Monthly Archives: March 2020

9, March 2020

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Queen’s Commonwealth service chaos as Ambazonia protesters storm security moments before arrival ⁰

Southern Cameroons protesters could be seen charging police officers in Westminster in an attempt to break fences built to protect the Royal Family ahead of the Commonwealth Service procession. Queen Elizabeth II was moments away from arriving to celebrate the annual event at Westminster Abbey with the rest of the Royal Family.

City of Westminster Police released the following statement: “As part of the policing operation for Commonwealth Day celebrations, officers arrested 2 men at approx 2.20pm in Victoria St, SW1 for breach of Anti-Terrorism Road Traffic Regs (ATTRO). Both are in police custody. An operation remains in place whilst the celebrations are ongoing.”

The Commonwealth Service at London’s Westminster Abbey is an annual event that this year brings together Harry and Meghan with Queen Elizabeth, his elder brother William and wife Kate, and father Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, for the first time in public since the couple thrashed out an exit deal from their royal roles in January.

“It will be fascinating to see how it plays out,” said royal biographer Penny Junor. “I imagine everybody will be on absolutely best behaviour. But goodness knows what they will all be thinking privately.”

The January agreement, which comes into action at the end of the month, will see the couple – the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – seek to carve out “a progressive new role”, mainly based in North America, that they aim to finance themselves.

Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, will stop using their HRH titles – His or Her Royal Highness, will not use “royal” in their branding and Harry, who will remain a prince, will relinquish his military titles.

Source: express.co.uk

9, March 2020

Amnesty International launches campaign to break the deafening silence surrounding the atrocities of a top Cameroon army officer ⁰

Amnesty International is launching a new campaign urging Cameroon’s authorities to investigate the enforced disappearance of more than 130 men and boys, who were rounded up from their villages more than five years ago and have not been heard from since.

On 27 December 2014, Cameroonian security forces arbitrarily arrested over 200 men and boys in Magdémé and Doublé, two villages in the Far-North region, during a violent raid in which eight people were killed including a child and more than 70 buildings burned down. At least 130 of them are still missing.

The campaign, “Where are they? Accountability for victims of human rights violations in the villages of Magdémé and Doublé in Cameroon’s Far-North is launched on 10 March 2020. It aims to urge the authorities to provide answers for the families of those who are missing and hold accountable the security forces responsible for the human rights violations committed during the raid and the subsequent enforced disappearances.

“For five years, life has been on hold for the relatives of the men and boys who disappeared on that terrible day in 2014. We want to show them that they have not been forgotten, and that we will continue to pressure the Cameroonian authorities until the truth is uncovered for each one of the 130 men and boys,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International West and Central Africa Regional Director.

“President Paul Biya’s government must break the deafening silence surrounding these enforced disappearances, give answers to the families of victims and allow justice to be served.”

On 27 December 2014, security forces sealed off the villages of Magdémé and Doublé, in the Mayo Sava department in the Far-North of Cameroon, to conduct a cordon and search operation following repeated attacks by Boko Haram in the area. Eight people, including a child, were killed, and homes were burned and looted.

Cameroon’s authorities have stated that only 70 men were arrested during the roundup. They acknowledge that 25 died on their first night in custody, but have not disclosed the location of the bodies, or even identified the victims. They have denied that more than 200 were arrested that day and that 130 forcibly disappeared since.

The authorities have also confirmed that 45 people were transferred to Maroua prison the day after their arrest. Of those 45 people, three died due to dire detention conditions and the 42 others were released in July 2017.

In 2015, a presidential decree dismissed a top army official, Colonel Zé Onguéné Charles, who was the head of the gendarmerie in the Far-North at the time of the raid. An investigation was opened into his responsibility in the events of the 27 December 2014 and he was charged with negligence and breach of custody law, which are infractions of ‘correctional nature’ – offenses of less gravity than criminal ones-. To date, the outcome of this judicial proceeding against him remains unknown. In March 2019 he was named Advisor at the Ministry of Defense.

“The suffering of the victims’ families is exacerbated by the authorities’ refusal to tell the truth or even acknowledge that their loved ones are missing,” said Samira Daoud.

“We are calling for an immediate investigation into these disappearances and other human rights violations which took place in Magdémé and Doublé. The perpetrators must be brought to justice.”

Background

The people of Cameroon’s Far-North have been caught in the middle of fighting between Boko Haram and the security forces for more than five years now.

There was a clear resurgence of attacks by Boko Haram in 2019. This was largely overshadowed in the media and authorities’ attention by the crisis in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions, leaving people in the Far-North feeling abandoned.

The Cameroon military has the right and duty to protect people against human rights abuses committed by Boko Haram, but in doing so they must not violate human rights themselves.

Culled from Amnesty International

9, March 2020

Coronavirus-hit cruise ship prepare to dock in California ⁰

Thousands of people stranded on a cruise ship off California after an outbreak of the coronavirus were due disembark Monday in what officials said would be an “unprecedented and difficult” landing.

No time has been given for the disembarkation Monday, but fences have been put up at Oakland port and buses and flights were lined up to ferry the more than 2,000 passengers, who will go into treatment, be placed in quarantine or returned to their home countries in the case of non-US citizens.

The Grand Princess, which has 21 confirmed novel coronavirus infections among its 3,500 passengers and crew, appeared to be moving toward the coast Monday, according to ship tracker Cruisin.

It had been sitting off the coast of nearby San Francisco for four days while authorities figured out how to get the people safely ashore without spreading the potentially deadly virus.

Local television stations showed footage of tents being set up on the quayside and a line of portable toilets as officials prepared for the operation.

“Disembarkation will commence in order of priority, as defined and directed by both state and local authorities,” Princess cruises said in a statement on its website.

“The US Coast Guard will be sending California Health & Human Services teams to assist with medical triage, screening and interviews, and prioritizing those who require the most acute care. To avoid delays, testing will be conducted when guests arrive at their onward destination,” it added.

Passengers who don’t require acute care will be quarantined for 14 days at US military bases.

The company said the crew would remain onboard after the passengers had disembarked and the ship would then leave San Fransisco bay. It said a plan for crew quarantine was still being worked on.

– ‘Stir crazy’ –

Margaret Bartlett, a 77-year-old British woman who was confined to a cabin with no balcony told the BBC she was going “stir crazy.”

“The food is rotten and terrible and we have to fight for it, it is not enough,” said the grandmother from Lancashire, who said a passenger 10 cabins down from her has died.

Medical officers boarded the ship late Sunday for what California Governor Gavin Newsom said would be a “two-three day process,” with the start time based on currents and tides.

“We are still working out the enormity of complexity of making sure we prepare the site and … prepare for a quick turnaround,” he said late Sunday.

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would prefer to keep the passengers confined on the ship because letting them off would increase the number of infections in the United States.

“I like the numbers being where they are. I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault,” Trump said, but added he would leave the decision to Vice President Mike Pence, whom he has appointed to head the coronavirus taskforce.

The United States has at least 22 deaths from the coronavirus and 566 confirmed cases, according to a Johns Hopkins tally.

Source: AFP

9, March 2020

Coronavirus cases in US surpass 500, deaths rise to 22 ⁰

Older Americans, especially those with chronic medical concerns, should probably avoid big social gatherings and airline flights, given the rapid spread of coronavirus, a top U.S. health official said on Sunday, as investors braced for another volatile week in financial markets.

Anthony Fauci, the head of the infectious diseases unit at the National Institutes of Health, also said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that after initial missteps distributing diagnostic tests, there should be 400,000 more kits available by Monday and 4 million by the end of the week.

The number of confirmed U.S. cases of coronavirus reached nearly 550 on Sunday, including 22 deaths, according to state public health authorities and a running national tally kept by the Johns Hopkins University center tracking the outbreak.

More than half of the 50 U.S. states have reported infections, including the first cases in Virginia, Connecticut and Iowa, as well as the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico, documented on Sunday.

Warnings from Fauci and others about the need for greater “social distancing” – the practice of minimizing unnecessary contact in public settings – came amid the disclosure of a high-profile example of the risks now inherent in large gatherings.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz said on Sunday he would self-quarantine after coming in contact at last month’s annual Conservative Political Action Conference with an attendee who had since tested positive for coronavirus.

The Texas Republican and 2016 presidential candidate said he had “briefly interacted” with the infected person at the CPAC meeting in Maryland 10 days ago, but was not experiencing any symptoms and felt “fine and healthy.”

The coronavirus originated in China last year and causes the sometimes deadly respiratory illness COVID-19. The outbreak has killed more than 3,600 globally.

As the outbreak spreads, daily life has been increasingly disrupted, with concerts and conferences canceled and universities telling students to stay home and take classes online.

To contain the outbreak in China, the government quarantined millions of people for weeks. Italy has announced similar measures, locking down 16 million people in the north of the country.

As recently as Saturday, President Donald Trump said he would continue to hold political rallies, which sometimes draw up to 20,000 people.

The Democrats competing to challenge him in the November 3 presidential election, Senator Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden, have not cancelled any campaign events so far.

Germany, which has nearly 1,000 cases, on Sunday urged the cancellation of all events with more than 1,000 people.

‘Think twice’

Fauci said authorities in the United States may also need to consider steps to keep people out of crowded places if the virus continued to spread.

Still, he downplayed the likelihood of the type of large-scale mandatory quarantines imposed in China and Italy, while saying nothing could be ruled out.

“I don’t imagine that the degree of the draconian nature of what the Chinese did would ever be either feasible, applicable, doable or whatever you want to call it in the United States,” he said in an interview on CBS’ “60 Minutes.” “But the idea of social distancing, I mean, obviously, that’s something that will be seriously considered.”

He urged those most at risk to limit travel.

“If you’re a person with an underlying condition and you are particularly an elderly person with an underlying condition, you need to think twice about getting on a plane, on a long trip, and not only think twice, just don’t get on a cruise ship,” Fauci said on “Meet the Press.”

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams told CNN that case numbers would rise, adding that the average age of death for people with the virus was 80, and the average age of those needing medical attention was 60.

“Unfortunately, you are going to see more deaths, but that doesn’t mean that we should panic,” he said. Communities need to “prepare for more cases so we can prevent more deaths,” Adams said.

In financial markets, talk about recessions and bear markets was growing as investors try to assess how badly the outbreak will damage global growth. Many strategists have turned more pessimistic in recent days and are anticipating further market drops and a possible end to the longest economic expansion in U.S. history.

Cruise ship crisis

The hardest-hit place in the United States has been a nursing home in the Seattle suburb of Kirkland, and Washington state is considering mandatory measures such as banning large gatherings but not necessarily imposing massive quarantines, the governor said.

The Life Care Center nursing facility has accounted for 13 of the 18 confirmed coronavirus-related deaths in Washington state, which has reported a total of 136 cases overall to date, the most of any state.

In California, officials said on Sunday that the cruise ship Grand Princess, barred from returning to San Francisco last week due to a coronavirus outbreak on board, would send most of its 2,400 passengers to quarantine centers set up at four military bases across the country.

Those requiring immediate medical attention will go to hospitals. The crew of 1,100 will be quarantined and treated aboard the ship, unless they are in need of acute care off the vessel.

The ship was ordered to remain at sea last week after a group of passengers and crew developed flu-like symptoms, and health officials learned that some passengers from an earlier cruise aboard the same vessel had later contracted coronavirus. One has died.

Twenty-one people aboard the Grand Princess tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, and the ship has been redirected to a specially secured terminal across San Francisco Bay at the port of Oakland for a brief stop on Monday to let passengers off the ship.

As of Sunday, California’s tally of confirmed cases had risen to 114 statewide, including the two passengers aboard the Grand Princess who tested positive two days earlier, the state Public Health Department.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the number of cases in New York was now 105 and he expects that to rise as testing expands.

“What we are really trying to do here is avoid the massive disruption of closing everything down for two weeks the way China did, the way Italy is doing,” he said.

Cuomo said a lawyer from Westchester County who is believed to be at the center of the outbreak there had attended a number of large gatherings, contributing to the roughly 70 people in Westchester who have tested positive.

“It’s these large gatherings where you can expose a number of people in a very short period of time and then it’s like dominoes, right, then the tree continues to expand with branches.”

In New York state, the Scarsdale public school district said it was closing all its campuses for more than a week starting on Monday after a middle-school teacher tested positive.

Columbia University in New York City said it was suspending classes on Monday and Tuesday because someone on the campus was under quarantine from exposure to the virus.

(REUTERS)

9, March 2020

Ambazonia refugees struggle to cope with life of need in Nigeria ⁰

Anna Nga longed to see her children return to the classroom again.

A deadly conflict between Cameroonian government forces and separatist fighters seeking independence for the mainly English-speaking Southwest and Northwest regions has left many schools closed for more than three years.

In late January, with the threat of further violence looming larger ahead of the February 9 parliamentary and municipal elections, Nga travelled across the border to Nigeria.

“We had to move to save our heads,” said the 35-year-old.

Nga now lives with her six children and four other minors related to her in the border village of Ajassor in southeast Nigeria’s Cross River state.

Nga did not move alone.

Nearly 8,000 new arrivals – some of whom struggled through dense forests and grasslands bleeding from gunshot wounds – crossed into Nigeria’s Cross River and Taraba states before the elections, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

Anglophone crisis

What is commonly known as Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis was triggered by demonstrations by lawyers and teachers in 2016 over the rising influence of French in their education and legal systems.

With frustration over alleged political and economic marginalisation high, the protesters’ action soon morphed into wider demands and resulted in several strikes. Although talk of marginalisation is not new, the action by barristers and teachers became a rallying point for Anglophone Cameroonians who had voted to join the majority French Cameroon to form the United Republic of Cameroon in 1961.

The government’s military response failed to reduce tensions, as government forces were accused of carrying out arbitrary arrests and extrajudicial killings, among other abuses.

In response, a slew of separatist groups rose to fight back and demand independence.

Inside Cameroon, the UN estimates that the conflict has killed about 3,000 people and displaced more than 679,000 others in the Anglophone regions, which comprise 20 percent of the country’s estimated 25 million population.

UNICEF, the UN’s children’s fund, estimates that more than 855,000 children remain out of school in the Anglophone regions where 80 percent of schools remain closed.

Meanwhile, some 60,000 people have fled to neighbouring Nigeria, spread across the states of Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River and Taraba.

Glory Tiku says she is struggling to fend for herself and her baby [Linus Unah/Al Jazeera]

In Ajassor, in a windowless room packed with nearly a dozen children, Nga happily looks on as her children put on bright school uniforms and get ready to head to school.

She pays between 2,000 ($5.4) and 5,500 ($15) naira per child for the local school, which has accepted refugee children alongside their regular students.

But Nga, who is not registered as a refugee because the UNHCR registration process has not started for new arrivals, is worried about her family’s future in Nigeria.

“I am paying rent and then school fees for five children,” she says, her face contorting. “It is very difficult for me without any work.”

About 47.5 percent of refugees seeking asylum in Nigeria live in four settlements built by the UNHCR, while the rest live in about 87 host communities across Akwa Ibom, Benue, Cross River and Taraba.

Many Cameroonians who live in host communities have limited access to education, healthcare, relief items and livelihoods.

In Cross River state, which hosts 69.5 percent of Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria, there are three settlements for refugees in the town of Ogoja.

Permanent shelters made of red bricks and topped with corrugated zinc roofing appear everywhere.

Most of the people here used to receive cash-based interventions (CBI) of 7,200 naira ($20) per month from the UNHCR to cover food and basic needs. But refugees who spoke to Al Jazeera said there have been occasional delays in receiving the payments, which have also been reduced to 4,600 naira ($12) since January.

“Before the CBI comes, I have already borrowed money to feed and take care of my baby,” said 18-year-old Glory Tiku, adding that her monthly payment is not enough to feed her and her four-month-old baby.

“We usually start paying debts with some of the money whenever it comes.”

Some refugees living in host communities in Cross River told Al Jazeera they are unable to receive their CBIs because they cannot afford to spend up to 3,000 naira ($8) to travel to Ogoja where the money is disbursed.

The UNHCR says it will invest more funds into livelihood interventions to help refugees become self-reliant.

The agency is hoping to raise an additional $27.3m for refugees in Nigeria, but funding for this supplementary appeal stood at 56 percent in early December.

Adagom-3 settlement for Cameroonian refugees was established in late 2019 and it hosts more than 500 refugees [Linus Unah/Al Jazeera]

Adagom-3 settlement for Cameroonian refugees was established in late 2019; it hosts more than 500 refugees [Linus Unah/Al Jazeera]

At Adagom-3, a new settlement for more than 500 refugees created late last year in Ogoja, asylum-seekers said they did not receive essential items such as mosquito nets, mats, mattresses and cooking utensils when moving into their new houses.

“They think refugees are inferior beings, [but] one day we will rise and protest,” a refugee in his 50s said.

To survive, refugees in the settlements work as farm labourers in exchange for 500 naira ($1.4) or a tuber of yam or cassava after a day’s work.

Meanwhile, the UNHCR has teamed up with its partners to provide agricultural supplies to some refugees to help them operate micro-gardens to feed their families.

But some refugees felt the initiatives did not go far enough.

“You can’t call these projects empowerment because nothing has changed, really,” a refugee in Ajassor said.

“The wheelbarrows given to people here started having bad tyres and other issues, and there is barely water to even bathe – much less to water the garden.”

cameroon map south-north-west english speaking areas

Worsening situation

Back in Cameroon, the simmering conflict continues to deteriorate, with human rights groups accusing both sides of committing human rights abuses.

In December, Parliament passed a law giving the two English-speaking regions “special status” in the wake of a national dialogue where participants made several recommendations, including electing local governors and integrating ex-fighters into society.

Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Central Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch, told Al Jazeera the separatists had not participated in the process.

“The National Dialogue did not prevent the worsening of the crisis in the English-speaking regions and the escalation of violence. The separatists, most of whose leaders are based outside Cameroon or are in prison in Cameroon, did not take part in the dialogue,” Allegrozzi said.READ MORE

Meanwhile, violence continues to affect civilians.

On February 14, at least 21 people, including 14 children, were killed by armed men in Ngarbuh village in the Northwest region.

“The killings in Ngarbuh village were deliberate and carried out by government forces with armed ethnic Fulani,” Allegrozzi said.

“The government denies that its troops have committed these crimes, but denying only adds another layer of trauma and suffering to survivors and will only encourage new abuses.”

Last week, President Paul Biya established a commission of inquiry to investigate the killings in Ngarbuh, state-owned Cameroon Radio Television reported.

Allegrozzi said finding a long-lasting solution to the crisis would be challenging.

“We continue to believe that the crisis cannot be resolved unless fundamental questions related to justice and accountability for the human rights violations committed by both sides – government forces and armed separatists – are addressed,” she explained.

“Only a strong commitment to justice and fight against impunity can help to address the crisis.”

For now, Nga Anna has no plans of returning home.

As the sun blazes over the corrugated roofing of her single room, she shuffles to the veranda to chat with her children who have just returned from school.

“I want to become a lawyer so that I can judge cases when the crisis stops,” 15-year-old Kelia Akah, one of her daughters, announced.

Her mother chuckled, patting her on the shoulder.

“I am not moving back until the country becomes fine,” Nga said, her voice imbued with a hint of finality.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS

8, March 2020

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Carnage visits soldiers in Bamenda ⁰

An artisanal bomb ripped through the grand stand where government officials were gathered to celebrate International Women’s Day in Cameroon’s northwest regional capital, Bamenda, on Sunday, March 8, 2020, killing 5 people, including 4 uniformed officers.

The locally-made bomb that was intended to disrupt Women’s Day celebrations is a clear indication that the government is incapable of restoring security in the two English-speaking regions of the country where an insurgency has been playing out for almost four years.

The bomb, which went off early on Sunday, left many people wounded, including more than five soldiers who were on hand to provide security to the event that was attended by the Northwest regional governor, Adolpe Lele L’Afrique, who many thought was the real target of the bomb.

Cameroon has been caught in a web of insecurity ever since the country’s English-speaking minority took to the streets in October 2016 to complain about marginalization and corruption that have blighted the lives of the people of former British Southern Cameroons.

True to its logic, the government responded with military violence, making things worse. A protest that was started by teachers and lawyers was mismanaged by the government and this has resulted in the killing of some 10,000 Cameroonians, including more than 3,000 army soldiers who have been deployed to the two regions in a peace-restoration mission that has brought more pain and suffering to the local population than peace.

The atrocities are simply mindboggling. Government forces which are supposed to protect the population have been running amok in the two regions. No city or village has been spared by the government’s blind anger and frustration.

In the Southwest regions, thousands of civilians have been hacked to death by army soldiers. Some have been burnt alive by militia created and sponsored by the Defense Minister, Joseph Beti Assomo; Higher Education Minister, Jacques Fame Ndongo; and Territorial Administration Minister, Paul Atanga Nji, who hold that only violent military actions could help to bring back peace to the restive regions.

In villages such as Kwakwa, Muyuka, Muyenge, Ossing and Kembong, all towns in the Southwest region, many elderly people have been burnt alive by government forces which are using the notorious scorch earth policy in the hope that it will obtain results very fast. But all their efforts have been in vain.

More than 200 villages have been deleted from the country’s map by alcohol-inflamed and trigger-happy soldiers. The pain and suffering brought onto the people of Southern Cameroons have left everybody in the two regions with a feeling of revenge and many Southern Cameroonians living abroad have decided to finance an armed conflict which they hold could result in independence.

But the most shocking killings were the ones that occurred on Valentine’s Day in Ngarbuh and which caused outrage around the world, causing French President, Emmanuel Macron, to express his frustration with a Yaounde government that has been reluctant to employ peaceful means to address the issues that have triggered the insurgency.

The situation is running out of control and it is even spreading to East Cameroon with many people living in Francophone villages neighboring Southern Cameroons fleeing because of increased military activity and violence in their villages.

As the violence in the two English-speaking regions spikes and the country’s economy takes a nosedive, things are becoming complicated for the beleaguered Yaounde government that is now fighting with its back to the wall. Unemployment is at its highest. Cameroonians have lost faith in the system and these unfortunate situations are gradually creating new complicated ones with the country’s Diaspora jumping into the fray.

Violence has become a staple in Cameroon and fear and tension could be read on people’s faces. On March 7, 2020, some 4 Cameroonian servicemen and women were killed in an attack on a military post in the Country’s West Region.

The attack, which took place in Galim where armed fighters linked to the Brigade Anti-Sardinards (BAS) are known to operate against security forces loyal to the Biya regime in Yaounde, has heightened concerns of the population.

Initially, government sources accused Southern Cameroonian separatists for the violent attack that resulted in the seizure of a huge weapons cache from drunk and unprofessional government troops who were caught off guard. But things became a lot clearer later on Saturday when the BAS announced that the assault was its second military operation against troops serving the Biya regime.

A Cameroon government security source revealed that there were more than 75 attackers who came on motorbikes, adding that the assailants also left with vehicles found at the military post.

A new front has therefore emerged. Cameroon is now fighting many wars on many fronts. The country’s military is spread thin and financial resources to persecute the war are fast drying up. With the Southern Cameroons insurgency growing on a daily basis, it is clear that the government’s strategy has not worked and it will not be working anytime, soon.

As the BAS jumps into the game of violence, it is clear that the Yaounde government has a huge crisis on its hands. Boko Haram is still a lethal threat in the country’s Northern part and Central African Republic rebels have become a millstone around the neck of the Cameroon military, as its forces are constantly being kidnapped for ransom.

Things are getting murkier by the day. Even the separatist fighters are not saints. They are doing a lot to increase the insecurity in the two English-speaking regions of the country. Kidnappings have risen and have become a full-time job for many criminals who pass off as Southern Cameroonian fighters.

Last week, a video emerged with Southern Cameroonian fighters carrying the head of a soldier they had beheaded. The video clearly captures the violence that plays out in the two English-speaking regions on a daily basis. In many towns and villages, many people have been killed by separatist fighters on suspicion of collaborating with the government.

In Ossing, a town some 5 miles from Mamfe in the Southwest region, the regent chief was killed by some criminals whose affiliation with Southern Cameroonian fighters is questionable. It is being reported that little disputes in the town of Ossing might be responsible for the killing of the regent chief, although the contract killers came from Kembong, a town some 6 miles from Mamfe town.

In Ndekwai, a small village some 4 miles from Mamfe, a young man who had run out of luck in Yaounde and had decided to return to his native village, was set up by his cousins. His cousins told the brutal and unregulated Amba boys that he was collaborating with the government. He was picked up by the Amba boys and taken to the forest where he was asked to put his head into a noose that had been prepared for him.

He had no choice but to accept his unfortunate fate despite his effort to prove that he had nothing to do with the government. When he was suffocating, the Amba boys cut the rope and he landed into a grave that had been dug for him. He was left to die slowly in a shallow grave, but one of the Amba boys had an attack of conscience and returned in time to save the young man who was already drifting in and out of death.

He was taken out of the forest and dropped off somewhere close to home, but was warned to be a good Southern Cameroonian citizen or whatever that meant. The two cousins who had set him up had already fled the village when they were told that the same Amba boys were looking for them because they had lied about an honest man who could have lost his life.

That is the daily reality in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions; a reality triggered by the government’s penchant for violence and a declining economy that has left many young Cameroonians unemployed. If the international community does not intervene sooner rather than later, Cameroon will become another conflict that is being ignored by the international community which is supposed to pre-empt such unfortunate situations.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Rita Akana in Bamenda

8, March 2020

Swiss trial over German 2006 World Cup corruption opens ⁰

Three former German football officials and ex-FIFA Secretary General Urs Linsi will go on trial on Monday in Switzerland over suspicions that Germany bought votes to obtain the 2006 World Cup.

The three defendants have indicated that they will not be present at the hearing in Bellinzona for a variety of reasons, including fear of travelling because of coronavirus contagion.

Swiss Linsi, 70, former German Football Association (DFB) presidents Wolfgang Niersbach, 69, and Theo Zwanziger, 74, and 78-year-old former DFB General Secretary Horst R. Schmidt are being prosecuted for “fraud”.

They are accused by the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office (BA) of concealing from the DFB the true destination of a transfer of 6.7 million euros ($7.6 million today), paid in 2005 by the organising committee to former Adidas boss, the late Robert Louis-Dreyfus, via FIFA.

The case of former World Cup organising committee chairman Franz Beckenbauer is being heard separately because of the former Germany captain’s poor health.

The investigation was prompted by a report in German publication Der Spiegel in 2015 that Germany had used a secret fund of 10 million Swiss francs (6.7 million euros at the time) to buy votes and obtain the rights to host the competition at the expense of South Africa.

Beckenbauer is suspected of having asked Louis-Dreyfus, to contribute to this fund shortly before the vote on the host in the summer of 2000.

Louis-Dreyfus was allegedly reimbursed by the German Football Association on the pretext of expenses related to a FIFA gala evening, which ever took place.

Zwanziger, Niersbach and Schmidt have also been charged with tax fraud in Germany and the case is expected to come to trial in the coming months.

Source: AFP

8, March 2020

Cameroon’s Coronavirus Cases: How genuine are they? ⁰

Over the last two months, the world has been living in fear of another virus that has proven its destructive capacity in China. The Coronavirus, the virus that shares the same DNA with other flu-related viruses, is less virulent if compared to the Ebola virus that tore the West African economy into shreds in 2014, but very destructive and disruptive.

China, the country that first reported the arrival of the virus, is still struggling to contain this virus that is spreading around the world like wildfire. Despite China’s massive and effective healthcare infrastructure, the virus has succeeded to make mincemeat of the world’s second largest economy.

The global travel and hospitality sector is the virus’ number one victim, with many airlines and hotels already reporting huge financial losses. The virus is no respecter of persons and it heads to any country without seeking a visa or buying an air ticket. From China, the virus has made it to Japan, Italy, France, Hong Kong, South Korea, Iran, the United States, Canada, Morocco, and many other countries.

The world is really dealing with its first major pandemic in a century and the World Health Organization has recognized that if urgent measures are not taken, the Coronavirus will become a major health disaster on the hands of many national governments.

Many governments around the world are not waiting for the killer virus to land on their shores before they can start scrambling for a solution. Many governments are already thinking ahead of time and many are already deploying state-of-the-art technology and making policies that will slow down the virus if and when it shows up in their countries.

As usual, Africa is always a major concern. The continent is notorious for its lack of reliable and modern health facilities and this could spell disaster for many people, especially the elderly. Though the continent survived the 2014 Ebola virus attack that killed thousands, there is no telling if the Ebola eradication plan can still work against the Coronavirus that is sending shivers down the spine of many people around the world.

No country is safe. As people continue to travel around the world, the chances of this virus extending its reach are significant. This is exactly what happened in Cameroon, a small Central African country with an unreliable healthcare system, when a Franco-Cameroonian flew into Yaounde, Cameroon’s capital, on February 24, 2020. He made his way to the city and even attended a funeral in a small community some 30 miles from the nation’s capital.

He was later confirmed as the country’s first case on March 4, 2020, and this has struck fear in many Cameroonian minds, especially as the first victim of the virus was not detected until after two weeks of his arrival in the country. Two weeks are long enough for the visitor to share the virus with other members of his family and even with friends.

Social life on the continent is different from what obtains in other parts of the world. The African is a social animal. Hugging and kissing are just normal components of the continent’s exciting social life, but those aspects of life that make life interesting in Africa will surely come back to bite the population in this era of the deadly Coronavirus, if care is not taken.

Cameroon has reported two cases and it has urged its citizens to remain calm. The second victim is the wife of the first victim and there are fears that some of those who got into close contact with the first and second victims might be bearing the virus without knowing. Fear is spreading across the country not just because the country does not have a sophisticated healthcare system, but because the contact tracing methods used in the country might not be effective.

Many of those who came in contact with the first victim might have already carried the virus to their homes and offices and this might trigger a massive health disaster in a country that lacks resources and is caught up in many conflicts that are robbing it of the little resources it could have used to fight this new insidious enemy – the Coronavirus – that respects nobody.

Cameroon’s announcement of the arrival of the Coronavirus comes a few hours after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that it would make available about USD 50 billion through its rapid-disbursing emergency financing facilities for low income and emerging market countries that could potentially seek support. Of this, USD 10 billion will be available at zero interest for the poorest members of the IMF through the Rapid Credit Facility.

Cameroonians do not trust their leaders and they think the government’s announcement of the arrival of the virus on their shores is a gimmick to attract IMF interest-free money. But the Coronavirus is not something that can be hidden. It is like a corpse. You hide it, it will decompose and the smell will rent the air. The Coronavirus is invisible, but it is capable of bringing down an entire city in a few hours. China and Italy have more experience in this regard and they will be very glad to share that experience with anybody who still thinks the Coronavirus is a joke.

An entire economy can be disrupted and millions killed if proper measures are not taken. Cameroonian authorities therefore have an interest to be upfront with their citizens when it comes to the Coronavirus that is already threatening the country’s organization of the CHAN, a continental football jamboree designed for football players plying their trade on the continent.

The IMF is a global body and it understands that the economic and financial impact of the virus’ spread will be felt globally, creating uncertainty and damaging near-term prospects. In this regard, the IMF has reiterated its determination to provide the necessary support to mitigate the impact, especially on the most vulnerable people and countries. IMF member countries have called upon it to use all its available financing instruments to help member countries in need.

But IMF money has never come without conditionalities. The IMF is a well-oiled machine that will never let itself to be used as an ATM by any country. The global body has already indicated that the number one priority in terms of fiscal response is ensuring front-line health-related spending to protect people’s wellbeing, take care of the sick, and slow the spread of the virus. It is also emphasizing that the focus will be on stepping up health-related measures and ensuring that the production of medical supplies is at par with demand.

The IMF will surely channel its money towards the design of macro-financial policy actions that may be required to tackle the supply and demand shocks that may be brought about by the disruptive virus. Those actions should be timely and targeted to the sectors, businesses and households hardest hit by the virus.

The money will not be shared for some government officials in any country to line their pockets. The Coronavirus threat is real. The people and leaders of Cameroon must work together to ensure that their country is rid of this virus that is capable of taking up residence in the country because of the way Cameroonians have lived their lives over the last couple of centuries.

Whether genuine or not, the reported cases should be viewed as alarm bells that should jog Cameroonians out of their legendary indifference even in the face of the worst pandemic. They must understand that unlike HIV/AIDS, the Coronavirus has the potential to kill an entire family if heath advice provided by health professionals across the world is not respected and taken seriously.

By Dr. Joachim Arrey in Canada

8, March 2020

Francophone Crisis: Cameroon faces more challenging times as BAS attack opens a new front in the instability rocking the nation ⁰

A BAS (BRIGADE ANTI-SADINARD) attack has killed 4 people in Galim, West Region of Cameroon.

BAS is an anti-government organization based in Europe. The movement has claimed responsibility for the attack and promises tough times to the Yaounde government.

This opens a new front in the instability rocking Cameroon. The country is faced with multiple conflicts and this spells danger for a sub-region that needs stability so as to stay on the path to economic growth.

Something needs to be done and done in a hurry to prevent Cameroon from sinking into chaos. This latest attack calls for prompt political actions to save a country that is fighting on many fronts.

Cameroon is Central Africa’s economic engine and a key political player in the sub-region. If Cameroon goes down, the entire sub-region might spiral out of control.

The Galim attack has highlighted how the country’s leadership is ineffective and inefficient. What is of importance to those at the helm is just the power. They don’t care about the country. Their goal is to make money while the rest of the country continues to head to the bottom of the abyss.

The country is in for rough times. The future is bleak. Until something natural happens, Cameroonians may not get out of the dark hole in which Biya and his men have put them.

President Biya has shown his limits. He is not up to the task, but the 87 year old and his criminal entourage do not want to admit it as that will reflect negatively on them. They are doing all they can to keep power, but things are quietly slipping through their fingers.

The military has been bought over. It is full of people from President Biya’s South region. Soldiers from other regions have been reduced to playing secondary roles. Non Betis are monitored very closely and any suspicion could put the suspect in a difficult situation.

The international community should take appropriate measures to help the country.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

8, March 2020

French Cameroun Crisis: 4 soldiers killed by Brigade Anti Sardinards in Galim ⁰

At least 4 Cameroon servicemen and women were killed in an attack on a military post in the West Region on Saturday.

The attack took place in Galim, where armed fighters linked to Brigade Anti Sardinards (BAS) are known to operate against security forces loyal to the Biya regime in Yaounde.

Cameroon Intelligence Report sources hinted that the provisional toll is 4 dead and several wounded.

A local businessman told the Cameroon Concord News Group that all those killed were police and gendarmerie officers, adding he saw 4 bodies being transported away by the military to Mbouda

Heavily armed French Cameroun fighters stormed the gendarmerie post at Galim and took away a lot of material,” he said, adding some Cameroon government officers were able to escape the attack.

BAS announced that the assault was its second military operation against troops serving the Biya regime. A Cameroon government security source revealed that there were more than 75 attackers who came on motorbikes, adding the assailants left with all the weapons and vehicles at the post.

By Chi Prudence Asong with Intel files from Rita Akana