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26, August 2023

Gabon blocks internet access, imposes curfew amid election voting delays ⁰

Gabon’s government blocked internet access and imposed a curfew on Saturday after a general election marked by major voting delays, as the opposition cried foul over a poll they hoped would halt President Ali Bongo’s bid to extend his family’s 56-year grip on power.

The Central African nation was holding presidential, legislative, and local polls simultaneously for the first time with tensions running high amid fears electoral system changes could sow doubt about the legitimacy of the result and provoke unrest.

Bongo, 64, who succeeded his father Omar in 2009, is seeking a third term against 18 challengers, six of whom backed a joint nominee in an effort to narrow the race.

Voting was due to start at 0700 GMT, but at least five polling stations in the capital Libreville saw voters waiting hours for polls to open, a Reuters reporter said.

“This election is very tense because I don’t think a vote in our country has ever started so late,” said voter Jeff Mbou at a polling station in Libreville’s Martine Oulabou school, where voting started nearly four hours late.

It was not immediately clear how many areas were affected by the delays or if all voters were able to cast their votes. The election commission did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Any irregularities will add to concerns about the post-electoral period, which in Gabon has previously seen violent protests linked to the opposition disputing the result.

There is no fixed deadline for the announcement of results, but joint opposition candidate Albert Ondo Ossa, 69, and his alliance on Saturday were already questioning the legitimacy of the outcome.

Citing the threat of online disinformation, the Gabonese government cut the internet until further notice and imposed a night-time curfew from Sunday “in order to prevent any misbehaviour and to preserve the security of the entire population,” according to a statement read out on national television on Saturday evening.

Fraud allegation

The vote is a much-anticipated test of support for Bongo, whose detractors say has done too little to funnel Gabon’s oil wealth towards the third of its 2.3 million population living in poverty and question his fitness to govern after a stroke in 2018.

Bongo has sought to disprove this image on a wide-ranging campaign trail. He has promised to create more jobs, boost micro-loan programmes and cut public school fees.

“We are voting and we are winning,” he said in an online post on Saturday, sharing a video of his supporters wearing T-shirts with his campaign slogan “Ali for Everyone”.

The run-up to the election has been smooth, but many fear the post-election period could see turmoil like the protests that broke out after Bongo’s 2016 victory. The opposition has disputed both his previous election wins, saying he won fraudulently.

“I am perfectly informed about the fraud orchestrated by Ali Bongo and his supporters,” Ondo Ossa told reporters at the polling station at Ba Oumar High School, in Libreville, without detailing the exact allegations.

“Ali Bongo still has time to negotiate. The only negotiation that is necessary is his departure; 60 years in power is too much,” he said.

In online posts, his opposition alliance Alternance 2023 and Bongo’s spokesperson said some polling stations had not received ballot slips for their respective candidates. Reuters could not independently verify the claims.

Bongo’s team rejected allegations of fraud.

“The vote hasn’t even finished yet, and already the opposition is losing its nerve and its composure. This attempt to sow discord, because defeat is near, will not work,” Bongo’s spokesperson said in an online post.

Recent changes to the voting system could further complicate the aftermath, said Remadji Hoinathy, a researcher at the Africa-focused Institute for Security Studies. These include the introduction of a ballot that requires voters to pick a presidential candidate and lawmaker from the same party.

The opposition has also voiced concern about a recent constitutional change to abolish two rounds of voting for the president.

The changes “might add more tensions on the outcome of the elections, and then maybe contestations and maybe violence,” Hoinathy said.

Bongo’s camp has positioned him as the firm favourite to win the race, although there has been no reliable polling.

His main threat comes from Ondo Ossa, an economics and management professor who has campaigned on the need for change and better economic opportunities.

The pitch could resonate in a country where one in three young people are unemployed and the vast majority of the population has only known Bongo’s rule.

Source: Reuters

26, August 2023

Spanish Football Kiss: FIFA suspends federation president Rubiales ⁰

FIFA suspended Luis Rubiales as president of Spain’s football federation on Saturday for kissing Spanish Women’s World Cup player Jenni Hermoso on the lips, and banned him from making contact with her.

“(We) decided today to provisionally suspend Mr. Luis Rubiales from all football-related activities at national and international level,” world football’s governing body said in a statement.

FIFA’s suspension of Spanish federation (RFEF) president Rubiales will last 90 days, while they undertake disciplinary proceedings against the 46-year-old.

They added that both Rubiales and the RFEF are prohibited from contacting Hermoso and those close to her.

FIFA’s move was the latest development in a deepening row between Rubiales and the RFEF and Hermoso and her Spain teammates which the players say has tarnished the glory of their World Cup win in Australia last Sunday.

Hermoso said in a statement on Friday that Rubiales and the federation put “continuous pressure” on her and her family and friends to make her appear alongside Rubiales in a video in which he apologised for his kiss, but she declined.

Rubiales refused to resign at an emergency RFEF meeting on Friday and on Saturday, the federation threatened to take legal action over Hermoso’s “lies” about the kiss.

Hermoso said “at no time” did she consent to the kiss following the 1-0 win against England in Sydney, which Rubiales described as “mutual, euphoric and consensual”.

The RFEF responded, saying they would “demonstrate each of the lies that have been spread, whether in the name of the player, if that is the case, or by the player herself”.

It would take “as many legal actions as necessary to defend the honour of the President of the RFEF.”

Hermoso, 33, along with 80 other Spain players, including the entire World Cup winning squad, said they were going on strike and would not play for the national team until the “leadership” changed.

That was a reaction to Rubiales refusing to resign despite unprecedented criticism. He claims he is the target of a “social assassination”.

Hermoso hit back strongly against his claims the kiss was consensual, saying she felt “vulnerable and the victim of an assault”.

“I want to clarify that at no time did I consent to the kiss that he gave me and in no case did I seek to lift up the president,” she said in the statement released through her Futpro union.

The RFEF published a series of images on their website attempting to demonstrate that Hermoso did in fact lift up Rubiales, as “the first demonstration that the facts exposed by Mr. President are absolutely true”.

Their threat of legal action appeared targeted at not just Hermoso and Futpro, but anybody who may have damaged “the president’s honourability”.

The Spanish government confirmed earlier Saturday they had also started a process which may allow them to suspend Rubiales from his post next week.

‘Abuse is abuse’

Hermoso’s union Futpro said the 81 players were striking to help foster change.

Players from World Cup runners-up England released a statement in support of Hermoso on their social networks, signed “The Lionesses”.

“Unacceptable actions allowed to happen by a sexist and patriarchal organisation. Abuse is abuse and we have all seen the truth,” it read.

“We all stand with you, Jenni Hermoso, and all players of the Spanish team.”

Before the tournament 15 Spain players had taken a similar stance against the federation and coach Jorge Vilda, but many relented and three were part of the World Cup team.

Many players, including double Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, showed their support for Hermoso on social media on Friday, some including the phrase “it’s over” — potentially referring to Rubiales’ leadership of Spanish football.

Now Putellas, Hermoso, the World Cup’s player of the tournament Aitana Bonmati and others say they will not play for Spain again until Rubiales and potentially others leave their posts.

In its statement on Saturday, the federation appeared to send a thinly veiled threat to the striking players.

“The RFEF respects, as it has always respected, the decisions of the players who wish to participate or not with the Spanish national team in international matches, although it is clear national team duty is an obligation for all federated persons if they are called up,” the RFEF said.

Source: AFP

26, August 2023

Football: Lukaku says signing for Roma on loan from Chelsea ⁰

Romelu Lukaku has revealed he is set to sign for Roma from Chelsea, according to Belgian media on Saturday, as the two clubs try to hammer out a loan deal.

Newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reported that Belgium striker Lukaku has said he is to move to the Italian capital.

“I’m nervous. Tomorrow (Sunday) I’m flying to Rome to sign (for Roma),” HLN quoted him as saying at a youth tournament in which his son made his Anderlecht debut.

Italian media report the two clubs are yet to agree a deal as the Serie A club want to loan Lukaku for around five million euros ($5.4 million), lower than Chelsea’s valuation.

Sky Sport in Italy report that Roma’s sporting director Tiago Pinto has denied that negotiations would be done in time for Lukaku to travel to Italy on Sunday.

Chelsea have been trying to offload outcast Lukaku all summer but neither Inter Milan — where he was loaned by the Blues last summer — nor Juventus decided to sign the Belgium striker.

Inter were deep in talks with Chelsea but reportedly gave up on the 30-year-old after they discovered he had been secretly talking to their biggest rivals Juventus and AC Milan.

Last month Inter captain Lautaro Martinez said he had been “disappointed” by Lukaku for hiding from his teammates and refusing to answer calls before the deal broke down.

Meanwhile Juve would have had to sell Serbia striker Dusan Vlahovic in order to sign Lukaku, a move which supporters vocally opposed all pre-season and during their 3-0 win at Udinese last weekend.

With a permanent sale now off the table less than a week before the end of the summer transfer window Chelsea are talking to Roma about another loan, with the Italian club’s American owners travelling to London on Friday to negotiate a deal.

Roma are at Verona on later Saturday and are set to start with an attack of Paulo Dybala and Italy’s Andrea Belotti, who also played together at Palermo.

Earlier on Saturday Roma confirmed the signing of Iran forward Sardar Azmoun on loan from Bayer Leverkusen.

Roma said they have brought in Azmoun, 28, “on a temporary basis until 30 June 2024” with “the option to make the transfer permanent”.

Azmoun, who has 45 goals in 71 appearances for his country, arrives after a difficult spell in Germany where he only scored five times since moving to Leverkusen in January 2021.

Source: AFP

26, August 2023

France: Sarkozy to face trial for receiving funds from Libya’s Gaddafi ⁰

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will face a trial in 2025 on charges of corruption and receiving illegal funding from former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for his successful 2007 presidential campaign, according to France’s financial prosecutors.

An initial hearing is set for March 7, 2024, the prosecutor’s office said, with the trial itself scheduled to take place between Jan.6, 2025 and April 10, 2025.

The 68-year-old is also fighting various other charges, including “concealment of embezzlement of public funds, passive corruption, and illegal campaign financing, the prosecutor’s office said.

The investigation was sparked by revelations from the investigative website Mediapart which published a document purporting to show that Gaddafi agreed to give Sarkozy up to 50 million euros ($54 million at current rates).

Sarkozy could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted in the case, while he has repeatedly denied the accusations. “There’s not even the smallest inkling of proof,” he said in an interview in 2018.

In addition to Sarkozy, there are 12 others facing the trial among them heavyweights such as Sarkozy’s former right-hand man Claude Gueant, his then head of campaign financing Eric Woerth and former interior minister Brice Hortefeux.

Sarkozy has already been convicted twice for corruption and influence-peddling in separate cases involving attempts to influence a judge and campaign financing.

He lost an appeal in May against a 2021 conviction for corruption and influence peddling. His legal team promised to challenge that at France’s highest court.

Sarkozy championed a NATO-led military intervention in Libya, taking advantage of an uprising against Gaddafi in 2011, which plunged the African country into chaos and infighting continuing to this day.

Before Sarkozy, the only former French leader to be sentenced at trial was his predecessor Jacques Chirac, who received a two-year suspended sentence in 2011 for corruption over a fake jobs scandal relating to his time as Paris mayor.

Source: Presstv

25, August 2023

FECAFOOT Crisis: President Eto’o urges his supporters to remain calm ⁰

Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) president Samuel Eto’o on Thursday urged his supporters not to give up following widespread criticisms of how he has been managing the football governing body.

“Peace and serenity to those who support me in my project to restore all the greatness to Cameroonian football. We endure the violence of adversity, but let’s not give in to it,” Eto’o said in a statement published on his Facebook page.

“Our intentions are noble, our strength is our faith in a better future for our young footballers. We will achieve this with the help of Cameroonians. Strength and courage to you, my friends,” the former Barcelona striker added.

The statement came barely two weeks after the Confederation of African Football announced that it had opened an investigation into “allegations of inappropriate conduct” by Eto’o following complaints from “several Cameroonian football stakeholders”.

Eto’o was elected the FECAFOOT president in 2021.

Source: Xinhuanet

25, August 2023

Football: Saudi Arabian Club Abha FC Announce Signing of Toko Ekambi ⁰

Saudi Arabia club, Abha FC have completed the signing of Cameroonian winger, Karl Toko Ekambi, in the summer transfer window.

The 30-year-old signed a two-year deal to join the Saudi Pro League from French giants Olympique Lyonnais.

The Cameroon international was unveiled after signing all necessary documents and will be expected to join the team ahead of Friday’s clash against Al Taawoun.

“Abha Club signed a professional contract with the Cameroonian striker Karl Ekambi until 2025. The club was represented at the signing ceremony by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Ahmed Al-Hadithi,” wrote Abha on social media.

Ekambi, who spent last season on loan at Stade Rennais, joins the Saudi Arabian club in a deal worth € 1.5m plus €500,000 in bonuses, as reported by Olympique Lyonnais.

“Olympique Lyonnais informs of the transfer of Karl Toko-Ekambi to the Saudi Pro League club, Abha FC, for an amount of 1.5 M€ to which may be added 500 K€ in bonuses,” wrote the French outfit.

He made 114 appearances for the Ligue 1 club, scoring 38 goals.

Source: Sportsbrief

24, August 2023

Bamenda: Roman Catholic Bishops decry “alarming increase” of exam malpractice ⁰

Catholic Bishops of Cameroon’s Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province have decried examination malpractice in the country’s 2023 session of the General Certificate of Education (GCE).

In their Tuesday, August 22 statement following a six-day meeting at Bishop’s House in Bamenda Archdiocese, members of the Bamenda Provincial Episcopal Conference (BAPEC) call for a collective effort of all education stakeholders to end the vice, which they describe as “alarming”.

“The alarming increase in the number and types of examination malpractices registered during the 2023 session of the GCE Examination is a subject of major concern to the Bishops,” BAPEC members say in the statement issued at the end of the 75th ordinary meeting that started on August 17.

They advocate for a collaborative approach, saying, “To adequately address this problem, we need the collective efforts of teachers, parents, religious denominations, and the Ministries in charge of education for the reinforcement of education in integrity, the establishment of discipline, and a culture of hard work and merit.”

The Catholic Church leaders further urge the GCE board to ensure “a better organization of the examination” and to adopt “measures that can reduce examination malpractices.”

In the statement that the Secretary General of BAPEC, Fr. Giles Ngwa Forteh, signed, the Bishops at the helm of Bamenda Archdiocese and the Dioceses of Kumbo, Kumba, Mamfe, and Buea also reaffirm their commitment to formal education as the Central African nation prepares to usher in a new academic year.

“As we approach the beginning of the 2023/2024 Academic Year, we reaffirm our commitment to education as a basic human right that works to raise men and women out of ignorance, poverty, and level of inequalities, and ensures sustainable development,” they say in their four-page statement following the meeting that concluded August 22.

Acknowledging with appreciation stakeholders’ efforts that made the 2022/2023 academic year a success, the Bishops make “a clarion call to all communities to work together towards the reopening of their schools during the new academic year so that our children are not left behind while the world advances.”

They caution those who have in the past prevented pupils and students from going to school urging them to reconsider their decision as they are “doing an irreparable damage to humanity and to their communities.”

In the August 22 statement, BAPEC members also express concern about the disrespect of human life and dignity in the West African nation following reported killings of civilians in the country’s Bamenda region.

They note “with deep regret the continuing and unfortunate situation of wanton killing, destruction of property and the attempt to manipulate and weaponized ethnic differences for the disruption of social cohesion.”

“No one should be misled; killing is a grave sin against the commandment of God: ‘Thou shall not kill’; stealing is a sin against the 7th commandment,” the Catholic Church leaders add in reference to the book of Exodus.

They call for “a fraternal openness that allows us to acknowledge, appreciate and love each other, regardless of physical proximity, regardless of where he or she was born or lives.”

Source: aciafrica.org

24, August 2023

Indomitable Lions: Andre Onana set for return after World Cup row ⁰

Andre Onana is set to return to his national team side after solving a dispute with Cameroon manager Rigobert Song, according to reports.

Manchester United summer signing quit international football during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a disagreement with the head coach.

The blame for the fallout with Onana has gone to Samuel Eto’o, the president of the Cameroon football federation. It is believed he wanted to get rid of the keeper at all costs.

But, much to our disappointment, it looks like Onana has solved his differences with Song. That means we’ll likely be without Onana throughout the African Cup of Nations.

According to Actu Foot Afrique, Onana will return to the Cameroon squad in September for the next international break.

This comes as a boost for Cameroon ahead of the AFCON, which is due to take place between 13 January and 11 February 2024.

Whereas for United, this has thrown a big spanner in the works, and now football director John Murtough is in a race against time to sign a new keeper before the transfer deadline.

United have been linked to Fenerbahce goalkeeper Altay Bayindir to come in as a new back-up option. That could be our fall back option during the AFCON.

Tom Heaton will third-choice keeper at the club but he’s currently out with an injury.

Source: Manchester United news

23, August 2023

Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province: Bishops unveil liturgical guidelines amid “aberrations” ⁰

Catholic Bishops of Cameroon’s Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province have unveiled liturgical guidelines in response to lamentations about “aberrations” and practices that they have described as “foreign” to Catholic worship.

In their Tuesday, August 22 statement, members of the Bamenda Provincial Episcopal Conference (BAPEC) who include Local Ordinaries of Bamenda Archdiocese and the Dioceses of Kumbo, Kumba, Mamfe, and Buea provide five guidelines that they say are in line with Canon 835 § 1.

“For quite some time now, we have received numerous complaints about liturgical aberrations and the introduction of a wide range of practices which are completely foreign and even contradictory to Catholic piety and worship,” BAPEC members say in their statement following a six-day meeting at Bishop’s House in Bamenda Archdiocese.

The Catholic Bishops add, “As moderators, promoters, and guardians of the liturgical life of the Church entrusted to our care we, the Bishops of the Ecclesiastical Province of Bamenda, acting in solidum, lay down the following liturgical guidelines.”

Offerings for Mass intentions

BAPEC members urge Priests to celebrate Holy Mass for the intention of the Christian faithful, especially the needy, even if they have not received an offering.

“The Church also instructs that Separate Masses should be applied for the intentions of those for whom a single offering, although small, has been given and accepted,” the Catholic Bishops say, making reference to Canon 948.

During the six-day meeting that concluded on August 22, the BAPEC members say they find it regrettable that the amount of 2,000 CFA Franc (US$3.30) that the Ecclesiastical Province established as offering for Holy Mass is sometimes not adhered to.

“It has been reported and verified that during retreats or meetings organized by some groups, this decision of the Bishops is changed,” BAPEC members say, and add, “The amount paid for Mass offering is reduced to 1,000 CFA Franc. This practice is manifestly wrong.”

They continue, “Those who truly do not have money can meet the Priest and ask for prayers; but if they intend to offer a Mass, they should make the sacrifice of paying the full amount of 2,000 CFA Franc.”

On Tithe, Catholic Bishops of Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province say that “the foregoing obligation will be fulfilled through the Christian Contribution Card System, which requires each Christian to pay 1% of their monthly income.”

They explain, “Priests are therefore not authorized to request or receive money as tithes or the ‘sowing of seeds,’ and Christians should strictly apply what the Bishops have laid down and be satisfied that they have fulfilled their obligation to the Lord.”

Mass Intentions at Funerals

“It is the serious obligation of the Pastor of the Parish to ensure that Mass offerings collected during funeral Masses for the purpose of celebrating Masses for the deceased are properly exonerated,” BAPEC members say.

They direct Parish Priests to “ensure that separate Masses are applied for the intentions of those for whom a single offering has been given and accepted (Canon 948).”

“This is not money to be distributed to concelebrating Priests,” the Catholic Church leaders clarify.

Collections in Learning Institutions

“In the understanding of our Provincial Pastoral Plan, the school or college is a Small Christian Community of and is pastorally dependent on the Parish within whose territorial jurisdiction it is planted,” BAPEC members say.

They go on to direct, “Money collected as Harvest Thanksgiving is part of the Thanksgiving of the Parish and should be forwarded to the Parish.”

Gifts in kind, cash

In their August 22 statement, BAPEC members fault prayer groups and individual members who donate some cash to the church during Eucharistic celebrations and follow up with directives on how it should be used.

“Such gifts are meant to contribute to the good of the Church and her works, and she has provided guidelines for their proper use,” the Catholic Church leaders say.

They add, “No one, not even the priest, can unilaterally dispose of such gifts as if they were personal property.”

Culled from aciafrica

23, August 2023

India becomes first nation to land spacecraft on Moon’s south pole ⁰

India on Wednesday made history when its Chandrayaan-3 lander successfully touched down on the Moon’s south pole, thought to be a potential source for water and oxygen, days after Russia’s mission failed.

The Indian space agency launched the rocket on July 14, blasting off from the country’s main spaceport in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

The Moon landing is a historic moment for the world’s most populous nation, as it rapidly closes in on milestones set by global space powers.

Chandrayaan-3, which means “Mooncraft” in Sanskrit, touched down shortly after 6pm India time (1230 GMT) near the little-explored lunar south pole.

A previous Indian effort failed in 2019, and today’s success comes just days after Russia’s first Moon mission in almost 50 years, destined for the same region, crashed on the lunar surface.

K. Sivan, the former head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said it had made corrections after the failure of four years ago, when scientists lost contact with the previous lunar module moments before its slated landing.

“Chandrayaan-3 is going to go with more ruggedness,” he said prior to the successful landing. “We have confidence, and we expect that everything will go smoothly.”

The mission was launched nearly six weeks ago in front of thousands of cheering spectators, but took much longer to reach the Moon than those of the Apollo missions in the 1960s and 1970s, which arrived in a matter of days.

India is using rockets much less powerful than those the United States used back then, meaning the probe needed to orbit Earth several times to gain speed before embarking on its month-long lunar trajectory.

The spacecraft’s lander, Vikram, which means “valour” in Sanskrit, detached from its propulsion module last week and has been sending back images of the moon’s surface since entering lunar orbit on August 5.

A day ahead of the landing, the ISRO said on social media the landing was proceeding on schedule and that its mission control complex was “buzzed with energy and excitement”.

“Smooth sailing is continuing,” the agency posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

India has a comparatively low-budget aerospace programme, but one that has grown considerably in size and momentum since it first sent a probe to orbit the Moon in 2008.

The latest mission comes with a price tag of $74.6 million – far lower than those of other countries, and a testament to India’s frugal space engineering.

Experts say India can keep costs low by copying and adapting existing space technology, and thanks to an abundance of highly skilled engineers who earn a fraction of their foreign counterparts’ wages.

In 2014, India became the first Asian nation to put a satellite into orbit around Mars and is slated to launch a three-day manned mission into Earth’s orbit by next year.

‘Very, very important’

Sivan, the former ISRO chief, said India’s efforts to explore the relatively unmapped lunar south pole would make a “very, very important” contribution to scientific knowledge.

Only Russia, the United States and China have previously achieved a controlled landing on the lunar surface.

If successful, it would have beaten Chandrayaan-3 by a matter of days to become the first mission of any nation to make a controlled landing around the lunar south pole.

But the Luna-25 probe crash-landed on Saturday after an unspecified incident as it was preparing for descent.

Punishing sanctions since the outset of the war in Ukraine have affected Russia’s space industry, which has also been beleaguered by corruption and a lack of innovation and partnerships.

Source: Reuters