28, February 2024

Nigeria’s security problems deepen as Ambazonia war spills across border ⁰

Over the past two decades, Nigeria has grappled with multiple and complex national security threats, each posing a significant challenge to its stability.

The nation finds itself fighting a violent militancy in the Niger Delta, conflicts between farmers and herders across multiple regions, terrorism and insurgency in the northeast, banditry in the northwest and secessionist campaigns by groups such as the Indigenous People of Biafra in the southeast.

Now a new layer of complexity has emerged in the form of the Ambazonian secessionist group from Cameroon. This group’s growing threat, most recently seen in the December 2023 violent invasion of the Nigerian borderline village of Belegete, adds to the strain on Nigeria’s national security capabilities.

As a scholar specializing in radicalization, violent extremism and counterterrorism in West and Central Africa, I believe the latest threat raises concerns about Nigeria’s strategic preparedness and ability to confront growing challenges.

How the country responds could have far-reaching consequences. Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and most populous country. Since its independence in 1960, Nigeria has played a crucial role in regional stability and security. It remains an important diplomatic partner for the United States, which provides support to the Nigerian government in its efforts to combat extremism in the region.

Rise of a violent campaign

Ambazonian separatists, seeking independence from the Republic of Cameroon, are mounting a bloody civil war that stems from the Anglophone crisis, a protracted conflict rooted in the colonization of Cameroon by both the French and British governments.

Separatists from Camaroon’s two English-speaking regions declared independence from the French-speaking majority in 2017, and war has been raging between the separatists and Cameroon government forces ever since.

The Ambazonian secessionist movement, fueled by grievances that include the perceived dominance of Francophone Cameroonians, seeks to secede and establish an independent Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

Grievance over perceived Francophone bias is fueling Camaroon insurgency. — A sign saying ‘Speak English and French for a bilingual Cameroon’ outside an abandoned school in a rural part of southwest Cameroon.

Agitation over the past seven years has resulted in violence and widespread human rights violations.

Estimates by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reveal that over 1.7 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. Furthermore, the Anglophone crisis has resulted in over 6,000 deaths and displaced 765,000 people. About 70,000 of these refugees are in Nigeria, including a few in the village of Belegete.

The attack in Belegete in December left two dead, including the traditional leader, Chief Francis Ogweshi, and 20 others kidnapped.

Nigeria’s national security

As Cameroon’s clash with separatists worsens in southwestern Cameroon, the Ambazonian insurgents have moved into Nigeria.

The violent attack on the Belegete community, which followed earlier incursions in Nigeria such as the Manga village attack of November 2021, suggests a growing cross-border element to Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis.

As well as presenting a violation of territorial integrity, the incident also suggests collaboration with Nigeria’s own secessionist groups, with evidence of links between Ambazonian secessionists and the Indigenous People of Biafra.

Ambazonian insurgents are also engaged in drugs, arms and human trafficking and have brought that illegal trade across the border into Nigeria.

The incursion of Ambazonian activities has not only added to Nigeria’s security challenges. It has also intensified an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s border region, displacing thousands of people and straining the capacity of authorities to care for its internally displaced persons and refugees from neighboring countries, including Cameroon.

As of June 2023, Nigeria has an estimated 2.3 million internally displaced persons and 93,130 refugees and asylum seekers. The Belegete attack added to this by displacing the entire village of over 2,000 people, who took refuge in the neighboring village of Becheve.

Confronting the emerging threat

Nigeria’s capacity to confront the emerging Ambazonian threat is questionable, given multiple strategic, operational and tactical limitations.

The 2022 Afrobarometer working paper, which mapped states’ capacity to prepare for or respond to security threats, concludes that Nigeria – like several African states – “is widely seen to lack the necessary capacity for the physical and material security of its citizens or to command legitimacy.”

A man in fatigues holding a gun Nigerian police officer stands guard. — A police officer in Yola, Nigeria.

The Ambazonian separatist insurgency poses a threat not only to Cameroon and Nigeria but risks further degrading the security situation in West Africa.

The Nigerian government, undoubtedly, understands the magnitude of the security threats it faces, and its apparent limitations, and has called for assistance. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a January 2024 letter to the outgoing French ambassador to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatmann, stressed the need for strengthened cooperation. “On regional security, we want you to remind Paris at every opportunity that it is necessary to upgrade our technical cooperation,” he wrote.

The United States has said it remains committed to assisting Nigeria. In January 2024, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with his Nigerian counterpart, Nuhu Ribadu, and underscored the need for continuous bilateral security cooperation.

And while Nigeria has in recent years partnered with Cameroon to ensure regional stability, the latest attack suggests a need to increase strategic cooperation between the neighboring countries to stem the growing threat.

However, countering the Ambazonian separatists and other internal security threats will remain a challenge for the Nigerian government. With a vast population and territory, security personnel are already stretched thin.

Meanwhile, the existing security apparatus in the country is compromised. The military is beset by problems, including low morale and corruption, and the national police force is perceived as largely unprofessional and corrupt.

These issues hamper Nigeria’s capacity to respond, and they undermine any attempt to counter the spiraling security threats faced by Nigeria, including the Ambazonian separatists.

Culled from The Conversation

28, February 2024

Replacing Rigobert Song: it is the presidency that will have the final say ⁰

Samuel Eto’o, at the helm of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fécafoot), will find himself with limited options regarding the appointment of the next coach for the Indomitable Lions.

According to Jeune Afrique, the absolute control wielded by the head of Cameroonian football in 2022, during which he chose Rigobert Song as coach despite the contrary opinion of the Minister of Sports, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, will no longer be in place.

At that time, the minister had preferred to retain Toni Conceição, the Portuguese coach, whose dismissal would have cost Fécafoot a minimum of 1.6 million euros. With no word from their superior, it seems unlikely that Song and his team will be retained beyond the end of their contract, which ends on February 28th. “We are leaning more towards a departure. However, it is necessary to await official confirmation,” revealed a Fécafoot representative to Jeune Afrique. After the failed negotiations with the former coach of Gambia, Tom Saintfiet, it is strongly considered that an interim coach will take place on the bench during the March international break, according to the media. The ambition is to appoint a competent coach in time to prepare the Indomitable Lions for the third and fourth rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June.

“It’s the presidency that will have the final say”

“This time, it is President Paul Biya who will have the final say in the choice of the new coach,” confirms Jeune Afrique, citing sources close to Fécafoot and the Ministry of Sports. The selection of the future coach will follow a rigorous protocol. “A call for applications will be launched, and the CVs submitted to Fécafoot will be evaluated by a technical committee, which will establish a shortlist of probably three candidates. They will then be interviewed. The final decision will rest with the presidency, as was the case before. ‘The one who finances has the final say, it’s logical.

This doesn’t mean that Samuel Eto’o cannot support a candidate, but he will not be the one making the final decision,’” explains a source quoted by the magazine. According to Jeune Afrique, the disappointing performances of the Indomitable Lions and various scandals affecting Fécafoot’s reputation are detrimental to Samuel Eto’o. “The state is fully aware of the federation’s precarious financial situation, which needs to settle compensation for Toni Conceição and his team. Payment to some suppliers is suspended, and the conflict with the French equipment manufacturer Le Coq Sportif could prove costly,” divulges a source. “Thus, it is conceivable that the state will intervene to support Fécafoot, at least in part, in the face of these problems,” adds the source.

Source: Afrique Sports

28, February 2024

FECAFOOT: Samuel Eto’o falling into spectacular new humiliations ⁰

Cameroonian football icon, Samuel Eto’o, is going through tough times. His tenure at FECAFOOT since 2021, aimed at reviving and enhancing the image of football in his country, has been marred by one setback after another. The latest blow has hit hard.

As often said, being a great footballer doesn’t automatically translate into being a competent leader. While this hypothesis is frequently confirmed among football coaches, it’s also proving to be the case with Samuel Eto’o in Cameroon. A true African living legend, now 42 years old, Eto’o has represented Cameroon globally with honor. With remarkable achievements in his football career, notably with FC Barcelona in Spain, Inter Milan in Italy, and Chelsea in England, the former striker is struggling in his role as a leader at the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT).

Cameroon: One humiliation too many for Samuel Eto'o at FECAFOOT

Elected amidst wild scenarios in December 2021, Samuel Eto’o was heralded as the “Messi” who would uplift Cameroonian football from the doldrums. With an enticing project and wonderful ideas, the Yaoundé-born native seemed destined for success. However, after some initial promising moments, things began to crumble at FECAFOOT with internal defections or dismissals causing friction. Known for his strong personality, Eto’o doesn’t shy away from making bold decisions, regardless of others’ opinions.

With his tough approach and clashes with local football figures and even former “rebel” Lion Indomptables executives, Eto’o has accumulated many enemies over his two years in management. Today, whether it’s Geremi Njitap calling out FIFA or CAF to intervene or Joseph Antoine Bell, among others, criticizing the state of affairs, discontent is rife. Speaking of the national team, it’s another sore point that adds to Eto’o’s woes.

In the face of Rigobert Song’s inability to steer the Lions Indomptables to success, whom Eto’o had chosen to lead, the FECAFOOT president finds himself under heavy criticism. After the 2023 AFCON held in Ivory Coast, President Paul Biya broke his silence to condemn the football federation president and his underperforming coach. As promised, the veteran head of state decided to intervene regarding Eto’o’s role.

“The state, in our difficult context, makes significant financial sacrifices in this regard (football). It is therefore entitled to demand better organization and results. We will ensure this,” stated Paul Biya in a national address, as reported by Africafootunited, concluding with, “The Government and particularly the Ministry responsible for sports have received clear instructions on the matter.”

This latest humiliation for Eto’o sees FECAFOOT sidelined from the process of reviving Cameroonian football, particularly in selecting a new coach. It’s a clear message to Eto’o that despite his grand entrance and apparent presidential blessing, he’s being ousted from a significant decision-making process.

On one hand, it’s a significant admission by Cameroonian leaders regarding FECAFOOT’s resounding failure. After orchestrating his resignation, which was ultimately rejected by the executive committee members, perhaps it’s time for Eto’o to gracefully step aside, permanently, to salvage what little “honor” remains. At this rate, things aren’t likely to improve anytime soon, and it remains uncertain how the CAF and FIFA will respond to numerous complaints about the Cameroonian football icon.

Source: Afrique Sports

28, February 2024

Yaoundé: opposition hopes for a renaissance ⁰

The opposition in Cameroon has had a worrying trajectory since it was legalised in 1990.

Things looked positive at first. Vibrant parties emerged, such as the Social Democratic Front (SDF), led by the charismatic Ni John Fru Ndi. It won more than half of the seats in the National Assembly.

While President Paul Biya secured re-election, he beat Ndi by only 4%, and everything changed. Understanding how close he was to defeat, Biya clamped down. Repression became more intense, and restrictive measures such as bans on meetings and demonstrations were introduced.

Worse, Biya’s efforts to divide and rule the opposition by sponsoring some groups and co-opting others has led to damaging fragmentation. Today there are more than 300 opposition parties; none can compete with Biya’s Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement.

But Biya is not the only problem. A lack of common vision, underpinned by ethnic divisions, has prevented the emergence of a more coherent challenge to the ruling party’s hegemony. The SDF has also struggled to replace Ndi, and has suffered from the conflict in the English-speaking regions of the country, which has made it difficult to campaign in its stronghold.

Taken together, these challenges explain why the opposition holds only 28 out of 180 seats in the National Assembly and has no senators at all. Even the decision of Maurice Kamto to form the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC) in 2012 failed to deliver political change.

Despite considerable fanfare, Kamto was controversially given only 14% of the vote in the 2018 presidential election.

Even in the darkest moments, however, there is hope. Having boycotted legislative and municipal elections in 2020, the MRC will take part in the 2025 polls.

Opposition parties have also started to draw together to promote a mass voter registration drive and form a coalition around the Alliance for Change. Biya remains in control, but opposition supporters can now dream of a renaissance.

Culled from the Mail & Guardian

28, February 2024

African Union candidate for the next UNGA Session: What does the French Cameroun pick mean to the Ambazonia struggle? ⁰

In a realm plagued by corruption, deception, extortion, arbitrary arrest, and indiscriminate killings by the invading genocidal military of French Cameroun in Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia, Paul Biya’s government disguises its malevolence with a facade of benevolence. They manipulate media, suppress dissent, and exploit propaganda to portray themselves as saviours while committing genocide in Ambazonia and oppressing the citizens of French Cameroun. Behind the scenes, they prioritize personal gain over citizen’s welfare, sacrificing ethics for power, using the genocidal war in Ambazonia for their personal gains and exploiting their citizens with high cost of fuel and livelihood to retain in power the nonagenarian naked emperor Paul Biya and his government.

Here are a few of the massacres carried out under the orders of Paul Biya in Ambazonia. 25 May 20018 (Menka) at least 30 civilians massacred, 12 July 2018: Tiben Village (Batibo) Massacre. At least 20 killed, 7 August 2018: Pete-Bakundu Massacre. At least 12 killed, 17 October 2018: Bafia-Muyuka Massacre. At least 15 killed, 10 October 2019: Mutengene Massacre. At least a dozen killed, 14 February 2020: Ngarbuh Massacre. At least 30 killed, 1 March 2020: Babanki-Tungo Massacre. At least 20 killed, 19 August 2020: Tiko Massacre. About 10 killed, 24 October 2020: Mother Francisca Bilingual Academy Massacre in Fiango Kumba. About a dozen killed, 27 November 2020: Mavas Village (Manyu) Massacre. About 10 killed, 11 January 2021: Mautu Village Massacre. At least 41 killed, 2023: Egbekaw (Manyu) Massacre. About 40 killed. It should be noted that in every case the victims of the massacres included men, women, and children.

These statistics provided above are the minimum numbers since it is difficult to get an accurate count of all those massacres especially because of fear on the part of the local people to come out and declare that their relatives or neighbours have also been killed; and also, because the French Cameroun killers and their affiliate actors always conceal some of the bodies or otherwise dispose of them in mass graves. No independent investigator has been allowed to investigate these massacres and ascertain their full extent. However, the minimum numbers provided come from the body counts of those which could not be hidden. Most of those massacred were shot point blank range. A few others later succumbed to gunshot wounds they had received.

The French Cameroun government’s actions are poison to its people, leading to a society driven by fear, disillusionment, and poverty. There are no jobs, the country’s infrastructure is collapsing, and the population is without drinking water which are the basics that a responsible government must provide to its people. There is no hope and future for the country’s youths because of the sleepy, tired, septuagenarians, octogenarians and nonagenarians who are ruling French Cameroun with impunity.

French Cameroun is presenting the African Union’s vote for its candidate as a victory for French Cameroun and that its candidate will indeed chair the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA) in September. Apart from developments in that failed state that could prevent this from happening, there are two other points to bear in mind.

French Cameroun did not beat South Africa in any vote. What happened is that South Africa withdrew. South Africa withdrew because it concluded that a South African candidate may not be voted in the General Assembly by states angered by the fact that it instituted genocide proceedings against Israel. Another reason could be French Cameroun used what it knows best using boxes of cash and taking advantage of South Africa’s case against Israel to lure their candidate to withdraw.

The African Union agreeing on the candidate of French Cameroun is not the end of the selection of the chairperson of the next session of the UNGA. And it is not a foregone conclusion that Philemon Yang will be the chairperson come September. There is still a vote to be conducted within the UNGA itself. Although the Assembly had decided that the chair would this time come from Africa, there would still be a secret ballot on an African candidate. The vote could demonstrate that Philemon Yang is not suitably qualified, in which case the African bloc would be requested to propose another candidate. Also, another African country could propose a candidate who would then compete with Yang and probably win. Although there is an African Union-approved candidate, nothing prevents some African countries at the United Nation from voting differently, especially if they think there is another African country with better and stronger credentials.

But, why Philemon Yang from Bui County like me? Remember that Philemon Yang performed so badly as French Cameroun’s ‘ambassador’ for 20 years in Canada and he was the laughingstock within the diplomatic community. He was Biya’s errand boy in Canada. He was so inefficient and so ineffective; a dismal standard he continued to display when Biya made him assistant Secretary General at the Presidency, with the rank of minister, from 2004 to 2009, so-called prime Minister. Yang’s under-performance is so well known that it’s very unlikely the UN will allow itself to be inflicted the agony of such an under-performing man to preside a session of the UNGA and pretend and push the narrative that Cameroun is one and indivisible. But we have never been one. We are two states of equal status.

Apart from Yang’s legendary mediocrity, there is also the fact that Biya is universally despised, even in Africa. He is despised because he is a crooked old man. He has a history as a serial murderer and abuser of power. He revels in deep corruption, violence, disrespect for the law and the rule of law. He is notorious for egregious human rights abuse. He leads an extravagant life at the expense of his wretched compatriots. He is fake and fraudulent.

Why must our country be bound in some way or another to French Cameroun? French Cameroun did not respect the federation between our two countries and it made it clear that they saw it only as a stepping stone to the annexation of Southern Cameroons. Every and any agreement between the Southern Cameroons and French Cameroun is like an agreement between a sheep and a wolf. Only a miracle will make a wolf to respect the sheep. Should we continue to voluntarily place ourselves at the mercy of the cruel and uncivilised barbarians of French Cameroun? Are we constitutionally defective that we cannot even see our own betterment and fight for it since freedom is not given but taken? In the beauty of our diversity, the willing amongst us, the never again generation are making this happen.

French Cameroun has made its agenda clear, which is the eternal enslavement of the people of Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia through annexation and assimilation. French Cameroun’s political leaders like Kamto use the same playbook. So, anyone proposing anything that requires an agreement for the Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia to have some link with French Cameroun should let us know when French Cameroun renounces its agenda of annexation and assimilation and how would we get French Cameroun to live by any agreements.

Elites, some Ambazonians businessmen and scholars use their own money and minds to buy slavery for themselves. Should we let the Foncha and Muna syndrome to continue? The never again generation will never be afraid of owning our own country or afraid of our freedom. We will sing our own anthem, (Ambazonia Land of Freedom, we will live in plenty meeting our needs, our children shall be like the stars…) We will live under our own laws, flying our own flag, being the owners of our own destiny.

God Bless the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

Dabney Yerima

Vice President

The Federal Republic of Ambazonia

27, February 2024

Nato allies reject Emmanuel Macron idea of troops to Ukraine ⁰

Several Nato countries, including Germany and the UK, have ruled out deploying ground troops to Ukraine, after French President Emmanuel Macron said “nothing should be excluded”.

Mr Macron said there was “no consensus” on sending Western soldiers to Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has warned of direct conflict if Nato troops deploy there.

Russian forces have recently made gains in Ukraine and Kyiv has urgently appealed for more weapons.

Mr Macron told a news conference on Monday evening: “We should not exclude that there might be a need for security that then justifies some elements of deployment.

“But I’ve told you very clearly what France maintains as its position, which is a strategic ambiguity that I stand by.”

The French leader was speaking in Paris, which is hosting a crisis meeting in support of Ukraine attended by heads of European states, as well as the US and Canada.

His comments prompted a response from other European and Nato member countries.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said there had been no change to the agreed position that no European country or Nato member state would send troops to Ukraine.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s spokesman said the country had no plans for a large-scale military deployment to Ukraine, beyond the small number of personnel already training Ukrainian forces.

The office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Italy’s “support does not include the presence of troops from European or Nato states on Ukrainian territory”.

Mr Peskov, on behalf of the Kremlin, called Mr Macron’s suggestion “a very important new element” adding it was absolutely not in the interests of Nato members.

“In that case, we would need to talk not about the probability, but about the inevitability [of direct conflict],” he said.

Earlier, Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg denied considering whether troops would be sent to Ukraine, although he insisted the alliance would continue to support Ukraine, which is not a Nato member.

That position has been echoed by a number of Nato member states including Spain, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Nato is a military alliance whose 31 members agree that, if a member state is attacked, they will help it defend itself. Sweden is set to become its latest member after receiving Hungary’s approval this week.

Kyiv is critically dependent on modern weapons supplies from its Western allies, particularly the US, to continue fighting Russia – a far bigger military force with an abundance of artillery ammunition.

But the approval of a much needed $95bn (£75bn) US aid package – including $61bn for Ukraine – faces an uphill battle in the US House of Representatives.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who took part in Monday’s meeting in Paris by video link, said that “everything we do together to defend against Russian aggression adds real security to our nations for decades to come”.

Source: BBC

26, February 2024

FECAFOOT and false coaching diploma: Rigobert Song goes to court ⁰

Rigobert Song doesn’t want to see his image deteriorate. Accusations of false coaching diplomas made in a sports program on the Canal 2 International channel. The Indomitable Lions coach hit back in a press release, announcing that he would be taking the matter to court.

“Indeed, during the aforementioned program, entitled ‘Lions Indomptables: comment faire pour rebondir? ‘, Pinon Omgba, brandishing an obviously fabricated pseudo-coaching diploma, the beneficiary of which would be a certain ‘Bahanag Rigobert’, together with Awona Théophile, are going to label Mr. Song Bahanag Rigobert, a leading figure in Cameroonian soccer, as a forger, who, according to them, holds ‘a false document’,” reads the statement.

Source: Sports News Africa

26, February 2024

ECOWAS Lifts sanctions on Niger and calls for unity within the economic bloc ⁰

After months of wrangling following coups d’etat in Mali Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger, the West African regional bloc has lifted most sanctions imposed on Niger over last year’s coup, in a new push for dialogue following a series of political crises that have rocked the region in recent months.

A no-fly zone and border closures were among the sanctions being lifted “with immediate effect”, the president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Omar Alieu Touray, said on Saturday.

The lifting of the sanctions is “on purely humanitarian grounds” to ease the suffering caused as a result, Touray told reporters after the bloc’s summit in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

The summit aimed to address existential threats facing the region as well as implore three military-led nations that have quit the bloc – Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso – to rescind their decision.

The three were suspended from ECOWAS following recent coups.

Since then, they have declared their intention to permanently withdraw from the bloc, but ECOWAS has called for the three states to return.

Speaking in his opening remarks at the start of the summit, ECOWAS chairman and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu said the bloc “must re-examine our current approach to the quest for constitutional order in four of our Member States”, referring to the three suspended countries, as well as Guinea, which is also military-led.

Tinubu urged Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso to “reconsider the decision” and said they should “not perceive our organisation as the enemy”.

ECOWAS also said it had lifted certain sanctions on Malian individuals and some on junta-led Guinea, which has not said it wants to leave the bloc but has also not committed to a timeline to return to democratic rule.

Touray said some targeted sanctions and political sanctions remained place for Niger, without giving details.

However, ECOWAS placed “some conditions” on the lifting of the sanctions, he added. “They want the immediate release of President Mohamed Bazoum and members of his family.”

Niger’s President Bazoum was deposed in a military coup last July, prompting ECOWAS to suspend trade and impose sanctions on the country. He is still imprisoned in the presidential palace in Niamey. On the eve of the summit, his lawyers urged ECOWAS to demand his release.

Earlier this week, ECOWAS co-founder and former Nigerian military leader General Yakubu Gowon also called for the bloc to lift “all sanctions that have been imposed on Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Niger”.

“Even before today’s summit, there has been a change in tone, in language and also the approach of ECOWAS entirely to the sanctions and embargoes imposed on these three West African countries,” Idris said.

Easing sanctions is seen as a gesture of appeasement as ECOWAS tries to persuade the three states to remain in the nearly 50-year-old alliance and rethink a withdrawal. Their planned exit would undermine regional integration efforts and bring a messy disentanglement from the bloc’s trade and services flows, worth nearly $150bn a year.

ECOWAS on Saturday gave the three military-led countries “an opportunity to be members of the organisation once again”, Idris said, adding that they asked them to be part of “technical discussions of the ECOWAS bloc” without restoring them as full participating heads of state at summits or major conferences.

After Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger announced that they would permanently withdraw from the alliance and formed a grouping called the Alliance of Sahel States, “the ECOWAS institution itself was shaken”, Idris said.

“[ECOWAS] is an organisation that is gradually losing its steam, and there is the danger of it being fragmented … There is also the concern that unless ECOWAS brings these people back into the fold, there is the danger of coups spreading in West Africa,” he added.

Compiled by Alain A. Ebot

Source: Al Jazeera

24, February 2024

Buea Mount Cameroon Race: Kenya’s Charles Kipsang dies of Heart Attack ⁰

36 year-old Kenyan athlete by name Charles Kipsang, participant at the 29th edition of the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, collapsed and dies of heart attack.

Information gathered holds that, Kipsang was transported to the Buea Regional Hospital where he gave up the ghost.

Despite numerous efforts to reanimate him at the Molyko Omnisport stadium failed.

The athlete though looking exhausted after crossing the finish line, showed no signs of ill health.

Charles Kipsang becomes the second Kenyan athlete, to have died within a short time frame.

By Haggai Fung Achuo

24, February 2024

Buea: mountain race kicks off amid tight security ⁰

The 29th edition of Mount Cameroon Race, Africa’s oldest international athletic competition, kicked off early Saturday in Southwest, one of the two English-speaking regions of the country torn by a separatist armed conflict.

Cameroon’s Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, who presided at the opening ceremony, said tight security measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of the athletes.

“We are assuring them (athletes) that everything will be fine. Their security and safety is assured,” Kombi told reporters.

Reporters covering the race saw multiple police and army checkpoints and military helicopters flying low in Buea, the chief town of the Southwest region where the race is taking place.

Cameroon elite forces, Rapid Intervention Battalion, have been deployed to the neighborhoods of the town.

Separatist fighters who have been active in the region since 2017 have threatened to disrupt the annual event.

Last year, at least 18 people were injured after blasts went off in three locations just a few minutes after the race began.

The race is unfolding under the theme “Give peace a chance”.

About 600 from Congo, Ethiopia, France, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Tanzania, Chad, Tunisia and Cameroon are taking part in the competition.

The race, dubbed Race of Hope, is of a particularly difficult terrain, with athletes going up and down the mountain, which is over 4,100 meters above sea level.

Source: Xinhuanet