Politics
A cloud of mystery surrounds the goals of those behind the recent release from prison of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the assassinated Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Prof. Yehudit Ronen, a leading expert on Libya and the African Sahel region at Bar-Ilan University, told The Jerusalem Post that Gaddafi, who was the designated heir to lead Libya, is still wanted by the International Criminal Court and a Libyan death sentence still hovers over his head.
“His recent release has aroused discussion in Libya and abroad. Does the Zintan armed militia that released him envisage his return to the center of the Libyan political stage?” asked Ronen, a political scientist and author of the acclaimed Qaddafi’s Libya in World Politics.
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, while hiding in the vast southern Libyan desert, was captured by the powerful Zintan armed militia in November 2011, several months after the collapse of the regime in Tripoli.
About five years later, Ronen elaborates, “after being imprisoned in a well-guarded jail in a town in the Western Zintan region, the Zintan militia, which adamantly refused to turn him over to the Libyan government, released him from prison.”
The Zintan militia, along with its powerful political and military rival, the Misrata militia, controlled the foci of power in post-Gaddafi Libya.
The surprising move was reportedly made under a general amnesty.
“The release of Saif al-Islam brought him again to the political forefront, notwithstanding his well-known and hateful statements during the 2011 bloody war against the fighting rebels, including the Zintan forces, vowing to fight them down to ‘the very last bullet’ and threatening that ‘rivers of blood will flow through all cities of Libya.’ “Does the Zintan armed militia, whose members were once allied with his father and served in Libya’s army, wish to seize his political charisma, experience and diplomatic talents and connections to gain the upper hand in Libya’s chaotic and violent struggle, which has reached in fact a tragic stalemate?” she asked.
The Libya expert added that other questions remain, such as the place of his current hiding as well as whether other Libyan and non-Libyan players were behind the release.
“What were their goals in releasing Saif al-Islam?” Whatever the answers, says Ronen, the disintegrating and dysfunctional Libyan state, which is torn up by civil war as well as by a determined war by Islamic State, which seeks to deepen its hold on the oil-rich and strategic Sirte region, “requires the utmost creative moves to help post-Gaddafi Libya curb its slide into the abyss.”
JP
- Details
- Rita Akana
- Hits: 4664
Within two months alone, Cameroon, a poor underdeveloped West African nation has wowed the public with massive amounts of money either borrowed from international banks, stolen from the homes of alleged state thieves or spent wastefully in few days. I will explain.
1. In June, FCFA 555 million ($956,464 USD) was reportedly stolen from the home of current health minister, Andre Mama Fouda. It has not been recovered, according to reports. Mr. Fouda has not been investigated for keeping such a huge amount of money.
2. The regime borrowed CFA 75 billion ($129,343,500 USD) from Exim Bank of China to supply laptops to university students currently enrolled only for the 2016 academic year. It was described in the state media, CRTV, as a "gift," from President Paul Biya. Will you borrow to offer gifts? Should we -- a poor people living on a shoestring budget, suffocate our future generations with debts just to offer political gifts obtained on huge loans?
3. FCFA 1.3 billion ($2,241,954 USD) was spent in few days on fewer than 25 Cameroonian athletes "participating" at the Rio 21016 Olympic games. They were all kicked out even before the games could start. When quizzed about the disappeared amount, Cameroon's Olympic organizing body recently told the Guardian Post that it was meant to "prepare athletes for the next games."
4. Last week, the rogue state reported that FCFA 180 billion ($ 310,204,800 USD) has been borrowed from the World Bank to boost the services of the national grid company. The company has repeatedly suffered privatization in the hands of several foreign bodies. Who will pay back this money and how?
And watch out what could happen in the upcoming weeks. More money could still be borrowed. According to the CIA 2016 World Factbook, only less than 6 percent of Cameroonians are above 55. Interestingly, a majority of the leaders who have denied leaving power are above 55. This means that they will die in power, and leave the poor youths to suffocate in the huge loans they borrowed. Who is fooling whom?
Please, foreign donors, I hereby distance myself from any loan(s) being taken on my behalf (as a lawful citizen) by my leaders including Mr. Biya. I deny being party to the agreement. When I will be a leader in the next regime(s), I will deny paying back their loans. I will give you the keys to the graves of these gangsters so that you can exhume their bodies, beat them up, transfer and jail them at the graveyard in the University of Kondengui, a maximum security prison in Cameroon. For those who will still be alive, you have my full support to do with them whatever you will.
- Details
- Tapang Ivo
- Hits: 3133
The Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram has killed ten people and kidnapped 13 women and children at a village near Chibok on Saturday.
According to the residents of Kubrrivu who spoke to AFP, the Boko Haram fighters arrived in the village on Saturday night and opened fire while they were sleeping. They looted and burned homes before kidnapping 13 women and children.
“The Boko Haram fighters were on four motorcycles, (and) three on each, and fired on houses while people were sleeping,” reported Damina Luka, resident of a nearby village.
“They burned everything, after stealing food stocks and livestock, and abducting women and children,” he added.
Ayuba Alamson, a community leader at Chibok, located 20 kilometers away, confirmed to AFP that 13 people were abducted in the attack.
“Of the 13 people, there were 7 women, 5 boys and a girl,” he added.
In April 2014, Boko Haram kidnapped 276 teenage girls from Chibok provoking a widespread outrage in Nigeria and around the world. Fifty-seven of them managed to escape soon after their abduction.
In 2014, the village of Kubrrivu was totally destroyed in a previous attack by the group displacing residents.
A year later, the Nigerian army took control of the territory and residents rebuilt their homes.
Despite numerous military victories since the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari took over power in 2015, many communities in northeastern Nigeria remain under control of the Islamist sect.
African News
- Details
- Rita Akana
- Hits: 1652
Fighting Boko Haram: Sucide Bomber On Motorbike strikes Mora-Far North Region Killing 3 Cameroonians
At least three killed and 24 others injured in Mora town, with authorities suspecting involvement of Boko Haram.
A suicide bomber on a motorbike killed three people and wounded 24 at a market in north Cameroon, where armed group Boko Haram has been waging an armed rebellion since 2009, authorities said.
A senior military official told Reuters news agency that the bomber was also killed in the attack in Mora, in Cameroon's Far North province.
He said that it was possible one of the three victims was also on the bike. Another security source said authorities were convinced this was the work of Boko Haram, which has pledged allegiance to ISIL, wants to create an Islamic state in the region spanning four countries.
A regional offensive against Boko Haram led by Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger - the four countries most affected by the armed group - has chased it out of towns in the Lake Chad region.
- Details
- Rita Akana
- Hits: 1950
First Chibok girl rescued from the Boko Haram militants in Nigeria claims to have missed her militant husband and that she is unhappy to be separated from the father of her baby.
Amina Ali is among the over 200 school girls kidnapped by the militant group two years ago. Amina, 21 year, with her four months old baby were rescued early this year.
'I want him to know that I am still thinking about him… Just because we got separated, that does not mean that I don't think about him. I just want to go home - I don't know about school,' she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an exclusive interview.
Since her rescue from her Boko Haram husband and the terrorist group, Amina has been hidden away in a house in Abuja for what the Nigerian government has called a 'restoration process'.
CCTV
- Details
- Rita Akana
- Hits: 1868
Barely two weeks to the end of the 2016 voter revision exercise (to end on August 31, 2016) nationwide, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) is multiplying strategies to get more Cameroonians registered on the electoral list before the deadline. The sensitisation campaign is not only on the traditional media but more on the social media, believed to be a soft-spot for youth and women, who constitute the major target of ELECAM.
The Facebook page of Elections Cameroon is immersed with messages sensitising Cameroonians of voting age to register before the August 31 deadline given by the Electoral Code. The page reminds its visitors of their civic right to be inscribed on the voters’ register. Some of the Facebook messages read “Hello, we are just days to the end of this year’s voter registration; please do register as from the age of 20”, “Registration on the voter registers ends this August 31 according to the law” and “do not wait for the 31stAugust deadline, register now”.
According to information gathered from the ELECAM Communication Division, the facebook account opened in November 2015 has more than 6,000 followers, the most followed public institution in Cameroon. Cameroon Tribune learnt that ELECAM’s operations “20,000 youths in 20 days” launched last February registered 46, 266 youth thanks to the social media campaign. ELECAM has not only limited itself to Facebook as it also operates twitter, sound cloud accounts, a Youtube channel and a website where sensitisation information, photographs, audio and videos are shared to the public. These, Charles Ebune of the ELECAM’s Communication service says are all techniques to get to a large variety of Cameroonians.
He attributes the large number of voters registered since January 2, 2016 to the vibrant social media campaign. Statistics published on the ELECAM Facebook page on August 9, 2016 indicates that 435,270 voters have been registered in 2016 as against 206, 873 recorded same time last year.
Cameroon Tribune
- Details
- Rita Akana
- Hits: 2957
Subcategories
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.
Southern Cameroons Article Count: 549
.# 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.
Editorial Article Count: 885
# Opinion
Get insights and perspectives on the issues that matter to Cameroon and the world with our opinion section. We feature opinions from our editors, columnists, and guest writers, who share their views and analysis on various topics, such as politics, economy, culture, and society. Our opinion section also welcomes contributions from our readers, who can submit their own opinions and comments. Join the conversation and express your opinions with our opinion section.
