Cameroonian socialite Hervé Bopda has been arrested after abuse allegations against him prompted national outrage.

Earlier this month, Mr Bopda and his acquaintances were accused by a popular activist of committing a number of crimes against roughly 200 victims.

Dozens of social media users have subsequently posted fresh allegations of sexual and physical abuse, many using the hashtag #stopbopda.

Mr Bopda, known for his jet-setting lifestyle, has denied all wrongdoing.

On Wednesday, after Mr Bopda was arrested, his lawyer said the accusations were “scandalous”.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Ojong Ashu acknowledged that the recent slew of abuse allegations prompted his client’s arrest, but insisted that Mr Bopda had been arrested for his own safety.

On 19 January, Cameroonian activist and internet personality N’zui Manto began releasing what he said were “testimonies” from men and women who alleged they had been assaulted by Mr Bopda and his acquaintances.

These included allegations of rape, kidnapping, harassment and physical assault.

The ensuing allegations from social media users, mostly women, sparked calls for Mr Bopda to be investigated by police.

By Monday, the hashtag #stopbopda had become the number one trending topic among Cameroonian users on X, formerly Twitter.

Public figures have also voiced concern. Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa, Cameroon’s minister for women’s empowerment, called the accusations “unspeakably serious” in a statement last Friday.

Ms Ondoa said she encouraged “all victims to break the silence in order to break the chain of violence and to provide the judicial authorities with the information they need to carry out proceedings aimed at establishing the facts and, where appropriate, convicting the perpetrators of these appalling crimes”.

She also commended a group of Cameroonian human rights lawyers who had lodged a police complaint against Mr Bopda.

Alongside the lawyers and Ms Ondoa, celebrities from Cameroon and the wider African continent have called for action.

Popular Nigerian Afrobeats musician Ayra Starr posted “#StopBopda!!!” on X last Thursday.

Mr Bopda is widely known within Cameroon as a socialite, businessman and the son of late construction magnate Emmanuel Bopda.

Source: BBC

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved today an 18-month arrangement for Cameroon under the IMF Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) for a total amount of SDR 138 million (about US$183.4 million, 50 percent of quota), with disbursements to start when the First Review of the arrangement is completed.

Cameroon is highly vulnerable to climate change, with risks from recurrent droughts, floods, landslides, and coastal erosion. The RSF will support Cameroon’s efforts to adapt to and mitigate the impact of climate change and replace more expensive financing. It will help address climate vulnerabilities by supporting the authorities’ efforts to strengthen the country’s institutional framework for governance and policy coordination related to climate change, mainstream the climate agenda into public financial management, enhance national adaptation policies, and step up mitigation efforts. The reform measures under the RSF are also expected to reinforce the growing engagement of development partners and other stakeholders in climate-resilient development and catalyze additional climate finance.

The RSF arrangement coincides with the remaining 18 months under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangements approved in July 2021 and extended in December 2023 to support the country’s economic and financial reform program.

At the conclusion of the Executive Board’s discussion, Mr. Kenji Okamura, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, made the following statement:

“Cameroonis a fragile and conflict-affected state facing substantial risks from climate change, including an imminent threat to livelihoods and potentially significant output losses, which could worsen food insecurity and conflicts and exacerbate poverty, inequality, and population displacements. The country’s regional diversity exposes it to a variety of climate-related events, including droughts, floods, and coastal erosion. If not appropriately addressed, climate change could delay human capital accumulation and jeopardize development and inclusive growth.

“Addressing the impact of climate change is an important priority in the country’s national development strategy. Cameroon is signatory of the COP21 and other key international conventions on climate change and is committed to a sustainable management of natural resources and adaptation and mitigation policies.

“The identified reforms under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangement build on the authorities’ national strategies and plans and on the diagnostics on climate change. The RSF reform package will help address key climate-related policy challenges, including creating an enabling environment for policy implementation, with appropriate institutional and public financial management frameworks; strengthening the national disaster risk management framework to step up adaptation efforts; and leveraging fiscal management in forestry as a climate mitigation policy.

“A resolute implementation of reforms under the RSF arrangement will help improve Cameroon’s medium-term climate policy stance, replace more expensive financing, and augment buffers against climate shocks and related prospective balance-of-payment needs. The arrangement should also help catalyze other climate financing. Capacity development efforts and close coordination among government entities and development partners involved in Cameroon’s climate agenda will be important.”

Source: IMF.org