According to unimpeachable sources, a high level delegation of Lawyers and Teachers, headed by Barrister Harmony Bobga convened in Ndawara, Boyo Division, at the legendary home of business mogul and Biya protege, Alhadji Baba.

Our concurring sources said the meeting was at the behest of President Biya who reached out to his friend Alhadji Baba. According to my sources, Alhadji Baba said that President Biya was not getting the truth from the men around him and had reached out to him so he could get to the bottom of the problems. But first, the President indicated that talk of federation had to be “off the table”.

Accompanied by France 24 because some participants “were in fear of not coming out of that fortress” alive, the lawyers and teachers maintained their demands, viz:

1) Common Law Bar;

2) Common Law Chamber at the Supreme Court;

3) Common Law School to train lawyers as well as Common Law Judges

4) Separate Education Council to take care of Southern Cameroons education from kindergarten through University;

5) Return control of entry into professional schools back to the Universities and away from the corrupt Ministry of Higher Education;

6) Return to two State Federation.

The 12 hour long session started Sunday afternoon and ended in wee hours of Monday at 2:00am, the time at which lawyers finished drafting the document that was immediately dispatched to the Presidency for translation and then forwarded to the President. The Lawyers, Teachers and Civil Society present hope to hear from the President soon.

But they made it clear, sources say, that if there is no reasonable action by the Head of State, things will move into phase three. In the meantime, talk was rife about an impending cabinet change in the wake of the monumental failure by PM Yang and the poor handling of the situation by Fame Ndongo of Education, as well as his colleagues at the Ministry of Justice and Paul Atanga.

By Innocent Chia

The U.S. Ambassador to Cameroon, Michael Stephen HOZA, has announced that Cameroon-U.S. relations will witness a significant growth in Donald Trump’s administration. He made this revelation on Friday 02 December 2016 at the Unity Palace after an audience with the Cameroonian dictator, Paul BIYA.

Ambassador HOZA said his meeting with the Head of State was aimed at reassuring Cameroonians that the U.S. will continue its trajectory with the next administration come 20 January 2017. Thus, efforts will be made to support Cameroon in; the fight against the Boko Haram terrorist group, peace and stability in the Central African Republic, and the promotion of maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea.

The U.S. diplomat equally expatiated on a statement issued by the U.S. State Department on the strike actions led by Anglophone lawyers and teachers in Cameroon. He said the issue was raised during the audience and the Head of State shared the same viewpoint like him. Hence, he explained to journalists why Cameroonians need to preserve their great strength of unity in diversity, based on the principles of tolerance and dialogue.

Culled from the presidency of the republic

Senators and members of parliament of the Social Democratic Front, SDF have staged a protest march in Bamenda. The elected representatives say the riots of Bamenda and the other street demonstrations are the direct consequence of bad governance by the ruling CPDM crime syndicate.

The SDF MPs reportedly left the National Assembly Chamber on the 28^th of November which is currently examining the budget and braved the bad roads to Bamenda, the capital of the North West Region and called for the holding of a national conference.

These elected representatives of the people carried placards condemning police violence on lawyers and the students with others stating that “Federalism remains the only solution”.  Hon. Tchinda Fobi, of the Bamenda constituency was quoted as saying that the Anglophone problem is real in Cameroon and that there was an urgent need for national dialogue.

On November 27-29, 2016, the SDF Senators and MPs told Marcel Niat Njifenji, President of the Senate, and Cavaye Yéguié Djibril, President of the National Assembly, to “apprehend the major grievances of the Anglophone people”.

By Rita Akana

President Paul BIYA, has received Letters of Credence from Gilles Thibault, Ambassador of France to Cameroon, and Mahamat Ahmat Karambal of the Republic of Chad. The ceremony held at the Unity Palace on Thursday, 10 November 2016.

Ambassador Gilles Thibault’s predecessor was Christine Robichon who spent three and a half years in Cameroon. Before his arrival in Cameroon Gilles Thibault was the French Ambassador to Burkina Faso and the West African Economic and Monetary Union.

The Head of State and the French diplomat seized the opportunity to make an overview of bilateral ties. A long-standing, dense, and multifaceted cooperation exists between Cameroon and France. This fruitful friendship has touched areas like governance, health, education, infrastructure, rural development, environment, higher education, research and culture.

Economically, Cameroon is the first trade partner of France in Central Africa and the second largest supplier of certain products like cash crops, aluminium, wood, etc.

Both countries have longstanding defence agreements. As the first partner of France, Cameroon plays a special role in the preservation of peace and security in Central Africa. Thus, Paris supports Yaounde with equipment and the training of defence forces engaged in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorist group.

The second diplomat to hand letters of credence to President Paul BIYA was Ahmat Mahamat Karambal of Chad. Prior to his appointment in Cameroon, he was the Governor of the Moyen Chari region of Chad.

Bilateral relations between Cameroon and Chad are ongoing and have been diversified under the visionary leadership of Presidents Paul BIYA and Idriss DEBY ITNO. The Chadian leader paid a condolence visit to Cameroon last month after the Eseka train derailment.

Both countries are actively engaged in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorist group. Economically, studies and the sourcing of funds have been accelerated lately to realise projects like: the bridge over the Logone River between Yagoua (Cameroon) and Bongor (Chad); the extension of the railway from Ngaoundere (Cameroon) to Ndjamena (Chad); and the Ngaoundere-Touboro-Moundou road.

Culled from the Presidency of the Republic

President Biya has written his 9^th congratulatory message to the occupant of the White House in his 34 years in power as a Cameroonian democrat. The 83 year old leader has sent his “warm” congratulations to Donald Trump, the 45th president elect of the United States.

Biya stated that “I am pleased to extend to you my warm and sincere congratulations on your election as Head of State of the United States.” In the correspondence, the Cameroonian dictator acknowledged that the election of Donald Trump was a sign of Trump’s “vitality” to the American people and the “maturity” that exist in US politics.

President Biya Biya reassured his new counterpart of his availability to work to further consolidate and promote the excellent relations between the US and Cameroon. Biya came to power in 1982 and has successively congratulated Ronald Reagan in his second term (85-89) .G.H.W. Bush (89-93), Bill Clinton twice (93-2001). G. W. Bush twice (2001-2009) and Obama in 2009 and 2017.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai 

The Mayor of Belo, Ben Tosam has been defeated in the North West regional elections of the Social Democratic Front. Ben Tosam was humiliated by the incumbent Regional Chairman; Hon. Njong Evaristus Ndim of Njinikom. The SDF patriarch of Njinikom, Njong Evaristus scored 217 votes as against 192 for Mayor Ben Tosam.

Cameroon Concord News learned that the challenger ran a good campaign but unfortunately with militants who had left the SDF under controversial circumstances. Our senior political commentator in Bamenda observed that Fon Martin Yembe, deputy mayor of Ndu, a prominent member in the Mayor Ben Tosam Campaign was himself a Provincial Chairman who resigned from that position and also from the SDF.

Another chartered member of the Ben Tosam Campaign was Mrs Nyah Margaret, also a former Provincial Chair Lady who too had resigned from the SDF and joined Barrister Ben Muna’s AFP party. Chop Samuel who reportedly scripted most of the speeches delivered during the campaign season for Mayor Ben Tosam served as SDF Communication Secretary but later on resigned from the SDF and joined the ruling CPDM crime syndicate. We were also reliably informed that Nico Kubri, who moonlighted in the Ben Tosam team, had been on the communication desk of the SDF and faced out of the party for almost 20 years.

The SDF North West regional electorate saw the Ben Tosam team as CPDM mercenaries sent to destabilised the party if he won. The SDF-Boyo Division clash of the Titans is now over and Njong Evaristus Ndim has another deserving mandate. At the time of filing this report, our North West regional correspondent signalled that all those elected today were all in the Njong Evaristus list.

By Eyong Peter in Bamenda

The patriarch of Mfoundi, Emile Onambele Zibi has reacted to the crisis meeting held on Tuesday, October the 18^th, 2016 by four members of government from his native constituency over the alleged Memorandum against President Paul Biya. Emile Onambele Zibi openly attacked the main initiator of the crisis forum, Philippe Mbarga Mboa stating that their one year ban on him was inconsequential.

To Emile Onambele, Minister Philippe Mbarga Mboa who chaired the meeting is neither patriarch nor elite, or traditional leader, or anything in the Mfoundi Division. Onambele wondered aloud that, “In what capacity was Mbarga Mboa speaking?  Emile Onambele added that among the four minister of the ruling CPDM party who endorsed the decision against him, there were some that hail from Soa in the Department of Méfou-et-Afamba and have no right to rant on Mfoundi affairs.

The Mfoundi patriarch even made fun of the venue chosen to host the crisis talks. He observed that the four ministers were no longer sure of being in government pending a cabinet reshuffle to be announced soon. Emile Onambele Zibi plans to organize a press conference to unpack everything about this Memorandum affair. He revealed that the Mfoundi community have never written a memorandum to the Head of State and that what is now being discussed never came from him or the Mfoundi elites.

On Tuesday, October 18 2016, some elites of Mfoundi including four members of government, gathered and took a stand against a Memorandum from Mfoundi Division addressed to President Biya. The document carried vitriolic charges against President Paul Biya and had the signature of Emile Onambele Zibi in his capacity as president of  the indigenous people of Mfoundi.

After the meeting on Tuesday, the indigenous people of Mfoundi signed in return what they called “The Declaration of Mfoundi” and distanced themselves from their leader. They also decided to quarantine its presumed author, Emile Onambele Zibi for a period of one year. The four Ministers from Mfoundi who took part in the meeting were: Philippe Mbarga Mboa, Louis Mama Fouda, Laurent Serge Etoundi and Ngoa Seraphin.

By Rita Akana in Yaounde

In Cameroon, whenever a man or woman is appointed to any senior management position, a grandiose celebration follows showing widespread gratitude to the Head of State through numerous motions of support. This was the situation on Friday September 16, 2016 in Kribi in the Ocean Division in the South Region.

Militants of the ruling CPDM party had been summoned to deify President Paul Biya on the appointments of Charles Ndongo as general manager of the state owned radio and television and Patrice Melom as the CEO of the Autonomous Port of Kribi. The ruling elite, mobilized militants of the ruling party and some citizens of the South region, to say “Thank you” to the head of state, for the appointment of their “sons”.

By Rita Akana

The First Vice President of the National Assembly, Honourable Hilarion Etong has called on the Cameroonian youth to be more involved in the democratic process. The Parliamentarian made the call today the 15^th of September 2016 during a ceremony to launch activities to commemorate the International Day of Democracy under the theme, “Democracy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

To Hon Hilarion Etong, the youth must be included in order to meet the needs of the future generations. He used the forum to remind members of parliament of the fundamental role they must play in mobilizing more youth into the democratization process. He also emphasized that parliament must contribute towards attaining the sustainable development goals while working with government and the civil society to strengthen democracy by 2030.

Some cabinet ministers, opinion leaders and MPs were part of the session which was followed by a round table discussion. The International Day of Democracy was instituted in 2008 and is a day which provides an opportunity to review the state of democracy in the world.

CRTV