10, May 2023
Cameroon biometric visa system now functional 0
Hundreds of biometric visas have already been issued by different diplomatic services of Cameroon since the online application system went live on May 1.
The country’s embassy in Belgium said it issued more than one hundred visas within two days after the system rolled out, according to information from the Foreign Ministry in Yaoundé.
Ahead of the launch, Foreign Minister Mbella Mbella, in a briefing on April 25, explained the purpose and functionalities of the biometric visa system, saying it is the first step in a series of government efforts aimed at improving the country’s diplomatic machinery by aligning it with cutting-edge international best practices in the domain of visa issuance.
“Cameroon is writing a new page in its history. If things go on as planned, from May 1, applicants will be able to get their entry visa into Cameroon within a period of 72 hours upon submission of the online application,” said Mbella Mbella at the briefing.
He also explained the category of visas available for long and short visits and their fees, which have seen an increase from the previous visa regime, in line with the prescriptions of the 2023 state budget.
Short-stay visas have a validity of six months while long-stay ones are valid for 12 months, costing between 100,000 Central African francs (US$167) and XAF 200,000 ($334) depending on the type (either ordinary or express). Express visas are issued within 24 hours.
The government official also explained that the new system has been designed in a flexible way to deliver secure visa stickers. The process is fast, efficient and cuts wait time and other procedural bottlenecks, he added.
In a previous government communication, Mbella Mbella had explained how the system works and the various stages involved in the application process.
Impact Palmarès R&D SAS is the Cote d’Ivoire-based company running the system under a ten-year contract on a Public-Private Partnership basis. It is reported that per the contract terms, the company earns 30 percent of the fee paid for each visa issued.
Since the system went live, the Foreign Ministry has been running an awareness campaign on its official social media pages on how the system works. It publishes short messages explaining the online application process to applicants, and calling on them to guard against cybercriminals who may try to create a prototype system.
Source: Biometric update
11, May 2023
Southern Cameroons leader reiterates liberation of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia 0
The Vice President of the Ambazonia Interim Government says October 1, 2023 will begin a new path of the struggle for liberation of the entire Southern Cameroons territories from the clutches of the vicious French Cameroun regime.
Speaking exclusively to Cameroon Intelligence Report on Tuesday about the situation of the Southern Cameroons resistance, Dabney Yerima stated that October 1 this year will be a new beginning for the Ambazonia revolution and actions will be staged by Amba fighters that will hasten the liberation of the entire British Southern Cameroons.
Yerima said that all Southern Cameroons restoration groups will be at the forefront of such a campaign, emphasizing that the actions will go beyond the Moungo.
Dabney Yerima highlighted that Southern Cameroons resistance groups are moving towards the formation of a central command system in Ground Zero that will end the French Cameroun occupation.
Elsewhere in his remarks, Yerima also condemned the recent killing of a Southern Cameroons journalist in Bemanda and he underscored the need for Amba fighters to protect the people of Southern Cameroons.
Dabney Yerima stated that the Ambazonia Interim Government under the stewardship of President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe has gloriously and proudly emerged triumphant over problems in the past years, describing the extent of internal crises that the Biya French Cameroun regime is currently facing in Yaoundé as unprecedented since the 1984 coup.
He went on to note that Southern Cameroonians in Ground Zero are at the forefront of defending the homeland, emphasizing that special emphasis must be laid on providing generous support to Amba fighters.
By Chi Prudence Asong