27, July 2023

France-Afrique: Niger soldiers say President Bazoum has been removed, borders closed ⁰

Soldiers claimed to have overthrown Niger’s government on Thursday after members of the Presidential Guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum.

Disgruntled members of the elite Presidential Guard sealed off access to the president’s residence and offices in the capital Niamey on Wednesday, and after talks broke down “refused to release the president”, a presidential source said.

“We, the defence and security forces … have decided to put an end to the regime” of President Bazoum, said Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane in a televised address, surrounded by nine other uniformed soldiers.

They said “all institutions” in the country would be suspended, borders were closed, and a curfew had been imposed “until further notice”.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union both decried what they called an “attempted coup d’état”.

A source close to Bazoum used the same term, saying the bid was “doomed to fail”.

The head of ECOWAS said Benin President Patrice Talon was heading to Niger in a mediation bid, after the latest bout of turbulence to hit the region.

President Talon was expected to arrive in Niamey Thursday to speak with both sides to resolve the crisis, after a meeting in Abuja Wednesday with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Nigerian leader said President Talon would mediate with both the Presidential Guard and Bazoum with a view to finding an agreement.

One of a dwindling group of pro-Western leaders in the Sahel, Bazoum was elected in 2021, taking the helm of a country burdened by a poverty and a history of chronic instability.

In a message on Twitter, the president’s office said “elements of the Presidential Guard (PG) had a fit of temper… (and) tried unsuccessfully to gain the support of the national armed forces and the national guard”.

“The army and national guard are ready to attack the elements of the PG who are involved in this fit of temper if they do not return to a better disposition,” the presidency said.

Niger’s Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou on Thursday told FRANCE 24 the elected government was the “legitimate and legal authority” in the country.

“The legal and legitimate power is the one exercised by the elected president of Niger Mohamed Bazoum,” being held by the Presidential Guard members, Massoudou said, adding that the detained leader was “in good health”.

‘Madness’

UN chief Antonio Guterres was able to talk to Bazoum on Wednesday afternoon, his spokesman said, and “expressed his full support and solidarity”.

The United States has demanded Bazoum’s release, saying it was “deeply concerned”.

Hours after his detention, Bazoum’s supporters tried to approach the complex where he was being held, but were dispersed by members of the Presidential Guard who fired warning shots, an AFP reporter saw.

One person was hurt, but it was not immediately clear if he was injured by a bullet or from falling as the crowd scattered.

The parties of Niger’s ruling coalition in Niamey denounced “a suicidal and anti-republican madness” in a statement, saying that “certain elements of the presidential guard sequestered the President” and his family, as well as the interior minister.

ECOWAS called for Bazoum’s immediate and unconditional release, and warned all those involved would be held responsible for his safety.

The European Union said it “associates itself” with the ECOWAS statement and attacked “any attempt to destabilise democracy and threaten the stability” of Niger.

France – Niger’s former colonial power – and neighbouring Algeria also issued condemnations, as did the World Bank which said it “strongly condemns any attempt to seize power by force” or “destabilise” Niger.

Instability

The landlocked Sahel state has experienced four coups since independence from France in 1960, and numerous other attempts.

Bazoum, a former interior minister, was right-hand man to former president Mahamadou Issoufou, who voluntarily stepped down after two terms.

Their handover in April 2021, after elections won by Bazoum in a two-round contest against former president Mahamane Ousmane, marked Niger’s first peaceful transition of power since independence.

But reminders of the troubled past have never been far away.

An attempted coup took place just days before Bazoum’s inauguration, according to a security source at the time.

Several people were arrested, including the suspected ringleader, an air force captain named Sani Gourouza, and former interior minister Ousmane Cisse.

Five people, including Gourouza, were jailed in February for 20 years while Cisse was acquitted.

A second bid to oust Bazoum occurred last March “while the president … was in Turkey”, according to a Niger official, who said an arrest was made. The authorities have never commented publicly on the incident.

Poverty and jihadism

Niger is two-thirds desert and ranks close to the bottom of the UN’s Human Development Index, a benchmark of prosperity.

It has a surging population of 22.4 million, driven by a birth rate averaging seven children per woman.

Niger is struggling with two jihadist campaigns – one in the southwest, which swept in from Mali in 2015, and the other in the southeast, involving jihadists from northeastern Nigeria.

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes, stoking a humanitarian crisis and further straining the economy.

The poorly equipped military is receiving training and logistical support from the United States and France, which have bases in the country.

Niger last year became the hub of France’s anti-jihadist Sahel operations.

The mission was reconfigured after French forces quit Mali and Burkina Faso after falling out with the ruling juntas in those countries.

Source: AFP

26, July 2023

Al Hilal 300-million-euro move: Kylian Mbappe won’t talk! ⁰

Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe has refused to meet officials from Al Hilal, dealing a potentially fatal blow to the Saudis’ ambitious hopes of completing a world record 300-million-euro ($333 million) swoop.

The French star has refused “any discussion with the representatives of the Al-Hilal club, present in Paris this Wednesday,” reported L’Equipe sports daily.

According to the report, a delegation from the Saudi club came to Paris to finalise the transfer of Brazilian Malcom from Zenit Saint Petersburg.

They also wanted to present their project to Mbappe while in the French capital.

“This approach will not succeed,” added L’Equipe because the entourage of the 24-year-old player “refused any discussions with the representatives of the Saudi club”.

“The captain of Les Bleus has never considered this option,” the report added.

Riyadh-based Al Hilal had been given permission to open talks with Mbappe despite him never having expressed an interest in moving to the fast-growing Saudi league.

Mbappe has one year left on his contract with PSG, who want him to leave now rather than for nothing next summer.

But Mbappe is refusing to sign a new contract and the French champions believe he has already struck a deal to move to Real Madrid next year.

Source: AFP

26, July 2023

Ngaoundere building collapse: Mother, her two children and younger sister killed ⁰

Cameroon government officials do not know how many people were inside a building in Ngaoundere, Adamawa region when it collapsed.

At least four people have now been confirmed dead after the lifeless bodies of a woman, her two children and her younger sister were pulled from the rubble of a four-storey uncompleted building on Tuesday July 25, 2023, in the Côte D’Azur vicinity in Baladji, Ngaoundere, Adamawa Region.

Cameroon Concord News understands authorities are still searching for 42 unaccounted people.

A huge section of the building was reduced to rubble when it crashed to the ground on Tuesday.

The number of fatalities and people unaccounted for has not been updated by the Francophone dominated police and gendarmerie force.

In a statement late on Tuesday, Cameroon government spokesman Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi said that councils have been given firm instructions to control and stop building constructions that do not comply with norms in their municipalities.

Rene Sadi’s empty press release was in reaction to the 4-storey building collapse in Douala on Sunday, July 23 that killed more than 37 people.

The Governor of Adamawa Region, Kildadi Taguieke Bouka visited the scene of the incident and told reporters that search will continue for survivors.

By Soter Agbaw-Ebai with files from Rita Akana

26, July 2023

Staying power: Ailing Biya among world’s longest-serving leaders ⁰

Following the announcement by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen that he was stepping down after nearly four decades in power, here are the world’s longest-serving leaders, except for monarchs.

Four decades in power: Cameroon's President Paul Biya — Four decades in power: Cameroon’s President Paul Biya

40 years plus

Equatorial Guinea: The Soviet Union was still a decade from collapse when Teodoro Obiang Nguema came to power in a coup in the west African state of Equatorial Guinea in 1979.

Under his repressive nearly-44-year rule, Equatorial Guinea has become known as the “North Korea of Africa”.

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, veteran President of Equatorial Guinea

Cameroon: The world’s oldest elected leader is 90-year-old Cameroonian President Paul Biya, who has ruled with an iron fist since November 1982.

Nicknamed “the Sphinx” for his inscrutable nature, leader, he won a seventh consecutive term in 2018 after elections marred by allegations of fraud.

30 years plus

Republic of Congo (also known as Congo-Brazzaville): Denis Sassou Nguesso, 78, has spent 38 years at the helm of the country in central Africa. He was president from 1979 to 1992, then returned in 1997 after a civil war and has remained in power ever since.

Uganda: Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, 78, has led the central African country for 37 years. He was re-elected to a contested sixth term in 2021.

Iran: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been supreme leader of the Islamic republic since the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.

Tajikistan: Emomali Rakhmon, a former collective farm boss who came to power shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, has had a firm grip on his poor, mountainous country for 30 years.

Tajikistan's Emomali Rakhmon has been in power for 30 years — Tajikistan’s Emomali Rakhmon has been in power for 30 years

Eritrea: Former rebel leader Isaias Afwerki has been president of the reclusive Horn of Africa nation of Eritrea since it won independence from Ethiopia in May 1993.

– 20 years plus –

Belarus: President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has used Soviet-style repression to remain in power in Ukraine’s neighbour for 29 years.

Djibouti: President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who was re-elected to a fifth term in 2021, has been leader of the country that styles itself the “Dubai of Africa”, for 24 years.

Russia: Putin became prime minister in August 1999, then president the following year, and served two terms before swapping jobs with prime minister Dmitry Medvedev in 2008 only to reclaim the role of Kremlin leader in 2012.

Twenty-three years in power: Russian President Vladimir Putin

Rwanda: Paul Kagame, a former Tutsi rebel leader who put an end to the Rwandan genocide of 1994, has been president of the small mountainous nation since 2000.

Syria: President Bashar al-Assad, who has clung onto power through a 12-year civil war, has also been in power for 23 years.

Longest ever: Castro

The longest-serving leader in history was Cuba’s revolutionary hero Fidel Castro, who spent 49 years in power. When he handed over in 2008 in his early 80s, it was to his brother Raul.

Source: AFP

26, July 2023

Biya’s Ambazonia Killing Campaign: Yaoundé urged to stop the torture, rape ⁰

Cameroonian authorities have been urged to stop the killings, torture, rape, house burnings and other atrocities committed in the English-speaking regions.

The call follows the release of a new report detailing widespread human rights violations and other crimes under national law committed by various parties.

Amnesty International released the report, entitled “With or against us. The population is caught between the army, armed separatists and militias in the North West region of Cameroon.”

It exposes the crimes committed, mainly since 2020, by armed separatists, militias and members of the defense and security forces.

Amnesty called on authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible for these acts, in fair trials before independent, impartial and competent courts.

“Victims of these crimes and violations have a right to justice and reparation,” said Samira Daoud, the human rights group’s director for West and Central Africa.

The Anglophone crisis in Cameroon stems from the crackdown on largely peaceful protests that took place in 2016 and 2017, demanding an end to the marginalization of the minorities that occupy regions populated by English speakers.

The North-West and South-West regions are the epicentre.

Locals accuse the government of President Paul Biya (aged 90), which is dominated by French-speaking Cameroonians, of marginalising them.

He has been in power since 1982.

Critics accuse him of vote rigging and repression to maintain power in the Central African country of 28 million.

Source: CAJ News

26, July 2023

US: Hollywood heavyweights lead strike rally in Times Square ⁰

Hollywood A-listers including Emmy winner Bryan Cranston and a group of Oscar winners on Tuesday led a large rally of striking actors and writers in New York’s Times Square, as the stalemate with studios and streamers dragged on.

Academy Award winners Brendan Fraser, Jessica Chastain and F. Murray Abraham were among the stars joining the mass of demonstrators.

Movie and television production has effectively shut down in the United States since thousands of members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) guild walked off the job on July 14, joining writers who have been on strike for weeks.

Both guilds are demanding better pay and job security, as well as safeguards against the threat posed by artificial intelligence as they pursue the first industry-wide walkout in 63 years.

“We will not be having our jobs taken away and given to robots,” “Breaking Bad” star Cranston told attendees, referring to fears about AI being used to recreate an actor’s likeness.

Surrounded by Times Square’s giant screens, which often advertise the latest movies and streaming series, Cranston delivered a message to Disney boss Bob Iger, the target of the actors’ ire.

“We will not have you take away our right to work and earn a decent living and, lastly and most importantly, we will not allow you to take our dignity,” he bellowed, wearing a SAG-AFTRA t-shirt and raising his fists.

Abraham, best known for winning an Academy Award for his starring role in the 1984 movie “Amadeus,” said unionism was “good for America.”

“We’re fighting for integrity, respect, and honor,” said the 83-year-old, who recently featured in television hit series “The White Lotus.”

Steve Buscemi and Christian Slater were also among the protesters.

SAG-AFTRA represents actors from mega-stars to day-players who take small roles on television series. It represents about 160,000 people, including stuntmen and dancers.

The industrial action not only prohibits actors from filming but also from promoting their productions in person or on social media.

Source: AFP

25, July 2023

Douala mourns victims of building collapse as death toll jumps to 34 ⁰

The death toll from a weekend building collapse in Cameroon’s commercial hub Douala has risen to 34 from an earlier estimate of 12, the housing and urban development minister said on Monday.

The four-storey building collapsed on Sunday, destroying a nearby building and injuring scores of residents.

“The building in question unfortunately had no building permit,” Minister Celestine Ketcha Courtes said, adding that an investigation had been launched.

She said rescue efforts were ongoing on Monday to make sure no one was still trapped in the rubble, despite difficult access conditions.

It remained unclear how many occupants were in the building at the time it collapsed. Residents said the building had shown signs of dilapidation with exposed and rusted steel reinforcement rods.

Source: Reuters

25, July 2023

Southern Cameroons: Amba ambushes military convoy, kills three soldiers in Ekok ⁰

Ambazonia Restoration Forces have ambushed a military convoy in Ekok, Eyumojock Sub Division in Manyu, on Monday, killing at least three soldiers.

The attack would be the second against the military within a week as last Friday; one gendarmerie officer was killed in Otu a border settlement not far away from Eyumojock town.

According to Cameroon Concord News sources in Mamfe, Monday attack was targeted at a BIR convoy travelling between Eyumojock and Ekok.

Quoting a senior military officer, our correspondent reported, “We lost three soldiers in the ambush by Ambazonia terrorists. The Amba Boys, in their large number, opened fire on the convoy and killed two police officers and a gendarme.”

The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to the media, said the arrival of reinforcements forced the Amba fighters to retreat.

Corroborating the officer’s account, a commercial driver who was almost caught in the ambush told Cameroon Concord News that he was trailing behind the military convoy when the Amba Boys opened fire. A three-star Police Inspector has been identified as one of the victims.

By Ewang Miriam Metchane with files from Kingsley Betek

25, July 2023

Biya and wife are back in Yaoundé after a-month in Europe ⁰

President Biya and wife Chantal have landed back in Yaoundé after he reportedly took part in a summit in France a month ago.

Photos shared on social media on Tuesday showed a beaming Biya dressed in a blue suit outside the arrivals section of Nsimalen International Airport.

Biya and his gang were received at the Nsimalen International Airport by Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute and the Minister of State, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh.

By Rita Akana

25, July 2023

UK: Prof. Julius Oben’s contribution to Ayuktayak development legendary! ⁰

Manyus and members of several Cameroonian communities in Great Britain were treated to a cheerful and vibrant gala in Birmingham, UK on Saturday, July 22 2023, intended to raise funds for the ongoing Besongabang water project. Besongabang is one of the largest villages in Manyu Division, Cameroon, with a population of over 2,552, according to the latest population survey. The village is blessed with a very successful diaspora in Europe and North America, but like many places in the country, water and other essentials for life are not readily available. So, for over twelve years, the Besongabang diaspora has engaged in a worthy cause of soliciting funds to construct boreholes to supply drinkable water to their village. And last weekend’s fund-raising event provided a rare opportunity for friends of Besongabang and Besongabang citizens in the UK to put their names in the history books of the village.

The Birmingham city occasion was organized by the Besongabang General Association and animated by the renowned DJ Eko. Guests were treated to a live display of the Obasinjom dance with traditional drums and songs to match. The Obasinjom display, the first of its kind in the UK, was coordinated by two Besongabang sons, Chief Agbortarh Takor and Nfor Mgbe Nelson Agbor.

A distinguished son from the Ayuktayak clan, Prof Julius Oben, the Director of the Laboratory of Nutrition and Nutritional Biochemistry at the University of Yaoundé 1, was the guest of honour. The award-winning academic and philanthropist flew into the UK from Cameroon with his wife and son at short notice just for the event. He graced the evening with a soul-searching speech and donated £700 in cash to the cause.

The laudable gesture from Prof Julius Oben has sent shudders through the Manyu diaspora because other Besongabang notables in the UK were conspicuously absent from the event.

Among the dozens of donors were Ms Patience Ekule and Mrs Naomi Enowpka-Kum who also supported the water project with £500 and £700, respectively. Besongabang UK, Vice President Ms Marie Eyong, who hosted more than twenty-five donors at her residence after the historic gala nite was visibly delighted with the result. Cameroon Concord News London Bureau Chief Seseskou Asu Isong had a seat on the high table.

By Esther Ashu