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16, June 2016

President Ali Bongo orders military vehicles, mobile medical shelters and positioning systems from France ⁰

Gabon has ordered unmanned ground vehicles, mobile medical shelters, positioning systems and unmanned aerial vehicles from France’s Nexter. The contracts were announced by Nexter at the Eurosatory show in Paris on Tuesday. The deals involve the Findsat positioning system, Nerva LG unmanned ground vehicles, with a variety of mission kits, NX-110 unmanned aerial vehicles from Nexter partner Novadem and medical shelters from Euro-Shelter, a Nexter subsidiary. The Findsat system is a space-based blue force tracker that is able to identify and locate friendly personnel. The system has been tested by France as part of its Licorne operation in the Ivory Coast.

The Nexter Robotics Nerva LG wheeled unmanned ground vehicles are designed for reconnaissance and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) route clearance. The vehicle is designed to be an extension of the vehicle that carries it. The throwable and waterproof vehicle can be controlled from a computer, tablet or smartphone and can be operated semi-autonomously by following waypoints and automatically brought back home. Payloads can include an infrared camera, day camera etc.

Novadem’s NX-110 is a small quadcopter unmanned aerial vehicle powered by electric motors. Its rotor blades and rotor hub arms fold up so it can be transported in a single carry case. It carries a single gyrostabilised camera, which can be a CCD day camera or infrared camera. The interchangeable payload bay can also carry gas, radiometer or spectrometers and other sensors.

Gabon has previously ordered other military hardware from Nexter, and in November 2014 ordered four 15A naval mounts and a 20 mm Narwhal remote controlled gun turret from Nexter Systems to equip its Raidco RPB20 patrol boats and 58 metre OPV50 offshore patrol vessel bought from Piriou. In October 2014 Gabon also ordered the refurbished ex-French Navy P400 patrol vessel Tapageuse.

The Narwhal turret features an electro-optical sighting system and moving target auto-tracker. The turret for Gabon features the 20 x 102 mm M621 cannon, which has a firing rate of 750 rounds per minute. Weight of the turret with 200 rounds of ammunition is 390 kg. The Narwhal turret has been selected by the French Navy for its FREMM frigates.

The 15A light naval gun mount is also fitted with the M621 cannon. It is manually aimed and operated and weights 200 kg, with 160 rounds of ammunition. On 29 October 2014 Gabon also ordered 12 Aravis armoured vehicles to equip its battalion committed in the Central African Republic as part of the UN’s MINUSCA mission there. These vehicles were fitted with the ARX20 turret, the PG-Guard anti-RPG protection system and Nerva LG mini scout robots. The first were handed over to Gabon in June 2015.

Defenceweb

16, June 2016

Bodies of three dozen refugees found in Niger Sahara Desert ⁰

The bodies of nearly three dozen refugees, including women and children, have been found in Niger’s Sahara Desert, where they were apparently abandoned by smugglers en route to neighboring Algeria and eventually Europe. “Thirty four people, including five men, nine women and 20 children, died trying to cross the desert,” Niger’s Interior Minister Mohamed Bazoum said in a statement on Wednesday.

He said two of the victims have been identified as Nigerians but the nationalities of the others were not immediately clear. Bazoum said the bodies were found near the northern desert town of Assamaka, at a border post between Niger and Algeria. The refugees, he said, had died between June 6 and 12. Thirst was described in the statement as a probable cause. Temperatures currently stand at 42 degrees in the region.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has estimated that 120,000 people crossed through the Niger desert last year and 60,000 between February and April this year. The IOM also recorded 37 refugee deaths in the desert in 2015. Libya used to play host to the majority of the refugees in Sub-Saharan Africa on their way to Europe, but since the North African country plunged into political chaos in 2011, Algeria has become the new route.

Thousands of illegal migrants and refugees have recently arrived in Algeria on their way to Europe, mostly from neighboring Mali and Niger. More than 7,000 Nigerien migrants, mostly women and children, were turned back from Algeria to their home country in 2015 as part of an agreement between the two countries’ governments. Meanwhile, Europe has recently curbed the number of illegal arrivals from Africa, after a deal with Ankara in March reduced the number of people trying to cross from Turkey.

Presstv

16, June 2016

Cameroon to announce new laws on adultery and homosexuality ¹

The National Assembly has debated the draft law amending the Criminal Code as tabled by the government. Information that filtered to our political desk says the MPs plan to punish adultery with some new modifications. To be sure, in terms of Article 361 which regulates the question of adultery, the members of parliament have now agreed that adultery “shall be punished with imprisonment from two months to six months or a fine of 25,000 to 100,000 francs if a married woman who has sex with a man other than her husband”.

The new bill amending the text adds in paragraph 2, that the “penalties provided in paragraph 1 above shall hold for the husband who has sex with other women rather than his wife or wives.” If the text proposed by the government is eventually passed by parliament, it will be a kind of revolution in Cameroon. We learnt that stricter measures are being designed to combat homosexuality.

Rita Akana (CIR)

16, June 2016

Armed robbers attack Minister Mama Fouda’s residence, made away with 555 million FCFA ²

Cameroon Intelligence Report has learned that heavily armed men took away more than 555 million CFA francs from the residence of André Mama Fouda, Minister of Public Health. Our Yaoundé informant revealed the robbers took advantage of the absence of the policeman assigned to the Mama Fouda villa to enter and commit their crime. The wife of the minister was tied up and we understand some acts of violence were committed against her.

According to a highly placed security source who sued for anonymity, heavy weapons were found in a vehicle belonging to the minister and more than 555 million FCFA including valuable jewels were stolen during the robbery. It is not the first time that thieves have visited Minister Fouda. On the night of April 17, 2015 over 300 million FCFA reportedly disappeared at his residence. The Yaoundé police responded by detaining all employees at his home. The trouble that President Biya and his kinsmen are bringing to Cameroon as a nation, wears a cap and whistles.

Sama Ernest (CIR)

16, June 2016

Douala: Gunshots heard at the Mboppi Gendarmerie station ⁰

Gunshots were heard early this morning at the Mboppi neighborhood in Douala the economic capital. Our chief intelligence officer hinted the shots were fired in the gendarmerie camp located at Mboppi. A police source was quoted as saying that the shots were fired by a gang whose leader was arrested on June the 15^th 2016 and is being held at the said Gerdarmerie station. Calm has returned to the area and traffic is back to normal.

CIR

16, June 2016

Yaounde: Credit Unions go on the offensive to attract customers ⁰

Financial experts say the wrongdoings of Micro Finance Institutions in Cameroon of late with shutdown and swindled live savings of customers has prompted the rush by many Cameroonians to embrace the services of credit unions. A credit union is category one micro finance institution; Its characteristics are different in terms of ownership, experts say. A credit union is owned by members while a group of shareholders owns bigger microfinance institution explains Albert Ndikwa, a Chief Accountant.

The Melen-Biyem Assi neighbourhood is a typical example of the sprouting of credit union with roots from the North West Region. “I once counted and had over 20 of such banking institutions from between Total Melen and Carrefour Biyem-Assi,” Albert Ndikwa said. The Manchok Credit Union, the Bamenda Police Credit Union, the Mve Credit Union, the Kumbo Credit Union, Santa Credit Union, Awing Credit Union, Bambili, Bambui and Bessi-Awum credit union are just few of the many. Proximity to clientele, tribal affiliation and other advantages are just few of the driving factors of the structures that reportedly offers enticing products.

Opening an account at the Bessi-Awum Credit Union Limited in the Biyem-Assi requires a sum total of FCFA 32,000 of which shares count for FCFA 25,000, building fees for FCFA 5000, registration fees of FCFA 1,500 and pass book at FCFA 500, Abigail Efang revealed. The union’s interest rates stand at 1.85 and drops as the loan reduces. Other credit unions have more enticing services like daily collectors charged with collecting savings and deposits from members with busy work schedules free of charge.

Some credit union managers explain that customers unable to open accounts but save on daily or weekly basis are charged FCFA 1,000 monthly for the services of daily collectors meanwhile duly registered members only require to locate their addresses for their savings to be collected and saved free of charge. Risks are covered by the office after due investigation, it was revealed.

Albert Ndikwa revealed that buying a share or belonging to the credit union automatically makes you a member/shareholder with end of year dividends, making it comfortable for many to belong to such financial institutions. The micro finance (small bank) have banking systems of operation meanwhile credit unions have less traditional banking stress. Just the fact that credit unions are governed by a Board of Directors voted by the General Assembly with micro finance bodies controlled entirely by Board of Directors who are the shareholders, has given the more people the encouragement to belong to the former, as many fear collapse and the eventual sinking of their savings.

Cameroon Tribune

16, June 2016

South West Regional Service Heads boycott National Anti-Corruption forum in Buea ⁰

Reverend Dr. Dieudonne Masi Gams, Chair of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), is leading an expedition to the South West Region to assess the implementation of the plan of action for 2015 and mid-term 2016. The plan consists in following up and detecting corrupt practices that continue to mar the Head of State’s plans to enable Cameroon become emergent by 2035.

Although effective work lasts from June 13-17, 2016, a solemn opening by the Governor and the NACC Chair was conducted on June 14 in the Buea new Council Hall. The NACC Chair had a pad on the back for the South West as one of the best regions that fought corruption in 2015, but was quick to ask, “Where are you today?” Reverend Masi Gams underscored that the heavy projects undertaken in the South West, notably in Limbe and Buea to host the female African Cup of Nations this November, where already giving clear signs of malpractices.

He mentioned contractors who begin without appropriate means and staff, project owners who award contracts to companies with questionable reputation, officials who ask for kick-backs and individuals who witness corrupt practices, but fail to report them. Masi Gams insisted that it was a matter of “putting ethics and integrity in the hearts of our lives, our families, our market places, our workshops, our associations, etc.” He regretted that “every year, public investment budgets allocated to the regions are poorly executed.”

The Buea meeting was attended by administrative, police and military authorities, traditional and religious leaders, Mayors, political leaders, professional groups, grassroots organizations, politicians, judicial authorities and other stakeholders. South West Regional Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai, expressed worry that many Regional Service Heads were absent at the workshop, even though he said he informed them.

Cameroon Tribune

16, June 2016

Cameroon: Pig farmers improving hygienic conditions ⁰

Pig farmers and butchers have been cleaning up their environment and workplaces to give a better image to their businesses. Disinfecting slaughtering corners, pig styles and slabs regularly with caustic soda, inspecting carcasses before sale and selling in clean environment is a must for avoiding any contamination. According to pig butchers and farmers in the Wouri Division, hygiene and sanitation are passwords for the pig sector that is increasingly attracting customers.

In times past, it was common to see makeshift pork slabs along the street, selling to naive customers who cared less about the hygienic conditions of the pork. Today, veterinary doctors do not only confiscate such carcasses that are unfit for human consumption, but destroy them on the spot. In all the subdivisions in Wouri, there exists legal slaughter corners where a veterinary team inspects the carcasses before they are declared fit for consumption.

In the Douala II municipality where about 120 pigs are slaughtered daily, animal health staff ensure hygiene in the lone slaughter corner and that the animals are in good health. Pork dealers now practice thorough hygiene and sanitation following the crisis in the poultry sector that killed thousands of table birds in the Centre Region. Roger Fogang, the Pig Butchers’ President in the Douala II Council Area, restated the importance of hygiene: “We carry out regular and compulsory cleaning of the market once a week. I also make sure that all pig butchers keep their surroundings and slabs clean and put on white jackets to give dignity to the profession,” Roger Fogang explained.

On the other hand, veterinary officers ensure that butchers acquire medical certificates,” he explained. At a recent meeting with over 400 pig dealers in Wouri, the Divisional Delegate for Livestock, Dr Guy Mimbang, cautioned them to avert epidemic outbreaks by being ready to compete with modern butchers in supermarkets.

Cameroon Tribune

15, June 2016

Justice Ayah says “3 hungry boys PAP” is a Kumba affair!!! ⁰

The National Chairman of the Popular Action Party, PAP, Lord Justice Ayah Paul Abine has described the Kumba faction of the defunct People’s Action party as miserable “3 hungry boys”. He also observed that actors involved in the SCNC liberation struggle were mainly interested in positions and have deliberately lose sight of their mission and vision.

Asked if PAP is now in two factions, the outspoken Supreme Court Judge said “We have change the name of PAP from People’s Action Party to Popular Action Party. If you are talking about PAP in a different context I don’t know about it.” Quizzed on when and why it was change, the Lord Justice noted “We hold meetings in private, in public and behind closed doors. We are not under any duty to explain to people where we held the meeting to take this or that decision. Otherwise you would soon ask me when and why we held the meeting to annul the so-called document that Kumba is brandishing”.

The man of law added that “in accordance with our constitution, the important thing the law requires is that when there is such a change we notify the government having such jurisdiction and we did that in March 1^st 2016”. Justice Ayah in a typical Fru Ndi-Biya style revealed that “I have a list of at least 22 political parties that have change their names since the advent of multi-party system and nobody has dare to ask or explain why the change of name . CNU became CPDM. We have no reason to change names. If there are any reason then there are entirely intern, not for public consumption. We decided that popular is better than people and within our context so it stays.”

Questioned on the alleged embezzlement of party funds by the so called “3 hungry boys” in Kumba, Ayah fired back saying, “I am not here to make a statement on account, when I would want to make a statement of account of PAP I will called a national meeting.” To him no political party in Cameroon today is as democratic as the Popular Action Party, PAP. He recounted how his business and savings collapsed because of PAP. “There is no member of PAP apart from those who contested the elections who have spent a million FCFA for the party,” Ayah wept.

He explained that the party doesn’t function like the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement which takes money from the state coffers without any legal process and rights. He smartly answered a teaser that being member of the Supreme Court doesn’t conflict with being a member of a political party”, against what the Kumba “3 hungry boys” had claimed. Reacting on the SCNC matter Hon Ayah observed that the movement has lost its sense of direction and was baseless in its fight for liberation.

He was defiant in his statement that there was no legal document on the Southern Cameroons and La Republique’s reunification. He noted that the wise men commission established sometime ago by President Paul Biya to fact find the documents binding Cameroon’s reunification had bear no fruits till date. To this it was eloquent testimony and proves of the undeniable fact that no re-unification ever took place between the two Cameroons.

Victor Bama Cham (CIR)

15, June 2016

Bangolan Crisis: Fon Chafah XI, King Makers and Elders all sue for peace ⁰

The people of Bangolan have been rejoicing ever since an agreement was reached to discontinued the legal process which started last February and created an unprecedented chieftaincy dispute. The uprising in Bangolan led to a temporal dethronement of Fon Chafah XI and saw a new Fon installed. The Elders and King Makers of Bangolan have all discovered that peace is very expensive and have decided to have an out of court settlement. Cameroon Intelligence Report gathered from sources deep inside the tribunal that court fees have already been paid and both sides have opted for a peaceful end to the affair.

We further learnt that committees have been set up to restore peace within the onetime war-zone village. The uprisings perpetrated by some disgruntled villagers were purely illegal and lacked administrative procedures to back it, says our source. Gun shots were heard in the village on March 19, 2016 when angry villagers took over the palace and demanded Fon Chafah XI to leave. The Fon was in Yaounde at the time of the incident. He returned when things were at uncontrollable proportions and could not restore law and order. All vital administrative interventions proved futile. It all started in February 2016 when Fon Chafah XI of Bangolan was dethroned for embracing Christianity.

Bama Cham Victor (CIR)