Headline News

29, May 2024

Military coups: Yaoundé hosting Francophone lawmakers ⁰

Francophone lawmakers from about 30 African states are meeting in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde, to find a solution to the political instability in French-speaking African nations — including a string of recent coups, security threats and popular discontent. The lawmakers say among the solutions to the growing crisis are dialogue, a return to democratic principles and an end to foreign influence.

The 150 lawmakers, members of the African region of the Parliamentary Association of the Francophonie, or APF, say many Francophone African countries have suffered deep political and economic instability and security threats.

Within the past four years several former French colonies in which France continued to wield political influence experienced military coups or takeovers, including Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Gabon and Chad.

The group says besides military takeovers French-speaking African states also have a record of long serving leaders.

Cameroon President Paul Biya has ruled for 41 years. Theodoro Obiang Nguema from neighboring Equatorial Guinea has been in power for about 45 years and Denis Sassou Nguesso has ruled the Republic of Congo for 38 years. Nguesso first came to power in 1979 and served until the 1992 election when he finished third. He took power again as a militia leader after a four-month civil war in 1997 and has been president since then.

Canada-born Francis Drouin is the president of the Parliamentary Association of the Francophonie.

Speaking in Yaounde on Wednesday, Drouin said young people in French-speaking African countries complain that political instability remains high, and civilians are disgruntled because their freedoms are suffocated by long serving leaders and military governments. He said poverty, the absence of democracy and security threats plunge civilians into suffering and misery.

Drouin says the region’s youths yearn for the freedom to participate in decision-making.

Lawmakers attending the conference said Senegal distinguishes itself as an example of democracy after the country’s March 24 presidential elections, in which incumbent President Macky Sall was defeated by 40-year-old Bassirou Faye, whom the lawmakers say is a young man with new perspectives.

The lawmakers say France’s influence on its former African colonies is a source of concern among young leaders who want to take control of their national issues.

Djelassem Donangmbaye Felix is a political analyst and coordinator of A New Day, one of Chad’s opposition political parties. He is critical of the presence of French troops in former French colonies. He spoke to VOA via a messaging app from Chad’s capital N’djamena Wednesday.

Djelassem said French troops present in Africa either protect leaders loyal to France or destabilize governments that stand against France’s overbearing influence. He said that is the reason Chad’s opposition and civil society in December 2023 asked France to immediately withdraw troops who arrived in the central African state after being ordered to depart neighboring Niger by that country’s military junta.

Niger officials accuse France of failing to resolve the security crisis that has killed thousands and displaced millions across Niger.

Djelassem said French troops stationed in Chad have never assisted Chad’s government to fight armed groups and rebels destabilizing the central African state.

France has not responded to the accusation. But in March, Jean-Marie Bockel, French President Emmanuel Macron’s envoy for Africa, said after a meeting with Chad’s President that France will keep its troops in Chad. He said the troops will assist in fighting jihadists in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Angola and Sao Tome and Principe are attending the conference as observers. The lawmakers say permanent dialogue with military leaders and long serving rulers can pave the way for improved political, economic, social and cultural lives in French- speaking African countries.

Source: VOA

29, May 2024

Indomitable Lions: Eto’o fires Marc Brys ⁰

Belgian football technician Marc Brys has been sacked by the President of the Francophone dominated Cameroon Football Federation some few weeks after his controversial managerial appointment.

Brys signed for Cameroon but tension between the Minister of Sports and the FECAFOOT boss Samuel Eto’o has brought an abrupt end to his spell as manager of the Indomitable Lions.

Brys was replaced by Martin Ndtoungou who has now been tasked with preparing the team for the 2026 World cup qualifiers against Cape Verde and Angola.

FECAFOOT have stated they feel now is the right time to make a change.

By Rita Akana

28, May 2024

FECAFOOT convenes emergency meeting after Eto’o-Brys clash ⁰

A meeting of the Cameroon Football Federation’s Emergency Committee will be held in the next few hours following a missed working session between president Samuel Eto’o and coach Marc Brys. In a press release following the turbulent session at Fecafoot, the Emergency Committee was convened to address the heated exchange between Samuel Eto’o and Marc Brys.

This committee, tasked with making crucial decisions, will determine the next steps for Cameroon’s national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. In Cameroon, all eyes are now on Tsinga, anticipating the outcomes of the Emergency Committee’s meeting.

The ongoing crisis in Cameroonian football began to intensify after the recent Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) in Ivory Coast, where the national team’s performance was disappointing. In April, Sports Minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi appointed Marc Brys as the new coach, a decision that did not sit well with Samuel Eto’o. The Fecafoot president had initially refused to endorse Brys and the staff chosen by the ministry, ultimately accepting Brys but imposing his own technical, medical, and administrative staff.

The conflict came to a head on May 28, during a meeting at the Fecafoot headquarters. The session, which started with a cordial “welcome home” from Eto’o to Brys, quickly escalated. Eto’o clashed with Cyrille Tollo, the sports minister’s technical advisor, demanding Tollo’s expulsion for interfering with a private discussion. “Call security and throw him out! This is the last time, understood?” Eto’o reportedly exclaimed.

Eto’o then pressured Brys to choose sides, asserting his authority as president and criticizing Brys for perceived mistakes. The tense atmosphere prompted Brys to leave the room, leading Eto’o to call for the Emergency Committee’s intervention.

With the World Cup qualifiers looming, the Federation’s swift action is critical. The football community in Cameroon eagerly awaits the committee’s decisions, which will shape the future of the national team and potentially end the ongoing leadership turmoil.

Source: Africa News

28, May 2024

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Student, police officer injured in Bamenda attack ⁰

One student and a police officer were injured on Tuesday after Ambazonia fighters attacked a school in Bamenda the chief city in the Northwest, according to local and security sources.

Amba fighters opened fire in front of the school where students were sitting for a public exam, a local security source said.

“A police officer was shot in the leg and another student was also shot. Students were dispelled. Our brave soldiers are pursuing the terrorists,” the Biya regime source said. The injured student and police officer have been sent to a hospital for treatment.

Separatist fighters in Cameroon’s two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest frequently kidnap teachers and students. In 2019, they abducted 170 students and their teacher in Kumbo locality of Northwest region.

Since 2017, government forces and separatist fighters have been clashing with each other in the two regions where the separatists want to create an independent nation.

By Fon Lawrence with files from Xinhuanet

28, May 2024

Etoudi and FECAFOOT: The death of high instructions! ⁰

The bruising fight between FECAFOOT’s President, Samuel Eto’o, and the Minister of Sports, Moelle Kombi, finally played out in public today with the minister’s technical adviser asked to leave FECAFOOT premises.

The matter did not end there. The minister’s appointed coach was also given a beating and reminded that he had an interest in attending the meeting with FECAFOOT officials, an idea which did not go down well with the Belgian who saw his technical staff refused entry into the FECAFOOT building.

In this fight, it is Cameroon’s football which will suffer as Eto’o and minister Kombi engage in a struggle which could have been avoided if the laws had been respected. Cameroon’s laws are, at all levels, like shifting sands or a maze, and this unfortunate situation is hurting Cameroonians.

The frustrating thing is that Eto’o cannot be dismissed even by the country’s president. He was voted while the minister was appointed. In this confusion, FIFA might step in with a normalization committee which will see Eto’o out while the minister could be fired by the president for not posting acceptable results.

The mess playing out in the football sub-sector in Cameroon is simply the tip of the massive iceberg which is buried in the ocean of corruption, incompetence and influence trafficking.

Cameroon appears to be a rudderless ship for decades. For many years, the country has been ruled by decree or what is known in Cameroon as HIGH INSTRUCTIONS, something which clearly points to the fact that the country has drifted into a full-blown dictatorship.

Nobody respects the constitution. Nobody cares about the good running of the system. When a minister wants to implement his private agenda, he immediately invokes the famous high instructions. Everyone sings the president’s praises to hide their crimes and sins, and nothing gets done.

Cameroon is sinking and it appears there is no rescue squad. With the fight between Eto’o and Kombi playing out live, it is clear that those high instructions can be torn and put in the garbage bin. It is clear that the era of HIGH INSTRUCTIONS is coming to an end.

Cameroon needs principled people. The group of hypocrites surrounding the president have steered the country down a chaotic and dangerous path.

If Cameroon has to come out of its current mess which has lasted for almost five decades, a new system needs to be engineered and that system must rules-based with a clear separation of powers.

Cameroon’s highly centralized system has created more problems without even seeking to address old issues. A federal structure, especially a parliamentary system which allows only elected officials to exercise power will not only reduce the type of fights we are now witnessing, it will also reduce abuse and corruption which have been huge constraints on Cameroon’s economic and political development.

Cameroon simply needs a new system. High instructions clearly belong to the past. Repairing Cameroon will be an uphill climb but the job must be done and all those who have participated, directly or indirectly, in reducing Cameroon to an Augean Stable should be clearly cut out of the new system.

By Dr Joachim Arrey

28, May 2024

FECAFOOT Crisis: Confusion as players receive invites to different camps ahead of qualifiers ⁰

The players of the Cameroonian national football team have been left in a state of confusion after receiving invites to two different locations ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in June.

The Samuel Eto-led federation is yet to accept the appointment of Marc Brys as head coach of the Indomitable Lions following the Sports Ministry’s decision to name the Belgian without consulting FECAFOOT.

This has led to a misunderstanding between the two entities that sent letters to players to report to different venues as preparations begin for the World Cup qualifiers.

According to 13 Football, the Sports Ministry chose the Ngoa Ekelle Military Stadium for training while FECAFOOT opted for the Mundi Complex.

FECAFOOT’s coordinator sent messages to players to report at the Mundi Complex this week.

Meanwhile, a second letter was also sent to the team by the Sports Ministry’s representative Benjamin Banlog to meet at another venue.

This has led to disarray as the players who arrived in Cameroon at the end of their European campaign are yet to report to a specified camp.

The power struggle in Cameroonian football arose after the government decided to appoint the next coach following the departure of Rigobert Song, who was widely regarded as an Eto appointment due to their relationship as former teammates.

Before the appointment of the former Royal Antwerp gaffer, FECAFOOT and the Sports Ministry had agreed to work together to find a new coach.

However, a unilateral decision from the government led to the arrival of Brys, who was handed a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Cameroon will face Cape Verde and Angola during the June international break, as reported by Afrique Sports.

Eto’o absent at Marc Brys’ unveiling

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that the FECAFOOT boss Samuel Eto’o was not present at the unveiling of new Indomitable Lions coach, Marc Brys.

The Belgium trainer arrived in Yaoundé on Monday to sign a two-and-a-half-year contract with the five-time African champions.

At a brief meeting held by Cameroon’s Sports Minister, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, Brys and his technical team were tasked to qualify the country to the 2026 World Cup and also ensure a successful Africa Cup of Nations in 2025.

Source: Sportsbrief

27, May 2024

USA: Cardinal Sean O’Malley ordains first Cameroonian priest ⁰

In the Archdiocese of Boston, of the Pope St. John Paul XXIII seminary, Archbishop, Sean Cardinal O’Malley ordained Rev John Tanyi Nquah Lebui, the first Cameroonian Priest in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. The historical monument with an imposing presence of 364 feet long, ninety feet high, with a seating capacity of 1,700, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross was full of friends and families from Europe, The Scandinavia, Africa including states in America, all witnessed the dream of a seven year old boy, now 39, ordained into priesthood.

In the Rite of Ordination to the Order of the Presbyter, His Eminence Sean Patrick Cardinal O’Malley, the Principal Celebrant and Homilist, presents the candidates for priesthood. With the authority given to him by Jesus, the priest is called by the Church to serve God’s people. And the candidates publicly respond and announce their readiness and willingness to enter their priestly calling. The Bishop then speaks to the candidates and the congregation the duties of the priest. In return the priest affirms his intention to serve with clear conscience and prayerful spirit after the example of Jesus.

It should be noted that the spiritual rules and the authorities of the Popes has a time span of over 2000 years from the arrival of Peter in Rome to the present day. Therefore, when Cardinal Sean sits in the throne of the Bishop, which is the Cathedral, it is the symbol of authority and power. As successor of the Apostles, wearing his Miter and holding his Pastoral staff, guiding the faithful in faith, hope and charity, the priest then takes the Oath of Promise of Obedience to serve under the authority of the Bishop, and pledges total allegiance and respect to the Bishop and his successor, followed by the singing of the Litany of the Saints.

Born on July 3, 1984, in Tiko, a coastal city of the Southwest region of Cameroon, father Tanyi is one of the eight children of Angela Tanyi and late Francis Tanyi. Rev John Tanyi started his educational background at the Elementary School, St. Mary, Tiko. He further moved to St. Joseph’s college Sasse in Buea, and continued with his undergraduate degree in Philosophy from Uganda Martyrs University, Nkonzi, Uganda and also a master’s degree in international relations from the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi Kenya. He was also granted and awarded a Master of Arts in Theology from Boston College.

Rev. John Tanyi Lebui Nquah was ordained with 10 other priests by the Cardinal at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston Massachusetts. Before his priestly ordination, Rev John was ordained to the transitional diaconate in 2023, and assigned to the St. Anne and Thomas Apostle Parish Salem. On May 26th, 2024.Rev John Tanyi will celebrate his first Holy and Thanksgiving Mass at St. Anne Church Salem.

By Agbaw-Ebai Etukeni, Cameroon Concord US Bureau Chief

27, May 2024

Reporters Without Borders files ICC case over journalists’ deaths in Gaza ⁰

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Monday it had filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court over Palestinian journalists killed or injured in Gaza.

RSF said it was asking the ICC’s prosecutor to investigate alleged war crimes committed by the Israeli army against at least nine Palestinian reporters since December 15.

The ICC said in January it was probing potential crimes against journalists since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza, which has cost the lives of more than 100 reporters.

RSF said it had “reasonable grounds for thinking that some of these journalists were deliberately killed and that the others were the victims of deliberate IDF (Israel Defence Force) attacks against civilians.”

This specific complaint — the third the RSF has made — concerns eight Palestinian journalists killed between December 20 and May 20, and one other who sustained injuries.

“All concerned journalists were killed (or injured) in the course of their work,” RSF said in a statement.

Antoine Bernard, RSF advocacy and assistance director, said: “Those who kill journalists are attacking the public’s right to information, which is even more essential in times of conflict.”

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan last week asked the court to issue arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for alleged war crimes and crimes and humanity.

Israel has strongly denied the allegation and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that to draw a parallel between Hamas and Israeli leaders was “despicable”.

‘Deadliest period for journalists’

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists says at least 107 journalists and media workers have been killed during the Gaza war, the “deadliest period for journalists since CPJ began gathering data in 1992”.

The RSF complaint includes the case of two Palestinian journalists killed in January while working for Al Jazeera.

Hamza Wael Dahdouh and Mustafa Thuria, who also worked as a video stringer for AFP and other news organisations, were killed while they were “on their way to carry out their duty” for the channel in the Gaza Strip, the network said.

The Israeli army told AFP at the time it had “struck a terrorist who operated an aircraft that posed a threat to IDF troops”.

It added it was “aware of the reports that during the strike, two other suspects who were in the same vehicle as the terrorist were also hit”.

The Gaza war broke out after Hamas’s October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Militants also took 252 hostages, 121 of whom remain in Gaza, including 37 the army says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 35,984 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to data from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Source: AFP

27, May 2024

More than 2,000 people buried in Papua New Guinea landslide ⁰

More than 2,000 people were buried by a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea, the national disaster centre said on Monday, as the government officially asked for international help to reach communities trapped in remote villages where rescue efforts have been hampered by treacherous conditions.

The numbers of those buried around Yambali village in Enga province in the country’s north are based on estimates from local authorities which have been rising steadily since Friday’s landslide.

A UN agency put the estimated death toll at more than 670 people on Sunday.

The National Disaster Centre raised the toll again to 2,000 in a letter to the UN on Sunday that was released publicly on Monday. The landslide also caused major destruction to buildings and food gardens, it said.

“The situation remains unstable as the landslip continues to shift slowly, posing ongoing danger to both the rescue teams and survivors alike,” according to the letter.

About 4,000 people were living near the affected area, CARE International Papua New Guinea (PNG) country director Justine McMahon told ABC television on Monday.

But it is difficult to get an accurate estimate of the local population as PNG’s last credible census was in 2000 and many people live in remote mountainous villages. The country recently announced a census would be conducted in 2024.

The unstable terrain, remote location and nearby tribal warfare are hampering relief efforts in Papua New Guinea.

Source: France 24

27, May 2024

Bamenda: bar explosion kills 2, death toll could rise ⁰

At least two persons were killed late Saturday when a makeshift bomb exploded in a crowded bar in Bamenda, according to local and security sources.

An army official said that the improvised explosive device detonated in a neighborhood just meters away from a police station.

“People were gathered to watch an important final match when the explosion occurred. The perpetrators of this terrorist act will be pursued and punished according to our laws,” the official, who requested anonymity, said.

Several people were injured, and the death toll could rise, the official said, adding that security forces often frequented the bar.

Although it remains unclear who planted the explosive device, local authorities have attributed the attack to separatist fighters active in the region since 2017. The separatists aim to establish an independent nation in Cameroon’s two Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest.

By Fon Lawrence with files