Monthly Archives: December 2019

Prospects bright for Southern Cameroons as Bougainville overwhelmingly votes for independence from Papua New Guinea

11, December 2019

Prospects bright for Southern Cameroons as Bougainville overwhelmingly votes for independence from Papua New Guinea 0

The results of Bougainville’s independence referendum are set to be announced Wednesday — with the troubled Pacific islands expected to resoundingly back the creation of a new nation and a break with Papua New Guinea.

The South Pacific islands of Bougainville have overwhelmingly voted to be independent from Papua New Guinea, the referendum commission said on Wednesday, in a historic poll that will trigger separation negotiations between the two governments.

Almost 98% of the 181,067 votes cast backed independence in the non-binding poll that is part of a peace pact struck in the aftermath of a decade-long war between Bougainville’s rebel fighters and PNG forces, which ended in 1998.

The historic vote caps a decades-long peace process and a long recovery from a brutal civil war between Bougainville rebels, Papua New Guinea security forces and foreign mercenaries that ended in 1998 but not before killing up to 20,000 people — 10 percent of the population.

In stark contrast to that internecine bloodshed, voting began on November 23 with ecstatic residents — some festooned in grass garlands — forming makeshift choirs that stomped through the streets, waving independence flags, blowing bamboo pipes and chanting in chorus.

Bougainvilleans’ choice was between full independence or greater autonomy within Papua New Guinea, a fractious nation of eight million people off the northeast coast of Australia.

The vote officially ended on December 7 and according to the Bougainville Referendum Commission it passed off without major incident.

“Around 85 percent of the total people on the referendum roll have cast their vote in an environment that was conducive to a free, fair and credible process” said the commission’s chairman Bertie Ahern ahead of the result.

The former Irish prime minister was picked for the role having shepherded the Northern Ireland peace process.

“Voting has been in the spirit of the larger peace process, of which this referendum is just one part,” he said.

If voters do choose independence, the decision would require ratification by Papua New Guinea’s parliament.

There is anxiety among some in Port Moresby that Bougainville could set a precedent and spur other independence movements.

But rejection risks rekindling old feuds and skittling the peace process.

Since French explorer Louis de Bougainville arrived on this palm-fringed Melanesian archipelago more than two hundred years ago, control has passed from Germany to Australia to Japan to the United Nations to Papua New Guinea.

Many Bougainvilleans feel a closer cultural affinity to the nearby Solomon Islands, with a strong provincial identity that differs from the tribal factions of other regions of Papua New Guinea.

The 1988-1998 war had its roots in a struggle over revenues from the now-shuttered Panguna copper mine, which at one point accounted for more than 40 percent of Papua New Guinea’s exports.

The mine is estimated to still hold more than five million tonnes of copper and 19 million ounces of gold — worth billions of dollars at current market prices.

Independence would prompt a dash for influence among regional powers China, the United States and Australia.

Attuned to regional rivalry, senior figures in Bougainville’s independence movement have already tried to start a bidding war — warning the nascent nation would turn to Beijing if Western countries do not play their cards right and offer financial support.

(AFP)

France: Tenacious general strike sees second day of huge demos

11, December 2019

France: Tenacious general strike sees second day of huge demos 0

Day six of France’s largest general strike since 1995 saw massive union-led protests nationwide for the second time in a week. 

Public transport continues to run at only around 10% capacity and both public and private sector workers waked off the job in huge numbers yet again.

Nearly one million protesters rallied nationwide which is especially impressive given the lack of union solidarity. 

Tomorrow the government will finally unveil the details of the pension reform, which they have delayed to avoid further inflaming public opinion. The nation’s largest union has not joined the strike, but they will make their crucial decision once the unprecedented system is finally revealed. 

However, the nation’s prime minister announced that nobody should expect him to say anything which would immediately stop the protests; that’s another indication of President Emmanuel Macron’s infamous reluctance to negotiate or compromise. 

The one-size-fits-all pension system touted by Macron would be a world’s first. When it is finally clear how it plans to work, it seems highly unlikely that citizens will get larger pensions instead of smaller ones. The plan will include a backdoor two-year high to the retirement age. 

New polls show 70% of the nation supports the strikers, making them as popularly supported as the Yellow Vest anti-government movement. A majority of France says the general strike is about the ensemble of Macron’s policies, which have drastically increased economic inequality and societal instability.

Federal Republic of Ambazonia: VP Yerima to meet with senior ANC leaders

11, December 2019

Federal Republic of Ambazonia: VP Yerima to meet with senior ANC leaders 0

The plane that transported Vice President Dabney Yerima touched down at the Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg yesterday at 9:45 am and he was welcomed by the newly elected leadership of the Ambazonian community in South Africa.

Upon arrival, the exiled leader held a 7 hour meet the people tour of Johannesburg and Ekuhuleni munipalities in Gutung Province where he met with a cream of Ambazonians professionals and entrepreneurs.

Comrade Yerima was full of praise for the Southern Cameroons community in South Africa for being the vanguard of the revolution. He pointed out that his mission to South Africa was not only to say thank you but to also to remind them of their responsibilities to own and redirect the revolution.

Dabney Yerima appealed to all Southern Cameroonians in South Africa to buy their AmbaFreedomBonds and also fund the revolution through other means. He emphasized that the new dawn Interim Government will not fail because of its new institutional principles of transparency, accountability and responsibility.

Vice President Dabney Yerima’s convoy that travelled to the Ekuhuleni municipality was led by the South African Police Service (SAP) and the South African Metropolitan Police Service (Traffic police). In the Ekuhuleni Municipality,  Yerima held very intensive and productive discussions with senior Ambazonian elites in Isando, Germiston,  Primrose, and Elsburg.

The Vice President was also at the Johannesburg Municipality and made stops at Braamfontien,  Turffontein , Hilbrow, Yeovile, and.Bramley.  He concluded the first part of his 10th of Dec 2019 working session by visiting the famous Black and White Ambazonia Cell in Johannesburg.

The climax of the South Africa trip came during a surprise visit to Chief Taka the 4th of Muea-Piyin’s palace.  He was traditionally decorated by Chief Taka the 4th with the title ‘Achefor ‘ (Meaning the closest friend of the Chief).

Dabney Yerima will be travelling today to Mafikeng in the North West province where he will be joined by the renowned Professor Carlson Anyangwe and the Secretary for Communications Milton Taka to speak to top ANC leaders and Ambazonians in a seminar on Decolonization and Justice for Sustainable Peace and Development in Africa at the Municipal Chamber.

By Ayuk Patrick in South Africa

French Cameroun: Yaounde launches platform to boost youth employment

10, December 2019

French Cameroun: Yaounde launches platform to boost youth employment 0

YouthConnekt, a platform intended to boost youth entrepreneurship, job creation and social cohesion was launched in Cameroon on Monday.

Cameroon’s Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, Mounouna Foutso, said the initiative will connect and empower Cameroonian youth with skills to fully take part in the development of the country.

“We have realized that many Cameroonian youths are not connected. We are now offering them this platform to connect to opportunities wherever they are found,” Foutso told reporters.

Over 5,000 youths including football star, Samuel Eto’o, attended Monday’s launch ceremony in the capital Yaounde.

YouthConnekt is a joint UN-Government initiative that seeks to connect young people to diverse socio-economic and political opportunities in order to optimize their empowerment and facilitate their full participation in development.

The initiative launched in 2012 in Rwanda is present in 12 African Countries.

“I encourage every young Cameroonian to seize the opportunities offered by YouthConnekt following the launching of the initiative in Cameroon. Our dear and beautiful country will be built in peace with the youth,” Cameroonian President Paul Biya tweeted immediately after the launch ceremony.

Source: Xinhuanet

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Biya Regime Told To Make Humanitarian Response More Inclusive

10, December 2019

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Biya Regime Told To Make Humanitarian Response More Inclusive 0

Concrete action is needed to make the humanitarian response to the crisis in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon more inclusive of people with disabilities, Human Rights Watch said today on International Human Rights Day. In September 2019, the United Nations under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs made a commitment to make the humanitarian response more inclusive, but the commitment needs to be translated into action on the ground.

Violence has intensified since July 2019 in the North-West and South-West regions, escalating in August after a Yaoundé military court handed down life sentences to 10 leaders of the separatist Ambazonia Interim Government following a flawed trial. Human Rights Watch research and media reports indicate that at least 130 civilians have been killed in over 100 incidents since July, and thousands have been forced to flee. Given the ongoing violence and the difficulty of collecting information from remote areas, the number of civilian deaths – including of people with disabilities – is most likely higher.

“As the crisis in the Anglophone regions shows no sign of slowing, people with disabilities are struggling to find safety and face heightened risks of attacks, displacement, and abandonment,” said Shantha Rau Barriga, disability rights director at Human Rights Watch. “Cameroonian authorities and armed separatists should stop their abuses against civilians, while international organizations should fulfil their promises to those most affected by the crisis, including people with disabilities.”

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported in November that the humanitarian situation deteriorated, with over 656,000 internally displaced people in the Anglophone regions. Humanitarian access to people in need is difficult, with aid workers facing greater risks. In October alone, armed separatists kidnapped 10 aid workers, all of whom have been released. Another aid worker was killed in November.

On September 10, President Paul Biya called for a “national dialogue” to address the Anglophone crisis. The dialogue ended on October 4 with the release of hundreds of people arrested in connection with the unrest in the regions, as well as political opponents. However, violence has continued unabated.

Between September and November, Human Rights Watch interviewed 24 people with disabilities living in the Anglophone regions, their family members, as well as representatives of UN agencies and of national and international humanitarian organizations. Human Rights Watch research indicates that people with disabilities are more likely to be exposed to danger from attacks, including because of barriers to escaping and staying out of harm’s way, and because of the degradation of whatever support systems existed before the crisis.

Since the crisis in the Anglophone regions started three years ago, Human Rights Watch has documented the experiences of people with disabilities who were unable to flee to safety, or were killed, assaulted, and tortured by soldiers or armed separatists. New cases have been documented since August 2019.

In one case, on September 19, Cameroonian security forces searching for armed separatists attacked a locality called “Number One Water” near the town of Muyenge, South-West region, killing four civilian men, including a man with an intellectual disability. A witness to the attack said people fled when the military arrived and started shooting: “I hid in the nearby bush and I went back when things calmed down, the same day. I found four bodies on the ground and helped bury them. Among those killed, there was a man called ‘Jasper,’ who had an intellectual disability, which is the reason why he stayed behind. The military killed him in front of his hut. His body was partly burned, because the military also set his hut on fire.”

Secession Palaver: Leader of Scottish National Party shifts to a more radical position on independence

10, December 2019

Secession Palaver: Leader of Scottish National Party shifts to a more radical position on independence 0

With the general election only a few days away, Nicola Sturgeon has thrown down the gauntlet at the entire British political establishment.

The leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) is now calling for a fresh poll on Scottish independence regardless of Brexit.

Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, Sturgeon, who is also Scotland’s First Minister, said that the “contemptuous way in which Scotland has been treated” justifies a new independence referendum.

Previously Sturgeon had linked a fresh independence poll to Brexit, on the grounds that the Scottish people – unlike the English – had not voted to leave the European Union (EU).

Sturgeon defended her new position by claiming that Scotland’s “interests, voice and views” had been “ignored” over the past three years.

And to reinforce the urgency of her position, the SNP leader revealed that she will approach the UK government by the end of the year for an agreement to hold a legally binding referendum.

The SNP needs the British government’s agreement to hold a legal referendum whose outcome is guaranteed to be respected and implemented.

In addition the Scottish Parliament – which is dominated by the SNP – also has to pass necessary legislation to create the grounds for a referendum next year.

Sturgeon has repeatedly said that she wants to hold an independence poll in the second half of 2020.

The SNP leader’s new position indicates a hardening of her approach and crucially it points to her bridging the divide with more radical Scottish nationalists who are unaffiliated to the SNP.

The broader Scottish independence movement has been critical of the SNP’s cautious and legalistic approach toward achieving independence.

Now that Sturgeon has shifted toward a more radical position – by effectively setting Scotland apart from the rest of the UK – the Scottish independence movement is likely to pick up additional momentum going forward.

Source: Presstv      

World Court launches genocide hearings against Myanmar

10, December 2019

World Court launches genocide hearings against Myanmar 0

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has launched genocide hearings against Myanmar, as the first major legal attempt to bring the country to justice over horrific atrocities committed against Rohingya Muslims.

The three-day hearings in the United Nations’ top court kicked off at The Hague on Tuesday following a November lawsuit filed by the West African country of Gambia.

Acting on behalf of the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Gambia called on the ICJ to take emergency measures to halt Myanmar’s “ongoing genocidal actions” against the Rohingya.

“All that The Gambia asks is that you tell Myanmar to stop these senseless killings, to stop these acts of barbarity that continue to shock our collective conscience, to stop this genocide of its own people,” Gambian Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou told judges on Tuesday.

Demonstrations have been planned outside the court and across the Dutch city against and in support of Myanmar’s de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, who attended the tribunal.

Body of evidence: The scars of the Rohingya

Rohingya Muslims, recognized by the UN as the world’s most persecuted minority group, are denied Myanmarese citizenship as the country’s leadership brands them as “illegal” immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh, which, for its part, says they are from Myanmar.

A military crackdown that began in 2016 saw thousands of the Muslims being killed, injured, arbitrarily arrested, or raped by Myanmarese soldiers and Buddhist mobs.

Myanmar faces genocide accusations for persecuting Rohingya

After the initiation of the military campaign that the UN itself has already said was perpetrated with “genocidal intent,” more than 730,000 members of the minority fled Myanmar’s northwestern state of Rakhine to Bangladesh. They have largely been camped in the country’s southern district of Cox’s Bazar in squalid conditions.

Myanmar has repeatedly justified the crackdown on the Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine and insists its own committees are adequate to investigate allegations of abuse.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel “Peace” Prize winner now in the dock at the World Court, refused to stop or take any action against the military and the Buddhist mobs.

Source: Presstv

Federal Republic of Ambazonia: VP Yerima receives hero’s welcome in South Africa

10, December 2019

Federal Republic of Ambazonia: VP Yerima receives hero’s welcome in South Africa 0

Dozens of cheering Southern Cameroons supporters have welcomed Ambazonia’s Vice President Dabney Yerima on his arrival in South Africa after announcing his now famous Amba Bonds Project in defense of the Ambazonia homeland.

Yerima flashed a victory sign as he met the jubilant supporters inside the Johannesburg airport.

He is scheduled to meet Southern Cameroons leaders in South Africa to discuss the formation of an Ambazonia army.

Dabney Yerima has promised a revival of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government and presently has a strong mandate to govern at a time of profound changes in the Ambazonia revolution and quest for an independent state.

Comrade Yerima also said that he wants to strengthen South Africa’s strategic partnership with the United States and Europe.

But critics worry the corruption scandal that rocked the Interim Government under the disgraced Ikome Sako could delay participation in the Amba Bonds Project.

 By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Russia calls Olympics ban over doping ‘politically motivated’

10, December 2019

Russia calls Olympics ban over doping ‘politically motivated’ 0

The World Anti-Doping Agency on Monday banned Russia for four years from major global sporting events including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar over manipulated doping data, prompting an angry response from President Vladimir Putin.

WADA’s executive committee, meeting in Lausanne, handed Russia the “robust” four-year suspension after accusing Moscow of falsifying data from a doping testing laboratory that was handed over to investigators earlier this year.

The toughest ever sanctions imposed on Russian state authorities will see government officials barred from attending any major events, while the country will lose the right to host or bid for tournaments.

“For too long, Russian doping has detracted from clean sport,” WADA president Craig Reedie said.

“Russia was afforded every opportunity to get its house in order and rejoin the global anti-doping community for the good of its athletes and of the integrity of sport, but it chose instead to continue in its stance of deception and denial.”

Under the sanctions, Russian sportsmen and women will still be allowed to compete at the Olympics next year and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, but only as neutrals and if they can demonstrate that they were not part of what WADA believes was a state-sponsored system of doping.

Russia will still be allowed to compete in qualifiers for the 2022 football World Cup, but WADA director general Olivier Niggli added that should they progress to the finals in Qatar, “the team there will not be representing the Russian federation”.

Russia’s participation in Euro 2020 — and Saint Petersburg’s hosting of four matches — is not affected by the ban because it is not defined as a “major event” for anti-doping purposes.

Speaking in Paris, Putin slammed the decision as a “politically motivated” ruling that “contradicted” the Olympic Charter.

“There is nothing to reproach the Russian Olympic Committee for and if there is no reproach towards this committee, the country should take part in competitions under its own flag,” Putin said.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev also said the ban was politically motivated. “This is the continuation of this anti-Russian hysteria that has already become chronic,” Medvedev told domestic news agencies.

‘A tragedy’ 

The significant extent of state-sponsored doping in Russia, notably between 2011 and 2015, was revealed in the independent report by sports lawyer Richard McLaren, released in 2016.

It led to the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) being suspended for nearly three years previously over revelations of a vast state-supported doping programme.

Full disclosure of data from the Moscow laboratory was a key condition of Russia’s controversial reinstatement by WADA in September 2018.

RUSADA’s supervisory board is set to meet on December 19 to take a decision on whether to appeal against the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Yury Ganus, the head of RUSADA, told AFP Monday that his country had “no chance” of winning an appeal.

“There is no chance of winning this case in court,” Ganus said.

“This is a tragedy,” he added. “Clean athletes are seeing their rights limited.”

Documents released Monday show WADA’s Compliance Review Committee (CRC) believes “deletions and alterations” to Russia’s doping data “materially prejudiced the ability to pursue cases against 145 of the 298 athletes” whose doping controls between 2011 and 2015 WADA thought to be suspicious.

About one third of the 145 athletes are still active, WADA chief of investigators Gunter Younger said Monday.

The WADA decision was widely predicted, with Reedie having made a presentation Saturday to the Olympic Summit, participants of which “strongly condemned those responsible for the manipulation of the data from the Moscow laboratory”.

“It was agreed that this was an attack on sport and that these actions should lead to the toughest sanctions against those responsible,” the IOC said, asking that the Russian authorities deliver the “fully authenticated raw data”.

Positive doping tests contained in data leaked by a whistleblower in 2017 were missing from the laboratory data supplied in January 2019, which prompted a new inquiry.

Source (AFP)

Ambazonia Vice President Dabney Yerima is set to make his first visit to South Africa

10, December 2019

Ambazonia Vice President Dabney Yerima is set to make his first visit to South Africa 0

Ambazonia Vice President Dabney Yerima is set to make his first visit to South Africa since becoming leader of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government — making him the second serving Ambazonia prominent figure after President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe to land on South Africa shores.

Speaking exclusively to Cameroon Concord News, Southern Cameroons Communications Secretary, Milton Taka said Ambazonians in South Africa have reserved a warm reception for the vice president.

And it could prove a lucky charm for Vice President Dabney Yerima and his Amba Bonds Project, as President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe who visited the Republic of South Africa immediately after he was elected Interim President managed to get massive financial support for actions in Ground Zero.

Comrade Dabney Yerima will be welcome with open arms by the Southern Cameroons public when he arrives less than 30 minutes from now and he will be the first acting Vice President to visit South Africa, with his tour including visits to Johannesburg, Pretoria, Rustenburg and Cape Town.

By Soter Agbaw-Ebai

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