Politics
The recent fire outbreak in Buea, Cameroon, exposes another loop with the gangster regime -- ineffective emergency response units of the dubious growth and development policies. We cannot claim to be living in a 21st century when we still lack basic standby ambulances and firefighting brigades at the beck and call of the people in every city. On a daily basis, tax officials comb the neighborhoods, coercing people to pay taxes, and shutting down shops of defaulters. And so why can't these fraudsters protect the shops of those who paid their taxes? Who are the tax inspectors in Buea in the first place? We need their names to name, shame and blame.
Recently, we saw a pregnant lady die like a rat with her set of unborn twins after she was abandoned by state medical doctors in from of a state-run hospital in the economic city of Douala. If we continue to run the country like a drug cartel, then we should be ready for more of these. It is either we boycott the payment of taxes while waiting for stringent government action, or we stay and watch the movie play with many more cliff hangers.
Perhaps the only lesson the gangster regime understands is a strike action. Bamenda traders went on strike last week and their plights were addressed. Will Buea traders do same? In fact, will the entire nation do same? Sometimes, I wish I was a President for just two months.
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- Tapang Ivo
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CRTV reported yesterday that the Controversial Revised PENAL CODE has been enacted by head of state Paul Biya and that it went into function since July 12,2016.
My Take;Many prisons will have to be built across the country because many tenants will obviously go to jail.
As usual he who has the power will use it to put the weak behind bars.We know how it functions in Cameroon,imprisonment without trial .
Renting in Cameroon now is a heavy duty ,very heavy especially those in big cities like that of Douala and Yaounde.The Sector has not been regulated and Landlords are free to demand any amount of money as rents.
The purchasing power of Cameroonians is too low,salaries are disgrace but our government has chosen to give a deaf ear.
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- Prince Nfor Hanson
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There are dreadful reports of how security forces in Cameroon are torturing Southern Cameroons activists advocating for the ‘independence of Ambazonia (former UN Trust territory of Southern Cameroons under United Kingdom and now annexed by Cameroun).’
In a two page statement circulating on social media, well known Southern Cameroons prisoners of conscience and activists are reportedly being tortured, held incommunicado and for long periods without trial.The cases of Maxwell Oben, Numvi Walter, Che Clovis, Nkongso Stephen and NkongsoAndrew repeatedly came up.
The National Spokesperson of the Governing Council of the Federation of Ambazonia, Roland Tewure Fominyam, adds that with the alarming proportion of human rights violations, it was time to call for pressure on Cameroon
to provide adequate medical attention, proper feeding to detainees, demand their immediate release or speed up their trial. The release is said to be part of petitions to the African Commission for Human and People’s Rights, ACHPR.
The Governing Council is also demanding the appointment of a special rapporteur from the ACHPR to investigate the human rights violation allegations. Some officials of the detention facilities notably the judicial police in Bamenda, the Buea Central prison, referred us to the Ministry of justice…
Below is full statement denouncing rights violations....
URGENT ACTION: TORTURE AND IMPUNTY WHILE UNDER DETENTION BY CAMEROUN SECURITY FORCES
By Christopher Achobang*
We call on the attention of Human Rights organisations, friends of justice and the international community to the situation of
Che Clovis, Numvi Walters, Nkongso Stephen and Andrew Tamanjong and others, currently held under inhumane conditions for a very long time without trial.
On Thursday 7 May 2015 Walter Numvi, was arrested in Bamenda by elements of the Judicial Police (Tawe, Elondou, Gideon, Etame).
On the same day Che Clovis, Andrew Tamanjong were also arrested and detained alongside Numvi in Bamenda. Numvi Walter was kept incommunicado until 8 June 2015(31days) and was denied food, water and subjected to torture and other cruel inhuman and degrading treatment.
On Friday 8 May 2015 they were taken to paramilitary torture chambers where Walter Numvi was handcuffed and tortured, beaten on the soles of his feet with a machete. He was subjected to the notorious grinding from his Laps to his sheen bone. On Saturday 9 May 2015 he was taken to the torture chambers on two Separate occasions. Che Clovis later joined him and both of them (with handcuffs on) were subjected to long periods of sustained torture. They have since been detained, under horrible conditions, denied proper medical care and subjected to psychological and physical torture by prison authorities.
On Friday 1 July 2015, Che Clovis was seriously tortured by the penitentiary personnel of the Bamenda Central Prison. This is the third time he has been subjected to torture in two months. He sustained the following injuries; cranial trauma, swollen right eye, sprained knee and ankle, and severe nose bleeding.
He has also been subjected to threats and verbal abuse. Continuous Torture of activists at Cameroon’s penitentiary facilities Numvi Walter, Che Clovis, Nkongso Stephen and NkongsoAndrew are being held for advocating independence of Ambazonia
(former UN Trust territory of Southern Cameroons under United Kingdom and now annexed by Cameroun).It should also be noted that Maxwell Oben, another Southern Cameroons pro-independence activist was arrested in February 2014 by officers of the judicial police department.
He was handed over to the Services of the State Security Police that operates in the office of the Governor of the region. He has been subjected to psychological and physical abuse, detained without trial. The case he filed to challenge the legality of his detention has never been heard. Among other health issues, Maxwell’s sight is failing and he urgently needs medical attention, which has been denied him.
We also wish to draw the attention of the UN bodies and human rights
organisations to the situation of Ngek Simon, Lukong Hassan, Edwin Jumven, all victims of torture serving long term sentences after what the Human Rights Committee in its opinion in the Akwanga versus Cameroun case described as unfair trials.
All peoples concerned with human rights and freedoms in sympathy with the appeal of the Governing Council of the people of Ambazonia:
1. Call for the appointment of a special rapporteur on torture to investigate the systematic and widespread abuses of prisoners including the cases of Che Clovis, Numvi Walter, Nkongso Stephen, and Andrew Tamanjong in Bamenda Central Prison and Oben Maxwell in Buea Central Prison.
2. Call for pressure to be put on Cameroun to provide adequate medical attention, proper feeding and humane treatment of the detainees.
3. Call for pressure to be put on Cameroun to release the detainees or bring them to a speedy public trial.
4. Call for Cameroun to respect its obligations under the Convention against torture (CAT), the international Covenant on Civil and Political rights and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
5. That evidence obtained under duress through torture and other forms of physical and mental coercion violates international law, especially article 15 of CAT and Cameroun’s law as expressed in its Penal Code, hence it should be dismissed in any legal proceedings.
*Freelance Journalist and Human Rights Activist
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- Solomon Amabo
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Amnesty International accuse Cameroonian security forces for unlawfully killing dozens of civilians, torturing others and accountable for forced disappearances of others in mass arrests of suspects in the fight against the Boko Haram Islamic sect.
A report published Thursday accuses forces operating in Cameroon's Far North region, bordering north-east Nigeria, of crimes under international law.
The London-based group says Cameroon's government and security chiefs have not responded to its requests for information about the allegations and missing people and its calls for investigations.
The Associated Press has quoted refugees who fled across the border into Nigeria as saying that Cameroonian troops were indiscriminately killing civilians and looting and destroying property.
Amnesty says it interviewed more than 160 people including victims, witnesses and a senior military officer during three trips to Cameroon in 2015.
ABCNews
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- Rita Akana
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Six suspected Boko Haram members, including a senior leader, were arrested after a local vigilante group found them in Lagos, Nigeria.
They were rounded up in various parts of Lagos, Nigeria's largest city, after leaving Maiduguri in Borno state, headquarters of the militant Islamist movement that has terrorized Nigeria since 2009. Alhaji Mustapha Mohammed, leader of the Lagos Civilian Joint Task Force, said the suspects were turned over Monday to Nigeria's Department of State Services after their capture Friday. He added that the alleged Boko Haram members were found in different places around Lagos, looking unkempt and showing signs of starvation.
The group of six fled to Lagos to avoid arrest in Borno. Their identities allegedly match those on a list, distributed by the military, of Nigeria's 100 most wanted terrorists, the Nigerian newspaper the Guardian said.
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- Rita Akana
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The Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals Laurent Esso, says Cameroon Bar Council has always been involved in the Revision of the Penal Code since 2008.
In a press Conference in Yaounde Tuesday,Mr Esso says the Bar only sparked Sterile Polemics which will lead the country nowhere. But according to the Bar president GNIE Jackson K, the present Bar was never consulted and that some of the original articles as submitted in 2011 are nowhere to be found. He says the new Penal Code will meet up with evolution of the wolrd, with individual behavior and society,takes care of general interest and modern Republic.
Laurent ESSO failed to tell Cameroonians especially the poor how or where they will get money when they have not paid rents,the Justice minister who came under fire with wide spread criticism also failed to look into pertinent points such as Adultery and bride price raised by lawyers which they say are ambiguous .
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- Prince Nfor Hanson
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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.
