8, January 2025

US largest contributor to humanitarian aid efforts in Cameroon ⁰

The United States was the largest contributor to humanitarian aid efforts in Cameroon as of September 30, 2024, according to a recent report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The U.S. contributed 53 billion CFA Francs, four times more than the second-largest donor, the European Union, which provided 14.5 billion CFA Francs. Other major contributors included Sweden, Germany, France, Japan, Canada, Italy, Norway, and the NGO Education Cannot Wait.

These contributions, totaling 90 billion CFA Francs, covered 38% of the 217 billion CFA Francs required under the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan adopted by humanitarian partners and the Cameroonian government. The plan aims to assist 2.3 million of the 3.4 million people identified as being in need.

In September 2024, the U.S. Embassy in Cameroon reported that Washington had already provided 12 billion CFA Francs in humanitarian aid for the year, specifically for food and nutritional assistance.

Source: Sbbc

8, January 2025

Football: Didier Deschamps to step down as France coach after 2026 World Cup ⁰

Didier Deschamps, France’s longest serving national team coach, will not seek to renew his contract which expires in 2026, the French Football Federation told Reuters on Tuesday.

Deschamps’ deal runs until after the next World Cup, for which Les Bleus have yet to qualify.

The 56-year-old took over from fellow 1998 World Cup winner Laurent Blanc in 2012 and led Les Bleus to the World Cup title in 2018, two years after reaching the European Championship final on home soil.

The former France captain, one of only three to win football’s most prestigious prize as a player and a coach, guided the national team to the World Cup final again in 2022, losing to Argentina on penalties after one of the best matches in the tournament’s history.

Earlier on Tuesday, French sports daily L’Équipe reported that Deschamps would make his announcement on Wednesday.

Source: Reuters

7, January 2025

Buea: Bishop Bibi says Anglophone Crisis progressively coming to an end ⁰

Bishop Michael Miabesue Bibi of Cameroon’s Catholic Diocese of Buea has expressed optimism about the resolution of Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis.

In an interview with ACI Africa on the sidelines of the dedication of the Divine Mercy Co-Cathedral of the Diocese of Buea, Bishop Bibi acknowledged significant progress in having normalcy restored in the affected regions of the Central African nation.

“Since 2016, we have been having the crisis in the Northwest and Southwest Regions. If you look at the situation when it started and where we are now, you will agree with me that progressively there have been changes,” the Cameroonian Catholic Bishop said on January 5.

He highlighted the gradual reopening of schools and the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their villages as some of the signs of progress.

“Progressively, children are going to school. Progressively, those who left their villages and went out as internally displaced persons – some of them are going back to work on their farms and care for their crops,” Bishop Bibi told ACI Africa.

“We still have situations of kidnapping and fighting, but when you look at it globally, I will say and repeat that progressively the Anglophone crisis is coming to an end,” he emphasized.

The Cameroonian Catholic Bishop, who has been at the helm of Buea Diocese since December 2019, first as Apostolic Administrator, and since February 2021 as the Local Ordinary attributed the progress to collaborative efforts between the government, the Church, and local communities.

“The government has done a lot to solve the crisis. The Church has done a lot, and we will continue to work together. Fighting and killing each other will never resolve a problem,” Bishop Bibi said.

He went on to advocate for unity and peacebuilding, urging all Cameroonians to act as one family to foster justice and reconciliation.

“We must work together as one family to ensure peace and justice. Only through unity can we live together as members of one nation,” Bishop Bibi said.

Cameroon’s English-speaking regions plunged into conflict in 2016 after a protest by lawyers and teachers turned violent. An armed movement of separatists claiming independence for the so-called republic of Ambazonia emerged following the government’s crackdown on protesters.

School boycotts have become common in the Cameroonian region as have enforced moratoriums on public life known as “ghost towns”.

In his homily during the January 5 Eucharistic celebration that also marked the start of the 48th Annual Seminar of members of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC), Bishop Bibi lamented that “many lives have been lost, families destroyed, villages burned, and several churches affected” as a result of the crisis.

“Every day, we work to provide both spiritual and material support to those affected. We remain hopeful that this crisis will end and continue our tireless efforts for peace and justice in Cameroon,” he said.

The Catholic Church leader, who started his Episcopal Ministry in March 2017 as Auxiliary Bishop of Cameroon’s Bamenda Catholic Archdiocese added, “I take this opportunity to thank the Government of Cameroon and its security services for working day and night, sacrificing their lives for the common good. May God bless you.”

“The Church in the Diocese of Buea – its Priests, women, and men Religious, and Laity – will persist in its pastoral ministry, striving for the restoration of peace and justice in this part of the country,” Bishop Bibi said on January 5, the second day of the weeklong NECC Annual Seminar.

Source: aciafrica

7, January 2025

Buea: Roman Catholic Bishops say Cameroonians must not lose hope ⁰

The Roman Catholic Church in Cameroon has formally entered a Synodal Process. We of the Cameroon Concord News Group are convinced that this is the way to go and it will be a fruitful new departure.

During the opening ceremony of the 48^th annual conference of the Cameroonian Bishops in Buea the chief city in the South West region, the Bishops unanimously said that they are in Buea to map out a pathway not a runway.

Millions of Cameroonians both at home and abroad are wondering if the Roman Catholic Bishops are dampening down expectations on the current state of political and economic affairs in the divided nation. The truth is the Bishops are being realistic.

The Bishops want Cameroonians to learn how to journey together being guided by the Holy Spirit. In the words of His Grace Archbishop Andrew Nkea it means being patient with each other and respectful of differing views.

Welcoming the Bishops, His Lordship Bishop Michaël Bibi of the diocese of Buea during a joyous ceremony attended by the Francophone Governor of the South-West region, Bernard Okalla Bilaï and the Mayor of Buea David Mafany, said the focus has to be on Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace.

The President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, His Grace Archbishop Andrew Nkea on behalf of all the bishops, took advantage of Pope Francis’ message for the Jubilee Year 2025 to convey hope and peace to the Cameroonian people, who are being battered on a daily basis by a sea of crises and natural disasters.

‘We must not lose hope, despite all the difficulties we have, despite all the problems we face, we must not lose hope. Hope is a theological virtue, and without hope there is no life. We continue to hope for a new Cameroon, a Cameroon of unity, a Cameroon of joy, a country that will take care of all Cameroonians,’ said His Grace Andrew Nkea.

The proceedings are currently going on in the Bishop Pius Awa Conference Room inside the pastoral centre.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Fon Lawrence and Rita Akana

6, January 2025

Canada: Justin Trudeau resigns as prime minister ⁰

Justin Trudeau resigns as leader of Canada’s governing party after nearly a decade as prime minister

Trudeau says in a news conference in Ottawa that he will stay on as PM until a new Liberal Party leader is chosen

“This country deserves a real choice” at the next election, he says, announcing that parliament will be prorogued until 24 March

Trudeau had been under growing pressure from within his party and elsewhere to step down

Who could replace Trudeau as Liberal Party leader? Ex-Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland and former central banker Mark Carney are among the potential successors.

Source: BBC

6, January 2025

Biya regime removes VAT on locally produced flours ⁰

Locally produced flours made from corn, yam, cassava, and plantain are now exempt from Value Added Tax (VAT). This new policy, outlined in the 2025 finance law and confirmed by the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI), is expected to lower the price of these products on the market by 19.25%, which matches the current VAT rate in the country.

The government sees this move as part of its strategy to promote “import substitution.” By encouraging the production of local flours, Cameroon aims to reduce its reliance on imported wheat, one of the country’s most imported food products, alongside rice. This dependency has heavily contributed to the country’s trade deficit.

In 2023, although imports dropped by 31.6% compared to the previous year, Cameroon still spent CFA178.3 billion on wheat imports, down from CFA260.7 billion in 2022. France remains the top supplier of wheat to Cameroon, followed by Poland, Russia, and Germany. Notably, Poland saw a 9% increase in wheat exports to Cameroon in 2023.

To lessen the country’s dependence on imported wheat, particularly for bread production—which is one of the most widely consumed foods in Cameroon—the government has been promoting local flours in recent years. Before removing VAT on these products, the government had already modified bread production standards, allowing up to 15% of local starch-based flours, such as cassava and yam, to be blended with wheat flour. The long-term goal is to gradually replace wheat flour with local flours in bread-making.

In 2023, the Ministry of Youth launched a training program for trainers in local flour processing, with the aim of teaching at least 378 young Cameroonians to make pastries using locally produced flours. In line with these efforts, a platform for local producers was established in 2022, with a target of producing around 5 million tons of high-quality products by 2030. However, this target seems ambitious, given the current pace of local flour production.

In his national address on December 31, 2024, President Paul Biya announced that 12,800 tons of local flours were produced in Cameroon in 2024. In comparison, the country imported 887,400 tons of wheat in 2023, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

Achieving the goal of producing 5 million tons within five years will require significant investments, especially from millers whose factories are mainly designed to process wheat. As Alfred Momo Ebongue, Secretary General of the Cameroon Millers’ Industry Group (GIMC), pointed out, mills will need to be redesigned or adapted to process local tubers like cassava, yam, and potatoes instead of just wheat.

Source: Business in Cameroon

5, January 2025

France: Former president Sarkozy faces court over alleged €50 million Gaddafi pact ⁰

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, already convicted twice in separate cases since leaving office, on Monday goes on trial charged with accepting illegal campaign financing in an alleged pact with the late Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

The career of Sarkozy has been shadowed by legal troubles since he lost the 2012 presidential election. But he remains an influential figure for many on the right and is also known to regularly meet President Emmanuel Macron.

The fiercely ambitious and energetic politician, 69, who is married to the model and singer Carla Bruni and while in power from 2007-2012 liked to be known as the “hyper-president”, has been convicted in two cases, charged in another and is being investigated in connection with two more.

Sarkozy will be in the dock at the Paris court barely half a month after France’s top appeals court on December 18 rejected his appeal against a one year prison sentence for influence peddling, which he is to serve by wearing an electronic bracelet rather than in jail.

The latest trial is the result of a decade of investigations into accusations that Sarkozy accepted illegal campaign financing – reportedly amounting to some 50 million euros – from Gaddafi to help his victorious 2007 election campaign.

In exchange, it is alleged, Sarkozy and senior figures pledged to help Gaddafi rehabilitate his international image after Tripoli was blamed for bombing attacks on Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988 over Lockerbie in Scotland and UTA Flight 772 in 1989 that killed hundreds of passengers.

Sarkozy has denounced the accusations as part of a conspiracy against him, insisting that he never received any financing for the campaign from Gaddafi and that there is no evidence of any such transfer.

‘He will fight’

At a time when many Western countries were courting Gaddafi for energy deals as the maverick dictator sought to emerge from decades of international isolation, the Libyan leader in December 2007 visited Paris, famously installing his tent in the centre of the city.

But France then backed the UN-sanctioned military action that helped in 2011 oust Gaddafi, who was then killed by rebels. Sarkozy has said allegations from former members of Gaddafi’s inner circle over the alleged campaign financing are motivated by revenge.

If convicted, Sarkozy faces up to 10 years in prison under the charges of concealing embezzlement of public funds and illegal campaign financing. The trial is due to last until April 10.

Sarkozy “is awaiting these four months of hearings with determination. He will fight the artificial construction dreamed up by the prosecution. There was no Libyan financing of the campaign,” said his lawyer Christophe Ingrain.

Among 12 others facing trial over the alleged Libyan financing are heavyweights such as Sarkozy’s former right-hand man, Claude Gueant, his then-head of campaign financing, Eric Woerth, and former minister Brice Hortefeux.

“Claude Gueant will demonstrate that after more than ten years of investigation, none of the offences he is accused of have been proven,” said his lawyer Philippe Bouchez El Ghozi, denouncing the cases as amounting to “assertions, hypotheses and other approximations.”

Witness tampering charges

For the prosecution, the pact started in 2005 when Gaddafi and Sarkozy, then interior minister, met in Tripoli for a meeting ostensibly devoted to fighting illegal migration. But Sarkozy’s defence counters that no trace of the illegal financing was ever found in the campaign coffers.

The scandal erupted in April 2012, while Sarkozy was in the throes of his re-election campaign, when the Mediapart website published a bombshell article based on a document purportedly from December 2006 it said showed a former Libyan official evoking an agreement over the campaign financing.

Sarkozy has long contended that the document is not genuine.

An embittered Sarkozy would later narrowly lose the second round of the election to Socialist François Hollande.

Franco-Lebanese businessman Ziad Takieddine, a key figure in the case, had claimed several times that he helped deliver up to five million euros ($5.4 million at current rates) in cash from Gaddafi to Sarkozy and his chief of staff in 2006 and 2007.

But in 2020, Takieddine suddenly retracted his incriminating statement, raising suspicions that Sarkozy and close allies may have paid the witness to change his mind.

In a further twist, Sarkozy was charged in October 2023 with illegal witness tampering while Carla Bruni was last year charged with hiding evidence in the same case.

Sarkozy’s second conviction, in another campaign financing case, was confirmed last year by a Paris appeals court which ruled he should serve six months in prison, with another six months suspended. This verdict can still go to a higher domestic appeals court.

Source: AFP

5, January 2025

Gunmen kill five Cameroon soldiers in Akwaya Sub Division ⁰

Gunmen from Nigeria have killed at least five Cameroonian soldiers and wounded several others in the village of Bakinjaw on Cameroon’s border with Nigeria, a member of parliament for the district and a traditional leader said on Saturday.

It is the latest in a series of attempts to seize territory in the area.

Aka Martin Tyoga, MP for Akwaya Sub Division in Manyu, where the incident took place, said the attack happened early on Friday, when hundreds of armed Fulani herdsmen crossed the border from Taraba state in Nigeria to attack a military post.

He said it was a retaliation after Cameroonian soldiers killed several herdsmen the day before.

Agwa Linus, traditional ruler of Bakinjaw, said the attackers also burnt down his home.

“This is not the first time they are attacking – it’s very unfortunate,” he said.

Source: Reuters

5, January 2025

2025: Roman Catholic Bishops, Imams should move to decide Cameroon’s next president ⁰

As the divided Cameroon inches closer to the 2025 presidential elections, thousands of Cameroonian voters are itching to see their spiritual leaders like Bishops and Imams play a major role in deciding who will be Cameroon’s next head of state.

Spiritual leaders in Cameroon have always urged their followers to pray for peace and vote for the candidate that guarantees stability. But the 2025 presidential elections might be different as three Roman Catholic bishops have called on 91-year-old President Biya not to run for the highest office in the land.

Archbishop Samuel Kleda, Metropolitan Archbishop of Douala, Bishop Emmanuel Abbo of the diocese of Ngaoundéré and Bishop Yaouda Hourgo, Bishop of Yagoua have all said that Mr Biya should step down.

While some Roman Catholic revered fathers have openly and privately endorsed the position of the Bishops, renowned French Cameroun political commentator Moussa Njoya in a recent outing opined that Cameroon Imams and Islamic experts must not hide behind so-called religious teachings, and a supposed specialty and specificity, to justify their cowardice and corruption.

Moussa Njoya stated that following statements by Roman Catholic bishops on bad governance in Cameroon and on President Biya’s candidacy for the October 2025 presidential election, Cameroon Imams should also give their position on the subject. For him, it is not a question of taking subsidies from the Ministry of Territorial Administration, but of taking a clear stand.

Njoya furthered that Cameroonians should not be surprised that after the outbursts from the Roman Catholic bishops, Imams will be coming out with motions of support for the Cameroonian dictator.

“The role of the clergy is to tell the people what the lord wants; if we tell the Cameroonian people this is who God wants, but they refuse, then it’s up to them. Roman Catholic Bishops are not for Biya and they are not for anybody; they simply stand for God” a revered father contacted by this reporter in Yaoundé and who sued for anonymity said.

The 2025 presidential election is not going to be business as usual; Cameroonians Francophone and Anglophone are well informed.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

5, January 2025

Roman Catholic priests say remove Paul Biya if he does not step down ⁰

Several Roman Catholic Revered Fathers have said on Saturday that 91-year-old President Paul Biya must step down or be removed by force.

The Roman Catholic clerics are intensifying calls made recently by three Cameroonian Bishops that Biya and his acolytes have been responsible for the collapse of Cameroon as a nation and that the regime in Yaoundé should go and go now or face indictment.

The Revered Fathers have unanimously sent protest letters to the Bishops as they meet in Buea the chief city in the South West region for the 48^th session of the National Episcopal Conference.

Cameroon Concord News asked some of the Roman Catholic clergy if Biya, who has been in power since 1982, should be removed by force and they all said yes if he refuses to step down and “they must do so militarily” the men of God furthered.

Their comments came as Biya has become increasingly criticized over a worsening political and economic crisis that critics blame on his failed policies.

By Rita Akana in Buea