27, June 2019
Protests mar Biya’s visit to Geneva 0
Some 40 protestors entered a five-star Geneva hotel this week where Cameroon’s president was staying and scuffled with his security staff in the lobby, according to police and Swiss media reports.
Geneva police were called to the luxury Intercontinental Hotel shortly after noon (10:00 GMT) on Tuesday, after around 40 protesters had “penetrated into the lobby”, spokesman Jean-Philippe Brandt said.
“They were demonstrating against the current government in Cameroon,” he said, adding that it had taken about 30 minutes to “re-establish the peace”.
According to the Tribune de Geneve daily, the demonstrators were Cameroonian opposition figures living in exile who had come to protest the country’s long-time president Paul Biya who was a guest at the hotel.
It said the 86-year-old, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982, had been staying at the hotel since Sunday.
The paper reported that there had been a “fight” between the demonstrators and the president’s security personnel, but Brandt said he could not confirm that information.
When contacted, the hotel refused to confirm Biya’s presence in the establishment or that the unauthorised demonstration that had taken place there.
Biya’s office did tweet on Sunday that the president and his wife had left the country “for a short private stay in Europe.”
The Cameroonian embassy in Bern meanwhile voiced concern in a statement over what it said was a planned “violent” demonstration in Geneva next Saturday by Cameroonian nationals living in various European countries “to protest against the presence of the Head of State, His Excellence Paul Biya, in Switzerland.”
“The embassy calls on the Cameroonian community in Switzerland and in neighbouring countries to turn their back on such demonstrations, which for some time have been an expression of hatred, violence and tribalism, which are all contrary to patriotism and love of Cameroon.”
Source: AFP
27, June 2019
Cameroon request to replace striker with possible heart defect rejected 0
Holders Cameroon have had their request to replace forward Joel Tagueu, ruled out of the Africa Cup of Nations because of a possible heart defect, rejected by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
However, coach Clarence Seedorf said they would look to appeal the decision, which CAF have not revealed themselves.
“We are not satisfied with the decision. We need to go for it again, we hope there will be a change of position,” he told reporters.
“We did everything we had to do, we made our request 24 hours before the match and we still remain hopeful. It is only fair for CAF to allow us replace the player.”
Tagueu was withdrawn after a medical examination revealed a possible life-threatening heart defect.
The 25-year-old, who plays for Portuguese club Maritimo, had an “anomaly in his coronary artery detected by team doctor William Ngatchou, which risks his life if he were to play,” the Cameroon Football Federation said on Monday.
“On the advice of the doctor, the coach has decided not to risk the player, who is leaving the tournament.”
The doctor first detected the issue when Cameroon held a pre-tournament training camp in Qatar and subsequent examinations confirmed his suspicion.
Africa Cup of Nations regulations state that a player can be replaced up to 24 hours before the first game of the team concerned.
“A player on the final list cannot be replaced unless seriously injured at the latest 24 hours at least before the beginning of the first match of his team,” it says.
Cameroon got the defence of their title underway on Tuesday with a 2-0 win over Guinea Bissau in Ismailia.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com