Politics
The President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella who arrived in Yaounde on March 17, 2016, is the highest Italian official ever to have visited Cameroon. Barely four hours after setting foot on Cameroonian soil, President Sergio Mattarella was at State House in Yaounde where for over 60 minutes, the two men seemed to have engaged a very significant turnaround in Cameroon-Italy relations which, although already so good, have a potential to be even better. Since 1962 when the two countries established diplomatic relations, there have been high-level visits by officials of the two countries and although President Biya has visited Rome several times on the invitation of The Vatican, he has often availed himself of Rome stays to discuss with Italian officials and so President Mattarella’s State visit deservedly carried all the accoutrements and accompaniments of a most triumphant event beginning at the airport arrival ceremony with a 21-gun salute and then at State House with a thick red carpet stretched out right to the limousine from which he stepped out at exactly 4.15 pm and the impressive waterworks which gave State House precincts a real feel of feasting.
Upon arrival, the Italian President was welcomed by President Biya before the two headed for the latter’s third floor office where they went into a conclave for some thirty minutes before other senior officials accompanying them joined in the discussion. What is remarkable about this meeting is the fact that in just 60 minutes of talks, cooperation between the two countries had been given a significant booster if one were to go by the number and quality of the Accords and Agreements signed after the meeting by accompanying ministers and other top officials, under the watchful eyes of the two Presidents.
There are altogether five agreements, ranging from the exemption of visas for holders of diplomatic and service passports of the two countries, a framework agreement on cultural, scientific and technical cooperation, a framework document on the use of resources devolving from the cancellation of Cameroon’s debt by Italy, a protocol agreement between the University of Padua and Cameroon’s National Advanced School of Public Works as well as a Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Padua and Cameroon’s Ministry of Urban Development and Housing on the promotion of sustainable town planning in Cameroon. Mr Mario Giro, Italy’s Minister-Delegate in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of Cooperation and Development signed the agreements on visa exemptions and cultural cooperation while his country’s Ambassador to Cameroon Samuela Isopi signed the one on debt cancellation windfalls and the Rector of the University of Padua Professor Rosario Rizutto signed for the other two. The signatories on the Cameroonian side included External Relations Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella (visas), Jacques Fame Ndongo (cultural cooperation), Louis Paul Motaze (use of debt relief windfalls), Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi (University of Padua and the National Advanced School of Public Works) and Jean Claude Mbwentchou (MoU with University of Padua).
The Agreement on visa exemptions, for instance states that “nationals of either contracting party who are holders of valid diplomatic or service passports and not accredited to the territory of the other contracting party, shall be exempted from the vise requirement required to enter, transit, stay and exit from the territory of the other Contracting Party for up to 90 days for one or several times, within a period of 180 days. For nationals from the Republic of Cameroon, the 90 days will start to run from the date of entry into the Schengen Space.”
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- Cameroon Tribune
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Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned European countries that they could become a victim of terrorist attacks like the car bombing in the Turkish capital on March 13 that killed 37 people. And the only city that came to his mind as an example of a possible target was the Belgian capital Brussels.
"There is no reason why the bomb that exploded in Ankara cannot explode in Brussels, in any other European city," Erdogan said during a Friday speech to commemorate a famous World War I battle in the Turkish coastal town of Canakkale.
A few days later on Tuesday, two bomb attacks at Brussels airport killed at least 34 people and left nearly 100 people wounded, including a separate bombing in a metro station that killed around 20 people and injured about 100 more.
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- Presstv
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President Paul Biya is reportedly planning a trip to Qatar. Information has filtered to the press that the Cameroonian chief executive recently instructed the Prime Minister and Head of Government to constitute a huge delegation to an economic forum between Cameroon and Qatar. Our intelligence unit is yet to establish whether the Biya planned visit is on the invitation of the Emir of Qatar.
Prime Minister Yang Philemon has held high profile meetings at the Star Building grouping ministerial departments dealing with economic issues including private sector operators. Our Etoudi informant say the Cameroonian dictator will hopefully be traveling to Qatar on March the 27th, 2016 for the first time on an official visit. Qatar is a middle east country that has become an international attraction for any investment researcher.
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- Sama Ernest in Yaounde
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Abdallah Adamou, the man widely believed to have negotiated with Boko Haram for the release of the Vice Prime Minister’s wife and other foreign hostages held by the Nigerian Islamic sect has been arrested by Cameroon’s secret service and taken to an unknown destination.
Abdullah Adamou reportedly contributed to the released of the Moulin Fournier family from France whose seven members were kidnapped in Dabanga on February 19th, 2014, two Italian priests; Rev. Giampaolo Marta and Rev. Gianantonio Allegri and Canadian clergy, Gilberte Bussiere, abducted on the night of the 4th and 5th of April 2014 and released on May 31st, 2014 around the Amchide locality in the Far North region. He was also a key man in the deal that freed 10 Chinese kidnapped in Waza in May 2014 and released on October the 10th alongside 17 abducted Cameroonians in Kolofata, freed on the 27th of July 2014.
A journalist with L’Oeil du Sahel who is very experienced in intelligence reporting revealed relations between the regime in Yaounde and Abdullah Adamou had significantly worsened in recent months and he was now suspected of collusion with Boko Haram. We understand his passport was first withdrawn when the SDF Chairman Ni John Fru Ndi openly challenged the CPDM regime to make public the Boko Haram negotiator. Two other relatives of Abdallah Adamou resident in Amchide were arrested on the 16th of March 2016.
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- Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai with files from CIN
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The Cameroon Football Federation aka FECAFOOT has issued a motion of support to the Head of State, President Paul Biya calling on the 83 year old dictator to run for president in the upcoming presidential elections in Cameroon. The Cameroon football governing body held its general assembly meeting for the first time in its history out of the nation's capital, Yaounde.
Sports commentators who traveled to Buea, the capital of the South West region wondered aloud that the association has been politicized and now functions as an auxiliary wing of the ruling CPDM party. In today's conference in Buea, FECAFOOT made a dramatic U turn and extended the mandate of the Cameroon Professional Football League for another one year period claiming "due to the state of unpreparedness by the federation for any election and also to keep with General Pierre Semengue,who they said is their father".
The mafia leadership announced that tickets for this Saturday encounter against the Bafana Bafana will be on sale from Wednesday this week. They range from 3000,5000,10000,15000 and 50000 FCFA respectively.
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- Cham Victor Bama in Buea
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After several hours of fighting, the Cameroonian army successfully freed twelve persons held by Boko Haram militants in the town of Tchabal located in the Adamawa region. The elements of the 31 Mechanized Infantry Division also routed twenty kidnappers. The Cameroonian hostages were kidnapped in Tchabal-Naboul, Tchabal-Mounguel and Saltaka villages in the department of Vina in the Adamawa region.
The twelve people released included men, a woman and a teenage girl. The army also seized nine boxes of weapons of war, a Kalashnikov, amulets, Indian hemp and machetes. The hostage-takers were stuck in the Faro Park area between the region of Adamawa and the North. Two kidnappers were killed in the fighting while many of them were wounded but managed to escape.
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- Ebong Peter and Sama Ernest
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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.
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