Southern Cameroons Crisis: Two Ambazonians nabbed for alleged arms deal in Calabar

12, May 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Two Ambazonians nabbed for alleged arms deal in Calabar 0

Two Cameroonians have been arrested for allegedly dealing in illegal arms in Calabar, Cross River State.

Thirty-eight others were paraded for alleged crimes within the state. Briefing newsmen yesterday at the state police headquarters, Calabar, while parading the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police, Sikiru Akande, persons involved in arms peddling to stop or face the law.

Akande warned that the police would deal with criminals ruthlessly in the state.

“I want to thank the good people for their support thus far because we have enjoyed cooperation from the people of Cross Rivers, especially the governor, who responded when a natural disaster destroyed some parts of our buildings in the command.

“The support has emboldened us further to dig deep and do more in our duty of ensuring that Cross River remains peaceful and crime-free

“We are all aware of the security challenges in the South-East and South-South, as well as the country in general. We are proactive in our approach as we will not sit down and fold our arms and allow them to eat us up. We are working assiduously to make sure crime is nipped in the bud before it is committed.

“Hard drugs play major role in aiding men of the underworld, they use many substances to boost their ego to commit dastardly acts but we have heightened our patrols as we have also keyed into the Inspector General of Police agenda of reducing crime and criminality to its barest minimum.

“Today, we have paraded 40 persons suspected to be involved in various crimes within the past two weeks and we will continue to do more to make sure that Cross River and Calabar in particular remains the most peaceful state and city in Nigeria.”

Two of the suspects, Ojong Valentine, 28 and Ayuk Serge Enow, 35, said they came to Calabar to buy arms from one Ogbuagu Emmanuel to return back to Cameroon before they were arrested by police operatives.

Some of the items recovered included locally made pistols, 99 packs of cocaine, and 100 wraps of cannabis, among others.

Source: The Guardian

“Southern Cameroonian fighters who started out with hunting rifles seem to be making significant progress in their procurement of sophisticated weapons” Dr Joachim Arrey

11, May 2021

“Southern Cameroonian fighters who started out with hunting rifles seem to be making significant progress in their procurement of sophisticated weapons” Dr Joachim Arrey 0

Cameroon Concord News senior political man Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai, recently caught up with Dr. Joachim Arrey, a translation, communication, and technical writing expert who has delivered effective language solutions to many organizations around the world and both men took a look at issues playing out in Cameroon and the world. 

Cameroon Concord News: You have been very quiet for some time now. Why the silence? 

Dr. Joachim Arrey: Thanks, Mr. Editor, for granting me this opportunity for me to share my perspective on some of the issues currently facing the world. Regarding your question, I would like to mention that wisdom dictates that sometimes you must be quiet, as silence could be golden. Also, I have learned over the years that when you talk a lot, not many people take you seriously. Everything must be measured in order to deliver the appropriate impact. However, I try not to be dead silent like Cameroon’s president when there are huge emergencies in our beloved Cameroon. A leader who holds his country so close to his heart should come out when the country is going through challenging times. This is the ideal way of consoling a desperate and despondent people.

Cameroon Concord News: Talking about Cameroon, the fighting in the country’s two English-speaking regions is still raging on. Do you see any end in sight?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: I have not been on the ground for some time now, but information reaching me gives to understand that the situation is getting worse by the day. Southern Cameroonian fighters who started out with hunting rifles seem to be making significant progress in their procurement of sophisticated weapons. From hunting rifles, they acquired sophisticated killing machines like AK-47s, making life in those regions unbearable. They killed and maimed many soldiers and innocent civilians. They sometimes even turn their own guns against their own comrades in arms and this has been very scary. The harassment of ordinary civilians by both government troops and the fighters needs to be condemned. The government and those who bankroll the fighters must ensure that civilians do not end up as collateral damage in a war that could have been avoided. Three years ago, I thought that was the worst the fighters could do in terms of weapons, but recently, they have morphed into manufacturers of home-made bombs which are blowing up soldiers in large numbers and leaving many families in excruciating psychological pain. This is making things worse and is reducing the prospects of diminishing the human cost of the war. Despite this gloomy picture, I am still optimistic. The government and the fighters must meet each other half-way.  They must talk. The negotiating table can deliver lasting peace than any war. There are never any winners in any war though some people would like to make us to understand that there will be winners in this war. The government must walk away from its frozen position to demonstrate that it has a sound understanding of the situation. It must make huge sacrifices if it really dreams of winning this war. It must bend over backwards to bring back peace in the two English-speaking regions of the country and one of those tough decisions will be the unconditional release of Mr. Julius Ayuk Tabe, the poster boy of the rebellion, and all those who have been arrested within the framework of this conflict. This will not be a weakness on the government’s part, but a demonstration of the government’s desire for peace and security in the country. Currently, the government is dealing with many crises. The north is in Boko Haram’s tight grip. In the east, Central African rebels are a serious threat and if care is not taken, the conflict in the Central African Republic could spilt over into Cameroon and the consequences could be far-reaching. The Cameroon government must seek to reduce its military burden by dousing those fires that are easy to put off. The Southern Cameroons crisis is easy to address. All that is required is a huge dose of honesty, humility and political will on the government’s part. 

Cameroon Concord News: You have written a lot about the conflict in the two English-speaking regions of the country. Your ideas on the way forward are music to many ears around the world. You see the Canadian system as a model that could be copied by Cameroon. Has any government official ever contacted you for you to share your ideas?

Dr. Jochim Arrey: Thank you once more for raising this issue. The conflict in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon is of special interest to me. As you know, I am a native of Ossing which is in the Southwest region which is the region that has been significantly affected by the conflict. I do not agree that secession is the answer, but I have also clearly stated that I do not like the way the government has dealt with this situation. It could have explored other options before using military force. Military violence has never addressed any issues and it should always be an option of last resort. At best, violence will make matters more complicated.  As you know, I have been writing and I continue to write urging both the government and the fighters to embrace genuine dialogue facilitated by a neutral third party as the ideal way of bringing about peace and security in the two English-speaking regions of the country. I have also been providing possible solutions to the causes of the conflict. As you know, I have lived most of my life in a federal system. I was born in a federal Cameroon. I lived in Nigeria for a long time, and I have been living in Canada for close to a quarter of century. The federal system may not be a panacea, but it has the potential to reduce conflict, especially language-based conflicts. Canada like Cameroon has also dealt with linguistic minorities and successive Canadian government have handled those differences between English-speaking Canada and French-speaking Canada in a way that is highly commendable. Cameroon has a lot to learn from this country that is considered as the epitome of peace and security in the world. Adopting some of Canada’s federal attributes will help Cameroon navigate its choppy and murky linguistic waters that have been spewing conflicts for a long time. There is a better way of governing Cameroon. The current centralized system is conflict- and corruption-packed, and if care is not taken, the country will be mired in conflict for a very long time and an implosion is clearly on the horizon. Regarding your question about anybody contacting me, I would like to mention that I do not have a monopoly of wisdom or knowledge on Canada. Government officials can directly work with their Canadian counterparts if they really want to make Cameroon an oasis of peace in a desert of conflict in the Central African region. When I write, I share ideas and those ideas could help point both the secessionists and government in the right direction. My role, as a writer, is to help society see its folly and may be, recover from its madness if the leaders deem it necessary.  Hearing from any government official is of no consequence to me. A peaceful Cameroon is my objective when I write. I hope as Cameroonians we have the same objective.

Cameroon Concord News: I have heard many South-westerners refer to you as the governor of their region. Do you have any aspiration to run as the governor of the region when and if a federal system will be instituted in the country?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: Many South-westerners refer to me as Governor because of the development ideas I share with them. Many hold that in a federal Cameroon, those ideas could help our region grow by leaps and bounds. Many have been encouraging me to head back home upon retirement to throw my hat into the political ring. These encouragements are indeed good, but for now, I am still busy with other things. I have a few years to retire, though I am not yet tired, but I think that there is a lot to do in Cameroon and around the world, even when on retirement. Upon retirement, I would like to devote my time to real estate development and writing. Writing is a gift from God, and it comes naturally. Of course, if I join politics today, it will not be out of poverty. It will clearly be out of principle. I have been abundantly blessed financially, health-wise, and knowledge-wise and I have always held that sharing that knowledge with those in need of it will be one great way of giving back to my country. I don’t yet know if getting into politics in Cameroon will enable me to do more for my people. There are lots of hungry people out there and they see politics as a means of enriching themselves. I disagree with that. I believe in people living within their means, no matter what.  I am not sure this perspective of life will be admired by many who see politics differently. I must weigh all these situations against potential results before making any decision regarding politics in Cameroon.  At my age, I am no longer scared of anything. I have already lived two-thirds of my active life; the kids are adults now and I have had a blast over the last 25 years. I think this is the time to give back and there are many ways of achieving this goal. When you are almost 60 and you still feel like you are just 40, then you still have a lot of gasoline in your tank. You must use this gasoline to positively impact many lives. 

Cameroon Concord News: Regarding giving back, I see you advocating for Manyu’s development. Are there any on-going projects that will help give Manyu a face-lift?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: I must be blunt with you regarding this issue. Manyu Division should be making giant strides towards sustainable development if its citizens are serious. It has the men and the brains. Unfortunately, the people lack the right mindset. Development is a game of numbers. There is power in numbers but the Manyu man has not yet understood that. He is still individualistic and loves going it alone. Unfortunately, his solo efforts always come to nought. Until the people of this Division of Cameroon learn that they must pool their resources, they will never achieve anything meaningful. This is a region with thousands of young men who all say they want their region to develop, but when you tell them to contribute just CFAF 1,000 a year, they all run away. They even tell stories that are not true, and they blame political leaders for all their problems, including their erectile dysfunction issues. If you cannot give CFAF 1,000 a year for the development of your region, why do you think others will come to develop the place for you? Talk to those in the Diaspora and you will be more disappointed. They all have these big titles and certificates, but the mindset leaves much to be desired. It is not just enough to obtain certificates. The Manyu man should start thinking beyond certificates if his own region of the country must develop. We cannot continue to expect much from others when we cannot contribute just CFAF 1,000 for projects in the region. We must learn how to build confidence. If you live abroad and you cannot give away CFAF 1,000 (USD 2) per year for development purposes, then you do not deserve to blame others for not helping to give your region a face-lift. If 100,000 Manyu people give CFAF 1,000 each, every year, we will end up with CFAF 100,000,000 every year and this will help us undertake some meaningful projects and we will create jobs for our children and grandchildren who are still struggling to find their way around the maze. Unity is strength! The Manyu man must understand this. Certificates alone will not take us to where we want to be. 

Cameroon Concord News: Last question. Have you taken the COVID-19 vaccine?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: Yes, I have, and I urge all my friends and family members to get theirs so that we can start living a normal life again. They should not listen to any fake pastors and conspiracy theorists. I will also urge them to engage in physical activities that will help to boost their immune systems. The pandemic is urging us to change our lifestyles. This global pandemic has dealt with people who are obese and those who engage in social behaviour that compromises their health. With co-morbidities, we cannot survive the pandemic’s relentless assaults. Diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems are mostly man-made. We can avoid them if we change our lifestyles and behaviour.  The vaccine will help to give us the protection we need against this insidious and dangerous virus. Let us all get it!

Cameroon Concord News: Thank you, Dr. Arrey, for your time!

Hon. Lifaka and Chief Mukete offer civil servants a fresh begging bowl-The Agbaw-Ebai Debate

11, May 2021

Hon. Lifaka and Chief Mukete offer civil servants a fresh begging bowl-The Agbaw-Ebai Debate 0

Cameroon Concord News London Bureau Chief, Isong Asu said “It is a shame that a senator of Chief Mukete’s standing could not boast of a life insurance policy that should enable his family to organize his funeral with the pump and pageantry that truly reflect the late Senator’s status.”

The situation is also true with the late Hon. Emilia Lifaka who moonlighted as Vice President of the Francophone dominated National Assembly. The Biya Francophone regime is cash-strapped and the CPDM has brought out a fresh begging bowl, calling on poor civil servants to contribute towards the burial of a Southern Cameroonian man and a woman many thought had carefully planned their exit from this country of sorrows and chaos.

Mr. Biya and his acolytes including Chief Mukete and Hon. Emilia Lifaka have been running the country like a private farm and they have been using the national treasury like their personal piggy bank. The Southern Cameroons conflict has taken a turn for the worse, with many citizens fleeing the war zone.

For 36 years, Mr. Biya and his gang have not built any world-class hospitals in his country, no good roads, and the country’s railway system has simply collapsed. For more than three decades, the narcissistic monarch has been using his country’s treasury as his personal ATM. When travelling abroad, Mr. Biya always has more than 50 persons in his entourage and all of these people are lodged in five-star hotels.

Noted for his incompetence and manipulation, Biya with the support of Mukete and Lifaka plunged his country into a deep economic crisis and a long civil war that has already resulted in the killing of some 7,000 Cameroonians, including young army soldiers.

Chief Mukete and Lady Lifaka knew they were on their way out, but they wanted to take the country down with them.

In this special edition of the AGBAW-EBAI DEBATE, we are asking our readers to make known their take on the CPDM begging bowl directed to poor civil servants towards the burial of Chief Mukete and Hon. Lifaka

2022 World Cup qualifiers: Nigeria Football Federation in talks with FECAFOOT

11, May 2021

2022 World Cup qualifiers: Nigeria Football Federation in talks with FECAFOOT 0

The Nigeria Football Federation have opened talks with Fédération Camerounaise de Football (FECAFOOT) over the possibility of the Super Eagles and the Indomitable Lions facing off in an international friendly in Austria next month, Bill Tchato, General Coordinator of the Cameroon national teams has revealed.

At the request of the Confederation of African Football, FIFA has postponed the first two matchdays of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, earlier scheduled for June, to September 2021.

FIFA postponed the qualifiers so that work could be completed on some of the stadiums that do not meet international standards.

Nigeria were due to face Liberia and Cape Verde before the 2022 World Cup qualifiers schedule was revised last week.

Source: Sunnewsonline

Cameroon: CPDM is humiliating Chief Mukete

11, May 2021

Cameroon: CPDM is humiliating Chief Mukete 0

When the former paramount chief of the Bafaws in Kumba in Cameroon’s Southwest region, Victor Mukete, died, many people hastily assumed that he would be accorded a befitting burial given that he had occupied many senior government positions and in a normal country, the insurance arrangements made for people of such standing will immediately kick in.

But Cameroon is far from being a normal country. The country’s ruling party also known as the crime syndicate is wont to doing things the wrong way. While others prefer the honourable way, the CPDM government has always opted for the dishonourable way.

It is unheard of that a senator in a normal country has not got the appropriate life insurance policy. It is a shame that a senator of that standing could not boast of a life insurance policy that should enable his family to organize his funeral with the pump and pageantry that truly reflect the late Senator’s status.

The government of Yaoundé is not known for being a decent and astute financial manager. It is known for being a bull in a China shop when it comes to properly managing the country’s limited financial resources.

It is a government that is bereft of any sense of discipline and futuristic planning and this is hurting Chief Mukete’s family which thought its patriarch would be given a decent burial by the state.

Unfortunately, the state is cash-strapped and the CPDM has brought out its begging bowl, calling on poor civil servants to contribute towards the burial of a man many thought had carefully planned his exit from this country of sorrows and chaos.

What is more astonishing is the fact that the meeting to organize a fund-raiser for Chief Mukete was attended by a representative of the Mukete family who clearly approved of this beggarly behaviour.

A source close to the Mukete family has informed the Cameroon Concord News Group that things seems to be spiraling out of control within the family.

The source, which elected anonymity, said that on the surface, the family finances appear to be robust but if you scratch beyond the surface, you will find a pretty mess that is tearing the family apart.

The source added that many people in the Southwest region are questioning why the CPDM government has to go round the country begging for money just bury a man who lived a life of dignity and discipline.

Efforts by the Cameroon Concord News Group correspondent to talk to family members of the late senator have failed as everybody is scared of talking. The family does not seem to have a unified front and it does not seem to have any messaging strategy.

As family members continue to look up to Yaoundé, the family’s reputation is taking a snake beating in the court of public opinion, especially regarding the press release issued by the CPDM, calling on its crime family to contribute towards the burial of Victor Mukete.

Below is the list of those who have to contribute and failure to do so might result in a long jail term. The CPDM is treating Mukete like a mob leader, and by so doing, it is humiliating him and his family.

Once a CPDM member, always a CPDM member! You are a member of the crime syndicate even in your grave and that is the message the CPDM is sending to the public regarding the burial of chief Mukete.

Dear Comrades, following a brain-storming meeting convened by the SW regional political hierarchy towards the funerals of the late Senator Nfon Victor MUKETE and Hon. Emilia LIFAKA it was agreed on Divisional levies of 2.000.000 F CFA as participation towards the organization of the funerals of the late members of parliament. In consonance with the decisions arrived at and to enable Manyu CPDM Caucus come up with its share of the condolence contributions the following levies shall apply:

1) Members of Government and those ranking as such ………….500.000  F CFA

2) Vice President of the Senate….. …. 500.000 F CFA

3) Ambassadors & Senior diplomats ……300.000 F CFA

4) CT-PRC/SG ……..200.000 F CFA

5) Senators…………150.000 F CFA

6) Members NA…..150.000 FCFA

7) DG…………………..150.000 F CFA

8) DGA…………………100.000 F CFA

9) Board Chairs…….100.000 F CFA

10) CT/Directors……..75.000 F CFA

11) Heads (Institutions, Deans of Faculties, etc) and ranking as such 50.000 F CFA

12) Members of bureau Regional Assembly .. 50.000 F CFA

13) Mayors …… 50.000 F CFA

14) Sub-Directors/Divisional Delegates 30.000 F CFA

15) Members of Regional Assembly …… 30.000 F CFA

16) Chiefs of services/ Principals …. 25.000 F CFA

17) All other political elite  …..20.000 F CFA

All condolence levies including transfer charges should be forwarded to Mr AGBOR EMMANUEL OBEN Momo 670851975 on or before midnight May 09, 2021. Thanks for your understanding and usual diligence. Victor MENGOT. Head PDD/CPDM – Manyu

By Isong Asu with files from Rita Akana in Yaounde

Cameroon gov’t troops, Biafia militants exchange gunfire at Bakassi Peninsula

11, May 2021

Cameroon gov’t troops, Biafia militants exchange gunfire at Bakassi Peninsula 0

Biafra Nations League, BNL and a troop of the Cameroon Brigade d’Intervention Rapide, BIR, were on Saturday engaged in a fierce gun battle at Isangele, Bakassi Peninsula area.

The gun battle reportedly left some members of the BIR dead.

The BNL Chief Head of Operations, Henry Edet, confirmed the attack in a brief statement saying, “Militant group loyal to BNL and Cameroon forces exchanged fire in Isangele, Bakassi Peninsula.”

He claimed the “Two Cameroon BIR dropped dead during an exchange of gunfire in Bakassi Peninsula.”

Recall that the BNL had recently revealed its plans to completely shut down the Gulf of Guinea, threatening to hoist the Biafran flag.

The group said it would carry out its threat of hoisting the Biafran flags in Bakassi Peninsula to mark the Biafra Day memorial.

Meanwhile, Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has issued a warning to top-ranking officers of the Nigerian army and police.

“If you’re the commander of troops in the Nigerian army or police, hear this: That you’re wearing a uniform and adorning a rank does not make you invincible,” he tweeted.

“If any #Biafran is killed on your orders, you will be hunted and punished, sooner than later. We’re taking stock and bidding our time.”

Source: Dailypost

Scotland must stand in solidarity with Southern Cameroonians

10, May 2021

Scotland must stand in solidarity with Southern Cameroonians 0

IF Scotland is to prove to ourselves and the international community that our claims to self-determination have substance, then we must stand in solidarity with the Anglophone people of Cameroon.

A central African nation more famous for its footballers than anything else, Cameroon is gripped by waves of violence, rooted in the legacy of imperialism in which, lest we forget, Scots were eager participants. A British government aspiring to global relevance has been predictably silent in defence of its cousins in Cameroon, leaving Scotland with an opportunity to fill that void and speak up for the rule of law and human rights.

Until it gained independence in 1961, the formerly German colony was administered by the French and British. In the largely Anglophone Southern Cameroon, children studied for O and A Levels, and the courts used English common law. The departing British promised Anglophones the right to self-determination but offered them only a binary referendum, in which they chose federation with Francophone Cameroon rather than neighbouring Nigeria.

However, it was not long before the government effectively nullified the federation, marginalising English speakers. At times, there was only a single Anglophone in a Cabinet of 30.

Cameroon has been ruled by Paul Biya, aged 88, since 1982. He continues to win elections that no international monitor considers free and fair, and his country is ranked among the world’s most corrupt and repressive by Transparency International and Freedom House.

In 2016, his regime tried to impose French-speaking judges and teachers on the Anglophone regions, which represent 20% of the population. The peaceful demonstrations which followed in defence of their Anglo-Saxon courts and schools should have heartened any British conservative, but were crushed while the British government let slip hardly a word of protest.

The Johnson ministry, unsurprisingly, has been far more interested in a trade agreement than in questioning whether the Biya regime is an appropriate partner for a “global leader” in human rights.

What impartial human rights groups have described in typically understated language as a disproportionately forceful response led to a familiar sequence of events. Armed secessionist militias emerged, demanding an independent country called “Ambazonia”. Rights monitors believe that all actors in this conflict are behaving indefensibly, with unarmed civilians caught in the crossfire.

So many villages have been burned that the UN estimates 700,000 civilians (out of six million Anglophones) have fled to the bush and beyond. Unicef says more than a million children are out of school. As a means of forcing Cameroonians to prove their loyalty, both sides brutally enforce arbitrary, incompatible “ghost town” rules about either staying inside or leaving the home on Mondays.

Following the rules set by the separatists means risking death at the hands of the military, and vice versa. Meanwhile, hundreds of opposition figures are imprisoned without due process. The Norwegian Refugee Council has described it as the world’s most neglected displacement crisis for the second year running. It is difficult to judge how far President Biya is willing to go to bring the rebels into line, or what the separatists will do to secure independence.

The will of the Anglophone people is clear, however. In a 2020 survey by the Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiation, more than 80% of English-speakers chose independence. Yet they have no high-profile international supporters attempting to raise the issue. Regrettably, it seems that black lives only matter when they are here, within the well-policed borders of Europe and North America.

In Africa, death is “just what happens”, and new nations do not have the legitimacy of centuries.

As an investigator for the Edinburgh International Justice Initiative, an organisation run by students at Edinburgh University, I am part of an international effort to create the Cameroon Database of Atrocities. We aim to establish accurate casualty figures, to write reports on human rights violations for use in litigation, and, after the recent election in Scotland, to bring these issues to the attention of people in Parliament and elsewhere.

The Anglophone conflict may seem obscure, but it acts as a litmus test for those demanding an independent Scotland, as well as for those urging us to stay bound to a government which is determined to flout all standards of global decency.

The Conservatives, who simply want the constitutional question to go away, could scarcely have a less satisfying offer for a country which seems torn between forever defining itself against its perfidious neighbour, or growing into a mature, outward-looking democracy. Neither course is well-served by allowing Westminster to speak for us when we see the suffering of people in Cameroon and elsewhere.

The question is perhaps more pressing for Scotland’s party of government. It is manifestly in the interests of the SNP to make an issue of Johnson’s complicity in the Biya regime’s atrocities.

But it is worth asking those of us who support independence what our country is going to be for. Criticising the Tories is comfortable terrain for many Scots, but the SNP might be surprised by just how many of us are waiting to be represented by a government that speaks about self-determination in terms of what Scotland can do, and with whom we stand in solidarity, rather than merely what we need to escape.

Source: The National.Scot

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Bishop George Nkuo’s anniversary Mass disrupted by gunfire

10, May 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Bishop George Nkuo’s anniversary Mass disrupted by gunfire 0

Sounds of gunfire interrupted an anniversary Mass for the bishop of Kumbo, in Cameroon’s troubled North West Region.

Bishop George Nkuo was marking the 40th anniversary of his priestly ordination on the premises of St. Augustine College Nso on May 7 when gunshots were heard, sending participants to the ground. There had been an exchange of fire between government troops and separatist rebels near the facility.

The North West Region and the South West Region are the English-speaking parts of Cameroon, and a separatist revolt against the majority French-speaking central government has been raging for nearly five years.

Among the people attending the event were Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya of Bamenda and Adolphe Lele L’Afrique, the regional governor.

“The government is determined to bring long lasting peace in this division and in the whole region,” L’Afrique said afterwards.

“No stone will be left unturned to bring normalcy to Bui Division [the larger region surrounding the city] and to the city of Kumbo. The pacification effort of the administrative authorities, the operation to secure the division and the whole region will continue and will be stepped up to face the present situation,” he added.

Cecilia Vernyuy, a member of the Catholic Women’s Association, attended the anniversary Mass, and said the congregation was frightened by the gunfire.

“We all went lying on the ground,” she told Crux. “It was scary. It was as if the Church had come under attack.”

During his homily, Nkea said the exchange of gunfire so near the Mass showed the closeness Nkuo had with his people in Kumbo.

“The bishop is exercising his ministry especially as chief Shepherd of the Diocese of Kumbo in these difficult times,” the archbishop said.

“And we are witnesses to the fact that he is close to his sheep, he is standing near to his sheep and he is ready to die for his sheep, and this is a very big testimony to the Gospel message which he is preaching to the people and which is given out to the world,” he continued.

“The goodness of the shepherd is seen in his willingness and readiness to lay down his life for his sheep and this is a sign that the good shepherd’s first quality is to love his sheep … We have seen this love through our people and his readiness to lay down his life in his 40 years of service in priesthood.”

In his own remarks, Nkuo used the occasion to make the case for peace in his troubled region.

“Jesus Christ tells us that he is the Way, the Truth and the Light, and we need to be able to face the truth as it is, we need to be able to look at each other and say, ‘I am sorry’ and reconcile. Each of us must be able to look at his or her neighbor and say this is my brother, this is my sister,” the prelate said.

“My celebration in the heart of this reassures me that it is possible, if only we can break down the pride, and cultivate the love for truth and justice, and to care for one another.”

During a brief meeting about the security situation in Kumbo, Mayor Vernatius Mborong said the separatists have made life “very unbearable” for the people of the city.

“As I speak, there are six of my workers who were taken to the bush just four days ago. And you can bear with me that living under these kinds of circumstances is not easy. You cannot walk in town. You are moving somewhere, you look left, you look right. What kind of life is that? We are going through hell,” he said.

Vernyuy, the member of the CWA who attended the Mass, said all she needs is for peace to return to the community.

“All sides should put down the guns. All are dying on all sides, both military and separatists. They are all delivered by women,” she told Crux.

“We are crying for our land and we are also crying for our children. All of them are delivered by women. A woman can never abandon her child. All we pray for is that peace should return,” she added.

Political analyst Edwin Ebako says the government’s military-first approach to the Anglophone crisis is misguided, and lengthening the conflict.

“Before, the government knew that they were going to crack the separatists down using the military, but that method has not worked,” he told local news channel, Equinox TV.

“And every time the government has tried to use the wrong procedure that has only given the boys (separatists) room to evolve,” he added.

“When this issue began in 2016, the government would have known and would have quelled down this issue before it escalated. The crisis is only going to intensify if the government does not directly address the root causes of this problem and get into an all-inclusive dialogue to resolve the problem genuinely for the interest of the people of this nation,” Ebako said.

Source: Angelusnews

Nepal: Embattled PM loses vote of confidence

10, May 2021

Nepal: Embattled PM loses vote of confidence 0

Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli lost a confidence vote on Monday, triggering fresh political uncertainty just as the Himalayan nation reels from the pandemic.

Oli, 69, decided to seek a vote of confidence following months of feuding within his ruling communist party and coalition partners.

“If you want a stable parliament you should vote for the continuity of this government,” he said in his address to the legislature before the vote.

But the former political prisoner was able to secure only 93 votes in the parliament instead of the 136 needed.

More than 120 parliamentarians voted against and nearly two dozen leaders from Oli’s own party skipped the process.

According to procedure, the president will now call for parties to propose a new candidate, backed by a majority.

Nepal has been roiled by months of turmoil after Oli dissolved parliament in December, accusing members of his Nepal Communist Party (NCP) of being uncooperative.

The NCP was formed in 2018 by a merger between Oli’s communist party CPN-UML and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) of former rebel leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Two months later, the Supreme Court reinstated parliament. Another ruling broke the merger and split the ruling party into two.

In recent months, Oli has faced fierce criticism over his handling of the pandemic as the second wave sweeps over the country, with half of people tested now returning positive.

However it was more political infighting rather than his handling of the pandemic that caused him to lose the vote of confidence.

On Monday, Nepal reported 9,127 cases, the highest increase yet. Nearly 4,000 people have died since the pandemic began, according to official figures.

“Both the parliament and the government have failed to address the Covid-19 crisis in the country. Instead they are engaging in a political game when most citizens were struggling for oxygen cylinders and hospital beds,” said Gunaraj Luitel, editor of Nagarik newspaper.

The NCP’s triumph over the incumbent Nepali Congress party in elections in 2017 had been seen as the final step in Nepal’s post-civil war transformation into a republic.

Brittle alliances have been struck between Nepal’s three dominant parties since 2008, and there was hope a majority government would bring stability and much-needed development to the nation.

Source:AFP

Chad: Ruling military council declares victory over FACT rebels

10, May 2021

Chad: Ruling military council declares victory over FACT rebels 0

Chad’s military has declared victory against rebels following weeks of fighting that led to the death of long-time President Idriss Deby on the battlefield.

“The triumphant return of the army to the barracks today heralds the end of operations and Chad’s victory,” the army’s Chief of the General Staff Abakar Abdelkerim Daoud told reporters on Sunday.

“War came and we were able to bring the situation under control… The situation is back to normal,” Daoud added. “It’s all over, the national territory has been secured.”

The northern rebels had launched an offensive near the border on election day (April 11), demanding an end to Deby’s 30-year rule.

Deby visited troops on the battlefield a day after claiming re-election victory and sustained injuries in an attack that led to his death, throwing the poor Sahel country into a political crisis.

The army has claimed to have killed hundreds of the rebels.

In the capital city N’Djamena, crowds cheered as soldiers returned from the frontline in a long column of tanks and armored vehicles.

However, the Front for Change and Concord in Chad (FACT) rebel group said in a statement that it was not aware of an end to the fighting.

FACT “will comment when it has reliable and credible information,” said the rebel group’s spokesman Kingabe Ogouzeimi de Tapol.

In the meantime, scores of imprisoned rebels and dozens of captured vehicles were put on display for the press to see at an army base in N’Djamena.

One of the imprisoned rebels identified as Bechir Mahadi, FACT’s chief of military operations, called for the Chadian authorities to respect the rights of prisoners of war.

Mahadi also urged “those who are still in the rebellion outside the country (in Libya) to return to legality and contribute to the building of a democratic country.”

The military council, which is led by Deby’s son Mahamat Idriss Itno, 37, seized power right after Deby’s death on the frontline.

Deby’s son promised an 18-month transition to free elections.

However, the opposition and civil society groups have denounced the military council, calling the seizure of power a coup. They called on their supporters to take to the streets in protest.

Chad’s former colonial master, France, which has its troops based in Chad, had been a long-term ally of Deby. France initially backed the military council but later called for a civilian national unity government.

French forces have been engaged in the fight against rebels alongside the Chadian troops.

Source: Presstv

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