30, August 2018

Nigeria: Red hat movement supporters say old Buhari unfit to govern ⁰

Supporters of a former state governor in Nigeria have mocked incumbent Muhammadu Buhari stating that as old as he was, Buhari was unfit to govern Nigeria.

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a one-time governor of Kano State located in north-central Nigeria also leads Kwankwasiyya Movement – which has a trademark of followers wearing red caps and veils.

A former ally of Buhari, Kwankwaso, currently serving as senator, declared his intention to contest for the presidential slot of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of 2019 general elections.

The BBC Hausa service shared a video of Kwankwaso supporters busy with anti-Buhari chants in the streets of the capital Abuja. The supporters clad in red caps and veils are heard singing: “old man, he is incapable” – insinuating that Buhari had to leave office.

Kwankwaso was among over a dozen Senators who defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP. He served two terms as governor on the PDPticket.

He was also one of the candidates who contested the APC primaries in 2015 but lost to Muhammadu Buhari who eventually beat the PDP candidate and then president Goodluck Jonathan.

With the PDP set to hand their presidential ticket to a Muslim northerner, Kwankwaso will likely come up against ex-veep Atiku Abubakar, Senate president Bukola Saraki (yet to declare his candidacy) and others.

Source: Africa News

29, August 2018

Biya’s Southern Cameroons War bringing Ambazonians together: IG ⁰

The Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia says French Cameroun’s actions have eventually served in bolstering ties among all the Southern Cameroons restoration groups. The Ambazonia Communications Secretary, Hon. Chris Anu made the remarks on Tuesday via an audio message in which he clarified the Interim Government’s stance on the resumption of schools in Southern Cameroons.

Chris Anu said the front line leaders of powerful Ambazonian liberation groups came together in Washington and reached the conclusion that the independence of Ambazonia is non-negotiable. The Ambazonian government spokesman noted that French Cameroun government military actions against Southern Cameroons civilian population show that every Ambazonian including the pro Biya comedians of the defunct South West and North West must rethink their relations with French Cameroun, and that Biya Francophone’s war on Southern Cameroons has helped greatly to bring Ambazonians both at home and abroad together.

Last week, the Ambazonian Interim Government said in a statement that recent unilateral steps taken by the so-called South West and North West political elites in support of the genocide currently going on in Southern Cameroons were politically-motivated by Yaoundé and could serve to ultimately bolster attacks against those West Cameroon CPDM corrupt officials. The Biya Francophone regime and the Anglophone CPDM political elites are entangled in a dispute over the organization of the upcoming presidential elections in Southern Cameroons.

Ambazonian restoration forces have taken the independence war to the economic front, adopting a series of sabotage measures against French Cameroun business interest in Southern Cameroons, including banning the sale of French products deep within the Ambazonian territory.

Over the last six months, some of the country’s major state corporations which are great money spinners have had to deal with the angst of Southern Cameroonian fighters who are determined to bring the country’s economy to its knees.

Corporations such as PAMOL and CDC all require a shot in the arm, but the cash-strapped government of Yaoundé is incapable of providing the much-needed infusion. Priming the pump of these corporations will require huge amounts of money. PAMOL has completely shot down due to increased disruption by Southern Cameroonian fighters.

Some 3,000 PAMOL workers have been rendered jobless and the corporation’s equipment is gradually rotting. Some of the palm oil production corporation’s facilities have been burned down and threats from Southern Cameroonian fighters actually made some of the workers to throw in the towel even before the corporation announced its bankruptcy.

For the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC), its operation capacity has been diminished over the last seven months. Ghost town operations and violence against its workers have made it hard for the country’s second largest employer to operate at full capacity.

The separatists’ economic sabotage is actually producing the desired effect as the government has seen some of its revenue streams diminishing. With many workers laid off from these two large corporations, the government has also witnessed a huge tax base erosion. The loss of more than 3,000 workers from these two corporations implies that income taxes paid to the government have diminished.

By Chi Prudence Asong and Kingsley Betek

29, August 2018

Manyu Advisory Council rejects notion of school resumption ⁰

MANYU ADVISORY COUNCIL REJECTS ANY NOTION OF SCHOOL RESUMPTION IN MANYU, NGUTI, MANYEMEN AND TALANGAYE.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Manyu Advisory Council as The Supreme Authority of Manyu and its ancestral areas (while Manyu is under illegal occupation by France-backed La Republique du Cameroon), completely and strongly rejects any notion of school resumption in Manyu, Nguti, Manyemen, and Talangaye of Southern Cameroons.

The unanimous decision comes after the Council concluded that schools in our homeland are simply unsafe death traps for our young men and women and even teachers who were supposed to teach. We have all witnessed multiple casual killings with pleasure of our youths in recent days and weeks and months but we shall not make it even easier for the terrorist army of La Republic Du Cameroon to kill more of our children and youths in their classrooms.

We therefore encourage parents to teach their children at home or even in the bushes in English as this is far better than parents crying by the grave site of their murdered children after they would have been killed by terrorist forces of France-backed La Republic Cameroon.

Our young people should go to school and feel safe; unfortunately Schools in Manyu, Nguti, Manyemen and Talangayeare simply not safe as they have become a target for kidnapping and slaughtering by the Francophone terrorist army of LRC.

In the coming weeks an educational committee shall be formed to support and initiate education in the bushes just as the Catholic Church has followed our people to the bushes.

Sincerely,

The Manyu Advisory Council

29, August 2018

Workers attacked with machetes on Cameroon banana plantation ⁰

Multiple people were wounded when armed men attacked workers on a banana plantation August 24 in Tiko, in southwestern Cameroon. It’s the second time in less than a month that this plantation, which belongs to a public firm, has been targeted. A man who was injured in the attack spoke to FRANCE 24 about rising violence and insecurity in his region, which is majority English-speaking.

The attack targeted a banana plantation run by the Cameroon Development Cooperation (CDC), a public company operating in the agribusiness sector. The main products produced by the CDC are rubber, palm oil and bananas.

The plantation is located in southwestern Cameroon, which is one of two English-speaking regions in the country (along with the northwest). These two regions are currently engulfed in violence committed by both separatist groups and government forces.

“Men came with firearms and machetes”

A man working in the banana plantation (who asked to remain anonymous due to concerns for his safety) told FRANCE 24 about the August 24 attack.

It was late morning and we were working when the men came. They were carrying guns, cutlasses and wearing rough clothing. Some of them had their faces covered. I would say that there were between 30 and 40 of them. They started beating workers, so I ran away, like many of my colleagues. They burned part of the place where the bananas are processed.

Some of the employees said that the armed men asked them, “Why do you keep working if you aren’t being paid?”

It’s true that we haven’t been paid since June because of the crisis in the region that affected our production. There’s also been a reduction in the amount of palm oil and rubber being produced because of the frequent attacks.

Some have been saying that the armed men were Ambazonians. But we have no idea if this is true as they didn’t disclose who they were.

Other workers told me that soldiers then arrived on site. After the attack, I went to the CDC hospital in Tiko. It was full of wounded workers – both men and women – though I don’t know how many were wounded exactly.

No one had gunshot wounds but many had knife cuts on their hands, heads, buttocks or legs. Some people had deep wounds that had to be stitched. Some people had bruises. There are still injured people at the hospital.

“Our plantation was already attacked in July. One of the drivers who bring workers out to the plantation was injured along with other workers. I wasn’t there when the attack happened, but I visited the injured in the hospital afterwards.

The situation here is really tough. We live in fear due to the insecurity in the area. The government should try to resolve this issue. We don’t even know when we will be paid again. The company hasn’t said anything.”

Protests organised by lawyers, teachers and students began in the English-speaking regions of Cameroon in late 2016. The organisers of these protests condemned what they saw as the growing marginalisation of English speakers in a country that is majority French-speaking. Many of these protests were brutally halted by security forces.

This repression contributed to the radicalisation of the opposition movement. Amnesty International reported that, starting in late 2017, “moderate voices began to be eclipsed as armed separatist groups, calling for secession and advocating for an armed struggle, grew in profile and support”.

These regions became increasingly militarised. Since then, both Cameroonian security forces and the separatist groups have carried out human rights abuses, causing many residents of these regions to flee.

This crisis has affected the CDC in several different ways. During the past few months, two of its employees were killed, some structures were destroyed and several plantations were closed.

Thousands of jobs are also under threat, as the CDC represents the second-largest employer in the country, according to its website. Our team contacted CDC management to ask, among other things, if they had taken new measures to protect their employees. We did not receive a response by press time and will update this page if we do.

Source: France 24

29, August 2018

Samuel Eto’o donates money to ex-Cameroon captain Norbert Owona ⁰

Former Barcelona forward Samuel Eto’o has visited Norbert Owona, an ex-skipper of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon who lost everything he had in life.

Owona lost his family in an accident, felt sick and currently homeless. He appealed to the government of Cameroon for help but his request was not granted.

However, the Barcelona legend has come to the aid of the poverty-stricken former captain, giving him 500,000FCFA.

The UEFA Champions League winner also promised to give him a brand new house.

Owona played several years for the Cameroonian national team and represented the Indomitable Lions in two Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments.

Ghanasoccernet

29, August 2018

France football legend Thierry Henry not joining Bordeaux after talks break down ⁰

Thierry Henry will not be the next coach of Bordeaux, with the French club’s president confirming to AFP on Tuesday that negotiations had broken down.

“Yes, we can confirm the end of those negotiations,” Stephane Martin told AFP, following earlier reports in France and England that Henry had turned the job down.

Sky Sports, the channel for whom Henry worked as a pundit for four years before quitting last month, said late on Monday that he had refused the offer to take his first managerial role since retiring as a player.

According to French sports daily L’Equipe, Henry felt that he had not been given sufficient guarantees by General American Capital Partners (GACP), the American consortium expected to take over Bordeaux at the end of September from current owners, the media conglomerate M6.

Despite his lack of experience as a coach, appointing the 41-year-old would have been a remarkable coup for Bordeaux, the six-time French champions.

They are looking for a replacement for the Uruguayan Gustavo Poyet, whose departure from the club is expected to be made official later on Tuesday.

Poyet was only appointed in January and led the club to European qualification at the end of last season, but he was suspended earlier this month after a very public outburst at directors over transfer policy.

Henry, who had been working as an assistant coach to the Belgian national team, met GACP in New York at the end of last week having come to an initial agreement with M6.

According to reports, however, Bordeaux were surprised by his salary demands given his lack of experience as a coach. Reports say he also wanted three new signings before the transfer window closes at the end of this week.

Bordeaux had already been turned down by former coach Laurent Blanc and Remi Garde, another ex-Arsenal player who is now at Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.

As their search for a successor to Poyet goes on, interim coach Eric Bedouet is set to take charge of the team in their next game, the Europa League play-off, second leg at home to Belgian club Gent on Thursday.

(AFP)

29, August 2018

Trump claims Google search results ‘rigged’ against him ⁰

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Google’s search engine of promoting negative news articles and hiding “fair media” coverage of him, vowing to address the situation without providing evidence or giving details of action he might take.

Trump’s attack against the Alphabet Inc unit follows a string of grievances against technology companies, including social media Twitter Inc and Facebook Inc, which he has accused of silencing conservative voices, and Amazon.com Inc, which he has said is hurting small businesses and benefiting from a favorable deal with the U.S. Postal Services.

He frequently berates news outlets for what he perceives as unfair coverage. Google denied any political bias, saying in a statement that its search engine is “not used to set a political agenda and we don’t bias our results toward any political ideology.”

Trump said in several tweets on Tuesday that Google search results for “Trump News” were “rigged” against him because they showed only coverage from outlets like CNN and not conservative publications, suggesting the practice was illegal.

“I think Google is really taking advantage of our people,” Trump said on Tuesday in the Oval Office. “Google, and Twitter and Facebook, they are really treading on very, very troubled territory, and they have to be careful. It’s not fair to large portions of the population.”

Facebook declined to comment. Twitter did not comment when asked for a response. In congressional testimony, both companies have denied engaging in partisan censorship. Neither Trump nor the White House detailed how or under what legal justification they would use to probe Google.

Trump’s economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, later told reporters that the White House was “taking a look” at Google, saying the administration would do “some investigation and some analysis,” without providing further details.

Earlier this summer, the new Republican chair of the Federal Trade Commission, Joseph Simons, said the agency would keep a close eye on big tech companies that dominate the internet.

In a previous investigation, the FTC decided that Google was likely justified in developing a search function that harmed other companies.

In June Representative Keith Ellison, a Democrat, asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Google’s alleged anticompetitive behavior in the online search and advertising markets.

Congressional sources cautioned that it may be difficult for Trump to find a way to probe Google about news search results, and that Congress is unlikely to pass any applicable laws.

U.S. member of Congress Ted Lieu, a Democrat, said in a tweet directed at Trump that such restrictions on Google would violate the U.S. Constitution: “If government tried to dictate the free speech algorithms of private companies, courts would strike it down in a nanosecond.”

Trump’s criticism of media

While the exact science behind Google searches on the internet is kept secret, its basic principles are widely known to be generated with a variety of factors measured by the company’s algorithms.

The factors Google uses to determine which websites appear first in search results include how often that page is linked to on other sites, the use of keywords, the popularity and respectability of the news site, and personal browsing history of the person conducting the search.

Highly trafficked and cited websites like CNN.com and NYTimes.com, two of the most Trump’s most frequent targets, often appear first in search results.

Trump’s accusation of bias on the part of Google comes as social media companies have suspended accounts, banned certain users and removed content as they face pressure from the U.S. Congress to police foreign propaganda and fake accounts aimed at disrupting American politics, including operations tied to Iran and Russia.

Companies such as Facebook and Twitter have also been pressed to remove conspiracy driven content and hate speech.

Tech companies have said they do not remove content for political reasons. Some Republican U.S. lawmakers have also raised concerns about social media companies removing content from some conservatives, and have called Twitter’s chief executive to testify before a House of Representatives panel on Sept. 5.

Earlier this month, Alphabet’s YouTube joined Apple Inc and Facebook in removing some content from Infowars, a website run by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. Jones was also temporarily suspended on Twitter.

(REUTERS)

28, August 2018

Southern Cameroons Crisis: The begging bowl heads to China ⁰

After having been mired in a tough military, economic and social battle over the last two years, the Yaoundé government is facing serious economic and financial crisis and this is keeping the country’s officials awake all night.

The crisis pitting Southern Cameroonian separatists against the Yaoundé government has seriously eroded the government’s financial base. The fighting is expensive and it has taken a huge bite out of the government’s fragile finances.

The soldiers who are battling a scary insurgency in the country’s English-speaking regions needed a pay increase and this caused the government to increase their per diem a few months ago. This is weighing on the government and the operation of heavy military equipment in the jungles of Southern Cameroons is costing the government an arm and a leg. This has been compounded by the economic sabotage that Southern Cameroonian fighters have engaged in.

The separatists’ economic sabotage is actually producing the desired effect as the government has seen some of its revenue streams diminishing. With many workers laid off from these two large corporations, the government has also witnessed a huge tax base erosion. The loss of more than 3,000 workers from these two corporations implies that income taxes paid to the government have diminished.

But the collapsing of these two corporations is not the worst news the Yaoundé government will be hearing. Southern Cameroonian separatists have their eyes set on the country’s lone refinery, SONARA, which is located in the southwest port city of Limbe.

They strongly believe that if they can successfully bring down SONARA, then they will be able to force the government to the negotiating table where some of the divorce issues can be discussed and addressed.

The government has therefore made it a policy to deploy troops around the refinery and this is costing it a pretty penny. This has been compounded by declining oil production and falling oil prices. Cameroon’s oil fields have been delivering some of the finest oil in the world and this has brought in billions of dollars into the government’s coffers.

Unfortunately, the Yaoundé government that is wont to mismanaging and misappropriating the country’s wealth cannot really show to the people of Cameroon what it has done with the country’s oil wealth over the last 40 years.

The country’s financial woes have been compounded by the flaking support of its allies. The regime’s backers are no longer forthcoming financially. Its European allies such as France are falling back on their financial pledges and this is pushing the government into a financial abyss.

Last week, the government got more bad news from rating agencies which classified it as an investment risk due the ongoing military violence in the two English-speaking regions of the country.

This implies that many investors will hold off on any investment plans they may have for the country. Similarly, any loans extended to the country will be coming with a huge price tag as the country is no longer credit-worthy. Left in the noose of a financial squeeze and a destructive military situation, the Yaoundé government is bound to look for alternative financial partners and investment resources.

The West has lost faith in a system that is highly dominated by old and destructive people. The country’s economy needs a new breath of life and this cannot be provided by a bunch of leaders whose time has passed. The majority of Cameroon’s leaders are actually suffering from senile decay and they lack the innovative ability to turn the country’s ailing economy around. China is, therefore, the regime’s last hope. The Chinese economy is losing steam because of its trade war with the USA.

The Chinese hold that weaving new partnerships around the world can bring the much-needed oxygen to their economy that is feeling the bite of American tariffs.

This is basis for the Sino-Africa summit that is taking place in the world’s second most populated country. While China is seeing trade, countries like Cameroon are seeing other things. Cameroon’s financial predicament is driving it into ridiculous actions. Begging has become the regime’s sport of choice.

The regime needs money to continue prosecuting its war against Southern Cameroonian separatists and it believes that China might come to its aid. That’s why the country’s ailing President Paul Biya, had to discharge himself from a hospital in Switzerland just to be in China in the firm belief that the Chinese will pity him and grants him some financial resources.

The country’s leader also known as the monarch, rushed back to Yaoundé a few days ago to switch his wardrobe before undertaking the long trip to Beijing.

But China has its own ideas. Its economy is stalling and it needs a huge infusion. It will surely disappoint notorious beggars such as Mr. Biya who have carved out a negative reputation for themselves as irresponsible and dictatorial governments that lack the requisite ability to run a modern economy.

Mr. Biya who left with a large contingent holds that securing a huge sum of money from the Chinese will boost his chances of getting reelected. He holds that his begging bowl might yield some good results that might enable him to display something to his fellow citizens who have lost faith in him.

He, however, knows that he has a tough battle ahead of him. Not only is he out of money, he has to deal with some young and smart competitors. Among those running for this year’s presidential election are some good candidates who are capable of causing an upset in Yaoundé.

The Social Democratic Front (SDF) has fielded a young, knowledgeable and experienced candidate who is causing ruling party stalwarts to lose sleep. Joshua Osih, the SDF candidate, has the potential to bring about the change Cameroonians have been longing for. Mr. Biya’s poor economic performance might come back to bite him this year.

Corruption that has been his government’s hallmark has caused a lot of pain to many Cameroonians and they might want to use the upcoming election to punish a man who is noted for rigging elections and squandering the country’s financial resources.

Besides, the election will not take place across the entire country and, Mr. Biya being a symbol of failure for many Cameroonians; it is obvious that change is coming to Cameroon. Mr. Biya has mismanaged the country’s economy and his arrogance is tearing the country apart. A situation many French-speaking Cameroonians abhor.

They hold that if the two English-speaking regions of the country succeed to walk a different path, then the country will be losing about 60% of its wealth. They hold that inclusive dialogue could enable the country to stay intact, but with Mr. Biya behaving as if he is a colonial master, it is likely that Southern Cameroons will go a separate way.

Mr. Biya is a man under pressure. The world is tired of seeing him. The new global political arena is inimical to old incompetent leaders. Mr. Biya is anything but competent. He has not only failed Cameroonians; he has also failed his foreign allies who are scared that his country might break up or become a terrorist haven in the sub-region.

Mr. Biya’s political and economic failings have transformed him into a clown and a beggar. While heading to China to look for money, he should understand that he who goes aborrowing will one day go asorrowing. He should also understand that he is mortgaging the lives of future generations by borrowing all over the world.

With the Chinese being crafty, it is likely that Mr. Biya will be returning home with an empty begging bowl. Like the last time he was in China, he might only end up signing a series of cooperation agreements that might never yield the cash he so badly needs to corrupt voters in his native CamerooN.

By Kingsley Betek

28, August 2018

South West CPDM Forum: Martin Nkemngu is running away from Chief Tabetando and Co ⁰

A statement by Martin A. NKEMNGU rapporteur of the sub committee of the Theme “POLITICAL CHOICES OF THE SOUTHWEST REGION” presented at the Southwest Forum which held in Buea on 25th August, 2018.

Martin A. Nkemngu was appointed rapporteur in one of the four Committees of the Southwest Forum.

Their committee was under the Theme “POLITICAL CHOICES OF THE SOUTHWEST REGION ” under the chairmanship of Hon Benjamin Itoe assisted by Hon Nfor Tabetando.

The Committee had over 100 participants who deliberated on their theme.

The Committee deliberated and insisted on their choices.

The Rapporteur was mandated to readout at the plenary session what was dictated to him by the experienced statesmen who dominated the deliberations.

As a professional journalist i do not usually take sides on matters of public interest.

IF WHAT I READ HAS OFFENDED ANYBODY IN ANYWAY, I WISH TO STATE THAT IT WAS NEVER MY THOUGHTS OR BELIEFS.

I wish to use this opportunity to make it abundantly clear that I never went to the forum for any personal gain.

I further state that I left the forum without any financial or material compensation of any kind.

Thanks.

28, August 2018

Schools resumption: Interim Government says Ambazonian schools not safe ⁰

The Ambazonian Communications Secretary, Hon. Chris Anu has asked Southern Cameroons parents and guardians to keep their children and wards at home saying no public or private school is safe for any academic activities in the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

Chris Anu in an audio message aired today said French Cameroon government forces have placed nearly all primary, secondary and high school campuses in Southern Cameroons under lock and key and many of the premises are serving as military barracks for the invading Francophone troops.

The Interim Government spokesman noted that the current French Cameroun military operations deep inside Ambazonian territory posses challenges in the country and has made it difficult for the Ambazonian Interim Government to guarantee the safety and security of Southern Cameroons pupils and students.

The Ambazonian Communications Secretary further pointed out that the issue of back to school is the sole responsibility of the parents. Chris added that French Cameroun forces have been targeting Southern Cameroons teenagers.

By Rita Akana