Politics
President Paul Biya reportedly left the country for a short private visit to Europe since February 23, the same day as the Sultan of Bamoum, Mbombo Mjoya. Informed opinions in Yaounde say both men have held a meeting on the state of the nation and Biya's bid for 2018. Cameroon Concord's senior political editor hinted that everything seems to suggests Biya and Njoya have met in France and agreed on the holding of early presidential elections.
The Sultan-CPDM Senator had made his position public during a section conference of the ruling party in Bafoussam where he observed that it has become very urgent and imperative to consider convening an extraordinary congress of the ruling party to discuss the worrying situation that is on the horizon, "that may seriously threaten the peace which is very dear, and which has been hard-won in Cameroon".
Some reports have suggested the former cabinet minister and supreme leader of the Foumban people is not happy with the current cabinet and has been heard murmuring privately that "it lacks respect".
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Cameroonian and Nigerian soldiers have conducted a joint operation, killing about 100 members of the Boko Haram Takfiri terrorist group while pushing the militants out of a northeastern Nigerian village. The Boko Haram losses came in an operation for the liberation of Kumshe, situated 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Nigeria’s border with Cameroon. The troops rescued several hundred hostages in the village, including young girls who were being trained as bombers. "Our boys are still on the field with Nigerian soldiers and have received instructions to continue raids on all Boko Haram border villages until we defeat them," the general stated.
In another development on Saturday, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff Major General Tukur Buratai said the main roads to and from Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's volatile northeastern Borno State, have been reopened. The roads were shut in July 2013 after the beginning of a government-imposed state of emergency in Borno and its neighboring provinces. Buratai also noted that a new armed motorbike battalion would patrol the roads in a bid to help soldiers pursue Boko Haram suspects. Some 20,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million others made homeless since the beginning of the Boko Haram bloody militancy in Nigeria in 2009. The militants have recently pledged allegiance to the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, which is primarily operating in Syria and Iraq.
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Cameroonian and Nigerian soldiers have conducted a joint operation, killing about 100 members of the Boko Haram Takfiri terrorist group while pushing the militants out of a northeastern Nigerian village. The Boko Haram losses came in an operation for the liberation of Kumshe, situated 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Nigeria’s border with Cameroon. The troops rescued several hundred hostages in the village, including young girls who were being trained as bombers. "Our boys are still on the field with Nigerian soldiers and have received instructions to continue raids on all Boko Haram border villages until we defeat them," the general stated.
In another development on Saturday, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff Major General Tukur Buratai said the main roads to and from Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's volatile northeastern Borno State, have been reopened. The roads were shut in July 2013 after the beginning of a government-imposed state of emergency in Borno and its neighboring provinces. Buratai also noted that a new armed motorbike battalion would patrol the roads in a bid to help soldiers pursue Boko Haram suspects. Some 20,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million others made homeless since the beginning of the Boko Haram bloody militancy in Nigeria in 2009. The militants have recently pledged allegiance to the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, which is primarily operating in Syria and Iraq.
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The polls closed in Iran’s parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections at 23:45 local time (2015 GMT) on Friday after voting was extended several times due to a massive voter turnout. Some 55 million Iranians were eligible to vote in the two elections. The process of counting ballots is already underway. Iran’s Interior Ministry said in a statement that the election staff at each polling station should first count the ballots related to the Assembly of Experts poll and then do the same for the parliamentary election.
Iranian Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli said results would be announced Saturday. He had earlier said that turnout was estimated to be around 70 percent based on opinion polls. As many as 4,844 candidates, including about 500 women, were competing for a place in the 290-seat Parliament. A total of 159 others were running for the 88-member Assembly of Experts. Members of the Assembly serve eight-year terms while MPs are elected every four years.
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- Ngwa Bertrand
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US President Barack Obama has once again renewed his call for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, saying there is no alternative to his removal. He also called on Russia and the Syrian government to honor a negotiated ceasefire in the war-torn country, warning Moscow and Damascus that the "world will be watching." Obama made the remarks after holding a rare meeting with his national security team at the State Department on Thursday, a day before the cessation of hostilities was due to come into force.The ceasefire for Syria is set to take effect at midnight Friday local time. He was flanked by Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Attorney General Loretta Lynch and other top advisers, who updated him on the years-old Syrian crisis. Obama said militants in Syria will never stop fighting until Assad is ousted from power. "It's the only way to end the civil war and unite the Syrian people against terrorists," he claimed.
The cessation of hostilities was announced earlier this week after negotiations between Russia and the US, both of which have been engaged in airstrikes in the Arab country. Obama said Assad should step down if a lasting peace is to be found in Syria. "This is going to be a test of whether the parties are truly committed to negotiations," he said. "It's clear that after years of his barbaric war against his own people -- including torture, and barrel bombs, and sieges, and starvation -- many Syrians will never stop fighting until Assad is out of power. There's no alternative to a managed transition away from Assad," he argued. Obama said "the coming days will be critical" in finding whether there is a way to end the five-year-long deadly conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of Syrians and displaced millions more. “None of us are under any illusions,” Obama said. “We’re all aware of the many potential pitfalls, and there are plenty of reasons for skepticism.” "But history would judge us harshly if we did not do our part in at least trying to end this terrible conflict with diplomacy,” he added.
In an interview with Press TV on Thursday, American political analyst Daniel Patrick Welch said regime change has always remained America’s only objective in Syria. Welch said Washington has never had such a thing as Plan B and the alternatives they are speaking of now have always been the primary objectives they have been following in Syria. “This idea of Plan B is kind of a scam; it has always been Plan A to topple the legitimate government and replace it with something weaker and something more compliant be it a failed state, a puppet regime or this division into sectarian mini states, instead of the legitimate elected government,” he explained. US Secretary of State John Kerry had warned that if the Syrian ceasefire deal that the US and Russia agreed to on Monday falters, Washington will resort to its Plan B options.
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Chad's opposition held a nationwide shutdown Wednesday in protest against President Idriss Deby Itno’s bid for a fifth term in office. A large number of shops and schools remained closed, and traffic stayed off the streets in the capital, N'Djamena, and several other cities. The strike action was called under the slogan, “That's enough,” by several opposition groups who oppose the bid. "That's enough" opposition grouping is made up of scores of civil society groups, the Chadian Human Rights League and the Union of Chadian Trade Unions.
Meanwhile, Mahamat Nour Ibedou, a spokesman for the opposition, said the cities of Abeche in the east, Sarh in the south and central Mongo were also locked down. "This shows people have realized they can exercise their democratic rights," Ibedou said, adding, "It also highlights that people are fed up, it's proof they reject Deby's candidacy" for president." Chad's second-biggest city, Moundou, also observed complete shutdown from the morning to lunchtime, with a resident saying, "Not even the motorbike taxis are running." Banks and private companies reportedly remained open for business along with some ministries in N'Djamena and elsewhere. President Deby, who has been in office for two and a half decades, is running for re-election on April 10.
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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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