Monthly Archives: September 2023

Archbishop Andrew Nkea says delegates to Synod on Synodality to give no room for distraction

26, September 2023

Archbishop Andrew Nkea says delegates to Synod on Synodality to give no room for distraction 0

Delegates to the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops are not to give “room for distractions” during the meeting scheduled to begin on October 4.

In a September 23 interview, Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya of the Bamenda Archdiocese said deliberations during the Synod that Pope Francis extended to 2024 will focus on the Instrumentum Laboris.

“We are not going to allow ourselves to be distracted by the social media antics; there will be no room for distraction,” Archbishop Nkea said, adding, “The aim of the synod is to reflect on the Church we have and how we want it to be and not to change the doctrine of the Church.”

The metropolitan Archbishop who was appointed member of the Ordinary Council of the synod by Pope Francis highlighted some of the issues to be discussed, saying, “We are going to reflect on the problem of LGBT+ in families and polygamy in marriage but it’s not about changing the teachings of the Church. There is already an Instrumentum Laboris we are working on.”

The Archbishop of Bamenda who doubles as the President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC) further said, “We have dedicated three years of effort to prepare for this event through questionnaires and a mini-African synod that was held in Ethiopia.”

“We are going to allow ourselves to be guided by the Holy Spirit, allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us,” the Catholic Archbishop who started his Episcopal Ministry in Cameroon’s Mamfe Diocese as Coadjutor Bishop in August 2013 said.

Reflecting on how synodality was lived in Cameroon, he said, “Synodality has, so to speak, caught fire not only in Cameroon but in Africa. The synod is not a new thing to the Church in Cameroon because we have conveyed to our faithful from the very beginning what every Diocese must do to respond to Pope Francis’ call to listen to one another, progress together, share ideas, and remember that, as Christians, we must not leave anyone behind.”

He went on to explain that in Cameroon, the structural approach “begins with decisions made at the grassroot community levels.”

“The spirit of collegiality is our way of functioning. We always start with the population and the community, then proceed to missions, parishes, and the Diocese,” Archbishop Nkea said.

He noted that “when a Bishop contemplates a decision on a particular issue, the consultation process begins with the involvement of the faithful, starting with families … Together with his (Bishop’s) advisors, they make the final decision based on the input received.”

New Pastoral Year Launched in CAR Archdiocese, Cardinal Urges Faithful to “get involved”

In a break with past custom that allowed laypeople to participate in the Synod of Bishops without the right to vote, the Vatican indicated on April 26 that lay delegates to the 16th Ordinary General Assembly that was announced in March 2020 will participate as voting members.

Also speaking to ACI Africa on September 23, Bishop Georges Nkuo of Cameroon’s Kumbo Diocese said, “The Holy Father invites us to engage in dialogue to discern the kind of Church we have and the kind of Church we aspire to build in a truly evangelical spirit.”

“We aim for a Church that is closely connected to the people, one that is recognized at the periphery. While other topics may surface during the synod, the primary focus is on our collective journey and discernment,” Bishop Nkuo, who is not among the delegates to the Synod, said.

He continued, “We are a mature Church. The Holy Father does not endorse ideologies; he embraces individuals. Every human being is precious in the eyes of God. The Holy Father does not engage with organizations or NGOs that have specific agendas. We come to the Church not to change its teachings but to deepen our understanding together.”

Culled from ACI Africa

Bakassi: Militants behead Cameroon Gendarmes

26, September 2023

Bakassi: Militants behead Cameroon Gendarmes 0

Separatists militants suspected to be Black Marine have beheaded three members of the Cameroon Gendarmes in Isangele subdivision an area in Bakassi Peninsula inhabited by ethnic groups of Southeastern Nigeria origin.

The militants numbering four were sailing on big canoe boat with fishing net at 5am on Tuesday morning, when they jumped out from the water shooting one Gendarmerie and beheaded two at a spot, taking their guns and their heads.

Report says that the militants keep the head of any beheaded soldier in their camps.

Meanwhile, the Rapid d’intervention Battalions (BIR) have began manhunt for the leader of the Black Marine following a deadly suicide bomb attack that killed seven BIR members.

Henry Edet, Operational coordinator of Biafra Nations League, BnL, said his group was excited to hear that the bomb attack killed Biafra enemies.

Source: igberetvnews

IG says attacks on Francophone soldiers natural response to Yaoundé’s arrogance

26, September 2023

IG says attacks on Francophone soldiers natural response to Yaoundé’s arrogance 0

The Ambazonia Interim Government says attacks on checkpoints of French Cameroun security agents in Southern Cameroons will intensify in the coming weeks.

Vice President Dabney Yerima made the remarks during an interview he granted to a group of Nigerian newspapers recently.

Yerima said Ambazonia attacks are a natural response to the criminal acts of the French Cameroun occupiers.

The exiled Southern Cameroons leader said attacks against French Cameroun army soldiers should be viewed as part of a mobilization campaign in Ground Zero to defend the Ambazonia homeland.

Extremist Francophone soldiers have been raiding Southern Cameroons villages in Bui, Ndop and Akwaya in recent months as part of what many believe to be a plot to maintain a massive Francophone military presence throughout Southern Cameroons.

By Chi Prudence Asong

Buea: GCE Board registrar dies

26, September 2023

Buea: GCE Board registrar dies 0

The Registrar of the General Certificate of Education Board, Dang Akuh Dominic has died, the board has said.

The 64-year-old Southern Cameroons elite, who hailed from Menchum Division in the North West Rergion, also served as Inspector General in charge of Bilingualism in the Ministry of Secondary Education, forging a reputation as an outspoken Anglo-Saxon man.

Dang Akuh Dominic died at the Mount Mary hospital in Buea on Monday, an official said. He was also credited with helping to secure and maintain the Anglo-Saxon standard of the GCE amid the war in Southern Cameroons.

The late Dang was appointed Registrar of the GCE Board on January 31, 2018 replacing the well-fed Monono Ekema Humphrey who had been in office since 2006.

By Rita Akana

Chelsea Football Nemesis: Falkland Islands tactics not helping!

25, September 2023

Chelsea Football Nemesis: Falkland Islands tactics not helping! 0

Mauricio Pochettino has pleaded for more time as he scrambles for solutions to Chelsea’s mounting crisis. But how patient will the owners be?

The Blues, European champions only two years ago, are a lowly 14th in the Premier League table, just four points above the relegation zone, after one win in their first six matches.

Their latest setback was a 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday, with Ollie Watkins scoring the winner after the dismissal of Chelsea defender Malo Gusto.

Last year, Chelsea mustered their lowest points tally of the Premier League era but they have made an even more dire start to the current campaign.

“Give me time,” Pochettino pleaded after Sunday’s match, urging the club’s American owners to back him.

“They (the owners) are disappointed, they arrived at the club and are so excited to build a project.

“Of course they feel disappointed but at the same time they need to support the plan.”

Pochettino was confirmed as the new man in the Stamford Bridge hot seat in May — becoming the third permanent boss since Todd Boehly’s consortium bought the west London club from Roman Abramovich in 2022.

Boehly backed his manager by bankrolling another huge spending spree during the summer transfer window, taking Chelsea’s outlay on new players in just over a year beyond £1 billion ($1.2 billion).

But the return on their investment has been pitiful during a period of churn and upheaval on and off the pitch.

Goal-shy Chelsea

Chelsea have mustered just five goals in their first six league matches — and three of those came in the 3-0 win against newly promoted Luton.

They have failed to score in 13 Premier League matches in 2023 — more than any other side.

The frustrated Pochettino bemoaned his team’s lack of luck in the Villa defeat, saying the only thing missing was goals.

“We need to be aware about what is going on but in some way we need to be calm because the team is creating, the team is alive, the team is fighting every single action,” he said.

Pochettino can point to a lengthy injury list as a partial explanation for Chelsea’s blunt attack.

He lost France forward Christopher Nkunku to a serious knee injury in a pre-season friendly, but others including Mykhailo Mudryk, Nicolas Jackson, Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer have failed to deliver.

The former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss will be painfully aware that Chelsea are not a patient club — the hire-and-fire culture of the Abramovich era persists under Boehly’s leadership.

Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel in the early weeks of last season, and Graham Potter suffered the same fate in April, axed after less than seven months in charge when the club were 11th in the table.

Pochettino enhanced his reputation during his five-year stint at Tottenham, subsequently taking charge at PSG, where he won the Ligue 1 title.

However, he failed to meet PSG’s primary goal of winning the Champions League, leaving his managerial CV still relatively light on silverware compared with some of his Premier League counterparts.

Next up for Chelsea are in-form Brighton, who travel to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday for a League Cup third round tie.

They then face local rivals Fulham in the Premier League, with matches looming against Arsenal, Tottenham and champions Manchester City.

The Villa fans delighted in the discomfort of the Chelsea boss at the weekend, chanting that he would be “sacked in the morning”.

There are no signs that the club hierarchy are preparing to pull the trigger yet, but they may feel compelled to act soon unless there is a dramatic improvement.

Source: AFP

Niger bans Air France and aircrafts chartered by France from its airspace

24, September 2023

Niger bans Air France and aircrafts chartered by France from its airspace 0

Niger’s military rulers have banned “French aircraft” from flying over the country’s airspace, according to the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) website.

Niger’s airspace is “open to all national and international commercial flights except for French aircraft or aircraft chartered by France including those of the airline Air France,” it said in the statement dated late Saturday.

The air space would remain closed for “all military, operational and other special flights”, unless receiving prior authorisation, the message said.

Air France told AFP simply that it was “not flying over Niger airspace”.

Niger had reopened its airspace on September 4 for commercial flights after having been closed for nearly a month.

The West African nation then announced on August 6 it was closing its airspace due to the “threat of intervention from neighbouring countries”, as the Economic Community of West African States threatened military action to restore the elected President Mohamed Bazoum who had been overthrown in a coup on July 26.

France has repeatedly supported the West African bloc, and relations between Paris and Niamey have been at an all-time low since the coup.

Source: AFP

Far North Region: Army kills three Boko Haram militants

22, September 2023

Far North Region: Army kills three Boko Haram militants 0

The Cameroonian army said Thursday that its troops had killed three militants from the Boko Haram terrorist group in the country’s Far North region.

Militants from the terror group raided Galdala, a village in the Mayo-Tsanaga division of the region on Wednesday night and were subsequently ambushed by the army while returning with the looted goods to their base, said an army official in the region who spoke to Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Local media had reported that villagers were starting to evacuate the area due to deadly attacks in recent weeks.

Boko Haram, a terrorist group originating in Nigeria, has been operating in the Far North region since 2014, posing a significant security threat to Cameroon.

Source: Xinhuanet

Data base of Atrocities Releases Eight Verifications of Explosions, Burnings, Arbitrary Arrests against Civilians in Cameroon

22, September 2023

Data base of Atrocities Releases Eight Verifications of Explosions, Burnings, Arbitrary Arrests against Civilians in Cameroon 0

Both the Cameroon security services and separatist insurgents are implicated in atrocities in the long-running Anglophone conflict, according to reports released today, International Day of Peace. The reports have been compiled and verified using geolocation, based on videos, photos, satellite imagery, eyewitness accounts, social media posts, and news items.

The Cameroon Database of Atrocities works with the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA) to confirm each atrocity took place at a specific location and date. The eight new reports join a further 40 reports already compiled by the Database. It is hoped that the existence of the reports may discourage further acts of violence, end the impunity with which the perpetrators act, and one day be used in bringing these actors to justice.

The eight new reports confirm the following:

–Cameroon government forces arbitrarily burned multiple civilian homes in a village;

–Government forces arbitrarily arrested no fewer than 42 to 85 youths in a village, who are still detained months later;

–An elite government soldier violently harassed young men at several locations over several years;

–Anglophone separatist fighters burned several trucks of civilian foodstuffs;

–Separatist fighters detonated explosives at an outdoor market and at a race, killing one mother and injuring 19, including athletes running the race;

–Separatist fighters burned a school, a mayor’s house, and a church, while also taking hostages for ransom at the church, who were released one month later.

Cameroon’s so-called “Anglophone Crisis” began more than six years ago with peaceful protests, which became violent after the government responded with excessive force and arrested moderate protest leaders.

This led to a separatist movement calling for independence of Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions. The separatists’ 2017 unilateral independence declaration provoked brutal crackdowns from Cameroon government forces. Soon the crisis escalated into an armed conflict, with the Cameroon military fighting armed separatist groups, and civilians caught in the middle.

Since then, the Anglophone regions have witnessed widespread atrocities by both sides, causing over 6,000 deaths, 1.5 million displaced, and leaving 700,000 children out of school for years. Both sides have behaved with impunity.

Pope Francis has repeatedly urged the Cameroon government to act to stop the violence, but there has been little interest in diplomatic activity. Earlier this year, the government backed away from potential peace talks facilitated by Canada.

Commenting on the reports, CHRDA’s president, Barrister Felix ‘AgborBalla’Nkongho said: There is a need for accountability and an end to this culture of impunity. It can only be done when we monitor, document and report these gross and egregious crimes.

Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate and Regional Director forAfrica at National Democratic Institute in Washington, D.C., stated:

These data reports confirm that six years on, deaths and destruction are still a regular occurrence in the Anglophone conflict zones. The vicious cycle of violence and retaliation with impunity continues to foster suffering and deprivation, especially among civilian populations.

They’re yet another warning to those with guns that their actions are being fully documented and, ultimately, individuals and their sponsors and accomplices will be held to account someday. We hope that day comes soon so this well-documented evidence of atrocities can serve its purpose.

This release on the international peace day also coincides with the General Assembly of the United Nations currently holding in New York as world leaders lament the flurry of global crises and insecurity. One very significant takeaway from these reports is to put friends of Cameroon and the international community on notice that human life is not safe anywhere if it is not safe everywhere: underreported crises and conflicts such as is the case in Anglophone Cameroon deserve as much condemnation and efforts to find resolution through third-party-led mediation or negotiations, as more well-known conflicts.

Source: www.CameroonPeaceJustice.ca

Prof Anyangwe: Bullying tactics against Southern Cameroonians will go nowhere

21, September 2023

Prof Anyangwe: Bullying tactics against Southern Cameroonians will go nowhere 0

A prominent Southern Cameroons academic Professor Carlson Anyangwe says the Biya French Cameroun policy of implementing bullying tactics against the suffering peoples of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia in the form of military deployments, assassinations and burning down of towns and villages has failed to produce any results.

In a telephone conversation with Cameroon Concord News London Bureau Chief Isong Asu, Professor Carlson Anyangwe stated that using the bullying language in the form of raids, detentions, rape, torture and killing of innocent Southern Cameroonians is no longer a useful instrument.

Elaborating on his remarks, Carlson Anyangwe said La Republique should start talking to the jailed Anglophone leaders in the Kondengui Maximum Security Prison.

Professor Anyangwe pointed out that after AAC I and AAC II, the French Cameroun motto was that “What is mine is mine and what in Anglophone is negotiable. That won’t work anymore in Southern Cameroons” Anyangwe said.

“Southern Cameroonians will continue to judge the leadership in French Cameroun based on its practical steps and not its rhetoric on the so-called one and indivisible Cameroon” Professor Anyangwe added.

“The Ambazonia Interim Government is not interested in what the French Cameroun head of state Paul Biya wants to do with the situation in Southern Cameroons, the IG is interested in what Biya must do” Anyangwe furthered.

“As we speak, Yaounde’s behavior has failed to win even the trust of Southern Cameroonians like Dion Ngute, Philemon Yang and Mafany Musonge,” Anyangwe concluded.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files

Ambazonia Interim Gov’t meeting with Ground Zero commanders sent shivers down Yaoundé spine

21, September 2023

Ambazonia Interim Gov’t meeting with Ground Zero commanders sent shivers down Yaoundé spine 0

A recent meeting between representatives of the Ambazonia Interim Government(IG) and commanders of Southern Cameroons Self Defense Groups in Ground Zero reportedly sent shivers down the French Cameroun regime’s spine, Cameroon Intelligence Report has learned from a well-placed source in the nation’s capital.

Speaking about the secret meeting, an aide to Vice President Dabney Yerima told a South African radio host that the reassuring smiles of the Ground Zero commanders during the meeting was a positive indication that Amba fighters were more than ready to respond decisively to the numerous deployment of Francophone army soldiers to Southern Cameroons.

The meeting that was organized under the direct supervision of the IG’s Department for Strategic Planning revealed the depth of coordination between the Dabney Yerima-led Interim Government and Ground Zero commanders as well as other restoration groups.

Early on Monday, Vice President Dabney Yerima was quoted as saying that all Southern Cameroons Self Defense Groups are firmly determined to give a united response to the Biya-Francophone aggressive policies.

The countdown to the collapse of La Republique du Cameroun dominance over Southern Cameroons has begun, and the wish of the great Leader of the Ambazonia nation President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe is coming true.

By Chi Prudence Asong

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