19, January 2019

CAF club clash abandoned at possible Cup of Nations venue ⁰

A CAF Champions League match was abandoned Friday over crowd trouble in an Egyptian stadium likely to be one of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations venues. The Cameroonian referee halted a match between hosts Ismaily and Tunisian opponents Club Africain in stoppage time after sections of the crowd hurled bottles on the pitch.

There had been a number of crowd-related stoppages at the Ismailia Stadium before the premature end to the Group C clash of former champions in which Africain were leading 2-1. Egypt were chosen this month as replacement Cup of Nations hosts after original choice Cameroon fell behind with preparations and there were also security concerns.

While Egyptian football has a history of crowd disturbances, they usually involve one of the two most popular clubs, Al Ahly and Zamalek, who are both based in Cairo. Ismaily, who lost their first group match last weekend, took an early lead when Namibian Benson Shilongo converted a low cross.

But Ghazi Ayadi converted two penalties late in the opening half to turn the game in favour of Club Africain, also matchday 1 losers. The second spot-kick infuriated the crowd as the referee initially awarded a free-kick before altering his decision after consulting with an assistant.

Ismaily supporters became increasingly angry as the second half progressed and an assistant referee had to abandon his position with five minutes left after objects were flung at him. With pleas for calm from the coaching staff of the Egyptian club being ignored, the referee called the match off in additional time.

CS Constantine from Algeria host leaders TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo Saturday in the other Group C fixture.

– Khenissi brace –

A Karim Walid goal on 85 minutes earned record eight-time African champions Al Ahly a 1-1 draw away to group newcomers JS Saoura of Algeria in Bechar. Sid Ali Yahia-Cherif had put the local club ahead just before the hour in the western city near the border with Morocco.

Ahly top Group D with four points, but could be overtaken by Simba SC Saturday if the Tanzanian outfit avoid defeat away to V Club from DR Congo. Taha Yassine Khenissi bagged a brace as defending champions Esperance from Tunisia overcame limited FC Platinum from Zimbabwe 2-0 in Group B in an empty Tunis stadium.

The crowd ban followed trouble during both the semi-finals and final last year, including the stoning of the bus carrying Ahly to the stadium for the second leg of the title decider. Khenissi, a shock nomination for the 2018 African Player of the Year award having failed to score a single CAF goal last year, netted after 24 and 56 minutes.

Orlando Pirates from South Africa lead Esperance on goal difference after a surprisingly comfortable 3-0 victory over Horoya from Guinea in Soweto. Horoya, who held SuperSport United and Mamelodi Sundowns in African group matches near Pretoria during the past two years, were unlucky to only draw with Esperance last weekend.

But the form that enabled them to dominate the trophy-holders was not evident and Zambian Justin Shonga netted twice in the second half after Thembinkosi Lorch opened the scoring. A further four matchday 2 fixtures are scheduled for Saturday with the clash of the 2016 and 2017 champions, Sundowns and Wydad Casablanca from Morocco, near Pretoria the highlight.

AFP

19, January 2019

Douala International Airport embarks on new solar scheme ⁰

A new ground-mounted 1.2MW solar installation at Cameroon’s Douala International Airport has been put into operation to help reduce the CO2 emissions produced by aircraft during ground operations. Aircraft currently use jet fuel based auxiliary power units (APUs) or diesel-driven ground power units (GPUs) to provide pre-conditioned air and electricity to aircraft during ground operations.

Though its new solar installation, Douala Airport will now be eliminating at least 2,575 tonnes of CO2 from over 5,100 flights annually, based on the more than 5.5 million kWh per year it is projected to generate. As a demonstration of its engagement to the project, the Government of Cameroon funded the purchase of airport gate electric equipment to be connected by the newly installed solar park.

Simulation is a key assessment technique in air traffic control used for training programs and for the validation of new concepts. Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, Minister of Transport of Cameroon, said: “With this solar facility at Douala International Airport, Cameroon advances the modernisation of its energy sector by using renewable energy to reduce green-house gases emissions and protect the environment. The Government of Cameroon is determined to continuing the implementation of tangible actions for a more sustainable aviation.”

Jane Hupe, ICAO Deputy Director Environment, said: “Sustainable development and climate change continue to be critical issues for the international community, and this latest commitment by Cameroon is a great example of the concrete actions which can be implemented as part of a broader air transport environmental strategy. ICAO expects to see many other countries replicating these cost effective and emissions reducing solar-at-gate solutions.”

The new “Solar-at-Gate” pilot project is the third such initiative implemented by ICAO, and the second to be realised in Africa following on recent installations in Jamaica and Kenya. The installations are part of a longer-term Capacity Building for CO2 Mitigation from International Aviation assistance programme which ICAO has been carrying out, with funding support from the European Union. It provides direct assistance to 12 African and two Caribbean region States.

Mr. Steven Rault, Chief of Programmes of the EU Delegation in Cameroon, commented: “The construction of the solar photovoltaic system at Douala International Airport shows the results achieved by the ICAO-EU partnership on the environment, in which the authorities of Cameroon have been actively participating. By funding such initiatives, the EU wants to contribute to the sustainable development of the international aviation.”

Source: International airport review

19, January 2019

International Criminal Court grants prosecution request to keep President Gbagbo in custody ⁰

Ivory Coast ex-president Laurent Gbagbo will stay behind bars at least until a fresh appeal hearing on February 1, despite his acquittal this week by the International Criminal Court, the tribunal said Friday.

Judges cleared 73-year-old Gbagbo on Tuesday on charges of crimes against humanity relating to a wave of violence after disputed elections in 2010, and ordered his immediate release. The crisis claimed some 3,000 lives.

But prosecutors at the Hague-based court challenged the release of Gbagbo, who has already spent seven years in jail, saying he should be detained while they make a broader appeal over his acquittal.

“The detention of Mr Laurent Gbagbo… shall be maintained pending the consideration of the present appeal” against his release, the ICC’s appeals judges said in a statement.

They will hold a fresh hearing on February 1 “in order to hear further submissions on the appeal.” Judges made the same order for Gbagbo’s co-defendant and right-hand man Charles Ble Goude.

Prosecutors had argued that there was a “concrete” risk the Ivorian pair fail to return to the ICC if a subsequent appeal overturned Tuesday’s decision to acquit them. Gbagbo’s daughter has said he intended to return to the Ivory Coast if released.

(AFP)

19, January 2019

Cameroon, Nigeria to collaborate in anti-graft campaign ⁰

Cameroon and Nigeria have begun seeking ways to collaborate to fight corruption in both countries, according to officials of Cameroon’s anti-graft body on Wednesday.

Officials of National Anti-Corruption Commission (CONAC) and Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), met in the capital Yaounde on Wednesday to lay down the guidelines for the collaboration.

“Our coming here is to canvass for greater understanding in terms of relationship, exchange of ideas and information,” Mohammed Abba Umar, EFCC’s Director of Operations, told reporters. “It (corruption) is not a problem of one country but all countries in Africa and we appreciate the cooperation between Cameroon and Nigeria,” CONAC Chair, Dieudonne Massi Gams said.

Transfer of illicit funds within Cameroon-Nigeria borders is on the rise and there is an urgent need to track down the funds and arrests offenders, the officials said. “The joint operations can help us to recover lot of looted funds.” Umar said. The collaboration is the first of its kind between the two countries.

Source: Xinhua

19, January 2019

Camtel reveals it has sacked 50 employees ⁰

State-own telephone network service provider Cameroon Telecommunications (Camtel) has reportedly fired 50 of its employees, including administrative, commercial and technical staff. According to an official statement by the company, Judith Yah Achidi Achu, General Manager of Camtel, made this decision based on recommendations of a disciplinary committee established to evaluate the cases of the concerned workers on an individual basis.

Details are sketchy at this point, but a source at Camtel said that the GM is believed to have ordered an internal audit to investigate and identify specific HR issues. These include employees who have secured employment using fake certificates or who have earned undue bonuses, or whose salary does not match their qualifications.

The latest development has occurred while the company’s new management is attempting to rejuvenate the beleaguered corporation. Specifically, the intention is to address financial difficulties including debt and the result of inability to recover substantial amounts owing.

According to a report released by the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications in August 2018, Camtel had 3,634 permanent staff across the country, a figure which has been on the rise since 2006. There is speculation that more jobs could be lost as the audit progresses. The company provides landline connectivity services and CDMA, and plans to incorporate GSM going forward.

Source: itwebafrica

19, January 2019

Yaounde forced several thousand refugees back to Nigeria: UN ⁰

The United Nations said Friday it was “extremely alarmed” by the forced return by Cameroon of thousands of refugees to northeast Nigeria, where Boko Haram Islamists pose a continuing threat to civilians.

“This action was totally unexpected and puts lives of thousands of refugees at risk,” the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said in a statement.

Cameroon forced “several thousand” refugees back to Nigeria this week, including 267 on Wednesday, the UN refugee agency said.

“I am appealing to Cameroon to continue its open door and hospitable policy,” Grandi said, while calling on the government to “halt immediately any more returns” and meet its obligations under international law.

Cameroon is currently hosting 370,000 refugees, 100,000 of whom are Nigerians, according to the UNHCR.

Earlier this month, more than 9,000 people fled to Cameroon after an attack on a military base and aid buildings in the town of Rann in northeast Nigeria’s Borno state.

The attack was blamed on the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) faction of Boko Haram, which has carried out similar raids against troops since July last year.

The upsurge in violence has forced tens of thousands of people to flee, including internally displaced people who have returned home after previous attacks.

AFP

19, January 2019

36 passengers kidnapped in Southern Cameroons released ⁰

Thirty-six passengers have been released one day after they were abducted by gunmen on Tuesday along the Buea-Kumba highway in Cameroon’s southwest, one of the two war-torn English-speaking regions, according to local authorities.

“They (kidnappers) took us somewhere and collected money, phones and other belongings from us and released us after. They asked us to trek to our various destinations.” said Divine Asong, one of the kidnapped passengers. “We trekked for a long distance. It was a sad experience,” he added.

After the release, locals held an emergency meeting with senior government officials in Kumba, one of the commercial towns in Cameroon Anglophone, to discuss ways of curbing the rampant kidnappings in the troubled region.

“We asked that government should put in place urgent measures to restore peace in the area. Among other things, we asked that detained separatist leaders should be released and the region demilitarize to appease the people,” a local who attended the meeting told Xinhua.

The abduction came about two months after a group of 79 school children were kidnapped in Bamenda, the most populous city of Cameroon’s Northwest, another English-speaking region. The local government has blamed armed separatists for the abductions, yet the separatists claimed that the government staged the kidnappings to tarnish their image internationally.

Source: Xinhua

18, January 2019

Brexit: Merkel’s protege to Britain: We will miss you ⁰

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s protégé has appealed to Britain not to leave the European Union (EU) as the clock is ticking down to Brexit in 70 days.

German conservative leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who succeeds Merkel as leader of the Christian Democrats, joined a dozen of German politicians, industrialists and artists, appealing to the UK not to leave the union.

“Britons should know: from the bottom of our hearts, we want them to stay,” said the letter, which was published in The Times newspaper. “Without your great nation, this continent would not be what it is today.”

“Should Britain wish to leave the European Union for good, it will always have friends in Germany and Europe,” it added.

“After the horrors of the Second World War, Britain did not give up on us. It has welcomed Germany back as a sovereign nation and a European power,” said the letter.

The move is considered as a major U-turn in Berlin’s policy after Merkel said earlier this week that there would be “no renegotiation” in a new deal between the union and the UK.

The chancellor will leave power in 2021, with Kramp-Karrenbauer taking over as the leader of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany. She warned on Wednesday that “for me, it is clear that there cannot be any renegotiation.”

Merkel made the remarks to the German parliament’s foreign affairs committee immediately after May’s Withdrawal Agreement was historically voted out on Tuesday.

PressTV-May urges party talks after surviving confidence vote

Lawmakers roundly rejected the deeply-contested Brexit deal that May had negotiated with the EU.

The lawmakers, who want either a further referendum or a softer version of the exit, are trying to stop Brexit altogether or to leave without a deal.

The prime minister, who narrowly won a no- confidence vote on Wednesday, called on all parties to “focus on finding a way forward on Brexit.”

The defeat of the departure agreement can lead to a disorderly exit from the EU or even a reversal of the 2016 EU referendum, where 52 percent of Britons voted in favor of Brexit.

There are 70 days left before Brexit, but May has not rejected holding talks on extending the negotiating period beyond the current departure date of March 29.

Source: Presstv

18, January 2019

African Union calls on Congo-Kinshasa to delay release of final vote results ⁰

The African Union on Thursday called on Democratic Republic of Congo to suspend the release of the final results of its disputed presidential election due to its doubts over the provisional results.

The rare move from the group injects fresh uncertainty into the post-election process, which was meant to usher in the country’s first democratic transfer of power in 59 years of independence, but has been mired in controversy since the Dec. 30 vote.

The final tally is scheduled to be released by the election commission once the constitutional court has ruled on challenges to the provisional results on Friday, but the union called for this to be postponed following a meeting in Addis Ababa.

“The Heads of State and Government attending the meeting concluded that there were serious doubts on the conformity of the provisional results as proclaimed by the National Independent Electoral Commission, with the verdict of the ballot boxes,” it said in a statement.

A Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the decision was unprecedented. “I cannot remember another instance where the AU called for a suspension of certification of results.”

The Congolese foreign ministry declined to comment on the union’s statement and the office of President Joseph Kabila could not immediately be reached.

Opposition leader and election runner-up Martin Fayulu has requested the recount, claiming he won by a landslide and that the victory of another opposition figure, Felix Tshisekedi, was engineered by the authorities. Election officials deny the results were rigged.

The dispute risks further destabilising the volatile Central African country, where previous elections have been followed by violence. Earlier on Thursday, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) eased pressure on Congolese authorities by backing off earlier calls for a recount.

Following an emergency meeting, the 16-member bloc said they would not push for one and called on the international community to respect the Congolese electoral process.

Fayulu, a former Exxon Mobil manager, says Tshisekedi, who is the president of Congo’s largest opposition party, struck a deal with outgoing president Kabila to be declared winner.

Tshisekedi’s and Kabila’s camps deny that. Congo is the world’s leading miner of cobalt, used in electric car batteries and mobile phones, and Africa’s biggest copper producer. It also mines gold and diamonds. But unrest, disorganisation and corruption have left many in poverty and dissatisfied with Kabila’s rule.

Court judgement

Fayulu has said he is not confident he will win on Friday before the nine-judge Constitutional Court, which he considers friendly to Kabila. The United States on Wednesday kept up the pressure on Kinshasa, vowing to “hold accountable” anyone who undermines democratic processes.

Domestic election monitors noted a range of voting irregularities, and the Catholic Church said official results are inconsistent with its own tallies.

Three diplomats briefed on the Church’s findings said they show that Fayulu won a clear victory. In a report on Thursday, domestic election observer mission SYMOCEL called on the national electoral commission to publish results for each of the more than 50,000 polling stations.

SYMOCEL also said that the commission had relied on results taken from voting machines with USB sticks rather than hand-counted tallies in legislative and provincial assembly elections held the same day, in violation of electoral law.

A commission spokeswoman had no immediate comment. Kabila’s ruling coalition won a clear majority in those elections, which could undermine the next president’s ability to make a break with the outgoing president’s 18-year tenure.

(REUTERS)

18, January 2019

Responsibility to Protect accuses Biya regime of crimes against humanity ⁰

There is an imminent risk of mass atrocity crimes due to violence between government security forces and armed separatists in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions.

BACKGROUND

Political tensions over cultural rights and identity have been growing in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions since 2016 when English-speaking lawyers, students and teachers began protesting against their under-representation and cultural marginalization by the Francophone-dominated government. Violent repression by the security forces resulted in arbitrary arrests, sexual violence and the killing of protesters in the largely Anglophone North-West and South-West regions.

The crisis deepened after October 2017 when Anglophone separatists symbolically proclaimed independence from Cameroon, declaring a new state of “Ambazonia.”

The situation is reaching a critical threshold and the risk of mass atrocity crimes occurring in the immediate future is very high if effective preventive action is not taken.

As the conflict intensified, there has been growing evidence of government security forces perpetrating extrajudicial killings and torture, as well as burning property in Anglophone villages.

Armed separatist forces have also perpetrated abuses, including killings and kidnappings. At least 40 schools in the Anglophone region have been destroyed since October 2017. Some armed separatist groups have also attacked and killed state officials and members of the security forces as part of an effort to render the Anglophone areas ungovernable.

On 12-13 November 2018 at least 30 people were killed and hundreds displaced as result of military raids on separatist strongholds. On 25 December hundreds of people fled the villages of Menkefou and Choupat in western Cameroon after suspected Anglophone separatists abducted 15 people and torched 80 houses.

The Anglophone and Francophone areas of Cameroon were unified in 1961, but there have been long-term disputes over the extent to which government resources and access to employment are controlled by the French-speaking majority. Although the Anglophone minority constitutes 20 percent of the overall population of Cameroon, they are a majority in the North-West and South-West regions.

OCHA estimates that 437,000 people have been internally displaced in the North-West and South-West regions since December 2017. As of 10 November 2018 UNHCR estimates that more than 30,000 people have also sought refuge across the border in Nigeria.

In addition to the Anglophone conflict, military operations against the armed extremist group Boko Haram also continue in the north of Cameroon, where there have been widespread allegations of security forces perpetrating extrajudicial killings.

Trade Treaty, all UN member states should immediately halt the sale of weapons to parties to the conflict who routinely violate IHL, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

ANALYSIS

The targeting of individuals based upon their cultural identity poses a direct threat to both Anglophone and Francophone civilians. Any further escalation of violence could result in greater internal displacement and further refugee flows. The government has failed to address the root causes of the Anglophone conflict and provide a political means for peacefully resolving it.

Cameroonian security forces appear to be committing systematic or widespread attacks on civilians, potentially amounting to crimes against humanity, particularly in the North-West and South-West regions as well as in their response to Boko Haram in the far north. Widespread allegations of extrajudicial killings have been bolstered by leaked video evidence of security forces summarily executing groups of unarmed civilians.

The government of Cameroon is failing to uphold its Responsibility to Protect the Anglophone minority and requires international assistance to mediate and end the developing armed conflict in the North-West and South-West regions.

INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE

During 2017 the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for the government of Cameroon to conduct impartial investigations into violence in the Anglophone regions. On 17 November 2017 six UN Special Rapporteurs issued a joint statement urging the government to engage in meaningful dialogue and halt violence in the North-West and South-West.

On 10 August the UNSC adopted a Presidential Statement on the situation in the Central African region. The statement highlighted the “worrying increase in violence in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon.”

Despite the government’s failure to protect populations from violations and abuses of human rights or to hold security forces accountable, on 12 October 2018 Cameroon was elected to the HRC for the 2019-2021 term.

On 21 November the UN Resident Coordinator for Cameroon called for dialogue between the government and armed Anglophone separatists.

NECESSARY ACTION

The security forces must cease the use of disproportionate and deadly force against unarmed civilians and ensure that the human rights of all Cameroonians are protected, regardless of language or cultural identity.

All persons responsible for extrajudicial killings must be held accountable. The government of Cameroon should grant OHCHR access to the North-West and South-West regions to investigate potential human rights violations and abuses.

The government of Cameroon should immediately initiate a dialogue with Anglophone community leaders and constructively.

Culled from Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect