Politics

16, October 2019

Brexit-Syria: Macron, Merkel meet to harmonise positions before EU summit ⁰

France’s Emmanuel Macron will hold talks Wednesday with Germany’s Angela Merkel for the second time in a week to chart a united front on issues ranging from Brexit to Syria ahead of this week’s EU summit.

Macron goes into the two-day meeting in Brussels starting Thursday still smarting from the rejection of his pick for European commissioner, Sylvie Goulard.

The resounding “No” by European MEPs to Goulard, who has been caught up in an investigation into fake jobs for parliamentary assistants, was seen as a blow to Macron’s drive to boost France’s influence in Brussels.

On Wednesday, the French and German governments will hold a joint ministerial meeting in the southwestern French city of Toulouse to discuss how to move forward with some of the European projects that Macron has championed.

The ministerial council is the first since the two countries signed a treaty in January committing to wide-ranging cooperation on areas such as foreign policy, defence and energy.

In a video podcast, Merkel said she and Macron wanted to arrive in Brussels with “common positions in so far as possible.”

After a dinner with Merkel in Paris on Sunday, Macron warned that Europe could “not afford the luxury of petty quarrels” at what he called a “worrisome” time for the international order.

They will be joined later Wednesday in Toulouse for talks by incoming European Commission chief, Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen.

– Battle tank –

Von der Leyen’s visit — also her second to France in under a week — is part of a diplomatic blitz by Macron, who also hosted EU Council president Donald Tusk for talks in Paris on Monday.

The ardently pro-EU Macron is expected to use Wednesday’s ministerial council in Toulouse — home of European planemaker Airbus which he and Merkel will visit — to press Germany on closer defence and industrial ties.

Merkel said the two governments would discuss Franco-German plans to develop a European battle tank and fighter jet.

French presidential sources said Paris and Berlin would also attempt to develop common rules on arms exports, a bone of contention between the two powers, with France failing to follow Germany’s lead last year in halting arms sales to Saudi Arabia over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

A French presidential advisor defended Franco-German cooperation, saying that while it was “often put to the test”, in the end it “always moves forward on the essential topics”.

Macron and Merkel are also expected to discuss the make-up of the incoming European Commission after the thumbs-down for Goulard, as well as the Hungarian and Romanian candidates.

But a French presidential aide said Tuesday that Macron would not announce a new candidate until he was assured of the support of the main groups in the European Parliament, who voted down Goulard.

– Brexit ‘momentum’ –

Turkey’s offensive in northern Syria and the tentative progress made in talks between the EU and Britain on a revised Brexit deal are also expected to loom large over Wednesday’s talks in Toulouse and the EU summit in Brussels.

EU leaders have condemned Turkey’s operation against the Kurdish fighters who toppled the Islamic State group’s so-called caliphate earlier this year, warning that the Sunni extremists could take advantage of the offensive to regroup.

Britain, France and Germany have halted arms sales to Ankara, but EU foreign ministers on Wednesday stopped short of imposing an EU-wide weapons embargo on fellow NATO member Turkey.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told parliament on Tuesday that the decision by the US to withdraw its troops from northern Syria, seen as a green flag for the Turkish invasion, had underscored the need for “European sovereignty” and “European strategic autonomy.”

On Brexit, by contrast, there was an air of cautious optimism in Paris on Tuesday, with a French presidential aide hailing the “positive momentum” in talks on the terms of Britain’s exit from the EU.

The remarks represented a marked departure in tone from Paris, which has said repeatedly in recent weeks that it considers a no-deal Brexit on October 31 the most likely scenario.

Source: AFP

15, October 2019

There are reasons why the Trump administration should oust Biya ⁰

The number of African migrants grew at a rate of almost 50% from 2010 to 2018. This is more than double the growth rate of migration to the US from Asia, South America or the Caribbean. It’s worth noting the higher growth rate of Africans is partly influenced by the relatively smaller African migrant communities compared with the size of longer-established communities from Central America, for example.

This is true even among African communities. While Nigerians remain the largest population group of African immigrants in the US, Cameroon leads the list in terms of rate of growth. The number of Cameroonian-born migrants in the US doubled to 80,000 in 2018 compared with 2010, with much of that growth occurring in the last several years. This makes the Cameroonian population the fastest growing in the US. These numbers are based on survey results and are likely to be accurate within 10,000 people.

The so called Anglophone crisis in Cameroon, where the government’s crackdown on protests by English-speaking citizens has fueled a separatist movement in the predominantly French-speaking country is likely partly responsible for the spike. The protests against the Francophone-led government have led to violent battles in recent years, causing Cameroonians to flee the country.

But the increase doesn’t just stem from Africans and Cameroonians seeking asylum or refugee status, it also comes from those coming to the US to further their education. According to the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, from 2006 to 2014, the number of African students pursuing post-secondary degrees abroad grew 24%, rising from about 343,000 to 427,000. It rose 9% from 2013 to 2014 alone.

Africans have also benefited from the US Diversity Visa Lottery Program, better known as the “Green Card lottery.” Countries like Ghana, which is also among the top five African countries with a fast-growing immigrant population in the US, had the highest number of applicants than any other country in 2015 and at least a million applicants in 2016. The US State Department sets regional quotas every year and in 2017, the largest number of visas (about 19,000) went to citizens of African countries.

However, recent moves by the Trump administration could affect these trends. His administration has been accused of using “workarounds” to limit legal migration from certain regions of the world including Africa and the Caribbean. One of such policy is restricting who can apply for a diversity visa by mandating that all applicants have valid passports. Immigrant advocates say this development could deter applicants from the developing world.

“This seems like a backdoor strategy to discourage low-income people from applying for the diversity visa lottery; we know that this president has expressed strong preference for immigrants that are wealthy, white and European,” said Amaha Kassa, executive director of the nonprofit, African Communities Together.

While it remains to be seen how new US immigration policies will impact the flow of African migrants, Kassa says that any declines in the numbers will likely be temporary. “This is a detour because I don’t think majority of Americans agree with Trump’s restrictionist agenda.

“As long as African migrants have children who are becoming citizens and voters, over time we will become a more welcoming and inclusive society.”

Source: Quartz Africa

15, October 2019

General elections kick off in Mozambique ⁰

People are voting in presidential, parliamentary, and provincial elections in Mozambique, amid concerns that a recent peace deal between the country’s ruling party and opposition could come under threat in the event of election-related violence.

Polls opened for almost 13 million voters in the southern African nation early on Tuesday morning.

Authorities will start counting the ballots after polls close at 6 pm local time and are expected to continue through the night.

Preliminary results are expected no earlier than Wednesday.

People line up to vote at a primary school in Beira, Mozambique, on October 15, 2019. (Photo by AFP)

The vote is a competition between the ruling Frelimo Party of President Filipe Nyusi and former rebel group-turned-opposition Renamo, which is led by Ossufo Momade.

The results are likely to see the president’s party secure a second term. Frelimo has been in power for 44 years, since Mozambique’s independence from Portugal in 1975.

The opposition, meanwhile, is expecting an opportunity for a strong performance in the provincial and legislative races.

A peace deal was signed between President Nyusi and Momade in August, ending years of an armed conflict between government and rebel forces in the country.

Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi and opposition leader Ossufo Momade sign a ceasefire agreement in Gorongosa, on August 1, 2019. (Photo by AFP)

Rights groups are now concerned that the deal could be jeopardized since elections have historically been a trigger for violence in Mozambique.

At least 44 people were killed during the election campaign, although most of them died in campaign-related road accidents and some in a stadium stampede at a pro-Nyusi rally.

The United States Embassy warned on Friday of “credible threats” of violence in Nampula. It warned its citizens to avoid the northern city.

Source: Presstv

14, October 2019

Council of the European Union adopts conclusions on Cameroon ⁰

The Council today adopted the following conclusions on Cameroon:

The EU welcomes the halting of prosecution by the military courts of Maurice Kamto and supporters of his party, the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, and of individuals arrested and detained in the context of the crisis in the North-West and South-West regions. These decisions are a significant gesture of goodwill.

Three years after the crisis began, a national dialogue recently held in Yaoundé offered a first opportunity to open up prospects for a sustainable exit from the crisis. The EU calls for this process to be continued in order to develop responses to meet the population’s legitimate expectations, while encouraging the involvement of all those concerned both inside the country and from the diaspora, including women, young people and civil society.

The EU reiterates the importance of respecting and promoting human rights, the rule of law and the fundamental freedoms of the citizens of Cameroon. The EU will continue to call on Cameroon’s authorities and institutions to act in a proportionate manner, while respecting the obligations stemming from Cameroon’s Constitution and the international treaties and conventions on human rights to which Cameroon has subscribed. In particular, the principle of access to justice and the right to a fair trial before an independent court must be respected. In the face of worrying restrictions on political space, the EU considers that respect for the freedom of assembly, the freedom of expression and the involvement of civil society in the public debate are essential for any democratic and pluralistic state. For this reason, the EU calls for the whole of Cameroon’s opposition to be able to express themselves freely, in accordance with the law, and to participate without hindrance in the process of national dialogue and in the local and general elections planned for 2020.

The EU remains concerned and strongly condemns the continued violence and the level of insecurity in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon, especially where the civilian population is affected. Numerous and serious violations of human rights continue to be reported and predatory crime has become widespread. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has reported that severe abuses have been committed, including arbitrary arrests and detentions, the burning of homes, the excessive use of force against civilians and sexual violence. This has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, forcing more people into exile, with almost 42 000 refugees in Nigeria and 530 000 internally displaced people in the North-West and South-West regions. The economic situation is also severely affected.

The EU reiterates that the primary responsibility for protecting the population and maintaining security lies with the Cameroonian authorities. Access by humanitarian organisations and health workers to the populations affected must be ensured. The fight against impunity and compensation for all victims must also be guaranteed.

The use of violence in these regions is not the answer. The EU reaffirms the need for all parties in Cameroon to respect the rule of law and resolve this crisis peacefully through an inclusive dialogue. In coordination with its international and regional partners, the EU will continue to support all efforts, such as the facilitation work by the Swiss authorities, able to build on this momentum.

The EU also reaffirms its commitment to the economic development and stability of Cameroon as a partner at the crossroads between the Sahel and Central Africa and as an important player in the fight against Boko Haram and in the peace process in the Central African Republic. Improving the stability of Cameroon will help to strengthen this cooperation, including its trade and investment dimensions. The EU expresses its hope that Cameroon will find the ways and means to achieve a national revival that will bring about the lasting reconciliation the country so greatly needs.

The EU will remain committed to addressing the humanitarian needs of the populations affected and reiterates the importance of ensuring safe and unhindered humanitarian access to the entire country.

14, October 2019

Britain, EU enter make-or-break Brexit week ⁰

Britain and the European Union on Monday enter a pivotal week that determines if they are still on course to reach amicable divorce terms — and when Brexit might finally occur.

Queen Elizabeth II is due to step into the fray by performing her ceremonial duty of informing parliament about the government’s agenda for the coming year.

But the odds of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s tenure lasting that long will depend largely on the outcome of hurried discussions held behind closed doors in Brussels around the same time.

EU leaders will then meet on Thursday and Friday for a summit held under the pressures of the October 31 Brexit deadline just two weeks away.

Diplomats see little hope that the sides can achieve in a few days what they had failed to in the more than three years since Britons first voted to leave the bloc after nearly 50 years.

“A lot of work remains to be done,” EU negotiator Michel Barnier told ambassador Sunday.

Technical talks are continuing — variously described as “intense” or “constructive” — but few familiar with the process can point to progress on the decisive issue of British Northern Ireland’s place in the EU customs zone.

Johnson warned his ministers Sunday to brace for a cliff-hanger finish.

The British leader said “a pathway to a deal could be seen but that there is still a significant amount of work to get there and we must remain prepared to leave on October 31.”

– ‘Clock is ticking’

Johnson rose to power in July on a promise not to extend Brexit for a third time this year — even if only a few more weeks are needed to get a deal done.

Breaking that pledge could come back to haunt him in an early general election that most predict for the coming months.

Johnson is under parliamentary orders to seek an extension until January 31 of next year if no deal emerges by Saturday.

He has insisted that he will both follow the law and get Britain out by October 31 — a contradiction that might end up being settled in court.

Outgoing EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker said British politics were getting more difficult to decipher than the riddle of an “Egyptian sphinx”.

“If the British ask for more time, which they probably will not, it would in my view be a historical nonsense to refuse them,” Juncker told Austria’s Kurier newspaper.

Something will have to give when the British parliament holds its first emergency Saturday meeting since the 1982 Falklands War.

Johnson could theoretically then try to put up a fight and refuse to sign off on a Brexit extension request.

His refusal would immediately be contested in court.

The EU leaders could complicate matters further still by deciding to offer Britain extension terms that parliament cannot accept.

But Brussels might want to push Brexit back further into next year so that it stops interfering with all the other European issues piling up.

A long delay would be untenable for many eurosceptics ahead of an early election that some expect as early as December.

But a short one of a few months might only come on the condition that it is the last.

The last and seemingly least likely outcome would see parliament vote on an actual agreement reached in Brussels against all odds this week.

Brussels insists that the ball is now in Johnson’s court.

“If the British government wants a solution, it must move quickly now,” a European diplomat told AFP.

“The clocking is ticking,”

Source: AFP

14, October 2019

Tunisia’s Kais Saied wins presidential election runoff ⁰

Tunisia’s Kais Saied won the presidential election with 76.9% of votes, according to state television.

Kais Saied, 61, got more than 50 percent ahead of Nabil Karoui, a media mogul who was prosecuted for tax evasion. He had 23.11% of votes.

The announcement elicited tears of joy from supporters of Saied in the streets of Tunis. But official results will only be available from Monday.

The independent candidate thanked “the young people who opened a new page of history”, in front of his supporters in a hotel in central Tunis shortly after the announcement of his victory on Sunday.

AFP

13, October 2019

Federal Republic of Ambazonia: Vice President Dabney Yerima’s National Defense Speech ⁰

Fellow Southern Cameroonians,

On behalf of HE President Julius Ayuk Tabe and the leadership of the Interim Government, accept revolutionary greetings and we want to thank each and every one of you for the enormous sacrifices you are making to bring the struggle for the Decolonization and Restoration of the Independence of our country, the former British Southern Cameroons Trust Territory herein referred to as Ambazonia. Without your commitment and sacrifices, it would have been impossible for us to be where we are today.

My fellow countrymen,November 22, 2017-a date which will live in infamy- war was declared by La Republique du Cameroun on the people of Southern Cameroons.

Our whole nation will always remember and will never forget the character of the onslaught and carnage against us. The Interim Government wants to assure you that no matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated genocide, the people of Southern Cameroons in their righteous might will win and restore their independence.

I believe that President Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe and I interpret the will of the Interim Government and of the people when we assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but we will make it very certain that this form of genocide and scotched earth ethnic cleansing shall never defeat us.

Death and the stench of decomposing bodies of our people have engulfed our land. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in existential danger, but with the determination of our people and infinite sacrifices of our Restoration Forces-we will gain the inevitable triumph-so help us God.

I say to you our people as our leadership said to the International Community, I have nothing to offer but, “Independence or Resistance Forever.” We have before us many, many months of struggle, of pain and suffering, but I can assure you that we shall overcome.

Southern Cameroonians are asking, what is our policy and plan? I say it is to defend our people either peacefully or by war throughout our national territory. Defend and fight with all our might and with all the strength God has given us, and to continue our economic divestment campaign against a monstrous genocide never surpassed in the dark and lamentable catalogue of human crime. Today I come before you to outline that defense specific policy of the Interim Government. I was appointed to serve in this capacity in May 2019 and amidst the very vexing difficulties we are presently facing, most of which have been self-inflicted, I have tried hard to navigate through these insurmountable difficulties by consulting and listening to our people and other leaders within the Ambazonian revolution for possible solutions to alleviate our present predicament.

I have unfortunately concluded that we took our eyes off the enemy and instead directed our 58 years rage against our enemy towards our own brothers and sisters. We have neglected equipping GZ and rather embarked on empty grandstanding in the social media platforms. We can only win this fight through our collective efforts to equip and defend our defenseless people. I am laying down today a defense policy to you Ambazonians to choose what course of action we must pursuit together. This policy is going to be defined by an answer to this fundamental question. What do we intend to achieve within the next 12 months in this struggle, Continue with our present strategy of self-defense agitation by our untrained Restoration Forces, with occasional feel good moments like boycotting LRC National days or We are going to move aggressively and proactively to sufficiently equip our Restoration Forces to not only defend our people and territory, but to also begin to recapture our territory and drive the enemy out of our land?

I don’t know about you, but I can tell you with all certainty that this Interim Government and myself have chosen the latter. We cannot continue with this policy of defensive agitation while the enemy is ruthlessly bludgeoning our people to oblivion. By this the government is demonstrating that we have clearly determined that we must go on the offensive to win and liberate our people. That is our policy, but what will it take to carry through this policy? I will attempt the answer subsequently.

Some may ask, what is the aim of this policy? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs – Victory in spite of all difficulties and the apathy of the international community – Victory, however long and hard and winding the road may be, for without victory there is no survival and our people and posterity will forever remain in servitude.

OUR RESTORATION FORCES

I want to extend my valiant salute to all our Restoration Forces on GZ and G1 and all the Counties security operations for amazing, meticulous and audacious show of allegiance to our flag and nation on October 1st, 2019. The communal spirit between you and our people rekindled the hope and determination of thousands of our people across the globe and send a ruthless message to the colonizer that you will determine your own destiny and will never wink no matter the number of monologues that will be held across the globe to determine our destiny.

You are our pride from Otu, Bali, Malende, Matoh, Ekona, Ekondo, Bafut, Kumbo and across Southern Cameroons. You are the young men/women who are taking the risk in the jungles and crocodile infested rivers. You are the champions who are helping free a people from bondage. You are the heroes who will help us to victory. Fellow warriors in this struggle, when I look at you, I see men/women who are fighting for life and most of you have left the vivid air signed with your blood and honor. You were young the day you took Dane guns and farm tools to defend our families, some of you were hardly more than boys, with the deepest joys of life before you. Yet you risked and are risking everything in this genocidal war against our people. Why? Why are you doing it? What obliged you to put aside the instinct for self-preservation and risk your lives to defend our communities? The Interim Government look at you, and somehow, we know the answer. It is faith and belief; it is loyalty and love for mother Southern Cameroons, the land of our ancestors.

Continue to keep the faith that what you are fighting for is right, faith that you are fighting for all Southern Cameroonians; faith that a just God would grant you mercy at the foot of Mt Fako and the jungles of Manyu through the plains of Bafut. It is this deep knowledge — and I pray God you will not lose it — that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force through genocide for subjugation and colonization. You are in this existential fight to liberate, not to conquer or colonize like the enemy, and so you and those of your comrades who have been martyred did not doubt our cause. And you are right not to doubt.You are the umbilical cord which binds together the entire fabric of our national structure of defense. From your ranks have come the great generals even without training who hold the destiny of our nation in their hands.You are no war mongers like the junta in Yaounde, but always remember the ominous words of Plato, that wisest of all philosophers: Only the dead have seen the end of war.”

It is very hard not to understand your pain and disappointment on us your Interim Government and the general Southern Cameroons diaspora for failing to supply you with the necessary tools to defend our communities, but I am today extending this covenant with you that this is going to be my utmost priority. As long as I will be in this position, I will not tolerate the continuous humiliation we see every day that you continue to defend yourselves with your bare hands, Dane guns and farm tools. It is a national embarrassment and an affront to the soul of the nation. It is time to consider sufficiently providing equipment, training, uniforms, medical kits and how about a stipend to assist your young families left behind? This is what a government should do if you are going to call yourself a representative of the people and this is what this Interim Government is going to embark on in the next 12 months. Remain Steadfast!

SOUTHERN CAMEROONS DIASPORA

Fellow Southern Cameroonians, it is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the leadership in charge could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the midst of it, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the work and what is right; who knows the great devotions; who spends himself/herself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he/she fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his/her place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

I have, myself, full confidence that if all of us do our duty, if nothing is neglected, and if the best arrangements are made, as they are being made now, we shall prove ourselves once again able to defend our ancestral land, to ride out the storm of this war, and to outlive the menace of perpetual servitude in the Republique du Cameroun, if necessary for years and if necessary doing it alone. At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do. That is the resolve of HE Julius Ayuk Tabe and this Interim Government. That is the will of the Interim Government and the people. The 13 Counties, linked together in this cause and in their need for liberation, will defend to the death their ancestral lands, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength. Even though large tracts of our land are under the grip of the odious security apparatus of the Yaounde junta, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in Buea, we shall fight in the jungles and valleys, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in equipment, we shall defend our land, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender. For surrender amounts to perpetual slavery and an affront to the souls of our martyrs

Fellow Diasporas, many and the international community are crying “Peace! Peace!” __but there is no peace and our people are being slaughtered. The war is actually here in our backyards! I do not know what course you may take; but as for me, give me independence, or resistance forever!

We do not wish to make the war against us seem smaller, nor make its solution seem easy or make light of the fears of our people. But whether we are fearful or not, we shall never, because we are a Christian people, be able to avoid the moral issue of our conscience.

AMBA BOND HOLDERS

Today, our communities are gripped with the devastating impact of the war with mounting casualties and devastation.Rising insecurity from the savages of the Yaounde junta, kidnappings, ransom takings, blackmail and intimidation are now the norm even from some of our rogue elements and fake Amba boys from Atanga Nji and cohorts. This is no time to talk of division or question the commitment of any groups or individuals.

What the Interim government did when this struggle started was permissible. It was permissible to be indifferent to minor insecurity in our communities. But it is no longer permissible to be indifferent to the plight of our people. In the light of what we know now, the rapes, abductions, arrests, killing and the ransom takings. It is no longer permissible for us to be indifferent to the destruction of family life and the plight of our refugees in foreign lands, some in the forests, some drowning in crocodiles infested waters, when we know that our in actions are helping to destroy it. This is a call to your conscience and as you stand in front of the mirror please ask yourself what I can do to stop or end this situation.

Our President feels your pain. These pains do not discriminate whether you stood for Federation in the past or have been a steadfast advocate for the complete Decolonisation and Restoration of our Independence. These inhumanities should grieve us enough to rise as ONE MAN and respond to the President’s call to become an AMBA BOND HOLDER.

The Interim government will be issuing ten (10) million AMBAZONIA FREEDOM BONDS to the public to raise money to prosecute this revolution with top priorities on Ground Zero Defense and Reconstitution of our famous Mobile Police (law and order). AMBA BOND HOLDERS will be owning a piece of Ambazonia. Basically, Ambazonians will be loaning money to the Interim Government when they purchase the government Amba Freedom Bonds at competitive interest rates.

The Interim government cannot continue to sit and do nothing while the Republique du Cameroun is procuring loans worth millions of dollars to prosecute this war against our people. These debts that they are incurring now will be part of their liabilities in any negotiation on the terms of separation. We must also incur debts to prosecute this revolution and this will also be part of any negotiations. The huge difference between what they are doing and what we are trying to do is that we are raising this money from our people who will own a piece of our National heritage while they are selling that heritage to the Chinese and the French.

The entire proceeds will be used to subsidize and support all our Restoration Forces, Counties operations and others. As directed by the Interim Government, The AMBAZONIA FREEDOM BONDS will be issued and managed by an all-inclusive independent BANK OF AMBAZONIA (The people’s Financial House). Details will be provided by a select committee and the department of Economy and Finance on the composition and functions of the People’s Bank.

Through you, the valiant people of Ambazonia, I am today announcing the official launch of the Ambazonia Freedom Bonds. Please make this project your own for the sake of our suffering people. Be on the lookout for this project in the coming days with all the necessary details.

Long Live the People of the Federal Republic of Ambazonia

Vice President Dabney Yerima

13, October 2019

Ambazonia European Council says French government is hindering peace efforts in Southern Cameroons ⁰

The Ambazonia European Council, a Southern Cameroons movement which recently declared allegiance to the Interim Government says the French administration under President Emmanuel Macron is hindering peace efforts in Southern Cameroons due to its unending support for the 86 year old Paul Biya. The German-based Southern Cameroons think tank also described Paris as an accomplice in the French Cameroun-led military campaign against the people of Southern Cameroons.

Comrade Ndasi Victor Babila, the chairman of the Ambazonia European Council, made the comments on Saturday during a meeting that held in Bochum to seek support for the Amba Bonds Project announced by the Ambazonia Treasury Department.

He stated that French Cameroun genocidal campaign against Ambazonians will not end until President Macron and the Trump administration take a tougher line and impose some form of travel restriction on President Biya.

Ndasi Victor added that Ambazonia young men and women are fighting in line with right to self-defense, and stressed that President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and Vice President Dabney Yerima have both welcomed any dialogue aimed at achieving peace while respecting the territorial integrity of both Southern Cameroons and French Cameroun.

He described as a war crime French Cameroun military’s destruction of more than 200 Ambazonia villages that has eventually created the worst humanitarian crisis ever in the Gulf of Guinea.

Comrade Ndasi also blasted Barrister Agbor Balla observing that the former leader of the Consortium is now acting like an “intellectual gate crasher.”

By Fon Judith in Bochum, Germany

13, October 2019

US: Trump defends decision to pull forces out of northern Syria ⁰

US President Donald Trump has defended his decision to pull American forces out of northern Syria in the face of mounting criticism.

Days after the US had withdrawn its forces and abandoned its Kurdish allies in the area, Turkey launched its military campaign there, dubbed Operation Peace Spring, which Ankara says is meant to purge the Syrian region of YPG militants. Turkey views YPG militants as terrorists linked to local autonomy-seeking militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The offensive is Turkey’s third such military operation inside Syria against the Kurds since 2016. It has sparked widespread condemnations as well as concerns about the humanitarian situation of the civilian population and a possible resurgence of the Daesh terrorist group.

Turkish warplanes and artillery hit northeast Syria on the third day of an incursion that has forced tens of thousands to flee.

Speaking before a crowd of evangelicals on Saturday, Trump did acknowledge that his choice was unpopular, but asserted that it was time to stop US soldiers’ participation in an “endless war.”

“I don’t think our soldiers should be there for the next 50 years guarding a border between Turkey and Syria when we can’t guard our own borders at home,” Trump said.

Trump, however, garnered muted applause from the audience as many in the religious community have condemned the president’s move. The US has “paid a lot of money to the Kurds over the years”, said the president, adding, but “don’t forget, they are fighting for their land, they haven’t helped us fight for our land.”

Meanwhile, Pat Robertson, a longtime Trump supporter and founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network, had said Trump was “in danger of losing the mandate of heaven” for betraying the Kurds.

On Friday, the Pentagon said Washington was “greatly disappointed” by the Turkish incursion, noting the US had not abandoned its Syrian Kurdish allies to a Turkish military onslaught.

“We are not abandoning our Kurdish partner forces, and US troops remain with them in other parts of Syria. The impulsive action of President Erdogan to invade northern Syria has put the United States in a tough situation.”

The Pentagon says that it had not abandoned its Syrian Kurdish allies to a Turkish military onslaught.

The Pentagon later that day threatened to take an “immediate defensive action” after a contingent of its forces was caught up in Turkish shelling in the area.

Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Brook DeWalt said, “The United States remains opposed to the Turkish military move into Syria and especially objects to Turkish operations outside the Security Mechanism zone and in areas where the Turks know US forces are present.”

Source: Presstv

12, October 2019

US: Acting Homeland Security Secretary McAleenan resigns ⁰

US acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan is resigning and a new acting chief of the agency would be named next week, President Donald Trump says.

McAleenan, the fourth person to serve in the post since the Trump presidency began, submitted his resignation to the White House on Friday, the president announced on Twitter.

Trump said McAleenan, 48, who has served since April, “wants to spend more time with his family and go to the private sector.”

Donald J. Trump✔@realDonaldTrump

Kevin McAleenan has done an outstanding job as Acting Secretary of Homeland Security. We have worked well together with Border Crossings being way down. Kevin now, after many years in Government, wants to spend more time with his family and go to the private sector..

McAleenan also on Twitter addressed his departure in a statement, saying “we have made tremendous progress mitigating the border security.”

Acting Sec. Kevin McAleenan✔@DHSMcAleenan

I want to thank the President for the opportunity to serve alongside the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security. With his support, over the last 6 months, we have made tremendous progress mitigating the border security and humanitarian crisis we faced this year…

This comes a few days after McAleenan was forced to abandon a debate stage in the US capital after protesters drowned him out, condemning the crackdown on migrants and asylum seekers.

On Monday, just as McAleenan wanted to begin speaking at the event at Georgetown University in Washington, several demonstrators were standing and holding banners that read, “Stand with Immigrants.”

“When our immigrants are under attack what do we do? Stand up fight back,” the protesters chanted for several minutes.

Caravans of migrants from Central American countries have been traveling for months through various routes ending up in Mexico to reach the country’s border with the US, where they seek to apply for asylum and settle down.

However, the Trump administration has been blocking them at the border with Mexico. The Trump administration has even separated migrant children from their parents or deported those who have successfully crossed back to their home countries, where they face violence or economic difficulties

Source: Presstv