Monthly Archives: January 2019

5, January 2019

US deploys army to secure Congo-Kinshasa election ⁰

The United States has deployed military personnel to Gabon, in anticipation of possible violent demonstrations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, when results of a presidential election are declared.

In a letter to congressional leaders, president Donald Trump said the first batch of about 80 military personnel arrived in Gabon on Wednesday.

He said they ‘will remain in the region until the security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo becomes such that their presence is no longer needed’.

5, January 2019

Chief Dr. Dion Ngute’s invitation to “Come and Chop” ⁰

President Paul Biya has appointed Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute as the new Prime Minister replacing Philemon Yang. The appointment was made public some 24 hours after his residence was burnt down by Ambazonian Restoration Forces in his native Bobongo, Ekondo Titi in the Ndian County of Southern Cameroons

Joseph Dion Ngute was Minister of Special Duties at the Presidency of the Republic. Born on March 12, 1954, Joseph Dion Ngute is a career diplomat with a Ph.D from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom attached to his name.

He was rector of the Advanced School of Administration and Magistracy ENAM in 1991 before joining the Biya ruling CPDM clan on the 7^th of December 1997 when he was appointed as Minister Delegate at the Ministry of External Relations in Charge of the Commonwealth. Joseph Dion Ngute also moonlights as the traditional ruler of the Barombi tribe, Ndian County in Southern Cameroons.

Dion Ngute’s appointment and the war in Southern Cameroons

Rotating the post of Prime Minister between the two Southern Cameroons zones with these men of yesteryears will not resolve the Anglophone crisis. Moderate Southern Cameroons political commentators have opined that “If Biya wants to save Cameroon from implosion, he should without further delay, return Cameroon to a federal system with a rotating presidency.” “Only such bold initiatives which give Anglophones a stake in the country called Cameroon can convince Ambazonians to reconsider their struggle for independence.”

All these musical chair appointments are token measures of appeasement a smack of desperation to fuel the NW/SW schism and divide the resistance. It might have worked before, but it will fail because people like Musonge, Philemon Yang, and Dion Ngute no longer speak on behalf of Anglophones. His house was burnt just yesterday, and this should signal to Biya that Dion, like other SW CPDM elite, are considered traitors of the Ambazonia struggle. His appointment as PM is just an invitation for him and his cronies to “come and chop”

5, January 2019

There are reasons why the Swiss won’t stop President Biya’s Geneva stays ⁰

Reports in 2018 that alleged Cameroon’s president Paul Biya runs his country from a Geneva hotel raise questions whether official Switzerland can intervene in such cases.

Neutral Switzerland, and international Geneva in particular, have long been known as a playground for the rich. But should the Swiss clamp down when some of these people, like Biya, are linked to regimes with dubious democratic records in corrupt countries?

According to a report in early 2018 by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the Cameroonian president has spent at least 1,645 days on private visits abroad since he came to power in 1982, and Geneva is by far his favourite destination. The Hotel Intercontinental in Geneva with its swimming pool and view of Mont Blanc is the residence of choice for the Cameroonian presidential couple.

“According to reporters’ conservative calculations – based on publicly available hotel room prices and a compilation of entourage lists – the total hotel bill of Biya and his colleagues for one stay at Intercontinental adds up to around $40,000 per day,” says OCCRP. “At that rate, the cost of all of the president’s private trips (1,645 days in total) would add up to about $65 million since he came to power – and that’s not counting food, entertainment and the rental of a private plane.”

A traffic light in the foreground of an image of the Intercontinental hotel — (Keystone)

A report by the Wall Street Journal in November 2018 said that since Biya became head of state the hotel is transformed several times a year into a kind of offshore presidential palace for several weeks. According to the WSJ, Biya pays for everything in cash. A normal stay costs several million Swiss francs (about the same in US dollars), according to Christian Penda Ekoka, who was Biya’s chief advisor before moving to the opposition. Ekoka told the WSJ that the money came directly from the treasury, and that everything was paid in cash to prevent the trips appearing in the state account.

Cameroonian protestors

Another report by Swiss public broadcaster RTS in June this year also highlighted Geneva as a “paradise for dictators”. It includes some scenes of the frequent demonstrations by Cameroonian exiles outside the Hotel Intercontinental when Biya is there. “Shame on Switzerland!” they cry. “It’s taxpayers’ money!” “He is stealing the money from the oil of our anglophone region, which is in ruins.”

Cameroon has a reputation for corruption. In 1998 and 1999 it was ranked bottom of the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, and in 2017 it was rated 153rd out of 180 countries. Although Biya is recognized as the legitimate president of Cameroon, his democratic credentials are questionable. The francophone president, 85, won re-election for a seventh term this October in what foreignpolicy.com called a “master class in fake democracy”. That election took place amid an upsurge of rebellion in the country’s anglophone regions, which has been violently repressed by his security forces.

According to the International Crisis Group, “Cameroon’s structural weaknesses (hyper-centralisation, no separation of powers, restriction of civil liberties, corruption of state officials, weak institutions and failure to renew its leadership) are becoming more problematic each passing year. President Paul Biya, in power for 36 years, governs through a combination of clientelism, manipulation of ethnic rivalries and routine human rights violations.”

So what should Switzerland do?

So is Biya’s frequent presence in Geneva an embarrassment for Switzerland, and should it act? “Foreign heads of state can – in a private capacity – stay in Switzerland without the federal authorities being formally informed or involved in the visit,” the foreign ministry told swissinfo.ch.

“As a legitimate head of state, he has a right to travel, especially to Geneva which is the seat of many international organizations,” says Marc Guéniat, Senior Researcher at Swiss NGO Public Eye. “What is problematic is that he spends so much time at taxpayers’ expense, taking over an entire floor of a 5-star hotel.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, which spoke to several former hotel managers, the Intercontinental vacates the entire sixteenth floor for Biya and his entourage, sometimes adding around 30 rooms on other floors.

“He’s not wanted by Interpol, so it’s not a legal question,” says analyst Daniel Warner, a retired former deputy head of the Geneva Institute of International and Development Studies. “Unless he’s on trial somewhere, it’s a political question and a judgment question, and as a neutral country what do you expect the Geneva or Swiss authorities to do? If he’s wanted for a crime, that would be something different, but there is no formal legal process against him.”

Some people nevertheless think Switzerland could do more, starting with tighter checks on visas and on cash coming into the country. One angry Cameroonian demonstrating outside the Geneva Intercontinental in the RTS report tells a Swiss police officer that if Biya “has come to live in Switzerland” he should ask for his residence permit like everyone else.

Asked what the visa regulations are for non-European heads of state visiting Switzerland, the foreign ministry told swissinfo.ch that “when a head of State comes on a private visit to Switzerland he is subject to the same rules as any other foreigner staying in Switzerland”. It did not, however, directly answer the question of who delivers the visas and how long such heads of state are allowed to stay.

Cash rules

Unlike the EU, Switzerland does not automatically require a declaration when importing large amounts of cash. However, under an Ordinance of 2009, Swiss customs officials can request information “on the import, export and transit of cash in an amount of at least CHF10,000 or an equivalent amount in foreign currency”, including the reasons and origin of the money. If there is suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing, the customs office can also request information when the amount of cash is less than CHF10,000 ($10,000).

As a head of state, Biya enjoys diplomatic immunity. This was confirmed by the foreign ministry. “A sitting head of state enjoys, according to international customary law, absolute legal immunity (for both public and private acts) and personal inviolability,” the ministry said in response to swissinfo.ch. “As for the members of his entourage, the statute they may be granted in Switzerland is examined on a case by case basis, according to the aim of the visit and the function they perform.”

Brazil recently seized millions of dollars from the luggage of a delegation accompanying Teodorin Obiang Nguema, the playboy Vice-President of Equatorial Guinea who is also a frequent visitor to Switzerland. But “Teodorino”, unlike Biya, has a court ruling against him. He was sentenced in France in absentia in October 2017 to a suspended three-year prison sentence for money laundering. And in that case, the Swiss authorities seized luxury cars and a yacht belonging to him, at the request of the French authorities.

Culled from Swissinfo.ch

4, January 2019

UNICEF says 400,000 children in Southern Cameroons need aid ⁰

According to the United Nations Children Emergency Fund, UNICEF, some 400,000 children are in need as a result of the war in Southern Cameroons. UNICEF revealed that approximately 309, 0000 of the children (77%) are in the Northern and Southern Zones adding that some 206,000 are badly in need of immediate assistance.

The report further pointed out that since 2016, political and social instability exacerbated by sporadic violence, impacted negatively the life of the civilian population of Southern Cameroons. Correspondingly, more than 437,000 persons have been displaced.

Going by the report, the Child Protection Area of Responsibility has been activated in October, along with the activation of the other clusters. Its response strategy will focus on 4 different pillars: prevention of further abuse; response to children victims of abuse; capacity building of local actors and communities on child protection; advocacy and multisector collaboration on child protection.

By Sama Ernest

4, January 2019

Southern Cameroons War: Minister Dion Ngute’s house set on fire ⁰

Southern Cameroons fighters defending the Ndian County have set the residence of Minister Dion Ngute ablaze to protest his continued loyalty to the Biya Francophone regime in French Cameroun. Joseph Dion Ngute who also moonlights as the traditional ruler of the Barombi tribe is currently a Minister without portfolio in the Biya regime.

The massive villa was reportedly built with stolen oil money from the Bakassi Peninsular and diamond reserves in the Ndian County. The palace located in the Minister’s native Bobongo, Ekondo Titi was torched on Thursday by heavily armed Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces.

Several frontline Anglophone CPDM barons have been shortlisted for attacks including Chief Tabetando, Peter Mafany Musonge and Elvis Ngolle Ngolle. The Dion Ngute residence was burnt late in the night and gun shots were fired from behind the building. It should be recalled that Joseph Dion Ngute was attacked at the Cameroon embassy in South Africa on August 6^th 2017 while on a mission to dialogue with the Southern Cameroons Diaspora.

By Rita Akana

4, January 2019

£12million Torino star Nicolas Nkoulou eyed to solve Arsenal defensive woes ⁰

ARSENAL are considering a bid for Torino centre-back Nicolas Nkoulou, according to reports. The Cameroon international captain has excelled this season to inspire his mid-table club to the fourth-best defensive record in Serie A.

Nicolas Nkoulou has been the star in Torino’s season so far. Gunners boss Unai Emery is a fan of the former Monaco, Marseille and Lyon defender from his time as Paris Saint-Germain coach.

The Spaniard is eager to strengthen Arsenal’s shaky defence, which has already leaked 31 Premier League goals – by far the worst record among the top five teams.

And reports in Italy claim Emery has urged Emirates chiefs to sanction a bid for 28-year-old Nkoulou. Torino value the defender at around £12million, just six months after paying Lyon £3.15m for him following a successful spell on loan.

Source: The Sun

4, January 2019

Nigeria Helicopter Crashes While Fighting Extremists; 5 Dead ⁰

A Nigerian Air Force helicopter crashed in combat, killing five crew members, as fighting raged against extremists for control of the strategic town of Baga in the northeast, the military said Thursday.

The crash occurred Wednesday at Damasak in northern Borno state, according to a tweet by air force spokesman Ibikunle Daramola. Officials did not say what caused the crash.

The military has been fighting to regain control of Baga, which the extremists seized last week. The town is a key base for a multinational force fighting the extremists. Many residents have fled to the Borno state capital, Maiduguri.

The fighting for Baga has been intense, the chief of army training and operations, Maj. Gen. Lamidi Adeosun, told reporters. “It’s a ding-dong situation but we are engaging them,” he said last week. “We are not in total control but Boko Haram have not taken control of Baga, either.”

The base in Baga, close to the border with Chad, has weapons, ammunition and other equipment that are a key target for the extremists, who also overran the base in 2015.

The Islamic State West Africa Province, an offshoot of the decade-old Boko Haram extremist group and the largest IS-linked extremist group in Africa, claimed to kill or wound “dozens” of soldiers in the latest attack, according to the SITE Intelligence Group that monitors extremist communiques.

Fifty-three police are missing, according to a senior police officer in Maiduguri, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

Use of drones

Nigeria’s defense minister, Mannir Dan-Ali, on Wednesday reiterated the military’s commitment to ending Boko Haram’s insurgency. He spoke to the press while on his way to neighboring Chad to discuss extremist activity in border areas.

Nigeria’s government recently confirmed the extremists had begun using drones, calling it a “critical factor” in a rise in attacks against military bases. The military rarely announces death tolls, but the government in November acknowledged dozens of soldier deaths.

President Muhammadu Buhari at the time held an urgent meeting with member countries to “enhance the capacity” of the multinational force.

The nearly decade-old Boko Haram insurgency has been blamed for some 20,000 deaths and thousands of abductions. The unrest and displacement of millions of hungry people have turned northeastern Nigeria into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Source: AP

4, January 2019

Ambazonia territory becoming deserted ⁰

Towns and villages in Cameroon’s restive Anglophone regions are being deserted as battles rage between separatists and the country’s military. The fighting intensified after President Paul Biya’s New Year’s message in which he insisted that his military would neutralize separatists who refuse to lay down their arms.

A senior Cameroon military official, who did not wish to be named, warns in a report that visiting the mostly deserted northwestern town of Kumbo he will need military protection.

He says separatist fighters have been launching heavy attacks in the area and may be among the few people left on the streets.

On a ride through the streets of Kumbo, under military protection, it’s clear that most houses, markets and public places are abandoned while some homes and schools have been torched.

But Kumbo resident Mbiybe Tatah says that many locals are fleeing because they are afraid – not of separatists but of the military. They accuse Cameroon troops of burning their houses and shops in retaliation for failing to inform on separatist fighters hiding in their villages, he says.

An empty street is seen in Kumbo, Cameroon, Jan. 3, 2019.

“These armed military men just shoot at random and they term (call) people in Kumbo terrorists,” he says.

Tatah says people began fleeing after President Paul Biya’s New Year’s speech.

Many observers had expected Biya to announce the release of some separatist leaders in a bid for peace. But, he instead repeated a vow to eliminate all those who refuse to stop fighting and lay down their weapons.

The governor of the English-speaking northwest region, Deben Tchoffo, refutes claims that the military retaliates against civilians.

But he says they cannot allow separatists to terrorize people and destroy what Cameroon has built since independence.

“The head of state is still asking those that were misdirected to lay down their weapons. If not, they will be neutralized. I am therefore launching an appeal to those of the northwest region to heed to the call of the head of state. If not, they will be neutralized.”

Tchoffo says there have been many casualties since fighting intensified after Biya’s speech but he did not give figures.

Abdoul Jinguil Mussa, a crisis management expert with the Lake Chad Basin Commission, says Cameroon needs an independent body to lead peace negotiations with the separatists.

People are seen on a street of abandoned houses and stores, in Kumbo, Cameroon, Jan. 3, 2019.

“People have died on both sides of the conflict. A lot of families have been displaced, property has been destroyed. That is why we say the best solution is when both parties have agreed that they are both losing. We need both parties to sit together in good faith, let the mediator be someone neutral, someone who is going to be there for peace to reign,” Mussa said.

Cameroon’s unrest began in November 2016 when English-speaking teachers and lawyers demonstrated against the growing dominance of French in the officially bilingual country.

Separatists took over the movement and started demanding independence for the English-speaking North West and South West regions.

In October 2017, Cameroon’s separatists declared what they called the English-speaking Republic of Ambazonia and vowed no cooperation with the government in Yaounde.

Cameroon says over 1,000 people have been killed in fighting since, including 200 policemen and troops, while hundreds of thousands have fled to French-speaking regions.

Culled from the VOA

3, January 2019

Biya’s genocidal war against Southern Cameroonians is killing 20 times more civilians ⁰

The Cameroon government army has repeatedly claimed that its war in Southern Cameroons is simply against Ambazonian separatists and that it has been so careful in who it targets in its military operations. The Yaoundé regime military’s assertion is a stunning underestimation of the true human cost of French Cameroun 2-year-old war against the English speaking minority. A 6-month-long investigation by the Cameroon Concord News Group has found that Cameroon government soldiers are killing civilians in Southern Cameroons at a rate 20 times higher than its military spokesperson is admitting.

From Dadi to Batibo and from Menji to Weh including Belo, Munyenge, Kwa Kwa, Bekora and many other areas where the French Cameroun army had carried out raids against targets ostensibly linked to the Ambazonian Restoration Forces, we found that the Biya regime did not even reported how many civilians had died in the shootings.

The Cameroon army is yet to acknowledge the killing of even one Southern Cameroons civilian. Several innocent civilians killed by Francophone army soldiers weren’t counted among the deaths in a document that was made public by Defense Minister Joseph Beti Assomo.

This raises many troubling issues about the war currently going on in Southern Cameroons. The Cameroon government army is also greatly underreporting the number of military casualties. That also raises questions about how many soldiers the Ambazonian fighters might be killing in Southern Cameroons. Cameroon Concord News gathered from civilians and local leaders that killing of Southern Cameroons civilians by the French Cameroun army is serving as a push for Ambazonia Restoration Forces recruitment.

The Biya war keeps killing Southern Cameroon civilians

The Cameroon military has a civilian casualty’s problem. For example, even the names of the American and Kenyan missionaries killed by government troops did not appear on Minister Beti Assomo’s list. Yet, Francophone government officials acknowledge, they take the necessary precautions to ensure civilians aren’t casualties of the Ambazonia war — even though they are.

Despite claims that Yaoundé has a well organized army; it still cannot stop killing noncombatants because the French Cameroun leadership chooses to fight the Ambazonian restoration forces deep inside towns and villages and not in their assembly areas in the bushes. It is inevitable that civilians have become collateral damage.

By Chi Prudence Asong

3, January 2019

Battle For Ambazonia: Field Marshal was not killed in helicopter attack ⁰

Our chief intelligence officer in the Lebialem County has admitted that French Cameroun troops did not kill a senior Red Dragons Commander, Lekeaka Oliver known popularly as “Field Marshall” during an helicopter gun battle that the Biya CPDM crime syndicate made a talking point for success in the two-year war in Southern Cameroons.

Ambazonian Communications Secretary, Hon. Chris Anu told Southern Cameroonians recently that the Field Marshal is alive and leading military operations in the Lebialem County and even beyond. Our sources deep within the Cameroon government military also observed that the Francophone leadership was not able to confirm that Field Marshal was killed, although the army announced through its propaganda web site that Field Marshal was dead. The same web site had reported some years ago that the Cameroon army had killed Abubakar Sheku the Boko Haram leader.

Earlier intelligence from members of the Minister Tasong family led Yaoundé to believe Field Marshal had been killed. The Cameroon government army has intentionally avoided walking back its high-profile assessment of the fighting in the Lebialem County. The army said in a recent communiqué addressed to President Biya that it is targeting Red Dragons assembly areas in Lebialem.

Colonel Badjeck who also moonlights as the Cameroon army spokesperson has avoided questions on the killing of Field Marshal. We understand the modus operandi of the Red Dragons is much more complicated and provides for many ministers of war.

The Francophone dominated army, along with its corrupt leaders noted recently that the killing of the Field Marshal had dealt a significant blow to the Red Dragons. People in the know in Yaoundé have also openly opined that the army had intentionally withheld information indicating that it had not actually killed Lekeaka Oliver.

A newly announced reinforcement of French Cameroun troops to areas in Manyu near General Elokobi Njock’s village, to be used as a staging ground for attacks on Lebialem, will arrive relatively quickly, CIR has been informed.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Sama Ernest and Rita Akana