Breaking News

14, July 2016

Amnesty International says 6 to 8 people die every month in the Maroua Central prison ⁰

The latest Amnesty International report on Cameroon released this Thursday, July 14, 2016 shows an alarming situation of human rights violation. Amnesty International say prisoners’ detention conditions are deplorable. The report hinted that over 1,000 people were arbitrarily arrested and are held in appalling conditions, and dozens of them die from an illness, malnutrition or torture by law enforcement operations targeting captured Boko Haram militants.

The Amnesty International report singled out the situation in the Maroua prison and reported that more than 1000 people accused of supporting Boko Haram are currently being held in extremely overcrowded and unsanitary prisons, where malnutrition is rife. The authoritative human rights organization revealed that the Penitentiary Maroua prison records each month six to eight deaths.

Amnesty warned that water is not sufficient in many of the detention centers and added that even the construction of new cells in the Maroua prison has failed to alleviate the sufferings of nearly 1 500 people held in a building meant for 350.

Rita Akana (Cameroon Concord News Group)

14, July 2016

Yaounde: Leader of a gang of fraudsters arrested ⁰

A suspected leader of a gang of fraudsters is presently in police custody in Yaounde. Reports say Tchienou Gideon, 43, is alleged to be specialised in the production and distribution of fake documents notably birth certificates, administrative and municipal documents. According to the reports, Gideon was caught on June 17, 2016 by the elements of the Central Police Station No 1 for the city of Yaounde at the Yaounde administrative area. The officers were acting on the instructions of the Delegate General for National Security.

The police officers found in his possession huge quantities of stamped and signed birth certificates awaiting information to be filled and several others. Two other accomplices, Bedima Basile and Ekoule Mbenda, suspected to have links with this crime world have also been arrested. Even though they have spent days in police cells they still claim to be innocent. However, investigations are on going to see whether they are guilty of the same offence.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Handy Likound said administrative authorities have been complaining that their signatures are being misused. He said Gideon was arrested while carrying out his act through thorough investigations by the police. He said those who produce fake documents are punishable by the law and even those who keep the documents. He called on the public to be vigilant while certifying documents.

Cameroon Tribune

14, July 2016

Finance Minister brings together controllers and vote holders in Yaounde ⁰

The Minister of Finance has organized a three-day get-together for finance controllers and vote holders on ways of effectively managing the State budget. Errors whereby vote holders and finance controllers logged heads over management rules are being catered for at a three-day meeting in Yaounde organized by the Ministry of Finance. Finance controllers and vote holders from State bodies and decentralized councils will during the get-together upgrade skills on effective management with the view of contributing efficiently to the execution of the 2016 State budget.

The Secretary General in the Ministry of Finance, Gilbert Didier Edoa, on behalf of Finance Minister, opened the meeting that focuses on creating synergy between sector actors. Participants told Cameroon Tribune that misinterpreting basic texts has been a source of conflict between vote holders and finance controllers, stalling the smooth execution of public investment projects.

Gilbert Didier Edoa challenged participants to master the lines of activity, master management procedures and the nomenclatures of result-based budget under application in Cameroon since 2013. Efforts are however underway to turn the tides, with reforms on public finance and budgeting in place besides training sessions to familiarize stakeholders on the basic texts.

“We expect to see that the budget is executed according to the various prescriptions and that the performance we are expecting according to the results of the evaluation of budgetary expenditure is going to be achieved,” it was stated. The workshop opened yesterday July 13, 2016 and ends on July 16, 2016.

Cameroon Tribune

13, July 2016

As fighting intensifies in South Sudan, Germany and Italy begin evacuating nationals ⁰

Germany and Italy have started evacuating nationals and some citizens from other European countries from South Sudan as fighting keeps surging across the African country. “The government’s crisis task force has decided to evacuate German, European and international citizens from South Sudan,” German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Sawsan Chebli, said on Wednesday, adding that the ongoing evacuation process is carried out by German air force planes.

Chebli added that the priority in the evacuation would be for those with German organizations, adding that some 100 German nationals still remain in South Sudan. Germany’s evacuation program would also include other foreigners, she said. The German official did not elaborate on the nationalities of those foreigners due to security concerns.

Italy also announced the start of evacuation from South Sudan on Wednesday with officials in Rome saying that a military plane carrying 30 Italians and an unspecified number of other EU citizens departed Wednesday morning for its base in Djibouti.

Presstv

13, July 2016

Did President Museveni stop his motorcade to chat with a mistress? ⁰

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni voluntarily stopped his convoy for a phone call while returning from a trip to a remote village in western Uganda. His press secretary Don Wanyama, who published the photo on Facebook explained that his boss had stopped the procession to hold a 30 minutes conversation.

Many around the world are still wondering with whom the president had that conversation. Ugandan media suggested that the dictator spoke to the opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who has been charged for treason after criticizing Museveni’s re-election in February. However, Cameroon Concord News entertainment editor hinted Museveni was receiving a call from one of his many mistresses in Kampala.

Chi Prudence Asong (Cameroon Concord News Group)

13, July 2016

Amnesty International holds talks with Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary ⁰

Cameroon’s Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakary has met with a high powered delegation from Amnesty International. The meeting was at the request of the Cameroon government and both sides had a positive exchange on Tuesday in Yaoundé on the situation of human rights in the Far North region.

As a prelude to the launch tomorrow Thursday of a report on the situation of human rights in the Far North region, in relation to the fight against Boko Haram, Amnesty International officials opined that the meeting with the controversial cabinet minister was vital. After the meeting, Issa Tchiroma Bakary and his guests took stock of their trade to the press.

The Amnesty International delegation expressed concerns over the arbitrary detention of innocent people in the Far North region and stressed the need to investigate human rights violations in the country.

Sama Ernest (Cameroon Concord News Group)

13, July 2016

Boko Haram kills 2, injures 4 Cameroonian soldiers ⁰

Militants of the Nigerian Islamist sect that has pledged allegiance to the Organization of the Islamic state have killed two Cameroonian civilians injuring 4 within the last 24 hours.

Presented as being militarily weakened, Boko Haram on Tuesday night raided the locality of Maloumri killing two people.

Cameroon Concord News military informant hinted that 4 soldiers were seriously wounded in Mourdas on Tuesday after a mine deposited in their vehicle exploded.

Rita Akana (Cameroon Concord News Group)

12, July 2016

Celestin Monga is African Development Bank’s Vice President for Economic Governance ⁰

The African Development Bank (AfDB) announced on 10th July 2016, the appointment of Cameroonian economist Célestin Monga, to the position of Vice President in charge of the economic governance and knowledge management in this Pan African financial institution. Mr Monga was until now, and this since end 2014, Deputy Managing Director of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

But, it was at the World Bank, where he spent about twenty years, that this Cameroonian economist began his career with international financial institutions. Prior to that, Célestin Monga worked in the banking sector in Cameroon, and was revealed to the general public through an open letter addressed to the public authorities, which resulted in some legal difficulties in 1990.

Exiled in the USA, Célestin Monga, who had previously studied in France, further expanded his curriculum at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard. Having authored several books and editor of economy section in the New Encyclopaedia of Africa (2007), Célestin Monga lectured at Boston University, USA and University of Bordeaux, in France.

Culled from Business in Cameroon

12, July 2016

Yaounde: Biya appoints technical advisers, 33 secretaries in the Prime Minister’s office ⁰

Prime Minister, Head of government, Philemon Yang, yesterday July 11, 2016, urged newly promoted personnel to be assiduous and expedient in carrying out their functions. The cabinet hall at the 6^th floor of the Star-Building hosted the ceremony to install newly appointed officials in the Prime Minister’s Office. The officials included 11 Technical Advisers, 33 secretaries, 47 roving officers known as attache, five Directors and their deputies, appointed both in the Cabinet and the General Secretariat of the Prime Minister’s Office on July 4 and 5, 2016 by the President of the Republic.

Commissioning the officials, the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang, urged them to be assiduous, hardworking, determined and courageous as they carry on with their tasks. He reminded them of their role in assisting him achieve the mission entrusted by the Head of State. “We are there to help the President of the Republic in his mission”, he stated while exhorting the newly promoted officials to shun all that can tarnish the image of the country such as corruption.

The Premier said they must give their opinion on each file that is sent to them, while admonishing the senior officials not to keep files for too long. Philemon Yang insisted on hard-work, stating that they must show their know-how in order to merit the confidence of the Head of State. Their appointment, the Prime Minister remarked, comes within a particular context of the Emergence Plan put in place by the Head of State and the country’s hosting of the 2016 and 2019 African Cup of Nations tournaments.

With these important events, the Prime Minister told the promoted that the Head of State and the government count on them for the success of the plan and the hosting of the continent’s biggest football events. While the official phase of the commissioning was on in cabinet hall of the PM’s office, family members and dance groups thronged the parking lot of the main entrance of the office where they celebrated with their loved ones.

Cameroon Tribune

12, July 2016

South West mayors snub launching of PNDP phase 3 ⁰

Municipal officials in the South West region who were the main target of the National Community Driven Development Program, PNDP, a local state development outlet created by government have boycotted an event in Buea to inaugurate the third phase of the program.

Almost half of the over 200 capacity BUEA council hall was empty today considering the heavyweight nature of the event chaired by South West Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai in the Presence of the PNDP National coordinator, Mme Magdalene Nga who merely managed to address the scantily attended forum in English.

The spirit of today’s event was that of sleeping during speeches and it required an injunction from Governor Bernard Okalia for participants to wake up sleeping mates. The launching of the World Bank supported project was a disgrace and total fiasco.

More than 15 councils in the South West have been earmarked to benefit from the third phase of the project. Local development is expected to speed up in the South West region. David Nkem, Regional coordinator for PNDP South West says all have been set for the 3rd phase to kick off in the region.

Cham Victor Bama (Cameroon Concord News Group)