Monthly Archives: May 2020

18, May 2020

Covid-19: France and Germany propose €500 billion EU recovery fund ⁰

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel presented a joint plan to spur EU recovery from the coronavirus crisis on Monday, after weeks of debate over how to deploy billions of euros needed to end a painful recession.

In a joint video conference, Macron and Merkel called for the creation of a 500-billion-euro ($543 billion) recovery fund able to offer grants to the countries and regions hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis.

The leaders of France and Germany also said they were proposing to authorise the European Commission to borrow money on financial markets in the European Union’s name, while at the same time respecting EU treaties.

Macron and Merkel propose €500 billion EU recovery fund: Watch their press conference

Macron said this was the first time France and Germany agreed to let the EU raise debt jointly, calling this a “major step foward”. He insisted that money from the recovery fund would be made available in the form of grants and not loans.

Merkel said that in all, EU member states and the bloc’s executive would mobilise a combined sum of three trillion euros to cushion the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

She said France and Germany were also in favour of reforming the EU’s merger and competition rules so that the bloc can create stronger European champions after the coronavirus crisis.

Europe is just beginning to emerge from lockdowns put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has taken a huge bite out of national economies. But divisions among EU members on how to craft an overall response have hampered comprehensive action so far.

Macron said on Monday that the Franco-German initiative was the fruit of extensive talks with other EU member states, including Italy and the Netherlands, which have been at loggerheads in recent weeks.

The recovery debate has again exposed the bloc’s divide between northern countries leery of exploding budget deficits, and hard-hit southern countries like Italy and Spain that are desperate for more spending.

The eurozone economy overall is forecast to contract by a whopping 7.7 percent this year, but the damage could be worse in Italy and Greece, which could see their economies shrink by nearly 10 percent, prompting a cascade of bankruptcies and job losses.

While the European Commission still takes time before presenting its own plan, Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel unveil their joint proposal for a 500 billion euros for the #Recovery Initiative.

European sources told AFP last week the Commission would lay out its plan toward the end of May, hoping to reconcile the opposing objectives of providing financial firepower – and proving European solidarity – without giving governments a blank check that would expose the entire bloc to gaping budget deficits.

Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen has not given a specific figure, but has said the plan would be linked to the EU’s regular budget and funded in part by the commission borrowing on financial markets.

That would require European Parliament approval as well as a summit meeting of member states to give a green light on how the funds would be used, and the terms for their reimbursement.

The European Central Bank has also promised to do “whatever is necessary” to help weather the crisis, including a 750-billion-euro scheme to buy government bonds for cash-strapped nations.

However, that has proved problematic after Germany’s Constitutional Court attacked the ruling, potentially limiting Germany’s participation.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS, AFP)

18, May 2020

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Why was the Mamfe Mayor killed? ⁰

Over the last two weeks, the death of Mamfe’s young mayor, Priestley Ashu Ojong, has dominated discussions in many parts of our country. Social media is awash with stories about his killing, but nobody has been able to clearly point out why he was killed and by who.

The young businessman cum mayor had demonstrated that he had what was necessary to take Mamfe into a brand-new direction. He had been a deputy mayor, so experience was on his side. His success in the business arena helped him to have confidence in himself. But the most effective tool in his arsenal was his blind loyalty to the ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM) that has been in power for close to four decades.

With such a huge arsenal, Priestly felt that he had the best protection. Dead was for other people and not for him. But he failed to understand that success always comes with huge problems, some of which could be very challenging and may even lead to death. And it was one of such problems that led the young mayor to an early grave. But there are many questions which still linger and one of such questions is: Who killed the Mayor of Mamfe and why?

Of course, when news of his death hit social media, the entire country had only one suspect in mind – Amba boys. The young mayor, who was driven by vaulting ambition and arrogance, was, indeed, in the crosshairs of many armed groups in Manyu because of his blind loyalty to the ruling party, his youthful exuberance and bloated arrogance.

He had made the defeating of Amba boys in Manyu the cornerstone of his political agenda. He had wanted to prove that he could roll back the insurgency in that part of the country. Little did he know that the anger against the government was deep and complicated.

At 35, he could not figure out that many people in the former West Cameroon had been hurt by government policies. He was too young to understand and he had made up his mind that he would never listen to these songs of revolution which, to him, were simply heralding an end to his brilliant political career.

His ambitions were lofty and had blinded his reason. Despite advice given to him by many experienced politicians and elders, he went ahead to implement his reckless and egoistic agenda.

Many politicians in Southern Cameroons, especially those of the CPDM, have been very careful with their rhetoric. They love the free money the CPDM provides, but they also understand that the government lacks the capacity to defend them in the event of any attack.

Caught in this nasty situation, most of them have resorted to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. They know their options are limited. They must please their masters in Yaoundé, but they must at the same time save their lives and those of their families. As a result, money has been changing hands under the cover of darkness and that is why some CPDM politicians feel save even when in Southern Cameroons.

But the mayor of Mamfe had vowed never to play such a game. He always counted on the military for his protection, failing to understand that having the military on your side is no guarantee of security. There is no military stronger than the people, especially those who operate under the cover of darkness.

Amba boys have been on the young mayor’s trail for a long time. He was a marked man even when he was the deputy mayor. His public pronouncements against the revolution that has made Southern Cameroons ungovernable clearly made him a dead man walking.

Many of the young fighters are brothers of people who have been killed by the military and the only language they understand is revenge. In their view, anybody who is collaborating with the military or the Yaoundé government must be reduced to a mass of flesh. It is difficult to have a discussion with these young fighters who have been empowered by their guns and the money flowing from North America.

Their courage has grown over the years and each time they kill a soldier, they only think victory is on the horizon. In their minds, Southern Cameroons must be free and there is no golden median, and this freedom must only come through bloodshed.

Anybody with a divergent opinion clearly belongs to the world beyond and they have demonstrated this by the numerous people they have killed or threatened. A philosophy also practiced by army soldiers sent to the two English-speaking regions of the country to roll back the insurgency.

In a place like Manyu, many people who have had intercourse with the Yaoundé government are clearly in the storm’s eye. They know death is locking very close to home and many have had to skip town just to know their peace.

Amba boys are turning the heat on many government officials and the killing of the Mamfe mayor has made many of them to know that the long arm of the Amba justice system will surely reach them wherever they are in Manyu. Some of them are looking at the possibility of quitting the towns and villages of Manyu, but others have already left, leaving behind vast properties they had acquired fraudulently.

Mr. Agbor Benson, the former deputy mayor of Mamfe and former Manyu CPDM president has shown Amba boys a clean pair of heels. He could not stand the pressure and it is rumored that he is walking the streets of Buea where he feels a little safe.

Others like Agbor Tabi Muller, a former deputy mayor of Mamfe, have left the country. Cameroon Concord News Group gathered that he left the country screaming and begging for his safety as Amba fighters trailed him. He now lives in the United States, hoping that things will one day calm down for him to return.

The late mayor’s problems were also internal. A source close to the Cameroon Concord News Group has hinted that the young mayor had made many enemies within his own camp and party by being overly ambitious and unnecessarily proactive. There was a lot of infighting in his party and he kept playing both sides against the middle.

By splitting his own team, the young mayor exposed himself to the bullets of an unknown assassin. When he fell out with the town’s drivers and motorcycle riders, Priestly weakened his information network, making it hard for him to get reliable intelligence. His bloated ego stood in the way of things and that cost him his life.

But no one can say for sure that he knows who killed the young mayor. The reasons for his death are many. Though his party issued a statement accusing Amba fighters, it is clear that any investigations must first look inwards.

The ruling CPDM has been quick to indicate that on that fateful day, the young mayor was heading to Eshobi, a village some 8 km from Mamfe, to receive some Amba fighters who had made up their minds to surrender, but a Cameroon Concord News Group source has said that the real reasons for that trip were related to his ambition of becoming a village chief.

According to the source, the young mayor had other plans that were rubbing up many people in Mamfe the wrong way. It is alleged that on that day, he was going to receive the title of “Sesekou” which would have opened the way for him to become the chief of Eshobi, a village some think is not his.

The Cameroon Concord News Group has gathered that Priestly Ojong, the late mayor, was not a native of Eshobi. His mother is a native of the village, but his father is not from Manyu. Our sources added that after a violent falling out of his parents, the mother brought him to Eshobi as a little boy and that is the only village he knows as his.

According to Manyu tradition, you can never be a recognized member of your mother’s family and your mother’s village is not necessarily your village. Priestly was oblivious of that and since he is a member of the ruling party, he felt he could change the order of things. His enemies in the village are also being suspected of being responsible for the ambush that robbed him of his life. Cameroon Concord News Group cannot at the time independently verify such claims but promises to dig further in order to get to the bottom of things.

The death of the young mayor has left many people in fear and there is a lot of pressure in the town as nobody knows who will be next. For now, nobody has been arrested by the police for the killing of a young mayor, but Amba fighters are planning to carryout mass arrests of those who participated in a government-sponsored demonstration against the killing of the young, boisterous and arrogant mayor.

The days ahead are bleak and only a negotiated settlement can calm down tempers and minds in the two English-speaking regions of the country. Mamfe is only the small tip of a massive iceberg that may drown Cameroon.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai in the United Kingdom and the Cameroon Concord News Group team in Mamfe

18, May 2020

WHO chief Tedros in the eye of the storm ⁰

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the first African to head the World Health Organization, faces the towering challenge of coordinating a global pandemic response increasingly complicated by US-China tensions.

The former Ethiopian minister of health and foreign affairs finds himself at the heart of global efforts to rein in the novel coronavirus, which has now killed more than 300,000 people and infected close to five million.

On Monday, Tedros opens the UN health agency’s main annual event, the World Health Assembly, which due to the pandemic will be held virtually and has been trimmed from the usual three weeks to just two days.

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Tedros said the event would be “one of the most important (WHAs) since we were founded in 1948”.

Countries hope to adopt by consensus a resolution urging a joint response to the crisis, but the efforts have been clouded by steadily deteriorating relations between the world’s two largest economies.

Trump last week threatened to cut ties with China, where the outbreak began late last year, over its role in the spread of COVID-19, and has repeatedly made unproven allegations that the virus originated in a Chinese lab.

– Biggest challenge –

The US president has also ramped up criticism of Tedros and WHO, accusing them of being too close to China and mismanaging the pandemic response.

And last month, Trump announced that Washington, the biggest contributor to the UN health agency, would suspend its funding.

The pandemic, combined with the threat of lost US funding, clearly constitutes the biggest challenge to date in the WHO director-general’s three-year tenure.

But Tedros, 55, a malaria specialist with degrees from Britain in public health and immunology, and the first person ever elected to the helm of the WHO, should have the legitimacy and strong support to weather the storm.

Tedros is renowned for his warmth and a tendency to call everyone from colleagues to world leaders “brother” or “sister”, setting him apart from the famously cool persona of his appointed predecessor, Margaret Chan of China.

And his handling of the crisis has drawn widespread praise.

“Tedros is the best director general that I have worked with, perhaps since Gro Brundtland,” renowned US epidemiologist Larry Brilliant told AFP, referring to the former Norwegian prime minister who served as WHO chief from 1998 to 2003.

“He is an incredibly smart, open, honest, science-based man.”

– ‘Politicising’ the pandemic –

While he always seems to have a smile lurking under his trimmed moustache, Tedros has also revealed a fiery side.

After a hefty barrage of criticism from Trump last month, Tedros warned that “if you don’t want many more body-bags then you refrain from politicising” the pandemic.

During that virtual briefing on April 8, Tedros also revealed that for months he had faced a virulent campaign of abuse against him, including racist comments and death threats.

“I don’t give a damn… I am proud of being black or proud of being negro,” he said.

Tedros has also come under increasing pressure over Taiwan, which at the behest of China has been excluded from the WHO and other international bodies, amid growing calls for it to be granted access to the WHA.

Taiwan has, like Trump, harshly criticised the UN agency and its chief for being too willing to believe Beijing and praise its handling of the outbreak.

On social media meanwhile, a battle is raging between the pro- and anti-Tedros camps. The WHO chief himself has joined the virtual fight, retweeting messages of support from a range of African leaders, other political actors and scientists.

– ‘Firm, courageous’ –

“I’ve known Dr Tedros for 27 years… He is a man of great principle, and his calm but firm, courageous leadership of WHO during this terrible COVID-19 pandemic is exactly what the world needs right now,” tweeted Laura Hammond, a University of London professor.

He also has a knack for diplomacy.

During the 2017 election, he highlighted his drive as health minister to expand basic healthcare by building thousands of clinics and boosting community-based health services, and vowed to give the WHO a similar overhaul, with an emphasis on global health coverage.

When he took over, the organisation was undergoing far-reaching reforms after mismanaging the initial response to the Ebola outbreak in west Africa, which killed more than 11,300 people between 2013 and 2016.

But just a few months into his tenure, he created a scandal by appointing Zimbabwe’s then-president Robert Mugabe as a WHO goodwill ambassador. He was forced to backtrack.

That gaffe however has largely been forgotten, as the WHO under Tedros has scaled up emergency response capabilities and astutely responded to two new Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Source: AFP

18, May 2020

Panic Grips Faithful After Cameroon COVID Pastor Dies ⁰

Panic has gripped several hundred people after a popular Cameroon pastor and candidate in the central African state’s last presidential election, Frankline Ndifor, died of COVID-19 following his prayers that hundreds of his supporters cured of the coronavirus. Cameroon police used force to gain access to his residence in the economic capital city Douala, as some of his supporters blocked entrances, praying for his resurrection.

Hundreds of followers sang Sunday morning at Ndifor’s Douala residence that the man popularly referred to as the prophet is not dead, but he is rather on a spiritual retreat with God and will return soon. Their singing and prayers were broadcast by several local radio stations.

Ndifor died and was buried in front of his residence Saturday by workers of Cameroon’s COVID-19 response team in Douala. Doctor Gaelle Nnanga said by messaging application from Douala that Ndifor died less than a week after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

He says that some members of Ndifor’s Kingship International Ministries Church called him to come to the pastor’s aid when they found out Ndifor was in agony, and that when the medical team he leads arrived, Ndifor was having severe respiratory difficulties. He says the pastor died less than 10 minutes after they treated him.

The governor of Cameroon’s coastal region, where Douala is, said in a release he deployed police to force their way to Ndifor’s residence when his followers chased medical staff away, claiming that the pastor was on a spiritual retreat with God, rather than dead, and should not be buried.

Ndifor follower Rigobert Che says the “prophet” last Wednesday prayed for him and several dozen people diagnosed with COVID-19, and some who suspected they were carriers or had symptoms. He says via a messaging application that Ndifor’s death has brought panic to the hundreds of people who have been visiting him for prayers for a divine cure.

“This is a pastor that has been laying hands [on the sick] and claiming that he cures COVID-19,” Che said. “If you, the person that claims that you are curing COVID-19, you are dead, what about the fellow people that were affected by the COVID-19? Now that he is dead, I do not know how the people that he was laying hands on will be healed.”

Medical staff are asking all those who came in contact with the pastor to report to hospitals to be tested for COVID-19.

Besides praying for COVID-19 patients at his home and his church, Ndifor was also donating buckets and soap to the poor to protect themselves from the coronavirus by washing their hands. His last public outing was on April 20, when he went out into Douala’s streets to distribute facemasks.

Ndifor had a reputation as a miracle healer, and he was a contender in Cameroon’s 2018 presidential election, emerging seventh out of nine candidates, with 23, 687 votes.

Source: VOA

18, May 2020

Covid-19 Pandemic and the Nigerian Failing State ⁰

Covid-19 pandemic responses have suddenly become the major security challenge in all states. Sudden overwhelming need for medical infrastructures for unpredictable large number of patients in life threatening situations, have shown the weakness of most states’ medical emergency architecture. With leading states like United States, France and England buckling down under the stress of this pandemic, nations with failing security structures are expected to experience devastating consequences without outside help.

Nigerian state security environment in the pre-Covid-19 era was predominantly unstable. Three states –Borno, Adamawa and Yobe are reportedly under occupation by ISWAP and Boko Haram Islamic groups Rebels. Reports from Northwest and North central regions is littered with looting, raping and killing by bandits, the whole south is under threats of political uprising and constant murderous attacks from Fulani Herdsmen.

Nigerian security forces are reportedly overwhelmed, with Nigerian Army in security operations in over 34 of the 36 states in the country. Policing capabilities in Nigeria are mostly elite security based. Catering to the needs of the political class and the less than 5 percent elites. Most locals rely solely on relatively unarmed Private Security Personnels (PSPs) for securing their homes and offices. High occurrence of resort to self-help by locals, leading to extra-judicial mob killing and burning of crime suspects paints the picture of public perception of state judicial processes.

Political tensions fuelled by publicly acclaimed ethnocentric and nepotistic leadership have led to high level of ethnic division in a state with over 300 nations. Regional groups like the Northern, Arewa; Southwest, Oduduwa; Southsouth, MEND and SouthEast, MOSSOP; are in full fledge militant agitations for national independence.

State’s revenue from crude oil and agriculture plunged by over 40 percent in the period between 2014 and 2019. Recent huge depreciation in global oil prices from above $40pb in December 2019 to less than $30pb in March 2020, has equally depleted national resources. Cutting short national revenue to about less than 50% of budget revenue target in 2020.

Given huge loss of resources, growing casualties from growing Civid19 pandemic coupled with weakening government control of security in some part of the country, national response to Covid19 pandemic is erratic, at best uncoordinated. Lockdown as covid19 control measure have failed in most cities in the state. Government in avoidance of citizen revolts as crime and violent acts, needing federal government intervention spiraled out in major cities, relaxed lockdown and allowed the public to return to work last week.

Expert positioned that economic loss after 8 weeks of continuous lockdown in Nigerian major cities run into millions of Dollars daily. The loss to the Small and Medium Enterprises in market shares might not be regained without the injection of viable stimulus package. The approval of a 500billion Naira economic stimulus package for SMEs by the National Assembly, was hailed by most observers, yet some few voices still warned that it might be too little late. Addressing the short-run problem in the sector might need four times that figure and that was based on the premises of equity and justice in sharing processes.

Given Covid19 infection rates continuous unchecked growth in Nigeria despite low testing rate -over 300% weekly increases were recorded by NCDC since the third week of April- despite full lockdown in major cities till 4th May, 2020 when lockdown was relaxed-and experts warns of lockdown removal leading to higher infection in the state, increased pressure on the health infrastructure in the country might lead to breakdown in law and order. Pockets of protests and disorderly behaviour have been reported in some northern cities like Gombe and Kano where public education on the pandemic remain low.

Security analyst positioned that due to government concerted response to this pandemic, security of lives and property has been neglected and most state’s resources diverted to this source. Government forces offensive against the Boko Haram and ISWAP has faded out of public discus as almost 90% of local news are currently dedicated to the Covid Response Situation Reports.

Increased criminal activities during lockdown in Lagos and other big cities reveals the need for more security resources in Nigerian homeland, but overstretched state’s resources obviously cannot financed such expansions. Attempts by some states government to increase security capacity through recruitment of locals as vigilantes and security corps was set aside as the new challenges of pandemic became the new security challenge.

Nigeria is home to over 200 million people with over 85million in abject poverty according to UN’s 2019 statistics. WHO in its assessment of Nigerian health capacities, declared Nigeria a high-risk environment for Covid19 Pandemic infection since March 2020. Given the overview of the reported situation in the state, it can be posited that the 4000 infection rate as at 5th of May, 2020 is a tip of the iceberg. Facts point at impending breakdown of law and order due to public panic when the big numbers hit Nigerian Covid score sheet.

There is urgent need for direct international intervention in Nigerian health infrastructure development to meet the expected sharp rise in pandemic victims. The state resources though given a lifeline of over $3million by the IMF last week need more resources to manage all sectors of the economy and offset lost oil revenue as a matter of urgency. The government need to refocus on its war with the terrorists and bandits making life uneasy for its citizens hence regional ethnic armies may develop in already impatient regions to secure their people. The economic loses of businesses during these lockdowns will surely lead to loss of businesses and jobs -in a country with over 35% youth unemployment figure- this is a perfect recipe for violent riots and increased criminal activities. International NGOs have a duty of care to respond to the impending implosion of the Nigerian State and be on the ground before the largest humanitarian situation occurs.

The time for concerted actions is now. Let all come together and support the tottering giant of Africa, before it falls and splash to smithereens the surrounding states and bring African economy to its knees.

Don Michael Olalekan Adeniji, MA, C.Med., DRS, fpnm

Director, Security Policy Analysis

African Initiatives for Peace and Human Security, (AIPHD), Ibadan

Contributing Editor Cameroon Concord News Group

18, May 2020

Biya regime to open schools in “orderly fashion” amid epidemic prevention ⁰

Cameroon’s Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute on Friday issued technical guidelines for schools nationwide to reopen in an orderly manner, depending on the situation of the coronavirus pandemic in the Central African country.

Only examination classes in primary and secondary schools will resume classes on June 1, Ngute said in a statement, adding the students will be “properly distributed” among classrooms to observe social distancing rules.

Sanitary kits with hand sanitizers, thermoflashes, and hand-washing basins will be available at the entrance of the schools, according to the guidelines.

It is compulsory for students and teachers to wear protective masks, Ngute said, stressing “prevention is and remains the main weapon available to each and every one of us.”

Cameroon closed schools on March 18 after detecting its first COVID-19 case on March 6. More than 3,000 cases have been reported in the country since then.

Source: Xinhuanet

17, May 2020

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Tension mounts as Amba fighters plan mass arrests ⁰

The Manyu Divisional headquarters of Mamfe is going through moments of high tension, as the population gets wind of a plan by Amba fighters to carry out mass arrests in Mamfe following a fake demonstration organized and funded by the CPDM crime syndicate.

A Cameroon Concord News Group source in Mamfe has hinted that the tension is so thick that it could be cut with a knife as those who participated in the government-sponsored demonstration face the prospect of being arrested by Amba fighters who are determined to punish all those who participated in the stage-managed demonstration.

“The tension is high and many of those who joined the government-sponsored demonstration against the killing of the mayor of Mamfe are losing sleep,” the source said.

“Many are trying to leave the town but are confused as they know that they must be checked on their way out by Amba fighters who will like to enforce the law by arresting them,” he added.

“It is like Amba fighters have surrounded the Division with an invisible ring of fire and anybody seeking to run away from Amba justice might just end up in a green jail whose conditions are far from being good,” he said.

“With Amba fighters, justice is never delayed, so it is never denied. The Amba justice system seems to be fair and effective, but the death sentences are just too many and that is why everybody is jittery as if they are standing on tenterhooks,” he stressed.

“With Amba boys, you are never too sure. Not many people have left their courts smiling. They all seem to be judges and magistrates but none of them has ever been to a law school,” our source who elected anonymity said.

“Those who participated in the demonstration have already spent the CFAF 5,000 that they were given and the fear is that if caught by Amba boys, they would be required to deliver the money,” he said.

“It is hard to come by money these days which makes CFAF 5,000 look like a huge some of money. A friend who participated in the demonstration has not slept for two days and he is frequently visiting the bathroom. He is really losing weight at a very fast rate. It is like the fear of Amba is the most effective and efficient weight loss pill. I have never seen a man lose weight that fast,” he stressed.

Some Mamfe residents are already saying that the mass arrests could result in mass killings, especially as Amba fighters have stepped up their operations in the county ever since the creation of the Manyu Liberation Council.

Currently, there are leaflets across the county, advising drivers to determine the identity of any would-be passenger before driving them out of the main town. This is to ensure that nobody, who actually participated in the demonstration, leaves the town surreptitiously.

Drivers are being warned that failure to do their due diligence will result in flogging in a public place.

The leaflet, a copy of which was sent to the Cameroon Concord News Group office, clearly reminds drivers of the need to err on the side of the law.

The leaflet warns of dire consequences if any resident of Mamfe seeks to outsmart Amba fighters who have an uncanny way of picking out their enemies.

Speaking to a senior official of Manyu Tigers, an armed group that transformed itself into a nightmare to many army soldiers, the Cameroon Concord News Group correspondent in Manyu gathered that the group had reactivated many of its cells across the county with a view to hemming in residents of the Division who have been yielding to the temptation and corruption of the ruling CPDM party.

The official stressed that for some time now, residents of the region had been losing the discipline that was required of them.

“Everybody living in our territory is required to demonstrate the best possible behavior. Over the last few months, we have been noticing behavioral lapses and I and using this opportunity to call on our citizens to return to the days when army soldiers respected every Southern Cameroonian citizen because of our discipline,” he said.

“We have learned that our women are now playing ball with the military and in the process, they are betraying our boys. I would like to remind them that the honeymoon is over. They should look at what happened to the mayor of Mamfe to understand that there are huge risks working with the military. The military is here to fight and not to have sex with our women,” he underscored.

The Manyu Tiger official also stressed that they would continue to step up their patrol in the region to ensure that people who are COVID-19-positive do not come to infect the population.

He urged the chiefs who are on the ground to help sensitize their population on the dangers of COVID-19, adding that any chief who violated the rules would face the wrath of the law.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai in the United Kingdom

17, May 2020

The Holy Spirit, the Forgotten God ⁰

Dear Holy People of God,

1. In the Gospel text of this Sunday’s liturgy from John 14:15-21, Jesus promises us, “And I will ask the Father, and he will send you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:16-17). Many Catholics spontaneously have a relationship with Jesus, perhaps because of the Incarnational principle: The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became a man in Jesus of Nazareth. We readily identify and relate with Jesus because he was a human being like us in all things except sin, for sin is not what defines humanity, for sin is always a choice, even if often times a very seductive and overpowering one. But regarding the Holy Spirit, the relationship is not so evident and forceful. And if we go by the logic of why we can easily identify with Jesus, then the “distant” or impersonal relationship with the Holy Spirit is understandable: We have never seen the Holy Spirit “in the flesh,” that is, as a person, a unique person in history, a “singular individual”, – to use a Kierkegaardian phrase, walking the dusty paths of Nazareth, going up to the temple, working miracles, being thirty, being hungry, keeping company with friends and with sinners, et cetera. (I have always found it interesting that in the Gospels, one notices that while the sinners loved Jesus and sought his company, the religious people hated Jesus! What is it about religion that easily ferments such hatred for the other, especially those that are not like us? – I am still searching for an answer. Let us return to our topic on the Holy Spirit.)

2. In other words, we do not have a recollection of the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, like we have of Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity. This, I believe, helps explain why for many Catholics, the Holy Spirit is the forgotten God, the One we only mention on Pentecost Sunday and when making the Sign of the Cross, perhaps without even thinking about who the Holy Spirit is. Even the institutional Church had to wrestle with understanding who the Holy Spirit is. It took the First Council of Constantinople (AD May – July 381), to articulate a clear understanding of the Divinity of the Holy Spirit, thanks in large part to the contributions from the Cappadocian Fathers, especially the Gregories. Given this obscurity regarding the person and work of the Holy Spirit, I will dedicate this Catechesis to talking about the person of the Holy Spirit, with the hope that knowing more about the Holy Spirit will help us develop a more intimate and personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.

3. Who is the Holy Spirit? In the Nicene Creed we find the most concise definition of the Holy Spirit: “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life; Who proceeds from the Father and the Son. Together with the Father and the Son, He is worshipped and glorified. It is He who spoke through the prophets.” Yes, the Creed offers us a very Trinitarian theology of the Holy Spirit: the Spirit is with the Father and the Son and Creation, throughout Salvation History, and will be with the Father and the Son at the consummation of History. To ask who and not what is the Holy Spirit, implies that the Holy Spirit is a person and not a thing. He is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, distinct from, but coeternal and coequal with the Father and the Son. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that “when he proclaims and promises the coming of the Holy Spirit, Jesus calls him the “Paraclete” …Paraclete is commonly translated as ‘consoler’ and Jesus is the first consoler” (CCC, 692). The same Catechism goes on to tells us the symbols of the Holy Spirit as Water, Fire, Dove and Anointing, all material images meant to help us understand the immaterial or spiritual personhood of the Holy Spirit.

4. Dear Holy People of God, all these various symbols are ways the Holy Spirit manifested himself in the Bible. His manifestations in opposing symbols like “water” and “fire” only go to show that the Holy Spirit is a divine mystery that the human mind cannot fully comprehend, as St. John says in the gospel: “The wind blows where it pleases; you can hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So, it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John. 3:8). This means that we can hardly fully understand the Holy Spirit but we can and always feel the effects of His actions in our lives. He also gives us gifts which influences the way we act towards others and it is in this context that we talk of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

5. Theology makes a distinction between the Sanctification and the Manifestation Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Sanctification Gifts are the gifts listed in Isaiah 11:2: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Strength, Piety, Fear of the Lord and Knowledge. They are meant to build us up as Christians. They are the gifts of Christian maturation: Wisdom: The Spirit leads us to evaluate all things in the light of the Gospel, helping us to read in our own experiences and in the experiences of the Church the mysterious and loving plan of God. Understanding: The Spirit fosters in us deeper insight into revealed truth, pressing us to proclaim with conviction and power the Good News of salvation. Counsel: The Spirit illuminates the ministry of Christ so that we may direct our activities according to the perspectives of Providence, never allowing ourselves to be swayed by the judgments of the world. Strength/Might: The Spirit enables us to understand and accept sometimes mysterious interweaving of secondary causes with the First Cause in the turn of events in the universe. Piety: The Spirit revives in us the relationship of intimate communion with God and of trusting surrender to his Providence. Fear of the Lord: The Spirit gives us a stronger sense of our own human weakness and of the indispensable role of divine grace, since “neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives growth” (1 Corinthians. 3:7). Knowledge: The Spirit enables us to make a distinction between things of value and things of no substantial value, helping us to set our priorities right. The Manifestation Gifts of the Holy Spirit are those recorded in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11: Service, Faith, Miracles, Healing, Prophecy, Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, Discernment of spirits, et cetera. These are gifts given by the Holy Spirit to help Christians witness to a hurting world.

6. Dear Holy People of God, the central question to be asked here could be: What gift of the Holy Spirit do I need most in my life in the here and now? The gifts are there. They have already been given by the Spirit. The gifts are not meant for theology text books or specialized academic papers. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are for every day Christian living, meant to help us live out our Christian faith, to support us in the here and now of our Christian existence. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are meant for electricians, plumbers, carpenters, teachers, nurses, doctors, firefighters, police officers, CEOs, restaurant workers, students, musicians, dancers, et cetera. In other words, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not meant for some specialized Christians. At every point in which we find ourselves, we can make good use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

7. You would have noticed that there is one word that is central to the theology of the Holy Spirit, and that is, GIFT. We talk about the “gifts” of the Holy Spirit in Isaiah and in Corinthians. I am tempted to delve into Augustine’s On the Trinity, Aquinas’ tract in the Summa on the Holy Spirit, Athanasius’ Letters to Serapion, and Didymus the Blind’s On the Holy Spirit, to offer you a theology of the Holy Spirit as GIFT. But that might become a lecture, which will imply that Ste Anne’s will charge you a fee. And since I do not want to stress you up financially, given the already stressful situation that we are living under brought about by COVID 19, I will end here, with this simple invitation: What gift of the Holy Spirit do you feel you need now in your life? Do not hesitate to ask the Holy Spirit for the gift. A surprise awaits you if you do! The Holy Spirit loves you all, and may the Holy Spirit liberate and heal our world! Come O Holy Spirit!

By Fr Maurice Agbaw-Ebai

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston

17, May 2020

Chinese ambassador to Israel found dead ⁰

China’s ambassador to Israel has been found dead at his residence in a coastal suburb north of Tel Aviv, Israeli officials say.

Ambassador Du Wei, 57, was found by an embassy worker in his bed on Sunday morning, they said.

His wife and son were not in Israel at the time and the cause of death was not immediately clear.

Du was appointed to Israel on February 15 after serving in Ukraine. He quarantined himself for two weeks because of the coronavirus pandemic before meeting Israeli officials on March 3.

Du had served in China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more than 30 years, according to a biography on the Chinese Embassy’s website.

China’s burgeoning relations with Israel have been vexing the United States which regards the occupied territories as its backyard in the Middle East.

During his visit to Israel on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said China’s investments in the territories could pose a security risk, particularly in the area of infrastructure.

On Friday, the Chinese Embassy in Israel referred to the warning and Pompeo’s claims that China had concealed information about the outbreak of the coronavirus from the world, dismissing them as “absurd.”

An embassy statement noted that “scientists still haven’t identified the origin of COVID-19,” and that China never concealed the outbreak of the disease in the country. It also said the United States is currently the epicenter of the pandemic.

In an interview with Israel’s Makor Rishon newspaper in April, Du addressed the matter of Chinese investments in Israel, expressing hope for further cooperation.

He also expressed hope to strengthen the ties between Israel and China, addressing the accusations leveled at his country as being the one responsible for the outbreak of the virus.

Israel, however, recommended against travel to China in February and urged all residents of Israel in China to leave after suspending all direct flights to the country.

Source: Presstv

17, May 2020

Brazil registers more than 15,000 Covid-19 deaths ⁰

Brazil’s COVID-19 death toll passed 15,000 on Saturday, official data showed, while its number of infections topped 230,000, making it the country with the fourth-highest number of cases in the world.

With 15,633 deaths and 233,142 confirmed cases, Brazil – whose president Jair Bolsonaro has dismissed the disease as a “little flu” – is at the epicenter of infections in Latin America.

Experts say under-testing means the real figures could be 15 times higher or more, and warn the worst is yet to come.

The sprawling South American country registered 816 deaths and 14,919 new cases in the past 24 hours. Brazil’s outbreak is now the fourth largest in the world, according to official figures.

Despite the rising tolls, Bolsonaro on Saturday attacked lockdown measures taken by some governors to contain the spread of the virus.

“Unemployment, hunger and misery will be the future of those who support the tyranny of total isolation,” the far-right president tweeted, a day after Health Minister Nelson Teich resigned after less than a month on the job.

Brazil’s vice president, Hamilton Mourao, underwent a COVID-19 test and was placed in isolation at his official residence on Saturday, after a public servant who had been near him last week tested positive.

Mourao, 66, will not fulfill official duties on Monday, when the results are expected. Bolsonaro has undergone several coronavirus tests after ministers and other close aides tested positive.

Nationwide testing in Brazil still lags far behind European nations. Brazil had processed nearly 338,000 novel coronavirus tests in official labs by the beginning of the week, according to the Health Ministry. Another 145,000 tests were under analysis or waiting in line.

The pandemic has already claimed almost 310,000 lives worldwide.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS)