Monthly Archives: October 2024

13, October 2024

Indomitable Lions: Marc Brys threatens to resign ⁰

In an unexpected twist, Marc Brys, head coach of the Indomitable Lions has issued an ultimatum that is now shaking the apparent calm following the recent joint statement from FECAFOOT and the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education (MINSEP).

The reason for this ultimatum is the absence of Mununga from the match sheet, the assistant to the 62-year-old Belgian tactician.

“If my assistant’s name is not on the match sheet soon, I will resign,” Brys declared at the post-match conference following Cameroon-Kenya.

This statement, unusually frank in the otherwise reserved realm of Cameroonian football, raises many questions about the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the national team.

The Belgian coach, not widely known to the public despite his experience, appears ready to put his position on the line for his assistant. This stance reveals not only a deep attachment to his coaching staff but also a possible reliance on his collaborator.

Timing

The timing of this declaration is particularly intriguing. While one might expect to see a jubilant coach following his players’ 4-1 victory over the Kenyans, Marc Brys made a heavy statement.

In recent days, tensions seemed to have eased between the governing bodies of Cameroonian football, but Brys has rekindled the embers of a latent conflict. His threat of resignation could be interpreted as a gesture of solidarity, but also as a tactic to safeguard his personal interests.

This situation highlights the fragility of the balance within the Indomitable Lions’ coaching setup. It also raises questions about the actual autonomy of the head coach in his technical choices and the potential interference in the composition of his staff.

The response of FECAFOOT to this ultimatum will be crucial. Will they yield to Brys’s pressure, risking the creation of a precedent, or will they maintain their position, even if it means losing their coach just months ahead of important deadlines?

This emerging crisis reveals the challenges facing Cameroonian football, caught between sporting ambitions and behind-the-scenes power struggles. The future of Marc Brys and his assistant may well become a symbol of a broader fight for control over the technical leadership of the Indomitable Lions.

While awaiting a resolution, Brys’s explosive statement leaves Cameroonian football in uncertainty, reminding us that even in sports, stakes often exceed the simple context of the pitch.

Source: Koaci

13, October 2024

Joel Matip confirms retirement from football ⁰

Former Liverpool defender Joel Matip has confirmed his retirement from football.

The centre-back departed the Reds in the summer after an eight-year spell that included 201 appearances and multiple major honours with the club.

Signed on a free transfer from Schalke 04 in 2016, Matip was a key figure throughout Jürgen Klopp’s reign as manager, helping to secure a return to Champions League football and starring in the run to glory in the competition in 2019 – including an assist for Divock Origi in the Madrid final against Tottenham Hotspur.

Matip featured as Liverpool went on to add the UEFA Super Cup, and was involved in nine Premier League games in 2019-20 as Klopp’s team emphatically ended the club’s 30-year wait to be crowned English champions again.

After a long-term injury curtailed his 2020-21 campaign, the ex-Cameroon international returned to stellar form as the Reds launched a quadruple bid the following season.

The No.32 clocked up 43 games – his most in a single campaign for the club – and appeared in both finals as the Carabao Cup and Emirates FA Cup were lifted at Wembley, while he and his teammates also finished runners-up in the top flight and Champions League.

He continued to be an important member of the squad in 2022-23 and into the beginning of 2023-24, but a cruel anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered last December prevented him from playing for the club again.

Matip and supporters said farewell to one another at Anfield on the final day of last season, ahead of the expiry of his contract, and he has now confirmed that his playing career has reached a conclusion.

He had previously spent seven years representing Schalke at senior level after progressing through their youth ranks, winning the German cup with the club in 2011.

In international football, Matip made 27 appearances and scored once for Cameroon, with whom he played at the World Cup in 2010 and 2014.

Everybody at LFC wishes Joel and his family the very best for the future.

Source: LFC

13, October 2024

Cameroonians should focus more on post-Biya period instead of waiting for announcements of his death ⁰

The world has been focusing on Cameroon recently following news that Paul Biya, Cameroon’s second president, had died in Europe. The news, which was first broadcast on ABS, an American-based media outlet, sent shivers down the spines of many Cameroonians, with many asking questions about the country’s future. Mr. Biya has been in office for over four decades and during this time in power, people across the globe see him as a symbol of stability, though over the last seven years, Cameroon has been dealing with an insurgency in the country’s two English-speaking regions. News about his death caused Cameroon dollar bonds to take a nosedive, causing many investors to put off their investment plans in Cameroon. To again a better understanding of the situation in Cameroon, the Cameroon Concord News Group editor-in-chief, Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai, had to turn to Dr. Joachim Arrey of the Global Think Tank for Africa, an experienced and erudite political analyst, for an insightful analysis and he had the following to say.

Cameroon Concord News: Over the last few days, Cameroon has been in the news for all the wrong reasons following the announcement of the death of the country’s president. Many Cameroonians are concerned and the country’s dollar bonds have taking a nosedive, making it hard for Cameroon to borrow from global capital markets. What do you make of this situation?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: Thank you for inviting me to share my perspective on the unfortunate news which has been spreading online. Allow me to point out that it is wrong for anybody to announce the death of a man who is still living. Regardless of our political differences, it is immoral and unethical for anybody to spread such bad news. I have heard that many people around the world celebrated when they heard the news. Permit me to add that none of us has the power to decide when another person has to die. Death is not something we should even wish on our worst enemy. That said, I would like to caution that all humans are mortal including Mr. Biya who is almost 92 years old. When we get to such an age, we should celebrate but at the same time, it is only logical that we do the right things. At Mr. Biya’s age, he should be thinking of passing on the torch to the next generation of politicians. He has done his best, though many hold that his best is not good enough. Succession planning should be the focus of all Cameroonian political institutions. Nobody is immortal, including Mr. Biya and if he loves his country he should be thinking about quitting the political arena for a well-deserved retirement.

Mr. Biya has been the face of that country for a long time and his health and even death should be a call for concern for the entire country. When a public figure like him is not seen in public or is suspected of having health issues, it becomes a subject of discussion because much rides on his health or life. The unfortunate news about his death has affected the country’s economy and the country’s dollar bonds have taken a hit. Cameroon is now a high risk environment and many investors who are looking for where to invest their money will now walk away from Cameroon. Our country’s economy is already suffering and if it has to deal with other external shocks then we are in for tough times.

I would also like to point out that Cameroonians should stop blaming all the issues in Cameroon on Mr. Biya. Of course, he is the president and should be responsible for many things which have gone wrong, but it takes more than one person to destroy an entire country. As individuals, we must understand that there is what we call personal responsibility. If every Cameroonian decides to do the right thing regardless of the pain which comes with that, our country will not be falling apart as it is doing now. We have to change our atomic habits if we must see significant changes in our country. We must be the change we desire. As individuals, we have a lot to do if Cameroon must rise from its ashes like the proverbial phoenix. It is not Mr. Biya’s fault that we all urinate on our streets. It is not Mr. Biya’s fault that we all spend more time in bars instead of sitting at home with our children. It is not Mr. Biya’s fault that we cannot engage in community labour to make our neighborhoods clean. We need to address the little things which we have control over to reduce the decay that has become a millstone around our necks.

Cameroon Concord News: You talk about the next generation of politicians, who do you think will be part of the next generation of politicians when many young Cameroonians are pouring out of the country?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: For more than four decades, we have seen the same faces in our political landscape and many of those people are old and should yield the floor to young politicians who can drive the country into a new era. If Cameroonians in their immense majority think that Mr. Biya has overstayed his welcome in our political space, then most of those who are also there should be ready to leave. The president of the country’s senate is not a young person and most of his vice presidents clearly belong to the past. These people need to be replaced if Cameroon has to be part of the progressive political world. The new generation of politicians I am talking about should comprise courageous people who hold that Cameroon deserves better and they are determined to make their modest contribution to the building of a better Cameroon. In this effort, the Diaspora has a significant role to play. I hold that people who are nearing retirement in Western countries can take off some time to run as members of parliament, mayors or senators in Cameroon to bring in fresh ideas into the system. It does not only suffice to identify the problems. The Diaspora must bring its experience and knowledge to bear. At 60, there is no reason to be scared of returning home. If Cameroon is broken as we all say, then we all must roll up our sleeves to shore up any development efforts in our country. We have to do it. Nobody will do it for us. If the citizens of the countries in which many of us send our children to had escaped from their countries, we would not have had a place to send our children. We must seek to rebuild Cameroon. The onus is on all of us. Like many Cameroonians, I have lived out for almost three decades and I think I can bring something to the table in Cameroon. I want to help and I think the best place to start is at the grassroots.

Cameroon Concord News: Are you saying you will soon be part of the country’s political landscape?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: That is on the table. I have extensive political experience and I have a deep understanding of some of those issues which are hurting our people. Like I have always said, I have come to the ripe age where I can make some sacrifices for my country. Like many Cameroonians I have talked to, I hold that if meaningful change has to take place in Cameroon, young people with innovative ideas must be part of the political landscape. I am staring down the barrel of retirement and I have nothing to lose if I serve my country for a few years. I strongly believe that I can influence things at the grassroots level and I am willing to even settle in my native Ossing just to make a difference. Our people need to see a different model and I am willing to deliver that model to them after having lived in many parts of the world.

Cameroon Concord News: Don’t you think running as a senator or an MP will be the right place for you to start?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: Like I have said, everything is still on the table. If my people trust me, they will place me where they think I should be. I have a good relationship with the people of Manyu and I have always been there for them. I will never abandon them regardless of the situation. I will continue to send many kids to school, grant scholarships to those who want to further their studies and support development efforts in the Division. I have already endeared myself to my people. For over 25 years, I have placed the people of Manyu at the centre of my actions and I think if they give me the opportunity, I will like to do more for the Division. Manyu needs erudite, courageous and development-oriented politicians. They need politicians who will point them in the right direction. I want to point the people of Manyu in the right direction. I have learned and I am willing to learn from those who have been in that landscape before me. Life is a journey of learning and I have undertaken that journey. Manyu needs to change. I have a massive dream for my people. It hurts when I see them crying. There is a better way of doing things and I am prepared to take them down that beautiful route. There is no reason for any Cameroonian to die in the desert or on the high seas. We need to breathe faith in our youths. We need to orientate them so that they can see the opportunities in their natural environment. We can build their capacities at home and let them operate at the international level. Currently, I am moulding some Manyu youths and directing them on how to get jobs at the international level. I would like to extend that program to all sons and daughters of Manyu who have the right certificates. I want to open their eyes to the realities of their time. I want to teach them how to make money and keep it. I want to let them understand that no initiative succeeds without discipline. I do not need to be a senator or a Member of Parliament to help my people but if the opportunity is there and the people trust me, I will use it to deliver more scholarships and educate many youths. There is still time to reflect on senatorial, mayoral and parliamentary elections. I can serve my people in any capacity and I have already triggered that process by organizing online clinics for those who have the right certificates.

Cameroon Concord News: Any last word?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: Thank you Mr. Chairman for giving me the opportunity to share my perspective. I would like to urge Cameroonians to focus more on the post-Biya period instead of waiting for announcements of his death. None of us can determine when someone will die but because of his age and declining health, we should be working towards avoiding any confusion or bloodshed in our country when and if Mr. Biya quits power. We do not need to kill each other. We need to correct the errors of the past so that our country can be the envy of the continent. The country’s political opposition should be calling for that. Opposition political parties should be working together to ensure that the transition will be smooth whenever that time comes. Once more, thank you for your confidence in my ability to provide great political analysis.

Cameroon Concord News: Thank you, Dr. Joachim Arrey, for you time.

12, October 2024

Paul Biya: Nigerians making a mockery of Cameroonians ⁰

Over the last week, news about Biya’s death has been trending online and many around the world hold that it is time for Cameroon to have a brand new leadership.

Biya is old and at 91, there is very little he can deliver to the people of Cameroon. For 42 years, Biya has mismanaged the country, opening the door for corruption and embezzlement which are today the country’s hallmark.

The news about Biya triggered a wave of celebrations abroad with Nigerians joining without thinking twice.

Speaking to Cameroon Concord News Group, a Nigerian in Ireland who elected anonymity said that Cameroonians are weak, adding that even the Okada Union in Lagos will not let a 91-year-old man to be its president.

Nigerians are aware that Cameroonians are leaving their country in droves because of Biya’s tyranny and mismanagement and they hold that Cameroonians should be courageous enough to take the bull by the horn instead of running away.

He added that though Nigeria is not an Eldorado, it is better than Cameroon because Nigerians are enjoying free speech.

He pointed to Minister Atanga Nji’s press release which banned any discussions on President Biya’s health, adding that such a person should never be a minister in Cameroon, a country which has millions of highly educated people.

He said most of Africa was praying for Biya to quit the political scene, adding that at his age, he was too old to engineer any real change or reforms in the country.

By Chi Prudence Asong

11, October 2024

Kidnappings doubled in Southern Cameroons in 2023 ⁰

In 2023, nearly 450 ransom kidnappings were recorded in the English-speaking regions of North-West and South-West Cameroon, both deeply affected by the ongoing crisis. This figure is more than double that of 2022, when around 200 kidnappings were documented. These statistics come from a report published in September 2024 by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (Acled). The report reveals that in 2018, approximately 40 kidnappings were registered, followed by a slight drop in 2019. However, since 2020, the number of abductions has steadily increased, peaking in 2023.

Analysts from these organizations attribute this rise to a reduction in financial support from the diaspora to separatist fighters. Deprived of this backing, armed groups have turned to ransom kidnappings to fund their operations. ” In response to the reduced international financial support, separatist groups increasingly kidnap civilians to fund their operations,” the report states.

The document also notes that at the start of armed conflicts in 2017, more than 89% of attacks targeting civilians were attributed to government forces. However, separatists have gradually intensified their attacks on civilians, reaching nearly 48% of political violence in 2020. “This elevation in civilian targeting, including a steep rise in abductions and kidnapping for ransom in 2022 and 2023, further compounded the waning support from both the diaspora and local civilians,” the study highlights.

In addition to the loss of external support due to the kidnappings, separatists have also seen their popularity dwindle among local populations. “Although effective from a fundraising perspective, the abductions diminished support from local populations and many diaspora supporters,” the report specifies.

Regarding kidnapping targets, separatists primarily choose individuals who are “politically influential, wealthy, or both.” They also abduct ordinary people, though ransom amounts depend on the victim’s profile, wealth, and vulnerability to abduction. Additionally, members of the security forces and the military remain prime targets for the separatists.

Source: Sbbc

11, October 2024

Cameroonians wait for news on Biya, said to be alive in Geneva ⁰

The condition and exact whereabouts of Cameroon’s President Paul Biya remain unclear Thursday, two days after the government was forced to announce Biya was alive in Geneva, Switzerland, in response to rumors on social media that he had died.

Biya has not been seen in public for more than five weeks, since he attended the Africa-China forum in Beijing in early September.

Cameroon’s Territorial Administration minister Paul Atanga Nji told residents of Massock, a village near the Atlantic coast, that Biya dispatched him to provide humanitarian assistance to victims of floods sweeping across the central African state.

Nji, like many Cameroon senior state functionaries, told civilians that Biya is in good health, and that information circulating on social and mainstream media about the 91-year-old president’s death is being spread by people who want to see Cameroon devolve into chaos.

“The president of our nation Cameroon cannot be dead,” Gregory Mewano, a member of Biya’s Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement party, said Thursday on Cameroon state radio. “And you find the prime minister in Germany with a whole entourage, the minister of interior taking care of internal politics and the minister of public works inspecting projects.”

Officials say Biya will return to Cameroon soon, but they have not said when. There was no indication he was unwell in Beijing. He was scheduled to attend a meeting of French and African leaders in Paris afterward, but he did not appear, and no reason was given for his absence.

Cameroon opposition and civil society groups say they are concerned about Biya’s absence and health, and ask government officials to present Biya to civilians instead of simply saying he is alive.

With elections only a year away, some groups say it is time to begin thinking about a new, much younger candidate who could take the country forward.

“We have had to make it clear to both national and international opinions that a number of opposition political parties are … consulting with regards to the happenings of Cameroon, and this rumor [about Biya’s death] is not an exception,” said Michael Ngwese Eke Ekosso, president of the opposition United Socialist Democratic Party. “Decisions will be arrived at with regards to the upcoming presidential elections.”

Some opposition political parties have proposed uniting behind Akere Muna, an English-speaking anti-corruption lawyer and good governance crusader, as a candidate in the October 2025 presidential election.

Muna, who is 72, said if elected, he would launch a three-year transitional period to lift Cameroon from Biya’s iron-fisted 42-year rule.

“Our profound reflection is that a non-renewable transition is essential,” Muna said. “The vision we are proposing is to strengthen democracy and governance, adopt a new constitution that incarnates the present and future aspirations of the people of Cameroon, and promote free and fair elections.”

If elected, Muna would be Cameroon’s first leader from the western regions where English is the primary language.

His supporters say having a president from that area may help end a seven-year insurgency by English-speaking armed groups, who say English-speakers in Cameroon are marginalized by the French-speaking majority.

Opposition parties blame Biya for not being able to solve the crisis.

Meanwhile, Cameroonians of all parties wait anxiously for concrete signs that Biya is alive and will be returning to his country.

Source: VOA

11, October 2024

Yaoundé: All discussion on President Biya’s condition is now officially banned ⁰

Cameroon’s government has banned the media from discussing the health of President Paul Biya, Africa’s second-longest-ruling leader, amid rumours the 91-year-old is gravely ill, according to a document obtained by AFP.

Biya, the world’s oldest leader, has not made a public appearance since early September, fuelling a swirl of rumours online that the veteran president’s health is failing.

“The head of state is the principal institution of the republic, and discussions on his condition are a matter of national security,” said the document addressed to regional governors, which was dated October 9 and signed by Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji.

“All discussion in the media on the president’s condition is therefore officially banned.”

The document, which bore a red stamp reading “highly urgent”, added that anyone violating the order would “face the full force of the law”.

It ordered regional governors to create “monitoring cells” charged with tracking content in private media, including social networks.

Biya has been Cameroon’s president for more than 41 years, second in Africa only to 82-year-old Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has held power in Equatorial Guinea for 45 years.

Biya’s last public appearance was at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing last month.

He did not take part in the subsequent United Nations General Assembly opening in New York or a summit of French-speaking countries in Paris.

The president’s office issued a statement Tuesday saying Biya was in “excellent health”, condemning rumours to the contrary as “disinformation”.

He “is working and attending to his affairs in Geneva,” said a government spokesman, adding Biya would return to Cameroon “in the coming days”.

Biya’s public appearances have grown sparse in recent years — mainly rare televised speeches, pre-recorded and haltingly delivered, and family photos and videos showing him alongside his influential wife, Chantal.

Source: AFP

10, October 2024

Cabinet ministers, ambassadors are unsure of President Biya’s condition ⁰

Recent reactions from Etoudi on the bill of health of President Paul Biya have still not dispelled all doubts. Biya’s return to Yaoundé the nation’s capital has been announced “in the very next few days,” according to Minister René Emmanuel Sadi’s terms. But senior officials contacted by Cameroon Intelligence Report today in Yaoundé say they are unsure of the president’s condition.

A Cameroonian diplomat in Geneva with strong ties to Etoudi told our correspondent that it’s a bit difficult to comment, because the information about President Biya is coming from different places and from different sources.

Our source who sued for anonymity furthered that cabinet ministers and ambassadors in Europe are now very careful with what they say.

On June 9, 2004, after being reported dead a few days earlier and having met the rumour with the same silence, Paul Biya reappeared on the tarmac of Yaoundé-Nsimalen airport, arriving—once again—from Geneva.

But his absence this time around comes at a crucial moment for Cameroon, a country that is facing a powerful secessionist movement in the two English speaking regions of the country.

The country’s second in command, Marcel Niat is also a living corpse and he is presently too weak to chair security meetings.

Cameroon Intelligence Report understands that the 91-year-old Biya mandated the Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh to deputize for him. There are questions now about whether Biya has completed the legal transfer of power to Ngoh Ngoh. In short, these are times that require strong leadership, not a lack thereof.

The general political temperature is gearing up and Barrister Akere Muna recently announced his 8-point plan for next year’s presidential election. Muna made a strong presentation but avoided the issue of the president’s health and also who is in charge of state affairs.

The next presidential election is scheduled for October 2025.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

10, October 2024

15 killed in road accident in the South Region ⁰

At least 15 people were killed and 10 others injured in a collision between a passenger bus and a truck in Cameroon’s South region Wednesday morning, according to a local official.

Prefect of Dja and Lobo division Damien Owono said the accident happened when the bus collided head-on with the truck coming from the opposite direction in the Kombe locality of the region.

“We woke up this early morning with this shocking news. There were 22 passengers and the driver on the bus. The 10 injured are being taken care of in the hospital. We ask the families to remain calm. It was an accident. Investigations are ongoing and will establish the responsibility. We ask road users to be more careful,” Owono told reporters after visiting the scene of the tragedy.

According to local police, the death toll is feared to rise as most of the injured people are in critical condition because of the serious burn injuries. Such accidents in Cameroon are often linked to the poor condition of roads and drivers’ ignorance.

Data from the Cameroonian Ministry of Transport show some 1,500 people die in road accidents each year in the Central African nation.

Source: Xinhuanet

10, October 2024

US: Trump refuses presidential debate ‘rematch’ with Harris ⁰

Donald Trump ruled out a second US presidential debate with rival Kamala Harris on Wednesday, hours after Fox News offered to host a candidate showdown later this month before Election Day on November 5.

The Republican ex-president and Democratic vice president, locked in an excruciatingly close White House battle, have faced off just once, in September, and despite suggestions by multiple news outlets, it appears they will not meet again before the vote.

“It is very late in the process, (early) voting has already begun — there will be no rematch!” Trump said in an all-caps post on his Truth Social media platform, nixing the possibility of a follow-up to the candidates’ first debate in Philadelphia.

“Kamala stated clearly, yesterday, that she would not do anything different than Joe Biden, so there is nothing to debate,” Trump added.

Harris had previously challenged Trump to a debate hosted by CNN on October 23, but the former president declined.

Trump also said that Harris, who became the Democratic nominee after President Biden ended his reelection bid following his disastrous debate with Trump, had backed out of a previous debate offered by Fox, although the Harris campaign had not publicly accepted the proposal.

The candidates did agree to debate on ABC News on September 10, and the vice presidential running mates — Republican J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Walz — squared off on October 1.

But while Trump said he had agreed to participate in a September 4 debate on Fox, as well as one on September 25 on NBC News, Harris never did.

The vice president, after positive reviews that she had bested Trump in their encounter, had expressed interest in doing a second debate, but the plans never came to fruition.

Fox for its part sent letters Wednesday to the two campaigns offering “one final pitch for a debate” between Harris and Trump, either on October 24 or October 27.

“This would present an opportunity for each candidate to make his or her closing arguments,” wrote Jay Wallace, president of Fox News Media.

Source: AFP