Headline News

7, June 2016

50,000 flee Boko Haram in Niger ⁰

Tens of thousands of people have fled a town in the troubled southeastern Niger following deadly attacks by Takfiri Boko Haram terrorist group, the UN refugee agency says. Adrian Edwards, the spokesman for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that some 50,000 people fled the town of Bosso in the country’s troubled Diffa region near the Nigerian border.

The spokesman noted that most of those fleeing the violence walked toward the village of Toumour, which is located some 30 kilometers west of Bosso. “Many people are reportedly traumatized and worried about their safety,” he said. The UN sources say people are sleeping in the open and urgently need shelter and other assistance.

Boko Haram militants first took the town of Bosso on Friday in an attack in which 30 soldiers from Niger and two from Nigeria were killed. A total of 55 militants from the Nigeria-based militant group were also killed during the fierce fighting. The terrorists reportedly torched military barracks, police facilities and looted shops during the terror campaign in the town. The ambush and looting came as Niger’s army was preparing to attack Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, which straddles Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

UN figures show that the violence by Boko Haram militants have displaced more than 240,000 people across the Diffa region over past months. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recently said that more than nine million people living in the Lake Chad region are in dire need of food aid, blaming Boko Haram for triggering the unrest in the area.

Presstv

7, June 2016

UN Economic Commission for Africa says “Cameroonian city dwellers live below UN poverty line” ⁰

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa has reported that most Cameroonian city dwellers still live below UN poverty line. The declaration was made public during the fourth dialogue on development planning in Africa. The three day forum that focused on integrating urbanization in national development planning in Africa was also geared at sensitizing all 54 African countries on practical urbanization policies.

During the atelier, the UN body hinted that the percentage of Africans living in urban areas has increased to 40% with 55% GDP. The UN Economic Commission for Africa further observed that Cameroon’s rate of urbanization was 55% including 312 towns. The UN regretted that most city dwellers still live in abject poverty and are subject to economic, social, cultural and environmental difficulties which most at times leads to social instability.

The diversified seminar was attended by the Ministers of Urban Development and housing Jean Claude Mbwentchou and that of Economy Planning and Regional Development Louis Paul Motaze, under the chairmanship of the Resident Coordinator of the UN Moussa Abari.

CRTV

7, June 2016

Bird flu: Yaounde authorities ban the sale of roast chicken ⁰

Health authorities in Yaounde the nation’s capital have banned the sale of roast chicken following the outbreak of bird flu at the Mvog Betsi district. The decision prohibiting the sale was made public on May the 26^th 2016 by the Prefect of Mfoundi.

Unconfirmed reports say several grilled chicken traders had their goods seized by a special force under the direct supervision of the prefect of Mfoundi as part of the fight against the bird flu. We gathered that some petty traders witnessed the seizure of up to 300 chickens by the Sub-Prefect of the Yaounde II district.

Cameroon-info.net

7, June 2016

Nigeria: Ordinary ear infection takes Buhari to a London hospital ⁰

President Buhari reportedly has “a terrible cough that has persisted longer than the ear infection” – He may likely extend his 10-day trip to London to treat an ear infection because he also needs attention for the cough – A source said the president is expected to remain in outpatient care in the days following his medical visit. The Buhari administration is using the judiciary to prevent former government officials from traveling abroad for medicare.

There are indications that President Muhammadu Buhari may extend his 10-day vacation to London to treat an ear infection. Sahara Reporters reports that the president also has a terrible cough that has persisted longer than the ear infection and also needs to be examined for that.

Naija.com/CIR

7, June 2016

Malawi: Attacks on albinos unprecedented ⁰

Amnesty International has warned that the number of attacks on people with albinism has risen in Malawi, calling on authorities to bring those responsible for the crimes to justice. “The unprecedented wave of brutal attacks against people with albinism has created a climate of terror for this vulnerable group and their families,” Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s director for southern Africa, said on Tuesday.

The body parts of albinos, who lack pigments in their skin, hair and eyes, are sold for witchcraft in North Africa. Their body parts are believed to bring wealth and good luck and are prized in witchcraft for use in charms and magical potions. The report condemned the Malawian authorities for “leaving this population group at the mercy of criminal gangs who hunt them down for their body parts.”

Amnesty said campaigners, police authorities, families and community leaders have all said that the number of attacks have increased recently. According to the report, April was the bloodiest month for such attacks in Malawi, with at least four people murdered, including a child aged under two. The parents of the child have been arrested as suspects. Simeon Mawanza, the lead researcher of the Amnesty report, said children with albinism have been sold by their parents.

Presstv

7, June 2016

Goodluck Jonathan says he is being investigated by Buhari ⁰

Ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has disclosed today, June 6, that he is being investigated for corruption by the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government. Jonathan said this in an exclusive interview with Bloomberg Tv, in London.

“I cannot say the country from the beginning of our independence, that there was no corruption, yes there has been corruption. “I did very well also, to curtail corruption. “My approach to corruption, was ‘don’t make money available for anyone to touch.

Vanguard

7, June 2016

Cameroon: 4 killed by violent storm in the North ⁰

4 people were killed on Monday June 6, 2016 following a violent storm that rocked the Mayo- Oulo district in the Mayo- Louti Division headquartered in Guider in the North Region.

Strong winds followed by a heavy down pour hit the city and caused extensive damage. Cameroon Intelligence Report gathered that the storm greatly shattered the sub-prefecture and the gendarmerie post including several houses in the Mayo – Oulo.

CIR

7, June 2016

Donald Trump clearly a racist ⁰

Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson says Donald Trump is “clearly” a racist. Trump said in a CNN interview last week that US District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, the son of Mexican immigrants, was biased against him in lawsuits involving fraud allegations against Trump University, the billionaire’s real estate training school.

Trump claimed that the judge’s Mexican heritage had influenced his opinion because of the presumptive Republican nominee’s plan to build a wall on the US-Mexico border after winning the presidential elections. Speaking in an interview with The Hill newspaper on Monday, Johnson lashed out at Trump for making another controversial statement.

“The latest comments on the Hispanic judge — nothing short of racist,” said Johnson, who served two terms as governor of New Mexico. When asked if he believes Trump is racist, Johnson responded, “Clearly. Clearly. These are incendiary comments to me as a former governor of a state that’s one of the four majority-minority states in the country.” The Libertarian politician said he’s “absolutely” fearful over the idea of Trump winning the White House.

Presstv

7, June 2016

Clinton secures Democratic party nomination ⁰

US Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton has won the number of delegates required to secure the party’s nomination. The Associated Press declared the former First Lady as the presumptive nominee after asking undecided superdelegates which candidate they were supporting. In its survey, AP confirmed that Clinton had enough support to reach the 2,383-delegate threshold needed for the nomination. The announcement came on the eve of six major primaries in Tuesday, including big states like California and New Jersey. Winning the Puerto Rico primary on Sunday put Clinton 19 delegates away from becoming the nominee.

The former secretary of state, however, was not too excited about theAP report, saying that there is still work left to do. “We are at the brink of a historic moment but we still have work to do,” she told at a campaign event on Monday. Robby Mook, Clinton’s campaign manager, echoed the candidate, saying that while the AP call was “an important milestone” Clinton did not intend to declare victory until Tuesday night, when she “will clinch not only a win in the popular vote, but also the majority of pledged delegates.”

Meanwhile, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders who is running against Clinton in the White House race took a dim view of AP’s math, saying that he would lobby Clinton superdelegates to shift their support to him by arguing that he is the party’s best chances to defeat the presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump. “It is unfortunate that the media, in a rush to judgment, are ignoring the Democratic National Committee’s clear statement that it is wrong to count the votes of superdelegates before they actually vote at the convention this summer,” Michael Briggs, a Sanders spokesman, said in a statement.

To prove that he really stands a chance against Clinton, Sanders needs to bolster his campaign scoring a victory in California. The latest polls show Sanders and Clinton in a virtual tie in California, the country’s most populous state. A loss in California for Clinton would make a sour and deflating end to her primary campaign possible.

presstv

7, June 2016

Burkina Faso’s General Zida and President Kabore: No longer at ease? ⁰

Burkina Faso’s transition Prime Minister, General Yacouba Isaac Zida risks being sanctioned when he returns to the country from Canada where he has been for some months, RFI reported. President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, who also holds the position of Defence Minister has summoned Isaac Zida back to the country several times in vain.

Without giving Zida an ultimatum, President Kaboré is threatening to consider him as a soldier who has deserted the army in times of peace. The President is likely to take up his responsibilities and implement the regulations in force with regard to indiscipline in the army.

Isaac Zida on the contrary is requesting to be considered as being in health evacuation. The President has refused to accept the plea as a medical file has not been presented to him. RFI cited Mr Kaboré as saying that evacuation abroad for health reasons is done within the framework of the law.

The current stay of Isaac Zida has further complicated issues for him. RFI reported that the ongoing audit of the stewardship as transition presidency and Prime Minister’s Office indicate that there were some financial mismanagement. The authorities want some clarity in the situation. Reports say, the transition Prime Minister besides military sanctions for abandoning his duties may also face justice to answer charges of mismanagement during the transition period.

Cameroon Tribune