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13, November 2024

Biya Regime: role of special services and units in the systematic practice of torture ⁰

The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the signatory organisations, members of the SOS-Torture Network and partners have submitted an alternative report to the United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) on the situation of torture and ill-treatment in Cameroon, in the context of the 81st session of the CAT, which will take place on 13 and 14 November 2024.

Since the Boko Haram insurgency in 2014, Cameroon has faced a violent security crisis during which massive human rights violations have been committed by both government security forces and non-state armed groups.

Moreover, the outbreak of the Anglophone crisis in 2016 has made the use of torture by the security forces and armed separatists an instrument that benefits from extenuating circumstances. Torture is now practised and tolerated by the state in so-called exceptional circumstances: that of the fight against terrorism, whose broad definition allows special intelligence services, special forces and units of the police, gendarmerie and army to implement a punitive strategy against entire communities accused of hiding or collaborating with separatist groups. Thus, the use of Law No. 2014/028 of 23 December 2014 on the repression of acts of terrorism undermines the efforts made by Cameroon to establish a legislative and institutional framework that formally prohibits torture and grants important legal guarantees to people deprived of their liberty. This systematic use of violence, including against human rights defenders and journalists who denounce the abuses committed by the State, is of concern to civil society organisations in the context of the 2025 elections.

In prisons, the use of pre-trial detention has increased, leading to overcrowding in dilapidated prisons, some of which have occupancy rates of over 600%. The limited access of civil society to places of deprivation of liberty, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic, is a major obstacle to regular and independent monitoring of conditions of detention and the treatment of detainees.

This report identifies the challenges and proposes recommendations for the implementation of the State’s obligations under the Convention against Torture. In particular, it describes the following concerns:

Tolerance and practice of torture in the name of the fight against terrorism

Inadequacy of Cameroon’s legislative framework to criminalise torture

Failure to respect legal safeguards and the dignity of people deprived of their liberty

Lack of judicial proceedings against perpetrators of torture

Lack of access to reparation and rehabilitation for victims of torture

Lack of independence and resources of the Cameroon Human Rights Commission and the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture

Source: omct

13, November 2024

Bank loans in Cameroon hit record CFA5,607 bn in H1 2024, up 3.75% ⁰

Bank lending in Cameroon reached a record CFA5,607 billion between December 2023 and June 2024, representing a 3.75% increase compared to the previous six months. This data comes from the regulatory reports of the Collection, Processing, and Feedback System for Banks and Financial Institutions (Cerber), established by the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) and Cameroon’s National Economic and Financial Committee (CNEF).

Afriland First Bank (AFB), owned by Cameroonian billionaire Paul Fokam Kammogne, led the market with CFA1,280.5 billion in loans over the period. Right behind AFB was Société Générale Cameroun (SGC), a subsidiary of the French Société Générale group, which issued CFA771.3 billion in credit.

Banque Atlantique Cameroun (BAC), a branch of the Ivorian Atlantic Financial Group (AFG), took the third position, issuing CFA538.2 billion in loans. Société Commerciale de Banque (SCB) Cameroun, owned by Morocco’s Attijariwafa group, followed with CFA521.4 billion, while Commercial Bank Cameroun (CBC) completed the top five with CFA489.9 billion in loans.

Other notable players included Bicec, a part of Morocco’s Banque Centrale Populaire (BCP), which loaned out CFA455 billion; BGFI, owned by Gabon’s BGFI Group, at CFA441 billion; CCA Bank, a local Cameroonian institution, with CFA308 billion; UBA, the Nigerian UBA Group’s subsidiary, providing CFA265 billion; and Ecobank, a pan-African group, lending CFA167 billion.

The remaining eight banks—Citibank, NFC-Bank, Standard Bank, Bange Bank, La Régionale Bank, UBC, BC-PME, and Access Bank—collectively issued over CFA370 billion in loans.

The credit market grew by 3.75% in the first half of the year, with AFB leading the growth at 3.14%, as the only bank to lend over CFA1,000 billion. Newer players in the market, like Equatorial Guinea’s Bange Bank and Nigeria’s Access Bank, posted the highest growth rates of 73.28% and 26.43%, respectively. Financial expert Danny Dior Ngongang noted, “It’s expected for these banks to grow rapidly, as they are working to establish themselves and catch up.”

Source: Business in Cameroon

13, November 2024

French Cameroun: 10 killed in Boko Haram attack in Far North Region ⁰

At least 10 civilians, including women, were killed when the Boko Haram terror group raided a locality in Cameroon’s Far North region, authorities said Wednesday.

The overnight attack took place in Ldamang, a village in the region’s Mayo-Tsanaga division.

Far North Governor Midjiyawa Bakari confirmed the attack to Xinhua and said an official statement would be released later.

Source: Xinhuanet

12, November 2024

Martinez Zogo Trial: Amougou Belinga, Maxime Eko Eko to remain in detention ⁰

The November 11 hearing at the Yaoundé Military Tribunal lasted approximately 20 minutes, with the court rejecting all objections raised by the defense.

The tribunal, led by Colonel Missé Njonè, denied the defense team’s request for a reenactment of events related to the case of businessman Amougou Belinga. The court also dismissed requests to dismiss certain preliminary investigation and case file documents.

The judges further rejected a proposal to reclassify charges against some defendants and denied the application of a contested referral order from December 1, 2023, which had previously ordered the release of Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga and Léopold Maxime Eko Eko, former head of the Directorate General of External Research (DGRE).

The court reaffirmed its decision to include the DGRE as a civil party in the case, a status the intelligence agency has sought to avoid since the trial began in March.

The next hearing is scheduled for December 2, when the parties hope to initiate substantive deliberations.

Source: Sbbc

12, November 2024

Ambazonia Crisis: Former US Assistant Secretary of State predicts tougher U.S. stance against Biya ⁰

Tibor Nagy, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs during Donald Trump’s first term, has suggested that Washington’s policy on the ongoing separatist crisis in Cameroon’s Northwest and Southwest regions could see a shift. which has simmered since 2016, could see a shift. In a recent tweet, he wrote: if “Trump selects certain people whose names have come up for high level posts the Yaoundé regime will get much more pressure over its mistreatment of its Anglophone population.” Nagy, who previously engaged with this issue, believes that the Biden administration has largely neglected the crisis, a situation that he expects could change with new leadership in the White House. “Cameroon [government] has gotten a relatively free ride with Biden; hopefully that will change,” he added.

During Trump’s first term, U.S. diplomacy took an assertive stance on Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis, with Washington repeatedly condemning the Cameroonian military for alleged human rights violations and abuses against civilians. “I receive more emails about Cameroon than any other African issue—10 to 20 daily, with horrific photos and videos of people decapitated with machetes, security forces committing terrible acts…We need a de-escalation,” Nagy said in a 2019 interview. His comments led to strained relations between Yaoundé and Washington, with Cameroon’s Minister of Communication, René Emmanuel Sadi, responding that such statements reflected “a lack of understanding of the issues, realities, and facts” and constituted an “unacceptable attempt at interference in Cameroon’s internal affairs.” After meeting with President Paul Biya in Cameroon, Nagy later adopted a more measured tone.

In recent years, Washington has taken a more collaborative approach with Yaoundé regarding the Anglophone crisis. The U.S. has even prosecuted U.S.-based Cameroonians accused of trafficking arms to separatists in the troubled regions, a move welcomed by the Cameroonian government, which had long sought American cooperation to neutralize these leaders.

However, analysts argue that Washington’s assistance in pursuing those behind attacks in the separatist regions is driven primarily by broader geopolitical strategy. Amid rising tensions with Russia, especially over the Ukraine conflict, the U.S. has aimed to isolate Moscow by offering reassurances to certain Kremlin partners. This dynamic, however, could shift if Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Source: Business in Cameroon

12, November 2024

Yaoundé moves to digitize fiscal stamps starting November 2024 ⁰

Starting November 15, 2024, Cameroon will eliminate physical fiscal stamps. The announcement was made by the Minister of Finance, Louis Paul Motazé, on November 1, 2024.

From that date, the fiscal stamp required for various documents—such as driver’s licenses, vehicle registration cards, gun permits, hunting licenses, scientific research permits, transport contracts, property transfers, and others—will be declared paid online through the General Tax Directorate’s (DGI) platform.

The Minister said that the traditional physical stamp will be replaced by an online payment receipt. This receipt can be verified through the DGI’s system for authenticity. Although Motazé listed specific documents in his announcement, DGI officials confirmed that the move to digital applies to all types of fiscal stamps, including those used on photocopies and graduated stamps.

According to tax agents, most beneficiaries of tax exemptions pay this stamp tax, which has a fixed rate of CFA300,000, in line with current regulations.

The reform is designed to improve the security of tax revenue by removing cash transactions and the use of stamping machines, which have been linked to fraud in the past. Some of these machines were reportedly missing or deliberately malfunctioning in certain financial districts, allowing criminal networks to divert public funds. The issue was especially apparent during high-demand periods, such as the start of administrative exams or public sector recruitment drives.

Stamping machines were introduced in Cameroon a few years ago to combat the widespread counterfeiting of physical stamps. However, despite this effort, fraudsters continued to find ways to bypass the system, depriving the government of substantial revenue each year.

Source: Business in Cameroon

11, November 2024

Putin offers African countries Russia’s ‘total support’ ⁰

Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered what he called “total support” for Africa, including in the struggle against terrorism and extremism.

The speech was read out at a summit in the Black Sea resort of Sochi by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to his African counterparts.

Several African governments have cut ties with traditional Western allies and are looking to Moscow for help in tackling frequent attacks by jihadists.

During the summit, Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré said Russia was a more suitable international partner than the former colonial power, France.

It is a view shared by several of France’s former colonies – and was reiterated by Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, who contrasted the Kremlin’s “sincere” partnership to the “neo-colonial” relationship of Western powers.

He said that as well as military co-operation, Mali was exploring other joint projects in the energy, telecommunications, technology and mining sectors.

“Russian companies are working in all these areas with the Malian government and [private] partners in Mali to provide solutions to the challenges facing the Malian people. The two parties have agreed to step up the pace to ensure rapid results,” he said on the second and final day of the conference of African foreign ministers.

Wagner mercenary fighters – now rebranded under the Africa Corps banner by Russia’s defence ministry – were the preferred choice for the military leaders who ordered French and UN troops to leave.

Russia’s help, often in exchange for access to raw materials, also comes with a promise that there will be no meddling in a country’s internal affairs or lessons on how to run an election.

However, Russia’s military expeditions to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have helped protect the junta leaders there, but have failed to make much progress in the fight against Islamist militants.

Nonetheless, the Kremlin is trumpeting about these new-found friends, with foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova saying the conference had dashed Western hopes for Russia’s isolation.

The conference taking place on Saturday and Sunday comes after two Russia-Africa summits in 2019 and 2023

And Lavrov said Russia’s relations with Africa were strengthening “more and more” with progress “on all axes”.

Putin’s speech underlined this point.

“I would like to reiterate that our country will continue to provide total support to our African friends in different sectors: ensuring sustainable development, the struggle against terrorism and extremism, combating epidemics, food problems and the consequences of natural disasters,” it said.

Emanuela Del Re, the EU special representative for the Sahel region of West Africa, told the BBC the West needed to accept the shifting sands of allegiances.

While Russia was “certainly a very malicious actor”, the Italian diplomat explained it had a strong bond with Africa going back to before independence and was not alone in its interest in the Sahel.

“It’s largely a desert but in reality the region is very crowded: because at the moment you see Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran… all member states of the EU and the UK,” she said.

In fact, African leaders were pragmatic about their need to “diversify their partnerships”, Ms Del Re said, adding it was not a time for the EU to abandon what she called the “three difficult countries” of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which have all experienced coups in recent years.

Her point was that it should not be seen as a competition.

Rwanda, which has strong ties with the UK and the West, is one of several African countries that have already signed deals with Moscow to get help building a nuclear power plant.

Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe, who is also in Sochi, told the AFP news agency hundreds of Rwandan students had graduated from Russian universities, including “those who specialise in nuclear science”.

“We hope to be able to train a certain number of scientific managers specialising in this field,” he added.

Five years ago, Putin promised to double trade with Africa – this has not happened.

But using other means, which the West sees as destabilising the continent, Russia’s influence has grown significantly.

Source: BBC

11, November 2024

ICC announces investigation into chief prosecutor Karim Khan ⁰

The International Criminal Court has announced an external investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct against its chief prosecutor.

Karim Khan said he would engage in the process and continue in his role while the investigation was ongoing. He denies the allegations.

The chief prosecutor had requested an investigation by the court’s watchdog, but on Monday the ICC’s governing body said it would pursue an “external investigation”.

The announcement followed media reports about a document outlining accusations against Mr Khan, understood to include unwanted sexual touching and “abuse”.

In a statement, Mr Khan said he “had previously called for an investigation in relation to this matter”.

“I welcome the opportunity to engage in this process,” he said, adding he would continue “all other functions as prosecutor” while the investigation is ongoing.

Any issues relevant to the investigation into allegations against him would be handled by deputy prosecutors not reporting to him, “so as to ensure that the rights of all persons are fully respected,” he said.

ICC prosecutor denies sexual misconduct allegations

According to the Guardian newspaper, a female lawyer who claims to have been subjected to unwanted sexual advances by Mr Khan had raised concerns about the competence of the Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM), the ICC’s watchdog.

The paper also reported that Khan responded to a formal sexual misconduct complaint against him by trying to persuade the alleged victim that she should deny the claims, despite having been advised to avoid one-to-one contact.

Mr Khan denied asking the woman to withdraw any allegations, the Guardian reported.

Paivi Kaukoranta, the president of the body charged with overseeing the court, last month said the IOM had been in contact with the alleged victim, but said it was not in a position to proceed with an investigation at that stage.

In a statement on Monday, she defended the IOM’s ability to carry out the investigation but said that “given the particular circumstances,” she did not object to “exceptionally resorting to an external investigation”.

“An external investigation is therefore being pursued in order to ensure a fully independent, impartial and fair process,” she said.

It comes amid intense scrutiny of the ICC and Mr Khan after the prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants linked to the conflict in Gaza.

In May, Mr Khan said there were reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-defence minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders Yahiya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh bore criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity from the day of Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October onwards.

Sinwar, Deif and Haniyeh have all since been killed by Israel.

In an earlier statement, Mr Khan did not explicitly blame Israel, but did juxtapose the sexual misconduct allegations and efforts to undermine his position when he described this as “a moment in which myself and the International Criminal Court are subject to a wide range of attacks and threat”.

But the sexual misconduct allegations are understood to pre-date his request for arrest warrants linked to the conflict in Gaza.

A panel of three ICC judges is currently considering the arrest warrants requested by Mr Khan.

Source: BBC

11, November 2024

Martinez Zogo-Pierre Amougou Belinga Affair: Court decision expected today ⁰

Colonel Misse Njoné, head of the panel of judges in the military tribunal handling the high-profile case of journalist Martinez Zogo’s assassination, is set to rule today on procedural objections raised by the defense and the prosecutorial motions presented by the government commissioner. This case involves 17 defendants, including 12 agents from Cameroon’s powerful intelligence service, the General Directorate for External Research (DGRE). They stand accused of kidnapping, torturing, and killing Martinez Zogo in January 2023. Zogo, a prominent radio host at Amplitude FM in Yaoundé, frequently exposed corruption involving top government officials.

The judge’s decision on whether to accept the defense’s complaints regarding alleged irregularities in the preliminary investigation and the case’s instruction phase could significantly impact the course of the trial. If the judge upholds the defense’s objections, the investigation could be restarted from scratch, potentially resulting in the release of some of the accused. During the last hearing on October 21, the government commissioner opposed all objections and requested their outright dismissal.

In recent hearings on September 30 and October 21, defense attorneys raised multiple procedural challenges, particularly pointing to errors made by investigators during both the preliminary and instruction phases. For instance, lawyers for Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga—an influential businessman suspected of ordering Zogo’s murder—argued that the search of his residence was conducted without a warrant or notification to his attorneys. They also alleged that certain items disappeared during the search.

Furthermore, the defense claims that witness statements were illegally taken and that interrogation records were “regularized” only after the fact. This retroactive approval was reportedly granted by the government commissioner, who headed the joint police-gendarme investigative team. Defense attorneys contest the legality of this team, asserting that jurisdiction should have rested with the public prosecutor in Mfou, where Zogo’s body was found, or the Central Region tribunal prosecutor.

The defense also challenges a December 1, 2023, dismissal order issued by former investigative judge Sikati II Kamwo, which called for the release of Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga and former DGRE chief Léopold Maxime Eko Eko. Following an administrative dispute, the military tribunal deemed the dismissal order falsified, keeping both men in custody. The defense now insists the order was genuine and demands the immediate release of their clients based on this document.

Since the proceedings began in March, these procedural debates have delayed the trial’s progression to substantive issues. Today’s decision by the tribunal president will determine whether the case will finally proceed to the main trial phase or face further delays.

Source: Sbbc

10, November 2024

French Cameroun: 12 bodies recovered from Dschang landslides ⁰

Workers have recovered 12 bodies following landslides that engulfed a road in the west of Cameroon, a regional official said Saturday, adding there is no hope of finding survivors.

State television CRTV reported the comments by the governor of West region, Augustine Awa Fonka.

“In our opinion, there is no longer any possibility of finding survivors,” he told the station.

Only 12 bodies had been recovered from the site of the disaster, the last of them on Saturday morning, he said.

Dozens more people are still missing, and the search for bodies is still continuing, he added.

Two landslides hit the Dschang cliff road Tuesday — the second as emergency workers were using heavy machinery to try to clear the road.

Vehicles hit included three coaches with around 20 seats each, five six-seater vehicles, and several motorbikes said Awa Fonka in an earlier statement.

Cameroon’s roads are notoriously dangerous, with almost 3,000 deaths each year in accidents, or more than 10 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization, published in 2023.

In early September, a tractor-trailer carrying passengers plunged off a cliff road into a ravine near the town of Dschang, killing eight people and injuring 62 others, including eight children.

Source: VOA