Politics
Cameroon says a regional force arrested more than 300 Boko Haram fighters and freed at least 2,000 people in the first five days of an operation to flush the terrorists from their remaining hideouts along the borders of Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
A thousand soldiers from the regional force, composed of fighters from Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, returned from the Walasah area in Nigeria to their base at Mora, Cameroon.
Cameroon General Bouba Dobekreo, one of the commanders, said Tuesday that 17 villages had been freed. He said soldiers destroyed a Boko Haram logistics base and training center, plus vehicles, and had seized huge stocks of weapons and other materiel. He said they were ready to go farther into the hinterlands and do away with Boko Haram.
Dobekreo said people freed from Boko Haram strongholds had been handed over to the Nigerian army or had left the area with the soldiers' protection.
Among the returning soldiers was Eyong Levis, who said he and five other soldiers had been wounded by a land mine.
"Where I am now, I am getting better and I am determined that when I will be strong, I have to go there because those men are not armies," Levis said. "They are just rebels, and I am determined to finish with them. I hope that by the end of this year, Boko Haram will be history."
Beya Jude, a 47-year-old father of four, said he had crossed into Cameroon because so many people in his village died during the raids.
"On Saturday in the morning, they called us," he said. "We gathered our children, our wives and others. I brought my family all here."
Hundreds of Nigerian refugees were sent to the Minawao refugee camp in Cameroon.
Raids organized by the joint force since December have increased the number of internally displaced persons and refugees in Cameroon from 150,000 to more than 200,000.
More than 1,000 humanitarian workers have also been deployed to attend to the refugees and internally displaced.
(VOA)
- Details
- Elangwe Pauline
- Hits: 2102
On the night of the 5th and 6th of April 1984, gun shots were heard around the presidency of the republic. On the 6th of April, a message was read over state radio which Cameroonians were later on told was limited only to the residents of Yaounde the nation’s capital by a brave technician. The message indeed had confirmed that a coup had been staged and the Biya regime was now a thing of the past. Forces loyal to the regime came to the fore and on April the 7th, President Biya Biya was back in action. He took the floor and addressed the Cameroonian people informing them that he had survived a coup fomented by troops still loyal to his predecessor, the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo.
Following these "sad" events, the remnants of the Ahidjo men in the presidential guard were executed and ever since the attempted 1984 coup, the 83 years old dictator now approaching his 34th year in power is still holding firmly the helm of the Cameroon ship. He has resisted every form of opposition. He survived the civil disobedience campaign in March and April of 1991. He successfully neutralized Ni John Fru Ndi and the Social Democratic Front. Biya was victorious after the ghost town operations. Since 1984, the Cameroonian strongman has organized 4 presidential elections. In 1992 he declared himself winner and placed his main challenger , John Fru Ndi under house arrest. He says he genuinely won the presidential elections of 1997, 2004 and 2011. In April 2008, he changed the constitution of the nation and made himself head of state forever and ever.
Whatever Biya wants, Biya gets!! He launched the so called anti corruption campaign known as "Operation Sparrowhawk", ostensibly to clean up the malpractices in the management of public affairs. When age started telling on him, he carriedout his own version of “A Hundred Flower Campaign” when he dished out news that he had passed on in a Swiss hospital. His agents identified those within his ruling council who celebrated when the news was made public and immediately he made a dramatic u turn and transformed Operation Sparrowhawk into a reckoning tool and eventually eliminated potential dolphins for the post of president of the republic. Since then several barons of the regime have been imprisoned, ostensibly for "embezzlement" of public funds. Now he wants another constitutional amendment to enable him hold early presidential elections. Our Right Royal President lives on
- Details
- Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai
- Hits: 3411
The ongoing Boko Haram incursions in the Far North Region of Cameroon has resulted in mass displacement of villagers in the boarder communities to Nigeria.
The number of displaced Cameroonians has now reached 170 000 persons, mostly from the localities of the three main departments affected by the incursions of Boko Haram - Mayo-Sava , Mayo Tsanaga , Logone and Chari.
These statistics were presented on Monday, April 4, 2016 , by the Director of the International Organization for Migration (IOM ), for Western and Central Africa Richard Danziger , during an audience granted by the Prime Minister of Cameroon Philemon Yang in Yaounde.
The Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria – now in its sixth year – has spilled over into Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
Militants have targeted civilians, razing villages and killing residents. An estimated 20,000 people have been killed, and more than 2 million displaced, according to U.N. figures.
Cameroonian troops have joined Nigerian soldiers this month in fresh operations to chase militants from remaining strongholds around Lake Chad and in the Sambisa forest in northeast Nigeria.
- Details
- Elangwe Pauline
- Hits: 2756
Thousands of people in the Congolese capital of Brazzaville are said to be fleeing the latest violence which has broken out linked to last month’s reelection of President Denis Sassou Nguesso.
Former members of the “Ninja” militia have been blamed for attacks on government buildings – the group fought the president in the 1997 civil war.
One man who was leaving with his family said, “ There was shooting, heavy weapons. In any case, we couldnt sleep. It all started at 3am and we couldnt sleep.”
Witnesses said young opposition supporters chanted "Sassou, leave!", erected barricades near the main roundabout in southern Brazzaville's Makelekele neighbourhood and set fire to the local mayor's office and police headquarters.
The gunfire broke out in the opposition strongholds of Makelekele and Bacongo at 3am local time on Monday and lasted until 6am. It resumed around 8am and intensified in late morning as military helicopters patrolled southern Brazzaville, witnesses said. Heavy weapons fire could be heard.
Hundreds of residents of southern Brazzaville, some carrying their possessions on their heads, fled their neighbourhoods on foot towards the north of the city.
Government officials could not be reached for comment, but state television said people who rejected the president's victory in the March 20 election were responsible.
"The people woke up this morning in fear because there was gunfire. The reason for that is that there are people who contest these elections," said a presenter on Tele Congo.
The channel said the government was expected to make a statement on the violence.
Sassou Nguesso won re-election on March 20 after pushing through constitutional changes in an October referendum to remove age and term limits that would have prevented him from standing again.
At least 18 people were killed by security forces during opposition demonstrations before the referendum.
Opposition candidates say the election was a fraud and have called for a campaign of civil disobedience. A general strike last week was largely observed in southern Brazzaville but ignored in the north of the city, where Sassou Nguesso is popular.
The US State Department said after the election it had received numerous reports of irregularities and criticised the government's decision to cut all telecommunications including internet services during voting and for days afterwards.
On Monday the US embassy said on its Facebook page there was heavy gunfire and it would provide only limited operations.
Reuters
- Details
- Elangwe Pauline
- Hits: 2562
Abey Napoleon, former CPDM Section President for Eyumojock and current Divisional Delegate of Economy Planning and Regional Development for Manyu Division has revealed that the mayors of Mamfe, Eyumojock and Akwaya councils are lazy, not serious and self-centered. The Maradona of Eyumojock politics thinks Mayors Ayuk Takunchong of Mamfe, Julius Nkom of Eyumojock and Martin Ekwalle of Akwaya councils are architects of underdevelopment. Abey Napoleon Ntui who has been at war with Minister Peter Agbor Tabi ever since he joined the ruling CPDM party disclosed that apart from Mayor Bate Robert Epie of the Tinto Council, the other three mayors are a hindrance to development in their municipalities. Said Abey, “They do not take interest in developing their communities, they take ages to submit priority projects, at times the projects are not even submitted”.
Abbey Napoleon wondered aloud why people voted to foster development in the various sub constituencies are rather embarking on personal interest. Abey added that all efforts by the divisional delegation of the MINEPAT to assist the mayors draft their projects have always proved futile. Out of the 64 projects granted to Manyu division for the 2016 fiscal year, 20 are still to be awarded by the tender’s board. 90 per cent of the 2016 Public Investment Projects in Manyu are still hanging.
Through the efforts of the Ministry Of Economy Planning and Regional Development, a consultation meeting chaired by the SDO of Manyu, Peter Tieh Nde involving stakeholders agreed to strengthen the effective and efficiency of the awards. Abey disclosed that all projects below five million have already been awarded except 15 projects above the said amount which are still pending. The Divisional Consultative Organ has reportedly set a deadline for all vote holders to judiciously ensure that all projects of this category are duly awarded so as to enable timely execution.
The outspoken Manyu CPDM elite stated that it poses a lot of difficulties executing projects in Akwaya. He called on government to facilitate the total disenclavement of Akwaya sub-division so that projects destined for this area can easily be implemented in record time.
- Details
- Cham Victor Bama in Mamfe
- Hits: 3185
An Iranian deputy foreign minister says the Islamic Republic’s missile capability is a matter of defense and national security, which is not open to any negotiations or compromise.
“During the [nuclear] negotiations [with the P5+1 group of countries], we never allowed them to raise the issue of our country’s missile [program], because no wise individual will negotiate over his country’s security,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi said in a televised interview Saturday night.
- Details
- Presstv
- Hits: 1538
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.
