Politics

3, January 2025

New Year Day Homilies: Roman Catholic Bishops call on Biya to step down ⁰

President Paul Biya 91 must resign from power, three Roman Catholic Bishops reportedly said during their New Year Day homilies.

Archbishop Samuel Kleda, Metropolitan Archbishop of Douala, Bishop Emmanuel Abbo of the diocese of Ngaoundéré and Bishop Yaouda Hourgo, Bishop of Yagoua all said that Mr Biya has ruined a wonderful country, turning a bread-basket into a basket case.

The Bishops said it is well past time for Mr Biya to go, saying several sham elections have been followed by several sham processes of power-sharing that produced nothing but suffering.

In their New Year Day homilies, they called for a form of political transition by the end of 2024.

Archbishop Samuel Kleda, Metropolitan Archbishop of Douala, stated that it is unrealistic for Biya to contest the 2025 presidential election. Kleda invoked the wear and tear of time and the vanity of life and added that ‘this is not realistic […] we are human beings. At some point we leave this world, we can’t perform miracles’.

“We’re not going to suffer any more than that. We’ve already suffered. The worst is not going to come. Even the Devil should first take power in Cameroon and then we’ll see…” Archbishop Kleda furthered.

For his part, Mgr Emmanuel Abbo, Bishop of Ngaoundere, reflected on the poor living conditions of Cameroonians and denounced the present form of repression of the freedom of expression of citizens living in deplorable conditions. ‘How is it possible that the desperate pleas of Cameroonians do not prompt the country’s leaders to put an end to their suffering? And the greatest suffering of all is that Cameroonians are forbidden to express their suffering’, the Man of God lamented.

Also speaking on New Year’s Day was Bishop Yaouda Hourgo of the Yagoua diocese. His Lordship Bishop Yaouda said it is time to put an end to the suffering of the Cameroonian people. For him, there is an urgent need for another Cameroonian to take power immediately.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

2, January 2025

South Korea’s Yoon vows to ‘fight until end’ despite facing arrest ⁰

South Korea’s impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol has written a letter urging his supporters to stand by him, declaring that he will “fight until the end”, as authorities seek to arrest him over his brief martial law imposed last month.

Back on December 3, heavily armed troops stormed the National Assembly building after Yoon ordered a martial law to be imposed, the first of its kind in more than four decades, but lawmakers managed to rush to the parliament to vote down his martial law declaration.

He gave the military extraordinary powers in order to end the political deadlock within the capital, and stop what he dubbed “anti-state forces.” However, the martial law lasted only six hours before being revoked by the parliament.

After being impeached by lawmakers and having his powers suspended, Yoon was replaced by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who briefly led the country as acting president.

“I am watching on YouTube live all the hard work you are doing,” Yoon addressed a letter late Wednesday to the estimated hundreds of supporters gathered near his official residence in protest of his investigation.

“I will fight until the end to protect this country together with you,” he added in the letter, a photo capture of which was sent to Reuters by Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer advising Yoon.

The opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the parliament and spearheaded Yoon’s impeachment on December 14, stressed that the letter demonstrated Yoon’s purported delusion and his continued commitment to carry out what they call his “insurrection.”

“As if trying to stage insurrection wasn’t enough, he is now inciting his supporters to an extreme clash,” said party spokesman Jo Seoung-lae in a statement.

On Tuesday, a court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon, potentially making him the first sitting president to be detained in connection with investigations into accusations that he orchestrated an insurrection by attempting to impose martial law.

Insurrection is one of the rare criminal charges for which a South Korean president does not enjoy immunity.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), heading a joint investigative team that includes police and prosecutors, has until January 6 to carry out the arrest warrant.

South Korean lawmakers impeached Han for his refusal on December 27 to appoint three judges to fill vacancies in the Constitutional Court, the body that will be deciding whether to reinstate or remove Yoon permanently from office.

Now, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok has assumed the role of acting president.

The opposition argued that Han had actively participated in Yoon’s insurrection and violated his duty to uphold the law by avoiding investigations.

Opposition politicians also called for launching a special probe into Yoon’s martial law declaration.

On Thursday, Yoon’s lawyer warned that police officers would be at risk of arrest by “the presidential security service or any citizens” if they attempt to detain Yoon on behalf of the CIO, stressing that their authority is restricted only to crowd control and maintaining public order.

Source: Press TV

2, January 2025

Biya hints at another bid for presidency ⁰

President Paul Biya gave his end of year address to the nation, and a not so subtle hint that he still has interest in keeping the presidency.

Biya warned that 2025 – the year Cameroon is meant to hold presidential elections is ‘full of challenges’, which was interpreted by some observers as a suggestion that he sees himself as president of the central African country beyond 2025.

Biya said he was paying attention to the cries of his party’s members who have recently embarked on a propaganda drive to market his candidacy.

At almost 92 years old, 40 of which he has spent at the head of his country, Paul Biya remains the sole candidate of the ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement according to the party’s constitution.

Source: Africa News

30, December 2024

Will Biya resign and allow Dion Ngute to be president? ⁰

There is no proof that Unity Palace and the Star Building have considered doing this, but according to our Cameroon Intelligence Report chief correspondent in Yaoundé, Biya is contemplating to resign the presidency after New Year celebrations to make Prime Minister Dion Ngute the president of the Republic.

Rita Akana explained this move and cited a well-placed source who met President Biya recently in Yaoundé.

President Biya was painted as having a divided mind on handing over before the elections in 2025 or running as a candidate and then step down, making the way for a Dion Ngute presidency.

“From what he told an aide late last week, he now fully understands that he no longer has the energy to run state affairs. I’m not saying that he intends to resign soonest, but that’s exactly what he is planning do,” the source said.

As 2025 approaches, many Cameroonians are concerned about the future of their country. Cameroon is at a standstill both politically and economically. The country is in dire need of an overhaul and many analysts have opined that the 2025 presidential election might reshape the country’s future.

However, though the presidential election is less than ten months away, Cameroonians are not yet aware of the candidates in the race for the Unity Palace as some political parties have not yet revealed their candidates to the public and this is indeed a cause for concern.

The 2025 presidential polls cannot be discussed without mentioning the incumbent’s name. Mr. Biya who has been in power for 42 years has the benefit of incumbency. His total control of the country’s treasury gives him certain financial advantages which other parties may not have.

However, his long stay in power might be a huge disadvantage as many Cameroonians are of the opinion that he has overstayed his welcome. His age and failing health could also be some of the annoying inconveniences which might mar Mr. Biya’s campaign.

However, some analysts say he might not run as his age has diminished his mental and physical ability. The analysts hold that he might manage the transition to ensure that his successor comes from his party to ensure that his family and collaborators get the protection they need when he leaves power.

Mr. Biya has been a fixture on Cameroon’s political landscape having been thrust into power by the country’s first president, Amadou Ahidjo, who resigned in 1982. Ahidjo saw the young Biya as an asset to the country and thought that Mr. Biya was capable of steering the country to better shores.

Unfortunately, things have not turned out as planned. The country’s economy has been in shambles for more than three decades, with unemployment reaching alarming levels. Many young Cameroonians are frustrated and thousands have left the country to try their luck somewhere else. Cameroon has not been the eldorado Ahidjo thought it would become under Mr. Biya.

Nepotism and corruption have become the country’s hallmarks. The massive, dysfunctional and corrupt civil service is full of Biya loyalists and tribesmen and this is a tough challenge the next president will have to deal with.

Currently, the government is bleeding money and in a bid to raise more money, the government is instituting more annoying taxes. The 2024 finance bill has just been passed and it is not good news to struggling Cameroonians. The new taxes will trigger a further escalation of living cost and most Cameroonians who are already in the throes of a severe crisis will have to look for creative ways to survive if they must not be rolled into an early grave by high prices.

The 2025 polls are an opportunity for Cameroonians to reshape their political destiny. The lineup of candidates is impressive. Will they vote for continuity or will they design a new path by walking away from the ruling party which has made corruption a way of life?

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

29, December 2024

Chad votes in triple elections after three years of military rule ⁰

Chad voted Sunday in a general election the government says is a key step towards ending military rule, with turnout expected to be low after the opposition called for a boycott.

Midday figures suggested a turnout of just 38 percent to choose a new parliament, provincial assemblies and local councils, according to the elections management agency ANGE.

Election officials in the upmarket district where the president’s family and ruling dignitaries live put voter apathy down to the “cold weather”.

But opposition parties have urged Chad’s eight million voters to shun the election, the results of which they say had been decided in advance.

They “have all stayed at home following our call, that is, the overwhelming majority,” Succes Masra, leader of the opposition Transformers party, told AFP.

The boycott leaves the field open for candidates aligned with President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, who was brought to power by the military in 2021 and then legitimised in a presidential election in May that opposition candidates denounced as fraudulent.

“I urge all my compatriots on the electoral roll to come out and vote en masse,” Deby posted on Facebook, alongside photos of himself casting his ballot on what he called a “historic day”.

‘Nothing’s been done yet’

On Saturday, Masra had said: “The fabricated results are already in the computers.”

Herve Natouingan, 28, a construction worker turned motorbike taxi driver due to a lack of job prospects, said it was “pointless” to cast a ballot because “there’s no real voting in Chad”.

Patrice Lumumba Deoumoundou, an unemployed 39-year-old, told AFP he had voted Sunday morning in the hope of “change across the board” — more jobs, fewer price rises, “more justice” and “more equality”.

“Nothing’s been done yet,” he said.

As in previous elections, soldiers, police officers and nomads voted on Saturday for logistical reasons.

Chad’s election management agency said there had been “record” turnout, with more than 72 percent in the army and 54 percent among nomads.

“There is a lot at stake locally in these elections,” it said.

“The nomads came to ask the people who will be elected tomorrow to improve their living conditions,” said sheikh Djibrine Hassabakarim, one of the community’s representatives.

He said climate change had made life hard for his community, killing livestock, triggering clashes with sedentary farmers and making it hard for them to feed their families.

Transition to democracy

Polling stations, which will remain open until 6:00 pm (1700 GMT), are being monitored by around 100 foreign election observers and representatives of political parties.

On Saturday evening, the opposition Democratic Party of the Chadian People (PDPT) said more than a thousand ballots intended for the sub-prefecture of Bongor had disappeared.

It called for “vigilance” to “thwart the fraud networks” it said had been set up by the ruling MPS party.

Voting is taking place against a backdrop of recurring attacks by the jihadist group Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, the ending of a military accord with former colonial master France and accusations that Chad is interfering in the conflict ravaging neighbouring Sudan.

The government has presented the elections as the final stage in the transition to democracy.

Deby took power in 2021 after the death of his father, who had ruled the Sahel country for three decades.

Source: AFP

17, December 2024

SDF leaders mobilize support for Joshua Osih ahead of 2025 presidential election ⁰

The leaders of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) in Cameroon’s Centre region are calling on party militants to mobilize in support of Joshua Osih’s candidacy for next year’s presidential election. During a recent meeting of the region’s Executive Committee, it was agreed that every party member should act as an “ambassador” for Osih’s campaign. Additionally, the regional leadership is aiming to expand its ranks by recruiting new sympathizers, a move also intended to prepare for the upcoming legislative and municipal elections.

The critical question now is whether these measures will be enough to strengthen the SDF’s presence in the Centre region, particularly ahead of the presidential election. To meet this challenge, the party will need to urgently revitalize its grassroots structures. According to the December 2024 edition of the SDF newsletter, the latest Executive Committee meeting found that “most of the structures across the region’s ten departments are inactive.”

A reorganization of these structures appears to be in the works. This is not the first time the SDF has attempted such an overhaul. After disappointing results in the 2020 legislative and municipal elections in Mfoundi—Yaoundé’s most significant department—the party launched efforts to revive its activities there. However, four years later, little progress has been made, as the Executive Committee acknowledges that operations in Mfoundi remain nearly stagnant.

Joshua Osih, who hopes to run for the presidency as the head of a platform comprising political parties, trade unions, and associations, faces significant challenges. In the 2018 presidential election, Osih finished in fourth place with a lackluster result, marking a major setback for the SDF, which lost its position as the leading opposition party. At the time, the party attributed its poor performance to the security crisis in the North-West and South-West regions (Noso)—traditional SDF strongholds—where many militants were unable to vote.

Source: Business in Cameroon

9, December 2024

Réponse à votre article intitulé: Manyu Political Landscape ⁰

Je suis un fidèle lecteur de votre journal en ligne qui à ma connaissance est l’un des journaux les plus respectés chez les anglophones.

Votre article concernant les changements politiques au Cameroun en 2025 voire dans le département de la Manyu a attiré mon attention. Il est vraiment un appel vibrant aux hommes politiques de ce département à se mettre au travail.

Les problèmes auxquels font face les gens de ce département sont exactment les mêmes qui nous confrontent dans la partie francophone. Ne croyez pas que vous êtes les seuls à faire face aux problèmes économiques dans ce pays.

Je respecte l’avis de l’auteur de cet article mais j’aimerais ajouter que bien qu’elle soit importante dans le développement économique et politique de notre pays, la Diaspora camerounais ne semble pas maîtriser les problèmes auxquels sont confrontés les populations du Cameroun.

Il serait donc peu judicieux pour prendre un membre de la Diaspora qui s’est séparé du pays pendant des années pour qu’il devienne l’élu du peuple. Pour les membres de la Diaspora qui estiment qu’ils peuvent apporter des contributions significatives au développement du pays, j’aimerais les inviter à venir vivre au Cameroun pendant quelques années pour bien s’imprégner de la réalité du pays avant de chercher à représenter le peuple soit au sénat soit au parlement.

Le Cameroun dispose des particularités politiques et il sera important aux futurs élus du peuple de maîtriser d’abord les contours de la politique camerounais avant d’y lancer.

J’aurais aimer écrire cette réponse en anglais mais ma maîtrise de la langue anglaise laisse beaucoup à désirer.

Si la traduction de ce message ne vous pose pas de problème, vous pouvez le traduire en anglais pour permettre à vos lecteurs de bien comprendre ma réponse.

Merci de votre compréhension!

Jean-Pierre Mballa à Yaounde.

9, December 2024

2025 presidential election: Who will run? ⁰

Despite the suspense, some candidates are already working hard to make their presidential ambitions known and their programs are out there for people to appreciate.

First to inform Cameroonians about his presidential ambition is Barrister Akere Muna, a world known Cameroonian lawyer who has made his country proud. At the international level, Akere Muna is known for his unrelenting effort to stamp out corruption from many international organizations and from his native Cameroon. It is not in error that he is known as Mr. Glencore, a name given to him after his commendable efforts to ensure that Cameroonian officials which took money from Glencore, get punished according to the law.

Though his efforts in that regard have not produced anything meaningful, Barrister Muna is not throwing in the towel and his determination to become the president of Cameroon only increases by the day as he wants to stamp out corruption in high places in Cameroon.

Barrister Muna is not a new face in the race. He understands the challenges and many Cameroonians think that he is capable of changing many things in the country. Many Cameroonians are looking up to him and this explains why his endorsement by some opposition parties as their candidate caused some excitement.

Although he has not yet openly declared that he will be in the race, many Cameroonians hold that Prof. Maurice Kamto will be a key player and could even be the favorite.

He was in the 2018 presidential race where he claimed victory and ended up in custody for eight months. Despite that setback, Prof. Kamto still has his eyes on the big prize. A law professor who brought fame and Bakassi to Cameroon, Prof. Kamto is seen by many as the man who is capable of beating the incumbent who has been in power for over four decades.

His MRC party has won hearts and minds across the country and many hold that if given an opportunity, Prof. Kamto’s party might help address some of the economic and political challenges that have bogged down the country.

Though the ruling CPDM is trying very hard to characterize MRC as a regional party, Prof. Kamto has continued to develop and position his party as a national party which will unite the country after the Biya era which has made divide and rule its cardinal objective.

Prof. Kamto has always drawn the world’s attention to the disaster playing out in the country’s two English-speaking regions and has promised to meet with separatists leaders if he becomes the president of Cameroon. He believes in federalism and has always stated that he would not preside over the balkanisation of his beloved Cameroon.

Also expected to be in the race is the SDF chairman, Josua Osih, though he has not yet openly declared his candidacy. Mr. Osih is currently a parliamentarian. Serving as a parliamentarian has given Mr. Osih a lot of experience which will surely come in handy when and if he wins the presidential race.

The SDF is currently not the chief opposition party in Cameroon and its influence has diminished following the demise of its premier and iconic leader, John Fru Ndi, who gave the current president, Paul Biya, a run for his money in the 1992 presidential election. The SDF is capable of staging a massive comeback and many observers hold that Mr. Osih’s low-key and collaborative leadership approach might deliver a massive surprise in the 2025 polls.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

8, December 2024

Syria’s Assad in Moscow, given asylum by Russia ⁰

Bashar al-Assad, the ousted president of Syria, has reportedly arrived in Moscow along with his family after his government fell to militants.

Citing a source in the Kremlin, several Russian media outlets reported on Sunday that the Russian government has granted Assad and his family asylum.

“President al-Assad of Syria has arrived in Moscow. Russia has granted them (him and his family) asylum on humanitarian grounds,” the Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed source as saying.

There was no immediate comment from the Syrian presidency about his whereabouts.

Prime Minister Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali said he had not spoken with Assad since Saturday. Jalali said that he would stay in Syria and was ready to work with whomever the Syrian people choose as their leader.

Militants, headed by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), declared a curfew in Damascus on Sunday until the following morning, after seizing the capital following a lightning offensive launched last week.

Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the HTS commander, said Sunday that Syrian state institutions would be supervised by Jalali until a transition of power takes place.

The HTS said it would work with the prime minister and called on Syrian military forces in Damascus to stay away from public institutions.

President Assad reportedly departed Syria on an airplane earlier in the day, bringing an end to more than five decades of his family’s rule over Syria.

Source: Presstv

8, December 2024

Ghana: Historic election comeback for John Mahama ⁰

Former president John Mahama, Ghana’s main opposition leader, tried twice before to win back the country top post.

Now he has secured a huge comeback on his third attempt for the presidency after tapping into the country’s economic frustrations to win Saturday’s election.

His win marks a historic victory, making him the first president in the three decades of Ghana’s Fourth Republic — since the 1992 return to multi-party democracy — to reclaim the presidency after being voted out.

Mahama, of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party, beat out Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, who represented the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and who conceded defeat on Sunday.

The economy became a major election issue after Ghana defaulted on its debt and entered into a $3 billion deal with the International Monetary Fund.

Mahama, 66, who served as president from 2012 to 2017, promised to “reset” Ghana, renegotiate parts of the IMF deal and introduce a “24-hour” economy to create jobs, a major concern for many younger voters.

– Writer and music fan –

A writer and devotee of Afrobeat music, Mahama wrote in his memoir “My First Coup d’Etat — And Other True Stories from the Lost Decades of Africa” that he was changed by his boyhood experiences during a 1966 military coup.

He was born in northern Ghana as a child of privilege, his house being the only one in the village with a diesel generator.

His father, who served as junior minister, was briefly detained and interrogated by the 1966 coup leaders but was later released unharmed.

Mahama was also a Member of Parliament and chairman of the West Africa Caucus at the Pan-African Parliament in Pretoria.

On corruption, Mahama says he will create a new office tasked with scrutinising government procurement above a $5 million threshold.

He says unchecked procurement processes are a major source of corruption.

Mahama voiced support for the anti-LGBTQ bill passed by Ghana’s parliament in February but which is yet to be signed into law and has sparked international criticism.

But Mustapha Gbande, a spokesperson for Mahama’s campaign, had expressed confidence in the candidate’s chances.

“People are looking for change and they trust Mahama to steer the country in a better direction,” he said.

But Mahama’s tenure as president was marred by a severe energy crisis that led to persistent power cuts, known locally as “dumsor”, which dented his reputation.

Corruption allegations also plagued his administration, although no charges were formally filed against him.

Mahama’s campaign sought to counter criticism by emphasising his experience in international leadership, including his role in combating the Ebola crisis as chairman of regional West African bloc ECOWAS.

Source: AFP