Battle for Independence: Mali 2     France 0

8, February 2022

Battle for Independence: Mali 2     France 0 0

Mali’s prime minister on Monday accused France of having sought the partition of the west African country during its military mission there, the latest flare-up in relations between Paris and Bamako.

In a 45-minute speech to diplomats gathered at his request, Choguel Kokalla Maiga denounced France, the former colonial power and a vocal critic of the military regime that appointed him.

But Maiga stopped short of calling for the departure of the anti-jihadist force that France leads in Mali.

He acknowledged that France’s military intervention in 2013 had halted a jihadist insurgency that had already captured the north of the country and threatened the south.

But, the French operation later turned into a de facto partition of the country, he argued.

The jihadists were allowed to take refuge in part of Mali’s territory, regroup and return in force from 2014, said Maiga.

And drawing a parallel with the Allied liberation of France at the end of World War II, he added: “When the French judged that (the US presence) was no longer necessary, they told the Americans to go.

“Did the Americans start insulting the French?”

Tensions have been mounting after French President Emmanuel Macron lashed out at Mali’s failure to stick to a timetable for a return to civilian rule.

Mali stepped up its denunciations of France after the European nation reportedly got the EU and the so-called West African bloc ECOWAS to sanction the people of Mali and their government.

Bamako has accused Paris of having manipulated ECOWAS into its hard line against Bamako, a theme Maiga returned to in Monday’s speech.

The aim had been to present Mali as a pariah, he said.

“We cannot be turned into vassals,” he added. “You cannot enslave the country. That is over,” he said, a reference to the country’s past as a colony of France.

Reported by AFP with additional editing by Camcordnews

AFCON and French Cameroun: there was no mention of Marc-Vivien Foé at the tournament

8, February 2022

AFCON and French Cameroun: there was no mention of Marc-Vivien Foé at the tournament 0

The tragedy of Marc-Vivien Foé’s death hits much harder at his gravesite.

It overlooks a soccer field, but not the kind the late Cameroon and Manchester City player wanted. The goalposts are part of a shoddy metal frame, unpainted and leaning to one side. The field is bare earth and lined with trash.

There’s a crumbling building nearby with windows and parts of walls missing. The whole site once became a haven for criminals and drug users.

This was meant to be Foé’s dream.

When Foé collapsed on a field while playing for his country at FIFA’s Confederations Cup in 2003 and died in an awful moment for world soccer, he was in the process of building a sports complex and school in the eastern outskirts of his hometown of Yaounde. It was to be his legacy, his gift to his people and a precious resource for budding young soccer players in a part of the world where they get little help.

Foé never got to finish it and instead it became his final resting place.

But at Foé’s funeral, when he was buried with military honors and hailed as a “fallen national hero,” promises were made by representatives of the Cameroon government that the project would be completed in his memory. Nearly 20 years later, it’s in ruins. The only part of the complex that isn’t broken down is the marble block that marks Foé’s grave.

Foé’s nephew, Nama Mvogo, says he visits every week to clean the grave. Every time, he’s struck by how forsaken it appears.

“I feel that my uncle has been abandoned,” Mvogo said. “Even to come and see his tomb, (there’s) nothing. It’s deplorable.”

The last month has been a painful one for Mvogo as he watched his central African country host the African Cup of Nations, the continent’s biggest soccer tournament, for the first time in 50 years. It’s a tournament Foé won twice with Cameroon and Mvogo thought it would be the perfect opportunity to revive Foé’s project, or at least recognize him.

But there was no mention of Foé at the tournament, Mvogo said, and watching Cameroon’s current team play at this African Cup invoked nothing but sadness for him.

Foé played for Cameroon for a decade and also became a popular player in England with West Ham and Manchester City. He died at the age of 28 from an undiagnosed heart condition, which was discovered in the days after he slumped to the ground in the center circle at the Gerland stadium in Lyon, France during the Confederations Cup semifinal against Colombia. It united world soccer in grief.

Tens of thousands lined the streets of Yaounde for his funeral procession. Then-FIFA President Sepp Blatter and Cameroon President Paul Biya attended the service but Foé’s true value as a person was only revealed when an unknown 14-year-old boy stood up and explained how the soccer star had been paying for him to attend a special center for the disabled.

Since then the academy project fell into disrepair. Mvogo said its future is complicated and Foé’s father and widow, who live in France, and the government haven’t been able to work together to revive it.

But it’s not completely abandoned.

Two small soccer schools make use of the land, somehow managing to train and play games in the dirt near Foé’s grave. The original field Foé marked out was overgrown with palm trees long ago, Mvogo said.

Goalkeeper David Neabo, who plays for an under-9 team, stands under those crooked goalposts clutching a ball. His coach, Ewodo Yves Laurent, said he still invokes Foé’s memory to inspire the kids, who weren’t even born when Foé died and can’t really grasp his success from the dilapidated state of the academy.

“I tell them about Marc-Vivien Foé, who also motivated me to come here,” the coach said. “When I look at what he did, what he became in life, I ask myself why not sustain his dream?”

The only image of Foé at the complex is a statue of him in Cameroon’s team uniform, his right arm raised in celebration. But its proportions are not quite right and the figure appears stunted and doesn’t resemble the powerful 6-foot-2 midfielder Foé was. Years of neglect have chipped away at it and Foé’s green Cameroon shirt is faded and discolored.

Mvogo doesn’t know if his uncle’s dream will ever be realized but a recent incident did give him hope for the future. He came across Eric Djemba-Djemba, the former Manchester United midfielder and Foé’s Cameroon teammate, visiting the grave.

“He said he couldn’t afford to be in Cameroon and not stop here,” Mvogo recalled.

Foé’s memory, at least, remains alive for some.

Culled from AP

Tennis: Yannick Noah back home in Cameroon as a local chief

7, February 2022

Tennis: Yannick Noah back home in Cameroon as a local chief 0

Yannick Noah has been a tennis star and a rock star. Now he has a new role in life; chief of his village in Cameroon. It was the dream of his father, Zacharie, who raised his son to become the French Open champion and who saw his grandson, Joakim, become a star in the NBA.

When Zacharie Noah died in 2017, Yannick Noah made a decision to return to the home of his birth, the country he left when he was 12, in order to fulfil his father’s dreams. Now, the 61-year-old Noah is chief of a former village called Etoudi, now a part of Yaoundé.

YANNICK NOAH, SON OF ZACHARIE

In a touching video published by Brut, the 1983 Roland-Garros champion takes cameras around his village, where he is greeted by children at his old school. Pointing out the school that his mother founded, his home and the bedroom that is now a classroom, Noah’s role is to watch over both the children and the elders. The people call him “Papi Yannick” or “Tonton Yannick

Yannick Noah

“I am the patriarch of what used to be a village and now it is one of the neighbourhoods of Yaoundé,” Noah says. “This is my town.”

It was only when his father passed away in 2017 that Noah felt ready to take on the job. In that year, France won the Davis Cup under Noah’s captaincy

“It was like a calling. And his crazy dream was for me to come. And not just that I would take care of it but that I would be there. I don’t think I could have come three years ago, it was not the time. And then, all of a sudden, it was time. It’s my destiny to be here.”

Noah says his biggest job now is to get to grips again with the local dialect but said he’d find a way. “It’s a real responsibility, but I’m a fighter,” he says, with a smile.

Source: Tennismajors

West Region: Biya regime reports outbreak of H5N1 bird flu

7, February 2022

West Region: Biya regime reports outbreak of H5N1 bird flu 0

Cameroon has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu in its West region, the government said.

The H5N1 diagnosis followed a significant number of bird deaths at a poultry farm in Kongso, in the area of Bamoungoum, said a statement by the regional governor dated on Sunday.

Culling is under way and a sanitary barrier will be erected around the farm. Epidemiological investigations will be done in all poultry farms and markets in the region, the statement said.

Source: Reuters

Football: Overmars quits Ajax over ‘inappropriate’ messages to female colleagues

7, February 2022

Football: Overmars quits Ajax over ‘inappropriate’ messages to female colleagues 0

Former Dutch international Marc Overmars resigned as sporting director of Ajax after admitting sending a “series of inappropriate messages” to female colleagues, while Dutch football authorities Monday called on victims to come forward.

The bombshell announcement on Sunday was greeted with shock in the Netherlands, with football commentators saying it would leave a large gap at the country’s top football club.

It also came as the country was reeling from a similar scandal involving sexual abuse in one of its most popular TV talent shows, The Voice of Holland.

“We are shocked by the reports at Ajax and sympathise with all the victims,” the Royal Dutch Football Federation (KNVB) said.

“As the largest sports association in the Netherlands, we are aware that, unfortunately, power relations can also play a role in the workplace in the sports world,” it said in a statement.

“We would like to say to all victims of transgressive behaviour: please report, no matter how difficult it is,” the KNVB said.

The 48-year-old Overmars, who won the Champions League with Ajax in 1995 before going on to play for Arsenal and Barcelona, late Sunday said he was “ashamed” of his behaviour.

“I am ashamed. Last week I was confronted with reports about my behaviour and how this has come across to others,” the 86-time international said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t realise that I was crossing the line with this, but that was made clear to me in recent days. I suddenly felt enormous pressure. I apologise.”

He added: “This behaviour is unacceptable. I now see that too. But it’s too late. I see no other option but to leave Ajax. This also has a major impact on my private situation. That is why I ask everyone to leave me and my family alone.”

Overmars had been in his post at Ajax since the summer of 2012 and recently penned a contract extension until 2026.

In his time as part of the backroom staff, Ajax made the Champions League semi-finals in 2019 and final of the Europa League in 2017.

In his playing career, he represented the Netherlands at four major tournaments — the 1994 and 1998 World Cups and 2000 and 2004 European championships.

‘Devastating’

Ajax supervisory board chairman Leen Meijaard described Overmars as “the best football director that Ajax has had”.

But he added: “It is devastating for the women who have had to deal with the behaviour. When we heard news of this, we immediately acted, carefully deliberating and weighing what was the best thing to do.”

“Unfortunately, he has really gone over the line, so continuing as director was not an option, as he recognised himself. It is extremely painful for everyone.”

“Who would have thought a MeToo moment would also happen in football?” NOS commentator Arno Vermeulen told the national public broadcaster.

“It is a painful moment, but the only correct decision is for Ajax and Overmars to part ways,” he said.

Valentijn Driessen, football chief at De Telegraaf daily tabloid warned that sexually inappropriate behaviour was widespread in the professional football world.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Driessen said.

He said Overmars’ departure also placed question marks over whether coach Erik ten Hag — who had a close working relationship with Overmars — would remain at Ajax.

‘Complicated’

The former international’s departure leaves a large hole at the Amsterdam powerhouse, with much of its recent successes attributed to Overmars and Ajax chief executive and former Dutch and Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

“The successes at Ajax are linked to Overmars and Van der Sar. They were like Siamese twins,” Vermeulen said.

“That link is now been broken due to Overmars, which is making it utterly complicated for Van der Sar,” he said.

Said Van der Sar: “Marc and I have been playing together since the early 1990s, first at Ajax and then with the national team and we have been colleagues in the management of Ajax for almost ten years now.

“That now stops very abruptly.”

“We were working on something very beautiful here, so this news will also be a blow to everyone who cares about Ajax,” Van der Sar added.

Source: AFP

Federal Republic of Ambazonia: Yerima warns Biya to withdraw Francophone troops before it’s too late

7, February 2022

Federal Republic of Ambazonia: Yerima warns Biya to withdraw Francophone troops before it’s too late 0

The Southern Cameroons Interim Government (IG) has denounced the recent French Cameroun military deployment to Southern Cameroons, calling on the Yaoundé regime to withdraw its forces from the Federal Republic of Ambazonia before it gets too late.

Vice President Dabney Yerima, in a statement released on Monday, demanded that the French Cameroun regime stop repeated violations of Southern Cameroons sovereignty and deadly raids on ordinary Ambazonian citizens and fully withdraw Francophone army soldiers from Southern Cameroons soil.

The exiled Southern Cameroons leader stated that Ambazonian patience has reached its limit and the continued massacre of innocent Southern Cameroons lives and violations of Southern Cameroons sovereignty were the last straw.

“Ambazonia fighters, which dispelled the myth about La Republique du Cameroun’s military and is subjecting them to humiliation has recommended that Yaoundé should pull out its troops before it is too late,” Yerima warned.

Late on Sunday, the Southern Cameroons Department of Foreign Affairs said Ambazonia fighters will give an adequate response to the latest French Cameroun military aggression in Mezam County.

Cameroon Concord News understands the situation in Southern Cameroons has exacerbated and ordinary Anglophone citizens are now being targeted under flimsy claims and pretexts by the Francophone dominated Cameroon government army.

By Isong Asu

Africa Cup of Nations: Those who took care of the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo were rewarded in Yaoundé

7, February 2022

Africa Cup of Nations: Those who took care of the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo were rewarded in Yaoundé 0

‘But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee’ (Luke 10.33-35).

When the Prince of Peace spoke, he spoke volumes. The words of Jesus Christ were pearls and rubies and diamonds, and often they meant not only the finite meaning which we can put into practice, but infinite meanings which only He can fulfill. The political leadership of the Republic of Senegal was wise when they carefully weighed the sentences of the Saviour and by extrapolation Issa.

In 1992, Senegal hosted the Africa Cup of Nations. It was the 18th edition and the field expanded to twelve teams, split into four groups of three; the top two teams in each group advanced to the quarterfinals. Ivory Coast won its first championship, beating Ghana on penalty kicks 11−10 after a goalless draw.

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon knocked out a great Senegalese side captained by the renowned Jules Boucande now of blessed memory. Nobody ever imagined that after the 1992 fiasco, the Teranga Lions of Senegal will create history by winning the country’s first — and, to date, only – Africa Cup of Nations.  

The scenes at the Olembe stadium in Yaoundé remains the most memorable and intense moments the Senegalese nation and its people have ever experienced and for sure it is going to transcend football.

But for the host nation, Cameroon, the Senegalese triumph has far reaching social repercussions and has instilled a sense of disunity among French and English speaking Cameroonians and arguably reminded the Cameroonian people that God is a rewarder of nations who diligently seek him.

Despite that trauma was huge for Senegal and necessitated a rebuild ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, the big men in Dakar were all behind their manager Aliou Cissé.

The Teranga Lions had a pressure-relieving victory Group B stage amid a 0-0 draw with Guinea at the Kouekong Stadium. However, there were bigger tests to come and breaks of good fortune, as well as Cameroon support.

You can have all the talent in the world, the best football players, good chemistry, support from fans or any other advantages you can think of, but you will always need a bit of luck to win big trophies.  That is what the spirit of the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo provided for the Teranga Lions.

The Lions of Senegal worked so hard but the father of the Cameroonian nation, the late President Ahidjo gave the Senegalese an incredible mental strength.  They were ready for anything that could be thrown at them by the Egyptians. And they had an answer for everything. The cohesion in the group headed by Sadio Mane was marvelous. The spirit of Ahmadou Ahidjo-a leader who had so much passion for the beautiful game was really behind Senegal.

Big games belong to big players. There is no bigger game in Africa than the Africa Cup of Nations final. That’s where Senegal wanted to shine and they did just that.

The impact of the Senegalese victory on Cameroonian soil is so special because the remains of late President Ahmadou Ahidjo and his wife are still in Dakar.  For the first time, Senegalese people of all origins have something in common, their football team. They will celebrate all together; enjoy life as a society all together.

Through sport and football, those who took care of the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo have been rewarded.  

By Besong Esther Agbor

US general in UAE

6, February 2022

US general in UAE 0

The US general in charge of American forces in the West Asia region has arrived in the United Arab Emirates after a string of Yemeni counterstrikes that caught Abu Dhabi off-guard.

Marine General Frank McKenzie, the head of the United States Central Command, traveled to the Emirates on Sunday ahead of the schedule, after Yemen’s defense forces carried out at least three rounds of retaliatory attacks against the UAE’s sensitive spots in the space of a single month.

“I think it’s a very worrisome time for UAE. They’re looking for support. We’re here to help them to provide that support,” McKenzie said shortly before landing in Abu Dhabi, Reuters reported.

African Union condemns ‘wave’ of coups, suspends debate on Israel ties

6, February 2022

African Union condemns ‘wave’ of coups, suspends debate on Israel ties 0

The African Union has condemned a recent “wave” of military coups that has seen an unprecedented number of member states suspended from the bloc, a senior official said Sunday, the last day of its annual summit.

The putsches were among the main issues expected to be discussed at the summit, along with the AU’s ties to Israel and its response to a grinding war in the north of host country Ethiopia.

Less than two weeks before the summit began Saturday, Burkina Faso became the fourth country to be suspended by the AU after disgruntled soldiers toppled President Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

Guinea, Mali and Sudan are also currently suspended.

“Every African leader in the assembly has condemned unequivocally… the wave of unconstitutional changes of government,” Bankole Adeoye, head of the AU’s Peace and Security Council, told a press conference Sunday.

“Do your research: At no time in the history of the African Union have we had four countries in one calendar year, in 12 months, been suspended,” Adeoye said.

Addressing African foreign ministers ahead of the summit, Moussa Faki Mahamat, chair of the African Union Commission, denounced a “worrying resurgence” of such military coups.

But the AU has been accused of an inconsistent response, notably by not suspending Chad after a military council took over following the death of longtime President Idriss Deby Itno on the battlefield last April.

And while Adeoye touted the AU’s use of suspensions to punish coup leaders, analysts say the body must be more proactive to prevent putsches.

“It is only when crisis hits that we say, ‘Gosh, how come this country is falling apart like this so quickly?'” Solomon Dersso, founder of the AU-focused Amani Africa think-tank, told AFP this week.

Israel debate paused

Also on Sunday, leaders agreed to suspend debate on Faki’s controversial decision to accept the accreditation of Israel, postponing a potentially divisive vote.

Faki’s move last July drew protest from influential members including South Africa and Algeria which argued that it flew in the face of AU statements supporting the Palestinian Territories.

Both countries pushed to have the issue put on the summit agenda.

As the summit opened Saturday, Faki defended Israel’s accreditation, saying it could be “an instrument in the service of peace” while calling for “a serene debate”.

He also said the AU’s commitment to the Palestinian push for independence was “unchanging and can only continue to grow stronger”.

Palestinian prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh on Saturday called for Israel’s accreditation to be revoked, saying it “should never be rewarded” for its “apartheid regime”.

The AU normally prizes consensus, but it was unclear how a vote would have fared, with a two-thirds majority required to overrule Faki.

Instead a six-country committee will study the issue, diplomats told AFP Sunday.

Along with South Africa and Algeria, the committee will include Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, who supported Faki’s move, as well as Cameroon and Nigeria, the diplomats said.

Israel’s foreign ministry said the AU had “rejected attempts by Algeria and South Africa to revoke” its accreditation.

“The committee’s conclusions will be presented at the African Union Summit in 2023,” the ministry said in a statement.

Ethiopia peace push

It was unclear whether the summit, most of which took place behind closed doors, substantively addressed the 15-month war in Ethiopia, which pits Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government against fighters from the northern Tigray region.

The fact that Ethiopia hosts the AU makes any intervention by the bloc especially delicate, and Faki waited until last August — nine months after fighting began — to appoint Olusegun Obasanjo as a special envoy tasked with trying to broker a ceasefire.

Ethiopia has also held a seat on the Peace and Security Council throughout the conflict, though it failed in its bid to stay on the 15-member body for the next term, diplomats said.

Adeoye said Sunday it was “not true” that the AU had been slow to respond to a war that has left thousands dead and, according to the United Nations, driven hundreds of thousands to the brink of starvation.

“There was no way the AU would not engage on such a situation given its exact location in Ethiopia,” he said. Obasanjo will head to war-hit areas this week, and the AU will provide “experts from the African continent” to back up his push for dialogue, Adeoye said.

Source: AFP

Mane scores winning kick as Senegal beat Egypt in Cup of Nations final shoot-out

6, February 2022

Mane scores winning kick as Senegal beat Egypt in Cup of Nations final shoot-out 0

Sadio Mane made up for missing from the spot in normal time to score the decisive penalty as Senegal overcame Mohamed Salah’s Egypt 4-2 in a shoot-out to win their first Africa Cup of Nations title after Sunday’s final finished goalless at the end of extra time.

Mane had seen Mohamed Abou Gabal save his seventh-minute penalty at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde but Egypt could not capitalise as they went all the way to extra time for the fourth consecutive game at this Cup of Nations.

Salah was due to step up to take Egypt’s fifth penalty but with Mohamed Abdelmonem hitting the post and Mohanad Lasheen having his kick saved by Edouard Mendy, the Liverpool star did not get his chance and was already on the verge of tears as his club team-mate Mane prepared to strike the decisive blow.

After two previous final defeats, Senegal are Cup of Nations winners at last, while Egypt missed out on a record-extending eighth continental crown that would also have been a first for Salah.

Senegal’s celebrations followed a disappointing final, the fifth in the last 11 editions of the tournament to be decided in a shoot-out after a goalless draw.

Indeed Egypt had already twice won finals that had been settled on penalties after finishing 0-0, and they had already won in the same manner twice in the last fortnight, against the Ivory Coast in the last 16 and the hosts in the semi-finals.

Not Salah’s night

This time their luck ran out as the tournament ended at the venue where eight people died and 38 were injured in a crush on January 24.

The country’s 88-year-old President, Paul Biya, attended the closing ceremony where he was paraded in an open-top car to hysterical crowds along with his wife, First Lady Chantal Biya.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino and CAF chief Patrice Motsepe were also in attendance although the biggest cheers were reserved for Cameroon great Samuel Eto’o, now the head of the country’s football federation, when his face appeared on the big screens.

A four-time African player of the year and two-time AFCON winner, Eto’o is one of the continent’s all-time great footballers, but this final brought together Africa’s current superstar duo in Salah and Mane.

Desperate to make up for losing the 2019 final to Algeria, Senegal had a golden early chance to take the lead when outstanding left-back Saliou Ciss was chopped down by Abdelmonem in the box.

Mane stepped up, but his kick was too close to the middle of the goal and Abou Gabal was able to save.

Salah needed nearly half an hour to make a genuine impact with a jinking run in from the right and a shot easily saved by Mendy, and the Chelsea goalkeeper then produced an excellent stop to tip a Salah effort over just before half-time.

Extra time again

Aliou Cisse’s Senegal team boast a plethora of stars based at major European clubs while Salah and Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny are exceptions in an Egyptian side still largely based at home.

Carlos Queiroz’s team are masters of the dark arts and the Portuguese coach himself was suspended here after losing his temper in the semi-final and being sent off.

Their coaching staff pulled the strings on the touchline, moving Salah into a central role after an hour, and substitute centre-forward Marwan Hamdy missed a glorious chance soon after as he headed wide from point-blank range.

By then it was clear that Egypt were willing to go to extra time again, sure that they could rely on more heroics from their goalkeeper.

Abou Gabal, nicknamed Gabaski, clawed away Boulaye Dia’s 100th-minute header after a fine cross by Ciss, and he also kept out a Bamba Dieng piledriver in the second period of extra time.

With Mendy saving from Hamdy at the other end, penalties were inevitable, and it proved to be Senegal’s night with Bouna Sarr their only player to miss his kick.

Source: AFP

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