Breaking News

18, December 2016

Rwanda’s sole government-recognized opposition party leader to challenge President Kagame ⁰

The leader of Rwanda’s sole government-recognized opposition party has announced plans for standing as a candidate in next year’s presidential election. Frank Habineza, with the Democratic Green party, announced the decision on Saturday after a meeting with party leaders in the capital, Kigali. “I have accepted your request to represent you as the presidential candidate for the upcoming presidential election, which will take place on 4th August 2017,” he said.

Habineza will challenge President Paul Kagame. The incumbent leader, who took power in 1994 at the head of a rebel army, had previously come forward as a candidate. Rwanda’s parliament passed amendments to the constitution this year to allow Kagame to stand for re-election for another seven-year term.

Over the past years, Kagame has faced criticism for the lack of political freedoms in Rwanda, although the country is regularly praised for its stability and economic performance. Kagame’s government has refused to recognize several opposition parties, barring them from contesting elections. The United Democratic Forces (FDU) is the most prominent of all those parties. Its leader, Victoire Ingabire, was arrested in 2010 while campaigning against Kagame.

Habineza vowed at the end of the Saturday party congress that his main goal would be to establish democracy in Rwanda. “Democracy does not come from the sky, it won’t come from America or Europe, we are the ones who have to fight for it,” Habineza said, adding, “We want to bring democracy to this country.”

Presstv

18, December 2016

Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU-PF endorses President Robert Mugabe for 2018 ⁰

Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU-PF, has endorsed President Robert Mugabe as its candidate for the upcoming presidential election. Mugabe was endorsed at a party conference held on Saturday in Masvingo, located about 300 kilometers southeast of the capital Harare.

Deputy Secretary Eunice Sandi Moyo said the party’s congress had voiced “its support to the president and first secretary comrade Robert Mugabe as the sole candidate for the forthcoming 2018 elections.” The endorsement of the incumbent president was met with resounding applause from supporters attending the annual conference.

Thousands of cheering supporters chanted slogans in Shona language meaning, “Rule, Rule Father.” Mugabe, 92, has ruled the African country for more than 36 years and won the most recent election in 2013. He has been in power since the country’s independence from the British colonial rule in 1980. In April, thousands of supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, attended a demonstration in Harare, calling for the resignation of the president.

Zimbabwe has seen a surge in public discontent with an economic crisis that has left banks short of cash and the government struggling to pay its workers. Many have taken to the streets over the past weeks, protesting against the failure of the Mugabe administration in addressing economic woes. ZANU-PF is also in turmoil over a successor for the ailing president, which has triggered more concerns that the country, known for its rich resources, would slide deeper into chaos.

Presstv

18, December 2016

Bamenda: Calm returns to markets after “hectic” week ⁰

Life is gradually returning to normalcy in Bamenda, North West Region after last week’s violent strike action. Taxis are busy transporting passengers while bike riders who were at the center of the strike have resumed work. Shops have been reopened and markets are all noisy once again.

Areas worst hit by the strike such as City Chemist, Hospital Round About and Mobile Nkwen, are all booming with activities. Bus conductors could be heard scrambling for customers who ply different destinations such as Bali, Nkwen, Mbengwi among others. In most joints in Bamenda, Security forces are stationed to preempt any uprising again. Policemen from the mobile intervention unit are perceived putting on their war shield, armed right at the level of their teeth.

At the Food market, traders are present but buyers are few, most are still scared to go out of their homes, talk less of going to a gathering like the market. The traders hold that most people bought their food and stored in homes while others are still to recover from the shock and damages.

But as the town of Bamenda is back to life, Babila John, a roadside trader at City Chemist says it is just temporal, he suspects the strike might be more intensive by January. Traders had said the fact that they are back in markets does not mean they have called off the strike, according to Unionists, the strike shall continue after the festive period.

Culled from Cameroun info.net

17, December 2016

Cameroon named among world’s top nations exporting minor footballers ⁰

The International Center for Sport Studies (CIES) in its monthly report of December 2016 has revealed that 17% of Cameroonian footballers currently playing in 31 European championships migrated before they actually turned 18.

The report stated that Cameroon is the second African country after Nigeria and the 9th in the world where the migratory flow of young footballers under 18 is most intense. To be sure, the European continent remains the main destination for the export of minor footballers and many of them were transferred to their clubs before their 18th birthday.

Nigeria occupies the 7th position in the world and is the main exporter in Africa with a rate of 19% of international transfer before the players become mature. Brazil is the largest non-European country with 20%.

However, football’s world governing body (FIFA) prohibits the transfer of minors abroad. Nevertheless, there are three exceptions. “If the player’s parents move to the country of the new club for reasons other than football; Whether the transfer takes place within the European Union or within the European Economic Area for players aged 16 to 18; If the maximum border between the domicile of the player and the club does not exceed 100 km .”

By Chi Prudence Asong

17, December 2016

Bamenda: Youth leaders demand release of all detainees ⁰

Leaders of Cameroon Youth Association have called on the government to release hundreds of Youths arrested in Kumba, Bamenda and Kumbo during last week’s strike action. The youths gathered at the Presbyterian Church Centre Ntamulung in Bamenda, North West Region on Wednesday December 14, 2016 in conference on the recent happenings and to propose a way forward.

In his opening speech, the coordinator of the Cameroon Youth Association, Marcel Amabo Mutanga said like the biblical Job, we have waited, we have waited, hoping that our fathers and leaders will solve these issues but we have instead watched with consternation, the massacre of our brothers, self justification, and the use of national issues for selfish political interest.”

The Cameroon Youth leaders condemned all forms of violence in the expression of grievances and the maintenance of law and order. The Youths also condemned the massacre of Anglophones or Southern Cameroonians by forces recruited to protect them. Marcel Amabo declared, “We hereby demand the release of all those arrested in Bamenda, Kumbo and Kumba.” The Cameroon Youth Association has promised to investigate into the real number of youths arrested, missing, wounded and to descend to the streets to sensitize the youths on how to go about the strike in civility so as to stay away from soldiers killing them.

Culled from The Post

16, December 2016

Anglophone Uprising: African Bar Association calls on the French government to bring Yaounde to order ⁰

The African Bar Association, AFBA, has strongly condemned the use of force on striking Common Law Lawyers in the North West and South West regions and has called on France, the former colonial master of French Cameroon to use their leverage to bring the government of Cameroon to order.

In a release signed by its President Hannibal Uwaifo, the AFBA said, “The brutalization of lawyers in their legitimate demand for justice in their country and attempt to gag the press and curtail the right to freedom of expressions and peaceful assembly in Cameroon is an evil wind that will blow the Government of President Paul Biya no good, instead as history has taught us all, victory for the oppressed people of Anglophone Cameroon is certain.”

The African Bar Association described the regime of Paul Biya as recalcitrant and maintained that the bilingual and bi cultural nature of the country must be respected to the last letter.

Culled from Cameroun Info.Net

16, December 2016

Biya Francophone Beti-Ewondo regime’s strategy to stifle the Anglophone nationalism uncovered ³

An insider has hinted Southern Cameroonians on what the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime is developing as a strategy to stifle our Anglophone nationalism. Below is part of the release that was made public by an anonymous source in Yaounde:

The Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime intends to use Delay tactics, using time in saying they are processing information we gave. (Very worrying point) time kills and interest might wane.

More Francophone ministers will start speaking in English

Signs and billboards will be slowly changed to both languages with English appearing bold

Important ministers in say 3-4 ministries will be Anglophones

Majority Francophone staff in divisional and sub- divisional schools will be transferred

Many Anglophone teachers will be posted to teach in Francophone zones with an increase in salary as compared to those in Anglophone zones (a pull factor, watch out)

Some Provincial and divisional judges will be Anglophones in Anglophone areas

Speeding up of the Kumba-Mamfe road construction

Do not be glad, these things are just window dressings for they will soon fade away. Behind the scene right now are spies, sent out to spy and sabotage the leaders in the Anglophone struggle. Beware they are going to use women and money to bribe them. Do not be alarm if you hear of theft and sex scandals. It saddens me to say this, but some leaders will trip. They have employed hackers, who are working right now in trying to track and expose. I won’t name the country from where the hackers came from. Let all our prominent leaders mind what they say over the phone and in SMS, they are listening to them and listening to the closest 5-10 persons in their circle of friends.

Working behind the scene right now are ethnologists and sociologists employed to cause great division among the Anglophones. These people know the weakness in our tribal cultures and are going to set a wave hoping it breaks our spine. Please do not start hating people in this professions, they are just being used because they know very well how societies are structured. Here are some of the things I think they will propose and try to do;

Organize simple things such as canoe races between people in the coastal areas from Wouri to Bamusso with large sums of money to be won. Event will be covered by the media and historians will be called to start talking about their similarities and common ancestors, and you will start to hear things like sawa land, sawa people. Manyu will be ignored from these events and these will upset certain chiefs, elite and natives and that will be the start of the breaking of the peoples of the SW. The Mbo’s and Bakossi will be encouraged through cultural and sporting events to link up with Nkongsamba. As you can see these diabolic events have isolated Manyu and Labialem peoples. They will use our chiefs and elites for these evil jobs. My brothers and sisters do not be alarm and fall for these when you see these things unfolding. Warn your Cheifs and elites.

Appoint a North Westerner as Governor of South West or a big cooperation in the South West, and then get some chiefs to oppose publicly, so the Governor/General manager will be remove with the hope that people from the North West will be upset, and this will be made into a huge story. This trick will be to plant mistrust and their media will promote it. This same trick will be used in the North West, but this time they will use someone from the Western province to plant division and isolate North West. My people like we say in pidgin “shine your eyes” and do not fall for these.
Offer Prime Ministerial office to someone from Ndian hoping it will upset Manyu and to please Manyu, appoint one of their elite as governor in littoral/ centre province. Forgive me if you do not buy my analysis, but this is how I perceive the bite and blow from this diabolic “system”. They are trying to isolate North West at the same time divide South west making it to look like Manyu, Lebialem, Manegoumba and Bagem are against Fako, Bamusso and Meme
For the North West they will stir tribal wars and make it national news. Favour weaker group over stronger one. Let not your hearts be trouble my people. “Shine your eyes” and avoid falling for this. They will also stir up news in West Cameroon that North West will rule and gain more, so as to frighten any weaker comrade. At the same time they will stir within South West that Manyu natives are more and will dominate and they (the system) will offer to help Fako and Bamusso if they reject Federation.

Please let this not sway you, for the rule of law, open opportunity for all will have to be the bedrock of our federation. The shallow reason you see they are trying to set confusion amongst Manyu in SW and NW as a whole is that, they (the system) thinks these two benefit the most from others. But it is a lie. West Cameroon has lot of unexploited resources in the North West, such as iron ore in Ndop, Coal, rare earth minerals along Nkambe all the way to Furawa, following that mighty Katsina River, just to name a few. We know they do not release these info for fear of us separating. Same goes with Manyu, Bangem, Labeliam. We know there is bauxite in Bagem and Labialem, some crude oil in Mamfe, pozzalan in Manegouba and many more because as it stands our region is least exploited. The only resource heavily extracted is the crude from Ndian, timber from Korup and Nguti and now some crude from Limbe.

We all have some differences, its normal but we should all rally around the Identity (Anglophone). Look the USA and Canada are made up of people from Africa, Europe and Asia. What binds us should be our Anglophones. Guard this closer to your hearts, for if we fail they will suck in South West into Littoral and North West into West, by creating what they will call Coastal/Sawaland State and Grassfeild State. This will come about by them proposing a 6-7 states solution. Flee from these proposal, because if we are sucked in, only force can be use to liberate us and it will be deadly.

They are now back to their drawing boards planning drastic and carefully thought over ideas. There is blame game in their camp now and some heads will roll, some are saying they had been very arrogant and harsh with “assimilation” or “harmonization”. The implementation of their diabolic plans will be gradual this time, as you can see the system is very upset by what we have done. We have shattered what they have built since 1962 till date in just 2 years. We should be very tactical and foresighted, take no soft speeches in English by some as change or appointments as a solution.

It’s either Full Federation with all its tenets or Separation. Let the Consortium be careful with who they bring on board and how they draft and list their points. If all their points are satisfied but no federation granted it will take two generations to wipe the slate clean, and this might be deadly. If they say we are talking politics, we should agree, politics affects all sectors of life and politicians are the decision makers. We are talking about all these because of what politician did. Do not shy away when they say avoid politics.

Some of their advisers are telling them to offer us Full Federation, but the system is worried. The “system” says they need a guarantee, and it should be, we sign a clause which will state that Secession will never be raised in say 100 years from the date of such signing and it be enshrine in a new constitution. If we take this option, we also have to propose that all the points raised plus Full Federation with all its tenets, be protected and enshrine in the constitution and upheld to its fullest, and if it’s not followed we will opt out of the union and go our way as a separate state.

We should also ensure that the state flag bears two stars as a reminder that, these are two peoples living together under a Federal system. The name of our country should also include the words United and Federal. These are reminders and should not be left out.

Brothers and sisters I have more to say but I will reserve for now. Please feel free to use these info to educate our people if you dim fit, I have no copyright issue with it.

A point to highlight, CDC might be lost; its destruction had been going on for some time. She will suffer from competition brought to it by the “system”; the “system” has created large farms in the East and South growing palms and rubber. They have few workers and most are seasonal same as Herackles farm, so they stand a better chance of undermining CDC in selling their produce. This will cause CDC to be indebted and be forced to be privatized to foreign companies and behind these foreign companies will be top people from the “system” their family and friends. They will create companies abroad in what is call “company layering” and use these companies to buy shares in a foreign company and ask this foreign company to come and buy over CDC shares. We should watch out and teach our people to be vigilant and be vocal.

Found in Old Mount Mary’s Church Buea

16, December 2016

Former French Prime Minister says West policy in Syria has failed ⁰

The former French prime minister and the Republican party’s presidential candidate has criticized the Western policy towards Syria’s nearly six-year-old conflict, stating that Europe’s stance vis-à-vis the deadly crisis has shown “indignation.” Speaking to reporters following a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and leaders of European center-right parties in Brussels on Thursday, Francois Fillon stated that Europe has to engage in negotiations with parties involved in the Syrian conflict to save lives. “I told European leaders that what we are forced to concede today is that Western diplomacy and in particular European diplomacy has failed,” he said, rejecting the option of a US military onslaught against Syria.

The 62-year-old French politician, who has previously called for restoring ties with the Syrian government, added, “The other option is a strong European diplomatic initiative to bring around the table all those who can stop this conflict,” which started in March 2011. Commenting on the European strategy with regard to Russia, which has been conducting an air campaign against militants in Syria for over a year, the French presidential hopeful said, “I simply have a lot of respect for Russia. I’ve always said whether Russia’s leader is called Vladimir, Boris or Igor, he is the leader of the biggest country in the world. Europe must have a long-term strategy with Russia and not just act emotionally.”

Fillon’s comments come as Russia has criticized the West for its failure to contain extremist militants it supports in Syria and “indefinite” procrastination when it comes to peace talks for the war-ravaged Arab country. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said last month that the West had been unsuccessful to wield influence on Takfiri militants in Syria. “As a result, the prospects for the start of a negotiation process and the return to peaceful life in Syria are postponed for an indefinite period,” he said at the time.

The United States has been supporting militants it calls “moderate.” Russia has in return emphasized there are no such militants in Syria, and all militant groups are perpetrating savage acts of terror in the conflict-ridden country. Washington refuses to designate specifically what groups it deems “moderate,” even though Moscow has expressed preparedness for potential cooperation in that regard.

US officials have been campaigning strongly against Russian aerial attacks in Syria, saying the strikes may target the “moderates.” Russia began its air campaign against Daesh and other terrorist groups in Syria in September 2015 upon a request by the Damascus government. United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict. The UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.

Presstv

16, December 2016

Anglophone teachers to Justice Ayah Paul “We are not interested in making personal gains” ⁰

The leaders of the Anglophone teachers trade unions have in a statement issued on the 13th of December 2016 condemned the actions of Justice Ayah Paul including that of the Francophone government aimed at sabotaging the strike action. The teachers sounded a note a caution to Justice Ayah Paul Abine to stop meddling in their affairs. Below is the press release:

PRESS RELEASE, 13/12/2016

Meeting this 13th day of December, 2016, we , leaders of the teacher trade unions and initiators of the Anglophone education strike of 21/11/2016, noted with indignation that the press outing of H.E the Minister, Director of Civil Cabinet was a manifest display of bad faith aimed at vilifying us and painting us as intransigent, vacillating and instrumentalised. We saw the urgent need to decry this and came up with the following observations in guise of reaction.

That verily, we had asked for the creation of a new broad-based institutional framework with a neutral chairperson, which committee had been created and the chairperson appointed.

That for sure we had requested and had been granted the concession that this committee be allowed to work in Bamenda and prepare an implementation framework for the grievances within the shortest possible time-frame.
Furthermore, that we had actually said when at least one other issue was implemented in good faith on or before 30/11/2016, the strike would be suspended, to be revoked in due course in case of any breach. Suffice is to observe that our mention of “any other issue” was tacitly understood to mean “any other core issue” in this identity struggle, and the issue of subvention did not qualify as a core issue, since it was a measure for private schools all over the republic. And if there was any need to respect a gentleman’s agreement because of the subvention palliative that reason was vitiated by the corollary core issue, which stressed the recruitment of “bilingual science and technical teachers”, a clear indication that the government was pretending to resolve the contentious issues while at the same time recycling the very causes of the contention.

We equally dismissed as spurious the Minister Director’s claim that we had raised other extraneous issues, especially of political note, because we did not do any such thing. We challenge him to show any document that we tabled, to prove the veracity of his claim. We begin to doubt how neutral he will be as a chairperson when he draws conclusions and makes official assertions on the basis of rumour. We are stupefied that the chairperson thinks we should suspend before committee work begins, another sign of BAD FAITH that might force the CONCLUSION without fear of contradiction that government is still up to its OLD BAG OF TRICKS.

Our stupefaction is under-propped by the fact that our situation can be likened to the plight of a wailing child who has a nail lodged in the sole of his leg and his father chooses to pressurize him to stop crying instead of taking him to the hospital for the malaise to be handled with dispatch! We take the opportunity to address two other

TOPICAL ISSUES:

That we decry the attempt by Chairman Ayah Paul to include some of us into an Anglophone Leadership team he has arrogated to himself the right to create. We assert that we were neither consulted nor did we give our consent to such posturing and observe that while we are interested in helping to solve political problems, we are not necessarily interested in making personal gains from the outcomes.
That we are not aware that a team of persons visited Ndawara Ranch to discuss our educational options, amongst a complex of other issues, as social media messages gone viral insinuate. As far as we know, we have not ceded to anyone our right of control over the strike that we initiated.

Done in Bamenda, Tuesday, 13th December, in the year of Our Lord 2016.

SIGNATORIES

CATTU: Tassang Wilfred F

PEATTU

BATTUC: Ayeah Emmanuel

TAC: VALENTINE NFON

CEWOTU: K. Michael

16, December 2016

Kassav December concert in Cameroon postponed ⁰

The Kassav music concert that was slated between the 16^th and the 22^nd of December 2016 in the cities of Douala and Yaoundé has been postponed until the end of March 2017, Cameroon Concord News has learnt.

The Minister of Arts and Culture made the decision to postpone the Kassav concert without providing any reasons. However, it is widely believed that the nation is divided and events such as a Kassav concert will only add more wounds to injury.

The reprogramming of the concert has been scheduled for the end of March 2017. The ministry in charge of culture was the main sponsor of the cultural event which many fans already had tickets.

By James Fru