A dozen of Boko Haram fighters were killed during a heavy gun battle in the Kolofata district in the Mayo-Sava Division, the Far-North region.   The militants of the Nigerian Islamic sect armed with war rifle and on motorcycles attacked the village of Ndaba located at a border crossing in Nigeria forcing people to flee.

Cameroon Concord News gathered that the Cameroonian army under the banner of the Joint Multinational Force, whose first sector is stationed at Mora, reacted decisively. According to our source, some 12 assailants were killed and 6 elements of the Rapid Intervention Batallion, BIR were wounded by bullets- one seriously.

More than thirty civilians were also wounded during the Boko Haram onslaught on Ndaba. A day before the attack on the Kolofata district, 4 members of the vigilance committee based in Achigachia died in clashes with Boko Haram terrorists who alleged allegiance to the organization of the Islamic state and is now called, Province of Islamic State in West Africa.

Early in the morning of Friday, a Kamikaze was killed and 1 civilian seriously wounded, in a suicide bombing in Tchakarmari. Sporadic fighting has been reported recently when the Yaounde authorities long announced that the army had weakened the group.

By Rita Akana

The hearing started today at 11:14am with the counsel for the civil parties presenting their memorandum of appearance after which they made an oral application for an adjournment to consult the case file- an application which the defense argued vigorously against by citing several provisions of the law to buttress their points.

The prosecution on the other hand declared their readiness to open their case by calling their witnesses. The prosecution had 17 witnesses to prove their case. Conspicuous among the counsel for the civil parties was the controversial Barrister Achu Julius Tabe Ngu.  An application for bail to be granted to Barrister Balla and Neba by the defense was argued vigorously by Barrister Karim Khan, one of the human right lawyers from the UK attending trial. He argued the application for more than an hour citing provisions of the constitution and international conventions and treaties duly signed and ratified by Cameroon notably the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights of 1966, the Bill of Rights and the African Charter on Humans and Peoples Right. He ended his submission by saying that “judges try cases but cases do try judges”.

Other former bar Presidents four in their numbers and other senior colleagues also argued the bail application.  After the lengthy arguments from the defense for the bail application, the prosecution requested for adjournment to reply to the application which was granted. The matter was thus adjourned to the 24^th of May at the instance of the prosecution.

Three Cameroon soldiers engaged on the front-line in the war against Boko Haram have fallen. The soldiers were victims of an explosion from an improvised explosive devise planted by the Nigerian Islamic sect.

The land mine hit their armored truck between the towns of Homeka and Bladole. Five other officers who were in the military vehicle were injured. Amongst the injured was the body guard of the Commander of the Regiment 1 of the Joint Multinational Task Force, Bouba Dobekreo.

The recent attacks come at a time when the Boko Haram terrorist group has been losing grounds though military sources consider it still very dangerous.

Cameroon’s Defense forces in conjunction with the Multinational Joint Task Force have pushed the terrorists out of the national territory and have destroyed their artillery. This explains why the terrorist group has resort to landmines and the use of children as suicide bombers. Vigilante groups have been very active assisting security forces in capturing suicide bombers who attempt to cause havoc in towns and cities in the Far North.

Source: CRTV

The Mayor of Buea Council Patrick EKEMA Esunge has described as ‘secessionists’ traders who close their shops on ghost town days in his municipality. Patrick Ekema made the pronouncement on Monday April 24, 2017 in Buea during a press briefing on the civil disobedience situation in Buea.

Angered by the fact that many shops have remained permanently closed despite a recent march against ghost towns organized by the ruling CPDM crime syndicate, Mayor Ekema, an agent of the Francophone political elites said he wish that Barrister Agbor Balla and Dr. Fontem be given the death penalty.

Patrick EKEMA Esunge said ghost towns have been less effective these days but that some ‘secessionists’ around Molyko are still adhering to the strike action orchestrated by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium.

The mayor who has a harem of mistresses noted that areas like Buea town, Bongo Square are not in any way observing ghost town as shops were wide open on Monday and the Buea town Market was booming with traders and buyers present for their daily activities.

The mayor also renewed his scathing attacks on his predecessor, Senator Mbella Moki Charles accusing him of being tactless and reckless. Ekema observed that Mbella Moki should stay clear of Buea council issues. “He cannot talk on behalf of Buea Municipality today,” Patrick EKEMA said.

By Rita Akana with files from CIN

A small group of Francophone soldiers dressed as civilians have staged an ‘Anti-Ghost Town’ march in Bamenda. The troops attempted to lure the Okada riders to join them but met with a stone wall. The young military men and women parked their vehicle at Below Foncha Street from where they were given white tee shirts and placards to carry out the demonstration.

The troops are part of a regiment deployed to protect the chaotic university games currently going on in Bamenda. The scantily attended march denounced the observation of ghost town put in place by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium.

The Francophone soldiers marched through Ngeng Junction, Fokou, Nkwen and stopped at the Grand Stand where a statement crafted by the ruling CPDM crime syndicate was read. The so-called anti ghost town marchers held banners with writings aimed at dissuading the Bamenda population from observing ghost town.

However, the anti ghost town parade was greeted with an effective civil disobedience on the ground as the soldiers carried on their activity. The Bamenda anti ghost town march is a follow up to those organized in Limbe, Kumba as well as Buea.

By Rita Akana

Cameroon Concord News Group

Initially scheduled for today Monday the 24^th of April 2017 at the Buea Court of First Instance in the Southwest region, the trial of the Right Reverend Fonki Samuel Forba, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon has been postponed to Monday, June 5th.

In a communiqué dated 21 April 2017 and signed by Beatrice Nambangi, the President of the Buea Court of First Instance, the magistrate indicated that Reverend Fonki Samuel of the Presbyterian Churche in Cameroon should not appear in court as earlier announced. Beatrice Nambangi did not give any reason for the adjournment.

As a reminder, the Moderator including the Roman Catholic Bishops of the Bamenda ecclesiastical province have been accused by a group calling itself the Consortium of Parents of having cashed the tuition fees for the 2016/17 School year that is drawing to a close without dispensing classes and keeping the doors of their institutions closed thus encouraged the crisis that has paralyzed the English-speaking regions since November 2016.

Moreover, retired Colonel Tamambang Nche, one of the parents mentioned in the direct citation as authors of the complaint, denied his involvement. He observed that it may be a confusion of identity or a usurpation of title.

By Sama Ernest

Cameroon Concord News