A journalist who has been held in Cameroon for ten months for “propagating false news” has started a hunger strike, a media trade union said Thursday.

Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) and local press unions regularly denounce what they say are arbitrary detentions of journalists critical of Cameroon President Paul Biya and his government.

Emmanuel Mbombog Mbog Matip, director of the Climat Social daily, “is on hunger strike” in a prison in the capital Yaoundé, said Alex Koko, head of the national journalists’ union Synajic.

RSF said another journalist, Paul Chouta, had been jailed for 23 months on Tuesday, but as that sentence was equal to the time he has already spent in detention he was released on Thursday.

The Cameroon authorities did not reply to an AFP request for comment late Thursday,

Cameroon sits a lowly 135th out of 180 nations in RSF’s press freedom index.

Source: AFP

There are strong indications of embezzlement against several Biya regime ministers in the context of the management of covid-19 funds.

A report that has just been made public by the Francophone dominated Audit Chamber of the Supreme Court listed 30 cases of mismanagement against the Ministers of Public Health and Scientific Research.

Minister Manaouda Malachie of Public Health is particularly indexed in the report as the supreme culprit. The Minister paid for 16 ambulances that were never delivered.

Another ruling CPDM party criminal cited in the report is Minister Madeleine Tchuenté of the Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation.  The Institute of Medicinal Plants which depends on her ministerial department was authorized to produce five million tablets of both Hydroxy Chloroquine and Azitrhomycin.  Madam Madeleine Tchuenté and her gang decided to import these medicines from an Indian company known as “ZANEKA” and had them rebranded and repackaged as “Made in Cameroon”.

Minister Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa of Basic Education and Dr. Taiga in charge of the Ministry of Livestock and Animal Industries could not provide evidence or any documentation on their management of COVID-19 funds. 21 cabinet ministers are under investigation and 19 have so far gone through the Supreme Court audition.

The corruption crisis has already been dubbed “Covid Gate” and is it currently generating a lot of under-the-table talk. Cameroon Concord News understands several highly placed government officials have been questioned at the Special Criminal Court and according to a correspondent with our sister publication Cameroon Intelligence Report a wave of arrests has taken place at the Ministry of Public Health.

It is vital to include in this report that the IMF had ordered Cameroon to provide information on the management of funds allocated to combat the covid-19 pandemic.

By Rita Akana in Yaounde

Unity Day activities in Cameroon were marred this week by clashes between separatists and government troops.  The violence left at least 16 people dead and 60 houses burned.

Local media reported that streets in Cameroon’s English-speaking towns and villages were deserted Thursday as the central African state celebrated its National Day, also known as Unity Day.

Meanwhile business activity went on as usual in French-speaking towns and villages.

Efang, also known as Big Number, calls himself the supreme general and commander of separatist fighters in the English-speaking North West and South West regions.

He said on social media that he asked fighters to make sure all English speakers remain at home as a sign of protest against National Day.

He says the English-speaking North West and South West regions no longer consider themselves part of the French-speaking majority state of Cameroon. He says English-speaking Cameroonians should not celebrate a national day imposed by the Yaounde government, which is using military might to deprive English speakers of their freedom.

Efang also said fighters and government troops clashed this week in the northwestern town of Kumbo and villages, including Buh, Takijah, Meluf, Oku and Ndop.

Genesis Tamu is a farmer in the village of Buh. He says villagers found six corpses after the military left Buh on Tuesday night. He spoke to VOA via WhatsApp.

Tamu says he saw Cameroon troops setting fire to houses in the northwestern village of Buh. He says when the troops left, villagers found out that 35 of their houses were torched and property, including mattresses, pigs and goats were looted.

Tamu said on Thursday morning, village elders were still searching for missing villagers, who may have either been killed or arrested by the military, or may have escaped to the bush for safety.

Catholic Church officials said about 60 houses were torched in Buh, Tadu and Oku, but did not say whether separatists or army troops were responsible.

The military said violence ahead of National Day resulted in the deaths of 16 people.

General Valere Nka, commander of government troops fighting rebels in the North West region, says the military remained professional during their raids on separatist camps.

“We cleared many camps. Our men in the field are observing the humanitarian law. Our men secure the vulnerable, the children and women,” said Nka. “We need their collaboration to succeed in this operation. We need to win hearts and minds.”

Nka said many suspected separatists were arrested and are helping in investigations.

Philemon Yang is Cameroon’s immediate past prime minister and remains a close ally of President Paul Biya.

He says fighters should drop their guns and rejoice that the government has done much to attend to the needs of disgruntled English speakers. 

He says the government is in a permanent dialogue to make all Cameroonians feel comfortable and proud of their nation. He says the government of Cameroon after a 2019 national dialogue, granted a special status with more autonomy to Cameroon’s troubled English-speaking regions. He says every Cameroonian should know that there is no state in the world without problem. He says Cameroonians should stop all attempts to destabilize their country.

Separatists have rejected the special status and promised to make the English-speaking regions ungovernable until they are granted their independence.

Source: VOA

Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute survived an attack by gunmen who shot at his convoy at the entrance to Muea town on Thursday, CRTV, the official French Cameroun state news agency reported.

Dion Ngute was not hurt, but some members were wounded when Ambazonia Restoration Forces fired at his vehicles in the Fako constituency, according to Cameroon government security sources in Buea. A shootout reportedly ensued between the Amba fighters in Muea and elements of the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) and police officers protecting the CPDM official. The Ambazonian Self Defense troops eventually fled.

Also unharmed were some pro French Cameroun Biya acolytes, who had accompanied Chief Dr Dion Ngute and other government officials who travelled to the South West to give the impression that the Francophone dominated regime in Yaoundé is winning the war in Southern Cameroons. No group in the now Federal Republic of Ambazonia has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Violence has surged in the beleaguered oil-rich Southern Cameroons. The mineral-rich but poverty-stricken territory has been unstable since the 88-year-old President Biya declared war against the English speaking peoples of Southern Cameroons.

Thousands of people have died since the war erupted four years ago and more than a quarter of the population has fled their homes. Of these, 75,000 are refugees in neighbouring Nigeria.

Even though bloodshed has reportedly receded in intensity over the last few months, violence remains chronic. Ambazonia groups hold sway over nearly all of the Southern Cameroons rural territories.

At the time of filing this report, huge flames were reported at GBHS Muea, just after the ferocious gunshots targeting the prime minister.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files