François Domique Bekolo, the CPDM Sub Section President for Nyong et So’o Division and three members of his executive were presented to the public last Thursday at the Regional Division of the Judicial Police in the Center region for car theft. The prominent militants of the ruling party were arrested by elements of the Central Judicial Police Division (DRPJC). The CPDM thugs had in a total 16 cars of various brands Toyota Corolla and Carina E., a bag of 200 kilograms of jewelry, a capacitor Sony Ericsson and a Compressor.

The four criminals, specialized in vehicle theft in Yaoundé and its surrounding environment have strong links with the presidency of the the republic including the National Gendarmerie. Cameroon Intelligence Report gathered that the CPDM gang regularly forced the owners of the vehicles at gun point to drive to Tsinga, near Dzeng in Nyong and So’o. As a method of operation, they then contact their accomplices at the Regional Transport Delegation and establish new gray cards for the stolen vehicles and then sell them.

Apart from car theft which was their main activity, Françis Dominique Bekolo and his associates were also master of the art of unloading container trucks. Indeed, after having followed for a few moments a truck in the night, the thugs would wisely stop the truck driver and spray a chemical at him that would make him sleep then finally unload the goods being transported by the truck.

This item is still developing

Reported By Cameroon Intelligence Report

The Chairman of the Social Democratic Front has made public an assessment of Prime Minister Philemon Yang’s tour of the North West Region plagued by the Anglophone uprising. Fru Ndi told reporters that it is not with force that the Biya Francophone government would convince parents to send their children to school.

On the instruction of the President of the Republic, Prime Minister Philemon Yang traveled to the North West for a soothing tour. Since last Monday, the Head of the Government visited all the seven administrative constituencies that make up the Bamenda province of Southern Cameroons. Ni John Fru Ndi, said that the PM’s mission so far was not a success.

“I learned that the Prime Minister was in the city of Bamenda. He did not invite me and the observation that emerges is that the schools have not resumed! And it is not with force that teachers and students will return to the classrooms. The Prime Minister only ridiculed himself. He knows the problem and he just has to be truthful with the parents. They expected the head of the government to come and talk to them and ask for what they wanted. He did not do it. He came to say what Biya wanted Anglophones to do, to invite the parents and pupils to resume classes. This is not the way to go. The Government must engage in frank dialogue. I must say that Mr. Biya knows the problem of teachers and lawyers, “said Ni John Fru Ndi the leader of the SDF.

Cameroon Intelligence Report

Some 6,000 AK 47 rifles were intercepted on Wednesday in Douala by the national gendarmerie. The information reported by a private radio station in the economic capital was confirmed to Cameroon Concord News by a leading security source of the gendarmerie brigade in Douala.

Our source revealed that a retired police officer was also arrested during the operation that took place around 3am in a travel agency. The man is the head of a gang suspected of belonging to a network of arms traffickers.

Cameroon security officials noted that the guns were destined for Central African Republic militia groups operating in the North and the East of Cameroon.

By Rita Akana

The First Lady, Mrs. Chantal BIYA has presided over an orderly and colourful march-past at the 20^th May Boulevard – Yaounde, to commemorate the 32^nd International Women’s Day in Cameroon.

A mammoth crowd of women from several walks of life participated in the event, organised by the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, MINPROFF. The event was characterised by the passage of a large Cameroonian flag and the effigies of President Paul BIYA and wife, Mrs. Chantal BIYA.

Special messages on banners were also used to clamour for gender equality, women empowerment, and an end to child marriages in Cameroon. Majority of the slogans were directly connected to this year’s theme: “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030”.

The women who were particularly happy with the presence of the First Lady at the grandstand, equally seized the opportunity to denounce acts of terrorism and other forms of extremism that are aimed at destabilising Cameroon.

Groups from friendly and neighbouring countries such as the USA, France, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, participated the march-past.

Culled from the Presidency of the Republic

White weapons and all dangerous objects that can kill are now sold on the streets or in bars in Cameroon. The phenomenon is growing at catastrophic rapidity in the nation’s capital, Yaoundé, Douala and in many towns and cities in the country.

Universities graduates who can find jobs are predominantly the vendors who sell knives and machetes, between 5000 and 10000 FCFA. This arms trade that takes place on the streets, precisely in the numerous bars is slowly but surely feeding the crime industry.

The Biya regime is aware of the dangers involved in the activities currently going on in the informal sector but has turned a blind eye due to its failure to resolve the issue of high rate of unemployment. According to recent figures, the unemployment rate in Cameroon is 15.5% in urban areas and 4.3% in rural areas. It is 8.8% for male youth and 23.5% for females. The overall underemployment is 84.8% among 15-24 year olds. While it is 73.1% in the 25-34 age group.

Consequently, young Cameroonians are rushing to the informal sector, to survive, hence the emergence of unframed activities such as the trading of white weapons and dangerous objects.  Anyone can buy a machete or a knife in any part of the country for any purpose.

By Sonne Peter

President Paul BIYA has granted an audience to the British High Commissioner to Cameroon, Brian Olley. Both men met on Wednesday 7 March 2017 at the presidential palace and held intensive and productive discussions on the situation in Southern Cameroons and to reinforce the long-lasting partnership between the United Kingdom and Cameroon.

The British Diplomat briefed reporters on the subjects raised during the audience. He emphasized on the necessity to strategize on the future of the Commonwealth because the UK will host next year’s Commonwealth summit. Brian Olley said they also discussed the fight against terrorism and the economic situation in the CEMAC sub-region.

The British top diplomat reiterated Her Majesty’s government desire to work closely with Yaoundé, to resolve the social tension in the North West and South West regions. The Southern Cameroons talks were frank, candid and thoughtful. It was equally revealed that economic negotiations between both countries are progressing smoothly. The British Government is ready to facilitate investments worth 3 billion U.S. dollars in Cameroon.

There are plans to construct 13 water networks, introduce an electronic visa issuing system, and extend the electricity contract with Actis. In addition, there is the construction of social houses in Douala, as announced in November 2016.

By Rita Akana with files from the presidency

The Francophone Beti Ewondo political newspaper, La Nouvelle has again published a report aimed at the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium. The Yaoundé based tabloid reported on its March 6, 2017 edition that the Consortium have created an army called the “Southern Cameroon Defense Forces”. The Francophone newspaper added that the leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium had previously sent threatening messages to President Biya in which they announced that Southern Cameroonians were contributing money for the purchase of very sophisticated weapons.

The paper sponsored by barons of the Biya Francophone regime observed that the weapons were already in circulation in West Cameroon. In its attempt to make it look real to the French Cameroun public opinion, La Nouvelle revealed that the military hardware were smuggled to Cameroon through the same circuit as the flags and gadgets used by activists during the demonstrations organized in the Northwest and South-West regions.

The newspaper La Nouvelle, had in some previous editions, maintained that the oil fields of the Bakassi peninsula was one of the major stakes of the Anglophone crisis. The editors of the said publication reportedly have access to heavy government funding and are encouraging the massive rapes, extra judicial killings and arrest by the Cameroun army in Southern Cameroons.

La Nouvelle also stated that the goal of the Southern Cameroon Defense Forces would be to: “train, sensitize young people to the creation of an armed front, to fight law enforcement forces in the Northwest and South-West regions.”  La Nouvelle indicated that the rebellion in the making is headed by Nsoh Foncha Nkem, who has declared himself Chief of Defense Staff of Southern Cameroon.  Cameroon Intelligence Report understands Nsoh Foncha Nkem loves posting pictures of him in military attire on his Face Book page even before the Anglophone revolution started in 2016.

Culled from CIR

The National Institute for Peace in Stockholm (SIPRI) has published a report that Cameroon invested more than 200 billion CFA francs in the purchase of arms in 2016. The release also indicated that Cameroon ranks 6^th of the 10 African countries that have bought the most heavy weapons in Africa between 2012 and 2016.

While Cameroon’s military spending has been on an upward trend since 1988, the report further pointed out the war against the Nigerian Islamic, Boko Haram sect was the main cause of the exponential increase in military spending. The exactions of these Islamist fighters in the Far North region of Cameroon have already claimed the lives of more than 1500 people including women and children.

Cameroon’s military spending reached up to 209 billion CFA francs in 2015, against 199 billion CFA francs in 2013. However, the country still remains a small importer of heavy weapons, compared to Algeria, which head the list of the largest African importer over the period 2012-2016. The purchase of heavy weapons in Africa during the period 2012-2016 reportedly decreased by 6.6%. Worldwide, the top 5 exporters of military hardware are dominated by the United States, followed by Russia, China, France and Germany.

CIR