News

26, June 2018

Media Entrepreneur Peace Hyde opens the Aim Higher Africa (AHA) Skills Acquisition Centre in Lagos ⁰

Named as a powerful woman on the continent by CNN, Media Entrepreneur and Head of Digital Media and Partnership for Forbes Africa, Peace Hyde, has opened another branch of her innovative entrepreneurship development and skills acquisition non-profit, Aim Higher Africa (http://AimHigherAfrica.com/) in Lagos.

Located in the Silicon Valley of Nigeria, Yaba, The AHA skills acquisition center is designed to train unemployed youth and grassroot entrepreneurs as well as startups through its innovative Mind-set Reorientation and Design Thinking Curriculum (MRDT) to build scalable and sustainable businesses that will create value for their communities and also provide opportunities for the thousands of unemployed youth in Lagos.

“Aim Higher Africa MRDT Curriculum responds to the problem of unemployment through youth entrepreneurship, which offers innovative solutions for economic growth among young people. To address these critical issues, we are working with international organizations, the private sector and development organizations to increase and improve young people’s access to financial services, financial literacy and entrepreneurship and employment skills training,” says Hyde.

This year, the organization was profiled on CNN for its impact and building over 600 businesses in West Africa leading to some 3000 jobs for youth. Hyde who also has a background as a senior management executive from a leading UK education institution where she also taught as a Science teacher for 7 years, created the MRDT curriculum along with innovation and entrepreneurship professor, Dr. Gordon Adomdza, PHD. holder from the University of Waterloo and a lecturer at Harvard University.

“Our new center has a vision of helping entrepreneurial youth, build their business skills, their links to markets and access support such as from financial services and through mentoring. The world is bursting with opportunity; every day, new inventions answer questions we had never thought to ask.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Aim Higher Africa.

26, June 2018

North, South Korea mull connecting railways ⁰

Officials from North and South Korea have met to discuss connecting the railways that run useless across their border amid a rapprochement on the long-divided peninsula.

The talks were held in the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas on Tuesday, the first on the issue in 10 years.

A train line connecting Seoul to Pyongyang and on to Sinuiju on the Chinese border already exists. It was built by Japan in the early 20th century, long before the 1950-53 Korean War, which politically divided the two Koreas.

Linking up the railways and modernizing the North’s aging rail infrastructure would benefit trade-dependent South Korea as it would give it a land route to the markets of China, Russia, and on to Europe.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have significantly eased since January this year, when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed interest in the betterment of relations with South Korea. Vigorous diplomacy soon followed, and Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in then met in a historic summit.

Later, the US, too, engaged in diplomacy with Pyongyang, which culminated in a summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore on June 12.

The two Koreas have, however, advanced their relations far more swiftly than Washington and Pyongyang. The US continues to maintain harsh sanctions on the North.

South Korea’s chief delegate Kim Jeong-ryeol said in the Tuesday meeting that progress on the railway issue would only become possible after international restrictions on North Korea are eased.

“But, he said, “we can thoroughly research and study various projects we can pursue after the sanctions are lifted.”

25, June 2018

Nine EU nations set to formalize a joint military intervention force ⁰

The French defense chief says nine European Union countries are set to formalize a plan for the creation of a joint European military intervention force, which would have the backing of Britain following its exit from the 28-nation bloc.

Representatives of the EU countries—France, Germany, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Estonia, Spain and Portugal—will meet in Luxembourg later on Monday to sign a letter of intent on the issue, Florence Parly said in an interview with Le Figaro.

The plan, which was launched last year by French President Emmanuel Macron, involves “joint planning work on crisis scenarios that could potentially threaten European security,” according to a source close to the minister.

The force is intended to be rapidly deployable to deal with those situations, including natural disasters, intervention in a crisis or evacuation of people.

The joint military force would be separate from other EU defense cooperation and will operate independently of the union.

“This is clearly an initiative that allows the association of some non-EU states,” Parly said. “The UK has been very keen because it wants to maintain cooperation with Europe beyond bilateral ties.”

Germany, which was initially reluctant to join the military plan, announced earlier this month that it would support it.

The new government in Italy “is considering the possibility of joining” but has not made a final decision yet, said the French minister. The former government had shown interest in the plan.

In December 2017, 25 EU states inked a major military deal, under which they agreed to cooperate in various projects, but it is not clear whether London would be allowed to take part in any of them once it leaves the bloc.

Britain, Europe’s biggest military power along with France, will no longer be allowed to operate within the union after its separation from the bloc.

The United Kingdom voted to leave the EU by a margin of 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent in a referendum held on June 23, 2016. It is now involved in a complicated debate with the EU for the separation.

Source: Presstv

23, June 2018

Five killed in Boko Haram bomb attack in Nigerian village ⁰

At least five people have been killed and six others injured after Boko Haram Takfiri terrorists launched an attack on a village in Nigeria’s northeast.

Residents said Saturday that a bomber, suspected to be a member of the Takfiri terrorist outfit, detonated his explosives among a group of residents sleeping in the open in Tungushe village, which lies six kilometers (nearly four miles) north of the provincial capital of Maiduguri, at about 12:15 a.m. (2315 GMT) on Friday.

Mustapha Muhammad, a civilian militia leader in the area, said the blast was followed by gunfire from Boko Haram militants lurking in the dark.

Tungushe resident Umara Kyari also said the attackers torched eight thatched houses and three vehicles.

The Nigerian government has insisted on several occasions that Boko Haram has technically been rooted out from its bastions in northern Nigeria. However, attacks have continued unabated in crowded places, mostly by female recruits. The attacks have targeted mosques, markets and camps housing displaced people.

On Wednesday, 15 people, including military personnel, were injured when two bombers targeted a market on the edge of a military base in Maiduguri.

On June 16, six young girls killed 43 people in bomb attacks in the town of Damboa.

Since 2009, acts of terror by Boko Haram have left at least 20,000 dead and made over 2.6 million others homeless. The group pledged allegiance to the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in 2015.

Boko Haram, whose name roughly translates as “Western education is forbidden,” has used kidnapping as a weapon of war, seizing thousands of women and young girls as well as men and young boys.

The United Nations warned late last year that areas affected by Boko Haram face humanitarian crisis. Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states in northeast Nigeria are the three states most affected.

23, June 2018

Cross River hosts 21, 000 refugees from Southern Cameroons ⁰

Following the crisis in Southern Cameroons, the Cross River State is currently playing host to over 21, 000 refugees.

The representative of the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Migrants, Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, Mr. Ayasanya Akintunde said this in Ikom as the world celebrated the 2018 World Refugee Day, with the theme “We Stand with the Refugees”.

He said millions of people are displaced from their country due to conflicts and other factors and “Nigeria is playing host to about 21, 000 refugees from neighboring Cameroon Republic.”

Akintunde expressed the hope that “the crisis will be resolved timely to enable the refugees return home”, while urging their host communities to continue to give them support in the spirit of humanity.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Field Officer, Mr. Muhammed Nasry said the agency is doing everything within its powers to provide succour for the refugees, migrants and asylum seekers,

He said the world refugee day is a time to recognize the humanity of refugees and called for positive actions from stakeholders that can alleviate their plight.

Muhammed stated that, “getting laws and policies right is vital, but it is local people that are on the frontline when refugees arrive and whose welcome makes the difference between rejection and inclusion, between despair and hope and between being left behind and building a future”.

On his part, Head of Ikom Local Government Administration, Mr. Julius Adie, the Divisional Immigration Officer (DIO), Amor Austine, the Judge of the High Court, Justice Obojor Ogar told the refugees to be law abiding and to feel free to explore all available channels of communication to register their complaints and assured the Cameroonian refugees of adequate security and protection.

Representative of the refugees, Mr. Tabe Karim urged the United Nations to step in fully to resolve the problem in Cameroon to enable them return home and continue their normal lives.

Culled from The Guardian

23, June 2018

US throws weight behind Cameroon’s humanitarian plan for Southern Cameroons ⁰

The US says it may support a humanitarian plan unveiled by the Cameroonian government aimed at responding to the crisis in the north west and south west regions of the country. The authorities in Yaoundé outlined a 19-million-euro project to carry out reconstruction as well as provide food and basic necessities including blankets and mattresses.

“The United States commends the Cameroonian government for taking the initiative to address the problem of humanitarian assistance and access in the north west and south west regions,” said US Ambassador Peter Barlerin.

“We will be examining the proposal closely with a view towards considering how we may be able to support it. We call on both sides to renounce further violence and urge broad-based dialogue with no pre-conditions,” according to a statement sent to RFI.

Cameroon’s Prime Minister Philemon Yang on Wednesday presented a report detailing the government’s assessment of the crisis in the Anglophone regions. The humanitarian aid package will be paid for through the state budget, a national solidarity fund and contributions from international partners, according to the 23-page report.

The package includes 7.6 million euros for reconstruction, 5.7 million euros for food and 4.7 million euros for basic necessities such as blankets and mattresses.

Almost 75,000 people have been internally displaced by violence in the Anglophone regions, according to the government report. In addition, more than 20,000 people from the north west and south west regions have registered as refugees in neighbouring Nigeria, according to the UN refugee agency.

The government report also blamed armed separatists for the violence in the Anglophone regions, attributing the deaths of some 84 members of the security forces to assassinations and several decapitations.

“These terrorist groups have carried out a number of crimes, executions,” Prime Minister Yang said during the presentation of the report in Yaoundé. “The terrorists have notably attacked the education sector, economic activity, the security forces, administrative and traditional authorities as well as civilians,” he added.

The Cameroonian authorities said the Anglophone separatists had burned schools, recruited child soldiers, committed rape and spread disinformation and fake news designed to promote “imaginary atrocities” carried out by the security forces.

However, the separatists, who are fighting for the establishment of an independent state called Ambazonia, rejected the government’s accusations, despite taking credit for the killing of Cameroonian security forces.

“If there have been military deaths within the conflict, we have no apology to give Cameroon about the deaths of its terrorist forces within Ambazonia,” said Cho Ayaba, leader of the Ambazonia Governing Council. The Ambazonia Governing Council is linked to the Ambazonia Defence Forces, one of the armed groups involved in clashes with the security forces.

“Armed separatists are not responsible for the burning of schools,” Ayaba told RFI in a telephone interview, saying that the separatists do not use child soldiers or incite hatred via social media.

“It’s a laughable plan,” Ayaba said of the government’s humanitarian proposal. “It invades, it shatters communities, deprives them of their livelihood, burns down their means of survival, chases them out of their homes and then throws a bone and hopes that, like hungry dogs, they’ll fight over it.”

Rights group Amnesty International has accused both sides of being responsible for rights abuses since a spike in violence in the Anglophone regions.

The Amnesty report accused the separatists of being responsible of the burning down of at least 42 schools. But also levelled allegations at the security forces, blaming them for targeting whole villages in the north west and south west regions.

Amnesty described the response to the Anglophone crisis as “heavy-handed” with the army and police responsible for unlawful killings, extra-judicial executions, destruction of property, arbitrary arrests and torture.

The crisis in the Anglophone regions of the country began with protests demanding the use of the English language in classrooms and courts. But since last October it has escalated with the self-declaration of independence for so-called Ambazonia. Separatists with basic weapons and little training have clashed with Cameroonian security forces.

Source: RFI

22, June 2018

UN urges US to find alternatives to detaining child migrants ⁰

The UN human rights office has urged the Trump administration to find alternatives to its present immigration policies and stop detaining migrant children.

“While we acknowledge the US government’s decision not to continue separating children from their parents, we understand that the practice now will be to detain the children with their parents,” UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told a Geneva briefing on Friday.

“We have said time and again the children should never be detained in relation to their or their parents’ migration status. It is never in the best interests of the child for them to be detained,” Shamdasani added.

On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order to halt family separations at the country’s southern border, but asserted that his policy against illegal border crossing was still in place.

This comes as the Trump administration has reportedly decided to place up to 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children on military bases starting as early as next month.

According to a new Pentagon memo, the request to the Department of Defense for assistance was made by the Department of Health and Human Services.

“HHS has requested DOD determine its capabilities to provide up to 20,000 temporary beds for unaccompanied children at DOD installations,” according to a notification, sent to lawmakers on Wednesday.

A spokesman for the Defense Department said later that Pentagon will make space available on military bases for the children detained after illegally crossing the US-Mexico border.

Thousands of people have been protesting in several US cities in recent days and activists are planning nationwide protests on June 30 following reports on the inhumane treatment of immigrants.

In May, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a “zero tolerance” policy towards undocumented migrants and refugees, promising to prosecute those who crossed the southern border illegally. Part of that approach has been separating children from their parents who are detained.

Currently, there are over 10,000 children being detained in the United States.

22, June 2018

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Biya regime launches emergency humanitarian plan ⁰

The PM on June 20, 2018 gave details on the strategy and how the money will be raised to restore a conducive environment for the socio-economic development of the affected areas.

People and structures affected in one way or the other by the close to two-year socio-political crisis raging on in the North West and South West Regions will receive multifaceted assistance from an Emergency Humanitarian Assistance Plan put in place by government with instructions from the Head of State, Paul Biya. Prime Minister Head of Government, Philemon Yang, launched the Contingency Plan in Yaounde yesterday June 20, 2018 in a ceremony at the Cabinet Meeting Hall of the Star Building hugely attended by Cabinet Ministers, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and some elite of the restive regions.

Setting The Base

The Head of Government used the launching ceremony to remind the attendees of the atrocities committed thus far by terrorists since the second quarter of 2016 when legitimate concerns on the functioning of the Common Law System and the English System of Education were hijacked by lawbreakers to wreak havoc on the population and government structures. Prime Minister Yang notably highlighted the attacks on security forces, administrative and traditional authorities as well as acts of arson that have left far-reaching consequences on the population. For instance, he said as at June 11, 2018, some 123 attacks had been perpetuated on security officers causing 84 deaths, cases of arson on some 120 schools in the North West and South West Regions as well as some 15 attacks on traditional rulers. Cases of children being forced into the terrorists forces, racketeering, looting, rape and gruesome killing of citizens by the terrorists, the PM said, were regrettable and could not leave the Head of State indifferent. This as it created a serious humanitarian crisis that today requires substantial resources to guarantee a promising future for the affected population.

Telling Statistics

The Prime Minister disclosed that so far, the two regions have registered over 74,966 internally displaced persons from the crisis. 8,554 for the North West and 66,412 for the South West. He said children who could not brave the odds in the regions took refuge in others to pursue education thanks to which they successfully sat end-of-course and year examinations.

Priority Areas of the Emergency Plan

QIt emerged from the Head of Government’s presentation that priority will be given to the protection of displaced persons, healthcare, education, the resumption of economic and agricultural activities and housing among others. Restoring a conducive environment favourable to the return to normalcy of the socio-economic development of the affected areas, promotion of social cohesion and living together, he added, will be given due consideration. Mr Yang disclosed that emphasis will be given to the rehabilitation of health structures either destroyed or abandoned likewise school edifices that equally suffered the same fate before the resumption of the next academic year. Meanwhile, farm inputs will be dished out to the affected population to boost agro-pastoral activities which have been the mainstay of the affected population.

The Funds And Sources

The Emergency Humanitarian Assistance Plan, the Head of Government said, needs FCFA 12,716,500,000 to attain set objectives. The money, he added, will come from the State budget, call for national and international solidarity as well as assistance from development partners. An Ad Hoc Committee placed under the Minister of Territorial Administration will pilot the plan to fruition. The Prime Minister will flag off the fundraising in Yaounde this June 21, 2018.

Talking points on the Emergency Humanitarian Assistance Plan for the North West and South West regions

1. The socio-political crisis in the North West and South West Regions started with some concerns raised by some lawyers and teachers of English expression in the two Regions.

2. The Government has been taking measures to dialogue with representatives of the two socioprofessional groups. Two Ad Hoc Committees were created to this effect in November 2016, on the instruction of the Head of State.

3. The Head of State took important measures to respond to the concerns raised by the teachers and lawyers of English expression. The Head of State has provided more than what was requested.

4. Representatives of the teachers’ trade unions have continued to dialogue with the Government.

5. The President of the Republic went further and created the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism (NCPBM) which is currently at work.

6. Terrorists have transformed such legitimate concerns into an opportunity to create terror in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon.

7. Acts of terrorism are directed on schools, economic activities, security forces, and administrative and traditional authorities.

8. These acts of terror have resulted in the death of many security officials: 84 deaths have been recorded.

9. The Head of State is working to restore peace and security in the two Regions in line with the laws and regulations in force.

10. Terrorist activities have led to internal displacement of some people, while others have sought refuge in foreign neigbouring and friendly country.

11. Under the authority of the President of the Republic, the Government is responding to the problem of internally displaced persons (IDPs), and wishes to increase support measures in collaboration with its partners and people of good will.

12. In the face of these challenges, the Head of State has instructed the putting in place of the Emmergency Humanitarian Assistance Plan for the North West and South West Regions, placed under the supervision of the Minister of Territorial Administration, with a budget of 12.7 billion CFAF.

13. The call for solidarity and generosity to finance this humanitarian plan is not new to Cameroonians. A similar show of solidarity and generosity was recorded in the case of the humanitarian crisis caused by Boko Haram

14. The following areas have been identified as priority: protection of displaced persons, food and basic needs, healthcare, education, the resumption of the economic and agricultural activities, housing, and the reconstitution of individual administrative documents.

Culled from Cameroon Tribune

21, June 2018

Hundreds stranded in Southern Cameroons, as Ambazonian fighters block roads ⁰

Hundreds of Cameroonians have been stranded in Kumba since Saturday (June 16) because of road blocks erected by secessionists, on the main road to the troubled Southwest region’s capital city, Buea.

The Kumba – Buea axis is a major trading route for cocoa from Kumba to the Buea hub. It is also a route frequented by many travellers.

What began in late 2016 as a peaceful movement calling for greater representation of the mostly French-speaking country’s Anglophone minority, morphed into conflict after a heavy-handed government response, in which troops shot at civilians from helicopter gunships and burned villages.

The army denies such accusations but authorities say a crackdown is necessary to restore peace and curb banditry, describing it as an anti-terrorist operation.

The unrest in the oil- and cocoa-producing southwest and northwest regions often involves hit-and-run attacks by insurgents targeting the army.

Residents of the region say their lives have been disrupted, while travellers are now stranded due to road blocks and repeated attacks.

“I am totally living in fear, because most of their machines (military tanks) that are passing (by the road) I have never seen them, I have never. This is my first time for seeing the types of guns they are moving with it so am in fear.

So when they are passing with those guns like that to me I just know that death is by the corner, and it’s difficult for me even to move and to look for something to eat. So where I stay I just like a prison yard. I cannot move. Am here just because, because of the transport issue without that I could have sat at home,” said Peter Agbor, a traveller.

“I have been here for 5 days. All this has really hindered my journey because am going to spend like some few days with my aunt in Buea before going back to where am from, like to help to raise income for my studies next year.

So it has really hindered me because I have not been able to reach Buea till today. We came here on Saturday and we are still here. We were told the roads were to be open yesterday but since there is still a barrier on the road we can’t go,” said Juliette Musongo, another traveller.

Clashes between insurgents fighting for a breakaway republic in Cameroon’s Anglophone region and security forces, have killed scores of people and displaced tens of thousands more since the conflict intensified late last year.

Insurgents have abducted and killed soldiers and policemen in hit-and-run guerrilla raids.
The government issued a report on Wednesday (June 20) saying Armed separatists in English-speaking regions of Cameroon have killed over 80 soldiers and police since their insurgency began in September last year.

Source: Africa News

21, June 2018

Amnesty International Finds Trouble Brewing in Cameroon ⁰

In a new 37 page report, the rights watchdog Amnesty International has documented “unlawful killings, destruction of private property, arbitrary arrests and torture” in two restive regions in Cameroon tied to a power struggle pitting French against English-speaking Cameroonians.

In the Amnesty report titled, “A turn for the worse: Violence and human rights violations in Anglophone Cameroon”, victims gave harrowing accounts of beatings and allegations of simulated electrocution and torture carried out by the military as well as attacks on schools and teachers by armed Anglophone separatists.

“Far from resolving the crisis, the clampdown on any form of dissent and the heavy-handed response by the Cameroonian authorities and security forces appear to have empowered and created space for more radical and violent movements to emerge, with a focus on secession and armed struggle,” Amnesty said.

Unrest in Cameroon drew international attention in November 2016 when English-speaking teachers and lawyers in the northwest and southwest began calling for reforms and greater autonomy. They marched on the streets, criticizing what they called the overbearing influence of French in the country, which has English and French as its official languages.

Last month, a military tribunal sentenced seven English-speaking detainees to 10 to 15 years in prison in connection with the unrest that has paralyzed business. Among them was radio host Mancho Bibixy, leader of the so-called “coffin revolution” who used an open casket in street demonstrations calling for better conditions for the poor.

While news accounts refer to “separatists” and “Anglophones”, few discuss the historic ties of the “separatists” to Ambazonia, the southern territory of Cameroon founded for freed slaves in the 19th century, ceded to Germany, regained by the armies of France, Britain and Belgium and finally becoming a UN trust territory in 1961.

Among the news sites that follow Ambazonia is the U.S.-based Waging Nonviolence. In a story this month on the deteriorating situation in southern Cameroon, they write:

“The patience of some Ambazonians has worn thin over the past several months, as government repression continues to escalate. While the majority have stuck with nonviolent resistance, a violent flank of separatists have armed themselves, using guerrilla tactics to abduct and kill agents of (President Paul) Biya’s government. This has enabled Biya to brand the military occupation of Ambazonia as a struggle against terrorism. And scorched-earth tactics have increased since late 2017 as a result.”

Culled from The Chronicle