Monthly Archives: May 2020

5, May 2020

COVID-19: Unity Palace in panic mode ⁰

Cameroon’s presidency known as the Unity Palace is in panic mode following the death of Chantal Biya’s driver on Monday, May 4, 2020 following an attack by the novel Coronavirus.

The driver has been down with flu-like symptoms which earned him a few days of rest; rest that will unfortunately be eternal.

The Unity Palace is concerned as the COVID-19 victim was the first lady’s driver and had recently driven her.

Since hitting the global scene, the novel Coronavirus virus has struck fear in many minds. It is no respecter of persons and it has sent many old people in the hiding, including Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya, who is a colony of dangerous diseases.

Mr. Biya has not been seen in public since the virus emerged and sources at the Unity Palace have reported that Mr. Biya has been hiding under his bed and has lost appetite because he is scared that the virus will sweep him away.

For more than a decade, Mr. Biya has been assailed by many ailments with diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems constantly using his body as conference room to discuss his fate.

His long marriage with alcohol has ruined his health and his distended prostate has always sent him to Switzerland and other European countries for check-ups.

But the shutting down of the world by the novel Coronavirus has left the president in deep thoughts. Any deterioration of his fragile health now might spell danger as the entire world, except Cameroon, is in lockdown.

A few days ago, Mr. Biya signed a decree opening up the country and sending Cameroonians to bars where they can run into the novel Coronavirus that is threatening to overwhelm the entire country.

While bars and crowded markets are open, schools have remained closed. National Day celebrations have been cancelled, as this would have required Mr. Biya who is a shadow of his former self to preside over the event which normally takes place on May 20.

Mr. Biya might have soldiers in his side, but COVID-19, which has attacked even royals and celebrities, fears no uniform and guns. Its dislike for old sickly people is exactly why Mr. Biya has decided to make the lower part of his bed his hiding of choice.

He does not receive anybody and all his staff are expected to keep a safe distance because they could infect him. The only person who comes close and who has been serving as his liaison officer is his wife who might have been infected by his driver who has kicked the bucket.

More will be yours as Cameroon Concord News Group gathers more details.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

5, May 2020

The potential of a Cameroonian Functional Food, ‘Achu Soup’(Star Yellow) in managing the spread of Covid-19 ⁰

As the world continues looking for ways of stopping the spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 and containing the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that we all make this process easier for scientists by respecting the prescribed sanitation and social distancing prescriptions aimed at limiting transmission via nasal and respiratory secretions of infected persons. As researchers better understand aspects of the virus, there is now evidence of the occurrence and shedding of active COVID-19 virus in the stools of infected persons. The presence of live virus in stools indicates its presence in the human gastrointestinal tract, where there are trillions of other microorganisms (mainly bacteria of different species) comprising the human micro biome. The bacteria that make up the human micro biome are much larger than the SARS-CoV-2 and could serve as hosts to the virus, thereby helping its replication. Previous research work reported influenza virus’ (a relative of SARS-CoV-2) infection of the Streptococcus pneumonia (bacteria that causes respiratory tract infections) making respiratory tract infections worse. It is therefore possible that the human micro biome could serve as a good host of SARS-CoV-2. Eliminating the coronavirus from the gastrointestinal tract or stopping its replication will therefore provide an effective means of stopping the shedding of the active virus via feces, cutting out that potential route of transmission.

Presently there is no well-studied treatment, and an acceptable vaccine is not likely to be available in the short term. We have to bear in mind that this is a new virus, one that the human immune system had not been exposed to prior to the last few months of 2019. On the contrary, our micro biome has been with us from birth and is constantly changing based on the foods we are exposed to. This therefore means that the dietary habits of a people determine the bacteria that they host, as well as the functioning of their immune system and ability to manage certain infections. At this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, maybe it is more important than ever before to pay more attention to what goes into our gastrointestinal tract, with the knowledge that our foods should be our most important medication.

Considering the variety and richness of the Cameroonian cuisine, it is likely that the micro biome of Cameroonians is just as rich and varied. Ascertaining the protective role of this micro biome, thus constitutes a major focus of our research work at the J & A Oben Foundation. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the J & A Oben Foundation has worked in collaboration with other researchers (Jude Bigoga, Guy Takuissu, Ismael Teta and Rose Leke) to investigate the potential of a fortified ‘Yellow Soup’ called ‘STAR YELLOW” to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 via feces. Star Yellow differs from the well-known Yellow Soup widely consumed and sold in restaurants by the addition of ground melon seed (egusi) and garlic, known for their high zinc content and antibacterial activity respectively. The high zinc content inhibits viral replication. As well as garlic’s antibacterial, antioxidant and anticoagulant activity, it’s high inulin content provides fuel for the growth of ‘good bacteria’ in the micro biome. As well as the presence of all the functional ingredients in Star Yellow, what makes it stand out is its chemistry, which though basic, could be important in the management of the spread of COVID-19. The initial steps in the preparation of Star Yellow involve the mixing of palm oil (a lipid) and limestone or sodium bicarbonate (a base) in the presence of water. This process in simple chemistry terms is referred to as ‘saponification’. SARS-CoV-2 is spherical and consists of ribonucleic acid (RNA), lipids and proteins (spikes protruding from their surface giving the appearance of a crown). There are no strong bonds holding these units together, which means that even mild chemicals like Star Yellow will split them apart. Basically the Star Yellow will dissolve the fat membrane of the virus and the virus falls apart. If this process occurs in the gastrointestinal tract, the RNA of SARS-CoV-2 is exposed to zinc from the diet that stops its replication, making the virus inactive.

If ongoing work by our research group turns out to be conclusive, Star Yellow could be useful in ridding the gastrointestinal tract of active viruses just as other products of saponification work on the skin. This could limit the spread of COVID-19 through feces in areas with poor hygienic conditions. The above reminds me of a conversation I had with the Late Professor Victor Anoma Ngu during which he said, “good science doesn’t necessarily have to be complicated science, but a good researcher should be able to find simple solutions to complex problems”. In the meantime, Cameroonians should protect themselves by washing their hands regularly, wearing protective masks, practicing social distancing and eating a balanced diet that will strengthen their immune system and provide a healthy micro biome.

*Professor Julius Oben is also Co-founder of the J&A Oben Foundation, Lead Researcher at its Nutrition and Dietetics Research Centre (CANDIREC), Supervisor of its Wellness and Nutrition Centre and Proprietor of its Professional School of Dietetics and Functional Foods (CEFOPDIET)

4, May 2020

Doing business with Africa’s Hitler: Switzerland’s financial role in the Southern Cameroons genocide ⁰

Switzerland has made available the sum of three billion CFA francs to help the French Cameroun army continue with its genocidal campaign in Southern Cameroons. But the Swiss ambassador to Yaoundé, Pietro Lazzer told the world that the donation was to combat the coronavirus.

According to the chief Swiss diplomat, the money is for humanitarian efforts but Cameroon Intelligence Report has documented evidence that the regime in Yaoundé is using the money to pay Cameroon government army soldiers currently killing innocent Southern Cameroons civilians in Bafut.

The Swiss have increased their business empire in Cameroon and the Swiss embassy in Yaounde is coordinating support from Swiss companies in Cameroon to help the Biya regime survive.

Ambassador Pietro Lazzer told Cameroon radio and television that Switzerland fully backs the ceasefire calls in Southern Cameroons as advocated by the United Nations Secretary-General last month. “Violence needs to stop in this area because the fighting of COVID-19 is a priority,” he said. The diplomat has maintained a kind of silence of the lamb on reports that Cameroon government soldiers have invaded Bafut in the Mezam County and killed scores of civilians.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

4, May 2020

Football: Ronald Koeman in hospital with heart problems ⁰

Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman has been hospitalized in Amsterdam, and is in stable condition after undergoing a heart procedure.

Koeman wasn’t feeling well on Sunday after a bike ride, and felt chest pain before being rushed to hospital by ambulance. Fortunately, he did not suffer any serious harm as the surgery went well, and he should be able to return home on Monday.

The Dutch Football Association showed support for the 57-year-old on Twitter and said things are going better again.

Koeman was appointed Netherlands manager in 2018, and has enjoyed a successful spell in charge of his country so far. He took the Dutch National Team to the final of the inaugural UEFA Nations League and guided them to qualify for Euro 2020, which has been postponed to next year, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Source: Presstv

4, May 2020

Manyu Liberation Council! Stop the talking! Fund the boys! ⁰

Fellow Manyus,

We bring you revolutionary greetings from your G-Zero heroes. We hope and pray that you and your families are all safe during this time of a global pandemic.

Last Sunday the 26th of April 2020, we presented an innovative structure to regain the initiative in our county in order to refocus our efforts to protect our people from French Cameroun’s genocidal war in Ambazonia. The creation of a Manyu Liberation Council (MLC) to unite our people and raise funds for our self-defense forces has been greeted with immense compliments and appreciation.

Over the last few days after the presentation, we have conducted additional consultations and considered proposals from you to improve our proposed structure. We are pleased to announce that from your feedbacks, we have made constructive inputs into the MLC project.

The role of our self-defense heroes can’t be overstated in our quest for freedom and independence. As self-defense is a vital department of this new MLC structure, we have spent the last few days engaging with self-defense forces in G-Zero and many defense overseers in the diaspora to ascertain the challenges they face. This exercise has given us a broad understanding of the challenges and opportunities ahead. We are pleased to announce that our self-defense forces have exercised restraint and committed to halt hostilities against each other.

We are pleased to announce that on Sunday the 10th of May 2020 at 7pm Amba Time, we are inviting you all to a Town Hall to launch the Manyu Liberation Council project. The zoom link for this meeting will be communicated on Saturday the 9th of May 2020.

Your self-defense forces are excited at this great opportunity. We are excited! The time for talking in Manyu is over; the time for funding your self-defense forces in Manyu is now.

God Bless Manyu, Long Live Ambazonia

MLC Project Team

4, May 2020

Global coronavirus cases top 3.5mn ⁰

At least 3,566,201 people are now infected with the new coronavirus and some 248,285 others have succumbed to the respiratory illness COVID-19, data from Johns Hopkins University shows.

The United States still stands on the top of the list of countries affected by the virus, with 1,118,122 known cases and 68,598 deaths.

While many countries have brought the epidemic relatively under control and eased stay-at-home restrictions, some nations have just started to register what looks like a second wave of infections.

Second in population only to China, India reported 2,600 new infections on Sunday — the country’s highest single-day jump, yet.

The Indian Health Ministry has reported 40,263 confirmed cases of infection and 1,306 deaths as of Sunday evening.

The ministry said that the government was set to impose another two weeks of extended lockdown for a second time. The country’s population of 1.3 billion has already been under a three-week complete lockdown since late March.

This time, however, some restrictions would be eased in districts that have a low risk of spreading the virus.

In Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, a third of the 500 people selected in random testing came out positive for the new coronavirus.

The results of the random tests in Kabul are “concerning,” said Public Health Ministry spokesman Wahid Mayar on Sunday.

Afghanistan has reported 2,700 confirmed cases and 85 deaths.

The true figure of cases could be much higher as officials have so far tested only 12,000 people in the nation of 36.6 million.

China, the first ever country to report the virus, reported only three new cases and no additional deaths on Monday.

China’s death toll stands at 4,633, with a total number of 82,880 cases.

Source: Presstv

4, May 2020

Race for the White House: Trump promises Covid-19 vaccine by end of the year ⁰

President Donald Trump relaunched his election campaign Sunday with a live television event inside the iconic Lincoln Memorial, promising an early coronavirus vaccine and urging Americans to put the pandemic behind them to embrace an “incredible” future.

With the two-hour long Fox News “town hall,” Trump sought to wrap himself in the mantle of America’s arguably greatest president — and to persuade a nation battered by death and mass unemployment to look ahead.

“We can’t stay closed as a country, we’re not going to have a country left,” he said on the show, where two moderators, as well as ordinary citizens via video, put questions to him in front of the monument.

“We’re going to have an incredible following year,” he said.

To a woman who called in expressing fear of financial ruin and eviction, Trump said her job would come back.

“You get a job where you make more money,” he said.

Saying Americans should start going back to beaches this summer and recommending that shuttered schools need to reopen in September, Trump forecast good news on the hunt for a vaccine.

“We are very confident that we’re going to have a vaccine… by the end of the year,” he said, admitting he was getting ahead of his own advisors with the prediction. “I’ll say what I think,” he said.

Saving his reelection

The businessman Republican is doing poorly in most polls ahead of the November presidential contest against Democratic challenger Joe Biden, who remains shuttered in his Delaware home.

Trump faces criticism for his bruising, divisive style during a time of national calamity. He is also accused by some of botching the early response to the COVID-19 virus.

Worse, the previously booming US economy, which was seen as a golden ticket to his second term, is now in dire straits due to the nationwide lockdown.

With officials saying the viral spread has begun to taper, Trump is itching to return to the campaign trail.

However he faces new criticism that he is trying to declare premature victory, even as the illness continues to kill thousands of Americans every week.

Having repeatedly minimized the death toll, claiming it will end at around 60,000, Trump conceded that now “I’m saying 80 or 90 and it goes up.”

His emphasis, however, was not on the dead, but on resurrecting his image as a can-do leader who can end the skyrocketing unemployment caused by the lockdown.

That audacious shift began Sunday at possibly the most hallowed monument in the country — the statue of Abraham Lincoln, who led the country through civil war, urged reconciliation, and was assassinated in his moment of triumph.

Trump, who calls himself a “wartime president” denied that the election will turn into a referendum on his handling of the crisis.

But he added: “I hope it does because we’ve done a great job.”

In the next few days, Trump will follow up by breaking months of self-quarantine with long-distance trips to the key electoral states of Arizona and Ohio.

It’s a play that will emphasise Trump’s massive visibility advantage over Biden and, the White House hopes, rewrite the public relations script after gaffes including the president’s suggestion that coronavirus patients ingest disinfectant.

Greater than Lincoln?

Lincoln gambled in 1861 that only war could preserve the United States by ending slavery and restoring the nation’s ideals of freedom. He won, becoming a national hero.

But Lincoln is remembered as much for reaching out to former foes — something Trump did not seek to emulate as he spoke at the foot of the iconic statue.

Previous presidents, he said, were “stupid” to allow reliance on foreign manufacturers for US medicines.

The Democrats, he said, are “radical,” claiming they would prefer to see people get sick than see him succeed.

Trump pronounced that he had “done more than any president in the history our our country in the first three years.”

His self-declared greatness is questioned by many Americans.

FiveThirtyEight’s latest tracking poll showing only 43.4 percent approving Trump’s performance and 50.7 percent disapproving.

Trump even got in an online tussle with former president George W. Bush earlier Sunday, after the fellow Republican posted a video filled with the kind of empathy and solidarity that many accuse the current White House occupant of failing to show.

Trump responded by complaining that Bush was “nowhere to be found” when he was battling off an impeachment attempt in Congress last year.

(AFP)

4, May 2020

The multi-national force established by Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Niger has not been able to defeat Boko Haram ⁰

For years, Nigeria has been caught in the web of terrorism. Regrettably, the nation’s military, which has won many accolades at the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations and at the regional level, has not been able to restore peace especially to the North-East where the terror groups operate.

Book Haram launched a full-scale attacks on Nigeria following the killing/death of its commander, Mohammed Yusuf, in a controversial circumstance. The dreaded Boko Haram which was regarded as a ragtag army of youths has continued to give the Nigerian military as well as the military of some neighbouring nations a serious headache, killing scores of troops and carting away their weapons on some occasions.

Although the insurgents have also had many casualties, their ability to recruit more fighters, resilience, arms cache and capability to get intelligence reports, which they often deploy in attacking the soldiers, have been worrisome despite many claims that they have been technically defeated.

The terrorists became very emboldened before the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), came to power in 2015 to the extent that the United Nations Office in Abuja was bombed while the Police headquarters was also bombarded, among other places.

However, the devious attacks were not limited to Nigeria as the terror group also carried out attacks in Chad, Niger and Cameroon. These deadly attacks and the push by the insurgents to establish their government in these countries accounted for the reorganisation of the Multi-National Joint Task Force in 2015.

This was why the headquarters of the regional force was moved from Baga, Borno State, to N’Djamena, Chad Republic, and their mandate was to end the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin.

Despite the reorganisation, the terrorists have continued to carry out attacks especially on military bases just to show that their alleged ‘technical defeat’ as claimed by the Federal Government was a ruse.

In March, Boko Haram inflicted a heavy blow on the Nigerian military by killing about 47 troops in a deadly ambush while the troops were moving around Alagarno in Yobe State.

The insurgents also killed 92 Chadian troops when they carried out an attack on a base in Bohoma, Chad. The attack is still being regarded as the worst military loss in the history of Chad.

Infuriated by the heavy defeat, the Chadian President, Idriss Deby, vowed that Chadian troops would deal with the insurgents. A few days after and in a surprise move, he actualised the threat as his troops launched a full-scale attack on the stronghold of Boko Haram killing hundreds of them and taking control of their arms store.

However, after the onslaught, the president who is a retired military officer, was quoted by Aljazeera as saying that Chad would no longer be part of any regional force in the Lake Chad region and the Sahel.

He said, “Our troops have died for Lake Chad and the Sahel. From today, no Chadian soldier will take part in a military mission outside Chad. Chad is alone in shouldering all the burden of the war against Boko Haram.” But the Nigerian military downplayed the statement, saying Chad had not pulled out of the regional force.

Nonetheless, investigations by our correspondents revealed that rivalry, lack of commitment and underfunding of the regional force were some of the reasons the MNJTF had not been able to defeat the insurgents completely.

Military sources noted that some of these reasons were also responsible for the inability of the Nigerian armed forces to end the Boko Haram terrorism within the states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa since 2009.

A top military source in Borno, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said chief among the reasons for the slowdown over the years was an unwritten rivalry and controversy over funding among the countries, with Nigeria and Chad in the forefront.

The source said, “When the MNJTF was in Baga, Borno State, between 2009 and 2015, Nigeria provided much of the funding and supplied the most troops with little or no contributions from the three other countries. Nigeria still does. But then, the Boko Haram struck Baga and ruined the MNJTF headquarters in one of the most devastating attacks of that year on our troops.

“There was suspicion that the attack on Baga came because of unspoken bitterness from the other countries. So, the headquarters was moved to Chad in 2015. Yet, it was agreed that a Nigerian officer would be the Force Commander, a Cameroonian as a Deputy Commander and a Chadian as the Chief of Staff. Again, the Commander position was not rotational and this is another problem.

“It is difficult, even if I become the commander, to get the allegiance of the Chadian troops, where the MNJTF is headquartered, to commit more to the MNJTF than to their nation. They will naturally owe allegiance first to their army chief and the President than to a Nigerian commander. Chad just feels they are not in charge and that in a way affects the military cooperation.”

Despite operating from Chad and being a regional force, the choice of who becomes the MNJTF commander has always been done almost solely by the Nigerian Chief of Army Staff (currently Lt Gen Tukur Buratai), whom military sources believe should not be making such decision without the input of other army chiefs in the joint military force.

In the latest appointment in November 2019, Buratai in a press release named Maj Gen Ibrahim Yusuf as the MNJTF commander, replacing Maj Gen Chikeze Ude, the hitherto head of the force.

“This kind of choice of the MNJTF leadership is very faulty, if you ask me. The four countries have Chiefs of Defence Staff and at worst, the Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff is supposed to make such appointment and seek approval from the other three countries’ heads of military to show they are in the decision making channel,” a captain in the Nigerian Army explained.

It was not surprising therefore when Chad, in the first week of April 2020, hinted that it might no longer be taking part in any regional force. Although the announcement looked unclear as it houses the MNJTF, the Chadian president lamented that the country’s troops had died in droves for Lake Chad and the Sahel and they might no longer be taking part in a military mission outside his country.

Analysts believe that the message was subtly targeted at Nigeria to show that Chad wanted some more leverage in the force, than for its troops to await orders from Nigerian commanders.

It was learnt that Niger Republic and Cameroon were not in contention for such prominence in the MNJTF with their troops not being able to stop the terrorists from coming into their respective territories, most times after escaping heat from Nigeria and Chad.

“The funding of the MNJTF has therefore been a major challenge, with most resources lopsided and coming from Nigeria and Chad, which again limits the penetration of the regional force into the two other countries,” a top military source in Abuja said.

On April 10, 2020, the operations of the MNJTF were reviewed at the Ministry of Defence building in Abuja, but only the Ministers of Defence from Nigeria and Chad, Maj Gen Bashir Magashi (retd.), and Mahamat Salah, respectively were at that meeting where tactical decisions were taken.

The Chadian defence minister had come to Abuja to review the MNJTF. He came in company with the Chief of Staff to the Chadian President, the Chadian Ambassador to Nigeria and the Chadian Director of Military Cooperation.

Meanwhile, Boko Haram has managed to keep its fangs alive in the Lake Chad region, partly due to the emergence of its deadlier faction, the Islamic State West African Province, and the recruitment and indoctrination of thousands of youths across the four countries to fight in the sect under the guise of religious and ideological war.

On April 27, the MNJTF itself raised the alarm that it had obtained information regarding a plot by the insurgents to carry out an “aggressive recruitment in the coming weeks.” It said the forced recruitment was expected to target young and adult males. However, the sect’s backup plan was to kidnap unwilling targets.

The MNJTF Chief of Military Public Information, Col Timothy Antigha, therefore urged youths in the North-Eastern states of Nigeria, Lake Province of Chad, Diffa Region of Niger and Extreme North Region of Cameroon to be vigilant and shun all promises of opportunities for quick money and misguided teachings about jihad.

On the whole, military sources agree that the MNJTF needs to first win the confidence and trust of its four member countries and their armed forces before tangible successes can be recorded against the Boko Haram and its affiliates.

A former Director-General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Prof Bola Akinterinwa, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, identified poor funding, poor equipment and logistical problems as some of the factors incapacitating the MNJTF.

Akinterinwa said the MNJTF was established in the 1990s for economic reasons but its mandate was changed to security when it was reorganised.

He said, “You know the countries funding the MNJTF but you don’t know the financiers of the Boko Haram. I will like to remind you of what late Muammar Gaddafi of Libya said and what a former President of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings, also said and you will know why the task will be very difficult for any joint task force whether national or multinational.

“Gaddafi made it abundantly clear that Nigeria could not have peace unless the country was divided into Muslim North and Christian South. Now the Boko Haram wants to establish an Islamic State particularly in the North.

“In this case, the powerful Muslim states appear to be funding them, aiding and abetting them. Nobody is talking about which countries are involved but accusing finger is pointing at Iran for supporting the Shiite; accusing fingers are pointing at Saudi Arabia and other countries. But the issue is that Boko Haram cannot have the kind of sophisticated weapons they are using if they are not being supplied from outside the country.

“In this case, when you have an opposition like Boko Haram that is heavily funded and equipped fighting against the MNJTF that is poorly equipped, how can they succeed?

“Also, some Nigerians went to protest at the French Embassy in Abuja accusing France of aiding and abetting Boko Haram. Jerry Rawling said the solution to Nigeria problems was to kick out all new-colonialist leaders in Nigeria. When you look at this also, you will see that it is very difficult for the joint task force because there may be colonial support for Boko Haram as well. This is a fundamental issue.

“Multi-national joint task force means the troops there are from different countries with different cultures. They do not use the same type of weapons and their military training and doctrines are not the same. Yet they are brought together under one commander who is expected to harmonise their activities. In terms of signal and strategies, they may not be the same. There is logistical problem and above all who is the leader? “

A former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, said in February at the first public lecture in honour of the late founder of Oodu’a Peoples Congress, Dr Fredrick Fasehun, that Nigeria had not been able to defeat Boko Haram because the terror group was getting support from outside. He, however, did not reveal where the external support for the jihadists was coming from.

But, a fellow of the International Institute of Professional Security, Mr Jackson Ojo, in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, said despite the fact that the terror group’s activities affected Nigeria more than the other three nations in the region, Nigeria had been lackadaisical in its approach to the force.

Ojo said, “There is a lot of unserious mess on the side of Nigeria despite the fact the counrty can be regarded as the epicentre of Boko Haram activities. Apart from this, I believe there are many saboteurs in Nigeria and even in the military. Boko Haram has a lot of sympathisers even among those in government. Some are sympathetic to the group based on ethnic, religious or just emotional sympathy.

“Boko Haram fighters do not fly to their bases, they come through our land borders with their supplies and security agents are supposed to be there. Nigeria has not queried that. These are some of the signs that we are not very serious about it. Our Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, just relocated to the North-East after the Chadian troops led by their President had routed the Boko Haram in an offensive battle.”

Proffering solution to the challenges, Akinterinwa said the MNJTF should re-strategise to end the insurgency. He explained that the troops of all the countries in the regional force should fix a particular day and a particular time of the day and encircle the whole area where “the Boko Haram fighters are and advance.”

He said with this, they would be able to neutralise the insurgents and there would be no need for the Joint Task Force to continue to play preventive role.

Culled from PUNCH

4, May 2020

Yaounde: Journalists Protest Harassment, Abusive Arrests ⁰

Cameroonian journalists are marking World Press Freedom Day with protests against abuse from the government as well as from rebels fighting for an independent English-speaking state. Reporters Without Borders, in its 2020 World Press Freedom Index, ranks Cameroon 134th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index. Some Cameroonian journalists have been detained for their reporting or are on the run from the military or separatists.

This message from the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists, that journalism has rules, regulations and professional ethics, is broadcast on television and radio, and shared on social media platforms by journalists in Cameroon as a sign of protest against the abuses they face. The message insists that journalists be allowed freedom to practice.

“We say no to the constant harassment and haphazard arrest of journalists in their line of duties,” the message said.

Journalists did not organize popular celebrations and public protests as in the previous years because of the more than 2,000 cases of COVID-19 in Cameroon.

They said, however, they shared the pain of peers who have been in detention, such as Mancho Bibixy and Tsi Conrad, arrested and charged with insurrection against the state of Cameroon and who have been in detention since 2017, Samuel Wazizi arrested late last year and jailed for alleged collaboration with separatist fighters, and Wawa Jackson, who was arrested in 2019 and accused of propagating the secessionists’ agenda in the English-speaking regions where separatists are fighting to break away from the majority French-speaking country.

Ngah Christian Mbipgo, publisher of Cameroon’s lone English-language daily newspaper, the Guardian Post, said his news organ has been the victim of press abuses while covering the separatist crisis that has killed 3,000 people in Cameroon in the past three years. He said 15 of his reporters, newspaper vendors and their family members have fled from hostile areas in the English-speaking North-West and South-West regions.

“The separatists think that we have not been doing much to project their independence ideology, and that is why our reporters in the field are targeted. I have not gone out of Yaoundé [to the English-speaking North-West and South-West regions] since 2017 that [when] the crisis metamorphosed into an armed conflict because they have openly called to tell me that I am a target. We receive calls from top government officials who say we are a newspaper that is working for the separatists,” he said.

Cameroon’s government did not issue a statement on for World Press Freedom Day, as there were no public ceremonies due to COVID-19. However, the government has always maintained that there is press freedom in Cameroon and journalists are only arrested when they act unprofessionally.

Jude Viban, president of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists said the government should decriminalize media offenses and make sure abuses against the rights of journalists by government officials and separatist fighters are stopped.

“What we are doing is to inform, and we do so for the interest of the population, so a handful of people should not attack the press. When stories are not told because journalists are under attack, the population would not be informed, which, of course, is their right to be informed in a democracy like ours,” said Viban.

Reporters Without Borders says press freedom continues its long decline in Cameroon, and reporters continue to be subjected to threats, attacks, intimidation and arrests after President Paul Biya’s reelection for a seventh term in October 2018.

Source: VOA

3, May 2020

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is not believed to have had surgery ⁰

South Korea’s assessment is that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not have surgery, local news outlet Yonhap said, citing an unidentified senior official at presidential Blue House.

“There were speculative reports that Chairman Kim underwent a surgery citing some difference to his walk,” the official was cited as saying.

“We have reasons to believe that there was no surgery, but cannot disclose such details.”

Rumours about Kim’s health have been swirling since his conspicuous no-show at April 15 celebrations for the birthday of his grandfather, the North’s founder — the most important day in the country’s political calendar.

His absence triggered a series of fevered rumours and unconfirmed reports over his condition, while the United States and South Korea insisted they had no information to believe any of the conjecture was true.

North Korean state television showed Kim walking, smiling broadly and smoking a cigarette at what it said was the opening of a fertiliser factory on Friday.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AFP)