Breaking News

27, June 2016

Amid pressure from the US, Presidents Sassou Nguesso and Kabila hold talks ⁰

Denis Sassou Nguesso, Head of State of Congo – Brazzaville and Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo held secret talks today in Oyo, a town in the department of Cuvette in Congo Brazzaville, Cameroon Concord News has learned. The two dictators reportedly addressed issues related to political developments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in view of the conduct of the presidential election scheduled for this year.

Both leaders are under immense political pressure from the United States of America. Denis Sassou Nguesso’s electoral victory is strongly opposed by the Congolese opposition including pressure from the US justice system which has convened Antoinette Sassou, wife of the Congolese president, on Monday in Washington to be heard in an open investigation for unpaid debts of around one billion euros.

President Joseph Kabila close associates have been targeted by US sanctions, the most recent case being that of General Célestin Kanyama, Commissioner General of Police, whose bank accounts have been frozen abroad. The senior official is also forbidden to travel outside the country.

Opponents of President Sassou Nguesso; Makaya Paulin and Jean Marie Michel Mokoko have all been imprisoned. While President Kabila’s former Governor, Moses Katumbi, has been sentenced to 36 months in prison in a land dispute.

Anang Valerian (Cameroon Concord News Group)

27, June 2016

Kumba: 5 killed and many injured in Fiango accident ¹

Five people have been reportedly killed in an accident in Kumba, the chief town in Meme Division in the South West region. Cameroon Concord News gathered from police sources that the brakes of a caterpillar failed at Hill Top as the road construction machine was descending to Fiango. With no warning system on board the caterpillar, it eventually crushed many people on bikes before the driver succeeded to direct it to a building hosting a popular hotel known as K-Town Hotel in Fiango.

Five people were killed on the spot and many others seriously injured. Some of the wounded cases have been transferred to hospitals in Buea and Douala. Life will never be the same again for a little girl of about 8 yrs who had her legs chopped off in the accident. At the time of filing this report, our correspondent in Kumba reported that some of the victims have died at the Kumba General Hospital.

Cham Victor Bama (Cameroon Concord News Group)

27, June 2016

Michelle Obama expected in Liberia ⁰

American first lady Michelle Obama and her daughters will begin on Monday a visit to Liberia and then to Morocco. After two African stops, Michelle Obama and her entourage will visit the Kingdom of Spain.

Apart from her two daughters accompanying the US first lady, Cameroon Concord News understands Michelle’s mother is also in her delegation. Michelle Obama is expected to use the visit to encourage young African girls to go to school.

In Liberia, Michelle will meet President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Michelle will visit Spain on Wednesday where she will meet Queen Letizia.

Chi Prudence Asong (Cameroon Concord News Group)

27, June 2016

Wife of Congolese President wanted by US attorneys in Washington ⁰

Antoinette Sassou, wife of the Congolese head of state Sassou Nguesso, has been summoned by US attorneys in Washington. Cameroon Concord News is aware Madam Sassou Nguesso is wanted by a US court following a complaint from a pool of lawyers in a debt case that involves the Congolese government and the Commisimpex society.

The hydra-headed issue started as far back as 1992 when a Lebanese businessman, Mohsen Hojeij, claimed the Nguesso family and the Congolese government owed him a debt of nearly 100 million dollars. In 1993, the amount totaled € 675 million in 2013. In 2016, the debt is estimated at 1 billion (one billion). The complainant has handed over the case to a US law firm to track down the asset of the Sassou Nguesso family in the United States.

A source at the presidential palace in Brazzaville was quoted earlier today as saying the first lady will not respond to the summons of the American lawyers. However, the case opens the way to US investigators, to delve into the rich heritage of the Nguesso family. Thus, the properties of the Sassou Nguesso clan, including Willy Etoka, Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso, Bruno Jean Richard Itoua, Denis Ngokana, Antoinette Sassou Nguesso via Cameroonian businessman Yaya Moussa, Claudia Sassou Nguesso are all now at the mercy of the American justice system.

Chi Prudence Asong (Cameroon Concord News Group)

27, June 2016

Revealed: Niger Delta Avengers using advanced technology to destroy oil installations ⁰

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari says militants affiliated with the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) are using advanced technology to destroy oil installations, highlighting that the group’s sabotaging activities against the oil-rich country amount to a “national problem.”

“The technology being deployed by the militants to destroy oil installations is high tech, the way they can go on high sea and international waters and target oil installations is a national problem,” Nigeria’s Daily Trust online newspaper Saturday quoted Buhari as saying in a meeting with leaders of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) party at the Presidential Villa in Aso Rock on the outskirts of the capital, Abuja, a day earlier.

The president added that the group was negatively affecting Nigeria’s development. “No insurance company will want to insure installations that will end up being blown up, and no banks will want to finance such installations,” Buhari stated. The militant group, mainly operating in Nigeria’s Niger Delta, publicly announced existence in March and since then has been blowing up gas and crude oil pipelines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Delta State.

27, June 2016

Austria: Former Presidential candidate warns of an “Auxit” vote ⁰

Austria’s former presidential candidate Norbert Hofer has warned that his country could hold a British-like referendum on leaving the European Union within a year. The far-right leader of the Freedom Party (FPOe), who narrowly failed to become the head of state in last month’s presidential run-off in Austria, warned the EU to avoid any moves towards political “centralization.” “If a course is set within a year further towards centralization instead of taking (the EU’s) core values into account, then we must ask Austrians whether they want to be members,” he said.

Hofer made the threat after the British people voted on Thursday to leave the European Union. Hofer and his allies believe that the union should be based on economic rather than political cooperation. “The founding fathers (of the EU) wanted to ensure closer economic cooperation because states that cooperate economically do not wage war against each other,” Hofer said. “That worked very well until the political union was founded.” Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern, however, ruled out the possibility of holding a referendum on EU membership, which is dubbed “Auxit” vote.

26, June 2016

Marc Vivien Foe: 13 years after!!!! ⁰

On June 26th, 2003, Marc Vivien Foe died at the Gerland football stadium during a Confederation Cup match in France. The celebrated midfielder of the Indomitable Lions suffered a heart attack at the 72^nd minute of the match against Colombia.

Thirteen years later, we of Cameroon Concord News Group have still not forgotten this great man in the history of Cameroonian football. Thirteen years later, the promises of the Head of State and his ruling Francophone Beti-Ewondo CPDM government have still not been fulfilled. Thirteen years later, the huge sports project started by the late Marc Vivien Foe is still not completed.

Rita Akana (Cameroon Intelligence Report)

26, June 2016

Eto’o summons football stars to Antalya in Turkey ⁰

Cameroon football legend has announced a charity match in Antalya in Turkey to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the Samuel Eto’o Foundation.A sea of soccer stars have registered their attendance.

Cameroon Concord News gathered that the charity match will be staged on July the 16, 2016. Eto’o who recently celebrated a church wedding with his long time partner Georgette does not intend to retire from soccer anytime soon.

Chi Prudence Asong (Cameroon Concord News Group)

26, June 2016

The Indomitable Lions and qualification for Russia 2018: A rocky path ⁰

The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will not have an easy task en route to Moscow. The Lions have been paired with the likes of Algeria which is currently the best selection in the continent. To be sure, Cameroon will travel to Algiers on Monday, the 3^rd of October 2016.

The Indomitable Lions will host the Mighty Zambia on November the 7th, 2016 in Yaounde. Then, Head Coach Hugo Broos and his boys will travel to the fantastically corrupt nation for their third match scheduled for Monday, August 28, 2017. The encounter against Nigeria will mark the end of the first phase.

The Super Eagles will be in Cameroon on Saturday, September 2, 2017. The Indomitable Lions will again have a home menu against Algeria on the 2nd of October 2017 before going to stage the final game of the playoffs in Lusaka- Zambia on November 6th, 2017.

Here is the full schedule of Group B matches

October 3, 2016

Algeria against Cameroon

Zambia against Nigeria

November 7, 2016

Cameroon against Zambia

Nigeria against Algeria

August 28, 2017

Nigeria against Cameroon

Zambia against Algeria

September 2, 2017

Algeria against Zambia

Cameroon against Nigeria

October 2, 2017

Nigeria against Zambia

Cameroon against Algeria

November 6, 2017

Zambia against Cameroon

Algeria against Nigeria

NB: Only the first of the group will qualify for the finals of the World Cup Russia 2018. The system of qualification has not provided for second best.

Ebong Kingsley (Cameroon Concord News Group)

25, June 2016

Nigerian army reaffirms loyalty to President Buhari after recent coup rumor ⁰

The Nigerian Army has reaffirmed its loyalty to the civil authorities of the country and that an investigation will be conducted to track down all those behind the recent Coup rumor in the country. Cameroon Concord News understands that the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai held an emergency meeting in Abuja on Friday during which he reviewed the issue of security with senior government officials.

Sani Usman, the Nigerian Army spokesman said in a statement that the Nigerian Army as a product of democracy will never endorse any “anti-democratic mishap” let alone the overthrow of a regime. The Army has said it will always remain loyal to the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria while defending the integrity of the constitution and National territory. The Army has also renewed its allegiance and loyalty to the civil authorities and the Nigerian Constitution.

In a statement read over state radio and television from the office of the Chief of Staff, the army noted that “We want to assure the people to be confident that a Coup will not happen in the ranks of the Army and no longer in the ranks of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.” Rumors of a coup surfaced last Wednesday from a group called the Joint Task Force for the Liberation of the Niger Delta (JNDLF) and that some army officers were approached by Niger Delta militants to support the overthrow of Buhari.

Chi Prudence Asong (Cameroon Concord News Group)