Mayor of Lagdo, 13 others freed ⁰

Mama Abakaï, Mayor of Lagdo in the north and 13 Cameroonian hostages have been released after negotiations that did involve the governments of Cameroon, Central African Republic, the UN peace keeping mission, Minusca and the Central African armed groups that carried out the kidnappings.

Cameroon Concord News learnt that they were freed two days. Our informant hinted that the mayor and his entourage were first handed over to the UN peace keepers before they started their journey home for Garoua –Boulaï. The 14 Cameroonian hostages were kidnapped on March 19, 2015 at Gbabio, a town in eastern Cameroon.

Sama Ernest (Cameroon Concord News Group)

27, June 2016

Wife of Congolese President wanted by US attorneys in Washington ⁰

Antoinette Sassou, wife of the Congolese head of state Sassou Nguesso, has been summoned by US attorneys in Washington. Cameroon Concord News is aware Madam Sassou Nguesso is wanted by a US court following a complaint from a pool of lawyers in a debt case that involves the Congolese government and the Commisimpex society.

The hydra-headed issue started as far back as 1992 when a Lebanese businessman, Mohsen Hojeij, claimed the Nguesso family and the Congolese government owed him a debt of nearly 100 million dollars. In 1993, the amount totaled € 675 million in 2013. In 2016, the debt is estimated at 1 billion (one billion). The complainant has handed over the case to a US law firm to track down the asset of the Sassou Nguesso family in the United States.

A source at the presidential palace in Brazzaville was quoted earlier today as saying the first lady will not respond to the summons of the American lawyers. However, the case opens the way to US investigators, to delve into the rich heritage of the Nguesso family. Thus, the properties of the Sassou Nguesso clan, including Willy Etoka, Denis Christel Sassou Nguesso, Bruno Jean Richard Itoua, Denis Ngokana, Antoinette Sassou Nguesso via Cameroonian businessman Yaya Moussa, Claudia Sassou Nguesso are all now at the mercy of the American justice system.

Chi Prudence Asong (Cameroon Concord News Group)

23, June 2016

3 billion FCFA to help Congo Basin communities ⁰

Some prominent NGOs announced on Wednesday in Yaounde the nation’s capital that they will invest nearly 3 billion CFA francs to secure the livelihoods of communities in the Congo Basin.

The consortium of NGOs (Well Grounded, Forest Peoples Program, Fern, ClienEarth and Rainforest Foundation Uk), coordinated by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), launched on Wednesday, June 22^nd the project “Congos”, which aims to support sustainable development and secure the livelihoods of communities in the Congo basin.

Five countries are involved in the scheme. They include Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville and Gabon. Cameroon Concord News understands the total cost of the project is an estimated 3 billion CFA francs from the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2019.

Anang Valerian (Cameroon Concord News Group)