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29, November 2016

Business as usual in La Republique as Biya receives Senegalese Head of State ⁰

The President of Senegal, Macky SALL has commended Cameroon’s much-envied status in Africa. The Senegalese leader made the acknowledgement during a visit to Cameroon on Monday 28 November 2016.

President Macky SALL noted that he came to highlight Cameroon’s greatness at the heart of the continent, which has been magnified by its cultural, economic and political stability.

For his part, President Paul BIYA said Yaounde and Dakar will continue to share a sincere and excellent friendship, attached to the promotion of democracy, peace, dialogue, and unity in Africa.

President Macky SALL was welcomed at the Unity Palace by BIYA. Both men held a meeting behind closed doors, which was followed by a special lunch offered by the Presidential Couple. The august guest thanked President Paul BIYA and First Lady Chantal BIYA for the hospitality reserved to him and his delegation.

The Senegalese Head of State was accompanied from and to the Nsimalen International Airport by Prime Minister Philemon YANG.

29, November 2016

2016 female AFCON: Decision day for the Indomitable Lionesses and the Black Queens of Ghana ⁰

The Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon will face the Black Queens of Ghana today the 29th November 2016 in the semi-final of the 2016 Women Africa Cup of Nations. The match will be staged at the Amadou Ahidjo stadium at 4pm Cameroon time. This will be the seventh appearance of the Black Queens at the Women AFCON semi-finals. Out of their last six appearances at the semis, the Black Queens have ended three times as runners-up (1998, 2002, and 2006) and three times in the third position (1995, 2000, and 2004).

After missing out of the semis in the last four AFCON editions, the Black Queens of Ghana will be looking forward to making something out of the semis. For her part, the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon will be making their tenth appearance in the Women AFCON semis. Out of their 10 appearances at the semis, they have been runners-up three times (1991, 2004, 2014), ended twice in the third Position (2002, 2012) and also four times in the fourth Position (1998, 2006, 2008, 2010).

Playing at home, the Lionesses will be looking forward to lifting the trophy for the first time. Since 1998, Cameroon and Ghana have met in the Women AFCON seven times. Out of the seven times, the Lionesses have recorded two victories and the Black Queens registered five. Worth noting is the fact that, five of these meetings have been at the group stage (1998, 2000, 2006, 2010 2014). Meanwhile, the games between the two at the semis were a difficult battle as goals came only at extra time.

The first time they met was on 17 December 2002 when Ghana beat Cameroon 3-2 after extra time. On 28th September 2004, Ghana throw weights with Cameroon and this time, Ghana lost to Cameroon 0-1 after extra time. In another semifinals duel, reigning champions, the Super Falcons of Nigeria will take on the Banyana Banyana of South Africa on Wednesday 30th November at the Limbe Omnisport Stadium.

Culled from CRTV

28, November 2016

Academic activities paralyzed as Buea University students begin strike ⁰

Buea University students have started a massive strike action today morning within the campus of the university. The students inter alia have demanded that all French-speaking lecturers who teach only in French be told to leave the university. To contain the peaceful demonstration, police forces have been deployed on campus and shots were reportedly fired to disperse the crowd. The police have also strengthened their anti-riot system around the student residential area in Molyko.

The Francophone governor of the South West region, Okalia Bilai said in a press release that an unidentified group was behind the strike to intimidate parents and students from going about their normal educational activity.

Some SDF parliamentarians decided to march peacefully in Buea to show their solidarity with the Anglophone community in Cameroon. Lawyers and teachers had staged similar demos which were repressed by the police and resulted in the demand for federalism. Biya dispatched his Prime Minister to negotiate a peaceful settlement. But the Yang Philemon mission ended in fiasco. The lawyers and teachers have extended their unlimited strike action.

By Rita Akana

28, November 2016

UN says four million children orphaned due to violence in Congo-Kinshasa ⁰

Some four million children have lost at least one parent in two decades of continuous violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations (UN) has announced. The UN said in a report that a total of more than 26 million children have also been orphaned in West and Central Africa, where the DR Congo is located.

This is the second highest number of orphans living in the world behind South Asia, according to the report. “They are the orphans with a story of violence since 1994 — it’s a generation of victims that continues,” says Francisca Ichimpaye, a senior monitor at the En Avant Les Enfants INUKA center. And the children “lose their story in the violence,” Ichimpaye said. Orphans are forced to fend for themselves and their younger siblings. Some of them are vulnerable to recruitment by armed groups; others face sexual exploitation in a country where rape has become commonplace.

The DR Congo, which faces grinding poverty and crumbling infrastructure, has been plagued by ethnic conflict and a fight over valuable minerals since 1998. Civilians are the main victims of the ethnic strife. On Sunday, at least 30 civilians were killed in the DR Congo when militiamen from the Nande ethnic group in the eastern country attacked the village of Luhanga, where the Hutu ethnic people live. The Nande and Hutu groups have been divided along ethnic lines and relations between the two sides have been tense over the past months.

Presstv

28, November 2016

Biya to meet President Macky Sall of Senegal today in Yaounde ⁰

President Biya will receive the Senegalese head of state today in Yaounde. A statement by the Cameroonian dictator’s civil cabinet said Biya will be at the Yaounde-Nsimalen International Airport today November 28, 2016 at 11:30 am to welcome President Macky Sall.

Both leaders will have a one-and-one at the Yaounde Hilton Hotel, before an official CPDM style luncheon offered by the Cameroonian presidential couple. The Senegalese president will leave Yaoundé late in the afternoon. Senegal maintains close relations with Cameroon, marked by mutual respect and a frank and cordial friendship. Since 1962, Cameroon and Senegal have signed a dozen of agreements. These include:

– the Cultural Agreement of 4 March 1964;

– the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation of 16 June 1972;

– the Commercial Agreement of 10 January 1974;

– the Agreement on cooperation in the field of sea fishing of 19 February 1991;

– the Agreement on ordinary civil aviation of 30 May 1973;

– the Cultural Exchange Protocol of 16 May 1980;

– the Convention on Social Security signed in Yaoundé in June 1991;

– the Cooperation Agreement in the field of communication signed on 24 July 1990 between CRTV and ORTS;

– the Tourism Agreement signed on 24 June 2010 in Dakar;

In the spirit of intensification of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the Follow-up Committee of the 4th session of the Cameroon / Senegal Joint Cooperation Committee was held in Yaoundé from the 16^th to 17^th of November 2015. Closed in 1994, the Senegalese embassy in Cameroon resumed its activities in July 2007.

By Chi Prudence Asong with files from CIN

27, November 2016

After Nicolas Sarkozy: Alain Juppe told “left means failure, the far-right means bankruptcy” ⁰

Former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has won the country’s center-right party’s nomination in the presidential primary. Fillon won the vote on Sunday night, after his opponent former Prime Minister Alain Juppe conceded defeat. “France wants the truth and France wants action,” said Fillon after vowing to “reach out to all those who want to serve the country.”

“The left means failure, the far-right means bankruptcy,” he added, stressing that he would be the candidate of “all those who in their hearts are proud to be French.” Juppe conceded after initial result showed Fillon had gained the majority of the votes, winning 67 percent of the ballots with results counted from 9,193 polling stations out of 10,229. During his speech, Juppe congratulated Fillon on his “large victory” and wished him “good luck” in his campaign for France’s next year presidential elections.

Mayor of Bordeaux and candidate for the center-right primaries ahead of France’s 2017 presidential elections, Alain Juppe looks on as he delivers a speech following the first results of the primary’s second round on November 27, 2016, at his campaign headquarters in Paris.

In the first round of the primary election, which had been held on November 20, Fillon took the lead among seven candidates with 44.1 percent of the votes. Juppe garnered 28.5.

During his campaign, Fillon vowed extreme free-market reforms, a hard line stance on refugees, and closer relations with Russia.
Projections show that Fillon will face far-right National Front (FN) leader Marine Le Pen in the first round of the presidential election in April 2017.

Presstv

27, November 2016

Former UN Secretary Kofi Annan pays tribute to Fidel Castrol ⁰

“Today I mourn the loss of a friend, the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Securing the welfare of the Cuban people and ensuring the independence of his nation shaped much of Fidel Castro’s thinking and many of his actions. Whether one shared his political views or disagreed with them, Fidel Castro was one of Latin America’s most remarkable leaders.

In the course of his long life he overcame countless adversities and rarely chose the easy and comfortable path. I met Fidel Castro many times over the years and came to appreciate his extraordinary intellect, sharp mind, and his ability to engage in constructive dialogue. Farewell Fidel.”

27, November 2016

2016 Women’s AFCON: Cameroon knows how to throw a party ⁰

A walk into the courtyards of the Yaoundé Multipurpose Sports Complex tells the story of how the nation knows how to celebrate. A giant screen stands tall on which visitors watch football matches simultaneously played in Limbe and Yaoundé respectively. There is also a podium where promotional entertainment and playbacks are ongoing especially during the 15-minute half time period.

Somewhere in the same courtyard, children are being entertained with music and dancing competitions. At this section, the kids are given the opportunity to mount the podium and compete in dancing for the award of varied prizes. Exhibition stands have also been erected at the AFCON village; Cameroonian traditional regalia, jewellery, foot wear and cuisine are all on display.

Food and drinks are also available in huge supplies to spice up the entertainment. As people discuss and move around the courtyards of the AFCON village the police is on hand carrying out the necessary checks and ensuring safe movement. Either the cries from football fans, the sound of music, the smell of good food or the beautiful lighting from the AFCON village in Yaoundé is sure to catch the attention of those within the vicinity and beyond.

CRTV

27, November 2016

US President-elect calls Wisconsin votes recount effort a “scam” ⁰

US President-elect Donald Trump has denounced the effort to recount votes in Wisconsin as a “scam,” insisting voters should “accept this result and then look to the future.” The recount has been requested by Green Party candidate Jill Stein. The state has until the federal deadline of December 13 to complete the recount process and announce the final results. Trump narrowly defeated his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by a small margin of over 27,000 votes in Wisconsin and grabbed all its 10 electoral votes.

“This recount is just a way for Jill Stein, who received less than one percent of the vote overall and wasn’t even on the ballot in many states, to fill her coffers with money, most of which she will never even spend on this ridiculous recount,” Trump said in a statement on Saturday. Stein has raised millions of dollars for her push in just more than a week. She has called for an audit and recount of voting results in Michigan and Pennsylvania as well over fears that hackers might have manipulated the voting machines.

“All three states were won by large numbers of voters, especially Pennsylvania, which was won by more than 70,000 votes,” Trump said. “This is a scam by the Green Party for an election that has already been conceded, and the results of this election should be respected instead of being challenged and abused, which is exactly what Jill Stein is doing,” the president-elect added. The Clinton campaign, which had kept quiet about Stein’s crusade, said it would now back her efforts to review the voting results in order to ensure a “fair” process for all involved.

“Because we had not uncovered any actionable evidence of hacking or outside attempts to alter the voting technology, we had not planned to exercise this option ourselves,” campaign lawyer Marc Elias said. “But now that a recount has been initiated in Wisconsin, we intend to participate in order to ensure the process proceeds in a manner that is fair to all sides.” Clinton won the overall popular vote by around 2 million ballots in the Nov. 8 presidential election. However, Trump clinched most of the key battleground states in play, albeit by narrow margins.

“It is important to point out that with the help of millions of voters across the country, we won 306 electoral votes on Election Day— the most of any Republican since 1988— and we carried nine of 13 battleground states, 30 of 50 states, and more than 2,600 counties nationwide – the most since President Ronald Reagan in 1984,” Trump said in his statement. Earlier this week, speculation that electronic voting in key states might have been hacked prompted Clinton supporters to urge her to contest the election results.

Culled from Presstv

26, November 2016

Another Camrail train derails, no casualties reported ⁰

A CAMRAIL freight train derailed today the 26^th of November 2016 in the district of Ndokotti, located in the economic capital of Douala.

No loss of human life has been reported so far. The Cameroon Railways (CAMRAIL) train experienced the derailment in the early hours of the morning at the Ndokotti Bridge in Douala. Police say the material damage was not huge.

Today’s incident whose causes remain unknown for the moment, brings to mind the terrible train tragedy at Eseka on October the 21st, 2016 that claimed the lives of 76 people and injured 599 people, according to official figures.

By Chi Prudence Asong with cables from CIN