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30, January 2017

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Pro Yaounde diplomat elected President of the African Union ⁰

Chadian Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2008, Moussa Faki Mahamat, 56, has been elected to the presidency of the African Union (AU) Commission today Monday January 30th in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the 28th Summit of the pan-African organization.

Faki Mahamat has been painted as “a faithful among the faithful” of Chadian President Idriss Déby Itno with very closed ties with the Biya regime. The General Assembly also elected a new Chairman in the person of Guinean Alpha Condé. Faki Mahamat announced that he intends to make the fight against terrorism a priority.

His candidacy was however weakened by the lack of consensus on a single candidate in Central Africa, Sub region. In addition, part of the Chadian civil society militated against its candidacy by highlighting the lack of democracy and the lack of respect for human rights in his country. Moussa Fakhi Mahamat was however elected with 39 votes out of 54 against the Kenyan Amina Mohamed.

The Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium has not reacted to this latest development in the African Union.

By Chi Prudence Asong

30, January 2017

Southern Cameroons Ghost Town defining the end of the CPDM era ⁵

Southern Cameroonians are demonstrating that civil disobedience works. Today, the interim leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium have announced as much, by citing more recent and local successes, including those of Buea that left only the 20 CPDM taxis belonging to Mayor Ekema on the empty streets.

The hugely successful campaign against rapes, arrests and extra judicial killings currently going on in Anglophone Cameroon were put to the eyes of the international community and the ghost town operation shall be stage again tomorrow Tuesday the 31^st of January. What all of this proves is that civil disobedience works.

There seems to be this Francophone CPDM narrative that the closure of schools is harming Southern Cameroons children. However, Southern Cameroonians have come to the conclusion that this last and hopefully a protracted battle will be beneficial to all when it comes to an end. People power has been effective on this struggle.

Earlier, the National Executive Committee of the SDF endorsed the demands of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium and outlined some proposals which may come forward if the African Union and the United Nations agree to get the Yaoundé regime and the Consortium to dialogue. How that will work remains to be seen. But, to borrow a phrase from a well-known Francophone politician, and apply it to the Anglophone Crisis, “Cameroon will never be the same again.”

The ghost town in the provinces of West Cameroon was very effective. Schools remain closed and Southern Cameroonians are now focused to fire the first salvo towards an independent state by a massive boycott of 11th February celebrations. The Consortium has revealed that a special form of ghost town and boycott will be carried out on the 11^th of February to destroy once and for all, the fake union between Southern Cameroons and La Republique and restore our lost statehood.

Culled from Cameroon Intelligence Report

30, January 2017

SDF NEC meeting takes a tough stance against Biya and the ruling CPDM ³

Members of the National Executive Committee, NEC of the Social Democratic Front Party, SDF have empowered their National Chairman NI John FRU NDI to handle the current crisis in the two English Speaking regions which seems to be going out of proportion.

In a meeting held last Saturday and Sunday January 28-29, 2017 NEC members unanimously noted that the Biya regime has done nothing to calm the situation but has instead aggravated with rampant arrests.

The SDF also called on the immediate liberation of all Anglophones arrested during and after the strike action.

Complete Resolutions:

Enjoins the Biya regime to immediately and unconditionally release all those abducted or kidnapped and who are presently held in prisons of Yaoundé or at least send them back to their respective places of origin where purported offenses were committed for trial by the competent court in these regions in order to guarantee a free fair and credible trial
Reiterates our call on the government to bring to book all the perpetrators of human rights abuses by the forces of law and order and the administration most of which is abundantly documented
Enjoin Mr biya to immediately bring to an end the De facto state of emergency and militarization of the 2 English speaking regions.
Calls on stake holders and all those adversely affected to take this issue of collective punishment which constitutes human rights abuse through selective internet deprivation to the appropriate international courts for the government indemnify all affected subscribers by internationally acceptable amounts
Invites the Council of Peace and Security of the UN and the AU to enjoin Biya regime to immediately stop the exaction perpetrated on its own citizens.
Reiterates that all successful Nations exercise devolution of powers most of which through federalism which is not a threat to national unity but a viable factor of unity in diversity and equitable development
That those apologists and sycophants of the current status quo who are opposed to any constitutional reforms are the minority beneficiaries from the regime of the current situation
Reiterate our support to the teachers and lawyers in their struggle for a better Cameroon
Affirms that the Biya regime is responsible for the present crisis putting our national unity in jeopardy.
Warns that if Biya regime remains intransigent and does not respond to the demands heretofore formulated, the SDF will take its responsibilities.

They equally reiterated to Cameroonians that the convening of a Constitutional Conference to redefine the Cameroonians Sate is the only way out of the present imbroglio.

It hereby empowers the National Chairman to seek ways and means in collaboration with Religious and Political leaders as well as Opinion Leaders to get our Country out of the present Impasse.

Culled from Cameroun Info.Net

30, January 2017

Hon. Wirba addresses Southern Cameroonians, says we are winners for all times ²

Our people have proven to the colonial masters that our iron will is tougher than all their guns. The week by week shut down of West Cameroon is sure proof. We will keep our children home and shut down everything till we build a better future for those children. We will do it for as long as it takes. This is the best option for us for we are a peaceful people and we will win by all peaceful means.

The reason our courageous leaders are in jail and others are being hunted down like animals is because this government believes that it has a colony in West Cameroon! In colonial policy, the master never sits to debate anything with the natives who own the land. The colonial rules are simple, beat them, maim them, jail them, shoot them and kill them heady native, who challenge your injustices, until the rest submit to your colonial will! After 55 years, our people have simply outgrown fear and submission. They are now holding their heads higher and higher and simply saying “Since you have more value for our land than for our people, kill us all before you take the land.” This is our peaceful resistance “War” cry.

We must now let the world know that we will resist them to the last man, woman and child. It is the cheapest “war” against our oppressors. With our bare hands and our hearts full of determination to live in dignity in our own country, we must collectively stand up and face our oppressors until we win! Even if our children stay home for two years, it will be better for us and those children because we will use this peaceful means to build a better and a free Cameroon for them. Peaceful resistance and civil disobedience are very legitimate ways of fighting oppression!

My people, by shutting down the internet all over West Cameroon, this government has proven that if it had its means, it could shut off even the air we breathe, so that we, the people of West Cameroon, could collectively chock to death! If they could, they could, they will shut down both sun and rain so we could all starve to death. This government is a grave source of danger to us as a people!

Unfortunately for them, God has a different plan for his people of West Cameroon! A plan of complete victory of good over evil! Actions speak louder than words! Their actions have shown the whole world how much they despise us! We can now see them for who they really are: a heartless government that treats us as subhuman! Were it not, how can a government treat our people with such gross disrespect, spite and arrogance? When a government lacks respect for its people, that government has no place in the people’s life. Let us all stand up in West Cameroon and prove to them that they have no place in our lives!

THE STUGGLE CONTINUES.

Your humble servant,

Hon Wirba.

30, January 2017

Former Governor Oben Peter Ashu passes on ²

The man who is widely credited with setting up a neo-Nazist rule in the South West Province and who was relieved of his duty in a shameful manner has died in Limbe. Former Governor Oben Peter Ashu had express contrition for his crimes against humanity in a Catholic Church in Fako.

This story is developing

28, January 2017

Dozens of Anglophones arrested in Yaounde ⁵

Cameroon Concord News has learnt that the Francophone dominated secret service has arrested many Southern Cameroonians and taken them to an unknown destination. Some of the West Cameroonians were returning from the South West and North West regions but were intercepted at the outskirts of Yaounde, the nation’s capital.

We gathered that a younger brother to the late veteran sports journalist, Ben Njovens is among the hundreds arrested. We also got intelligence that Anglophone citizens are stopped and mobile device searched and those bearing messages from the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium are immediately arrested.

This story is developing

By Rita Akana in Yaounde

27, January 2017

Southern Cameroons Internet affair: Nigerian diplomat says Francophone action is against the 1963 Vienna Convention ³

The Consul General of Nigeria to the South West and North West regions, Dan Wari Nwazim has strongly criticized internet disconnection in the two regions for over a week now.

In an interview with Buea based Newspaper The Rambler, the Nigerian Diplomat said the act by the Government is against the 1963 Vienna Convention on diplomatic and Consular relations which stipulates that “Communication of Diplomatic and Consular missions are invaluable and the host Government should do nothing to tamper with them.”

Dan Wari Nwazim told The Rambler that for over a week Communication between his office and head Office in Abuja in particular and the world in General has been grounded, yet nobody has cared to explain to them why they should suffer such fate.

The Consul General said the only thing he has come across in Newspapers as reason for such action by Government is that, they disconnected internet in the South West and North West Regions of the country because of ‘irresponsible use of Cyber space by some individuals’.

Dan Wari noted that it will be of the interest of Cameroon Government to restore internet in the Consulate, “We are telling the Government of Cameroon to restore our internet. We are not part of irresponsible internet users.”

Cameroun Info.Net

27, January 2017

Anglophone Problem: Operation Ghost Town to continue on Monday ¹

The leadership of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium has announced that ghost town operations will continue on Monday the 30^th and Tuesday the 31^st of January 2017. The Consortium has called on all its operation managers within and out of Southern Cameroons to resist the Francophone oppressors with more intense ferocity.

Cameroon Concord News gathered that Southern Cameroonians guided by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium have resolved to continue their civil disobedience campaign against the current Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime. This comes after more than a 1000 desperate attempts at bribing some teachers in the Consortium to call off the strikes.

Last night on al jazeera news channel, the ruling CPDM crime syndicate got Prof. Elvis Ngolle Ngolle, former cabinet minister who presently has no constituent base in his native Kupe Muanenguba and who’s only power comes because of his friendship with some local Francophone political elites at the International Relations Institute, IRIC to try to sell the outrageous decision to shut down internet services in Anglophone Cameroon.

A majority of the Francophone political elites are overwhelmed by the sheer number of Southern Cameroonians who are now demanding an independent Southern Cameroons state. The mass civil disobedience campaign is expected to last for a month. However, the interim leaders of the Consortium are considering an indefinite extension of the ghost town activity.

The Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium has gotten the backing of all Southern Cameroon groups for the total and complete boycott of the so-called 11^th of February celebrations. Inside sources say the Consortium is also planning a massive boycott of the Guinness Mount Cameroon Race. Southern Cameroonians have been told to make sure that parents, students, lawyers, okada riders, teachers and the business community all adhere to the leadership of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium.

The strike actions including the ghost town have been successful on all counts and day-by-day; the Biya Francophone administrative authority is not only being suspended throughout West Cameroon but also eroded. On Monday the 30^th of January 2017, Southern Cameroonians will continue their civil disobedience campaign and all academic institutions will remain closed.

The interim leaders say the Consortium will stop at nothing to make sure that all Anglophone demands are met. “The longer the Yaoundé regime ignores us and the more arrest and extra judicial killings in our territory, the more means we will use to get what we deserve.”

By Chi Prudence Asong

27, January 2017

New Gambian president returns home ⁰

The Gambia’s newly-elected President Adama Barrow has returned to the nation after his predecessor finally agreed to cede power under international pressure and went into exile. On Thursday, Barrow arrived in Banjul from Senegal, where he had sought refuge in mid-January after his predecessor, Yahya Jammeh, refused to concede defeat in the presidential election and stand down.

Barrow won in the national election late last year, but Jammah’s clinging to power threw The Gambia’s political scene into turmoil. Upon arrival, the new head of state was welcomed by military officials and senior members of his coalition government.

Barrow’s supporters had gathered along the capital’s streets to welcome the president home. “We also hope that if he (Barrow) comes as a president, there will be some changes,” said a supporter. Barrow was inaugurated as president in neighboring Senegal on January 19.

Over two decades of Jammeh’s rule came to an end last week after he fled to Equatorial Guinea as thousands of soldiers from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) were deployed to the country to force him out of office.

A United Nations official announced earlier in the day that Barrow had asked the 7,000-strong ECOWAS military contingent to remain in the country for six months. Barrow requested the forces sent by ECOWAS to remain in Gambia for six months, said Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the United Nations’ most senior official in West Africa. In the meantime, the ECOWAS contingent in Gambia is carrying out a sweep operation to neutralize possible security threats against the new head of state.

Presstv

26, January 2017

Anglophone Problem: International Federation of Journalists calls for an end to threats against the media ¹

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has denounced all forms of intimidation by the National Council of Communication towards the Cameroonian media. The international union grouping media gurus has called on the so-called Cameroonian media watchdog to respect international norms. The National Communication Council body headed by one Mr. Peter Esoka has threatened to shut down any media organization that host members of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium.

In a statement released Thursday, January 26, 2017, IFJ President Philippe Leruth called on the Cameroonian authorities to put an end to threats against the media and journalists in order to engage in dialogue with the media and have a better understanding of the role of the media and journalists in the current situation in the country.

By Rita Akana