3, January 2025

Catholic priest dies in Douala General Hospital ⁰

A Roman Catholic priest serving in the Archdiocese of Douala, Rev. Fr. William Obi Tambe has died.

The man of God passed away on January 2, 2025 in the Douala General Hospital, after a serious battle with kidney and liver problems.

His death was confirmed by our Cameroon Concord News correspondent in Douala, the chief city in the Littoral region.

Reacting to the news of his passing, the Chairman of the Cameroon Concord News group Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai wrote on Face book that “Please kindly remember Fr William Obi in your prayers for the repose of his soul. Do also remember his biological family and the Diocese of Mamfe in your prayers.”

Details regarding his burial arrangements will be communicated at a later date a family source said.

By Fon Lawrence in Douala

3, January 2025

New Year Day Homilies: Roman Catholic Bishops call on Biya to step down ⁰

President Paul Biya 91 must resign from power, three Roman Catholic Bishops reportedly said during their New Year Day homilies.

Archbishop Samuel Kleda, Metropolitan Archbishop of Douala, Bishop Emmanuel Abbo of the diocese of Ngaoundéré and Bishop Yaouda Hourgo, Bishop of Yagoua all said that Mr Biya has ruined a wonderful country, turning a bread-basket into a basket case.

The Bishops said it is well past time for Mr Biya to go, saying several sham elections have been followed by several sham processes of power-sharing that produced nothing but suffering.

In their New Year Day homilies, they called for a form of political transition by the end of 2024.

Archbishop Samuel Kleda, Metropolitan Archbishop of Douala, stated that it is unrealistic for Biya to contest the 2025 presidential election. Kleda invoked the wear and tear of time and the vanity of life and added that ‘this is not realistic […] we are human beings. At some point we leave this world, we can’t perform miracles’.

“We’re not going to suffer any more than that. We’ve already suffered. The worst is not going to come. Even the Devil should first take power in Cameroon and then we’ll see…” Archbishop Kleda furthered.

For his part, Mgr Emmanuel Abbo, Bishop of Ngaoundere, reflected on the poor living conditions of Cameroonians and denounced the present form of repression of the freedom of expression of citizens living in deplorable conditions. ‘How is it possible that the desperate pleas of Cameroonians do not prompt the country’s leaders to put an end to their suffering? And the greatest suffering of all is that Cameroonians are forbidden to express their suffering’, the Man of God lamented.

Also speaking on New Year’s Day was Bishop Yaouda Hourgo of the Yagoua diocese. His Lordship Bishop Yaouda said it is time to put an end to the suffering of the Cameroonian people. For him, there is an urgent need for another Cameroonian to take power immediately.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

3, January 2025

Yaoundé: Justice Richard Wanki dies of cancer ⁰

Cameroon Supreme Court Justice Richard Wanki, an iconic champion of common law, has died of cancer in Yaoundé.

Wanki died on Thursday surrounded by his family.

Earlier this year, family sources close to Justice Wanki, head of the Common Law Division of the Supreme Court said he was fighting a recurrence of cancer.

Wanki was one of the few Anglophone legal minds to sit on the Francophone dominated Supreme Court.

As one of few English speaking justices on the Supreme Court, his health was watched closely after the passing of Justice Ayah Paul Abine.

His family is expected to issue a statement on the passing of a man described by many as the titan of the common law and a brilliant mind.

By Soter Agbaw-Ebai with files

2, January 2025

Football: The 36 Anglophones in the history of the Indomitable Lions ⁰

What gives them joy in Yaoundé is not only the slaughtering of innocent English speaking Cameroonians by the Francophone dominated military but also the important role played by Anglophones in the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.

Renowned academic Dr Claude Kana has sounded a note of caution to the regime in Yaoundé and he recently reminded Yaoundé of the contributions made by Southern Cameroonians to the success of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon from 1964-2020. He was helped in his effort by veteran sports journalist DJOMO Kevin.

Indeed, since the early days of the reunification of the two Cameroons, Southern Cameroonians have played an important part in the history of the Indomitable Lions. EBAÏ Fidelis was the first to be selected in 1964 and today a total of 36 have worn the green, red, yellow outfit and two of have been captains: TATAW ETA Stephen and EYONG ENOW Tarkang.

This is the list compiled by Dr Claude Kana

EBAÏ Fidelis, NDIEFFI Steven 404, MAKOLE Sher, NANGOH David, KULU Emmanuel, KANG Wilson, MUKUBE Vincent, EWUNKEM Joseph, NGOH Franklin, EPIE NZAMS Charly, DOCTOR EKWE Fabian, BEN BOLA Forshu, NDIP AKEM Victor, NLEND ANJUMA Simon, NTAMARK Charly, AGBO Hans, TATAW ETA Stephen, EKEME NDIBA Samy, BEKIMA ASHU Charles, ASHU NTONG, OBONAYA Edwin, SHI FRU Celestine, ESSA Pius, NJUME NTOKO Roland, NJANG Sunday, ETCHI OBEN Ernest, SIMO Augustine, NDIEFFI Pius, DJAMA MBAH Robert, WAMFOR Justice, EYONG ENOW Tarkang, ANDONGCHO Mbuta, FAÏ Collins Ngoran, NJIÉ Clinton, NDIP TAMBE Robert, BOKWE Georges.

By Chi Prudence Asong

2, January 2025

Multiple people involved in New Orleans attack inspired by IS group ⁰

US authorities say they believe multiple people were involved in an attack in New Orleans that killed 15 and wounded dozens on New Year’s Day

The driver of a pick-up truck that sped into large crowds in the city’s French Quarter has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US Army veteran from Texas, who was killed in a shootout with police

President Joe Biden says the attacker was inspired by the Islamic State group and the FBI says an IS flag was found in the truck

The identities of the victims are still being established but they include a former Princeton University football star and aspiring nurse

Law enforcement are also looking at whether the attack is linked to the explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas hours later – but Biden says no link has been found yet.

Source: BBC

2, January 2025

South Korea’s Yoon vows to ‘fight until end’ despite facing arrest ⁰

South Korea’s impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol has written a letter urging his supporters to stand by him, declaring that he will “fight until the end”, as authorities seek to arrest him over his brief martial law imposed last month.

Back on December 3, heavily armed troops stormed the National Assembly building after Yoon ordered a martial law to be imposed, the first of its kind in more than four decades, but lawmakers managed to rush to the parliament to vote down his martial law declaration.

He gave the military extraordinary powers in order to end the political deadlock within the capital, and stop what he dubbed “anti-state forces.” However, the martial law lasted only six hours before being revoked by the parliament.

After being impeached by lawmakers and having his powers suspended, Yoon was replaced by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who briefly led the country as acting president.

“I am watching on YouTube live all the hard work you are doing,” Yoon addressed a letter late Wednesday to the estimated hundreds of supporters gathered near his official residence in protest of his investigation.

“I will fight until the end to protect this country together with you,” he added in the letter, a photo capture of which was sent to Reuters by Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer advising Yoon.

The opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the parliament and spearheaded Yoon’s impeachment on December 14, stressed that the letter demonstrated Yoon’s purported delusion and his continued commitment to carry out what they call his “insurrection.”

“As if trying to stage insurrection wasn’t enough, he is now inciting his supporters to an extreme clash,” said party spokesman Jo Seoung-lae in a statement.

On Tuesday, a court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon, potentially making him the first sitting president to be detained in connection with investigations into accusations that he orchestrated an insurrection by attempting to impose martial law.

Insurrection is one of the rare criminal charges for which a South Korean president does not enjoy immunity.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), heading a joint investigative team that includes police and prosecutors, has until January 6 to carry out the arrest warrant.

South Korean lawmakers impeached Han for his refusal on December 27 to appoint three judges to fill vacancies in the Constitutional Court, the body that will be deciding whether to reinstate or remove Yoon permanently from office.

Now, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok has assumed the role of acting president.

The opposition argued that Han had actively participated in Yoon’s insurrection and violated his duty to uphold the law by avoiding investigations.

Opposition politicians also called for launching a special probe into Yoon’s martial law declaration.

On Thursday, Yoon’s lawyer warned that police officers would be at risk of arrest by “the presidential security service or any citizens” if they attempt to detain Yoon on behalf of the CIO, stressing that their authority is restricted only to crowd control and maintaining public order.

Source: Press TV

2, January 2025

Biya hints at another bid for presidency ⁰

President Paul Biya gave his end of year address to the nation, and a not so subtle hint that he still has interest in keeping the presidency.

Biya warned that 2025 – the year Cameroon is meant to hold presidential elections is ‘full of challenges’, which was interpreted by some observers as a suggestion that he sees himself as president of the central African country beyond 2025.

Biya said he was paying attention to the cries of his party’s members who have recently embarked on a propaganda drive to market his candidacy.

At almost 92 years old, 40 of which he has spent at the head of his country, Paul Biya remains the sole candidate of the ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement according to the party’s constitution.

Source: Africa News

30, December 2024

Will Biya resign and allow Dion Ngute to be president? ⁰

There is no proof that Unity Palace and the Star Building have considered doing this, but according to our Cameroon Intelligence Report chief correspondent in Yaoundé, Biya is contemplating to resign the presidency after New Year celebrations to make Prime Minister Dion Ngute the president of the Republic.

Rita Akana explained this move and cited a well-placed source who met President Biya recently in Yaoundé.

President Biya was painted as having a divided mind on handing over before the elections in 2025 or running as a candidate and then step down, making the way for a Dion Ngute presidency.

“From what he told an aide late last week, he now fully understands that he no longer has the energy to run state affairs. I’m not saying that he intends to resign soonest, but that’s exactly what he is planning do,” the source said.

As 2025 approaches, many Cameroonians are concerned about the future of their country. Cameroon is at a standstill both politically and economically. The country is in dire need of an overhaul and many analysts have opined that the 2025 presidential election might reshape the country’s future.

However, though the presidential election is less than ten months away, Cameroonians are not yet aware of the candidates in the race for the Unity Palace as some political parties have not yet revealed their candidates to the public and this is indeed a cause for concern.

The 2025 presidential polls cannot be discussed without mentioning the incumbent’s name. Mr. Biya who has been in power for 42 years has the benefit of incumbency. His total control of the country’s treasury gives him certain financial advantages which other parties may not have.

However, his long stay in power might be a huge disadvantage as many Cameroonians are of the opinion that he has overstayed his welcome. His age and failing health could also be some of the annoying inconveniences which might mar Mr. Biya’s campaign.

However, some analysts say he might not run as his age has diminished his mental and physical ability. The analysts hold that he might manage the transition to ensure that his successor comes from his party to ensure that his family and collaborators get the protection they need when he leaves power.

Mr. Biya has been a fixture on Cameroon’s political landscape having been thrust into power by the country’s first president, Amadou Ahidjo, who resigned in 1982. Ahidjo saw the young Biya as an asset to the country and thought that Mr. Biya was capable of steering the country to better shores.

Unfortunately, things have not turned out as planned. The country’s economy has been in shambles for more than three decades, with unemployment reaching alarming levels. Many young Cameroonians are frustrated and thousands have left the country to try their luck somewhere else. Cameroon has not been the eldorado Ahidjo thought it would become under Mr. Biya.

Nepotism and corruption have become the country’s hallmarks. The massive, dysfunctional and corrupt civil service is full of Biya loyalists and tribesmen and this is a tough challenge the next president will have to deal with.

Currently, the government is bleeding money and in a bid to raise more money, the government is instituting more annoying taxes. The 2024 finance bill has just been passed and it is not good news to struggling Cameroonians. The new taxes will trigger a further escalation of living cost and most Cameroonians who are already in the throes of a severe crisis will have to look for creative ways to survive if they must not be rolled into an early grave by high prices.

The 2025 polls are an opportunity for Cameroonians to reshape their political destiny. The lineup of candidates is impressive. Will they vote for continuity or will they design a new path by walking away from the ruling party which has made corruption a way of life?

By Miriam Metchane Ewang

29, December 2024

Manyu Development: The Diaspora can help ⁰

Manyu is gradually emerging from the damage of the socio-political crisis which has been running for almost eight years, but the tell-tale signs of the adverse impacts of the conflict are still on the faces of our people.

Many of our people are slowly returning to their native Manyu but starting all over is a Herculean task. Many have lost almost everything. Some had to spend years in the jungle just to hide from Amba fighters and Cameroon government soldiers.

Many of our people are desperate. Though cocoa prices have brought some hope, it must be pointed out that many of those farms had been neglected when the fighting was at its apex. It takes years for a cocoa plantation to be productive and it takes lots of maintenance for a plantation to deliver the “golden seeds” and without money our people are not earning as much as they should.

Though some of the farmers are celebrating, it should be noted that not everyone in Manyu Division is a cocoa farmer. Despite increased cocoa production in the past two years, Manyu farmers are not making a kill as they should because their poor mastery of the global cocoa market is robbing them of lots of money.

There are no structured marketing channels which can guarantee our people long term money for their labour and since they have no control over the cocoa supply chain, most of our farmers are obliged to accept whatever prices are offered to them.

The socio-political crisis has hit Manyu Division like a ton of bricks. The situation has been compounded by escalating cost of living, leaving many young Manyu men and women in dire financial straits.

Even young Manyu businesspersons are struggling. The business environment is not enabling. Access to loans is almost non-existent and the entire Manyu Division has no bank to cater to the needs of our people.

Moreover, the mentality out there is hurting our people in a big and bad way. Anybody who starts making some baby steps forward has the obligation of taking care of an entire family, a situation which has caused many budding businesses to collapse even before they could send down their roots.

Furthermore, any businessperson who makes giant strides forward is always erroneously thought to be involved in a cult. Many Manyu people have never really known wealth and many do not understand that speculation, determination and persistence can deliver tons of money.

Once someone makes huge amounts of money, the entire village starts accusing them of things which only exist in fairytales. There is no witchcraft when it comes to making money. The people of Manyu Division need a mentality purge. A new mindset needs to be engineered to enable the people to accept that a neighbor could be wealthy in a short time due to their clear and long-term vision as well as their persistence and determination.

The Diaspora, indeed the open-minded, informed and selfless Diaspora, has a role to play, not only in the engineering of a new mindset for Manyu, but in the creation of self-help programs which will give the Division a shot in the arm.

A once booming economic hub, Mamfe, the Division’s capital, is spotting a miserable and helpless figure. The town’s infrastructure is crumbling, the environment is deteriorating at lightning speed, power failure remains a tough challenge to businesses and the Division’s best and brightest are leaving to seek little opportunities in other towns of the Southwest Region.

Mamfe has lost its attraction. Even the schools which used to attract people to the Division have become shadows of their former selves. Manyu and Mamfe need a massive injection of cash which can help small businesses to stabilize and grow. The absence of financial institutions in the Division has robbed struggling businesspeople of the access they need to where they can have investment resources.

The Diaspora has a great role to play in the revitalization of the once vibrant Division. The Diaspora has been supportive albeit on individual basis. Manyu needs more than individual efforts. Manyu’s development requires the collective efforts of its sons and daughters, both at home and abroad.

Manyu does not have its own microfinance institutions. Manyu does not have its own cooperatives. Manyu is bereft of basic financial and financing institutions which can give the Division’s population access to much-needed financing.

The Diaspora, in particular, can help restore Manyu’s past glory through collective efforts. Organizations such as EYUMEMA and MOHWA are making some strides but their efforts need to be shored up, especially with the creation of sound project implementation mechanisms which can ensure that they get real value for any dollar they invest in the Division.

Manyu sons and daughters abroad should know that they have a role to play in Manyu’s economic and cultural renaissance. The Diaspora can reverse certain things in Manyu through generous contributions and participation in development projects. Indifference will only lead to the Division heading down the abyss of depression and chaos. The Diaspora should mobilize itself to give Manyu a fighting chance.

By Dr. Joachim Arrey

29, December 2024

Chad votes in triple elections after three years of military rule ⁰

Chad voted Sunday in a general election the government says is a key step towards ending military rule, with turnout expected to be low after the opposition called for a boycott.

Midday figures suggested a turnout of just 38 percent to choose a new parliament, provincial assemblies and local councils, according to the elections management agency ANGE.

Election officials in the upmarket district where the president’s family and ruling dignitaries live put voter apathy down to the “cold weather”.

But opposition parties have urged Chad’s eight million voters to shun the election, the results of which they say had been decided in advance.

They “have all stayed at home following our call, that is, the overwhelming majority,” Succes Masra, leader of the opposition Transformers party, told AFP.

The boycott leaves the field open for candidates aligned with President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who was brought to power by the military in 2021 and then legitimised in a presidential election in May that opposition candidates denounced as fraudulent.

“I urge all my compatriots on the electoral roll to come out and vote en masse,” Deby posted on Facebook, alongside photos of himself casting his ballot on what he called a “historic day”.

‘Nothing’s been done yet’

On Saturday, Masra had said: “The fabricated results are already in the computers.”

Herve Natouingan, 28, a construction worker turned motorbike taxi driver due to a lack of job prospects, said it was “pointless” to cast a ballot because “there’s no real voting in Chad”.

Patrice Lumumba Deoumoundou, an unemployed 39-year-old, told AFP he had voted Sunday morning in the hope of “change across the board” — more jobs, fewer price rises, “more justice” and “more equality”.

“Nothing’s been done yet,” he said.

As in previous elections, soldiers, police officers and nomads voted on Saturday for logistical reasons.

Chad’s election management agency said there had been “record” turnout, with more than 72 percent in the army and 54 percent among nomads.

“There is a lot at stake locally in these elections,” it said.

“The nomads came to ask the people who will be elected tomorrow to improve their living conditions,” said sheikh Djibrine Hassabakarim, one of the community’s representatives.

He said climate change had made life hard for his community, killing livestock, triggering clashes with sedentary farmers and making it hard for them to feed their families.

Transition to democracy

Polling stations, which will remain open until 6:00 pm (1700 GMT), are being monitored by around 100 foreign election observers and representatives of political parties.

On Saturday evening, the opposition Democratic Party of the Chadian People (PDPT) said more than a thousand ballots intended for the sub-prefecture of Bongor had disappeared.

It called for “vigilance” to “thwart the fraud networks” it said had been set up by the ruling MPS party.

Voting is taking place against a backdrop of recurring attacks by the jihadist group Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, the ending of a military accord with former colonial master France and accusations that Chad is interfering in the conflict ravaging neighbouring Sudan.

The government has presented the elections as the final stage in the transition to democracy.

Deby took power in 2021 after the death of his father, who had ruled the Sahel country for three decades.

Source: AFP