2, February 2025

Canada and Mexico hit back as Trump tariffs trigger trade war between allies ⁰

US President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an order to impose stiff tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada and China, drawing swift retaliation and an undeniable sense of betrayal from the country’s North American neighbors as a trade war erupted among the longtime allies.

The Republican president posted on social media that the tariffs were necessary “to protect Americans,” pressing the three nations to do more to curb the manufacture and export of illicit fentanyl and for Canada and Mexico to reduce illegal immigration into the US.

The tariffs, if sustained, could cause inflation to significantly worsen, threatening the trust that many voters placed in Trump to lower the prices of groceries, gasoline, housing, autos and other goods as he promised. They also risked throwing the global economy and Trump’s political mandate into turmoil just two weeks into his second term.

Trump declared an economic emergency in order to place duties of 10% on all imports from China and 25% on imports from Mexico and Canada. Energy imported from Canada, including oil, natural gas and electricity, would be taxed at a 10% rate. Trump’s order includes a mechanism to escalate the rates charged by the US against retaliation by the other countries, raising the specter of an even more severe economic disruption.

“The actions taken today by the White House split us apart instead of bringing us together,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a somber tone as he announced that his country would put matching 25% tariffs on up to $155 billion in US imports, including alcohol and fruit.

He channeled the betrayal that many Canadians are feeling, reminding Americans that Canadian troops fought alongside them in Afghanistan and helped respond to myriad crises from wildfires in California to Hurricane Katrina.

“We were always there standing with you, grieving with you, the American people,” he said.

Mexico’s president also ordered retaliatory tariffs. China did not immediately respond to Trump’s action.

“We categorically reject the White House’s slander that the Mexican government has alliances with criminal organizations, as well as any intention of meddling in our territory,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote in a post on X while saying she had instructed her economy secretary to implement a response that includes retaliatory tariffs and other measures in defense of Mexico’s interests.

“If the United States government and its agencies wanted to address the serious fentanyl consumption in their country, they could fight the sale of drugs on the streets of their major cities, which they don’t do and the laundering of money that this illegal activity generates that has done so much harm to its population.”

Source: France 24

31, January 2025

Justice Minister Laurent Esso is being treated for cancer in India ⁰

Cameroon Intelligence Report sources deep inside the Unity Palace believe the Minister of Justice Laurent Esso is being treated for cancer in India.

Laurent Esso is in very ill-health and is receiving treatment for cancer, according to three of our Etoudi informants.

“Esso is very sick… and he’s going to die soon,” an aide from the office of the Minister-Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic told Cameroon Intelligence Report.

Additional sources from the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court of Cameroon also claimed to have access to a comprehensive assessment of Minister Laurent Esso’s health.

Cameroon Intelligence Report assessments also suggest that Esso’s family took the India option because it is cheaper after the presidency blatantly refused him an air ambulance to France.

One of our top informants in the nation’s capital Yaoundé said Laurent Esso’s power like his boss President Biya is strong but no longer absolute.

“The nasty treatment dished out to Laurent Esso at the Nsimalen International Airport is an indication that the end is near for the Biya regime” our source furthered.

Minister Laurent Esso’s health has been under close scrutiny after months of speculation that the Biya acolyte has been refused permission to seek treatment abroad.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

30, January 2025

Minister Laurent Esso humiliated before medical evacuation to India ⁰

According to Cameroon Intelligence Report correspondent in Yaoundé who observed the drama that unfolded before the evacuation of the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Laurent Esso was depressed at the shabby treatment meted on him and virtually broke down at the Nsimalen International airport.

Esso’s prolonged evacuation to India for medical treatment was a saga of humiliation during which a low-ranking police officer reportedly carried him on his back into the plane and he was jeered by some airport workers, according to CIR’s Rita Akana, who watched the Justice Minister as he arrived the airport from his Yaoundé residence.

Giving a detailed account of Laurent Esso’s journey from Yaoundé to India, Rita Akana said that the Justice Minister was treated with total contempt at the Nsimalen International airport.

Minister Esso was rushed into the airport in an old ambulance and shifted to the plane on a police officer’s back. As the officer started running towards the plane, security agents at the airport started laughing and making a mockery of him.

Laurent Esso has always been very confident that he has the support of the docile Sawa people and that of President Paul Biya; however, he suffered the biggest humiliation of his life when an airport official told him in the presence of his wife that he could only hang on an officer’s back to get into the plane.

His wife could not hold back her tears when she saw her husband being humiliated by state security agents. She was heard murmuring privately in a passionate voice “ooh le Cameroun! Oh mon pays”. But her emotional cry fell on deaf ears.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files

30, January 2025

Another Yaoundé container crash kills two ⁰

A tragic accident occurred on January 29, 2025, at Carrefour Meec, in Yaoundé’s 6th district, when a poorly secured shipping container detached from a truck and crushed a taxi carrying four people, including the driver. According to preliminary but unofficial reports, two passengers lost their lives in the incident.

Images circulating on social media show the taxi completely crushed under the weight of the container. Firefighters used specialized equipment to lift the container and recover the victims’ bodies, which were trapped inside the vehicle.

This accident comes just three months after a similar tragedy in Mimboman, on October 17, 2024, when another fallen container killed three people and seriously injured nine others, according to official figures. In response, the Governor of the Centre Region, Naseri Paul Bea, issued a decree banning heavy trucks—including trailers, fuel tankers, and timber transporters—from using the Mimboman-Don Bosco-Ngousso road until further notice.

The circulation of heavy-duty trucks, often linked to fatal accidents, remains a major challenge for authorities. Despite restrictions, enforcement has been weak. In light of the rising number of freight transport-related accidents, Transport Minister Jean Ernest Masséna Ngalle Bibehe has ordered the installation of a centralized tracking system in all trucks carrying goods or hazardous materials. Initially, transport operators were required to comply by December 31, 2024, but following requests from unions, the deadline was extended by three months, until March 31, 2025.

Source: Sbbc

30, January 2025

Yaoundé: New MTN Cameroon CEO meets industry leaders ⁰

Wanda Matandela, MTN Cameroon’s new CEO, began his first visit to the West African country this week, joined by a delegation led by outgoing CEO Mitwa Kaemba Ng’ambi.

During this introductory tour, the MTN Cameroon delegation engaged with esteemed government officials including Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute, technical advisor of Cameroon, Jean-Claude Ayem Mauger.

The group also met with the minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Minette LIBOM LI LIKENG, director general of the Telecommunications Regulatory Board, and Professor Philemeon Zoo Zame, director general of the National Agency for Information and Communication Technologies.

The meetings gave Ng’ambi the opportunity to formally introduce her successor to senior executives and say goodbye.

Ng’ambi will begin her new post as CEO of MTN Côte d’Ivoire on March 1, 2025, the same day Matandela takes over as CEO of MTN Cameroon.

Matandela was MTN SA’s Chief Commercial Operations Officer until his current appointment.

He is a seasoned business executive with extensive expertise in ICT, financial services, and entertainment industries.

The telco executive has a BCom Accounting degree, a Masters in Information Systems from Wits, an MBA from Stellenbosch, and a Certificate in Leadership from IMD, Switzerland.

Source: iTweb Africa

29, January 2025

Anglophone Cameroon has the shortest paved road network in the Country ⁰

Data from the Ministry of Public Works reveals that the Northwest region of Cameroon has the smallest paved road network in the country. It consists of 238 km of national roads, 106 km of regional roads, and 157 km of municipal roads, totalling 501 km of paved roads for a land area of 17,300 square kilometres.

The Southwest region fares similarly, with a total area of 25,000 square kilometres and 647 km of paved roads – 471 km of national roads, 33 km of regional roads, and 143 km of municipal roads.

In contrast, the neighbouring West region, which covers 13,892 square kilometres, has a total of 1,080 km of paved roads, including 338 km of national roads, 328 km of regional roads, and 404 km of municipal roads.

The Centre region boasts the most extensive paved road network, spanning 2,273 km, with 1,231 km of national roads, 447 km of regional roads, and 595 km of municipal roads. The Littoral region ranks second with 1,112 km of paved roads.

The East region, the largest in the country with an area of 109,000 square kilometres, has a paved road network of 827 km. Meanwhile, the Far North region has 729 km of paved roads, the North 802 km, Adamawa 803 km, and the South 1,687 km.

Source: Sbbc

29, January 2025

CPDM Crime Syndicate: Customs revenue misses 2024 target ⁰

Cameroon’s Directorate General of Customs (DGD) collected CFA1,055.9 billion in budget revenue by the end of 2024, reaching 96.5% of its revised target of CFA1,094.9 billion. This was revealed in a statement released on January 28, 2025, by the customs administration’s communication department, following the celebration of International Customs Day on January 26.

While revenue increased by CFA33.3 billion compared to the CFA1,022.6 billion collected in 2023, customs still fell CFA39 billion short of its 2024 target. According to the DGD, global geopolitical conflicts were a major factor behind this shortfall, with repeated attacks on ships in the Red Sea disrupting maritime transport and causing costly route diversions that affected cargo deliveries.

Despite these global challenges, Cameroon’s customs revenue has exceeded CFA1 trillion for the second consecutive year. For 2025, the administration has set a new revenue target of CFA1,144 billion.

Source: Business in Cameroon

29, January 2025

US: Pentagon strips Gen Mark Milley of security detail and clearance ⁰

The Pentagon has revoked the security detail and clearance for Gen Mark Milley, a former US general who has been critical of US President Donald Trump.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the move as one of his first acts in office, asking officials to investigate Gen Milley’s “conduct” and review his military grade.

Gen Milley previously served as the top US general during Trump’s first term but later criticised his former boss, and was quoted calling him a “fascist”.

Since returning to office, Trump has revoked security protections for a handful of former officials with whom he has clashed, including former top health official Anthony Fauci.

Trump previously accused Gen Milley of treason for phone calls he held with his Chinese counterpart during the final weeks of his first Trump presidency, including in the wake of a riot at the US Capitol building by Trump’s supporters in 2021.

Gen Milley reportedly used one of the calls to reassure China that the US would not launch a nuclear strike. On social media the president described those calls as “an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!”.

Gen Milley, however, testified the calls were coordinated with other defence secretaries.

It was in Bob Woodward’s book War, published last year, that Gen Milley was quoted calling Trump “fascist to the core” and “the most dangerous person to this country”.

And in 2023, when giving his final speech as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Milley said the military did not take an oath to a “wannabe dictator”. The comment that was seen by many as a reference to Trump, the man who nominated him for the job in the first place.

Ahead of Trump’s return to the White House last week, outgoing President Joe Biden issued Gen Milley – and a handful of others, including Fauci – a pre-emptive pardon in case they faced retribution from Trump.

Biden’s statement said the pardons should “not be mistaken as an acknowledgment” that any of those covered “engaged in any wrongdoing”.

Gen Milley thanked Biden for the move and said he did not want to spend the rest of his life “fighting those who unjustly might seek retribution for perceived slights”.

“I do not want to put my family, my friends, and those with whom I served through the resulting distraction, expense, and anxiety,” he said.

The news that Gen Milley was being stripped of his security detail and security clearance was confirmed in a statement to the BBC’s US partner, CBS News.

The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General has also been told to “conduct an inquiry into the facts and circumstances surrounding Gen Milley’s conduct so that the Secretary may determine whether it is appropriate to reopen his military grade review determination,” the statement said.

Trump’s new administration has also revoked security protections for his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, his former National Security Adviser John Bolton and his former envoy Brian Hook.

In the hours after Trump’s second inauguration, Trump’s officials also removed from the Pentagon a portrait depicting Gen Milley’s as chair of the joint chiefs of staff.

Source: BBC

29, January 2025

UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang to visit India ⁰

The President of the United Nations General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang, will undertake an official visit to India from 4 January to 8 February 2025, at the invitation of the Indian Government. His visit will include stops in New Delhi, the capital, and Bengaluru, often referred to as the Silicon Valley of India.

During his visit, President Yang will aim to strengthen multilateral cooperation with India on key global issues, including international peace and security, as well as the Pact for the Future.

While in India, President Yang will hold bilateral meetings, including a courtesy call on the President of India, H.E. Ms. Droupadi Murmu, and discussions with the country’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar.

His itinerary will also include visits to a public health facility in Gautam Buddha Nagar and several key sites in Bengaluru, including the Infosys campus and the Indian Institute of Science. The President will also visit other important locations in both cities.

Additionally, President Yang will meet with the UN Country Team in India, led by UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Shombi Sharp.

Before arriving in India, President Yang will conclude an official visit to Japan from 31 January to 4 February 2025. In Tokyo, he will meet with Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Shigeru Ishiba, Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Takeshi Iwaya, and JICA President Mr. Akihiko Tanaka. The President will also visit Hiroshima, where he will pay his respects at the cenotaph for the atomic bomb victims and lay a wreath.

H.E. Mr. Philemon Yang was born in the Republic of Cameroon and served as Prime Minister, among other positions, of the Republic of Cameroon. In June 2024, he was elected as the President of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. His term as President of the UN General Assembly runs from September 2024 until September 2025.

Culled from The UN

29, January 2025

North Korean leader vows to continue nuclear program indefinitely ⁰

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed that his country’s nuclear program will continue indefinitely.

Kim warned of an “inevitable” confrontation with hostile nations and said 2025 would be a “crucial year” for bolstering North Korea’s nuclear forces, the KCNA news agency reported Wednesday.

“It is our firm political and military stand and invariable noble task and duty to develop the state’s nuclear counteraction posture indefinitely,” Kim said, according to KCNA.

The announcement came just days after US President Donald Trump expressed his intention to re-engage diplomatically with Pyongyang.

Kim said the aim is increasing Pyongyang’s readiness for what he described as “an inevitable long-term confrontation” with hostile countries.

The remarks come against the backdrop of North Korea’s recent test-firing of strategic guided cruise missiles, marking the country’s first military demonstration since Trump’s inauguration.

Kim addressed “the world’s most unstable situation in which a long-term confrontation with the most vicious hostile countries is inevitable,” and that it was “indispensable for the country to steadily strengthen the nuclear shield”.

North Korea says it is seeking nuclear weapons to counter threats from the United States and its allies, including South Korea.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high, with the North launching a flurry of ballistic missiles last year, prompting the South’s protest.

Source: Presstv