Cameroon

25 Southern Cameroonians involved in trial of the century

27, March 2017

25 Southern Cameroonians involved in trial of the century 0

Some 25 innocent Southern Cameroonian citizens accused of hostility against the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime were made to appear last week at the Yaounde Military Tribunal alongside the leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium.

The 25 Southern Cameroon youths were arrested in connection with the demonstrations linked to the Anglophone crisis and have been charged with hostility against the homeland, degradation of public property, looting, terrorism and financing of terrorism.

The second trial of Barrister Agbor Balla, Dr. Neba Fontem and BBC Mancho ended up in fiasco as the chief clerk of the Yaounde Military Tribunal decided to listen to the 25 new accused cases simultaneously with that of the detained Consortium leaders

The Francophone Judge of the tribunal, who identified the 25 new suspects, wanted the trial of the three Anglophone leaders and the latter to become a single case. The Attorney-General’s Office had indeed stated that there was some connectivity between the acts of the first three and the 25.

By Rita Akana in Yaounde

Revealed: Many Judges believe arrest of Lord Justice Ayah Paul is an insult to the judiciary

27, March 2017

Revealed: Many Judges believe arrest of Lord Justice Ayah Paul is an insult to the judiciary 5

It has emerged many Judges believe the arrest and detention of an Advocate General of the Supreme Court of Cameroon is an insult, but do not dare to make their opinion public. Lord Justice Paul Ayah Abine, advocate general at the Supreme Court was arrested in his home as part of a government crackdown on the Anglophone community.

A Francophone Judge last week blatantly refused to release him from detention as demanded by his lawyers who stated that his arrest violated Cameroon’s criminal proceedings.  According to article 629 of the Code of Criminal Procedure: when a magistrate of the judicial order is liable to be charged with an offense, the competent public prosecutor submits an application to the president of the Supreme Court who appoints a magistrate to examine the case and three others, at least at the same level as the accused, with a view to the possible trial of the case in the first instance.

The deliberate silence maintained by the Judges of the Supreme Court of Cameroon on the detention of Lord Justice Paul Ayah Abine is worrying. The magistrates have been saying privately that they are very unhappy about what is happening. But are subject to a certain law of silence and therefore, cannot express themselves publicly about their discontent.  Local media reports say there is an urgent need for the establishment of a magistrates ‘union, as is the case in the Republic of Chad.

One of the magistrates who spoke to us and sued for anonymity observed that “In a system such as ours where the Head of State appoints the magistrates and he can sanction them, transfer them as he pleases and where everyone is trying to preserve his advantages or his post. They cannot complain publicly. But it is rather striking that the magistrates remained absolutely silent before the cavalier arrest of one of their own.”

The silence of Cameroonian Magistrates and Judges is surprising when one considers that Lord Justice Ayah Paul is a very high magistrate who has been the subject of an arrest and lengthy police custody.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Anglophone Crisis: State Defense Secretariat to interrogate Fon Echekiye

26, March 2017

Anglophone Crisis: State Defense Secretariat to interrogate Fon Echekiye 0

Ace CRTV’s Sport Journalist, Deputy Director in charge of coordinating new Television Channels has been summoned to appear before investigators at the State Defense Secretariat of the National Gendarmerie. The sports commentator is expected to appear before at SED on Tuesday March 28, 2017 by 9 am local time.

Though the reasons for his convocation is not made known in the summon served him upon instructions from ‘hierarchy’, it however revealed that it is related to treason according to the criminal Procedure Code. Other sources say he will also be questioned on what the regime has painted as his “special relations with the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of the Cameroon Concord News Group, Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai and the accreditation of a CRTV crew  for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

If he is apprehended, he will become the 9th Journalists to be arrested since the start of the Anglophone problem. His appearance will be the second in one week after Barrister Akere Muna was previously heard at the same institution in relation to the Anglophone crisis. Fon Echekiye writes on his facebook page that “Bracing up For unusual chat Tuesday.”

Echikeye

By Rita Akana with cables from Cameroun Info.Net

Battle for Southern Cameroons: Francophone governor, CPDM Fons calls for approval of Vigilante Groups

24, March 2017

Battle for Southern Cameroons: Francophone governor, CPDM Fons calls for approval of Vigilante Groups 9

Francophone government officials in Southern Cameroons have voiced plans of setting up community policing groups in the face of attacks in schools and business establishments. Policing in West Cameroon has failed and the already tense climate in the North West and South West regions has taken on a new dimension since the so-called Prime Minister and Head of Government, Philemon Yang’s tour.

Increasing insecurity, threats to parents defying the Consortium, burning of teachers’ vehicles, fire in colleges and the destruction of shops that opened their doors during ghost towns are some of the issues occupying the Francophone administrative personnel in Southern Cameroons. Several government academic institutions in both the South West and North West have been destroyed. These are actions carried out by a group of individuals whose identities remain unknown.

“We do not know what to expect or who they will attack next. These are new methods to intimidate those parents and students who go to class and who no longer wish to stay at home. We are afraid, because we do not know who is behind this other form of terror,” noted a Francophone parent resident in Bamenda.

To put an end to this situation, a meeting was held in the services of Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique, in the presence of traditional and religious authorities. A spokesperson for the Francophone governor revealed that “All have opted for vigilance committees to fight the specter that worries the Anglophone regions. During the meeting, the pro CPDM traditional leaders of Mezam as well as the mayors resolved to create non-state policing groups to secure property and public buildings.

By Sama Ernest

Lord Justice Ayah Paul to remain in Francophone custody

22, March 2017

Lord Justice Ayah Paul to remain in Francophone custody 1

The High Court in Mfoundi, Yaoundé has rejected the demand by Lawyers of the imprisoned Advocate General of the Supreme Court, Justice Ayah Paul Abine, for his unconditional liberation. The Lawyers applied using the Habeas Corpus because according to them Ayah Paul was illegally arrested on January 21, 2017 at his residence.

One of the Defense Counsel Barrister Ndong Christopher said by arresting him on Saturday which was a weekend they were doing so in contradiction of the Criminal Procedure Code which forbids arrest of someone on Public Holidays or weekends unless that person is caught red-handed committing a crime.

The lawyers of Ayah Paul have hinted they could apply against the rejection. This development according to pundits means Ayah Paul may likely be referred to the military tribunal. The Mfoundi High Court during a closed door court session last week in an informal way charged Ayah Paul Abine with terrorism, secession, propagation of false information and rebellion.

The President of the Popular Action Party, PAP, has now spent two months in custody at the Defense State Secretariat. His family has recently written to the State demanding his release due to poor health but the request has fallen into answering machine.

Cameroun Info.Net

“We have turned some people in our government into emboldened wolves” Akere Muna

22, March 2017

“We have turned some people in our government into emboldened wolves” Akere Muna 0

Barrister Akere Muna, former President of the Cameroon Bar Council has written to the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defense in charge of Gendarmerie informing him that he will not be able to show up on Wednesday March 22,2017,the day he is expected to answer to a summon delivered Monday.

According to reaction from the former Batonier, he will be travelling to South Africa; hence can only be available this Friday. He has insisted that despite calls from some Cameroonians for him to be watchful, he is not afraid of anything because Cameroon is his country and he is ready to take the bulls by the horns.

Below is what Barrister Muna had to say:

“I have been flooded by calls and messages from many Cameroonians who seemed worried for my safety. I hereby state the facts, as I know them, to avoid any unfounded rumors. On Monday 20th March 2017 at around 15.00 hrs a bailiff dropped at the Muna Foundation, a letter addressed to the President of the Bar Council Batonnier Jackson Ngnie Kamga . He was told that he should take the letter to him he refused and walked away. My staff brought the letter to me, which stated that investigations had commenced against me at the central investigation unit of the “Secretariat a la Defence” ordinarily known as SED.

In the letter, Batonnier was asked to accompany at 9.00 to the central investigation department on Wednesday March 22, 2017. SED is where the Anglophone lawyers and Anglophone activists have been taken to. I immediately wrote to the Secretary of State informing him that I was delivering a keynote address in Johannesburg on Wednesday March 22nd and that I will be back on Thursday and will ask the Batonnier to accompany me on Friday March 25th.

Today March 21st I boarded a Rwandair Flight 10.05 from Douala and left for Johannesburg. I will defer to the summons and be present on Friday. I understand the worry of many well wishers who are asking me to stay away. Cameroon is my home and I am prepared to face whatever awaits me. Any lawyer who is worth anything cannot sit by in the face of suffering and blatant violation of the basic and fundamental rights of any other human being. By remaining sheep for too long, I am afraid we have turned some people in our government into emboldened wolves. The comfort of my home and my office cannot justify my silence in the face of what we are going through in our country right now.”

Come what may!!!

Akere T. Muna (Of Lincoln’s Inn London)

Barrister-at-law

Sanctions Commissioner of the African Development Bank

Chairperson of the International Anti-Corruption Conference

Member, High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa

Member, Governing Board, Africa Governance Institute

Former Chairperson, Eminent Persons Panel of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM)

Former President, Pan-African Lawyers Union

Former Presiding Officer, Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union

Culled from Cameroun Info.Net

Anglophone Diaspora: From Marginalization to Recognition

21, March 2017

Anglophone Diaspora: From Marginalization to Recognition 0

Four months ago, it was hard to believe that the Anglophone Diaspora could become a formidable force in the country’s politics. Pushed out of their country due to political, linguistic and economic marginalization, members of the Anglophone Diaspora who are well over one million, with huge concentrations in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Nigeria, are today recognized as a force that can engineer both political and economic change in a country that has always considered these useful resources as adventurers with no clear vision and ambition. Only known for their cash remittances to their friends and families, and ignored as a source of investment due to the lack of appropriate financial mechanisms that can facilitate increased participation in the country’s economy from abroad, members of the Anglophone Diaspora have used the current socio-political crisis that is tearing the country apart to mount the political rostrum.

After four months of a devastating stand-off between the Anglophone minority and the Yaoundé-based government, the country’s Anglophone Diaspora is today controlling the situation in West Cameroon remotely where schools have been closed, courts shut down and ghost towns are observed religiously on Mondays and on any other day the Anglophone Diaspora deems it necessary to call the government’s legitimacy and authority into question. Face with this testing challenge, the government that was initially in denial is gradually noticing the Diaspora’s influence and it is taking steps to court some of its members who are unfortunately distrustful of a government that speaks from both sides of its mouth. Initially, when the crisis broke out, many within the government thought it would fizzle out within a few days, especially if the government used the most repressive methods in the books. Their perception of the situation was unfortunately outdated and wrong as what they were seeing was a pure mask and not the faces behind the mask.

But the masks had to fall off once Barrister Agbor Balla and Dr. Fontem, the famous Consortium leaders, were arrested. This act by the government told the Anglophone Diaspora that the government was up again to its old antics and that it had not noticed that time had made its repressive strategy a thing of the past. The advent of new media technology has robbed many governments across the globe of their excessive powers and managing a rebellion remotely is an idea whose time has come. Intimation has been replaced by negotiation in many parts of the world and the country’s government could not continue to play possum in an era wherein information is easily brought to the international community in real time. As shocking videos of the horror movie that was playing out in Southern Cameroon reached all the nooks and crannies of the world, the international community could not be indifferent to the loss of life in a country that was once touted as an oasis of peace in a desert of political and economic chaos. Western embassies have all expressed their disappointment with the management of the crisis, although not in public and the Canadian high commissioner in Yaoundé has even gone a step further by calling on the government of Cameroon to draw on Canada’s experience with its Francophone minority that was only appeased through a federal system that has given Quebec, Canada’s Francophone province, the possibility to run its affairs based on its own culture and language.

The current socio-political crisis in Cameroon seems to be an important moment in the relationship between Cameroon and its Anglophone Diaspora. The Anglophone Diaspora which has been born out of marginalization and frustration is using this situation not only to take its revenge on a government that has robbed many of its members of their youthful joy and opportunity to play a significant role in the country’s political and economic development, but also to display its political and economic muscles. The Anglophone Diaspora is rich and comprise some of the finest professionals the country can ever have. Many of these resources have been trained in famous universities such as Princeton, Yale, Harvard, UCLA in the United States; Toronto and McGill in Canada; Leicester, London School of Economics, Cambridge and Oxford in the United Kingdom. Having left their country because there were few opportunities for them, members of the Anglophone Diaspora hold that their country had intentionally put in place a strategy to permanently hold them in poverty and in the darkness of ignorance. Many of them left the country after high school as they could not study in Cameroon’s only university at the time which was not tailored to meet their educational needs. More than four decades after, these resources that have mostly settled in North America, have become wealthy enough to take their government to task and to seek to right the wrongs of the past. They have been responsible for educating their family members, paying their health bills and making sure that despite the huge economic cloud hovering over their heads, they will be there for them and they will bring smiles to their faces when the hard times show up.

It is normal today to hear government officials talk about how important the country’s Diaspora is. The government is today organizing forums to educate the Diaspora on opportunities that are available at home, especially for those who want to undertake development projects in Cameroon. But this great effort on the government’s part seems to come a little too late. The government seems to be closing the barn when the horse has already bolted. The Anglophone Diaspora is no longer interested in whatever initiative the government has in store for it. The pain of marginalization is still very fresh and the absence of genuine talks on the country’s future makes many members of the Anglophone Diaspora to hold that the government is, at best, doing too much too late and, at worst, skirting around the issues raised by Anglophones; issues that are responsible for the crisis that has put the country in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. If those opportunities really exist, why are Cameroonians back home still caught in throes of unemployment? Many hold that if they have to do business back home, the government has to sanitize the business environment that is replete with many obstacles and corruption.

The government’s recognition, many say, is the right step in the right direction, but many are still skeptical about the sincerity and timing of the schemes. The government will therefore have to work long and hard to convince members of the Anglophone Diaspora that they can be reliable partners in the effort to create opportunities back home and to roll back unemployment and poverty that have reduced many educated Cameroonians back home to professional beggars and sorry spectators of events in their own country.

The role of the Diaspora is no longer in doubt. The savings of its members could easily become great sources of investment capital. The government can tap into the Diaspora’s wealth and savings to turn its economic fortunes around. The country’s Diaspora still maintains emotional ties with their country of origin and a natural inclination to improve its condition more than any traditional foreign investors. Cameroonians abroad also have an advantage given their familiarity with the cultural and business environment which enhances their ability to better estimate and control risk. They are an ideal target group to initiate investment in their country. Attracting the Diaspora’s investment can help the government encourage masses of foreign investors. The government can therefore attract prospective investors by improving the business climate and by making members of its Diaspora its best ambassadors. If it is unable to work with its own Diaspora, then fewer foreign investors will be convinced of the rhetoric that the country is a good business destination.

Though a difficult time for many Cameroonians, especially Southern Cameroonians, the current socio-economic crisis is an opportunity for both the government and the Anglophone Diaspora. It is a moment for the government to take a long and hard look at its actions over the last fifty years so as to grant the country better mechanisms that will help the country grow by leaps and bounds both politically and economically. The government will certainly find out as a result of this crisis, that old methods of governance have not lived up to the people’s expectation and that a continuation of those policies could always put the government on a collision path with its own people. A situation that is resulting in an unnecessary loss of lives.

For the Diaspora, thanks to this unfortunate situation, it has risen from just being a provider of emergency funds to families across the country to a key player in the country’s political scene. Having been paying the tune, the government today recognizes that the Anglophone Diaspora can call the piper. It is a strong force that can make the country ungovernable and the last five months have clearly proven that the government is losing its grip on Southern Cameroons. While the dark years of marginalization are still lingering, the Anglophone Diaspora has finally won the recognition it has always hankered after. This is indeed recognition for its hard work, perseverance and determination not only to survive far from home, but to bring its financial and ideological capital to bear on a system that has been the preserve of a few privileged individuals. While the battle of nerves is still raging, members of the Diaspora have proven that the status quo can be destroyed from a distance and that the political monarchy that has been running the country for fifty-six years will continue to see its influence and power eroded.

Dr. Joachim Arrey

Contributing Editor

Cameroon Concord News Group

About the Author: The author of this piece is a keen observer of Cameroon’s political and economic landscape. He has published extensively on the country’s political and economic development, especially in the early 90s when the wind of change was blowing across the continent. He has served as a translator, technical writer, journalist and editor for several international organizations and corporations across the globe. He studied communication at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and technical writing in George Brown College, Toronto, Canada. He is also a trained translator and holds a Ph.D.

Tearing the Land Apart: Barrister Akere Muna targeted for offering support to detained Consortium leaders

21, March 2017

Tearing the Land Apart: Barrister Akere Muna targeted for offering support to detained Consortium leaders 2

A senior military official loyal to the Biya Francophone regime has summoned the renowned Barrister Akere Muna to appear before him at the Defense State Secretariat on Wednesday March 22, 2017.

In a letter written in French a copy of which was sent to Cameroon Concord News desk in London, dated Monday March 20, 2017, Lit. Colonel Kaole Aleokol Serge, Chief of Judicial Service at the National Gendarmerie stated that Barrister Akere Muna should present himself by 9am on the appointment day.

The Francophone security official did not specified any reason for the convocation but hinted that some kind of investigations were going on requiring  Barrister Muna’s presence.  Akere Tabeng Muna is a Cameroonian lawyer who is currently the Chairman of the International Anti-Corruption Conference Council and he is one of the defense counsel for the detained leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium.

Akere Muna doki

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Anglophone Crisis: 500 arrested!! Francophones residing in West Cameroon urged to help troops with intelligence

18, March 2017

Anglophone Crisis: 500 arrested!! Francophones residing in West Cameroon urged to help troops with intelligence 2

The Francophone dominated army has raided Bamenda, the main city in the North West province of Southern Cameroons  and arrested more than 500 young men suspected of being followers of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium. Cameroon Concord News gathered that the troops from La Republique du Cameroun also seized mobile telephones from hundreds of Southern Cameroonians. During the last ten days, at least 800 Southern Cameroonians have been nabbed in different operations launched by several arms of the Francophone force.

Troops from the Rapid Intervention Battalion, BIR swung into action at about 4 am today in Bamenda and arrested some 500 people. The Southern Cameroonians arrested were subsequently handed over to a special army unit in the West region for further action.

French speaking Cameroonians residing in Bamenda and Limbe including Buea have been urged to provide useful information to the Francophone troops in order to apprehend Southern Cameroon freedom fighters.  A highly placed military official who spoke to our undercover reporter said the operation will continue to ensure conducive environment for legitimate businesses and schools to thrive in Southern Cameroons.

Another military spokesperson was quoted as saying that Francophone troops will henceforth respond to any tip-off from agents of La Republique du Cameroun and arrest suspected Southern Cameroon militants in any hideout. Corruption, the Boko Haram crisis and the current Southern Cameroons uprising have plunged Cameroon into economic recession.  The country remains burdened by rapidly declining government revenues due to numerous internal conflicts and low oil prices in the world market.

By Rita Akana

Largest wave of arrest by BIR in Bamenda

18, March 2017

Largest wave of arrest by BIR in Bamenda 10

The army has sealed the entire Metta Quarter, Azire and T-Junction in the city of Bamenda and scores of Southern Cameroonian youths have been arrested and are currently being transported in military trucks to an unknown destination.

Our security informant observed that the troops started the operation since 4 am local time. We also gathered that bikes and taxis are not allowed to use the neighborhoods where the soldiers have been stationed.

CAMCORDNEWS DESK

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