Monthly Archives: January 2018

Ambazonia Crisis: Eyumojock rejects MP’s gifts for vulnerable, displaced persons

6, January 2018

Ambazonia Crisis: Eyumojock rejects MP’s gifts for vulnerable, displaced persons 0

Southern Cameroonians who fled from Kembong to Ossing village recently following a Cameroon armed forces onslaught have reportedly turned down food items donated by the Member of Parliament for the Eyumojock constituency, Hon. Okpu Susan Nsosei .

The female MP, according to a Cameroon Concord News source, had taken the gift items: three bags of rice and two bags of salt on Friday the 29th of December to Ossing village hosting more than 400 Ambazonians from Kembong but was bluntly rejected. All entreaties to make the Ossing traditional council realise that the items were meant for distribution to the needy from Kembong fell on deaf ears as the people of Eyumojock stated that they were not hungry and didn’t solicit for any donations.

The ruling CPDM party has been banned in Southern Cameroons and designated as a terrorist organization by the Interim Government of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.  Informed sources in Ossing indicated that the donation came while the people of Ossing were having a meeting on how to accommodate those who escaped from Kembong and they all corroborated the fact that the CPDM was no longer a legal entity in Southern Cameroons and insisted the food items be returned.

Hon. Okpu Susan Nsosei has not been seen or heard ever since the genocide campaign started in her Eyumojock constituency.

By Ojong Joseph  Ojong in Mamfe


“Cameroon will become ungovernable after the 2018 presidential elections”

6, January 2018

“Cameroon will become ungovernable after the 2018 presidential elections” 0

The authoritative British non-governmental organization, Intelligence Fusion has revealed that President Biya is not showing any sign of wanting to give up power. In a report published on January 4, Intelligence Fusion analysed the socio-political situation in Cameroon with focus on the next presidential election and traced the origin of the Ambazonia uprising and the response from Mr. Biya observing that it was inadequate to the demands of the people of Southern Cameroons.

“President Biya reacted to the crisis in the worst possible way, without reconciling himself or acting decisively. He did not reassure the English-speaking population, but rather sent the Cameroonian army to occupy the North West and South West regions, “says Intelligence Fusion.

The organization also indicated that Cameroon government forces have committed several acts of violence in Southern Cameroons, forcing people to desert their villages. Intelligence Fusion opined that the killing of some military officers by the Ambazonia Defense Force (ADF) is a consequence of these acts of violence against the civilian population.

Regarding the upcoming presidential election, Intelligence Fusion noted that Paul Biya, “the dictator for life” will be a candidate because “he is showing no sign of wanting to give up”. Intelligence Fusion is convinced that Paul Biya will win the 2018 election, but indicated that Cameroon as a nation will become ungovernable after Paul Biya’s victory.

Intelligence Fusion is based in London. It manages security risks and provides information on terrorist threats. It also monitors and controls the probability and / or impact of unplanned events. Intelligence Fusion was founded by Michael McCabe and Daniel Harrington, all British secret agents. They specialize in the protection of people and property in the UK and in high-risk countries.

By Rita Akana


“100% of those around Trump consider him ‘moron, idiot”

5, January 2018

“100% of those around Trump consider him ‘moron, idiot” 0

The author of a very critical book about Donald Trump’s first year in office has said that “one hundred percent” of those around the US president consider him “moron, idiot.”

Michael Wolff, whose book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House” went on sale on Friday, said in an interview he spent three hours with Trump during the presidential campaign and in the White House.

The author contradicted Trump’s assertion that he had never talked to the writer for the book and had authorized “Zero access” to the White House.

Wolff told NBC News on Friday that for the book he conducted interviews with those in close contact with Trump and his entire circle questioned his fitness for office. The book depicts a president who was ill-prepared to win the office in 2016, and Trump aides who ridiculed his abilities.

“They all say he is like a child. And what they mean by that is he has a need for immediate gratification. It’s all about him,” he said.

“Let me put a marker in the sand here. One hundred percent of the people around him” question Trump’s fitness for office, Wolff added.

“They say he’s a moron, idiot. Actually, there’s a competition to sort of get to the bottom line here of who this man is. Let’s remember, this man does not read. Does not listen. So he’s like a pinball. Just shooting off the sides,” the writer noted.

In a tweet on Thursday evening, Trump, however, dismissed Wolff’s book as a pack of lies.

“I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book,” he tweeted.

“Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that don’t exist. Look at this guy’s past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!” Trump added.

Trump’s lawyer is trying to stop the publication of the book, but Wolff has defended himself against attacks on his credibility.

“My credibility is being questioned by a man who has less credibility than, perhaps, anyone who has ever walked on earth at this point,” Wolff said.

Wolff claimed that he interviewed Trump for some three hours during the presidential campaign and after he was sworn in as the president in January last year.

“So my window into Donald Trump is pretty significant, but even more to the point… I spoke to people who spoke to the president on a daily, sometimes minute-by-minute basis,” Wolff said, adding he had notes and recordings of the interviews.

“I am certainly absolutely in every way comfortable with everything I’ve reported in this book,” he stated.

NBC News reported in October that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson referred to Trump as a “moron” after a meeting in July at the Pentagon with members of his national security team and Cabinet members.

A few days after the report, Trump harshly criticized Tillerson in an interview with Forbes magazine, suggesting that he’s smarter than the top US diplomat.

 

Culled from Presstv



Brighton FC revive interest in Cameroon front-man

5, January 2018

Brighton FC revive interest in Cameroon front-man 0

Brighton have revived their interest in Angers forward Karl Toko Ekambi.

The 25-year-old Cameroon international was an option for Chris Hughton in the summer and is back on Brighton’s radar as they struggle to reach an agreement for Celtic’s Moussa Dembele.

Burnley and West Brom have also shown interest in Ekambi with Brighton looking to offer around £12million for the striker who has scored nine goals in 18 games this season.

Source: Mail Online



UN sends envoy to E.Guinea after failed ‘coup’ bid

5, January 2018

UN sends envoy to E.Guinea after failed ‘coup’ bid 0

The United Nations said Thursday it will dispatch an envoy to Equatorial Guinea after authorities in the oil-rich country said they had thwarted a coup attempt against President Theodoro Obiang, Africa’s longest-serving leader.

The West African nation was put on alert Wednesday after a senior government official announced that a putsch mounted by foreign mercenaries on December 24 had been put down.

Hours after Security Minister Mahamat Zen Cherif’s televised statement, state broadcaster TGVE reported clashes with “mercenaries” near the border with Cameroon.

Government troops shot dead one “mercenary” and “used gunfire to disperse (others) in the forests along the border”, it said, without specifying how many fighters were involved or how long the clashes lasted.

Chad’s Foreign Minister Mahamat Zen Cherif, in a visit to Malabo Thursday, condemned the attempted coup as a “major threat” to central Africa.

“The attempt at destabilisation is not just an affair that only concerns Equatorial Guinea, it is also a major threat of destabilisation that concerns the entire sub-region of central Africa,” he said in remarks reported by TVGE.

Formerly a small Spanish colony, Equatorial Guinea has become one of sub-Sahara’s biggest oil producers but a large proportion of its 1.2 million population lives in poverty.

Obiang, 75, who seized power in 1979, has faced a string of coup attempts during nearly four decades in office.

Critics accuse him of brutal repression of opponents, electoral fraud and corruption.

Dozens of Chadians held

A UN spokesman said that the organisation’s envoy for West Africa, Francois Louceny Fall, will travel to Malabo for talks next week.

The spokesman said that while “little information” had emerged over last month’s alleged coup attempt, “we condemn all attempts to seize power unconstitutionally” in the country.

Cherif, who was cited by state media after he spoke with Obiang on Wednesday, called for an inquiry and said he would travel on to Cameroon for talks with leaders there.

According to Malabo’s security minister, the mercenaries were Chadian, Sudanese and Central African Republic nationals, as citizens of the Central African Republic are called, and were recruited by Equatorial Guinean militants from certain radical opposition parties with the support of certain powers.”

The attempted infiltration had been repelled with the help of the Cameroon security services, according to the authorities.

Sources told AFP that the country’s ambassador to Chad, Enrique Nsue Anguesom, who was on holiday in Equatorial Guinea’s Ebibeyin district, had been arrested and was being held in a military camp.

Cameroon says that on December 27 it arrested 38 heavily armed men on its border with Equatorial Guinea, which consists of mostly dense forest territory on the African mainland and an offshore island where the capital lies.

Cameroonian security sources on Thursday said those arrested included an ex-general in the Chadian army, Mahamat Kodo Bani, who was once a senior officer in the presidential guard.

He is being held in Yaounde, the Cameroonian capital, they said.

In Gabon, which also borders Equatorial Guinea, a senior government official said “security measures” had been taken on the border.

Chad’s ambassador to Malabo, Paul Nahari Nguaryanan, told AFP that more than 65 Chadian merchants had been detained in recent days, though a foreign ministry source said some had been released.

Opacity

Facebook, Whatsapp and VPNs in Equatorial Guinea have been blocked. “There is a real lack of transparency on what’s really going on,” a diplomat in the region said.

Obiang took power in a coup on August 3, 1979, ousting his own uncle, Francisco Macias Nguema, who was shot by firing squad.

He was re-elected to a fifth seven-year term in 2016, gaining more than 90 percent of the vote according to the official results.

Legislative elections on November 12 last year saw the ruling party win 92 percent of the vote, a result condemned as fraudulent by dissidents.

The Citizens for Innovation (CI) opposition group on Wednesday strongly denied it had played any part in the attempted coup.

 

www.newvision.co.ug


Cameroon and the 2019 African Cup of Nations: It might come down to a political decision

5, January 2018

Cameroon and the 2019 African Cup of Nations: It might come down to a political decision 0

The performances of the five representatives from the continent at the World Cup in Russia this June will be top of the 2018 agenda for African football‚ but it is also a busy year off the field for the African game. Egypt‚ Morocco‚ Nigeria‚ Senegal and Tunisia fly the flag in mid-year where Africa will be hoping for at least a quarterfinal appearance and hopefully a first-ever side into the semifinals.

But the best team on paper – Morocco – have been handed a horror first round draw in the same group as 2010 World Cup winners Spain and current European champions Portugal‚ puncturing much of the continent’s hope. At the last World Cup in Brazil‚ Algeria and Nigeria made it through to the second round while the Ivory Coast were unlucky not to also get through to the last-16 but it is likely to be a poorer return this time round.

The rest of national teams will be focused on the qualifiers for the 2019 African Nations Cup‚ which resume in September. Rounds two to five of the six-match schedule for each country will be completed by the end of the year with the last qualifiers being played in March 2019.

Off the field‚ the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is to make a decision on the hosting of the next finals‚ which have been expanded to 24 teams. Cameroon insists they are capable of handling the increased numbers but CAF are sending an independent auditing firm to check on their preparations and adjudicate.

But it might come down to a political decision‚ anyway‚ with the new CAF leadership looking to snub former president Issa Hayatou‚ who is from Cameroon‚ and move the tournament to Morocco‚ who have been the biggest backers of new president Ahmad and his transformation plans.

CAF must also settle the issue when the new-look club competition format is introduced plus a raft of top personnel changes are expected at the headquarters in Cairo over the next months. For the moment‚ the two annual club competitions – the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup – will be played from February to November.

The Champions League winner‚ as is tradition‚ goes onto compete at the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi at the end of the year. The year starts with the Chan (African Nations Championship) 2018 finals in Morocco‚ who are replacing Kenya as hosts.

The 16-team tournament‚ starting next Friday‚ is for home-based national teams only and hardly raises much interest.

 

Source: Times Live


Bishop Andrew Nkea says “Kembong people are not running away from attackers, but from the military which is supposed to be protecting them,”

5, January 2018

Bishop Andrew Nkea says “Kembong people are not running away from attackers, but from the military which is supposed to be protecting them,” 0

The Bishop of Mamfe Diocese, Mgr. Andrew Fuanya Nkea, has reacted to a recent incident in Kembong village, Eyumojock Sub-Division, Mamfe, in which the military wreaked havoc in the village following the killing of four (4) security officers by unknown assailants. The Bishop visited the victims in Kembong recently and told L’Effort Camerounais what he heard and saw and proposes a way out of the current socio-political impasse. Excerpts:

My Lord, you were in kembong recently. People are running away from Kembong but you instead went there. May we know what actually took you to Kembong?

The Christians and parish priest in Kembong were calling me about the difficult situation they were facing. They reported to me about the shootings, killings and burning of houses that was going on there. This concerns my Christians, so I decided to go there despite the danger to see exactly what the situation was for myself. With what is being reported on social media, you can never be too sure what the truth is, so I decided to go to Kembong to be a witness to these happenings.

And what exactly is the situation on the ground in Kembong?

The situation I found as of December 21 was very delicate and disturbing. Kembong is actually the largest village in Central Ejagam with a population of about 5.000 people. It is a place that is normally booming with life, but when I went there all the streets were empty and it was virtually a ghost village and looking like a place after a war. I went straight to the parish and the presbytery was full with men, women, the young and old. There were about 30 people sitting on the veranda and parlour looking very destitute and I asked them what they were doing there. They told me the military had burned their houses and they had nowhere else to go and that is why they rushed to the mission for protection. I decided to go round and I was with the local superior of the Mill Hill Fathers because we have Mill Hill priests in Kembong. The people who were in the mission took me and showed me their houses that had been destroyed and burnt down. They did not even take anything out of their homes. A man told me he only had a loin round his waist and that was the only thing he took out of his house. The trouser and shirt he was wearing at the time he was talking to me was given to him by a priest. This is a reflection of the situation in the village. Four soldiers had been killed on Monday and when soldiers got there a few hours later they started burning houses, beating people up and sending them away from the village. Many people just ran away and we have many in the parish house now living under very difficult conditions. We do not know how many are hiding in the bush and how many have run away to Nigeria. So, Kembong is actually an abandoned village now.

You have actually mentioned the killing of four soldiers and the government claims Kembong is actually paying the price for killing soldiers. What is your reaction to this claim?

The people of Kembong, Christians and my priests did not kill gendarmes. Some assailants and unidentified people came into the village and attacked and killed the gendarmes and left. They do not stay in Kembong. According to the report I received this is what they have been doing. It was not the boys of Mamfe who killed the gendarmes. When they attacked gendarmes in Otu and Agborkem, it was not the people of these villages who did it. The fact that those gendarmes were stationed and were attacked in Kembong does not make the people of Kembong accomplices in the crimes of those attackers. The government should track down and punish those attackers for their crimes. So, why take it out on the population? This is why I am very angry.

So you mean that any military operation should have been preceded by a thorough investigation?

Absolutely! The government should find out who these assailants are, where they are from, track down and punish them according to the law. Soldiers have been killed in Mamfe, so should my house be burned down because I live in Mamfe? No, this is unacceptable.

How have recent military operations in Kembong affected the activities of the Church which you head?

There is no Church activity there. The Church is the people of God. There is nobody in Kembong, so there can be no Church. The parish priest and his assistant are both living with me in the Bishop’s House in Mamfe because Kembong is too dangerous for them and for everybody. The refugees are living under difficult conditions in the Parish Hall in Mamfe. Everybody in Kembong has left as the place has become far too dangerous for anybody to live there.

What actually are you doing to help the destitute people who have taken up refuge at the mission?

I must confess that the people of Mamfe have been super generous and collaborative. Since these people arrived on December 23 when I moved them from Kembong the community is supporting them and making sure that they have food. We have provided them with some matrasses on which they are sleeping. However, the most difficult part is to get these people go over the trauma and shock that they are going through. Other people who have heard what is going on are sending their support and the people are happy with what they have received so far. A woman actually told me on December 26 that it was the first day she had slept and eaten in a week because she could not cope with what had happened to them.

When part of the Church is suffering, it is the whole Church that is suffering. What message do you have for people who may want to be of assistance for people in Kembong?

The focus is on Kembong because I visited the village but this disturbing situation is not limited to Kembong. The parish priest of Kajifu in Mamfe Overside is also in the Bishop’s House in Mamfe as he fled the village because of the violence going on there. All the Christians of the Booki area have escaped and are presently refugees in Nigeria. A cross section of the population of Manyu Division, who are under attack, have fled. I keep insisting that these assailants should be tracked down, arrested and punished. The fact that they passed through a certain village, does not make the people of that village an accomplice and the village should not be persecuted by the military. The people are not running away from the attackers, but from the military which is supposed to be protecting them. And this is the most difficult part of the ongoing military operation. There are too many displaced people. Akwaya is in the same situation as the parish priest called and told me that the town is virtually empty. I visited Kembong just because it is near and the situation was urgent.

You issued a letter following the incident in Kembong. What exactly was the content of your letter?

When I saw the situation I said only God can help us. We must turn to God and pray, especially as we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace. So, I wrote a letter asking all parishes to expose the Blessed Sacrament 30 minutes before every morning Mass to pray for peace. Secondly, I asked that on Thursday every week there should be Perpetual Adoration from after morning Mass to 5pm for peace to reign in our diocese, country and the world. I also gave instructions because of the situation for all vigil Masses in Mamfe Diocese for Christmas to be said at 4pm because it was too dangerous to carry out any activity at night. So, that letter was a desperate call for peace to reign in our land.

This is a spiritual way out of the present crisis, but it also needs a political solution. What do you think can be done from a political standpoint to put an end to this problem that has been dragging on for more than a year now in the English-speaking Regions?

We have said it over and over in the Bishops’ Conference of the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province and in the National Episcopal Conference that we do not see any other solution to this conflict other than dialogue. Dialogue is the only way forward. We need to find out what people want and why the Anglophones are behaving the way they are behaving and look for a way forward. Running away from the problem or pretending that it does not exist cannot help anybody. We all love and want peace in this country. The only way to maintain this peace is not by fighting but through dialogue. I am also making the situation back here known to the powers that be so that they can take action. I am letting stakeholders know the exact situation on the ground. We need to pray as there is too much talking and very little prayer. We should turn to God and beg Him to intervene miraculously and bring peace to this country.

Culled from L’Effort Camerounaise


US Justice Department launches new Clinton probe over ‘pay to play’ allegations

5, January 2018

US Justice Department launches new Clinton probe over ‘pay to play’ allegations 0

The US Justice Department has begun an investigation into whether the Clinton Foundation conducted “pay-to-play” politics or other illegal activities during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state, The Hill reported on Thursday, citing law enforcement officials and a witness.

The newspaper said FBI agents from Little Rock, Arkansas, where the foundation began, had taken the lead in the investigation and interviewed at least one witness in the past month. Law enforcement officials told The Hill that additional activities were expected in coming weeks.

In response to a request for confirmation, a Justice Department spokeswoman said the agency did not comment on ongoing investigations.

There was no immediate response to a request for comment by officials at the Clinton Foundation. The organization previously said there was never any trade in policy decisions for contributions.

Democrats have accused Republicans of launching a spurious investigation of Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, to divert attention from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between President Donald Trump’s election campaign and Russia.

The Hill reported that the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the probe was examining whether the Clintons promised or performed any policy favors in return for contributions to their charitable efforts or whether donors promised to make donations in hopes of government outcomes.

The probe may also examine whether any tax-exempt assets were converted for personal or political use and whether the foundation complied with tax laws, the newspaper cited the officials as saying.

A witness recently interviewed by the FBI told The Hill the agents’ questions focused on government decisions and discussions of donations to Clinton entities during the time Hillary Clinton led President Barack Obama’s State Department.

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions asked Justice Department prosecutors to decide if a special counsel should be appointed to investigate certain Republican concerns, including alleged wrongdoing by the Clinton Foundation and the sale of a uranium company to Russia, according to media reports in November.

(Source: Reuters)


Border Shutdown Hurts Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea Business

5, January 2018

Border Shutdown Hurts Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea Business 0

The border between Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea has been sealed for nearly two weeks due to the alleged coup attempt against Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema. Merchants on the border say the closure is costing them business.

It is a relatively quiet atmosphere here at Kiossi, a town in southern Cameroon that borders Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. The town is normally a conduit for farm produce, beverages and other goods being trucked across the borders.

But Cameroonian businessman Fidele Kemmengne says activity has been at a standstill since the border was sealed. And Kemmenge himself has been stuck in Equatorial Guinea for nearly two weeks.

He says when they were returning from work on December 24 at about 4 pm, they discovered that the military from Equatorial Guinea had blocked entry into their country. He says they thought it was a temporary move to control the huge number of people crossing over for end of year festivities, but adds that authorities have not reopened the border since then.

Cameroonian food merchant Abdou Fayou is waiting for the border to reopen so his trucks can come back for more supplies.

“There is nothing coming [from] the Equato Guineans because they have the problem of security. No passengers from the 23rd [of December] to now,” Fayou said.

Equatorial Guinean businesswoman Falamu Fatouma says the border closure is preventing her from making deliveries.

She says since the border was sealed on December 24, she has not been able to do business and the goods she provides to her customers are perishing and she will not be able to refund their money.

FILE -This file photo taken on June 24, 2013 shows Teodorin Obiang Nguema, the son of Equatorial Guinea's president, arriving at Malabo stadium for ceremonies to celebrate his 41st birthday.

FILE -This file photo taken on June 24, 2013 shows Teodorin Obiang Nguema, the son of Equatorial Guinea’s president, arriving at Malabo stadium for ceremonies to celebrate his 41st birthday.

Coup fears

On December 29, Equatorial Guinea said it had arrested people on the border in possession of rocket launchers, rifles and a stockpile of ammunition. It said the men planned to destabilize the government of President Theodoro Obiang, who has led the country since 1979 and is the longest-serving leader in Africa.

Cameroon said it arrested 40 heavily-armed men on the border and has strengthened security along the 290-kilometer boundary.

Felix Nguele Nguele, governor of Cameroon’s south region, says Cameroonians should be vigilant as soldiers are there to assure their security and safety in case of any attacks.

He says the military has taken measures to rigorously check movements on the border between Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea and surveillance measures have been intensified. He says there is an alert of insecurity from neighboring Equatorial Guinea but that authorities are assuring the population that the situation is under control.

Obiang, who is 75, was elected to a fifth seven-year term in 2016 in polls the opposition said were rigged in his favor.

His country is one of sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest oil producers, but a large proportion of its 1.2 million people live in poverty. In 2004, mercenaries attempted to overthrow Obiang in a coup thought to be largely funded by British financiers. Last week, Obiang said a war is being prepared against his regime, allegedly because of his length of time in power.

 

Source: VOA


War in Ambazonia: Cameroon armed forces destroys fuel worth 400 million FCFA in Ekok

5, January 2018

War in Ambazonia: Cameroon armed forces destroys fuel worth 400 million FCFA in Ekok 0

Mindful of the fact that the Biya regime is unable to refine enough crude for local consumption, the Francophone dominated armed forces destroyed petrol worth more than 400 million FCFA in the Ekok County in Ambazonia.

The Cameroon government forces waging a war against the people of Southern Cameroons said it destroyed the fuel imported from Nigeria and sold inside Cameroon territory. Cameroon Concord News gathered that the depots in Ekok were destroyed last week.

Some traditional rulers in Manyu including the Chief of Ekok had reportedly asked the Yaoundé regime to legalise and regulate the sale of petrol as a means of job creation. The Francophone government has not indicated any willingness to legalise or regulate the fuel sector but is now bend on stifling the Ambazonian ecomony.

The military post in Ekok now has a gunboat to fortify its operational capacity in the Mfum River and had intensified patrols in the border settlements and waterways in the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.  The intensified patrols by the French Cameroun army command had led to the arrest of hundreds of Southern Cameroonians. A similar action was staged in Mamfe at the Satom Bridge.

By Judith Fon in Ekok


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