News

27, November 2024

Yaoundé: Digital rights advocates find gaps in Biya regime’s data protection bill ⁰

Internet and digital rights advocacy organization, Paradigm Initiative, as well as other rights advocates in Cameroon have hailed the country for introducing a dedicated personal data protection draft legislation, but believe there are gaps and inadequacies that must be addressed before the text is operationalized.

Government tabled the bill at the National Assembly on November 13. On November 19, Posts and Telecommunications Minister, Minette Libom Li Likeng, defended the draft bill before members of the Committee on Constitutional Laws, explaining the content of the text and the crucial role it will play in driving the country’s digital economy growth.

Beyond the potential gains of the law which is expected to be examined during a plenary debate session in the National Assembly this week, Paradigm Initiative points out a few aspects which have to be considered.

The organization said in a news release that while the bill represents “a critical step forward in protecting privacy in an era dominated by data-driven technologies,” it also raises concerns about certain provisions, questioning potential effectiveness of the bill whenever it is enacted.

One area of concern for Paradigm is the independence of the Personal Data Protection Authority, as outlined in Section 53.

It says the appointment of the Authority by the Head of State raises questions about its ability to operate without political influence, which is crucial for impartial enforcement of the legislation.

In the same vein, it also mentions the provision under Section 9(2) of the bill which says consent of a data subject may not be required for tasks deemed in the ‘public interest,’ including matters of health.

“Without judicial oversight or clearer definitions, PIN warns that this clause risks being misinterpreted or misused. Paradigm Initiative believes there is a unique opportunity to address these gaps during parliamentary deliberations, ensuring that the law is not only progressive in theory but also practical and effective in protecting citizens,” the organizations says.

“Cameroon’s Personal Data Protection Bill is a significant achievement and demonstrates a growing recognition of the need for strong data protection frameworks across Africa,” said Khadijah El-Usman, senior programmes officer, Anglophone Africa, at Paradigm Initiative.

“We urge legislators to address the ambiguities in the bill and ensure its implementation is backed by adequate capacity to monitor compliance and protect citizens from data exploitation which includes but is not limited to financial independence,” she added.

Paradigm mentions that because tech companies continue to mine data on a global scale, Cameroon’s progress in the area of data protection “signals a promising step toward greater accountability in the digital age.”

“Its provisions lay the groundwork for enhanced personal data protection and align Cameroon with global efforts to address the risks of data misuse. With proper implementation and oversight, the country could join others in holding violators accountable and protecting the digital rights of its citizens.”

Rights campaigner also picks holes in bill

In another reaction to the bill, Cameroonian digital rights advocate and one of those who campaigned for the introduction of a personal data protection legislation in Cameroon, Colbert Gwain, called the move a “proactive” step against “unlawful data exploitation,” but nonetheless picked some holes in the draft legislation.

He told Biometric Update in a message that “it’s always a nice day to see that what you have been advocating for years comes to pass,” but quickly noted that the bill “comes with its own shortcomings, including the fact that the legislator intentionally gives broad definitions to some terms which may be subject to varied interpretations.”

“The bill also misses out on a major aspect of personal data which is metadata. It also fails to provide guarantees for whistleblowers that may disclose information or data for public interest. Another shortcoming, which must quickly be addressed before the bill finally goes through Parliament, is the neutrality of the Data Protection Authority, given that the bill allows for the President of the Republic to create the body and appoint its members,” Gwain says.

He further notes: “We haven’t seen enough of judicial and parliamentary oversight weaved into the bill. Plus, the chilling fact that most of the articles of the bill need separate instruments to activate their application. Also, for those living in the two English Speaking regions of Cameroon, the bill doesn’t address the thorny issue of defense and security officers unlawfully and arbitrarily infringing on their privacy under the pretext of national security and public order. This is usually exemplified by frequent phone searches that usually lead to the incrimination of citizens.”

While Gwain believes the bill is a good step forward, he however holds that it will make more sense if the government considers the introduction of a comprehensive digital rights bill, to guarantee certain freedoms online.

“Cameroonians’ right to internet access and affordability are not yet guaranteed. Without a comprehensive digital rights bill for Cameroon that prohibits internet shutdowns in the whole or parts of Cameroon, as obtained in 2017, where the internet was shut down in the two English-Speaking regions of Cameroon under the pretext of national security and public order, the personal data protection draft piece of legislation will have no value,” Gwain argues.

“The internet must not only become a public good but we must have a bill that expressly stops Cameroonians being held Incommunicado from becoming a norm. I also expected our legislator to be foresighted enough to begin to align our digital legislation to the decentralization process that Cameroon is currently involved in. What about proposing a forward-looking legislation that gives powers to municipal authorities to create bandwidth centers and only purchase internet from ISPs, rather than allowing individual internet users to purchase expensive internet?” he wonders.

“We need a legislation that could decentralize internet services the way roads, water, and education services are being decentralized to regional and local authorities.”

Culled from BiometricsUpdate

27, November 2024

UN Committee urges Biya regime to improve prison conditions ⁰

The United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) has issued a series of recommendations to the Cameroonian authorities, focusing on improving detention conditions in the country’s prisons. Among its observations, the CAT highlights the poor material conditions of detention in many facilities, including unsanitary and unhygienic environments, lack of ventilation, inadequate food and water supplies—both in quality and quantity—and the absence of recreational or educational activities to support reintegration. Additionally, access to quality healthcare remains limited.

To address these issues, the CAT has made several proposals. The UN body calls on Cameroon to reduce overcrowding in its prisons, urging authorities to ensure that pre-trial detention is imposed only as an exceptional measure and for limited periods. This concern is particularly pressing given that the country’s prisons house approximately 30,000 inmates, despite an official capacity of just 9,000.

In response, Cameroon’s Ministry of Justice has been implementing a prison infrastructure development project. As part of this initiative, two prisons were opened in Douala several years ago to alleviate congestion at New Bell Prison, while another facility was constructed in Limbe to ease the burden on Buea Prison in the Southwest Region. The CAT has expressed its support for this project but insists that more needs to be done.

The committee has also stressed the importance of improving conditions for detainees with disabilities. Additionally, it recommends that Cameroonian authorities facilitate better access to healthcare services and increase the number of prison staff. “Allocate the necessary resources to ensure proper medical and sanitary care for detainees, including mental health services,” the CAT document states.

The CAT’s recommendations underline the urgency of addressing the systemic challenges plaguing Cameroon’s penal system, with a particular emphasis on humane treatment and the fundamental rights of prisoners.

Source: Sbbc

26, November 2024

US President confirms Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal agreed ⁰

US President Joe Biden has announced a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah

The deal will take effect from 04:00 local time (02:00 GMT) tomorrow, according to Biden

Earlier, Israel launched extensive air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs after its military issued evacuation orders in the area

Israeli troops began a land invasion of Lebanon almost two months ago, in response to almost a year of rocket attacks from Hezbollah

A ceasefire in Lebanon would not directly affect Israel’s war in Gaza.

Source: BBC

25, November 2024

39% of women in Cameroon are victims of gender-based violence ⁰

On November 25, Cameroon joined the global community in observing the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, shedding light on the prevalence of gender-based violence in the country. According to the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family (Minproff), 39% of women in Cameroon experience gender-based violence. The ministry noted that such abuse—whether physical, psychological, social, or cultural—frequently leads to tragic outcomes, including femicides.

In a bid to combat this statistic, Minproff launched a 16-day action campaign starting November 25. The initiative, described as a nationwide awareness drive, aligns with a global program led by UN Women, emphasizing the universal scale of gender-based violence. This year’s campaign theme, “Every 11 minutes, a woman is killed. No excuses. United to end violence against women,” underscores the urgency of collective action.

“Violence against women and girls is not inevitable—it can be prevented!” read a statement from UN Women, emphasizing key priorities for tackling the issue. These include enacting and enforcing robust legislation, improving data collection, increasing government accountability, fostering a culture of zero tolerance, and enhancing financial support for women’s rights organizations and relevant institutional bodies.

The 16-day campaign will run through December 10, calling on governments, civil society, and individuals to step up efforts to protect women and girls. With this initiative, Cameroon aims to amplify global advocacy and encourage local solutions to end violence against women, reaffirming that decisive, unified action can reverse the tide of this persistent social scourge.

Source: Business in Cameroon

25, November 2024

Iran’s Leader says arrest warrant not enough, Netanyahu must be executed ⁰

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has called for death sentence for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose arrest warrant has been issued by the ICC amid the regime’s genocide in Gaza and carnage in Lebanon.

“The (ICC) arrest warrant is not enough, Netanyahu’s death sentence must be ordered,” Ayatollah Khamenei said during a meeting with members of the Iranian Basij volunteer force on Monday, on the occasion of Basij Week.

The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his ousted war minister Yoav Gallant over their war crimes related to the ongoing Gaza genocide.

Now, the pair are at risk of arrest if they step foot in any of the 124 countries that signed the Rome Statute establishing the ICC.

Referring to Israel’s aggression in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, the Leader said the bombing of houses is not a victory but “a crime”.

The enemy has not won its wars on Gaza and Lebanon, and it will never be able to do so, Ayatollah Khamenei asserted.

Source: Presstv

25, November 2024

Southern Cameroons Crisis: Amba commander killed in Bamenda ⁰

Two Amba fighters, including a commander, were killed when government forces attacked their hideout early on Sunday in Bamenda the chief city in the North West region.

The Cameroon government military action as confirmed by a source in the North West governor’s office was carried out in the early hours of Sunday.

Yaoundé says the Amba commander killed in the operation was responsible for the deaths of many soldiers and civilians.

Fighting between the Francophone dominated Cameroon government army and Southern Cameroons Restoration Forces has persisted in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest since 2017 when the Ambazonia Interim Government attempted to establish an independent nation in these regions.

By Fon Lawrence with files

24, November 2024

COP29 final draft proposes ‘at least’ $300 billion for developing countries ⁰

Negotiators will soon decide whether to accept a proposed $300 billion funding package for poor nations to curb and adapt to climate change — a plan hammered out early Sunday by the head of fractured United Nations climate talks.

The deal to be presented to nations of “at least $300 billion by 2035” is a compromise between the $1.3 trillion a year developing countries seek to adapt to climate change and wean off fossil fuels and the current $100 billion amount.

Evans Njewa, the chair of the Least Developed Countries negotiating bloc of nearly 50 countries, wouldn’t comment specifically on the latest figure, but said “it’s a good value and we hope we can do better.”

The latest figure appears to be something that Fiji can live with, its delegation chief Biman Prasad told The Associated Press.

“Everybody is committed to having an agreement,” Prasad said. “They are not necessarily happy about everything, but the bottom line is everybody wants a good agreement.”

“While wealthy, polluting countries should have committed to a higher amount, this is a floor not a ceiling. The pressure to increase funding will only grow over time,” said Manish Bapta, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council. “This is not only the right thing to do morally — it is critical for humanity’s survival and prosperity.”

But not everyone was happy.

“The Global North has abandoned the Global South,” Avantika Goswami of New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment said. “This was the last remaining window for the North to step up, pay its fair share, and restore some semblance of trust in the multilateral process. They have failed,” Goswami said.

Mohamed Adow, of the think tank Power Shift Africa said the summit “has been a disaster for the developing world.”

“It’s a betrayal of both people and planet, by wealthy countries who claim to take climate change seriously,” he said.

Panama’s Juan Carlos Monterrey called it “unacceptable” in a post on X, saying “the text is detrimental to our future and the qualified goal is still very low.”

Earlier on Saturday, negotiators went from one big room where everyone tried to hash out a deal together into several separate huddles of upset nations.

Hallway talk oscillated between hope for shuttle diplomacy to bridge the gap and kicking the can down the road to sometime next year. Negotiators and analysts had mostly given up hope that the host presidency would get the job done.

The Azerbaijan presidency brewed up a new rough draft of $300 billion by Saturday afternoon that was never formally presented, but also dismissed roundly by African nations and small island states, according to messages relayed from inside the main meeting room. Then a group of negotiators from the Least Developed Countries bloc and the Alliance of Small Island States left the room.

When asked if the walkout was a protest, Colombia environment minister Susana Mohamed told The Associated Press: “I would call this dissatisfaction, (we are) highly dissatisfied.”

Activists gathered for a final protest outside the hall where leaders meet before a draft deal was announced Sunday, calling for rich countries to pay up, some with tape over their mouths. Even in the final weary hours, “it’s about life and death for all of us,” said Muhammed Lamin Saidykhan with Climate Action Network International.

“We are all in one ship. When the ship sinks, there’s no first class or second class. We are all gonna sink together,” he added.

Late Saturday, COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev gaveled through less contentious parts of negotiations — although the passing of Article 6, a mechanism to cut fossil fuels through a market for buying offsets for polluters was met with some opposition.

“We know that carbon markets have failed to address emissions and what they’ve done essentially is undermine the mandate to try to reach 1.5,” said Tamara Gilbertson, climate justice program coordinator with the Indigenous Environmental Network, referring to the goal to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) above preindustrial times.

“The flaws of Article 6 have, unfortunately, not been fixed,” said Isa Mulder, Policy Expert on global carbon markets. “It seems countries were more willing to adopt insufficient rules and deal with the consequences later, rather than prevent those consequences in the first place.”

The presidency hailed it as a success, saying its passing ends a decade-long wait to unlock a “critical tool” to slash emissions.

Developing countries accused the rich of trying to get their way — and a small financial aid package — via a war of attrition.

After bidding one of his suitcase-lugging delegation colleagues goodbye and watching the contingent of about 20 enter the meeting room for the European Union, Panama’s Monterrey Gomez had enough.

“Every minute that passes we are going to just keep getting weaker and weaker and weaker. They don’t have that issue. They have massive delegations,” Monterrey Gomez said. “This is what they always do. They break us at the last minute. You know, they push it and push it and push it until our negotiators leave. Until we’re tired, until we’re delusional from not eating, from not sleeping.”

But he added: “If we don’t get a deal I think it will be a fatal wound to this process, to the planet, to people,” he said.

Source: AP

24, November 2024

Biya regime looks to update civil protection laws amid rising disasters ⁰

Minister of Territorial Administration (Minat) Paul Atanga Nji presented a new civil protection bill before the National Assembly’s Constitutional Law Committee. Speaking to Minat TV after that presentation, he emphasized the need to update the current legislation, which dates back to 1986. “The world is facing disasters—floods, landslides, earthquakes. We must adapt to modern challenges,” he stated.

While details of the proposed law remain sparse, the minister highlighted the government’s aim to modernize the civil protection framework. He explained that the Presidential Office envisions a legal system that fosters greater coordination among key actors, including firefighters, medical professionals, and search-and-rescue teams, to ensure an effective and unified response to emergencies.

A key feature of the proposal is to strengthen the operational branches of the civil protection directorate under Minat across the national territory. “These branches will improve risk assessment, containment, and the establishment of more effective protection mechanisms,” Atanga Nji said.

In recent years, the country has experienced numerous deadly disasters, particularly landslides such as the recent tragedy at the Dschang cliff. Flooding is another recurring threat, especially in the Far North region, where heavy rains have compounded vulnerabilities. The National Observatory on Climate Change (Onacc) has repeatedly warned of escalating natural disaster risks.

Source: Sbbc

22, November 2024

Vera Songwe appointed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa ⁰

Vera Songwe has been appointed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to his country’s highly prestigious Economic Advisory Council. This is an advisory body responsible for proposing guidelines on issues of openness to the ecosystem of members, employability and entrepreneurship, as well as societal issues.

The renowned Cameroonian holds a doctorate in mathematical economics, a Master of Arts in law and economics and a postgraduate diploma in economic and political sciences from the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. She also holds a BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of Michigan.

Dr Vera Songwe is a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution, co-chair of the high-level panel on climate finance appointed by the UK and Egyptian governments alongside Lord Nick Stern. She is the former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

She has led many efforts to bring greater prosperity to Africa. She has worked with African heads of government, finance ministers and central bank governors, international organisations and the private sector on macroeconomic stability, monetary policy, financial innovation and inclusive growth, economic integration and trade, and private sector development.

She is a globally recognised and respected leader and has provided policy advice to many continental and institutional leaders worldwide. Previously, Dr. Songwe was Regional Director of the International Finance Corporation, covering West and Central Africa. She oversaw a multi-billion dollar investment portfolio in energy, transport, manufacturing and technology. She has also held a number of positions at the World Bank, including Country Director and Adviser to the Managing Director for Africa, Europe and Central and South Asia. She spent 10 years of her career working and living in Asia.

She joined the World Bank as a young professional. Prior to joining the Bank, she was a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minnesota and the University of Southern California. Dr Songwe was named African Icon of the Year in 2022 by the African Bankers Association for her work on SDRs, inflation, debt management and domestic resource mobilisation. She was named one of the ‘100 Most Influential Africans’ by Jeune Afrique in 2021 as well as the top 50 most influential African women by Forbes magazine in 2019 and one of the 25 Africans to Watch by the Financial Times.

By Rita Akana

21, November 2024

Ireland: Cameroonian woman fined for theft at PENNEYS ⁰

A mother-of-three who had spent more than €100 buying clothing to bring home to children in her native Cameroon has been fined after stealing extra items.

Caroline Kepnang appeared before Letterkenny District Court charged with theft at Penneys in Letterkenny on June 13th last.

Garda Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that Ms Kepnang, of Cruach Mor, Mountain Top, Letterkenny, entered the store and bought a number of items which she paid for.

However, she was stopped by security leaving the store after she had failed to pay for six pairs of leggings and a t-shirt.

She had pleaded guilty to the theft of the other items valued at €17.30.

Solicitor for the accused, Mr Frank Dorrian said his client’s mother had just died in Cameroon and she was returning home for her funeral having lived in Ireland for several years.

She had purchased a number of items of children’s clothing including pyjamas and t-shirts with cartoons on them to the value of more than €100.

She had planned to distribute the clothing to local children once she got home to Cameroon.

However, Mr Dorrian said his client had exhausted her funds and took the other items.

The court was told that Ms Kepnang had a previous conviction for theft but it went back as far as 2017.

Judge Eiteain Cunningham noted there was a previous conviction but said it went back to 2017 and fined Ms Kepnang €100 and allowed her the maximum time of six months to pay.

Source: Donegaldaily