Politics

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem has censured as “silly” a recent move by the Arab League to designate Lebanon’s resistance movement, Hezbollah, as a terrorist organization. “The latest Arab League decision was silly, and to be honest, I am not surprised by that [decision] from the same body, which authorized NATO to hit Libya... I thank God that we are not a member of this Arab League,” Muallem said during a press conference in the capital, Damascus, on Saturday. The top Syrian diplomat added that he had asked the Arab League back in 2006 to praise Hezbollah for its resistance against Israel during the 33-day war in the summer of that year, but the request was turned down. “Later, we understood that there were [countries within the Arab League], who were calling on Israel to hit the resistance,” Muallem pointed out. 

On Friday, foreign ministers at an Arab League meeting in the Egyptian capital city of Cairo branded Hezbollah a terrorist group in their final statement. However, Lebanon and Iraq refused to go along with the move and Algeria expressed “reservations.” In a similar move, the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) issued a statement on March 2, labeling Hezbollah a terrorist organization. The Arab bloc comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Hezbollah later denounced the designation and described the GCC member states as “reckless and hostile.”

The measure came days after Riyadh retracted a USD four-billion aid pledge to Lebanon’s security forces. The decision was made in the wake of recent victories by the Syrian army, backed by Hezbollah fighters, against the Takfiri militants fighting to overthrow the Damascus government. Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has said the Saudi regime seeks to provoke “strife” between Shias and Sunnis in the Middle East, urging the Lebanese not to be intimidated by threats being posed by Riyadh and Tel Aviv.

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Presstv

13.Mar.2016

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President Biya and his ruling CPDM party are now scaremongering that our nation is at war and needs continuity in leadership. MPs and top government officials are warning that any change in Etoudi could cause a political tsunami that may destabilized the nation. Mr Biya is directly behind these manouevers and he is expected to order a constitutional change soonest. Such a change could cause an unprecedented collapse of Cameroon as a nation. 

The French are not happy with the arrangement but have no neutral third option. It is hard to say which political grouping really thinks well for the country as the blatant scaremongering from Etoudi and Ngoa Ekele has been very efficient eventhough it has no grounding in reality. The Cameroon army is fighting the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram in the Far North region and the anti Belaka terrorist group in the East as a matter of principle not because of our absentee Commander-in-Chief. Clearly, Biya is in a blind panic over the failing motions of support.

The youth of his home constituency including those of the Far North region have all asked him to step aside.The claim that we are at war has been branded preposterous by Cardinal Tumi who say Biya no longer has the physical and moral ability to govern the nation. A new head of state and commander-in-chief in Cameroon would give our nation control of its borders policy and attract thousands of foreign investors from Europe and even beyond.

Any new constitutional amendment that will guarantee Biya’s continued stay in power will be making a mockery of our national assemblies, our judiciary and our military. A change of the current leadership in Cameroon is not only urgent but non-negotiable. There is need for an emergency brake on Biya’s attempt at holding on to power at 83.

The ruling CPDM party should organize a congress and elect a young and dynamic national chairman to take over from the frailing President Biya. Whether Biya changes the constitution or not, his days at the head of our nation and politics are drawing to a close. Any moment from now, the world will see Cameroon as a nation and not as a person.

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Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

11.Mar.2016

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4 large Boko Haram tankers transporting fuel, livestock, ammunitions and clothing have been seized by Cameroon specila forces in the town of Fotokol, near the border with Nigeria.

Our Maroua correspondent reported that the seizure was made on the 7th and 8th of March 2016. Boko Haram militants killed four civilians in the Bame- Kolofata locality town on Tuesday. A Kolofata villager was also killed and his cattle were taken away in an attack attributed to the Nigeria Islamic sect.

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Rita Akana

10.Mar.2016

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Female soldiers of the National Gendarmerie corps engaged at the warfront in the northern part of the country against the terrorist sect, Boko Haram, have been praised for their unwavering courage and bravery. While presiding over a festive common meal with civilian and military female staff of the National Gendarmerie corps on March 8, 2016 at the Camp Yeyap barracks in Yaounde, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, Jean Baptiste Bokam, urged them to remain confident that their defense of the fatherland and preservation of territorial integrity will not be in vain.

After the march past to mark the 31st International Women’s Day in Yaounde, the female staff of the National Gendarmerie corps gathered around their boss and through the department’s Gender Focal Point, Colonel Elisabeth Mindzie, praised hierarchy for progress made to ensure gender equality in their administration. Also speaking on their behalf, Major Huguette Mvogo noted with satisfaction the change in recruitment policy that instituted at least 10 per cent female recruits for every gendarmerie recruitment examination. 

In training, female gendarmes are admitted in all internships while appointments now put women in several levels of command. As example, there is one Legion commander, one Regional Gendarmerie Headquarters chief of staff, two military tribunal presidents, over 200 company commanders and a multitude of brigade commanders. “But we don’t yet have a director or a general,” the spokeswoman noted. A grievance supported by the Special Guest and Coordinator of the “More Women in Politics” Network, Pr. Justine Diffo.

In response, Jean Baptiste Bokam revisited the path covered to demonstrate hierarchy’s awareness of the woman’s undeniable role in command but urged them to sustain their quest for excellence and good work because promotion to higher grades and appointment to posts of responsibility require the permanent culture of discipline, respect of hierarchy and moral rectitude, amongst others.

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Cameroon Tribune

10.Mar.2016

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En route to the French capital, Paris, the newly elected president of the Central African Republic, Faustin Archange Touadéra made a quick stop on Tuesday in the Cameroonian capital, Yaounde. Etoudi deployed red carpet for the new strongman of Bangui. It was a triumphant return to Cameroon for this former student of the University of Yaounde I, who in 2004, had successfully defended a State doctoral thesis in Cameroon's temple of knowledge. 

President Archange Touadera was greeted upon arrival at the airport in Yaoundé by Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemeon Yang. He was accorded military honors by the presidential guard and an official dinner at the Yaounde Hilton Hotel.

It was also an opportunity for Cameroon’s Prime Minister to waste tax payers money by setting a table of 25 seats in honor of President Touadéra. The Governor of the Central Region, prefects of Mfoundi and Mefou-and-Afamba, the government delegate to the Yaounde Urban Council all took part in the lavish dinner.

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Rita Akana in Yaounde

09.Mar.2016

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The Govornor of The Far North Region has handed out motorbikes and bicycles from the Cameroon Government  to antigang groups to monitor the porous northern border with Nigeria. Through this measure,the government hopes the youths can track down suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers.

About 50 members of an anitigang group sing and dance to local war songs as they prepare to venture into Cameroon's northern frontline with Boko Haram. They know the terrain to their finger tips and are capable of outmaneuvering the insurgents.

They wield different versions of handmade machetes, a few Kalashnikovs and anything they could use to scare off the Islamists. Since their inception, they have had some amount of success fending off an already weakened Boko Haram.

By giving the vigilantes motorbikes and bicycles, Midjiyawa Bakari, who is the Governor of Cameroon's Far North region, told DW that he hopes they can "track down unwanted visitors."

"After a long period of time spent encouraging people to contribute to the fight against Boko Haram, the inhabitants of villages bordering Nigeria have been joining these self-defense groups in large numbers," Bakari said.

"Those members that died protecting Cameroon did not lay down their lives in vain. Their country will always remember and honor them," he added.

Last year, Cameroon and its neighbors formed a military coalition and launched an offensive against Boko Haram. They took back almost all of the swathes of territories under control of the militants.

Boko Haram has resorted to carrying out lone wolf suicide attacks and is now planting landmines across the Cameroon-Nigerian border. As a result, Cameroon's army is suffering heavy casualties and cannot keep track of Boko Haram's locations. The government hopes that with local expertise and very mobile vigilante groups, the movement of the militants can be tracked.

In Kolofata, a Cameroonian border town, which has been hit several times by Boko Haram, an armed vigilante, Fon Godlove, is cruising on his brand new 125cc motorbike. Godlove is one of 50 recipients of the bikes. "This motorcycle will take me to anywhere I want to go,"Godlove proudly said.

The primary school teacher joined a vigilante group last year, because he said he was tired of running away from Boko Haram. He is aware of the dangers of confronting gun-toting militants, armed to the teeth, with crooked and rusty machetes. But he said he is not afraid to confront them anywhere.

His new motorbike will make his work much easier, he said. "Whether the road is bad or good, I am able to go with the motorcycle. It can take me anywhere - un-tarred roads, hilly places, valleys, deserts," Godlove added.

As the vigilantes received their motorbikes, Kolofata resident Dr. Awah Sadjo was among the group of onlookers. She said she understands the reasons for making the youths mobile. "The military cannot be everywhere," Sadjo said.

Sadjo lost a few members of her family during Boko Haram attacks in 2015. "We feel more secure when there are self defense groups at work. Now that they have been given motorcycles and weapons to facilitate their work, I feel happy," Sadjo added.

Another Kolofata resident, Hamadikou Falama, said Cameroon is reporting fewer casualties as a result of the work of the vigilantes. "Last week we detected three strange teenage boys in the town and when some of our members went to search them, the strangers refused to collaborate," Falama said.

"After using force, we discovered they had explosive devices that they were planning to install on our roads. One of them unfortunately escaped, but we arrested the two," he added.

(DW)

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Elangwe Pauline

09.Mar.2016

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