Headline News

8, June 2016

CPDM Senate approves Paris Climate Change Agreement ⁰

The bill to authorize the President of the Republic to ratify the Paris Agreement on Climate Change was yesterday, June 7, 2016 declared admissible for scrutiny by the Chairmen’s Conference of the Senate chaired by Senate President, Marcel Niat Njifenji. The bill was submitted by government, represented by the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation in charge of Regional and Local Authorities, Jules Doret Ndongo.

The Paris Climate Agreement was adopted during the 21^st session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 21) that held in the French capital from November 30 to December 13, 2015. The agreement, which was later signed in New York on April 22, 2016, aims at strengthening global riposte to threats posed by climate change within a context of sustainable development and the fight against poverty.

According to government, the ratification of the agreement by Cameroon is the expression of its will to synergize with the international community to fight climate change and could enable the country benefit from financial opportunities offered by its partners for the implementation of decisions taken at COP 21.

Cameroon Tribune

8, June 2016

Cameroon trains 20 media gurus on blood donation coverage ⁰

In prelude to the 2016 World Blood Donor Day to be commemorated on June 14, this year, the National Blood Transfusion Program on June 7, 2016 in Yaounde organised a session to train some 20 media practitioners on the right information to diffuse to the public as far as blood donation is concerned. During the training, it was revealed that blood donation is a voluntary act that should be practiced by everybody.

The Permanent Secretary for the National Blood Transfusion Program, Dr Appolonie Noah Owona said when listening to the radio as well as reading newspapers, one gets the impression that media practitioners do not have sufficient knowledge on blood donation which is different from blood transfusion. In Cameroon, Dr Noah Owona explained, the first problem of blood transfusion is blood donation. She stressed that there is need for all stakeholders to know that they have to sensitise the population to know that their blood is needed.

Besides an equipped infrastructure for blood transfusion, she said there is need for blood which should come from people in the society. That is why the media is important in letting the population know that they need to donate their blood. She stressed that blood is not sold in Cameroon. But for blood to be qualified for transfusion, that blood needs to be tested. As such, the money people give to have blood transfusion is that which is used to qualify the blood for transfusion.

She argued that this money is quite minimal as compared to that which is given in developed countries. An administrator at the National Blood Transfusion Program, Stephan Assako said the problem of blood transfusion is serious as some 400,000 blood banks are needed each year in the country and few people are ready to give their blood. Thus, the program needs to organise its system through a special communication strategy which will encourage citizens to cultivate the habit of freely donating their blood after every three months.

Cameroon Tribune

7, June 2016

War on terror: Boko Haram kills 8 Cameroonian fishermen, injures 3 soldiers ⁰

Ten bodies presented as fishermen; 8 Cameroonians and 2 Chadian were discovered at dawn today by residents of Darak in the Lake Chad area. They were reportedly killed during a raid attributed to Boko Haram which has recently pledged allegiance to the Organization of Islamic State in West Africa. In another development in the war on terror, a Boko Haram mine exploded under an army patrol vehicle on the Kolofata- Amchide-axis in the Far North region. Three Cameroonian soldiers were injured in the explosion.

CIR

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