Politics

Cameroon says nearly 1,200 people have been killed in the country by the Nigeria-based Boko Haram terror group since 2013. Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Cameroon’s communications minister, said Friday that Boko Haram militants had carried out 315 raids and 32 bomb attacks in the country’s northern border areas. “1,098 civilians, 67 of our soldiers and three police officials have been killed in these barbaric attacks by the Boko Haram terrorist group,” the minister told reporters in the capital Yaounde. Since July last year, Cameroon’s far north has seen a wave of attacks attributed to Boko Haram Takriri militants. The price Cameroon pays for being a neighbour to loud-mouthing and grand standing Nigeria with inept leadership. This is on top of 1.5 million Nigerian refugies Cameroon has received from Nigeria. Where will it end? 

This year, the number of attacks has soared to an almost daily basis. “In the face of such unjustified and gratuitous harassment our defense and security forces have inflicted heavy losses on the enemy,” Bakary said, adding that the extremist militants are now sending their women or girls to carry out bomb attacks. Since late November, the Cameroon army has carried out operations in several border areas aimed at weakening Nigerian militants active in the region.

Boko Haram has over the past year stepped up cross-border attacks in Niger, Chad and Cameroon, targeting busy markets, mosques, religious leaders and tribal chiefs opposed to them. The militant group, which is affiliated to Daesh, maintains strongholds in areas that are difficult to access, such as the Sambisa forest, the Mandara mountains and the numerous islands of Lake Chad. Boko Haram’s six-year military campaign has left about 20,000 people dead in Nigeria, and hundreds of others in neighboring Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

18.Jan.2016

Hits: 1575

Elung Paul Che, Minister Delegate at the Ministry of Finance has explained the recommendations made during the 19th session of the National Road Board on January 12, 2016. Hon. Paul Elung in a conversation with Cameroon Tribune observed that road fund will gain financial autonomy.

Cameroon Tribune:  What were some of issues discussed during the 19th session of National Road Board? 

Elung Paul: The Prime Minister asked the participants to present their diagnoses on why road maintenance and construction of new roads are not really meeting up with the plan of government. So, we had presentations from the Minister of Public Works who explained the difficulties faced in the sector in terms of studies which most of the time are not very adequate. Secondly, road construction companies lack expertise in road construction and road maintenance. They also lack a solid financial surface which poses a problem. The Minister of Urban Development also said the same thing in his presentation. As to what concerns the Ministry of Finance, we presented the difficulties faced in the funding of road maintenance and road construction companies. These difficulties are not only at the level of treasury management but also upstream at the level of technical services. So, if the studies are well done, projects are well followed-up and the jobbing orders prepared and presented to the Minister of Finance on time, they are programmed and paid subsequently. As of now, we do not have outstanding payments for road maintenance and road construction jobs. The problem could be found not only at the level of the treasury but elsewhere. I made it clear that it is not a matter of getting funds to idle in accounts for road maintenance but getting the jobs effectively done on the field.

Cameroon Tribune: What were the Prime Minister’s recommendations?

Elung Paul: At the end of the meeting, the Prime Minister made concrete recommendations to all the parties notably the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Urban Development, the Ministry of Public Contracts and the Ministry of Finance. We will be looking at reforming the Road Fund to make it more autonomous, more performant and more assuring to road construction companies.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

18.Jan.2016

Hits: 1677

Cameroon says nearly 1,200 people have been killed in the country by the Nigeria-based Boko Haram terror group since 2013. Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Cameroon’s communications minister, said Friday that Boko Haram militants had carried out 315 raids and 32 bomb attacks in the country’s northern border areas. “1,098 civilians, 67 of our soldiers and three police officials have been killed in these barbaric attacks by the Boko Haram terrorist group,” the minister told reporters in the capital Yaounde. Since July last year, Cameroon’s far north has seen a wave of attacks attributed to Boko Haram Takriri militants. The price Cameroon pays for being a neighbour to loud-mouthing and grand standing Nigeria with inept leadership. This is on top of 1.5 million Nigerian refugies Cameroon has received from Nigeria. Where will it end? 

This year, the number of attacks has soared to an almost daily basis. “In the face of such unjustified and gratuitous harassment our defense and security forces have inflicted heavy losses on the enemy,” Bakary said, adding that the extremist militants are now sending their women or girls to carry out bomb attacks. Since late November, the Cameroon army has carried out operations in several border areas aimed at weakening Nigerian militants active in the region.

Boko Haram has over the past year stepped up cross-border attacks in Niger, Chad and Cameroon, targeting busy markets, mosques, religious leaders and tribal chiefs opposed to them. The militant group, which is affiliated to Daesh, maintains strongholds in areas that are difficult to access, such as the Sambisa forest, the Mandara mountains and the numerous islands of Lake Chad. Boko Haram’s six-year military campaign has left about 20,000 people dead in Nigeria, and hundreds of others in neighboring Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

18.Jan.2016

Hits: 1774

Cameroon former finance minister has been notified of more charges against him coming from the Special Criminal Court. Cameroon Concord understands that the charges are related to the Gervais Mendo Ze Affair, former general manager of the state owned radio and television. Absent for health reasons in the first two hearings of the prosecution case against the former Minister of Finance, Prof. Gervais Mendo Ze, former GM of the Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) and other co-defendants including Polycarpe Abah Abah the accused were jointly and severally presented the charges before judges at the Special Criminal Court. 

During the third hearing, the chairman Justice Yap Abdou read the file revealing that Polycarpe Abah Abah was accused again of misappropriation and coercion involving the sum of 205 873 000 FCFA with the former DG of CRTV, Gervais Mendo Ze. The charges against the defendants dated back to the period January 1, 2004 to the 26th January 2005. The period during which it was alleged the former GM of CRTV fraudulently obtained over 18 billion FCFA. In response to these accusations, the former MINFI pleaded not guilty, just like the other accused at the first hearing. Concerning the participation of witnesses, Abah Abah and Co presented at the hearing eleven witnesses. A number that President Abdou Yap harmonized to five. He asked them to make a consensus choice. It was on that note that the hearing was suspended to be resumed on the 26th and 28th of January 2016.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

16.Jan.2016

Hits: 1912

Lawyers for Kenyan Deputy President William Ruto asked judges to throw out charges against him at the International Criminal Court on Thursday, saying witness withdrawals had left the prosecution's case in tatters. Ruto, present at the hearing in The Hague, faces crimes against humanity charges stemming from the ethnic violence that followed Kenya's 2007 presidential election in which 1,200 people died. 

The ICC has suffered a number of setbacks in its Kenya cases, the highest-profile dossiers on its docket. Prosecutors withdrew charges against President Uhuru Kenyatta last year, saying witness withdrawals had left them without a case. Ruto's lawyers argued the withdrawal of six prosecution witnesses left prosecutors making allegations unrelated to their assertion that he conspired to drive opposition supporters from their homes. "The foundations of the case are gone," Karim Khan said. "Every last one of them."

Prosecutors no longer alleged that planning meetings took place at which financial, military and political backers coordinated attacks under Ruto's leadership, he said. "It makes a good story for an opening speech, but what's happened to this network?" he asked. Prosecutors argued earlier this week that there was still sufficient evidence to proceed with the case.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

15.Jan.2016

Hits: 1665

It is common knowledge nowadays that most road construction and maintenance projects carried out nationwide, fall short of national and international expectations in terms of quality. More so, abandoned road projects abound. During the 19th session of the National Road Board that held on January the 12th, 2016 at the Star Building in Yaounde under the chairmanship of Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang, members recommended that road companies be henceforth classified after a diagnosis was made of obstacles that mar the development of a befitting road infrastructure in the country. Highlights of the session included two detailed presentation by the Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, on the obstacles to the smooth execution of road infrastructure projects and on the institution of performance contracts with road construction companies. 

The Permanent Secretary of the Board, Issofa Moumbain Matapit, disclosed that besides poor quality roads, other prominent obstacles mentioned included incomplete studies before road projects are undertaken, incapacity of some road construction companies to perform the contracts they are awarded, compensation after expropriation, the high cost of raw materials and the financing of the National Road Fund. The Prime Minister in a typical CPDM pattern advised that several edicts were under preparation in his services to solve most of the problems raised. “Road construction companies will be classified into five groups to prevent companies from bidding for contracts that they cannot execute,” said the Permanent Secretary.

The Board also recommended a Second Generation Road Fund with an autonomous funding while the Prime Minister requested to be updated on the acquisition of quarry sites in Cameroon to see into the cost of road construction raw materials. During the session, it was also announced that over a thousand kilometres of tarred road will be constructed within the framework of preparations for the female and male versions of the African Cup of Nations tournament scheduled for 2016 and 2019 respectively in Cameroon.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

15.Jan.2016

Hits: 1804