News

25, May 2017

UN Secretary General opens channel of communication on safety of journalists ⁰

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres takes concrete steps on safety of journalists issue, setting up a channel for communication in emergency cases and to better coordinate UN bodies. The office of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres decided to establish a direct and continuing channel of communication with a coalition of press freedom organizations on journalism safety. Guterres made this decision following a February 2017 meeting with Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières – RSF), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), on behalf of the #ProtectJournalists coalition. The Secretary-General’s decision comes at a particularly dangerous period for journalists in many countries.

RSF, CPJ, and WAN-IFRA have been campaigning through the #ProtectJournalists campaign for the creation of a new position in the UN in order to implement international law regarding journalists’ safety. The #ProtectJournalists coalition has been in a dialogue with the Secretary-General’s senior staff to ensure that this direct communication channel will allow mobilization at the highest levels of the UN system to respond to emergency cases, and to ensure better coordination among the UN agencies, funds, and programs, as recommended by the UN Plan of Action.

“Secretary-General Guterres told us that he wanted to take immediate action to improve the safety of journalists on the ground and that his closest team will work towards this goal. In a second time, he will continue to consider our initial recommendation to appoint a UN Special Representative for the safety of journalists supported by a worldwide coalition of NGOs, media outlets, journalists and prominent public figures,” said RSF Secretary-General Christophe Deloire. “We deeply appreciate his commitment on this topic, and the decision he has already taken. The world’s major problems, from environmental issues to extremist violence, cannot be resolved without the work of journalists.”

“At a time of unprecedented threats to journalists around the world, we are grateful for the commitments made by the Secretary General to continue to speak out about the importance of the press around the world and to open a permanent channel of communication around emergency cases,” said Joel Simon, Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists.

RSF and members of the #ProtectJournalists coalition will put in place a process to gather and relay emergency cases directly to the UN Secretariat. In the coming weeks, RSF will chair a consultation including international and local press freedom organizations to consider the best process for referring cases, so that cases can be referred to the Secretary-General as soon as possible.

Five hundred and eighty journalists and media assistants have been killed worldwide since the adoption of the UN Plan of Action in 2012, according to RSF research. Impunity remains the norm, with full justice in only three percent of journalist murders in the past decade, according to CPJ analysis.

Pauline ADES-MEVEL

REPORTERS SANS FRONTIÈRES/ REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS

24, May 2017

Filthy and inhumane: Biya regime bans Amnesty International press conference ⁰

Police banned a press conference today in Yaoundé organized by the Amnesty International office for West and Central Africa. The officials of the renowned body were surprised at the Biya’s regime reaction and informed press men and women that they had respected all legal procedures but “We are extremely surprised at the ban on this press conference,” said Aliuone Tine, Amnesty International’s regional director for West and Central Africa, facing a dozen policemen in uniform including some elements from the Secret Service.

Cameroon Concord News understands Amnesty International intended to present to the media a petition which recorded more than 300,000 signatures worldwide, through which thousands of people asked the 84 year old dictator President Biya for the release of three students each sentenced to 10 years in jail, for circulating a joke on Boko Haram, by SMS

The three Cameroonian students were convicted of non-denunciation of terrorist acts on the 2^nd of November 2016 and 310,000 people around the world are asking the Cameroonian authorities to release these students and allow them to join their families for them to realize their dream of being able to continue their studies and find a job. Among the signatories of the petition are celebrities like Patrick Mboma, a Cameroonian football legend.

In December 2014, Fomusoh Ivo received an SMS saying, “Boko Haram recruits young people from 14 years. Conditions of recruitment: 4 GCE subjects including religion “. According to Amnesty International, his friend’s SMS was meant to highlight the difficulty of finding a good job without a diploma, and suggested, in the tone of the joke, that included the armed group, Boko Haram.

The young Fomusoh, forwarded this message to Afuh Nivelle Nfor, who then sent it to Azah Lewis Gob. These three young people were charged on 3 March 2015, under the Penal Code and the Cameroonian Military Justice Code.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Sama Ernest

24, May 2017

Biafran secessionist protestors arrested in Nigeria ⁰

Nigeria arrested 55 members of a Biafran separatist movement during protests in the oil-rich south-east, police said. Secessionist sentiment simmered in the region since the Biafra separatist rebellion tipped the country into a civil war that killed an estimated 1 million people.

In Enugu, a major city in the south-east, 41 members of a Biafra group were arrested, police spokesman Ebere Amaraizu said. “They were not violent per se but they conducted themselves in a manner that could breach the peace,” he said. “They are still in custody and undergoing interrogation.”

In Bayelsa state, part of the Niger Delta, 14 Biafra movement members who had been trying join a protest were arrested, said a police source. Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra campaign group, was released on bail on Friday after being detained for nearly two years. He has been charged with criminal conspiracy and belonging to an illegal society. Amnesty International last year accused Nigerian security forces of killing at least 150 Biafra separatists at peaceful rallies, which the military and police deny.

Defenseweb

24, May 2017

2 UN peacekeepers killed in Mali ⁰

Two peacekeepers were killed and a third wounded on Tuesday in an ambush in restive northern Mali, the nation’s UN mission said. The troops were patrolling on foot near Aguelhok, which is close to the border with Algeria, when they were attacked, the mission said in a statement.

A military source told AFP that the soldiers belonged to Chad’s contingent. Stationed in Mali since July 2013, MINUSMA has just over 12,000 military and police personnel working on what is considered the UN’s most dangerous active peacekeeping deployment.

The attack was the latest in “a wave of violence in the last weeks,” MINUSMA chief Mahamat Saleh Annadif was quoted in the statement as saying. A UN peacekeeper from Liberia was killed and nine others injured early this month in a rocket and mortar attack near Timbuktu.

UN peacekeepers stand guard near the airport on February 4, 2016 in Timbuktu, central Mali. (Photo by AFP)

The attack, like many others in the last weeks, was claimed by a powerful extremist alliance (GSIM), a fusion of three Malian extremist groups with previous Al-Qaeda links. It is headed by Malian extremist Iyad Ag Ghaly, a former leader of Ansar Dine.

Mali’s north came under attack from extremist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in 2012 who hijacked an ethnic Tuareg-led rebel uprising. Though the extremists were largely ousted by a French-led military operation in January 2013, extremist groups continue to mount attacks on civilians and security forces in the arid remote north.

(Source: AFP)

24, May 2017

Buea City Council: The sorry record of salaries under Mayor Patrick Ekema ⁰

Four workers of the Buea City Council in Southern Cameroons have embarked on a hunger strike over unpaid salary. The workers who had earlier suspended their strike last week due to the May 20 parade, on Tuesday May 23, 2017 besieged the premises of the regional delegation for Labour and Social Security before moving to the Governor’s office.

The strike leader, Hans Manga Monono is accusing Mayor Patrick Ekema of deliberately keeping their salaries for reasons best known to him. He told reporters that all attempts made to meet the Mayor has met with a stone wall. The workers are Hans Managa Monono 17 month’s arrears, Njie Martin Evakise and Moki Charles Toni 5 months each and Mbua Elizabeth Ngowo 22 months.

Njomo, a staff delegate speaking on behalf of the Council revealed that the four workers had abandoned their duties and cannot today be claiming months of arrears. He said he as a staff representative has not been handed the file of the workers who according to him were supposed to meet him first before taking the matter to court. The striking workers are now waiting on the Governor of the South West region to resolve the situation in their favor.

Source: Cameroon Info.Net

23, May 2017

Eseka train Disaster: Biya offers 1 billion FCFA to victims, Vindicates Transport Minister ⁰

Following the rail accident which occurred on 21 October 2016 at Eseka, President Paul BIYA on 25 October 2016, set up a Commission of Inquiry under the authority of the Prime Minister, Head of Government. The said Commission was tasked with determining the causes of the accident and proposing measures aimed at reducing risks of similar disasters in the future, apportioning blame for the accident and, assessing the management of this disaster and of victim assistance as well as making any helpful suggestions related thereto.

The Commission of Inquiry enlisted the services of qualified international rail accident experts. It conducted an elaborate review of multiple reports and documents, as well as hearings and trips to the accident site. Based on its investigations, the Commission of Inquiry established that the rail carrier CAMRAIL was mainly to blame for the derailment of Intercity Train No. 152.

The inquiry report concluded that the main reason why the train’s coaches overturned was over speeding (96 kmlh) on a rail section with an extremely low speed limit (40 km/h) as well as a steep slope and several sharp bends. According to the experts, such over speeding is due to CAMRAIL’s non-observance of safety rules. Indeed, Train No. 152, which was put into service that very day, had major abnormalities and defects, notably: – overloading of the train and undue extension of the rake; – use of passenger coaches several of which had defective braking systems; – use of a motor carriage whose rheostat braking system was not in working order; – no proper pre-departure inspection in Yaoundé of the rake’s brake continuity; and – refusal by hierarchy to take into account the reservations expressed by the train driver about the above mentioned abnormalities and defects.

The Commission of Inquiry also concluded that the capacity of Government services to conduct rescue operations during disasters must be enhanced for greater responsiveness, coherence and fluidity and for better victim management. After taking cognizance of the findings of the Commission of Inquiry, the President of the Republic has prescribed the following measures: (1) (5) review of the concession agreement signed on 19 January 1999 between the State of Cameroon and CAMRAIL corporation, and of the two amendments concluded in 2005 and 2008; opening of discussions among CAMRAIL partners for stronger State presence in the said corporation and greater focus on social aspects, notably in passenger transport; short-term establishment of the railway heritage management company provided for under the said Agreement, responsible for maintaining the railway network, as well as implementing railway modernization and extension projects; inflicting appropriate sanctions on the officials held responsible for the accident, in the inquiry report; forwarding the inquiry report to the judicial authorities for ail legal intents and purposes.

Regarding the situation of the accident victims, the President of the Republic has taken cognizance of CAMRAIL’s actions undertaken or planned to compensate the families of the deceased and provide financial assistance to the injured. He urges that the process be finalized at the earliest opportunity. The President of the Republic has decided to disburse the sum of FCFA one billion (1,000,000,000) as supplemental assistance to the victims and their rightful claimants. Furthermore, he has ordered the erection of a steel in Eseka to commemorate this tragic accident. With a view to improving emergency management by government authorities, the President of the Republic has ordered the enhancement of the national major disaster and risk prevention and management system through (i) mainstreaming of terrorist act occurrences, (ii) better ownership by stakeholders of their respective roles and of the chain of command, and (iii) regular conduct of full-scale drills. The Head of State has directed the Government to promptly take the actions necessary for the strict implementation of the above mentioned directives. President Paul BIYA, reaffirms his solidarity with and the entire nation’s support to the victims of the tragic Eseka rail accident and the affected persons.

By Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh

Secretary General

Presidency of the Republic

23, May 2017

Trials begin for Turkey coup ‘organizers’ ⁰

Turkey has opened the trials of 221 suspected organizers of a failed July 2016 coup against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The hearings began at the Sincan prison complex near the capital, Ankara, on Monday. The prime suspects are alleged members of the so-called Peace at Home Council, a group on whose behalf a coup declaration was read on state television on July 15 last year.

They include Gen. Akin Ozturk, a former air force commander. He was transferred to the courtroom amid high security. A crowd of jeering Erdogan supporters reportedly called for him to be executed as he was being transferred past them.

Other defendants include US-based cleric Fetullah Gulen, a former Erdogan aide, whom Erdogan accuses of masterminding the putsch. Gulen has denied the accusation. Aside from Gulen, eight other defendants will be tried in absentia.

Source: Presstv

23, May 2017

19 dead and more than 50 hurt in Manchester Arena blast ⁰

Nineteen people have been killed and more than 50 injured in a suspected terror attack at Manchester Arena. The blast happened at 22:35 BST on Monday following a pop concert by the US singer Ariana Grande. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said it was “a barbaric attack, deliberately targeting some of the most vulnerable in our society”.

Paramedics at the scene told the BBC they had treated some of the wounded for “shrapnel-like injuries”. North West Ambulance Service said it had taken 59 casualties from the explosion to hospitals and treated a number of walking wounded. Greater Manchester Police has established an emergency telephone number in response to the attack. It is: 0161 856 9400.

In light of the attack the Conservatives, Labour, SNP and Liberal Democrats have all confirmed that Tuesday’s campaigning in the general election has been suspended. The prime minister has announced she will chair a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee at around 09:00 BST.

Theresa May said: “We are working to establish the full details” of what happened in Manchester. “All our thoughts are with the victims and the families of those who have been affected.” BBC home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford said senior counter-terrorism officers were assembling in London and liaising with the Home Office. Unconfirmed reports from two unnamed US officials suggested the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber.

BBC

22, May 2017

Anglophone Crisis: Center for the Advancement of Women in Bamenda ravaged by “suspicious fire” ⁰

The Bamenda Center for the Advancement of Women and Families in Southern Cameroons was set on fire on the night of 19-20 May 2017. Located in the district called Old Town, close to the Central Police Station and the prefecture in Bamenda 2 and below the regional division of the Judicial Police of the Northwest, it remains a mystery how the building was attacked by unidentified men.

The building made of definitive materials that displayed great looks has now been destroyed and there are now only walls in cinder blocks blackened by a thick layer of smoke greeting the neighborhood. Although the origin of the fire remains unknown, the known unknowns is that it is an act of reprisal against the non-observance of the various disengagement movements launched since the social crisis that has rocked Southern Cameroons.

The fire caused serious damage on the infrastructure that composed of a multimedia center, offices and a study room that are currently unrecognizable. A highly placed official loyal to the regime in Yaoundé said that the number of public buildings burned since the beginning of the crisis in November 2016 is increasing.

By Chi Prudence Asong

Cameroon Concord News

22, May 2017

Battle for Southern Cameroons: Fire destroys GCE Board office, Gendamerie Brigade Post in Banga Bakundu ⁰

One of the buildings hosting the Cameroon General Certificate of Education Board was ravaged by fire on Sunday May 21, 2017 in Buea. The battered office is part of the communications department newly created in the Board. Smoke was first seen coming out of the windows before guards on duty raised an alarm. The fire was finally brought under control but sources say pertinent documents were destroyed.

Reporters were denied access to the site of the incident by the forces of law and order. The cause of the disaster is not yet known but there are fears it might affect the already controversial 2017 session of the GCE.

In a related development, the Gendamerie Brigade Post in Banga Bakundu was also gutted by another fire outbreak. Eye witnesses say the Banga-Bakundu Brigade Post was completely brought down by flames on Saturday May 20^th. Some media reports hinted that upon hearing the news, the Divisional Officer for Mbonge SOMBE embarked on an investigative mission but was involved in a ghastly car crash some 10 km from Muyuka. The Biya appointee was rushed to the Limbe regional Hospital.

Source: Cameroon Info.Net