News

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

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

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

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

Cameroon is developing its road network

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

Biometrics to replace stamps at EU border from 12 October

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

Cameroon’s natural wealth worth $222 billion

30, July 2025

Cameroon’s natural wealth worth $222 billion 0

Cameroon’s natural capital is valued at $222.3 billion, or about 130,000 billion CFA francs, according to a recent African Development Bank (AfDB) report focusing on the country. This represents 39% of Cameroon’s national wealth and a 4.5% rise from the $212 billion estimated previously.

The World Bank’s 2025 report on Cameroon’s economic situation previously stated that national wealth consists of human, physical, produced, and natural capital. It assessed Cameroon’s natural wealth at 331,800 billion CFA francs.

The AfDB notes Cameroon’s natural capital includes renewable resources such as biodiversity-rich forests that are crucial for climate regulation and carbon sequestration. The country also has an estimated 12,000 megawatts of unexploited hydroelectric potential and significant solar potential, with an average insolation of 5.8 kWh per square meter per day, which favors clean energy production. Non-renewable natural capital comprises oil, natural gas, and mineral resources.

Despite this “significant potential, which constitutes a strategic lever for economic transformation and the achievement of sustainable development goals” in Cameroon, the AfDB observed that “the contribution of natural capital to the Cameroonian economy remains moderate, as its potential is underexploited.” The financial institution cited a decline in natural capital’s contribution to gross domestic product as proof. Natural capital rents fell from 6.5% of GDP in 2018 to 4.7% in 2020, reflecting a decline in the effective economic valuation of these resources, the AfDB reported.

The AfDB noted that the 4.5% increase in natural capital over 25 years conceals a marked relative degradation. Natural capital per capita sharply decreased by 47.9%, falling from $16,105 in 1995 to $8,392 in 2020, the AfDB reported. This decline primarily stems from increasing demographic pressure and unsustainable resource exploitation.

Source: Business in Cameroon

Adamawa: How an American NGO is improving rural farmers’ access to modern agricultural technology

30, July 2025

Adamawa: How an American NGO is improving rural farmers’ access to modern agricultural technology 0

In an area where many families live off of small farms and as much as 30 percent of staples like fonio, maize, rice, sorghum, groundnuts, cowpea, cotton and yams rot before they get to market, a recent pilot in the Adamawa region has provided technical solution. As per MINADER’s May 2024 survey, fonio losses in Mayo‑Banyo averaged 28 percent; by July, 300 households in 15 rural farming areas reported a 25 percent cut back—some 1.2  tonnes of grain saved from rot.

At the heart of this improvement is AgriSafe, a non‑market Android forecasting tool born of collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the nonprofit Key Farmers Cameroon, and a small team of international volunteers. By combining daily inputs—such as grain moisture and ambient temperature—with Cameroon Meteorological Service forecasts, the app calculates spoilage risk and suggests the optimal window for drying, sealing or selling. Rather than high‑pressure marketing, farmers speak most of the outcomes: better timing for drying and sales that has already translated into steadier incomes.

Seventeen‑year‑old US volunteer Sid Mahajan spent more than 200 hours developing the mathematical engine of AgriSafe and leading hands‑on trainings. Local agronomist Marie‑Claire Tchatchoua then conducted field tests on groundnuts and cowpea, calibrating the models for dry‑season humidity surges.

Graduate of the University of Yaoundé I Grace Nche went village to village, taking feedback and simplifying menus so that women with low literacy levels could also follow preservation alerts. Data scientist Olivier Blackburn tuned the system’s machine‑learning module as real‑time readings flooded in, so that recommendations became increasingly reliable.

Tignère Cooperative Lead Pierre Tonzo reports that kind of knowledge revolutionized farmers’ interactions with the market. Surplus sorghum or maize used to rot unattended, for example; now villagers coordinate group sales during periods of minimal spoilage risk—and can compare prices from rival buyers. “Last month, our cowpea fetched 15 percent more than it usually does,” he reports.

Key Farmers Cameroon, established in 2004, supplied seed grants, solar chargers and French‑language guides but emphasizes that decision‑making is local. “We brought resources,” states Executive Director Christelle Ngassa, “but it’s farmers, extension agents and volunteers who determine the product’s future.” Logistics coordinator Jean‑Paul Mbuy managed device distribution and workshop scheduling.

To the future, then: MINADER’s Digital Innovation unit plans to introduce the product to 50 farming communities by early 2026, include localized voice prompts and bring in satellite‑based forecasting for rice and yams. For now, rural Adamawa citizens temper optimism with caution: data‑driven recommendations have saved thousands of kilograms of crops already, but long‑term success will come in transcending power and connectivity challenges to reach every farmer.

African liberation movements: West trying to divide and dominate continent again

29, July 2025

African liberation movements: West trying to divide and dominate continent again 0

Liberation movements from six African countries have gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa, to strengthen unity against Western interference, warning that external forces are attempting to divide African countries and recapture the continent economically.

Several heads of African states whose liberation movements now serve as governing parties in their respective countries gathered in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, over the weekend.

They reflected on their roles in the struggle for freedom and recommitted to unity while defending democratic gains against neo-colonialism.

The delegates also reflected on their role in improving and uplifting the standard of living on the continent.

Apart from internal political issues gripping the organizations, the leaders of the political parties also criticized the interference of Western countries in African affairs, blaming external forces from the West for fueling divisions on the continent.

In a united front, the parties, which were mostly represented by their presidents, vowed not to allow colonialists to recapture the continent through economic and other sanctions.

In response to the latest sanctions by US President Donald Trump, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the external forces have been unrelenting in their quest to obliterate liberation movements from the political radar in the region.

“However, we must remain emboldened by our rich liberation history, which is our greatest teacher. The millions of people who look to liberation movements with hope for a better tomorrow should be a source of inspiration,” he noted.

Mnangagwa added that the liberation movement needs the same vigor and energy that defeated the colonial powers to defeat them again.

“We defeated them in the past, and we shall defeat them again, and again and again. Through our unity and unbreakable solidarity, victory is always certain,” he said.

The president of Namibia and Swapo, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, said that there were concerted efforts by those who were opposed to independence, who masqueraded in economic, political and diplomatic conspiracies to undermine the gains of the movement.

“They are motivated, as we are all aware, by both domestic and foreign policy interests and actively seek to undermine the political dominance of our liberation parties, with the long-term objective of weakening and unseating us from power altogether,” she said.

Nandi-Ndaitwah underlined that those external forces wanted to divide and conquer while extracting the wealth of the continent to benefit their countries.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, for his part, said liberation movements should refuse to accept colonialism as fate.

“We also recall that the project to dismantle apartheid, racism, colonialism and hate was one which profited from international solidarity with the [Organization of African Unity] OAU Liberation Committee as well as the progressive diaspora and friends at the forefront,” he said.

Ramaphosa reminded the delegates that the struggles were not simply for political independence but for the total liberation of their people: economic, cultural, intellectual and social.

The African National Congress (ANC) closed the summit by handing over the leadership to the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) of Tanzania, which is scheduled to host the forthcoming summit.

Source: Presstv

Nigeria kidnappers kill 35 hostages even after ransom paid

28, July 2025

Nigeria kidnappers kill 35 hostages even after ransom paid 0

Kidnappers in Nigeria have killed at least 35 people they abducted from a village in northern Zamfara state despite ransoms being paid for their release, a local official told the BBC.

In recent years, criminal gangs in the region, known in the country as bandits, have taken to kidnapping people as a means to raise money.

In this incident, 56 people were taken from Banga village, Kauran Namoda local government area in March. The gunmen then demanded a ransom of one million naira ($655; £485) per captive, media in Nigeria report.

Local government chairman Manniru Haidara Kaura said that most of those killed were young people who “were slaughtered like rams”.

“What happened was that the bandits demanded ransom money, and after some back-and-forth, they were given what they asked for. They then released 18 people, including 17 women and one young boy, on Saturday,” Haidara added.

“Only they [the gunmen] know why they killed them. They are senseless and heartless people. They forget that they are killing their own brothers, and we will all meet before Allah.”

Sixteen of those released on Saturday are in the hospital receiving treatment, while the bodies of the 38 killed by the bandits are unlikely to be returned as in these cases corpses are rarely released.

In an attempt to curb the spiralling and lucrative kidnapping industry, a law was enacted in 2022 making it a crime to make ransom payments. It carries a jail sentence of at least 15 years, however no-one has ever been arrested on those charges.

It also made abduction punishable by death in cases where victims die.

But families often feel forced to pay to save their loved ones, citing the government’s inability to ensure their safety.

Source: BBC

7,000 Cameroonians face deportation as U.S. court backs Trump’s action

25, July 2025

7,000 Cameroonians face deportation as U.S. court backs Trump’s action 0

On Monday, a U.S. district judge lifted an earlier injunction that had blocked the administration from ending TPS protections for nationals of Cameroon and Afghanistan, effectively clearing the path for the implementation of Trump’s April directive to revoke their protected status.

According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, about 7,900 Cameroonians currently benefit from TPS. The court’s decision could compel them to return to a country still plagued by political unrest and violence, especially in the conflict-ridden Anglophone regions.

The ruling also affects approximately 14,600 Afghans, many of whom face similar risks amid ongoing insecurity in their home country.

In April, the Trump administration announced plans to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands of Afghans and Cameroonians living in the United States, intensifying its sweeping immigration crackdown.

The Trump administration maintains that conditions in both Cameroon and Afghanistan have improved enough to justify ending the protections

The Trump administration maintains that conditions in both Cameroon and Afghanistan have improved enough to justify ending the protections

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed the decision, which marks a significant shift in America’s humanitarian immigration policy.

TPS offers temporary legal status and protection from deportation to nationals of countries facing armed conflict or natural disasters. Cameroonians were granted this protection due to ongoing violence and a deepening humanitarian crisis in their country.

Following the announcement, more than 100 Democratic lawmakers urged top U.S. administration officials to reconsider, warning that ending TPS would force vulnerable immigrants back to “devastating humanitarian and economic conditions.”

Despite widespread opposition, the Trump administration maintains that conditions in both Cameroon and Afghanistan have improved enough to justify ending the protections, an assessment strongly contested by human rights groups and immigration advocates.

Critics argue the move not only endangers thousands of lives but also reflects a broader, hardline approach to immigration under President Trump’s renewed tenure.

Multiple advocacy groups have vowed to challenge the decision in court, raising concerns about safety, due process, and the erosion of the United States’ longstanding humanitarian commitments.

Source: Business Insider Africa

CPDM Crime Syndicate: Martinez Zogo Murder trial postponed again

25, July 2025

CPDM Crime Syndicate: Martinez Zogo Murder trial postponed again 0

An administrative delay on July 21 postponed a military court hearing in Yaoundé for the murder case of journalist Martinez Zogo, adjourning it without debate. The Court of Appeal’s rulings from July 17 had not yet reached the Military Tribunal, effectively halting further proceedings. For nearly six months, hearings before the military jurisdiction have been on hold pending these decisions, which lawyers had requested while challenging various aspects of the case. The Court of Appeal ultimately rejected these challenges.

“At this point, we are simply waiting for the case to be referred back to the military tribunal so that the prosecution can present the facts as outlined in the indictment, the witnesses can be heard, and the process can move forward,” explained lawyer Mbuny, counsel for Lieutenant Colonel Justin Danwe, one of the defendants. The military tribunal set the next hearing for August 11.

This marks another adjournment without debate on the merits, one and a half years after the trial began. Discussions continue to focus primarily on procedural compliance and objections regarding how the preliminary investigation and judicial inquiry were conducted.

These two phases revealed that three commandos from the General Directorate for External Research (DGRE), the state counterintelligence service, tailed, abducted, tortured, and murdered Martinez Zogo, head of radio station Amplitude FM, in January 2023. Lieutenant Colonel Justin Danwe, DGRE head of operations, led the unit.

An investigative commission, composed of gendarmes and police officers and established by the President, implicated DGRE chief Divisional Commissioner Maxime Léopold Eko Eko in addition to Danwe and his arrested men. In total, 12 DGRE agents were arrested.

Civilians, including businessman Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga, Bibey Mayor Martin Savom, and a notorious fake DGRE agent, were also taken into custody.

Source: Sbbc

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