A teacher was gunned down after armed assailants attacked a school in a strife-hit English speaking region of southwest Cameroon, national radio reported Saturday.

Sophie Mandengue Maloba, a 42-year-old mother of three, died in the town of Muyuka when three armed men riding motorcycles fired gunshots as they sped through the town, the radio said.

“She died in hospital where she was taken after the attack,” a journalist at the station told AFP.

The violence came three days after another teacher was killed in similar circumstances in nearly Kumba, some 350km west of the capital.

President Paul Biya rejected their demands, prompting radicals to make a full-blown declaration of independence last October.

Source: AFP

Two Cameroonian gendarmes – paramilitary officials – were killed by suspected separatists in the North West region. Local media reported that some gendarmes had been abducted by unknown gunmen early on Saturday.

Reports emerged later in the day that the lifeless bodies had been found in the Bali Nyonga area of the restive region riled by pro-secessionist elements pushing for independence from French majority Cameroon.

The incident according to a local journalist covering the Anglophone crisis, Mimi Mefo of Equinoxe TV, had led to heavy deployment of soldiers as at Saturday evening.

On the same day, police in the capital Yaounde violently disrupted a religious peace march. They are said to have used live bullets to disperse the marchers. It is not immediately known why the police dispersed the group. A journalist with Equinoxe TV, however, said the march ended in a ‘bloody’ way.

Police had in March 2018 disrupted a similar protest. Over twenty broom wielding women were arrested for protesting but were later released.

The Anglophone region (Northwest and southwest) has been the epicentre of separatist agitation which started as a protest against marginalization of the regions by French-majority Cameroon.

Security forces numbering over thirty have so far been killed in guerrilla-style attacks claimed by separatists. The government has since ramped up the military option to deal with the crisis.

People in the regions continue to flee into nearby forests and into Nigeria. Talk of mediation has often come up but there is yet to be any concrete action in that regard.

Source: Africa News

Armed men believed to be separatists forced Cameroonian security forces to retreat when the two engaged in exchange of fire on Wednesday in the restive northwest region.

According to the BBC Africa Live page, the military was forced to withdraw from the town of Belo located in northwestern Cameroon following heated exchanges.

The army have for months now been engaged in exchanges with separatist elements under the banner of the so-called Ambazonia republic.

Local media portals have reported of raids by the army in many parts of the Anglophone regions – northwest and southwest. Reports say the army have often burnt down and shot people in their raids when they suspected that people were habouring separatists.

Hundreds of people are said to have fled into nearby bushes for fear of being caught in the cross fire. The United Nations has also reported that over 20,000 Cameroonians have fled into Nigeria fleeing the violence back home.

What started as a push for rights by teachers and lawyers in the Anglophone regions, have since October last year escalated into an armed confrontation between Yaounde and different separatist groups.

The main group, Ambazonia Defense Force (ADF) have claimed responsibility for some of the guerilla-style attacks that have killed over 20 members of the security forces – soldiers, police and gendarmes.

Recently, governor of the Southwest region was attacked whiles on his way for an official assignment. The armed convoy of Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai came under fire from suspected separatists on his way to and from the town of Labialem.

Culled from Africa News

Mancho Bibixy has averred that the courts were complicit in the raging political and security crisis facing the Central African nation.

Mancho and six others were earlier this week convicted of terrorism and other charges including secession and hostility against the state. Their trial, which lasted months, was held by a military court in the capital Yaounde. Sentencing is reserved till May 8th, 2018.

Cameroon media said he was acquitted of some other charges as rebellion, civil war, destruction of property, killing and non-possession of an ID. Another accused was however acquitted and discharged. Even though his lawyers have said they will appeal the ruling, the outspoken Mancho delivered a message to the trial judge during his last appearance stressing that the court had taken the line of fuelling the Anglophone crisis.

“You have an opportunity to begin solving the Anglophone crisis or add more fuel to the fire. History will be the final judge,” he is quoted to have said. The terrorism charge largely stems from their actions supposedly “threatening Cameroon’s sovereignty.”

He first appeared in a coffin at a protest in Bamenda (capital of the Northwest region) in November 2016. His action it is said was to convey the message that minority English-speaking Cameroonians “seemed to have died before their real death” and therefore they had nothing to fear but to speak against the injustices.

The other accused persons include: Tsi Conrad, The Emile Agwe, Tangwa Maloin Tangwa, Azelecha Martin, Guingah Valentine, Junior Awahro Thomas. They were all ordered to pay 579m CFA francs ($1m; £770,000) in damages.

Local media reports that he and his co-accused are currently being held at Yaoundé‘s Kondengui Central Prison awaiting sentencing.

Source: Africa News

Cameroon is not an ideal place for journalists to thrive in the line of duty due to laws that constantly threaten their freedom and independence, a recent report by a media rights group has said.

The 2018 Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders said Cameroonian authorities have imposed a climate of fear and self-censorship on media practitioners.

The index showed that the central African country had made a slight progress from 2017 moving from 130th spot to 129th this year. That notwithstanding, journalists face huge hurdles some of which led to exorbitant fines and in some cases jail terms.

What RSF said about Cameroon: Constant threat to media outlets

The communication minister said in September 2017 that press freedom was guaranteed in Cameroon “as long as it is consonant with the defense of institutions.” The authorities have imposed a climate of fear and self-censorship.

At the same time, the government has withheld final legal certification from many radio stations in order to keep them under permanent threat of closure.

Another commonly implemented practice is bringing defamation prosecutions against journalists without notifying them. This often leads to exorbitant fines or lengthy prison terms without the ability defend oneself in court.

The 2014 terrorism law that provides for trial by military court has been used to keep a Radio France Internationale correspondent in detention for nearly two and a half years.

Other journalists were arrested during the crackdown on protests in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions, where the Internet was disconnected for several months from January 2017 onwards.

African outlook for 2018 RSF Index

Africa failed to make the top twenty of the annual ranking with the continent’s freest nation being Ghana at 23rd spot of the 180 country ranking. The country beat Namibia who until now were the best.

Namibia came in 26th, South Africa came in 28th followed in 29th spot by Cape Verde. Burkina Faso completed the top 5 spot for Africa at 43rd spot.

Unfortunately, the continent also made a strong showing at the tail of the list. Eritrea had the worst media freedom placing 179th only behind North Korea. Africa had three other countries in the last 10. Equatorial Guinea at 171st.

Djibouti and Sudan at the 173rd and 174th spots respectively. Other worst performing African nations included Burundi, Egypt, Libya and Somalia at the 159th, 161st, 162nd and 168th slots respectively.

Culled from Africa News

The Commanding Officer

Manyu Ghost Warriors Battalion

Subject: The Eyumojock 18/04/2018 Attack

Category: Unclassified

Following the publishing of a gruesome video on social media in which the thugs of LRC paraded the corpses of 3 young men they claimed were part of the MG Restoration forces, we launched a thorough investigation and want to officially inform the public of the following findings:

➢ There was no MG Battalion mission planned for Eyumojock on the 14th April 2018

➢ The Eyumojock attack was a brazen act of robbery carried out by unidentified elements against a popular beer parlor owned by a certain Mr. Ojang Stephen.

➢ These bandits held the Sales girl and other customers captive at gun point and stole an unknown amount of money

➢ They then moved to other localities towards the Eyumojock Gendarmerie post with the intent of carrying out further acts of vandalism and banditry.

➢ These thieves were ambushed and killed by the Gendarmes

➢ Their bodies were then displayed in Public and labelled as Restoration forces

We want the public to know that while we regret the waste of human lives put on display like some trophy to boost the ego of the LRC thugs, we equally take this opportunity to assure you that the gory video you watched was pure propaganda by the LRC thugs. The intention was to shock public opinion into losing faith in the capability of the Manyu Ghost Warriors to protect its people.

We want to assure the public that this piece of cheap LRC designed propaganda video had nothing to do with the brave and well trained Manyu Ghost Warriors who operate under the very strict supervision of professional Commanders.

Finally, we want to assure the public that we have performed a head count of all the boys in our MG battalions and none of them is missing.

As Commander of the 2nd Brigade of ASC, I am sending this as the official report received so far from one of the defense units partially operating in that brigade. I am still waiting for reports from other defense units.

Brigade Commander

Ekri Kak

An ambush on a joint French Cameroun army and Gendarmerie patrol has left several soldiers dead, a Biya regime official has said, as fears increase that the Southern Cameroons crisis is transforming into a full scale war.  Three Anglophone troops were among the dead, according to a Cameroon Concord News file citing Cameroon military officials.

The Francophone dominated army confirmed in a poorly worded statement that a mine explosion claimed the lives of two of its servicemen. But it said nothing about casualties, adding the governor of the South West region and security chiefs are working to confirm details of the ambush. This is not the first time that the presence of Manyu Odeshi fighters has been confirmed in the Ekok and Eyumojock area, which has become unstable due to many attacks attributed to troops loyal to the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime.

Cameroon Intelligence Report sources inside the Manyu Diaspora Advisory Committee revealed that the attack, which took place in the Eyumojock and Ekok, close to the Nigeria border, also claimed the lives of several soldiers. The ambush was “probably a terrorist attack”, a Cameroon government official said. One armored car and 3 Hilux were reportedly destroyed.

By Judith Fon in Mamfe

At least 18 French Cameroun government soldiers were killed in separate clashes with the Southern Cameroons self defense forces in Azi, Lebialem County, reports said. A member of the Red Dragons of Lebialem noted that the offensives in the Lebialem County were launched to counter what he described as “intensifying” French Cameroun military attacks.

Our source in Menji said Bisong Cyril Agbor who hails from the Manyu County but serving in La Republique du Cameroun was among those killed in Azi.  Representatives of the Interim Government in Lebialem have written to the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia, Dr Samuel Sako and complained about alleged threats from French soldiers who are demanding information about the Red Dragons.

The so-called state authority has virtually collapsed in the Lebialem and Manyu Counties.  The attack on French Cameroun forces were carried out in the night after the Southern Cameroons liberation forces destroyed a small generator that electrified the building occupied by government forces.

The Francophone governor ordered the deployment of 30 more soldiers from Menji to Azi late yesterday.

By Judith Fon

Sixteen government employees have been detained in Cameroon for allegedly leaking official documents on social media since the start of the year.

In an increasingly common phenomenon, the texts of President Paul Biya’s two most recent nationwide addresses were circulating before he even delivered them.

And in March, a confidential presidential memo began circulating on the country’s social media sites. The memo instructed security agencies to restrict travel for about two dozen senior state workers accused of stealing state funds.

Three police officers are now behind bars awaiting trial in connection with that leak.

In April, another confidential presidential order surfaced online. This one increased the allowances of soldiers deployed to the turbulent English-speaking regions. Two defense ministry staffers were called up for questioning.

Rights groups have long criticized Cameroon and other African governments, for being overly opaque.

Cameroon-born analyst Tem Fuh Mbuh, with the Dakar-based Open Society Initiative for West Africa, said the crackdown is part of a broader campaign against dissent.

“It is not only about those who are leaking official information, but there has been [a] systematic crackdown against all those who try to dissent in Cameroon,” he said. “So it’s a very alarming situation, and civic space in Cameroon has been closing very considerably in the last few years.”

Mbuh said this is particularly concerning ahead of the country’s elections in the later part of 2018.

Transparency vs. stability

Often, the response from African governments is that transparency must take a back seat to stability.

In March, Cameroon’s Prime Minister Philomen Yang said leaking sensitive official documents threatens both the Biya administration and national security. His office declined VOA’s request for an interview.

Lawyers for state employees detained over alleged leaks declined to comment to VOA as the cases are ongoing.

But at a documentation center in Yaounde, VOA found several government workers either printing or typing documents from their offices. They say they lacked the necessary computer equipment or had run short of ink.

Information technology specialist, Peter Suife, said state workers need education on dealing with sensitive information electronically.

“You have government offices that have computers, the operators of these computers don’t know how to probably store some documents in their files,” he said. “When they type, they take the key to a documentation center for printing. After printing, they are supposed to cancel what they have printed in that documentation, rather than allow it in the machine. Tomorrow, you see the documents already on streets before the state ever makes a statement.”

The law in Cameroon says government employees must protect classified and confidential materials. Failure to do so could lead to dismissal, as well as penalties ranging from a $10 (5000 CFA) fine to as much as one year’s imprisonment.

Source: VOA

In Cameroon, officials say eight villages in the English-speaking northwest have been torched and hundreds of residents have fled amid clashes this week between security forces and separatist rebels.

Terence Fukah, a 33-year-old pig farmer, told VOA he fled his village of Ajin on Tuesday as the military responded to an attack by armed men.

“It was around five o’clock in the morning. I saw dead people lying down. I had to cross on top of them and run for my dear life,” Fukah said.

“I don’t even know where my children are. I don’t even know where my wife is. I don’t know how the pigs are doing, how many have died. I don’t know if my own house has been burned. I am crying, crying for the government to do something.”

The military says armed separatist rebels torched at least eight villages in northwest Cameroon; however, residents told VOA the fires were set by the military after the attackers had fled.

“We heard gunshots. We did not know exactly what to do. Everybody was running up and down,” said Thomas Tuboh, a maize farmer from the village of Anyajua. “It was the burning that made us to know our lives were at stake, so I decided to run away from Anyajua. When the military people invaded the area, the bridges were blocked and they decided to put them down with flames.”

He said his village is now nearly completely deserted.

“You see it is a farming area that helps the whole division and the region at large. I don’t know how we are going to cope if this persists,” Tuboh said.

General Agha Robinson, who is commanding troops in the northwest region, said his soldiers were not responsible for the burning.

The crisis began in November 2016 with a strike by Anglophone lawyers and teachers, who were demanding reforms to address what they say is the marginalization of the country’s English-speaking minority by French-speakers.

The situation spiraled into all-out conflict as separatists demanded independence for the two English-speaking regions.

Thirty-eight members of the military and hundreds of rebels have been killed in the fighting, according to Cameroon’s ministry of defense. The U.N. refugee agency says tens of thousands of people have fled their homes, with at least 20,000 crossing over to neighboring Nigeria in search of safety.

There appears to be little hope for dialogue. Separatists say they will not budge on secession. Meanwhile, Cameroon has refused to release dozens of detained separatist leaders, and President Paul Biya says he will entertain no talks that threaten national unity.

Source: VOA