Monthly Archives: February 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Nurse shot in attack on ambulance in Muyuka

6, February 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Nurse shot in attack on ambulance in Muyuka 0

On Thursday morning, February 4, armed men shot at a Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) ambulance that was responding to a call in Muyuka, in the South-West region of Cameroon. An MSF nurse was injured in the attack and is now receiving medical care. The vehicle was clearly identified as an MSF ambulance. MSF condemns this attack and reiterates that ambulances, health care facilities, health staff, and civilians are not targets.

A second ambulance was later dispatched to respond to the initial call for emergency medical aid in Muyuka. That patient is now in critical condition.

MSF medical teams have been responding to the severe and ongoing effects of the crisis in North-West and South-West Cameroon since 2018. Our teams provide neutral and impartial medical humanitarian assistance through our emergency ambulance referrals, secondary level care, and a decentralized model of community-based health care.

Reaching people displaced by violence

For four years, Cameroon’s North-West and South-West regions have been convulsed by armed violence between government forces and non-state armed groups, which has displaced more than 700,000 people. The humanitarian needs are enormous and displaced communities face difficulties accessing basic services, including health care.

The crisis has severely affected the public health system and many health centers have closed or are unable to function. Both medical workers and facilities are directly targeted by violence, and insecurity is disrupting the supply of drugs and medical equipment.

Traveling from remote villages to health facilities is a major challenge for many people, due to insecurity, bad road conditions, and lack of transport. MSF offers a free, 24-hour ambulance service that operates seven days a week, collects eligible patients at designated pick-up points and takes them to MSF-supported health centers and hospitals. If MSF cannot reach an area, we provide money for public transport so that patients can reach health structures or make their way to pick-up-points.

Source: MSF

ICC rules it has jurisdiction over Palestinian Territories, clears way for probe of Israeli actions

5, February 2021

ICC rules it has jurisdiction over Palestinian Territories, clears way for probe of Israeli actions 0

The International Criminal Court ruled on Friday that it has jurisdiction over war crimes or atrocities committed in the Palestinian Territories, paving the way for a criminal investigation, despite Israeli objections.

Judges said their decision was based on jurisdictional rules in its founding documents and does not imply any attempt to determine statehood or legal borders.

Israel, which is not a member of the court, has rejected its jurisdiction.

The ICC’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said in 2019 that there was a “reasonable basis” to open a war crimes probe into Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip as well as Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank. But she asked the court to determine whether she has territorial jurisdiction before proceeding with the case.

She named both the Israeli Defence Forces and armed Palestinian groups such as Hamas as possible perpetrators.

In a majority ruling published Friday night, the judges said yes.

“The Court’s territorial jurisdiction in the Situation in Palestine … extends to the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” they said.

The Palestinians, who joined the court in 2015, have long pushed for the case and asked the court to look into Israeli actions during its 2014 war against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, as well as Israel’s construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem.

Palestinians welcome decision, Israel slams ‘political tribunal’

Responding to the ruling, the Palestinian foreign ministry said it was ready to cooperate with the ICC’s prosecutor in the event an investigation was launched.

Nabil Shaath, a senior aide to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, welcomed the decision and said it proved the Palestinians were right to go to the ICC. “This is good news, and the next step is to launch an official investigation into Israel’s crimes against our people,” he said

Hussein al-Sheikh, civil affairs minister of the Palestinian Authority, said on Twitter: “The International Criminal Court’s decision to consider Palestine as a member state according to the Treaty of Rome, and that it has jurisdiction to consider issues related to the Palestinian territories and complaints raised by the (PA), is a victory for rights, justice, freedom and moral values in the world.”

Israel, however, dismissed the ruling as a “political tribunal”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision “proves once again the court is a political body and not a legal institution.”

He added that Israel would “protect all of our citizens and soldiers” from prosecution.

International human rights groups immediately welcomed the decision, with the New York-based Human Rights Watch calling it “pivotal”.

The ruling “finally offers victims of serious crimes some real hope for justice after a half-century of impunity,” said Balkees Jarrah, senior counsel on international justice at Human Rights Watch

“It’s high time that Israeli and Palestinian perpetrators of the gravest abuses—whether war crimes committed during hostilities or the expansion of unlawful settlements—face justice,” she said.

The US, however, voiced “serious concerns” over the ruling.

“We have serious concerns about the ICC’s attempts to exercise jurisdiction over Israeli personnel. We have always taken the position that the court’s jurisdiction should be reserved for countries that consent to it or are referred by the UN Security Council,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

The international community widely considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal under international law but has done little to pressure Israel to freeze or reverse their growth.

The ICC is meant to serve as a court of last resort when countries’ own judicial systems are unable or unwilling to investigate and prosecute war crimes.

(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)

Can Vatican visit to Cameroon break the Ambazonia crisis stalemate?

5, February 2021

Can Vatican visit to Cameroon break the Ambazonia crisis stalemate? 0

Cameroon’s government displayed an “openness” towards dialogue for solving the country’s ongoing Anglophone crisis, during a visit by the Vatican’s number two earlier this week, according to a top church official from the Anglophone regions.

“There is a kind of openness for dialogue,” said Andrew Nkea, Archbishop of Bamenda. “But how this is going to come about, I think we must also be discreet in the way we handle those things.”

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, completed a visit to Cameroon on Wednesday, after a five-day trip during which he met President Paul Biya and held mass in Bamenda, the capital of the North West Region.

Fighting between armed separatists and Cameroon’s military continues in the North West and South West regions. The Catholic Church believes the only way to stop fighting and end the conflict is to hold talks between the warring sides.

“The cardinal was able to say to all the powers that be that dialogue was the most important tool for the solution of this problem,” Nkea told Africa Calling podcast, referring to discussions he sat in on between Parolin and the government.

Boycott and continued violence

Parolin’s visit to the Anglophone regions was marked by deserted streets, as armed separatists called for a boycott of his trip to Bamenda, but nevertheless, many church goers showed up at his mass.

Fighting and violence also continued during Parolin’s visit as three people were allegedly killed by Cameroonian soldiers on 31 January in the village of Semndzen, located in Bui Division in the North West Region.

Troops were searching for separatists, locally known as Amba Boys, and allegedly shot three villagers in the bush who were tapping palm wine, mistaking them for fighters, according to information RFI received.

Cardinal Parolin said during his trip to Cameroon that the Catholic Church, at both a local level and in Rome, is ready to facilitate dialogue between Yaoundé and the separatists.

“This facilitation depends on the actors involved, we cannot force the partners to dialogue,” said Nkea, in an interview.

Both the government and separatists have at times viewed the church’s efforts for mediation with some suspicion.

Local church leader Cardinal Christian Tumi had been trying to help bring fighting to an end, however, he was kidnapped by gunmen in the North West region on 5 November.

“It depends on the openness of the government, and it depends on the openness of the separatists,” said Nkea, discussing the possibility of future peace talks.

Building foundation for talks

Nkea would not be drawn on what the next steps for possible mediation might be, but mentioned steps and instruments that need to be put in place to lay the groundwork for any talks. “Now, it’s modalities,” he added.

“Things have moved at least a step forward,” said Nkea, describing candid talks with the authorities in Yaoundé.

“One of the big problems we’re talking about in this dialogue is there are at least 8 to 10 different leaders of the separatist groups,” said Bamenda’s archbishop, underlining the importance of including everyone.

“This needs time, and that’s the delicate aspect of it,” said Nkea.

Fighting started following protests in 2016 by Anglophones over perceived marginalisation by the Francophone ruling majority.

A crackdown on demonstrations led to a self-proclamation of independence for a state called Ambazonia and ultimately fighting between the army and separatist fighters.

Both separatist groups and Cameroon’s military have been accused of killing civilians and committing rights abuses during the Anglophone crisis.

Human Rights Watch said this week that soldiers killed at least nine civilians in the South West region on 10 January. The human rights watchdog said the soldiers looted homes and threatened residents.

Source: RFI

Cameroonian Ajax goalkeeper Onana suspended one year for doping

5, February 2021

Cameroonian Ajax goalkeeper Onana suspended one year for doping 0

Ajax’s Cameroonian international goalkeeper Andre Onana has been suspended for one year for doping, the Dutch club said on Friday.

The club said in a statement Onana had “mistakenly” taken his wife’s medicine which had led to the banned diuretic Furosemide appearing in his urine.

Ajax said they had hoped Onana would receive a shorter ban because the substance was “arguably” not a performance booster.

“On the morning of October 30, Onana was feeling unwell,” the club said in a statement.

“He wanted to take a pill to ease the discomfort. Unknowingly, however, he took Lasimac, a drug that his wife had previously been prescribed.

“Onana’s confusion resulted in him mistakenly taking his wife’s medicine, ultimately causing this measure to be taken by UEFA against the goalkeeper.”

Ajax added that UEFA had stated that Onana, who has played 18 times for Cameroon, had no intention of cheating and said they will appeal against the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“We had hoped for a conditional suspension or for a suspension much shorter than these 12 months, because it was arguably not intended to strengthen his body and thus improve his performance,” said Ajax’s managing director Edwin van der Sar, the former Manchester United goalkeeper.

It is the second major setback this week for Ajax who admitted Thursday that they had made a “huge” mistake in failing to register record signing Sebastien Haller for the remainder of their Europa League campaign.

The Franco-Ivorian striker joined the club from West Ham in early January for a club record 22.5 million euros ($26.9 million) and ought to have been included on their Europa League roster but somehow was overlooked.

Source: AFP

French Cameroun army committed atrocities in Mautu, Human Rights Watch says

5, February 2021

French Cameroun army committed atrocities in Mautu, Human Rights Watch says 0

Human Rights Watch has again accused the Cameroonian army of executing civilians during an attack on a separatist base at Mautu in Southern Cameroons.

The attack by the Cameroonian army against the Ambazonia Restoration base occurred on 10 January 2021.

According to Human Rights Watch, 9 civilians were killed in the attack, including a woman and a child and four others were injured.

“Witnesses said the soldiers killed 9 people including a 50-year-old woman and a 6-year-old child. And, that they went from one house to another in search of separatist fighters and weapons, threatening residents and looting their property,” Human Rights Watch said.

On 11 January 2021, Colonel Cyrille Serge Atonfack, a French Cameroonian army spokesman, said that “terrorists” had fabricated a “jumble of images” to accuse the Cameroonian army of murdering civilians.

According to Colonel Cyrille Serge Atonfack, the terrorists attacked the soldiers of the 21st Mechanized Infantry Battalion (BIM) while they were conducting a “preventive raid”. The latter retaliated by killing several “terrorists” and seizing their weapons.

This is not the first time that the army is taken to task by the respectable Human Rights Watch.

The NGO whose main task is the defense of human rights regularly accuses the Cameroonian army of abuses against Southern Cameroons civilians.

By Isong Asu

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Amba fighters kill soldiers in Mamfe

4, February 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Amba fighters kill soldiers in Mamfe 0

The conflict in Southern Cameroons is still raging and the killing is still going on.

In Mamfe, two soldiers were shot dead by Southern Cameroonian insurgents in Egbekaw, a neighborhood of Mamfe, and these killings have triggered a wave of arson by frustrated Cameroon army soldiers who are unable to find those who have sent their colleagues to an earlier grave.

Mamfe remains a hotspot, especially the Southern Cameroonian president, Julius Ayuk Tabe, a native of Mamfe, is still in the dungeons of East Cameroons.

Similarly, there was also a violent exchange of fire between army soldiers and Southern Cameroonian insurgents in Ediki, a small town some 20 miles from the city of Kumba.

The stand-off lasted some two hours with travelers being unable to travel freely.

More will be yours as our correspondents are gathering more information.

CHAN 2021: Morocco One step away from title after beating Cameroon

4, February 2021

CHAN 2021: Morocco One step away from title after beating Cameroon 0

Morocco’s national football team of local-based players has eliminated Cameroon to reach the final of the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN).

The Moroccan team won 4-0 against the tournament’s host. The game took place this evening, February 4, at the Limbe Omnisport Stadium, on Cameroon’s western coast.

Wednesday’s win extends Morocco’s undefeated run to 12 games in CHAN competitions — 10 wins and two draws. The last time Morocco lost in the CHAN dates back to the 2016 tournament, when they lost 0-1 against Cote d’Ivoire in the group stage. This is the longest unbeaten run ever in the history of the competition.

Today’s win also makes Morocco the first team in CHAN history to reach two consecutive finals. One more win would make the Moroccan team the first to win two consecutive CHAN titles, as well.

The final game of the competition will put the Atlas Lions against Mali on Sunday, February 7, at 8 p.m. (Moroccan time).

Mali earned a spot in the final after beating Guinea earlier today through a penalty shootout (5-4). The game ended in a 0-0 draw.

Having won the previous CHAN in 2018, Morocco entered this year’s competition with their eyes locked on the trophy. No result other than winning the tournament would satisfy Moroccans.

With only one game now separating Morocco from defending its title, expectations are at their highest.

Morocco reached this advanced stage of the competition after finishing the group stage at the top of Group C, ahead of Rwanda, Togo, and Uganda. Before playing against Cameroon, Morocco won 3-1 versus Zambia in the quarter-finals.

Meanwhile, Morocco’s final opponent of the competition, Mali, ranked first in Group A, ahead of Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Zimbabwe. In the quarter-finals, Mali eliminated Congo through a penalty shootout (5-4) after a tense game that ended in a 0-0 draw.

Source: Moroccoworldnews

Cameroon – Nigeria: Will there be a defined border soon?

4, February 2021

Cameroon – Nigeria: Will there be a defined border soon? 0

In an effort to resolve the ongoing border dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria, The Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission will hold an important session in Abuja on 15 February, chaired by the UN Special Representative for West Africa, Mohamed Ibn Chambas. He hopes to complete the process of demarcation of borders before the end of his term in 2021.

Born out of the disagreement over the hydrocarbon-rich Bakassi peninsula, the border dispute had led to an armed conflict between the two countries. Following the 10 October 2002 ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the subsequent bipartisan agreements signed, the UN secretary-general set up a joint commission in November 2002. It was tasked with facilitating the implementation of legal and political decisions. The process of establishing a border along the 2,100km stretch between the two countries was initiated. It is now almost complete.

However, there is still one problem. The commission’s experts have come up against 13 reference points corresponding to 100km of the route. It is important to bear in mind that it was following an agreement signed in 1913 between the two colonial powers of the time, Great Britain and the Germany, that the land and sea borders between Cameroon and Nigeria were drawn.

Breaking the deadlock

As the Bakassi border dispute arose from disagreements over different interpretations of the results collected from using border demarcation instruments, the countries sought the ICJ’s jurisdiction. The ICJ ruled, but even after announcing its decision members of the two delegations have often proposed interpretations that contradicted those of the Court, creating an impasse.

“At first glance, it is on points of reference that the experts disagree. But beware, on the ground, these reference points can determine on which side of the border this or that village, this or that cross-border ethnic community will be located,” says a member of the commission. According to our information, the two delegations have already given assurances that they agree on five reference points. This successful outcome will be made official in Abuja.

However, there are still eight points of reference to be negotiated during the session in the Nigerian capital. Some of them will have an impact on the types of petroleum exploration permits granted by one or both of the two countries to international companies.

Towards a definitive map

If the session in February succeeds in smoothing out all the contentious issues, Cameroon and Nigeria would then be ready to submit a definitive border map to the UN.

Finalising a clearly defined border between the two countries would be no small achievement on a continent where, according to the African Union Border Programme created in 2007, around 70% of the roads are not clearly demarcated. Some are even considered unknown.

This will be the last session chaired by Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the special representative of the secretary-general for West Africa and the Sahel. His term will end in 2021 and he wishes to complete the dossier before his departure.

Source: Africa Report

Understanding the CPDM Crime Syndicate: Minister Kouna, tensions between Minette and Judith Achidi, Adelaide and the Douala port

4, February 2021

Understanding the CPDM Crime Syndicate: Minister Kouna, tensions between Minette and Judith Achidi, Adelaide and the Douala port 0


Former minister Kouna Atangana is now receiving some form of special treatment after corruption charges.  The French Cameroun political elite who also moonlighted as a chartered member of the ruling CPDM consortium of crime syndicates served in Biya’s government until 2018 and was jailed last year in connection with an anticorruption operation, but his legal woes are coming to an end. Why? Kouna Atangana is simply one of theirs with the right connections.

Camtel and the Ministry of Post

The two so-called iron ladies in the Cameroon telecom sector are now at daggers-drawn positions in Yaoundé.  Cameroon Intelligence Report understands that the launch of the new Blue mobile telephone service by national telecommunications company Camtel has brought to a head the tensions between telecoms minister Minette Libom li Likeng, who is close to the presidency, and Camtel director general Judith Yah Sunday-Achidi, one of the wives of former prime minister Simon Achidi Achu, who hails from Southern Cameroons. It may require an ekpe injunction to put an end to this looming telecom crisis opposing La Republique and the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

Fotso Victor’s daughter and why Yaoundé won’t talk

Victor Fotso’s daughter is currently seeking a probe into circumstances of his death. After having fought bitterly over the will of the oligarch, who died in the American Hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine on 19 March 2020, the Fotso dynasty is now in for more turbulence as one of his daughters recently wrote to the public prosecutor in Paris, to complain about the circumstances in which he died.

Targeting the building hosting French Cameroun embassy in Paris


Michel Thierry Atangana, a French businessman of Cameroonian origin who spent 17 years behind bars in Cameroon, is battling Yaoundé to extract 57bn CFA francs (€86m) in compensation over a decades-old financing mechanism. If Michel success, he may end up occupying the building hosting La Republique du Cameroun’s embassy in France.

Douala Port and its Luvie duvy     

Adélaïde Ngalle-Miano, the shadow queen of Douala port is behind-the-scenes adviser to the director of Douala port, the Cameroonian businesswoman is the driving force behind the independent authority set up to take over from Bolloré.  CIR is keeping a watchful eye on this development.

Reported by Chi Prudence Asong with files from Africa Intelligence

CPDM Crime Syndicate: Is an economic rebound possible in 2021?

4, February 2021

CPDM Crime Syndicate: Is an economic rebound possible in 2021? 0

Despite receiving support from international institutions, Yaounde recorded its worst economic performance in two decades.

With negative growth likely when the statistics come in for 2020 – -1.2% compared to a previously predicted 4.1% – the country is expected to record its worst economic performance in the last two decades.

This is a trend that Yaounde wants to work to reverse in order to stop the recession. The task promises to be difficult in a climate marked by successive falls in oil prices, the halt in growth kinked to the African Cup of Nations’ infrastructure projects and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The only positive aspect of this unfortunate situation is that Cameroon continues to receive support from international institutions. With debt around 40% of GDP, international partners – such as the IMF – strongly supported the country in 2020, while praising its economic discipline.

Infrastructure and industrialisation

In the medium term, Cameroon plans to use its Stratégie Nationale de Développement 2020-2030 – unveiled in mid-November 2020 – to set a new course. It was conceived after the previous plan – the Document de Stratégie pour la Croissance et l’Emploi – failed.

President Paul Biya announced that industrialising the country would be of the utmost priority – which has been put temporarily on hold while the master plan of industrialisation is updated – as it could help stimulate economic growth.

THE RACE TO TRANSFORM

These advances should enable Cameroon to continue its preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament, which it will host in 2022. The building of infrastructure, which was at a standstill for a while, has made considerable progress. In addition, the African Nations Championship, reserved for local players and held in January on already operational sites, served as a trial run.

The Anglophone crisis is still raging

Finally, one remaining question: will the long-awaited decentralisation programme be successful? In early December, regional elections – which were won overwhelmingly by the ruling Rassemblement Démocratique du Peuple Camerounais – were held, but they are unlikely to put an end to the conflict between Yaounde and the English-speaking separatists of Ambazonia.

Re-elected for a seventh term in 2018, President Paul Biya has still not managed to resolve the Anglophone crisis raging in the South-West and North-West regions.

Culled from Africa Report

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