Politics

7, February 2018

North Korea accuses US of deploying large nukes, mulling preemptive strike ⁰

North Korea has accused the United States of “deploying large nuclear assets” on the Korean Peninsula and laying the foundation for a potential preemptive strike against it.

North Korean diplomat Ju Yong Chol told the UN-sponsored Conference on Disarmament in the Swiss city of Geneva on Tuesday that Washington was seeking to aggravate the situation on the divided peninsula by deploying nukes in preparation for a possible preemptive attack.

“In view of the nature and scale of US military reinforcements, they are designed to make a preemptive strike against the DPRK,” the diplomat said referring to his country’s official name the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“US officials including the defense secretary and the CIA director repeatedly talked about DPRK nuclear and missile threat to justify their argument for a military option and a new concept of a so-called ‘bloody nose’, a limited preemptive strike on the DPRK is under consideration within the US administration,” Ju said.

The United States dropped Victor Cha, President Donald Trump’s pick for ambassador to South Korea. Cha reportedly lost nomination for the position of ambassador after voicing concerns about a potential “bloody-nose attack” on North Korea.

Months of fiery rhetoric between the United States and North Korea have seen Trump drawing criticism at home for repeatedly using highly-menacing language toward Pyongyang.

In recent months, Trump has engaged in a bitter war of words with North Korean officials, and has threatened to “totally destroy” the country if it threatens the US or its allies.

In his first State of the Union address on Wednesday, Trump struck a dire note of warning about North Korea, saying the country’s “reckless pursuit of nuclear missiles could very soon threaten our homeland.”

Fed up with the American president’s harsh rhetoric, Pyongyang warned in a statement on Sunday that “If Trump does not get rid of his anachronistic and dogmatic way of thinking, he will only bring about the consequence of further endangering security of the United States.”

In late November, Pyongyang successfully test-launched what American military experts called a Hwasong-15 ICBM, the largest North Korean missile tested to date with a presumably long-enough range to deliver nuclear warheads deep into the US mainland.

The US and its allies in the West and in Asia engineered tough UN sanctions on North Korea last year when Pyongyang test-fired two missiles in July and then carried out its most powerful nuclear test in August.

The photo, taken on November 29, 2017 and released on November 30, 2017 by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), shows launching of the Hwasong-15 missile which is capable of reaching all parts of the US. (Photo by AFP)

However, many said the sanctions would not deter North Korea from pursuing its nuclear and missile program, which Pyongyang insists is part of its defense policy against the United States. Critics have repeatedly warned that sanctions would more affect North Korean people rather than its military and the government.

Source: Presstv

6, February 2018

Buhari pledges support to Biya over Southern Cameroons secession threat ⁰

Nigeria on Monday assured Cameroon that it is determined to deal with secessionist forces attempting to use its territory to destabilise its West African neighbour. Cameroonian forces have crossed into neighbouring Nigeria to conduct operations among citizens, where thousands of people have fled from Cameroon’s restive anglophone regions, local sources and state officials said January 31, 2018.

Last week, Nigeria extradited Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, leader of a Cameroonian anglophone separatist movement, and 46 of his supporters at Yaounde’s request, sparking condemnation from the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR. But Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Mohammed Monguno said at a trans-border security meeting in Abuja that extradition was ordered to preserve Cameroon’s unity and sovereignty.

“President Muhammadu Buhari assures you that we will take all the necessary measures, within the ambit of the law, to ensure that Nigeria’s territory is not used as a staging area to destabilise another friendly sovereign country,” Monguno told the meeting. He said both President Paul Biya and the entire people of Cameroon have the backing of Buhari in finding solution to the country’s internal crisis.

Monguno urged the Cameroonian authorities to engage in constructive dialogue to de-escalate tensions in the anglophone regions and facilitate the return of Cameroonian refugees who have crossed the border into Nigeria. At least 30,000 Cameroonian refugees are said to have fled to Nigeria following the crisis.

The UNHCR has accused Nigeria of breaching international agreements over the extradition of the separatist agitators who were arrested in Abuja on January 5. The UNHCR said most of the 47 sent back to Cameroon had submitted asylum claims in Nigeria.

Cameroon has called the 47 “terrorists” and said they will “answer for their crimes”, as tensions mount in the Southwest and Northwest Regions, home to most of the country’s English-speakers. The anglophones have complained about decades of economic inequality and social injustice at the hands of the French-speaking majority.

www.vanguardngr.com

5, February 2018

France: Macron’s party loses in two by-elections ⁰

The centrist party of French President Emmanuel Macron has lost two by-elections for parliamentary seats, its first losses since a landslide victory last year.

Two lower house seats were won by the conservative Republican Party on Sunday.

One of the conservatives was re-elected in the Belfort 1 constituency in the east of the country with 58.93 percent of the votes, against 41.07 percent for the candidate supported by Macron’s party, the Republic on the Move.

The second seat was lost by Macron’s candidate in the Val d’Oise area north of Paris.

Macron’s pro-Europe, pro-business party still controls 309 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly.

Other parties, including the far-right National Front, had been eliminated in the first round of elections last Sunday.

The new leader of the conservative Republican Party, Laurent Wauquiez, who is also a hard-hitting critic of the president, described the results of the by-elections as “a blow which severely punishes the government’s policies.”

Wauquiez said that the impact of the government’s policies “on the ground is being judged harshly by our fellow citizens: tax rises for the middle class and pensioners and an unprecedented explosion in immigration and crime.”

He also accused Macron of being out of touch with rural France. Macron has formerly dismissed the accusations.

Macron won the presidency last year, and his party subsequently won a commanding majority in parliamentary elections.

Source: Presstv

3, February 2018

Legacy of history drives Cameroon’s rift ⁰

Unrest has spread in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions since October as a secessionist movement has pushed for independence.

Dozens of people have been killed and tens of thousands have fled the violence.

But the tensions can be traced back to events a century ago, when Britain and France occupied Cameroon, taking over Germany’s major colony in West Africa.

– World War I split –

Cameroon was a Germany colony until 1916, when British and French troops forced the Germans out.

The two countries divided it into separate spheres of influence that were later formalised by the League of Nations, the forerunner to the UN.

The much larger French colony gained independence in 1960.

A year later, the British colony also gained independence. Some of the English-speaking areas choose to join newly-formed Nigeria, others to become part of the federation of Cameroon.

– English-speaking regions –

The two mainly English-speaking southern provinces are home to around a fifth of Cameroon’s 23 million population.

Named the Northwest Region and Southwest Region, they jut into southeastern Nigeria.

The English-speaking areas were allowed some self-governance.

But many English-speakers complained of discrimination at the hands of the francophone majority in areas such as education and the justice system, and alleged national wealth was not shared fairly.

– Disputed ‘unity’ –

In 1972, the original federal structure was scrapped in a national referendum that approved the creation of one state.

Calls for a breakaway English-speaking state mounted in the 1990s, with demands for a referendum on independence accompanied by low-level unrest.

In 2001 banned protest rallies turned violent. Several people were killed when security forces moved in and secessionist leaders were arrested.

The separatist Southern Cameroon National Council (SCNC) set up a “government” in Britain and leaders moved into exile.

– 2016 flare-up –

Lawyers in the English-speaking regions, which are also strongholds for the political opposition, went on strike in late 2016 to demand the right to use Anglo-Saxon common law.

Teachers followed, protesting at the appointment of francophones in the region’s education system.

Tensions rose in December, when the national flag was torched at protests and a separatist version hoisted. Clashes in some areas left several people reported dead.

Prime Minister Philemon Yang, himself an anglophone, ruled out secession — “Unity is the bedrock of our country.”

– ‘Independence’ declared –

In January 2017 senior secessionist activists were arrested and charged with terrorism and rebellion.

New protests brought several cities to a standstill, but the government hit back by cutting off internet access to flashpoint areas for several weeks, alleging the spread of “fake news”.

In an apparent effort to calm the situation, President Paul Biya halted the secessionists’ trials in August and some were later freed.

In October, several thousand defied a ban on protests to mark the anniversary of the country’s October 1961 unification.

Separatist leaders issued a symbolic declaration of independence. “We are no longer slaves of Cameroon,” said Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, the self-declared “president” of a new republic called “Ambazonia”.

Biya, in power since 1982 and standing for reelection in 2018, branded the secessionists “a band of terrorists” and ordered a crackdown with curfews, raids and other restrictions.

At least 17 people were killed in clashes the following weekend. Nearly two dozen members of the security forces have also been killed since the flareup, according to a toll compiled by AFP.

– Nigeria role –

Since January 2018, much of the focus has shifted to Nigeria, which the Cameroon authorities suspected was being used as a safe haven for separatists.

The two neighbours have experienced tensions in the past over various issues, but forged cooperation on fighting the Boko Haram jihadist insurgency.

On January 29, Nigeria extradited 47 anglophone separatists, including Tabe, which was followed by fresh unrest English-speaking regions of Cameroon, in which three policemen and at least one civilian died.

Cameroon security forces, according to local sources, have also been seen among the estimated 30,000 people who have fled the violence to southeast Nigeria.

Source: The Citizen

3, February 2018

France condemns killings in Cameroon, urges dialogue ⁰

France condemned on Friday attacks by suspected English-speaking separatists in Cameroon that killed three gendarmes on Thursday, but urged the Cameroonian government to engage in dialogue to stop an escalation in violence.

The separatists have taken up arms over the past year in an attempt to create a nation they call Ambazonia. The insurgency represents the gravest challenge yet to the 35-year rule of Cameroon’s President Paul Biya.

France, which has significant business interests in its former colony and relies on it to fight against Islamist militants, has been careful not to overly criticize the government’s handling of the crisis.

“France condemns the new killings of law enforcement officials that took place on 1 February in Cameroon,” Foreign ministry spokeswoman Agnes Von der Muhll told reporters in a daily briefing after three gendarmes were killed in separate clashes on Thursday in towns in the North West Region.

She said only dialogue would enable a peaceful response to the concerns of all sides and ensure the unity and integrity of the country.

“This is a message we are also passing on to the Cameroonian authorities, in close consultation with our European and international partners,” the spokeswoman added.

Violence has flared in the past week, with armed separatist factions clashing against Cameroon security forces in several towns and villages in the two English-speaking regions after Nigeria deported the leader of the self-declared state and 46 others.

The United Nations refugee agency condemned the handing over of the 47 people, saying most of them had submitted asylum claims and their forced return was in violation of international refugee law.

More than 43,000 Cameroonians have fled as refugees to Nigeria to escape the government crackdown on the separatists, say local aid officials. The majority are in Nigeria’s Cross River state, which borders southwest Cameroon.

REUTERS

2, February 2018

Joshua Osih: The Compromise Candidate ⁰

Over the last two years, Cameroon’s political future has been very uncertain, especially as the current political elite is constituted mainly of people who are over 75 years. For many Cameroonians, this is very concerning, especially as more than 70% of the country’s population is between 20 and 50 years old.

But one of the greatest challenges facing the country today is that of holding the country together. The country’s unity is under threat. Over the last two years, Cameroon has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. The Anglophone crisis has revealed the inadequacies of the current political system and the divisions within the country are clearly pointing the country in the wrong direction. These divisions are threatening the very foundation on which this beautiful country has been built.

The Anglophone minority is threatening to leave the union on grounds that it has been characterized by injustice, corruption, marginalization and abuse of human rights. Months of street demonstrations in early 2017 only resulted in violent clashes, with government troops killing Anglophone demonstrators.

Matters came to a head in the later part of 2017, with Anglophone fighters taking on army soldiers. The consequences of this fighting have been unbelievable. The death toll has been high on both sides and the end is unfortunately not in sight, as the government remains steadfast in its logic of winning the war through military violence and at all cost.

The crisis has not only revealed how politically vulnerable the country is, it has also demonstrated that a new political class is supposed to emerge if Cameroon, the once stable nation, has to preserve that attribute that has made it a special country on the African continent. The country’s dual colonial heritage has always made it to stand out and this beauty is under threat as the conflict between Anglophones and the State plays out on the streets and jungles of former West Cameroon.

While Anglophones are right in their fight against political and economic marginalization, there is a growing consensus that there is a huge governance problem that needs emergency action. The country lacks modern infrastructure. Its roads have become death traps. Its hospital have been reduced to consultation clinics and the quality of education that inspired hope in millions of Cameroonians has declined over the last twenty years to ridiculous levels.

Today, human rights abuses are rampant. The courts have lost the people’s respect. The judiciary is at the beck and call of the executive branch of government and this is making it hard for Cameroonians – both Anglophones and Francophones – to get the justice they need in their own country.

Cameroonians in general are looking forward to meaningful political change. The current political leaders have fallen short of the people’s glorious expectations. The ruling party, the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), has monopolized power for more than five decades and there is nothing to show for it. The arrogance of government ministers and CPDM parliamentarians has been the subject of many discussions ever since the Anglophone crisis started. And this is causing many people to take a look at different strategies that can help the country rid itself of the ruling party which is widely considered as a crime syndicate.

But it is not only the political scene that is begging for improvement. The country’s economy has been melting down at an alarming rate and this has been exacerbated by the escalating corruption that has made life unbearable for millions of Cameroonians. Cameroon’s economy has contracted over the last decade and this contraction is bound to continue, especially as the country is mired in multiple conflicts. The Anglophone crisis is already swallowing huge amounts of financial resources that could have been invested to transform the lives of many young Cameroonians and this situation is very likely to continue as the government refuses to call for an inclusive and sincere dialogue that most believe can deliver better results. In the North, Boko Haram is maiming and killing innocent Cameroonians and this threat is also affecting the country’s economy.

Over the years, unemployment has become an issue in Cameroon. Unemployment is blighting the lives of many Cameroonians as a resulted of long years of mismanagement and corruption. Today, many young Cameroonians prefer to look outwards as their country has failed to harness their potential. Poverty –generated by the ruling party – has robbed Cameroonians of their dignity. Their desperation can be seen on their faces. The people of Cameroon need change. They need someone who can inspire hope in them. Someone who understands their plight and is driven by a strong feeling of patriotism. This has been the missing ingredient in the entire political game for the last thirty years.

But all hopes are not lost. A new political class is gradually emerging and Joshua Osih, the smart, bilingual and patriotic Cameroonian who understands the people’s plight has finally thrown his cap into the ring. After having served for long as vice-president and parliamentarian of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), Mr. Osih believes that this is the right time to help pull the country out of the political and economic doldrums.

His candidacy in the upcoming presidential election comes as a relief to many young Cameroonians who clearly hold that it is time to walk away from the ineffective and inefficient gerontocracy that has brought pain and death to many Cameroonians. Many young Cameroonians hold that the country needs younger hands to transform the country’s economic and political landscape and Joshua Osih has a safe pair of hands.

It is widely believed that his understanding of both Francophone and Anglophone cultures makes him the ideal candidate for the post of president in a country that might implode if the right person does not step in. His moderate stance on many issues has earned him the respect of the entire nation.

Joshua Osih’s time has come. He is being considered as the comprise candidate even by Anglophones who have clearly demonstrated their frustration with the Yaounde government. Cameroon needs to heal and only someone with Joshau Osih’s temperament and charisma will be able to help the country walk away from its ugly past.

Born on 9 December 1968, Joshua Osih is the first Anglophone Cameroonian to serve as a Parliamentarian in Douala in the Littoral region. Besides being a politician, he is the chairman of Camport PLC in Cameroon, a successful business that has made many to think that he is the right man to lead Cameroon into a prosperous and peaceful future.

A Cameroon Concord News Group Production

2, February 2018

French Cameroun soldiers invasion: Nigerian Senator calls on Aso Rock to explore diplomatic channel ⁰

The Senator representing Cross River Central, John Owna Enoh, Thursday asked the Federal Government to quickly explore official channels of communication between the country and Cameroon to protest the violation of the territorial integrity of Nigeria by Cameroon soldiers.

Enoh said that exploring diplomatic means to deal with the issue became imperative following reports that about 100 Cameroon soldiers allegedly crossed the international border into Danare on Monday night in search of the country’s militants in a crackdown on Anglophone secessionists said to have sought refuge in Nigeria.

The Cross River Central lawmakers in a statement recalled that the latest attack came on the heels of a similar attack on the same communities which falls within his constituency in December 2017.

Enoh said that in swift response to the dastardly attack on law abiding citizens of Danare, he through a motion of urgent national importance on the floor of the Senate drew the attention of Nigerians and the government to the unwarranted attack.

The lawmaker noted that he had among other prayers, called on the federal authority to deploy troops to Danare as a deterrent to stem further incursion and aggression on his constituents by Cameroonian soldiers.

The deployment of a battalion of Nigerian soldiers in the area, he said, seems not to have deterred the incursion from Cameroonian soldiers.

He described the latest invasion of Danare as unfortunate, condemnable and “constitutes a gross violation of the inalienable rights of my people to peaceful co-existence.”

He insisted that “the peaceful and law abiding citizens of Danare deserve a peaceful environment in order to pursue their legitimate aspirations.” The incessant violation of the inalienable rights of the people, which he described as fundamental, by Cameroonian soldiers, he said, is unacceptable.

“I therefore use this medium to call on the Federal Government to explore all official channels of communication between Nigeria and Cameroon to protest this violation of the territorial integrity of our nation,” he said.

Enoh said that Nigerian troops who have already been deployed in Danare should live up to their professional calling in defence of the people of Danare.

According to him, the presence of Nigerian troops reassuring as it is to the people of Danare, should not be mere tokenism but should be informed by a full evaluation of the military challenges and the consequent deployment of adequate number of soldiers who will be in the position to respond adequately to deter further attacks.

Enoh appealed to the Nigerian soldiers on ground to continue to fully discharge their professional duties in defence of the people of Danare and the territorial integrity of the Nigerian State.

Source: The Nation

2, February 2018

UK sets up EU row over post-Brexit citizens’ rights ⁰

UK Prime Minister Theresa May says European Union citizens arriving in Britain during its post-Brexit transition period should not be afforded the same rights as those who arrived earlier.

The embattled premier appears set for a clash with EU negotiators after telling reporters on a trip to China that “there is a difference between those who came prior to us leaving and those who will come when they know the UK is leaving.”

She added that the status of such EU citizens would be “a matter for negotiation” when Britain meets with EU officials again in March to set the terms of the transition period, which is expected to last around two years after Britain officially exits the bloc in March 2019.

Brussels on Monday warned London that “citizens’ rights during the transition are not negotiable.”

The European Parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt said that “for the transition to work” there could not be “two sets of rights for EU citizens.”

That would mean the continuation of free movement and citizens’ rights for EU nationals residing in the UK during the Brexit transition, an arrangement that would cause anger among pro-Brexit lawmakers and ministers within May’s Conservative Party.

Deputy Brexit Secretary Robin Walker on Thursday insisted that Britain would not accept such an agreement.

“The citizens’ rights agreement reached in December does give certainty about the rights of EU citizens already here going forward but this agreement does not cover those who are arriving after we leave the EU,” he told Members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons.

The EU and UK negotiated an agreement in December that safeguards the rights of EU citizens who arrive in Britain before it leaves the bloc next year, giving reciprocal protections for British citizens living in the EU.

The agreement allows those who have lived continuously in Britain for five years to be able to apply for settled status, while others will be able to remain in order to build-up five years’ continuous residence.

The British government has faced fierce criticism both at home and by the EU for its lack of clarity on its Brexit strategy.

The uncertainty has raised fears that Britain could crash out of the bloc without a trade deal, incurring heavy costs on domestic economy.

Source: Presstv

1, February 2018

Growing EU frustration: Germany warns Israel ⁰

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has issued a warning to Israel over the EU’s rising “frustration” with the Tel Aviv regime’s policies toward the future of a so-called two-state solution.

Speaking at a conference in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Gabriel noted that several members of the Israeli cabinet were “explicitly against the two-state solution.”

He added that such a solution “has always been the foundation of our engagement for Israeli-Palestinian peace and for the large amount of funding” from Germany and the EU.

“We need to know if Israel is not supporting a negotiated solution to this conflict anymore,” he added.

“These – at best mixed – signals do not go unnoticed in Europe, where there is clearly growing frustration with Israel’s actions,” he added.

Referring to an increase in concerns about violence, hatred, and Israel’s continued settlement construction, he said, “It is increasingly difficult for people like me to explain to them the reasons why our support for Israel must persist.”

Gabriel also broached the subject of US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as the Israeli capital.

“The Americans are taking your side more clearly than ever before. But is this really only a good thing?,” he asked.

On December 6, 2017, Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital and relocate the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the occupied city.

Referring to the US’ past desire to act as a mediator in the Palestinian-Israeli talks, he asked, “Can the Americans still play such a role if they take sides so openly? Will others try to step into their shoes?”

Earlier this month, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Trump’s so-called Middle East peace efforts are the “slap of the century” after his recognition of Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital

Source: Presstv

31, January 2018

CITIZENSHIP REGISTRATIONS UP 16.3% BUT AMBAZONIANS IN EUROPE- PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS ⁰

Tens of thousands in the Diaspora and millions back home in Ambazonia have been calling the Interim Government relentlessly since yesterday to know in what way they can support the struggle at this historic moment. Last night, government headquarters telephone lines were crammed. The initial mood yesterday at headquarters was that of dejection but as the minutes ticked, The Interim Government gathered and drew inspiration from numerous lessons in history.

This laudable and unrelenting show of support from citizens is not surprising as this struggle is the paramount challenge of our generation. As the barbarism and arrogance from La Republique lingers, many previously lethargic Ambazonians are joining the struggle with enthusiasm and resolve. It’s rational to conclude that an irresponsible action from Yaoundé has been a great and painless recruitment effort. The citizens’ lists on the official government website recorded a 16.3 percent increase in citizenship registrations yesterday. The largest such increase in a day since the 3^rd of October 2017.

Our source said the mood in Yaoundé is one of nervous uneasiness. Along the dusty and rusty corridors of whatever power they have left, they are still finding it difficult to countenance the nerve of these little ‘Anglofools’. A corrupt system built on first division mediocrity has no solution to the first real political problem it’s faced. They are chaotic, anxious and undoubtedly lacking in solutions.

Ambazonians are getting more audacious in their support of this struggle for emancipation which is a civilized way of sticking two fingers to the oppressor. The message to Yaoundé is loud and clear; this struggle is bigger than the arrest of our leaders. Our time has come. Our time is now. We can smell the sweet fragrance of freedom and we are prepared to die for it so our descendants can inherit a land free of subjugation and abuse.

The financial donations: The Interim Government has received over the last 24 hours has been nothing short of miraculous. Whilst the monetary contributions being collected in the United States and Canada are impressive, it’s worth noting that donations from European chapters of the struggle clearly need massive improvement. The Interim Government is hereby urging the European leaders of the struggle to inspire their people in order to get the best financial backing they can offer at this time.

Money is one of the most imperative essentials in this struggle. We have to constantly remind ourselves, that whilst Biya and his serial embezzlers are bankrolled by the proceeds of raw materials from Ambaland, we have no external source of income. These donations made by citizens and sympathisers are the backbone designed for financing the battle ahead.

Our people back home are waiting to see what we in the Diaspora do at this time. If we continue to raise impressive sums of money as the comrades in the USA, Canada and South Africa are doing, our destination would be closer. Such actions will send and is already sending a strong message to Mvomeka that we are determined to get our freedom.

Our freedom is our right. Our fight is just. History is on our side. The world is watching. Our time is now.

Ambazonians back home are watching, waiting and expectant. Ambazonians in Europe stand up and be counted with your financial donations. The onus is on you to put your money where your mouth is.

Sessekou Asu Isong