Monthly Archives: July 2018

27, July 2018

South Africa: Putin, Ramaphosa hold talks at BRICS summit ⁰

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa met on the sidelines of the 10th BRICS summit in Johannesburg.

The leaders signed a joint declaration of strategic cooperation between Russia and South Africa on Thursday. They also signed an agreement relating to the agricultural sector and a memorandum of understanding on water resources.

The BRICS summit is taking place in Johannesburg between July 25 and 27. Heads of state or government from the five member states (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) will discuss areas of possible cooperation.

(Source: Ruptly)

27, July 2018

Southern Cameroons Crisis: “Five Adjustments To Make The Cardinal TUMI Mediation Work” ⁰

This Op-Ed serves to contribute to the recent initiative by some Church leaders in Cameroon to seek lasting solution to the Anglophone crisis that has recently taken the turn of an armed conflict. On July 25, 2018; leaders from the Catholic, Presbyterian and Muslim Church communities in the Anglophone regions announced a peace plan to resolve the on-going conflict in Cameroon. The plan involves as necessary first step, the holding of an “Anglophone General Conference” (AGC) convened for August 29-30, 2018 in Buea. The aim of the AGC is to seek consensus among Anglophones on the “issues to be examined at a yet-to-be convened national dialogue, as well as freely designate Anglophone representatives at that dialogue”. The conveners of the AGC designated Dr. Simon Munzu, an international luminary and renowned Cameroonian civil society leader, as their spokesperson and also outlined a number of initiatives that the Cameroon government should take to ensure a smooth conference participation by all Anglophone Cameroonians. These initiatives include notably, an immediate ceasefire, the unconditional release of all detainees, and a general amnesty.

Already, some voices within the Cameroonian diaspora, which has been the brain behind the armed separatist movement, have raised a number of critical concerns regarding the form and modalities of holding such a conference in Cameroon at this time. Let me highlight just three of the main concerns of the separatists. First, separatists claim that the time for dialogue with the government of Cameroon has passed and now is the phase of mediation as the crisis has transitioned to an armed conflict. They also criticize the choice of Dr. Simon Munzu as spokesperson of the AGC, given his controversial vocal stance for a federal Cameroon. Federation is no longer an option for a solution to the conflict, according to the separatists. Lastly, the separatists fear that, even with an amnesty, the Cameroon government is capable of rounding them up while in Buea, attending the AGC. And there are legitimate reasons to distrust the government, notably at the start of the crisis, representatives of the then Cameroon Civil Society Consortium that met with the government to dialogue were arrested soon after the meetings. Separatists are thus suggesting a safe venue outside of Cameroon for the AGC and for a neutral spokesperson, instead of Dr. Simon Munzu.

Let me quickly comment on the initiative by the Church authorities and suggest ways of making this work, considering the concerns raised by the separatists.

The peace plan to gain consensus on the root cause of the Anglophone Problem, it’s solution as well as to designate representatives to a broader national dialogue; dovetails nicely with the biblical approach to resolving conflicts that I opined not long ago in a piece circulated on social media in early June 2018. In particular, it’s of prime essence to have genuine interlocutors of the Anglophone Problem. Although there are two clear parties to the on-going armed conflict in Cameroon, the interlocutors on the side of the separatists are highly divided ideologically and the risks of the conflict becoming intra (among the separatists themselves) is high. Thus, a conference with the stated objectives is highly welcomed as a necessary first step towards dialogue/mediation/negotiation to resolve the conflict.

Now to make the Anglophone General Conference work, there’s more to do and a few more conditions to be fulfilled than the conveners have proposed.

1. In a situation of an on-going armed conflict, there’s need not only for a ceasefire but also for supervision of the ceasefire, in order to limit any further casualties. This necessitates the intervention of the UN in Cameroon, through its peace-keeping arm. The presence of UN peace keepers will also reassure displaced populations about their safety thereby contributing to a smooth holding of the AGC.

2. Although understanding the urgency of the need for a lasting solution to the conflict, the holding of the AGC need not be hurried. The proposed date seems rather hasty and fears are that the conference might not contribute to healing and an atmosphere of detente, if some perceive it’s timing as corresponding to the electoral calendar in Cameroon. This crisis has been on-going for about two years and several peace building initiatives by the government need to take place for trust to build on both sides. That takes time but the timing of the conference a few months to the forthcoming presidential elections to hold in October 2018 sends mixed messages. I would suggest a date for the AGC further ahead, preferably after the presidential elections.

3. Given the fact that the leadership of the separatist movement mostly reside in the diaspora, to ensure their effective participation and representation at the AGC, there need to be a preparatory conference of Anglophone Cameroonians in the diaspora (preferably held in the US) where representatives of the diaspora community to the AGC would be designated.

4. Participants at the AGC should be allowed to elect their own spokesperson and Dr. Munzu (the conveners’ spokesperson’s) mandate should end on day one of the conference, unless he is elected at the meeting to continue.

5. Following the AGC, the next stage of dialogue/negotiation/mediation, should be between the belligerent parties (that is, between the Cameroon government and would-be representatives of the Anglophone community) and not a national dialogue per se, as the Church leaders propose. The resolution of a crisis/conflict, needs to be primarily between the belligerents, of course, inter-mediated by third parties. The role of the international community and friends of Cameroon would be to facilitate as mediators.

By Dr. Julius A. Agbor, Associate Professor at Vanguard University of Southern California (USA)

Author is a Political Economist, and Associate Professor at Vanguard University of Southern California, Formerly, a Research Fellow at the Africa Growth Initiative of the Brookings Institution in Washington DC
Also, a contributor to the NY Times.

26, July 2018

Shootings on Video in Cameroon ‘May Not Be Isolated Cases,’ U.N. Fears ⁰

In the video, a man in a military uniform leads a woman down a dirt road, smacking her in the head several times as she holds a little girl’s hand and stumbles along. Another woman trails them with an infant strapped to her back. The group is blindfolded and made to sit on the ground.

Armed uniformed men raise their weapons and fire.

“The girl is still breathing,” someone says after the shooters pause, and one walks over to the limp bodies.

A uniformed man approaches the girl and fires again.

This graphic video, which has circulated on social media in recent days, appears to show soldiers in Cameroon executing two women, a child and baby on suspicion of being affiliated with Boko Haram. It has drawn outrage from human rights advocates and riled secessionist groups that have taken up arms in English-speaking areas of the country and say that they, too, have suffered abuses at the hands of the military.

On Wednesday, the United Nation’s high commissioner for human rights expressed alarm at continuing violence in Cameroon, saying he was “utterly appalled” by the horrific video.

“The government of Cameroon has an obligation to investigate this atrocious crime urgently,” said Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the high commissioner. “I am deeply worried that these killings captured on camera may not be isolated cases.”

The United States Department of State has called for an inquiry, and Cameroonian officials have said they would investigate the episode. Some officials have told various groups that four soldiers have been arrested in the shootings, but others have denied that, calling it “fake news.”

Security forces in Cameroon have battled Boko Haram, the Islamist extremist group, for years in the north of the country. Now, the country faces new threats from a protest movement that has inspired an armed separatist group demanding the creation of a breakaway nation in the south. Government forces have been accused of abuses in both conflicts.

A presidential election due to be held in October — in which President Paul Biya, now in his 36th year of power, is running for re-election — is adding to tension.

Videos of abuses by security forces posted to social media have served to escalate the violence. In English-speaking areas, it has worsened significantly in recent weeks and claimed at least 425 lives, according to the United Nations agency Unicef.

Many of the clips cannot be verified. The statement from the United Nations said it had repeatedly asked to enter English-speaking areas, but the government had denied access.

The recent video appears to have been filmed in the Far North, a region where Boko Haram operates. Its timing could not be determined, but diplomats believe it to be authentic.

Such action, as horrible as it is, did not come as a surprise to some human rights activists in Cameroon who say that security forces have been acting with impunity for years, especially in the fight against Boko Haram. Amnesty International and other groups have publicized numerous abuses.

“These extrajudicial killings are part of a broader pattern,” said Agbor Balla, a human rights lawyer in Cameroon.

Cameroonian defense officials said they had arrested a soldier in the rape of a woman in Bamenda, a major city in the English-speaking area. News of the arrest followed the publication of a video of the woman recounting being attacked after failing to produce identification at a military checkpoint.

Actions of both security forces and armed separatists in southern Cameroon have been condemned by human rights groups. Military forces have used deadly force on unarmed protesters, firing on some from helicopters and torching homes. Separatists have carried out kidnappings and targeted killings of police officers and local officials, and have burned schools.

Tens of thousands of civilians caught in the middle of the violence have fled — both from Boko Haram areas and from areas where armed separatists are operating. Government officials have pledged to investigate abuses, and have made arrests in some cases. But rarely have they broadly publicized any such actions. The United Nations may start monitoring the area remotely, its statement said.

Source: New York Times

26, July 2018

Cameroon is a close U.S. ally — And its soldiers carried out a shocking execution of women and children ⁰

A SOLDIER WALKS alone down a dirt road with an automatic rifle strapped to his back. It’s an innocuous beginning to a disturbing video.

Moments later, a group of soldiers and civilians follows. Another man – dressed in military fatigues and wearing aviator sunglasses — repeatedly strikes a woman who clutches the hand of a young girl, perhaps 7 or 8 years old. “You are going to die,” says the soldier, who refers to the woman as “BH,” an apparent reference to Boko Haram. He steers her off the road, and the young girl, likely her daughter, follows. Another soldier does the same to a second woman who has a toddler strapped to her back, guiding her into a dirt expanse.

Videos of executions have become commonplace in our news culture, with the Islamic State, Al Qaeda, and other terror groups filming atrocities and sharing them on social media. But this video from Cameroon is particularly cold-blooded. The soldiers make the women kneel on the ground. One of the soldiers gestures to the young girl and says, “Yes. Little girl, come here,” directing her to stand next to her mother. He then pulls the girl’s shirt over her head, blindfolding her.

Gunshots follow in fast succession.

The violence seems to have ended until a soldier goes to inspect the bodies. “The child is still alive,” he says, standing over the young girl, who has collapsed to the ground and lies on her back, with no perceptible movement. Another shot is fired at her. A few feet away, the toddler strapped to the other woman’s back lies motionless. All of them – the two women and two children — have been executed.

“I had to watch the video many times in order to analyze it,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, Amnesty International’s Lake Chad researcher and no stranger to atrocity videos associated with the Boko Haram conflict in the region. “It haunted me for days afterward. It’s one of the most disturbing videos I have ever seen in my career.”

The atrocity in this video was not carried out by Boko Haram or ISIS or Al Qaeda. It appears to have been committed by members of Cameroon’s armed forces – a military that receives substantial aid from the United States, whose troops operate from secretive drone bases in the north of the country. It is one of America’s closest military allies on the continent.

“Cameroon is a vital partner in the fight against Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, and other violent extremist organizations in the Lake Chad Basin region,” Maj. Sheryll Klinkel, a Pentagon spokesperson, told The Intercept. “Our relationship with Cameroon is designed to promote stability and security within the region.”

Snippets of the video have been published by a variety of news outlets, but none have shown the executions. The Intercept has obtained the full video and is publishing it with subtitles (the dialogue is in French). With the U.S. government offering no indication that it is reconsidering its aid to Cameroon’s military — the State Department and the Pentagon have merely called on Cameroon to investigate what happened — it is in the public interest for an authenticated and translated version of the entire video to be made available.

The video first came to public attention earlier this month, when it began to circulate online. Government spokesperson Issa Tchiroma Bakary quickly branded it as “fake news” and said it was “an unfortunate attempt to distort actual facts and intoxicate the public.”

Amnesty International soon issued a detailed analysis of the footage in a report that accused Cameroon’s armed forces of responsibility. “The Cameroonian authorities’ initial claim that this shocking video is fake simply doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. We can provide credible evidence to the contrary,” said Samira Daoud, deputy director of Amnesty International’s West Africa office. “Given the gravity of these horrific acts — the cold-blooded and calculated slaughter of women and young children — these hasty and dismissive denials cast serious doubt over whether any investigation will be genuine.”

After Amnesty released its report, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert issued a statement expressing concern about the executions. “International media, Amnesty International, and Cameroonian human rights organizations attribute the actions portrayed in the video to the Cameroonian military,” the statement read. “We call on the Government of Cameroon to investigate thoroughly and transparently the events depicted in the video, make its findings public, and if Cameroonian military personnel were involved in this atrocity, hold them accountable.”

The Pentagon echoed the State Department’s position. “We are aware of the video. At this time, we cannot confirm the authenticity of the video, nor can we confirm any possible military affiliation of those shown in this troubling video,” Klinkel told The Intercept by email. “We echo the State Department’s call for the Government of Cameroon to investigate thoroughly and transparently the events depicted in the video, make its findings public, and if Cameroonian military personnel were involved in this atrocity, hold them accountable.”

Allegrozzi says more is necessary. “This should be part of a broader effort by the government to put an end to grave human rights violations by Cameroon’s security forces fighting Boko Haram,” she told The Intercept.

With media and political pressure mounting, Cameroon’s government seemed to backtrack and reportedly arrested four soldiers, three of them directly implicated in the killings, according to a July 19 article from Agence France-Presse. But the minister of defense, Joseph Beti Assomo, has also accused the writer and activist Patrice Nganang of creating the video in order to “overwhelm” Cameroon’s armed forces.

ACCORDING TO AMNESTY, the executions of the two women and two young children were likely carried out by members of Cameroon’s armed forces in the Far North region of the country. “Both the weapons and uniforms of the soldiers in the video are indicative of the Cameroon army, and display patterns consistent with a number of possible units, including regular infantry and the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR), the special forces of the Cameroonian army,” reads a statement issued by the human rights group.

It’s unclear when the executions of the four unarmed civilians occurred, but emergence of the video comes roughly one year after Amnesty, the London-based research firm Forensic Architecture, and The Intercept exposed illegal imprisonment, torture, and killings by Cameroonian troops – specifically the BIR — at a remote military base that is also used by U.S. personnel and private contractors for drone surveillance and training missions. As the U.S. military fortified the Cameroonian site, known as Salak, and supported the elite local troops based there, Amnesty found that suspects held at the outpost were subjected to water torture, beaten with electric cables and boards, or tied and suspended with ropes, among other abuses.

The United States has a long tradition of working with unsavory regimes — from Chile’s brutal military dictatorship under Augusto Pinochet to Indonesia’s brutal military dictatorship under Suharto — and training with “partner-nation” security forces that have been implicated in serious criminal acts. A 2016 joint investigation by The Intercept and 100 Reporters, analyzing 6,176 leaked diplomatic cables, found that the process to weed out human rights abusers from U.S. training programs relied on highly questionable vetting procedures.

If the response of the U.S. military to the Salak disclosures is any indication, the latest controversy over the videotaped executions in Cameroon will not fundamentally alter America’s relationship with the West African nation.

After the Salak revelations, U.S. Africa Command launched an investigation, but never publicly announced details about its aims. According to a State Department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, AFRICOM’s investigation “did not consider Cameroonian human rights violations but focused on whether DoD [Department of Defense] personnel had knowledge of abuses by Cameroonian military forces.”

It appears, in other words, that the U.S. military was less concerned with what the Cameroonians were doing, than whether any Americans knew about it. According to Klinkel, the Pentagon spokesperson, the investigation “looked into the involvement, knowledge, reporting, and training of U.S. forces deployed to Cameroon as they relate to allegations in the Amnesty International report” and “whether U.S. forces were aware of any actual or alleged human rights abuses committed by Cameroonian forces prior to the Amnesty International report.”

While the investigation, headed by Brig. Gen. Timothy McAteer, concluded last November, the report was never made public. For nearly one year, AFRICOM has ignored periodic requests from The Intercept seeking comment about the parameters, scope, and findings of its probe. “I do not have a timeline on when the investigation results will be publicly released,” Klinkel told The Intercept.

“The results of the investigation have yet to be publicly released and this must be rectified,” Amnesty’s Ilaria Allegrozzi, said. “The report must be publicly released, not only to find out if any U.S. military personnel were aware of incommunicado detention and torture, but also to convey to the Cameroonian authorities how seriously the United States takes this issue.”

Following the 2017 torture revelations, U.S. military assistance to some, if not all, military units in Cameroon was reportedly suspended. The Pentagon claimed not to “have anything” on the subject, but the State Department official told The Intercept that “the suspension was based on the [U.S. government] analysis of all sources of credible information, including the 2017 Amnesty International report.” The official said assistance was suspended “to all Cameroonian security force units where there is credible information implicating those units in the commission of gross violations of human rights,” also known as GVHR. The official did not, however, specify which Cameroonian units had been cited and whether they had any connection to the 2017 allegations. “The suspension of assistance to these units will remain in effect until the allegations of GVHR are resolved, and the Government of Cameroon has taken effective steps to hold perpetrators accountable, as appropriate,” the official told The Intercept.

In April, the State Department released its annual human rights assessment of Cameroon and cited Amnesty’s 2017 findings, detailing a raft of abuses, including

Arbitrary and unlawful killings through excessive use of force by security forces; disappearances by security forces and Boko Haram; torture and abuse by security forces including in military and unofficial detention facilities; prolonged arbitrary detentions including of suspected Boko Haram supporters and individuals in the Anglophone regions; harsh and life- threatening prison conditions. … In the Far North region, security forces also were reported responsible for holding incommunicado, torturing, and in at least 10 cases killing suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State (ISIS)-West Africa supporters in detention facilities run by the military and intelligence services.

Klinkel said that the State Department report did not result in any changes to the assistance provided to Cameroon. “DoD provides assistance ONLY to Cameroonian units who have NOT been credibly implicated in gross violations of human rights after a thorough vetting process,” she wrote in an email. “U.S. law prohibits DoD from providing any training, equipment, or other assistance to a unit of a foreign security force if DoD has credible information that the unit has committed a gross violation of human rights.”

Just 10 days before the State Department took Cameroon to task in print, Peter Barlerin, the U.S. ambassador there, presided over a ceremony celebrating the transfer of two American-made surveillance aircraft to the Cameroon Air Force. He seemingly contradicted key findings of the human rights report. “Cameroon is a model of effective cooperation between the army and the inhabitants of the Far North to ensure their safety,” Barlerin told the audience. “Cameroon’s efforts to collaborate with the United States and credible international organizations in the provision of training on human rights, respect for the law of armed conflict, and the control of the army by civilians deserve special mention.”

In May, at an event marking the start of a two-year State Department-funded counter terrorism initiative, Barlerin called attention to the fact that the United States “advises and assists Cameroonian forces, trains its forces, and provides intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support.” Days later, in prepared remarks, he noted that Cameroon’s military was, indeed, guilty of “targeted killings, detentions without access to legal support, family, or the Red Cross, and burning and looting of villages.” He nonetheless “congratulated” Cameroonian President Paul Biya – who has now held power for 35 years — on “joint efforts to fight Boko Haram and the Islamic State in the Far North.”

On July 3, in remarks at a U.S. Independence Day celebration at the Hilton hotel in Cameroon’s capital, Yaoundé, Barlerin seemed to suggest an agree-to-disagree mindset. “It is good to see an opening in Cameroon with regard to national and international organizations working in the field of human rights — we do not have to agree on everything to discuss around a table,” he said.

Source: The Intercept

26, July 2018

US delays Trump-Putin meeting amid pressure on Trump ⁰

US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will not hold a meeting in the near future as it had been announced previously, at least not until next year.

White House national security adviser John Bolton made the announcement on Wednesday, blaming the delay on the probe into the president’s alleged collusion with Moscow in the wake of the 2016 election in the United States, Politico reported.

In a statement distributed through the White House press pool, Bolton (pictured below) suggested that the so-called Russia probe would end by the end of this year and that his boss would come through it unscathed.

“The president believes that the next bilateral meeting with President Putin should take place after the Russia witch hunt is over, so we’ve agreed that it will be after the first of the year,” Bolton said.

This is while special counsel Robert Mueller has no hard deadline and there have been no indications about when the investigation would end.

The decision is apparently part of the administration’s efforts to reduce pressure after the Helsinki fiasco.

At a press conference following the recent summit in the Finnish capital, Trump backed the Russian leader’s idea about alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election rather the American intelligence community’s.

Trump’s performance kicked off a hailstorm of criticism against Trump, forcing him to deny his comment about alleged Russian meddling.

Ever since Trump was inaugurated in January 2017, the US intelligence community has overwhelmingly maintained that Moscow sought to meddle in the 2016 election.

Russia has denied meddling in the election as well as being in possession of any damaging information on the US president.

Source: Presstv

26, July 2018

Mbappe, Salah shortlisted for FIFA player of the year award ⁰

France’s World Cup star Kylian Mbappe joined regulars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi on the shortlist for The Best FIFA Men’s player award, world soccer’s governing body announced on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old Mbappe followed up a domestic treble with Paris St Germain with a string of impressive performances in France’s World Cup winning campaign.

He became only the second teenager after Pele to score in a World Cup final as France powered past Croatia 4-2 to win the sport’s top prize for the second time, 20 years after their first triumph.

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, the top scorer in European club football last year, scored 44 goals for the Premier League side Liverpool in all competitions. The current African footballer of the year, Salah, would be the first player from the continent to win the FIFA prize since Liberian striker – and current president – George Weah in 1995.

The other players in the 10-man list are Kevin De Bruyne, Antoine Griezmann, Eden Hazard, Harry Kane, Luka Modric and Raphael Varane.

Brazil and Paris St Germain forward Neymar missed out on a nomination.

Source: Reuters

26, July 2018

Southern Cameroons pregnant women among migrants stranded at sea off Tunisian coast ⁰

Two pregnant women are among a group of migrants left stranded at sea for almost a fortnight after Tunisia became the latest of four countries to refuse their ship entry.

The migrants, recovered by a Tunisian supply vessel after they were found adrift in a small wooden boat reportedly within Malta’s search and rescue zone, are anchored a dozen miles offshore as they enter the 13th day of their ordeal with supplies of food and medicine dwindling.

It is understood the 40-strong group initially set sail from Libya, on a route frequently used by those seeking to reach Europe.

Refused entry by Malta, France, Italy and now Tunisia, the passengers and crew of the ship, the Sarost 5, have become pawns in a much wider political game, as Europe seeks to increase pressure on north Africa to do more to control migrant routes that pass through its waters.

Conditions aboard the ship, which is ill-equipped for such unexpected circumstances, are understood to be deteriorating.

“The situation on the ship is very bad,” said Mongi Slim of the Tunisian Red Crescent, based in the coastal commune of Zarzis, on Tuesday. “It’s hot and [on Monday] we had high winds. The captain said that he was no longer allowing medical supplies or food on board, to put more pressure on the Tunisian government. However, we think he has changed his mind, meaning we can get doctors, gynaecologists and nurses to the ship either this afternoon or tomorrow.”

Contacted by one of the migrants through social media, the website InfoMigrants reported one as saying: “We are left to fend for ourselves. We hardly eat, because there is no food left.

“We eat a piece of bread and one egg a day. We sleep on the floor, we do not have soap or toothbrushes. The crew members do everything to help us but they are also exhausted.”

Nine of the migrants are said to have travelled from Bangladesh, while others began their journey in sub-Saharan Africa. According to Slim, the two pregnant women have travelled from southern Cameroon. One is five months into her pregnancy, the other two.

All the passengers initially insisted they would only get off at a European port because they had paid so much for the journey. However, after 12 days at sea Slim thinks their attitude has changed.

“We’ve asked for emergency permission for the two women to come ashore, but we’re ready to receive all of them,” Slim said. “We have the third floor of our centre in Zarzis clear and waiting. They just need permission to land.”

Hamza Meddeb, a research fellow specialising in Tunisian affairs at the European University Institute in Florence, said there was a wider context to the migrants’ plight. “This is really about the EU trying to put pressure on north African countries, specifically Tunisia and Morocco, to play a greater role in handling the migrant crisis. However, it’s clear that Tunisia doesn’t want to open the door to that. They’re saying that this isn’t a north African problem so much as it’s a European one, which takes us to where we are now. The decision not to let them land isn’t a humanitarian decision so much as a political one.”

Leading civil society groups in Tunisia have called on the government to allow the Sarost 5 to dock. “It’s a very difficult situation,” said Messaoud Romdhani of the Forum Tunisien pour les Droits Economiques et Sociaux, one of the organisations urging the government to allow the migrants to land. “We can understand the Tunisian government’s situation. Europe is putting a lot of pressure on the Maghreb countries to host migrants.

“However, in Tunisia we have our own poor economic situation, and no legal framework to protect migrants and refugees. Also, the Tunisian government is very wary about being forced to act as the guardians of the Mediterranean. But we don’t want the migrants to have to return to Libya, it’s anarchy there, and we don’t want them to be forced to return to their country of origin.”

Attitudes across Europe appear to be hardening. In June, Italy closed its portsto the rescue ships that patrol the Mediterranean offering assistance to migrant boats in distress. The same month, a leaked EU report mooted the idea of establishing migrant centres in north Africa to relieve pressure on countries in western Europe, a plan emphatically rejected by Tunisia.

“The rise of the rightwing parties across Europe has hardened attitudes towards migrants,” Romdhani said. “However, we need to understand that they’re not going to stop coming. As long as there’s war, ethnic strife or their own poor economic circumstances, they’re going to keep coming. The only winners in this are the smugglers.”

Culled from The Guardian

26, July 2018

UN rights chief ‘appalled’ by video of Cameroon executions ⁰

The United Nations human rights chief said on Wednesday he was “utterly appalled” by a recent video appearing to show Cameroonian soldiers shooting to death women carrying small children as suspected Boko Haram extremists.

“I am deeply worried that these killings captured on camera may not be isolated cases,” the statement by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said.

Zeid also said he was deeply alarmed by reports of abuses in Cameroon’s northwest and southwest where deadly fighting has grown between security forces and Anglophone separatists.

The unrest that began in 2016 with teachers and lawyers demanding respect for the regions’ English education and justice systems led to a government crackdown and the emergence of armed separatists seeking an English-speaking state. The government in largely French-speaking Cameroon has barred the UN human rights office from those areas, Zeid said.

Human rights groups have accused both sides of abuses including torture and the burning of homes, and the UN has said more than 180 000 people have fled.

The government’s “heavy-handed security response” will only make life worse for civilians, Zeid said.

The government has condemned separatist attacks and defended its security forces, saying all alleged atrocities are investigated.

Warnings about Cameroon’s security crisis are growing as the Central African nation faces an October election in which 85-year-old President Paul Biya, in power since 1982, says he will run again.

Source: AP

25, July 2018

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Government reputation suffers ⁰

As the fighting between the government and separatist fighters rages on in the country’s English-speaking regions, many authoritative voices are already coming out of the shadows to express their disappointment and frustration with the government’s failure to properly handle a situation that started as a strike by teachers and lawyers.

Ghana’s former president, Jerry Rawlings, has been very critical of the government and its French backers who have been looting the country for centuries. He castigated the French for their moral and ethical bankruptcy, urging the world to take appropriate action to ensure the killings of Southern Cameroonians by the Yaoundé government come to an abrupt end.

Speaking recently in a video that has gone viral on the Internet, Mr. Rawlings called for an end to the French government’s carte blanche which gives it the right to enjoy the natural resources in Southern Cameroons without paying attention to the plight of the suffering masses in the country’s English-speaking region.

Southern Cameroons is a resource-rich region and this has made it the center of attention in the Central African country of Cameroon. These resources have been a huge source of foreign earnings for the Yaounde government for decades, but very little of this money has trickled down to the people who inhabit the region. This, among other reasons, is at the center of the conflict that is tearing the country apart.

The country’s natural resources which should be a blessing have been transformed into a curse by a greedy government that has made waste its hallmark. Southern Cameroonians hold that they have to walk away from this unfortunate marriage with their Francophone compatriots that has only brought them death and destruction.

But this is certainly going to be very challenging as walking away from that ‘political marriage’ implies taking with them about 60% of the country’s wealth. Southern Cameroons natural wealth includes oil, gas, diamond and timber. Its rich sub-soil has brought lots of economic benefits to the country. For almost 50 years, the Rio Del Rey estuary has been the source of more than 90% and at times 100% of all the country’s hydrocarbons, specifically oil.

Over the years, these resources have netted the government billions of dollars which are hardly reported in the country’s budget. In 2014 alone, Cameroon exported US$5.88 billion worth of products, of which US$2.65 billion, about CFAF 1,650 billion, was from crude oil. But the ordinary Southern Cameroonian has remained a sorry spectator of events in his country. He has always been watching from a distance as his wealth is being carried away to East Cameroon and, eventually, to France.

But beyond the unethical exploitation of the Southern Cameroonian, the government’s reputation has also been dented regarding its human rights record. The United Nations has openly indicted the Yaounde government for its huge appetite for torture and human rights violation.

Government agents and troops have been on a human rights violation spree across the country. In the English-speaking regions just as in the northern part of the country, government troops have made life a living hell for the people inhabiting these regions.

In Southern Cameroons, government militia are on the prowl for young Southern Cameroonian men who they hold pose a huge threat to the country. Many have been shot point blank even when not armed. Government forces have been ineffective against Southern Cameroonian fighters whose hit-and-run tactics have been very effective. Government troops and militia seem to be taking their frustration on innocent civilians.

In recent times, rape is also being used by government forces and militia as a weapon of choice to dehumanize Southern Cameroonian females. This week a video of a government army soldier raping a 17-year-old female in the northwest regional capital of Bamenda surfaced.

The world has been prompt at condemning such government-sponsored acts of brutality. This has resulted in the government announcing another investigation which will, of course, not produce any meaningful results. The world is still waiting for results of previous investigations of senseless killings by army soldiers. The Internet is awash with videos of abuses in northern Cameroon and in the English-speaking regions.

As response to these increasing abuses, the United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday, July 25, 2018, said he was “utterly appalled” by a recent video appearing to show Cameroonian soldiers shooting to death women carrying small children as suspected Boko Haram extremists.

“I am deeply worried that these killings captured on camera may not be isolated cases,” the statement by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said.

Mr. Zeid also said he was deeply alarmed by reports of abuses in Cameroon’s northwest and southwest regions where deadly fighting has grown between security forces and Anglophone separatists.

The unrest that began in 2016 when demands by teachers and lawyers calling for the respect of the regions’ English education and justice systems led to a government crackdown and the emergence of armed separatists seeking an English-speaking state.

The government in largely French-speaking Cameroon has barred the U.N. human rights office from those areas, Zeid said and this makes it hard for the abuses to be fully and objectively reported.

Human rights groups have accused both sides of abuses including torture and the burning of homes, and the U.N. has said more than 180,000 people have fled.

Mr. Zeid added that the government’s “heavy-handed security response” will only make life worse for civilians; a situation that has pushed many civilians to take refuge in the forests. The region’s jungle is today home to more than 30,000 civilians who are running away from government brutality.

The government has condemned separatist attacks and defended its security forces, saying all alleged atrocities are being investigated. However, the Yaoundé government is not known for any objective investigations. Besides, reports of such incidents are hardly published.

Warnings about Cameroon’s security crisis are growing as the Central African nation faces an October election in which 85-year-old President Paul Biya, in power since 1982, says he will run again.

Many moral and religious authorities around the world have been calling for an inclusive dialogue that will lead to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, including the Pope. But the government has been indifferent to calls for an inclusive dialogue and this is giving secessionists more confidence and time to spread their gospel. The government’s military action has transformed it into a monster and this has pushed the civilian population into the arms of secessionists who are making hay while the sun shines.

Meanwhile, last week, Human Rights Watch released a report that was damning to the government because of human rights abuses. Although Southern Cameroonian fighters were also taken to task for their actions, it was the Yaoundé government that took most of the punches from the human rights watchdog.

According to Humans Rights Watch in its July 19, 2018, report published in New York, “Government security forces and armed separatists have committed grave abuses against residents of Cameroon’s Anglophone region, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The region has been rocked by protests and violent clashes rooted in long-standing political grievances by the country’s Anglophone minority.”

The report, based on research in the region, satellite imagery and video analyses and entitled, “These Killings Can Be Stopped’: Abuses by Government and Separatist Groups in Cameroon’s Anglophone Regions” found that both government forces and armed separatists have abused civilians in the western part of the country, displacing over 180,000 people since December 2017.”

“Anglophone separatists have extorted, kidnapped and killed civilians, and prevented children from going to school. In response to protests and violence by armed separatists, government forces have killed civilians, used excessive force against demonstrators, tortured and mistreated suspected separatists and detainees, and burned hundreds of homes in several villages,” the report also adds.

“The human rights situation in Cameroon has reached crisis level and could still get much worse,” said Mausi Segun, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “International action is needed to ensure that both sides protect civilians and ensure justice for crimes against them.”

Human Rights Watch has documented abuses by both government forces and a variety of separatist between late 2016 and May 2018. It interviewed 51 victims, relatives of victims, or witnesses of abuse, as well as 31 education and medical professionals, lawyers, and key international sources. The interviews were conducted in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon in April.

Cameroon has been caught in a downward political spiral that clearly needs a United Nations military intervention. Condemnations and calls for inclusive dialogue will surely not bring the warring factions to the negotiating table.

The world has to stop the genocide that is unfolding in Cameroon. The country’s government is incapable of addressing the issue. It lacks the resources and will to accomplish such a mission. Its faulty premise that military action will stop Southern Cameroonians from walking away is costing the country lots of money.

Besides, the country’s military is losing its soldiers to Southern Cameroonian fighters who have displayed great courage. Their determination and bravado have caused many army soldiers to desert. Even the government is concerned. The government’s concern is contained in a confidential ministerial order which has been leaked by Cameroon Concord News Group military sources.

The order, a copy of which was faxed to the Cameroon Concord News Group’s global headquarters in the United Kingdom, indicates that the government would no longer be sending its troops on foreign missions as it has discovered the number of desertions have skyrocketed. The memo has been signed by the country’s defense minister, Joseph Beti Assomo.

The world must therefore jump in to ensure that Cameroon does not unwind. A chaotic Cameroon is bad news to its neighbors who have had more than their fair share of political and military chaos. Cameroon is the sub-region’s largest and most developed country. Political chaos in Cameroon will surely affect trade and development. Chaos will roll back Cameroon’s neighbors into extreme poverty. The world still has time to prevent a meltdown of the sub-region. Long speeches and calls for inclusive dialogue have failed. This is the time to send a peace-keeping force to Cameroon to stop the chaos.

By Kingsley Betek and Irene Nanyongo

25, July 2018

Douala, Limbe hit by floods ⁰

Local media portals in Cameroon are reporting of floods in parts of the country. On Tuesday, the city of Limbe in the country’s South West was hit by floods.

Whiles in Douala, the country’s largest city and economic capital located in the Littoral region, heavy rains accompanied by landslides are said to have left scores stranded.

Videos and photos shared on social media showed streets submerged as flood waters have risen to knee-level of people who attempted wading through.

Some journalists are also reporting that in the case of Limbe, as the waters receded, people are counting their loses. There are no official account of loss of lives but local media are putting it at ten.

Floods continue to cause havoc across parts of Africa where high rain patterns have resulted in loss of lives and destruction to properties. The most recent was in the capital of Ivory Coast, Abidjan where government was forced to evacuate close to 200 families.

Source: Africa News