Politics

Boko Haram terrorists stormed several localities in Cameroon on Saturday night and killed at least five people, a day after a suicide bombing killed one and injured five others in Kolofata, the country’s battered far north region.

Boukar Blama was killed in Sandawadjiri locality while four unidentified persons were murdered in Ganei, as reported by Cameroonian newspaper, L’Oeil du Sahel.

It seems to have become a daily affair in Cameroon’s far north region with regular bomb and gun attacks, which leave many dead and send thousands away from their ancestral land.

President Paul Biya of Cameroon who was quick to block Internet in the Souththeast and Southhwest regions of Cameroon after protests for equality and justice erupted there late last year, has not made any single trip to Cameroon’s far north since Boko Haram killers began massacring his people three years ago in 2014.

Rather, Mr. Biya spends months abroad every year, and once failed to attend the burial ceremony of over 30 Cameroonian soldiers who were killed by Boko Haram, and their bodies brought to Yaounde, the country’s capital where his presidential palace is. 

Mr. Biya is in Geneva now and activists have promised to embarrass him should he fail to return home within seven days. But the octogenarian who has been in power for 35 years does not always succumb to threats by his countrymen.

In all, Boko Haram has killed more than 2000 civilians in Cameroon since 2014 in over 500 attacks, including 50 suicide bombings. About 150 soldiers and policemen have also died during that unconventional war.

Thousands have been kidnapped and hundreds of thousands have been displaced. But Mr. Biya has not found time in three years to show solidarity to troops or populations running helter-skelter and wondering where the leadership is.

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Rita Akana

09.Apr.2017

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The President of the Common law Bar Association now christened Southern Cameroon Bar Association has revealed that the strike taken by Common law lawyers in October last year had a two phase agenda: Drawing the world’s attention to the continuous erosion of the common law system in courts in the North West and South regions and also restore the statehood of Southern Cameroon through independence and “not” federation as the Consortium showed during the protest.

In a recorded address, Barrister Bobga Harmony who fled on exile following a brutal crackdown on members of the Anglophone Civil Society Consortium in Cameroon explained that the protest which later became a sweeping revolution in the former trust territory of Southern Cameroon also had a mission of “ demanding whether there was a proof of an act of union between Southern Cameroon and La République du Cameroun.” With that in mind the second agenda provided a “ corridor to the end the colonization of Southern Cameroon by LRC.

Following the brutal crackdown on members of the Consortium, Bobga revealed he “took along the leadership of the revolution” by virtue of his position as President of the Southern Cameroon Bar Association. And carries with him the “leadership and commitment of the Bar and the people with the homeland and across the world”.

Bobga has promised as the leader of the Anglophone revolution to ward off the brutality of the colonial occupation of La République and restore the statehood of the territory through independence.

Commentators have been digging deeper into the revelations of Barrister Bobga Harmony, the first reading that has emerged from it being the fueling of the deepening leadership crisis rocking the leadership of the Anglophone Civil Society Consortium. Going by his declaration, Bobga has positioned himself as the “true” face of the struggle for independence since he claims the struggle is exclusively led by lawyers. Thereby dismissing the Consortium to which he was a member. This showcases a triple headed leadership. Mark/ Tapang Vs Tassang /Eyambe Vs Bobga not leaving out other pressure groups like Boh Herbert’s MorisC and SCAUF. Critics say the lack of a proper leadership is the reason behind why the struggle could be drowsing back home.

This position observers say further complicates the trial of Barrsiter Agbor Balla, Dr Fontem Neba, Mancho Bibixy and more than 30 others who are risking a death penalty for secession amongst other trumped up “crimes against the state”. Charges which have been denied by the accused. The logic here they say is that, the Consortium stood for federation and never secession. With Bobga’s revelation it gives the state prosecutor ample evidence to believe that federation which the Consortium called for to protect Anglo Saxon values is equal to secession, an idea held by regime die-hards like Issa Tchiroma, Laurent Esso, Atanga Nji and Fame Ndongo. As a leading figure in the protest such revelations takes those on trail on a speedy ride to the hangs man.

For other observers, the Consortium in itself could have been in disarray since and only needed time for it blow out. The revelation of Bobga contradicts that of Dr Fontem who recently said the Consortium had planned to end the protest before government changed the gear to a brutal crackdown. This could also mean that some of those fighting for positions could have facilitated the arrest of the Consortium president and his Scribe, getting them out of the way so they can have a taste of power. This school of thought finds it shocking for Bobga not to have said a word about the arrest of one of his close aides, Barrister Agbor Balla but instead positions himself as the leader of the struggle at home and abroad.

Many would either agréé or disagree with these schools of thought. But the revelations of Barrister Bobga Harmony at such a critical time is far from being just an ordinary talk and need a closer examination by a silent majority of Southern Cameroonians who now believe the struggle which had drawn every nerve of support is fast becoming a stand up comedy show by those who ought to have been given a unilateral push to it.

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Rita Akana

08.Apr.2017

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At least one person has been killed in Cameroon and many others injured following a suicide attack by Boko Haram on Saturday morning.

The attack took place in Kolofata, Cameroon’s far north region, close to the Nigerian border, said L’Oeil du Sahel newspaper. It was not clear whether the blast was carried out by a lone attacker or many.

“For now, one dead and many people injured,” L’Oeil du Sahel said.

Boko Haram has been wreaking havoc in Cameroon since 2014, killing about 2000 civilians and at least 150 soldiers and policemen and displacing hundreds of thousands of people in a war that does not seem to go away.

Presidents Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria and Paul Biya of Cameroon have vowed many times to crush the “godless, mindless” militants who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in March 2015 and have since been modelling their barbarism after the Middle East killers, but those boasts have failed to bring peace and stability to the Lake Chad Basin.

Rather, the terrorists have been rising in strength and the Governor of Borno warned some weeks ago that help was needed now more than ever.

In a region where most people are stuck in squalor and hopelessness, the long term solutions are far away from being reached, especially because Mr. Biya for instance,  has not deemed it fit to visit his war zone, even though thousands of his countrymen have been massacred there in three years, and President Buhari is battling with his health since January 19 when he left Nigeria for a medical vacation in London, returning only 50 days after and declaring that he might go back for more tests.

Mr. Biya is abroad again and has been given seven days by some activists to return home or face the consequences.

He spends many months abroad every year, and his country’s Northeast and Northwest regions have been without Internet for months now as punishment for demanding justice and equality in a country where the President has been in power for 35 years, and has refused to learn English language to communicate effectively with those in those two regions.

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Simon Ateba

08.Apr.2017

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The Yaounde military Tribunal has merged the case involving members of the Anglophone Civil Society Consortium and another involving 27 people arrested in Connection with the Anglophone crisis.

The issue which came up last month in court was brought by the state prosecutor who believed that the Balla and Co affair and that of the other arrested youths had similar charges and in order not to waste time repeating the same issue, it was proper to join both cases. But the defense counsel led by Barristers Eta Bisong Junior, Ben Muna and Maurice Kamto said it was irrational to do so since some of the people arrested had nothing to do with the charges levied on Balla and co.

Both parties arrived the court determined to press their various positions to the extreme and the proceedings did not disappoint. While the prosecuting bench advocated that the matter be joint, the Defence counsel mounted stiff opposition citing violations of various sections of the Criminal Procedue code. However, all attempts to convince the presiding judge, Colonel Abega Eko Eko not merge both cases fell on deaf ears, as after 15 mins of legal punches ruled that the cases be merged.

This means that when trial resumes on April 27, there will be just one case. Lawyers of the Defence counsel have described the moves as outrageous and a miscarriage of justice. Since innocent Cameroonians will suffer for what they don't know about. It should be recalled that most of these youths were arbitrarily arrested with trumped up charges of terrorism, secession, insurrection, hostility against the nation amongst others hanging on their heads.

The decision comes a day after 10 other Anglophones including two journalists were transferred to the Kondengui Central prison after 45 days at the Yaoundé judicial police. While their charges have not been made known, it likely that they could be related to those we already and so we could have at least 40 Anglophones appear in court on April 27.

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Rita Akana

08.Apr.2017

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International Legal icon, Akere T. Muna says it is time for Cameroon to honor its international commitments in the two english speaking region of the country which have been deprived of the Internet since January 17.

The Cameroon government decided suspend internet in these regions to limit images of the current anglophone movement and information about the demonstrations that has rocked these two parts of the country for several months.

The former president of the Cameroon Bar Association believes this suspension of  Internet access by government constitutes a clear violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Resolution of the Republic of Cameroon of 5 July 2012 on the promotion, protection and exercise of human rights on the Internet. ” The resolution calls on all Member States of the United Nations (UN) to” promote and facilitate access to the Internet and international cooperation with a view to the develop media,  information and Communication with all other  countries, ” the famous Cameroonian lawyer recalls.

Barrister Akere Muna who was recently summon by the Defence state Secretariat  on issues related to the anglophone crisis, thinks that “The Internet cuts  in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon is aimed to silencing a part of the Cameroonian population, which is at the risk of seriously compromising their means of subsistence “. He mentioned in particular financial losses estimated at more than one million dollars to date and the effects suffered by many entrepreneurs including “those of the” Silicon Mountain “that are our pride in the international arena.


He concludes that it is time for Cameroon to honor its international commitments by urgently restoring the Internet connections in these two regions of Cameroon.


The release of Barrister Akere Muna

“The suspension of internet access in the two Anglophone regions of Cameroon for almost 75 days constitutes a clear violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Resolution of 5 July 2012 on the promotion, protection And the exercise of human rights on the Internet, which calls on all Member States of the United Nations (UN) to “promote and facilitate access to the Internet and cooperation In the field of media development and information and communication systems in all countries “.

By this action, the UN Human Rights Council affirmed “that the rights enjoyed by offline individuals must also be protected online, especially the right of everyone? Which is applicable above frontiers and by means of its choice, in accordance with articles 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The main reason for the disruption of the Internet network in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon is to silence some of the Cameroonian population. there is the risk of seriously jeopardizing their livelihoods. and even financial losses estimated to date to more than one million dollars and the harm suffered by many entrepreneurs effects suffered by individuals including those of “Silicon Mountain” who made our country proud in the internationally scene .

It is time for our leaders to honor their international commitments, placing greater emphasis on respecting the rights of freedom of expression enjoyed by all Cameroonian citizens in all regions. The time has come to restore the Internet connection in the two Anglophone regions of Cameroon.”

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Rita Akana

08.Apr.2017

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Catholic school teachers in the Buea diocese have not received their salaries for the month of March. This follows a release by the Catholic Education Secretary, Rev. Fr. Alexander Nougi Sob wrote to its teachers, informing them that from the month of March, they will not be able to pay their salaries.

This decision comes in the wake of the 'No-School' strike orchestrated by teachers in the two Anglophone regions since Nov. 21st 2016, that has paralysed schools.

The release stated that catholic schools were running out of cash as many pupils and students had not paid or completed their school fees. Also subventions from government which is a major source of income has not come for this year. It is for this reasons that the church has announced it won't be able to pay salaries.

The decision is a huge blow to hundreds of teachers in the diocese who rely on their pay package which sometimes can't take them home.

Critics have slammed the diocese for the move arguing that the church has other sources of income to take care of its teachers. And so it's not a solid reason to deprive teachers of their salaries who are out of school in solidarity with the plight rocking the anglophone system of education.

Some the teachers have confided to Camcord that they are forced to turn to farming or business in order to make ends meet.

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Rita Akana

07.Apr.2017

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