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Biya regime hands 15-year biometric ID card contract to Augentic

14, May 2024

Biya regime hands 15-year biometric ID card contract to Augentic 0

Augentic has agreed a deal with the government of Cameroon to produce a new generation biometric national ID card for the country under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement that will last a decade and a half.

A ceremony to put pen to paper on the deal took place in Yaounde May 13. Augentic CEO, Labinot Carreti, signed on behalf of the company, while the Delegate General for National Security, Martin Mbarga Nguele, singed for the ID-issuing authority (DGSN).

In a chat with Biometric Update after the ceremony, Carreti said the official signing of the deal is the apotheosis and happy ending of a tender process which lasted over two years.

The German company was selected by an inter-ministerial committee set up for that purpose following a restricted international call to tender launched in December 2021.

The Augentic CEO said the project seeks to overhaul Cameroon’s ID card system, and ensure that ID cards are produced in 48 hours after the submission of an application. The first cards will be produced before the year runs out, he assures.

As part of the contract, a total of 68 new multi-functional structures will be built to facilitate the issuance of ID cards, including three ultra-modern ID production centers in the cities of Yaounde, Douala and Garoua, as well as enrollment centers in the regional and divisional headquarters.

About 219 existing ID card registration centers are also expected to be renovated by the firm, and new equipment and machines will be deployed in all the centers. The company says it is also discussing with the DGSN on a transition plan from the current generation of cards to the new ones.

The project will unfold in two phases for total funding of over €70 million (US$75 million), he says. The sum of €40 million (US$43 million) will be invested in the first phase to get the system running, while over €30 million (US$ 32 million) will be put in during the second phase which will basically be to renew the equipment and infrastructure and hand them over to the government of Cameroon once the ‘Operate’ component of the deal ends.

About security, the Augentic CEO said the ID card will have the highest security features in line with ICAO standards, and a special design that will be a first for Africa and the second in the world.

The deal, he adds, heralds an end to Cameroon’s national ID card woes. In the past years, obtaining an ID card in Cameroon has been a hellish experience with recurrent complaints of issuance delays and extortion.

Apart from national ID cards, Augentic is also required to produce biometric short stay permits, refugee cards, ID cards for DGSN personnel as well as disability cards.

This is the second identity document contract Augentic is securing from the Cameroon government. The company won a biometric passport contract in 2020 and has been producing the travel credential for the country since 2021 – a project that was successfully implemented in the heart of the coronavirus pandemic.

Now that security identification system contract has been signed, Carreti says various streams of work will go on simultaneously including the development and testing of the solution, producing the card specimen, construction of physical infrastructure, as well as putting in place other technical details to ensure the system goes live in the next few months.

Source: biometricupdate

US Secretary of State says Israel offensive on Rafah would not eliminate Hamas

13, May 2024

US Secretary of State says Israel offensive on Rafah would not eliminate Hamas 0

An all-out Israeli offensive on the Gaza city of Rafah would provoke “anarchy” without eliminating Hamas, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday, as Washington stepped up a pressure campaign against such an assault.

Separately, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan emphasized Washington’s concerns about an offensive in a call with his Israeli counterpart, Tzachi Hanegbi.

“Mr. Sullivan reiterated President Biden’s longstanding concerns over the potential for a major military ground operation into Rafah, where over one million people have taken shelter,” a White House readout of the phone call said.

It said Hanegbi “confirmed that Israel is taking US concerns into account,” but did not elaborate.

Israeli bombardment in the eastern parts of Rafah have already sent 300,000 Gazans fleeing.

The United States and other countries, as well as top UN officials, have warned that a full-out assault on Rafah could have a disastrous impact on the refugees driven there by fighting elsewhere in Gaza, many of them living in desperate conditions.

Israel has said it is attempting to keep civilian casualties to a minimum.

But Blinken, when asked on CBS’s “Face the Nation” whether the US concurred with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that Israeli forces had killed more civilians than Hamas militants since the war began, replied simply, “Yes, we do.”

Blinken said a full-scale invasion could come “potentially at an incredibly high cost” and that even a massive assault on Rafah was unlikely to end the Hamas threat.

“Israel’s on the trajectory, potentially, to inherit an insurgency with many armed Hamas left, or if it leaves, a vacuum filled by chaos, filled by anarchy and probably refilled by Hamas,” he said.

Blinken also confirmed that the hold President Joe Biden has placed on weapons to Israel — as the US continues pressing it to better protect civilians and avoid an all-out invasion of Rafah — is limited to 3,500 “high-capacity” bombs.

He said the United States was continuing to press Israeli leaders to provide a plan for Gaza once the war is finally over, telling NBC’s “Meet the Press” that “we’ve been talking to them about a much better way of getting an enduring result.”

The US diplomat said Hamas militants had already returned to certain areas of northern Gaza that Israel had “liberated.”

Source: AFP

NERA 10: Nigeria House of Reps to sit over petition presented by Prof. Carlson Anyangwe

13, May 2024

NERA 10: Nigeria House of Reps to sit over petition presented by Prof. Carlson Anyangwe 0

Reprieve may be on the way for six Nigerian university lecturers and some other professionals seeking asylum, but arrested and currently serving life prison terms in Cameroon, as indications have emerged that the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions is set to begin full sitting on their petition before it.

The affected persons who after their alleged illegal deportation from Nigeria, and reportedly tried by a military tribunal in Cameroon and jailed.in the petition to Nigeria’s House of Representatives, called on the government of Nigeria to intervene to secure their immediate and unconditional release.

The committee, having invited the Minister of Foreign Affairs and other relevant respondents, has fixed Tuesday, May 14 to commence full sitting on the matter.

The petitioners had written to the House of Representatives, appealing for its intervention to assist in releasing them from Cameroon prison, where they have been detained since January 2018, describing their deportation as illegal and based on “frivolous allegations of plotting to destabilise the government of La Republique du Cameroon, LRC, President Mr. Paul Biya.”

According to them, two separate judgments in Nigeria had been in their favour in connection with the matter, but that despite the judgments by Nigerian courts, they were yet to be released and compensated financially in line with the courts judgments.

The petition was presented on their behalf by Prof. Carlson Anyangwe, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Fru Awah, Abdul Oroh and Mbinkar Singeh.

They prayed the House to among other things; “Cause the government of Nigeria to institute an urgent action to secure the implementation of Communication 59/2022 of October 14, 2022, of the UN-HRC-WGAD calling for the release of the petitioners; Cause the Government of Nigeria to take action and implement the rulings in the three judgments of the Federal High Court of Abuja in 2019, ordering the release and compensation of these petitioners.”

Source: Blueprint

UN General Assembly resolution urges fresh vote on Palestinian statehood

11, May 2024

UN General Assembly resolution urges fresh vote on Palestinian statehood 0

The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly passed a resolution, urging the world body’s Security Council to reconsider Palestine’s request to become a full UN member.

The resolution was passed during an emergency session of the assembly on Friday.

A total of 143 countries voted in favor of upgrading Palestine’s status at the world body, while nine voted against and 25 abstained.

Palestine is currently a UN non-member observer state, a status that was granted to it in 2012. An application to become a full UN member needs to be approved by the Council and then at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.

The United States, the Israeli regime’s biggest ally, has so far blocked Palestinians’ every attempt at being recognized as a full member by casting its veto against relevant resolutions.

Source: Presstv

Southern Cameroons Crisis: 5 Cameroonian soldiers killed in Manyu Division

11, May 2024

Southern Cameroons Crisis: 5 Cameroonian soldiers killed in Manyu Division 0

Five Cameroonian soldiers were killed in an attack by Ambazonia fighters on Friday in Eyumock Sub Division in Manyu Southwest, according to security sources.

The Ambazonia fighters ambushed and attacked National Gendarmerie soldiers patrolling the locality of Eyumojock in the region, a senior security officer in the region to Cameroon Concord News.

Among those killed was the commander of the Francophone dominated gendarmerie brigade, and the Ambazonia fighters seized their weapons, the officer added.

Southern Cameroons leaders claimed responsibility for the attack on social media, saying that eight soldiers were killed during the raid.

Since 2017, government forces have been in conflict with separatist fighters in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest, where the separatists seek to establish a breakaway state.

By Kingsley Betek with files

President Putin says Russia’s nuclear forces are ‘always’ on alert

9, May 2024

President Putin says Russia’s nuclear forces are ‘always’ on alert 0

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned his nuclear forces were “always” on alert and added that Moscow would not tolerate any Western threats during an address on the annual Victory Day parade.

In a defiant speech on Red Square before thousands of soldiers dressed in ceremonial attire, Putin heaped praise on his army fighting in Ukraine and accused “Western elites” of fomenting conflicts around the world.

“Russia will do everything to prevent a global clash, but at the same time we will not allow anyone to threaten us. Our strategic forces are always on alert,” Putin told the crowd.

“Dear friends, Russia is now going through a difficult, crucial period. The fate of the Motherland, its future depends on each of us,” he said.

The May 9 parade marks the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II and has become Russia’s most important public holiday as Putin puts the country firmly on a combat footing.

Putin has used nuclear rhetoric throughout the conflict but has grown increasingly belligerent since last year, pulling out of a nuclear test ban treaty and a key arms reduction agreement with the United States.

Earlier this week, he ordered the Russian military to hold nuclear drills involving the navy and troops based near Ukraine, raising fears he could use the powerful weapons on the battlefield.

Source: AFP

Asylum seekers in UK ‘hide or flee to Ireland’ for fear of deportation to Rwanda

7, May 2024

Asylum seekers in UK ‘hide or flee to Ireland’ for fear of deportation to Rwanda 0

Asylum seekers are going into hiding or fleeing to Ireland as the UK government is proceeding with a plan to detain them for deportation to Rwanda, reports say.

The detentions began a week ago under the controversial Rwanda scheme, with the first deportation flights expected to take off in July.

“Frontline asylum charities report people leaving their asylum accommodation in order to avoid arrest. They are raising the alarm about the increasing risks of destitution and exploitation,” Lou Calvey, the director of the charity Asylum Matters, said.

The Guardian questioned whether the officials had anticipated the asylum seekers’ reaction, citing the growing fallout from the high-profile round-ups that the government is dealing with following the dissemination of its message about detaining people for Rwanda.

It is not clear whether officials had anticipated that some asylum seekers would go into hiding and others would go to Ireland, it said.

According to the report, asylum seekers who have attended regular reporting sessions at centers around the UK have said that they had never seen things so quiet.

“I walked right in and didn’t have to queue at all. In all the years I’ve been reporting I’ve never seen it so deserted,” said one man from Belarus who has been in the UK for more than a decade, but is still fearful the Home Office could detain him even though he isn’t among those identified in the initial cohort of returns.

The initial cohort includes those who illegally arrived between January 2022 and June 2023.

Another asylum seeker, who has received a notice of intent for Rwanda, said he got several calls from friends in his community urging him to go into hiding.

A Syrian refugee also said he was calling on asylum seeker friends at risk of being deported to Rwanda to hide.

“I was an asylum seeker in 2020 when the Home Office was trying to deport as many asylum seekers as possible to European countries they had passed through before Brexit started. Some asylum seekers went into hiding then and I can see that it is happening again because of Rwanda.”

The first week of round-ups saw at least one asylum seeker going on hunger strike and another threatening suicide.

The detentions, however, have not acted as a deterrent for small boat crossings, with 1,420 people crossing in the last seven days up to Sunday.

Meanwhile, Ireland, that removed a tent city of asylum seekers in the heart of Dublin outside the International Protection Accommodation Services center last week, saw the return of tents close to where they were before.

The Irish authorities are expected to provide more accommodation later this week to deal with the unprecedented numbers of asylum seekers, some arriving from the UK.

Critics of the Rwanda scheme say the deportations breach international law.

Source: Presstv

Russia to hold nuclear drills following ‘threats’ from West

7, May 2024

Russia to hold nuclear drills following ‘threats’ from West 0

Russia has started preparations for missile drills near Ukraine simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons in response to “threats” by Western officials.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said recent statements by French President Emmanuel Macron and the British Foreign Secretary David Cameron constituted a “completely new round of escalation of tension”.

Last week, Mr Macron refused to rule out potentially deploying French troops, should Kyiv request them, while Lord Cameron said that Ukraine had the right to use British weapons for strikes within Russia.

On Monday, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Lord Cameron’s “hostile outburst” contradicted previous British assurances that the long-range missiles sent to Ukraine would not be used on Russian territory and meant that the UK was a “party to the conflict”.

The ministry added that the response to Ukrainian strikes using British weapons on Russia could involve targeting any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and beyond.

It also said that Mr Macron’s statement on possible deployment of French troops to Ukraine could be considered as “readiness for direct confrontation with Russia”.

Both the British and the French ambassadors in Moscow were summoned on Monday.

The tactical nuclear weapons drills announced on Monday were ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to TASS news agency.

They were expected to take place “in the near future” and would involve missile formations as well as air and naval forces.

Tactical nuclear weapons are small nuclear warheads and delivery systems intended for use on the battlefield, or for a limited strike.

They are designed to destroy enemy targets in a specific area without causing widespread radioactive fallout.

Strategic nuclear weapons, on the other hand, are large and designed to be fired at a long range – for example, between continents. Russia holds regular drills with strategic nuclear weapons.

In April, Belarus’s long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko said “several dozen” tactical nuclear weapons were stationed in his country.

A Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman dismissed the announcement that drills would take place, calling it “nuclear blackmail”.

But Nato spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah said it was “dangerous and irresponsible” and stated that Nato remained “vigilant”.

Following a meeting in Paris with Mr Macron and Chinese President Xi Jinping, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that she hoped President Xi would help de-escalate Russia’s “irresponsible” nuclear threats.

Russia’s sabre-rattling come on the eve of President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration for a fifth presidential term.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry has said it will no longer regard Vladimir Putin as a legitimate president after his inauguration and has urged other countries and international organisations to follow suit.

However, a French diplomatic source quoted by Reuters said the French ambassador would attend the ceremony.

Germany and several other European countries have ruled out sending their envoys.

Source: BBC

Southern Cameroons Crisis: General Sagon among 3 killed in Ngoketunjia

6, May 2024

Southern Cameroons Crisis: General Sagon among 3 killed in Ngoketunjia 0

Three separatist fighters, including a key commander, were killed when government forces struck their hideout on Sunday in Cameroon’s war-torn Anglophone region of Northwest, according to local and security sources.

The crackdown, as confirmed by a military official in the region who requested not to be named, was launched in the early hours of Sunday in the Ngoketunjia division of the region.

Among those killed was a key commander who referred to himself as “General Sagon.”

“General Sagon” was among the first to take up arms in 2017 to fight the government. In 2021, he was the second in command when separatist fighters ambushed and killed 15 soldiers in a single combat in Ngoketunjia division, according to security reports by local police.

An official in the region who asked not to be named said that his physical elimination is a “major” setback to the separatist insurgency in the region.

Fighting between government forces and separatist fighters has persisted in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions of Northwest and Southwest since 2017 when separatists attempted to establish an independent nation in these regions.

Source: Xinhuanet

CPDM Crime Syndicate climbs 8 places in RSF Ranking, but Journalists still at risk

4, May 2024

CPDM Crime Syndicate climbs 8 places in RSF Ranking, but Journalists still at risk 0

Cameroon has climbed eight spots to 130th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index, according to the annual report released on Friday, May 3, by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Despite this improvement from its 138th position in the 2023 edition, RSF underscores that Cameroon remains one of Africa’s most perilous countries for journalists, despite the proliferation of media outlets, including over 600 newspapers, around 200 radio stations, and more than 60 television channels. The NGO points out that journalists operate in a hostile and uncertain environment.

RSF strongly criticizes the political pressures journalists face. The NGO states that journalists who adopt a critical and independent editorial stance are exposed to significant threats and pressures, particularly when the interests of those in power are involved. This situation is worsened by the head of state’s control over all institutions, promoting self-censorship and causing media alignment with the authorities or certain influential figures.

Journalists in Cameroon frequently encounter verbal and physical assaults, arbitrary arrests, detentions, gag orders, abductions, and risks of assassination. RSF specifically cites the tragic case of Martinez Zogo, the head of private radio station Amplitude FM, who was abducted, tortured, and found dead in January 2023. The NGO also expresses regret over the lack of decriminalization of press offenses on the agenda, as well as the absence of guarantees for access to information and source protection.

Moreover, RSF emphasizes the precarious conditions under which Cameroonian journalists, particularly those in private media, work, compromising their independence.

Each year, RSF publishes its World Press Freedom Index, evaluating the conditions under which journalism is practiced in 180 countries and territories. This year’s report reveals a significant drop in the political indicator, affecting even top-ranking countries like Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. At the bottom of the ranking, countries like Afghanistan, Syria, and Eritrea have seen their political index fall, replacing Asian nations such as China, Vietnam, and North Korea in their previous positions.

Source: sbbc

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