Monthly Archives: December 2022

Samba returns as Brazil brush aside South Korea to reach World Cup quarters

5, December 2022

Samba returns as Brazil brush aside South Korea to reach World Cup quarters 0

Neymar returned from injury to help inspire Brazil to a 4-1 victory over South Korea on Monday as the favourites cruised through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

The world’s most expensive player had sat out his team’s last two matches with a sprained ankle suffered in their first game in Qatar, a 2-0 win over Serbia.

But he came back for this last-16 tie as Tite’s team clicked into gear and delivered an ominous message to their rivals, at least before easing off in the second half.

Vinicius Junior opened the scoring inside seven minutes before Neymar added another from the penalty spot to move to 76 goals for his country, leaving him just one away from equalling Pele’s all-time record tally.

Richarlison’s brilliant goal made it 3-0 and Lucas Paqueta added another before half-time to leave South Korea shellshocked.

Paik Seung-ho pulled one back but by then Brazil were thinking about Friday’s quarter-final clash with 2018 runners-up Croatia.

The five-time World Cup winners had not scored four goals in a knockout game at the tournament since 1998.

Here they played at times with the joy associated with the Brazilian national team, the players coming together to celebrate each goal by showing off their dance moves and their coach even joining in.

If they finished playing within themselves, their first-half display was superb and a fitting tribute to the great Pele.

The Brazilian legend had said he would watch the game from the Sao Paulo hospital to where he was admitted last week amid ongoing treatment for colon cancer, and supporters in Doha’s Stadium 974 unfurled a banner with a get well soon message to him.

All of it was a chastening experience for Son Heung-min and South Korea, who have still never won a World Cup knockout match outside their own country.

Tite made 10 changes to the Brazil team after rotating his squad for the 1-0 loss to Cameroon which came after qualification for the last 16 had been secured.

Danilo also returned from injury at left-back, while Eder Militao was the only player to keep his place and shifted across to right-back.

Richarlison stars again

With Alisson Becker back in goal and Thiago Silva and Marquinhos playing too, this was Brazil’s first-choice defence but their forwards quickly put the tie to bed.

The opener came from their first shot on target in the seventh minute as Raphinha burst away from Kim Jin-su on the right and his ball across goal came to the feet of Vinicius who coolly picked his spot.

They then won a penalty as Richarlison was caught by Jung Woo-young and Neymar duly beat Kim Seung-gyu — his last six goals for Brazil have now all come from the spot.

Alisson was then called into action to tip over a vicious long-range effort from Hwang Hee-chan, but Brazil then scored their third in style just before the half-hour mark.

Richarlison juggled the ball on his head three times just outside the area before laying it off to Marquinhos and then continuing into the box to get on the end of Silva’s pass which he slotted home for his third goal at this World Cup.

Paqueta then got their fourth nine minutes before the break with a first-time finish as he connected with a Vinicius ball held up from the byline.

They could have added more in the second half had they not taken their foot off the pedal, although Raphinha was denied on more than one occasion by the goalkeeper.

Korea though deserve credit for keeping going and they were rewarded inside the final quarter-hour as substitute Paik brought down a headed clearance and sent in a ferocious shot from 25 metres that brushed off Silva to beat Alisson.

The Brazil goalkeeper was then taken off for the final 10 minutes to be replaced by Weverton, while Neymar was also withdrawn with Tite’s mind on Croatia.

Source: AFP

Qatar 2022: Japan wins over Germany and Spain count for nothing after World Cup exit, says Doan

5, December 2022

Qatar 2022: Japan wins over Germany and Spain count for nothing after World Cup exit, says Doan 0

Forward Ritsu Doan said Japan’s historic World Cup wins over Germany and Spain counted for nothing after the Blue Samurai were eliminated by Croatia in the last 16 on Monday.

Japan missed out on a first-ever place in the quarter-finals after a 3-1 penalty shootout defeat to the Croatians, following a gruelling encounter that finished 1-1 after extra-time.

Japan beat both Germany and Spain in the goup stage in Qatar but Doan took no consolation from his team’s achievements.

“I expected someone to say that if we lost, but to be honest it doesn’t mean anything,” he said.

“No matter how well we fought today, we didn’t change history.”

Daizen Maeda gave Japan the lead late in the first half before Ivan Perisic levelled for Croatia 10 minutes after the break.

Japan struggled to create more chances but held for penalties, only for Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic to save their first two spot kicks.

Croatia’s Marko Livaja hit the post to give Japan a reprieve but Livakovic saved Maya Yoshida’s kick to give Mario Pasalic match point for the Europeans.

Pasalic buried his penalty to send Croatia through, leaving Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu to lament his players’ failure to convert their spot-kicks.

“Penalties are a mix of luck and training,” he said.

“Their goalkeeper was excellent but the Japanese players should have done better and that’s something we need to work on in the future.”

Japan were aiming to reach the quarter-finals for the first time, having lost in the last 16 at three previous World Cups.

The team arrived in Qatar with 19 Europe-based players in their squad and midfielder Wataru Endo said they would need more overseas experience to take the next step.

“We need to have more players playing with European clubs — we need 20 or 30,” he said.

“We can improve our quality and become a better team. We are improving but we weren’t good enough to get to the quarter-finals.”

Moriyasu is also confident that Japan will return stronger.

“This result doesn’t cancel out everything the players have done here,” he said.

“They have shown they have the confidence to play at the world level and have shown how good they can be.

“Japanese football can continue to grow.”

Source:  AFP

Defiant Sisiku Ayuk Tabe asserts his authority in Ambazonia, insists on demilitarization

5, December 2022

Defiant Sisiku Ayuk Tabe asserts his authority in Ambazonia, insists on demilitarization 0

The Southern Cameroons leader, Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, defied the Biya Francophone regime efforts to declare him irrelevant by addressing the people of Ambazonia via a French Cameroun newspaper, confirming that he is still committed to the liberation struggle of British Southern Cameroons.

In an interview with Le Jour newspaper President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe repeated his earlier position for genuine dialogue between the two Cameroons.

The Supreme Leader of the people of Southern Cameroons-Ambazonia told Le Jour that Yaoundé should demilitarize the entire Southern Cameroons territory and release all English speaking detainees in French Cameroun jails.

Six years into the war in Southern Cameroons, peace is still not back despite several initiatives carried out so far both by the regime in Yaoundé and by the international community.

Speaking exclusively to Le Jour newspaper, President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe,reiterated the position of the Ambazonia Interim Government in an article published on Monday, December 5, 2022.  He also set out his conditions for his participation in the holding of a dialogue with the Biya Francophone regime Yaoundé.

“We propose first that Cameroon, which has declared war, declare a ceasefire and demilitarization of the English-speaking regions, the release of all those imprisoned because of this crisis, amnesty for exiled compatriots and international dialogue arbitrated by a neutral country and at a place agreed by both parties. As soon as these conditions are met, we will sit down if the government wants to negotiate, we will negotiate,” the Ambazonia Supreme Leader told Le Jour.

President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and his top aides including Dr. Kimeng Henry, Dr. Kwanga, Professor Che Augustine Awasum, His Majesty Shufai Blaise and Dr. Nfor Ngalla, have been imprisoned at the Kondengui Central Prison for four years, after being arrested in Nigeria in joint military operation by Cameroon and Nigerian secret service officers.

“I am physically in prison, but morally and spiritually I am a free man. Those who put me here are more in prison than I am. I don’t have a problem with anyone, but I remain solidly committed to the struggle that began several years ago. This fight is for the liberation of Southern Cameroons- Ambazonia, from the oppression and misrule that plagues this country,” the Ambazonia leader said.

By Rita Akana in Yaoundé

Former French President Sarkozy seeks to overturn corruption conviction at Paris appeal trial

5, December 2022

Former French President Sarkozy seeks to overturn corruption conviction at Paris appeal trial 0

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy sought to convince a Paris court to overturn his March 2021 conviction for bribery and influence-peddling in an appeal hearing that started on Monday.

The initial trial saw Sarkozy sentenced to three years in prison, two of them suspended, in a stunning fall from grace for a man who served as president from 2007 to 2012 but is now facing a string of judicial investigations and trials.

The 2021 ruling found that Sarkozy, 67, had tried to bribe a judge after leaving office, and to peddle influence in exchange for confidential information about an investigation into his 2007 campaign finances.

“I’m here to defend my honour, which has been violated. I’m here to convince the court that I did nothing,” Sarkozy, a tremor in his voice, told the appeals court on Monday.

“The words are strong: corruption, influence peddling. I am a former president of the republic, I have never corrupted anyone,” said Sarkozy, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

“Am I a serious offender because I’m calling…my lawyer and friend?” he said, referring to phone tapping of conversations with his lawyer, who was also found convicted, that were critical in the original trial.

The 2021 ruling said: “The actions Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy is guilty of are particularly serious, having been committed by a former President of the Republic who was responsible for preserving justice’s independence.”

“He took advantage of his status and the relationships he had formed,” Judge Christine Mee said at the time.

The appeal suspended the execution of Sarkozy’s sentence in the original trial. He would have probably not gone to jail anyway as the judge signalled she was open to ordering him to wear an electronic tag.

The appeal trial, which is scheduled to last until Dec. 16, will review both the verdict and the sentence.

The only other president of France’s 64-year-old Fifth Republic to be convicted by a court was Sarkozy’s conservative predecessor, the late Jacques Chirac, who was found guilty of corruption in 2011.

Source: REUTERS

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Yaoundé welcomes US indictment of suspected Amba Sponsors

5, December 2022

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Yaoundé welcomes US indictment of suspected Amba Sponsors 0

Cameroon’s government is praising U.S. authorities for arresting three Cameroonian Americans accused of supporting separatist violence in the country’s western regions. The three, arrested a week ago and indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice, allegedly raised funds to abduct persons and use weapons of mass destruction in a foreign country.

Cameroon’s government has for years been urging the U.S. and Europe to crack down on separatists operating outside the country. Government forces have been battling separatist groups for five years.

John Billy Eko, inspector general in Cameroon’s External Relations Ministry, said the arrest of the three Cameroonian-born U.S. citizens indicates the U.S. has come to understand that some people who sponsor the separatist conflict live in America.

“We remain cautious and vigilant because the indictment is perhaps only the first phase of a judicial process which began with our government’s persistence in convincing American authorities to take action [against separatist sponsors],” he said. “So, we await trial and sentencing. There are many, many more unindicted co-conspirators and accomplices in the United States and elsewhere who were not cited in this indictment.”

Cameroonian lawyers in the U.S. say they have filed complaints against 200 Cameroonians and American citizens of Cameroon origin in the U.S. who are suspected accomplices to separatist violence.

Armed groups seeking to separate two predominantly English-speaking regions from Cameroon and its French-speaking majority launched their military campaign in 2017.

Eko said that since then Cameroon has appealed to friendly nations to take actions against separatist supporters working within their national territories.

On November 28, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the charges against Claude Chi, Lah Nestor Langmi and Francis Chenyi, all Cameroonian-born U.S. citizens in their 40s. The three arrested defendants are charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a conspiracy to kidnap persons and use weapons of mass destruction in Cameroon.

The U.S Department of Justice says in addition to more than $350,000 the defendants raised through voluntary donations, the three men conspired with others to kidnap civilians in Cameroon and hold them for ransom.

It says in some instances, U.S. citizens were extorted for ransom payments to secure the release of their kidnapped relatives living in Cameroon, with ransom payments subsequently transferred to separatist fighters to fund their operations.

“We have examined the case filed into court by the United States prosecutor. We had previously condemned kidnapping for ransom and the use of Ambazonia forces for personal benefit,” said Capo Daniel,spokesperson of the Ambazonia Governing Council, one of the chief separatist groups. “This war remains the primary cause of the chaos and the emergence of criminal gangs and cartels that seek to use Ambazonia to legitimize their criminal activity.”

Before last week’s indictment, Christopher John Lamora, U.S. ambassador to Cameroon, had condemned abductions for ransom and attacks on education.

“I have seen a lot of videos where people are calling for violence, where people are suggesting that killing students and preventing them from going to school is somehow a valid approach to resolving social concerns. It isn’t,” said Lamora, speaking to Cameroon state broadcaster CRTV. “The people in the diaspora, be they in the United States or elsewhere, who have been calling over the past several years for violence to stop. There is no question about that.”

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of up to 15 years in prison for the material support charges, up to three years in prison for receiving money from a ransom demand charge and up to 20 years in prison for the money laundering conspiracy charge, according to the U.S Department of Justice.

Source: VOA

FIFA World Cup: Atmosphere is different without alcohol

4, December 2022

FIFA World Cup: Atmosphere is different without alcohol 0

World Cup fans in Qatar say the atmosphere is different without alcohol — but they are divided over whether that is good or not.

Some say the absence of booze in stadiums and its limited availability elsewhere in the Arab nation has detracted from the atmosphere inside and outside stadiums.

Others say it has made no difference or even improved it, making it more family-friendly and less aggressive, and want it replicated at future World Cups.

The sale of alcohol at World Cup stadiums in Qatar was banned two days before the tournament in a policy U-turn, although it is available at fan zones and most international hotels.

“It has brought some positivity to the World Cup,” said Ghana fan Assenso Ata Peter ahead of the Black Stars’ tournament-ending defeat to Uruguay on Friday.

“The conduct of the supporters has been so very good, so nice because they are not drinking alcohol,” added the 40-year-old.

“If we continue with this, the tournament can continue to be successful every time.”

Mike and Luke, in Qatar to watch Australia’s surprise run into the knockout stage, were clutching water and soft drinks as they caught the game between South Korea and Portugal at Education City Stadium.

“It’s hard, it’s hard (without alcohol), it definitely takes the edge off the atmosphere, it’s not as… it’s different,” said Luke, 39.

“It’s more like a family atmosphere as opposed to a party atmosphere — you’ve got families, kids, they’re the ones that are doing the cheering,” added 36-year-old Mike.

Kang Yong-ki, who was at the same game, said no alcohol was allowed at matches at home so he could live without it.

“I suspect some of the atmosphere would be higher (more intense) if alcohol existed but generally it’s not very different with alcohol or not,” said the 45-year-old from Seoul.

“But of course it’s good for families,” he added.

For the majority of men and women supporters AFP spoke to, they said it made no difference to them, either because they do not drink alcohol or it is never allowed at football in their country anyway.

And matches particularly involving teams from South America and North Africa have still played out in front of electric atmospheres.

“I really don’t care, I’m just here to watch Cristiano Ronaldo,” said “Amanda” from Lebanon, who preferred not to give her real name.

“I don’t know why the world is making such a big deal of it.”

‘Most diverse tournament’

England fans have long been associated with alcohol-fuelled disorder and the final of the European Championship at Wembley in the summer of 2021 between the home side and Italy was marred by hooliganism.

There was heavy drinking, and also drug-taking, among some England supporters.

Kevin Fulcher and Kevin Hall, who have travelled across the globe to watch England, said they had no problem with the lack of alcohol.

“I think in some ways, when people have had a drink, the edges can get a bit blurred and it might create issues among football fans,” said Hall, 63.

“Whereas if you’re sober, you’re less inclined to have confrontation.

“We’ve not seen any confrontation whatsoever — you’re all mixing coming out of the ground.

“We’ve been to other tournaments and I think this one is more diverse than any other in terms of youngsters.”

Fulcher added: “You see families, kids, I’ve seen babies in stadiums.”

They could not pinpoint the reason for that but said it was not necessarily down to the lack of alcohol.

Chief Constable Mark Roberts, head of Britain’s football policing, called the behaviour of England and Wales fans in Qatar “exemplary” and said there had been no arrests or incidents among those supporters.

He said that the atmosphere at games involving England and Wales had been “passionate but friendly”.

“It would be wrong to entirely attribute good behaviour to the restrictions on alcohol, but I do think it has helped to some degree,” he said in comments to AFP.

Source: AFP

FIFA World Cup: France beat Poland to reach quarter-finals

4, December 2022

FIFA World Cup: France beat Poland to reach quarter-finals 0

France proved too strong for Poland on Sunday as a Kylian Mbappé brace and a record-setting goal by Olivier Giroud made for a 3-1 victory in the World Cup last 16. Giroud became France’s all-time leading scorer with 52 goals, eclipsing the mark he shared with Thierry Henry.

All what Biya the Monarch wanted was a party in Paris befitting his rule

4, December 2022

All what Biya the Monarch wanted was a party in Paris befitting his rule 0

Paul Biya is the longest serving president on the African continent, longer than even Yoweri Museveni. He came to power in 1982, when the founding president of that unlucky country, Ahmadou Ahidjo, stepped down after he had presided over his country’s decline since 1960.

There was some drama in that changing of the guard. Ahidjo was not particularly popular with the French, and Biya, his prime minister, looked like he could be more useful. So they cooked up a conspiracy involving telling the president he had a terminal cancer and his days were numbered, and maybe it was proper for him to go to France and live his last days in good care and great comfort.

But once in France, Ahidjo sought a second opinion and discovered that his “cancer” had been a hoax hatched to get rid of him and install Biya in his place. So, he came back home and, simply, demanded that Biya give him his job back. All hell broke loose, Biya saying he was there to stay and Ahidjo mobilising his supporters to fight for him in a brief civil war that killed a few people. Biya managed to keep Ahidjo at bay, and when his former master mounted an unsuccessful putsch, had him arrested, tried and sentenced to death, a sentence which was later commuted to life in prison.

Ruled single-handedly

Since then, Biya has ruled the country single-handedly, and as his age advanced, he got into the habit of staying out of Cameroon, returning only a few times a year to visit and meet and know his ministers.

Over this period, he has not exactly endeared himself to his people, who have coined very nasty sobriquets for him, including “Sphinx,” or “Dinosaur” or even “Mummy.”

So, why did the “Mummy” think that he could go to Paris for the celebration of his 40 years in power? Well, most probably because he thought his country was too backward to provide the kind of décor for such an auspicious occasion. Having lived so much in Europe he possibly did not know a venue in his country that could do the appropriate catering for the feast.

But when he got to the venue of the event in France, he found irate Cameroonians waiting for him, with clubs, knives and crossbars, chanting expletives and punching and kicking members of Biya’s entourage. Among the chants I could catch from the riot were things like, “Celebrating 40 years of what? Murder, looting? Crap!”

While the president was lucky enough to have himself whisked away, there was a fatality in his delegation, reportedly a minister.

To me – and, I daresay, many others, it was clear this old man, who despite his age – he is almost 90— spots jet-black hair, only betrayed by his rickety walk and over-powdered face, tell-tale signs even the vainest of our despots cannot hide – was unaware of his surroundings.

Sycophantic hangers-on

As with most African rulers who have overstayed their welcome, Paul Biya surrounds himself with sycophantic hangers-on who travel with him and keep telling him the things he desperately needs to hear to keep him under the false belief he is still in charge of his country.

Now, in his absence, it is like when the cat is away the mice will play. Well before the fiasco of the president’s anniversary party, in June, his minister back in Cameroon was summoned before a court of law to answer charges of corruption, involving huge defence contracts granted to companies owned by his wife!

So, the former minister appears in court in his dapper, double-breasted suit and looks extremely well-groomed, which is okay for a former minister, I suppose. But to complete the picture of a former minister in touch with the times, the gentleman arrives in court sipping on a coupe of champagne, just to underline what the whole thing was about.

I loved the optics, the spectre of a small Biya doing his thing at home while the big boss is strutting his stuff abroad. It is a case of emulating the leader. In fact, looking at the cheek that this young man was displaying, I had this feeling that he was going to evoke Biya in his defence by saying, “I am only doing what my president is doing, nothing more, nothing less. But it is a sad sign of the times in a country that has a lot of colour.    

The story of Cameroon is much more colourful than an overaged president running a bankrupt country. It is about a people that has been traumatised by extreme poverty, growing threats of terror attacks by Islamist groups afflicting the whole sub region and an absentee government by its president who comes to visit from time to time.

A brief historical study shows us that the man Biya is supposed to have conned into early retirement, Ahidjo, was not even the legitimate freedom fighter who had fought to drive the French out of Cameroon. That role was played by Felix-Roland Moumie, who was assassinated by French intelligence agents in Switzerland in 1960, aged 35. His fault was that he was too much like Patrice-Emery Lumumba of Congo, who was also killed for the same reasons: too anti-west, most likely a communist.          

Such is Africa for you.

Culled from The East African

Mbappe and Lewandowski face off as France take on Poland at World Cup

3, December 2022

Mbappe and Lewandowski face off as France take on Poland at World Cup 0

There is arguably no more thrilling player at this World Cup than Kylian Mbappe, who leads France into their last-16 clash on Sunday with a Poland side whose own hopes of pulling off a famous upset will depend to a large extent on Robert Lewandowski.

It is a sobering thought that Mbappe, not 24 until later this month, may not yet be at the peak of his powers but he has already scored seven goals in 10 appearances at the World Cup.

That tally includes one in the 2018 final when he was still a teenager as France beat Croatia in Moscow.

His mission now is to help his country become the first to retain the World Cup since Brazil, with an even younger Pele, did so in 1962.

Mbappe has already scored three times in Qatar, including a brace in a 2-1 victory against Denmark that secured qualification for the last 16, and there is a belief he is thriving as the undisputed star of Didier Deschamps’ side.

The situation is different to that of Paris Saint-Germain, where he shares the limelight with Lionel Messi and Neymar, and in that sense it may be that Karim Benzema’s withdrawal due to injury on the eve of the tournament does no harm to French hopes.

“Kylian has no ego,” insisted Deschamps a few days ago, going against the perception of Mbappe in the context of PSG.

“He is a decisive player for us and his performances put him in the spotlight. He is not 18 anymore. He has experience now.”

It wasn’t just Mbappe -– who now has as many international goals as Zinedine Zidane — that France missed as a second-string team lost 1-0 to Tunisia on Wednesday, a result that did not stop them topping their group.

He will be back along with the likes of Hugo Lloris, Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud as France and Poland meet at a major tournament for the first time since the 1982 World Cup.

‘Beyond reproach’

“Kylian is not the same player or person as in 2018,” said Griezmann on Friday when asked about Mbappe’s role in a squad hit by injuries to several key players before the tournament.

“He is much more a part of the squad now. He speaks a lot and has fun. He knows that the media, fans and even his teammates will be watching everything that he does but he is beyond reproach.”

France are clear favourites for Sunday’s game but there is the memory of what happened in the last 16 at last year’s European Championship, when Mbappe missed the crucial penalty in a shoot-out defeat to Switzerland.

Poland only just scraped through their group ahead of Mexico on goal difference and Lewandowski’s strike -– his first World Cup goal –- in the win over Saudi Arabia was therefore crucial.

“I’m aware it might be my last World Cup and I wanted to be able to say that I’ve played and scored at World Cups,” he said after that game.

The 34-year-old also got nine goals in qualifying and there is nobody else quite on his level in Czeslaw Michniewicz’s squad.

“We are happy because getting out of the group was our objective,” said defender Jakub Kiwior after the team trained on Friday.

Seeing Mbappe and Lewandowski together on the same pitch is a rare treat.

Two of the most prolific forwards in the modern game, they are nevertheless different types of striker –- one all about explosive pace coming into the box from wide areas, and the other the ultimate penalty-box finisher now coming towards the end of his career.

Lewandowski left Bayern Munich for Barcelona in the last close season, but according to reports in France he might have ended up at PSG.

Le Parisien reported on Friday that PSG tried to convince Lewandowski to join them after tying Mbappe to a new contract in May.

PSG’s failure to sign Lewandowski or another top-class number nine was given as one reason why Mbappe was reportedly so unhappy at his club just a couple of months ago.

Those reports have since died down and his focus is on the World Cup, with Lewandowski now standing in his way.

Source: AFP

Yaoundé: Disabled Ask for Greater Inclusion in Public Office and Political Life

3, December 2022

Yaoundé: Disabled Ask for Greater Inclusion in Public Office and Political Life 0

Scores of Cameroonians with physical disabilities petitioned the government on Friday for better representation in public office and political parties. Meeting in the capital Yaoundé, ahead of the International Day of Disabled Persons on December 3, activists said parties resist fielding disabled candidates. They also noted that not a single disabled person is in parliament or the president’s office.

Samuel Nyingcho, who has impaired vision, said the opposition Social Democratic Front rejected his request to run for local council in Tubah, an English-speaking northwestern town. Nyingcho said he was told that visual impairment hinders the ability to contribute to development.

“The national chairman of the Social Democratic Front, gave me a test to ascertain whether I was able to read and write and equally able to engage in community work,” he said. “That test I passed and then was given the opportunity to enroll as a councilor.”

But Nyingcho said after he registered, his candidacy was again rejected. Others with visual impairment began street protests and the party finally accepted his candidacy, he said.

The Social Democratic Front said that since his election in 2013, Nyingcho has been an exemplary council member, helping the community to build roads and to provide electricity and water.

Nyingcho is one of only 12 councilors with disabilities in Cameroon, out of some 12,000 nationwide.

Not a single member of parliament’s 280 members has a disability, and only one of the country’s 372 mayors.

Thirty-two leaders of associations of people with disabilities signed the petition presented Friday.

Coco Bertin, the founder of the Club for the Rehabilitated Young Blind People of Cameroon, said he signed because there is no reason qualified and educated people with disabilities should be denied better representation in public office and political parties.

He said more opportunities for those with disabilities would reduce or end the traditional belief that people with disabilities are a curse to their communities or victims of ancestral punishment for wrongdoing. Coco added that Cameroon will not be a country that ensures inclusion and equality of opportunity if people with disabilities are discriminated against.

Cameroon President Paul Biya appointed Douglas Achingale, who walks with crutches, deputy director general of the National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities in 2020.

Achingale said the disabled want to see exclusion stopped in schools.

“There are official texts which give children with disabilities some exclusive advantages during their admission in public schools, however, many educational authorities refuse categorically to respect this text,” he said. “The process to render public buildings accessible to persons with disabilities is slow, very slow indeed.”

The government says it has taken note of the plight of people living with disabilities.

Pauline Irene Nguene, Cameroon’s minister of social affairs, said Cameroon considers the fight against all forms of social exclusions as one of its immediate priorities. She said there is an ongoing advocacy with political parties, NGOs and the government for social exclusion to end.

The United Nations proclaimed the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 1992 to mobilize support for the inclusion of persons with disabilities and promote awareness-raising about disability issues.

Source: VOA

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