The U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Tibor Nagy, who met with Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya, used the meeting to send home many messages to Africa’s oldest and longest serving president.

While passing on messages from the Trump Administration to Mr. Biya, the diplomacy-savvy and straight-talking American handed Mr. Biya a picture of him and President George Bush senior of blessed memory.

The message in the picture was clear though not many people, especially those in government, could figure out the message. The picture which contains a much younger Biya was a reminder that Mr. Biya belonged to the past. Americans have an uncanny way of delivering their messages and this one did actually produce the desired effect.

It is therefore up to Mr. Biya to understand that Americans are no longer admiring him as a leader. America and Cameroon may be allies especially in the fight against terrorism, but they hold that Mr. Biya has overstayed his welcome in power and should quit the scene.

A source in Yaounde has indicated that the picture put Mr. Biya off balance. He seemed to have decoded the message contained in the picture and is not very happy about it.

It should be recalled that before coming to Africa, Mr. Nagy had to go to Brussels and Paris where he raised the issue of Cameroon with his interlocutors.

Americans understand that Cameroon is France’s sphere of influence, but they are insisting that the French should let the old leader to quit power in order for peace to return to the sub-region.

Americans do not want to alienate their French allies, but they are insisting that Mr. Biya must go as he is the problem in Cameroon. He is being accused of human rights abuses, dictatorship and corruption.

Mr. Biya seems to be seeing the writing on the wall. The European Union is no longer comfortable with a dictator who is maiming and mowing down his own people. Mr. Nagy’s shuttle diplomacy is hurting Mr. Biya and even the French are gradually changing their position.

It should be recalled that while in Yaounde, Mr. Nagy had a straight talk with the country’s Mr. Biya on the Southern Cameroons crisis which he qualified as “unnecessary”.

During the meeting with Mr. Biya, the American diplomat urged the president to embrace the frank and inclusive dialogue proposed by the international community, adding that Southern Cameroonians only wanted to be considered as normal citizens of Cameroon and that they would never accept the second-class citizenship the country had imposed on them.

He said that the US administration was closely watching events in Cameroon, pointing out that only dialogue could put an end to the crisis in the country. Mr. Nagy also stressed that the route taken by the government to end the crisis was unnecessary and that the loss of human life and property was a clear indication of a disproportionate use of force by the government.

Mr. Nagy also said America would encourage the country to pursue other forms of government that might reduce tensions in the country, adding that Donald Trump’s administration was ready and willing to lend a hand in the development of a truly federal system in Cameroon, a message that had also been sent to the Cameroon government by the Canadian embassy in Yaounde.

Canada, it should be underscored, has significant experience in the handling of minority issues and is very willing to bring that experience to Cameroon so as to enable the two linguistic groups that make up the country to live in peace.

Mr. Nagy used the occasion to remind Mr. Biya that Cameroon was a major American ally in the region, stressing that chaos in Cameroon could spill over to other countries and this could result in disorder that might disrupt life in the entire region.

He hailed Cameroon’s economic potential, adding that the country was blessed with abundant human and natural resources that could be used to bring about shared prosperity and wealth, but for this to happen, there must be peace and justice.

Speaking to journalists after his meeting with President Paul Biya, the American diplomat said diplomatic discussions were always confidential, but added that his discussion with Mr. Biya was frank and direct. A statement which has made sources close to the government to hold that Mr. Biya has been delivered a tough message which he has to take seriously or face destabilization from the frustrated American administration.

Mr. Nagy however said he appreciated Mr. Biya’s wisdom, adding that the United States and Cameroon had much in common and that he would like to bring many American investors to Cameroon so as to create opportunities for the country’s youths.

He said America wanted the best for Cameroon, stressing that he would like young Cameroonians to have the best jobs possible, but that would require peace in the country.

Asked about the statements he had made prior to his coming to Cameroon, Mr. Nagy said quotations could be interpreted in different ways and that he was happy the country’s press was still vibrant and that he was either an angel or a devil depending on the interpretation of his declarations.

It should be underscored that Mr. Nagy had made statements regarding the Southern Cameroons situation that cast the government of Cameroon in very bad light. He had called on the government to stop the killings, adding that only a global forum could definitively deal with the issue that was tearing the country apart.

The tough talking diplomat had struck fear in Yaounde and many government officials have been worried about America’s position regarding the Southern Cameroons crisis. Before arriving Cameroon, Mr. Nagy had said the Trump administration clearly felt that the Southern Cameroons crisis that had put the country in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons was an issue that required the international community’s attention as the government of Cameroon had clearly demonstrated that it was incapable of dealing with it using peaceful means..

Meanwhile, sources within Yaounde government say Mr. Nagy who had visited other African countries, was bearing a special message from many countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom who strongly believe that the Yaounde regime has crossed the red line.

“They are all scared of Americans. They know what America and its allies are capable of  doing. They know the American diplomat is carrying a message from different nations and if the Yaounde government does not change its approach to this conflict, it might incur the wrath of the US,” our sources said.

“We know what Americans are capable of doing. If the government decides to ignore American advice on this, it runs the risk of dealing with a larger crisis. Government officials are scared that America might arm Southern Cameroonian fighters who are still using hunting rifles. If America comes to help Southern Cameroonians, their language might change from peaceful negotiation to regime change and this will imply more chaos and panic in the region,” our sources pointed out.

“It is not Mr. Nagy that is talking. It is Mr. Trump. President Biya knows that and he knows with more oil being discovered in the Southwest region, Americans might come in to get a fair share. The government will surely change its language and that will mean a return to normalcy in the two English-speaking regions of the country. But some hawks in the region are still beating the drums of war as they are making the most of the situation. Many of them have become rich overnight and would want the chaos to continue,” our sources said.

“Americans are not happy that an American missionary was killed in Bamenda as a result of this conflict. The message to Mr. Biya could be clear, but there are undertones which the government must seek to understand. Americans hardly forgive and they will surely want to take their revenge if the government does not listen. Americans are mad at the Yaounde government for the humiliation they have inflicted on the American ambassador after he advised Mr. Biya not to run in the last presidential election which he clearly lost,” our sources pointed out.

By Linda Embi in Yaounde

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani arrived in Iraq on Monday for his first official visit, state television said, as Baghdad is under pressure from Washington to limit ties with its neighbour. Before leaving Tehran Rouhani hailed the “special” relations between Iran and Iraq, saying they could not be compared to Baghdad’s ties “with an aggressor country like America”.

His visit to Iraq is the first since he became president in 2013. “Iran-Iraq relations are special,” Rouhani said at Tehran’s Mehrabad airport before flying to Baghdad, Iranian state television reported, adding that Tehran was always ready to help its neighbours.

“America is despised in the region. The bombs that the Americans dropped on Iraqis, Syrian people and other countries cannot be forgotten,” he added. Baghdad has been under pressure from Washington to limit ties with its neighbour, particularly after the United States last year withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and hit Tehran with sanctions.

Iraq was given limited waivers to continue buying electricity and natural gas from Iran, with Washington calling on Baghdad to partner with US companies to become energy independent. After Turkey, Iran is the top supplier of imported goods to Iraq, including cars, gas, home appliances and vegetables.

Iran has close but complicated relations with Iraq, with significant influence among its Shiite political groups. The two countries fought a bloody war from 1980 to 1988 and Tehran’s influence in Baghdad grew after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq toppled the government of Saddam Hussein.

Iran was the first country to respond to Iraqi calls for help after Islamic State group jihadists captured second city Mosul in 2014 and threatened to overrun Baghdad and Kirkuk.

Tehran dispatched “military advisors” and equipment overnight along with the famous Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani to prevent IS jihadists from approaching its western borders.

Following the defeat of IS in Iraq, Iran is trying to position itself to gain a prime role in rebuilding the war-ravaged country.

During the visit, Rouhani is set to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi and President Barham Saleh, as well as the country’s chief Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, according to the Iranian government’s website. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif preceded Rouhani to Iraq to prepare for the visit.

 AFP

Yaoundé has denounced political pressure coming from the United States on its management of the Maurice Kamto Affair and the crisis in Southern Cameroons observing that foreign governments should stay clear of the domestic affairs of sovereign nations.

Communications Minister, Rene Emmanuel Sadi issued the statement following remarks that came from Tibor Nagy, the US top diplomat on African affairs who reportedly said on French radio that, the Cameroonian government was aware that Maurice Kamto was arrested and imprisoned for lame and ridiculous reasons and called for his immediate release.

“I think it would be very wise to release him. Because, whether true or false, he is perceived to have been incarcerated for his political activities and this is unacceptable” said Tibor Nagy

Hon. Tibor Nagy also called on the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime to be more serious in the management of the crisis in Southern Cameroons. In his reaction to the Tibor Nagy interview in France, Minister Rene Sadi noted with contempt for the Trump administration that Tibor Nagy’s words “not only denote the lack of knowledge of the issues and facts concerning the arrest of Mr. Kamto and many of his supporters, as well as the situation in the North West and South West regions but betray a serious impulse barely veiled and unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign country.”

Emmanuel Rene Sadi repeated the Biya regime’s popular inaccurate stereotype that Cameroon is a state of law and that Kamto and his supporters of the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon are subject to the rules that govern the republic.

Kamto and his supporters are prosecuted for common law crimes, including insurrection, hostility against the homeland, rebellion and the destruction of public property inside the country and in several diplomatic missions abroad. Tibor Nagy is expected in Cameroon on March 17 as part of an African tour. Both parties will no doubt have the opportunity to explain themselves.

Rita Akana in Yaounde

Hillary Clinton has for the first time ruled out running for president in 2020.

“I’m not running, but I’m going to keep on working and speaking and standing up for what I believe,” Clinton said Monday in an interview with News 12, a local TV channel in New York.

Clinton was the frontrunner in 2016 but ended up losing to Donald Trump. “I want to be sure that people understand I’m going to keep speaking out,” Clinton said.

“I’m not going anywhere. What’s at stake in our country, the kinds of things that are happening right now, are deeply troubling to me.”

Clinton has held meetings with some of the Democrats who are now vying for the party nomination or considering a run. CNN has reported that they include former vice president Joe Biden, who has not yet said if he is running.

“I’ve told every one of them, don’t take anything for granted, even though we have a long list of real problems and broken promises from this administration that need to be highlighted,” Clinton said.

Asked if she would run again for some kind of public office, she seemed to avoid ruling that out.

“I don’t think so, but I love living in New York and I’m so grateful that I had the chance to be a senator for eight years and to work with people across our state,” said the former secretary of state and senator for New York state.

 AFP

US President Donald Trump has condemned an investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into possible collusion between his 2016 election campaign and Russia as a “witch hunt” in a new tweet, calling for it to end amid reports that it is coming to a close.

“Highly respected Senator Richard Burr, head of Senate Intelligence, said, after interviewing over 200 witnesses and studying over 2 million pages of documents, ‘WE HAVE FOUND NO COLLUSION BETWEEN THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN AND RUSSIA.’ The Witch Hunt, so bad for our Country, must end!” Trump tweeted on Friday. 

Senator Richard Burr (R-N.C.), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said recently that the panel has not found evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 presidential.

According to reports, Mueller could file his report on his investigation with the Department of Justice next week. Trump announced in November that his personal legal team would compile a “major Counter Report” to Mueller’s findings.

Robert Mueller has disputed a report that President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen said Trump directed him to lie to Congress. Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion and has long called for end to the probe. Moscow has also denied any interference in US elections.

“After two years and millions of pages of documents (and a cost of over $30 million) no collusion!” Trump tweeted in December.

In another previous tweet Trump had called the probe the “greatest witch hunt” in the US history. “This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history.”

Presstv

Allow Russia to do as they please in Africa or partner with African leaders with a history of war crimes and a tendency toward genocidal behavior? That is the conundrum American military and diplomatic leaders face. Cameroon, specifically, is one of the better examples of the struggle between geopolitics and human rights concerns.

Recently, General Thomas Waldhauser, the head of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), gave a briefing to the Senate Armed Services Committee focused on the military’s concerns in the African nation. With regard to the U.S. military’s relationship with Cameroon and the political leadership of the country, General Waldhauser said, “We were very emphatic with President Biya that the behavior of his troops, the lack of transparency, could have a significant impact on our ability to work with them.” He added that “they have been a good partner with us, counterterrorism-wise.”

Nonetheless, General Waldhauser made clear that AFRICOM is concerned about numerous reports of war crimes and atrocities committed in the African nation. Both General Waldhauser and Ambassador Peter Henry Barlerin have confronted Cameroonian President Paul Biya about these allegations. Compounding their concerns, the Trump administration has decided to cut military aid to Cameroon.

But developments in the African continent might mean that the U.S. doesn’t have many choices of partners and that it must make do with what is available. During the same briefing, General Waldhauser emphasized the threat stemming from Russia’s involvement in sub-Saharan Africa.

“By employing oligarch-funded, quasi-mercenary military advisors, particularly in countries where leaders seek unchallenged autocratic rule, Russian interests gain access to natural resources on favorable terms,” said General Waldhauser. “Some African leaders readily embrace this type of support and use it to consolidate their power and authority. This is occurring in the Central African Republic, where elected leaders mortgage mineral rights—for a fraction of their worth—to secure Russian weapons.”

Russia has been active in other African countries as well. Take for example Sudan. There, Russian private military companies (PMC) are helping the Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir to maintain power in the midst of popular upheaval.

Ambassador Barlerin said, “We are not going to stop security cooperation with Cameroon. We have our differences, Cameroon is a sovereign country and the United States is a sovereign country. Relations between Cameroon and the United States are excellent and longstanding and we aim to continue that relationship.”

American troops in Cameroon are mostly concerned with training their Cameroonian partners in basic soldiering and counterterrorism skills.

Thenewsrep.com