Monthly Archives: April 2020

18, April 2020

Italy declares victory over Covid-19 in poorer south ⁰

Italian health officials declared victory Friday over the coronavirus in the poorer southern regions, where hospitals had been stretched to breaking point under the strain of the pandemic.

Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte had warned six weeks ago that Italy’s ability to conquer COVID-19 depended on whether cases can stay largely contained to the richer north.

The disease has now officially claimed 22,745 lives in the Mediterranean country of 60 million people — a toll second only to the United States.

But Italy has still counted itself relatively lucky because the outbreak erupted in provinces with the best equipped medical staff around the financial capital Milan.

Conte decided to gamble early by imposing the Western world’s first peacetime national lockdown, in the first half of March.

His team argued that the short-term economic pain would pay off by saving the health care system and allowing the country to gradually reopen in the weeks to come.

Italy’s top health officials said Friday that Conte’s big bet had paid off.

“We have prevented the spread of contagions in southern regions,” public health council chief Franco Locatelli told reporters.

“This is now a fact supported by figures.”

Levelling off

The latest data from Italy’s civil protection service offered new reasons for Conte not to extend some of the strictest restrictions when they expire on May 4.

They showed the number of people currently being treated for COVID-19 rising by only a few hundred for the first time since the outbreak began.

The current number of cases had been going up by at least 1,000 a day for over a month.

But they edged up by just 11 outside Milan’s Lombardy region on Friday.

“In absolute terms, we have had had the highest number of recoveries since the start of the crisis,” civil protection service chief Angelo Berrelli told reporters.

The generally improving picture prompted the civil protection service to announce that it was suspending daily briefings and moving to a twice-a-week format.

New tolls will still be issued daily.

Standoff

The leaders of Italy’s northern industrial heartland are pushing Conte to take another gamble and open as many businesses and industries as possible in early May.

The shutdown has devastated once-booming factory towns and left millions furloughed or temporarily unemployed.

Italy’s central bank said industrial production had declined by 15 percent in March and total economic output was set to contract by five percent in annual terms between January and March.

But a standoff is emerging between the northern leaders and those south of Rome.

Naples’s Campania governor Vincenzo De Luca warned Friday that he may have to “close our borders” to people from the north should those regions’ stay-at-home orders be lifted.

The scale of business reopening will be determined by the number of deaths and recoveries reported over the coming days.

Italy is still digging though data from individual regions to determine the true impact of its worst disaster since World War II.

Previously undisclosed figures from its public health institute revealed that nearly 17,000 medics have been infected with the virus since Italy’s first COVID-19 death was recorded on February 21.

Several Italian doctors have expressed fears that infected health care workers may have been unwittingly spreading the disease to their patients in the early weeks of the outbreak.

A study released Thursday by the FNOMCeO medical association said COVID-19 has killed 125 doctors in Italy.

(AFP)

18, April 2020

Biya’s DE-crowding of prisons to combat COVID-19: Southern Cameroonians excluded ⁰

French Cameroun President has announced steps that will lead to the release of thousands of prisoners due to concerns about the coronavirus spreading in overcrowded facilities.

However, citizens from the Federal Republic of Ambazonia fighting for an independent state of Southern Cameroons and French Cameroun government officials jailed for corruption are excluded. Rights groups also note that Biya’s political opponents and journalists critical of his rule will remain behind bars.

Camcordnews with files from VOA

18, April 2020

Covid-19 in Africa: WHO says Cameroon, South Africa and Algeria account for half the cases ⁰

South Africa is into the extension of the national lockdown. Questions remain on the minds of citizens across the continent whether stepped-up measures such as lockdowns have made a difference?

Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the World Economic Forum on Covid-19 in Africa held a briefing on 16 April.

Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization Regional Director for Africa confirmed that there are now 17 000 Covid-19 cases and 900 deaths in Africa to date. South Africa, Algeria and Cameroon account for half of the cases.

When a vaccination becomes available is there protocol set in place to ensure the vulnerable get it first?

“We build on lessons of the past, like Ebola,” said Elsie Kanza, Head of Africa, World Economic Forum. New partnerships were called upon to ensure the safe and effective distribution of vaccines, “It is all about solidarity” which was reiterated by Dr Simon Missiri, Regional Director for Africa, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). “Politicians’ first response is to protect their people but we need solidarity… which we know is difficult to practice.”

Dr Moeti said the WHO Africa is encouraging African countries to get involved in clinical vaccine trials to contribute to the global Covid-19 vaccine effort.

Lockdown and other measures: A balancing act of the health of citizens or the economy

South Africa’s swift methods such as social distancing, the closing of schools and lockdown seem to have slowed down the Covid-19 curve. “Lockdown measures are difficult but this needs to be supported with strong communication,” Dr Moeti added.

It is important that countries who implement measures such as lockdown, do them gradually. This is to minimize the frustrations put on communities.

Kanza expressed concern over the socio-economic impacts of communities in Africa. She said that it is likely that one-third of Africans are likely to lose their jobs. This is due to the many sectors of industry closing such as restaurants and non-essential services as well as those in the informal sector. Dr Moeti confirmed that the WHO Africa budget is $300 million which is worked out over six months.

It is difficult to balance the health or the economy of communities. Dr Missiri explained that non-standard solutions need to be implemented in ‘slum-like areas’ or highly densely populated communities.

“What is more important? Loss of life or economic downturn?” posed Dr Missiri.

Estimation or trajectory of Covid-19 in Africa:

Dr Michel Yao, WHO Emergency Operations Programme Manager, said it is difficult to make a long-time estimation. There are many factors to take into account such as geography or whether public health measures are working to flatten the spread.

Culled from Sandtonchronicle

18, April 2020

Virus Outbreak: Eto’o plans to help 100,000 in Cameroon ⁰

Former Barcelona and Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o has said he will distribute supplies to 100,000 people to help support efforts to combat coronavirus in his home country.

Eto’o runs a foundation in the country and has promised that it will be used to “share soaps, sanitisers and several food items to fifty thousand households in four cities – Douala, Buea, Yaoundé and Bafoussam.”

An additional 50,000 protective face masks will also be supplied – specifically for taxi drivers in the country.

“This is a serious humanitarian crisis and only via proper sanitisation and the distribution of health kits can we curb the coronavirus,” read a statement from the Samuel Eto’o Foundation.

Cameroon’s government continues to take measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus, including closing down the central African nation’s borders and suspending all sports activities.

On 5 April, Cameroon’s health minister Manaouda Malachie reported that 650 people had tested positive with the virus. A total of 165 have recovered while there have been 17 deaths.

With Cameroon’s top and second tier football championships suspended, several players have taken to social media to plead for help amidst growing financial concerns.

Around a thousand footballers from 44 clubs of the country’s men and women’s domestic championships are also expected to benefit from the move via food items and basic necessities.

Eto’o, four-time African Player of the Year, has previously taken to his social media to give fans advice on following World Health Organisation tips on fighting coronavirus.

Source: BBC

17, April 2020

Interim Government clarifies Ambazonia position on French Cameroun interrogation of President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe ⁰

Fellow Ambazonians,

I come to you this evening alarmed after the Interim Government was dependably informed that at 5 pm today, Penn Terrence Kahn, an Ambazonian prisoner of conscience, serving a 12 years jail term in the Yaoundé central prison was invited to the superintendent’s office for a five hour interrogation without lawyers.

At 6 pm, President Julius Ayuk Tabe, Barrister Blaise Shufai and Barrister Elias Eyambe were also taken out of the Kondengui Principal Prison by French Cameroun Gendarmes to an unknown destination.

French Cameroun authorities must be aware of the measures and guidelines put in place by the WHO to combat the spread of the coronavirus. As a government, we notified the French Cameroun regime that the health and integrity of our leaders is of paramount importance at this moment of a global pandemic and any transgression from them upon our leaders will be against international law and practices and as nation, we shall deal with this unlawfulness robustly.

We notified our legal team instantly and they will be visiting both prisons tomorrow to ascertain the facts.

In the meantime,we are pleased to inform you that President Ayuk Tabe and the other Ambazonian leaders are back in their cells this evening after taken to the office of the court administrator to explain why their appeal hasn’t been heard.

We want to thank you all for your patience during the last five hours. We advise that you maintain all the procedures put in place in Ambazonia and in your countries of residence to combat the COVID-19.

Thanks for your patience and God Bless Ambazonia

Vice President

Dabney Yerima

17, April 2020

Douala: Dozens arrested for disregarding COVID-19 guidelines ⁰

Dozens of people were arrested on Monday and Tuesday in Cameroon’s commercial capital Douala for disregarding guidelines on fighting COVID-19 in the country, according to the police.

Police said over 50 people including six policemen were arrested for not wearing face masks in public places and drinking in beer parlours after 6 p.m. local time (1700 GMT).

“If we must fight and win coronavirus, citizens have to be compelled to respect the guidelines put in place by the government. Some people are just too stubborn and that will not be tolerated,” Issa Daouda, sub-prefect of Douala 4 Municipality told reporters during an inspection tour on Monday.

All those arrested were granted bail to avoid crowding them in police cells, said Mathias Fombele Tayem, sub-prefect of Douala 5 Municipality.

The government has made mask-wearing compulsory, and banned gathering of more than 50 people and drinking in bars after 6 p.m. as part of the measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Cameroon has reported to date 855 confirmed cases, according to Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), making it one of the African countries worst hit by the pandemic.

Source: Xinhuanet

17, April 2020

Yaounde: Maurice Kamto denounces Biya’s silence on coronavirus ⁰

Cameroon’s main opposition leader said he wants a top court to declare a power vacuum because President Paul Biya hasn’t addressed the coronavirus crisis in the country.

Africa’s second-longest serving president has been criticized on social media for his silence amid the rapid spread of the disease. Cameroon diagnosed the first case of the coronavirus on March 6 and is now among the most affected countries in sub-Saharan Africa, with 855 patients. The 87-year-old was last seen on March 11 after receiving the U.S. ambassador.

“In the face of the unprecedented political situation in which our country finds itself, characterized by the prolonged and unexplained absence of the head of state, I have decided to act,” opposition leader Maurice Kamto said on his Facebook page Wednesday. Kamto called on the speaker of parliament to seize the Constitutional Court.

Known for his secretive leadership style and his frequent, months-long stays in Switzerland, Biya’s silence has also fueled widespread speculation about his health.

Source: Bloomberg

17, April 2020

Biya regime told transparency, accountability needed for Ngarbuh Killings ⁰

Cameroon’s government should publish the findings of an investigation into the massacre of 21 civilians, including 13 children and a pregnant woman, on February 14, 2020, Human Rights Watch said today.

The government has formally denied responsibility for the killings in Ngarbuh village, North-West region, but investigations by journalists and nongovernmental organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have documented compelling evidence that points to the Cameroonian military’s responsibility for the killings.

“It has been two months since the Ngarbuh massacre, which stands as a prime example of the impunity for the Cameroonian security forces,” said Lewis Mudge Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Cameroon’s government should immediately make the findings of its investigation public and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.”

In a report issued on February 25, Human Rights Watch detailed how Cameroonian military and armed ethnic Fulani deliberately killed 21 civilians in Ngarbuh. Human Rights Watch research points to the attack being a reprisal against villagers accused of supporting and harboring armed separatists.

On March 1, following international pressure, President Paul Biya agreed to establish a commission of inquiry. However, the authorities have not made any public statement concerning the composition of the commission, its work, or its findings.

In a March 25 news release, the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedom revealed that its chairperson, Dr. Chemuta Divine Banda, was appointed to the commission of inquiry and that the investigation was led by the minister delegate of the presidency in charge of defense. Before the March 25 press release, the composition of the investigation team into the killings in Ngarbuh was not public. The human rights commission members expressed their hope that the findings would be made public.

While the participation of the head of the National Human Rights Commission is an encouraging sign, the appointment of the defense minister to lead the inquiry raises concerns about its independence, Human Rights Watch said.

The killings in Ngarbuh were widely condemned, including by the United Nations Secretary General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, and the Nobel Women’s Initiative. On February 22, referring to the killings, French President Emmanuel Macron promised to exert “maximum pressure” on Biya to end “Cameroon’s intolerable human rights violations.”

The Human Rights Watch findings on Ngarbuh were corroborated by investigative journalists from the New York Times. The New Humanitarian, Cameroonian Civil Society Organizations, and the Catholic Church also issued reports accusing the army of responsibility for the massacre.

Despite the widespread condemnation of the crimes in Ngarbuh, the government has remained largely silent and instead engaged in a smear campaign against national and international organizations. In a March 9 statement, the territorial administration minister, Paul Atanga Nji, accused media, nongovernmental groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and UN agencies of – among other things – fueling terrorism, destabilizing Cameroon, and producing fake reports to tarnish the image of Cameroon’s security forces.

The attack in Ngarbuh was not an isolated case, but part of a larger pattern of serious human rights abuses by the Cameroonian security forces in the Anglophone regions, Human Rights Watch said. Human Rights Watch has documented multiple abusive counterinsurgency operations by the security forces in the North-West and South-West regions since 2017.

Research has found that government forces have killed civilians, burned dozens of villages, arbitrarily arrested, and tortured hundreds of alleged armed separatists. Armed separatists have also been responsible for serious abuses. They have targeted civilians, kidnapped hundreds of people, tortured and killed perceived opponents, and used intimidation and violence to keep children and their teachers out of school. In February, separatists prevented local elections from taking place.

Violence in the Anglophone regions over the last 3 years has claimed an estimated 3,000 lives and caused the displacement of over 730,000 civilians.

Cameroon, like elsewhere, is currently facing an unprecedented public health crisis due to the spread of Covid-19. It is the most heavily affected country in Central Africa, with over 840 cases recorded and 14 deaths as of April 14. The pandemic has not halted the violence in the Anglophone regions.

“The Covid-19 crisis, while paramount, should not displace the need to take action on key human rights concerns and ensure accountability for serious military abuse,” Mudge said. “In a time of national crisis, transparency is all the more valuable, and the government should demonstrate that it will hold abusive members of its military accountable for the deliberate killing of civilians.”

Culled from Human Rights Watch

17, April 2020

The mystery of Cameroon’s unusually absent president: ‘Sir, are you alive?’ ⁰

Maybe he was at home. Maybe he was at his favorite Swiss hotel.

It had been 35 days since anyone saw the president of Cameroon — or, at least, since anyone had revealed his whereabouts — and people in the central African country had questions.

“Sir, are you alive?” one man asked on Twitter.

The public absence of Paul Biya — who, at 87, is the oldest leader in Africa — during the coronavirus pandemic fueled outrage, concern and wild theories before the strongman turned up Thursday in a photo with the French ambassador to Cameroon.

“On the menu for our exchange this afternoon: managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon, France and around the world,” Biya tweeted.

“You have risen?” someone wrote in response.

“We don’t ask you to receive people,” another said. “We ask you to address the nation.”

The photo surfaced one day after Maurice Kamto, the president’s chief political rival, called on Cameroon’s legislature to declare a power vacancy and hold a new election.

The prominent politician, who challenged Biya in the 2018 race, cited the country’s constitution, which dictates that voting must begin within 40 days of a president’s death, resignation or “permanent incapacity.”

“Cameroonians are expecting him to address the nation, to tell them exactly what is going on, to share his vision,” Kamto told The Washington Post. “Whether that photo is real? Authentic? I don’t know.”

Christophe Guilhou, the French ambassador, retweeted the image, which showed the men sitting on separate cream couches.

Neither he nor Biya’s office responded to requests for comment.

Photoshop scandals involving the president have damaged trust in the past, said Doris Toyou, a Cameroonian lawyer in New York.

An obviously manipulated photo of Biya at a funeral for fallen soldiers appeared on the presidential website in 2015. (He was in Europe, not at the event.)

“The photo was illegally modified by someone who managed to hack into the site,” the communications minister told France 24 at the time.

People want more than evidence of a meeting with the French ambassador, Toyou said.

“The question remains the same,” she said. “Is he able and willing to perform presidential function?”

Citizens had been wondering: Is Biya’s hand really signing those presidential decrees? Who is actually behind his Facebook posts?

On social media, Cameroonians demanded to hear him speak about the growing outbreak on their soil. The nation has recorded 848 cases and 14 deaths. The airports are closed. Schools and places of worship have shuttered.

Biya’s ministers have done the talking since the first case emerged on March 6. The top health official tweets daily updates in English and French.

The silence is a stark contrast to other presidential approaches to covid-19.

The Senegalese leader has released a video of himself washing his hands. The Ugandan president posted footage of his indoor workout. The Guinean ruler gave a speech with face masks shielding his microphones.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who spent a week in intensive care with a severe case of the virus, allowed cameras to film him this month in a hospital bed.

“During this pandemic, every single country in the world needs to hear from their head of state,” said Kamto, the Cameroonian opposition leader.

The chances of Cameroon declaring a power vacancy are slim to none. The National Assembly and the Constitutional Council, which handle such matters, are crowded with members of Biya’s party.

They’ve defended him over the decades — Biya took office in 1982 — through allegations of military brutality, rigged elections and an extraordinary amount of time spent on private trips abroad — even as a separatist uprising and Boko Haram attacks have rocked the country.

Biya spent a third of his time overseas in 2006 and 2009, according to one widely shared report from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, an international group of investigative journalists.

During some of his stays in Switzerland, Cameroonians in the country protested outside his preferred hotel: the InterContinental Geneva.

Has he been there lately?

“I do not have any information,” a receptionist told The Washington Post before hanging up.

Biya is known for taking long breaks away from the public eye, said Jeff Smith, the founding director of Vanguard Africa, a pro-democracy nonprofit organization.

“It’s not an uncommon refrain to hear Cameroonians lament the fact that they have a ‘ghost president,’ ” he said.

However, Smith added, “his absence is really quite shocking during a time in which Cameroon has experienced the most cases and deaths due to the coronavirus in all of Central Africa.”

Culled from The Washington Post

16, April 2020

Federal Republic of Ambazonia: Leader, top aides back in Kondengui ⁰

The leader of the people of Southern Cameroons, President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and two of his top aides Barristers Eyambe and Shufai have expressed gratitude to Ambazonians both at home and in the diaspora for their unflinching support.

President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and his senior advisers were taken to the office of a French Cameroun court administrator from their detention cell at the Kondengui High Security prison late on Thursday in a move that sparked outrage throughout Ground Zero, Europe and the United States.

In a statement released by the Ambazonian chief executive, Sisiku Ayuk Tabe observed that “It is well. We, Barr Eyambe, Shufai and myself are back to the prison. We were taken to the office of a court administrator who explained why our appeal had not been called today. Obviously, he said it was because of the spread of the Coronavirus. Thanks for your show of concern and love. Regards. Sisiku AyukTabe.”

Despite being held illegally by French Cameroun security apparatus, the Southern Cameroons leader has remained defiant ever since the declaration of Ambazonia independence that plunged both British Southern Cameroons and French Cameroun into their biggest political crisis in decades.

By Rita Akana in Kondengui, Yaounde