Politics

As the Cameroon Army relentlessly takes the war to Boko Haram, the deadly suicide bombing that took place recently in Maroua is a reminder that defeating and weaning the sect would take more than just a military solution. We have heard of attacks in Fotokol and other peripheral towns but hitting the capital of the Far North Region takes the threat to a whole new level and calls for more serious implication than we have seen so far.

In other parts of the world, when such an attack takes place, it is the commander in chief who leads the charge in issuing an appropriate response. For the commendable leadership that he has shown, issuing a communiqué was just not the appropriate response from the President of the Republic in the face of such a calamity. Since he announced the war against Boko Haram, the President has hardly communicated to Cameroonians in a direct manner on where we are with the fight against Boko Haram.

President Biya is not known to communicate much, but fighting Boko Haram is something that must be done on multiple fronts. Yes the Cameroonian people have voiced strong disdain against the sect and its activities, we have seen donations across other regions of the country, we have seen artists engaged and we have even seen a controversial march organized by journalists to mobilize support for the troops and condemn the sect . With an attack like the one that took place in Maroua, President Biya ought to come out swinging, how about a televised address to the nation? Is a communiqué the best way the leader could send a message to the sect? 

Following the communiqué was a visit to Maroua by the Minister of Defence representing the Head of State.While the minister may be in charge of the troops doing the heavy lifting in fighting Boko Haram, he is certainly not the most senior member of government.In the absence of the Commander in Chief going to the field, is it not appropriate to send a more senior cabinet member? A few weeks back, there was a strong debate on why the President has not visited the Grand North region, or even stopped at the military hospital or the military headquarters to pay homage to the troops.Such aloofness does a disservice to the valiant efforts of our military.

Not long ago, the personal security Aide of the President of the National Assembly was arrested supposedly for colluding with Boko Haram to kidnap him . As disturbing as this allegation was, Cameroonians seem to have moved on as usual without asking the hard questions. The Aide of Hon Cavaye was arrested in Yaounde, Cavaye is the third personality in the Republic. He is on record for declaring in a speech at the National Assembly that Boko Haram was amongst us without indicating who there were , or where there were coming from or what was their motivation. Less we forget , the sect has its roots and origins in Nigeria. The Hon President of the National Assembly should put Cameroonians on guard by telling them who the Boko Haram people he was talking about are.

The Grand North regions have some of the most disturbing statistics in Cameroon when it comes to development. From underscholarization to unemployment, health care and basic infrastructure. While the development plan outlined by the President to transform the region is very welcome, the reality must sink in that the people in the region will remain vulnerable. The price for years of neglect, misplaced priorities and collaborators who value self enrichment to serving the common good when appointed by the Head of State is the vulnerability that we have in the region now.

Security forces transport the remains of some of the eleven victims of a double blast in the northern Cameroonian city of Maroua. Certainly other regions of Cameroon have the same problem, porous borders, bad roads and more. For the remainder of his mandate, the President needs to revisit his development policies and whoever succeeds must take a very hard look at development priorities that not only move Cameroon forward but help keep the country secure.

As the Maroua attack rings the alarm bells, the call should not be for people to panic , but to remain vigilant. Vigilant in knowing that you are your neighbors keeping. Vigilance in alerting the forces of law and order on any suspicious movements or actions. As mentioned earlier the military has been be doing a terrific job. Hopefully the President keeps to his words to ensure that the sums donated by Cameroonians to support the military go to serve the needs of those at the battle front. There need all the motivation, there need all the support.

It is a united front that will frustrate efforts of Boko Haram to spread terror in Cameroon. A front where there are no political calculations, where everybody accepts that no matter what, Cameroon must remain peaceful and united. It was Maroua, tomorrow it could be some other town or even some other region and we must remain united and in strong solidarity with people affected by this devilish attacks.

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Ngwa Bertrand

25.Jul.2015

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Cameroon security forces have announced that acts of terrorism are being planned throughout the national territory.  A leading security source made the revelation to Cameroon Concord late last night following the deadly twice attack in Maroua, the capital of the Far North region and home of the command operation center in the fight against the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

Boko Haram terrorists, hinted our military informant now have the potential to strike our big cities including Douala and Yaounde. President Biya 82, has ordered the strengthening of security throughout the national territory particularly in places of worship, markets, stations, airports and stadiums. Cameroonian police and the secret service have began sending out text messages to citizens reminding them of the necessity to be vigilant at all times. A hotline has been established and the gendarmerie and the police have also made public green numbers all in a bid to counter-terrorism. 

Boko Haram atrocities in Cameroon is putting too much pressure on the country's ill equipped hospitals due to many deaths and cases of amputation including open fractures. Doctors in the Far North region are appealing for help from outside. These unprecedented fracas have not yet been claimed by Boko Haram. The Governor of the Far North region seen here on photo visiting the scene of the latest bombings nicely dressed as if he was going to take the kick-up of a football encounter had earlier banned the use of the veils and burqa. 

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Ngwa Bertrand

23.Jul.2015

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Suspected Boko Haram Takfiri militants have gunned down at least eight people during a raid on a village in the troubled northeast Nigeria, local residents say.  A local resident said Thursday that the heavily-armed militants attacked the village of Pompomari in the northeastern Borno State on Wednesday.  "The gunmen we believe to be from Boko Haram came into our village around 9 pm yesterday (Wednesday) and shot dead eight people," AFP quoted Umar Goni, a resident of the village of Pompomari, as saying. 

The death toll has been confirmed by a member of a vigilante group which assists the military in fighting the militant group. Also on Wednesday, local Nigerian security officials said at least 40 people were feared dead in multiple bomb explosions in the northeastern Gombe State. Meanwhile, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari strongly censured the United States for refusing to provide his soldiers with weapons in their fight against Boko Haram militants. Buhari said Washington “aided and abetted” the militants in his country by refusing to arm Nigerian forces over alleged human rights concerns. 

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Ngwa Bertrand

23.Jul.2015

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Suspected Boko Haram militants burned down houses, including the family home of Nigeria's new army chief, in a village in the northeast of the country on Tuesday, a policeman, military source and witnesses said.

At least two people were killed and eight injured in Buratai in Borno state, resident Adamu Talba and the military source said, but Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Baratai, was not present at the time of the attack in the early hours. 

Boko Haram has waged a deadly campaign to carve out a state adhering to strict Islamic law in Nigeria's northeast for the past six years. After being pushed out of most of the territory they gained earlier this year, the group scattered and returned to attacking soft targets. President Muhammadu Buhari has made ending the insurgency his priority and discussed how to tackle it during his first trip to Washington to meet President Barack Obama.

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Ngwa Bertrand

22.Jul.2015

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During an interview on Tuesday with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria said that his administration would be willing to negotiate with Boko Haram if it meant returning the 219 Chibok schoolgirls from captivity. The girls were captured by the militant group in northeastern Nigeria in April 2014.

“If we are convinced that the [Boko Haram] leadership… can deliver those girls we would be prepared to negotiate what they want,” President Buhari told the CNN host during an interview on his official visit to the US. 

President Buhari also said that the US had agreed to help the Nigerian military in the fight against Boko Haram, and that he had asked for assistance in training, equipment, and intelligence. Ms. Amanpour asked President Buhari about his approach to security issues, given reports (one from Amnesty International) of rampant human rights abuses by the Nigerian military. He responded with his progress in preparing a task force and his recent replacement of the military chiefs.

“I think I can be held to my promises for the next three and three quarter years ahead of me,” the Nigerian leader said. “I think twelve weeks also is too early for anyone to pass judgment on my campaign promises.”

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Ngwa Bertrand

22.Jul.2015

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At least 11 people have been killed in northern Cameroon in two bomb attacks at a busy marketplace and a popular neighborhood, officials say. According to regional governor Midjiyawa Bakari, the twin attacks were carried out on Wednesday in the central market of Maroua, the capital of the Far North Region, as well as the adjoining Hausa neighborhood, when two female assailants “under 15” blew their explosives.

Cameroon's presidency said in a statement that 11 people died and 32 sustained injuries in what it denounced as "cowardly and despicable" acts. The deadly explosions came a few days after two female attackers set off their explosives in the town of Fotokol, located on the border with Nigeria, on July 12. The bombings killed 10 civilians as well as a soldier from neighboring Chad. 

Also on Monday, at least 23 people were killed in an attack by suspected Takfiri Boko Haram militants in northern Cameroon. Boko Haram, whose name means Western education is forbidden, has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly shooting attacks and bombings in Nigeria since the beginning of its operations in 2009. The group’s deadly militancy has so far killed at least 15,000 people and left over 1.5 million others homeless. In February, Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon formed a coalition and reportedly managed to drive the militants from captured towns and villages in their offensive.

Boko Haram have so far carried out several raids and abductions in northern Cameroon in reprisal for the country’s participation in the military offensive against the group.The Takfiri group has pledged allegiance to the ISIL terrorist group, which mainly operates in Syria and Iraq. The Nigerian militant group has intensified its campaign of terror since President Mohammadu Buhari came to power on May 29.

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Ngwa Bertrand

22.Jul.2015

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