Police in the western German city of Essen have ordered a big shopping mall to stay closed for an entire day after receiving tip-offs about an imminent attack. “As police, we are the security authority here and have decided to close the mall,” police spokesman Christoph Wickhorst said as about 100 officers positioned themselves around the compound of the mall and the adjacent parking lot at Limbecker Platz square in downtown Essen.

Wickhorst said other security agencies had tipped off police late on Friday that an attack would certainly happen in the shopping center on Saturday. The closure of the mall came as a major conference grouping Southern Cameroons women throughout Western Europe ended in the city. Many of the Anglophone Cameroonian women were expected to visit the mall.

The official would not elaborate but police in Essen later said a man was being questioned in relation to the threat and that his apartment in the nearby city of Oberhausen was searched. Media reports said another man was also arrested at an internet cafe in Oberhausen in the afternoon. Heavy police presence was also visible at a shopping mall in the city.

The mall in Essen is reportedly one of the biggest in Germany. It said on its website that some 60,000 people normally visited 200 stores of the mall every Saturday. Reports said police officers, many armed with machine pistols and bullet-proof vests, had even forced out early morning staff.

Over the past years, Germany has been spared of terrorist attacks such as those that happened in France and Belgium. However, elements of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group have claimed several low-profile assaults on people in crowded places.

Germany has accepted more than a million from a historic flow of refugees that began to hit Europe in early 2015. Many fear the liberal asylum policies of German Chancellor Angela Merkel could cost Germany dearly, as reports have said some terror attacks have been carried out through refugee recruits. Last year, 10 people were injured after an ax-wielding man attacked shoppers at a mall in Dusseldorf. It later turned out that the man had no links to terror groups and acted on his own.

A peaceful march has been staged in Yaounde against Antoine Félix Samba, General Director of the Budget at the Ministry of Finance and cousin to First Lady Chantal Biya accused of using his family’s proximity with the wife of President Paul Biya to demolish homes and throw hundreds of families in Yaoundé to the streets.

The protest was organized by a representative of the group of homeless families in the Nkozoa district, Fonke Issa. Cameroon Concord News was reliably informed that the cousin of Chantal Biya was acting with the complicity of Jacqueline Koung a Bessike, Minister in charge of Lands and a few individuals at the Ministry of Justice.

The Antoine Felix Samba demolition started on September 4, 2016, at the beginning of the school year when he reportedly send heavily armed men and drug addicts to demolish a school and some houses in the locality. “They beat up all those who resisted. They broke or grabbed phones from people trying to take pictures. They told us that they acted on instructions from the cousin of Chantal Biya, the president’s brother-in-law and that nothing could happen to them, “Fonka Issa revealed. Antoine Félix Samba has further undertaken the construction of a wall on the disputed plot.

In a country where, according to experts, 50% of the disputes brought before the courts are land-based, the demonstrators now on the street, say they expect much from the President of the Republic. Dozens of families, from the area are now sleeping under the stars. All their dwellings have been demolished. They began a series of public demonstrations to stir up the slippage of a member of the regime who would use his proximity with Chantal Biya to undermine social cohesion, peace and national unity.

Antoine Samba was quoted as saying that the inhabitants of the Nkozoa district were predominantly Bamilekes who do not have a place in Yaoundé and should go back to the West region.

By Chi Prudence Asong

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