Southern Cameroons Crisis: Vice President Yerima calls for an end to infighting

24, January 2020

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Vice President Yerima calls for an end to infighting 0

Southern Cameroonians both in the diaspora and in Ground Zero remain skeptical despite plea for armed Ambazonia groups to halt violence Dabney Yerima, the Ambazonia Vice President, issued his strongest call for an end to infighting among restoration forces, saying only unity could lead to the dream of an Ambazonia state.

Faced with unprecedented international pressure coming from reports made public by the much respected Human Rights Watch and almost total diplomatic isolation, Dabney Yerima said in a statement issued in Geneva yesterday that Southern Cameroonians in the diaspora should pressure leaders of the various armed groups in Ground Zero to follow the directives of the Interim Government.

Dabney Yerima warned militant groups of severe consequences if they continued their attacks on other Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces, which he said, were used by the Biya Francophone regime to defend a brutal and unjust war on Ambazonians.

“I am again making this call to all front line Southern Cameroons leaders in Europe and the USA to completely halt all activities, especially attacks against our own people which we have condemned and always condemned,” said Comrade Yerima.

It is not the first time Vice President Dabney Yerima has called for unity during this struggle, but his recent Geneva plea was the most forthright. It was issued amid reports that clashes between Southern Cameroons groups have killed at least six fighters, with one of the groups allegedly abducting close to 40 fighters of another camp.  Some of the so-called leaders reportedly blamed the clashes on infiltration by Cameroon’s military.  But the military says the clashes are an internal rivalry for power among the Ambazonia groups.

Amid the infighting, Francophone soldiers now roam freely through Southern Cameroons territories, picking up wanted men, shooting innocent women and children and burning up houses. The army killed more than 35 Southern Cameroonians in raids on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Southern Cameroons European think tank reacted skeptically to Vice President Dabney Yerima’s call for unity, saying it wanted action, not words. The leaders of the dysfunctional extremist groups responsible for the infighting and chaos in Ground Zero said the attacks would continue.

The Vice President who avoided a Cameroon Concord News question in Geneva opined that all restoration forces should only respond to French Cameroun occupation, the humiliations and the killing of Ambazonia women and children. “No Ambazonia leader should tolerate these massacres” he concluded.

By Chi Prudence Asong in Geneva, Switzerland

Ambazonia infighting: Vice President Yerima considers ways of ending the chaos

24, January 2020

Ambazonia infighting: Vice President Yerima considers ways of ending the chaos 0

Adopting a distinctly more cautious line like the Southern Cameroons leader President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, Vice President Dabney Yerima said during this week’s Interim Government briefing that he was discussing ways to ending the chaos with regard to the infighting in Ground Zero. But he did not say he would move against armed Ambazonia groups combating the French Cameroun army as demanded by a majority of Southern Cameroonians both at home and in Ground Zero.

Vice President Dabney Yerima, who during the presentation late on Thursday was very weary of being perceived as a weak leader by his people, noted that more consultations were needed on ending the confusion that is reigning presently in Ambaland, in the Ambazonia Interim Government and in the Southern Cameroonian mentality . . . including the chaos in using, distributing and storing weapons by Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces.

Comrade Dabney Yerima made his comments in Geneva, Switzerland where he met members of the Southern Cameroons European think tank.  Vice President Yerima shied away from a Cameroon Concord News question seeking to know why some Ambazonia groups turned down offers to join the Southern Cameroons Interim Government even after the disgraced Samuel Ikome Sako and Chris Anu have all been replaced.

Dabney Yerima told an audience in Geneva that the people of Ambazonia and the Interim Government were all committed to reaching a ceasefire with French Cameroun. But he said this was conditional on international guarantees to ensure that French Cameroun withdraws its troops from Southern Cameroons and stop arming pro Yaounde militias in Ambazonia.

There are growing reports that the infighting may mark the beginning of the end to the Southern Cameroons quest for an independent state as many Ambazonians are losing faith in the struggle.

By Asu Isong in London with additional reporting from Chi Prudence Asong

Premier League: Liverpool extends lead to 16 points

24, January 2020

Premier League: Liverpool extends lead to 16 points 0

Liverpool have stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League standings to a colossal 16 points with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Wolves.

It was the Premier League leaders who struck first and it only took 8 minutes as Jordan Henderson arrived to meet Trent Alexander-Arnold’s delivery from a corner. However, that lead was canceled out in the 58th minute when Raul Jimenez finished off a devastating counterattack with a powerful header.

Wolves seemed to be heading for a deserved point until the Merseyside Reds found a way through, as they somehow always do. Roberto Firmino secured the win for his team as he cut inside in the box before lashing the ball into the far corner with only six minutes to go.

Source: Presstv

US: Parties in Trump impeachment trial clash over relevance of the Bidens’ Ukraine dealings

24, January 2020

US: Parties in Trump impeachment trial clash over relevance of the Bidens’ Ukraine dealings 0

Democrats worked methodically at U.S. President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial on Thursday to dismantle his long-standing allegation that Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden acted improperly toward Ukraine while vice president.

On the second day of their arguments for Trump’s removal from office, Democratic House of Representatives members argued that Biden did nothing wrong and was only carrying out official U.S. policy when he pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor, Victor Shokin, because of corruption concerns.

Trump and his allies maintain that Biden wanted Shokin out in order to head off an investigation into a natural gas company, Burisma, where his son Hunter served as a director. Democrats said no evidence supported that allegation.

House managers spent Thursday focusing on the charge that Trump abused his office by pressing Ukraine to investigate the Bidens purely for political gain.

They argued that Trump pushed the Ukrainian government to probe Biden and his son because he was worried about facing the former vice president in November’s election. Biden is the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination.

“If we allow this gross abuse of power to continue, this president would have free rein – free rein – to abuse his control of U.S. foreign policy for personal interest, and so would any other future president,” U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia said on the Senate floor. “And then this president, and all presidents, become above the law.”

Democrats contend senators should convict Trump on two charges brought by the Democratic-led House – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

But the Senate, which is controlled by Trump’s fellow Republicans, remains unlikely to do so. A two-thirds majority is needed to remove him from office.

The U.S. Constitution sets out the impeachment process for removing a president who commits “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Trump’s legal team has argued that the House charges were invalid because impeachable offenses must represent a specific violation of criminal law.

Trump condemned the proceedings as “unfair & corrupt” in a Twitter post on Thursday.

The charges against Trump arise from his request in a July 25 phone call last year that Ukraine investigate Biden on unsubstantiated corruption allegations and the president’s actions to impede a House inquiry into the matter.

Trump also asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate a discredited theory beneficial to Russia that Ukraine worked with Democrats to hurt Trump in the 2016 U.S. election. Trump temporarily withheld $391 million in U.S. military aid to Ukraine, which Democrats say was leverage for his demands.

‘Opened the door’

Trump’s lawyers quickly argued that by bringing up the Bidens, Democrats had made their conduct a relevant subject for the rest of the trial.

“They opened the door. They opened the door and it’s now relevant,” Jay Sekulow, a personal lawyer for the president and a member of his defense team, told reporters at the Capitol. “So we will address the appropriate issues as defense lawyers would.”

Added Republican Senator Ted Cruz: “Hunter Biden is not only relevant, he is now critical.”

But Sekulow said Trump’s team was not yet focused on whether new witnesses will be called, a matter the Senate will take up after senators have a chance to submit questions to both sides next week.

Trump’s lawyers are likely to begin their defense of the president on Saturday, after House Democrats finish their opening arguments.

Democratic Representative Adam Schiff said House managers on Friday would focus on the charge that Trump unlawfully obstructed Congress by keeping key administration officials from testifying and by refusing requests for documents.

As the arguments again went deep into the evening, Republican senators continued to complain the House presentation had become repetitive and that they were looking forward to the president’s defense.

Democrats countered by saying Republicans had blocked their attempts to bring new evidence to light through additional witnesses and documents.

Signs emerged on the second day of arguments that the Democratic case was losing some of the public’s attention. There were empty seats in the gallery overlooking the Senate floor.

Television ratings were down. About 8.9 million viewers watched the first day of arguments on Wednesday, falling short of the roughly 11 million who watched on Tuesday, according to Nielsen ratings data.

Senators also showed increasing signs of restlessness, with many wandering to the rear of the chamber where they could make phone calls and check their smartphones.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Garcia poured cold water on a conspiracy theory offered by some Trump defenders that Ukraine, not Russia, had interfered in the 2016 U.S. election.

“If this sounds far-fetched and crazy, it should, because it is,” the lawmaker said.

U.S. intelligence agencies and former Special Counsel Robert Mueller concluded that Russia used a campaign of hacking and social media propaganda to interfere in the election to sow discord in the United States and boost Trump’s candidacy against Democrat Hillary Clinton. Moscow has denied meddling in the election.

The Democrats displayed a November quote from Russian President Vladimir Putin saying: “Thank God nobody is accusing us anymore of interfering in the U.S. elections. Now they’re accusing Ukraine.”

(REUTERS)

Putin calls for summit of key UN Security Council members

23, January 2020

Putin calls for summit of key UN Security Council members 0

Russian President Vladimir Putin called Thursday for a summit of leaders of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, to “defend peace” in the face of global instability.

His call came as Russia promotes itself as a global powerbroker, playing a decisive role in crises in the Middle East, Libya and Ukraine.

Putin said the leaders of Russia, China, the United States, France and Britain could meet “in any place in the world”.

Speaking in Jerusalem at an event marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Putin argued that the countries that created a new global order after World War II should cooperate to solve today’s problems.

“The founder countries of the United Nations, the five states that hold special responsibility to save civilisation, can and must be an example,” he said at the sombre memorial ceremony.

The meeting would “play a great role in searching for collective answers to modern challenges and threats,” Putin said, adding that Russia was “ready for such a serious conversation.”

Putin suggested war-torn Libya could be on the agenda, following recent peace talks in Moscow and Berlin.

– ‘Positive reaction’ –

Putin said Moscow had proposed the summit to “several of our colleagues and as far as I understand, saw a positive reaction”.

Russia has increasingly close ties with China, whose President Xi Jinping last year called Putin his “best friend”, while French President Emmanuel Macron has made a point of cultivating Russia.

While relations between the US and Russia have plunged to post-Cold War lows, President Donald Trump has praised Putin. The Russian leader has also criticised moves to impeach his counterpart.

There are varying accounts of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s first official meeting with Putin, on the sidelines of Libya talks in Berlin at the weekend.

Downing Street said Johnson delivered a stern warning that Russia must never repeat its chemical attack on British soil against former double agent Sergei Skripal, but the Kremlin said the talks were constructive, even conciliatory in tone.

– ‘Frightening consequences’ –

Putin was one of dozens of world leaders in Jerusalem to mark the liberation 75 years ago of the World War II death camp where the Nazis killed more than 1.1 million people, most of them Jews.

Soviet troops liberated the death camp.

Russia will hold large-scale celebrations in May to mark 75 years since the allied victory in World War II, with numerous world leaders invited.

“Forgetting the past, and disunity in the face of threats, can lead to frightening consequences,” Putin said.

Countries must “do everything to protect and defend peace,” he added.

Putin’s proposal comes despite Russia being expelled from the G8 group of industrialised countries after seizing Crimea from neighbouring Ukraine in 2014.

Russia is also subject to numerous European and US sanctions because of the conflict in Ukraine.

Moscow denies accusations by Kiev and its Western allies that it provides weapons to separatists fighting in the east.

Source: AFP

Ambazonia chaos deepens as rebels, Restoration Forces fight

23, January 2020

Ambazonia chaos deepens as rebels, Restoration Forces fight 0

Clashes between separatist groups in Cameroon have killed at least six fighters, with one of the groups allegedly abducting close to 40 rebels of another camp.  Separatist leaders have blamed the clashes on infiltration by Cameroon’s military.  But the military says the clashes are an internal rivalry for power among the separatist groups.

Cameroonian rebel leader Chacha posted a video clip on social media Sunday calling for all separatists to unite under his Southern Cameroon Restoration Forces after clashes between rebel groups.

In the video, Chacha is dressed in a red suit, with a long black cross on the back, and standing with four supporters — all armed with rifles.

He says if anybody attempts to betray their struggle to gain independence, he Chacha will kill such a traitor as he is killing Cameroon soldiers that have been sent by President Biya to eliminate true separatist fighters.

Cameroon’s military says the self-proclaimed general posted the video after he killed several members of competing rebel groups.

Chacha admitted to killing other separatists.  Villagers on Saturday found six bodies in Meluf village, in northwestern Cameroon.

Local media and the Catholic Church in Cameroon report that Chacha has abducted close to 40 rebel fighters who he accused of helping the military.

Tapang Ivo Tanku is the U.S.-based spokesperson of the Anglophone Defense Forces (ADF), another Cameroon rebel group.  Speaking via a messaging app, he said the abducted and killed fighters were ADF.

Tanku said the clashes between rebel groups fighting to separate the English-speaking regions from the rest of French-speaking Cameroon played into the hands of the military.

“Our soldiers who were killed were initially kidnapped by Chacha and Chacha went on to kill them.  So, it is a war crime and it is strictly a crime against humanity and the violation of the Geneva conventions.  And this is exactly what the regime of neighboring Cameroon wants to see in Ambazonia.  It violates the Geneva conventions for the respect of prisoners or war,” he said.

Separatists have been fighting to establish a state they call “Ambazonia” since 2016.  Tanku accused Cameroon’s military of infiltrating rebel groups to instigate the separatists’ infighting.

But the military says the clashes represent a rivalry for power among the separatist groups. Brigadier General Valere Nka is commander of Cameroon’s military forces fighting against the separatists.

“I want to issue a strong warning to the so-called generals, the fake generals, Chacha, Tiger, Field Marshal and all the rest,” he said. “We already know their hideouts, their whereabouts.  We are going to step up military operations and, if they do not lay down their weapons, we are going to strike and crush them.”

Clashes between Cameroon’s rebel groups have intensified in the past two months, with a number of attacks reported in the northwest and southwest.

The Bamenda Center for Conflict Resolution’s Innocent Fomo says the infighting may mark the beginning of the end to the separatist conflict.  He says many people in the two regions are losing faith in the struggle for independence.

“The whole issue now is very confusing,” he said. “They say they are fighting for the Anglophones.  And now, they are fighting themselves and even the Anglophones.  It is terrible.  A lot of people are fleeing from the [English-speaking] regions because of the kidnappings and asking for ransom and there are the Amba[zonian] fighters kidnapping the people.”

Since December, several villages in Cameroon’s Anglophone west have launched assaults on rebel camps over attacks on civilians and looting villages.   The angry villagers say they do not know who to trust, as they say the military commits similar crimes against them.   The separatist conflict has killed about 3,000 people, many of them villagers caught up in the fighting.

Culled from the VOA

Mali: At least six soldiers killed in overnight ambush

23, January 2020

Mali: At least six soldiers killed in overnight ambush 0

At least six soldiers have been killed and several wounded in an overnight attack in central Mali, the army says, in fresh violence in the war-torn West African state.

The troops came under fire late Wednesday from “unidentified armed men” in Dioungani, an area in central Mali’s volatile Mopti region near the border with Burkina Faso, the army said on Twitter. 

A security official who declined to be named said that, in an assault lasting several hours, the attackers overwhelmed the soldiers’ position before reinforcements took it back. 

Local authorities and inhabitants have blamed the attack on militants. 

The army gave a “provisional toll” of six dead and several wounded, without giving further details. 

Two soldiers killed in roadside bomb attack in central Mali

The security official, however, said seven soldiers had been killed.

Mali has been struggling to contain a militant insurgency that erupted in the north in 2012 and has claimed thousands of military and civilian lives since. 

Despite some 4,500 French troops in the Sahel region, plus a 13,000-strong UN peacekeeping force in Mali, the conflict has engulfed the center of the country and spread to neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger.

Local Malian troops are frequently attacked. On Tuesday, two soldiers were killed in the Mopti region when their convoy hit a roadside bomb.

On January 13, French President Emmanuel Macron and the leaders of Sahel states agreed to focus their military efforts on the border region between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. 

(Source: AFP) 

Southern Cameroons War: Muyuka CPDM councillor bows to Interim Gov’t pressure, pulls out of February elections

23, January 2020

Southern Cameroons War: Muyuka CPDM councillor bows to Interim Gov’t pressure, pulls out of February elections 0

Barrister Ndille Ngwese Joseph, a prominent councilor in the Muyuka municipality has reportedly pulled out of the February 9, 2020 elections citing threats from Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces.

The ruling CPDM militant made his decision not to participate in the so-called twin poll during a conversation with the Buea based HiTV, Cameroon Info.Net reported.

The Ambazonia Interim Government banned all French Cameroun teleguided elections in the Southern Cameroons territory and Vice President Dabney Yerima ordered a lockdown in a televise address to the people of Ambazonia.

Councillor Ndille Ngwese said: “I think the benefits of becoming a councillor and the benefits of what I have acquired throughout my life – my family and my property far outweighs. I think I prefer staying, not being a councillor, than to lose my properties. Because the amount of threats I have, I can’t bear them.

“And I think it is good and time enough for me to say I cannot continue to allow my name to be on that list as a councillor. So, I better drop. I think if I want to be a politician anymore, might be I will give some time. Not now, at this time when my life and my properties are at stake.”

Ndille Ngwese revealed that his letter of resignation has been sent to the Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development. Ndille Ngwese is former YCPDM Section President for Fako II, Muyuka.

By Rita Akana with files from CIN

Yaounde to receive the sixth US$76.1 million disbursement from the IMF

23, January 2020

Yaounde to receive the sixth US$76.1 million disbursement from the IMF 0

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today completed the fifth review of the arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) for Cameroon. The completion of the review enables the disbursement of SDR55.2 million (about US$76.1 million), bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to SDR427.8 million (about US$590 million).

The Executive Board also approved the authorities’ request for a waiver of nonobservance of the continuous performance criteria on the non-accumulation of new external payments arrears, based on the corrective actions taken by the authorities.

Cameroon’s three-year arrangement was approved on June 26, 2017 for SDR 483 million (about US$666.1 million, or 175 percent of Cameroon’s quota— The arrangement aims at supporting the country’s efforts to restore external and fiscal sustainability and to lay the foundations for a more sustainable, inclusive and private sector-led growth.

Following the Executive Board discussion, Mr. Mitsuhiro Furusawa, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, made the following statement:

“Cameroon’s performance under the ECF-supported program has been mixed. All end-June 2019 performance criteria have been met but four out of the five indicative targets for end-June were missed. Structural reforms are advancing but with delays.

“Cameroon is supporting the CEMAC’s regional external and financial stability through fiscal consolidation and enforcement of foreign exchange regulations. It will be important to also fully align the new Petroleum Code with the BEAC’s foreign exchange regulation.

“Staying the course on fiscal consolidation is essential for building fiscal and external buffers. The authorities are encouraged to broaden the non-oil revenue base, reduce discretionary tax exemptions, combat tax fraud and evasion, and enhance tax and customs administration. Completion of the Treasury Single Account reform and reduced recourse to direct interventions and exceptional spending procedures will help improve cash management and budget execution and strengthen fiscal transparency and budget credibility.

“Urgently addressing financial and fiscal risks associated with the National Oil Refinery (SONARA) is critical. SONARA’s corporate restructuring should be based on a thorough cost-benefit analysis of all available options. The planned audits of four large state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and the clearance of government cross-debts with state-owned enterprises and of government arrears will help mitigate contingent risks.

“Cameroon is at high risk of debt distress. To safeguard debt sustainability, it is important to strictly adhere to the disbursement plan for contracted-but-undisbursed loans and to limit nonconcessional borrowing to macrocritical projects for which concessional financing is not available.

“Enhancing the business climate and governance is key to promoting private sector-led and inclusive growth. Bold actions must be taken to strengthen contract enforcement, improve compliance with the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) recommendations and AML/CFT standards, reduce nonperforming loans, and resolve ailing banks. Further steps to diversify the export base and enhance investment efficiency remain essential to unlock Cameroon’s growth potential.

“Cameroon’s program continues to be supported by policies and reforms by the regional institutions in the areas of foreign exchange regulation and monetary policy and a recovery in regional net foreign assets that is critical to the program’s success.”

IMF Communications Department
Biya regime claims US contribution to Gulf of Guinea Maritime Security broadens military cooperation with Cameroon

23, January 2020

Biya regime claims US contribution to Gulf of Guinea Maritime Security broadens military cooperation with Cameroon 0

Starting in January 2020, the United States began its one-year secretariat of the G7++ Friends of Gulf of Guinea Group, with Gabon serving as co-secretariat.  This group coordinates the support of international partners for the maritime security standards agreed upon by West and Central African heads of state at a summit in Yaoundé in 2013.  The G7++ Friends of Gulf of Guinea Group helps secure the Gulf of Guinea against the threats of piracy, armed robbery, and other illicit maritime activities.  By creating the conditions for improved maritime security, this group fosters prosperity and economic growth for all countries along the Gulf of Guinea.

This is only the latest example of U.S. partnership for the security and stability of Cameroon and the subregion.  The United States has made significant contributions to Cameroon’s maritime security.  In 2016, the United States funded the creation of six maritime operations centers in Limbe, Douala, and Kribi that enable naval operations at sea, and we will continue to provide maintenance and training for these centers this year.  Through 2017, the United States provided several Defender class rigid hull boats to the Cameroonian military for maritime patrols.  One of the Defender boats was used in the August 2019 rescue of over 100 shipwreck victims after a boat coming from Nigeria capsized near Limbe.  In 2020, the Cameroonian Navy plans to purchase two 110-foot American patrol boats to greater extend its ability to patrol Cameroon’s economic exclusion zone.

Over the years, the U.S. has provided significant security assistance to Cameroon to achieve our mutual goals in maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, countering violent extremism in the North, and supporting regional security initiatives.  Our partnership remains strong.  While we continue to aid Cameroon in its fight against Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa, our role is changing as the threat from these groups evolves and the coordination and capabilities of Cameroon and regional partners mature.  We are proud to support Cameroon and the Gulf of Guinea region this year in our role leading the G7++ Friends of Gulf of Guinea Group.

Source:hstoday.us

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