Togo: Gnassingbé re-elected with 72% of votes

24, February 2020

Togo: Gnassingbé re-elected with 72% of votes 0

Togolese president Faure Gnassingbé has won a fourth term in office, according to provisional results declared by the national election commission.

On Monday, the commission said he won 72 percent of the vote in the first round of presidential election.

“Based on all the data obtained from the local independent electoral commission and the independent embassy electoral commissions, the candidate of the Union for the Republic (UNIR) party, Mr. Gnassingbé Essozimna Faure is provisionally proclaimed elected president of the Togolese Republic”, Kodjona Kandaga, President of the National Electoral Commission said

According to the Togolese electoral commission, former Prime Minister, Agbeyome Kodjo, who served under the regime of Gnassingbé Eyadema, came in second with just 18 percent of votes on Saturday.

This widely anticipated win for the 53 year old extends the dynasty of the Gnassingbé‘s of the former French colony for more than a century.

Gnassingbé has led the country of 8 million people since he took over in 2005. This follows the death of his father, Gnassingbé Eyadema, who ruled the West African nation for 38 years.

The main opponent, Agbeyome Kodjo, who claimed victory after Saturday votes denounced vote irregularities in the capital, Lome.

AFP

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Human Rights Watch has completed its investigations into the Ngarbuh massacre

24, February 2020

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Human Rights Watch has completed its investigations into the Ngarbuh massacre 0

As the Cameroon government continues to be on the defensive about the Ngarbuh massacres, the global human rights watchdog, Human Rights Watch (HRW), has already completed its investigations and it is clearly pointing a finger to the country’s military as the guilty party.

Speaking on TV5 Monde on Sunday, a HRW researcher, Ilaria Allegrozzi, said that there had not been any confrontation between the military and Ambazonia fighters on Valentine’s day in Ngarbuh.

The HRW expert added that there was no explosion as claimed by government, stressing that the rights watchdog’s figures showed that 21 people had been killed which is  far from the 5 claimed by the Yaounde government.

The expert pointed out that the massacre was the government’s decision to punish villagers, claiming that they were hiding Ambazonian fighters in their houses.

The HRW findings tie in well with those released by civil society organizations and the  UN.

Meanwhile, the government has sent its troops to Ngarbuh to investigate the massacre and this move comes after the international community expressed shock that a government was killing its own citizens.

The general consensus in the country is that the government is not credible and that it will continue to cover up, as that had been its modus operandi for decades.

Across the country, many people are calling for Cameroonian leaders to be taken to The Hague where they should be tried for crimes against humanity.

Those considered responsible for the massacres in the country’s two English-speaking regions include: Paul Atanga Nji, Rene Sadi, Joseph Beti Assomo, Fame Ndongo and the governors of the two English-speaking regions of the country.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Military heads to Ngarbuh to investigate Valentine’s Day Massacre

23, February 2020

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Military heads to Ngarbuh to investigate Valentine’s Day Massacre 0

The country’s military is currently heading to Ngarbuh, the little village in the Northwest region where over 30 people were slaughtered by the country’s military and militiamen set up by the country’s defense minister, Joseph Beti Assomo, and territorial administration minister, Paul Atanga Nji.

The international community had called for a partial and thorough investigation, but no international team has been set up to help with the investigations.

On the contrary, the country’s president, Paul Biya, who is under enormous international pressure, has ordered an investigation into the killings although he already knows who committed the crime.

Cameroon Concord News Group’s correspondent in the Northwest regional capital of Bamenda has indicated that there is an unusual troop movement towards Ngarbuh.

This comes a day after the French President, Emmanuel Macron, said that he would mount pressure on President Paul Biya and his fragile and old government for the issue to be investigated.

An anonymous source which contacted Cameroon Concord News Group confirmed in an SMS that there was a lot of pressure in the corridors of power.

The source added that “a Gendarmerie team has been dispatched from Yaounde to Ngarbuh to investigate the Valentine’s Day Massacre in Ngarbuh.”

The Source stressed that “They leave for Ntumbaw on Monday or Tuesday. Part of their mission is to exhume the corpses laid to rest and count them. They have an order that the number of corpses must not be more than seven. Those innocent victims have been laid to rest and are currently resting in peace, but for political reasons, their graves will be desecrated early next week by government forces which want to present the government’s story to the international community.”

The source questioned the objectivity of the process, adding that no truth will emerge from such an investigation, as a thief is being asked to investigate himself.

There will be a lot of cover up, as the government will do all in its powers to hide the truth, another source that elected anonymity said.

While the world looks forward to the truth, many people are sceptical about the government’s sincerity concerning these investigations.

It should be pointed out that ever since information of the massacre emerged on social media, the Yaounde government has offered multiple explanations for the incident.

While the defense minister said those killed by the military were simply collateral damage and that the fire was due to fuel that was stored in those homes, the communication minister, Rene Sadi, came out with his own version that clearly smacked of arrogance, denial and provocation.

He clearly exonerated the military, insulting those who said the military was to blame for the massacre of children and pregnant women.

The sending of Cameroon’s military to the crime site is a good beginning, but the international community must set up a team to support any efforts made by the Yaounde government so that the truth can be known.

It should also be emphasized that there are a few people in the village keeping shell casings of the bullets that were fired. Those people should be contacted by UN experts on the ground in Bamenda.

With ballestic analyses, it will be possible to determine the killers of the innocent citizens in Ngarbuh who had nothing to do with the civil war that is tearing the country apart.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and his top aides distance themselves from Tassang and his Maryland efforts to drag Ambazonia into French Cameroun politics

23, February 2020

President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and his top aides distance themselves from Tassang and his Maryland efforts to drag Ambazonia into French Cameroun politics 0

President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and 8 of his senior aides arrested at the Nera Hotel in Abuja on January 5, 2018 and serving a life sentence at the Yaoundé Principal Prison have distanced themselves from Tassang Wilfred, following his ill disguised attempt at dragging the Federal Republic of Ambazonia into French Cameroun politics.

Tassang who developed a phobia for the Southern Cameroons leadership after the 3rd Conclave in Nigeria reportedly wrote an open letter  to Prof. Maurice Kamto, President of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement painting him “This lying Professor is worse than Paul Biya. Avoid him.“

In an official Ambazonia Interim Government message dated February 18, 2020, the jailed Southern Cameroons leaders opined that  Tassang’s views were in no way a reflection of the political discourse that was held in Kondengui involving Professor Kamto and the Ambazonia leadership.

President Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, Nfor Ngala Nfor, Barrister Shufai Blaise Sevidzem Berinyuy, Barrister Eyambe Elias Ebai, Dr. Fidelis Ndeh Che, Dr Egbe Ntui Ogork, Dr. Cornelius Njikimbi Kwanga, Dr. Kimeng Henry Tata and Prof. Cheh Augustine Awasum noted in their disclaimer addressed to Kamto that: “We read with some consternation an open letter allegedly from Mr. Tassang Wilfred writing from Prison Principale Yaounde early last week, in which he cast aspersions on the person and character of the President of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, Prof. Maurice Kamto.

“We, members of the Ambazonian leadership in detention write to distance ourselves from that write up. The views expressed by Mr. Tassang are in no way a reflection of what we stand for. We have the utmost respect for Prof Kamto as a person and as a leader of the main opposition party in La Republique du Cameroun.

“We remain committed to an independent and sovereign Southern Cameroons recognized under international laws based on UN resolutions 1514 and 1608. We add our voice to growing calls from the international community for a mediated dialogue between La Republique du Cameroun and Southern Cameroons in a neutral territory.

”What Tassang said of Kamto

“Maurice Kamto, Chairman of the CRM party, unfortunate candidate of the 2018 presidential elections of LRC and former inmate of the Prison Principale Kondengui, Yaoundé, is known as one of the best legal minds of his country, and well celebrated around the world and within UN circles for the sharpness of his wit. “For a reminder, this learned professor led LRC’s legal representation in the case pitting Nigeria and the former over the Bakassi Peninsula at the ICJ.

Cameroun’s victory over Nigeria was largely attributed to him. Little wonder that he was rewarded with a junior ministerial portfolio at the Ministry of Justice after that feat. “It is also said to his credit that it was under his watch that plans were made to decimate the Common Law system in Cameroun, seeing for a start, the flooding of the two regions with francophone huissiers de justice, or bailiffs, which functions are carried out in our territory by lawyers. “One would expect that this Professor of Law would be the first to cry foul when the law, local or international, is rubbished by the Yaoundé junta he wants to unseat.

Shockingly, Prof. Kamto who is well schooled on the history of the Cameroons and is an authority of international law, will not accept the truth about the history of the Southern Cameroons, neither will he acknowledge the international right to self-determination granted every people. Is there anything professorial in any man who cannot face the truth, and uphold it? “48 hours after their release from Kondengui, the professor’s partner and ally, Albert Dzongang, declared on TV that the best thing that happened to them in prison was that they established a rapprochement with the Ambazonian leadership in jail, whatever that meant.

Could there have been a rapprochement if the two parties didn’t meet and talk? Is it not therefore very unprofessorial that Kamto would declare that he and his team never discussed with the Ambazonian leaders in detention? Why will he lie? “For the records, the professor lied. I bring this clarification so that those Ambazonians who are falling head over heels to be received by him in the diaspora may know that this man is to be avoided like a flea.

It was at the Professor’s request and insistence that a team of four, led by Sisiku Julius AyukTabe met with his own team. I don’t know why the man of law will lie, but this singular action confirms what Sisiku had told him and his men earlier; you all are like Paul Biya, that is, if anyone was in doubt of that. “My opinion about PhDs and Professors who cannot uphold the truth, and especially when they are professors of law, is that they are not worth one Amba coin.

“Concerning LRC’s Wonderboy, I tell you Ambazonia, run away from him. We have not been able to get Chairman Fru Ndi to endorse the restoration quest, how think us that we can do so with a Kamto? The man doesn’t even flatter us, he doesn’t think we are worth humouring. “What does Kamto want from Ambazonia? That we support him unseat Paul Biya so that he can, in turn, further enshrine our servitude, or if you will, special slave status. “If with their little education, Ahidjo, and then Paul Biya could reduce us to this, how much more will this most witted professor of Law accomplish? Not that our case has flaws; there is no loophole in the truth.

“For the icing on the cake, one of ours who visited us in jail here was ready to tell us and in the presence of the horse, Albert Dzongang, that this brother and political ally of Kamto’s requested on live TV broadcast that the Yaoundé junta should kill us, (Sisiku AyukTabe and his nine brothers being secretly detained at SED at the time). “These are not the kind of people we can fool around with in the name of seeking for sympathisers. Of course we will negotiate with Kamto if he becomes leader of LRC tomorrow, but we should not deceive ourselves; Kamto will be a more formidable adversary than Paul Biya. “This lying Professor is worse than Paul Biya. Avoid him.”

By Rita Akana with files from CIN

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Cameroon gov’t army soldiers kill beneficiary at a World Food Programme centre in Ekona

23, February 2020

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Cameroon gov’t army soldiers kill beneficiary at a World Food Programme centre in Ekona 0

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is disturbed by news of the killing of a beneficiary by military men at the site of a food distribution near Ekona, in the South West Region of Cameroon.

“Our sympathies and condolences are with the bereaved family,” said WFP West Africa Regional Director Chris Nikoi, “and we condemn the breach of humanitarian space by armed groups and security forces in the crisis affecting the South West and North West regions of Cameroon.”

“We strongly urge respect of humanitarian operations and the protection of civilians by all parties,” Nikoi said.

Violent clashes between armed groups and security forces in the two regions of Cameroon have led to displacement, leaving tens of thousands of people in need of humanitarian assistance.

Paul Biya: The Hypocrite-in-Chief

23, February 2020

Paul Biya: The Hypocrite-in-Chief 0

When Paul Biya came to power in 1982, many thought Cameroon was going to get into a brand new and bright era.

Under the country’s first leader, Amadou Ahidjo, the reclusive Biya who was wont to riding his bike in Yaounde and playing golf in Tiko, had packaged himself as a man of the people.

He had attended one of Cameroon’s most prestigious high school, College Vogt, and the story around the country was that he was religious and had even contemplated becoming a priest.

These pieces of information were all over the country like a bad rash and Cameroonians knew their time in the spotlight had come.

The man who had to take them to the land of promise had come, but not like a knight on a white horse. Biya was marketed as the leader who would make his people’s problem the centerpiece of his presidency.

To prove that he was indeed a godly person, Biya, the hypocrite-in-chief, quickly invited the Pope to Cameroon. Cameroonians were ecstatic. They loved what they were seeing.

 But in life, what you see may not be exactly what you get. Time had to prove to them that Biya, as packaged by the sycophants around him, was purely a mirage.

In less than three years in power, Paul Biya, who was supposed to take Cameroonians to the land of promise, started leading them down a dangerous path of corruption, nepotism, tribalism and dictatorship.

If you disagreed with him even on policy matters, Paul Biya, the self-made monarch, would chop you of his orbit.

Samuel Eboa, Ayissi Mvondo, Francois Senga Kuo, William Eteki Mbouma and Delpine Tsanga have all felt the wrath of a man they knew would take the country down a dangerous path.

His inefficiency and incompetence had all been hidden from the public, after all, the country was a dictatorship, even in the days of the country’s first president, and nothing was allowed to filter out.

Amadou Ahidjo, the country’s first president, who ruled the country with an iron fist, loved Paul Biya, not for his capacity to deliver, but because of his sheepish docility to him.

Ahidjo loved people he could spin around his little finger and Biya was designed to be a yes man and to him, flattery was second nature.

Biya never does anything for anybody if there is no quid pro quo. If you must be part of his cabinet, then you must be able to promise gold to your people and deliver pebbles to them.

You must make your people to understand that Biya, the man many thought was more spiritual, is indeed a reincarnation of Jesus.

You must sing his praises even when things are falling apart. You must always tell your people that Biya is engineering better days even when the present is full of uncertainty and death.

The story of Mr. Biya, the country’s omnipotent leader, is more like the story of modern-day Pentecostal churches whose pastors are there to rip off their people while promising them that theirs will be the imaginary Kingdom of Heaven.

The Biya regime, considered by many as a crime syndicate, stands ready to rip off Cameroonians. While Cameroonians are going through the toughest times of their lives, the president and his wife, noted for her flaming red hair, are throwing sumptuous birthday parties and musical concerts only for themselves and their families.

While Cameroonians are gnashing their teeth because of the dehumanizing poverty the Biya regime has engineered for them, Mr. Biya’s children are all over the world burning through money like wildfire.

The country’s economy has taken a nosedive and millions are dying every day in the country’s two English-speaking regions because of a war that could have been averted. Despite all of this suffering, the ‘Monarch of Mvomeka’a is still living as if nothing is happening.

Today, it is normal for women to die while in travail. The country’s hospitals have been reduced to consultation clinics. While the president and his family enjoy world-class medical care abroad, Cameroonians are stuck with health facilities that are bereft of reliable medical equipment.

Politically, the Monarch of Mvomeka’a is facing numerous challenges. While Anglophones are gradually walking away from a lopsided union that was hastily put together by the country’s first president and greedy elements such as John Ngu Foncha and Solomon Tandeng Muna, the majority of Francophones are gradually making the country ungovernable.

In 2018, Mr. Biya managed by crook to win a new 7-year term, but he is always ill at ease as the world despises him and reminds him that the real winner of the election was Prof. Maurice Kamto, the man who has remained millstone around Mr. Biya’s neck.

To stop Prof. Kamto from eroding whatever credibility he still has, Mr. Biya last year jailed the country’s leading opposition figure for eight months.  But this only turned out to be counterproductive.

A huge whirlwind of opposition against Mr. Biya has emerged known as the Brigade Anti-sadinard (BAS) and this group is a living nightmare to Mr. Biya.

The group has been very active in Europe, especially in France and Switzerland, and it did indeed succeed to compel the Swiss to chase Mr. Biya out of the country when he was in Switzerland for medical attention.

The group’s activities actually forced the French president to oblige Biya to release Prof Maurice Kamto from jail.

In his own words, the French president last week said that he obliged Mr. Biya to release Kamto, failure of which, he would not receive Biya when he came to France. The pressure paid off and once more, the world understood that while Biya might be the president of Cameroon, the real decisions on the country’s destiny were actually taken in Paris.

The world is therefore calling on Macron to call for a halt in the killing of Southern Cameroonians by the Biya regime that has rejected all advice given to it by many authoritative voices across the globe.

Speaking last week in Paris to a Cameroonian activist, Mr. Macron promised that he would be calling Mr. Biya next to let him know that his actions in the country’s two English-speaking regions were unacceptable.

The world is waiting and it would be a great relief to many across the world if French pressure pays off.

But many critics of French policy in Africa are skeptical about Mr. Macron’s promises. Some fear it could simply be a tongue in cheek criticism of the man who has worked so hard to preserve French interest in Cameroon.

Despite all the doubts, there is some hope. It is not normal for a French president to criticize a friend and ally in Africa, especially an elder statesman like Biya who has been there for the French for almost four decades. The world is waiting to see if the hypocrite-in-chief will make some amendments to his ways in the days ahead due to French pressure.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Chairman/Editor-in-Chief

Cameroon Concord News Group

Cameroonian Student After Coronavirus Cure says Chinese Doctors And Nurses Are Extraordinary

23, February 2020

Cameroonian Student After Coronavirus Cure says Chinese Doctors And Nurses Are Extraordinary 0

Pavel, a student from Cameroon，is the first, and till now the only African patient to be diagnosed with novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) in China. From confirmation on January 30, to isolation and treatment, till discharge from hospital on February 10,what struck Pavel the most in the unforgettable 12-day-long experience is that “Be it Chinese or foreign nationals, as long as we work together, there’s nothing to be feared in the fight against epidemic.”

The 20-year-old Cameroonian student speaks fluent Chinese and has a Chinese name called “Dong Qichen”. After learning Chinese for two years at the Confucius Institute in Cameroon and the Wenzhou University, he’s now studying at the College of Agriculture of Yangtze University in Jingzhou, Hubei province. He travelled to Wuhan with friends in January and was infected with NCP during his time there. “Soon after my return, I had a fever with a temperature of about 38 degrees centigrade. My teacher was very worried and asked about my condition by phone every one or two hours. I was so moved.”

After being diagnosed with NCP at the Jingzhou Thoracic Hospital of Hubei Province, Pavel had been actively cooperating with treatment.  “They took very good care of me in each and every step of treatment! Chinese doctors and nurses are highly professional and dedicated. Regular disinfection, temperature measurement, and check were conducted at the hospital. The isolation ward is clean and tidy, with three meals a day, and a TV. My doctor told me that I’m doing well and there’s no need for worry. My teachers and classmates call me every day. I can also feel that I’m getting better.”

After his nucleic acid test turned negative, on February 10th , Pavel got his discharge record, which was densely packed with medical information, diagnosis, and doctor’s advice. “During my stay in hospital, I learnt about Chinese medical staff’s workload and the pressure on them. Their families and friends are worried about them. However, they are all brave, strong and united. They are extraordinary!” This experience fills Pavel with gratitude and admiration for the Chinese doctors and nurses.

“Can you believe it? The news that I’ve been cured has spread to Cameroon and made headlines! The Cameroonian Embassy in China also issued an announcement about it. I’m a celebrity now.” In Hubei Province alone, there are nearly 3,000 students from Africa, including around 70 from Cameroon. In these days, family members and friends are all concerned about Pavel. “Originally, my family members in Africa were extremely worried. I’ve been telling them that the disease is controllable and curable. In fact, I haven’t felt as much pain this time as I had in Africa before when I was stricken with malaria or typhoid. Believe me, the best doctor for you is yourself, and the best medicine your smile.”

Although he still has to stay in his own dormitory for self-isolation after he left the hospital, Pavel feels relieved.  “We all love China deeply and always have firm faith in the Chinese government. Let’s stay patient and optimistic and work together in the same spirit! At the end of the day, the epidemic will be defeated!”

 Source: People’s Daily

4 UN officials raise alarm over escalating violence in Southern Cameroons

23, February 2020

4 UN officials raise alarm over escalating violence in Southern Cameroons 0

Four senior UN officials issued a joint statement on Friday deploring the continued human rights abuses committed against civilians, including women and children, in the south-west and north-west regions of Cameroon.

“We are deeply concerned about reports of violence, including the 14 February attack on Ngarbuh village in the Northwest region that left 23 civilians dead, including 15 children”, they said.

The UN officials sounding the alarm were: Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba; Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten; Special Representative on Violence against Children Najat Maalla M’jid; and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng,

They deplored reports of continued attacks against civilians, including extra-judicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrests and destruction of property, as well as retaliatory attacks, rape and other forms of sexual violence that disproportionately affect women and children in the north- and south-west regions of the country that are forcing many to flee their homes.

“Children continue to be particularly affected by the crisis”, they lamented.

Citing reports of school attacks and extensive closures in the affected regions, they said that “thousands of children out of school”.

The senior UN officials added that information received on the recruitment and use of children by armed actors and their detention for actual or alleged association with armed actors “raise further protection concerns.”

Moreover, hundreds of thousands of people are reported to have been displaced in the affected regions, with a lack of security further exacerbating the plight of marginalized and vulnerable groups.

“It is urgent to prevent further violence and to protect all women, girls, boys and men from grave violations of international humanitarian and human rights law”, they continued.

“Severely constrained humanitarian access and limited resources for service-providers has reduced the availability of sexual and reproductive healthcare for women, including urgent treatment for survivors of sexual violence”.

Government call

The four senior officials called on the Cameroonian Government to discharge its primary responsibility in protecting the population by addressing the root causes of violence and ensuring that victims of the attacks are provided with protection and the appropriate assistance.

They further called on the authorities to fully investigate and hold accountable those responsible for the serious violations and abuses that have been committed.

“We urge the Government of Cameroon to ensure full respect for human rights, including the rights of women and children, and to ensure that the humanitarian needs of civilians are met”, the UN officials said.

In closing, they reminded the Government that “children associated with armed groups should be considered primarily as victims and their detention used only as a last resort and for the shortest period of time”.

“We also emphasize that all forms of sexual violence are categorically prohibited under international humanitarian and human rights law”, the four UN officials concluded.

They offered UN support and assistance to the Cameroon authorities to address the situation and improve protection and service-delivery for civilians in affected areas, and for those who have been forcibly displaced.

Source: News.un

Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations urges UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres to convene an emergency Security Council meeting to directly address the Ambazonia conflict

23, February 2020

Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations urges UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres to convene an emergency Security Council meeting to directly address the Ambazonia conflict 0

The “Valentine’s Day Massacre” of pregnant women, babies, young children and elderly Southern Cameroonians by the Cameroon military in Ngarbuh is the most blatant demonstration yet of crimes against humanity and genocide against Southern Cameroonians, as noted by some. Per eye witness reports, soldiers visited the village in the early hours of Valentine’s Day and proceeded to sequentially slaughter citizens, burning down their homes and burning some alive. By the end of this massacre at least 35 people were confirmed dead including, as confirmed by the United Nations, 15 children and two heavily pregnant women.

The Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiation (CDN) joins the rest of the world in strongly condemning these horrendous and barbaric acts, which unfortunately is not the first of its kind by the army of the Government of Cameroon. While this massacre, like the previous ones, has received worldwide condemnation and the sympathy of the international community, the Coalition strongly believes it’s time for world leaders to take concrete actions to end this armed conflict and prevent further degeneration of an already dire humanitarian situation.

The Coalition strongly urges the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Antonio Gutteres, to convene an emergency Security Council meeting to directly address the root causes of this conflict. The Coalition also urges the governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, the German Federation, Canada, France and most especially the African Union, to take a more proactive role in seeking a permanent negotiated solution that addresses the root causes of this armed conflict.

The Coalition reiterates its stance for an inclusive third-party mediated negotiation that addresses the root causes of the conflict, as the only sustainable means of resolving the Southern Cameroons conflict. As such, the Coalition believes that the International Conference on the Armed Conflict in the Southern Cameroons, scheduled for March 19-21, 2020 in Washington DC would constitute a step in the right direction. 

About the Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations

The Coalition for Dialogue and Negotiations (CDN) is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) with the specific goal of facilitating dialogue and negotiations towards ending the war in Southern Cameroons. CDN is made of professionals from all works of life and over 20 partner organizations worldwide advocating for an end to the war. CDN members work with its partners to strengthen international involvement in resolving the conflict and building durable peace in the conflict affected territories.

Boxing: Fury batters Wilder in TKO triumph in WBC heavyweight title rematch

23, February 2020

Boxing: Fury batters Wilder in TKO triumph in WBC heavyweight title rematch 0

Tyson Fury reigns again as a heavyweight world champion after battering Deontay Wilder on the way to a stunning seventh-round stoppage in their World Boxing Council title rematch.

Fourteen months after their dramatic split-decision draw, Britain’s Fury dominated the American champion — who had blood streaming from his left ear and leaking from his mouth when referee Kenny Bayless called a halt at the behest of Wilder’s corner.

“The king has returned to the top of the throne,” said Fury, who had dropped Wilder in the third and fifth rounds as he remained unbeaten — and handed Wilder the first defeat of his career.

The self-styled “Gypsy King” from northern England — who was borne to the ring on a golden throne — had put on a boxing masterclass in their first fight, but he was clearly ready to brawl from the opening bell on Saturday.

A massive right from Fury knocked down Wilder in the third and Wilder struggled to regain his legs — although when he went down again moments later it was ruled a slip.

A left to the body had Wilder down again in the fifth, and Fury was raining blows on Wilder when Bayless called a halt at 1:39 of the seventh round after Wilder’s corner threw in the towel.

Wilder, 34, suffered his first defeat in 44 fights, falling to 42-1 with 1 drawn and 41 knockouts.

The “Bronze Bomber” was unable to surpass Muhammad Ali’s record of 10 successful heavyweight title defenses.

“I just want to say a big shout out Deontay Wilder,” said Fury, who improved his own unbeaten record to 30-0 with one drawn and 21 knockouts. “He manned up. he really did show heart of a champion.

“I hit him with a clean right hand and dropped him, and he got back up and battled on into round seven.

“He is a warrior, he will be back, he will be champion again.”

As a pro-Fury crowd at the MGM Grand cheered, Wilder briefly protested the stoppage.

– ‘A warrior’ –

“I just wish that my corner would have let me went out on my shield,” he said. “I’m a warrior.”

Wilder had knocked Fury down twice in their first fight in Los Angeles — the Briton miraculously climbing off the canvas in the 12th round to hang on for a share of the spoils.

With new trainer Javan “Sugarhill” Steward in his corner, and with more than 16 additional pounds on his 273-pound frame, Fury was on the attack early, backing Wilder up with his jab and landing several hard shots in the opening round.

He didn’t produce the second-round knockout he’d predicted, but he was clearly in control.

The fight, the biggest heavyweight collision since Lennox Lewis bludgeoned Mike Tyson into submission on the banks of the Mississippi River in 2002, drew a star-studded crowd.

Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes was ringside, so were Mark Davis, owner of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders and Raiders coach John Gruden.

Retired NBA greats Magic Johnson and Jerry West were on hand, as was current Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green.

With the rematch in the books, fight fans will be hoping to see Fury take on compatriot Anthony Joshua — holder of the IBF, WBA and WBO belts — in a heavyweight unification bout.

Source: AFP

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