The Supreme Leader of the Bakweris in Buea His Royal Highness Dr. Robert Esuka Mbella Endeley was greeted by a mammoth crowd and a warm welcome during his first official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Naliomo spoke to prominent Cameroonian elites and community leaders and announced his plan to build a multipurpose cultural centre in Buea the chief city in the South West region. The Buea monarch revealed that the centre will focus on culture, entrepreneurship and innovation, community and intellectual leadership.

His Royal Highness Dr. Robert Esuka Mbella Endeley toured the Midlands, visited Buckingham palace and the Cameroon embassy in London.

On his colourful arrival in the beautiful city of Leicester, the King of Buea was greeted by the welcoming beats of his people led by senior Bakweri notables including William Gobina, Andrew Mokake and Lady Fotabong.  

Olivia Ebangha Tambe president of the Manyu Women Association in London UK  said she was so proud, so happy and so honoured to meet Chief Endeley V. Olivia Ebangha Tambe furthered that Manyu Women in London were saying through her voice that they respect the king and were paying homage.

The Saturday 17 August Leicester visit witnessed the participation of top Cameroonian entrepreneurs.

His Royal Highness Dr. Robert Esuka Mbella Endeley also spoke in private to a group of leading figures including Prince Julian Ebai, Charles Mambo and the Cameroon High Commissioner HE Fotabong on a range of issues.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files

Cameroonian journalist Samuel Bondjock has had to appear in court more than 30 times in almost 30 months to face criminal defamation charges that could put him in jail — even though the country’s media regulator dismissed the complaint against him in 2022.

His next appearance in the capital Yaoundé is scheduled for August 27, but Bondjock has little hope there will be any resolution in what is seen as a classic example of a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) — a vexatious type of lawsuit increasingly used against those who express critical opinions.

These suits frequently invoke criminal defamation laws to punish and censor journalists. In Cameroon, Bondjock — the publishing director of the privately owned online news site Direct Info — is the country’s latest journalist to be accused of defaming influential figures such as football stars, writers, government officials, lawmakers, pastors, and the politically connected.

“Authorities must end the legal harassment and weaponization of Cameroon’s judicial system against Samuel Bondjock, especially as the country’s media regulator has already exonerated him,” said Angela Quintal, head of CPJ’s Africa program, in New York. “Cameroon should follow the examples of several other African states to decriminalize defamation, in line with a 2010 resolution of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and must ensure that SLAPP lawsuits are not used to censor the press.”

In March 2022, Ahmadou Sardaouna, the managing director of the state-run Cameroon Real Estate Company (SIC), filed criminal complaints against Bondjock for “impugning his honor” in two articles published in December 2021 and February 2022, according to CPJ’s review of the complaints and news reports.

Four months later, Sardaouna also lodged a complaint with Cameroon’s National Communication Council (NCC) for “unsubstantiated accusations likely to damage his image.” The media regulator ruled in Bondjock’s favor, saying his journalism had met “professional requirements of investigation and cross-checking,” according to a copy of its July 29, 2022, decision, reviewed by CPJ.

Bondjock told CPJ that he has little hope that his trial will begin this month because Sardaouna’s absence led to repeated postponements of previous hearings  “The plaintiff is doing nothing but delaying tactics to prolong this trial in order to exhaust me financially, morally, and even professionally, by wasting my time. My lawyer defends me despite many unpaid fees,” he said.

Joseph Jules Nkana, Sardaouna’s lawyer, told CPJ that his client had not refused to attend previous hearings and that mediation was undertaken by “Bondjock’s colleagues.” However, the journalist had refused to meet to conclude an agreement, Nkana said.

François Mboke, president of the Cameroon network of press outlet owners, who initiated mediation in 2022 to stop the prosecution, told CPJ that it had not been successful.

Bondjock told CPJ there was no reason for him to try to seek an agreement with Sardaouna, as the NCC had ruled in his favor.

Under Cameroon’s penal code, defamation is punishable by a prison sentence of six days to six months and a fine of up to 2 million CFA francs (US$3,330).

In a joint 2023 submission to the U.N. Human Rights Council scrutinizing Cameroon’s human rights record, CPJ and other rights groups noted at least four cases of arrest and conviction for defamation between 2019 and 2022, including against Martinez Zogo, who was killed in 2023.

Other sub-Saharan countries that have criminalized defamation include Nigeria, Angola, Togo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In June 2024, Niger reinstated prison sentences for defamation and insult that had been replaced by fines two years earlier.

Denis Omgba Bomba, director of the media observatory at Cameroon’s Ministry of Communication, did not respond to CPJ’s request for comment on Bondjock’s case via messaging app.

Culled from Committee to Protect Journalists

Cameroon’s High Commissioner to Canada, Ngole Philip Ngwese, has reached out to the Cameroonian Diaspora, urging his fellow countrymen to contribute to the strengthening of the excellent relations between Cameroon and Canada.

In a press release issued in Ottawa, Mr. Ngwese, a former minister in Cameroon who is waiting to present his letter of credence to Canadian authorities, announced his presence among the country’s Diaspora, underscoring the attention the country’s president, Paul Biya, accords to the country’s Diaspora.

“As you know, the Head of State pays particular attention to the Cameroonian Diaspora throughout the world, and in this regard, is pursuing an all-out policy aimed at giving it its rightful place and closely involving it in the development of our beloved and beautiful country,” the press release said.

“I therefore humbly come to you as a servant of the State to contribute to the strengthening of the relations that exist between Cameroon and Canada,” the release stated.

“I also come to you as a servant of the large Cameroonian community established in Canada, in a spirit of openness, of dialogue, respectful of the differences and divergences of opinion, but concerned above all to preserve a high image of Cameroon in respect of the intangible principles of peace and unity which constitute, among many others, the cornerstone of our national life,” the release said.

“I would like to salute the well-known dynamism of the Cameroonian community in Canada, while urging it to continue to honour our country by observing Canadian laws,” the release concluded.

Mr. Ngwese, known for his humility and discipline, sounded very conciliatory in his message, having understood that there are a few rough edges in the country’s relationship with its Diaspora.

The issue of dual nationality has always been top on the minds of members of the country’s Diaspora and until the government changes its views about dual nationality, the country’s burgeoning Diaspora will continue to be suspicious of the government of Cameroon.

The new High Commissioner, who is laying down a new foundation for the fractured relationship between the government and the country’s Diaspora, especially the Anglophone Diaspora which constitutes the majority of Cameroonians in Canada, understands that he is on treacherous grounds and is prepared to smooth out any rough edges in that relationship so as to enable the Diaspora to play its role in Cameroon’s economic development efforts.

Mr. Ngwese comes to Canada with sound experience in the management of relationships and he is prepared to harness that experience to restore confidence among Cameroonians living in Canada.

Mr. Ngwese needs to be given a chance to deliver that confidence. His message is simple and inspiring. Cameroonians in Canada will have to consider the new High Commissioner as a man of peace who wants to bring everyone into the family again.

Cameroonians across Canada look forward to seeing him soon when he undertakes his meet the Diaspora tour. He should be prepared to deal with the issue of dual nationality which has been at issue for decades.

By Joachim Arrey in Toronto, Canada

arreyjoachim@hotmail.com

Siaka Coulibaly, interim United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cameroon, urged better protection for humanitarian workers in the country on Friday, August 16, especially in crisis zones.

Speaking at a sports walk in Yaoundé ahead of World Humanitarian Day on August 19, Coulibaly said, “Humanitarians must be protected, especially in crisis areas. We must ensure they can fully intervene where needed, in support of the government’s efforts.”

The appeal comes as aid workers face increasing challenges in conflict-affected and disaster-prone regions. Coulibaly noted that humanitarian workers are primarily active in six of Cameroon’s ten regions: Far North, North, East, Adamawa, Northwest, and Southwest.

These areas grapple with climate change, natural disasters like floods, armed group activities, and an influx of refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) and Chad.

“These incidents have the potential to exacerbate the vulnerabilities of populations, especially in terms of access to food, housing, nutrition, water and sanitation, education, protection services, or healthcare in some cases,” Coulibaly explained. “It’s also important to note that certain types of crises increase the risks for humanitarian workers trying to provide safe, effective, and principled aid.”

Coulibaly reminded that World Humanitarian Day serves as a reminder of the risks faced by humanitarians in their mission. This year’s theme, “Acting for Humanity,” symbolizes the global humanitarian community’s call to leaders to ensure the protection of civilians and aid workers.

The sports walk was an opportunity to pay tribute to fallen humanitarian workers, reinforce solidarity among humanitarian actors, and demonstrate the UN’s continued support for the government’s efforts to aid vulnerable populations.

Cameroon currently faces three major humanitarian crises: the Boko Haram conflict in the Far North, the separatist conflict in the Northwest and Southwest, and the influx of Central African refugees in the East, North, and Adamawa regions.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates 3.4 million people will need humanitarian assistance in Cameroon in 2024.

A Humanitarian Response Plan, launched in April 2024 with a $371.4 million budget, aims to assist 2.3 million of the most vulnerable people, addressing urgent needs related to conflicts, epidemics, and climate shocks.

“The ongoing implementation of the Humanitarian Response Plan with the government is an important step in our support for vulnerable populations,” Coulibaly emphasized.

Source: Sbbc