Headline News

19, February 2024

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Bishop George Nkuo says God is ‘close to the broken–hearted’ ⁰

In a heartfelt homily on Sunday, Bishop George Nkuo of Kumbo in Cameroon reminded the faithful of God’s constant presence and care in times of trouble amid a new spat of violence.

He urged all parties to renounce violence and seek peace in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon, where a secessionist uprising has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions since 2017.

“No more bloodshed in our land. No more violence in our land. No more hatred in our land,” the bishop said.

His message on February 18 came in the wake of attacks on February 11, Cameroon’s National Youth Day. Suspected separatists carried out these attacks on students in Nkambe, leaving one student dead and over 40 wounded.

They detonated an improvised explosive device as students marched past, killing 14-year-old Cherish and injuring several others. Armed men, also suspected to be separatists, marched into a Catholic Church in Jakiri, in the Kumbo Diocese. They ordered Christians out of Mass, accusing them of using a church service to celebrate Youth Day.

February 11 is celebrated in Cameroon as a Youth Day. However, historically it is the day Cameroon’s Anglophones – the part of Cameroon initially administered by the British before independence – voted in a 1961 plebiscite to gain independence by joining the already independent Republic of Cameroon, which is the part of the country initially administered by the French. The two entities then formed a Federal Republic of Cameroon, which only lasted for a decade.

The federal system was dissolved in favor of a unitary state. The Anglophone minority has long felt marginalized and subjugated by the Francophone-dominated administration in Yaoundé. Therefore, Feb. 11 has been a date that separatists love to hate. As one separatist put it, it was the day Anglophones were “packaged, sold and delivered.”

Impeding the celebration of that day in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions is part of a larger strategy for separatists to undermine state sovereignty as they seek separation from the country and the creation of a new state called Ambazonia. The fighting, now in its seventh year, has resulted in the loss of at least 6,000 lives, according to the International Crisis Group. Over a million people have been forced to flee from their homes.

Nkuo said that despite the escalating violence, God remains a permanent presence in the lives of the people.

“God is close to His people, He is close to the broken-hearted especially in times of difficulty,” the bishop said.

“We worship a God who is close to those who are weak. We worship a God of Peace, a God who does not tolerate any form of violence, a God who has called us to have deep respect for the dignity of every human person. It is a God who has ‘conquered every form of darkness with the light of the risen Christ,” he said.

Lemnyuy Cherish Bongeh, the lone-girl killed in the Nkambe blast, had initially escaped fighting in her native Kumbo to the economic capital Douala, where she continued schooling. However, her father preferred that she return and relocate to the relatively peaceful Nkambe. The Feb. 11 attack would shatter that peace.

“What has happened cuts a deep wound into my heart,” Cherish’s father said, asking that his name not be used.

The murdered girl’s classmate gave one of the bidding prayers, painting a gory picture of what has been going on in the two English-speaking regions.

“Merciful Lord, for over seven years now, we have known no peace. The blood of the innocent, especially young people, has been shed in many places in our country. You are our only hope. Hear our prayer and grant us peace,” the student said.

“Show compassion to the people of Nkambe in their sorrow,” Nkuo said.

In a February 14 statement, the bishop condemned “in the strongest terms” the Youth Day attacks.

“We strongly condemn and denounce any form of violence perpetrated during public and spiritual gatherings and within the sacred spaces of Churches and Hospitals,” Nkuo said. “We condemn in the strongest terms this heinous and senseless attack on innocent civilians during the Youth Day celebration in Nkambe.”

The bishop said the violence meted out on innocent civilians “shatters the very core of our moral fabric and calls for our collective condemnation.”

He said disrupting a Eucharistic celebration “not only violates the sanctity of these institutions but also undermines the values of compassion, empathy, and respect that lie at the core of our faith.”

“The Mass is a sacred and solemn occasion where the faithful gather to worship, seek spiritual nourishment, and strengthen their relationship with God. Such disruptions not only disrespect the sanctity of the Mass but also infringe upon the rights and freedom of religious expression,” Nkuo said.

“God’s house should be a haven of peace, where all can come together in reverence and unity,” he said.

The bishop cited international humanitarian law, which makes places of worship and other religious sites “sanctuaries where worshippers feel safe to practice their faith, sanctuaries of peace, healing, and solace for all individuals seeking comfort and divine intervention.”

He called on Cameroonians to stand united “against this brutality and affirm our commitment to peace, justice, and compassion.”

“We must stand together in denouncing such atrocities and demand that every child be granted the right to live in safety, peace, and dignity,” he said.

Nkuo appealed to the warring parties to “give peace a chance” by engaging in sincere dialogue.

“Let us pray for the victims and their loved ones, offering solace, support, and strength during this difficult time,” the bishop said.

Source: Crux

18, February 2024

Southern Cameroons Crisis: 8 separatist fighters killed in Ayukaba ⁰

At least eight separatist fighters have been killed in a military offensive in Cameroon’s war-torn English-speaking region of Southwest, security and local sources said on Sunday.

The raids were carried out from Friday to Saturday in the Ayukaba locality of the region.

The fighters had arrived at the locality and were preparing to set up a base there when the information reached the army, a military official in the region said.

“Our brave soldiers immediately entered the area and succeeded in driving them out for two days. Eight (separatist fighters) were killed, and several of their weapons and ammunition were seized,” said the official, who asked not to be named.

Officials said on Saturday that troops were succeeding in most operations in the region thanks to the cooperation of the local population.

Fighting between government forces and separatist fighters has persisted in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest since 2017 when separatists attempted to establish an independent nation in these regions.

Source: Xinhuanet

17, February 2024

Donald Trump hit where it hurts most in New York fraud ruling ⁰

Donald Trump’s latest legal loss hits him where it hurts most because it takes aim at his very identity.

For decades, he has marketed himself as a genius business mogul who made it big in one of the world’s most cut-throat cities.

That image – forever tied to New York deal-making and reinforced by relentless self-promotion – catapulted him to international fame, allowing him to reinvent himself first as a reality TV star and then ultimately president of the United States.

But Judge Arthur Engoron’s ruling in a civil fraud case – related to the inflation of property values and lying on financial statements to obtain better loan terms – undermines Mr Trump’s entire narrative. It instead paints him as a fraud and inflicts a massive blow to his business empire and wealth.

Donald Trump once remarked that the mind can overcome any obstacle. But what an obstacle this is.

The verdict significantly curtails the Trump Organization’s ability to do business in New York. He has personally been banned from holding any directorships for three years and his company cannot secure loans with financial institutions registered with the city during that time either.

He has been hit with an enormous financial penalty of $355m (£282m; €329m) – which jumps to more than $450m once interest is included – that far exceeds how much cash he has to hand. His business will continue to be be watched by an independent monitor, with a separate independent director of compliance also signing off on major business decisions.

In perhaps the only bright spot for the former president and Republican frontrunner, the Trump empire was spared from the equivalent of the corporate death penalty – the cancellation of its business licences.

Mr Trump has for decades seemed to rally and recover from scandals and legal challenges that could irreparably damage others, so much so that he has been referred to as Teflon Don, because nothing sticks.

The nickname previously belonged to the mob boss John Gotti after he won a series of high-profile acquittals in the 1980s. But today’s verdict signals that Donald Trump’s luck, like Gotti’s, may be running out.

Judge Engoron noted Mr Trump and the other defendants’ lack of remorse and history of repeated and persistent fraud. In this case, he said the examples of fraud over more than a decade at the company “leap off the page and shock the conscience”.

Yet the defendants were incapable of admitting the error of their ways, he said, writing: “Their complete lack of contrition and remorse borders on pathological.”

Unsurprisingly, Mr Trump sees things very differently. He says he built a “perfect company” and rejects that he should be punished for fraud because banks were paid back in full. He continues to repeat claims, without evidence, that his legal challenges are just a plot by elite Democrats to keep him out of the White House.

According to Mr Trump’s estranged niece Mary Trump, the judge’s ruling amounts to the end of the Trump family legacy. “Today is an emotional day, but one thing is for certain: the Engoron decision is absolutely devastating for Donald,” she wrote on social media.

As the son of a real estate developer whose projects included middle-class apartment buildings in the outer boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, Mr Trump always dreamed of making a name for himself among the skyscrapers of Manhattan.

A seven-year spree of construction from 1976-1983, including the eponymous Trump Tower, solidified his reputation as a real estate giant in New York. ”Not many sons have been able to escape their fathers,” he told the New York Times in 1983 – the implication being that at 37, he already had.

And it’s true that the 1980s era of greed and excess was a prosperous time for a young developer with his ambition.

Donald Trump Sign during Donald Trump's "The Apprentice" Sign Thanking New York City at Trump Tower in New York City, New York, United States. — Image caption,Donald Trump reinvented himself as a reality TV star in the early 2000s – with New York at the centre

Trump Tower, with its prime location on 5th Avenue, put Donald Trump on the map. Once his reputation was established, he subsequently put his name on every project he did.

By the early 1990’s though, Donald Trump filed for several corporate bankruptcies and nearly lost it all.

It was during this time that Rich Herschlag, the chief engineer in the Manhattan Borough President’s office, worked with Mr Trump and his organization on the Riverside South project, a redevelopment in a former rail yard on the Upper West Side.

He says it meant “everything or darn close to everything” for Donald Trump to be seen as a successful real estate developer – and in particular build an empire from his father’s legacy.

“To watch it [potentially] gutted and decimated, I can’t image that’s anything less than an emotional horror,” he told the BBC.

It is not yet clear how Mr Trump will pay the nearly half a billion dollars that he is liable for and if that will involve selling any assets or businesses to raise the cash. His sprawling real estate empire in New York is valued by Forbes at $490m but there are many other properties around the country, including hotels, golf courses, condominiums and even a winery.

He will appeal against the penalty, which would put the decision on hold until a higher court reviews the case.

But if he wants to avoid paying the fine or having his personal assets seized while the appeal process plays out, he still has to deposit the full amount within 30 days or secure a costly bond.

Selling any of his prime Manhattan real estate would be an indignity for the former president – and a decision he would not take lightly.

Whether or not Donald Trump is able to recover from this financial shock, the outcome looks sure to significantly dent his fortune.

The ruling in the city where he rose to the top – while always remaining something of an outsider – is undoubtedly a big loss. And for more than six decades in New York real estate, there’s no figure Mr Trump has derided more than the “loser”.

Source: BBC

15, February 2024

Kylian Mbappé tells PSG he will leave club at end of season ⁰

France captain Kylian Mbappé has told officials at Paris Saint-Germain that he intends to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season, a source close to the Ligue 1 champions said on Thursday.

The 25-year-old, who arrived in Paris from Monaco in 2017, had extended his contract in 2022 until 2024 but last summer declined to activate a clause allowing him to stay another year at PSG.

Mbappé has been widely tipped to move to Real Madrid and, according to a source close to the matter, has already entered negotiations with the Spanish giants.

“The terms of the departure have yet to be fully agreed,” the source said, adding that the club and Mbappé will make an official statement “when everything is finalised in the next few months”.

PSG declined to comment when contacted by AFP

Mbappé will leave PSG on a free transfer but the blow to the club will be softened by an agreement they reached last summer which will see the player waive bonuses amounting to around 60 to 70 million euros ($65.6 million to $76.6 million).

After seven seasons at PSG, Mbappé, the club’s all-time top scorer, looks set to seal a move to Real Madrid, the club that the player has dreamt of since he was a child.

Real have made no secret of their desire to bring him to the Santiago Bernabeu. In 2019, 2021 and 2022, club president Florentino Perez considered signing him, only to be rebuffed each time.

For PSG, the departure of their main star, a year after the exits of Neymar and Lionel Messi, marks the beginning of a new era of uncertainty.

Source: AFP

14, February 2024

International Crisis Group calls on the AU to put Southern Cameroons war on its 2024 agenda ⁰

The Anglophone conflict in Cameroon is entering its eighth year with no resolution in sight. Insurgents in the North West and South West – the country’s two Anglophone regions – are still attacking government soldiers but increasingly one another as well. Civilians bear the brunt of the fighting. Killings, abductions and sexual violence are almost an everyday occurrence, while almost half the area’s schools have stopped functioning. Pro-government militias have sprung up in the Anglophone regions, spreading more chaos. Meanwhile, in the capital Yaoundé, observers worry about the country’s future. President Paul Biya, who turns 91 in February, appears to have left daily affairs to a handful of loyalists in government. As Cameroonians turn their attention to the post-Biya era, many fear a power vacuum amid the jostling over the presidential succession. The AU should put the Anglophone crisis on its peace and security agenda, throwing its weight behind efforts to reach a settlement, before political intrigue in Yaoundé makes negotiations even more difficult.

The Anglophone crisis is rooted in longstanding grievances about the dominance of Cameroon’s mostly Francophone governing apparatus. The conflict was set off by protests by lawyers, teachers and students in 2016, who pushed back against the encroachment of the Francophone legal and educational systems on their regions. On 1 October 2017, secessionists proclaimed an independent Federal Republic of Ambazonia, as they called the North West and South West regions, which had been known during the colonial era as the British Southern Cameroons. Yaoundé responded with a heavy-handed crackdown, arresting hundreds of protesters and others suspected of sympathising with the secessionists.

These events motivated Anglophone activists to form militias. Today, a loose network of armed groups operates in the area, forcing locals to comply with school boycotts and lockdowns via the barrel of a gun. Yaoundé is trying to quell the insurgency by military means, but the army has proven unable to stop the attacks. Hundreds of thousands have fled the violence, with many crammed into makeshift housing in Francophone Cameroon.

As infighting among militias worsens, Anglophone groups are seeking outside allies. In November 2023, one such militia, the Ambazonia Governing Council, signed an agreement with a separatist group in eastern Nigeria, the Independent People’s Organisation of Biafra. Signed in Finland, the alliance could see the two movements sharing safe havens in parts of eastern and south-western Cameroon under their control, threatening regional stability.

The Cameroonian government’s attempts to mollify separatist Anglophone groups have thus far struggled to gain traction. In 2018, Yaoundé launched a disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration program to coax militants away from the insurgency, but to date this initiative has had little success.58 In 2019, the government granted the two regions special status under Cameroon’s decentralisation law, devolving some powers to regional authorities.59 Though this measure could be a good starting point for broader political talks, separatists say the reforms do not sufficiently address their concerns.60Mediation has largely stalled, meanwhile. Most efforts to orchestrate talks between the government and armed Anglophone groups, including a Swiss initiative, quickly petered out. A more recent effort led by Canada showed promise when Yaoundé committed to engaging in late 2022. Yet the government withdrew after months of secret pre-talks, saying it did not want foreigners facilitating dialogue about what it considers a domestic problem.

While AU-led efforts might be productive, particularly in urging a reinvigoration of stalled diplomacy, Yaoundé does not want the AU’s involvement and has managed to fend it off for years. Its attitude does not sit well with many AU Commission officials and member state representatives. Some see the PSC’s inattention to the Anglophone conflict as misguided, given the council’s peace and security mandate. Indeed, Crisis Group has previously recommended that the PSC table Cameroon as part of a strategy of public pressure aimed at pushing the parties toward talks.

The 2024 summit will bring another chance for the AU to pay serious attention to Cameroon, with a very measured first step. As it does every year, the Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department will offer the AU Assembly an update about the state of peace and security throughout Africa. Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis is likely to be included in the report, as has been the case in prior years. The department routinely stresses the urgent need to address the crisis, as well as the importance of stability in Cameroon for Central Africa.63 This time around, the Assembly should not gloss over this part of the report, but rather use it to frame a meaningful discussion of Cameroon’s Anglophone conflict, and include the results in the summit outcome documents so that they can be used as a springboard for further diplomacy.64

The AU PSC should keep focus on the crisis, with the objective of creating new momentum for a diplomatic initiative. One way forward would be to table the Anglophone conflict as an agenda item for periodic PSC discussion. It should anticipate efforts by Yaoundé to discourage this debate, but PSC diplomats should not veer away from their mandated role of ensuring peace and security on the continent. Additionally, thematic PSC discussions about women, peace and security or the proliferation of small arms, which regularly come up on its agenda, present useful opportunities to address the situation in Cameroon.

In its expanded discussions, and in consultation with Cameroonian authorities, the PSC could explore avenues for starting an effective dialogue about the Anglophone regions. The Canada-led initiative, which showed significant promise in its early stages, but seems to have stalled, is at present the most viable diplomatic track. The PSC should urge Yaoundé to resume these talks. It could also consider the option of asking the AU Commission chairperson to name an envoy for Cameroon to facilitate the process. It should ask for regular updates from the Commission chairperson about the situation, thereby sending a useful signal to Commission staff to put time and resources into monitoring the conflict. Unless and until the situation changes, all these efforts should be undertaken with the overarching goal of rekindling talks that could improve the country’s image abroad and end a conflict that has gone on far too long.

Culled from The International Crisis Group

14, February 2024

Ambazonia: Vice President Yerima makes statement on Ngarbuh ⁰

REMEMBERING THE MASSCRE OF NGARBUH

Paul Biya’s genocidal war in Ambazonia brought and continues to bring the destruction of lives, families, and communities just as we witnessed at Nkambe central Donga Mantung County a few days ago. Today marks four years since the Ngarbuh massacre. Let us reflect on that incident which at least 22 people were killed, including 14 children, 9 of whom were younger than 5 and an unborn child, examining the profound impact it had on our nation and the broader implications it holds for humanity. This should always remind us of our collective responsibility to fight for justice and peace to return to our communities and our nation.

Our villages and cities are battlegrounds for this war of genocide, and nobody can assure the safety of our citizens because Biya’s invading military have resulted to looting, targeting civilians, civilian areas, institutions such as schools, churches, and hospitals. Among the casualties we see on daily basis form the invading military of French Cameroun are mostly young men, women, and children. The images that emerged from the scenes are always haunting: rubble-strewn homes, burnt homes with human lifeless bodes inside, lifeless bodies of the innocent strewn around our communities, some in rivers and in some cases mass graves to hide the hallmarks of genocide.

As we grapple with the aftermath of the massacre of Ngarbu today, let us reflect on the very essence of humanity. How could such senseless violence be unleashed upon those who posed no threat? How many more of such incidents will be carried out in our territory before this war of extermination comes to an end? The faces of the victims, frozen in time, haunt our dreams, reminding us of the fragility of life and the brutality of Biya’s senseless war in Ambazonia. The pain and suffering inflicted upon the innocent leave scars in us that may never fully heal.

These incidents serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for justice and peace which can only come through dialogue, without preconditions, and addressing the root causes of the senseless war of extermination in Ambazonia. They underscore the importance of safeguarding the rights of the most vulnerable during times of war and holding perpetrators of violence accountable for their actions. Furthermore, they highlight the critical role of remembrance in honoring the memories of those we have lost, preventing future atrocities to occur in our communities through the best means possible and as a people, stay focused, determined, and resilient to our quest for a free and peaceful Ambazonia.

In remembering the tragedy of Ngarbu and many that claimed the lives of our citizens in the ongoing Biya’s senseless war, we are compelled to confront the harsh realities of armed conflict, fight for justice and peace and strive for a future where such senseless violence is but a distant memory. As we honor the victims and their families, let us renew our commitment to fight for a free Ambazonia and contribute to building a world where peace reigns supreme, and the horrors of war are relegated to the pages of history.

God bless the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

Dabney Yerima

Vice President

Federal Republic of Southern Cameroons/Ambazonia

14, February 2024

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Still No Justice for Ngarbuh Victims and Families ⁰

On February 14, 2020, Cameroonian soldiers and armed ethnic Fulani raided Ngarbuh, a village in Cameroon’s North-West province, killing at least 21 civilians, including 13 children and a pregnant woman, and burning and looting homes. It was a brutal day that shocked even those who had long become numb to increasing violence in the region.

The attack was a reprisal against the local community, which was suspected of harboring separatist fighters. The massacre followed a pattern of military abuse against civilians in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions, where for over the last eight years security forces have clashed with armed separatists—themselves responsible for attacks on civilians—who are fighting for independence for the country’s minority English-speaking population.

The government initially denied its security forces were responsible for the massacre, describing allegations against them as fake and launching a smear campaign against rights groups and media who exposed the killings. In March 2020, only after national and international pressure, authorities established a commission of inquiry, which found that the military attempted to cover up their actions and identified three security force members as responsible for the killings. In June 2020, the government announced that the three had been arrested and charged with murder.

In December 2020, a trial opened before a military court in Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé, marking an important step towards accountability for the massacre. However, the trial has dragged on and been marred by irregularities. Hearings have been postponed multiple times, victims’ families have minimal participation in the proceedings, and the court has refused to admit key evidence, including death certificates. Senior officers have not been arrested or charged.

During the last real hearing on the massacre on November 16, 2023, witnesses did speak, and some investigative reports were presented. But since then, the trial has been postponed three times, casting doubt on the ability of the military judicial system to deliver accountability for military abuse. It is scheduled to restart this week.

This trial provides a rare opportunity for justice not only for Ngarbuh’s victims, but for all those who have suffered from military abuse during the crisis in Cameroon’s Anglophone regions. With yet another hearing on the horizon, now is the time for judicial authorities to avoid further delays and commit to deliver justice.

Culled from Human Rights Watch

14, February 2024

How Biya destroyed democratic principles in Cameroon ⁰

Elections even under the one-party state in the days of President Ahmadou Ahidjo stood as the cornerstone of government establishment and security, grounded in the foundational principle of freedom. However, immediately Mr. Paul Biya took office in 1982, Cameroon’s electoral landscape suddenly became a distressing narrative and today; the nation is grappling with the erosion of democratic principles.

Cameroon’s electoral landscape is presently marked by an alarming descent into undemocratic practices, reflecting the diminishing scope of power within the ruling gang in Yaoundé.

The last presidential elections reportedly won by the MRC candidate Professor Maurice Kamto brought an unprecedented chill, casting a nightmarish shadow over the Cameroonian nation.

Biya and his consortium of crime syndicate stole Maurice Kamto’s victory. Today, the inherent conflict between the political structures in the Francophone dominated Republic of Cameroon and the fundamental right to choose is amplifying existing political and tribal divisions and above all, it is transforming elections into both a mockery and a tragic spectacle.

Since 1992, manipulation of the ballot box remains a persistent issue and with this, certain CPDM hardliners are actively seeking the replacement of the 91-year-old Paul Biya with his son-Franck Biya. Widespread protests and societal struggles are also pushing the Francophone regime to tighten its grip on power and surprising even against those within the system.

Legitimacy which is the foundation of governmental power all over the globe is now facing a crisis as the Yaoundé government’s choices in portraying it keeps backfiring. The massacre of thousands of innocent Southern Cameroonians and the humiliation suffered by renowned Beti Bulu political elites in the Kondengui Maximum Security Prison has permanently affixed a cursed emblem of destroyers of humanity to the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime, tarnishing its global image. Yaounde’s attempt to establish legitimacy through strategic maneuvers in staged elections, rushing the malaria vaccines and deceptive military deployments in the Central African Republic is now raising further concerns.

The recent recruitment of hundreds of Beti, Bulu and Ewondo students into the public service via ENAM, IRIC and the National Police Corp disappointed many, including Anglophone, Hausa and Fulani moderates deep within the ruling CPDM party. The whole public service recruitment process raises questions about the inclusivity and representativeness of the so-called regional balance, especially considering the diverse political spectrum within the already divided Cameroon.

For over 41 years, Cameroon has been struggling for democracy amidst a complex electoral landscape. The erosion of democratic principles, internal strife, and manipulation of the ballot box, legitimacy crisis, and questions of inclusivity paint a vivid picture of the challenges faced by the nation.

As the disappointments echo among some Biya loyalists who are moderates, the enthusiasm of the public to participate in the electoral process is dampened, reflecting a growing disillusionment.

In Yaounde the nation’s capital, the essence of democracy seems to be slipping away, replaced by factional strife deep within the ruling party and suppression of dissent.

As the world watches, Cameroon is standing at a critical juncture, where its citizens are slowly but surely calling on the military to take action. The future of the Cameroonian nation is indeed marked by uncertainties and complexities that demand careful navigation.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

14, February 2024

North Korea fires several cruise missiles into Sea of Japan ⁰

North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles Wednesday, Seoul’s military said, part of a string of weapons tests this year that have accompanied increasingly aggressive rhetoric from leader Kim Jong Un.

So far this year, Kim has declared South Korea his country’s “principal enemy”, jettisoned agencies dedicated to reunification and outreach, and threatened war over “even 0.001 mm” of territorial infringement.

Pyongyang has also ramped up weapons tests, including cruise missiles, an “underwater nuclear weapon system” and a solid-fuelled hypersonic ballistic missile.

“Our military detected several unknown cruise missiles over the waters northeast of Wonsan around 09:00 today (1200 GMT) and South Korea-US intelligence authorities are conducting a detailed analysis,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

It added that the military was “strengthening surveillance and vigilance, and closely watching for any additional signs and activities from North Korea”.

Earlier this week, North Korea announced it had tested a new control system for a multiple rocket launcher it said would have an “increased” battlefield role.

The cruise missile launches have prompted speculation from experts that it is testing the weapons before shipping them to Moscow for use in Ukraine.

Pyongyang and Moscow have bolstered ties in recent months, with leader Kim Jong Un making a rare trip to Russia to meet President Vladimir Putin in September.

Seoul and Washington have accused the North of supplying Russia with weapons in exchange for technical support for Kim’s nascent satellite programme, which would violate a raft of UN sanctions on both regimes.

Unlike their ballistic counterparts, the testing of cruise missiles is not banned under current UN sanctions on Pyongyang.

Cruise missiles tend to be jet-propelled and fly at a lower altitude than more sophisticated ballistic missiles, making them harder to detect and intercept.

“It is believed that North Korea exported large quantities of multiple rocket launchers to Russia last year,” Ahn Chan-il, a defector-turned-researcher who runs the World Institute for North Korea Studies, told AFP.

He added that there may have been quality issues with some of the exported weapons and that the recent spate of testing could be leader Kim “taking action to address the issue”.

‘Put an end’ to South Korea

Kim repeated last week that Pyongyang would not hesitate to “put an end” to South Korea if attacked, calling Seoul the North’s “most dangerous and first enemy state and invariable arch-enemy”.

In January, North Korea fired an artillery barrage near two South Korean border islands, prompting a live-fire drill by the South and evacuation orders for residents.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed a strong response if Pyongyang attacks, calling on his military to “act first, report later” if provoked.

The hawkish Yoon has bolstered defence cooperation with the United States and Japan since coming to office in 2022, including expanding joint drills, to counter Pyongyang’s growing threats.

With a US presidential election later this year, the North could potentially ramp up its provocations to take advantage of American political gridlock, Cheong Seong-chang, director of the Center for Korean Peninsula Strategy at the Sejong Institute, wrote in a report.

North Korea could “conduct attacks on (South Korea’s) Baengnyeong Island, Daecheong Island, and Socheong Island based on their confidence in the advancement of nuclear and missile capabilities,” he wrote.

Pyongyang has drawn closer to Moscow in areas beyond defence, with a group of Russian tourists — the first known foreign tour group since before pandemic-linked border closures in 2020 — arriving in the North Friday for a four-day visit.

It has become harder for Russians to travel to Europe and the United States since sanctions were imposed following the invasion of Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who has also visited Pyongyang, said last year that the North could be recommended as a tourist destination, Tass reported.

Source: AFP

14, February 2024

Africa Cup of Nations: Ivory Coast and Nigeria players get cash, villas and honours ⁰

Cash, houses and honours are being bestowed on footballers from Ivory Coast and Nigeria, after Sunday’s riveting Africa Cup of Nations final.

Every player in Ivory Coast’s winning squad will pocket $82,000 (£65,000) and get a villa worth a similar amount, the presidency announced.

“You have brought happiness to all Ivorians, bravo, bravo,” said President Alassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast, which hosted the pan-African tournament.

Nigeria also got a heroes’ welcome.

Although their 2-1 loss in the final spelled heartbreak for the Super Eagles’ millions of fans at home and in the diaspora, their efforts are being handsomely rewarded by President Bola Tinubu.

Each member of the Nigerian squad has received one of the country’s highest honours – the Member of the Order of the Niger. The president is also giving them each an apartment and a piece of land near the capital, Abuja.

Third-placed South Africa are also set to receive about $52,000 per player, according to local media.

It is not clear what cash payment Nigeria’s players are to receive from the state purse.

But all of the perks listed above are in addition to the usual prize money doled out by the Africa Cup of Nations, which they say they have boosted by 40% since the last tournament.

This means that winners Ivory Coast get $7m, runners-up Nigeria get $4m, semi-finalist South Africa and DR Congo each get $2.5m, while the four teams who made the quarter-finals take home $1.3m each.

This year’s Africa Cup of Nations enjoyed the highest viewing numbers in its 67-year history – thanks to bigger broadcasting and commercial deals, and social media buzz. Almost two billion people are said to have watched worldwide.

Analysts hope the global appreciation for Africa’s footballing flair will translate into more starting slots for African teams at future World Cups.

As it stands, Africa has only nine World Cup spots to Europe’s 13, despite the fact these two continents have a near-identical number of Fifa-affiliated countries.

African national teams have in the past complained their salaries and bonuses have not been paid.

The Cameroon side who won global admiration for their quarter-final performance against England in the 1990 World Cup waited over 30 years to get houses they were promised, by which time their captain had died.

At last year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup, South African footballers won a pay dispute after sitting out a match in protest. Their hastily assembled substitutes had included a 13-year-old girl.

Source: BBC