Headline News

9, January 2025

Football: Eto’o in Cairo ⁰

Samuel Eto’o, the four-time African Player of the Year, this week visited Cairo where he met Egypt’s Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhi and congratulated the new board of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA).

Eto’o, currently the president of the Cameroonian Football Association, congratulated the new board members, headed by FIFA and CAF executive board member Hani Abu Rida, after they won elections last month by acclamation. They will lead the EFA for the next four years.

“Thank you for coming to congratulate Abu Rida, the ‘godfather of Egyptian football’. Glad to meet you again in Egypt,” Sobhi told Eto’o, who had made a surprise visit to the EFA headquarters.

Eto’o was also in Egypt to support Cameroon’s Under-18 women’s football team who are to meet their Egyptian counterparts in the African qualifications for the FIFA U-18 world Cup. The home game is to take place on Sunday 12 January at the 30 June Stadium. The return game is scheduled for 18 January in Cameroon.

Eto’o, 43, joined Barcelona in 2004 where he scored 130 goals in five seasons, winning La Liga three times and the UEFA Champions League once.

As a member of the Cameroon national team, he was part of the squad that won the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics. He also won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002. He is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations with 18 goals.

Eto’o also participated in four World Cups.

He announced his retirement from international football in August 2014.

Source: ahramonline

9, January 2025

Football: Manchester United eye move for Cameroonian star Bryan Mbeumo ⁰

Premier League giants Manchester United are in the market for another forward as they lose hope of keeping Marcus Rashford, pushing them to consider a move for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo.

The Cameroonian attacker has been impressive for Brentofrd and could be set for a move to Old Trafford to join international teammate Andre Onana.

According to reports from England, the Red Devils are reportedly heavily invested in a potential deal for Mbeumo, especially considering the Cameroonian’s current form with Brentford.

In 20 matches with Brentford this season, Mbeumo has already scored 13 goals, providing three assists in the process, and is one of the most in-form players in the Premier League at the moment.

Given Mbeumo’s impressive performances this season, including four-goal contributions in his last two games, Manchester United are reportedly willing to pay as much as £43 million for the Cameroon international.

The Red Devils’ pursuit of Mbeumo could be linked to the possible departure of Rashford, who seems ever closer to the Old Trafford exit door.

After being left out of the matchday squad to face Manchester City by Ruben Amorim, Rashford starred in a tell-all documentary, where he confirmed that he was in search of a new challenge, possibly outside Manchester United.

The England international is reportedly now deemed transferrable by Manchester United, amidst interest from AC Milan, Juventus, Napoli, and Borussia Dortmund for a possible January switch.

Should they lose Rashford in January, Manchester United will likely step up efforts to persuade Brentford to part ways with Mbeumo.

Source: Pulsesports

9, January 2025

US: fire erupts in Hollywood Hills ⁰

A fire has broken out in the Hollywood Hills, causing LA Fire Department chief Kristin Crowley to abruptly leave a press conference at which she was giving an update on the fires

The blaze, named the Sunset Fire by the LA Fire Department, has triggered mandatory evacuations, including areas dotted with celebrity homes

There are now at least six fires raging in Los Angeles and its neighbouring Ventura county. Apart from one in Woodley, which has decreased in size, the others are 0% contained, officials say

Five people are confirmed dead and more than 100,000 people have been forced to evacuate from the Eaton fire. Another 37,000 have been evacuated because of Palisades inferno

Palisades, the first blaze to break out on Tuesday, has become the most destructive in LA’s history – and is still growing, officials say

Firefighters in Los Angeles are experiencing a shortage of water and are resorting to taking water from swimming pools and ponds

LA Mayor Karen Bass defended her absence when the wildfires broke out – she was in Africa as part of a delegation. Bass has also faced criticism amid reports she cut more than $17m from the fire department’s budget last summer.

Source: BBC

9, January 2025

Coup d’état in Chad: Government says attempt at destabilization thwarted ⁰

The government of Chad has insisted the situation in capitol N’Djamena is stable after gunshots were heard near the presidential palace.

Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah said in a video apparently recorded within the palace complex that there had been a “little incident” but that “everything is calm”.

Sources close to the African state’s government said clashes had occurred between security forces and “terrorist elements”.

The French news agency AFP quoted Koulamallah as saying that 18 attackers and a member of the security forces had been killed.

Chad is a landlocked country in northern-central Africa which, since gaining independence from France in 1960, has seen frequent periods of instability and fighting, most recently between government forces and those of Islamist group Boko Haram.

It is led by President Mahamat Déby, who was installed by the military in 2021 after his father, Idriss Déby, was killed in a battle with rebel forces after 30 years in power.

Following the incident on Wednesday, tanks were seen in the area and all roads leading to the palace were closed, the AFP said.

In the video, posted to Facebook, Koulamallah is seen surrounded by members of the government forces.

“Nothing serious has happened,” he says.

“We are here and we will defend our country at the price of our blood. Be calm.

“This whole attempt at destabilisation has been thwarted.”

He is then seen taking photos and raising his fist with the soldiers.

Koulamallah was quoted by AFP as saying the assault had been launched by a 24-man commando unit, adding that six of the attackers had suffered injuries.

A further three members of the government forces also suffered injuries, he added.

The incident came just hours after a visit to the former French territory by China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, who met Déby and other senior officials.

Source: BBC

8, January 2025

Minister René Sadi says no conflict between government and the Catholic Church ⁰

The Cameroonian government denies any conflict with religious denominations, particularly the Catholic Church, following recent statements by clergy members opposing President Paul Biya’s potential candidacy in the upcoming presidential election (scheduled for October 2025).

In a press release on January 7, Minister of Communication René Emmanuel Sadi reiterated that Cameroon is a secular state where religions coexist peacefully with public authorities. However, he described the stance taken by some Catholic clergy on Biya’s potential candidacy as “pure speculation,” noting that the president has yet to announce his intentions.

The controversy began on December 25 when Archbishop Samuel Kleda of Douala told Radio France Internationale (RFI) that a Biya candidacy in the next election “is not realistic.” President Biya subsequently declared in his New Year’s address that his “resolve to serve” remains strong, a statement widely interpreted as a hint at his intention to run.

Following this, bishops from Yagoua, Bafoussam, and Ngaoundéré used their sermons to call for leadership change in the country. Minister Sadi expressed regret over the “vehemence” of these positions, which he characterized as focusing solely on the presidential race and based on an “unwarranted interpretation” of the president’s remarks.

Source: Business in Cameroon

8, January 2025

US largest contributor to humanitarian aid efforts in Cameroon ⁰

The United States was the largest contributor to humanitarian aid efforts in Cameroon as of September 30, 2024, according to a recent report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The U.S. contributed 53 billion CFA Francs, four times more than the second-largest donor, the European Union, which provided 14.5 billion CFA Francs. Other major contributors included Sweden, Germany, France, Japan, Canada, Italy, Norway, and the NGO Education Cannot Wait.

These contributions, totaling 90 billion CFA Francs, covered 38% of the 217 billion CFA Francs required under the 2024 Humanitarian Response Plan adopted by humanitarian partners and the Cameroonian government. The plan aims to assist 2.3 million of the 3.4 million people identified as being in need.

In September 2024, the U.S. Embassy in Cameroon reported that Washington had already provided 12 billion CFA Francs in humanitarian aid for the year, specifically for food and nutritional assistance.

Source: Sbbc

8, January 2025

Football: Didier Deschamps to step down as France coach after 2026 World Cup ⁰

Didier Deschamps, France’s longest serving national team coach, will not seek to renew his contract which expires in 2026, the French Football Federation told Reuters on Tuesday.

Deschamps’ deal runs until after the next World Cup, for which Les Bleus have yet to qualify.

The 56-year-old took over from fellow 1998 World Cup winner Laurent Blanc in 2012 and led Les Bleus to the World Cup title in 2018, two years after reaching the European Championship final on home soil.

The former France captain, one of only three to win football’s most prestigious prize as a player and a coach, guided the national team to the World Cup final again in 2022, losing to Argentina on penalties after one of the best matches in the tournament’s history.

Earlier on Tuesday, French sports daily L’Équipe reported that Deschamps would make his announcement on Wednesday.

Source: Reuters

7, January 2025

Buea: Bishop Bibi says Anglophone Crisis progressively coming to an end ⁰

Bishop Michael Miabesue Bibi of Cameroon’s Catholic Diocese of Buea has expressed optimism about the resolution of Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis.

In an interview with ACI Africa on the sidelines of the dedication of the Divine Mercy Co-Cathedral of the Diocese of Buea, Bishop Bibi acknowledged significant progress in having normalcy restored in the affected regions of the Central African nation.

“Since 2016, we have been having the crisis in the Northwest and Southwest Regions. If you look at the situation when it started and where we are now, you will agree with me that progressively there have been changes,” the Cameroonian Catholic Bishop said on January 5.

He highlighted the gradual reopening of schools and the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their villages as some of the signs of progress.

“Progressively, children are going to school. Progressively, those who left their villages and went out as internally displaced persons – some of them are going back to work on their farms and care for their crops,” Bishop Bibi told ACI Africa.

“We still have situations of kidnapping and fighting, but when you look at it globally, I will say and repeat that progressively the Anglophone crisis is coming to an end,” he emphasized.

The Cameroonian Catholic Bishop, who has been at the helm of Buea Diocese since December 2019, first as Apostolic Administrator, and since February 2021 as the Local Ordinary attributed the progress to collaborative efforts between the government, the Church, and local communities.

“The government has done a lot to solve the crisis. The Church has done a lot, and we will continue to work together. Fighting and killing each other will never resolve a problem,” Bishop Bibi said.

He went on to advocate for unity and peacebuilding, urging all Cameroonians to act as one family to foster justice and reconciliation.

“We must work together as one family to ensure peace and justice. Only through unity can we live together as members of one nation,” Bishop Bibi said.

Cameroon’s English-speaking regions plunged into conflict in 2016 after a protest by lawyers and teachers turned violent. An armed movement of separatists claiming independence for the so-called republic of Ambazonia emerged following the government’s crackdown on protesters.

School boycotts have become common in the Cameroonian region as have enforced moratoriums on public life known as “ghost towns”.

In his homily during the January 5 Eucharistic celebration that also marked the start of the 48th Annual Seminar of members of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC), Bishop Bibi lamented that “many lives have been lost, families destroyed, villages burned, and several churches affected” as a result of the crisis.

“Every day, we work to provide both spiritual and material support to those affected. We remain hopeful that this crisis will end and continue our tireless efforts for peace and justice in Cameroon,” he said.

The Catholic Church leader, who started his Episcopal Ministry in March 2017 as Auxiliary Bishop of Cameroon’s Bamenda Catholic Archdiocese added, “I take this opportunity to thank the Government of Cameroon and its security services for working day and night, sacrificing their lives for the common good. May God bless you.”

“The Church in the Diocese of Buea – its Priests, women, and men Religious, and Laity – will persist in its pastoral ministry, striving for the restoration of peace and justice in this part of the country,” Bishop Bibi said on January 5, the second day of the weeklong NECC Annual Seminar.

Source: aciafrica

7, January 2025

Buea: Roman Catholic Bishops say Cameroonians must not lose hope ⁰

The Roman Catholic Church in Cameroon has formally entered a Synodal Process. We of the Cameroon Concord News Group are convinced that this is the way to go and it will be a fruitful new departure.

During the opening ceremony of the 48^th annual conference of the Cameroonian Bishops in Buea the chief city in the South West region, the Bishops unanimously said that they are in Buea to map out a pathway not a runway.

Millions of Cameroonians both at home and abroad are wondering if the Roman Catholic Bishops are dampening down expectations on the current state of political and economic affairs in the divided nation. The truth is the Bishops are being realistic.

The Bishops want Cameroonians to learn how to journey together being guided by the Holy Spirit. In the words of His Grace Archbishop Andrew Nkea it means being patient with each other and respectful of differing views.

Welcoming the Bishops, His Lordship Bishop Michaël Bibi of the diocese of Buea during a joyous ceremony attended by the Francophone Governor of the South-West region, Bernard Okalla Bilaï and the Mayor of Buea David Mafany, said the focus has to be on Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace.

The President of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, His Grace Archbishop Andrew Nkea on behalf of all the bishops, took advantage of Pope Francis’ message for the Jubilee Year 2025 to convey hope and peace to the Cameroonian people, who are being battered on a daily basis by a sea of crises and natural disasters.

‘We must not lose hope, despite all the difficulties we have, despite all the problems we face, we must not lose hope. Hope is a theological virtue, and without hope there is no life. We continue to hope for a new Cameroon, a Cameroon of unity, a Cameroon of joy, a country that will take care of all Cameroonians,’ said His Grace Andrew Nkea.

The proceedings are currently going on in the Bishop Pius Awa Conference Room inside the pastoral centre.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Fon Lawrence and Rita Akana

6, January 2025

Canada: Justin Trudeau resigns as prime minister ⁰

Justin Trudeau resigns as leader of Canada’s governing party after nearly a decade as prime minister

Trudeau says in a news conference in Ottawa that he will stay on as PM until a new Liberal Party leader is chosen

“This country deserves a real choice” at the next election, he says, announcing that parliament will be prorogued until 24 March

Trudeau had been under growing pressure from within his party and elsewhere to step down

Who could replace Trudeau as Liberal Party leader? Ex-Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland and former central banker Mark Carney are among the potential successors.

Source: BBC