Monthly Archives: September 2021

US defense secretary postpones visit to Saudi Arabia

8, September 2021

US defense secretary postpones visit to Saudi Arabia 0

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is on a tour of the Gulf, has indefinitely postponed a visit to Saudi Arabia, the Pentagon said Wednesday, citing “scheduling issues.”

“The Secretary’s trip to Saudi Arabia has been postponed due to scheduling issues. He looks forward to rescheduling at the soonest opportunity,” a defense department official told AFP.

Austin traveled to the Gulf region earlier this week, a week after the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan ended.

He first went to Doha with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to visit the main base for the massive airlift set up by the United States out of Kabul. The United States and its allies evacuated some 123,000 people, mostly Afghans who fear Taliban retribution, in the final days of the 20-year US war that President Joe Biden ended last month.

Austin then traveled to Kuwait, where he met Wednesday with the country’s leaders. He thanked them for their “critical role” in supporting the evacuations from Afghanistan, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.

Austin is also due to travel to Bahrain.

Source: AFP

Southern Cameroons Crisis: The truth about Mayor Ekema’s death!

8, September 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: The truth about Mayor Ekema’s death! 0

The former Mayor of the city of Buea, Patrick Ekema Esunge, might be dead, but his name will be with us forever. Patrick Ekema was the mayor who distinguished himself through his sheepish determination to ensure that ghost towns decreed by Southern Cameroonian fighters did not see the light of day in Buea.

But Ekema failed woefully despite the support he received from some quarters in Yaoundé. His reckless behaviour, wickedness and corrupt nature only helped to send him to an early grave. 

Patrick Ekema might have died of a massive heart attack as revealed by medical sources, but there was more to his story than it met the eyes. A delegation from the Presidency of the Republic had visited Ekema to deliver him some bad news. His own party, the ruling CPDM, had clearly stated that he would no longer be the candidate for mayoral elections for the following reasons:

Ekema had become more of an embarrassment to the party because of his fake certificates;

He created a fake struggle between South-westerners and North-westerners which was hurting the party’s image, causing the Southern Cameroons crisis to escalate;

He totally disrespected senior southwest politicians such as Prof. Dorothy Njeuma and Prime Minister Peter Mafany Musonge;

He paid a journalist to slander Senator Mbella  Moki, alleging that the senator had HIV; a story that was totally false. Of course, being HIV-positive in modern days does not mean anything. HIV-positive people live a normal life, but CPDM barons felt Ekema had crossed a major red line and needed to be stopped and demoted; and 

He ran the Buea council as if it was a personal plantation and he had the nasty habit of dipping his hands into the till as if it was his personal ATM.

Faced with this embarrassing situation, Ekema became very desperate, looking for a way to get a visa for himself and his second wife so that he could leave the country. But things did not go according to plan. He did not know how to face the population he had antagonized while he was a mayor. 

The party he had fought for was simply rejecting him for lack of finesse on his part. Ekema was finally caught up in a downward spiral, causing him to drink liquor as if it was water. 

This was not good news to his fragile health. With his excessive weight, diabetes, and high blood pressure, Ekema did not stand a chance if attacked by another disease. He was a colony of diseases for many years and the heart attack was simply a fine finisher.  May he continue to rest in peace!

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Guinea Conakry: What Next after Alpha Conde?

8, September 2021

Guinea Conakry: What Next after Alpha Conde? 0

On 22 December 2008, after the news that President Lansana Conte of Guinea, who seized power in a coup in 1984, had died, a faction of the military launched a coup. It announced that it had dissolved the government and constitution with Captain Moussa Dadis Camara as president to lead a transitional government. The junta promised to hold elections within one year after various African and Western governments denounced the coup, and Guinea was banned from several international organizations.

After two years of political turmoil that culminated to the slaughter of over 450 civilians, Guinea-Conakry held its first democratic elections. Subsequently, on 21 December 2010, Alpha Conde was sworn-in as the first democratically elected President of Guinea in a ceremony that many political commentators opined was the end of dictatorship in Francophone Africa. But in keeping with the gloomy France-Afrique tradition, the 83-year-old Alpha Conde staged a civilian coup and guaranteed his continued stay in power.

The 5 September 2021 military coup that brought Lieutenant-colonel Mamady Doumbouya to power in Guinea is no surprise to many in the continent and was the inevitable result of the lousy judgment of Alpha Conde. He had no democratic mandate and showed utter contempt for the tenets of a democratic system that brought him to power. Conde threatened the state’s fabric by amending the constitution to prolong his stay in power, and his ejection from office was his own making. By using the military last year to kill over 300 people who came out to protest his autocratic power grab, he deserves no one’s empathy at this time.

It has been clear to political scientists for many decades now, although not entirely obvious to Alpha Conde, that coups are more probable in unconsolidated democracies. Coups are more likely in countries with vast inequality between the ruling class and the citizens. So, any leader who fosters inequity, theft, and abuse of power, is carelessly preparing the fertile grounds for a coup to eject him from power.   

In a senseless distraction from the responsibilities of power, Alpha Conde was only fixated on staying in power forever.  He embezzled hundreds of millions of dollars of state funds that the country was generating from extracting the vast mineral resources that the maker of the universe endowed his country.

Like many presidents in Africa, Alpha Conde is an old crook who wandered into politics to enrich himself from state coffers. He has had eleven years to halt Guinea’s steady and alarming political and economic decline. Still, he failed woefully to live up to the considerable expectation that his people had in him in 2010. His removal from power last Sunday cannot be depicted in any way, shape or form as a loss to Guinea.

The story of the people of Guinea has been one of national challenges, brutal repressive political leadership, and military coups since the country rejected neo-colonial rule and became independent in 1958. Guinea has had three presidents from 1958 till date, but there were high hopes for democratic change and accountability when Conde was elected in 2010. Under Conde, the state was fragile in providing vital functions but callous in many other domains, especially dealing with political opponents.  

Guinea is politically and economically sick, and one need not be a rocket scientist to work this out. But under Conde, the government could not deliver its primary function of offering leadership, maintain order, provide public services, national and economic security, and economic assistance to those in need. Under him, repression and human rights abuses were aplenty.

Alpha Conde has left a trail of economic crises and misery. He had become increasingly ruthless and had little or no accomplishments to show for. The current state of economic and political calamities in Africa demands leaders equipped with empathy and integrity and Alpha Conde does not possess any of these qualities. Lieutenant-colonel Mamady Doumbouya and his team must learn from the blunders of Col. Lansana Conte and Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara, as both became presidents through military coups.

Lieutenant-colonel Mamady Doumbouya and his team need to clean up the mess created by Alpha Conde and previous regimes. They should recognize their direct shortcomings and instantly hire experts to deliver their vision. Africa has specialists in all domains that have the skill set, talents and professionalism, and above all, the continent at heart. Let them reach out to these men and women who can point them in the right direction.

The new leaders should, without delay, solicit the help of the Guinean Diaspora. The move to release all political prisoners should not be a gimmick; it must be done without delay to show the Guineans and the world that they mean what they say. They must consciously drag Guinea from economic ruin, poverty, extensive theft of state funds and lead the country into prosperity and self-pride. They can’t afford to waste time and another generation.

Since independence in 1958, Guinea has been a sad case, but now it plays a massive role in the global commodity market as it is blessed with two precious raw materials; Iron Ore and Bauxite. Aluminum is extracted from Bauxite, and Guinea is the world’s number one producer of this valuable commodity. These mineral deposits must be used as the country’s gateway to economic prosperity and national progress. 

China is always looking for markets to get iron ore, and Guinea has enormous deposits of it with massive reserves that have the capacity to produce about 150 million tons of iron ore annually, which is about 7% of global production. The new leaders of Guinea should look for creative ways to add value to the supply chain of the raw materials in their country before exporting to China and the West.

In 2020, Guinea produced around 90 million tones of Bauxite, a quarter of the global total. Guinea is responsible for more than half the Bauxite used in the global supply of aluminum. The global demand for aluminum is growing immensely, predominantly because of its weight and strength. Guinea stands to benefit enormously if the receipts from its vast raw materials are appropriately managed and invested in growing the country’s economy.

Lieutenant-colonel Mamady Doumbouya saw combats in Afghanistan when he led troops while serving in the French Foreign Legion.  The time for him to serve his people is now. He has the yam and the knife. His country has enormous potential, and the people of Guinea are exhausted of old autocrats disguised as democratic civilian leaders. These old boys are bleeding our continent dry and are using the presidency as their care homes. Africans want change, and anyone who can deliver that will be given a chance.

Guineans would pay little attention to what uniforms or suits leaders were wearing if they woke up to new roads, basic healthcare infrastructure, good schools and real hope for the future.

By Isong Asu

London Bureau Chief

Cameroon Concord News Group

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Buffalos of Bali demand Moderator Fonki Samuel resigns

8, September 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Buffalos of Bali demand Moderator Fonki Samuel resigns 0

Ambazonia Restoration Forces in Bali Subdivision, fighting for an independent state of Southern Cameroons-Ambazonia, have outlawed all activities of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, PCC.

Over the weekend, the Amba fighters rolled out an audio message warning Christians to steer clear of all PCC houses of worship under pain of death. 

The Buffalos of Bali, under the command of General Grand Pa, blames PCC authorities for failing to indict the Biya Francophone army soldiers following the August 22 incident at Presbyterian Church Ntanfoang that left Rev. Voma Simon Montoh injured and Grace Titalabit death.

The disgraced Rt. Rev. Fonki Samuel Forba, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, reported that on Sunday, 22nd August 2021, they were duly informed that:

“Church Service was in session at the Presbyterian Church Ntanfoang in Bali Sub-division, the seat of the Bali Presbytery when it was interrupted by gunshots. The Pastor of the congregation who doubles as the Presbyterial Secretary for Bali Presbytery, the Rev. Voma Simon Montoh was on duty ministering to the Christians in Church when suddenly there was a loud explosion outside close to the Church House, followed by random gunshots. It was in the course of this reckless shooting we learnt that bullets were rained on the Church house injuring the Rev. Voma Simon Montoh on the arm and killing a female Christian of the PCC by name Grace Titalabit instantly in Church.”

The corrupt PCC Moderator went on to “condemn in strongest terms this unnecessary and inhuman treatment meted on God’s children by those who are supposed to protect them. We call on both parties to cease fire unconditionally especially on Sundays and that a proper investigation is conducted by the government and other International Bodies and those responsible be brought to book.”

Southern Cameroons Self Defense Group in Bali claims that the moderator and the parish pastor lied by not out rightly blaming Biya French Cameroun troops for the incident.

After the burial of Grace on September 4, Amba fighters said the PCC would only operate in Bali if the Parish Pastor of PC Ntanfoang and the Moderator resign.

“The Bali Buffalos, the Bali restoration forces hereby ban the PCC from functioning in Bali Nyonga until the moderator and pastor resign,” said one of the rebels in viral audio. “Anybody who goes to any Presbyterian Church for any reason in Bali will be killed. All Presbyterian Churches in Bali will remain shut down.”

According to the Cameroon government military, the August 22 incident was triggered by an improvised explosive device detonated by armed separatists near PC Ntanfoang. The Francophone soldiers said rebels had detonated the explosive targeting a military vehicle. Following the explosion, the military fired deterrent shots and reportedly got a response from the militiamen.The gun exchange triggered by the separatist bomb is said to have led to the death of a Christian.

In the meantime, PCC houses of worship remain closed as faithful fear for their lives.

Culled from Cameroon Info.Net with additional editing

No milk or water: Shoppers face shortages at UK grocery stores

8, September 2021

No milk or water: Shoppers face shortages at UK grocery stores 0

The supply chain troubles caused by Brexit and the pandemic have been so bad for Satyan Patel that the shelves at his convenience store in central London are seriously lacking water and soft drinks.

“Last week I ran out of Coca-Cola. I haven’t had large bottles of Evian for three weeks,” said Patel.

“Without products, there’s no business. With empty shelves like this, no one is going to come in the shop anyway,” he added.

A wide range of businesses have suffered through shortages for several months in the UK — from milkshakes at McDonald’s to beer at a pub chain to mattresses at Ikea.

But shoppers are also facing empty shelves for things as basic as water and milk at UK supermarkets and grocery stores.

The coronavirus crisis has severely disrupted the global supply chain, but Britain’s divorce from the European Union late last year has exacerbated the problem in the UK.

Shops are not getting products delivered to them as rules making it harder to hire EU citizens has left haulage companies with a drastic shortage of lorry drivers.

Many people who returned to their home countries from Britain during the lockdown have not returned.

Co-op, a cooperative supermarket group, said it was “impacted by some patchy distribution” to its deliveries but it was working with suppliers to re-stock quickly.

The group said it was recruiting 3,000 temporary workers “to keep depots working to capacity and stores stocked as quickly as possible”.

– Where’s the milk? –

According to recent estimates, the UK currently faces a shortage of about 100,000 lorry drivers.

“We had already decided to reduce our stock because of Covid… but now we’re finding it hard to get some products as well because they’re just not available,” Patel said.

At a supermarket near his store, the soft drinks aisle was a little short of bottles and cans but other shelves were full.

One shop assistant said some customers blamed them for the shortages
One shop assistant said some customers blamed them for the shortages JUSTIN TALLIS AFP

But 22-year-old sales assistant Toma said the situation was grim.

“We don’t have stock, we have nothing in our warehouse,” said Toma, who declined to give her last name.

“We have gaps everywhere,” she said. “Sometimes we receive only a certain amount (of some products). We don’t even have water.”

The shortages began when the pandemic hit and got worse after Brexit came into force on January 1, Toma said.

Some customers complain to supermarket staff and “say it’s us to blame”, she added.

At another major supermarket in southeast London, water bottles were sparse and milk was missing from shelves.

Frozen-food group Iceland and retail giant Tesco have warned of Christmas shortages.

Iceland head Richard Walker said the company has reduced deliveries as it has 100 fewer drivers than it needs.

“Every day we are missing around 10 percent of the stock we have ordered into our depots,” he wrote in a blog, adding that “when things were at their worst” its sole bread supplier was unable to deliver to as many as 130 stores per day.

– ‘Perfect storm’ –

Shortages of goods in the UK “will probably last for a while and may even intensify further”, according to a note by Capital Economics, a research consultancy.

A report this week from the Confederation of British Industry cited the Road Haulage Association as saying it would take at least 18 months to train enough Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers to replace those who have left.

For the CBI, the dual effects of Brexit and Covid-19 are a “perfect storm”.

Signs apologising for the lack of stock are now a common sight in British shops
Signs apologising for the lack of stock are now a common sight in British shops JUSTIN TALLIS AFP

Stock levels in relation to expected sales fell by more than 20 percent to a record low across the retail and distribution sector in August, according to the CBI.

The group has urged the government to be more flexible on immigration and add skilled lorry drivers to a list of professions that are short on workers.

Road transport companies and businesses dependent on deliveries are offering bonuses and higher wages in an attempt to retain drivers, but the moves have raised concern that they could contribute to rising inflation.

Ryan Koningen, a 49-year-old project manager at a company in the City of London, said his colleagues often discussed the situation and “the question of costs: will they rise because drivers are paid premiums?”

He too said he had noticed shortages of “day-to-day products”.

Source: AFP

Concord Group Chairman receives Special invitation to attend the 2021 SOBA UK Convention

8, September 2021

Concord Group Chairman receives Special invitation to attend the 2021 SOBA UK Convention 0

The leadership of SOBA UK has invited high-profile Africans including the Chairman of the Cameroon Concord News Group to the 2021 Sasse Old Boys Annual Residential Convention on 15th to 17th October 2021 at The Hilton at St. George’s Park, Burton upon Trent,UK.

The invitation card, which was seen by Cameroon Concord News London Bureau Chief Isong Asu, showed that the venue Hilton at St. George’s Park is the home of the England National Football teams.

Concord Group Chairman, the Right Hon. Soter Agbaw-Ebai is set to make the trip from Dusseldorf to London.

The editorial boards of both Cameroon Concord News and Cameroon Intelligence Report have given the approval, for the complete coverage of the SOBA UK event.

Below is the SOBA UK correspondence to the Cameroon Concord News Chairman

Special Invitation to Attend the 2021 SOBA UK Convention

Soter Agbaw-Ebai

6th September 2021

Dear Mr Soter Agbaw-Ebai,

I am writing to formally invite you to the 2021 SOBA UK Annual Residential Convention on 15th to 17th October 2021 at The Hilton at St. George’s Park, Burton upon Trent, United Kingdom. The Hilton at St. George’s Park is the home of England National Football teams and a venue we are happy to return to after the successful convention in 2018.

We would be most delighted if you can confirm your attendance to this event. The main event is on Saturday, 16th October, where we have a SOBA UK Gala Night and Fundraiser from 4:30pm to 2.30am.

Convention theme and Fundraiser

The theme of this year’s Convention is “Appreciating Community Spirit”, reflecting on the difficult year we have had as a community due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Our fundraising focus is equipping the Sasse College library, providing the students with study aids to help with their academics. We are looking to assist where possible and welcome your generous support. This year, SOBA UK had a successful elections resulting in a new mandate for the executives to 2023.

Covid-19 measures

SOBA UK will seek to provide reasonable safety measures and encourages all guests to take the necessary Covid-19 measures, in line with UK Government advice. We encourage our guests to take their double vaccine jabs and/or take a Covid test prior to the event. The capacity at the event will be limited to 250 places to allow for sufficient distancing and guests will have access to hand sanitizers and temperature checks at entry.

You have been allocated a free standard ticket but if you would like to be seated at a VIP table then please let me know, as there is a small fee to be upgraded.

We look forward to seeing you and please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any assistance.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Franklin Egbe

President, SOBA UK

Tel: +447429880730

soba@sobaintheuk.org

Africa Covid death toll tops 200,000

7, September 2021

Africa Covid death toll tops 200,000 0

More than 200,000 people have died from Covid-19 in Africa since the start of the pandemic, according to an AFP tally compiled from official records as of 1700 GMT.

A total of 200,254 fatalities have been registered in Africa, home to more than 1.3 billion people, since the virus emerged in China in December 2019.

After several deadly months, including some 27,000 deaths in July and 26,000 in August, the pandemic appears to be easing on the continent, with current daily figures of 617 compared to up to 990 in late July, a record for the region.

The figures are based on tolls communicated daily day by health authorities in each country or by the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) and include the countries of North Africa.

The WHO has said that if excess deaths directly or indirectly linked to Covid are taken into account, the real toll could be double or triple.

The total number of infections is also likely to be an under-estimate, given insufficient testing capacity in Africa.

“It’s probably a lot higher than that,” said researcher Glenda Davidson of South Africa’s Cape Peninsula University of Technology. “Testing resources are very low on the continent.”

Covid-19: 200,000 deaths in Africa
Covid-19: 200,000 deaths in Africa AFP

Death registration processes were often delayed and inaccurate, she added.

The current fall in the continent’s tally is a result of sharp drops in the hardest-hit countries.

South Africa has recorded 83,899 deaths so far. But last week’s daily average of 7,400 new cases and 234 deaths is significantly lower than in late July, when the daily average was up to 20,000 new cases and 420 deaths.

– Vaccination key –

The decrease has been even more striking in Tunisia, which has recorded a daily average of 1,680 cases and 64 deaths: 41 and 39 percent down on the previous week.

The figures are well below those of July, which were described by the government as “catastrophic”, with up to 7,900 cases and 207 deaths daily.

Tunisia’s summer was also marked by a sharp acceleration in its vaccination drive, with nearly 37 percent of the population having received at least one dose, compared to just 11 percent on July 1.

Africa has seen the lowest vaccination rate to date of all the continents, with only eight jabs administered per 100 inhabitants administered, according to an AFP count, compared with 102 in Europe and 116 in the United States and Canada.

According to the WHO, around three percent of sub-Saharan Africa’s population are fully vaccinated. By comparison, 52 percent of people are fully vaccinated in the United States of America and 57 percent in the European Union.

“The inequity is deeply disturbing. Just two percent of the over five billion doses given globally have been administered in Africa,” WHO Africa chief Dr Matshidiso Moeti said last week.

However, inoculation in South Africa has been picking up after a rocky start.

“The vaccine has been our weapon,” said South African public health practitioner Shakira Choonara.

“It is contributing to certain changes in trends we are beginning to see.”

Source: AFP

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Yerima categorically rejects Yaoundé reconstruction project

7, September 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Yerima categorically rejects Yaoundé reconstruction project 0

The Vice President of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government has strongly rejected the so-called reconstruction project announced by the Biya Francophone regime in Yaoundé warning that the scheme is a continuation of French Cameroun’s annexation policy.

Addressing the Ambazonia war cabinet late on Monday, Dabney Yerima stated that all Southern Cameroons Self Defense groups with ties to the Interim Government have unanimously decided to prohibit the Biya French Cameroun reconstruction project in Southern Cameroons.

Yerima stressed that the so-called scheme constituted a dangerous part of Yaoundé’s continued marginalization project aimed at ultimately keeping the people of Southern Cameroons in poverty and suffering.

Dabney Yerima pointed out that once the people of Southern Cameroons get to their historic capital in Buea, the Interim Government with international partners would launched a massive development project to rebuild the homeland.

By Chi Prudence Asong

Southern Cameroons Crisis: IG must supply the Big Rubber gun to all resistance groups

7, September 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: IG must supply the Big Rubber gun to all resistance groups 0

A Southern Cameroons front line leader says Vice President Dabney Yerima of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government should ensure that all Ambazonia resistance groups in Ground Zero get the big rubber guns as soon as possible.

“The Interim Government must offer as many Big Rubberguns that it can to all Southern Cameroons Self Defense Groups, so that they would not face any difficulty when confronting the Francophone dominated Cameroon government military,” Dr Ngassa Anyangwe a member of the Southern Cameroons Broadcasting Cooperation board told Cameroon Concord News in an exclusive interview on Monday.

Dr Ngassa, who was elaborating on Vice President Dabney Yerima’s recent measure to send some Big Rubber guns to Ground Zero, added that the big rubber project is going to be a game changer in the war in Southern Cameroons.

The German based Southern Cameroons academic described it as important to the Ambazonia Interim Government to meet the needs of all Southern Cameroons Self Defense Groups.

Dr Ngassa Anyangwe went on to say that several big rubber guns have already been sent to Amba fighters and a trial process will begin soonest.

By Isong Asu

Iconic French New Wave actor Jean-Paul Belmondo dies aged 88

6, September 2021

Iconic French New Wave actor Jean-Paul Belmondo dies aged 88 0

Jean-Paul Belmondo’s battered face, laconic style and roguish smile captured the imagination of French 1960s youth.

Belmondo, who has died at his Paris home aged 88, was the cool rebel of the new wave of French cinema typified in Jean-Luc Godard’s 1960 film classic, A Bout de Souffle.

His moody performance as a doomed thief and Humphrey Bogart fan struck a chord and saw him dubbed the Gallic James Dean.

Later, he forsook arts cinema to become a highly bankable commercial actor, as at home in comedy as in drama.

Jean-Paul Belmondo was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a suburb of Paris on 9 Apr 1933, the son of Paul Belmondo, a sculptor whose statues grace many a Parisian park.

The intensely Bohemian atmosphere of his upbringing had a formative effect on him.

He failed at school and became an amateur boxer. In his short-lived career, he won 15 of his 23 bouts before giving up to concentrate on acting.

Jean-Paul Belmondo in A Bout de Souffle
image captionA Bout de Souffle was his first starring role

His trademark bumpy nose, however, was a result of a fight in the school playground rather than the ring.

After performing on stage in provincial theatres, his movie break came with the role of Laszlo in Marcel Carné’s 1958 film Les Tricheurs.

On the strength of his forceful portrayal, he was given his first starring role in A Bout de Souffle.

One critic described him as “a bewitchingly ugly man.”

His cult image carried him through several action films such as Les Distractions and La Novice.

Flying grandpa

Determined not to be stereotyped, Belmondo also accepted more demanding roles such as the idealistic intellectual of Vittorio de Sica’s La Ciocara in 1961, and as the young country priest in Philippe de Broca’s swashbuckling Cartouche the following year.

He also enjoyed comic roles, in Godard’s Une Femme est une Femme, and, particularly, in De Broca’s L’Homme de Rio, in which he played a suave, unflappable secret agent.

By the mid-60s, he had switched completely to the commercial mainstream and formed his own production company, Cerito.

Jean-Paul Belmondo
image captionHe relished his role as an elder statesman of French cinema

He even performed his own stunts in such films as Les Tribulations d’Un Chinois en Chine in 1965, though he gave this practice up after an accident in the 1985 film Hold-up.

He brightened many an all-star cast in international productions such as Is Paris Burning? (1966), the James Bond spoof Casino Royale (1967) and with Alain Delon in the gangster movie Borsalino (1970),

He moved away from action movies claiming that “I don’t want to be a flying grandpa of the French cinema.”

In 1987 Belmondo returned to the stage for the first time for nearly 30 years and divided his work between theatre and film for the rest of his career.

Two years later he won a Cesar, the French equivalent of an Oscar, for his performance in Itineraire d’un Enfant Gate.

He branched out creatively as part of the ensemble in Varda’s homage to international cinema Les Cent et une Nuits de Samon Cinema in 1995 and as the Jean Valjean figure in Claude Lelouche’s re-working of Les Miserables in the same year.

Jean-Paul Belmondo was divorced from his first wife Elodie in 1965. His second marriage to Constantin also failed. He later had long relationships with actresses Ursula Andress and Laura Antonelli.

Cinema audiences at home and abroad were drawn to his charm and seeming disregard for whatever absurdities were taking place on screen. He was chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history.

Culled from BBC

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