Monthly Archives: December 2021

20, December 2021

Ambazonia Interim Gov’t threatens to attack Africa Cup football teams ⁰

The leadership of the Ambazonia Interim Government has warned they could target the four football teams – including Tunisia – playing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group F matches in Southern Cameroons.

Tunisia, Mauritania, Gambia, and Mali will play in the town of Limbe, southern Cameroons, in mid-January, which is a constituency under the control of the Ambazonia Revolutionary Guards.

Earlier this month, Vice President Dabney Yerima threatened the French Cameroun regime saying Amba fighters will carry out attacks against Limbe and Buea – two towns that have stadiums hosting Africa Cup matches.

Dabney Yerima called on the African Football Federation, FIFA and Total Energies to take their responsibilities and prevent the tournament from taking place inside Southern Cameroons territory.

The Ambazonia Interim Government said Amba self defense groups will disrupt the games if the Biya French Cameroun government does not withdraw its army soldiers from the Federal Republic of Ambazonia which separated from the rest of French-speaking Cameroon five years ago through a bloody insurrection that has cost thousands of lives.

The AFCON tournament will run from 9 January to 6 February and gather 24 African soccer teams, officials, and thousands of fans. Cameroon authorities have assured that the tournament will be safe and deployed additional troops to Southern Cameroons to prevent Ambazonia fighters from advancing during the games.

The fate of January’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon is now hanging in the balance due to concerns over Biya regime’s readiness to host the tournament as Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe arrived in Yaounde on Monday for talks.

On Sunday, a CAF executive committee meeting resolved to go ahead with the 24-team event only if Motsepe was able to secure guarantees from Cameroon over its readiness.

Several members of the committee called for the tournament to be postponed, insiders hinted local and international media, but the majority voted for Motsepe to make an emergency trip to engage with the corrupt Francophone government officials.

Concerns have been voiced over a lack of organisation, incomplete building work and the threat of coronavirus outbreaks among the large number of players and staff set to descend on the under-resourced country in the next few weeks.

By Chi Prudence Asong with files

20, December 2021

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Archbishop Andrew Nkea says attacks intensify, with great suffering of civilians ⁰

“The situation in the English-speaking regions is always very tense. According to observers, the ‘Amba Boys’ (the independence fighters, ed) are intensifying their attacks on the military. This leads to a violent reaction from the army, which however also affects the civilian population. Recently, for example, armed groups planted a bomb near an army center that destroyed the building and killed some of the military and soldiers. In response, they set fire to the houses around the area, resulting in the death among the military and at least two civilians, as well as several completely destroyed homes”. This is what the Archbishop of Bamenda, Mgr. Andrew Nkea Fuanya reports to Agenzia Fides.

The English-speaking areas continue to represent a hotbed of great tension in Cameroon while the dialogue process is struggling to proceed. The Archbishop continues: “There has been no progress in recent times. Now is a period full of activity, at every level, and we hope that after the Christmas holidays we can resume the process of meeting and dialogue. As for the general situation, after pointing out that the attacks have increased in number and intensity, it must be said that, from a social point of view, life continues: people have learned to live with this absurd state of affairs. Shops, offices, transport continue their business. Even schools are open, although not all, only in large centers, let’s say that 60% of institutions are open. In this period, the cities are full of Christmas decorations, churches are always full. People are tired, they want to go back to a normal life and with these demonstrations they take the opportunity to show it to everyone. As a Church, also through the intervention of Caritas and the “Justice and Peace” Commission, we are taking action to support the new internally displaced people created by the latest attacks and we really hope that Christmas can enlighten hearts and that the new year brings good news”.

To the situation of high tension that has been recorded for years in the western English-speaking regions, there are recently added those that have emerged in the north of the country, where shepherds and fishermen have clashed violently over issues related to the use of water. In the past few weeks alone, there have been 22 deaths and thousands displaced

“The bishop of Yagoua – concludes Mgr. Andrew Nkea Fuanya – told us that the situation is really difficult. These internal tribal conflicts are truly worrying, especially in that area of the country where we should all be united in order not to offer room for maneuver for the advance of Boko Haram, who is very active in that area”.

Source: Agenzia Fides

20, December 2021

Africa Cup of Nations in doubt as CAF president lands in Cameroon for crunch talks ⁰

The fate of January’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon hangs in the balance due to concerns over the country’s readiness to host the tournament as Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe arrived in Yaounde on Monday for talks.

On Sunday, a CAF executive committee meeting resolved to go ahead with the 24-team event only if Motsepe was able to secure guarantees from Cameroon over its readiness.

Several members of the committee called for the tournament to be postponed, insiders told Reuters, but the majority voted for Motsepe to make an emergency trip to engage with the Cameroon government.

“We are clear in terms of our commitment to make the AFCON a success in Cameroon, and I’m confident after our meetings today and tomorrow we can come out of here and give Africa and the world the confidence,” Motsepe told reporters in Yaounde on Monday.

Last week, CAF sent its general secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba to urge the speedy completion of building work at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, scheduled to host the opening game on Jan. 9 and the final on Feb. 6.

But Sunday’s executive committee meeting was told there was a major risk of the tournament failing, with construction work incomplete after contractors were not paid, insufficient accommodation and training facilities and several key organisational staff quitting.

Cameroon was originally awarded the hosting of the 2019 finals, but the tournament was switched to Egypt when CAF decided the central African country was not ready. Cameroon was then handed the 2021 tournament, which has since been delayed by 12 months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

CAF said last week that it would be importing its own laboratory, bypassing local healthcare facilities, to test players during the tournament.

Clubs in Europe, where a significant number of the players in the tournament play regularly, are concerned over the healthcare arrangements as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly.

Source: Reuters

20, December 2021

Africa Cup of Nations: Biya regime says only those fully vaccinated or with a negative Covid test will access venues ⁰

The Cameroon government in collaboration with the country’s football association, Fecafoot, together with CAF, have reached an agreement to implement stringent Covid-19 protocols at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations.

Cameroon will stage the 24-nation event from January 9 to February 6, and the organisers have assured that the continental championship will go ahead amid the spike in fresh infections from the new Omicron variant.

CAF, the Cameroon government and Fecafoot are of the view that the competition can be used to raise awareness on the steps that can be taken to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

In light of this, the three parties have decided that:

. Supporters may only enter stadiums to attend the 52 Afcon matches in Cameroon if they are fully vaccinated and are able to show a negative PCR test result that is no older than 72 hours or a negative antigen test result no older than 24 hours;

. The competent health authorities will take all necessary action to facilitate vaccination and the performance of screening tests at all competition sites in Cameroon;

. Moreover, with a view to ensuring objectivity and neutrality as well as trust on all sides, CAF will use an independent, internationally recognised laboratory to test the national team players and their delegations.

This was announced by Cameroon Minister of Sport Professor Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, Minister of Public Health Malachie Manaouda, CAF general secretary Véron Mosengo-Omba and Fecafoot first vice-president Céline Eko Mendomo on Thursday.

“In Cameroon, as has been the case elsewhere, effective measures have been taken as part of a coherent and tried-and-tested approach to counter the pandemic. The government has set up a special health protocol to combat Covid-19, which applies to the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations,” the parties said in a joint statement.

“As is widely known, organised football plays an important role in fostering integration and peace, as well as bringing people together. It is also a catalyst of hope, a vehicle for shared values.

“Therefore, despite the additional challenge posed by the pandemic to the global community, the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations will go ahead as scheduled on January 9 2022 at Olembe Stadium.”

Source: News 24

20, December 2021

U.S. Senate okays gay diplomat as Cameroon ambassador ⁰

The U.S. Senate confirmed Christopher John Lamora’s appointment on Saturday. His was one of dozens of Democratic president Joe Biden’s ambassador nominations that had been stalled since last spring by powerful dissident Republican senator Ted Cruz, who wants the United States to apply increased pressure against the opening of a natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany.

More than three dozen ambassador nominations were approved Saturday, including ambassadors to Japan, the European Union, Ireland, Spain, Vietnam, Somalia and Bahrain. That action came after a vote on Cruz’s pipeline bill was scheduled for next month.

When Lamora’s nomination was announced last April, prominent Cameroonian LGBTQ rights attorney Alice Nkom welcomed it.

“Incredible Joe Biden. We love you! ” she said. “Welcome, Ambassador Christopher Lamora! Welcome to Cameroon, land of tolerance, hospitality and brotherhood! ”

Despite her words, Cameroon remains intolerant of LGBTQ people. By law, homosexual activity is punishable by up to five years in prison. Shakiro, an online trans celebrity, and her partner were sentenced to five years in May. With Nkom’s help, they were released in July, pending an appeal.

After Lamora’s nomination was announced, Catholic priest Etienne Bakaba of Douala, Cameroon, urged the Cameroonian government to reject Lamora.

“In 2015, the Pope refused a gay ambassador to the Vatican. Shouldn’t the Cameroonian state refuse the accreditation of the gay ambassador that Joe Biden is sending us? As a reminder, homosexuality is a crime according to Cameroonian law, the divine natural law,” Bakaba stated.

Lamora, who openly acknowledges his sexual orientation, appeared before a Senate committee in June and thanked his husband, Eric, for supporting him.

He described himself at a 2019 Gay Pride event in Ghana as “a proud member of the worldwide LGBT community.”

Source: 76 Crimes

20, December 2021

Yaounde: Africa Cup of Nations Could Be Cancelled ⁰

As the rise in COVID cases gets greater and greater, many games and competitions are in danger of getting postponed or even cancelled. From the NFL to the Premiership, games are being pushed back to later dates. Yet this could be the most important postponement. Africa’s most significant tournament, the Africa Cup Of Nations, could be postponed to a later date.

European clubs have threatened to take their players out from AFCON if the tournament goes on, which could create a type of tournament similar to the FIFA Arab Cup. There were not a lot of world-class players at the Arab Cup, leading to lessened exposure.

Additionally, Cameroon, the host nation, has been torn apart by civil war. The Anglophone Crisis has seen thousands dead. Some of Cameroon’s biggest stadiums are right in the middle of the warfare.

Yet CAF usually needs money from AFCON to stay afloat. Club competitions, other national team games, wages: most are dependent on the income AFCON makes. COVID and a civil war would ordinarily rule out a tournament for the time being, but CAF’s situation is entirely different.

The Expectation

Under immense pressure from UEFA, one might expect CAF to fold and reschedule the tournament for next summer. But CAF could just as easily disregard the warnings and continue with the tournament. This turn of events is especially unfortunate for Africa, but a decision needs to be made.

As numerous managers continue to start drafting preliminary rosters, the world watches in dread. Will the Anglophone crisis force AFCON to a halt. Will COVID cases leave national teams crippled? Only time will tell.

Keep Your Eyes Peeled

European clubs, especially ones in the Premier League, are worried about the rising COVID cases in Africa. Look out for news about clubs pushing for postponement.

This week, defence officials said extra troops have been deployed to protect soccer fans and players all over Cameroon and vowed the matches in Limbe and Buea would go on, CameroonIntelligenceReport wrote. Limbe and Buea are towns caught in the middle of the unrest. Allowing games to continue there is a little bit arrogant and unsafe. Should CAF take a stance on this?

CAF has stuck to their guns and said that the show will go on, but red lists and relocation rumours still swirl in the air. If CAF continues the tournament, will towns near the unrest still host matches? Is a temporary truce in order?

Source: World In Sports

19, December 2021

France praises troops after probe into killing of civilians in Niger ⁰

France has praised its troops who killed civilians during a standoff in Niger last month after allegedly conducting an investigation into the incident.

Florence Parly, the French defense minister, said on Sunday that the country’s army had carried out an “internal investigation” into the clashes during in three people lost their lives during one of its convoy patrols in Niger.

The investigation came after Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum pressed for a probe into the Mali-bound French military convoy that sparked violent protests and led to the fatalities.

In November, the convoy ran into trouble in Niger after being delayed by protests in Burkina Faso, with the Nigerien government reporting three deaths and more than a dozen wounded.

French army spokesman Pascal Ianni said at the time that “no French soldier was wounded,” however, “two civilian drivers in the convoy were wounded through stones pelted at them.”

Declining to accept France’s responsibility in the deadly clashes, Parly said in an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche that, “There was an internal investigation, which showed that in the face of great violence, our soldiers demonstrated the necessary control and reacted adequately.”

She added, “We continue to discuss with the Nigerien authorities to understand what happened before, during and after these clashes.”

The supply French convoy, which arrived on African soil in Ivory Coast earlier in the month, had crossed into Burkina Faso before entering Niger on its way to Mali.

It was heading for a base at Gao, central Mali, a hub of France’s Barkhane operation which claims to be protecting the Sahel region against militancy that began in northern Mali nearly a decade ago despite strong opposition from the said countries.

French troops are stationed in the Sahel region under the pretext of fighting the spread of extremist militant forces there, while reports have emerged that their convoys deliver arms to the Takfiri militants.

France recently deployed more troops in the Sahel despite opposition to its presence in the volatile region.

The United Nations declared in July last year that the spread of terrorist attacks in West Africa was so fast that the region had to consider bolstering its response beyond current military efforts.

Source: Presstv

19, December 2021

Turkey pledges 15 million Covid vaccine doses for Africa in goodwill gesture ⁰

Turkey will send 15 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Africa, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Saturday at a major summit of the continent’s leaders, adding that the low vaccination rates there were a blot on humanity.

Ankara has invested heavily in developing trade and diplomatic ties with the world’s poorest continent during Erdogan’s rule as prime minister and then president since 2003.

Speaking to dozens of attending leaders and ministers, Erdogan said Turkey would ship 15 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Africa, where cases are rapidly rising and vaccination rates are low.

“We are aware of the global injustice in accessing the Covid-19 vaccine and Africa’s unjust treatment,” Erdogan said.

“It is disgraceful for humanity that only six percent of Africa’s population has been vaccinated.”

Turkey is developing its own vaccine, known as Turkovac, which is in the process of receiving emergency use approval.

Following any authorisation, it will be shared with Africa, Erdogan said.

It was not immediately clear from his remarks whether Turkey would first send some doses of the internationally approved vaccines it was currently using, including those developed by Pfizer-BioNTech.

“In order to contribute to the resolution of this issue, within our means, we plan to share 15 million vaccine doses in the period ahead,” he said.

Soaring infection rates

The number of new infections in Africa has shot up by 57 percent in the past week, according to AFP calculations based on official figures.

South Africa is the hardest-hit country, becoming one of the first in the world affected by the new Omicron variant, which is believed to be even more contagious than past coronavirus strains.

Erdogan said Turkey wanted to strengthen relations with Africa in a wide range of areas including health, defence, energy, agriculture and technology.

“The real potential between us goes far beyond the targets we have,” he said.

In a final declaration, Turkey and African countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in several fields, including health “through further health sector investments”.

“With the declaration we have accepted at this summit and the joint action plan, we agreed on a road map to deepen our relations,” Erdogan told a closing media event.

Focus on trade

Trade between Turkey and Africa has grown in the past 20 years from $5.4 billion to $25.3 billion (4.8 billion euros to 22.5 billion euros) last year.

And in the first 11 months of 2021, it had reached $30 billion, Erdogan said.

Turkey has set an even higher target of trade volume for the future: $75 billion.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the third Turkish-African summit — by far the largest to date — was being attended by 16 African heads of state and 102 ministers, including 26 top diplomats.

Erdogan also held one-on-one meetings with African heads of state, including Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who have both expressed an interest in Turkey’s defence industry.

The next Turkey-Africa summit will be held in 2026 in an unspecified African country.

Source: AFP

19, December 2021

FIFA World Cup: After Arab Cup, Qatar faces bigger test ⁰

Qatar passed their first test with a successful hosting of the Arab Cup but bigger challenges lie ahead when 1.2 million fans and 32 international teams arrive for the World Cup one year from now.

Algerian rejoicing at Saturday’s 2-0 extra-time win over Tunisia in the final — exactly a year before the 2022 World Cup decider, and with FIFA president Gianni Infantino in the stands — will have been accompanied by satisfaction from Qatari officials.

But now comes the hard work as Qatar prepares for the unique task of hosting a World Cup in and around a single city, Doha, with limited hotel accommodation and a transport network that is likely to come under strain.

The wealthy Gulf state will also be bracing for intense scrutiny after coming under fire over the rights of the migrant labourers who have built its infrastructure, including the World Cup stadiums.

And it will be mindful of a cultural gap when fans from around the world arrive in a conservative Muslim country with restricted access to alcohol, and where public drunkenness and homosexual relations are illegal.

More than 600,000 tickets were sold for the 16-team Arab Cup, including a Qatari-record 63,439 crowd when the hosts played fierce rivals the United Arab Emirates in the quarter-finals.

Six of the eight World Cup venues were employed as Qatar took the chance to test its stadiums and training sites, transport, accommodation, volunteers and other areas including security.

A fan ID system was dropped midway through the tournament following reports of long queues and complaints from fans, but crowd trouble appeared limited to some damaged seats at the quarter-final between Tunisia and Oman.

‘Lessons learned’

Qatar will “take account of the lessons learned to organise the best World Cup”, said Jassim Al-Jassim, the organising committee’s vice-president of operations.

The Lusail Stadium, which will host the World Cup final, was notably not used for the tournament. In October, its project manager told AFP that it still needed final checks and tests.

Coaches were impressed by the facilities, with Algeria’s Majid Bougherra, a World Cup veteran, saying “everything is perfect” –apart, perhaps, from the accommodation.

“The stadiums are great, the pitches are great. Perhaps one small downside, but it won’t be the case at the World Cup, is that we were in the same hotel as everyone else,” he said.

“We congratulate (Qatar) on this beautiful Arab Cup and I think the World Cup will be exceptional,” Bougherra added.

Egypt coach Carlos Queiroz, the former Iran, Portugal and Real Madrid boss, said the Qatar World Cup has “all the ingredients to succeed”, but called for better communications.

“If there is one advice I will give to everybody, we need to talk, because the better we talk the better the harmony between the needs inside and outside the pitch,” he said.

Daniel Reyche, a sport policy and politic researcher and visiting associate professor at Qatar’s Georgetown University, said he was impressed by the organisers’ ability to learn from their mistakes, for example by dropping the fan ID.

“Overall, I think the test went well, but it is difficult to compare the FIFA Arab Cup and the FIFA World Cup, since most visitors this time came from within the country and next year they will come from outside the country,” he told AFP.

And after Qatar dismissed concerns from the LGBTQ+ community about attending the World Cup, FIFA secretary-general Fatma Samoura gave assurances next year’s tournament would be inclusive.

“People are free to display any kind of flag they want, including the rainbow flag, without them being targeted or singled out,” she said this week.

Source: AFP

18, December 2021

Double Standards: UN concerns about growing displacements in Cameroon ⁰

At least 100,000 people left their homes in the Far North region of Cameroon during the last two weeks due to growing violence, the United Nations (UN) warned Friday.

Intercommunal clashes that erupted in Cameroon’s Far North region in the past two weeks have driven at least 100,000 people from their homes, although the real number may be much higher, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said today.

UNHCR estimates that more than 85,000 people have fled into neighboring Chad in recent days, while at least 15,000 Cameroonians have been forced from home inside their country. Since humanitarian access in the area is very limited, these totals may be much higher.

“Indications points to displacement into Chad have accelerated fast, as the total is nearly triple the figure reported last week, when 30,000 people had crossed the border seeking safety,” said UNHCR spokesman Matthew Saltmarsh.

According to UN figures, casualties from the fighting have also risen to 44 people killed and 111 injured, compared to 22 dead and 30 wounded reported last week. In total, 112 villages were burned down.

The vast majority of new arrivals in Chad are children, and 98 per cent of the adults are women. Some 48,000 have found refuge in 18 urban sites in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, and 37,000 people are scattered across 10 rural sites along Chad’s bank of the Logone River.

Along with the authorities, UNHCR, other UN agencies and humanitarian partners are rushing to deliver life-saving assistance. The agency has declared a Level 2 emergency and is rapidly scaling its operations to assist affected people in Cameroon and new refugees in Chad.

Refugees are in dire need of shelter, blankets, mats and hygienic kits. Some are being generously hosted by local communities, but most are still sleeping in the open and under trees.

Source: plenglish