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9, September 2023

Catholic Peace Entity Allays Fears of “a possible coup” in Cameroon ⁰

The Cameroonian government has put in place the system of “divide and rule”, which makes attempts by the country’s military to overthrow President Paul Biya impossible, a Catholic peace entity has said, allaying fears of “a possible coup” in the Central African nation.

Following recent military coups in Africa, particularly the July 26 one in the West African nation of Niger that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum from power, and the one in the Central African nation of Gabon on August 30, which resulted in the ouster of President Ali Bongo from power, the 90-year-old Cameroonian President reportedly made significant changes in his military, reshuffling the country’s defense delegate to the presidency, the staff of the air force, the navy, and the police.

According to Denis Hurley Peace Institute (DHPI), which has presence in Cameroon, the Central African country’s citizens are calling for the forceful removal of President Biya who ascended to the presidency through a coup d’état in 1982.

According to the peace entity of the Southern Africa Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC), Cameroonians are congratulating Gabon and have “unanimously called on the military leaders of Cameroon to follow suit.”

A coup in Cameroon, DHPI says, may be an uphill task for the military who have been divided into various groups, and an animosity created among them.

“It must be noted that Paul Biya, who has been the ruler of Cameroon since 1982 had diversified the Armed Forces in the country as a preventive measure for a possible coup,” the peace entity says.

Having suffered a failed military coup in 1984, Biya is said to have wasted no time in creating many arms of the military. In this light, the country has the Gendarmerie, the Regular Army, the National Presidential Guard and the Rapid Intervention Brigade widely known by its French acronym as BIR.

“With this diversification of the Armed Forces, Biya has used the tactic of divide and rule as some arms of the military are given preferential treatment to the detriment of others, for example the BIR is supposedly the envy of the Armed Forces in Cameroon,” DHPI says.

The SACBC entity says the diversification of Cameroon’s Armed Forces, coupled with the recent adjustment in command of the top brass of Defense Sector “has canceled out any possibility of a military coup taking place in Cameroon any time soon.”

“Paul Biya will continue wielding power until a different strategy is devised to unseat him”, the Catholic peace entity reports, adding that President Biya’s early years in office had been “tarnished by tyranny and breaches of human rights.”

Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, Sudan, Niger and now Gabon have all faced the upheaval of military takeovers over the past three years, removing democratically elected presidents.

Culled from aciafrica

9, September 2023

Football: Brazil’s Neymar overtakes Pele goals record in win over Bolivia ⁰

Neymar has surpassed Pele as Brazil’s male all-time top scorer with two goals in a 5-1 win over Bolivia.

The forward, 31, who went into the World Cup qualifying match tied with legend Pele on 77 goals, missed a penalty before scoring twice in the second half on his 125th appearance.

“I never imagined reaching this record. I’m no better than Pele or any other player for the national team,” he said.

Marta has scored a record 122 goals in 189 matches for Brazil’s women’s team.

Pele, who died in December aged 82, scored 77 goals in 92 appearances between 1957 and 1971. He was widely regarded to be one of the greatest footballers to ever play the game.

His official account on social media platform X paid tribute to Neymar’s achievement.

“Congratulations Neymar for surpassing the King in goals for Brazil. Surely Pele is applauding you today!” it said.

Brazil coach Fernando Diniz said: “He came to do what he did: have fun, score two goals and break the record.”

Neymar became the world’s most expensive player when he joined Paris St-Germain from Barcelona for £200m in 2017.

He left the French side in the summer to join Saudi Pro League team Al-Hilal.

“He is a very big idol, people must recognise him and accept him,” Diniz added.

Source: BBC

9, September 2023

Chief Buthelezi, South Africa’s Inkatha leader, dies aged 95 ⁰

Mangosuthu Buthelezi, the once-feared Zulu nationalist and historic leader of Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) which presided over South Africa’s deadliest violence ahead of the first all-race elections, died Saturday aged 95, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced.

“I am deeply saddened to announce the passing of Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi … Traditional Prime Minister to the Zulu Monarch and Nation, and the Founder and President Emeritus of the Inkatha Freedom Party,” Ramaphosa said in a statement.

“Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi has been an outstanding leader in the political and cultural life of our nation, including the ebbs and flows of our liberation struggle, the transition which secured our freedom in 1994 and our democratic dispensation,” Ramaphosa said.

“He quietly and painlessly stepped into eternity in the early hours of the morning” Buthelezi’s family said in a statement.

Buthelezi, last week was discharged from hospital after a prolonged stay. Funeral arrangements have not yet been confirmed.

Born of royal blood on August 27, 1928, Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi was to some the embodiment of the Zulu spirit: proud and feisty. To others, he bordered on a warlord.

For years he was defined by his bitter rivalry with South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC), a party that was his political home until he broke away to form IFP in 1975.

He led the party from its inception, until the age of 90, a reign marked by bloody territorial battles with ANC supporters in black townships during the 1980s and 1990s that left thousands dead.

Founding father

The current IFP leader, Velenkosini Hlabisa, said in a statement that “as South Africa mourns, the IFP gives thanks –- even through our tears -– for the exceptional leader given to us for so many years. He blessed our country beyond measure. We cannot begin to express our gratitude.”

South Africa’s largest opposition party the Democratic Alliance said on X that South Africans had “have lost a founding father”.

As premier of the “independent” homeland of KwaZulu, a political creation of the apartheid government, Buthelezi was often regarded as an ally of the racist regime.

He was dogged by allegations of collaborating with the old government to fuel violence to derail the ANC’s liberation struggle — a claim he furiously denied.

The country’s second largest opposition party, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) said in a statement that “his legacy will remain a debate in the South African political terrain for years to come”.

But the EFF commended him for managing “the realms of politics and the Zulu monarchy for decades”.

In the 1980s, the rift between his party and the ANC intensified as he distanced himself from the party and its anti-apartheid strategies, denounced by then-jailed Nelson Mandela as undermining the black leadership.

He also stirred the wrath of the liberation movements by calling for increased international investment in South Africa, opposing the call for sanctions to put pressure on the white government.

Thousands killed

Violence between Inkatha supporters and rival liberation groups escalated in the mid-1980s. By 1990 more than 5,000 people had been killed in clashes.

In 1991, Mandela and Buthelezi held talks and called for an end to the bloodshed.

But a year later, reports resurfaced of IFP-fomented violence, backed by apartheid security forces in Johannesburg and in the eastern Natal region.

A charismatic speaker with a heavy stutter, Buthelezi blamed the ANC for the unrest that threatened to become a full-blown civil conflict, which the apartheid government garishly referred to as “black-on-black” violence.

There was a new surge of unrest between ANC and IFP supporters in the run up to the first democratic elections in 1994, that claimed about 12,000 lives.

Long-serving politician

The violence largely dissipated after 1994, with Buthelezi appointed home affairs minister. He went on to become one of the longest-serving lawmakers.

Debilitated and barely able to walk, the once-feared leader stood hunched back and small, a shadow of his former self, peering at the crowd over his glasses perched on his nose, as he attended the Zulu annual reed dance in September 2022.

Source: AFP

9, September 2023

Over 600 people killed as powerful earthquake hits Morocco ⁰

A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake has struck Morocco, killing at least 632 people and injuring 329 others.

The quake struck at 44 miles (71 kilometers) southwest of Marrakesh at a depth of 18.5 kilometers at 11:11 pm (2211 GMT) Friday, the US Geological Survey said. The quake’s epicenter was in a remote area of the High Atlas Mountains.

The earthquake killed people in the provinces and municipalities of al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant, Morocco’s Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry further noted that authorities have “mobilized all the necessary resources to intervene and help the affected areas”.

The quake reportedly caused widespread panic and damaged buildings across cities.

Terrified residents of Marrakesh reported “unbearable” screams following the tremor, with hospitals in the city reportedly seeing a “massive influx” of injured people.

“We felt a very violent tremor, and I realized it was an earthquake,” Abdelhak El Amrani, a Marrakesh resident told AFP.

“I could see buildings moving,” he said, adding that power and phone lines were down for ten minutes.

“People were all in shock and panic. The children were crying and the parents were distraught.”

Fayssal Badour, another Marrakesh resident, told AFP that he was driving when the earthquake hit.

“I stopped and realized what a disaster it was. It was very serious, as if a river had burst its banks. The screaming and crying was unbearable,” he said.

According to local media, a family was trapped in the rubble after their house collapsed in the town of Al-Haouz, near the epicenter of the quake.

Tremors were also reportedly felt in the capital Rabat, as well as the coastal cities of Casablanca and Essaouira.

The earthquake was also felt in neighboring Algeria, where the Algerian Civil Defense said it had not caused any damage or casualties.

Source: Presstv

8, September 2023

CEMAC Region: Where is the next coup? ⁰

Cameroon’s president Paul Biya spends so much time at Geneva’s Intercontinental Hotel that dissidents routinely picket the opulent lakeside premises to voice their discontent at his 40-year rule.

From his suite overlooking the Swiss city’s pristine lake, Biya will have had ample time to ponder the wave of coups that have swept western and central Africa and ask himself who might be next.

Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad, Sudan, Niger and now Gabon have all faced the upheaval of military takeovers over the past three years, removing democratically elected presidents and tainted family dynasties alike.

It is impossible to say which country — if any — will follow, but deficiencies in the political systems of several countries offer a guide to which leaders are vulnerable, analysts said.

Biya, Cameroon’s head of state since 1982 and prime minister before that, is high on the list.

“There’s an unpopular president who’s been there for decades,” François Conradie, an analyst at the Oxford Economics Africa consultancy, said. The Cameroonian president, 90, is “widely seen as corrupt” and is said to want his son Franck to succeed him, which would be an unpopular move, added Conradie.

“He’s also very old, with the people around him limiting access to him and running the state while he’s more or less absent,” the analyst said. Biya spends months at a time away from the central African country, much of it at his European hideaway.

Each of the recent African coups has had unique characteristics, but an increasingly common theme has been emboldened militaries realising that they are likely to face little effective resistance for their actions.

“Would-be coup leaders look at this as a proof of concept,” said Kholood Khair, director of Confluence Advisory, a Sudanese think-tank. “These things happen and there’s very little pushback.”

The removal of Gabon president Ali Bongo last week underscored this point. Coup leader General Brice Oligui Nguema has faced little domestic or international criticism since detaining Bongo, a distant cousin, and dissolving his government. Nguema was on Monday sworn in as interim president and the end of the Bongo family’s five-decade dynasty has been celebrated on the streets of the capital Libreville.

The threat from Nigeria to use force to overturn the coup in neighbouring Niger that removed president Mohamed Bazoum was not followed with military action. As far back as 2017, Zimbabwe’s generals faced little or no censure for removing Robert Mugabe.

“It’s just a question of ‘coup’s next’?” said Afolabi Adekaiyaoja, research analyst at the Centre for Democracy and Development think-tank. “In an era of controversial elections, it’s clear that the military and political elites see alternatives. The question is now how accepted, effective and sustainable these changes are — for better or worse.”

The regimes of Denis Sassou Nguesso, Republic of Congo president who seized power in a 1997 coup; Teodoro Obiang, the world’s longest-serving president who has ruled Equatorial Guinea since ousting his uncle 44 years ago; and Togo’s Faure Gnassingbé, president since 2005 who succeeded his father after another long reign, are all at risk if their country’s generals moved to capitalise on popular discontent over their prolonged rule.

Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, Chad’s president who took over from his father, is another under threat, according to analysts. Déby is widely seen to lack the charisma and grip on power of his father, a feared soldier killed during an offensive against rebels in 2021.

A rebel group with links to the Central African Republic and supported by Russia’s Wagner Group has been plotting against him, according to leaked US intelligence documents reported this year. General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the paramilitary leader fighting on one side of Sudan’s civil war, also has designs on Chad, according to analysts.

Relatively stable west African democracies such as Senegal and Ivory Coast are considered less vulnerable. Yet analysts say that discontent against French influence in Senegal, which has witnessed political unrest this year, and in Ivory Coast, where president Alassane Ouattara is an ally of Paris, could be a motivating factor for would-be mutineers.

Many of the governments that have fallen to coups have been one-time French colonies while coup leaders in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have all ridden to power on a rising tide of anti-French sentiment.

Paul Melly, an expert with the Africa programme at the Chatham House think-tank in London, said vulnerable leaders would now be considering how to better distribute state wealth to other parts of their elite to keep them from fomenting revolt.

Yet sometimes, even a share of the spoils is not enough. The coups that removed Bongo — which Melly called an “inside job” — and Bazoum were led by the heads of their presidential guards whose main job was to protect them.

There are signs that the message has begun to sink in. Cameroon pushed through a significant reshuffle of its military top brass on the same day Gabon’s Bongo was deposed. This was seen by many as a signal that Biya was aiming to coup-proof his regime.

A person with knowledge of Cameroon’s politics dismissed that suggestion and claimed the changes were long-planned but conceded the timing could be interpreted as regime protection.

Such pre-emptive moves are a reminder to would-be plotters that there are risks to pointing tanks at the presidential palace, as militaries come under renewed scrutiny from leaders who might themselves have come to power via a coup, and so are perpetually worried about being ousted.

When a dozen members of the Gabonese Republican Guard stormed the premises of the state radio station in 2019 as part of a plan to “restore democracy” it was swiftly put down by special forces. Two of the soldiers were killed and the others arrested.

Sassou Nguesso in the Republic of Congo is another leader who has been put on his guard. The 79-year-old, a former military officer, is known as “The Emperor” by fellow African leaders due to his strict demeanour and the firm grip he exerts on his country.

“You’d have to be a brave man to challenge Denis,” said one analyst who is a frequent visitor to Brazzaville. “He’s terrifying.”

Culled from The Financial Times

8, September 2023

Fire engulfs Yaoundé City Hall amid fears of a military coup ⁰

A fire erupted at Yaoundé 6 City Council building in the Acacia district on Friday, September 8, as rumors of a military take over continued throughout Cameroon.

Local media reported that investigations were still going on and it is unclear what actually started the fire. Yaoundé firefighters responded quickly, but despite their efforts, the fire at this significant government building proved difficult to put out.

Reacting to the news, the Vice President of the Ambazonia Interim Government, Dabney Yerima told Cameroon Concord News that “Biya’s tribal initiated criminal arson burning men, women, children, homes, and other structures in the Federal Republic of Ambazonia. They taught people the art of criminal arson and getting away with it. And since then it is a thriving business everywhere. No one should complain. What goes round comes round.”

Also commenting on the situation in Yaoundé, renowned Southern Cameroons academic Professor Carlson Anyangwe said “I should think the people there are deeply fed up and angry with tyranny and state banditry. The looting and plundering fossil man at the highest level of power has been there, worse than George Orwell’s Big Brother in 1984. He has been there for over half a century with nothing to show except continuing bloody torture and oppression. But those Camerounese people have been so castrated and terrorized that they cannot even lift a finger. They are even afraid of their own shadows. I pity them” Anyangwe concluded.

By Chi Prudence Asong

8, September 2023

Chief John Eyong Etchu: A legacy that will forever be engraved in our hearts ⁰

Manyus all over the world will be joining the people of the Bachuo Akagbe Kingdom in celebrating the life of an extraordinary man, a champion, father, grandfather and traditional ruler-His Royal Highness Chief John Eyong Etchu II.

We of the Cameroon Concord News and the Cameroon Intelligence Report are proud and happy and of course, we are going to be part of this historic thanksgiving process. From Birmingham in the United Kingdom to Paris-France and from Mulheim an der Rhur in Germany to Dallas-Texas in the USA, it will all be to honor the memory of a soul who touched the lives of many around the world in countless ways. Though our hearts are heavy with sorrow, let us remember that this is a time to cherish the legacy of a remarkable individual.

His Royal Highness Chief John Eyong Etchu II was a man of unwavering strength, dignity, and kindness. His warm smile and gentle presence could light up any room. He possessed a wisdom that was only acquired through a lifetime of experiences, and he shared that wisdom generously with everyone around him. His words of guidance and encouragement were like beacons in times of darkness, offering comfort and reassurance.

Chief John Eyong Etchu II had an incredible work ethic, a testament to his strong and firm determination. He taught Cameroonians and members of his family including the people of Bachuo-Akagbe the value of perseverance. After graduating from Queen of the Rosary Primary School Okoyong (1947 to 1953) and St. Paul’s Teachers Training College (1953 to 1955), he took up a career in teaching until 1960 when he disagreed publicly with an Irish Revered Father over the management of Catholic schools and had to leave the Roman Catholic Mission.

Events took a dramatic u-turn for the better and in the 1960 Southern Cameroons National Sports event in Tiko, the young teacher Etchu had an outstanding performance and record. He was advised to join the Youth and Sports department. It was from there that the Police Department came calling!

While at the police training centre in Mutengene, a customs service was created and his superior moved John Etchu over and he finally graduated as a customs officer. He served as a customs brigade officer and had a meteoric rise in the system retiring as a brigade commander.+

Family was the cornerstone of his life, and his love for each and every one of his children, relation and Bachuo-Akagbe citizens was immeasurable. As a family man, he had 3 wives: Christina Tabi (RIP) Emmerencia Arrey and Sophie Bate and was blessed with 22 children- 10 males and 12 females.

Chief John Etchu II had an innate ability to make everyone around him feel special, treasured, and deeply loved. He revealed in everyone’s accomplishments, offering praise and support at every turn. His presence at family and village gatherings brought joy and laughter, filling the room with warmth and happiness. His legacy of love and unity will continue to live on within the Etchu dynasty and the Bachuo-Akagbe Kingdom a testimony to the enduring bond he fostered.

But it wasn’t just his immediate family and the people of Bachuo-Akagbe that felt the warmth of his love. His generosity knew no bounds, and he would go out of his way to help those in need. Whether it was a lending hand, a compassionate ear, or words of encouragement, he made a difference in the lives of so many outside Manyu, leaving behind a ripple effect of kindness that will forever resonate.

We remember His Royal Highness Chief John Etchu II not only for his virtues but also for the memories we as a people shared together. The stories he told both as a Parish Council chairman and a political man. He was CNU Youth President for Manyu Division from 1977 to 1986 and served as a chartered member of the Saint Joseph Parish Council in Mamfe.

We remember His Royal Highness Chief John Etchu II also for the adventures he embarked upon and the laughter he shared will forever be etched in the hearts of many both in Cameroon and even beyond. He had a mischievous sense of humor, always ready with a clever remark or something witty to say that could make even the most somber of occasions light up with laughter. His zest for life was contagious, and he taught his family and friends to savor every moment, to find joy in the simplest of pleasures.

As the Cameroonian nation bids farewell to our beloved Etchu Custom as he was popularly known in Manyu Division, let us remember the lessons he taught us and the love he bestowed upon us even during his trials and tribulations. Enthroned in 1992 and installed on May 18, 1996 he remains the longest serving traditional ruler of the Bachuo-Akagbe kingdom.

Though he may no longer be physically present, his spirit will forever live within us, guiding us in times of need and reminding us to live with compassion, integrity, and love that he demonstrated after May 18, 1994 when he was attacked by armed robbers. That incident left him physically handicapped and he lived with the challenge for the rest of his life.

But the May 18, 1994 incident and the Southern Cameroons uprising never scared him either as he again was on an extensive travel adventure around the globe that took him to Paris, London, New York, Munich, Mulheim and Texas.

In Texas USA, he suffered a stroke and with age telling on him, his health started deteriorating! The Chief was reliably informed that some members of his ruling council back home were already pushing for his replacement as ruler of the Bachuo-Akagbe Kingdom. From his sick bed, he wished them well and breathed his last!!

Born on Wednesday March 12, 1941 in Bachuo-Akagbe village to His Royal Highness Chief Etchu Samuel Smith Agbor I and Olga Bessem Ayuk, the Crown Prince lost his mother at the tender age of 6 and was raised by his father, elder sisters and step mothers.

While we mourn the loss of an extraordinary man, we should also celebrate the life he lived and the impact he made. As we carry his memory forward, let us honor him by embracing the qualities he embodied, by cherishing our loved ones, and by living our lives to the fullest, just as he did.

Rest in peace Chief John Eyong Etchu II! Your legacy will forever be engraved in our hearts. To God and to God alone—be the glory.

To this I put my name

Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

7, September 2023

Ambazonia’s ‘deadliest back-to-school massacre’: Many feared dead in Mile 17 ⁰

Some Church leaders have called the killings ‘a worrying escalation’ of the conflict in Southern Cameroons and a local human rights group says it is extremely difficult to count the bodies of students killed in today’s attacks in Buea and Muea.

Scores of bodies of students – too many to count – remain inside burnt cars from an attack described by Buea residents as the deadliest massacre in the history of back-to-school ever since the beginning of the crisis in English speaking Cameroon.

Fighting started today Thursday in Muea, one kilometer away from Buea the chief city in the South West region where Ambazonia fighters seized the main road linking Muea to Buea.

Cameroon government security forces reportedly responded rapidly and deployed significant military assets but could not stop the attacks that were going on.

Our correspondent in Buea who contributed to this report said that most of the victims were school children and their parents who could not escape from the vehicles when Amba fighters entered Muea and Buea firing on residents.

A businessman in Mile 17 told Cameroon Intelligence Report that it was a onerous task attending to the corpses and even the seriously injured ones who may have died after the fighters left the scene.

The attacks come some days after schools in some areas in Southern Cameroons reopened their doors.

There are fears that the back-to-school project currently being marketed by the Biya Francophone regime in Yaoundé is likely to trigger even more bloodshed. Thousands of Southern Cameroonians have been displaced by the violence

The Yaoundé government has made no official comment on the alleged Buea-Muea massacres.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

7, September 2023

Southern Cameroons War: Amba fighters in shooting spree in Muea and Buea ⁰

A pair of Ambazonia gunmen have reportedly wounded several people and set cars ablaze in a shooting spree in Muea and Buea in Fako Division.

It is the first deadly Ambazonia attack carried out by restoration forces in the heart of the historic city of Buea. On Thursday, 7 September, 2023 Southern Cameroons fighters inspired by happenings in Gabon and Niger raided Muea and moved into Buea.

The Buea-Muea attack comes just a week after schools reopened their doors in some towns and villages in Southern Cameroons.

A source in the Francophone governor’s office in Buea contacted by Cameroon Concord News hinted that police officers sent to counter the Ambazonia attack on Molyko ended up in Bongo Square.

The Vice President of the exiled Ambazonia Interim Government Dabney Yerima is expected to address the people of Southern Cameroons on the state of the revolution, meaning not only that attacks on schools remains highly likely but a further attack in academic establishments in the cities of Buea, Bamenda, Limbe and Kumba may be imminent.

Cameroon Concord News understands that Buea police have asked the Cameroon government military command in the South West region to deploy a number of military personnel in support of their armed officers.

This means some armed police and gendarmerie officers guarding schools will be replaced by soldiers.

By Rita Akana in Buea

6, September 2023

Gabon: General Nguema says ousted President Bongo ‘free to go abroad’ ⁰

Gabon’s former president Ali Bongo, who was ousted in a putsch, is free to leave the country and travel abroad, the leader of the coup that toppled him said on Wednesday.

“He has freedom of movement… and can travel abroad if he wishes,” general Brice Oligui Nguema said in a statement read on state television.

Bongo, in power for 14 years, had been under house arrest since the military coup of August 30, carried out without bloodshed less than an hour after his party proclaimed his re-election in a vote described as fraudulent by the putschists.

“Given his state of health, the former President of the Republic Ali Bongo Ondimba has freedom of movement. He can travel abroad if he wishes to carry out his medical checks,” Colonel Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi said, reading a press release signed by Oligui, who took his oath as transitional president on Monday.

Bongo suffered a serious stroke in October 2018 which left him physically impaired, with particular difficulty moving his right leg and arm.

Source: AFP