11, June 2024

Football: Lewandowski to miss Poland’s Euro 2024 opener with injury ⁰

Poland captain Robert Lewandowski will miss his country’s Euro 2024 opener this weekend with a thigh injury, the Polish football federation’s doctor said on Tuesday.

Lewandowski, 35, will be absent to face the Netherlands on June 16 after suffering the injury in Monday’s 2-1 win in a friendly against Turkey.

Poland then play Austria on June 21 and the tournament’s joint favourites France four days later.

“We are doing everything so that Robert can play in the second match against Austria,” doctor Jacek Jaroszewski said in a statement.

Barcelona forward Lewandowski was substituted after just 33 minutes on his 150th international appearance as Poland ended their Euro 2024 preparations with a victory.

Following the game, Poland coach Michal Probierz had been upbeat about Lewandowski’s injury, saying he was “optimistic” and “there shouldn’t be a problem”.

The absence of the former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich player adds to the injury worries for Probierz.

Hellas Verona attacker Karol Swiderski sustained an ankle injury while celebrating the opening goal against Turkey.

Swiderski’s club team-mate, defender Pawel Dawidowicz, strained his quadriceps during the game.

“After treatment, both players should return to full training within 3-4 days,” Jaroszewski.

Probierz will be without another striker for the tournament after Arkadiusz Milik suffered a knee injury in the warmup victory against Ukraine on Friday.

The Italian club said Milik had undergone minor surgery, without stating the length of his absence.

Probierz’s fit options in attack in his squad are Istanbul Basaksehir’s Krzysztof Piatek and Antalyaspor’s Adam Buksa.

The pair have 17 goals in 44 appearances for their country.

Poland are unbeaten in eight games and have the reached the past three European Championship finals, making it to the quarter-finals in 2016.

Source: AFP

11, June 2024

Malawi’s vice president, former first lady among 10 people killed in plane crash ⁰

Malawi’s Vice President Saulos Chilima was killed in a plane crash, the nation’s president said on Tuesday, after searchers located the wreckage of the aircraft in a foggy forest.

The military plane carrying Chilima, 51, and nine others disappeared on Monday, after it failed to land in the northern city of Mzuzu due to bad weather and was told to return to the capital, Lilongwe.

“The search and rescue team have found the aircraft … completely destroyed with no survivors, as all passengers on board were killed on impact,” Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera said addressing the nation.

“Words cannot describe how heartbreaking this is,” he said, describing the accident as a “terrible tragedy.”

Photographs shared with AFP by a member of the military rescue team showed army personnel standing on a foggy slope near debris bearing the registration number of the Malawi Army Air Wing Dornier 228-202K aircraft.

Rescuers had been combing a fog-cloaked forest south of Mzuzu on Tuesday, after authorities located the last tower it transmitted to before the plane disappeared.

Earlier, army commander General Paul Valentino Phiri said other countries, including Malawi’s neighbours, had been aiding the search effort, with support including helicopters and drones.

The group departed just after 9:00 am (0700 GMT) from Lilongwe on Monday to attend the funeral of a former cabinet minister some 370 kilometres (230 miles) away in Mzuzu.

Malawi’s former first lady Shanil Dzimbiri was also on board.

Widely loved

Chakwera said he had previously flown on the same aircraft for similar trips. The crew had successfully operated it just hours before the accident, he added.

“And yet, despite the track record of the aircraft and the experience of the crew, something terrible went wrong with that aircraft on its flight back to Lilongwe, sending it crashing down,” he said.

First elected vice president in 2014, the charismatic yet stern-talking Chilima was a widely loved figure in Malawi, particularly among young people.

But in 2022, during his second stint in the job, Chilima was stripped of his powers after being arrested and charged with graft over a bribery scandal involving a British-Malawian businessman.

Last month, a Malawian court dropped the charges and he resumed his official duties.

“Chilima was a good man, a devoted father and husband, a patriotic citizen who served his country with distinction and a formidable vice president,” Chakwera said.

“I consider it one of the greatest honours of my life to have had him as my deputy and counsellor for the past four years.”

Source: AFP

10, June 2024

Marian Apparition Reported at a Parishioner’s Home in Cameroon Requires Thorough Discernment: Archbishop Nkea ⁰

Thorough discernment is needed in the alleged apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the residence of a faithful in the Catholic Archdiocese of Bamenda, the Archbishop of the Metropolitan See has said.

On June 6, thousands of Christians and non-Christians flooded the residence of Madam Dorothy Enow Manyor, a member of the All Angels Small Christian Community, in the Immaculate Conception Ngomgham Parish, following an alleged apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the home.

In a statement issued on June 8, Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea recalled the recent guidelines on apparitions which the Vatican issued on May 17, saying, “God is present and active in our history…This action of the Holy Spirit can also reach our hearts through certain supernatural occurrences, such as apparitions or visions of Christ or the Blessed Virgin, and other phenomena.”

“No one can, or is allowed to pronounce with certitude at this time, that the Blessed Virgin Mary is appearing in the said house in Ngomgham,” Archbishop Nkea clarified.

He emphasized that “whatever is happening in Ngomgham, needs thorough discernment and due process by the competent Ecclesiastical Authorities, as stipulated in the Norms from the Holy See of 17th of May, 2024, to be sure of this phenomenon.”

“Until this is done and established by the Church, this private house cannot be considered as a public place of prayer, and all Catholic Christians are therefore encouraged to frequent their parish churches and Diocesan/Parish Shrines for public prayer and veneration of the saints, especially the Blessed Virgin Mary,” the Local Ordinary of Bamenda Archdiocese who also serves as President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) said.

He appealed to those frequenting Ms Dorothy’s home to allow her privacy, saying, “This family where this phenomenon is taking place, has a right to their privacy and quiet family life. Therefore, people should kindly respect their rights and allow them the peace they deserve.”

The Cameroonian Catholic Archbishop further said he will set up a commission of Theologians to study the phenomenon for the people to see and understand what is really happening concerning the alleged apparition.

Archbishop Nkea recalled that two years ago, the Archdiocese of Bamenda celebrated the Marian Year where Christians “had an in-depth study of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her role in the economy of salvation.”

“The year ended with a Marian Congress and many Christians have the Acta of this congress. We were encouraged to pray the Rosary and to remain close to the Blessed Virgin Mary who is Comforter of the Afflicted, Help of Christians, Mother of the Church, and Queen of Peace,” the Archbishop added.

He urged the faithful to continue to pray as the Archdiocese embarks on discerning the alleged apparition at Dorothy’s home.

“May the same Blessed Virgin Mary, whose Feast we celebrate today under the patronage of her Immaculate Heart, intercede for us, now and at the hour of our death. Amen,” Archbishop Nkea implored.

Source: aciAfrica

10, June 2024

Death of Christophe Deloire, secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders ⁰

On behalf of the team at Reporters Without Borders’ international secretariat, its offices and sections, and their boards of directors, I am deeply saddened to announce the death, at the age of 53, of Christophe Deloire, secretary-general of Reporters Without Borders International and director-general of Reporters Without Borders, following a battle with cancer.

Since taking up this position in 2012, Christophe Deloire has transformed the association, marked by renewed growth and impact, into a global champion for the defence of journalism.

Christophe demonstrated a colossal energy to defend the freedom, independence and pluralism of journalism across all continents in a context of informational chaos. Present on all fronts, during field operations or negotiations for the release of journalists, he fought relentlessly and with an unwavering conviction for his life’s cause : journalism and the right to information.

Since his death has been announced, we have received numerous messages from journalists previously detained or held hostage paying tribute to him, proof of the efficiency of his action at Reporters Without Borders.

We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Perrine, his son Nathan, his parents, and all those close to him.

Thank you for being by our side as we continue this fight, that is more important than ever, as Christophe would have wanted.

REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS (RSF)

Pierre Haski, President of Reporters Without Borders

10, June 2024

Journalists covering Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) assaulted, threatened ⁰

Cameroon Concord News Group has written to Reporters Without Borders over the treatment of its staff correspondents by members of the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) covering the crisis in Southern Cameroons.

In a strongly worded statement, the Editor-In-Chief of the Concord Group stated that Besong Eunice Nchong and Alain Agbor Ebot including Cameroon Concord’s Bamenda and Buea city reporters were assaulted and threatened by elements of Cameroon’s elite force.

The Concord Statement to Reporters Without Borders also said that seven of its staff had been made to flee the country to Europe and North America.

Besong Eunice Nchong and Alain Agbor Ebot have continuously faced death threats from plain cloth security officers supporting the brutal regime in Yaoundé.

During a recent press conference in Yaoundé, Alain Agbor Ebot reportedly spoke of the ruckus in Cameroonian football and the rift between the Cameroonian FA and the Ministry of Sports and received a veiled threat from the head of protocol in the Sports Minister’s cabinet that “You are skating on thin ice. We advise you to err on the side of the government if you want to continue to practice this profession in Cameroon.”

Cameroon Concord News Chairman and Editor called on Reporters Without Borders to criticize such unacceptable behavior and to address instances of repression by the 42 year-old Biya regime against English-speaking journalists.

The Republic of Cameroon is among the world’s top oppressors of journalists and free speech.

The Minister of Communication was heard murmuring privately that all English-speaking media outlets operating outside of Cameroon are enemy media and their reporters inside Cameroon will not be safe.

By Alain Tabot-Tanyi

10, June 2024

France: Macron takes huge risk with surprise election ⁰

President Emmanuel Macron has called snap parliamentary elections later this month in the wake of a big victory for his rival Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in the European Parliament vote.

The far-right party is on course to win 32% of the vote, exit polls say, more than twice that of the president’s Renaissance party.

Announcing the dissolution of parliament, he said the two rounds of voting would take place on 30 June and 7 July, a few weeks before the Paris Olympics.

Mr Macron made the dramatic and surprise decision in a televised address from the Élysée Palace an hour after voting closed and exit polls had been declared in France’s EU elections.

His decision came not long after National Rally’s 28-year-old leader, Jordan Bardella, had openly called on the president to call parliamentary elections.

“I have heard your message,” the president told French voters, “and I will not let it go without a response.”

“France needs a clear majority in serenity and harmony,” he said, adding that he could not resign himself to the far-right’s progress “everywhere in the continent”.

Now barely two years into his second term as president, Mr Macron already lacks a majority in the French parliament, and though this European vote in theory has no bearing on national politics, he clearly decided that continuing his mandate without a new popular consultation would place too much of a strain on the system.

The upcoming parliamentary elections also won’t affect Mr Macron’s own job, as they are separate from the presidential elections and his term as president still runs for three more years.

Ms Le Pen, who has twice been defeated by Mr Macron in presidential elections, immediately reacted, saying her party was “ready to exercise power, ready to put an end to mass immigration”.

Calling a snap election is a huge surprise for the country, and a huge risk for President Macron.

He could have reacted differently. He could have just kept going, explaining the far right’s massive victory as a European aberration which would be corrected at more important elections.

He could have trusted to the impending European football championship in Germany and above all the Paris Olympics to keep people’s minds off politics for a couple of months.

That was certainly how the Paris commentariat thought he would take his party’s rout.

But one can only assume the president had seen this coming, and planned his response in advance.

Source: BBC

10, June 2024

Israel: Netanyahu under increased pressure after war cabinet minister resigns ⁰

Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz on Sunday announced his resignation amid celebrations for the rescue of four hostages from war-torn Gaza in a raid that Palestinians say killed hundreds.

Gantz’s resignation is the latest sign of sharpening domestic dissent over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the eight-month war, and is the first major political blow to him during the conflict.

It came after Special Forces fought gun battles with Palestinian militants on Saturday in central Gaza’s crowded Nuseirat refugee camp area as they swooped in to free the four captives.

The Israeli military said the extraction team and captives came under heavy gun and grenade fire, which killed one police officer, while Israel’s air force launched strikes that reduced nearby buildings to rubble.

The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said 274 people were killed and 698 wounded, in what it labelled the “Nuseirat massacre”, figures that could not be independently verified.

Among those were at least 64 children, 57 women and 37 elderly people, the ministry said.

“People were screaming — young and old, women and men,” said Nuseirat resident Muhannad Thabet, 35.

“Everyone wanted to flee the place, but the bombing was intense and anyone who moved was at risk of being killed due to the heavy bombardment and gunfire.”

Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrey Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, had been abducted from the Nova music festival during Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the war.

Source: France 24

9, June 2024

Exclusive: Dr Joachim Arrey speaks of Biya, Manyu politics and Cameroon in 2025 ⁰

“Manyu needs a new generation of politicians if it must be relevant in Cameroon’s new political landscape as elections approach. Our past politicians like Samson Georges, Emmanuel Tabi Egbe, Michael Kima Tabong, W.N.O Effiom etc. were men of unparalleled integrity and wisdom. They inspired many of us in more ways than one and young people of Manyu descent should be engaging in politics to make Manyu great again,” says Dr. Joachim Arrey of the Global Think Tank for Africa.

Cameroon Concord News: It is always a pleasure talking with you. I have been reading your articles on many sites and you have been writing a lot about 2025 which is an important year in Cameroon’s political history. There will be presidential, parliamentary, senatorial and municipal elections in 2025 and many people around the world are hoping for the best for Cameroon. In which direction do you think these elections will take the country?

Dr Joachim Arrey: Thanks for granting me the opportunity to share my thoughts with you on what is happening in Cameroon. Cameroon is an important country in the Central African region and what happens in Cameroon could have a huge impact on the other Central African countries. That is why there is a lot of interest in what is playing out in the country. 2025 will really be a crucial year. There will be presidential elections and many people are wondering if the country’s current president will still be a candidate given his age. He is almost 92 and the burden of responsibility as well as the passage of time has taken a toll on him and his health. Very few people of his age are in good health and carrying such a burden again for the next seven years and given his current health may not be good for the country.

If I were to advise him, I would urge him to take a deserved rest. After 42 years as a president, it is obvious that he is tired. He should stop thinking that he is indispensable. Cemeteries around the world are full of people who once thought they were indispensable. I have seen him in public a couple of times, especially in the last couple of years, and I can say without fear of contradiction that he is not the vibrant person I knew when he came to office in 1982. Aging is a natural process, and it is the way of every flesh, and it is necessary for him to leave the stage when the ovation is still loud. At his age, there is no way he can be actively involved in the country’s economic and political efforts, and he cannot be abreast of what is happening around the world, especially as technological advancement has triggered significant transformations in the way young people think. Young people make up about 70% of the country’s population and engineering the type of economic and political transformation that will trigger change to meet the needs of this young population cannot be an old man’s job. Changing demographics must also imply a change in leadership.

For parliamentary and senatorial elections, they are as important as the presidential elections. The ruling party will have to work hard to keep its majority in both chambers, and this will require injecting new blood and people of integrity into the party. The CPDM has a tough battle on its hands, and old tricks might not deliver the results they have always had. The country is now like a keg of gun powder and any mistake could cause the country to go up in smoke. Cameroonians are angry and only new and reassuring faces can calm down our young people whose frustration is already reaching boiling point. Many young Cameroonians hold that the ruling party, the CPDM, is to blame for their problems, especially unemployment which is sucking life out of them. It will be important for the ruling party just like the opposition parties, to incorporate young, dynamic and politically conscious men and women into their political plans. Young people should be the leaders of our country and not old people whose future is clearly behind them. I would like to use this opportunity to urge young Cameroonians to engage in politics. As their grandfathers exit the stage due to old age and death, they should be ready to take over the mantle of leadership. However, they must understand that nobody grants you power on a platter of gold. Joining a political party very early in life will help our young men and women to learn the ropes.

Cameroon Concord News: Would you like to run for any of these positions in your native Manyu as you are urging dynamic and politically conscious people to engage in politics?

Dr Joachim Arrey: I am a bona fide Manyu son who has proven that he loves his people through my humanitarian actions. I am driven by a passion to make Cameroon a better place than I met it. Our people in Manyu Division are suffering and they are looking for people with fresh ideas to lead them both economically and politically down a different path. The Division needs new leaders who can take it down a different and prosperous path. Our people are intelligent, but they have been strapped to poverty for decades because they do not have the right people to teach them how to activate the code of financial success that is embedded in their minds. This is an area that is of interest to me. Manyu needs to create its own millionaires, and this is a job I would like to undertake sometime in my life. Money is the easiest thing to get but it takes Soviet-style discipline and the right mindset to keep it. Discipline and not desire determines our destiny. Our people must be taught how to sacrifice the present to build that bright future they are all hankering after for themselves and their children. They must shed their cargo-cult mentality if they must see the hope on the horizon. Financial success is a dividend of sweat and sacrifice, and fortune only favors the brave. This is the message I want to deliver to my people. Someone needs to bring this secret wisdom to our people to help them out of their grinding and humiliating poverty.

Regarding politics, Manyu needs a new generation of politicians if it must be relevant in Cameroon’s new political landscape as elections approach. Our past politicians like Samson Georges, Emmanuel Tabi Egbe, Michael Kima Tabong, W.N.O Effiom etc. were men of unparalleled integrity and wisdom. They inspired many of us in more ways than one and young people of Manyu descent should be engaging in politics to make Manyu great again. They can belong to any party of their choice, but they must know that Manyu development is the reason for their political engagement. As you know, many Cameroonians keep on complaining about the political decay in their country, but very few are thinking of throwing their hats into the ring. I don’t want to be part of that crowd which complains and does not take any action. Man is by nature a political animal. Like Plato, I hold that one of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. I am inching closer to retirement, and it is becoming obvious that my political input in Cameroon’s political debate is important. I am weighing my options, and I will see where I will be more effective if I throw my hat into the ring. It is always good to look before you leap.

However, be advised that Manyu has many young men who can play key roles in Cameroon’s politics. Many may not show any interest in politics due to their financial circumstances. Poverty has a way of caging people in silence, and this may be why many of our young men are distancing themselves from politics. I do not have such a problem. If I opt to join politics, it will not be because of money. I have already had more than my fair share of life. I have already worked for decades both in Cameroon and abroad and being an international civil servant and an investor, I think politics is not a good place for me to seek wealth. I know where and how to make money.

Cameroon Concord News: But many Cameroonians hold that the Cameroon political landscape is replete with tensions and unnecessary headaches. Do you think you can cope in such an environment?

Dr Joachim Arrey: Mr. Editor, I was born with fire in my stomach, and I grew up in a blast furnace. I am blessed with the determination of a honey-badger, and I am endowed with a very strong coping mechanism which has stood the test of time. I never throw in the towel, and I never lose my focus. My dad of blessed memory taught me how to cope in tough situations and despite my age, I still have a stomach for a fight. Age and wisdom are on my side, and they are key tools which have enabled me to navigate even the murkiest waters on earth. However, be advised that if I must join politics, it will not be to fight but to see how we can build consensus around those issues which could be so dear to the minds of our fellow Cameroonians. Politics is not about fighting; it is about addressing those issues which are constraining the efforts of our people. It is also about leaving an enduring legacy to future generations and there is no legacy greater than honesty, especially political honesty. If politics is considered a fight, then it should be a fight to bring the greatest happiness to the greatest number, if not, those in the political arena are clearly fighting the wrong fight. Such politicians have a hidden agenda which is predicated upon financial gain. Politics was never designed for anybody to be rich. Politics is service to the people. Anybody in politics who wants to be rich is not in the right place. The business sector is where rich people are made. Similarly, politics requires a lot of flexibility and sometimes you must yield to the will of the majority. When that happens, it must not be seen as a weakness or an act of betrayal. I have learned over the years, and I hold that I should put that sound knowledge to the service of my beloved Cameroon. We cannot all be on the sidelines, hoping that a miracle will one day happen for our country to make giant strides forward.

Cameroon Concord News: If you make up your mind to jump into the fray, will you join the opposition or the ruling party?

Dr Joachim Arrey: There are many political parties in Cameroon and the one that will require new and innovative ideas will be attractive. There is no political party that is bad. It is the party members who make the parties bad. The ruling party has been tagged as a party that is not working for the country and its long stay in power makes it unattractive to many Cameroonians. However, I still believe that internal revolutions do occur and there are people within that party who have the intension of making things better but the hawks in the party and regime are those who are hell bent on keeping things the way they are. If the CPDM wants to attract new and meaningful members, it must reinvent itself. It must package itself as a party which works for the people. The opposition, for its part, also needs to work hard to attract more people. The objective of every political party is to win elections and Cameroon’s opposition parties must package themselves differently. Instead of bashing Biya every day, opposition parties should tell the people how they will be different if they win elections. How do they want to put an end to the corruption that has become the country’s hallmark? How do they intend to promote human and women’s rights in a country wherein laws are not respected, and law enforcement agencies are used to adopting autocratic enforcement methods. It does not just suffice to point out that there are no roads in Cameroon. It is not enough to shout on rooftops that there is corruption in Cameroon.

Opposition parties must let the electorate know how they will do better. Coming out with a clear plan on how to check corruption will go a long way in making opposition parties more attractive. Where will opposition parties get the funds to finance their development projects. If they present a good plan to the populace, that will be music to the ears of many Cameroonians who are looking for change in the country. As a committed observer, I will try as much as I can not to characterize any party as bad. It is not because opposition parties have not been tested that they are necessarily different from the ruling CPDM. Cameroon’s opposition parties need to be given a chance but let them know that they will not get that chance on a platter of gold. They must earn it through their political agenda and how they package their messages. They must tell Cameroonians that they are different with clear evidence to support their claims. Their candidates for the elections must be people with sterling characters.

Cameroon Concord News: Thank you, Dr. Arrey, for agreeing to talk to us. Any last word?

Dr Joachim Arrey: It is always a pleasure to share my perspective with you. Cameroonians must remain hopeful. They should understand that they are the only ones who can change their destiny. They should therefore get registered for the upcoming elections and should ensure that they have their voting cards. Elections remain the most appropriate way of changing things in any country, especially in Cameroon which is really ripe for change. Though the country’s electoral laws are not the best, there is still room for meaningful change. Thanks, once more, for giving me this opportunity.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

8, June 2024

Cameroon: A ticking time bomb! ⁰

Not many in the international community are paying attention, but Cameroon, a once prosperous nation, is inching closer to an implosion. A storm of epic proportion is gathering in Cameroon.

With the country’s long-serving and narcissistic president, Paul Biya, quietly being elbowed out of power by members of his inner circle who are misusing power and misappropriating the country’s resources, it is becoming clear that the country’s 30-million population is being manipulated by a bunch of people with a secret agenda.

Paul Biya is over ninety years and he has been in power for forty-two years and there is very little to show for such a long stay in power. His incompetence is legendary and during his time in power, he has used intimidation and trickery to keep the people in utter silence.

The country is bereft of all forms of infrastructure. Thousands of Cameroonians die each year on what passes off as roads in Cameroon. The railway network, which once brought goods and people to the country’s towns and cities, is today a shadow of its former self.

The country’s lone air career, Camerco, has just one airliner and most of the career’s staff are hardly sure of the next paycheck. Mismanagement and corruption had earlier put Cameroon Airlines, Camerco’s predecessor, out of business due to the government’s mismanagement and poor policies and Camerco is very likely to face the same fate. Old habits die hard and the architects of Cameroon Airlines’ demise are still in power, displaying the same mindset which killed Cameroon Airlines.

The country’s economy is on life support. Almost every sector has been hit hard by the corruption which has become the government’s hallmark. The economy is in the throes of a painful economic crisis which has emasculated the population.

It is easier to find a dog’s tears than to find a job in Cameroon. Unemployment has hit its apex, leaving many young Cameroonians desperate. Many have found solace in alcohol and drugs, and the breweries are making a fortune out of desperate and alcohol-loving Cameroonians.

The government understands the importance of alcohol in Cameroon. It knows that with alcohol, it can control Cameroonians and it is using these liquids to keep them subservient. A typical Cameroonian is permanently under influence, thereby robbing him of the power to think properly and out of the box. In Cameroon, the price of beer and other bottled concoctions are determined by decrees issued by the head(ache) of state whose cardinal objective even at 92 is to die in power.

Most of the country’s youths are looking outwards for solutions to their humbling problems and misfortunes, hoping that someday, they will find a way out of their country. Many hold that their government has disappointed them, but the government’s autocratic implementation of laws and tough crackdowns on dissenting voices are deterring any young men who might think of taking their grievances to the public square.

The country’s police and military have been tribalized. Once ordered to operate in other regions of the country, the military goes crazy, killing and maiming anything with flesh and blood. Most senior officials of the country’s military are from the president’s region, making it hard for any coup d’état to be planned.

Cameroonians have been zombified. Theirs is the kingdom of alcohol and prayers. A brand new economic sector has popped up – churches. Unfortunately, this sector is not driving funds to government coffers because the conmen running this scams are also in need of money. They hold that their need for money is greater than the government’s.

The so-called men of God are desperate for money and are not leaving any stone unturned when it comes to pressuring their followers into paying tithes. The sick and unemployed are flocking to those churches in the hope that a miracle could occur, enabling them to witness a different lifestyle.

But prayers alone are not helping them. Their desperation is growing by the day but they must pay their tithes or take their prayers and problems to somewhere else.

According to these dishonest men of God, it costs money to get in touch with God and it is even costlier to tell God to solve a problem, a great departure from what traditional churches used to preach.

Stress has triggered huge health problems in Cameroon. Heart and kidney problems are commonplace today. The poor and sick do not have the right resources to go to government hospitals which are more of consultation clinics.

The doctors are underpaid and many, if not all of them, take on second jobs in private clinics just to make ends meet. Cameroonians are dying like flies or mosquitoes on which repellent has been sprayed. Hunger and diseases are driving young Cameroonians to an early grave, but the government is simply indifferent to their plight.

Young girls have been reduced to prostitutes by hunger and poverty. Nothing disarms a person morally like poverty and this can clearly been seen in Cameroon where young able-bodied men and women have been caged in silence due to degrading poverty.

But the real bomb will go off once Mr. Biya dies. His collaborators are already fighting. Factions have developed within the government and the fight between the FECAFOOT President, Samuel Eto’o, and the country’s Sports Minister, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, is just a foretaste of what will play out once Mr. Biya exits.

For now, nobody is seeking to defuse the bomb. Though almost brain dead, Mr. Biya is still in charge and he is the only person authorized by the country’s poorly designed constitution to make policies and decisions for the country.

The time bomb is still ticking and many Cameroonians are still drinking themselves into a stupor, oblivious of the disaster that is staring them in the face.

By Staffman Alain Agbor Ebot in Douala

7, June 2024

‘Dictator’ Eto’o and chaos in Cameroonian football ⁰

Cameroonian football is in a state of chaos.

For a proud country which boasts five continental titles and the most World Cup finals appearances by an African nation, the past two months have seen a very public row play out over who should coach the Indomitable Lions.

Last week Belgian Marc Brys was removed as boss – only to be reappointed within 48 hours.

But the sideshow off the pitch ahead of crunch 2026 World Cup qualifiers is only the tip of the iceberg in a battle for control of the game.

The man now running football in the Central African nation is former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o, a legend of the game on the continent and Cameroon’s record goalscorer, who was elected football federation (Fecafoot) president in December 2021.

But Eto’o has been described as a “dictator” by one former international team-mate because of the way he is steering the organisation – epitomised by the spat with the nation’s Ministry of Sport (Minsep) over Brys.

“Samuel was the biggest player in Africa but there’s a lot of trouble around him,” the retired player, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of a backlash, told BBC Sport Africa.

“He does not listen to advice. When you manage people you do not need to [act] like a dictator.

“I didn’t know he would be like that, and it will be hard for him to continue.”

Players have issued a plea for the team to be kept “politically free” but some fans have become so desperate that they have called on world governing body Fifa to suspend Cameroon.

The curious case of Marc Brys

The arrival of Brys as coach in April, after the departure of Rigobert Song following a last-16 exit at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), created a storm few would have expected.

Fecafoot expressed its “great surprise” when Minsep announced the appointment of the 62-year-old whose coaching career has been with clubs in Belgium, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.

Eto’o’s alternative list of high-profile candidates had reportedly included two-time Afcon-winning coach Herve Renard, Italian World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro and ex-Nigeria boss Jose Peserio.

“The only problem was the salaries,” Cameroonian sports journalist Giovanni Wanneh told BBC Sport Africa.

“Brys is not the best, but we’re not talking about someone we picked from the gutters. Minsep has played this card before and it worked out fine for Cameroon.”

In Cameroon, as is the case in several other African countries, the government pays the salaries of the national team’s coaching staff and feels entitled to weigh into Fecafoot’s affairs.

Eto’o did not turn up to the presentation where Brys signed his contract on 8 April, and their first in-person meeting on 28 May quickly descended into an unseemly row.

An empty chair sits behind a desk with a place card for the Fecafoot president, microphones and flowers — Image caption,Eto’o was absent for Brys’ unveiling, with the Fecafoot president saying he only received an invitation two hours before the event and was busy organising his father’s funeral

Fecafoot reacted by replacing Brys with an interim coach, only to quickly backtrack after pressure was applied by Minsep.

Yet a tense atmosphere continued this week when the Indomitable Lions squad assembled in Yaounde ahead of the visit of Cape Verde in World Cup qualifying on Saturday.

Players were met by two different sets of administrators at the team hotel, and Fecafoot did not provide kit for the first training session due to be held by Brys – leading forward Moumi Ngamaleu to call for unity.

“The responsibility is for you to help keep the team politically free and to maintain a clean environment for us to perform without problems,” his Instagram message read.

“We hereby approach you to overcome the differences, put the ego aside and remember we are all here to put the people of Cameroon on the map and give them honour.”

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana was among several players who reposted Ngamaleu’s message.

A senior Confederation of African Football (Caf) official said it is open to mediating in the row between Fecafoot and Minsep, although such a request is yet to be received.

‘Grave irregularities’ under Eto’o

Eto’o’s treatment of Brys is only the latest instance of his behaviour garnering negative attention since he assumed control of Fecafoot.

“The fact that you are a top footballer doesn’t automatically make you a great administrator,” said Wanneh.

“When he came in, I thought he was going to change the narrative in our football. But Cameroon football is living its worst moment.”

In July last year, a group representing amateur clubs in Cameroon called on the 43-year-old to resign, citing “grave irregularities” in the organisation.

That included Eto’o taking an ambassadorial role with a sports betting company – potentially in violation of both Fifa and Fecafoot rules.

Moreover, an investigation by Caf into allegations of improper conduct against Eto’o is ongoing.

“He is the legitimate president of the federation. But nobody is above the law,” Caf secretary general Veron Mosengo-Omba told BBC Sport Africa.

A battle for control

Cameroon's President Paul Biya and First Lady Chantal Biya wave at the crowd from a car during the opening ceremony of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations — Image caption,Several footballing decisions in Cameroon have been made “on very high instructions” from President Paul Biya (left), who has been in power since 1982

In Cameroonian sport, the influence of President Paul Biya has been keenly felt in the past.

He insisted on Roger Milla being included in the squad for the 1990 World Cup – with the then-38-year-old netting four times – while the appointment of Brys’ predecessor Rigobert Song in 2022 was made “on very high instructions” of President Biya.

It is the government financing and pumping in the money,” said Wanneh.

“Fecafoot is not structured in a way that it can cater for its burden and expenditure,” the journalist added. “If it was then we would not have this scenario.”

Countries whose governments interfere in footballing affairs are at risk of suspension by Fifa – a fate that has befallen many African nations in the past, including Cameroon – yet Minsep has so far trodden a path which has not provoked the Zurich-based governing body.

While Fifa’s social media channels have been bombarded by messages to take action, Eto’o retains the backing of many Indomitable Lions supporters in his bid to break free of perceived governmental control.

Cameroon fans hold out their hands in the stands of a football stadium — Image caption,Eto’o’s running of the game has split opinion among Cameroon fans

“Eto’o knows the challenge he’s getting into,” said Heuyo Hubert on the streets of Yaounde.

“I can only wish him good luck because it’s not easy to have Cameroonians who can fight for their rights to be restored nowadays.”

Another fan, Calvin Ngimbond, felt the row with Brys “had its place”.

“There was need for things to be made clear. Marc Brys must align himself with the requirements of the Fecafoot president,” he added.

“We hope things will improve for peace to reign.”

Fecafoot, Minsep and Fifa were all contacted by BBC Sport Africa to comment on recent developments, but none of the parties responded.

World Cup qualifiers now loom large against two sides who out-performed Cameroon at the 2023 Afcon, with a trip to Angola on Tuesday following the tie against Cape Verde.

Brys has already endured a turbulent start to his new job and will be aware the pressure could soon increase.

“Cameroon are no longer the biggest national team in Africa,” the anonymous former international added.

“I am very sad when I look at what’s going on. If they want to be back at the top level, they need to reorganise everything.”

Headlines being made ‘for wrong reasons’

Analysis by Paul Njie, BBC reporter in Cameroon

The ruckus in Cameroonian football is not new, but the way the rift between Fecafoot and the Ministry of Sports has morphed is staggering.

Now, not only are football stakeholders divided, but Indomitable Lions supporters are also at odds over who is right and wrong.

In many ways the row has been seen as a true test of Eto’o’s leadership in a country where government interference in football is almost the norm rather than an exception.

Despite the deluge of allegations against his management and the investigation by Caf over alleged misconduct, the four-time African Player of the Year’s popularity has not waned much. He continues to enjoy widespread love, admiration and support in the country and beyond.

It is unclear how the uproar will end, but there have been growing calls for the country’s President Paul Biya to personally address it once and for all – especially as both rival camps claim to be implementing “high instructions” from him.

Until then, much of the discourse on the streets, in markets, bars, and local media, will continue to be dominated by doubts as to whether the Indomitable Lions will even play their World Cup qualifiers against Cape Verde and Angola.

Cameroonian football is once again making headlines across the world, but for all the wrong reasons.

Source: BBC