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1, August 2024

Trump questions Harris’ racial identity: ‘Is she black or Indian?’ ⁰

Donald Trump has questioned Kamala Harris’ racial identity during a heated exchange at a convention for black journalists.

Trump falsely claimed the vice-president and presumptive Democratic nominee had only emphasised her Asian-American heritage until recently when, he claimed, “she became a black person”.

“I didn’t know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black and now she wants to be known as black,” he said at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago on Wednesday.

“So I don’t know – Is she Indian? Or is she black?”

Ms Harris said Trump’s remarks were “the same old show” of “divisiveness… and disrespect”.

“The American people deserve better,” she told a meeting of the historically black sorority Sigma Gamma Rho in Houston. “We deserve a leader who understands that our differences do not divide us – they are an essential source of our strength.”

Ms Harris is the first black and Asian-American vice-president, with Indian and Jamaican-born parents. She attended Howard University, a historically black university, and joined the predominantly black Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.

She became a member of Congressional Black Caucus after entering the Senate in 2017.

Trump’s claims prompted a heated exchange with ABC News’ correspondent Rachel Scott, one of the moderators of the Chicago event.

“I respect either one,” the Republican said in reference to Harris’ racial identity. “But she obviously doesn’t because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden she made a turn and she became a black person.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said no-one “has any right to tell someone who they are, how they identify. That is no-one’s right.”

“Who appointed Donald Trump the arbiter of Blackness?” asked Representative Ritchie Torres of New York. He described Trump as a “relic of a racist past”.

The Republican nominee and former president has a history of attacking his opponents on the basis of race.

He falsely accused Barack Obama, the country’s first black president, of not being born in the US.

Trump attacked the former UN ambassador and his Republican primary opponent Nikki Haley by falsely claiming she could not be president because her parents were not US citizens when she was born.

Ms Harris has faced a series of attacks since becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee. Republicans have criticised the decision, saying she was chosen only because of her race.

Tim Burchett, a Republican congressman from Tennessee, called her a “DEI vice-president” – a reference to diversity, equity and inclusion programmes.

On Wednesday, Scott pushed Trump to clarify whether he believed Ms Harris was a “DEI hire”. He replied: “I really don’t know, could be.”

Ms Harris has described growing up engaged with her Indian heritage and often visited the country. Her mother also immersed her two daughters in the black culture of Oakland, California – where she was raised, she said.

Trump also attacked Ms Harris’ credentials during the discussion, saying she had failed her bar exam early in her legal career. His comments were met with murmurs from the crowd.

“I’m just giving you the facts. She didn’t pass her bar exam and she didn’t think she would pass it and she didn’t think she was going to ever pass it and I don’t know what happened. Maybe she passed it,” he said.

Ms Harris graduated from the University of California Hastings College of Law in 1989. The New York Times reported that she failed her first attempt and passed at the second. The state bar of California says fewer than half of those who sit the test pass on the first attempt.

The Chicago discussion began with a contentious back and forth between Scott and the former president. Trump accused the journalist of giving a “very rude introduction” when she began the conversation asking about his past criticism of black people.

She cited Trump calling black journalists’ questions ”stupid and racist” and that he had ”dinner with a white supremacist at your Mar a Lago resort”.

“I love the black population of this country, I’ve done so much for the black population of this country,” he responded.

The former president criticised the conversation hours later on his social media platform. “The questions were rude and nasty, often in the form of a statement, but we CRUSHED IT!” he said.

Source: BBC

1, August 2024

Rome: New report suggests long-term worries for Vatican finances ⁰

A new analysis of the Vatican’s financial situation by an Italian news outlet contains both good and bad news for papal finances, pointing to relative success in efforts to contain ballooning deficits but also seemingly irreversible long-term declines.

According to an overview of the most recent financial data published July 26 by La Repubblica, Italy’s most widely read daily newspaper, the Vatican’s annual operating deficit grew by roughly $5.4 million in 2023, a lower figure than in past years. The report suggested the result was due to the impact of both spending cuts and also efforts to generate more realistic appraisals of the value of Vatican properties.

Among the cost-cutting measures adopted in recent years include new limits on hiring and contracting, as well as efforts to increase the rents collected on some Vatican properties which are leased commercially and to put others up for sale.

The report cited a recently completed financial statement approved by the Vatican’s Council for the Economy, led by German Cardinal Reinhard Marx. According to the report, the deficit for 2023 amounted to over $90 million, with income of $1.25 billion and expenses of $1.34 billion.

Income in 2023 actually grew by $30 million, according to the financial statement, but expenses also went up by $36 million due to the impact of inflation.

The statement also indicated that the size of the 2023 deficit could still shrink somewhat depending on what the actual performance of the Vatican’s investment portfolios match projections.

The Repubblica analysis also found that income from the annual Peter’s Pence collection, which supports the works of the pope, amounted to $52.5 million in 2023, an increase over the $47.2 million collected in 2022.

Nonetheless, the net gain from the collection was offset by the fact that the fund’s reserves were once again draw upon in 2023 to support the Roman Curia, the Vatican’s chief administrative bureaucracy, to the tune of almost $98 million.

Moreover, the long-term trend in income from the fund is clearly downwards. According to the Repubblica analysis, collections dropped 23 percent overall from 2015 to 2019, and are poised for further reductions.

To some extent, those declines may be related to financial scandals, such as the aborted $400 million purchase of a former Harrods warehouse in London that resulted in the criminal convictions of nine figures for fraud, including Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu. Given that Peter’s Pence also is sometimes viewed as a referendum on the popularity of the current pope, various controversies surrounding Franci may also have had an impact.

More basically, however, most observers believe the core factor is that much of the Peter’s Pence income derives from wealthier nations, where Catholic populations, and therefore Catholic giving, have been in decline for decades.

Declines in income are especially worrying for Vatican accountants today, given concerns about an aging workforce and unfunded pension obligations down the line. There’s also alarm that rising costs and declining income could eventually compel the Vatican to either trim its payroll or cut salaries, or both, at time when both the volume and the complexity of the workload from around the world is increasing rapidly.

The financial statement reportedly approved by the Council for the Economy concerns the Holy See, and mostly excludes both the Government of the Vatican City State, which is responsible for administration of the physical territory – including income, for example, from the Vatican Museums – and also excludes the Institute for the Works of Religion, the so-called “Vatican bank,” which for 2023 showed $33.2 million in income and a total of $5.9 billion in client assets.

However, it’s considered improbable that income from either the city state or the IOR will be sufficient in coming years to offset the Vatican’s broad deficits, leaving it unclear for the moment how the losses will be sustained.

Source: Crux

1, August 2024

HIV/AIDS: Yaoundé launches nationwide survey to determine prevalence ⁰

The Minister of Public Health Manaouda Malachie on Wednesday unveiled a nationwide survey to ascertain the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and the impact of preventive measures in the country.

The survey, dubbed Cameroon Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (CAMPHIA), will run from August to February 2025.

“It aims to comprehensively explore the situation of HIV infection within the population aged 15 and over based on a nationally representative sample. The primary objective of CAMPHIA 2024 is to estimate the national and regional prevalence of HIV viral suppression, while the secondary objectives are to estimate the incidence and prevalence of HIV at the national level,” Manaouda said in a statement made public Wednesday afternoon.

It is one of the largest surveys to assess HIV prevalence in the Central African nation and would aid in implementing new measures to further prevent its spread.

“Nationally, the survey will cover 512 enumeration areas from which 15,360 households will be randomly selected, for a total of approximately 28,405 people,” Manaouda added.

The first HIV survey was conducted in the country in 2017.

According to data published by the World Health Organization in 2023, Cameroon witnessed a 50 percent decrease in HIV prevalence among people aged 15 to 64 in the past 14 years.

Source: Xinhuanet

30, July 2024

Obasanjo says Africa is on the edge of chaos ⁰

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that the African continent was on the edge of chaos.

“All over Africa, we are… sitting on a keg of gunpowder,” he said in a recent interview with CNN affiliate Citizen TV.

“There’s virtually no exception (country) in Africa where the youth are not angry. They are unemployed… unempowered and they see nothing other than hopelessness,” he said.

Obasanjo warned that “if no adequate attention is paid to the needs of the youth in Africa … it will be very ugly for all of us.”

In some of Africa’s major cities, young people are experiencing a summer of discontent as anger and frustration erupt over corruption, the soaring cost of living, and widespread unemployment.

The protests began in Kenya last month, where young people – particularly Gen Z – engaged in six weeks of demonstrations over an unpopular bill that sought to raise taxes. At least 50 people died as a result.

President William Ruto retracted the bill and announced a shake-up of his cabinet following pressure from demonstrators who remained on the streets, saying they were unhappy about alleged corruption and police brutality in his government. There have been some calls for him to resign.

Kenya, East Africa’s dominant economy, has grappled with escalating living costs that have spiked food prices and other commodities, amid a rising unemployment rate among the country’s youth. The nation also owes billions of dollars in foreign and local debts, spending a sizeable chunk of its revenue repaying its creditors.

The unrest swiftly spread to neighboring Uganda, where citizens attempted to march to the parliament in the capital, Kampala, on July 23 and 25. Security forces responded with a heavy clampdown, detaining more than 100 people, according to police reports.

Those protesting are angry about widespread government corruption in the country, which loses an estimated Sh. 10 trillion ($2.7 billion) in public funding to graft annually, according to Ugandan anti-corruption body the Inspectorate of Government (IG).

Radio host Faiza Fabz, who joined the protests, said on social media that the demonstration was an “opportunity to change the course of our nation” and “force the leaders to finally listen to us and demands of the people.”

Some of those demands include “auditing the lifestyle” of MPs “and publicizing it,” and the resignation of lawmakers involved in corruption scandals, according to a newspaper front page she shared on social media platform X. Fabz was among the demonstrators detained by the Ugandan police.

Uganda has witnessed some stability in its economy following “an oil-related construction boom and robust growth of agriculture,” according to the World Bank.

But it has also grappled with endemic corruption, scoring 26 last year on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, which ranks countries on a scale of zero to 100, with zero meaning “highly corrupt” and 100 signifying that a country is “very clean.”

Several high-profile Ugandan politicians were sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom for corruption earlier this year, including the speaker of the country’s parliament, Anita Annet Among, whom the protesters called on to resign.

President Yoweri Museveni, 79, who has ruled Uganda with an iron fist for nearly four decades, warned the protesters they were “playing with fire,” and later praised the security forces for “foiling” the protests, and claiming without evidence that they were orchestrated with “funding from foreign sources.”

‘Reality check for African leaders’

In Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, young people are also planning an “end bad governance” march on August 1.

Young Nigerians calling for protests want a respite from the country’s economic woes as inflation skyrockets to more than 34%, its highest level in nearly 30 years, causing one of the nation’s worst ever cost-of-living crises. Unemployment in the West African nation has also been on the rise, its data office said in its most recent report, in February.

They also want the country’s security problems curbed amid a rise in kidnappings for ransom, among other demands, which include “reducing the cost of living, curbing insecurity, reducing the cost of governance, electoral reform, judicial reform, and constitutional reform,” according to a signed statement from a group of civil society organizations.

Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong said in an interview with Arise Television on Sunday: “People are tired, people are hungry…. Why does the president have to wait till the 1st of August? He can start this moment to effect the changes that people are asking for.”

The last time a major protest occurred in Nigeria, security forces opened fire on unarmed protesters who were peacefully demonstrating against alleged police brutality, resulting in deaths and injuries.

Fearful of a repeat of the 2020 #EndSARS protests, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has called for calm and implored citizens not to take to the streets.

He warned that the planned protest “could degenerate into violence and set the country backwards,” alleging that the upcoming march was being instigated by citizens with dual nationality.

“The sponsors of protests do not love our country … They do not understand citizenship. They have alternative passports. They are in different parts of the world holding meetings virtually,” the president said.

A Nigerian defense spokesman said the planned protest could replicate deadly demonstrations in Kenya.

“The context of this planned protest is to shadow what is happening in Kenya … and … what is happening in Kenya … is violent … and remains unresolved,” spokesman Edward Buba said at a press conference, adding that “the military will not stand by and allow anarchy to befall our nation.”

For Gift Mugano, an adjunct professor of economics at South Africa’s Durban University of Technology, the youth uprisings are “a reality check for African leaders.”

“It’s like a protest contagion because the Kenya Gen Z movement is stimulating the momentum in other African countries,” Mugano told CNN.

He added that “as long as there are no economic opportunities, and governance and rule of law are not at their best, we will not have stability in the continent.”

Mugano advised African governments against cracking down on protesters, telling them to instead “attend to issues affecting the continent, create economic opportunities and improve governance.”

A ‘growing discontent’

Senegalese political analyst Mamadou Thior echoed this sentiment, telling CNN that the rising dissatisfaction among Africa’s youth could lead to unrest across the continent.

“There is a growing discontent among young people (in Africa) and those who are in charge should pay attention to this movement,” Thior said.

He added that “young people are impatient, and they want things to change at a very rapid pace.”

According to Thior, who leads the Senegalese media ethics organization CORED, youth activists across the continent are connected through social media, “and that’s why what is happening in Kenya can affect people in Uganda and even here in West Africa.”

Youth-led uprisings against corruption and bad governance have also erupted in other parts of Africa, including Senegal and Ghana, in recent months.

Uganda’s President Museveni warns citizens they are ‘playing with fire’ over planned protests

Protests broke out in Senegal in February after its then-president Macky Sall announced a delay in the country’s scheduled elections. Following demonstrations that left at least three protesters dead, Sall backtracked on the delay after the Senegalese constitutional council ruled against his decision to postpone the vote.

The ruling coincided with the release of many political detainees, including current President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who was released just a little over a week before the election.

In the preceding months, Ghana, Senegal’s fellow West African state, saw days of anti-government protests as demonstrators railed against economic hardships and unemployment.

Source: CNN

30, July 2024

Douala: Hairdresser arrested over anti President Biya social media post ⁰

Calling for political change can land you in jail in Cameroon, a country ruled by the same president for 42 years.

On July 24, three men in plain clothes claiming to work for the intelligence services arrested Junior Ngombe, 23, a hairdresser and social media activist, outside his shop in Douala, a city in Cameroon’s Littoral region. According to his lawyers, Ngombe was taken to a gendarmerie post in Douala before being transferred the following day to the State Defense Secretariat (Secrétariat d’État à la défense), a gendarmerie-run detention facility in the capital, Yaoundé. Human Rights Watch has previously documented widespread use of torture at the facility.

Ngombe’s lawyers said their client has been charged with “incitement to rebellion” and “propagation of false information.” They believe his arrest is linked to several TikTok videos in which Ngombe encouraged people to register to vote for the 2025 presidential elections, advocated for democratic change, and questioned authorities’ intolerance of criticism.

For many years, the Cameroon government has carried out a pervasive crackdown on opposition and dissent, jailing dozens of political activists, human rights defenders, journalists, and other government critics. In recent months, as presidential elections approach, it has increasingly restricted freedoms of expression and association.

In March, the territorial administration minister, Paul Atanga Nji, banned two opposition coalitions, describing them as “clandestine movements.” In June, gendarmes in N’Gaoundéré, Adamawa region, arbitrarily arrested Aboubacar Siddiki, known as Babadjo, a prominent artist and member of the opposition political party, National Union for Democracy and Progress (Union nationale pour la démocratie et le progrès). His arrest came moments after his release from three-month imprisonment for “insulting” a governor. In July, Cameroon’s National Assembly passed a law to postpone the scheduled February 2025 parliamentary elections and extend the current parliamentarians’ term in office until March 2026. Opposition parties argue the postponement will make it harder for them to succeed in the 2025 presidential elections. Also in July, the head of the Mfoundi administrative division, Emmanuel Mariel Djikdent, issued a decree threatening to ban from the division “anyone who dangerously insults the [state] institutions or the person who embodies them.”

Cameroonian authorities should listen to peaceful demands for reform instead of stifling freedom of expression. They should immediately release Ngombe and drop the charges against him.

Source: Human Rights Watch

30, July 2024

Iran: Pezeshkian takes oath of office before Parliament as 9th president ⁰

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian takes the oath of office before Parliament , with dignitaries from more than 80 countries attending the inauguration ceremony.

Before the Holy Quran, Pezeshkian swore to safeguard the official religion of the country, Islam, and the Islamic Republic and the Constitution.

“As president, in the presence of the Holy Quran and before the Iranian nation, I swear to Almighty God that I will safeguard the official religion, the system of the Islamic Republic, and the Constitution of the country,” he stated.

“I will dedicate all my abilities and qualifications to fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to me, and I will devote myself to serving the people and elevating the nation, promoting religion and ethics, supporting righteousness, and expanding justice,” Pezeshkian added.

Judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei conducted the swearing-in ceremony.

Pezeshkian formally started his four-year term on Sunday when Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei endorsed him as president following his victory in the July 5 runoff election.

Pezeshkian takes over from his predecessor, the late President Ebrahim Raisi, whose death in a May helicopter crash sparked the early election.

The inauguration ceremony is attended by senior Iranian politicians, military officials, and members of Parliament as well as dignitaries from 88 countries.

Around 600 journalists from Iran and abroad are covering the event.

As stipulated in Article 121 of the Iranian Constitution, the presidential oath must be administered in Parliament, where the president takes the oath of office in the presence of legislators and members of the Constitutional Council alongside the Judiciary chief.

After the inauguration, the president is required by law to submit the final list of his cabinet to Parliament for approval within two weeks.

Source: Presstv

30, July 2024

From MOHWA to EYUMEMA: Can Eyumema be the missing piece of the puzzle? ⁰

For decades, Manyu has been longing for an organization which can deliver hope to its people. Many Manyu organizations have risen and fallen, breaking the hearts of many development-oriented minds.

When MOHWA rose from its own ashes like the proverbial Phoenix a few years ago, many were excited and the excitement was reinforced when MOHWA USA, Inc raised a huge amount of money for the razed Mamfe District Hospital.

No other Manyu organization had raised such an amount before and news of such an exploit spread across Manyu Division like wildfire during the dry season.

Today, MOHWA USA Inc has morphed into EYUMEMA and if the joy and unity that were on display in Ohio, USA, on the weekend were anything to go by, then Manyu has finally found that piece of the puzzle which has been missing for decades.

According to some EYUMEMA members, their organization is about to build some structures at the Mamfe Preventive Hospital which was made to act as a full-blown hospital following the burning of the district hospital some years ago.

This noble act by EYUMEMA comes on the heels of other projects such as the Manyu borehole project which has helped to alleviate the hardship of the local population.

Water is life and he who has access to drinking water has guarantees of health as good drinking water helps the population to avoid water-related diseases while enabling women, who in most cases, have the arduous task of fetching water for most households, to devote their time to other productive tasks and granting the girl child the time to devote to her studies.

Manyu has many organizations. There are hundreds or even thousands of Manyu community organizations around the world but their focus is not always to bring much-needed development to Manyu, but for members to socialize and to even compete against each other; a mentality which has retarded economic and financial progress in the region.

Across the globe, diasporic communities are being considered as engines of economic growth but in Manyu Division, the Diaspora has not made its impact felt. The unhealthy competitive spirit that is the hallmark of the people of Manyu is hurting the Division in a big and bad way.

Many Manyu people still think that it is the government which must develop their region. Unfortunately, government-driven development has remained a distant tomorrow affair in Cameroon and Manyu, noted for its plethora of academics and intellectuals has been lagging behind many other regions whose diasporic communities have organized themselves to trigger a wave of development in their regions.

NOMA, MECA, and other Manyu organizations have not been able to mobilize the people of Manyu for development purposes. Infighting and bloated egos have stood in the way of development efforts and even Ekpe which claims to be the traditional judiciary of the Division has not been able to instill order in some of those organizations or has not been able to lead collective development efforts in the Division.

But this does not imply that there are no development efforts in the Division. Individual efforts are ongoing and there are some villages which are making some baby steps towards development.

It is the absence of collective efforts which is at issue here and a source of constant criticism of Manyu people. The Division has the numbers. Its people are educated, but these assets are not being exploited to give the Division the facelift its needs and the shot in the arm that the Division’s economy is begging for. The Division’s economy does not count for much in terms of the country’s GDP and this is affecting the Division when it comes to national politics.

Power is usually controlled by those who control finances and those who make their numbers count both financially and politically. Manyu Division has not got the financial leverage its needs to count nationally.

Despite this dismal picture, some green shoots are gradually emerging. EYUMEMA may not be that silver bullet the Division needs, but its unity of purpose and determination are delivering hope to many people of Manyu descent around the world.

As EYUMEMA makes some strides towards unity and progress, it may trigger something more important which may ripple out to other Manyu organizations which have been ripped apart by conflict and mismanagement.

The joy, enthusiasm and the sisterhood which were on display for all to see over the weekend could become infectious, causing other organizations to revisit their own efforts which have been latent for a long time.

Like most organizations, there will be differences of opinion within EYUMEMA but if its leaders who have so far put on a great show can ensure that when members disagree, they should not be disagreeable, EYUMEMA will finally deliver that hope which the people of Manyu have been scanning the horizon for.

Disagreement is as old as man and when it emerges, it simply implies an organization has to take a look at the way it operates in order to engineer new ways which will keep members together. Ideological differences should never be considered as enmity and a contrary view should not be seen as a challenge.

Nobody knows it all and others people’s contribution, regardless of how they package them, should be seen as an opportunity for growth. The people of Manyu need all their organizations for development purposes and any organization which can hold its members together regardless of the challenges will bring smiles to the people of Manyu Division.

While many hail what they saw over the weekend, events of the past still make them to ask if the hope and enthusiasm triggered by EYUMEMA will stand the test of time. This question can only be answered by time and the leaders of EYUMEMA who have clearly demonstrated that they want to make a difference in Manyu Division.

By Dr. Joachim Arrey

29, July 2024

Yaoundé: Biya creates jobs for his entourage! ⁰

Cameroon’s ailing President Paul Biya, has created jobs for members of his entourage without following proper procedures.

The almost 92-year-old Biya, who has opted to humiliate himself all over the world, has transformed all those around him into caregivers and emergency workers without seeking their opinion.

For many years now, Chantal Biya, the country’s first lady, has been doubling as a professional caregiver. She has developed great care giving skills, which have caused many observers to conclude that she might be preparing to move to the United States to serve as a caregiver since such a skill is in great demand and highly lucrative in the US.

For Samuel Mvondo Ayolo, the director of cabinet at the presidency, moonlighting as a prop to the crumbling 92-year-old Biya has given him much money as he has to work longer hours these days, especially as Mr. Biya is out of the country.

The chief of state protocol, Simon Pierre Bikele, also has a lot on his plate. He has been running all over the place like someone suffering from diarrhea to ensure that cameras do not capture some of the ugly moments when members of Biya’s entourage are doing their second jobs.

It is alleged that Mvondo Ayolo is already complaining of a broken shoulder given that he has to constantly carry the 110 kg heavy Biya whose legs can no longer help him stand upright.

Chantal Biya has continued putting on a brave face but having to change those diapers is already taking a toll on her. It is alleged that she too sometimes grumbles about her job as a caregiver, but many insiders hold that she deserves her fate having unjustifiably benefitted from the chaos Mr. Biya has created in Cameroon.

Speaking to the Cameroon Concord News Group editor-in-chief recently, a senior staff at the presidency hinted that the Unity Palace had actually been transformed into a health facility, adding that what the public is seeing in Paris is just the tip of the iceberg.

“We are sick and tired of this unpalatable drama which Biya and his entourage are staging on a global stage. At almost 92, Biya is completely finished. The level of incontinence is humiliating and diapers cannot stand such a heavy duty,” our source at the Unity Palace said.

“It is not only Biya who is a comedian. At the Senate, Niat is dealing with similar problems and his entourage is already tired. Members of his entourage know that if Niat dies, he might die with their jobs but they think he is better dead than alive,” the angry CPDM member said.

“Even Niat’s assistants have been pinned down by serious illnesses which are not allowing them to be effective. The second vice president at the Senat, George Tabetando, is screaming in pain in his Yaoundé residence as a prostrate problem is robbing him of his happiness. Cavaye Yegue Djibril of the National Assembly now breathes like an old heavy-duty truck whose engine is falling apart. They are all very sick but yielding the floor to younger people is not on their agenda. Cameroonians must find away to put an end to this crazy drama,” he concluded.

Meanwhile inside sources at the Presidency say that some CPDM members are insisting that those who are calling on Mr. Biya to run in next year’s presidential elections should be redeployed to the presidency for them to see how expired the president is. He has lost his cognitive qualities and the energy is gone. If they join the odd job crew, they will reconsider their ideas. Biya is a difficult job and no one needs such a tasking job now, a source said.

“Cameroon will be a better place without Biya. His continuous presence at the helm will only imply that things will get worse, and, by so doing, strengthening the wave of brain drain that is robbing the country of its youths,” a CPDM militant said angrily.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

29, July 2024

Cocoa & Forests Initiative stakeholders gather in Abidjan to combat deforestation ⁰

Stakeholders of the cocoa and forest initiative stakeholders recently met in the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, to come up with strategies to combat deforestation in cocoa production and drive forest restoration through collective efforts.

The seventh meeting of the Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI) Steering Committee, led by the Ivorian Minister of Water and Forests, brought together key stakeholders from the signatories to key observers, to review the initiative’s progress and outline crucial steps for sustainable cocoa production in Côte d’Ivoire.

Key Highlights of the meeting included the approval of a diagnostic study on CFI’s operations and governance to clarify stakeholder roles and improve governance effectiveness; contributions towards the development of a national deforestation monitoring system led by the country’s Prime Minister’s Office, leveraging satellite tools to enhance deforestation mitigation; directives to formalise a memorandum of understanding for a collective project within the CFI landscape, prioritising the Yapo-Abbé and Bossématié forests.

The Ivorian Minister of Water and Forests underscored the importance of continued dialogue and collective actions among cocoa and forestry stakeholders. With over EUR 1 million invested in the past three years to support the CFI secretariat, IDH remains committed to providing financial and technical support to ensure the success of landscape projects to be developed and the execution of CFI’s priority actions.

It should be stressed that the power of the Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) is that it brings together crucial stakeholders from both the private and public sectors to address the systemic challenge of deforestation linked to cocoa and the restoration of degraded forests.That power was on full display in late June when CFI’s Côte d’Ivoire steering committee met in Abidjan. Chaired and hosted by Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister for Water and Forests, the event convened representatives from several key government institutions and CFI signatory companies.

The event brought together more than 40 participants, including Hannah Ward who recently joined WCF as Director of Environment. After attending the event, she reflected on the striking nature of just how many stakeholders were at the table.

“It was impressive to see the engagement and ownership of everyone involved, with recognition on all sides that we are at an inflection point where we must accelerate collective action to drive implementation at a much greater scale and achieve CFI’s core objectives,” she said.

Accelerating impact through landscapes

CFI is making a strong impact in Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa sector, with signatory companies investing USD 197 million from 2021 to 2023 on projects in the country that support CFI’s objectives. In 2023, this provided 600,000 Ivorian farmers with technical assistance and support to increase theadoption of sustainable practices while also helping them develop 114,000 hectares of cocoa agroforestry, among other outcomes.

In addition to celebrating this progress, the steering committee meeting keyed in on CFI’s landscape approach based on collective action and co-investment. Work has begun in the priority landscapes of Yapo-Abbé and Bossématié, including the launch of comprehensive land-use assessments, stakeholder engagement and baseline studies. These will be finalised by the end of 2024.

At the meeting, attendees discussed what will be needed to accelerate progress with these two landscapes.

“The real source of excitement among stakeholders at the committee meeting was around progress on collective action in these landscapes,” Ward said.

Another important topic of discussion was how the private and public sectors can work together to develop a regulatory framework for carbon that’s fit for purpose and that spurs greater private sector investment in forest protection and other environmental outcomes. WCF is currently working with Quantis to develop a comprehensive GHG accounting methodology that members can use.

Overall, WCF and signatory companies made it clear that they are as focused as ever on CFI and its objectives. This was perhaps best summed up by WCF President Chris Vincent during his remarks.

“The results we have seen are very encouraging. However, to achieve the impact we aim for, we must go much further,” Vincent said. “WCF and its members remain deeply committed to the goals of CFI. As we move forward into its second phase, we must redouble our efforts and collaboration.”

By Cecilia M. Manjang

29, July 2024

Biya and Emmanuel Macron hold discussions at Elysee Palace ⁰

French President Macron met with the Cameroonian dictator Paul Biya on Friday July 26, 2024 at the Elysée, during a working meeting.

Emmanuel Macron first thanked President Biya for his presence in Paris on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Two years to the day after the state visit of the President of the Republic to Cameroon on July 26, 2022, the two heads of state followed up on the commitments that had been made on this occasion.

Biya and Macron discussed advances in the cultural, economic and agricultural fields which have made it possible to deepen this partnership. They particularly welcomed the important work carried out by the Joint Memorial Commission on the role and commitment of France in Cameroon in the fight against the independence and opposition movements between 1945 and 1971. Macron reiterates the need for researchers to have access, as widely and freely as possible, to the archives to enable them to submit their report as quickly as possible.

Finally, Macron reaffirmed his attachment to the friendship between France and Cameroon, stimulated by the vitality of human ties between the two countries.

Source: Foreign Affairs