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Akuroh John Mbah

17.Jan.2017

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Gambian President-elect Adama Barrow met Saturday in Mali with world leaders trying to arrange a peaceful outcome of the West African country's leadership crisis.

Barrow was officially declared the winner of last month's election by a slim margin. Yahya Jammeh, who has been power in Gambia since a coup in 1994, originally accepted defeat but reversed himself and filed suit to challenge the results, citing voting irregularities.

The presidents of France and Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Francois Hollande, both called on Jammeh to step down when his current five-year term of office ends during the coming week.

Jammeh, however, has said he intends to remain in office until Gambia's Supreme Court rules on his legal challenge to results of the December 1 vote. Informed observers in Banjul estimate it could take the court months to rule.

Barrow, attending the annual France-Africa summit in Bamako, said he was continuing to plan for his inauguration on Thursday.

West African regional bloc ECOWAS has placed its military force on standby to take action if Jammeh does not step down as scheduled.

Hollande said in Mali that Gambia's elections were credible and transparent, so the results "must be respected."

'De facto recognition'

Mali's Keita said the reception Barrow was given at the France-Africa summit was "de facto recognition" of his legitimacy as Gambia's head of state. "I dare to hope that proverbial African wisdom will inspire our brother Yahya" to step down Thursday, he added.

Under Jammeh, the Gambian government has been accused of numerous rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture and forced disappearances.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and other regional leaders traveled to Banjul on Friday to offer Jammeh asylum if he steps down peacefully, but no deal was reached.

Speaking about the ECOWAS high-level mission to the Gambian capital, the head of the U.N.'s office for West Africa and the Sahel, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, told the Security Council on Friday that there should be "no doubt about the determination of ECOWAS to use all necessary means, including force, to have the will of the Gambian people upheld."

VOA

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Rita Akana

16.Jan.2017

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As Anglophone Cameroonians observe the ghost town, the Consortium has called on the government to investigate the arson attack on Dr Fontem Neba. (His vehicle which was parked on UB Campus was set ablaze last weekend).Consortium calls for Unity. Request Southern Cameroonians to shun any one preaching tribalism, Division, Hatred, Violence......
Says Yes to Unity, Peace......

 

Fellow West Cameroonians ,

One of the weapons most adapted to Government's quest to keep us permanently subjugated has been "divide and rule". For years, this was used very skilfully to sharpen ethnic divisions within the SW Region as well as between the SW and NW Regions. The consequence was the exclusion of our people from political appointment (only inconsequential positions in government are given to us), the francophonization of local administration (almost all our governors and DOs are French speaking), Etc. The use of force in administration was entrenched as a way of life.

Today, gendarmes and police are everywhere on our streets, in the villages forcing our people to march; in short, our lives have been militarized as you can see everywhere today. For years, our own brothers and sisters contributed to this situation with the kind of tribal or regional politics they played. They fuelled the hatred of the other and fought each other over positions which did not matter one bit. In parliament, they failed to present our plight and even clapped when the bill being passed was clearly anti us.

My brothers and sisters,

Why has this become our preoccupation in the Consortium? We have noted with shock, an increase in hate speech among our academic and political elite. They castigate our very effort to bring justice to our people hoping that it could fetch them a promotion or an appointment. The number of nocturnal tribal meetings is on the increase, because some of our politicians think that the continuation of the 'people's strike' might jeopardize their political chances. The strike to them, means freeing ourselves from the vicious grip of this government which has used our political elite like 'hand cuffs'.

Yesterday, we all saw how the hatred some of our elite expressed in the social media resulted in an arson attack on Dr. Fontem Neba's car. We strongly condemn such violence and are surprised that the government has not said a word about this shameful incident. As a community, we condemn all our brothers and sisters who toy with our destiny and think that they are justified in sowing division among us or spreading hatred. Our social movement is a peaceful one, but all we have experienced is shootings, killings, arrests and now destruction of property. The Consortium holds Government responsible for this attack and demands that Government investigate the arson attack on Dr.Fontem and punish all those behind it immediately.The Consortium holds Government responsible for such attacks since they have failed to control their partisans and demands full reparation for such damage .

Fellow West Cameroonians,

Our unity, especially in such trying moments, is precious to us. If we have been able to ask the oppressor for accountability, it is because for once, we have united with each other.We must not allow the selfish ones among us to destroyour quest for a better life. Tribalism and narrow mindedness help to keep our people in bondage and we say NO to that.

We thank all West Cameroonians for remaining very peaceful and resisting all forms of provocation.Let it be clear,we must not break our unity,it is a strong weapon against oppression. Anyone propagating tribalism at this time of the struggle is an enemy of our people -shun him. God is our strength.

For the CONSORTIUM

Barr. Nkongho Felix A.

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Peter Nsoesie

16.Jan.2017

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Since Common law lawyers went on strike in November 2016, not even a memo or a word has being echoed by magistrates of the common law extraction.

Magistrates of the Common Law extraction in Cameroon have been urged to join their voices to the ongoing common law lawyers strike rather than sit around playacting as if they are not concerned or affected by the demands put forth by the protesting lawyers. This was one of the declarations of the Common Law Lawyers’ conference General Assembly that took place on January 13, 2017 in Kumba, chief town of Meme Division of the South West Region.

In their nine worded proclamation sign by the chairman of the conference Barrister Obenson Greg, the lawyers while affirming their support to all actions undertaken by presidents and executives of the various lawyers association, called on common law magistrates to break the silence and join the struggle. “...we call on all common law Magistrates to examine their consciences and join this struggle instead of sitting and determining suits in the absence of lawyers and in process occasioning gross injustice to litigants by violating their rights to fair trial.” A section of their statement read.

The lawyers who have been on a sit-down strike action since November 2016, met last weekend in Kumba to ascertain the extent of the strike and to decide the way forward. Equally, the agitating lawyers who called on the unconditional release of all those arrested since the start of the strike action and ferried to detention cells in Yaounde and elsewhere also commended the support of all common law lawyers and constituent assemblies.

While applauding the efforts made so far by the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium, the lawyers added that a referendum exclusively for South West and North Westerners should be conducted for them to decide their faith. Reiterating that the strike will continue till all their demands made in previous declarations and resolutions are met, the lawyers parted to reconvene later in Mamfe come April to assess the level of implementation of this proclamation.

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Amos Fofung in Buea

16.Jan.2017

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Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium has cancelled a Press Conference that was scheduled for today for security reasons.In a press briefing released earlier today, they have called for a GHOST TOWN IN THE ENTIRE WEST CAMEROON FROM MONDAY 16 TO TUESDAY 17 JANUARY 2017 FROM 6:00AM — 6:00PM to protest against the continuous shooting, arbitrary arrest and maiming of our people by Cameroon police and gendarmes.

 

PRESS BRIEFING

Our Fellow West Cameroonians.
In the last two days, Consortium representatives, Union leaders. Parents and the Clergy from the Northwest and Southwest Regions met with representatives of the govenunent in the conference room of the Govemor of the Northwest Region to discuss the issues that prompted West Cameroon teachers to go on strike on the 21st of November 2016.
At the start of the talks. our history was evoked and the treacherous path West Cameroon has gone through in this tiresome union with La Republique du Cameroun. A plethora of issues was discussed ranging from the future form of the union, admission into professional schools, the non respect of certain laws to the creation of institutions to serve West Cameroon.
The talks were frank, heated and occasionally cordial.. Infact most participants at the dialogue appreciated the process and hoped that it might lead to an eventual resolution of the crisis.
In spite of the non release of those children kidnapped and taken to Yaounde where they have been tortured mercilessly, the Unions still accepted to talk to govenunent in the hope that reason might prevail. While the teachers were preparing to educate the public on the discussion and the resolutions, today 14th January, elements of the police and gendarmerie went on rampage at about midnight yesterday shooting four unarmed young men and severely wounding them.

The Consortium hereby:

• Denounces the continuous militarisation of the Northwest and Southwest Regions
• Condemns the continuous disproportionate use of force against unarmed civilians
• Condemns government hypocrisy evident in the simultaneous use of dialogue and lethal force against West Cameroonians
• Calls on all West Cameroonian to rise up in unity and pursue our freedom from oppression through peaceful resistance
• Declares a GHOST TOWN IN THE ENTIRE WEST CAMEROON FROM MONDAY 16 TO TUESDAY 17 JANUARY 2017 FROM 6:00AM — 6:00PM to protest against the continuous shooting, arbitrary arrest and maiming of our people by Cameroon police and gendarmes.
• Urges everyone to avoid burning of tires, confrontation, provocation, violence and the destruction of our own property. Preferably everyone should stay at home with their families
The Consortium demands:

• That the government should organise a referendum without further delay so that West Cameroonians can effectively return to the two State Federation
• The UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE of all West Cameroonian youths kidnapped, abducted or arrested from their homes and taken to unknown destinations.
 
Our people are determined to peacefully resist the sadistic unlit, occupation which has continued unabated for half a century.
Due to general insecurity in town, the Press Conference scheduled for the 14th of January 2017 at am at the Presbyterian Church Center has been cancelled.

The Consortium wants to cease this opportunity to remind all West Cameroonians to go to their respective places of worship this weekend to. God for delivering us from the yoke of oppression.
God is our strength.
For the CONSORTIUM
Barr. Nkongho A. Felix
Dr. Fontem A Neba
Wilfred Tassang

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Rita Akana

14.Jan.2017

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Unconfirmed reports coming from Bamenda holds that the leaders attending meeting in bamenda have been locked up in the hall and are being forced to sign for the call off of the strike.The phones of those attending have been confiscated. There are reports of power failure in #Bamenda city, #Buea,Kumba,Kumbo and other cities.

A hundred full of bike riders have successfully force their way through military barricades in Bamenda and they are now at the governor's entrance singing songs of victory.Heavy reinforcement of troops, and water canon on the govt side and bike riders on the teachers side.

Meanwhile one of the frontline actors of the coffin revolution, BBC Mancho , in a voice note has invited all Bamenda Denizens and those around to rush to the Governor's office to prevent the consortium leaders from government intimidation.

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Rita Akana

13.Jan.2017

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