Politics

Suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers have attacked the Cameroonian town of Amchide in the country’s far north.

There are two dead and two injured for now, reported prominent Cameroonian newspaper, L’Oeil du Sahel.

The suicide attack took place on Wednesday afternoon, the newspaper said in French.

Boko Haram has been wreaking havoc in Cameroon since 2014. There have now been about 500 attacks and over 50 successful suicide bombings that have killed about 150 soldiers and policemen and close to 2000 civilians. There have also been about 60 unsuccessful suicide attempts within three years.

More than 1000 people have also been kidnapped in Cameroon even as the battle has been raging around Lake Chad where the son of Boko Haram founder is in charge.

Reports have said the Boko Haram faction led by Abu Musa al-barnawi, the son of Mohammed Yusuf, which is located around Lake Chad, has been attacking security forces and trying to indoctrinate impoverished population there that the enemy was the secular way of life, and not the terrorists who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and modelled their atrocities after the Middle East killers.

The other faction led by Abubakar Shekau has suffered setbacks in recent time with the fall of Camp Zero inside the Sambisa forest. But that faction is not defeated as members seem to have relocated to Gwoza.

Like in Cameroon, the regional war seems to be widening again in Nigeria in recent months and the Governor of Borno state, the birth place of Boko Haram, last week called a security meeting as things worsen.

The Nigerian government has been claiming that Boko Haram had been defeated and could no longer launch massive attacks against security forces. But recent events have put a lie to that claim.

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Simon Ateba

22.Feb.2017

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This is for my non-cameroonian family and friends trying to understand what is going on in Cameroon.

For decades a minority English-speaking region has faced institutional marginalisation and social disregard. The educational and legal system best reflect it. E.g entry into higher training institutions for civil service, medicine school etc were largely only available in French although the constitution states both English and French are official languages. For this reason until lately (less than 10yrs) almost all English speaking doctors of Cameroonian origin were forced to train abroad, mostly through personal efforts.

In the last months this minority has been on strikes initiated by lawyers and teachers, using civil disobedience to get their voices heard. Negotiations were started by the government who turned around and arrested all the negotiators and leading activists for threatening national security and integrity. Internet has also been clamped down in the english speaking regions of Cameroon since Jan 17th.

Arbitrary arrests of persons seen as a threat to the government are going on. Many are on the run. The number of deaths officially range btw 6 to 10 persons.

The people have since then decided to continue the strikes which mostly affects courts and schools.
The document you find below is a ministerial order asking the rector of a university to translate upcoming exams in English.

The most important detail in this document which is only written in French as usual is the given reason for the needed translation: because of the current crisis in the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions.

So it is not because it is constitutionally right to do so but simply because the people are protesting. This is just another proof of Anglophone Marginalisation in Institutions.

Senior Journalist Ekinneh Agbaw-Ebai commented on the said document from the minister on his Facebook wall:

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Rita Akana

22.Feb.2017

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                                                                                                    ALL SOUTHERN CAMEROONS [AMBAZONIA] EUROPEAN CONFERENCE
                                                                                                                     Brussels-Belgium: March 31 - April 2, 2017

Conference Theme: ‘‘Building Global Synergy towards the Restoration of the Statehood of the former British Southern Cameroons”
Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) the world over will be concerting in a Three (3) day Conference in Brussels - the capital of Europe, from March 31 - April 2, 2017 on the Theme:  ‘‘Building Global Synergy towards the Restoration of the Statehood of the former British Southern Cameroons”

The objectives of the Conference shall be a come together of all Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) of goodwill, all stakeholders involved in the Restoration of the Statehood and Independence of the former British Southern Cameroons, all the leaders of any movements involved in the liberation of Southern Cameroons (Ambazonia) at home and abroad.

This Conference is being organised by Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) in Europe and will be held abroad instead of at home, for reasons we already know. Given that Nation Building is a Civic Responsibility and State Loyalty is an Obligation, it is therefore our civic responsibility as Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) to participate fully and or setup a ‘Coalition of the Willing’ in the Building of Our Nation.

In order to successfully build up an outstanding nation, we need visionary, patriotic, selfless and level-headed people. We have a nation under colonial occupation with conspiracy and manipulation from France in particular, some agencies of the United Nations and some of our own greedy and overzealous Southern Cameroons elites and politicians.  

The annexed and colonised peoples of the Southern Cameroons (Ambazonians) have suffered for the past 55 years; subjected to numerous forms of atrocities including: the suppression of the rights of association and meetings; suppression of the right to freedom of expression; shutting-down of the internet in the entire Southern Cameroons territory; maiming, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, arbitrary arrests and summary executions. We are facing the possibility of a genocide being committed by the Government of La Republique du Cameroun against our people. For over five decades, we have complained, protested, wept, mourned, and even tried to accept our fate by requesting a compromise proposal of a federation.
Unfortunately, we have only had arrests, maiming, torture, rape, extrajudicial killings/murders, increased exploitation and systematic efforts to eradicate our cultural heritage and complete the process of annexation and wipe out our Anglo-Saxon identity.

Since the early fifties we have risen at different times against the oppressive regime of Cameroun Republic, but the response has been unacceptable brutality. In the wake of the Lawyers and Teachers strike actions, our people have risen from every nook and cranny of the world in one voice. This therefore presents a golden opportunity to Southern Cameroonians (Ambazonians) to achieve the independence we have been yearning for over decades. Hence the objectives of this Southern Cameroon European Conference 2017 shall be to:

1)    Define a united front for the struggle of the restoration of Southern Cameroons independence;
2)    Harness all efforts and resources both human and material available for this struggle;
3)    Put in place an all-inclusive structure that will coordinate this struggle;
4)    Outline the role of Ambazonians based at home and in the diaspora towards this struggle;
5)    Put in place a robust and accountable fundraising mechanism;
6)    Outline a possible roadmap for the struggle with possible alternatives.
 
In view of all of the above, Ambazonians (Southern Cameroonians) all over Europe, will be meeting in Brussels-Belgium, the European capital and the seat of the European Union for a 3-day Conference from  March 31 – 2 April 2017.

Information on Conference Registration, Programme and Accommodation will provided in our subsequent correspondences. For all enquiries, write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dr Larry AYAMBA
Conference Chairperson

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Dr Larry AYAMBA

22.Feb.2017

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Cameroon Bassist  Richard Bona, was the first to publicly tell  the story of a Cameroonian minister who presented a French passport in front of him,something most people in Cameroon never thought of.

In its publication of October 11, 2016, a French newspaper in Cameroon "Le Jeune Enquêteur" published a "complete list" of ministers serving in the Biya's regime who are  bi nationals.

Out of the long list, three of the ministers are holders of an American passport, meanwhile (Henri Eyebe Ayissi, Ernest Ngoua Boubou and Paul Atanga Nji)all the others are French. All or almost all, since it is only rumoured that the Prime Minister, Philemon Yang, possesses a Canadian passport. Below is the complete list:

Prime Minister, Head of Government, Mr. Philemon Yang(Canadian passport ?)
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister Delegate for the Presidency in charge of relations with the Assemblies, Mr. Amadou Ali. (French Passport)
Ministers of State

• Minister of State, Minister of Tourism and Recreation, Mr. Bello Bouba Maïgari. (French Passport)
• Minister of State, Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals, Mr. Laurent Esso. (French Passport)
News
• Minister Delegate for the Presidency, in charge of Defense, Mr. Joseph Beti Assomo. (French passport)
• Minister Delegate for the Presidency of State Superior Control, Mrs. Rose Mbah Acha. (French Passport)
• Deputy Minister for Public Procurement, Mr. Abba Sadou. (French Passport)
• Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Mr. René Sadi. (French Passport)
• Minister of Social Affairs, Mrs. Pauline Irène Nguene. (French Passport)
• Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Henri Eyebe Ayissi. (American passport)
• Minister of Arts and Culture, Jean Narcisse Mouelle Kombi. (French Passport)
• Minister of Commerce, Mr. Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana. (French Passport)
• Minister of Communication, Mr. Issa Tchiroma Bakary. (French Passport)
• Minister of Lands, Cadastre and Land Matters, Ms. Jacqueline Koung A Bissike. (French Passport)
• Minister of Water and Energy, Mr. Basile Atangana Kouna. (French Passport)
• Louis Paul Motaze, Minister of Economy, Planning and Land Planning. (French Passport)
• Minister of Basic Education, Ms. Youssouf Hadidja Alim. (French Passport)
• Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, Dr Taiga. (French Passport)
• Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, Mr. Zacharie Perevet. (French Passport)
• Minister of Secondary Education, Mr. Jean Ernest Ngalle Bibehe Masséna. (French Passport)
• Minister of Higher Education, Mr. Jacques Fame Ndongo. (French Passport)
• Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Sustainable Development, Mr. Pierre Helé. (French Passport)
• Minister of Finance, Mr. Alamine Ousmane Mey. (French Passport)
• Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reform, Mr. Michel Ange Angouin. (French Passport)
• Minister of Forests and Wildlife, Mr. Ngole Philip Ngwese. (French Passport)
• Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Jean Claude Mbwentchou. (French Passport)
• Minister of Youth and Civic Education, Mr. Mounouna Foutsou. (French Passport)
• Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, Mr. Hernest Ngoua Boubou. (American Passport)
• Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises, Social Economy and Crafts, Mr. Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa. (French Passport)
• Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Mrs. Minette Libom Li Likeng. (French Passport)
• Minister for the Advancement of Women and the Family, Mrs. Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa. (French Passport)
• Minister for Scientific Research and Innovation, Ms Madeleine Tchuinte. (French Passport)
• Minister of External Relations, Mr. Lejeune Mbella Mbella. (French Passport)
• Minister of Public Health, Mr. André Mama Fouda. (French Passport)
• Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Mr. Pierre Ismaël Bidoung Kpwatt. (French Passport)
• Minister of Transport, Mr. Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo'o. (French Passport)
• Minister of Labor and Social Security, Mr. Grégoire Owona. (French Passport)
• Minister of Public Works, Mr. Patrice Amba Salla. (French Passport)
Delegated Ministers
- Minister Delegate to the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization in charge of Decentralized Territorial Authorities, Mr. Ndongo Jules Doret. (French Passport)
• Minister Delegate to the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development in charge of rural development, Mrs Clémentine Ananga Messina. (French Passport)
• Minister Nana Aboubakar Djalloh, Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development. (French Passport)
• Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy, Planning and Land Planning, Mr. Abdoulaye Yaouba. (French Passport)
• Minister Delegate to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Paul Che Eloum. (French Passport)
• Minister Delegate to the Minister of Justice, Garde des Sceaux, Mr. Jean-Pierre Fogui. (French Passport)
• Minister delegated to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of cooperation with the Commonwealth, Mr. Jospeh Dion Ngute. (French Passport)
• Minister Delegate to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in charge of cooperation with the Islamic world, Mr. Adoum Gargoum. (French Passport)

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Rita Akana

21.Feb.2017

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His Royal Highness, Hon. N.N. Mbile has said Anglophone Cameroon is one and indivisible but added that this only holds true in a one and indivisible Cameroon. The former MP for Ndian made the declaration during a press conference he organised last February 17 at the Trinity Hotel in Limbe where he sought to set the records straight following comments he allegedly made during the South West Elite Forum that took place in Buea on February 2.

During the Forum, speaker after speaker took turns to state the position of the South West region regarding the current crisis rocking the two Anglophone regions of the country – North West and South West. The tone by most of the speakers was largely received as very harsh by Northwesterners who did not mince words to describe the forum as one cloaked in hate speech.

According to the Grand Chancellor of National Orders, Senator Peter Mafany Musonge , main convenor of the forum, the South West Forum was organised to situate, secure and consolidate the South West’s position as concerns the form of the state, get school functional and to educate the people on the present issues at stake.

“For close to three months now, our region has been subjected to disruptive forces, those who are trying to cast doubts on the unity and form of the state of our country. The people of the South West believe in a decentralised unitary state with 10 autonomous regions,” the Head of the South West CPDM Permanent Regional Delegation said.
The former Prime Minister said the South west Region is prepared to take control of its affairs and would not want to be influenced by negative forces. He expressed the need for schools in the region to resume immediately because nothing explains why the education of children can be sacrificed.

Hon. Mbile, who stressed that he was speaking for himself, said that during the Forum he made some comments regarding the implementation of a ten state federation which has always been the position of the South West region for a very long time. He also added that some Southwesterners support the idea of a two-state federation where a the Southwesterner who is generally very laxed will depend on the much more resilient, resourceful and more populous Northwesterner; leaving the Southwesterner to play second fiddle. He regretted that these remarks were regarded as insulting to the Northwesterner.

“By making such remarks, I was afraid that the Southwesterner will feel insulted but on the contrary, it is the Northwesterners who felt insulted for getting praises”
He added that his comments were never intended to insult his fellow brothers of the North West region but after receiving a lot of comments following the South West Elite Forum, the former MP said he thought it responsible to clear the air.
Firstly, he said he recognises the merits of the ongoing strike which has exposed the marginalisation by design or by coincidence of Anglophone Cameroonians of the North West and South West regions.
The strike to him, “addresses for the first time questions as to why the bi-cultural nature and bi-jural nature of the state were not respected and why the 1996 constitutional dispensation on the structure of the states has not been fully implemented.; I believe that the Southwest Region is a melting pot wherein peoples of almost all regions of Cameroon live within and have contributed to its social and economic development, that is why I believe that every inhabitant of this region enjoys full right of belonging and I will like to say that all inhabitants within the Southwest should feel Southwesternan.”

He also warned that should the Northwesterner leave the South West, the region will never be the same again considering the huge contributions and investments they have made in the Southwest.
He however warned that the voice of the Native Southwesterner should be heard and respected in matters of national concern.
According to Hon. Mbile, “ The South West region in all its organs has always opted for a ten-state federation; it is a logical evolution of the state of affairs, it will create less friction and it is implementation friendly.”
On schools boycott

Speaking on the boycott of schools in the South West and North West Regions, the initiator of the Operation Save the 2016/2017 Academic year said the boycott of schools in the English part of the Country is a time bomb.
The seasoned educationist who has used all available media organs to preach on the need for parents to send their children back to school added that the school boycott is time bomb and that the kids are angry and feel sacrificed.
He explained that the vices that comes with children staying at home during school hours are too many for Cameroonian parents to handle.
According to Chief Mbile, the children would have been allowed to observe the ghost towns and when business resumes the day after the ghost town, they too should be allowed to go to school so as to save the school year.

On the ongoing strike

While admitting that the ongoing strike has in the large parts has greatly exposed the plight of the Anglophone Cameroonians and pleased with the fact that it has given a platform for the Anglophone problem to be better explained even to ardent skeptics, Hon. Mbile stressed that the purpose of the strike has been achieved and the continues boycott is counterproductive.
He added that the government has shown remourse after the grievances articulated by trade union leaders during negotiations in Bamenda and Yaounde though the list kept on increasing.
He also regretted that the strike has taken the form of a social unrest with no leaders. “There is no strike that is indefinite, parents who have paid huge sums of money for their children’s school needs are the silent majority that is bearing the brunt of the suffering…they have paid fees for a whole year, rented hostels etc.”

Quizzed on whether the failure by the political and traditional elite to end the strike despite numerous outings is a disavowal of their leadership, the Hon. MP said the strike is a disavowal of many things and not only leadership. He added that a lot of people striking have been made to believe that this strike is for employment that is why many youths who are unemployed have turned into vigilantes in their respective quarters to enforce the strike. “They believe that this strike has come to solve all of their problems but they should understand that in every country of the world, people have problems and some people are unemployed.

Hon. Mbile concluded by calling on parents to send their children to school to save and guarantee their future. He also stressed that contrary to some interpretations of his comments during the South West Elite Forum, he has no hatred for his fellow Northwest brothers. On the contrary he sees them as a resourceful and resilient people who have contributed enormously to the growth of the South West region and have equal right as any other Cameroonian living in the region. He however added that the concerns by the native Southwesterner must be heard and equally respected.

The Sun

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Rita Akana

21.Feb.2017

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Southern Cameroons (20 February 2017) -- For more than half a century, the peoples of Southern Cameroons have suffered all forms of abuses, torture, violence, militarization, intimidation, rape, killings, abductions, maiming, marginalisation, poverty, inequality, unemployment, underemployment, etc., simply because they'd resolved to claim their rights to restoration of statehood; or to reinstate a two-state federal system of government with equal status as enshrined in the original 1961 constitution.

In recent months, the death toll of Southern Cameroonian killed by the gangster regime has spiralled uncontrollably. At least eight in 10 families living in Southern Cameroons have been affected by the regime's brutal crackdown on pro-democracy fighters, illegal abductions, intimidation, inhumane treatment, unlawful arrests, unlawful killings, harassment, etc. We cannot let this continue to happen.

Never ever! The entire Southern Cameroons is now a funeral ground. We cannot go on celebrating a "national. trophy that does not reflect any aspect of true unity, complete integration, and inclusive dialogue with us. The trophy is a mockery to our winning struggle and not an official apology for the aforementioned crimes committed by President Paul Biya's regime on our peaceful citizens.

We are not your slaves, Mr. Paul Biya. We, therefore, declare a boycott of this event on Wednesday, 22 February 2017, in Bamenda, and on Friday, 24 February 2017, in Buea. No Southern Cameroonian should go out on Wednesday and Friday. Already, they are budding plans to kill citizens on the streets on that day. Stay at home and be peaceful. We are in mourning.

Anglophone Consortium

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Rita Akana

21.Feb.2017

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