27, December 2018

Yaounde: Maurice Kamto ‘barred’ from travelling out of the country ⁰

The man widely believed to have won the October 7 presidential poll in French Cameroun, Prof Maurice Kamto has accused authorities of scheming to bar him from travelling out of the country.

According to a statement from a member of the Kamto Campaign, Cameroun government authorities have refused to renew Kamto’s passport since it expired despite all formal procedures completed for renewal.

“The national and international community is informed that President Maurice Kamto has been barred from leaving Cameroon,” Olivier Bibou Nissack, spokesman for Maurice Kamto said.

Kamto last left the country in November to attend the African Union summit with the help of his civil passport but it has equally reached its expiration date without renewal and his team sees this as a means to stifle the president of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement.

“It is now very clear that the various illegal restrictions on Kamto’s freedoms which started with a house arrest which never came to fruition, other measures are being taken to restrict his freedom of movement and communication” Bibou Nissack said

Maurice Kamto has refused to recognize the results proclaimed by the Constitutional Council declaring Paul Biya winner of the October 7 Presidential election, vowing to challenge the results at international level.

Source: Journal du Cameroun

26, December 2018

Boko Haram kills 13 soldiers, a policeman in Nigeria ⁰

Boko Haram Takfiri terrorists ambushed a military convoy in northeastern Nigeria, killing 13 soldiers and a policeman, the army said Wednesday.

But an officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the militants had overrun an army base, and put the death toll at 18.

An army statement said the attackers ambushed a military convoy late Monday on a highway linking Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, with Damaturu in neighboring Yobe state.

“Sadly, 13 military and a police personnel… paid the supreme price while extricating themselves from the ambush,” said the statement, signed by local military spokesman Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu.

The attack followed an attempted raid on a nearby military base along the highway in Kukareta village, 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Damaturu, Nwachukwu said.

That attack was “repelled” by troops who “engaged and overpowered the terrorists, killing several of them”, Nwachukwu said, adding that a soldier was injured.

Other security sources said fighters travelling in eight trucks fitted with anti-aircraft guns had overrun the base.

“The terrorists killed 17 soldiers in the attack, which lasted for more than an hour,” an officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“They took over the military base after overpowering troops and burnt it down. A policeman was killed when their vehicle which was heading to Damaturu ran into crossfire but the driver escaped unhurt,” the military source said.

A Nigerian army vehicle patrols in the town of Banki in northeastern Nigeria

A medic in Damaturu hospital said 18 bodies were taken to the morgue late Monday.

A civilian militiaman in the area gave a similar account and said the fighters withdrew after torching the base.

“They burnt the base and two military vehicles. They also burnt two primary schools in Kukareta and neighboring Ngaurawa village,” said the militiaman.

Boko Haram extremists have carried out dozens of attacks on military bases in recent months. Scores of soldiers have been killed or listed as missing.

The 120-kilometre (75-mile) Maiduguri-Damaturu highway has seen repeated attacks, including raids on military bases and markets.

In September 2013, Boko Haram fighters disguised as soldiers barricaded the highway and killed 167 people, in the worst attack targeting motorists.

The nine-year-long insurgency has killed 27,000 people and displaced two million more, creating a dire humanitarian crisis.

The conflict has spilled over into Nigeria’s northern neighbors Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

(Source: AFP)

26, December 2018

French Cameroun Villagers Flee Suspected Ambazonian Attack ⁰

Authorities in Cameroon say hundreds of people have fled villages in a French-speaking region after suspected Anglophone separatists abducted 15 people and torched 80 houses.

The French-speaking villages of Menkefou and Choupat in western Cameroon are almost empty.

An attack by suspected Anglophone separatists early Monday sent hundreds of villagers fleeing for safety.

Fifty year old Constantine Njowir, a Menkefou militia member, says he was lucky to get away with only a machete wound to his leg.

He says he watched helplessly as one of his militia members died after he was inflicted wounds on his chest and stomach with knives and machetes. He says besides burning houses the fighters were shooting indiscriminately and taking along people who resisted.

Njowir says the armed men shouted demands that the government release all arrested English-speaking Cameroonians or pay the price

Elvis Suinyuy, a government teacher in the village of Choupat, says the men threatened to return if Anglophone leaders were not freed.

“They were young boys carrying guns, shooting. One man was killed. As you can see many of the people around have gone away because they have promised us that they are going to come back so we do not know their next plan,” Suinyuy said. “If the government is not there to help us, there will be a serious catastrophe.”

Governor of the western region Augustine Awah Fonka says there were more than 300 armed men involved in the attack. He says they abducted 15 people and torched houses, cars and motor cycles, and looted property.

Governor Augustine Awah Fonka in Bangourain, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018. (Photo: M. Kindzeka)

“More than 86 houses have been destroyed by unidentified gun men made up of mostly young men and women who appeared in this village and destroyed houses and properties, had the population beaten and left them in pain, poverty, and traumatized,” Fonka said. “I want to assure them that the government is going to redress the situation. More military men will be deployed to take care of the population.”

The government blamed Anglophone separatists in the neighboring northwest region for the attack, and said they appeared to be men fleeing from military raids. Cameroon’s separatists did not issue any immediate response to the accusation.

It is the second time the Bangourain region where the villages are located was attacked.

The government deployed the military and asked communities near separatist areas to create village militias for self defense.

Cameroon’s English-speaking separatists have been protesting since 2016 against discrimination by the French-speaking majority.

Their protests were initially peaceful but, in response to a government crackdown, some separatists are waging a violent campaign for independence.

The insurgency gained pace in 2017when leader JuliusAyukTabewas arrested in Nigeria with 46 collaborators and extradited to Cameroon.

They face a possible death penalty in Cameroon on charges of secession, terrorism and attempting to destabilize the country.

Cameroon President Paul Biya earlier this month ordered the release of 289 English-speaking people arrested for supporting the separatists.

While the gesture of reconciliation received widespread praise, the separatists continue to demand Biya release all of their leaders.

Culled from the VOA

26, December 2018

Cameroon forward Choupo-Moting’s home burgled in Paris for second time in a month ⁰

The home of Paris Saint-Germain forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was broken into by thieves for the second time in a month, a police source said on Tuesday.

Thieves escaped with jewels and handbags worth more than 500,000 euros (570,000) last month while Choupo-Moting was playing for PSG against Liverpool in the Champions League.

The Cameroon international was again targeted on Monday, as burglars reportedly forced open the door of his flat in the French capital and then fled after setting off an alarm.

PSG captain Thiago Silva had been the victim of a robbery on Saturday while he was playing in the club’s 1-0 win over Nantes at the Parc des Princes.

In December 2017, the Paris apartment of then PSG coach Unai Emery, now at Arsenal, was burgled as his team played Strasbourg in the French Cup.

Source: ahram.org.eg

26, December 2018

In Xmas message, Pope appeals for peace in Mideast conflict zones ⁰

In his annual Christmas message, Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, has urged people to overcome their differences and find political solutions to conflicts, especially those gripping the Middle East region.

Addressing a 50,000-strong crowd at Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Tuesday, the pope called for a spirit of “fraternity” to be rekindled in conflict zones such as Syria, Yemen and Palestine.

“My wish for a happy Christmas is a wish for fraternity,” among individuals of “every nation and culture” as well as among people “with different ideas, yet capable of respecting and listening to one another,” the 82-year-old pontiff said.

He also stressed that differences should not be seen as a “detriment or a danger” but rather “a source of richness.”

“May the international community work decisively for a political solution that can put aside divisions and partisan interests, so that the Syrian people, especially all those who were forced to leave their own lands and seek refuge elsewhere, can return to live in peace in their own country,” the pope said.

The pontiff also used the occasion as an opportunity to address the ongoing war and the humanitarian disaster in Yemen.

“My thoughts turn to Yemen, in the hope that the truce brokered by the international community may finally bring relief to all those children and people exhausted by war and famine,” he added.

Pope Francis also expressed hopes for a resumption of dialog between Israelis and Palestinians to “put an end to a conflict that for over 70 years has rent the land chosen by the Lord to show his face of love.”

He further affirmed the Palestinian side’s readiness to hold new discussions with the Tel Aviv regime on the basis of the international law and relevant United Nations General Assembly and Security Council resolutions.

Referring to other hotspots across the globe, Pope Francis further called for rapprochement on the Korean Peninsula, peace in Ukraine, “social harmony” in Venezuela, reconciliation in Nicaragua and an end to conflict in Africa, “where millions of people are refugees, or displaced or in need of humanitarian assistance and food security.”

Source: Presstv

25, December 2018

French Cameroun Governor says Ambazonian fighters attack town, kidnap 15 ⁰

A regional governor in Cameroon says armed English-speaking separatists attacked a French-speaking town, killing one person, kidnapping 15 others and burning 86 homes in the country’s restive North West region.

Governor Augustine Awah Fonka said the attack Sunday and Monday was the second on the town of Bangourain.

Abdouramann Njowir, a resident, said the attackers called the recent release of nearly 300 suspected separatists who had been jailed for almost a year without trial “a provocation.” He said the separatists shouted for the release of their leader, who remains in prison and may face the death penalty.

Cameroon’s English-speaking separatists have been protesting what they call discrimination and marginalization by the French-speaking majority since 2016. Their protests were initially peaceful, but some separatists have begun waging a violent campaign.

Source: wmcactionnews5

25, December 2018

“Ambazonian Restoration Forces won’t surrender arms to the French Cameroun regime” ⁰

The Southern Cameroons Homeland Security Chief, Bishop John Egyawan has vowed that Ambazonia restoration forces will never give up their arms as called for by the 85 year French Cameroun leader Paul Biya.

“No government in French Cameroun will force our Southern Cameroons fighters to drop their weapons, force them to surrender their arms, as long as Ambazonians believe in this resistance,” noted John Egyawan who also claimed French Cameroun is losing in the fighting.

Bishop Egyawan also added that, “The Southern Cameroons Interim Government does not wish that restoration forces should keep their weapons forever because they too should be preparing to be part of Southern Cameroons domestic life.”

Speaking exclusively to Cameroon Intelligence Report on Christmas Day, the Southern Cameroons Homeland Security boss assured Ambazonians that, “Those who say the revolution is weak, I want to say it’s stronger than ever. We are preparing for a long war and strengthening our capability,” he said.

John Egyawan further explained that the resistance has been able to regroup and rearm and will of course regain its capability. He called for unity among all Southern Cameroonians saying that Southern Cameroons towns and villages have been completely destroyed by French Cameroun government soldiers and more than 4000 Southern Cameroonians have been killed in order to frighten and intimidate Ambazonians but Southern Cameroonians are the most brave and most courageous people in the Sub Saharan region.

“Peace be with you during this Christmas season and with your martyrs and with your families. Your Interim Government feels your pain, and we salute your tears and your blood and your destroyed homes, and we salute your will and your determination,” Bishop Egyawan said.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

25, December 2018

French Cameroun soldier killed by Ambazonia fighters ⁰

A soldier of the Cameroon army was on Saturday December 22 killed by suspected separatist fighters in Mbengwi, Momo Division of the North West region, security sources have confirmed.

Mbah Joseph Magellan, serving with the 51 military battalion in Bamenda was killed as he was returning from a journey, sources said.

Their coach was stopped around a ‘check point’ that had been mounted by suspected separatist fighters who were controlling identification papers.

After discovering that Mbah Magellan was a soldier, the armed men shot and killed him before dumping his remains on the street.

The corpse was only later transferred to a mortuary at the Bamenda Regional Hospital.

Source: Journal du Cameroun

25, December 2018

President Trump questions child about belief in Santa ⁰

Fielding a phone call from a seven-year-old on Monday, US President Donald Trump put himself on Santa Claus’s naughty list by raising doubts about his existence.

The call to American defence agency NORAD, which “tracks” Santa’s movements around the world, was one of several answered by Trump and his wife Melania as part of a Christmas Eve tradition.

It began innocuously enough: “Hello, is this Coleman? Merry Christmas. How are you? How old are you?”

But Trump then ventured into dangerous waters, asking: “Are you still a believer in Santa Claus? ‘Cuz at seven it’s marginal, right?”

The president’s question was not well-received on social media.

“Belief in Santa should be preserved as long as possible. It’s the, or close to the, beginning of the end of innocence. For Mr Trump to be responsible for that is sad…but not surprising,” a Twitter user named Walt Corey wrote.

Derryl Murphy tweeted that “Trump doesn’t know how to say anything appropriate, to anyone,” while Sarah Walker wrote on Twitter: “This further proves that he is the grinch.”

It was not immediately clear whether Coleman decided to forego leaving cookies and milk out for Santa this year.

(AFP)

25, December 2018

On Christmas, Pope Francis censures materialistic life ⁰

During the Christmas Eve Mass, Pope Francis has denounced the yawning gap between the rich and the poor, calling on people in the developed world to seek a less materialistic life and help the poor.

Leading a solemn service for about 10,000 people in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican for his traditional Christmas Eve Mass, Pope Francis said, “Let us ask ourselves: Do I really need all these material objects and complicated recipes for living? Can I manage without all these unnecessary extras and live a life of greater simplicity?”

“In our day, for many people, life’s meaning is found in possessing, in having an excess of material objects. An insatiable greed marks all human history, even today, when, paradoxically, a few dine luxuriantly while all too many go without the daily bread needed to survive,” the head of the Catholic Church said.

The pope has made defending the poor a hallmark of his papacy since his election on March 13, 2013.

Late in 2017, the Catholic charity Caritas estimated that there were over 16,000 homeless people in Rome and the number of such people congregating near the Vatican had increased obviously, particularly at night when they clustered under arcades to sleep.

Francis is set to deliver his twice-yearly “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) message from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Day on Tuesday.

Source: Presstv