13, July 2016

Amnesty International holds talks with Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary ⁰

Cameroon’s Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakary has met with a high powered delegation from Amnesty International. The meeting was at the request of the Cameroon government and both sides had a positive exchange on Tuesday in Yaoundé on the situation of human rights in the Far North region.

As a prelude to the launch tomorrow Thursday of a report on the situation of human rights in the Far North region, in relation to the fight against Boko Haram, Amnesty International officials opined that the meeting with the controversial cabinet minister was vital. After the meeting, Issa Tchiroma Bakary and his guests took stock of their trade to the press.

The Amnesty International delegation expressed concerns over the arbitrary detention of innocent people in the Far North region and stressed the need to investigate human rights violations in the country.

Sama Ernest (Cameroon Concord News Group)

13, July 2016

Boko Haram kills 2, injures 4 Cameroonian soldiers ⁰

Militants of the Nigerian Islamist sect that has pledged allegiance to the Organization of the Islamic state have killed two Cameroonian civilians injuring 4 within the last 24 hours.

Presented as being militarily weakened, Boko Haram on Tuesday night raided the locality of Maloumri killing two people.

Cameroon Concord News military informant hinted that 4 soldiers were seriously wounded in Mourdas on Tuesday after a mine deposited in their vehicle exploded.

Rita Akana (Cameroon Concord News Group)

12, July 2016

South West mayors snub launching of PNDP phase 3 ⁰

Municipal officials in the South West region who were the main target of the National Community Driven Development Program, PNDP, a local state development outlet created by government have boycotted an event in Buea to inaugurate the third phase of the program.

Almost half of the over 200 capacity BUEA council hall was empty today considering the heavyweight nature of the event chaired by South West Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai in the Presence of the PNDP National coordinator, Mme Magdalene Nga who merely managed to address the scantily attended forum in English.

The spirit of today’s event was that of sleeping during speeches and it required an injunction from Governor Bernard Okalia for participants to wake up sleeping mates. The launching of the World Bank supported project was a disgrace and total fiasco.

More than 15 councils in the South West have been earmarked to benefit from the third phase of the project. Local development is expected to speed up in the South West region. David Nkem, Regional coordinator for PNDP South West says all have been set for the 3rd phase to kick off in the region.

Cham Victor Bama (Cameroon Concord News Group)

11, July 2016

Cameroon to deploy troops along the border with the Central African Republic ⁰

Cameroon government authorities have announced that security will be tightened security along the border with the Central African Republic. Jean Baptiste Bokam, the Secretary of State for Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, made the decision public over state radio and television without specifying the nature of such measures.

Cameroon Concord News understands the strengthening of security will dampen or limit multiple incursions from rebels in the Central Africa region which has culminated to deaths or kidnappings of many Cameroonians. A sister publication, Cameroon Intelligence Report revealed that in recent months, the rebels of the Seleka and anti Balaka groups have multiplied their incursions into Cameroonian territory.

Rita Akana (Cameroon Concord News Group)

10, July 2016

Mayor of Lagdo, 13 others freed ⁰

Mama Abakaï, Mayor of Lagdo in the north and 13 Cameroonian hostages have been released after negotiations that did involve the governments of Cameroon, Central African Republic, the UN peace keeping mission, Minusca and the Central African armed groups that carried out the kidnappings.

Cameroon Concord News learnt that they were freed two days. Our informant hinted that the mayor and his entourage were first handed over to the UN peace keepers before they started their journey home for Garoua –Boulaï. The 14 Cameroonian hostages were kidnapped on March 19, 2015 at Gbabio, a town in eastern Cameroon.

Sama Ernest (Cameroon Concord News Group)

10, July 2016

Minister Martin Belinga Eboutou travels to France for medical reasons ⁰

The Director of the Civil Cabinet at the Presidency of the Republic has reportedly traveled to France for medical reasons. Martin Belinga Eboutou, a long time acolyte of the Cameroonian dictator, President Biya, smuggled himself out of the country yesterday night.

Cameroon Concord News gathered from an authoritative source that Martin Belinga Eboutou walked through one of the tarmacs of the Nsimalen international airport incognito looking a very sick man and boarded an Air France flight to Paris.

10, July 2016

Black protest resumes in US ⁰

‘Black Lives Matter’ protests have resumed across the US with protesters demonstrating over the recent police killings of two African Americans.

On Tuesday, 37-year-old Alton Sterling was fatally shot by police in the southeastern city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and 32-year-old Philando Castile was shot dead Wednesday by a police officer near St. Paul, Minnesota. On Saturday, protesters held demonstrations in Baton Rouge and some of them were arrested by police in riot gear.

The protesters marched along the right lane of Airline Highway until police blocked all six lanes of traffic and began walking toward the demonstrators. They were chanting, “black power” and “no justice, no peace, no racist police.”

Presstv

9, July 2016

Boko Haram raids Northeastern Nigeria, kills 7 ⁰

The Boko Haram Takfiri terrorists raided a town in northeastern Nigeria Saturday, killing at least seven people. Locals in Borno state said Boko Haram gunmen stormed the town of Rann in Kalabalge district overnight Friday through Saturday and opened fire on homes.

“They opened fire on homes as we slept and killed seven people before carting away our food supplies and drugs from the only clinic in the town,” said a Rann resident, referring to the Boko Haram gunmen on motorcycles.

Rann’s residents had fled the town into Cameroon and to the town of Gamboru, about 28 kilometers (17 miles) away.

Presstv

9, July 2016

Transport Minister installs newly appointed officials ⁰

Seven newly appointed officials at the Ministry of Transport have been commissioned into their various functions. The Installation ceremony that held on Friday the 8^th of July 2016 was supervised by the Minister of Transport, Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o.

The Biya acolyte said during the event that assiduity should be the watch word if production must increase. Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o congratulated the seven for the great efforts they made to win the confidence of the Cameroon government.

Among the newly appointed officials were directors and chiefs of service, in charge of the Ministry’s budget, road and Maritime transport, Rail way lines, the National Meteorology and the Communication service.

They are expected to ameliorate the Urban Transport and road security, investigate accidents and incidents in the aeronautic services, rehabilitate the meteorological network system, reinforce public information and restructure the Chantier Naval Industry in Cameroon. They were appointed based on Presidential decree No2016/2568/PM of 4th July 2016.

CRTV

9, July 2016

Cameroon: Beggars abandoned streets following adoption of new penal code ⁰

Beggars in Yaounde have abandoned the streets following the adoption of a penal code on begging, which promises sanctions to those guilty of aggravated begging. The article on begging stipulates that anyone who has a means of subsistence but begs to earn a living will be liable to a prison sentence of up to three years and a fine of up to 500.000 CFAF.

In the same guise, people who use visually impaired persons to beg shall be charged with aggravated begging. Following the adoption of this article, beggars seemed to have deserted the streets of Yaounde, for fear of the above mentioned sanctions.

Inhabitants of Yaounde have hailed the article saying it will help rid the streets of criminals who pose for people in distress.

CRTV