News

3, May 2026

Ambazonia conflict escalates after visit of Pope Leo ⁰

Following the recent visit of His Holiness Pope Leo, tensions in Southern Cameroons have escalated once again, marking a troubling return to violence in the English speaking regions of Cameroon. Several reports indicate that armed clashes have resumed, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 civilians in Ndzerem-Nyam village and 2 government soldiers in Big Babanki.

The resurgence of conflict highlights the fragility of peace efforts and the deep-rooted divisions that continue to fuel unrest between separatist groups and state forces. Civilians remain particularly vulnerable, often caught in the crossfire as hostilities intensify.

Despite hopes that the Pope’s visit might encourage dialogue and reconciliation, the renewed violence underscores the ongoing challenges facing any lasting resolution. Observers continue to call for increased international attention and meaningful negotiations to prevent further loss of life and stabilize the region.

Two Cameroonian soldiers were killed on Friday in an ambush by Ambazonia Restoration Forces at a security checkpoint in Big Babanki in the Tubah subdivision.

Local media reported an increase in attacks on civilians and security forces in the region in recent weeks.

Cameroon has been experiencing an armed separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest since 2017, as separatists seek to create a new nation known as the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

By Fon Lawrence in Bamenda

2, May 2026

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Rights group disputes Ndzerem-Nyam army version ⁰

Fresh details have emerged over the April 26 military operation in Ndzerem-Nyam village, in Cameroon’s North-West Region, with conflicting accounts deepening concerns over what exactly transpired during the raid.

While the Ministry of Defense Cameroon maintains that all those killed were armed fighters, the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa says civilians were among the victims.

According to official communication, security forces carried out a targeted operation against separatist elements, leading to the deaths of 14 individuals described as “terrorists” who allegedly opened fire on troops.

However, CHRDA presents a different picture. The organisation reports that several of those killed were civilians caught in the violence. Among those cited are individuals said to have had no direct involvement in hostilities, including workers and residents present in the village at the time.

‎Operation during cultural gathering

The incident reportedly unfolded in the early hours of the morning, at a time when the community was hosting a cultural event. Sources indicate that both armed separatists and civilians were present, a factor that may have complicated the situation on the ground.

An exchange of gunfire is said to have occurred after security forces moved into the area, though the exact sequence of events remains unclear due to the absence of an independent account.

Property destruction and rising tensions

Beyond the loss of life, the rights group also points to the destruction of civilian property, including houses and motorcycles allegedly set ablaze during the operation.

‎‎The incident is believed to have occurred due to the heightened tensions between neighbouring communities, with reports of disputes linked to the organisation of the cultural festival. These underlying frictions may have contributed to the volatile environment in which the raid took place.

CHRDA has condemned the killings and is calling for a transparent and impartial investigation to establish the facts. Its president, Agbor Nkongho, urged authorities to ensure accountability and clarify the circumstances surrounding the deaths.‎

Source: lebledparle

1, May 2026

Nine African migrants expelled by US to Cameroon ⁰

Nine migrants from four African countries arrived this week in Cameroon after being expelled from the United States, part of a deal between the two countries, one of their lawyers told AFP on Thursday.

The deportees arrived Wednesday and were from Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia and Congo-Brazzaville.

Cameroon is among several African countries that have agreed in recent months to participate in a controversial scheme allowing the United States to send undocumented migrants to third countries when there are impediments to sending them to their own country.

The six women and three men who arrived Wednesday were part of the third such flight since January, joining the seventeen immigrants previously deported by the United States to Cameroon, Alma David, a US immigration lawyer, told AFP.

Joseph Awah Fru, a Cameroonian lawyer who followed the first two groups after their arrival in Yaoundé, confirmed the arrival of this third flight on Wednesday to AFP. According to the New York Times, Washington is paying Cameroon $30 million to be part of the scheme.

The other African countries to have reached similar agreements are Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Rwanda, South Sudan, Eswatini and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Most of these immigrants are prevented from deportation to their own country by the US justice system due to safety concerns, and are therefore sent to a third country, which can then expel them.

Of the seventeen people previously deported to Cameroon, four have been sent to their countries of origin: Morocco, Angola, and Senegal.

US courts had ruled that two Moroccan women’s fears for their safety should they return to Morocco were well-founded.

But after being sent back, they are now living there in hiding, according to Awah.

The thirteen others, who are staying at a centre run by Cameroonian authorities in conjunction with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), will be able to apply for asylum in Cameroon if they wish.

In September, Human Rights Watch stated that these expulsions under “opaque agreements” violated international law and should be rejected.

Source: AFP

1, May 2026

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Francophone soldiers kill 14 People in Ndzerem-Nyam ⁰

The Cameroonian armed forces killed 14 people it called “terrorists,” in the country’s volatile northwest, the defense ministry said.

Cameroon’s two anglophone regions have suffered almost a decade of armed violence following attempts to secede from the rest of the mostly French-speaking central African country.

In a statement released Thursday, Cameroon’s defense ministry said its security forces had neutralized 14 people in the town of Ndzerem-Nyam, in the northwest, on Sunday.

It said soldiers took an “appropriate and professional response” after “heavily armed terrorists opened heavy fire”.

“Several weapons of war” and “improvised explosive devices” were seized, the ministry added, claiming the casualties were “dangerous terrorists”.

African Conscience, an NGO, condemned in a statement on Monday what it called the “brutal killings of at least 14 persons, mostly unarmed civilians” after the military interrupted a cultural ceremony.

It refuted the claim that those killed had been armed, said only a few were separatists, and called on the government to launch an independent investigation.

On a visit to the region in April, Pope Leo XIV condemned an “endless cycle of destabilization and death”.

In 2020, soldiers killed at least 21 people, including pregnant women and children, in Ngarbuh, a village in the northwest.

Conflict erupted after President Paul Biya, who has ruled the central African country since 1982, violently put down peaceful demonstrations in 2016 by English speakers who felt marginalized.

Monitors estimate thousands of people have been killed in the subsequent violence between armed separatists and Cameroonian security forces.

Source: The Defense Post

30, April 2026

Cameroonians in Washington celebrate Pope Leo’s visit to their homeland ⁰

Walking into the Church of the Resurrection in Burtonsville, Maryland, on April 26, the pride and celebration hit you before you even found a seat. The Cameroonian Catholic Community of the Washington, D.C. area was gathering for their monthly Mass, but this wasn’t an ordinary Sunday Mass. Not only was the Catholic Women’s Organization of Cameroonian immigrants marking its 10th anniversary, but the community was also coming together to celebrate the recent historic visit of Pope Leo XIV to Cameroon.

Swaying down the center aisle, the Cameroonian women’s group led the opening procession for the Mass, followed by the concelebrating priests and the main celebrant, Bishop Jerome Feudjio of the Diocese of Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, who is from Cameroon and is the first African-born bishop serving a United States diocese. The joyful singing by the Cameroonian women filled the church before they veered off to the designated choir seats as the Mass began.

An altar server holds a candle before the opening procession for a Mass for Cameroonian Catholic Community of the Washington area held on April 26, 2026 at the Church of the Resurrection in Burtonsville, Maryland. (Catholic Standard photo by Andrew Biraj)

The concelebrating priests included Father John M. Barry, the pastor of Resurrection Parish; and seven priests from Cameroon. Also assisting at the Mass were three deacons from Cameroon, and seminarians from that country were in attendance.

The congregation filling the pews – including the Catholic Women’s Organization and other Cameroonian immigrants – wore colorful and vibrant traditional African church wear. Bishop Feudjio opened with a song, “This is the Day” and the congregation answered him in full voice. As the Mass went on, songs moved between Pidgin and English, the kind of worship that felt like home. When member of the Catholic Women’s Organization danced the lectionary to the altar and Bishop Feudjio lifted it, the congregation erupted in jubilation.

Members of the Catholic Women’s Organization drawn from Cameroonian immigrants in the Washington area participate in a lectionary procession during an April 26 Mass at the Church of the Resurrection in Burtonsville, Maryland. The lectionary was handed to the main celebrant, Bishop Jerome Feudjio of the Diocese of Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, who is from Cameroon and is the first African-born bishop serving a United States diocese. (Catholic Standard photos by Andrew Biraj)

In his homily, Bishop Feudjio congratulated the Catholic Women’s Organization for reaching the 10 year milestone before turning to challenge the entire community. He called on the community to commit more deeply to ministry, service, sacrifice, and witness. The bishop emphasized the importance of working together. stating, “A single hand can’t tie a bundle,” and he said the women’s group had been among the hands holding that community together for a decade.

Bishop Feudjio tied in Scripture, urging the congregation to listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit, and acknowledged the importance of women’s leadership as being fundamental to the Church. “The wisdom of women is the neck that turns the head,” he said. “A strong Catholic women’s organization becomes a protective gate for a parish, a neighborhood, a community, the diocese. They act as guardians of the domestic church, and no one feels alone.”

Bishop Jerome Feudjio gives the homily during an April 26 Mass at the Church of the Resurrection in Burtonsville, Maryland, for the Cameroonian Catholic Community of the Washington area. Bishop Feudjio of the Diocese of Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands is from Cameroon, and he is the first African-born bishop serving a United States diocese. (Catholic Standard photo by Andrew Biraj)

When Pope Leo XIV landed in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon on April 15, he became only the third pope in history to visit that country, following Pope St. John Paul II’s visits in 1985 and 1995, and Pope Benedict XVI’s visit in 2009.

Pope Leo XIV used his 11-day, four-nation African tour as a global platform to speak out against war and corruption, and to uphold the dignity of human life. Days before the papal visit to Cameroon, a three-day ceasefire was declared by the separatist alliance in English-speaking regions to allow civilians and visitors to move freely during the pope’s stay. The visit intersected with the ongoing Anglophone crisis, a separatist conflict that began in 2017 and has claimed more than 6,500 lives and displaced more than 500,000 people.

At a peace meeting in Bamenda, Cameroon, thousands lined the streets to receive Pope Leo. Local Catholic leaders expressed hope that the visit could bring about “tangible miracles” for peace. A blind woman at the airport stayed behind shouting “I have greeted the pope,” while a little girl in Bamenda broke through the crowd to embrace him, becoming a symbol for the entire nation.

People pray during an April 26 Mass at the Church of the Resurrection in Burtonsville, Maryland, for the Cameroonian Catholic Community of the Washington, D.C. area. (Catholic Standard photos by Andrew Biraj)

The Cameroonian Catholic Community of the Washington, D.C. area has been finding its footing in the DMV for more than two decades. In 2005, the D.C. area was home to one of the largest Cameroonian immigrant populations in the United States. That same year, a group of Cameroonians began searching for something familiar, a Mass that looked and felt like worship back home. A community-styled Mass was organized and first held at the Crypt Church in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Lambert Mbom, an architect and Cameroonian Catholic Community coordinator, sought out a permanent parish location. With the help of Jude Ambe, Ita Ngang, and Lucia Chuo of Resurrection Parish, they asked Father Bob Keffer, who was then the pastor there, for permission to hold their monthly Mass, and in June 2006 the Church of the Resurrection became home to that community. A second group, the Catholic Women’s Organization, formed in 2016. The parish has had two Cameroonian priests in residence since 2019. The community is proud to mention that they have produced a priest, Father Bening Achi, who emerged from the Cameroonian choir there.

For Father Herbert Niba, the co-chaplain of the Cameroonian Catholic Community in the Washington area who is currently in residence at Resurrection Parish, the moment carried personal weight. Niba said the papal visit stirred memories of his own experience when Pope Benedict XVI visited Cameroon in 2009, and he was one of the choir members who sang after an intense two month preparation period in anticipation of that papal visit. Niba noted the timing of Pope Leo’s visit added a special impact for the local community, calling it a “divine coincidence.”

Women sing during an April 26 Mass at the Church of the Resurrection in Burtonsville, Maryland, for the Cameroonian Catholic Community of the Washington, D.C. area. (Catholic Standard photos by Andrew Biraj)

Last September, the CCC-WDC joined the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington to mark the 40th anniversary of Pope St. John Paul II’s historic visit to Cameroon, which was the first papal visit to the country. Father Niba encouraged his community and country to use this time to “unveil the best of what these papal visits have given to us.” He also pointed to what he called the “reverse missionary train,” the growing presence of African priests ministering in the diaspora, as evidence of the lasting fruit of the papal outreach to the African church and community.

Pius Ambe, chairman emeritus of the CCC-WDC who led the community from 2016 to 2024, was a young elementary school student in Bafut, Cameroon for Pope St. John Paul II’s first visit in 1985. Watching Pope Leo return to the same villages decades later was nostalgic for him. Ambe noted, “Cameroon is in great need of healing, in great need of peace.” He said Pope Leo “brought with him a balm to heal the pain that people have gone through for so many years, feeling unseen and abandoned.”

Ambe acknowledged the frustration some Cameroonians felt toward the Church during the conflict, believing it had not spoken forcefully enough for justice. For him, Pope Leo’s presence in Bamenda addressed that directly. “There’s no peace without justice,” he said. “The pope coming and speaking very openly and candidly was refreshing. It has helped to heal and uplift people, renewing their hope and increasing their faith.”

During an April 26 Mass at the Church of the Resurrection in Burtonsville, Maryland, for the Cameroonian Catholic Community of the Washington area, Bishop Jerome Feudjio of the Diocese of Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands gives Communion to a woman and blesses a girl. Bishop Feudjio, who is from Cameroon, is the first African-born bishop serving a United States diocese. (Catholic Standard photos by Andrew Biraj)

Ngang Ita, president of the Catholic Women’s Organization of Cameroonian immigrants, said the visit sent a message that extended beyond Cameroon’s borders. For Ita, Pope Leo’s presence on African soil signaled that the faith of the Church is rooted in Africa and the pope’s interest in the continent gives Cameroonians everywhere a deeper sense of belonging. Even from Maryland, she said, gatherings like the one at Resurrection Parish “serve as a reminder of home and a reaffirmation of their place in the universal Church.”

For Emmanuel Grangni Nyasa, current pastoral council chairperson of the Cameroonian Catholic Community in the Washington area, the visit came down to one thing: unity, both within the African church and among Cameroonians here in the diaspora. “The greatest man of our faith bringing his presence brought much needed peace,” Nyasa said. “The Holy Father’s presence unites the whole of Africa as a community to do what we are supposed to do as Catholics.”

At the Church of the Resurrection, Bishop Feudjio brought the Mass to a close as the Catholic Women’s Organization filled the church with song. Before the final blessing, that group offered a tribute to the Blessed Mother, their patron saint, and dedicated flowers in her honor.

Near the end of an April 26 Mass at the Church of the Resurrection in Burtonsville, Maryland, for the Cameroonian Catholic Community of the Washington area, members of the Catholic Women’s Organization of immigrants from that African nation honor the Blessed Mother with flowers. (Catholic Standard photo by Andrew Biraj)

Then the celebration spilled out of the pews to downstairs, where the congregation ate, drank, sang, and danced, marking not only a decade of the women’s group but a papal visit that reminded them, even from 5,000 miles away, that they had not been forgotten.

Culled from Catholic Standard

29, April 2026

Trump attacks German chancellor over criticism of US aggression against Iran ⁰

US President Donald Trump has lashed out at Friedrich Merz after the German chancellor criticized the American aggression against Iran for lacking a clear exit strategy and said Tehran was “humiliating” Washington with its negotiating tactics.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, Trump said Merz “doesn’t know what he’s talking about!”

Earlier, Merz had described the aggression as “ill-considered.”

“The problem with conflicts like this is always you don’t just have to get in – you have to get out again. We saw that very painfully in Afghanistan for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq,” he had added.

Merz had also said Washington was being “humiliated” by Islamic Republic’s negotiating tactics after Tehran refused to rejoin negotiations with Washington, despite the latter’s repeated announcements of its intentions to send over delegates for continuation of the talks.

Trump, however, tried to defend the aggression, saying, “I am doing something with Iran, right now, that other Nations, or Presidents, should have done long ago.”

His remarks echoed his repeated attacks on the US’s NATO allies over their refusal to directly join the aggression, which saw some members even close their airspaces to flights contributing to attacks targeting the Islamic Republic.

Trump went on to extend his criticism of Merz to the way he was running his country.

“No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!”

His comments marked a clear departure from how he would describe Germany during Merz’s last visit to the White House, during which Trump described the European country as “a respected” one and said he had “a very good relationship with the country – in particular now, with this leader.”

Source: Press TV

27, April 2026

Iran condemns terrorist attacks in Mali, assassination of defense minister ⁰

Iran has strongly condemned recent terrorist attacks in Mali, which led to the assassination of Defense Minister Sadio Camara, members of his family, and a large number of civilians, including worshippers at a mosque in the city of Kati near the capital Bamako.

“The fight against terrorism is an international responsibility requiring cooperation and coordination of all countries as well as sustained struggle against the perpetrators, organizers, supporters, and financial sponsors,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in a statement on Monday.

Baghaei extended his condolences to families of the victims and expressed sympathy with the government and people of Mali.

He expressed confidence that the Malian people will overcome terrorism and its supporters through unity and solidarity.

In an official statement, a spokesperson for Mali’s government Gen. Issa Ousmane Coulibaly announced on Sunday that the defense minister died in hospital from injuries he suffered following “cowardly terrorist incidents” the previous morning.

According to the statement, the assailant, driving a car, detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) targeting the minister’s home in Kati, a key military town near the capital.

The government added that the collapse of the minister’s residence caused additional casualties and led to the destruction of an adjacent mosque, where several worshippers and neighbors were killed.

Source: Presstv

23, April 2026

Ekok: Cameroon Customs steps up border crackdown ⁰

Cameroon’s customs authorities carried out a series of high-impact operations over a 48-hour period in the Southwest region. This highlights both the scale of cross-border trafficking and a stepped-up enforcement effort along the Nigerian border.

The operations took place in Ekok, a key transit point between Cameroon and Nigeria, where smuggling networks have long taken advantage of porous borders.

The first seizure, recorded on April 17, 2026, involved 1,500 liters of vegetable oil illegally brought into the country without customs declaration. Authorities said the shipment was intended for local markets, a practice that not only deprives the state of tax revenue but also undercuts compliant businesses.

Less than a day later, on April 18, the commercial brigade intercepted a shipment of 275,000 non-biodegradable plastic packages, weighing about 800 kilograms. Cameroon has introduced restrictions on such plastics for environmental reasons, but their continued presence in illicit channels points to gaps in enforcement and the persistence of smuggling networks.

The third operation, carried out overnight between April 18 and 19 by a mobile brigade, marked a more sensitive development. At a checkpoint, officers stopped a vehicle arriving from Nigeria and discovered 20,100 tablets of Tramadol, a pharmaceutical product often diverted for non-medical use due to its addictive properties.

The driver admitted the cargo was bound for the city of Kumba, also in the Southwest region.

Taken together, the seizures reflect the range of illicit flows moving through the Ekok corridor, from commercial fraud to banned goods and controlled substances. The area remains a strategic gateway for cross-border trade, both legal and illegal.

In response, customs authorities say they are intensifying operations through more frequent inspections, stronger field presence, and better coordination across units, aiming to curb illicit trade and protect public revenue, the environment, and public health.

Source: Business in Cameroon

23, April 2026

Cameroon: A season of death ⁰

Cameroon is actually going through a season of death as government officials having been falling like fish that have drunk gamalin. Ever since the former Senate President Marcel Niat Njifendji, kicked the bucket, it seems as if death is stalking regime stalwarts.

On Tuesday, Nfor Tabetando who was a Senate vice president under Marcel Niat Njifendji, also transitioned to the world beyond where he was received by his former boss with joy.

Both men are today reflecting on their days at the Senate and are asking themselves why they could not engineer meaningful change in their own country.

Today, another regime stalwart, Jean Pierre Biyitti Bi Essam, who once served as the minister of post and telecommunication and the country’s ambassador to Israel, joined Niat and Tabetando where he is updating them on the goings-on in the country.

Former Senate president, Niat Njifendji, asked Jean Pierre Biyitti Bi Essam if their former colleagues and ruling party comrades were still practicing the old politics of bitterness which created a lot of stress for them, leading to their exit from the world.

Jean Pierre Biyitti Bi Essam informed them that change was not on the horizon, adding that things would only change if the majority of the hungry and corrupt elements joined them in the world beyond.

Their discussions are now focusing on those who will be joining them soon, especially as many of them are old, fragile and suffering from diabetes and prostrate issues.

Mr. Jean Pierre Biyitti Bi Essam informed Nfor Tabetando and Mr. Niat that the Constitutional Council might soon be bereaved as many of its members are seriously ill, with one of them suffering from acute dementia.

By Chi Prudence Asong

22, April 2026

Iran says ‘closely monitoring developments’ after Trump extends ceasefire ⁰

Iran says it will take necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and security while closely monitoring battlefield and political developments, after US President Donald Trump unilaterally extended the ceasefire.

On Tuesday, Trump extended a two-week ceasefire with Iran while announcing the continuation of an illegal blockade on the Islamic Republic’s ports and vessels, despite Tehran’s insistence that the blockade must be lifted for bilateral talks to continue.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the extension came “upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan.”

In response to a question regarding Pakistani Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar’s request for the ceasefire, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei pointed out that Iran was not the initiator of the imposed war.

He said that all of Iran’s actions were carried out in line with its inherent right of legitimate self-defense against the US-Israeli military aggression.

Iran, while closely monitoring field and political developments, will adopt the necessary and appropriate measures to protect its national interests and security, he added.

He further noted that the armed forces, with full vigilance, are ready to defend Iran’s national integrity comprehensively and decisively against any threat or act of mischief.

Source: Presstv