Headline News

12, October 2016

As tension mounts in Congo-Kinshasa: President Denis Sassou Nguesso envoy in Yaounde for talks ⁰

Cameroon’s Minister Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh has reportedly met with Jean-Claude Gakosso, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Congo. Cameroon Concord News was reliably informed that both men had the audience inside the Unity Palace on the 11^th of October 2016.

With political tension and violence increasing at catastrophic rapidity in neighbouring Congo-Kinshasa, the Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation was bearer of a sealed envelope from President Denis Sassou Nguesso to President Paul Biya.

The Congolese envoy in a chat with journalists of the state radio and television blatantly refused to disclose the content of the letter. He however observed that the letter was a message appealing to President Biya to focus on consolidating peace in the region.

Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh and the special envoy of President Denis Sassou Nguesso took the opportunity to revisit the bilateral cooperation between Cameroon and Congo Brazzaville. Jean-Claude Gakosso was accompanied to state house by the ambassador of the Republic of Congo, Gisele Bouanga Kalou.

By Chi Prudence Asong

12, October 2016

Maiduguri: Bomb attack kills 8 ⁰

At least eight people have been killed in a bomb attack in Nigeria’s violence-plagued northeastern state of Borno. The bomb blast was carried out on Wednesday, when a female assailant detonated her explosives in a taxi in Maiduguri, the militancy-riddled capital of the northeastern Nigerian state. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said, “About eight persons lost their lives, [and] 15 injured persons were evacuated to specialist and teaching hospitals.”

There has been no claim of responsibility for the bomb attack. Nigerian officials, however, often blame such acts of terror on the Boko Haram Takfiri militant group, which has been active since 2009. Boko Haram started its campaign with the aim of toppling the Nigerian government. The Takfiri terrorist group later expanded its activities to the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

On September 30, Toby Lanzer, the UN assistant secretary general, urged more donations to satisfy the humanitarian needs of people affected by Boko Haram militancy, warning that the world’s worst humanitarian crisis awaited the Lake Chad Basin if enough was not done. The UN official said over nine million people in the region were in “desperate” need of aid, warning that 65,000 people were living in “famine-like conditions.”

In this photo taken on September 15, 2016, women and children queue to enter one of the nutrition clinics of UNICEF in Muna informal settlement. (Photo by AFP)

According to the United Nations, about 80,000 children could starve to death if they did not get food aid within the next year.

Boko Haram terrorists have so far killed more than 20,000 people and forced over 2.7 million others from their homes. The group has pledged allegiance to the Daesh Takfiri terrorists operating mainly in Syria and Iraq.

Presstv

12, October 2016

Kaduna: Nigerian troops open fire at Shia mourners killing 9 ⁰

Nigerian forces open fire at Shia mourners taking part in Ashura processions, killing at least nine people in the cities of Kaduna and Funtua, Press TV correspondent from the capital Abuja reports.

The killings on Wednesday came as mourners defied a state ban, holding processions in several cities to mark the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (Peace Be Upon Him), the third Shia Imam.

Tensions were already running high between the regime and Nigeria’s Shia Muslims who have been demanding the release of prominent cleric Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky from prison.

People carry pictures of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky as they rally in Kaduna, Oct. 12, 2016.

Heavily-armed troops in a convoy of 18 armored vehicles surrounded a gathering of mourners in Kaduna as an ambulance waited nearby, UK-based Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) said in a statement.

A local newspaper said the standoff was at the residence of senior Shia leader Muhtar Sahabi. It said armed soldiers and mobile police officers surrounded the compound and were waiting for those gathered inside to leave.

According to the Press TV correspondent, troops fired tear gas and live bullets at mourners in Funtua and Kaduna.

A protester is seen standing as Nigerian troops fire tear gas in Funtua, Oct. 12, 2016.

The confrontations follow a spate of arrests over recent days of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), the mainstream Shia group led by Sheikh Zakzaky.

The government has imposed a ban to prevent the movement’s supporters from attending ceremonies commemorating the month of Muharram during which Imam Hussein (PBUH) and his 72 companions were martyred 14 centuries ago.

The killings on Wednesday revive the memory of the run-up to the massacre last December of hundreds of IMN supporters by the army and the arrest of Sheikh Zakzaky.

Presstv

12, October 2016

Chantal Biya International Cycling Tour gets into action ⁰

The 2016 edition of the Chantal Biya, Cameroon’s first lady international cycling tour has officially gotten into action today. Contrary to the previous year where the race began with a prologue, this time around, day one of the race will be used for the presentation of the participating teams.

There will be a total of four stages with all around the Centre and South regions of the country. Nine teams will be part of the race and they include; 3 Africans (Morocco, Rwanda and Côte d’Ivoire), 4 European teams (2 from France, Slovakia and Switzerland) and 2 Cameroonian teams (SNH and Team Cameroon).

The different stages of the competition have been earmarked as follows:

Stage 1: Yaoundé-Bafia

Stage 2: Yaoundé-Ebolowa 155km

Stage 3: Zoe Etele-Meyomesala 143km

Stage 4: Sangmelima-Yaounde 148km.

The 2016 edition of the Chantal Biya International Cycling Tour officially starts on Thursday October 13 and finishes on October 16, 2016.

By Cham Victor Bama

12, October 2016

FIFA World Cup 2018: Algeria fires coach after poor display against Cameroon ¹

The Algerian FA has sacked head coach Milovan Rajevac following a draw the Serbian technician recorded against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon on Sunday the 9^th of October 2016.The Serbian coach is unemployed again, just three months after his appointment as head of the technical staff of the Algeria football national team.

The decision to get rid of Milovan Rajevac was made public by the Algerian Football Federation on its website. The statement did not however provide any reason for the sacking. But local media reports in Algiers say the poor performance of the Algerians in the match against the Lions of Cameroon hosted at the Mustapha Tchaker stadium in the city of Blida for the first day of the final round of qualification for the World Cup Russia 2018 heralded his dismissal.

The Algerian FA announced that Mr. Milovan Rajevac resigned on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 as national coach of the Algeria team. Milovan Rajevac who led the Black Stars of Ghana to the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa has also prematurely left Algeria with a record of a win and a draw in two matches played.

He is the second coach to have been sacked after Javier Clemente of Libya earlier this week following a (4-0) thrashing by the Democratic Republic of Congo.

By Ebong Kingsley with files from Cameroon Info.net

12, October 2016

X-Maleya to tour the USA in October ⁰

X-Maleya has announced a series of concerts to mark the group’s ten years of existence. Cameroon Concord News learned that the trio: Roger, Auguste and Haïs, popularly known as X-Maleya will be touring the United States of America in what has been dubbed “USA Dream Tour”.

X-Maleya recorded huge success in Europe including their victory tour of Germany and Olympia-Paris in 2014. The US X-Maleya tour is expected to last for a month. The “boy band” will float the Cameroonian flag in Uncle Sam and their first stop is scheduled for October 16 at Fillmore Silver Spring, in the State of Maryland. After Silver Spring, the group will jet to Preston Bradley Centre in Chicago on 22 October.

A spokesman for the group recently observed that the conquest of the United States is a new challenge and preparations have taken a serious dimension as regards to synchronization of choreography and development of the directory.

The main ten years ritual will be performed in Cameroon in December although the date has not been disclosed. For the record, X-Maleya came to the lime light in 2006 through the Exile album. Since then, they have not disappeared from the music scene. The small group has made a name in Africa, Europe and are now heading to the US. They have five albums to their credit.

By Rita Akana with files from Cameroon Tribune

12, October 2016

Chadian Prime Minister in Yaounde ⁰

Prime Minister, Philemon Yang has received in audience the Prime Minister of Chad, Albert Pahimi Padake. Both heads of government met on October the 11^th, 2016 in the Star Building in Yaounde. The Chadian Head of Government reportedly handed over a sealed message from Chadian President, Idriss Deby to his Cameroonian counterpart, President Paul Biya.

Yang and his guest reviewed relations between Cameroon and Chad in various fields. The Chadian official indicated that the Cameroon – Chad railway line is advancing, hitch-free. Development in the energy sector between both countries was also discussed as well as security issues related to the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

We understand Chad is lobbying for Cameroon’s support, as one of its nationals is vying for the post of Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

CRTV

12, October 2016

2016 Cup of Cameroon: Apejes of Mfou the odd man in!! ⁰

Apejes of Mfou and Bamboutous of Mbouda are the two teams to be battling for the highly contested trophy of the 2016 Cup of Cameroon. Bamboutous of Mbouda over shadowed Coton Sport of Garoua with a 0-1 aggregate and Apejes of Mfou got their qualification ticket after thrashing Sporting of Douala 4-2. For Bamboutous of Mbouda it a fifty year old affair since they were created in 1966.

The Mangwa boys have managed to make strides at the UNIFAC Cup and the CAF Confederation cup in 2015 but have never reached the qualification stage at the Cup of Cameroon. Though both teams are still to complete their unfinished affair at the Division 1 football championship, the contestants have high hopes of caressing the trophy this year. Apejes of Mfou just needed time to start going places after starting off as a Football Academy in 2006. Apejes later upgraded to Division 2 status and after three years became a Division 1 team.

It was a difficult journey for Baboutous of Mbouda as they thrashed Coton Sport of Garoua in 1-0 defeat while Apejes had it in an easy way beating an unpopular Sporting of Douala, 4-2. Bamboutos finished thirteen in the last Division 1 football championship two points behind Apejes on position eleven with 43 points.

Both teams will be fighting for the fame and the money but it is worth noting that Mangwa boys have longevity and boisterous support to their sleeves. Apejes has zeal and new found motivation probably a reason for them to fight hard when the time comes.

CRTV

11, October 2016

France says Russian President Vladimir Putin has cancelled his visit to Paris planned for next Tuesday ⁰

France says Russian President Vladimir Putin has cancelled his visit to Paris planned for next Tuesday after the French insisted on holding talks only on Syria. “There were contacts between the Kremlin and the Elysee this morning to offer to Putin a working visit on Syria, but excluding all other events that President Hollande could have taken part in,” President Francois Hollande’s office said Tuesday.

“In response to this proposal, Russia has just indicated that it wants to postpone the visit planned on October 19,” a source at the office was quoted as saying. The Kremlin confirmed that President Putin has indefinitely postponed the visit, which envisaged the opening of a Russian cultural center and an exhibition. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the French side had revised the program and insisted that the visit should focus extensively on Syria.

“Regrettably, those events dropped out of the program,” Peskov said, adding it’s up to the French side to explain the reason. “The president decided to cancel the visit,” Peskov said. Russia on Sunday vetoed a French-drafted resolution calling for an immediate halt of anti-terror airstrikes in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo. Moscow said halting airstrikes “provides cover to terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra” and other militant groups allied with them. Relations between Paris and Moscow have soured as they back opposite sides in the Syria crisis.

On Monday, Hollande said he had not decided yet whether to meet Putin and claimed that Syrian government forces, backed by Russia, had committed a “war crime” in Aleppo. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault visited Moscow last week before heading to Washington in a bid to garner support for the French draft resolution for a ceasefire in Aleppo.

Last month, Russia brokered a ceasefire in cooperation with the US but it collapsed after an American airstrike killed 83 Syrian troops in Dayr al-Zawr. The US also failed to implement an important requirement of the peace deal to separate what Washington calls moderate militants from terrorists such as al-Nusra Front members.

Under the deal, the US military had also undertaken to join Russia in targeting terrorists in Aleppo but Washington fulfilled none of the pledges. The calls for a ceasefire come as the Syrian army is tightening the noose around the terrorists in Aleppo as part of its bid to retake the country’s second largest city.

Presstv

11, October 2016

SONARA spends 112,472 dollars buying toys for the children of its staff ⁰

The management of the National Oil Refining Company, SONANA has awarded a contract worth 56,236,396 (fifty-six million two hundred and thirty-six thousand three hundred ninety-six francs) a little more than 112,472 dollars for the supply of toys to the children of its staff.

Cameroon Concord News was reliably informed that the supply of toys was decided and unanimously agreed by a board meeting chaired by former minister John Ebong Ngole, member of the political bureau of the ruling party at a time when the company was struggling to survive.

Our chief economic correspondent who contributed to this report hinted that the CPDM government recently launched a savings collection operation for the financing of this same company-an operation that ended in fiasco as only 350 billion CFA francs was collected simply half of the expected amount. A journalist with Cameroon Intelligence Report revealed late last week that the heavy debt crisis that has rocked SONARA came about due to the inconsistency of the state of Cameroon in paying its own fuel debts related to sovereign expenditure.

A very flippant but reliable source in the company told this reporter that the supply of toys for 56 million FCFA is a practice that has always existed within the company. But this time around, the general manager decided to handover the contract to a close family friend also a worker in the company.

By Rita Akana