Headline News

8, July 2016

The Holy Father Pope Francis accepts resignation of Brazilian Bishop ⁰

The archbishop of Paraiba, Monsignor Aldo di Cillo Pagotto, 66, resigned under the article of canon law that allows bishops to retire early for “grave” reasons that make them unfit for office. Francis appointed an administrator to run the archdiocese until a permanent replacement is found. In a farewell letter, Monsignor Pagotto admitted he had made mistakes and that he had accepted into the archdioceses priests and seminarians who had committed “serious errors.”

He blamed his own “merciful ingenuousness” and said he did so because he wanted to give them a second chance. The pope recently issued new procedures to expel bishops who shield paedophiles, amid an outcry from victims’ groups that bishops have long escaped punishment for moving abusers around rather than reporting them to police.

The new procedures do not go into effect until September, meaning Monsignor Pagotto was forced out under existing procedures in place at the Vatican’s office for bishops. Italian news agency Ansa said that in 2015 the Vatican sent an envoy to Paraiba to investigate. As a preliminary sanction, Monsignor Pagotto was prohibited from ordaining priests and deacons or welcoming in any priests or seminarians expelled from other dioceses.

At the time of the Vatican intervention, Brazilian media reported on a letter from a parishioner alleging Monsignor Pagotto had had sexual relations with an 18-year-old man, the Zenit Catholic news agency reported. Zenit said he successfully had the news reports deleted from internet searches. In his farewell letter, Monsignor Pagotto blasted what he called defamatory news reports that, he said, had distorted and divided the church.

He was one of the arch-conservative authors of a question-and-answer booklet released during the 2014-2015 Vatican meeting on the family that insisted on church doctrine on such hot-button issues as homosexuality, marriage and divorce. In a 2015 report on the book, Ansa cited the authors’ response to the issue of homosexuality by saying that gay unions were sinful and “against nature” and telling gays to refrain from sex.

8, July 2016

Eneo angers Yaounde city dwellers with sharp increase in electricity bills ⁰

Households in the nation’s capital Yaoundé have registered their protest following a sudden increase in electricity bills. The offices of Eneo, the company responsible for the distribution of electricity have all been receiving large numbers of complaints this week. Cameroon Concord News spoke to some of the Yaoundé city dwellers who revealed that the bills moved from 30,000 to 50,000 CFA francs in the month of June 2016. Some electricity customers claimed their amounts rose from 13,000 to 20,000 FCFA.

Many customers of the distribution company, Eneo do not understand what caused the sharp increase. A spokes person for the electricity company, Eneo was quoted as saying that “Change can only occur with a decision from the regulatory agency for the electricity sector (Arsel). To date, invoice is based on the rates set in 2012”.

Eneo issued a statement late last week stating that “rates are set according to consumption brackets between 0 and 110 kWh, it costs 50 CFA francs, without Vat. But as long as people buy appliances or even simple light bulbs that consume a lot, or they leave phone chargers and various other devices connected all night, and consumption increases when you exceed 110 kWh, it you apply another minimum charging period is 79 FCFA with more Vat”

It is also common in the major cities for dubious electricians to tap electricity from a neighbor without his knowledge and “you pay for two or three households”. At the time of filing this report, an Eneo official admitted that there were billing problems, due to some mistakes.

Rita Akana (Cameroon Concord News)

8, July 2016

USA: A nation ruled by a culture of white supremacy ⁰

A human rights attorney says US investigations into police killing of two African-Americans in Louisiana and Minnesota recently will not lead to the administration of justice. A video that shows the aftermath of police shooting can be investigated as a federal crime, but the investigation “will not ensure there is going to be justice for the victim,” human rights attorney from New York Roger Wareham told Press TV.

Two graphic videos shot in the US states of Louisiana and Minnesota shocked the American nation this week which showed the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile in the hands of US police officers. “In an almost all those cases the officer who killed an unarmed black civilian does not even get indicted, much less prosecuted, much less convicted or even go to jail,” Wareham said.

He said African Americans are the constant victim of a system in which the law enforcement or white vigilantes can kill black people with impunity and without any sort of retribution and accountability. “So, there is a culture of white supremacy, there is an attitude that says you can do anything to a black or brown person, because you will not be punished for it,” he added. Lawrence Korb, a former assistant secretary of the US Department of Defense, said the police officer who killed Philando Castile should be held accountable

It is “because the act is tragic and a video record proves that the victim was unarmed, but he was shot four times,” Korb said. The use of excessive force by US law enforcement forces has become the focus of national debate, particularly over high-profile killings of African Americans by mainly white officers during the last several years. Police in the United States killed over 1,150 people in 2015, with the largest police departments disproportionately killing at least 321 African Americans.

Presstv

8, July 2016

Another electricity company created in Cameroon ⁰

Another electricity company known as the Nachtigal Hydro Power Company has been created in Cameroon. An agreement to concretize the existence of this company was signed on the 7^th of July 2016 in Yaounde by representatives of France, Cameroon and the International Finance Corporation.

The Minister of Water Resource and Energy Basile Atangana Kouna signed on behalf of Cameroon while Jean-François Arsenault represented the French Government. The Nachtigal Hydro-Power Company is expected to provide one third of Cameroon’s Energy by 2020, and to supply power to the aluminum plant in Edea.

The company will in the Months ahead complete the construction of 420 mega watts power dam on the river Sanaga. It is estimated to cover a distance of 40 miles transmission line.

According to the agreement, the French Government will have a 40% share of the company and the Electricite de France will exploit the dam for a period of 35yrs while Cameroon on the other hand will have 30% share. 30% of the project will be funded the International Finance Corporation.

CRTV

7, July 2016

Former UK Prime Minister: World’s worst terrorist ⁰

The sister of a British soldier killed in the Iraq war has called former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair the world’s “worst terrorist” after hearing the Chilcot inquiry report into the UK role in the 2003 Iraq invasion. “There is one terrorist that the world needs to be aware of and his name is Tony Blair, the world’s worst terrorist,” said Sarah O’Connor, the sister of Bob O’Connor who died in Iraq in 2005, at a press conference called by some of the dead soldiers’ families.

“When he (Blair) gave his evidence, it was definitely the Tony Blair show. He thinks he’s the puppet master pulling the strings,” she said. She made clear that her family, along with a number of other families, would take legal action against Blair. O’Connor said terrorists killed my brother, but “in that sentence of terrorists, I include Mr Blair.” The Chilcot inquiry report said that military action was “not a last resort” and that the UK chose to go to war before the peaceful options had been exhausted.

The father of another soldier killed in the war said that Blair tried to write his own Iraq war report that was “completely” different from Chilcot report as he tried to defend his decision for the Iraq invasion during a press conference. Roger Bacon, whose son Matthew died in the Iraqi city of Basra in 2005, said he was “amazed” while listening to Blair’s statement that was a response to Chilcot report released earlier on Wednesday.

Presstv

7, July 2016

Sino-Cameroon relations: No visa restrictions for holders of diplomatic and service passports ⁰

Holders of diplomatic and service passports from Cameroon and China will soon travel between both countries without any visa restrictions. The visa exemption is in line with an agreement signed on the of 7th July 2016 between Cameroon’s Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella and Chinese Ambassador to Cameroon, H.E. Wei Wenhua.

The Chinese Diplomat revealed that the agreement has a 45 years duration and was signed due to the good diplomatic relations between Cameroon and China. Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella for his part indicated that many of such agreements will be signed with other great nations in the nearest future.

CRTV/Camcordnews

7, July 2016

Poultry farmers hold massive demo in Yaounde ⁰

Poultry farmers have held a massive demonstration today in Yaounde. The farmers blocked the entrance to the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA), protesting against what they termed the destruction of the national poultry industry following the poor management of the bird flu crisis. Cameroon Concord News understands the farmers were led by the Association for the Defense of Collective Interests (ACDIC).

In the event of this morning, 40 cartons of eggs were destroyed in an industry already ruined by the CPDM government’s procrastination policy. After the discovery of the first outbreaks of bird flu in Yaoundé, the government banned the marketing of chicken and eggs and also ordered the destruction of more dairy products. Five regions in the country were greatly affected by bird flu and losses are around 66 billion FCFA.

Ebong Kingsley (Cameroon Concord News Group)

7, July 2016

Russian military tech chief says robots will determine outcome of future wars ⁰

Robots will replace conventional soldiers on the battlefield in the future, says the Russian military’s tech chief. “I see a greater robotization [of war], in fact, future warfare will involve operators and machines, not soldiers shooting at each other on the battlefield,” RT quoted Lieutenant General Andrey Grigoriev, the head of Russia’s Advanced Research Foundation (ARF), as saying on Wednesday.

Noting that days of conventional warfare are almost numbered, he stressed that the outcome of future wars would be determined by “powerful robot units fighting on land, in the air, at sea as well as underwater and in outer space.”

“They would be integrated into large comprehensive reconnaissance-strike systems,” said Grigoriev, adding, “The soldier would gradually turn into an operator and be removed from the battlefield.”

Last year, Grigoriev announced that Russian scientists had designed a robot “resembling a human in appearance” to operate in hostile environments. He added that the cyborg will be capable of running, jumping and even riding a motor cycle. Russia’s United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation (UIMC) also announced last year that it had developed the Unicum software package, which is capable of controlling up to 10 military robotic systems.

The package is capable of defining roles for the robots, allowing for a commander unit to distribute combat missions for each individual device. In March 2016, Russia sent a squad of bomb disposal robots and experts to Syria to help with the defusing of explosive devices left by Daesh in the recently recaptured city of Palmyra.

Presstv

7, July 2016

Nigeria receives additional Sentinels ⁰

Nautic Africa recently delivered two Sentinel vessels to a Nigerian customer, which has received a number of other vessels from Nautic. The 35 metre vessels, Aquashield I and Aquashield II, were launched during a ceremony in Cape Town on 24 May and delivered on 16 June, Nautic Africa told defenceWeb. They will be used in the oil and gas industry in the Gulf of Guinea, with their main tasks being security and patrol, crew supply and logistics.

“MRVs [multi-role vessels] have become an essential component in the maritime security operations of African countries requiring vessels capable of performing diverse operations – from patrolling and crew transfer duties to combating oil spills, fire-fighting and dealing with security threats,” commented Nautic CEO James Fisher at the launch. The aluminium vessels are powered by three Caterpillar engines, giving a top speed of 28 knots. They are equipped to sleep 18 people, with seating for 16, and can carry up to 30 tons of cargo on the aft deck. For security missions, they have ballistically protected firing positions and a ballistically protected wheelhouse.

Nautic said the build project also helped forge a strong relationship with Access Bank, the financing institution for the vessels. Roberto Imowo of Access Bank emphasised this at the launch where he spoke about opportunities for future projects. Nautic has sold a number of Sentinels to customers in Africa and the type has done well in West Africa with oil and gas support companies. Nautic Africa concluded a R600 million deal in mid-2013 to build seven of the 35 metre multi-role patrol vessels for West African clients. The first of class, MV Sir Emeka Offor, was launched in August 2014. Another two Sentinels, Augustina II and Princess Ebikenie, were launched in Cape Town in August 2015.

Defenseweb

6, July 2016

Understanding the Anglophone Problem: Chief Charles Taku writes to Ntemfac Ofege ¹

Ntemfac,
I am concerned that this question of proving an alleged consent of parties out side a treaty framework conflates the international law basis on which the creation of states and the right of trust territories to independence clearly laid out in the UN treaty regime must firmly be considered. The voting pattern of the Republic of Cameroun against the plebiscites in the territories of the British Cameroons ie Northern and Southern Cameroons is irrevocable proof that the plebiscites themselves cannot be considered as evidence of consent by a non consenting party, non participating party to the plebiscite. Nor can the opinion of some individuals no matter how influential they might have been at the time be relied on to conclude that the consenting and non consenting parties were ad idem on a supposed union and the terms of the supposed putative union.

The committee of experts established by the Republic of Cameroun as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Cameroun considered all the arguments which some have considered as evidence of a union and come out with the conclusion that no treaty of a union exist leading Professor and expert in the committee to construe the so-called peaceful revolution in 1972 as the creation of a new nation called then the United Republic of Cameroun. That was a smart attempt to interpret history because absent a union treaty as mandated by article 102 of the UN Charter, and absent an informed consent of the parties reduced into treaty specifying the terms of the treaty relating to the nature of the relationship of the supposed parties, Ahidjo purported to seek the franchise of the people of both the Republic of Cameroun and the Southern Cameroons about the putative union through a referendum.

That was the intendment of the referendum and those who have eyes should access the records and read for themselves. His clear intention was to correct the absence of a union treaty on the basis of which the occupation of the Southern Cameroons was anchored through purportedly seeking the consent of the concerned parties through a referendum. Unfortunately this referendum which he called the peaceful revolution suffered even more illegalities: It was conducted under a state of emergency and violated Cameroun’s treaty obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. There was therefore no valid franchise as Kale Kales were organized to intimidate the population before, during and after the poll. The abolition of political parties in 1966, the abduction of Ernest Ouandie in 1969 and his assassination on 15 January 1971 formed the basis of tighten the state of emergency which was extended to the Southern Cameroons since 1963. The right to boycott or abstain the pool was not allowed or tolerated.

Due to the state of emergency, there was no citizen education about the options available if any. The decree calling for the poll was immediate and the supposed vote of OUI and YES in many polling stations were clearly an imposition on a quarantined citizenry. If this referendum was called and imposed to legitimize the annexation, it failed to conform to or comply with the requirements of the Geneva Convention on the Law of Treaties and article 102 of the UN Charter. The treaty basis of this mandatory treaty obligation is intended also to notify the UN about the alteration of the colonial boundaries of a member state which unless modified by treaty, remain sacrosanct as inherited at independence. This is consistent with the African Constitutive Act as well. Denis Atemkeng, Professor Anyangwe and many international law experts have written on this and I totally associate with their opinio juris.

Before even Ahidjo or Biya could take any move to validate the annexation through the 1972 referendum, Paul Biya stepped in and nullified it in 1984. That fraudulent attempt to whitewash the annexation of the territory of the Southern Cameroons through the illegal referendum to obviate its UN treaty obligations against the resort to force and colonial imposition to annex territory was subverted by the vitiation of the criminal referendum and its legal effects which reverted LRC to the status quo ante at its independence on January 1 1960. Since the fraudulent 1972 referendum or peaceful revolution never succeeded in providing a treaty base duly registered at the UN pursuant to article 102 of the UN Charter for the annexation of the Southern Cameroons or the modification of the boundaries of LRC through a purported consent obtained through that referendum that in 1972 even before it was nullified by Paul Biya in 1984, the status quo ante of LRC at independence remains. That status quo is the affirmation and recognition of its international boundaries in January 1 1960.

I have stated that consent in law is not a mere assertion of a set of facts and say this fact constitutes consent and this does not. If consent is derived on some inferences made, the inferences must be the only reasonable inferences to be made in the circumstances. For example some persons have jumped on Muna’s committee speech to the UN to purport to find consent without having the benefit of reading and knowing what Charles Okalla and a huge delegation of LRC said in contradiction. They must go back to 1952 and read the forceful arguments of Um Nyobe for Unification before independence and that of LRC other leaders in opposition. They must read the UN fact finding mission reports the last of which was in 1958 which advised against unification.
We must therefore assess the basis of the current situation in which we find ourselves outside the considerations of alleged consent as there was none and none can legally be inferred in a legal context which mandates a treaty, We must first as good scholars first characterize our present predicament as that of colonized or territorially annexed people. I know that the inadequate knowledge of the French language and the French component of this case by some has forced them to consider but a piecemeal approach to understanding this case. But no reasonable lawyer makes a case based on the relations between parties without a detailed understanding of the case of one of the parties.

The case made out by LRC lies on their construction of the alleged referendum of 1972 which was quickly vitiated by Paul Biya in 1984 even before it was formalized at the UN as mandated by article 102 of the Charter and the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. LRC’s case does not lie on alleged inferred consent or some other tenuous legal constructs. It is the alleged referendum 1972, 1972 and 1972 which they celebrate every 20th May and call it ” fete de l’unite nationale”. This is as clear and as obvious as day follows night. They sing it, they celebrate it and we are witnesses to this provocation year in year out. Do our people need any lawyer to explain to them what they are living through and the song of provocation and the feast of annexation they witness and even forced to celebrate alongside the armed forces and the colonial administration of its colonizer? Why attempt to look elsewhere for reasons which they have carefully considered and rejected to justify their claims to the territory of the Southern Cameroons?

Biya was aware of this when he failed to acknowledge and celebrate the anniversary of the so-called reunification in Buea on October 1. Neither he nor Ahidjo considered October 1, 1961 as a reunification day because prior that date and event Ahidjo had already sent in forces to annex the Southern Cameroons. Besides LRC was not a party to the event on October 1, 1961. It voted against and did not recognize it as such. It indeed resent October 1, 1961 because it forms our very basis for our claims of external self determination and the respect of international legality. It indeed forms the basis of our assertion of independence with the blessings of the international community.

As Mola Njoh Litumbe has said again and again they resent this date because it forms the very basis and justification for our quest for freedom and independence. That is why rather respect that event, it modified its constitution to annex the territory even before the event. What event therefore can be construed or inferred as consent to a purported union even if that were possible in the law of treaty which it is not? I beg to ask.
Our duty is to look for ways of means of resolving this problem rather than preaching a litany of uninformed sermons to those who are living the reality of the annexation and colonial rule.

His Royal Highness Chief Charles A. Taku