Four United Nations (UN) peacekeepers were killed in central Mali on Wednesday after their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by suspected militants.

The UN mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, said in a statement that the casualties occurred when a convoy of peacekeepers hit the device along a road in the Mopti region.

“We have just received information from the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali indicating that a UN military vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device on the Boni-Douentza axis, in the region of Mopti in Mali. Preliminary reports indicate that four peacekeepers were killed and four others were wounded. Medical evacuations are currently ongoing,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

‘Undeterred’

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “strongly condemned” the IED attack and said such attacks targeting UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.

“These cowardly acts will not deter MINUSMA’s determination to support the Malian authorities in their efforts to protect civilians and accompany the Malian people in their quest for peace and stability,” the UN chief added.

The Wednesday roadside attack came a day after six Malian soldiers were killed when their vehicle struck a mine in the Segou region. A forest ranger was also gunned down in another incident blamed on militants.

‘Cornered’

Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist groups in Mali have been carrying out increasingly deadly attacks on domestic and foreign forces in the African country, raising security concerns.

But the head of the MINUSMA has said the increased attacks are because the terrorists have come under intensified pressure.

“MINUSMA is currently upgrading its security presence in central Mali,” Mali mission chief Mahamat Saleh Annadif said. “Cornered, the terrorists are multiplying their attacks.”

More than 11,000 UN peacekeepers have been deployed to Mali since 2013 to counter terrorist attacks and general lawlessness.

In late January, 14 soldiers were killed and 18 more wounded in an attack on their camp in Mali’s restive northern regions.

Extremists linked to al-Qaeda took control of the desert north of Mali in early 2012 but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

In June 2015, Mali’s government signed a peace agreement with coalitions of non-militant armed groups. But extremists still remain active in the area, and large tracts of the West African country are lawless.

Source: Presstv

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Adamu Baba Abubakar, at the instruction of the Chief of Army Staff(COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai, held an elaborate security stakeholders meeting on the 27th of February, 2018 at the 245 Reconnaissance Battalion at Ikom, Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State. The meeting is to confirm/assess the reported occasional security threats at the border areas between Nigeria and Cameroon with the view to addressing the situation. The GOC, on behalf of the COAS, thanked the various security agencies for their efforts in ensuring peace and security of all Nigerian citizens at the border areas in the midst of the reported/recorded security threats. He used the opportunity to urge the leaders and youths of the affected communities not take laws into their hands, remain law abiding and endeavor to report any security infraction to available security organization close to them.

General Abubakar reiterated the resolve of the Nigerian government to protecting lives and properties of her citizens and the capacity of the Nigerian Armed Forces to defend the territorial integrity of the country at all times. Present at the meeting include the Commander 13 Brigade Brigadier General I Isah, Commander Military Intelligence Brigade Colonel Kingsley Nwoko, Commanding Officer 245 Battalion Colonel Solomon Diwa, a member Cross River State House of Assembly representing Boki Local Government Area Dr. Mrs Abang, the Chairmen of Boki, Ikom, Etung and Obubra Local Government Areas, Commissioner of Police, State Director of Security Services Cross River State and other heads of paramilitary organisations in the State as well as traditional rulers of the affected border communities.

The representative of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC), UNHRC Sub – Office Calabar Mr Josiah Kolleh Flomo also graced and made a brief at the meeting. Two important highlights of the event was the briefs made by the various commanders and heads of security agencies to the GOC and a visit to Ajasso – Etung – Mfum border with Cameroon in Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State.

Culled from prnigeria.com

Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky says her extramarital affair that led to the impeachment of Former US President Bill Clinton “was not sexual assault,” but “constituted a gross abuse of power.”

The 44-year-old made the comment in a report published by the Vanity Fair magazine on Tuesday, reflecting on events after the #MeToomovement born in the wake of the allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

“There are even some people who feel my White House experiences don’t have a place in this movement, as what transpired between Bill Clinton and myself was not sexual assault, although we now recognize that it constituted a gross abuse of power,” Lewinsky said.

“Now, at 44, I’m beginning to consider the implications of the power differentials that were so vast between a president and a White House intern,” she added.

Clinton, then 49, and 22-year-old Lewinsky started a sexual relationship in 1995 in the White House, and the affair came to light in 1998.

Lewinsky admitted she had sexual encounters with Clinton on nine occasions, until March 1997 and alleged that First Lady Hillary Clinton was at the White House during many of those incidents.

The Lewinsky scandal led to the impeachment of Clinton in the House of Representatives on December 19, 1998. Clinton was acquitted by the Senate in 1999 over his affair with Lewinsky and remained in power until 2002.

In the Tuesday report, Lewinsky said she had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of being “publicly outed and ostracized,” after the scandal and lauded the #MeToo movement for providing “the safety that comes from solidarity.”

Lewinsky further said she had been rethinking the issue of consent in her affair with the former US president back in 1998 and that she had “limited understanding of the consequences” at the time.

“I’m beginning to entertain the notion that in such a circumstance the idea of consent might well be rendered moot, although power imbalances – and the ability to abuse them – do exist even when the sex has been consensual,” she said.

“He was my boss. He was the most powerful man on the planet. He was 27 years my senior, with enough life experience to know better. He was, at the time, at the pinnacle of his career, while I was in my first job out of college,” Lewinsky added.

The former White House intern concluded that “none of the above excuses me for my responsibility for what happened. I meet regret every day.”

Her comments were made in the wake of growing allegations of sexual misconduct against powerful figures in Hollywood as well as the world of politics.

Campaigners and rights activists stress that many victims of sexual abuse and exploitation decline to report the incident due to fear, shame, and worry about damage to their career.

Sexual allegations against disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein initially sparked the latest wave of sexual harassment and assault revelations in various industries, including in the media and politics.

The US is specifically struggling to deal with a series of sexual abuse scandals that have raised doubts about how institutions, including the church, sports teams and the news media respond to those vulnerable to abuse.

At least 16 women have so far come forward to accuse the incumbent US President Donald Trump of sexual misconduct. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and the White House has called his accusers liars.

Source: Presstv

As days go by, the Southern Cameroons crisis that has put Cameroon in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons is taking a turn for the worse. Over the last weeks, Southern Cameroonian fighters have changed their strategy from killing soldiers and gendarmes to kidnapping senior administrative officers, in the hope that they will create a huge impact on a government that is noted for its do-nothing attitude.

Over the last two weeks, the Batibo Divisional Officer and Social Affairs delegate have been kidnapped and taken to the jungle where they are living wild and rough. In Manyu Division, senior CPDM officers have had to face the wrath of Southern Cameroonian fighters. A senior official of the CPDM in the Upper Bayang Sub-division was visited and his car was burnt.

Similarly, many local chiefs in Manyu and Ndian Divisions are on the run as the people have resorted to attacking them. They are accused of being government pawns and have collaborated with the corrupt Yaounde government to rob the people of their freedom and wealth. This series of events is not only frustrating to many families, especially those of the kidnapped administrative officers, but also to the government which has been unable to put the determined Southern Cameroonian fighters out of business.

Today, many administrative officers in Southern Cameroons are living in fear. Ambazonian Tigers have struck fear into them and many are not living a normal life as they are permanently looking over their shoulders. Regardless of the heavy presence of troops in Southern Cameroons, most administrative officers hold that the government can never provide them with the type of security they need to operate normally. Besides, they understand that corruption, divisions and frustration are making it hard for the country’s defense forces to effectively play their role.

Within the military, there are different schools of thought regarding how the Southern Cameroons crisis should be addressed and this is making it hard for the government to beat a more determined Southern Cameroons army that has proven that it can punch well above its class.

These divisions and frustrations in the military can be seen in an anonymous letter written to the president by some disappointed soldiers about issues facing current efforts to roll back Southern Cameroons fighters who have been making huge gains in the North West and South West regions.

“We are advising you that there is disorder and non-compliance with the instructions given by the field operations hierarchy in the two regions in crisis. The decisions taken by the higher military hierarchy are not implemented by those expected to implement them in the field, especially in the Southwest region where the instructions of General Sali are not respected by the commander of operations, Colonel Ousmanou, who by flouting these instructions, is putting our forces at risk where they are killed by the separatists. This way of acting has already encouraged or facilitated the secessionists to kill some of our troops and seize our equipment (weapons and ammunition). During meetings of the General Staff chaired by the Manyu Divisional Officer, Colonel Ousmanou is always against everyone, sometimes urging the prosecutor of the republic to support ideas relating to the respect of human rights. He declares that the President of the Republic and his government in Yaoundé must find a political and non-military solution to this crisis and that he will never accept that a man under his command use his weapon against anyone,” the memo said.

The memo adds that “Other senior officers are engaged in maintaining and protecting the underground economy that sustains and supports the enemy camp. Colonels Ntsama and Ngongang are engaged in despicable acts that do not honor our military. They are involved in the breaking of shops in Ekok, and other localities of Manyu, carting with them freezers, money and other property. Any questions from a subordinate in this regard always result in the subordinate’s redeployment further into the zone or he is given a harsh punishment.”

This does not only reveal that there are cracks on Mr. Biya’s wall. It is also a clear demonstration that the Southern Cameroons crisis is causing the government to implode. Southern Cameroonians have succeeded to split the military and even the ruling party is gradually falling apart. Their corrupt practices are being exposed by some of theirs who have elected anonymity. The huge pain and death left by Ambazonian fighters’ attacks on the country’s military are gradually splitting the Francophone population that was for a long time indifferent to what was happening in Southern Cameroons.

Over the last three months, Southern Cameroonian fighters have been giving the country a good run for its money and this has given the government a black eye. The government, which has refused all appeals for dialogue, has seen its reputation eroded, and this is making many analysts to hold that the government will come back on its word. The government had already branded Southern Cameroonian restorationists as terrorists and based on the declarations of fascists elements within the regime, the government will never negotiate with those it considers as terrorists.

This new strategy of kidnapping senior administrative officials is designed to put an enormous amount of pressure on the aging and ailing government for it to release Southern Cameroonian leaders who had been abducted and extradited to Cameroon where they have been held incommunicado for almost two months. The extradition has angered many Southern Cameroonians, especially the fighters.

Currently, Southern Cameroonian fighters hold that the more administrative officials they hold, the greater their chances to get their leaders released. They have therefore sent word all over the place that any administrative officer operating in Southern Cameroons is a target. There are even prices on the heads of some administrative officers such the governor of the Southwest region, Okala Bilai, who has been judged in absentia by the Southern Cameroons people’s court and has been sentenced to death.

It is being secretly said that anyone who kills the southwest governor will be given about US$20,000. He is being charged with describing Southern Cameroonians as dogs and AmbazoniansTigers have clearly stated that such a crime must be punished, and death is a befitting punishment for the crime.

Another administrative officer who is in the cross-hairs of the Ambazonian Tigers is the Manyu Senior Divisional Officer who had issued a press release that caused many residents of Manyu to quit their homes to seek refuge in neighboring Nigeria which is playing host today to over 50,000 Cameroonian refugees.

Fear has gripped the entire Southern Cameroons and the country’s leaders in Yaounde are losing sleep. This new atmosphere has been  captured in a press release issued by the Manager of the South West Regional Station of the CRTV which drew the government’s attention to a possible takeover of Buea, the Southern Cameroons capital, by Ambazonian fighters.

The release stated that “I wish to draw your attention to the fact that an unidentified person called my collaborator, Ms. Charline FloreDemgne, Chief of Service for programmes and information at Mount Cameroon FM, on Monday, February 26, 2018 at 7am.

His message was frightful; that they are coming to Buea to kidnap the Divisional Officer for Buea, the Governor and take over CRTV.

I,therefore, appeal to you to reinforce security at CRTV South West and put the whole city on alert.”

This desperation is a clear representation of the mood across the country. Government authority has been chipped off by small, but important events. In Kembong a small town some 10 km Mamfe, the Manyu Divisional headquarters, workers of timber companies were kidnapped and given strict others on what to do. Their heavy equipment was burnt, and the workers released, although one of them was not lucky. He was sent to an early grave for reasons that are not yet known.

Though there are rumors about the presence of French soldiers in Manyu Division, Ambazonian Tigers have said the French will surely meet their Waterloo in Kembong where it is believed to have been stationed. Speaking to the Cameroon Concord News Group, a captain in the Ambazonian Tigers said “the French are looking for someone to kill them and we will do just that. We are not scared of anybody. We are determined to regain our land and we will stop at nothing to achieve that goal. Mr. Biya can bring the entire European military to Southern Cameroons, but we will never be defeated.”

A lot is happening in Cameroon. The country’s leader is missing in action. For many weeks now, he has not been seen regularly in public and there is rumor that his cancer and failing heart have reduced his ability to government the country.

With all what is happening, Mr. Biya and his inner circle are at their wit’s end. Violence has not been able to intimidate Southern Cameroonians into submission. Southern Cameroonians have proven that military action alone will not solve the problem. Though government officials have been saying they will not negotiate with terrorists, it is clear that they will be doing that very soon, as Southern Cameroonians are determined to win back their independence. The Southern Cameroonian Diaspora is making good on its promise to provide arms to the pool of willing fighters back home that is inflicting pain on the country’s military.

From every indication, things are turning out badly for the government. Families of soldiers killed in Southern Cameroons have begun asking questions and the war itself is becoming very expensive for the government. Mr. Biya and his government have to sue for peace. They haveto reconcile with the Southern Cameroonian Diaspora.

The Southern Cameroons Diaspora is rich and it has made its influence felt in Cameroon. The Yaounde government is frustrated and does not know how it can rein in a Diaspora that has transformed marginalization into an opportunity. The government must seek ways to work with this Diaspora. It must look for ways to bring some key elements of the Anglophone Diaspora to the country’s governing bodies. Without such compromises, the country will never be stable. With more than three million Southern Cameroonians out of the country, it is clear that Cameroon is in for very tough times. It is time to talk peace and any discussions must include the Southern Cameroonian Diaspora. Cameroon has been caught in a downward spiral. If the government does not change its policies and strategies regarding this crisis, it might be swept away by  a crisis that has become as violent as a tornado.

By Kinsley Betek and Fosuh Tamajung in Bamenda, with contributions from Rita Akana and Ebong Ngole in Buea

CALABAR—MFUM, a border community in Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River State has come under attack by soldiers from Cameroon, leaving three fishermen dead and two others with bullet wounds. A resident of the area, Okpa Ekpe, told Vanguard on phone that the attack was an onslaught by soldiers from that country who are in pursuit of separatists agitating for Ambazonia Republic, a country for the Anglophone people who are in the south west part of Cameroon.

The eye witness said the attack lasted about three hours in the morning of Sunday and caught the fishermen who went out to the river to fish early in the day unawares. “The shooting was intense and mainly directed to the Nigerian side of the Mfum border and lasted for about three hours.

The Cameroon soldiers have been doing this occasionally since the agitation for independence by the South West people of Cameroon increased.” Captain Kolawole Owolabi, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Army in Calabar could not be reached as his phone was switched off but Ms Irene Ugbo, the Police Public Relations Officer of Cross River Police Command, when contacted said she was not aware of any attack.

Source: www.vanguardngr.com