7, October 2025

“AFCON will go ahead in Morocco despite anti-government protests” ⁰

African football boss Patrice Motsepe said on Monday he is “absolutely confident” the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations will go ahead in Morocco, the scene of daily anti-government protests for more than a week.

Young Moroccans took to the streets on Sunday for a ninth straight night of protests, calling for an end to corruption and a change of government.

The protesters have demanded reforms to social services, especially health and education, and voiced anger over social inequality.

Morocco is scheduled to stage the Cup of Nations (AFCON) from December 21 to January 18 at nine venues, with 24 national teams competing in the premier African football competition.

Stars like Egypt and Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah and Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi are among the players set to participate.

Speaking during an annual gathering of African football bosses in Kinshasa, Confederation of African Football president Motsepe said: “We (CAF) are absolutely confident the AFCON will go ahead as planned.

“Morocco is plan A, Morocco is plan B and Morocco is plan C,” he told his audience, including FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

“CAF will co-operate and work with the government and all the citizens of Morocco to host the most successful AFCON in history,” said Motsepe, a South African billionaire businessman.

Morocco hosted the 1988 AFCON – then an eight-nation tournament – and withdrew as hosts of the 2015 version citing Ebola virus fears.

Source: AFP

6, October 2025

Barcelona interested in signing Cameroonian striker Karl Etta Eyong ⁰

Barcelona remain keen on securing the signature of striker Karl Etta Eyong.

According to Diario Sport, the Catalans already attempted to sign the striker last summer when he was playing for Villarreal, but financial constraints prevented the deal from going through.

The 22-year-old Cameroonian forward has a release clause set at €30 million. Barcelona’s management continues to monitor his performances and could reignite negotiations in one of the upcoming transfer windows.

The Cameroonian striker has started this season in sensational form: in five matches for Levante, he has already netted four goals and provided one assist.

Source: Daily Sports

6, October 2025

Issa Tchiroma draws massive crowd in Douala ahead of election ⁰

Tens of thousands of people gathered behind the esplanade of the Omnisports stadium in Douala on Sunday to listen to presidential candidate and former minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary.

Despite eight hours of waiting and rain in Cameroon’s economic capital, supporters were not discouraged as they promised to cast their vote for the candidate of the Cameroon National Salvation Front.

“He is so beloved by the Cameroonian people, and I don’t think we’ve ever seen a crowd like the one today,” said supporter Mohamadou Hadji.

“This is a great testament to the Cameroonian people’s support for Issa Tchiroma Bakary, to whom we promise a 100% victory on 12 October,” he added.

Issa Tchiroma arrived in Douala like a rockstar, surrounded by a sea of people.

He came from rallies in the English-speaking cities of Buea and Limbé and addressed the crowd that had been waiting for him along the way.

Issa Tchiroma also directly appealed to incumbent president Paul Biya, urging him to acknowledge his defeat on the evening of the upcoming election.

“You will call your opponent, who was chosen by the people, to say, ‘Mr. President, I concede defeat. Congratulations, and today you will go down in history!’,” Tchiroma told the crowd.

For the audience, the rally was a historic effort that will need to be confirmed in the ballot box.

“All we want is for us to all vote for the same person[and] to monitor our votes and check our ballots, so that on the evening of 12 October, we can proclaim our own victory, and that President Tchiroma becomes President of Cameroon”, said supporter Taddoum Moïse.

The candidate also took the opportunity to denounce the threats he has received from the current administration.

He went on to warn the territorial administration, the electoral commission, and the Constitutional Council that the people will demand his victory by any means necessary in case of fraud on the night of the election.

Source: Africa News

5, October 2025

Yaoundé: US embassy issues October 12 Presidential Elections security alert ⁰

Cameroon will hold presidential elections on Sunday, October 12, 2025. While the U.S. Mission in Cameroon assesses the likelihood of violence or significant negative impact on U.S. government personnel to be low, there is always the potential for large gatherings. Cameroonian law enforcement is expected to maintain an increased presence during the elections and roadblocks may be in place. Most businesses, including restaurants and grocery stores, are likely to be closed. It is also possible the Government of Cameroon will close borders and restrict flights, which could result in delays or cancellations.

The U.S. Mission in Cameroon reminds U.S. citizens to remain vigilant and encourages everyone to take steps to enhance their personal safety and security.

Actions to Take:

Always carry official identification.
Avoid large crowds or gatherings.
Always cooperate with authorities. This is a busy period for law enforcement, and you can help them keep you safe by being polite and following lawful instructions.
Always carry a charged cell phone and ensure that emergency numbers are programmed into all your mobile devices.
Since stores and markets will be closed on Sunday, October 12, consider completing any shopping or other errands in advance. Be aware that stores may be crowded.

Assistance:

U.S Embassy Yaoundé
Republic of Cameroon
6.050 Rosa Parks Avenue
P.O.Box 817

4, October 2025

Germany: Cameroonian Nurses Association Launching Event ⁰

The Cameroonian Nurses Association – Germany (CNAG) was officially launched in a well-attended event that brought together nurses, community leaders, and stakeholders. The atmosphere was marked by enthusiasm, unity, and a shared vision for improved healthcare within the community.

Community representatives expressed their admiration for the organization and commended the relevance of the themes discussed. Topics such as high blood pressure, nutrition, diabetes management, and preventive health measures were highlighted, providing participants with valuable knowledge and practical guidance for healthier living. Several attendees noted that the seminar was an eye-opener and a meaningful source of health awareness.

Community elders offered their words of encouragement, urging the association to remain focused on its mission, while assuring CNAG of their full support.

In her closing remarks, the coordinator of CNAG, Mrs. Sally Ojong, expressed profound gratitude to all attendees. She reaffirmed her commitment, alongside the CNAG team, to making the association’s vision a reality and to fostering sustainable health improvements for the Cameroonian community in Germany and beyond.

By Chi Prudence Asong with files

3, October 2025

Lions: Brys names squad for World Cup qualifiers against Mauritius, Angola ⁰

Cameroon’s men’s football team coach Marc Brys unveiled a 26-player roster on Friday for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers against Mauritius and Angola.

The squad includes established players such as Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Andre Onana, Bryan Mbeumo, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Vincent Aboubakar.

Key defender Christopher Wooh is absent from the squad, which also features two newcomers, Levante striker Karl Etta Eyong and Norwegian club Valerenga midfielder Fidel Brice Ambina.

Cameroon will visit Mauritius next Wednesday and host Angola five days after.

Cape Verde leads Group D with 19 points while Cameroon sits second four points adrift, with third-placed Libya one point further back.

Source: Xinhuanet

2, October 2025

October 12 presidential election: what are investors focused on? ⁰

Cameroon’s voters will decide on October 12 whether to grant 92-year-old President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest head of state, an extension of his four-decade rule. Here is what investors are watching in the race to lead central Africa’s biggest economy:

WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES IN THE ELECTION?

Biya, who has been in power since 1982, is facing a dozen other candidates in an election in which more than 8 million voters are eligible to cast ballots. But at the helm of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) party, he controls the electoral machinery and is almost certain to win.

The main opposition challengers include Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former minister of employment, and Bello Bouba Maigari, whom Biya appointed as his first prime minister when he took power.

But the opposition is more noteworthy for one absence: Maurice Kamto, Biya’s main rival. The electoral commission rejected his candidacy in July without giving a reason.

Kamto secured 14% of the votes cast during the last election in 2018, which Biya won amid fraud allegations.

WHAT ARE THE TOP ISSUES FOR INVESTORS?

Cameroon, like other Sub-Saharan African countries, started issuing Eurobond debt in the last decade, putting it on the radar of frontier market investors.

It issued its maiden international bond in 2015, before tapping the market again last year with an issue that will mature in 2032.

The country also had a $689.5 million International Monetary Fund programme, as well as $181.7 million from the Resilience and Sustainability Facility, both of which ended in July. Investors will be watching to see if it will secure a new arrangement.

Cameroon’s economy is reliant on commodities exports; it is the world’s fifth biggest cocoa producer and also exports oil, gas and timber. This leaves it vulnerable to the vicissitudes of commodity price slumps.

WHAT ECONOMIC CHALLENGES WILL THE WINNER FACE?

The IMF classifies Cameroon’s debt as sustainable – but at high risk of distress. Analysts have warned that its rising reliance on borrowing as well as inefficiencies in its debt management could increase the country’s vulnerability to shocks.

That could pose a problem for the winner as the government seeks to borrow $1.6 billion locally and abroad to plug a financing gap, amid falling disbursements from donors.

Cameroon’s debut $750 million bond also matures next month, which could drain some cash from government coffers, although officials have not yet commented on plans to manage the maturing bond.

The winner will also have to address the financial sector in order to exit the global Financial Action Task Force’s “grey list”, a determination that its system is susceptible to money laundering.

Cameroon has also been dealing with increased climate catastrophes, including droughts and floods, which have pressured the agriculture sector and could curb production of key commodities.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER FACTORS AT PLAY?

Investors also closely watch Biya’s health, as his advanced age and the lack of a clear succession plan, raise concerns over the country’s stability.

Biya would be nearly 100 years old at the end of the eighth term in office he is seeking.

His health is the subject of frequent speculation, and he already often spends long periods of unexplained time in Europe, including last year when he disappeared from public view for a 42-day stretch.

He has brushed off concerns about his health and said he was determined to serve the country.

Cameroon also faces a host of serious security challenges, including a conflict with Anglophone separatists in the southwest and the northwest and threats from Nigeria-based Islamist fighters in the north.

Source: Reuters

2, October 2025

Bishop Lontse-Keune of Bafoussam says democracies must ‘alternate’ leaders ⁰

Bishop Paul Lontse-Keune did not name President Paul Biya, at 92 the world’s oldest leader and after 43 years the second longest ruling president in Africa, who is seeking an eighth term.

Cameroonians must remember that changes in political leadership are essential to healthy democracy, a bishop said ahead of presidential elections on 12 October.

Bishop Paul Lontse-Keune of Bafoussam said alternation of power was integral to the democratic process and should take place through “free, fair and transparent elections”, in a letter on 26 September.

He said that Scripture evidenced not only the necessity for alternation of power, but also the limits of human influence. While Moses had the task of liberating the people of Israel, he said, Moses never stepped his foot on the Holy Land. Instead, God ordered that that authority be handed over to Joshua.

Power also changed hands from Samuel to Saul, and from Saul to David, and all these changes were “for the good of the people”, Bishop Lontse-Keune said. He warned against the temptation to raise leaders to the position of deities, noting that “the reign of a leader must have an end”.

“Change distils its benefits to the people and the nation … it is not an option, it is the living proof that democracy works,” he said.

The bishop said alternation prevents the confiscation of power by a single individual or group, allows citizens to hold their leaders accountable, helps in the fight against corruption, enables the renewal of ideas and the political elite, and above all enhances the credibility of a nation globally, he said, which can potentially attract foreign investments.

His letter did not name President Paul Biya, at 92 the world’s oldest leader and the second longest ruling president in Africa, who has governed Cameroon as president for 43 years and is seeking an eighth term.

Biya is running against 11 other candidates, including two of his former ministers who resigned to challenge him. Bishop Lonste-Keune urged all 12 competing candidates to present their competing visions to voters clearly, by visiting all parts of the country and taking part in a a televised presidential debate.

Source: the tablet.co.uk

2, October 2025

Cameroonian man wanted for drug smuggling caught in Bangkok ⁰

Thai Immigration police arrested a 40-year-old a Cameroonian man wanted by Interpol for international drug trafficking after he evaded authorities for more than a year while living illegally in the capital.

Acting on intelligence that a Cameroonian national was overstaying his visa and potentially involved in drug trafficking, Pol. Lt. Gen. Panthana Nuchanart, Deputy Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, launched an investigation into a suspect using the alias “Emmanuel.”

Immigration records revealed Emmanuel entered Thailand on a 60-day tourist visa that had expired. Further checks confirmed he was wanted on an Interpol warrant for smuggling 19 kilograms of narcotics via courier to South Korea. He had been living in Bangkok since 2016.

Officers located Emmanuel on Phetchaburi Road near his hotel and arrested him without incident. Speaking fluent Thai, he acknowledged being the person named in the warrant and admitted his visa had expired.

Despite denying drug involvement, a search of his hotel room uncovered drug paraphernalia, one 9mm pistol, two modified blank guns, a modified .38 caliber magazine, and nearly 80 rounds of ammunition in various calibers. Officers also seized over 2 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 1 gram of MDMA, and one methamphetamine pill.

Emmanuel claimed the weapons were pawned by a Thai friend and that the drugs belonged to acquaintances who used his room to consume narcotics. However, a hospital urine test returned positive for methamphetamine. He then admitted to using crystal meth but said he hadn’t consumed it for one day.

He faces charges of overstaying his visa, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, illegal possession of Category 1 narcotics, and drug consumption.

Source: Khaosod English

2, October 2025

2025 Presidential Elections: Picture set to win ⁰

Presidential elections in Cameroon are scheduled for 12 October 2025 and 92-year-old President Biya who returned yesterday to the country after a 12-day health tourism in Switzerland remains the leading candidate. Mr. Biya has been in power since 1982 and for 43 years, the country has witnessed an escalation in corruption and poverty.

Following the introduction of multiparty politics in the country, the country’s political environment has been dominated by the ruling CPDM which has total control over the country’s electoral institutions.

Biya is frail, unable to walk and most of his recent pronouncements have been through social media platforms. In a recent tweet, the man who has nothing to show for his long stay in power, pointed out that much remains to be done, an indictment of his government and testimony to the fact that he has failed the country.

Biya’s ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement has strong control over the government treasury and control over major media houses in the country. His rivals are disqualified, blocked, or weakened while he goes abroad during election campaigns to enjoy the sweat of other countries. Holiday InterContinental Hotel in Geneva has become Mr. Biya’s office when he issues his infamous and ridiculous high instructions.

Campaigns have started and CPDM militants are holding rallies parading Biya’s photos and some dying in accidents while the old CPDM chairman enjoys himself out of the country.

Issa Tchiroma who successfully emerged as Biya’s main challenger is already speaking of systemic bias while local and international media organizations are already treating Biya as the likely winner not because he is popular but because he is popularly unpopular.

Whatever Biya wants, Biya gets!! He is not involved in any campaign but simply enjoying his private trip in Europe. Cameroon is the only country in the world where if you want to lose an election you campaign but if you want to win, you leave the country while your picture represents you in rallies.

Biya’s complete absent from the campaign trail raises serious doubts about fairness in the electoral process. It also calls into question his patriotism and physical ability to rule a country he has willfully destroyed.

As credible opposition figures continue to face institutional barriers, Biya’s picture on seats during rallies is now set to win the presidential election in Cameroon. Mr. Biya has reduced Cameroonians to desperate clowns who even worship the picture of a dying scammer.

The election governing body, ELECAM, is at the mercy of Mr. Biya and his appointees, with opposition parties citing lack of transparency in the electoral processes.

The electoral drama in East Cameroon is not drawing attention in the two English-speaking regions of the country where Ambazonia Restoration Forces have reportedly shut down the English-speaking regions. Boko Haram has increased its violent activities in the north and there are reports that citizens in this areas will not be able to vote.

Biya’s advanced age and health are a matter of very grave concern. This explains why only his picture has been used to represent him in all CPDM rallies. Senior political figures such as Barrister Akere Muna have pointed out that in the current “set to win” picture situation, Biya may not be able to serve his full term and this may end up creating instability.

The legitimacy of the election has already been questioned by commentators both at home and abroad with many condemning the process as unfair. If Biya’s picture ends up winning the election, his victory will be the first of its kind in the world. Pictures have never won elections in any part of the world but it is becoming clearer everyday that Cameroon is well on the path to setting a new political record.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai