Five soldiers and five policemen have been killed within 24 hours in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions. Separatists have claimed responsibility. Cameroon’s Communications Minister Issa Tchiroma said armed men attacked a military convoy deployed from Yaounde on a peacekeeping mission to the English-speaking southwest town of Mamfe on the morning of November 29 and killed four soldiers.

One soldier who was severely wounded escaped. The attackers stole huge quantities of weapons. The second attack took place in Eyoumojock, not far from Mamfe early Thursday morning, leaving five policeman and a soldier dead.

Tchiroma confirmed that an armed group fighting for the independence of the English-speaking regions from the rest of Cameroon claimed responsibility.

“The assailants claim to belong the the armed wing of the secessionist movement called Southern Cameroon Ambazonian Consortium United Front, ” said Tchiroma. “How can we maintain dialogue with an interlocutor whose only ideology is the partition of a state that is legitimate and recognized as such by all international bodies?”

Tchiroma said Cameroon President Paul Biya has deployed more troops to the area to maintain peace and track the assailants. He said the government is asking people to share any information that could lead to the assailants’ arrest.

Schools have been closed in the English-speaking northwest and southwest since November last year when lawyers and teachers called for a strike to stop what they believe is the overbearing use of French in the regions.

Violence erupted when separatists joined in and started asking for complete independence. On October 1, they declared what they called the independence of the Republic of Ambazonia and asked the military to surrender and join them or leave their territory. They have so far killed 16 soldiers and policemen in the two English-speaking regions.

President Biya has said he is not open to negotiation on the form of the state and that Cameroon is one and indivisible. Separatist groups have said on social media they will talk with Biya only about the terms of their separation.

Source: VOA

US President Donald Trump has sharply rebuked UK Prime Minister Theresa May after she criticized him for re-tweeting anti-Muslim videos posted by a British far-right group.

Trump tweeted Thursday that May should focus on defending Britain from terrorism rather than criticizing him. His unprecedented attack on one of America’s closest allies sparked outrage in Britain’s political establishment.

Extremist groups have carried out several major attacks in the UK this year that have killed a total of 36 people, including two attacks on bridges in London and a bombing in Manchester.

May, who is on a trip to the Middle East, has not directly responded herself to Trump. Her spokesman said “it is wrong” for the president to re-tweet the inflammatory videos.

Trump’ belligerent response to May caused anger in Britain, with one minister describing Trump’s tweets as “alarming and despairing.”

London’s Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan said May should withdraw an offer of a state visit to Britain which has already been extended.

On Wednesday, Trump provoked a wave of anger and disgust from US human rights groups and UK politicians for re-tweeting three incendiary anti-Muslim videos posted by Jayda Fransen, deputy leader of the far-right group Britain First.

Earlier this month, Fransen was found guilty of religiously aggravated harassment after she verbally abused a Muslim woman wearing a hijab.

Fransen, whose group wants to ban Islam in Britain, is facing further criminal charges of racially aggravated assault.

“By sharing it, he is either a racist, incompetent or unthinking, or all three,” opposition Labour lawmaker Stephen Doughty said.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights group, condemned Trump for re-tweeting the inflammatory videos.

Source: Presstv

The Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Member States of the African Union and the European Union comes to an end today Thursday, November 30, 2017 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Highly anticipated are the resolutions taken after the debates on the migration crisis, the reform of the African Union, the future of the relations between the old and the dark continents, the necessary investments for the benefit of the African youth and the fight against terrorism.

The summit provided the French Cameroun dictator who has been in power for 35 years an opportunity to meet the new French president Emmanuel Macron. Both leaders exchanged words after the civic reception offered by the Ivorian leader Alassane Outtara on Wednesday, November 29.

It was the first ever meeting between the 84-year-old Paul Biya and his 39-year-old French counterpart.

By Chi Prudence Asong

The United Nations has begun actively addressing the abuse of refugees along Central Mediterranean routes from Africa to Europe, including the treatment of refugees as slaves in Libya.

The chiefs of two UN agencies briefed the Security Council on Tuesday on specific work that had begun to address the issue.

The international body stepped up action against the abuse of refugees after a report revealed how refugees were being sold as slaves at an auction in Libya.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi informed the Security Council about the grave abuses perpetrated against asylum seekers and suggested reception and protection mechanisms to stop the rights violations.

“The grave abuses perpetrated against migrants and refugees along the Central Mediterranean routes can no longer be ignored,” Grandi said. “Compelled to flee, but without legal pathways to safety, refugees are exposed to appalling harm, together with migrants, including torture, rape, sexual exploitation, slavery and other forms of forced labour.”

He said there was a need for “a comprehensive approach encompassing countries of origin, transit, and destination.”

Grandi said his agency was stepping up its work but was grappling with “dramatic” funding gaps, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

William Lacy Swing, the director general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), also told the Security Council that slave trade was an enormous problem that could nevertheless be stopped.

Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres instructed relevant UN authorities to investigate the matter and take measures against it.

“Slavery has no place in our world and these actions are among the most egregious abuses of human rights and may amount to crimes against humanity,” Guterres said.

Guterres said he had advised the authorities to act urgently.

On Thursday, the International Criminal Police Organization, or Interpol, said it had arrested more than 40 people involved in enslaving refugees.

Interpol said 500 people, including 236 minors, had been rescued in simultaneous operations across Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.

France calls for targeted sanctions on traffickers in Libya

At the Tuesday Security Council meeting, French Ambassador to the UN Francois Delattre suggested that sanctions be used to help stop human trafficking in Libya.

He urged the Council members to consider imposing targeted sanctions on the human traffickers operating in the North African country.

During the meeting, Delattre requested that footage of a slave auction broadcast earlier this month by the CNN be shown. In the video, slaves are seen being sold to Libyan buyers as farmhands for $400 each. Several members of the 15-member Security Council expressed horror viewing it.

Libya plunged into chaos after the overthrow and killing of long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Source: Presstv