News

12, August 2025

Macron admits France’s ‘repressive violence’ in Cameroon during decolonisation ⁰

Macron has acknowledged that France waged a “war” in Cameroon during and after the African country’s decolonisation in the late 1950s, marked by “repressive violence”, in a letter published Tuesday.

The letter, sent to his Cameroonian counterpart last month, follows an officially commissioned report, published in January, which said that France implemented mass forced displacement, pushed hundreds of thousands of Cameroonians into internment camps and supported brutal militias to squash the central African country’s push for sovereignty.

The historical commission, the creation of which had been announced by Macron during a 2022 trip to Yaounde, examined France’s role leading up to when Cameroon gained independence from France on January 1, 1960, but also during the subsequent years.

“The historians of the commission made it very clear that there was a war in Cameroon, during which the colonial authorities and the French army carried out repressive violence of several kinds in certain parts of the country in a war that continued after 1960 when France supported the actions carried out by the independent Cameroon authorities,” Macron said in the letter to Cameroonian President Paul Biya, published by the French presidency.

“It is incumbent on me today to accept France’s role and responsibility in these events,” he said.

Source: AFP

12, August 2025

‘The Elders’ group of global leaders warns of ‘unfolding genocide’ in Gaza ⁰

A group of distinguished world leaders, known as The Elders, has characterized the situation in the Gaza Strip as an “unfolding genocide,” calling for decisive measures to halt Israel’s obstruction of aid into the besieged Palestinian territory, which is causing a “famine.”

The Elders, a nongovernmental organization founded by former South African President Nelson Mandela in 2007 to address global human rights issues and abuses, made the remarks in a statement on Tuesday, following its delegates’ visit to the Rafah border crossing in Egypt.

“Today we express our shock and outrage at Israel’s deliberate obstruction of the entry of life-saving humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the group said.

“What we saw and heard underlines our personal conviction that there is not only an unfolding, human-caused famine in Gaza. There is an unfolding genocide,” it added.

Helen Clark, former prime minister of New Zealand, emphasized the urgent need for Israel to open the Rafah border crossing to allow the delivery of aid after her visit to the site.

Source: Presstv

11, August 2025

Nyene Mawn: Key takeaways and talking points from Paris 2025 ⁰

The Manyu Women’s International Organisation (Nyene Mawn) members gathered in Paris over the weekend for the association’s second annual residential convention. Chi Prudence and Soter Agbaw-Ebai report

The sun in Paris was shining, the good weather added to a sense of optimism for a Manyu women’s group that was clearly on the brink of collapse.

Despite social media negativity orchestrated by some rogue elements against Nyene Mawn, the mood in the French capital was du jamais vu indicating that Nyene Mawn queens had move away from the nasty past and the embarrassing so-called conference of presidents’ scandal which had attempted to destroy the Nyene Mawn brand.

Here are the key talking points from the Nyene Mawn Residential Convention

The President-General Dr Mrs Patience Abangma promised the Nyene Mawn queens that she was going to step down and usher in the new generation. This is after she repaired the financial damage caused by the disgraced suspended seven.

Dr Patience Abangma did not need to put a positive spin on her speech to get the Nyene Mawn queens smiling and sharing tears of joy as much as she was.

Delegates from all over the world were in great spirit at the respective meetings that started on Friday and ended Sunday evening.

Nyene Mawn is riding high with their favourite slogan: Nyene Mawn leads, others follow.

This time last year, Nyene Mawn queens crammed into a dour, stuffy hall in the middle of the afternoon in Brussels to discuss their progress and their plans for the future. The atmosphere among Nyene Mawn queens in Brussels that day might be described as quietly confident. If the sense that day was of a Manyu women association on the rise, then Paris 2025, in its glitzier environs, was that of a Nyene Mawn whose time had come.

When the convention started in Paris Noisy Le Sec, Nyene Mawn announced a new interim body headed by Queen Maureen Tabe as President-General, which aims to speed up development deep within the association while Dr Patience Abangma used her speech to promise the women of her complete and total support for the new governing body.

Nyene Mawn queens thanked their out gone President-General Dr Patience Abangma for sustaining the Nyene Mawn cause, the association, the argument against a vicious campaign of blackmail. “Mami Abangma didn’t just win for herself, she won for all the Nyene Mawn queens”, Chief Stella Ntui Arhewoh from the Federal Republic of Nigeria who also moonlights as Second Vice President said, describing how Dr Patience Abangma had challenged attempts aimed at destroying the image of the Manyu Women’s International Association.

Speaking exclusively to Cameroon Concord News, Nyene Mawn’s new strong woman Lady Maureen Tabe said “We’re not going to screw Mami Abangma’s legacy up; we’re going to make sure that we use her leadership style and use our majority following to transform Nyene Mawn and attract quality membership not quantity.”

Whether Nyene Mawn achieves its goals for the female child in Manyu Division in Cameroon remains to be seen. But what’s clear from Paris 2025 is that Nyene Mawn queens are now strong and growing in confidence.

At the gala night on Saturday evening animated by renowned Manyu artist Etando Moh Manyu, Soter Agbaw-Ebai caught up with the President General Maureen Tabe and pressed the new leader on a range of Nyene Mawn matters, including plans to recover the embezzled funds, the indefinite suspension of the dodgy seven and also the key issue of developmental projects back home.

According to Soter Agbaw-Ebai, Nyene Mawn’s new leader was able to provide strong assurance on the issues, and a discussion with our editor showed that Nyene Mawn finally emerged stronger and united than expected.

“I’ll put my hands up any day, any time and say I was one of the Nyene Mawn queens who fought tooth and nail to preserve the image of the Manyu Women’s International Association,” Queen Regina AyukEtah, First Vice President from the Kingdom of Belgium said, explaining that Paris 2025 has given birth to a new spirit in Nyene Mawn.

Inside business day at the Nyene Mawn Residential Convention

Lady Collect Tambeagbor, Nyene Mawn’s Communication Secretary predictably, spoke about getting Nyene Mawn building bridges with other Manyu women groups both at home and abroad.

Another issue that did not receive a clear answer from delegates was why Nyene Mawn decided to suspend the seven members indefinitely instead of the agreed dismissal as recommended by the general assembly.

Lady Priscillia Morand, the new Secretary General of Nyene Mawn spoke in strong terms about the importance of moving the association forward, explaining that Nyene Mawn should not be over reliant on its members in Europe but needed to tap into the Nyene Mawn worldwide diversity.

Support for the girl child in Manyu was also a theme in the residential convention discourse during the AGM, which saw a huge number of Nyene Mawn queens come together. Speaker after speaker gave barnstorming speeches at the AGM.

Many in Paris called for Nyene Mawn to empower its chapters in Cameroon if it wanted to fulfil its pledge to ensure growth across Manyu Division, and recognise this would not happen without transformative investment on the girl child project.

Conveniently, Nyene Mawn is currently trying to rebuild again on its image and finances.

11, August 2025

Cameroon concludes AI training for indigenous people ⁰

Cameroon on Saturday concluded a weeklong training for indigenous people in artificial intelligence (AI) as part of activities to mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.

Minister of Social Affairs Pauline Irene Nguene said the Central African nation is working to ensure that indigenous people benefit from the opportunities provided by the advent of AI.

“Indigenous people should not be left out in the changing world. It is their right to learn and apply AI. That is why this training contributes to the fight against social exclusion,” Nguene said in Yaoundé, the country’s capital, while awarding certificates at the end of the training.

Efforts are underway to establish a tiered AI education system to guide indigenous people in rural areas from foundational cognitive awareness to practical technological innovation, according to Cameroonian officials.

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is commemorated annually on Aug. 9, with this year’s theme being “Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Futures.”

By Miriam Metchane Ewang

9, August 2025

Biya regime seeks extradition of protesters after embassy demonstrations ⁰

Several people were arrested during protests outside Cameroonian embassies in Belgium and France. The demonstrations were a response to the Constitutional Council’s rejection of Maurice Kamto’s appeal.

In an August 5 statement, Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji said that “in accordance with current judicial cooperation agreements, these individuals will be brought before local courts or extradited to face justice in Cameroon with the full force of the law.”

In Belgium, police intervened to disperse protesters who tried to enter the Cameroonian embassy. They arrested several people suspected of belonging to the Anti-Sardinards Brigade.

On July 31, Minister of External Relations Lejeune Mbella Mbella had already reminded ambassadors in Yaoundé of the international obligation to protect diplomatic missions before the presidential election. He stressed “the strict enforcement of protection measures for personnel and diplomatic and consular buildings.”

This initiative aimed to prevent a repeat of the violence that occurred after the 2018 presidential election. At that time, members of the Cameroonian diaspora attacked several embassies, including the one in Paris, and assaulted the Cameroonian ambassador in Belgium.

In his statement, the minister of territorial administration reaffirmed “the unwavering commitment of public authorities to uphold the laws of the Republic in all places and under all circumstances.”

Source: Sbbc

9, August 2025

Hearing in Alice Nkom’s case postponed again ⁰

The Douala-Bonanjo Court of First Instance firmly adjourned the case against attorney Alice Nkom, Maximilienne Ngo Mbe, and the Central Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (Redhac) on August 5, 2025. This was the third hearing in a sensitive case being closely followed by human rights advocates.

The latest postponement was due to the absence of the Wouri senior divisional officer, Sylyac Marie Mvogo, whose presence is considered essential for the proceedings to begin. According to defense lawyer Charlotte Tchakounté, a firm adjournment means no further postponements will be granted at the next hearing, which is scheduled for October 6, 2025. “The senior divisional officer will have to appear, as he is the only one who can justify the charges brought against the two defendants,” she said.

Alice Nkom, who is the chair of Redhac’s board of directors, welcomed the decision. She believes her legal team’s arguments exposed inconsistencies in the public prosecutor’s case.

Redhac was suspended in December 2024 by Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji, who cited “illicit financing” and other unspecified allegations. The organization’s offices were sealed for three months, a move Nkom called “arbitrary.” In response, the human rights lawyer broke the seals, which led to a series of administrative and judicial summonses against her.

Source: Sbbc

6, August 2025

US demands $15,000 deposit for visa applicants from two African countries ⁰

The US will require citizens from Malawi and Zambia to pay a $15,000 (£11,300) deposit for a tourist or business visa, according to the US state department.

The 12-month pilot programme aims to curb visa overstays “or where screening and vetting information is considered deficient”, according to a notice published by the state department.

Officials say that citizens of countries other than Malawi and Zambia may soon also need to pay a similar deposit, which will be returned at the end of their visit to the US.

The US administration has taken several steps to further President Donald Trump’s agenda of stemming illegal immigration.

Trump signed an executive order on the first day of his second term to this effect.

The state department notice, published on Tuesday, says: “Aliens applying for visas as temporary visitors for business or pleasure (B-1/B-2) and who are nationals of countries identified by the Department as having high visa overstay rates, where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient, or offering Citizenship by Investment, if the alien obtained citizenship with no residency requirement, may be subject to the pilot program.

“Consular officers may require covered non-immigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers.”

Figures published in 2023 by the US Department of Homeland Security show that about 14% of visitors from Malawi overstay their visas, compared to 11% of Zambian visitors.

Other countries with high overstay rates include Haiti (31%), Myanmar (27%) and Yemen (20%).

Zambia Foreign Minister Mulambo Haimbe told the BBC that the government was “engaging our counterparts to get a full understanding of the implications and what can be done, if anything, to address the underlying issues”.

Since coming to office in January, Trump has signed orders to roll back humanitarian programmes for migrants from certain countries who are already in the US.

The Republican president has also banned foreign nationals from 12 countries from travelling to the US, and imposed partial restrictions on another seven.

His administration has revoked visas for hundreds of international students and detained several others on college campuses across the US, often without any warning or recourse for appeals.

The state department has said it is targeting those who were involved in activities that “run counter” to US national interests.

Many of those targeted have participated in some form of pro-Palestinian activity.

But there have been other cases where cancellations appear to be connected to those with some sort of criminal record, or legal infractions like driving over the speed limit, immigration lawyers have said.

Source: BBC

4, August 2025

Kremlin plays down Trump’s nuclear rhetoric as US envoy set to visit Moscow ⁰

The Kremlin has played down Donald Trump’s orders to move two nuclear submarines closer to Russia, saying Moscow did not want to be involved in polemics.

In the first official reaction since the US president’s comments last Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said American submarines were on combat duty anyway and dismissed the idea that there had been an escalation.

“Very complex, very sensitive issues are being discussed, which, of course, many perceive very emotionally,” Peskov said – though he added that everyone should be “very cautious” with nuclear rhetoric.

US envoy Steve Witkoff is due to visit Russia on Wednesday, according to Russian media.

Last week President Trump ordered two nuclear submarines to “be positioned in the appropriate regions” in response to what he called “highly provocative” comments by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Trump did not say whether they were nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines.

Medvedev – who in recent years has espoused increasingly extreme rhetoric online – had accused Trump of “playing the ultimatum game” with Russia after the US president set a new deadline for Vladimir Putin to end the war with Ukraine.

Without referencing the Medvedev spat directly, Peskov said on Monday that while “in every country members of the leadership… have different points of view”, Russian foreign policy was dictated by Putin alone.

Medvedev did not react to Trump’s response and has not been active on X since sending the offending post.

Relations between the US and Russia improved significantly after Trump took office in January – although in recent months the US president has signalled he suspects Putin may not be truly committed to ending the war in Ukraine, which began when Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Now Trump has brought forward a deadline for Russia to reach a peace deal, threatening Moscow with severe tariffs targeting its oil and other exports if a ceasefire is not agreed by Friday 8 August.

Still, Washington and Moscow remain in contact and Peskov welcomed Witkoff’s trip later this week.

Source: BBC

4, August 2025

Cameroon is developing its road network ⁰

Cameroon’s paved road network is expanding fast, with over 1,000km being surfaced during this year. The investment in road development is having positive benefits for transport and the economy and at the end of December 2024, Cameroon had 10,575 km of paved roads, according to the Ministry of Public Works. Meanwhile, Cameroon’s road network has grown from 55,000km in 1984 to 121,873km at the end of 2024, reflecting the strong growth for transport.

Work for the road linking Ngaoundéré and Garoua will commence before the close of 2025. And a contractor has won the package of works to build the new link road into Douala, the country’s largest city, economic centre and key port. Specific dates for the commencement of these works have still to be announced.

Timelines for road contracts can vary according to the Ministry of Works, with the rainy season causing work to halt periodically.

New road links between Cameroon and neighbouring nations such as Nigeria, Chad and Gabon are further boosting the country’s trade and economic development. Nigeria’s coastal highway project linking Calabar with Lagos and the highway linking Lagos with Ivory Coast capital Abidjan, passing through Ghana, Benin and Togo, will further develop transport between Central Africa and West Africa.

Culled from globalhighways.com

1, August 2025

Biometrics to replace stamps at EU border from 12 October ⁰

Stamps in people’s passports will be replaced by biometric checks for people travelling in and out of the EU from 12 October, officials have confirmed.

The Entry/Exit System (EES) will replace the current paper checks and will mean passengers from the UK will need to have their fingerprints and faces scanned to cross an EU border.

The scheme will be rolled out across member nations over six months, meaning it will not be fully implemented until 10 April 2026.

It was due to come into effect last November but has been beset by technological delays.

Under the new system, non-EU citizens, including people from the UK, will need to register their biometric data along with their passport details to enter an EU country.

Anyone who refuses to provide the biometric data will be denied entry into the EU.

Currently, travellers have to present their passport to a border official to be checked and stamped.

The data will be collected at the point of departure – either at an airport, port or train station – where there will be dedicated booths for scanning fingerprints and taking a photo.

This record will then be valid for three years and means on later trips border officers will only need to verify a person’s biometrics, which the EU hopes will take less time. People with ePassports will also be able to use e-gates.

There is no cost for EES registration.

For most tourists, digital records will only be held for three years and a day – but for those who overstay the 90-day limit without a visa will have their data held for five years.

The system aims to tighten border security but has raised concerns of long queues. The UK government has warned travellers to “be prepared to wait during busy times” when the scheme begins, as the checks will take several minutes to complete.

However, the EU has said that, once implemented, the EES will shorten waits at the border by enabling faster checks and allowing passengers to provide their information in advance.

Since the UK left the EU, airports at many popular European holiday destinations have seen long queues of British travellers as their passports have required checking and stamping.

There have also been long queues at the Eurotunnel, and the new system sparked concerns that waiting times for people travelling to and from France by car would only be exacerbated by the new system.

Passengers will be given hand-held devices to register in their cars, while French border checks have been implemented on British soil at the Port of Dover, the Eurotunnel’s Folkestone end and Eurostar’s St Pancras terminal.

In May, the UK and EU struck a deal which allowed for UK nationals to use EU e-gates – but only after the EES is introduced.

“Once the EES is in place, UK nationals will therefore be able to use e-gates where they are available, provided they are registered in the system,” an EU Commission spokesperson told the BBC at the time.

Some European countries, including Germany and Bulgaria, already allow e-gate access for UK citizens.

Source: BBC