the “Tabe Bisong comedy of desperation”, questioning why a man who claims to be making his money legitimately will be sucking up to administrative officers who are supposed to rise above behavior that is questionable.

The Manyu resident who spoke on condition of anonymity to our Manyu correspondent also took aim at the Chief of Okoyong who presided over the comedy of desperation staged by Mr. Tabe Bisong.

He questioned the role of some young Manyu traditional rulers, describing the Okoyong chief as corrupt and irresponsible leader due to his reckless behavior.

He added that with the exception of the Manyu paramount chief, Dr. Godson Oben, and some old self-respecting chiefs, most young Manyu chiefs constitute a syndicate of criminals whose real job is to have sex, abuse alcohol and dance in almost every occasion in Cameroon.

He called on the people of Manyu to know who to choose as their chiefs, stressing that most Manyu chiefs have transformed the Division into a location where every event is part of the moving feast of sex carefully crafted by these young traditional rulers.

He regretted that the behavior of these chiefs makes Cameroonians to hold that Manyu Division is a new mental asylum. The misbehavior of a few people who are supposed to be role models is hurting the Division.

These chiefs have had more than their fair share of free sex. The paramount chief needs to call them to order, the Mamfe resident said angrily, adding that these ‘dancing chiefs and alcoholics’ are devaluing the people of Manyu and their culture.

“A chief is supposed to be an embodiment of respect. He is supposed to be out of the public eye. He is supposed to be reflecting on how to make his village a better place. How can someone who spends time drinking, dancing and sleeping in women’s thighs ever have enough time to come up with ideas which can transform the destiny of his people?,” he quipped.

Manyu is in trouble, he said, adding that if a chief is compromised because of alcohol and sex, how can he really work for his people?, he asked.

Many people are really angry with the behavior of some of the Manyu chiefs but they do not have the courage to call out these people who are spreading moral decadence and pain in our Division, he said.

We need somebody to help us. A Manyu Chiefs’ conference needs to be held to discuss some of these issues. Our chiefs have to embrace hard work. They must walk away from alcohol and casual sex. Their people are losing confidence in them. They must display behavior which reflects their statuses, he concluded.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

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