21, September 2025
Biya regime to seek new partnerships at Russia-Africa Economic Forum in October 0
The Cameroon Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Handicrafts (Ccima) said it is raising awareness among its members about the upcoming Russia-Africa Economic Forum in Moscow. The announcement came in a September 15 letter from Ccima’s secretary general to the head of the Pan-African Association for Excellence, Education, Development and Friendship Between Peoples.
Cameroon sees the forum as a chance to deepen cooperation with Russia, where economic exchanges remain narrow. The relationship is currently limited to Russian wheat exports to Cameroon and Gazprom’s exclusive purchase of Cameroonian natural gas.
“The cooperation between Cameroon and Russia mainly covers military, trade and humanitarian areas. Despite economic and technical agreements signed with the former USSR in the 1960s and 1970s, the economic dimension remains underdeveloped,” Cameroon’s presidency noted in a preparatory document for the 2023 Russia-Africa Summit.
The same document stressed that, as Cameroon faces financing challenges with some traditional partners, cooperation with Russia could help fund major structural projects.
It added that Russia, the world’s eighth-largest economy, holds expertise in wheat production, fertilizer manufacturing and mining. Partnerships should therefore focus on mobilizing development aid, attracting foreign direct investment, strengthening trade capacity, building partnerships and expanding resources through decentralized cooperation.
Source: Business in Cameroon



















21, September 2025
Kupe-Muanenguba: Maiden Upper Balong Youth Festival Revives Culture, Boosts Sports 0
The first edition of the Upper Balong Youth Festival ran from 20 July to 17 August in Manyemen. It was organized with funds donated by Upper Balong elites in the country and abroad.
The organizing committee co-chaired by Ta Ndumbe Martin Ayuk of Talangaye and Ta Ebune Philip Ayuk of Baro, included representatives of the eight Upper Balong villages, that is Ayong, Baro, Betock, Ebanga, Manyemen, Oserayip, Sikam and Talangaye. The General Coordination and Chief Operations Officer of the youth festival was Ta Sone Bayen, a notable of Manyemen, who conceived the idea for the festival.
Activities included football for boys and girls, marathon, Miss Upper Balong, teaching youths how to cook traditional meals, speak the local language and sing and dance traditional songs.
Music by Upper Balong pop musicians Ebeny Amstrong in the United States and Tina Tong in Germany was played abundantly during the festival and Chu Bikeng Lato who is resident in the country, performed live during major activities of the festival.
The football tournament of the festival was won by Manyemen for the boys and Ebanga for the girls.
Free Calculators and Math Sets donated by Upper Balong elites were distributed to school children by the President of Upper Balong Teachers’ Association (UBTA), Dr Basua A.A. Emmanuel.
Another high point of the Upper Balong Youth Festival was the Presentation of Ekatih Eyong-Etok, a new book on how to speak and write Kitchui, the Upper Balong language authored by Dr Tabi Elias Mbi, a director at the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency in Yaounde.
By Franklin Sone Bayen