UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has strongly denounced a deadly attack, allegedly carried out by a Ugandan-based rebel group, against the world body’s peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which claimed the lives of over a dozen UN troops in the African country.

“These deliberate attacks against UN peacekeepers are unacceptable and constitute a war crime,” said Guterres in a statement on Friday, adding, “I condemn this attack unequivocally.”

Late on Thursday, suspected members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group attacked the Company Operating Base, run by the MONUSCO (the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC), at Semuliki in Beni territory, and engaged in a three-hour-long fierce gun battle with the peacekeepers at the base, killing at least 14 blue helmets and wounding more than 50 others, a number of them critically.

Most of the slain peacekeepers were from Tanzania while at least five of them were Congolese.

“These brave women and men are putting their lives on the line every day across the world to serve peace and to protect civilians,” Guterres added, extending condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and wishing the injured a speedy recovery.

He also called on the DRC authorities to launch a probe into the brutal attack, which he described as the “worst attack” on UN peacekeepers in recent history, to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. “There must be no impunity for such assaults, here or anywhere else,” Guterres added.

The restive North Kivu region, situated in eastern Congo, has experienced a number of attacks on UN peacekeeping troops. Back in October, two UN blue helmets were killed and 18 others sustained injuries when their base was attacked by the ADF armed group.

The DRC had one of the most brutal colonial rules before undergoing decades of corrupt dictatorship and back-to-back civil wars that left the mineral-rich country poor and politically unstable.

In 2006, the UN mission helped carry out Congo’s first free and fair elections in 46 years, paving the way for President Joseph Kabila to be elected for a five-year term. Kabila, however, refused to step down after his second elected term officially expired on December 20, 2016, prompting deadly violence across the African state.

Source: Presstv

The military operation ordered by Paul Biya is an escalation of the genocide campaign that has been ongoing since French Cameroun invaded Southern Cameroon fifty six years ago and commenced a military campaign of terror and genocide that has claimed millions of Southern Cameroon lives and devastated the economy and way of life of the people.

With the public declaration of the escalation of the genocide campaign, targeting all Southern Cameroonians, Ambazonians must now declare the right to self defense and declare that any French Cameroon soldier, administrator or whosoever aids in its war effort or administration to vacate the Southern Cameroon.  The Federal Republic of Amabazonia will protect all civilians and civilian targets and abide by the laws and customs of war in prosecuting this war of self defense.

French Cameroun soldiers who lay down their arms and refuse to kill Southern Cameroonians will not be hurt so also their families.  Those who kill Southern Cameroonians or obey the criminal orders of Paul Biya will be hit even in their own territory and homes. They will have nowhere to hide. Ambazonia will win this last limp of the fifty six years war against its people.

No soldier of fortune of French Cameroun deployed to commit genocide, rape, maim and loot will return alive. With international law and justice on the side of Ambazonia, the enemy will soon learn the hard reality of history which the reckless ambitions of Adolf Hitler Paul Biya have brought unto the free world.

Like his mentors Hitler, Biya has by this misadventure put a pistol on his own head and that of his country French Cameroun.  Ambazonia by the end of this campaign will prevail by totally liberating itself while helping Biya to terminate his satanic misadventure.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

China’s Foreign Ministry has denied playing a role in the recent political developments in Zimbabwe that led to the ouster of long-time ruler Robert Mugabe.

“China always upholds the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs and this remains unchanged,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Monday while congratulating Zimbabwe’s new President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Geng also denied claims that a visit by Zimbabwe’s army chief General Constantine Chiwenga shortly before the political crisis erupted in Harare earlier this month was a sign of China’s role in the developments that led to Mugabe’s house arrest.

Geng said Chiwenga’s visit was pre-planned and had nothing to do with the political situation in Zimbabwe.

“It was planned long before and it was also approved by the former president Mugabe,” said the official, adding that the visit was a “normal interaction.”

For nearly half a century, China has maintained a huge influence in Zimbabwe as it originally supported anti-colonial guerrilla fighters in the 1960s and then helped their leader Mugabe rise to power in the South African country.

Beijing backed Mugabe during his 37 years in power and has been among Zimbabwe’s major trade partners.

Mnangagwa, who served as Mugabe’s deputy for years, also received training in China during the liberation struggle of the 1960s.

The spokesman said Mnangagwa, whose sacking by Mugabe sparked the political unrest in Zimbabwe, could further steer Zimbabwe toward progress.

“We congratulate President Mnangagwa on his inauguration … We firmly support Zimbabwe following a path that supports its own national conditions and we believe under the leadership of Mr Mnangagwa Zimbabwe … national development will make further progress,” Geng said.

Source: Presstv

Biya has been president of Cameroun since  Ahmadu Ahidjo handed over power to him. He has been on the saddle for 35 years. He has survived many coups and  many sham elections. He has left Cameroun rural, desolate.  But no one cites him as an example of a political  tragedy.  Mugabe is the  African tragedy. Biya spends months on end holidaying in Switzerland. But the western press leaves him in his peace. No one is intent on bringing him down in the name of democracy.

Biya has repressed  political opponents. Biya has supervised genocidal incursions into the English speaking parts of Southern Cameroon.  But nobody thinks of Biya and remembers the  ICC. France is the nanny of Cameroun. But that apostle of freedom and rule of law would not open her mouth and tell President  Biya to step down. The French president is the defacto commander-in-chief of the Cameroonian Armed Forces.  But he won’t nudge the army to do a Zimbabwe in Cameroon.

Western news media celebrated crowds on the streets screaming obscenities at a Mugabe held down by the army. But western media won’t call on France to tell the  Camerounian army to hold down Biya so the party in Harare  can move to  Yaounde. Biya can remain on the throne. France is happy with him. He  can junket around the  European Union. He can loot the Camerounian treasury and stash it in France and Switzerland. If he challenges French authority then his sins will come to the fore and he would become a demon. We are happy Mugabe has gone. But the West must let go of its stinking hypocrisy. It is more abhorrent, more tyrannical, than Mugabe’s  despotism.

Source: The Vanguard

Cameroon’s Head of State, Paul Biya, will be in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire from November 29-30, 2017, for the 5^th AU-EU Summit which will bring together African and European heads of state. The Summits of Heads of States and Governments take place traditionally every three years alternately in Africa and Europe with the aim of taking stock of the progress made in the implementation of commitments and providing political guidance for further work.

The Summit, which will be held on the theme: “Investing in youth for a sustainable future,” will also be attended by the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, the President of the African Union and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

The meeting will hold against the backdrop of political changes in Zimbabwe where the country’s former president, Robert Mugabe, has been forced to retire after having led his country for thirty-seven years. It should be recalled that it was Mrs. Mugabe’s vaulting ambition that pushed the former president to make some mistakes which led to the military taking over power and sidelining the 93-year-old Mugabe. Also, having been in power for that long, it was just normal for the country’s population, that had taken the brunt of Mr. Mugabe’s dictatorship and mismanagement, to take to the street in support of the military.

Similarly, the situation of Africans being sold in Libya as slaves will also be on the agenda of the summit, as this incident has shocked the entire world, especially the African continent, with many experts around the world blaming African governments for not doing enough to create an enabling environment for their citizens. It should be recalled that Sub-Saharan African countries have been mired in corruption and poor governance which are blighting the lives of their people and chasing young men and women from their countries to failed states like Libya where they hope to make their way to Europe which they erroneously consider as an earthly Paradise.

It is obvious that the issue of security will also be on the table, as the continent is facing a huge security challenge. Libya is today a magnet for many jihadists groups following the killing of Qaddafi, Somalia is yet to be back on its feet, Boko Haram is making its presence felt in Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad, while the Malian situation is far from being addressed. The Anglophone crisis will give Mr. Biya and his delegation an uncomfortable moment, given that the entire world is aware that all its efforts to roll back the Anglophone rebellion have been unsuccessful. If not checked, the situation could transform the entire Central African region into a pretty mess. The Anglophone problem will therefore be on the table, either during Mr. Biya’s personal meeting with European partners or during his tête-a-tête with his French masters.

Though the continent has made some baby strides towards modern-day democracy, there is still a long way to go for some countries such as Cameroon where Mr. Biya has been presiding over the country’s destiny for thirty-five years, with no impressive economic and political outcomes. In Cameroon, multiparty politics exists on paper, but political alternation is surely a distant tomorrow affair. Mr. Biya and his party have won all elections organized in the country since 1992 and this speaks to the type of multiparty politics that exist in the country. Political intimidation and physical elimination are still among the tricks and tactics used by the ruling party, popularly known as a crime syndicate, to stay in power.

With regard to human rights, Cameroon has one of the worst human rights records on the continent. Freedom of association has suffered over the last decade, while arbitrary arrests and detentions have been on the rise over the last few years.  Over the last year, its response to the Anglophone crisis has been anything but civilized. On October 1, 2017, more than one hundred Anglophones were mowed down by the country’s military which thought it could intimidate the Anglophone minority into silence, but its response has instead made the conflict more complicated to address.

More than 50,000 Anglophones crossed over to Nigeria as refugees on October 1, 2017, with people from Manyu Division accounting for more than 90% of the refugees, as the government wanted to use the occasion to punish Manyu Division which is the birthplace of Anglophone activism and activists such as Barrister Felix Nkongho Agbor-Balla, Chief Justice Paul Ayah and Sisiku Ayuk Julius Tabe who is the current president of the “Federal Republic of Ambazonia”, which is the name of the Anglophone region that wants to secede from Francophone Cameroon.

It should also be recalled that some 100,000 Anglophones have been internally displaced following a botched declaration of independence by the Anglophone minority on October 1, 2017, and this is giving the country a bad name. Mr. Biya and his government have never really addressed concerns expressed by Anglophones who have been discriminated and marginalized for more than 56 years. Mr. Biya who counts on time to solve his problem is gradually coming to terms with the fact that the Anglophone problem will not go away anytime soon, as various Anglophone organizations are working hard to keep the struggle on the front burner in order to erode the government’s reputation and credibility, if it has any. Courts and schools in the Anglophone region have remained closed and diplomatic efforts by Anglophone groups abroad have left the government permanently under pressure.

In recent months, the conflict has degenerated, with soldiers and Special Forces deployed in the Anglophone zone becoming targets for Mr. Cho Ayaba’s military wing of the SCNC which has been calling for the secession of the Anglophone zone from the francophone region which is suffering from advanced economic and political decay due to neglect and mismanagement. Some 20 soldiers have lost their lives in this conflict which many analysts believe could have been averted if Mr. Biya and his government had opted for genuine and inclusive dialogue called for by many, including the Vatican, the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Canada and other partners of the beleaguered government.

Meanwhile, the country’s northern part is still under an insurgency that is making life unbearable to the citizens. Boko Haram has been killing and maiming innocent civilians and its objectives are still unclear. Many Cameroonian soldiers have also been victims of this insurgency that has lasted for more than four years and there is really no end in sight. The Boko Haram insurgency is complicating issues for the government that has to deal with a very vociferous Anglophone minority that is hell-bent on walking away from a union that was flawed right from its inception. If this region succeeds to walk away, Cameroon’s economy will suffer, given that the Anglophone region accounts for more than 60% of the country’s GDP. The South West region alone accounts for more than 40% of the country’s wealth, given that its oil and gold deposits are in the region. The South West region is also the country’s largest producer of cocoa and it is also rich in timber which is being harvested with impunity.

Regarding the country’s economy, the once prosperous economy has been on its knees for a long time due to mismanagement and corruption, with unemployment and inflation attaining unimaginable rates. The country’s road infrastructure has aged and is crumbling, making it hard for farmers to move their produce from the rural areas to the city where the markets are.

Over the last eleven months, the country has reported more 4,300 fatal accidents, with some 20,000 Cameroonians losing their lives. The railway system has also faced some major challenges in recent times. The country’s railway corporation is struggling, as its assets are old and cannot stand the stress of moving large numbers of people and goods. The corporation is currently locked in a class-action law suit following a terrible accident in Eseka in 2016 that resulted in the death of more than 200 Cameroonians. Many passengers on that ill-fated train have never really been accounted for and many families are yet to be compensated for the loss of their loved ones.

As usual, the government is working hard to deflect blame and responsibility and this is earning it so many enemies and adversaries. Cameroon is seemingly a peaceful country, but if you scratch beyond the surface, you will find out that there is a lot of insecurity in the country. Poverty and unemployment have created pockets of bandits and crooks who are marauding the streets of cities such as Douala and Yaounde to prey on innocent citizens. Even uniformed officers are taking advantage of the insecurity caused by the Anglophone crisis to make a quick buck and the government is looking the other way, giving the impression that it has approved of these illegal means used by these criminals to extort money from the population.

While not much is expected from the Abidjan summit, many experts hold that many issues will be dealt with during the two-day summit. They argue that focusing on youths will be good, but seeking to address the issue of insecurity across the continent will help to attract investors who will help to create jobs for the youths. It is hoped that the summit will be used to bring pressure on African leaders to embrace democratic means that will help their economies create job, foster transparency and reduce the insecurity that is helping to stunt the continent’s economic growth.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with contributions from the editorial team

US President Donald Trump has voiced support for embattled Roy Moore, the Republican Senate candidate in Alabama, despite mounting allegations of sexual misconduct against him. 

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said he did not want to see the victory of the Democratic opponent of Moore, who has resisted growing calls to step aside.

Moore, who has been accused of sexually abusing and pursuing teenage girls, is facing off against Democratic Doug Jones in a high-stakes special election in Alabama.

“He totally denies it,” Trump said of 70-year-old Moore when asked about whether electing “a child molester” was better than electing a Democrat in the Alabama race.

“He says it didn’t happen,” said the president, noting “You have to listen to him, also.”

“We don’t need a liberal person in there, a Democrat, Jones,” Trump said. “I’ve looked at his record. It’s terrible on crime. It’s terrible on the border. It’s terrible on the military.”

Trump shrugged off the accusations, saying the fact that those who have accused Moore did not come forward earlier put into question such complaints.

In response, Jones issued a statement, saying he “believes the women, and that the people of Alabama will hold Roy Moore accountable.”

Trump, who himself has been accused of sexual impropriety, also said that he was happy that women are now coming forward accusing lawmakers and media figures, many of whom Democrats, of sexual misconduct.

This comes as the United States is grappling with a growing list of sexual assault and harassment scandals that rocked the world of entertainment, business and politics.

Others involved in such scandals include Democratic Senator Al Franken, renowned actor Kevin Spacey as well as Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

Culled from Presstv

In a press release issued on November 17, 2017, the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) stated that it continues to follow with “great attention” the development of the situation in Southern Cameroons.

The UN emphasized that it is “particularly concerned by the upsurge of violence, including that targeting civilians and State agents, including the defense and security forces whose members have lost their lives in attacks in different localities of Southern Cameroons.

While expressing his condolences to the families of the victims, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Central Africa and Head of UNOCA, François Louncény Fall, strongly condemns these acts of violence and demands that their perpetrators be “Clearly identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law”.

The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Central Africa and Head of UNOCA also reiterated the UN’s commitment to the territorial integrity and unity of Cameroon and called on the parties to resolve the Anglophone crisis by “peaceful means”. He called for calm and restraint while encouraging “the holding of an inclusive dialogue”.

By Sama Ernest with files from CIN

Former US Vice President Joe Biden indicates that he may challenge President Donald Trump in 2020, saying he is “not closing the door” on this option.

Biden made the remarks in an interview with NBC News on Monday while promoting his new book, “Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose.”

“I honest-to-God haven’t made up my mind about that,” Biden, who is turning 75 later this month, told NBC journalists. “I’m not closing the door. I’ve been around too long, and I’m a great respecter of fate, but who knows what the situation is going to be a year-and-a-half from now.”

In a separate interview with Oprah Winfrey a day earlier, Biden said, “I’m —thank God right now — in awful good health,” he said. “But I don’t know what things are going to be two years from now.”

Biden is a strong critic of Trump and his leadership style. He has accused his administration of misunderstanding and misrepresenting the American values.

Earlier this month, Biden called Trump a “charlatan,” and accused the Republican head of state of taking advantage of frustrated middle class voters.

It seems Biden is remorseful about his decision not to run in last year’s presidential election, and has claimed that he could have easily defeated Trump.

Biden, a favorite for the 2016 Democratic nomination, announced his decision to not run for the White House in October 2015, cementing former secretary of state Hillary Clinton’s standing as the front-runner.

The popular vice president, who lost his son Beau to cancer in May 2015, said back then that he was not emotionally prepared to take on the battle and that it was too late for him to enter the race. Trump proceeded to pull off a historic victory against Clinton in November last year.

Source: Presstv

The interim President of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, His Excellency Sisiku Ayuk Tabe has told Cameroon Concord News Group that there is no document detailing the transfer of power from the British government to the indigenous government of the people of British Southern Cameroons. In a telephone conversation with our chief political correspondent, Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai earlier today, the leader of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia opined that there is also no Act of Union between the British Southern Cameroons and La Republique du Cameroun.  “This does not exist,” said the president.

“How would it feel for a student to go to university for 4 years then on graduation, his/her certificate is handed to the roommate? This is similar to the situation of the British Southern Cameroons. After colonisation from 1919 to 1961 (42 years) her certificate of transfer of power was handed to the neighbouring La République du Cameroun,” noted Sisiku Ayuk Tabe.

President Ayuk Tabe further pointed out that La Republique du Cameroun has now recolonized the people of the former British Southern Cameroons for 56 years. “This nation is 2 years shy of a century of colonization. Did the world declare an end to colonization many years ago? Why are humans silent on the plight of the people of the former British Southern Cameroons?” President Ayuk Tabe wondered aloud.

“When two Nations decide to merge and form one Nation, usually with the two States equal in status, they must get together and negotiate the terms of their union. At the end of the negotiations, the two nations must sign an Act of Union. The people of the former British Southern Cameroons submit that there is no Act of Union between their Nation and La République du Cameroun. Therefore, La République du Cameroun has invaded the territorial integrity of the former British Southern Cameroons” added the Sisiku

On a serious note the interim head of state revealed that with a government now in place, Ambazonians are exploring all available options to redress this situation and send the occupier to her side of the UN defined and marked border.

By Chi Prudence Asong,

Europe Bureau Chief

American voters have less confidence in President Donald Trump a year after his surprise election victory and think he is doing a “poor job” in delivering on his campaign promises, according to a new poll.

The CNN/SSRS survey released Wednesday shows that 64 percent of American voters are less confident in Trump’s ability to serve as a president, up from 43 percent immediately after his election victory.

Additionally, 55 percent of the voters think he is doing a poor job keeping the important promises he made prior to the 2016 presidential election, compared to 40 percent who believe otherwise.

There was a 9-percent drop in the number of voters who say Trump can bring the kind of change the country needs, with only 40 percent thinking that he can still pull off the job.

The decline in confidence comes mostly among independents and Republicans. Compared to November 2016, confidence in Trump’s ability to bring the needed change was down by 10 points among Republicans and nine points among independents.

However, Republican confidence in Trump’s ability to deliver on his promises has remained unchanged, at 86 percent, since April, according to the poll.

Only 30 percent say Trump is able to unite the country as opposed to 43 percent last November. Among Republicans, the figure stood at 65 percent down from 81 percent a year ago.

Nearly 65 percent say Trump’s statements and actions since taking office have made them less confident in his ability to serve as president, up from 43 percent who said so a year ago.

Trump also scored low on trustworthiness as 34 percent call him honest and trustworthy compared to 64 percent who say he is not.

Another poll revealed earlier this week showed Trump’s overall approval rating stood at 36%, the worst of his presidency. Trump’s approval ratings have been noticeably lower than any of his predecessors.

The businessman-turned-politician has drawn fire at home and abroad for his radical measures, including a ban on Muslim travelers from entering the US, a plan to build a wall along the Mexico border and rolling back on enhanced relations with Cuba.

Source: Presstv