A United Nations expert has called on the Government of Cameroon to restore internet services to predominantly English-speaking parts of the country which have been cut off in what he termed “an appalling violation of their right to freedom of expression.”

The Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, David Kaye said “I am particularly concerned at the tightening of the space for free speech at a time where its promotion and protection should be of the utmost importance.”

His call follows reports that Cameroonians in the Northwest and Southwest regions, which are predominantly English speaking, have been unable to connect to the internet since 17 January. It also comes against a background of widespread protests against government policies which have reportedly marginalized the country’s English-speaking population.

Cameroon has two official languages: French and English. But English speakers have long reported that they face discrimination and marginalization, and are excluded from top civil service positions and public services. They also complain their access to justice is limited because the majority of legislation and judicial proceedings are in French.

According to Mr Kaye, a network shutdown of this scale violates international law – it not only suppresses public debate, but also deprives Cameroonians of access to essential services and basic resources.

In 2016, the Human Rights Council passed a resolution which unequivocally condemned measures to intentionally prevent or disrupt access to or dissemination of information online in violation of international human rights law, and called on all States to refrain from and cease such measures.

This followed the 2015 Joint Declaration of UN and regional experts in the field of freedom of expression, which stated that network shutdowns or internet ‘kill switches’ are measures which can ‘never be justified under human rights law’. Reports say the UN Special Rapporteur will continue to monitor developments in Cameroon closely, and is at the disposal of the authorities to provide assistance or advice as required.

CIN

The Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium has halted its Monday ghost town operation. The interim leaders hinted that Southern Cameroonians deserve a day off following the massive civil disobedience campaign that disrupted Youth Day celebrations throughout the Anglophone regions. The interim leaders in a statement released late yesterday observed that ghost towns will return tomorrow Tuesday the 14^th of February 2017.

The Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium has gotten the endorsements of senior Southern Cameroons groups including the religious leaders.  Tapang Ivo and Mark Bareta on Sunday said they had halted today’s ghost town after very intensive and productive discussions with the operation command of the Consortium in both the Buea and Bamenda provinces of West Cameroon. The Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium will however, use the time today to monitor minute by minute the trial of the detained leaders; Dr Agbor Felix Nkongho and Dr. Neba Fontem that opens today in Yaoundé.

The Consortium leaders have warned La Republique that “If no word comes from the Biya Francophone regime on the independence of Southern Cameroons soonest, we will prove to the world what really demonstrations mean.” There have been fears among prominent Francophone political elites that the Anglophone protests could lead to widespread civil disobedience.

The Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium leaders, who are now pushing for an independent state for Southern Cameroons, said they were suspending the ghost town only for today to allow Southern Cameroons to get some rest.  However, the Francophone political elites have warned that the Biya regime will not accept any proposal to hold talks with the outlawed Consortium. Cameroun government Minister of Communication said that any talks outside what the regime wants will be contrary to the Constitution.

A prominent Southern Cameroons barrister was quoted as saying “We are not going to accept dialogue with any Biya emissary because our Southern Cameroons sovereignty is not vested in the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo government.”

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

11^th February celebrations in most areas in West Cameroon did not hold as planned by agents of the Francophone regime in Yaoundé. In places like Bali, Mamfe, Mundemba, Ndop and Muyuka, government activities were disrupted by angry youths sympathetic to the detained leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium.

Southern Cameroonians in Bamenda, Buea, Kumbo, Tiko, Limbe, Kumba and Ekona respected calls for a massive civil disobedience campaign earlier announced by the interim leaders of the Consortium and demanded the immediate release of all Anglophone citizens from Francophone jails.

In Mutengene, placards were waved informing Biya and his Francophone political elites that the reunification marriage was over. And in Buea, fighting broke out when prisoners who were brought out to swell the marching ranks disappeared and French Cameroonian citizens hired from Douala could not get complete payments from Mayor Ekema Patrick. The mayor dashed from behind his office and fled to safety as infuriated Francophones mounted pressure for money promised to be paid.

The most eventful of the boycott protest was in Bali where hundreds of youth burst into the grand stand and hoisted the Southern Cameroons flag and sang the national anthem of the SCNC. Our senior correspondent in Buea who contributed to this report noted that “Southern Cameroonians have left La Republique du Cameroun to pro-Biya comedians and well-wishers such as Musonge, Atanga Nji and Mayor Ekema.”

The boycott of the 11 February festivities throughout Southern Cameroons, Cameroon Intelligence Report learnt, were further provoked by President Biya claims that all attempts were being made to resolve the Anglophone problem peacefully. Offended by what they saw as a provocative presentation of the Anglophone problem by the 83 year-old head of state, the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium has extended the ghost town operation to Monday the 13^th of February as a sign of respect and support to the detained leaders whose trial in a Yaoundé military court is expected to be stage by the Biya controlled judiciary tomorrow Monday the 13th.

The continues offensive statements from Mr. Paul Biya, said to have been written by Minister Fame Ndongo is now being treated seriously by the interim leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium. The interim leaders have praised Southern Cameroonians for the resistance and recently described the actions of some Anglophone CPDM actors as “shameful and unjustifiable.”

As details on the rapes and extra judicial killings continued to emerge, it was reported that Francophone soldiers are extorting money from Anglophone families using threats of arbitrary arrest. Meanwhile, in the wake of rising tension since 2016, a senior European Union official has advised the regime in Yaoundé to settle down for rapid reconciliation as forceful interventions by the administration and the army was proving increasingly embarrassing.

Culled from Cameroon Intelligence Report

The 21^st assembly of Cameroon Road National Council, CONAROUTE has revealed that 3,088 accidents and 1,102 deaths were officially registered in 2016 in the country. The information was made public during a working session of the body in Yaoundé, the nation’s capital.

Cameroonian authorities have long announced road safety measures without implementing them. According to the experts, the corrupt nature of security agents and poor road traffic prevention schemes, partly explains the laxity on Cameroonian roads, where one can easily encounter vehicles that have not had technical visits for decades or drivers without a driving license.

Many Cameroonians are clandestinely engaged in the transport sector against a few banknotes slipped into the hands of the controlling security agents. By 2014, the UN had classified the 240 km Douala-Yaounde axis as one of the most dangerous highways in the world.

By Sama Ernest

Security sources in Buea have hinted that the two independent journalists arrested in connection to the ongoing crisis rocking the Anglophone regions have been tossed to Yaounde. “It’s not clear where they are detained at the moment, but they are most likely to be at SED,” a staff of The Guardian Post where Amos Fofung works said.

The two men were bundled from the Molyko and ferried to the 3rd Police District where they spent the night in custody before their transfer to Yaounde. The duo’s Buea colleagues recounted that they were picked up by the police in connection with a bag that contained ‘anti 11 February tracks’ purportedly dropped by the Publisher of Voice of the Voiceless from Bamenda.

Same sources explained police had already arrested the visiting Bamenda publisher and were in search of his bag that was dropped at the Molyko residence of Amos Fofung. At the time police came to search the house, Atia Tilarious was with Amos and the armed uniform men bundled all of them. According to Elah Geoffrey, Editor of The Sun Newspaper, the arrested journalists were interrogated by investigators at the Judicial Police in Buea on Friday prior to their overnight transfer.

Cameroun Info.Net

The Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ), has condemned the increasing arrest of journalists “and their continuous incarceration without judgment” in the country. In a statement issued on Friday February 11, the National President of the association, Simon Lyonga notes that since a protest erupted in the English speaking regions of the country late last year, many press officials have been harassed and radio stations closed.

Friday’s statement followed the apprehension of two English speaking journalists in Buea in the South West region a day earlier. Atia Tilarious, political desk editor of The Sun newspaper and Amos Fofung, Buea bureau correspondent of The Guardian Post were whisked from the latter’s Molyko domicile and conveyed to the third police district of Buea where they’ve since been in custody.

“This comes to increase the number of journalists held in custody this day by state authorities,” the CAMASEJ release noted citing another journalist, Tim Finnian arrested in Bamenda last month and ferried to the Secretariat of State for Defense (SED) in the nation’s capital.

The association has called for their immediate and unconditional release. “While calling for their immediate release, we are calling on all our members and pressmen to remain calm and most of all professional in the discharge of their duties. For professionalism is the only but strongest weapon placed in the hands of a journalist,” Simon Lyonga stated in the statement.

The CAMASEJ president called on authorities to regard journalists in the country as partners reminding the latter that Cameroon is signatory to the United Nations charter that promotes freedom of speech.

“Also the 1990 law on social Communication in Cameroon enables its citizens; talk less of journalists to express their views freely,” Simon Lyonga said wondering why media men and women should be prevented from carrying out their missions.

Cameroun Info.Net

Cameroon Concord News has been reliably informed that the Moderator of  the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, the Anglophone Roman Catholic Bishops and the Baptist authorities have signed a joint communique declaring themselves not fit to call off the teachers’ strike.

The Anglophone religious leaders say those who announced recently that the strikes have been suspended did not consult them and that internet shut down and continuous arrest are not security guarantees for classes to resume.

This item is still developing