Teachers Trade Unionists have maintained that the strike action must continue unless government grants their request. Wilfred Tassang of the Cameroon Teachers Trade Union says it is a good thing that the eight members requested to be added to the ad hoc committee for teachers were finally included in the list but that they will only sit to negotiate when all the youths arrested in Bamenda and Kumba are released. He said while observing Monday ghost town in the two regions, they are ready for dialogue if those conditions are fulfilled.

Prime Minister Philemon Yang in a press release on Friday called on parents to send their children to school beginning Monday the 9^th of January 2017 .In a typical Francophone-CPDM pattern, Philemon Yang invited the education family to put hands together for the smooth start of the second term in the two Anglophone regions despite ongoing strike action by teachers. The Head of Government assured parents that security measures for the kick off have been taken.

Philemon Yang who reportedly now takes instructions from Higher Education Minister, Fama Ndongo also said government is ready to partake in meaningful dialogue with trade Unionists to arrive a consensus to improve on English sub system of education. The Prime Minister concluded his communiqué with the usual CPDM rhetoric observing that “the issues have been identified and that solutions are underway.” However, Southern Cameroonians seems not to be listening anymore to officials from La Republique du Cameroun.

The North West region based Cameroon Parents Association, CAPA, has given its unflinching support to striking teachers assuring them that they will observe the ghost town on Monday and even beyond. A release signed by eight representatives partially reads, “We unanimously and unilaterally support the ongoing teachers and lawyers strike, declare a ghost town across North West and South West as from Monday January 9,2017.” The Parents also said dialogue can only be sincere if youths ‘abducted’ in Bamenda and Kumba are released. They also decry the divide and rule system of North West and South West people implored by the government.

In another latest development, Fons in Ndu sub division, Donga Mantung Division have reportedly refused to cede to demands of Divisional Officer of the area to lure parents send their children to school come Monday. They told the DO that it is the place of teachers and lawyers to tell the students and not traditional rulers. On his part, the Fon of Tabeken, Ngwayi Polycarp has called on his subjects especially pupils and students to avoid market places and crowded areas, though he did not come out clear on his stance ,it is rumored that he is trying not to victimize himself but supporting the struggle.

Culled from CIR

A group of hungry so-called journalists grouped under a yet-to-be known federation of Anglophone Journalist Association were caught sharing money at Ayaba Hotel in Bamenda recently. The gang were also demanding the news reporters to sell their message that students must return to school on Monday the 9th of January, 2017.

The information was made public by John Mbah Akuroh, a senior political news reporter and president of the Cameroon Anglophone Publishers Association, CANPA.  Mbah Akuroh added that the said traitors, led by one Dotta Ezekiel who runs The Watchdog newspaper, specialized in dishing out awards to gullible politicians, posed as representing all Anglophone journalists in Cameroon.

The President of the Cameroon Anglophone Publishers’ Association, CANPA and Secretary General of the Commonwealth Journalists Association – CJA- Cameroon, declared late last night to local and international pressmen that media gurus in the North West region support the strikes and stand by the demands made.

John Mbah Akuroh further pointed out that his union backs the calls for schools shutdown and ghost town until the demands presented are met.”

The National Telegraph, a home based Anglophone tabloid is reporting that Anglophone soldiers have given President. Biya one condition to look into their worries else they will be forced to follow the footsteps of the Common Law Lawyers and Anglophone teachers in the wake of what has now become known as the Anglophone struggle. The sister publication observed that Anglophone Soldiers of the 2015 batch in the Far North have given the Presidency an ultimatum to solve a bulk of their problems otherwise they would begin a strike action.

Cameroon Intelligence Report is yet to confirm the correctness of this developing story. However, some media sources say the Anglophone soldiers of that batch are being discriminated upon and wouldn’t take any further discrimination from the government. According to National Telegraph sources, since the soldiers stepped foot into Far North, life has been extremely difficult with little or no government attention towards their well being.

“Every day, we are traumatized by the enemy with attacks which one can hardly count. Many of our friends die, we bear all the heart aches, and we spent a year knowing that we will be replaced by others in order to rest for a while even if we have to come back, yet government completely relegates us to the background. September 2016 was programmed to replace people but we were shocked to hear that only the ”ancients”, mostly Francophones were replaced and we were left behind to continue with the new people entering”, an Anglophone soldier confided in National Telegraph.

National Telegraph further stipulated that the Ministry of Defense has a duty and obligation to replace soldiers sent to the Far North one year from date of deployment. National Telegraph revealed that Francophones are mostly taken away from the Far North while Anglophones remain in the same spot. The soldiers have also complained that the individual guns they are using always fail to shoot during attacks because it’s second-rate thereby leading to the deaths of many which is usually not reported by the government. We have very little weapons while the enemy is well armed. We need to know if really we are sent to defend the country or we are sacrificial lambs.

National Telegraph insider quizzed. Furthermore, the health of these soldiers is worrisome; National Telegraph reported that, when they are sick or injured, treatment depends on the individual based on the feeding allowance that is given to them usually on the 7th, 8th or 9th of each month. It’s with that same money and so-called risk allowance that the soldiers can buy drugs by the road side to treat themselves. How can we lack medical care as soldiers defending the nation? one of the soldiers lamented.

According to the National Telegraph, even the 20 permission days which is by right has been suspended and they have spent months going nowhere. The soldiers according to National Telegraph have tabled their problems to the President and have stated in clear terms that should they not be replaced by January 28, 2017, and their bonuses paid all at once, they will begin a strike action. National Telegraph Editorial further writes: “The announcement by Anglophone soldiers is coming at a time when two meetings in Bamenda and Yaoundé between government and representatives of the teachers and lawyers respectively ended in deadlock. The Lawyers and Teachers have been on a peaceful demonstration for months. Schools have virtually shut down in the two English-speaking regions of the North West and South West while courts have completely gone paralyzed. The lawyers have been condemning the infringement on the Common Law system amongst other things while the teachers have decried the erosion of the Anglo-Saxon system of education amongst others.

The general Anglophone community, mostly youths have now joined the struggle demanding for Federalism. Since the strike, tempers have flared and there have been clashes between civilians and security forces. In Buea, several University students were arrested and detained arbitrarily. Others were raped, beaten and looted by security forces sent to maintain peace and order. In Bamenda and Kumba, casualties were recorded with at least five protesters killed by police. Several others were injured while others still remain in detention. Businesses have been slowed down and travelling in some cases made difficult.

In the Bamenda and Yaounde meetings, Teachers and Lawyers demanded for the immediate release of all those held in detention. Meanwhile, all Anglophone Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church have written to the President pointing the need for dialogue. As at the date of this publication, President Biya who has been accused for being in power for too long is yet to make any official statement on the matter….”

Culled from CIR

President Paul Biya is said to be under considerable pressure and panic in Yaoundé after it was revealed that his New Year Day speech was leaked to the public hours before his televised presentation on the 31^st of December. A well-placed source at the Presidency told Cameroon Intelligence Report that close aides to Biya are urging him to order the arrest of many of his collaborators.

The situation became more complicated yesterdays during a press conference by the minister of Employment and Vocational Training, Hon. Zacharie Perevette who Contradicted President Biya’s  end of year speech when he observed that  the head of state was wrong when Biya said in 2016,  320,000 jobs were Created instead of 400,000 .

Insiders say it was because Jacques Fame Ndongo, the Minister of Higher Education who is responsible for writing the Head of State’s speech, did not consult other cabinet ministers before preparing the document. Jacques Fame Ndongo was in the South West region pushing the Consortium to call off the strike action and the ghost town operation to begin on Monday the 9^th 2017.

In France, the president is reportedly being urged by his French mentors to quit the leadership of the CPDM an opinion which has been shared by some senior Francophone Beti Ewondo politicians. The many scandals that have rocked Etoudi including news that some prominent Anglophone political elites are threatening to join the Southern Cameroons Struggle has prompted Biya to cancel the presentation of New Year wishes at State House scheduled for today Thursday 5th Jan.2017.

Our Yaoundé informant hinted that the ceremony has been rescheduled on Friday the 6^th of January 2017. CPDM insiders are now arguing that Biya having succeeded in defusing political tension that was generated by Fru Ndi and the SDF, should very much consider retiring at the end of his current seven-year term.

Culled from Cameroon Intelligence Report 

The leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, CACSC, have signed an important document declaring the beginning of ghost town operations on Monday the 9^th of January in British Southern Cameroons.

In a statement jointly signed by the President Barrister Agbor Felix Nkongho, Dr Fontem Neba of SYNES University of Buea and Wilfred Tassang of Cameroon Teachers Trade Union, the Anglophone leaders appealed to all Southern Cameroonians residing in the North West and South West regions to see themselves as one person and stage a ghost town operation to counter what they termed governments attitude to undermine the will of the Anglophone people and to get schools start without solving the problems raised by Anglophone teachers and the Common Law Lawyers.

Said the leaders “We must stand together and continue our peaceful resistance until the demands of the Lawyers and teachers tabled relating to our existence have been satisfactorily addressed.”

The Consortium observed that all teachers, lawyers, taxi drivers, commercial bike riders, business operators and all Southern Cameroons citizens should stay at home on Monday January 9, 2017. The leaders have demanded a total shut down of schools, markets and businesses. They have also requested Southern Cameroonians to stay away from street marches, public demonstrations and avoid any confrontation with the forces of law and order including the army.

The decision was made public some few minutes after some political elites from the North West and South West regions in a joint press release called on Anglophone parents to send their children to school on Monday January 9, 2017.

Culled from Cameroon Intelligence Report

We have gotten intelligence that there is a meeting presently going on in the University of Bamenda grouping all heads of government establishments, directors and top management called by the Vice Chancellor of the university under the instructions of the most anti Anglophone cabinet minister ever, Fame Ndongo.

The so called minister for Higher Education has reportedly given standing orders to the Anglophone heads that they should diverse a method to call off the strike and students should resume classes. (This story is developing and was culled from a sister publication Cameroon Intelligence Report)

The National Executive Secretary of Cameroon Teachers Trade Union, CATTU, Wilfred Tassang has revealed that the government of Cameroon is presently in a desperate attempt to forcefully get schools to resume come Monday Jan 9. Wilfred Tassang opined that “Huge sums of money were dulled out to traditional rulers this Christmas through governors to first class rulers, SDOs to second class and DOs to third class rulers to pressure the teachers.”  Cameroon Intelligence Report understands the money is part of the 24 billion FCFA paid by the Minister of Finance to CPDM business tycoon Baba Danpullo.

Cameroun Info.Net reported earlier today that Mr. Wilfred Tassang has sounded a note of caution to all traditional rulers against receiving such money to sell their consciences.  “Whilst we caution any of our fathers who have taken this money of wickedness not to further desecrate the throne and their authority by taking the wrong side in this struggle, we appeal to all stakeholders not get give up at this point in time, when victory is so close.”

He added that “Those who are for us are more than those who are against us. That’s the only reason to be advanced for the fact the President’s speech leaked more than 3hrs to presentation. We have friends in very high places.” Wilfred Tassang observed that if the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo government fails to force-start schools on the 9th, Yaoundé will also be forced to face the reality.

There have been multiple secret visits to Bamenda ever since the New Year by very highly placed CPDM government officials indicating yet another sign of desperation.  Contrary to a position held by Justice Ayah Paul which called on the Anglophone leaders to give Biya a chance, it is evidently clear that the Biya regime up to now has not announced any measures taken to solve either the problems raised by lawyers or teachers. The Great Wilfred Tassang has appeal to all the teachers not to allow the strike to collapse. “If it does, we shall be greatly spited and the regime will not be under pressure to address these grievances.”

Mr Tassang has also warned union leaders against taking of bribes that will undermine the strike, in his words “For union leaders and others at the forefront of this struggle, beware! It has been revealed in the spirit realms, the release of a huge amount of VOODOO money meant to maim the brain and cause heavy carnage. We hereby call on all to fear God and resist the enemy that he may flee from us.”

The Executive Secretary of Cameroon Teachers trade Union however, reminded parents and the Anglophone student community that teachers and lawyers are not fighting for personal gains but to make Anglophone Cameroon children to be proud of belonging to a nation which they can call their own.

At the time of filing this report, information filtered out that Prime Minister Philemon Yang was en route to Bamenda in a bid to keep his job. The Teachers Trade Unionists say they have not been summoned to any meeting. It was reported that the anti Anglophone Higher Education Minister, Jacques Fame Ndongo was in Kumba to lure teachers back into the classrooms.

Culled from Cameroon Intelligence Report

An Azerbaijan news portal has reported that five Cameroonians lost their lives on the 28^th of December in the country. The Azerbaijani information website, Az made the revelation on New Year’s Day stating that 5 Cameroonians including three footballers and two students were killed in Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani online publication did not provide any details but merely observed that the police department had opened an investigation. However, according to information provided by credible Cameroonian diplomatic sources at the embassy in Moscow and quoted by Koaci.com, the Cameroonians would have died from suffocation after a gas leaked at their accommodation center.

By Chi Prudence Asong