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16, October 2023

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Over 875 persons forced to flee Akwaya ⁰

The situation is deteriorating in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, where separatists are demanding independence.

Armed clashes, targeted attacks resulting in killings, armed extortion, and arbitrary arrests are frequently reported.

In Akwaya subdivision of the Manyu region, over 875 persons have been forced to flee due to targeted attacks by non-State armed groups (NSAGs).

During those attacks, NSAGs killed four people, injured 25 others, and burned 33 houses and seven motorbikes.

The population in local villages and in most of the villages in Akwaya subdivision have fled either to villages in neighbouring Nigeria, to Mamfe or to nearby bushes due to the attack and continuous threats.

Increasing security incidents and blockages of major roads in the North-West caused delays or prevented the delivery of life-saving assistance.

“This also limited the mobility of aid workers and deprived some vulnerable communities of humanitarian assistance,” said a humanitarian spokesperson.

A new wave of acts of violence against humanitarian workers negatively impacted the humanitarian response, especially in the North-West.

In the Donga-Mantung division, international NGO staff returning from a field mission were stopped at an NSAG checkpoint and requested to pay for their safe return.

They were released without payment after access negotiations.

In addition, in the South-West, several enumerators collecting data for a multi-sector needs assessment were held by NSAGs for several hours before being released.

The NSAGs claimed that they were not informed about the activity.

Attacks on education continued as the educational community prepared for school resumption in early September.

The previous month, some NSAGs factions announced a lockdown to disrupt the back-to-school preparations.

Attacks on education in the North-West and South-West regions continue to deprive hundreds of thousands of children of their right to education.

Besides the siege by pro-English separatists, Cameroon is beset by an insurgency by the Islamist Boko Haram from neighbouring Nigeria.

Source: CAJ News

14, October 2023

IMF agrees funding boost, extra Africa board seat ⁰

The IMF announced Saturday member nations agreed to increase their contributions to the global lender and give sub-Saharan Africa a third seat on its executive board at its first meetings on the continent since 1973.

Boosting the International Monetary Fund’s quota resources and giving Africa a bigger voice within the institution were among the priorities of the week-long talks of the IMF and World Bank in Marrakech, Morocco.

Spanish Economy Minister Nadia Calvino, who chairs the IMF Financial Committee, said at a press conference that there was “agreement on a meaningful increase of quotas by the end of the year.”

The quotas, which are based on the size of a country’s economy, determine how much funding a nation should provide to the IMF, its voting power and the maximum amount of loans it can obtain.

IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank President Ajay Banga used this week’s meetings to urge members to step up funding so their institutions can better support nations hit by poverty and climate change.

The conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas has raised concerns about its impact on already weak global economic growth in the wake of the Ukraine war, elevated inflation and high interest rates.

Georgieva said the agreement on quotas was “very heartwarming.”

The goal, she said, was “to make the fund strong financially in terms of our ability to step up should we be hit by yet another shock.”

Asked when the IMF will change its voting shares, Georgieva said: the “membership has agreed that this is going to be the next step and that there will be a clear pathway and plan to go there.”

Giving countries like China, which is now the world’s second biggest economy, a larger voting share has been a controversial issue.

China has a 6.08 percent share of votes compared to 6.14 percent for Japan, the third global economy.

“At some point, a revision of the IMF’s quota distribution will be inevitable,” French central bank governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau said in Marrakesh on Wednesday.

“But the emerging countries that will benefit from this — including China — will have to accept common rules of the game,” he said.

While voting shares were not changed, the IMF agreed to expand its executive board from 24 to 25 members to give Africa another seat.

Sub-Saharan Africa will now have three executive board members instead of two.

“I will finish with what warmed my heart the most: uniform support for a third African chair on our executive board,” Georgieva said.

“That is so important for meetings that take place on African soil,” she said.

“Despite all the difficulties I can only praise our members for finding this pathway to solidarity on which hundreds of millions of people depend.”

Source: AFP

13, October 2023

Yaoundé is accountable for sexual exploitation of Anglophone girls in Nigeria ⁰

Cameroon Concord News Group holds President Biya and his ruling Beti Ewondo political elites accountable for the unfolding sexual exploitation and harassment of Southern Cameroons girls in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Hundreds of young Southern Cameroons girls lured also to East Cameroun territory have been subjected to sexual abuse and they and many young teenage boys suffer a contemporary form of slavery.

Our cream of reporters both in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Cameroon have hinted of deeply upsetting testimonies. Our correspondent in Abuja, Engelis Okesack Besong who contributed to this report said several Southern Cameroons girls’ have been accosted and raped in Nigeria.

Engelis Okesack Besong went on to point to the high number of Southern Cameroons women raped in Nigeria, stating that the Biya Francophone regime should be held accountable for the adverse consequences and deterioration of conditions in Southern Cameroons.

By Chi Prudence Asong

13, October 2023

Burkina Faso signs agreement with Russia for nuclear power plant ⁰

Burkina Faso’s government said Friday that it had signed an agreement with Russia for the construction of a nuclear power plant to “cover the energy needs of the population,” less than a quarter of which has access to electricity.

“The government of Burkina Faso has signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a nuclear power plant,” it said in a statement.

“The construction of this nuclear power plant in Burkina Faso is intended to cover the energy needs of the population,” it added.

The agreement was signed at the Russian Energy Week in Moscow which was attended by Burkina Faso’s energy minister Simon-Pierre Boussim.

The document “fulfils the wish of the president of (Burkina) Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traore, expressed last July at the Russia-Africa summit during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin,” the statement said.

Russia’s state atomic energy agency Rosatom said in a statement that “the memorandum is the first document in the field of the peaceful use of atomic energy between Russia and Burkina Faso.”

It said the agreement laid the foundations for cooperation in areas including the use of nuclear energy in industry, agriculture and medicine.

Just under 23 percent of Burkina Faso’s population had access to electricity at the end of 2020, according to the African Development Bank.

Source: AFP

12, October 2023

Africa Cup of Nations: Hosts Ivory Coast to face Nigeria in group ⁰

Hosts Ivory Coast were joined in Group A by Nigeria in the draw for the Africa Cup of Nations in Abidjan on Thursday.

Fast-improving Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, who have qualified for a fourth straight edition, complete the mini-league.

Other heavyweight pairings included defending champions Senegal with five-time winners Cameroon, while Africa’s first World Cup semi-finalists Morocco face Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ivory Coast, seeking a third Cup of Nations title, will face Guinea-Bissau in the opening match on January 13 in Abidjan, the economic hub.

The Ivorian clash with three-time champions Nigeria will attract most attention among the six Group A fixtures.

Nigeria were last crowned Cup of Nations winners in 2013 in South Africa and the Ivory Coast succeeded them two years later in Equatorial Guinea.

Morocco were drawn in Group F with DR Congo, Zambia and Tanzania.

The Atlas Lions have won the premier African football competition only once, in 1976 in Ethiopia. Their best performance since then was finishing runners-up to 2004 hosts Tunisia.

Defending champions Senegal are in Group C with five-time winners Cameroon, Guinea and the Gambia.

South Africa will face Tunisia, Mali and Namibia in Group E while Ghana take on Egypt, Cape Verde and Mozambique in Group B.

Group D, comprising Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Angola, completes the line-up for a tournament that will reach a climax with the final on February 11.

Draw

Group A

Ivory Coast (hosts), Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau

Group B

Egypt, Ghana, Cape Verde, Mozambique

Group C

Senegal (holders), Cameroon, Guinea, Gambia

Group D

Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Angola

Group E

Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, Namibia

Group F

Morocco, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Tanzania

Notes

— Group winners and runners-up and the four highest ranked third-placed teams qualify for knockout stage

— Tournament kicks off on January 13 and ends on February 11, with matches at six stadiums in five cities

Source: AFP

12, October 2023

Biya regime warns of heavy rains, high winds ⁰

Transport Minister Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe warned on Wednesday that Cameroon will experience heavy rains, sometimes followed by violent winds, throughout October and November.

Six regions, including the Far North, North, Adamawa, Northwest, West, and East, will be affected.

The rains will be in excess relative to the climatology of the regions, Bibehe said in a statement Wednesday night.

“This could lead to erosion, pollution of drinkable water, flooding in low-lying areas, landslides in accident-prone areas,” Bibehe said, urging residents to remain vigilant and “vacate risk areas.”

Heavy rains have caused devastating consequences in the country since the rainy season began in March.

On Sunday, landslides triggered by heavy downpours killed 30 people in the capital of Yaoundé, according to officials.

Source: Xinhuanet

12, October 2023

Death in Kondengui of Anglophone priest, a stain on Yaounde’s rights record ⁰

Rev. Father Andrew Ambezieh was incarcerated since 2017 at the Kondengui Maximum Security Prison in Yaoundé on fabricated terrorism charges. He was sentenced in 2018 to 12 years in prison and reportedly granted bail in 2019 but was never released until his passing.

The Roman Catholic cleric who hailed from Tezie Ngie in Momo faced harassment and repeated interrogations in prison and died in custody on October 11, 2023 despite requests for his release as his health deteriorated.

In a statement, the leader of the Ambazonian nation, President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe explained that Father Ambezieh had dedicated much of his life to defending the rights of the peoples of Southern Cameroons and that his death will forever remain a stain on Yaounde’s human rights record.

According to Cameroon Intelligence Report sources in Yaoundé, the priest’s illness meant that he had severe tremors in both hands and had great difficulty eating, drinking and washing.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

12, October 2023

Gabon: Wife of deposed president Ali Bongo jailed ⁰

The wife of Gabon’s deposed president Ali Bongo Ondimba, under house arrest since a coup in the central African country in late August, has been jailed, her lawyer said on Thursday.

Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin, suspected of allegedly embezzling public funds, was jailed late on Wednesday, her lawyer Francois Zimeray told AFP, condemning the “arbitrary… illegal procedure”.

Bongo’s wife was charged on September 28 with money laundering, forgery and falsification of records.

Sylvia Bongo has been under house arrest in the capital, Libreville, since the August 30 coup brought the curtain down on 55 years of Bongo dynasty rule.

The putschists allege the former head of state and his entourage falsified the election results.

They accuse Sylvia Bongo and her son, Nourredin Bongo Valentin, of manipulating the former president, who has not fully recovered from a serious stroke in 2018.

They say the two have effectively run the oil-rich country for the past five years and have misused public money.

Nourredin Bongo Valentin has been placed in detention since the coup, charged with corruption.

“We condemned this illegal procedure,” lawyer Zimeray said.

“There is a difference between justice and arbitrary actions, between the law and revenge.”

The public prosecutor in Libreville has not yet responded to an AFP request for comment.

Bongo, 64, who had ruled the central African country since 2009, was overthrown by military leaders moments after being proclaimed the winner in a presidential election.

Many saw it as an act of liberation rather than a military coup.

Ali Bongo was elected after his father Omar died in 2009 after nearly 42 years in power.

Gabon is Africa’s third-richest nation in terms of per-capita GDP but one in three people lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

Source: AFP

12, October 2023

Attack on Israel: Netanyahu says every Hamas member is a dead man ⁰

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said every Hamas member was “a dead man” after the first meeting of his country’s emergency government.

Alongside him, opposition figure Benny Gantz said it was “a time for war”.

But US President Joe Biden said he had spoken to Mr Netanyahu and made it clear that Israel must “operate by the rules of war”.

The death toll in Israel has reached 1,200. More than 1,100 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

Mr Biden said he understood the anger and frustration of the Israeli people but urged Israel to adhere to the principles of the Geneva conventions. He also warned Iran – which has welcomed the Hamas attack – to “be careful”.

Earlier on Wednesday Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gantz agreed to put aside a bitter political rivalry that had escalated into widespread protests.

Mr Gantz told Israeli citizens that the newly-formed government was “united” and ready to “wipe this thing called Hamas off the face of the Earth”.

Alongside Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gantz, the centrist National Unity Party leader and a former defence minister, the new temporary cabinet would also include Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

The country’s main opposition leader, Yair Lapid, has not joined the alliance. However, Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gantz said in a joint statement that a seat would be reserved for him in the war cabinet.

“During the war period, no bills or government decisions will be promoted that do not concern the conduct of the war,” said a statement.

“All senior appointments will be automatically extended during the war period.”

The emergency government will give broader national consensus to military action. It also brings to the war cabinet two voices who are experts in military strategy. Both Mr Gantz and also Gadi Eisenkot, who joins as an observer, are former Israeli military chiefs of staff.

The announcement of the new cabinet came in the wake of savage attacks by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip.

Source: BBC

11, October 2023

Biya-Putin Connection: Cameroon-flagged dark tanker adrift off Indonesia ⁰

A 26-year-old oil tanker, part of the shadow fleet hauling Russian crude, is currently adrift in the Indian Ocean.

As first reported by Bloomberg, the 106,547 dwt aframax tanker Turba is located some 300 km west of Aceh, Indonesia, and is signalling that it is not under command – meaning it cannot manoeuvre on its own.

Vessels use this status to keep out of the way of other traffic, usually because of mechanical or related failures.

The Turba has previously been caught in the act of transporting and transferring Russian crude to other vessels. In mid-September, Bloomberg even photographed the transfer between the Turba and Simba tankers in the Laconian Gulf offshore Greece.

The catch was that, according to AIS data at least, the two were supposed to be miles apart. The deviation in the real and electronic locations of over four miles is one of the ways used to conduct ship-to-ship transport of sanctioned Russian fuel and crude.

Giving fake coordinates to AIS, otherwise known as spoofing, allows buyers to hide buying Russian crude and fuel above approved prices. The G7 granted exemptions for handling Russian oil and fuel traded at or below fixed levels — $60 a barrel for crude and $100 for premium refined fuels like gasoline and diesel.

Even though most tankers that age have already been turned to scrap, that is not Turba’s largest problem. It also flies the flag of Cameroon which is blacklisted on the Paris MoU on Port State Control. On top of that the vessel is not insured by International Group P&I clubs with the last full inspection of the tanker being done in 2017.

At least 40 vessels hauling Russian oil to China and India between early December and early February lacked insurance from members of the International Group of P&I clubs or routine safety-management certificates, according to Equasis. Three vessels, including the Turba, didn’t have classification to demonstrate seaworthiness.

When the European Union put sanctions on Russia, the quite out-of-form Turba became part of the vast shadow fleet carrying the country’s oil and fuel. The rise of the vintage shadow fleet hauling cargoes for Iran, Venezuela, and Russia has grown to number more than 600 ships today.

Southeast Asia – a major crossroads for international tanker trades – has seen its fair share of dark fleet mishaps recently with the explosion of the Pablo aframax in May and the grounding of the VLCC Young Yang last year.

There were at least eight groundings, collisions or near misses involving tankers carrying sanctioned oil products in 2022 – the same number as in the previous three years, according to insurance firm Allianz.

Tankers still working above 20 years of age made up just 1% of the global tanker fleet pre-covid and were still a rarity at 3% before the invasion of Ukraine in late February last year. They’re now on track to make up 11% of all tanker demand by mid-2025, according to data from brokers Braemar.

Culled from Splash247