Politics
Barrister Akere Muna is presently at the Gendamerie headquarters in Yaounde where he is answering a summon from the Judicial Investigation Centre of the State Department for Defence, SED.
The renown legal heavyweight, son of one of West Cameroon's prominent figures ST Muna, is being accompanied by the President of the Bar council Barrister Jackson Kamga and a college of 21 lawyers. He was convoked to appear on Wednesday March 22 but postponed the call to Friday March 24 as he was to take part at the International Conference.Despite calls by sympathizers for him to stay abroad, the fearless critic has chosen to honour the summon and is now answering questions behind closed doors at SED
Stay connected to Cameroon as we shall be updating you on his breaking story.
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- Rita Akana
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Schools have remained closed and business paralyzed in the English-speaking northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon, as the strike initiated by teachers and lawyers against what they call the overbearing use of French enters its fifth month.
Three strike leaders and another group of 25 people arrested from the English-speaking regions appeared in the Yaounde military court Thursday, and the case was again adjourned.
Bibixy Mancho sang that he would never forget his home, as the military escorted him to the court.
The military ordered a handful of people who came out to see the suspects to not shake hands with them. Among the curious onlookers was Minang Flora, who said she traveled 400 kilometers (250 miles) to support the suspects.
"I want to see them, to encourage them and pray for them,” Flora said. “No matter how long it takes, we shall get there."
Group trial is disputed
Along with Nkongho Felix Agbor-Balla, Fontem Aforteka'a Neba and Bibixy Mancho, who are accused of organizing demonstrations in December that turned violent, 25 other suspects have been arrested from the English-speaking regions since the strike started.
Defense counsel Eta Bisong Junior said they found it inappropriate for all of them to be judged together.
“There was an application for two cases, two separate cases to be joined and heard and determined at the same time, and the lawyers for the defense were opposed to that. The court has adjourned the matter to the 7th of April for the ruling,” Junior said.
On April 7, the court will rule on whether the three leaders should be judged separately or together with the 25 others.
The case itself has been adjourned to April 27. The court rejected appeals for the three leaders to be granted bail.
Serious crimes
The charges levied against them are conspiracy to terrorism, rebellion against the state, incitement of civil unrest, breach of the constitution, provoking civil war by inciting the people to take arms against each other, and propagation of false information. Cameroon is using a 2014 law on suppression of acts of terrorism and a 2014 law on cybersecurity and cybercriminality. The suspects could face death sentences.
Some strikers are calling for a return to federalism, while other leaders want secession. President Paul Biya, after meeting Italy's President Sergio Matterella this week, said they discussed the issue, but that national unity in his country was not up for negotiation.
Biya visits Italy
Biya said they spoke about the situation in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon, and he assured the president of Italy that a majority of Cameroonians want peace and support two fundamental principles — the unity and diversity of their nation as prescribed in the constitution.
English-speaking lawyers and teachers have been on strike since November. The strike has drawn other activists who accuse the state of marginalizing English speakers living primarily in the southwest and the northwest.
Moki Edwin Kindzeka
for VOA
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- Rita Akana
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Barrister Felix Agbor Balla, Dr Fontem Neba and Mancho Bibixy appeared at the Yaounde Military Tribunal today in high spirits ready to counter claims from a list of government coerced witnesses over charges of terrorism, insurrection, rebellion against the state and secession amongst other "crimes."
But they were stunned when the Prosecuting bench hatched another scheme. Instead of beginning the trial as expected, the bench rather forwarded a motion to merge the case of some 24 suspects also linked to the upheavals in the anglophone regions with that of the activists in line with section 6 of the criminal Procedue code. The state prosecutor who launched the bid believes it was normal to put all the cases and one and judge them since to him the cases are linked to each other.
The Defence counsel upon hearing the motion demanded a 30minute break where Barristers Ben Muna and Prof Maurice Kamto leading the college of the defense counsel dialogued with their colleagues . When the session resumed, they used the same legal instrument to counter the prosecuting bench. They made it clear to the presiding judge that it was a miscarriage of justice to treat all cases in Anglophone Cameroon as one since they are all different from each other.
Muna and co argued for instance that someone who was arrested with no crime on him can't be prosecuted for terrorism. If the prosecutor were to have its way it means justice will be unfair on many innocent people and those with minor crimes like the non possession of ID cards.
A first person account by the leader of Cameroon People's Party (CPP) on the events at the Yaounde Military Tribunal yesterday, March 23, 2017:
From 11:15 to 3:30 p.m. today, I decided to attend the court session at the military tribunal. Here are some of the key elements observed.
Agbor Balla, Fontem Neba and Mancho Bibixy have already been deprived of their liberty for 65 days. Unfortunately, today, no progress was made on their case.
• At 1:15 p.m. when the ordeal of name-reading was completed, the state prosecutor petitioned to have the case of the 27 defendants joined to that of Agbor Balla, Fontem Neba and Mancho Bibixy. Defense lawyers requested 30 mins to concert and determine their response.
At 2:30 p.m. the court session resumes. Defense lawyers argue that the two cases cannot be joined due to the fact that they do not consist of the same charges, nor the same persons, nor having been committed at the same place. Defense lawyers urge the judge to get on to the content of the case, reminding that when the case was postponed at the last session on February 13th, it was to enable the state counsel to produce a list of witnesses and for these witnesses to be heard. Defense lawyers also underline that even though procedure states that the list of witnesses should be provided 5 days before trial, they had been handed a list the night before at 6:00 p.m. Despite this violation of procedure, defense lawyers insist they are ready to hear the witnesses.
We all wait with baited breath, convinced we are finally going to hear more about these charges of terrorism, incitement to insurrection, revolution, etc. that have caused these men to be put on trial and their lives to be put at stake.
We waited in vain. The judge determined that to deliberate on whether or not the two cases should be joined, we must wait until…. April 7th !!!! She then makes further precision, the case itself will be heard on April 27th !!!
The entire court is frustrated and annoyed. These 30 men have been deprived of their liberty for 65 days, for some, more. This is their 3rd court appearance, how can it be that we have just spent 4 hours on procedure without hearing the content of the case?
There is no other conclusion to be arrived at other than that there is a delaying strategy by the State. The theory that government simply feels it can wear down the Anglophone movement through violence, fear and time appears more real than ever.
We take our frustrations and anger home. More determined than ever to fight these layers of injustice upon injustice that are being heaped upon the entire Cameroonian people! Determined also that to win this fight we must more than ever be focused on concerted, organized, non-violent, but determined action that ensures decisions veer to the side of justice.
It is the future of every Cameroonian which is at stake. The action that each of us takes day-in and day-out will determine what that future will be.
Postscript
Three things I did not understand in court today:
- Why on earth are the judges and state counsels in this case not bilingual? Surely there is a bilingual judge somewhere in the Cameroonian court system who could hear a case in English and a state counsel that could argue it without needing translation? Is this not precisely what got us here in the first place?
- Why are there no microphones in the court room of what is probably the most politically important case in Cameroon in the last 20 years? We strain in the court room to hear the judge, the lawyers and the defendants. In this country where we spend billions to throw a state party, no one thought we might need microphones in court? At the 3rd court session?
- Why are we in this small court, which can only seat about half of the people who want to attend? The box is too small to contain all the defendants, the benches are too few to contain all the lawyers, even the defendants are squeezed tight on the benches they occupy? Why does this system insist on showing its lack of planning and organization to the entire world
From the logistics to content of the case, one leaves with only one impression:
- This is not the Cameroon I want to live in, this is not the Cameroon I want to leave my children and grandchildren.
I am more determined than ever to help bring about the change we need in this beautiful country. #JusticeinCameroon #FreeAllArrested
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- Mbi James
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Yesterday March 23 2017, the SDF chairman Ni John Fru Ndi arrived the Yaounde Military court from Bamenda for the hearing on the case of the consortium members and 25 other persons arrested and detained over the Anglophone crisis.
Ni john Fru Ndi describes the reasons for his presence as one that come to consolidate his take and integrity on the teachers/lawyers strike that started some 4 months ago.
The SDF chairman says “I have come to see the detainees; I have come to see those that were arrested; I have come to confirm that we are together because I gave my backing to the teachers and the lawyers”.
Many like Fru Ndi express the same opinions. “We are here to see what will happen to our consortium members and other detainees” says an activist of the struggle. “We want to see them released because they have not committed the crimes put against them” he adds.
Some Anglophone family members of detainees present at the military court say they cannot abandon their brothers.
“My brother was arrest in Bamenda and brought down here. That is why we are here again today. When you touch one of us; then you have touched all of us. We all stand as one big family in this to see to it he is released alongside other freedom fighters.” says an angry family member.
The multi-million dollar question remains: what awaits the detainees? Some say, what has a beginning must have an end and no matter the end result, one thing is sure; Better days are ahead.
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The Cameroon Democratic Union CDU party of Adamou Ndam Njoya would like the State of Cameroon to raise the Noun division in the West region to a Region.
This Regional chauvinism is contained in a memorandum by Members of paliament of the CDU, presented at a press conference held at the Hotel des Députes in Yaounde. The party which enjoys overwhelming support from the Noun division states clearly that it is unjust for the division not to be a Region, since it is made up of three quarters of the entire population of the Western Region.
Tomaino Hermine Ndam Njoya, the spokesperson for the MPs, stated that "from the outset there were two Regions in the West: the Bamileke Region, whose chief town was Dschang and the Bamoun Region, whose Noun was Foumban. Today we find ourselves with a Region of eight divisions: the former Bamileke Region displays seven divisions and the former Bamoun Region just one ".
Hermine Ndam Njoya also noted that the Noun is even larger than the seven divisions of the Bamileke Region.
The Mp who is the wife of the party chairman and Mayor of Foumban, Adamou Ndam Njoya pointed out that the situation has a negative impact on the youths and the populations of the Noun who feel marginalized.
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The High Court in Mfoundi, Yaoundé has rejected the demand by Lawyers of the imprisoned Advocate General at the Supreme Court, Justice Ayah Paul Abine, for his unconditional liberation.
The Lawyers applied using the Habeas Corpus because according to them Ayah Paul was illegally arrested on January 21,2017 at his residence.
One of the Defense Counsel Barrister Ndong Christopher says by arresting him on Saturday which was a weekend they were doing so in contradiction of the Criminal Procedure Code which forbids arrest of someone on Public Holidays or weekends unless that person is caught red-handed committing a crime.
The lawyers of Ayah Paul have hinted they could apply against the rejection.
This development according to pundits means Ayah Paul may likely be referred to the military tribunal.
The Mfoundi High Court during a closed door court session last week in an informal way charged Ayah Paul Abine with terrorism, secession, propagation of false information and rebellion.
The President of the People Action Party, PAP, has now spent two months in custody at the Defense State Secretariat. His family has recently written to the State demanding his release due to poor health but the request has fallen into answering machine.
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- Rita Akana
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# 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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