Politics
BUJUMBURA, Burundi (AP) — Burundi's government on Monday suspended the licenses of 10 non-governmental organizations over allegations they have been involved in anti-government activities.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said the suspended groups played a role in a failed coup attempt in May against President Pierre Nkurunziza, whose decision to seek a third term sparked violent street protests in the capital, Bujumbura.
Gideon Niyungeko, whose group Focode is one of those under suspension, said he was not surprised by the decision and condemned a government he said "kills kids, young men and aged people." His group's stated goals are to promote good governance and development.
Many of Burundi's opposition leaders and rights activists have fled into exile, while some have been assassinated. Among the suspended groups is the one led by Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, a prominent rights activist who is now exiled in Belgium after surviving an assassination attempt.
The U.N. said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has spoken out repeatedly on the importance of civil society.
"It's clear that every society needs a healthy civil society," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said when asked the U.N. chief's response to the government's action.
He said the secretary-general's newly appointed special adviser on Burundi was arriving in Bujumbura on Monday and will be holding meetings and reporting back in response to the Security Council resolution adopted on Nov. 12. It condemned ongoing killings in Burundi, threatened sanctions, and asked Ban to deploy a team to Burundi to work with the government, African Union and other partners to "develop options to address political and security concerns."
The government has been carrying out a disarmament operation in volatile parts of Bujumbura, hoping to get weapons out of civilian hands, but many people here blame the security forces for a wave of extrajudicial killings that have raised international concern. Some of those killed, however, have been supporters of the government, including a military general who had served as a spy chief.
Gunfire and loud explosions now characterize life in Bujumbura, and many have fled their homes over safety concerns.
The U.N. says at least 240 people have been killed since April, but the actual death toll is likely much higher.
Although the current conflict appears political, Burundi has a history of deadly conflicts between the country's Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups.
Nkurunziza took power in 2005 near the end of a civil war in which some 300,000 people were killed between 1993 and 2006.
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U.S. President Barack Obama said on Saturday the Mali hotel attacks only stiffened the resolve of the United States and its allies, which would be relentless in fighting those targeting its citizens and would allow militants no safe haven. In a speech at a regional summit in Malaysia, Obama described Friday's raid and hostage incident in Mali as "another awful reminder of the scourge of terrorism."
"It stiffens our resolve to meet these challenges," he said. "The United States will be relentless." Obama said the United States is trying to account for Americans who may have been at Mali hotel. At least one American citizen has been identified among the 19 dead. He said U.S. forces in Mali helped prevent a greater loss of life.
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The Malian government has declared a 10 days state of emergency following the deadly attack of Friday. With the death toll of the Friday attack at a Radisson hotel Mali, Bamako seemingly to increase, the crisis has already attained a new apex and international attention attracted.
The United Nation´s Security Council has therefore in the strongest terms condemned this “horrendous terrorist attack” in the Malian capital Bamako. While lending support to the Malian government to fight against terrorist groups, the U.N. Security Council cautioned the Malian authority against any actions that may undermine the peace process in Mali.
With the support of the council, the authority in Mali has been called to thoroughly and rapidly investigate the horrifying attack and bring the perpetrators to book. The U. N. Security Council also reiterated the need for the whole world to collaboratively fight terrorist’s threats.
It should be recalled that an extremist group led by former al-Qaida commander Moktar Belmoktar claimed responsibility for the attack.
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Four female suicide bombers blew themselves up in a flashpoint area in the Far North Region of Cameroon on Saturday, November 21, killing 5 civilians including a traditional chief, the regional governor said.
One of the women attackers set off her explosives outside the house of the local chief in a village near Fotokol, a town often targeted by Boko Haram Islamists.
He and 4 members of his family were killed, governor Midjiyawa Bakari told AFP.
The other women blew themselves up but did not kill anyone else.
AFP
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Since the start of this week, Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, has made available provisional electoral registers in all its sub-divisional branches. A nationwide campaign which has been launched simultaneously through mainstream media, bill-posting and banners in major road junctions, calls on the public, political parties and stakeholders to consult the registers in order to identify irregularities such as errors, omissions as well as names of dead persons or persons having lost their capacity to be voters.
There are signals from Etoudi that President Biya intends to call early parliamentary and presidential elections to guarantee his continued stay in power beyond 2018. In a statement issued to the press yesterday, November 19, 2015, the Regional Delegate of ELECAM for the Centre Region, Joséphine Angèle Essama, said the operation that runs till November 20, 2015 aims at cleaning the voters’ registers before voters’ cards are produced. The publication of the provisional voters’ registers is a major indication that the ruling CPDM may surprise Cameroonians even before 2018.
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Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari says army troops were denied weapons to fight the Boko Haram Takfiri militants due to corrupt multi-billion dollar arms deals that never procured military equipment for the soldiers. President Buhari recently received a report from a 13-member committee set up to investigate the issue of arms procurement between 2007 and 2015. He ordered late Tuesday anyone involved in the multi-billion dollar deals for weapons and equipment to be “brought to book.” “The findings made so far are extremely worrying considering that the interventions were granted within the same period that our troops fighting the insurgency in the northeast were in desperate need of platforms, military equipment and ammunition,” said the Nigerian president.
The corruption has resulted in the needless deaths of a significant number of Nigerians, Buhari said. “Had the funds siphoned to these non-performing companies been properly used for the purpose they were meant for, thousands of needless Nigerian deaths would have been avoided.” According to the presidential statement, the investigation has “unearthed several illicit and fraudulent financial transactions.” The probe came after soldiers complained that despite the military’s huge budget, troops were ill-equipped to fight Boko Haram.
Front-line troops serving under Goodluck Jonathan, Buhari’s predecessor, frequently complained the militants were better armed and they lacked the proper equipment, including bullets, to fight. President Buhari has ordered the arrest of Nigeria’s former National Security Adviser Colonel Sambo Dasuki. Buhari’s office said Dasuki had “awarded fictitious and phantom contracts” worth about two billion dollars for jets, helicopters and ammunition for the Nigerian army to fight Boko Haram.
The weapons were never delivered. Since taking the helm on May 29, the Buhari administration has been primarily focused on the fight against Boko Haram. The 72-year-old former military ruler has given the army until the end of the year to suppress the militants, who have killed at least 17,000 people and made over 2.5 million homeless since 2009. Boko Haram has pledged allegiance to the Daesh Takfiri terror group, which is primarily operating inside Syria and neighboring Iraq.
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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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