News

7, December 2023

Yaoundé: Gabon’s New Military Strongman meets Biya ⁰

Gabon’s military leader, General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, visited Cameroon on Wednesday, asking central African states to lift economic sanctions on his country before the 2025 elections.

When Nguema ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba in a bloodless coup on August 30, economic sanctions were imposed on the country by CEMAC, the six-nation Central Africa Economic and Monetary Community, which condemned the unconstitutional power shift and suspended Gabon.

Nguema said Wednesday that he and Cameroonian President Paul Biya discussed the possibility of lifting economic sanctions before he transfers power to constitutional rule in October 2025. Nguema said he took power to save Gabon from a long rule that ruined the country, and he wants to ensure order is brought back to Gabon before handing power to civilians.

Nguema’s visit to Cameroon ended a tour that has taken him to Chad, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo since he seized power in August.

Jean Rene Oba, an international affairs lecturer at Omar Bongo University in Gabon, said Nguema has been able to convince central African leaders that a military coup was necessary to save Gabon from the Bongo family’s long and autocratic rule that impoverished civilians and created political and ethnic tensions.

“The president of the transition, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, is totally mindful of the reality that here is no single country on earth that can live in its own bubble in the 21st century, so he started a campaign explaining the legitimacy of the action he took on behalf of the Gabonese people and I think the arguments that he has been making are very powerful and that is why we could see he is so welcomed and understood,” Oba said.

Nguema told several hundred Gabon civilians in Yaounde that he seized power to improve living conditions in their oil-producing nation because its citizens remained poor during the 56-year reign of Ali Bongo Ondimba and his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba.

Gabon’s military ruler reiterated that he would hold elections in August 2025.

He said a new constitution that is being prepared would be presented to all citizens in October 2024 and a referendum on its adoption would be held that same year.

Before the elections, Gabon’s military junta says it will fight corruption, accelerate economic reforms, ensure sustainable economic development, restore stability and revise the electoral code.

Georges Mpaga, president of Gabon’s Network of Free Society Organizations for Good Governance, said Nguema’s insistence on executing so many projects looks like a plan to hold onto power.

Mpaga said Nguema should give priority to Gabon’s supreme interest, which as of now is the quest for a return to constitutional order. He said Nguema should make sure Gabon has a constitution which grants and limits powers of government officials, and paves the way for democratic, credible, fair and transparent elections that meet international norms and standards.

Nguema said he will keep his pledge to hand over power to civilians and that he will never betray the confidence entrusted upon him by his country’s civilians and military, as well as a majority of political parties and civil society groups.

Source: VOA

4, December 2023

Journalist Martinez Zogo Affair: CPDM break-dance on display ⁰

The investigating judge in the journalist Martinez Zogo case at the Yaoundé Military Court has reportedly issued two contradictory statements with 24 hours. Cameroon Intelligence Report gathered that Justice Sikati II Kamwo Florent Aimé, is apparently under pressure from some powerful members of the ruling CPDM crime syndicate.

The Francophone judge made public a decision on Friday December 1, 2023 for the release of the so-called media-business tycoon Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga and Léopard Maxime Eko Eko, head of Cameroon’s counter-espionage service.

We understand that the lawyers for these two disgraced personalities, who have been held for nine months in Yaoundé’s Maximum Security Prison in Kondengui for complicity in the kidnapping and torture of Martinez Zogo, were meeting with the sitting Clerk at the Military tribunal to commence with the process of releasing their clients when a new document appeared on social media networks denying the release of Eko Eko and Amougou Belinga.

Justice Sikati II Kamwo Florent Aimé wrote “I have the honor of informing you that the release order circulating on social networks this afternoon is not authentic. Any decisions in these proceedings will be taken at the appropriate time.” A document was also sent to the management of the Kondengui prison, asking the chief warden not to carry out any release order.

Léopold Maxime Eko Eko and his partner in crime believed they had obtained an order for release and their family members had announced a week-long celebration. However, the current CPDM break dance means both men will remain in custody.

It seems that there is a tug-of- war going on around this tragedy which occurred in January 2023. 16 suspects have been in pre-trial detention for around nine months.

By Rita Akana in Yaoundé

4, December 2023

Francis Ngannou is Cameroon Concord Person of the Year 2023 ⁰

Cameroon Concord News Group readers have always voted for a Person of the Year annually since 1999. The winner can be an individual or a group which has deeply influenced the people of the Republic of Cameroon and Southern Cameroons over the past year.

This sought-after distinction is not an endorsement but recognition by the readers of the Concord Group. The Cameroon Concord Person of the Year 2023 is Francis Xavier Ngannou, MMA heavyweight champion who put up an exceptional performance against the world’s best, Tyson Fury, in his first boxing match.

Francis Xavier Ngannou was born in Batie, in the Western Region of Cameroon, on 5 September 1986. His parents divorced when he was six, and he lived with various extended family members in different villages and towns as he grew up.

He changed schools often, and family stability was alien to him. At nine, he started working in sand mine to earn an income to support his family. He quit school at 17 and began to plot his departure from the village. In 2012, Francis left his village for a better life in Europe. It took him three weeks to travel 3,000 miles to Morocco. His first six attempts to cross from Morocco to Spain failed, but that did not dampen his resolve.

More than seven decades before Ngannou was born, Sir Winston Churchill wrote, “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” His multiple attempts to cross the Mediterranean from Morocco to Spain would break almost every mortal, but not this Rock of Batie.

Finally, after seven attempts at crossing the Mediterranean and a 14-month journey from Cameroon, he arrived in Spain in 2013. In Spain, his dream of becoming a boxing heavyweight champion was re-born. What had been latent for so long was suddenly real.

France

After his release from temporary immigration detention in Spain, Ngannou left for Paris in the middle of 2013. After arriving in France, Ngannou slept on the streets and immediately located a gym where he trained, took his bath in the public showers and slept at the parking lot.

In the Paris boxing gym, many saw the potential in him, and his physical stature and determination were apparent. With his goal to be the boxing heavyweight champion of the world not looking easy, a friend suggested mixed martial arts (MMA) to him. At first, he did not know what Mixed Martial Art was about, and it was never a part of his dream.

Becoming a world champion in a sport he did not know it existed seemed foreign and implausible, but he decided to give the new sport a try.

MMA

Ngannou started his Mixed Martial Art (MMA) career in November 2013 and fought mainly in France, Switzerland and Bahrain under French and some relatively obscure European promotions. During this period, he amassed a record of five victories and one loss before his big breakthrough came in 2015 when he signed for the leading MMA promotion, the UFC.

During his time with the UFC, Ngannou put together 17 wins from 20 fights. Renowned for his knock-out power, Ngannou beat many former world champions in the UFC with the fearsome Stipe Miocic, formidable Curtis Blaydes and dangerous Ciryl Gane among his victims in the Octagon.

Despite his vast global appeal and success at bringing in millions of dollars to the UFC, the promotions’ tier structure of low, medium, and high means some fighters earn as low as $10,000 per fight, whilst a select few in the highest tier may take home as much as $3,000,000 per fight. These figures pale in comparison to what elite boxers and MMA fighters under rival promotions earn per fight.

After failing to persuade Ngannou to remain with the UFC, on 14 January 2023, the UFC Heavyweight Championship was stripped from him.

After he left the UFC, in an interview with renowned sports journalist, Ariel Helwani, Ngannou stated that he had requested health insurance and the freedom for all UFC fighters to have their own sponsorships and fighter advocates present during contract negotiations. Still, the UFC vehemently refused this trailblazing request.

On 16 May 2023, Ngannou signed a multi-million-dollar, multi-fight deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL), giving him more freedom to compete in boxing. In his PFL contract, Ngannou also negotiated on behalf of his opponents, guaranteeing them at least $2 million per fight. It is a commendable initiative and a true reflection of the man.

Challenging Tyson Fury Fight

On 28 November 2023, Ngannou debuted professionally against the boxing heavy-weight champion, Tyson Fury, in a “Battle of the Baddest” fight. After knocking down Fury in the third round, he lost the fight controversially on the judges’ scorecard. Many boxing pundits and former boxing champions believe that he won the fight. Since that boxing debut, he has been ranked number 10 by the WBC. Ten years after swimming against the dangerous and unforgiving tides of the Mediterranean to seek a better life in the West, Francis Ngannou is now a global phenomenon. Better gym equipment, training techniques, and superior coaches have helped the poor boy from Batie with huge ambition to realize his dream.

Role Model

Recently, there has been a massive deficiency of fighting men representing African countries globally. Men of African descent have all represented their adopted Western nations, but Ngannou has stayed true to the Cameroon flag. He flies to his village after his fights. He is the people’s champion, and his success inspires young people around Africa and beyond. He is winning hearts and minds with his humble attitude and outreach.

Global stardom has changed Ngannou’s bank account and significantly increased his social media following, but humility, charity, and politeness are still plenty in his armoury.

Francis has galvanized young Cameroonian and African men in a way not seen for more than a generation. Ngannou does not lose his nerve under pressure, understands that he is now a role model, and considers that a privilege and responsibility. His refusal to engage in the customary abusive dialectal during press conferences before professional fights is an example that many find inspiring and we of this media outlet consider tremendously commendable. He now has millions worldwide following him on social media and looking up to him, and he understands what that means.

He is determined not to let them and his family down. Global fame has not changed his values, and a recent photo in his mother’s dilapidated kitchen in his village is touching and inspirational.

Cameroon Concord News Group notes that Francis Ngannou, who has propelled himself into an inspiration to many minds in his native Cameroon and beyond, relies on a unique upbringing from his mother and grandmother to meet the current moment. He is well-mannered, but underneath, he possesses a burning desire to be the best in the world at his craft. Those who know him best say Ngannou lives a Spartan life: he trains, he rests, and he trains again. He lives in Las Vegas, but the Vegas nightlife does not appeal to him.

He represents the best to come out of Cameroon. Global stardom has not diminished his performance on the big stage. If anything, this six-foot juggernaut is getting better with age and international exposure. Today, Cameroon Concord News Group is singing rightfully earned praises of this fighting machine and reminding everyone of his never-die spirit and attitude.

In 2012, Ngannou travelled treacherously from Cameroon to Spain through the Sahara desert, Morocco and the Mediterranean. He survived inexpressible abuse on the way and in Morocco. Still, his indefatigability meant he kept his head up, and the little boy who worked in the sand mine at nine has now realized his dream of becoming a world champion. And to say he got to the top the hard way is an understatement.

Whether one looks at the story of Francis Ngannou as an educator to pick up material to weave for the benefit of an audience or as a young man inspired with hope by its content, the story is, of course, not entirely written yet. At 37, Francis Ngannou has a rich package of muscles and the ability to be the first man to become a world heavy-weight champion in Mixed Martial Arts and boxing. He has the world under his feet and possesses the temperament and aptitude to be the best version of himself.

For his bravery in successfully negotiating the hazardous journey from Central Africa to Europe through the dangerous Sahara desert, for reminding those in despair and poverty all over Africa that being born in lack and hopelessness is a temporary and not a permanent condition, for teaching humankind that hard work and determination will take one to any goals they set, for empowering millions of young men around the globe with his energy, fighting spirit, captivating life story and for his performance in the boxing match against lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, the readers of this publication have overwhelmingly voted for Francis Xavier Ngannou as the Cameroon Concord Person of the Year 2023.

By Isong Asu, Cameroon Concord News Group, London Bureau Chief

3, December 2023

Martinez Zogo Affair: Confusion over release of Amougou Belinga and Eko Eko ⁰

Nearly 11 months after the assassination of Cameroonian radio host Martinez Zogo, the state scandal that it triggered continues to shake the nation.

On Friday morning (Nov. 01), the prime suspects in the murder of the late 50-year journalist were set to be released.

A document allegedly issued by the military court of Yaoundé ordered the provisional release of Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga and Léopold Maxime Eko Eko.

Examining magistrate of the Yaoundé military court, Lieutenant-Colonel Florent Aimé Sikati II Kamwo, on Friday supposedly considered that there was insufficient evidence to justify their continued detention.

Counter-intelligence boss Eko Eko and tycoon Amougou Belinga have been detained at Yaoundé’s Kondengui prison for months. In March, they were charged with torture.

Late on Friday, a missive indicated that documents issued earlier in the day, couldn’t be trusted.

A letter penned by the government commissioner read that the order of the examining magistrate of the military court granting release to the suspects in Martinez Zogo’s murder was a forgery.

The lawyers of counter-intelligence boss Eko Eko expressed disbelief as they await new developments.

What charges?

The businessman and the head of the Direction générale de la recherche extérieure (DGRE) are accused of having played a role in the death of the director of radio Amplitude FM, whose tortured body was discovered on the outskirts of Yaoundé in January. Zogo had not been missing for five days before his remains were located January 22 near Soa, a suburb of Yaoundé.

Léopold Maxime Eko Eko is suspected of “having provoked in any way whatsoever the torture of Martinez Zogo or given instructions to commit it”, in the words of the examining magistrate. In the course of the investigation, the intelligence chief was questioned several times on the substance of the case. In particular, he was confronted by his sole accuser, Justin Danwe, as well as several agents working within the DGRE at the time of the events.

Among the incriminating elements that interested the investigators: the holding of a meeting during which Léopold Maxime Eko Eko, Justin Danwe and several DGRE technicians allegedly listened to an audio tape attributed to Martinez Zogo, in which he allegedly made defamatory remarks about the head of the intelligence services.

In the minutes of the release order, quoted by jeune Afrique, the magistrates noted that Eko Eko, Danwe and the witnesses cited had assured them “that a meeting had never been held at the situation center with the journalist Martinez Zogo as the subject”.

Outrage over Zogo’s murder

The murder of Salomon Mbani Zogo better known as Martinez Zogo left many shocked in Cameroon as NGOs continued to call out violations of press freedom and freedom of speech.

The man in his fifties was the host of popular daily radio show, Embouteillage or Gridlock in English. On the air, he regularly tackled cases of corruption and alleged embezzlement, not hesitating to question important personalities by name. Amougou Belinga was one of them. The businessman is reputedly a friend of several ministers.

Fellow journalists paid their respects to Zogo and called for an investigation which Cameroonian President Paul Biya ordered on Thursday, February 2. The probe into the abduction and subsequent brutal killing of the journalist led to the arrests of Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga and Léopold Maxime Eko Eko.

Reporters without Borders alleged that “the outcome of the investigations [remained] very uncertain as the affair’s ramifications reach up to the highest level of the state while the political environment [was] described by several local sources as verging on insurrection.”

Source: Africa News

1, December 2023

Over 20,000 Southern Cameroons refugees seek asylum in Nigeria ⁰

About 20,000 refugees who fled the Republic of Cameroon are presently seeking asylum in Taraba State following the crisis rocking the Nigeria North-Western and South-Western regions of the Central African country.

The Cameroonians have been camping in five local government areas of the state, including Kurmi, Gashaka, Sardauna, Takum and Ussa.

The refugees had appealed to the Taraba State and Federal Government to assist in alleviating their sufferings.

Although worried about the security crisis rocking the state, the Taraba Governor, Agbu Kefas, has assured the refugees of their safety and protection pending the return of peace in their country.

Represented by his Deputy in a recent meeting, the governor promised to do his best to foster peaceful coexistence between the two neighbours.

The meeting is expected to draw recommendations that will facilitate a seamless integration of humanitarian services to refugees and vulnerable community members in line with global best practices on refugees.

Source: Dailypost

30, November 2023

Cameroon Concord Person of the Year 2023: polling is now closed ⁰

Cameroon Concord News Group has honoured a Person of the Year annually since 1999. The winner is an individual or any group that has deeply influenced the people of Cameroun and Southern Cameroons over the past year. The winner of this coveted award is made public on the first day of December every year, and a profile of the winner accompanies the release. The winner must have affected the news in these countries constructively or in an undesirable way. This sought-after distinction is not an endorsement but a recognition by the readers of this publication.

Past winners of the award include Cameroon football legend Samuel Eto’o, Bishop Emeritus Francis Teke Lisinge, the Southern Cameroons leader President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, Archbishop Andrew Nkea the Metropolitan Archbishop of the Bamenda Ecclesiastical Province, former Nigerian head of state Goodluck Jonathan and French Cameroun despot Paul Biya.

The results of the 2023 poll are now closed, and the Editorial Board of this publication is immensely grateful to the over 31,000 readers who participated in this poll. Our London Bureau Chief, Isong Asu, is working on a striking profile of the Cameroon Concord News Group Person of the Year 2023. From our office in London, UK, this paper and its sister publications will make public the name of the Cameroon Concord News Group Person of the Year 2023 winner tomorrow, the first day of December 2023. Stay tuned!

By Staff lady Chi Prudence Asong

30, November 2023

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger dies aged 100 ⁰

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who played a pivotal and polarising role in US foreign policy during the Cold War, has died at the age of 100.

He served as America’s top diplomat and national security adviser during the Nixon and Ford administrations.

Despite leaving office in the mid-1970s, he continued to be consulted by generations of leaders for decades.

The German-born former diplomat died at his home in Connecticut.

Former US President George W Bush led tributes, saying the US had “lost one of the most dependable and distinctive voices on foreign affairs”.

Meanwhile, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair described him as an artist of diplomacy, saying Kissinger was motivated by “a genuine love of the free world and the need to protect it”.

President Richard Nixon’s daughters, Tricia Nixon Cox and Julie Nixon Eisenhower, said that Kissinger’s life story was “so unique – and so thoroughly American”.

“Henry Kissinger will long be remembered for his many achievements in advancing the cause of peace,” the statement said. “But it was his character that we will never forget.”

Born in Germany in 1923, the school teacher’s son first came to the US in 1938 when his family fled the Nazis. He never quite lost his native Bavarian accent.

He became a US citizen in 1943 and went on to serve three years in the US Army and later in the Counter Intelligence Corps.

After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a PhD, he taught international relations at Harvard.

In 1969, then-President Nixon appointed him national security adviser, a position that gave him enormous sway over US foreign policy.

His eight years as both national security adviser and secretary of state between 1969-77 saw the US finally end its involvement in the Vietnam War, open up relations with China and bring about a cessation of hostilities in the 1973 Yom Kippur War in the Middle East between Egypt and Syria on the one hand and Israel on the other. It was an effort that created the whole idea of shuttle diplomacy.

Kissinger with Zhou Enlai — Image caption,Kissinger with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in 1971

Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel, which is currently at war with Hamas, paid tribute to Kissinger’s work on the peace agreement with Egypt, posting on social media that “the entire family of nations is blessed to this day by the fruits of the historic processes he led”.

In China – where Kissinger enjoyed enduring popularity – news of his death was soon trending on Weibo, a social media platform.

China News’ obituary referred to him as “an old friend of the Chinese people”.

China Central Television called him “a legendary diplomat” and “living fossil”, who had played an important role in US-China relations.

Over the years, however, Kissinger was also subject to scathing criticism from those who accused him of putting rivalry with the Soviet Union over human rights and supporting repressive regimes across the world, including Augusto Pinochet in Chile.

Anger over several of his policies, including on Cambodia and Argentina, followed him even in death. Rolling Stone has published his obituary under the headline “Henry Kissinger, War Criminal Beloved by America’s Ruling Class, Finally Dies” and the left-leaning Huffpost has splashed “The Beltway Butcher” over a photo of him on its home page.

Kissinger, however, was dismissive of criticism.

“That’s a reflection of their ignorance,” the gravel-voiced statesman told CBS in an interview shortly before his 100th birthday.

In 1973, he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize alongside North Vietnam’s Le Duc Tho, who refused to accept.

The award led to two members of the Nobel committee resigning.

Kissinger flying to the Middle East — Image caption,Kissinger’s Middle East peace efforts became known as ‘shuttle diplomacy’

While Kissinger left government service in 1977, he continued to be a prolific commentator on public affairs. His counsel was sought by a dozen US presidents – from John F Kennedy to Joe Biden – as well as by lawmakers.

Notably, Kissinger is also the only American to have dealt directly with every Chinese leader from Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping.

He also served on the boards of various companies and was a fixture of foreign policy and security forums, as well as penning 21 books.

Even after turning 100, Kissinger kept up an active life, including a surprise visit this July to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the aged statesman was feted despite a chill in relations between China and the US.

The visit irked the White House and prompted National Security Council spokesman John Kirby to lament that “it’s unfortunate that a private citizen” had access to Chinese leaders while the US government did not.

During an interview with ABC on a book tour in July 2022 – when he was 99 – Kissinger was asked whether he would take back any of his decisions.

“I’ve been thinking about these problems all my life. It’s my hobby as well as my occupation,” he said. “And so the recommendations I made were the best of which I was then capable.”

He is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Nancy Maginnes Kissinger, as well as by two children, Elizabeth and David, from a previous marriage and five grandchildren.

Source: BBC

29, November 2023

Cameroon Military Drone Cameras Spy Biafra Separatist Fighters in Bakassi ⁰

Spy drone cameras suspected to belong to Cameroon elite military unit, the Rapid d’intervention Battalions, BIR, were seen flying round Atabong East area of Bakassi Peninsula in the morning at 9am on Wednesday 29 November, 2023.

Eye witness confirmed that the spy drone headed towards the oil quarters near the Atabong high sea where separatists have held for some days with attacks and counter attacks.

A week ago, the Black Marine, a militant group believed to be members of the Biafra Nations League, BnL, took control of the quarters after a gun battle that lasted for 3hours , it was reported that Cameroonian Forces retreated and launched a counter offensive two days after on the Black Marine forcing the militants to flee, 24hours later, another militant group Dragon Fighter Marine retaliated the attack on the Black Marine with explosives, blowing a military gunboat and killing two BIR.

Source: Igberetvnews

29, November 2023

Dortmund association celebrates 25th anniversary with international conference ⁰

25 years of Africa Positive

Dortmund-based association celebrates its 25th anniversary with the conference “Sustainable development and the role of the media – changing perspectives between Africa and Europe”. The conference took place on the 18th November 2023

The conference focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in 2015, which aim to achieve peace and prosperity for all humanity by 2030 as part of an action plan.

The current situation regarding efforts to achieve these goals and further developments from a European and African perspective were discussed in presentations and working groups.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Oluseyi Soremekun from the United Nations Information Centre in Nigeria, called for a strong political will from the so-called developing countries to implement the goals. National governments must not only translate improvements into words, but also into action. He also called for better representation of developing countries in international politics.

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Scheffran from the University of Hamburg stated that six (of nine) so-called planetary boundaries had been reached. As all of the world’s major problems are interlinked, politics must focus on the “global whole”. The significance of national borders was becoming less important. So-called tipping points in political decisions would irreversibly steer developments in one direction or another. Scheffran went on to say that North-South cooperation was particularly important when it came to climate change. We must not play off against each other here – this is also linked to the causes of flight.

Nathalie Yamb, a pan-Africanist from Switzerland, called on African governments to initially only utilise the continent’s resources on the African continent and only sell them to other parts of the world if they are not needed in Africa.

The debate in these working groups focussed on two main questions: How have the corona pandemic and the war in Ukraine affected the implementation of SDGs? How should global goals such as SDGs be implemented in a world where there is no uniform monopoly on the use of force and where power is unfairly distributed?

During the discussion, it became clear that the first question has the answer in the second question. Unfairly distributed power relations have led to resource-rich countries in Africa being asked by countries such as Germany to mine more coal, for example, which diverts the focus away from global sustainability goals.

Another important point of discussion was that the world, especially the major powers, use their advantages in the world for their own national interests, usually at the expense of sustainable development goals. Connections between national and global goals are ignored, as are crisis situations.

As the global community in the form of the United Nations (UN) has no monopoly on the use of force, sustainable development cannot be enforced on a global scale. Against this background, the new, emerging multipolar world order was seen as problematic in some cases. At the same time, most participants were of the opinion that countries in Africa could have a better chance of protecting and asserting their own interests in the multipolar world order. There was a broad consensus that the multipolar world needs rules in order to be able to treat national and global interests fairly.

Africa Positive, one of the oldest and most successful African organizations in Germany, celebrated its 25th anniversary at its birthplace, TU Dortmund University, with numerous prominent guests and participants from African countries, Germany and Switzerland. Around 130 people took part in the international conference “Sustainable development and the role of the media – changing perspectives between Africa and Europe”.

Among the guests were well-known personalities from politics and other areas of public life: Thomas Westphal, Lord Mayor of the City of Dortmund, Mayor Barbara Brunsing, Police Commissioner Gregor Lange, former Mayor Ullrich Sierau, keynote speaker Dr Oluseyi Soremekun from the United Nations Information Centre in Lagos, Nigeria, Prof. Dr Jürgen Scheffran from the University of Hamburg and members of the state parliament Anja Butschkau and Volker Baran as well as Astrid Müller from the Foundation for Environment and Development NRW.

About Africa Positive e.V.

Africa Positive e.V. was founded 25 years ago by computer science student Veye Tatah from Cameroon at TU Dortmund University. Initially, the magazine of the same name was at the centre of the association’s work. The name “Africa Positive” refers to an important motivation for the magazine – the conviction that the African continent offers a lot of positive perspectives, especially when negative developments are specifically named. At the same time, it was hoped that differentiated reporting would help to break down prejudices against Africa and its people, facilitate dialogue at eye level and highlight its innovative strength.

Today, Africa Positive supports numerous intercultural activities and various projects in the areas of media work, development policy, youth work, integration, science and education.

In November 2018, the Africa Institute for Media, Migration And Development (AIMMAD) was founded for educational and research issues. Its work focuses on “journalism in a global context”.

28, November 2023

8 killed in Bafoussam-Foumban highway accident ⁰

At least eight people were killed and several others injured in a road accident in Cameroon’s West region on Tuesday, local police and authorities said.

A speeding passenger bus lost control and collided with an oncoming truck along the Bafoussam-Foumban highway, killing eight people at the scene, the local police said.

State media Cameroon Tribune reported that those injured were rushed to a local hospital for treatment. Police have launched an investigation to establish the cause of the incident.

According to the police, fatal accidents are common in Cameroon due to reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, drunk driving, and poor state of the road.

The Ministry of Transport estimates that 1,500 people die in road accidents each year in the Central African nation.

Source: Xinhuanet