Politics
Four Boko Haram suicide bombers blew themselves up in Cameroon on Saturday morning, killing themselves and a civilian in what seems to have become a way of life in this battered part of the world, even as the international media look the other way.
The bombing in Cameroon on Saturday morning occurred in Ngalbi area of Mora in Cameroon’s far north.
“Suicide bombings this morning in ngalbi (Mora). 04 suicide bombers and 01 civilian killed,” reported Cameroonian newspaper, L’Oeil du Sahel.
Just a day earlier, on Friday morning, two Boko Haram suicide bombers blew themselves up in Cameroon, killing themselves and a civilian.
The suicide attacks took place in the town of Kerawa in the country’s far north along the border with Nigeria where Abubakar Shekau’s men are based and from where they consistently launch regional attacks against civilians and armed forces.
“Suicide bombing this morning in kerawa. Interim report 03 Dead (02 suicide bombers and a civilian),” reported Cameroonian newspaper, L’Oeil du Sahel.
Those attacks on Friday occurred only 48 hours after clashes between people of Manigueidé village in the district of Afadé, also in Cameroon’s far north, and Boko Haram fighters, left two villagers dead. One terrorist was captured.
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A private member’s bill seeking to protect the rights of internet users in Cameroon will soon be tabled at the National Assembly for scrutiny.
Arrangements for the tabling of the bill, an initiative of Bamenda-based non-governmental organization, A Common Future, The Cameroon Journal learnt yesterday, are far advanced.
Colbert Gwain Fulai, founder and Executive Director of A Common Future said recently that should the bill sail through, issues such as internet shutdown and surveillance by government should be brought under control.
Going by a draft of the bill titled “Creating a ‘Digital Bill of Rights’ for Cameroon: Why do we need it and what should we include?” the initiators disclosed that amongst other things, it seeks to ensure that the civil and human rights that apply in the physical world also apply online.
The bill, they said, also aims to establish the key rights that are particular to the digital sphere, ensure greater transparency around the ways in which government and private companies use personal data as well as protect and control citizens to take control of their own personal data and to make information choices about their digital lives.
In an introductory note, the initiators wrote: “Drawing from the sad experience of an unprecedented internet shutdown in parts of Cameroon and the human, economic, social, cultural and political consequences on Cameroon, this bill sets forth principles, guarantees, rights and duties for the use of the internet in Cameroon and establishes guidelines for action by government and its citizens in relation to the internet so that internet shutdowns do not become the new common in this nation.”
President Paul Biya ordered the restoration of internet services in the northwest and southwest regions of the country on April 20, 93 days after government shutdown the facility following protests in the Anglophone regions of the country.
The internet blackout was met with criticism and even more protests as regions unaffected by the shutdown led an online #BringBackOurInternet campaign to restore internet services to Anglophone regions. Rebecca Enonchong, a Cameroonian tech entrepreneur, said the campaign “was an expression of solidarity for those in the no-internet zones.” She told Quartz, “The millions of tweets of support gave them hope.” The blackout was also condemned by internet advocacy groups and United Nations officials, who described it as a rights violation.
Despite the blackout, some Cameroonian startups found ways to get online by creating an internet refugee camp On an even brighter note, during the shutdown, 17-year-old Nji Collins Gbah, whose hometown was cut off the internet, emerged as the first African winner in Google’s annual coding competition.
Cameroon has never adopted a Private member bill and at a time when government has announced sanctions to those who publish "false" information on social media, its certain the bill might have a tough fence to scale through from the CPDM dorminate house.
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Two Boko Haram suicide bombers blew themselves up in Cameroon on Friday morning, killing themselves and a civilian.
The suicide attacks took place in the town of Kerawa in the country’s far north along the border with Nigeria where Abubakar Shekau’s men are based and from where they consistently launch regional attacks against civilians and armed forces.
“Suicide bombing this morning in kerawa. Interim report 03 Dead (02 suicide bombers and a civilian),” reported Cameroonian newspaper, L’Oeil du Sahel.
The latest attacks occurred only 48 hours after clashes between people of Manigueidé village in the district of Afadé, also in Cameroon’s far north, and Boko Haram fighters, left two villagers dead. One terrorist was captured.
Boko Haram attacks in Cameroon and Nigeria have increased in recent months. In Cameroon, the terrorists have massacred more than two thousand civilians and killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced and many have been kidnapped and never seen again.
President Paul Biya of Cameroon who has never set foot in the war zone has vowed many times that the terrorists would be crushed, but as days turned into weeks, and weeks into months and years, it became apparent that the terrorists were far from being crushed.
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Justice Ayah Paul Abine who has been in detention for close to six months has been rushed to a local hospital in Yaoundé for medical attention after a suspected heart attack.His press office reports.He is currently receiving medical attention at the Intensive unit.
Ayah Paul had earlier today reacted to Paul Biya's decision sending him on retirement . In a post on his official Facebook page, the now former Supreme Court Advocate General raised concerns why he was flushed out at 67 while his colleagues older than him are still in office with some promoted in the recent shakeup of judicial personnel in the country.
On a sarcastic note, Ayah Paul observed that 16 high ranking officers were swept by the whirl wind, a move which ought to have created room for junior colleagues to climb the ladder of succession. But the wind was too strong for, Joseph Essomba , Jean Akame Foumane ,Daniel Mokobe Sone and Arrey Florence Rita.
To Ayah, it was more than a feat they made it out of the chopping board.
Full declaration below:
" My judicial tsunami did sweep away 16 high – ranking members of the judiciary of retirement age. That ipso facto created room for the junior members of the profession to climb to or towards the apex.
At 66, turning 67 in the coming hours, Ayah wishes to congratulate the following more elderly colleagues of his who, despite their more advanced ages, did miraculously ward off the tsunami:
– Joseph Essomba, aged 80;
– Jean Foumane Akame, aged 78;
– Daniel Mekobe Sone, aged 72;
– Arrey Florence Rita, aged 70.
Their survival was more than just a feat!
All that is reminiscent of the baffling intrigues of life. Some unlucky people see their empires disintegrate before their own very eyes to their utter hopelessness and chagrin. Others plan to build their empires only for them to predecease the emergence of such empires.
I should count myself lucky that the cornerstone to my dream empire has been laid in my lifetime.
Is not it true that about a year ago, Ayah contended that the Supreme Court in its form then could not do justice to litigants of the Common Law jurisdiction? And don’t we have a Common Law department of that court today, at least on paper?
Did I not similarly assert that it was INTOLLERABLE that, in a dual legal system, namely the Common Law and Civil Law, the Supreme Court and all its divisions should be headed exclusively by judges of only one of the systems: the Civil Law?
But truly do we observe today that my senior at the Federal Bilingual Grammer School, Man O’War Bay, and in the profession, His Lordship, Mr Justice Epuli Mathias, heads one of the most prestigious Divisions of the court: the Criminal Division!
Much as those are right steps in the right direction, I still hold tenaciously to the desire that it may please the Most High to grant me the time, the means and the energy to get those steps and more Common Law values and principles enshrined in a constitutional framework.
And so shall it hopefully be as God is good!"
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The All Anglophone Teachers Trade Union have taken exception to what they say is Government's complacency towards seeking concrete solutions to the issues by Anglophone teachers. In a memo sent to the Prime Ministry and Presidency, they said the government is trying to draw their patience out to frustrate them and make them run out steam in their quest to fight for the preservation of the Anglo Saxon educational system.
They have also observed that, the preparation of the National Education Forum to take place next month is does not take into account the gravity of the event. They have expressed their desire to see all demands raised by Anglophone teachers addressed at the said forum.
While lauding Government for efforts made so far they have urged the Minister of secondary Education to continue with the redeployment of teachers in Technical and General Education before the end of the current school year. Fame Ndongo, Higher Education have been cautioned to wake up from slumber and hasten up with the integration of contract teachers, proceed with the redeployment of Francophone lecturers and Administrative staff from the Anglo Saxon state universities.
A special call has been made for the recruitment of 500 teachers to make for the deficiency of English speaking lecturers. That the special 2 billion FCFA to lay private and denominational schools be speedily given to console schools hit by the teachers protest. And that a Polytechniic be created for the English education system.
In a firm appeal to the state, the All Anglophone Teachers Trade Union has called on the Head of state to grant amnesty to detained and exiles teachers as well as parents and students for the hitch free take off of the 2017-18 School year. They have made it clear that the start of the next school year lies in the seriousness government gives towards resolving the issues affecting the English sub system of Education.
Anglophone Teachers in the North West and South West regions embarked on a sit down protest in November last year over the systematic erosion of Anglo Saxon educational values inherent in the two English speaking regions. The strike action has paralysed schools since then cauisng government to embark on a desperate attempt to save the school year. So far all official examinations for the current school year despite the fact that students and pupils have not been in school for 6 months. But uncertainty looms over the next academic year.
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When unwarranted arrests and illegal detentions lead to prolonged trials without due process of the law, do the MPS expect life in their constituencies to be just normal as usual?
If Dr. Balla and co. where not bold enough to come up with this golden idea demanding the creation of a common law bench (CLB) in the Supreme Court, government would today not table a bill and MPS will today not be sitting to examine the bill to create such a CLB in the Supreme Court!
What bits everyone's imagination, Honorable Members of Parliament, is that; if Dr. Balla''s call for CLB receives such high acclamation and attention by the Executive and Legistative arms of Government, why then twist the arm of the Judiciary for a Kangarou Court to be trying noble and innovative men like Dr. Balla and co who only deserve nothing less than the country's appreciation and decorations with gold medals for their courage and determination to see their country move forward?
In the higest interest of peace, therefore, we encourage MPS, to halt these trials and demand the immidetate and unconditional release of Dr. Balla and all other detainees connected with this matter.
I'm afraid that if MPS fail to listen and continue to examine this bill, it could lead to serious provocation and a sense of injustice on the minds of fellow Southern Cameroonians who are reminded about how such bill came about.
And ghost towns will be decreed throughout Southern Cameroons because when injustice becomes law rebellion becomes a moral and legal responsibility.
Honorable PMS, while we hope that you will do your best, all ears and eyes will be shifted to the Supreme Court in Yaounde tomorrow with only one outcome expected - discharge and acquitted from all charges! Otherwise, life will not be normal as usual because families are really hurting.
I'm routing for peace and dialogue while the struggle continues until a solution is sought one way or the other!
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Biya Article Count: 73
# Paul Biya and his regime
Explore the political landscape of Cameroon under the rule of Paul Biya, the longest-serving president in Africa who has been in power since 1982. Our Paul Biya and his regime section examines the policies, actions, and controversies of his government, as well as the opposition movements, civil society groups, and international actors that challenge or support his leadership. You'll also find profiles, interviews, and opinions on the key figures and events that shape the political dynamics of Cameroon.
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.# Southern Cameroons, Ambazonia
Learn more about the history, culture, and politics of Ambazonia, the Anglophone regions of Cameroon that have been seeking self-determination and independence from the Francophone-dominated central government. Our Southern Cameroons section covers the ongoing conflict, the humanitarian crisis, the human rights violations, and the peace efforts in the region. You'll also find stories that highlight the rich and diverse heritage, traditions, and aspirations of the Southern Cameroonian people.
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