News

13, January 2017

Southern Cameroon leaders held hostage in Bamenda ²

Security forces have taken Anglophone leaders hostage in Bamenda as talks between the French speaking and English delegations has ended again with no resolution. Francophone troops have reportedly stormed the governor’s office and seized all mobile telephones from the members of the Anglophone Consortium. Southern Cameroons leaders have requested the Yaounde delegation to take bribe off the table. We are keeping a watchful eye on the goings-on in Bamenda and we will keep our readers posted.

13, January 2017

Gunfire erupts in Ivory Coast’s second largest city ⁰

Gunfire has erupted in Ivory Coast’s second largest city, Bouake, ahead of planned talks between the defense minister and a group of mutinous soldiers. Witnesses said the troops began firing in the air during a protest by residents against the mutineers near a cultural center in the city on Friday.

At least 100 heavily armed mutineers poured into the city center aboard military transport trucks and pickups, according to witnesses. Shops were closed across the volatile area. Disgruntled soldiers seized control of Bouake on Friday. Rocket launchers were used in the streets, terrifying residents.

“I’m going home. With this shooting starting up again, I prefer to be at home,” said a local man.Defense Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi is to negotiate with soldiers who staged a two-day mutiny last week. The soldiers want bonuses, pay raise, housing, and swifter promotion. On Sunday, the mutineers briefly held hostage Donwahi and his team as they were negotiating a deal over the matter.

The photo taken on January 7, 2017, shows mutinous soldiers in Ivory Coast’s second largest city, Bouake. (Photo by AFP)

President Alassane Ouattara has announced that a deal has already been reached between the two sides. Ouattara has, however, refrained from giving the exact details of the deal. Most of the people involved in the armed revolt are reportedly former rebels who were later integrated into the army.

Presstv

13, January 2017

Anglophone Crisis: Fourth round of talks to begin today ²

The meeting between Teachers Trade Unionists, members of Government and Stake holders in the education sector resumes today following a nine hour deliberation on Thursday January 12, 2017 at the North West Governors office.

The Director of Cabinet at the Prime Minister’s Office, Paul Goghomu Mingo has said that the teachers should demonstrate a sense of patriotism and responsibility. He observed that the wish is for children to go back to school and cover up for time wasted. Mr Goghomu reiterated that Government is already doing something to solve the problems raised by teachers in the English sub system of education citing the deployment of over 100 teachers to the North West and South West regions in secondary schools and the President’s decree on the creation of 1000 jobs for bilingual teachers.

The deliberation took hours and a huge crowd at the governor’s office waited for the ‘white smoke’ in vein. The ad hoc committee went point after point and later went on break by 5pm. It was only after 8pm that the meeting was adjourned.

Trade Union leaders maintained that the strike will continue even after adoption of resolutions unless the President of the Republic decrees them. The meeting was later adjourned by 8pm after 8 of the 18 points had been scrutinized. A trade Union leader said “The strike will only be lifted by the Consortium after clear deliberations and at a press conference when it becomes necessary.”

Cameroun Info.Net

12, January 2017

Bamenda: Consortium and Ad Hoc Committe meeting intensive but not productive ¹

The meeting grouping members of the Ad Hoc Committee and the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium currently going in Bamenda has reportedly been intensive but not productive. Members have withdrawn for a coffee break.

Tassang Wilfred and Lucas Tasi Ntang from the teachers’ trade unionists have presented elaborate papers on the need for federated states so as to well preserve the Anglophone system of education. The teachers’ trade unions have presented an 18 point memorandum and only three have been deliberated upon. Discussions will resume in 30 minutes.

The leaders, it should be noted haven’t walked out of the hall yet. The government Ministers are only interested in seeing the reopening of schools in Southern Cameroons. (This item is still developing)

12, January 2017

The White House: Reality TV Show begins as Trump shuts down CNN reporter ⁰

US President-elect Donald Trump refused to take questions from a CNN correspondent during a tense exchange at a press conference, blasting the news network for spreading “fake news.” During the contentious exchange at Trump Tower on Wednesday, CNN’s Jim Acosta pressed Trump to take a follow-up question after the president-elect assailed CNN for publishing a report Tuesday which included allegations that Russian operatives claimed to possess compromising personal and financial information about Trump.

“Mr. President -elect since you are attacking our news organization can you give us a chance,” asked Acosta. “Not you, your organization is terrible!” Trump shouted back. “I’m not going to give you a question. You are fake news!” “Don’t be rude,” Trump interjected, after Acosta called his response “not appropriate” and tried to press on with his question. On late Tuesday, CNN covered a report originally published by BuzzFeed News, alleging that Russia was in possession of “compromising” personal and financial information about Trump. The report dominated Trump’s press briefing, which was his first since July of last year. The New York billionaire slammed the media for spreading unsubstantiated news and said the release of such details about him would amount to a “tremendous blot” on the record of the US intelligence community.

CNN issued a statement after the presser, saying that its reporting on the so-called Russia dossier was “vastly different” from the one by other outlets and the “Trump team knows this.” Acosta said in a separate report that Trump’s spokesman Sean Spicer threatened to expel him from Trump Tower if he insisted to ask questions after his exchange with the incoming president. Spicer responded in a Fox News interview by calling on the reporter to apologize to Trump and “the entire press corps” over his “childish and inappropriate” behavior. “If you want to have a conversation and engage in a polite and respectful manner with the president-elect, he’s gonna treat you in kind,” Spicer said. “But if you come in hot and want to be disrespectful and rude, as Jim Acosta was today, he’s not gonna sit back and take it. This is a man who fights and wins.”

Presstv

12, January 2017

Southern Cameroons Freedom Fighters from Wum: The need for their release ⁰

On Feb. 8th, 2016, hundreds of youths in Wum in Menchum Division NWR, took to the streets protesting the brutal killing of a young Commercial Bike Rider by a soldier. The said soldier {a francophone} had stabbed the young at about 2am following an argument over a woman. That happened in a liquor bar in central town. The soldier promptly fled. Infuriated, youths seized the slain man’s body from the Wum mortuary and paraded it on the streets for hours and finally dumped it at the military barracks. Things degenerated and soldiers opened fire in the ensuing confrontation. Many were wounded.

In the days and weeks that followed, soldiers and police from Bamenda cracked down on the population taking away scores of young people and the 3rd Class Chief of Waindo in Wum. At least four others were dragged from their sick beds at the Wum General Hospital – against the advice of the doctor in charge. They were all whisked off to Bamenda and demanded in prison custody. Also note that the arrests were typical of the abuses unleashed on UB students last month – breaking into homes, seizing of suspects, smeared in dust and mud; they were beaten and parading half-naked at the Wum Grand Stand and in scorching sun.

Then one night, without warning they were plucked from their prison cells and shipped off to Yaoundé (including a lone pregnant girl prisoner) a relative to the dead Ben Skin Rider. Although the pregnant girl was subsequently released after about three months, nothing has been heard of the rest of the Anglophone Detainees from Wum.

Theirs was clearly a daring resistance to what they described as excesses of French speaking soldiers who frequently acted with impunity, tormenting women, man and bike riders. Their pent up anger exploded and they razed a building at the military barracks and vandalized some military trucks – just like last November’s riots in Bamenda where irate youths burnt down a police station. Southern Cameroonians have resisted the regime and obtained the freedom of several youths arrested in Bamenda and taken to Yaounde. The Consortium has done well to achieve this. Is it too much to ask that this same protest action be directed towards the freedom of the Wum Detainees languishing for one long year now in French speaking Yaounde?

The only difference between the Wum Youths and their Bamenda compatriots is the dates of their respective protests or resistance activities. But their motives were definitely the same. The Wum Youths should be honoured for standing up to the brutality of the regime even at a time when the current nationalist momentum was absent. Justice that is good for the Bamenda youths is also good for the Wum and Kumba youths still being held in Kondengui – far away from their home. At best they should simply be freed.

At worst, they should be brought back to their region where (if they must), undergo trial in Bamenda or Wum where the military court can also seat . This way, they will be near their relatives who would easily support their welfare behind bars. So shall we abandon the Wum Youths? Kai!! May our consciences deprive us of good sleep if we do. Dear Consortium Members, did you hear my plea? Did the Hon. Wirba not tell us this is a DUTY?

Randy Joe Sa’ah

12, January 2017

Obama warns about the dangers of extreme inequality and racism ⁰

Outgoing US President Barack Obama has used his farewell speech to warn that the country’s growing economic inequality and racial tensions pose a major threat to American democracy. Obama issued the warning as he said goodbye to the nation on Tuesday at the McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, the same place where he gave his presidential victory speech in 2008.

His farewell speech came following one of the most divisive presidential elections in US history and a deep sense that the poisonous political environment has set Americans against each other. Obama called on Americans to work together to protect democracy in their country and make it work. “Democracy is threatened whenever we take it for granted,” he said.

The outgoing president also warned about the dangers of extreme inequality and racism.“Our economy doesn’t work as well or grow as fast when a few prosper at the expense of a growing middle class. But stark inequality is also corrosive to our democratic principles,” he stated. “While the top one percent has amassed a bigger share of wealth and income, too many families, in inner cities and rural counties, have been left behind.” “The laid-off factory worker; the waitress and health care worker who struggle to pay the bills – convinced that the game is fixed against them, that their government only serves the interests of the powerful – a recipe for more cynicism and polarization in our politics,” he warned.

Speaking about the threat of growing racial tensions in the US, Obama said: “After my election, there was talk of a post-racial America. Such a vision, however well-intended, was never realistic. For race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society.” Further in his farewell speech, Obama spoke about the achievements during his eight-year presidency, including reforms in the US healthcare system as well as the landmark nuclear deal with Iran.

Obama also said his administration will do all it can to ensure the smoothest possible transition of power to Republican President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office on January 20. During Trump’s presidential campaign, he repeatedly claimed that the presidential election is being rigged and that he will not accept the result of the election if he loses, challenging a centerpiece of US democracy.

Presstv

11, January 2017

War on terror: Cameroon loses 3 servicemen ⁰

Three Cameroonian soldiers have been killed in an operation that resulted in the destruction of Boko Haram training camps in Goshe. The three young soldiers left the military academy in 2014 and were sent to the front in Goshe against the Nigerian Islamic sect Boko Haram.

The three soldiers are: GODWE Fulbert, a second-class soldier of the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) mortally wounded by an improvised explosive device during a search of a suspicious house on the 2^nd of January 2017, Abessolo Biloa Aimé Prosper and Ngondi Boris Parfait, also from the Rapid Intervention Battalion who fell under enemy bullets.

The Cameroon government spokesman, Issa Tchiroma revealed that the army has destroyed several factories used by Boko Haram to manufacture explosives. Cameroon military sources say the operation will continue under the banner of the Joint Multinational Force.

By Sama Ernest

11, January 2017

Francophone SDO shuts down private radio station in Bamenda ⁰

The Francophone Senior Divisional Officer for Mezam in the North West Region, Songa Pierre accompanied by his close collaborators sealed the doors of a Bamenda based popular radio station, Hot Cocoa FM 94.0. The seal which took place around 4: 30PM on Tuesday the 10^th of January 2017 indicated that the decision is a temporal suspension of the radio from going on air due to what they described as unethical practice in the morning program called the ‘Biggest Breakfast Show’ BBS anchored by Kiven Brenda and Mbaku Jude.

According to the regional order brandished on the seal letter, the interactive program has been helping to fuel the existing crisis in Bamenda. The Presenters revealed that they received several calls from anonymous callers after last Fridays edition threatening that the station will be closed down. The program did not go on air on Monday and Tuesday. At the time of closure the Pidgin News presented by Peter Tebid Chai was going on. Technicians and Journalists were asked to move out before the seal.

The Station Manager Gideon Taka, who recently took over from Omar Songwe, has reported the matter to the President of the National Communication Council, Peter Essoka. However journalists of Hot Cocoa Radio who also work for Horizon Television which shares the same building with the Radio have been going in and out of the premises since Horizon television was not sealed.

Cameroun Info.Net

10, January 2017

Anglophone detainees being received by North West governor ¹

Southern Cameroons detainees released late last night in Yaounde have arrived Bamenda, the capital of the North West region. The freedom fighters were welcomed home by the Francophone governor. The whereabouts of many are still not known.