15, April 2025

Pope Francis transfers Cameroonian-born Nigerian Apostolic Nuncio in Sri Lanka to Ethiopia ⁰

Pope Francis has transferred Cameroonian-born Archbishop Brian Udaigwe, who has been serving as Apostolic Nuncio in Sri Lanka to Ethiopia.

The Addis Ababa-based Apostolic Nunciature has been vacant since May 2024, when the Holy Father transferred Archbishop Antoine Camilleri to Cuba.

The latest appointment of Archbishop Udaigwe, a Nigerian national who previously served as the representative of the Holy Father in Benin and Togo was made public on Saturday, April 12, by the Holy See Press Office.

Born in Brian in July 1964 in Cameroon’s Catholic Diocese of Buea, Archbishop Udaigwe was ordained a Priest in May 1992 for the Catholic Diocese of Orlu in Nigeria.

He joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1994. The holder of a Doctorate in Canon Law served in the Apostolic Nunciatures in Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Haiti, Bulgaria, Thailand, as well as in the United Kingdom before he was appointed Apostolic Nuncio.

While Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Benin in February 2013, assigning him the Titular See of Suelli, his Episcopal Consecration on 27 April 2013 took place at the start of Pope Francis’ Papacy.

Archbishop Udaigwe, who officially presented his credentials in Benin in June 2013 was the following month appointed the representative of the Holy Father in Togo.

Pope Francis appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Sri Lanka in June 2020.

Source: AciAfrica

15, April 2025

CDC banana exports hit 10,400 tons in Q1 2025 ⁰

The Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) exported 10,400 tons of bananas between January and March 2025, according to data from the Banana Association of Cameroon (Assobacam). This is the company’s best quarterly performance in seven years.

The last time CDC reached this first-quarter level was back in 2018, when it shipped 11,631 tons. Later that year, the company was forced to halt operations due to the escalating Anglophone crisis in the South-West and North-West regions. Armed separatist groups took over CDC plantations, turned some into operational bases, destroyed infrastructure, and killed staff. By September 2018, the company had completely stopped exporting bananas.

CDC resumed activities in June 2020, after nearly two years of shutdown. But recovery was slow. In Q1 2021, it exported just 5,317 tons of bananas. That number dipped to 4,541 tons in Q1 2022, then rose to 7,289 tons in 2023 and 7,712 tons in 2024. Breaking past 10,000 tons this year signals real progress, driven by the gradual reopening of CDC’s abandoned banana farms in 2021.

The return to form is tied closely to improved security in the region and renewed support from the government, CDC’s sole shareholder. Since 2021, the state has been working to stabilize the company and help it recover.

In a speech delivered on January 15, 2025, in Buea, South-West Region, Finance Minister Louis Paul Motazé explained how the government stepped in to address the company’s heavy debt load. He announced that the state reached a deal with two local banks—Société Générale and AGF Bank (formerly Banque Atlantique Cameroun)—to take over and restructure CDC’s social and wage-related debt.

“The state, through a debt takeover agreement, transferred CDC’s debt of CFA59.8 billion to the two banks. This included CFA35.4 billion in unpaid wages and CFA24.1 billion in social security contributions. As part of the deal, CFA20 billion was paid to workers in 2024, and the remaining CFA15 billion will be paid this year. The tax debt of CFA31.8 billion was converted into CDC equity,” the minister said.

With the final wage payments expected in 2025—covering all salary arrears as of June 2023—CDC may finally get the breathing space it needs. There is also a broader effort underway. According to Paul Tasong, Minister Delegate at the Ministry of the Economy, the government is currently in talks with international partners to secure funding for CDC.

Source: Business in Cameroon

14, April 2025

Algeria to expel 12 French embassy officials ⁰

Algeria has asked 12 French embassy staff to leave the country within 48 hours, France’s foreign minister has said.

Jean-Noël Barrot added that it was linked to the indictment of three Algerians in France on Friday, one of whom is a consular official.

They are accused of involvement in the abduction last year of Amir Boukhors, 41, an outspoken critic of Algeria’s government who has an audience of more than one million people online. He had reportedly been granted asylum in France in 2023.

Barrot urged Algeria to “abandon” the expulsions and said France was ready to “respond immediately” if they went ahead.

Boukhors, also known as Amir DZ, has lived in France since 2016.

He was abducted in April 2024 in the southern suburbs of Paris and released the following day, according to his lawyer Eric Plouvier.

Plouvier told the AFP news agency that Boukhors had been “the subject of two serious attacks, one in 2022 and another on the evening of April 29 2024”.

French media reported that he was forced into a car with a flashing light by “fake police officers”, then released the next day in woodland without explanation.

Algerian authorities accuse the influencer of being “a saboteur linked to terrorist groups”. The North African nation has issued nine international arrest warrants against him, accusing him of fraud and associations with terrorist organisations.

He denies the allegations. In 2022, the French courts refused attempts to extradite him to Algeria.

The case is the latest in a growing number of incidents to have exacerbated a rift between France and Algeria.

They include the arrest and imprisonment in Algeria of French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal, who was accused of undermining Algeria’s territorial integrity.

Algeria recalled its ambassador from Paris last year after France backed Morocco’s claim to the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

The 12 French officials asked to leave on Monday include some members of the French interior ministry, a diplomatic source told AFP.

On Monday, Barrot said: “I am asking Algerian authorities to abandon these expulsion measures… if the decision to send back our officials is maintained, we will have no other choice but to respond immediately.”

Barrot claimed that the expulsions were a response to the indictment of three Algerian nationals on Friday in Paris – including the consular official – on charges including abduction, arbitrary detention and illegal confinement and participating in a terrorist organisation.

Algeria’s foreign ministry said it had summoned French ambassador Stéphane Romatet in response to “express its strong protest” and called for the official’s immediate release, according to the official Algerian news agency.

It added that the individual “was arrested in public and then taken into custody without notification through the diplomatic channels”.

The ministry claimed the move was “not a coincidence as it happens in a very specific context with the aim of stymying the process of relaunching bilateral relations”.

Tentative steps have been made to repair relations between the two nations with a phone call between French President Emmanuel Macron and President Abdelmadjid Tebboune taking place in March.

“The two presidents had a long, frank and friendly exchange on the state of bilateral relations and the tensions that have built up in recent months,” a joint statement read.

Following an official visit to Algeria on 6 April where he met with Tebboune, Barrot said he hoped for a “new phase” in relations.

Source: BBC

14, April 2025

US: 7 900 Cameroonians face deportation ⁰

The Trump administration has terminated temporary deportation protections for thousands of Afghans and Cameroonians in the US, a US Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said on Friday, building on Trump’s far-reaching immigration crackdown.

An estimated 14 600 Afghans eligible for Temporary Protected Status will now lose it in May. Some 7 900 Cameroonians had access to the status but will lose it in June under the termination.

US President Donald Trump, a Republican, took office in January pledging to deport record numbers of migrants in the US illegally. At the same time, he has swiftly moved to strip migrants of temporary legal protections, expanding the pool of possible deportees.

Trump has criticized high levels of illegal immigration under Democratic former President Joe Biden and said Biden programs offering legal status overstepped the bounds of the law.

The TPS program is available to people whose home countries experience a natural disaster, armed conflict or other extraordinary event. The status lasts 6-18 months, can be renewed by the Homeland Security secretary, and offers deportation protection and access to work permits.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem found that the conditions in Afghanistan and Cameroon no longer merited the protected status, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

Trump tried to end most TPS enrollment during his 2017-2021 presidency but was thwarted by federal courts. A US district judge in late March blocked his attempt at ending the status for Venezuelans, saying that officials’ characterization of the migrants as criminals “smacks of racism.”

Source: Reuters

14, April 2025

Burkina Faso: Where vision meets discipline ⁰

Burkina Faso is in the news and spotlight for all the right reasons. A once desperate nation is pointing many African countries in the right direction. The message from Ouagadougou is clear – No initiative succeeds without discipline and vision.

African countries are not poor; they have simply allowed others to design a narrative of poverty for them. For centuries, the “lords of the universe” have planted poverty in our minds and we seem to think that our poverty is divine. No, it is not. All money comes from Mother Earth and only those who understand the science of money are wealthy.

The young Burkinabe president, Ibrahim Traore, understands how wealth creation works. He has the vision and discipline to generate wealth. That is what is putting his country on the path to wealth and admiration.

Given his age, not many gave him a chance when he came to power. Many thought that without the regular allegiance to the West, Traore would not last six months in power. But the young man had his priorities properly arranged. He knew that the development of his country without Western support would be an uphill climb; he also knew that no wealth is greater than a people’s support and he has attracted his people to his side.

In this regard, he charmed his people with his simplicity and charisma. He drafted a magnificent communication strategy, knowing that his opponents and enemies were adept at manipulation and that effective communication would be their weapon of choice. His counter-offensive is working. The captain is the man of the moment around the world.

He did not just stop at talking. He knew Burkina Faso had a rich sub-soil which if properly managed could bring about instant economic transformation. He and his team immediately called for a reform of the mining sector which was in the hands of foreigners who were robbing the country blind.

Many of those companies did not pay their fair share of taxes and the former corrupt politicians prioritized self-interest above national sovereignty and economic progress. Today, the country’s gold is being refined in the country and most artisanal mining has disappeared, leaving the government with a huge revenue stream.

Reforming the mining sector has not only cut off the supply of money to terrorists, it also nets the country over USD 7 billion dollars a year. In 2024, Burkina Faso earned USD 6.48 billion dollars in gold sales alone, with Switzerland spending over USD 5 billion to obtain Burkina Faso’s gold.

But Burkina Faso does not only have gold. There is bauxite, there is iron, there is manganese and, above all, there is the right mindset. Of all the resources God has put on the surface of the earth, the human mind is the largest and the most sophisticated and Burkina Faso leaders are clearly buttressing this point.

Besides, the natural resource, governance is also a key factor. The country’s governance has improved ever since Traore and his patriotic friends took over. The country’s new leaders are transparent and determined to pull the country out of the jaws of poverty and many things are already falling in place, increasing the popular support he enjoys. Traore understands that no security system is stronger than the people’s support and he is making the most of this support by implementing projects which are pro-poor.

Captain Traore understands that much money without manufacturing could lead to inflation. He also understands that a restless youth without jobs is a huge pool of willing fighters who can easily be manipulated. Poverty hardly breeds virtue! That is why he is setting up factories which are creating jobs for young Burkinabe. He understands that a hungry man is an angry man who can easily be manipulated. He is not giving his enemies the least chance for them to manipulate his people. He is making the most of social media and the results on the ground are a faithful representation of what he says. His word is his bond!

Factories are popping up every day. Housing projects are taking shape while road construction once considered a rocket science by many Africans has been demystified. The young captain has declared that his government will be tarring 3,000 km to 5,000 km of road each year and he means it and this is music to many ears in Burkina Faso.

But manufacturing is just one sector. The young captain has adopted a holistic approach to development. His government is underscoring the importance of agriculture. Recently, it imported over 400 pieces of farming equipment which were handed over to enthusiastic farmers. The country is today one of the largest producer of wheat on the continent and the wheat is being transformed into flour.

The new leaders in Ouagadougou have packaged agriculture differently, making it more attractive to young Africans who once thought it was for the poor and illiterate. Even the country’s military is proudly involved in food production today. These efforts have put the once hungry country on the path to food security and sovereignty. Hunger is slowly being rolled out of the country and the nationals of this desert country are proud of their leaders.

No African country is financially poor. Corrupt and incompetent leadership is what is keeping many African countries in humiliating poverty which is pushing the continent’s youths to deserts, jungles and seas where they are dying in their bid to reach the Western world.

The continent’s sub-soil is rich. The continent accounts for more than 50% of the world’s mineral resources. It also accounts for 60% of the world’s arable land. Its demographic dividend is wealth other continents do not have.

Burkina Faso’s silent revolution and transformation should be a wake up call to other African leaders. Captain Traore is clearly demonstrating that wearing military fatigue is not a sign of incompetence. On the contrary, he is proving that democracy is not designed for civilians alone. Real democracy, according to him, implies loving your people and your country.

Democracy, the one run by civilians which is unnecessarily expensive, has hurt many African countries. Costly elections will not take Africa out of poverty. Africa needs leaders with a clear vision and the right discipline if this continent has to make grinding poverty a thing of the past. Captain Traore is a living example of humility, patriotism and determination. Many African leaders need to take a leaf from his book if they must kiss poverty goodbye.

By Dr Joachim Arrey

12, April 2025

Race for Etoudi: CDU condemns fake CPDM polls ⁰

The Cameroon Democratic Union (CDU), led by Tomaïno Ndam Njoya, on April 10, 2025, denounced a social media poll it deemed fraudulent and malicious, citing its unfavorable ranking in the survey of Cameroonian voting intentions.

In a statement released the same day, the UDC condemned what it called “grotesque pre-electoral fraudulent maneuvers,” accusing political actors of manipulating public opinion ahead of the October 2025 presidential election. “These maneuvers aim, as usual, either to distract public vigilance or to prepare it to swallow potential manipulations and distortions cultivated by some during electoral periods,” the UDC stated.

The controversy began on Wednesday, April 3, 2025, with the circulation of a poll allegedly conducted by Politic Data, a French electoral data platform. The survey, shared by journalist Bruno Bidjang, placed the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) first with 65% of voting intentions, followed by the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation (PCRN) with 17%, and other parties, including the CDU. However, Politic Data swiftly denied conducting the survey, stating, “We do not conduct polls. We therefore did not conduct this one. Please send us the contact details of the journalist who misused our visual identity.“

Following this denial, the CDU called upon the National Communication Council (CNC) and the National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies (Antic) to intervene. “We urge these public institutions to assume their responsibilities in the face of such abuses,” the CDU stressed, demanding swift action to identify and apprehend those responsible for the fake poll.

“By bringing this deception to the attention of both national and international public opinion, and by pointing out that the author has been caught red-handed and unmasked, [the CDU] reminds us that, in building the Cameroon of tomorrow—which is a duty for all—we must urgently bring a good measure of morality and ethics into politics,” the UDC stated. “We call on Cameroonians to turn away from underhanded and dirty-handed politics.“

Tensions escalated when, days after the initial fake poll, another alleged survey circulated, this time shared by SDF militant Alex Nguepi. This poll placed Joshua Osih first with 39.7%, followed by Paul Biya at 39%. The CDU also dismissed this poll as an attempt to manipulate public opinion.

These incidents occur amidst the Catholic Church’s recent release of a code of conduct for political actors during the presidential campaign.

Source: Business in Cameroon

12, April 2025

Mobile Money drives over 5% of Cameroon’s GDP ⁰

Mobile money has become a key part of Cameroon’s economy, now contributing more than 5% to the country’s GDP in recent years. This is one of the standout findings from the GSMA’s latest “State of the Mobile Money Industry” report. GSMA is a global association that represents the interests of more than 750 mobile operators and device makers around the world.

The report shows that Cameroon is among the top countries in Central Africa when it comes to mobile money’s share of GDP—on par with Congo and Gabon, where the contribution ranges between 5% and 8%. In Southern Africa, where mobile money isn’t as widely adopted, its share in the economy generally remains below 5%.

Cameroon is now nearly on the same level as some of Africa’s mobile money leaders like Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and even Kenya, which has long been seen as the global pioneer in mobile payments thanks to the launch of M-Pesa by Safaricom in 2007.

In fact, the GSMA notes that mobile money has had a bigger impact on GDP in West Africa than in any other part of the continent. In countries like Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Liberia, mobile money contributes more than 5% of GDP. The same goes for Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania in East Africa.

In Cameroon, this growing economic impact is backed by how much people are using the service. Mobile money usage among adults 15 and older jumped from 29.9% in 2017 to 42.7% in 2022, according to the country’s national statistics office (INS), which released these figures in April 2024. That’s a 12.8-point increase over five years.

Thanks to this rapid growth, Cameroon is now the clear leader in mobile money within the CEMAC region, which includes Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, and the Central African Republic. The BEAC, the region’s central bank, reported that in 2022, Cameroon accounted for 71% of all mobile money transactions by number—about 1.7 billion—and 55% of the total value, amounting to CFA59,003 billion.

Congo came in second in terms of volume with 15% of transactions (around 364 million), while Gabon followed Cameroon in terms of transaction value with 15% (CFA16,164 billion).

Source: Business in Cameroon

12, April 2025

40 Cameroonian nationals arrested in Ghana for internet fraud, human trafficking ⁰

The Ashanti Regional Police Command, on Monday, April 7, 2025, arrested suspect Bella Merie, a 29-year-old Cameroonian national, along with 43 other Cameroonians for alleged internet fraud and human trafficking.

They were arrested at a residence located at Kenyasi Abrem in the Ashanti Region.

A statement signed by Godwin Ahianyo, Deputy Superintendent of Police/Head of Public Affairs Unit of the Ashanti Region, said, preliminary investigations indicate that the suspect collected a total sum of four million, five hundred thousand CFA Francs (4,500,000 CFA) from the victims.

The victims, according to the police, comprise thirty-two (32) males and eleven (11) females under the false pretense of securing employment opportunities in Ghana.

“Further investigation has revealed that the suspect orchestrated this fraudulent scheme through a known internet scam method popularly referred to as Q-NET.

“All individuals involved both suspect and victims, aged between twenty-two (22) and thirty eight (38) have been handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service at the Regional Headquarters for the necessary immigration processes and repatriation to their home country.”

The Ghana Police Service reiterated its commitment to fighting fraud and protecting the safety and welfare of both citizens and foreign nationals within the country.

Source: Citi Newsroom

10, April 2025

US: Michelle Obama dismisses divorce rumours ⁰

Michelle Obama has spoken out against rumours that her marriage to Barack Obama might be in trouble.

The former first lady has not accompanied her husband to several high-profile events – including Donald Trump’s inauguration and the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter – fuelling speculation that they might be separating.

Without explicitly mentioning these occasions, Ms Obama told the Work in Progress podcast hosted by actress Sophia Bush that she was now in a position to control her own calendar as a “grown woman”.

She said that people were not able to believe that she was “making a decision” for herself and instead “had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing”.

Ms Obama shared that she felt some guilt for stepping back from certain duties.

“That’s the thing that we as women, I think we struggle with like disappointing people,” she said.

“I mean, so much so that this year people couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing.

“This couldn’t be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself, right? But that’s what society does to us.”

Ms Obama also said in the podcast: “I chose to do what was best for me. Not what I had to do. Not what I thought other people wanted me to do.”

Her absence from President Trump’s inauguration was seen as a break from tradition.

Despite carving out more time for herself, the former first lady said she still finds time to “give speeches, to be out there in the world, to work on projects. I still care about girls’ education”.

The Obamas celebrated their 32nd anniversary last year in October.

Ms Obama has previously been open about the struggles she faced in her marriage due to Mr Obama’s political ambitions and time in the White House in her best-selling memoir, Becoming.

Source: BBC

10, April 2025

Minister Laurent Esso returns to Yaoundé after medical treatment ⁰

The Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals Laurent Esso returned to Yaoundé after spending more than two months abroad shuttling between France and India seeking medical treatment.

The ageing Laurent Esso has not made any public appearances ever since he returned to the nation’s capital.

A CPDM comedian Jean Momo has been the acting justice minister in his absence.

Laurent Esso has been battling an unspecified illness since the beginning of the year and has spent long periods abroad receiving treatment.

He first traveled to Paris for treatment, and then left France again to India.

His absence prompted intense speculation in the country about the justice minister’s health and many false reports circulated online saying he had died.

By Soter Agbaw-Ebai