Breaking News

10, June 2016

Biafra: Amnesty International says Nigerian army killed 17 unarmed separatists ⁰

Amnesty International said on Friday that Nigeria’s army last month killed at least 17 unarmed members of a group calling for secession from Africa’s most populous nation, but the military dismissed the allegations as unfounded.An army spokesman said Amnesty’s accusations, the latest in a series of allegations of impropriety levelled against Nigeria’s military in the last year, revealed a bias that undermined its credibility. Amnesty’s report — which it said was based on details from eyewitnesses, morgues and hospitals — says soldiers opened fire on members of the Indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) and their supporters in the southeastern city of Onitsha during the build up to a march in late May.

The human rights group said the killings took place during a security operation in the early hours of the morning shortly before the march when the military raided homes and a church where IPOB members slept. The army issued a statement in which it said troops had to “resort to self defence” after IPOB members attacked security agencies with “firearms” and various weapons including dynamite. It said five members of IPOB were killed, eight wounded while nine were arrested. “These efforts were in order to de-escalate the palpable tension as well as ward off the apparent threats to lives and property in the general area,” it said.

Secessionist feeling has simmered in the southeast since the Biafra separatist rebellion tipped Nigeria into a 1967-70 civil war that killed an estimated 1 million people. It flared up again last year after IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu was arrested and detained on charges of criminal conspiracy and belonging to an illegal society. He remains in detention.
Amnesty said its investigation showed at least 17 people were killed and nearly 50 injured, adding that “the real number is likely to be higher”. “Information gathered by Amnesty International indicates that the deaths of supporters and members of IPOB was the consequence of excessive, and unnecessary use of force,” said Amnesty, which urged the government to investigate.

The contents of the report were rejected by army spokesman Sani Usman. “The allegations are unfounded,” he said.
The report is the latest in a series of accusations levelled at the army by Amnesty. Last year, Amnesty said more than 8,000 people died in detention during a crackdown on Boko Haram and that soldiers killed hundreds of Shi’ite Muslims in the northern city of Zaria in December. “Amnesty is losing credibility,” added Usman, who accused the group of being biased against the army.

Reuters

10, June 2016

Euro 2016: Three Cameroonians to defend France and Switzerland ⁰

The largest European male football competition begins today the 10th of June, 2016 in France. To be sure, it is the world’s second most important football competition among nations after the FIFA World Cup due to the quality of the teams involved. Cameroon will be well represented in the 15th edition of the EURO as three footballers born in Cameroon will take part in the competition.

Cameroon-info.net reported that Breel Donald Embolo, who plays his professional football with FC Basel, will be defending the national colors of Switzerland. Europe’s most athletic defender, François Moubandje, of FC Toulouse in France will also be a part of the Swiss national team and Samuel Umtiti, a defender with Lyon in France, will defend the colors of his adopted country.

Breel-Embolo Donald is 19 years old, was born February 14, 1997 in Yaounde, the Cameroonian capital. He migrated to Switzerland at the age of 6. He prefers to play with Switzerland at the expense of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.

Jacques François Moubandje was born June 21, 1990 in Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital. He moved to Switzerland at the age of 8.

Samuel Umtiti was born on 14 November 1993 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He landed in France in 1995 at the age of 2 years.

Cameroon-info.net

10, June 2016

Chad sends 2000 troops to Niger ⁰

Chad has sent some 2,000 troops to neighboring Niger to help the fight against Boko Haram following last week’s terrorist attacks by the Takfiri militants in the Nigerien town of Bosso. The “heavily armed” soldiers will “search everywhere for Boko Haram,” a military source said Wednesday. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Tuesday that some 50,000 people have fled the town of Bosso in Niger’s troubled Diffa region near the Nigerian border following deadly attacks by Boko Haram terrorists.

Boko Haram militants first took the town of Bosso on Friday in an attack, during which 26 soldiers, including two from Nigeria, were killed. A total of 55 militants from the Nigeria-based militant group were also killed during the fierce fighting. The terrorists reportedly torched military barracks, police facilities and looted shops during the terror campaign in the town. The ambush and looting came as Niger’s army was preparing to attack Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, which straddles Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Nigerien troops later retook Bosso on Saturday, but the militants once again took over the town on Sunday night.

The mayor of Bosso, Mamadou Bako, and a military source confirmed the takeover on Monday, but the Nigerien government denied it. Regional countries have created a joint military force that plays a key role in helping Nigeria fight the terrorist group. Back in February, the four littoral nations of Lake Chad launched a military campaign, together with a contingent from Benin, to confront the threat from Boko Haram militants in the region.

The Boko Haram terrorist group, which has pledged allegiance to the Daesh Takfiri militant group, has killed thousands of people, mostly civilians, since it launched its terrorist activities in Nigeria in 2009. The Takfiri militant group has intensified its campaign of terror since President Muhammadu Buhari came to power in the African country in May 2015.

Presstv

10, June 2016

Football under tight security: Euro 2016 kicks off today ⁰

The 2016 edition of the European nation’s cup, Euro 2016 will begin today with the opening encounter between host France and Romania. For the first time in history, 24 teams will be taking part in the final round of the competition with some 51 matches scheduled to take place in ten different locations across France including new stadiums in Bordeaux, Nice, Lille and Lyon.

The tournament will be taking place under tight security as over 90.000 police, soldiers and private security officers have been mobilized for the event. Despite the security concerns, over 90 per cent of the tickets have been bought already with about 80.000 still up for grab.

The 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four teams each and the groups winners and runners up sail through to the knock out stage which begins from the round of 16. All 24 teams are now in France after playing warm up matches in the billed up to the event.

The fixtures for the weekend will comprise France versus Romania today, followed by Albania versus Switzerland on Saturday. On that same Saturday, there will also be Wales versus Slovakia and England versus Russia. The final of the tournament will be on July 10 still at the Stade de France which was the target during the recent terrorist attack in Paris.

Cameroon Tribune

10, June 2016

Cameroon: Senators grilled cabinet ministers on bilingualism, electricity ⁰

The Senate Chamber at the Yaounde Conference Centre was yesterday June 9, 2016, the venue for Senators to check government activities as prescribed by law. Senate President, Marcel Niat Njifenji, in the presence of the Vice Prime Minister, Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Relations with the Assemblies, Amadou Ali, called the House to order and announced that the plenary session was for questions to the Executive. Seven cabinet ministers were grilled on issues patterning to tourism, agriculture, bilingualism, water and electricity, environment amongst others.

The Minister of State in charge of Tourism and Leisure, Bello Bouba Maïgari, was the first to mount the rostrum to respond to a question from NUDP Senator, Pierre Flambeau Ngayap, on the impact of the Boko Haram war on tourism in the Far North Region. The Minister of State said the impact is tremendous, not only on the tourism sector, but also on agriculture, education and health. Bello Bouba stressed that the government is preoccupied most with the pressing issue of securing the population and defending the national territory, which so far have been done with great success by the Defence Forces.

This notwithstanding, moves are being made to promote internal tourism, given that diplomatic missions had advised their compatriots to stay away from the Far North Region. Similarly, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Henri Eyebe Ayissi, was also quizzed on measures taken to pre-empt food deficiency in the Far North Region. He outlined short and long term measures adopted stating the Head of State’s special food donation worth FCFA 12 billion which has been partly distributed. Agricultural machinery and the development of production zones are part of long-term measures to ensure food sufficiency in the region.

On the imbalance in the use of official languages in communicating important information, Communication Minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakary pointed out that the Constitution of the Republic of Cameroon provides for English and French as two official languages of equal status. He cited his press outings, which he said are always bilingual and the official newspaper, Cameroon Tribune, which publishes information in both languages.

Senator Simon Anja’s worry on the non-posting of French language teachers to some schools especially in Akwaya sub-division, Manyu Division of the South West Region, was also addressed by the Minister of Basic Education, Youssouf Alim Adidja. Meanwhile, measures to ease access to water and electricity were explained by Minister Basile Atangana Kouna who also said errors in the billing systems should be reported to the service providers. The Minister of Finance, Alamine Ousmane Mey, his colleague of Environment and Protection of Nature, Helé Pierre also provided answers to worries of Senators.

Cameroon Tribune

10, June 2016

Living the Nnoko Mbele Dream: Kumba Council gains 40 per cent investment in 2015 ⁰

Grand Councilors of the Kumba City Council in Meme Division of the South West Region recently adopted the 2015 Administrative and Management Accounts during the First Ordinary Council session. The Government Delegate to the Kumba City Council, Victor Ngoh Nkelle, noted that 1.5 Billion FCFA was budgeted in 2015, with additional investment of 212 Million FCFA from MINEPAT, giving a total of 1,712,000,000 FCFA. He disclosed that 1,082,525,076 FCFA was collected, higher than in 2014; while investment stood at 40 per cent.

He said during the year under review, the City Council was able to dredge portions of River Manbungise in 2015. Victor Ngoh Nkelle disclosed that because of the accountable and efficient execution of the project in 2015, Kumba City Council considered the project for continuation in 2016 by extending it for another 8 months to clean 580 meters of the same river at 210,582,000 FCFA. The City Council, he said, equally drained toilets within the Kumba Main Market and parks, acquired 105 metallic chairs for the City Council Hall, 35 computer tables for the library, 300 plastic chairs and tables still awaited to be supplied.

The Government Delegate to the Kumba City Council noted that work at Buea Road Motor Park stands at 60 per cent, with the ongoing construction of 26 permanent roadside stores adjacent the Premier Pharmacy, in addition to the rehabilitation of other roads in the city. He said internal revenue could be more than what was realized if Sub-divisional Councils stopped the collection of building permit levies and advertisement taxes.

The Senior Divisional Officer for Meme, Koulbout Aman David, lauded the Government Delegate and his team for a job well done, thanks to excellent team work between the Government Delegate, Grand Councilors, the Secretary General and the Treasurer. He called on the Treasurer not to relent his efforts in revenue collection. The SDO also urged the Government Delegate to speed up work at the Mambanda and Buea Road Motor Parks to help generate more revenue for the City Council.

Cameroon Tribune

10, June 2016

Cameroon sets deadline for unidentified mobile phone subscribers ⁰

Unidentified subscribers to the Cameroon Telecommunications, Camtel, MTN Cameroon, Orange Cameroun and Nexttel have for over a month been again receiving messages inviting them to rush to sales points to update their files and or correct bad identification. The response has been prompt. The operation has been launched separately by mobile telephone operators under the auspices of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications with the Telecommunications Regulatory Board playing watchdog role.

Some operators like MTN Cameroon have opted for proximity identification, given the stakes of the exercise. The company has deployed teams to Yaounde neighborhoods like Ngoa-Ekelle, Mvan, Ngoussou, Bastos, and Soa etc to reach maximum clients. It is motivating subscribers with free airtime to scale up the number of identified clients. Other operators like Orange Cameroun have remained true to themselves, sensitizing clients on the reasons for having their identities in the database. The company’s sales points and shops have since witnessed unprecedented crowds, with subscribers committing to the exercise.

Information garnered from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunication reveals that previous operations did not meet the expectations of the Head of Government wholly. Government is therefore out for serious business. Security stakes are high and no government will fold arms to jeopardize the livelihoods of its citizens. Today June 10, 2016, is deadline for identification. Mobile phone operators have warned feet-dragging subscribers that their lines will be suspended if not found in the database.

The operation comes after that which was carried out late last year. It was prompted by the Prime Ministerial decree of September 3, 2015 spelling out the conditions for identifying subscribers. Subscribers, according to the decree, are expected to submit original copies of their National Identity Cards, residence permits for foreigners, complete address and sketch of the home’s location as well as the international identity of the equipment terminal (IMEI) for identification.

Unlike in the past when subscribers upgraded profiles with photocopies of ID cards, the current operation obliges subscribers to present originals of their particulars for complete identification. Mireille Flore Dongmo, one of the agents of MTN Cameroon, told Cameroon Tribune at CETIC Ngoa-Ekelle, Yaounde yesterday June 9, 2016, that subscribers are yet to draw a line between registration and identification. The agents are using innovative technology to scan ID cards and have them signed by subscribers to complete the identification procedure.

Cameroon Tribune

9, June 2016

Honoring Stephen Keshi: CAF President expresses “immense sadness” ⁰

Issa Hayatou, the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has sent a message of condolence to the President of the Nigeria Football Federation following the sudden death of the Great Stephen Keshi. Issa Hayatou expressed his “dismay” and his “immense sadness” to the Nigerian football family.

In the correspondence, the CAF President revisited the rich career of the deceased saying Keshi remains the first African coach to have qualified two African teams in a World Cup final: Togo in 2006 and Nigeria in 2014. He won the Africa Nations Cup with Nigeria both as a player and a coach in 1994 and 2013 respectively. Stephen Keshi is also the only African technician to have taken a selection from the continent to the second round of a World Cup tournament. He did that in 2014 in Brazil with Nigeria.

Rest in peace the BOSS

9, June 2016

Cameroon selects 25 hotels for the female Africa Cup of Nations 2016 ⁰

25 hotels have been selected by Cameroon for hosting of the various delegations and official CAF accredited journalists during the female Africa Cup of Nations 2016 to be held in Yaoundé and Limbe from the 19^th of November to the 03^rd of December. The 25 hotels are listed in Yaounde, Douala and Limbe. The 8 countries that qualified for the competition are:

Cameroon

Equatorial Guinea

Egypt

Kenya

South Africa

Ghana

Zimbabwe

Nigeria

The CPDM government says it has provided financial support to some private hotel developers to enable them run a 24 hours service.

CIR

9, June 2016

CPDM mayor of Balikumbat sentenced to 8 years in prison ⁰

Mayor Wasum Augustine of Balikumbat has been sentenced to eight years in prison for kidnapping, rape and other undisclosed related charges by the Court of First Instance in Ndop. Ever since he won a second mandate as mayor, Wasum Augustine has been at war with the CPDM Section President, Senator Dinga Ignatius. Cameroon Intelligence Report learnt that his first tenure was marred by mismanagement and misappropriation.

Augustine Wasum’s first arrest was on September 3, 2012. He was among the eight mayors arrested in the Northwest Region on charges of embezzlement of state funds. The other mayors of councils that were arrested included; Stephen Tikanjo of Babessi (SDF) and Daniel Ntoh of Ndop Central (CPDM) Lawrence Tenoh of Batibo, Johnny Agogho of Andek, George Tah of Mbengwi, Godwill Amahndong (1st Deputy) Mayor of Njinkwa and Godlove Awanakam, former Mayor of Andek.

By Cham Victor