26, June 2024

Undisputed heavyweight world champion Usyk vacates IBF belt ⁰

Oleksandr Usyk has confirmed he will vacate his IBF title just weeks after he became undisputed world heavyweight champion.

The Ukrainian, 37, became the first heavyweight to hold the IBF, WBO, WBA and WBC belts when he beat Tyson Fury on a split decision in Saudi Arabia last month.

With Usyk now contracted to a rematch with Britain’s Fury, he is not in a position to defend the IBF crown against interim champion and mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois.

That means Dubois’ expected all-British fight against Anthony Joshua at Wembley in September could now be for the vacant title.

Usyk said in a video posted on social media: “Anthony and Daniel, listen. I know the IBF title is important to you. It is my present to you on September 21.”

Britain’s Lennox Lewis was the last man to unify the major heavyweight belts — three at the time — prior to Usyk, in 1999.

Source: AFP

25, June 2024

French court backs Douala port in Bolloré dispute ⁰

On June 19, the Court of Cassation in Paris ruled in favor of the Port of Douala (PAD) in its dispute with the French group Bolloré over container terminal concessions.

The court overturned a previous decision by the Paris Chamber of Commerce, which had ordered the port to pay €58.6 million to a Bolloré subsidiary that lost a bid for the concession.

This marks a major victory for the Port of Douala in a five-year legal battle against Douala International Terminal (DIT), formerly a Bolloré subsidiary now owned by MSC Group. DIT had sued the port after losing the contract renewal for the container terminal.

Bolloré and its partner, APMT, had managed the terminal for 15 years and claimed the bidding process was unfair.

In early 2019, DIT sought arbitration with the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. In November 2020, the chamber ordered the port to pay €58.6 million to DIT for damages.

The French Court of Cassation recently overturned this decision due to irregularities in the arbitration tribunal, including collusion between a judge and a Bolloré lawyer. However, DIT believes the ruling is procedural and not yet final, indicating the case continues.

Source: Africa News

25, June 2024

Indomitable Lions: Samuel Eto’o and MINSEP at it again ⁰

The Cameroon football scene has become entrenched in a crisis with no immediate resolution in sight.

The language between Samuel Eto’o, FECAFOOT, and MINSEP has notably changed since the Marc Brys affair. Tensions remain high despite the FIFA window for World Cup 2026 qualifiers and the “Indomitable Lions’” relatively favorable results.

President Paul Biya had promised a significant aggiornamento during his February 10, 2024 address to the youth, but this transformation seems distant. Initially touted as a major turning point for Cameroonian football, this project is now mired in an open conflict between the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education (MINSEP) and the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT).

Recently, Joseph-Antoine Bell, an iconic figure in Cameroonian football as a former goalkeeper and astute observer of the Indomitable Lions, criticized President Biya’s apparent silence amidst the power struggle between FECAFOOT and MINSEP. This dispute, which has fueled discussions for weeks, was central to Bell’s remarks on the late-night program “La Vérité en Face” on Équinoxe TV. Bell criticized FECAFOOT while explaining why President Biya, aged 90, seems relatively indifferent to the intense conflict over the national team’s staff.

According to the former Olympique de Marseille player, Biya’s prolonged silence may be strategic, potentially paving the way for future sanctions: “Do not expect the Head of State to meddle in quarrels every day. He has spoken (…) He will calmly judge who listens, who understands, who does not understand. When he returns, it will be to strike,” he declared.

The former Cameroonian international suggests that Samuel Eto’o, president of FECAFOOT, could be under presidential scrutiny, though not explicitly named. Bell believes that Biya had granted full authority to MINSEP in his national address following the Indomitable Lions’ dramatic elimination in the 2023 AFCON round of 16.

The Cameroon’s tarnished image, divided public

This conflict has significantly damaged the country’s international image in recent months, heightening tensions within Cameroonian football. According to Paul Moutila, the crisis shows no signs of abating in Cameroon. The core of the dispute is far from what everyone thinks. Indeed, one must go back to the era of the previous coach. This new revelation complicates matters. It is entrusted that the dismissal of Rigobert Song after the disappointing performances of the Indomitable Lions at the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire has only worsened tensions.

The choice of a new coach has become a real tug-of-war between the two institutions, each claiming authority from the “Very High Presidential Instructions.” This quarrel has left Cameroonians deeply disillusioned. On social media, debates have become bitter, escalating into a virtual war of invective and accusations. Cameroon’s once-proud footballing nation image is now tarnished. The international press has not hesitated to report on these internal conflicts, contributing to national embarrassment.

Despite this chaotic atmosphere, the Indomitable Lions have managed to rebound with a resounding victory over Cape Verde (4-1) and a creditable draw against Angola (1-1). However, these successes fail to mask the underlying problems. It is imperative to end these sterile disputes and focus on the real goal: the development of Cameroonian football and the satisfaction of supporters. MINSEP and FECAFOOT must transcend their differences and cooperate for the good of national football.

Culled from Africa Sports

25, June 2024

Yaoundé: Biya regime slashes public sector job openings by half in 2024 ⁰

Cameroon’s Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reform, Joseph Lé, has recently authorized a series of recruitment competitions for the public sector. A total of 1,210 positions are available for 2024, marking a nearly 50% decline from the 2,235 positions opened in 2023. This reduction comes after the number of openings surpassed 2,000 for the first time since 2021.

“This adjustment reflects specific personnel needs expressed by administrations in line with their organizational frameworks, aligned with the objectives of the National Development Strategy (SND30),” explained Minister Joseph Lé during a press conference held on June 21, 2023, in Yaoundé.

Since 2021, the government has been tightening public sector recruitment to control the state’s unsustainable wage bill. From 2012 to 2021, the payroll ballooned from CFA706.1 billion to CFA1,080.1 billion, according to Ministry of Finance data. In the 2024 budget, under review by parliamentarians, it is expected to reach around CFA1,500 billion.

To curb the growth of this wage bill, the number of recruits into the Cameroonian public sector dropped sharply from 5,411 and 5,179 positions in 2019 and 2018 respectively, to just 1,536 in 2021.

Source: Business in Cameroon

25, June 2024

Wikileaks founder Assange freed after US plea deal ⁰

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been released from a high-security British prison after he reached a plea deal with the US authorities that ends his 12-year legal battle and allows him to return home to Australia.

“Julian Assange is free,” Wikileaks said in a statement posted on social media platform X on Monday.

According to the statement, Assange left Belmarsh prison on Monday morning before being bailed by the UK High Court and boarding a flight and departing the UK that afternoon.

“This is the result of a global campaign that spanned grass-roots organizers, press freedom campaigners, legislators and leaders from across the political spectrum, all the way to the United Nations,” the statement said.

His plane landed in Bangkok on Tuesday, en-route to Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, a US territory in the Pacific Ocean, where he will appear at a court on Wednesday.

Under the plea deal, Assange agreed to plead guilty to a single charge of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defense documents, according to filings in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands.

In return, he will be sentenced to 62 months of time already served.

The hearing and sentencing together will take place in Saipan as Assange has refused to travel to the US mainland. Afterwards, he will return to Australia, according to the Wikileaks.

“Words cannot express our immense gratitude to YOU – yes YOU, who have all mobilized for years and years to make this come true,” his wife, Stella Assange, said in a post on X.

‘Harmful legal precedent’

Many press freedom advocates, however, have noted that criminally charging Assange represents a threat to free speech.

“While we welcome the end of his detention, the US’s pursuit of Assange has set a harmful legal precedent by opening the way for journalists to be tried under the Espionage Act if they receive classified material from whistleblowers,” Reuters cited Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, as saying.

Assange, an Australian citizen, spent five years at the high-security Belmarsh Prison in southeast London, while fighting extradition to the United States, where he faced 18 criminal charges.

He faced prosecution in the United States over an alleged conspiracy to obtain and disclose secret military and diplomatic files in 2010 relating to the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Before going to prison, Assange spent seven years holed up in Ecuador’s London embassy to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he faced accusations of sexual assault which were later dropped.

He was eventually arrested on April 11, 2019, when Ecuador revoked his asylum.

WikiLeaks came into limelight in 2010 when it released hundreds of thousands of classified files and diplomatic cables.

In 2010, the Australian national published a series of leaks provided by US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, including about 750,000 classified military and diplomatic documents related to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars which exposed the US military’s crimes in these countries.

Assange’s prosecution has been widely criticized by press freedom and human rights groups who say that the journalist was being targeted for unveiling West’s crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Source: Press TV

24, June 2024

Buea: Development displaces Great Soppo Market Traders ⁰

Many vendors at the Great Soppo Market, popularly known as “OIC Market”, have been displaced from their business locations by Buea municipality authorities.

An ongoing road construction project is underway at the Bakweri town stretch in Great Soppo, which has led to the closure of the main road which leads to the area.

Currently, vehicles now use the Great Soppo market as a transit road to Bakweri town.

To make the road more accessible and free of any hindrance, some vendors have been displaced and moved to the Bwitingi market, popularly known as the Buea Central Market, which many consider to be unsafe due to frequent attacks by Ambazonia fighters in the area.

One of the sellers expressed her concerns, pointing out that it would be difficult to build a new client base because some of the buyers would have a hard time locating them.

Another trader said that she would experience a massive decline in sales because the Bwitingi market only opens twice per week.

The Great Soppo Market (OIC Market), which is operational throughout the week irrespective of any imposed lockdowns by the separatists groups, is the most visited market in Buea since the start of the ongoing crisis.

While many people are angry that they are being moved to a new location, many do agree that the city needs to develop, adding that Buea is in dire need of such infrastructure projects.

“Our city needs good roads and this road will go a long way in reducing the growing traffic in Buea. We are growing as a city and we need modern infrastructure to make our lives easier,” one of the traders said.

“Our city officials are trying to make our lives better and we all know that our current market location is simply not the best as it creates lots of traffic and this hurts us all. We must accept our pain in the interest of our city and I am sure the road will be a blessing to all Buea residents and tourists,” he added.

By Cecilia M. Manjang

24, June 2024

Seven, including children, killed as over 100 abducted in gunmen attack in Nigeria ⁰

Gunmen have attacked a village in northwestern Nigeria, killing at least seven people and abducting more than 100 others, residents and police say.

The attack took place in Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina state on Saturday night, residents and police said.

According to residents, gunmen on motorbikes arrived in Maidabino village in the Danmusa local government area of Katsina, and began firing sporadically, forcing residents to flee.

Hassan Aliyu, one of the residents, told Reuters by phone that the attack took residents by surprise and dozens of women and children were confirmed missing.

“They killed seven people, including burning two children,” he said, adding, “They spent more than six hours destroying our properties.”

Auwalu Ismail, another resident, said the gunmen first blocked all roads leading to the village before the attack.

“They burned down our shops, vehicles, and took away our livestock. They also kidnapped my wife and more than 100 women and children,” he said.

State police spokesperson Abubakar Aliyu Sadiq confirmed the attack and the seven deaths. But he refrained from commenting on the news of missing people, saying investigations are underway.

“The remaining men who did not flee are living in fear … and waiting to hear news about their abducted loved ones,” Muhammad Sani, whose sister was kidnapped, said.

Nigeria’s northwest and central regions have seen the largest mass abductions for ransoms in recent years.

In March, Boko Haram gunmen kidnapped more than 250 school children, including at least 100 children aged 12 or under, after raiding a school in a town in the northwestern state of Kaduna.

Last year, gunmen took over 80 students in a raid on a school in the northwestern state of Kebbi.

Source: Presstv

24, June 2024

Rapper Julio Foolio shot dead in Florida ⁰

Florida rapper Julio Foolio has been killed in a shooting in Tampa, his lawyer says.

Police said four people were hit with gunfire in a hotel car park early on Sunday. One person died, whom they believed to be Foolio pending a medical examination.

The 26-year-old victim, whose legal name was Charles Jones, was identified in a statement by a law firm that represented him.

Foolio had been celebrating his birthday when the incident occurred, said the lawyer, Lewis Fusco.

The musician was “reportedly ambushed” in the hotel car park, Mr Fusco said in a statement, quoted by a local affiliate of the BBC’s US partner, CBS News.

He had been forced to relocate after being asked by authorities to leave an Airbnb property when he and his guests exceeded occupancy limits.

The rapper had been posting material to his Instagram account about the celebrations, writing that police had “shut us down”.

Two cars were hit in the shooting that took place at about 04:40 EDT (09:40 BST), police said. The three others who were injured were taken to hospital, where their condition was described as stable.

Foolio has nearly a million monthly listeners on Spotify, where his top-played track is Voo Doo.

As recently as April, he wrote in an Instagram post that recent months had been “tragic”, citing “multiple attempts on my life”.

He is said to have been open about his gang affiliations, according to local media.

Police have urged the public to provide any information that may help them with their investigation.

Source: BBC

24, June 2024

Vice President Yerima’s statement on the burning of taxis in Ambazonia ⁰

The recent incidents of taxis being burned on our streets are deeply troubling. Taxis represent not just a mode of transportation but a vital source of livelihood for many in our communities in Ambazonia. These acts of destruction do not advance the cause of liberation or justice; instead, they harm the very people we seek to uplift and support. The very people we are fighting to liberate from black-on-black colonialism, invasion, looting of our natural resources, rape, torture and crimes against humanity committed by Paul Biya, his government and the military of French Cameroun.

As stakeholders in the revolution, we must desist from, and be accountable to attitudes and actions that ignite and cause more harm and add grave pains to our already suffering masses on the ground. The unfortunate and insipid attitudes and actions towards our own taxi drivers have resulted in the burning of taxis and other forms of destructions, with negative ramifications on the core ideals that inspired us to rise up as a people and defend ourselves against an oppressive and repugnant French Cameroun regime.

Our fight for the liberation of our country must be rooted in principles of dignity, respect, and unity. Violence and the destruction of property belonging to those whom we claim are our own, only serve to divide us and undermine our collective efforts. The burning of taxis is a direct attack on the hardworking individuals who rely on these vehicles to support their families and contribute to our economy.

We condemn these heinous acts in the strongest possible terms. We are committed to ensuring the safety and security of all Ambazonians, and we will not tolerate any form of violence or intimidation against our own people. These criminal gangs seek to create fear and chaos, but we stand united in our resolve to fight back and redirect our focus of the revolution against the principal enemy, French Cameroun.

We call on all members of our communities on ground zero to channel their frustrations and energies into constructive actions that build, rather than destroy. Let us engage in peaceful dialogue amongst us, especially those on the ground that are affected the most; organized advocacy, and community-driven initiatives that reflect our shared values and aspirations for a better future for us and generations to come.

Our path to liberation requires resilience, solidarity, and a commitment to non-violence against our already suffering and impoverished masses. Let us stand together, protect our sources of livelihood, and work towards meaningful change that benefits all our people. We stand with our people on ground Zero and we will continue to work hard to defend our interests and aspirations of a free and prosperous homeland. God bless Ambazonia.

Dabney Yerima

Vice President

Federal Republic of Ambazonia

23, June 2024

Malian singer Rokia Traore detained in Italy over child custody case ⁰

Malian singer Rokia Traore has been arrested in Italy over an outstanding two-year prison sentence in Belgium handed down in a child custody dispute, prosectors in Brussels said Sunday.

The singer and guitarist was sentenced in absentia in October on charges of parental abduction, after fleeing France in 2020 when she was due to be handed over to Belgian authorities.

Italian media reported that the award-winning musician was arrested at Fiumicino airport in Rome on Friday after she flew into the country for a concert.

A spokesperson for the airport told AFP that border police had confirmed her arrest. There was no official confirmation from the Italian authorities.

Prosecutors in Brussels told AFP that “Ms Traore’s arrest in Italy follows a decision by the Brussels Criminal Court on October 18, 2023, which sentenced her in absentia to two years imprisonment for failing to hand over a child to the person entitled to custody”.

Traore had been arrested in Paris in March 2020 on a European arrest warrant over a Belgian court ruling ordering her to return her daughter, now aged nine, to the child’s Belgian father.

She later defied a ban on leaving France and flew home to Mali several months later, before she could be sent to Belgium.

A lawyer for the child’s father said he had not had any contact with his daughter, who lives in Mali, since she turned four.

The lawyer said the father had offered to draw up a new custody agreement with Traore, validated by Malian and Belgian courts, to “find a way out of this nightmare and guarantee their child a future with two parents”.

Beyond her feted music career, Traore is also known for her advocacy work for refugees, and was made a UN ambassador for refugees in 2015.

Source: AFP