27, June 2022

Human Rights Watch accuses Amba fighters of fresh attacks ⁰

Anglophone separatists in Cameroon have killed at least seven people and carried out scores of kidnappings since January, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday, in a further condemnation of alleged abuses by the rebels.

“Armed separatist groups are kidnapping, terrorizing, and killing civilians across the English-speaking regions with no apparent fear of being held to account by either their own leaders or Cameroonian law enforcement,” Ilaria Allegrozzi, HRW’s senior central Africa researcher, said in a report.

A conflict in Cameroon’s Northwest Region and Southwest Region has raged for nearly five years, pitching government forces against anglophones campaigning to secede from the majority French-speaking state.

The rights watchdog said rebels had killed at least seven people, injured six more, raped a girl and kidnapped as many as 82 people since January “in an uptick of violence.”

The separatists have targeted schools, torching at least two facilities, and attacked a university, it said.

The allegations are based on interviews with several dozen victims and witnesses as well as medical records and visual evidence, HRW said.

In 2017, mounting anglophone resentment at perceived discrimination snowballed into the declaration of an independent state — the “Federal Republic of Ambazonia,” an entity that is not recognised internationally.

The country’s veteran president Paul Biya, 89, who has ruled with an iron fist for nearly 40 years, responded with a crackdown.

The violence has claimed more than 6,000 lives and displaced around a million people, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank.

Schools have been attacked or boycotted as perceived symbols of the state — a campaign that in 2019 left some 850,000 children without denied access to education, according to UNICEF figures.

“These abusive calls (for school boycotts) trample the basic rights of an already terrorized civilian population,” HRW said.

The UN and international NGOs have accused both sides of human rights abuses.

HRW renewed this allegation, saying government troops had committed rights violations including “extensive burning of villages, homes, and shops, killings, torture, mistreatment, incommunicado detention and rape of civilians.”

On June 1, soldiers in the Northwest Region killed nine civilians, including a baby, the defence ministry said, describing the deaths as a “grave and unfortunate incident.”

Source: AFP

27, June 2022

Nigeria’s Benue charges Ambazonian refugees on respect for host communities ⁰

Benue State Government has advised Southern Cameroonian Refugees in Ikyogen, Kwande Local Government Area of the state to adhere to the laws of the land by ensuring peaceful coexistence within the community.

The Executive Secretary of Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr Emmanuel Shior, gave the charge while commemorating this year’s World Refugees Day.

Represented at the occasion by the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor, Mr David Azenda, the Executive Secretary also identified with the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who are facing similar humanitarian crisis and appreciated the host community of Ikyogen, UNHCR and other Development Partners for their collective support.

In his remarks, the Team Leader of the National Commission for Refugee, Migration and IDPs Adikpo Field Officer, Mr Adeyemi Oluwaseyi, said there were more than 26.6 million refugees, out of which 76 Cameroonians were being hosted in Nigeria.

An officer of the UNHCR, who also spoke at the occasion, explained that the event focused on raising awareness of the plight and demonstrating to victims that their rights must be protected and treated with dignity.

The Paramount ruler of Kwande, the Ter Kwande, HRH, Chief Timothy Ahile, assured the refugees of the host community’s support and protection throughout their stay in the area, calling on them to be law abiding.

Two Refugees, Mr. Zefania Ekan and Mr. Chafa, also commended the state government, the host community and development partners for providing food and shelter for them in their trying moment.

Source: The Will Nigeria

27, June 2022

Yaoundé: Government reaches out to the Diaspora, but….. ⁰

The Yaoundé government which has been fighting its Diaspora for decades is finally softening its stance as it now sees the Diaspora as a possible development partner. The country’s President, Paul Biya, last week sent a delegation to Europe to try to woo well-off Cameroonians living there to invest back home.

Seeking to involve the Diaspora in the government’s development program is not new. Many African governments are increasingly recognizing the importance of their citizens living abroad or the ‟new African Diaspora” in national and regional development. This mass exodus of experts or brain drain from Cameroon occurred during the economic crisis the country went through starting in the mid-80s and during the brutal political crackdown of the 90s. Recently the conflict in the two English-speaking regions of the country has pushed thousands of Cameroonians out of the country.

The government’s gesture of reaching out to its Diaspora is laudable and justifiable, especially as the country’s Diaspora now has many dollar millionaires who can help the government in its efforts to address the country’s crippling unemployment and economic decline which are blighting the lives of the country’s youths.

Cameroon has a huge Diaspora which can help give the country’s economy a shot in the arm, especially at a time when the global economy is facing some testing challenges, but relations between the Yaoundé government and its Diaspora have not been the best for many years due to the government’s dictatorial tendencies, and this is standing in the way of any real collaboration between both parties.

In most African countries, the Diaspora is considered as a key development factor and many African countries have come up with policy measures which are motivating the Diaspora to play a key role in those countries. Remittances from Africans living abroad are changing things for the better in some African countries and as governments develop a friendly attitude towards their Diasporic communities, many of their citizens are also investing and this is turning out to be a win-win for those countries receiving these investment resources. The economic transformations taking place in African countries due to Diaspora remittances cannot be ignored.

According to the latest data from the World Bank, remittance inflows to Sub-Saharan Africa increased by 6.2% to USD 45 billion in 2021. In the report titled, “Migration and Development Brief 35”, the World Bank explained that the region’s largest recipient was Nigeria (USD 17.6 billion), and the country is experiencing a moderate rebound in remittance flows, in part due to the increasing influence of policies intended to channel inflows through the banking system. The report added that Nigeria continued to dominate remittance inflows into Sub-Saharan Africa given the exceptional size of the Nigerian migrant base.

The Yaoundé government might be waking up late but better late than never. It must work hard to woo its 5-million strong Diaspora comprising top-notch professionals and businesspeople. For long, the Cameroon government has always viewed its Diaspora as its enemy. The country’s Diaspora is totally against the corruption and bad governance which have brought the country down a dangerous economic path which is spreading death and agony among the country’s youths.

The country’s political arena is one of the worst on the continent, with dishonesty being the hallmark of most ruling party politicians. Bad policies, the government’s arrogance and a gloomy political outlook have pushed many Cameroonians out of their country, and it will be hard to win hearts and minds among members of the country’s Diaspora which has come to terms with the fact that things will never change for the better if the same people who have caused the friction are still in power.

However, if the government really wants to woo its Diaspora, it must mend its ways. Sending a delegation to Europe to urge the country’s Diaspora to invest back home is like putting the horse before the cart. Good policies, instead of missions abroad, will bring investors to Cameroon and when things are really working well in the country, the Diaspora will come in to breathe a new life into the collapsing economy.

Many countries in the world have pursued policies which make their countries attractive to their various Diasporic communities. Canada, for example, allows members of its Diaspora to return home after one year abroad with their personal effects without paying any customs duty.

In Tunisia, the country’s Diaspora has been supportive of the government’s development efforts. Members of the country’s Diaspora who are returning home after a long stay abroad could come in with their cars without paying duty. And customs duty is just one of the concessions that many countries around the world are making to bring back their Diaspora, especially members of the Diaspora who have investment projects which could help create jobs for their fellow citizens.

In Mozambique which went through a very destructive civil war, the government has taken measures to make the country’s Diaspora a key component of its development efforts conscious of the fact that the country’s Diaspora can contribute in social, cultural, and economic ways, including remittances, skills, and dialogue – all of which are key to national development.

With this strategy, the government has demonstrated its commitment to longer term engagement to work together with the Diaspora to leverage these contributions. To strengthen the support and engagement of the Mozambican Diaspora in social, economic and cultural development of the country, the government has launched a Strategy for Diaspora Engagement in National Development.

Meanwhile, Ghana, a country which understands the role the Diaspora can play, has a Diaspora Affairs Bureau within the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration. This is a landmark achievement on the part of the Government of Ghana, which has formalized the engagement of the Ghanaian Diaspora for effective migration management and national development planning.

There are an estimated four million Ghanaians living in the Diaspora. The majority live in neighboring African countries and the largest concentration of Ghanaian migrants outside the region are found in Germany, Italy, Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Bureau builds upon the success of the Ministry’s Diaspora Support Unit (DSU), established in 2012 with the support of IOM’s International Development Fund (IDF). The IDF supports IOM Member States in their efforts to strengthen their migration management capacity. The DSU was established as part of a national diaspora engagement project to provide a sustainable link between the Ghanaian Diaspora and various government agencies to achieve development and investment goals.

If the Yaounde government really wants Cameroonians to return home and lend a hand in national development efforts, it must rescind some of those obnoxious policies which have been at the centre of its dispute with its Diaspora. The issue of dual nationality has not been addressed and the country’s Diaspora is waiting for the government to address this issue immediately. Many African countries have already accepted dual nationality as the new reality, and this is helping their citizens who are living abroad to return home and invest without having to submit themselves to the immigration concerns which come with having two or more nationalities.

South Africa, for example, accepted dual nationality once Mandela came to power. Mandela understood that Many South Africans had escaped their country during the dark years of Apartheid and many children had been born in foreign countries during that time, automatically making them citizens of the countries wherein they had been born. South Africans returning to their country with foreign passports can come in with proof that they have South African citizenship without seeking a South African visa, but once in South Africa, the country’s laws will apply without discrimination. This is a country which knows how to bring back its citizens. Cameroon can draw on the experience of this country to address the issue of dual nationality.

There are other concerns which require the government’s attention. It is not easy to wire huge sums of money to Cameroon. The banking system is not reliable and the country’s investment and legal frameworks leave much to be desired. If the government can also invest in road infrastructure and strive to reduce police harassment and corruption, the country will be attractive to rich members of the Diaspora who have worked very hard to earn their money.

The business climate and environment must be friendly if any reasonable person will invest in the country. The government must also learn to cut politics out of other sectors of life. It must also be tolerant of opposing views. Investing in Cameroon remains a very risky venture. However, things can change if the government demonstrates a strong commitment to change some of those policies which are robbing the country of good investments. Sending delegations abroad will never cut it if the same policies remain in place.

By Joachim Arrey, Ph.D

26, June 2022

Atanga Nji Boys kill Thermal Centre worker in Bamenda ⁰

A pro Yaoundé armed group that was created by the Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji to infiltrate Southern Cameroons Self Defense Groups has reportedly killed a thermal centre worker in Bamenda.

Cameroon Concord News understands the group which no longer receives Cameroon government funding, has now resorted to kidnappings for ransom all in a bid to survive.

The Paul Atanga Nji Boys abducted their victim on Thursday night, June 23 and murdered him as he attempted to escape from captivity.

Yaoundé has blamed the killing on Ambazonia Restoration Forces but at the time of filing this report, the Ambazonia Interim Government was yet to issue a statement on the incident.

After years of chafing at perceived marginalization and discrimination, the people of Southern Cameroons declared an the independent state in 2017 known as the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, triggering a crackdown by the Francophone authorities.

The spiral of fighting has claimed more than 10,000 lives and prompted more than a million people to flee their homes, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank.

By Rita Akana in Bamenda

26, June 2022

Two gov’t soldiers injured in Boko Haram attack in French Cameroon ⁰

Two soldiers have been injured and one Boko Haram fighter killed in clashes in Cameroon’s Far North region, army and local sources said on Friday.

The clashes took place overnight into Friday in the Kiliari locality of the region.

Heavily armed militants of the terror group attempted to attack the locality but were repulsed by troops who were patrolling the area, an army official who opted for anonymity said.

One of the militants was found dead early Friday after the clashes which lasted for hours, the official said.

Militants of the group have increased attacks mostly on civilians over the last two months, killing several, torching houses and looting property, according to security reports.

Source: Xinhuanet

26, June 2022

Yaoundé Deploys Hundreds of Troops to Protect 40,000 People Displaced by Boko Haram ⁰

Cameron has deployed hundreds of troops along its border with Nigeria after attacks by Boko Haram militants forced more than 40,000 villagers over the past two months to flee the area. Cameroon’s defense minister is visiting the border to assess the security situation and assure villagers that it is safe to return home.

Cameroon’s military reports that Boko Haram incursions in Mayo Tsanaga, an administrative unit on its northern border with Nigeria, have increased drastically since April.

Each day, armed members of the Nigerian terror group cross over to Cameroon, attack villages and steal cattle and food, the military reports.

Cameroon’s defense minister, Joseph Beti Assomo, said Thursday President Paul Biya asked him to lead a delegation of top military officials to the border. Assomo, whose delegation was in Mokollo district where Mayo Tsanaga is located, says several hundred troops have been deployed to protect civilians and their goods.

He said that self-protection groups must cooperate with the army.

Assomo says all militias must henceforth be registered and controlled by local government officials and Cameroon military. He says militia group members should be people of unquestionable integrity. Assomo says government troops and local officials note that militias have been infiltrated by Boko Haram terrorists and adds that the military will energetically fight terrorists and bring back civilians trapped along the border with Nigeria.

Ousman Aliou is from Duvan, a village on the border with Nigeria. He says except for a few elderly persons, almost everybody has escaped from Duvan. He spoke via a messaging app from Mokollo.

“Duvan has got 10,000 population and when I went there last week, I saw only 15 people in Duvan,” Aliou said. “So, I am asking Mr. Minister to do something for us please. Come and help us. Our people are sleeping on the mountain.”

In May, villagers along Cameroon’s northern border with Chad and Nigeria organized daily protests in front of government offices demanding the military protect them.

Vohod Deguime is mayor of the Mokollo district. He says if the military had responded more quickly to the villagers’ plea, civilians would have been spared from fleeing their homes.

He says the situation is getting worse as the days go by. He says several dozen villages have been destroyed over three weeks by Boko Haram, and food and cattle stolen. Deguime says more than 30,000 of the 40,000 Cameroonians who have escaped from their villages are hiding in bushes on the border with Nigeria.

Deguime said some of the fleeing villagers are finding refuge in host communities in safer border localities.

Local media reports that Cameroon recently withdrew some of its troops from the northern border with Nigeria and Chad and redeployed them to fight separatist rebels in the west of the country. Cameroon’s military dismiss the claims and say troops are always on standby to defend civilians when the need arises.

Source: VOA

26, June 2022

Moscow to send Belarus nuclear-capable missiles within months ⁰

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday offered to upgrade Belarus’ warplanes to make them capable of carrying nuclear weapons, amid soaring tensions with the West over Ukraine.

“Many Su-25 (aircrafts) are in service with the Belarusian military. They could be upgraded in an appropriate way. This modernisation should be carried out in aircraft factories in Russia and the training of personnel should start in accordance with this,” Putin said after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko asked him to “adapt” the planes in a televised interview.

Source France 24

26, June 2022

Cardinal Sean O’Malley appoints Priest of Mamfe Diocese as Parish Priest of Ste. Anne’s Church in Boston ⁰

The Parishioners

Ste Anne, Salem MA

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston

Dear Holy People of God,

Appointment of Fr. Casmia Wiybirwo BELLO as Parish Priest of Ste. Anne’s Church, Salem MA

With great joy, I write to inform you that on Thursday, June 23, His Eminence, Sean Cardinal O’Malley, appointed Fr. Casmia W. Bello, priest of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Mamfe, Cameroon, as parish priest of Ste. Anne Parish, Salem MA, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.

Fr. Casmia was born on February 14, 1981 in Nso, Bui Division of Cameroon. He did his Minor Seminary studies at St. Aloysius Minor Seminary Kitiwum, Kumbo. He went on to obtain a BA in Philosophy from St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, Bambui, Cameroon; a BSc in Economics from the University of Buea, Cameroon; and a BA in Theology from Blessed Iwene Tansi Major Seminary, Onitsha, Nigeria, graduating Summa Cum Laude.

Fr Casmia was ordained a priest on July 5th 2014 in Mamfe, Cameroon. After his ordination he served as parochial vicar at Immaculate Conception parish Nguti, Cameroon; Parish Priest cum School Manager of Holy Eucharist parish Tinto, Cameroon (Sept. 2014 – Oct. 2016). From November 2016 to June 2020, he served as Parish Priest cum School Manager of Divine Mercy Parish Nkongle, and also Principal of John Paul II Secondary School, Nkongle, Cameroon.

In the Spring of 2020, Fr Casmia was missioned to Boston College by the Most Rev. Andrew F. Nkea, JCD, then Apostolic Administrator of Mamfe Diocese, for graduate studies. He obtained an MA in Leadership and Administration from Boston College in May 2022. While residing at Ste. Anne’s in the duration of his graduate studies, Fr Casmia has served as a Chaplain of the Catholic Women Association, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Branch, Boston, MA; Chaplain of the Precious Blood of Jesus Devotional Group, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston; and recently, Chaplain of the Jesus is Lord Catholic Charismatic Group, Ste. Anne Church.

On a personal note, I would say that it has been a privilege to count myself a friend of Fr. Casmia for over 22 years and counting. His humility; his deep faith in the living Lord; his love for our Blessed Mother Mary; his unassuming personality; his profound piety and deep love for the Church, hidden behind a shy demeanor, and more, in my opinion, make Fr. Casmia a great gift to you, the people of God of this beautiful and culturally diverse family of God that is Ste. Anne’s. Living with Fr. Casmia these two years here in Salem, I have found in him a dependable priest of God, someone you can count on as a spiritual leader. I firmly believe that in Fr. Casmia, you will find a pastor’s heart that will love you, willing to accompany you on the holy journey, sharing in your joys and crosses, in a spirit of great patience, for as Benedict XVI beautifully reminds us, the world is saved by God’s patience and destroyed by the impatience of men and women.

In Fr. Casmia, you will find a priest that will always be there for and with you. I think of Augustine of Hippo’s sermon on John 10: the shepherd, unlike the hireling and the brigand, never runs or shy away from the cross, precisely because what animates the shepherd is love for Christ, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the consciousness, as Pope St. Paul VI will write centuries letter in his August 1964 encyclical EcclesiamSuam, that the Church, the people of God, its human dimension notwithstanding, is a reality that came about thanks to the explicit will of Christ.Paul VI’s great and esteemed successor, Benedict XVI, will describe this reality of the Church as the will of Christ with the iconic phrase, “the Church, the story God himself has created.”And from my own limited experience of “daily becoming a Christian” (Kierkegaard), and a priest, I can say that to love Christ always comes with the reality of suffering, of the Cross. It was the French philosopher Blaise Pascal that captured this aspect when he declared this ageless axiom, “Christ is on the Cross, until the end of the world.”

Dear Holy People of God, this is my last formal communication with you. From Monday June 27, 2022, I will cease being the spiritual leader of this beautiful family. It has been a journey with great spiritual joys. I think of the little steps that together, with the living Jesus in our midst that we were able to initiate. Amongst others, the Year of the Bible comes to mind, which has led to our monthly Bible Study sessions, moderated by Professors from Boston College and St John’s Seminary, Boston; I think of the daily community Rosary prayers; I think of the Thursdays Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; I think of the new choirs, especially the Children’s choir; I think of the celebration of the 120th Anniversary of our parish; then we have our Men’s Faith Sharing Group; the Charismatic Group; the Precious Blood Group; the Book Club; the Pro-Life Group; the Prayer Ministry; the strengthening of the new communities, especially the welcoming of the Congolese Community into the parish; the strengthening of the Parish and Finance councils and the other new ministries. How can we not be grateful to the living Lord for our Advent and Lenten retreats, especially those on the “Our Father” and the “Mysteries of the Holy Mass”! And now, we are launching our parish Year of the Eucharist, which will be the task of Fr. Casmia to bring to completion, as part of our Five-Year Spiritual Development Plan, that together as a parish family, we launched in the Fall of 2019.

I also think of the complete renovation of our parish rectory; the heating and other repairs in our Church building; and now, the repairs of the parish center building which Fr. Casmia, by God’s grace, in a spirit of a hermeneutic of continuity, will have to bring to completion. I encourage especially the new communities of the parish to be especially generous to this effort. As I have often pointed out concerning fundraising, faith is free, but religion is very expensive. Over time, Fr. Casmia will need to raise half a million dollars to completely repair and modernize the parish center. And since the Church will be here until the Second Coming of Christ, we have to do our part to preserve the physical structures of the parish. We owe it to the next generation to preserve, as much as we humanly can, the structures that earlier generations have bequeathed to us. You will be supporting the ministry of Fr. Casmia if you make it a point of duty to contribute towards the repairs of the pastoral center, including it in your grocery list, vacation budgets, your wills, etc. All these small steps, I believe, have helped us and will continue to help us appreciate the beauty of the Church as a “living organism,” to use the phrase of the Italian-German precursor of the Second Vatican Council, Romano Guardini. I have always been amazed by the vision that the Apostle John saw while a prisoner in the Island of Patmos: After this, Looked, there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Revelation 7:9). Is this what our parish family is? People from different continents gathered around the living Lord! John’s vision reveals the fascinating character of the Church in heaven.

As I have pointed out severally, the Church is not a product of a Cartesian res cogitans, whose being emanates from our clever thinking. If anything, the Church goes ahead of us, of our thinking. Her being is a mystery that even when we strive to capture all the intricacies that mark her being, it is in the nature of the Church to be more than we can think of her. The Church is wiser than the most brilliant professor from Harvard or Boston College, in that the Church’s wisdom is the God-Man, Jesus Christ. Hence, the proper hermeneutical framework for approaching the Church, in fact, the most comprehensive basis for understanding Ste. Anne as a part of the Church is faith, a faith that seeks to understand. This is not to discard rationality. In fact, on a subjective note, I tend to understand and thanks to my understanding, I believe. Faith, God, and the Church, from my own perspective, appear to me, in the words of Descartes, as clear and distinct ideas: intellegoutcredam (John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, III). But in all, faith is a legitimate way of seeing the Church and of seeing the world (Pascal). Ratzinger characterizes faith as the organ of the heart that sees. And in seeing the Church with the eyes of faith, we end up seeing ourselves anew, as something willed and loved by God, called to share in God’s life, so much so that in the human aspiration to become God, we answer in the affirmative, with Blondel: yes, we want to become God with God, and not God without God (Hegel and Nietzsche). And only by becoming God with God that we enter into the definitive meaning of who we are as humans, for God has created us for Himself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in God (Augustine of Hippo).

My gratitude to the staff, the volunteers, and Fr. Jim Morris, Fr. Edmund Ugweogbu, Fr. Ernest Egebdike, Fr. Denis Tameh, Fr. Kevin Sakwe and Fr. Casmia Bello, for your companionship and friendship during these years. I wish Fr. Casmia a beautiful and fruitful ministry as the spiritual leader of Ste. Anne. Twenty-two years after we first met as classmates in the Propaedeutic Year at Vianney Centre, Bafut, Cameroon, you are now my successor! Mysterium ecclesiae! Now, with Fr. Casmia, a new chapter beginsin the long history of Ste. Anne’s. Every parish priest opens a new chapter in the life of a parish. God be with Fr. Casmia. Be assured of my closeness in prayer and my moral support. The Blessed Virgin Mary whom you dearly love, will always accompany you with her maternal intercession, now and always.

In Jesus and Mary,

Rev. Maurice Agbaw-Ebai, S.T.D., Ph.D.

Outgoing Parish Priest

Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

25, June 2022

War in Ukraine: Latest developments ⁰

Here are the latest developments in the war in Ukraine:

Dozens of Polish fighters killed: Russia

Russia’s defence ministry says its troops have killed “up to 80” Polish fighters in “precision strikes” on the Megatex zinc factory in Konstantinovka (Kostyantynivka in Ukrainian), in the eastern Donetsk region.

The region, claimed by Russia, has been the theatre of combat since Moscow began its offensive in Ukraine in late February.

Russia trying to drag Belarus into war: Kyiv

Ukraine’s intelligence service says Russia is aiming to drag Belarus into the war, after missiles were fired from Belarusian territory into a northern border region.

“Today’s strike is directly linked to Kremlin efforts to pull Belarus as a co-belligerent into the war in Ukraine,” Ukrainian intelligence says on Telegram.

Ukraine says it suffered a “massive bombardment” from inside neighbouring Belarus, a Russian ally not officially involved in the conflict.

– Ukrainian forces to withdraw from Severodonetsk –

Ukrainian forces are preparing to retreat from the strategic city of Severodonetsk after weeks of fierce fighting, a setback that could pave the way for Russia to seize a larger swath of eastern Ukraine.

Sergiy Gaiday, the governor of the Lugansk region, also says Russian forces are advancing on the twin city of Lysychansk, which has been facing increasingly heavy Russian bombardment as Moscow pursues its offensive on eastern Ukraine.

“Remaining in positions that have been relentlessly shelled for months just doesn’t make sense,” says Gaiday, with 90 percent of the city damaged.

Capturing Severodonetsk and Lysychansk would give the Russians control of Lugansk, and allow them to push further into Ukraine’s industrial heartland of Donbas.

US sees Severodonetsk as ‘small gain’ for Russia

The United States is playing down the importance of Ukraine’s retreat from Severodonetsk, with the Pentagon saying it means a “very small, very incremental gain” for Russia.

“What (the Ukrainian troops) are doing is putting themselves in a position where they can better defend themselves,” a senior Pentagon official tells reporters.

– Russia stance on EU candidacy shows ‘weakness’-

Russia’s protests over the EU giving Ukraine and Moldova candidate status show Moscow’s weakness, Ukraine’s top diplomat says.

“After decades of lost policies based on aggression, coercion and lack of respect, all that Russia can do now is to spit threats against other states,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweets. “All it does is show Russia’s weakness.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed a “historic” decision by European Union leaders to grant candidate status to Ukraine, a decision the Kremlin has dismissed as “domestic European affairs”.

– Rebuilding Black Sea ports will take decade: Kyiv –

It will take Ukraine a decade to build infrastructure to replace its Black Sea ports, whose blockade by Russia is preventing grain exports around the world, Ukraine’s deputy agriculture minister says.

Millions of tonnes of wheat and other grain have been stuck in Ukrainian ports since Russia invaded in February, sparking global concern about hunger and food prices.

“For alternative routes, it would take 10 years of investment to try to build the necessary infrastructure to replace this Black Sea port infrastructure, which we spent about 20 years building, starting in 2000,” Taras Vysotskiy tells AFP.

BRICS calls for Ukraine-Russia talks

The BRICS group of nations says it backs talks between Moscow and Kyiv, after a virtual summit held against the backdrop of the Ukraine conflict.

The group comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa accounts for more than 40 percent of the global population and nearly a quarter of the world’s gross domestic product.

Three members — China, India and South Africa — have abstained from voting on a UN resolution condemning Russia’s invasion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday urged the group to snub Western countries who have imposed drastic sanctions on Moscow.

Source: AFP

25, June 2022

Southern Cameroons: IG concludes Francophone security agents killed journalist Samuel Wazizi ⁰

The Office of the Vice President of the Ambazonia Interim Government says its findings have revealed that Francophone security agents killed Southern Cameroons journalist Samuel Wazizi.

“We find that the wounds as reported by pro Yaoundé uniform officers came from torture by Biya regime security forces,” Professor Carlson Anyangwe told Cameroon Concord News on Thursday.

“It is very disturbing that French Cameroun prison authorities have not conducted a criminal investigation. The Ambazonia Interim Government has concluded its independent investigation into the incident. Journalist Samuel Wazizi was murdered by La Republique du Cameroun agents and not from any undisclosed illness, as initially claimed by the French Cameroun authorities,” Anyangwe added.

The much respected Southern Cameroons front line figure pointed out that the Ambazonia Interim Government found no information suggesting that there was any link between Samuel Wazizi and any armed Southern Cameroons group.

Providing further details, Professor Carlson Anyangwe said on the day of his arrest the late Samuel Wazizi had made a concerted effort to be visible as a prominent member of the Anglophone press to Francophone soldiers deployed to crush the Ambazonian uprising.

News anchor and camera operator Samuel Wazizi, whose legal name was Samuel Ajiekha Abuwe, died in government custody in Yaoundé, on August 17, 2019, according to a statement released on June 5, 2020, by the Francophone dominated Cameroonian military. He had been arrested two weeks earlier in relation to his reporting. The precise circumstances and location of his death, which was not announced until 10 months later, are unknown.

Wazizi, who hosted the “Halla ya Matta” (Shout out your Problem) weekday pidgin show on local broadcaster Chillen Muzik TV, was arrested by police in Buea on August 2, 2019, according to a statement by his employer. The officers “claimed that he was being invited by their boss to get information about a certain ‘pidgin news,’” according to that statement.

Wazizi also worked as a freelancer and collaborated with other journalists on reporting projects, according to local journalists Yannick Fonki and Paul Mua, and Derick Jato, president of the Southwest chapter of the Cameroon Journalists’ Trade Union.

By Isong Asu in London