News

9, May 2025

President Putin hosts world leaders at World War II victory parade ⁰

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s World War II Victory Day parade began in Moscow on Friday, an event the Kremlin hopes will rally patriotism at home and project strength abroad as its troops fight in Ukraine.

More than 20 foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attended the annual parade this year, the fourth since Moscow launched a full-scale military assault on its neighbour in February 2022.

Officials promised that commemorations this year – the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany – would be the “biggest” ever, with Putin ordering a “humanitarian” truce with Ukraine over the holiday.

Source: France 24

8, May 2025

Vatican: Cardinal Robert Prevost is now Pope Leo XIV ⁰

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been announced as the new Pope. Here’s a brief overview of his background and history:

Early Life and Education

– Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1955

– Holds degrees from Villanova University in Pennsylvania, Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome

Career Highlights

– Joined the Augustinian mission in Peru in 1985, serving as a priest and later as bishop of Chiclayo in northern Peru

– Elected as the head of the Augustinians’ Chicago-based province in 1999

– Served as prior general of the worldwide Augustinian order from 2001 to 2013

– Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis, advising on bishop appointments worldwide

Notable Qualities

– Languages: Speaks English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese, with reading proficiency in Latin and German

– Pastoral Experience: Served in various roles, including teaching in the diocesan seminary, leading a parish, and working with the Roman Curia

– Synodality: A vocal proponent of Pope Francis’ emphasis on synodality, promoting inclusivity and participation in church structures

Papal Election

– Elected as the new Pope after a conclave of 133 cardinals in Rome’s Sistine Chapel

– Chose the papal name Pope Leo XIV.

– Emerged onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to greet spectators after his identity was confirmed

7, May 2025

World awaits white smoke as cardinals begin conclave to elect new pope ⁰

Roman Catholic cardinals begin the task of electing a successor to Pope Francis on Wednesday, locking themselves away from the world until they choose the man they hope can unite the 1.4 billion-strong Church. Follow our live coverage for the latest developments.

The “princes” of the Catholic Church sequester themselves Wednesday behind the Vatican’s medieval walls for the start of a conclave to elect the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, a successor to Pope Francis who died last month at the age of 88.

The 133 cardinals from 70 countries will be locked inside the Sistine Chapel, where they will vote in secret and silence, having first surrendered their cellphones to be free from outside interference, until they find a new leader for the 1.4 billion-member church.

Source: France 24

7, May 2025

3 Cameroonian soldiers killed, 6 injured in Boko Haram attack ⁰

Terror group Boko Haram raided a locality in Cameroon’s Far North region Tuesday, killing three soldiers, local media and security sources said.

The attack took place in the early hours of Tuesday in Hile-Alifa of the region.

One local source who requested anonymity said that the attack lasted almost two hours and targeted both military and civilian targets, “torching houses and vehicles.”

Six soldiers were injured and rushed to a local hospital, according to the sources.

The militants used sophisticated weaponry including drones in the attack, local media reported, citing security sources.

Boko Haram has been operating in the region since 2014.

Source: Xinhuanet

7, May 2025

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Norway extends Ayaba Cho’s detention ⁰

The Norwegian judiciary has extended the pre-trial detention of separatist leader Lucas Ayaba Cho until June 30, an additional eight weeks following the expiration of his fourth successive police custody on May 5, according to judicial sources.

Ayaba Cho, whose legal name is Lucas Yabah Cho, heads the Ambazonia Defence Force movement, which coordinates numerous armed groups in the conflict-ridden North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon. He is accused of inciting crimes against humanity and financing violent separatist activities.

This decision marks the fifth consecutive extension of his detention since his arrest in Oslo in September 2024. The suspect had publicly claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions.

Emmanuel Nsahlaï, a U.S.-based lawyer of Cameroonian origin who has initiated international legal proceedings against Lucas Ayaba Cho, explained, “The trial could take up to two years to begin, but the Norwegian judicial authorities have emphasized that this extended detention complies with international human rights standards, given the complexity and seriousness of the case.”

Source: Sbbc

6, May 2025

Muyuka: Two Cameroon gov’t soldiers killed in landmine explosion ⁰

Two elements of the Rapid Intervention Battalion have lost their lives in a landmine explosion planted by Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces in Muyenge located in Muyuka Sub Division.

The latest Ambazonia attack occurred late on Monday. Cameroon Concord News gathered from local sources that several other BIR soldiers were injured.

The explosion reportedly caused panic among okada riders and passengers, who fled in different directions despite being under the so-called military escort.

Despite claims by pro Yaoundé government officials that calm has returned to Southern Cameroons which has remained under daily security escorts, the entire South West and North West continues to be a dangerous stretch due to repeated Ambazonia attacks.

Just last week several attacks were staged by Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces in the North West.

By Rita Akana in Muyuka

5, May 2025

Archbishop Nkea re-elected to lead Cameroon Bishops ⁰

The bishops of Cameroon, convening last weekend in Yaoundé, have reappointed Archbishop Andrew Nkea to lead the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (CENC). As he begins his new three-year term, the archbishop of the Diocese of Bamenda, located in the Northwest Region, has outlined his priorities, with restoring peace to the troubled Northwest and Southwest (NOSO) regions at the forefront.

This is not Archbishop Nkea’s first foray into this critical issue. The prelate has frequently voiced his hopes for peace to return to the NOSO during his homilies. In March 2024, just before Easter, he delivered a widely noted message analyzing the root causes of the persistent sociopolitical crisis, which began in 2014. “If this crisis persists, it is because people trust diabolical processes more than they trust God,” he stated.

The Archbishop of Bamenda then proposed a path to ending this human tragedy. “We must pray together. Whether we are Christians, Muslims, or followers of traditional religion, we must unite in prayer, for God is one, He hears our prayers and will give us the solution to this problem,” Archbishop Nkea declared.

One year later, it remains to be seen if this stance has evolved, particularly given Archbishop Nkea’s reputation as a “pilgrim of peace“, a cause to which he dedicates a significant portion of his prayer life. Earlier this year, during the 48th annual seminar of Cameroonian bishops, he urged his fellow prelates to always “promote peace, through which nothing is lost, and without which everything can be lost.”

This likely explains why, beyond the NOSO, where separatist groups clash with the military, Archbishop Nkea also intends to focus on restoring peace in the Far North region, which continues to be plagued by attacks from the Boko Haram terrorist sect.

As he embarks on his second term leading the CENC, the Archbishop of Bamenda is not limiting his efforts to conflict zones. His roadmap also includes a commitment to strengthening unity within the episcopal family. “Our vocation as a Church is to continue walking together in bonds of love and unity, so that the world may believe in the One who sent us,” he reminded the press during a recent gathering of bishops.

By expressing his concern for closer bonds among bishops, Archbishop Nkea indirectly suggests that divisions threaten the cohesion of the CENC. The local press corroborates this, with tensions having regularly made headlines, notably in 2017 during the funeral of Bishop Jean-Marie Benoît Bala, the former bishop of the Diocese of Bafia, who was found dead under suspicious circumstances. While the judicial investigation concluded suicide, some members of the Cameroonian episcopate continue to assert that the prelate was assassinated.

Source: Sbbc

5, May 2025

Rwanda confirms talks with US about taking in migrants ⁰

Rwanda is in the “early stage” of talks with the Trump administration to accept migrants deported by the US, the East African country’s Foreign Affairs Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe has said.

His comments come after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that Washington was “actively searching” for countries that would take in “some of the most despicable human beings”.

Nduhungirehe said the talks were “not new to us” as Rwanda had previously agreed to accept migrants deported by the UK.

However, the UK abandoned the scheme, which faced numerous legal challenges, after Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government took office last July.

Speaking to Rwandan TV on Sunday, Nduhungirehe said the government was in the “spirit” of giving “another chance to migrants who have problems across the world”.

Nduhungirehe added that the talks with the US were continuing, and it was too early to predict their outcome.

Since coming to office in January, US President Donald Trump has focused on speeding up the removal of undocumented migrants, with the promise of “mass deportations”.

In February, El Salvador offered to take in criminals deported from the US, including those with US citizenship, and house them in its mega-jail.

Salvadorean President Nayib Bukele said his government would do so “in exchange for a fee”.

Panama and Costa Rica have also taken in migrants deported from the US.

Last week an unnamed Rwandan official told the Washington Post that the country was “open” to taking in more migrants expelled from the US, after having accepted an Iraqi in March.

The official added that talks with the US started shortly after Trump’s inauguration in January.

Rwanda has previously been criticised for its human rights record, including the risk that those sent to the East African nation could be deported again to countries where they may face danger.

However, Rwanda says it is a safe place for refugees.

Source: BBC

5, May 2025

Ekok: border customs intercept drugs, smuggled beer ⁰

Mobile customs agents in Ekok, a Cameroonian border town adjacent to Nigeria, recently seized 8,720 tablets and 900 milliliters of serum during an inspection of a public transport bus’s luggage compartment.

This latest operation suggests an increased vigilance by customs officials in the area. Just prior, on April 30, 2025, officers from the Southwest Customs Sector in Ekok, which borders Nigeria, conducted two significant seizures.

The first of these involved the Ekok mobile customs brigade. During a routine roadside inspection, officers stopped a public transport bus carrying various goods from neighboring Nigeria. A thorough inspection of the luggage hold revealed a consignment of 65,900 tablets of assorted pharmaceutical products. Authorities determined these products to be of questionable quality and lacking the necessary documentation, and they are slated for destruction in the coming days, sources said.

The second seizure was carried out by the Ekok commercial customs brigade. This operation intercepted 160 crates of “Guinness Nigeria” products, totaling 3,840 bottles, being smuggled into the country. According to the customs communication officer, “With this seizure, customs officers are thwarting attempts to fraudulently introduce sensitive products into the national territory, as well as combating the unfair competition posed by ‘Guinness Nigeria’ products against ‘Guinness Cameroon’ products in consumer markets.“

Notably, the border zone with Nigeria has become a significant target for traffickers and smugglers of all types since the onset of the Anglophone crisis. These individuals utilize the area to transit illicit goods, often to supply secessionist fighters. However, these consecutive seizures indicate that customs surveillance remains active at the borders and within Cameroon’s national territory, now more than ever.

Source: Business in Cameroon

5, May 2025

Francis’s popemobile converted into clinic for Gazan children ⁰

The iconic open-sided vehicle, designed to allow the pontiff to greet crowds of well-wishers, has been transferred to Caritas Jerusalem and will head to Gaza if and when Israel opens a humanitarian corridor.

The car, a converted Mitsubishi, was used by the pope during a 2014 visit to Bethlehem and had since been on display, gathering dust and rust. It has now been repaired and refurbished as a mobile clinic.

“With the vehicle, we will be able to reach children who today have no access to healthcare — children who are injured and malnourished,” said Peter Brune, secretary general of Caritas Sweden.

Brune told AFP that Sweden’s Cardinal Anders Arborelius had asked the late pope, who died on April 21 aged 88, that the spare vehicle be put to use providing essential frontline healthcare to Palestinian children.

It will be fitted with medical equipment and a fridge for medicines and be assigned a driver and a team of doctors.

The popemobile will be fitted with medical equipment and a fridge for medicines

“This vehicle represents the love, care and closeness shown by His Holiness for the most vulnerable, which he expressed throughout the crisis,” said Anton Asfar, secretary general of Caritas Jerusalem.

It was not clear, however, if or when the aid agency’s hoped-for humanitarian corridor would open.

Israel resumed major operations across Gaza on March 18 amid political deadlock over how to build on a two-month ceasefire in its war against Hamas, which was sparked by the militants’ October 2023 attack.

On Monday, Israel’s security cabinet approved an expansion of military operations that would lead to what an official described as the “conquest” of the Palestinian territory.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Sunday that at least 2,436 people had been killed since Israel resumed its campaign on March 18, bringing the overall death toll from the war to 52,535.

Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Source: AFP