Religion

Southern Cameroons Crisis: National Episcopal Conference calls on Biya regime to accept its wrongs

30, September 2017

Southern Cameroons Crisis: National Episcopal Conference calls on Biya regime to accept its wrongs 0

The National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon has joined its voice in the concert of calls for dialogue in the Anglophone crisis.

In a press release issued on Saturday, 30 September 2017, the Justice and Peace Commission of the National Episcopal Conference invited the Cameroonian government to acknowledge its wrongs in the building of its so-called national unity.

The Bishops statement pleaded with the people of Southern Cameroons to take into account that in the process of resolving the political crisis certain actions will be carried out, some in the very short term, others in the medium term and a third category of actions will objectively need more time to be set up.

A representative of the Southern Cameroons Ambazonia Governing Council has however rejected the position of the National Episcopal Conference saying “its too little too late.”

By Rita Akana, CCN


Freedom of Southern Cameroons Christians is increasingly under threat

26, September 2017

Freedom of Southern Cameroons Christians is increasingly under threat 0

One of the numerous Court of First Instance in the Buea County in Southern Cameroons has dropped a case against Christian leaders, the first case about the role of the Church since the beginning of the Southern Cameroons uprising.

The Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buea and the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon were charged following an educational crisis that rocked academic establishments in West Cameroon.  The charges against them all have been dropped.

Southern Cameroons Christian leaders are yet to issue any statement welcoming their acquittal as hundreds of Southern Cameroonian Christians have been arrested for distributing  pamphlets about West Cameroons quest for an independent state.

It was Southern Cameroons’s first religious case since the Anglophone crisis started some 11 months ago.  While the Biya Francophone regime recognises the right for government schools to be closed during Southern Cameroons protests, shutting down mission schools hosting a sea of Francophone students is prohibited.

In a recent editorial published in Cameroon Intelligence Report on strengthening the persecuted church, our editor-in-chief Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai opined that the freedom of Southern Cameroons Christians is increasingly under threat.

The Francophone government in Yaounde officially announced that the case against the Bishops of the Bamenda Ecclesiastic Province including the PCC Moderator has been discontinued. We gathered the discontinuation came after the disgraced Minister for Justice, Laurent Esso told Justice Mengalle Vivian eps Achiri to rule in favour of an application for a Nolle Prosequio made by the State Prosecutor, Emile Esombe.

By Chi Prudence Asong, CCN


Late Bishop Bala’s aide dies in Yaounde hospital of food poisoning after vomiting red

14, September 2017

Late Bishop Bala’s aide dies in Yaounde hospital of food poisoning after vomiting red 0

Barely three months after the tragic and mysterious disappearance of Bishop Jean-Marie Benoît Bala, the late Bishop’s mechanic who moonlighted as his courier has died in strange circumstances after a trip to the Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport to convey a nun back from leave.

Pascal Boade died tragically in the middle of last week according to Cameroon Concord News sources in Bafia. Some family members have opined that the deceased succumbed to some kind of poison that was given to him via a meal and a drink.

Camcordnews is yet to establish the correctness of this allegation. However, what we do know is that, he collapsed at the entrance of the Nsimalen airport, vomited blood, was transported to the dispensary at the airport and later on evacuated to the emergency ward at the Central Hospital in Yaounde where he passed on.

Pascal Boade was one of the late Bishop’s confidante. His numerous aptitudes in the field of mechanics made him the appointed technician of the diocese. His availability also made him indispensable within the late Bishop Bala administration. It is also reported that he had been seen in the morning of his death in full possession of his physical means.

By Sama Ernest
Cameroon Concord News


La Republique: Sebastian Cathedral closed following discovery of blood on Bishop Bala’s tomb

29, August 2017

La Republique: Sebastian Cathedral closed following discovery of blood on Bishop Bala’s tomb 0

The judicial police in Bafia have sealed the Sebastian Cathedral following the discovery of blood precisely on the altar, the steps leading to the cathedral, the table that bears the liturgy and the tomb of the late Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala. Samples of the discovered blood was taken to Yaoundé for medical examination.

Cameroon Concord News can now confirm that the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Bafia was sealed by the competent authorities on Monday the 28th of August 2017. We also understand that following the closure of the cathedral, masses will now be celebrated at the Saint Paul Center.

According to the Canon Law, the reopening of the cathedral can only be carried out again after a decision from the Holy Father Pope Francis. The late Bishop Jean Benoit Bala was declared missing on the 31st of May 2017 and was found dead three days later in the waters of the Sanaga River. He was buried in the San Sebastian Cathedral of Bafia on the 3rd of August.

By Fru James
Cameroon Concord News


Bafia: Huge amount of blood found on the tomb of late Bishop Jean Marie Bala

28, August 2017

Bafia: Huge amount of blood found on the tomb of late Bishop Jean Marie Bala 0

A French Cameroun radio has reported that a huge amount of blood was found in the Saint Sebastian Cathedral in Bafia precisely on the tomb of the late Bishop Jean Marie Benoît Bala in the early hours of Monday the 28th of August 2017.

Radio Balafon emitting from Douala, also observed that the blood was sprayed on the altar of the cathedral and on the steps leading to the area commonly called the Bishop’s chair and on the table that bears the golden book and on the tomb of Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala.

A source in Bafia who confirmed the happenings to Cameroon Concord News, further pointed out that security forces and the state Prosecutor were summoned by Roman Catholic authorities to witness the scene. We understand, some samples of the discovered blood were collected and have been taken to Yaoundé for medical examination.

Local residents say it could be a ritual that was done in the night. The vicar of the Bafia Diocese had the blood on the altar cleaned before Eucharistic celebrations this morning. The parish priest on leave was called back urgently on this subject.

Bishop Jean Benoit Bala was declared missing on the 31st of May 2017 and was found dead three days later in the Sanaga River. The circumstances surrounding his death at the age of 58 are being investigated. In addition to this, another investigation is currently being conducted for the death of the rector of the Bafia minor seminary, Armel Djama who was killed 10 days before Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from CIN


Cardinal Dieudonne Nzapalainga says school kids in CAR get ‘guns instead of pens,’

21, August 2017

Cardinal Dieudonne Nzapalainga says school kids in CAR get ‘guns instead of pens,’ 0

Lamenting that child soldiers who should be in school in the Central African Republic “have been given guns instead of pens,” Cardinal Dieudonne Nzapalainga of Bangui, the national capital, said that violence in the country has “sacrificed” a whole generation of promising youth.

Speaking exclusively to Crux in Yaounde in neighboring Cameroon, Nzapalainga spoke of a “lost generation” in his war-torn nation. “Children should not be carrying arms. They should be in school,” he said, before describing the youths as “a lost generation, because they are born into violence.”

Frequently drugged, Central Africa’s young people are manipulated by politicians to take up arms against segments of the society, thereby “creating tensions between Christians and Muslims,” the cardinal explained, in attempts to dispel the perception that the conflict in the CAR is a conflict of religions.

In this Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014 photo, Bangui Cardinal Dieudonne Nzapalainga blesses Catholic faithful as he visits an aid distribution point inside a makeshift camp housing an estimated 100,000 displaced people, at Mpoko Airport in Bangui, Central African Republic. (Credit: AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell.)

The cardinal drew parallels with what the Boko Haram insurgents are doing in Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Niger. “They force children to wear bombs and explode,” he said. “That is not the face of religion in these countries.” Stressing the non-religious nature of the conflict, Nzapalainga told Crux that “those who give out weapons are not imams, pastors or priests … people do not fight for the Koran or the Bible. They fight for diamond, gold, cows, to make money; they fight for political positioning, but in doing so, they use young people as sacrificial lambs.”

He said politicians give young people money and tell them to attack their opponents, and, in the face of excruciating poverty, many lack the moral strength to reject such offers. According to the United Nations, armed groups have recruited an estimated 10,000 orphaned children as fighters in the CAR.

A spokesperson for the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Marixie Mercado, told a news conference in Geneva that recruitment is happening on all sides, with reasons including poverty, despair, desire for revenge, and the general lack of options for children. There have been multiple reports of girls being used as sex slaves.

Violence as a means of acquiring political power has long been a part of the culture in the CAR. But the current crisis escalated in 2013 when a mainly Muslim coalition, called the Séléka, overthrew then-President François Bozizé, accusing the government of failing to abide by a 2007 peace deal.

Fighting between the two groups intensified, and, in September 2013, Djotodia disbanded the Séléka coalition that brought him to power because the movement had become too divided. Djotodia himself resigned in January 2014, giving power to the then Mayor of Bangui, Catherine Samba-Panza.

A cease-fire agreed by the two camps in Brazzaville in July in 2014 didn’t last. By the end of the year, the predominantly Christian anti-Balaka were controlling the South and West of the country, and the mostly Muslim ex-Seleka controlled the north and east. The central government thus had little real control.

“Outside the capital Bangui, power rests in the hands of armed groups,” Nzapalainga said. “They control the transport infrastructure, they control the tax system, and they control everything. Government has soldiers, but they are badly trained and ill-equipped.”

Over a dozen armed groups control large parts of the country, exercising authority in various sectors, generally including economic activity. The CAR has known several conflicts since independence in 1960 and multiple attempts at peace, but reconciliation has remained elusive. The latest effort came in June, when a peace deal between the government and 13 armed groups was signed. That happened in the confines of an ancient gilded room in Rome belonging to the Community of Sant’Egidio, a movement known for its active role in conflict resolution.

The signatories said the document was a “road map” towards a solution to the crisis that was meant to open “the path to pacification in the Central African Republic.” But the accord lasted only 24 hours, with fighting then erupting in areas such as Bangassou, Alindao, and Bria regions.

Nzapalainga was reported to have initialed the peace agreement, but later denied any involvement, criticizing it for leaving “the door open to impunity for the perpetrators of violence.” However, he welcomed all initiatives intended to bring peace to the troubled country. “The Church has always stood for non-violence,” he told Crux. “Christ tells us that he who kills is in darkness, and if I succeed to tell someone to drop their gun, then I have won a soul.”

He said the Church has done enormous work to bring hope to the afflicted. It opens church doors to those fleeing the violence, and has mobilized the international community to come and help. “People have donated food, clothes, and some charities have contributed funds so we continue providing for those who have lost everything,” he said.

Remarkably young for a cardinal at 50, when Nzapalainga was named a Prince of the Church by Pope Francis in November 2016, he was the very first born after the Second Vatican Council (1962-65.)

Source: Crux


Bishop Bala Funeral: Biya regime deploys heavily armed soldiers to Bafia

2, August 2017

Bishop Bala Funeral: Biya regime deploys heavily armed soldiers to Bafia 0

Troops from the Rapid Intervention Battalion, BIR have been deployed to Bafia for the funeral ceremony of the late Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala. The late Bishop started his last journey yesterday evening with prayers, meditation and religious rites.

The decision to send soldiers to Bafia was made when information filtered that some Christians of the Bafia Diocese were preparing a violent anti government demonstration to demand a clear explanation on the killing of the Prelate.

Meanwhile, there has been a slight modification in the original program made by the Diocese. The new program certainly from Douala indicates that the funeral convoy will make a stop at the Sanaga Bridge, where the Late Bishop’s car was parked, with the alleged suicide note “I am in the water”.

The new program below reads:

Today Wednesday 2nd August 2017

Removal of the Corpse from the Yaounde General Hospital Mortuary at 9 a.m

Mass at the Our Lady of Victory Cathedral in Yaounde

Departure for Bafia

Arrival of the remains of the Prelate at the Ebebda Bridge via Balamba and Ombessa

Arrival at the entrance of Bafia town in a slowdown funeral procession

Laying in state at the Bafia Cathedral

First mass at 6 p.m. Mass after every three hours (9 p.m, midnight, 3 a.m and 6a.m)
Tomorrow Thursday 3rd August 2017

Requiem mass at 10 a.m
Burial

Source: Cameroon Info.Net


Roman Catholic Church Crisis: Days Numbered for Controversial Bishop of Bertoua

31, July 2017

Roman Catholic Church Crisis: Days Numbered for Controversial Bishop of Bertoua 0

A violent demonstration staged by Roman Catholic faithful of the archdiocese of Bertoua was dispersed Sunday morning by the forces of law and order. The protesters called for the removal of Monsignor Joseph Atanga, the Bishop of Bertoua. If there’s a place in French Cameroun associated with rebellion these days, then it’s the city of Bertoua, where even the most pious of Catholics are protesting against their regional church leader, Bishop Joseph Atanga. For several years, the bishop who had served in Bafoussam has been a lightning rod for criticism because he has lived in luxury while simultaneously extolling the virtues of poverty and humility. More than anything, though, he has become a symbol of a Cameroonian Roman Catholic Church that has seen its membership swiftly dwindle following a series of scandals including the brutal murder of Bishop Jean Benoit Balla that have shaken public faith in the religious institution.

They reportedly arrived 30 minutes before the Eucharistic celebration and waved placards observing that “Bishop Joseph Atanga Must Go”. Some of the banners read “We’re tired of your mismanagement”, “the Church is not a business center” but were quickly snatched by law enforcement officers who had erected a huge security cordon at the church premise and mined all entrances to the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Bertoua.

In a letter sent to the National Episcopal Conference, the Apostolic Nuncio and the Governor of the Eastern Region, 250 parishioners did denounce what they consider to be “the poor behavior” of Monsignor Joseph Atanga.

They cited the fanciful transfer of priests, the calamitous management of the archdiocese of Bertoua, and the excessive affairs of the Bishop. They are demanding the departure of their “bad” shepherd.

So far, no official of the Roman Catholic Church in the East Region has commented on the prevailing situation. This is an additional scandal in an archdiocese which had already recently defrayed the chronicle through a case of homosexuality.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from Cameroun Info.Net


Bishop Bala Affair: Biya makes financial donations to angry groups, traditional rulers

20, July 2017

Bishop Bala Affair: Biya makes financial donations to angry groups, traditional rulers 0

President Paul Biya has given financial compensation to the disgruntled fishermen and traditional rulers who contributed in the search and retrieval of the body of the Late Bishop of Bafia, Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala.

The financial package was handed over to the population by the Governor of the Centre Region, Naseri Paul Bea at the Ebebda Council hall. The Governor said the Head of State appreciated the contributions from notables and fishermen and his gesture was to encourage them.

The population of Ebebda worked with military personnel of the Navy and the Fire Fighting corp. for three days and nights in search of the body of the prelate who had gone missing.

The body was eventually found several kilometers from the bridge and pulled off to the shore where it was identified by authorities of the Catholic Church.

Source: CRTV


Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala: Going home to rest

18, July 2017

Bishop Jean Marie Benoit Bala: Going home to rest 0

The National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, NCPC confirmed in a press release made public on Monday the 17th of July 2017 that it has received the remains of the late Bishop of Bafia brutally murdered recently by forces closed to the Yaoundé regime.

His Lordship Bishop Jean Marie Benoît Bala, Bishop of Bafia was found dead on the 2nd of June, off the Sanaga River, precisely at Tsang, a village in the Monatelé constituency in the Center region. Cameroon Concord News can now reveal that the Bishop’s body has been handed over to the church after identification.

The process reportedly took place under the watchful eyes of Archbishop Jean Mbarga, Bishop of Yaoundé, Archbishop Samuel Kleda, president of the NCPC, and Abraham Kome, Bishop of Bafang who is the interim apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Bafia.

We understand the Roman Catholic Bishops are planning a funeral on the 2nd and 3rd of August 2017. The NCPC has also indicated that it intends to file a complaint against X, for assassination of Bishop Jean Benoit Bala.

Public opinion is completely divided in a crisis where the judge and jury are the same and at a time when Roman Catholic loyalty is no more on the teachings of Christ but on the doctrines of the ruling CPDM crime syndicate.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
Cameroon Concord News


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