Politics

Minority groups are always vulnerable everywhere they are in the world. This is because of the possible persecution they face from the majority. The most common ones that we often hear are race, religion and tribes. Cameroon Concord things that if activists and human rights campaigners fail to do more for the Albinos, an entire community in Africa will be wiped out. This is the sad story of albinos in Africa. According to experts, albinos or albinism occurs when one of the several genetic defects makes the body unable to produce or distribute melanin (a natural substance that gives color to your hair, skin, and iris of the eye). This health defect therefore makes the person skin white with pink hair and iris color, as well as vision problems. It is said defect may be passed down through families. From this small health education, we can see that science has provided an empirical evidence to refute any mythology about albinos. It is a purely health problem. 

But people in many parts of Africa hold a different view of this category of people. In some parts of Africa, kids are told never to greet an albino in the morning which if I violate, will bring them bad luck throughout the day.These conspiracy mysteries about albinos are false but are still being upheld in some African societies. However, the previous believe that albinos belong to the evil world has dramatically been reversed. It has moved from bad to worse. If you want fame, influence, power or money, just get the body parts of albino to a witchdoctor and you get what you want. African witchdoctors have made albinos living in the continent very vulnerable. There is a mad rush for them. Whereas some are kidnapped and later killed, others are hunted for like bush meat. Some are cruelly hacked to death with machete and those who are lucky enough to survive these ordeals live a miserable life. 

Tanzania is said to have the largest population of albinos in Africa. Birth records show that albinos represent one in every 1429 births, a much higher rate than in any other nation in Africa. And it is here that they are persecuted than any other place. In the last three years, over 70 albinos have been killed in Tanzania but only ten convictions have been made. In other parts of Africa, a total of 136 killings and 211 attacks across 25 countries have been reported since 2010. In Burundi, 33 killings have been reported and 29 cases recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In West Africa where, cases have been recorded in the Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Ghana; while there have also been attacks in southern countries like South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique.

The first person to bring this horrendous crime to the attention of various governments in Africa was the Ghanaian investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas. In an undercover work he undertook in Tanzania, he exposed how the killings of Albinos have become like the drug trade in South America and Mexico. How they are hunted and traded like commodities. But since his exposé, little is being done by the governments in Africa to ensure that Albinos are safe to go about their daily routines like everyone else on the continent. The point we of Cameroon Concord are making here is that Albinos are human beings. It is no fault of theirs that they are born that way. Hence, they have the right to live just like any of us. And that is why we are calling on international human rights campaigners to put pressure on African governments to ensure the safety of this community.

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Ngwa Bertrand

27.Feb.2015

Hits: 1260

Minority groups are always vulnerable everywhere they are in the world. This is because of the possible persecution they face from the majority. The most common ones that we often hear are race, religion and tribes. Cameroon Concord things that if activists and human rights campaigners fail to do more for the Albinos, an entire community in Africa will be wiped out. This is the sad story of albinos in Africa. According to experts, albinos or albinism occurs when one of the several genetic defects makes the body unable to produce or distribute melanin (a natural substance that gives color to your hair, skin, and iris of the eye). This health defect therefore makes the person skin white with pink hair and iris color, as well as vision problems. It is said defect may be passed down through families. From this small health education, we can see that science has provided an empirical evidence to refute any mythology about albinos. It is a purely health problem. 

But people in many parts of Africa hold a different view of this category of people. In some parts of Africa, kids are told never to greet an albino in the morning which if I violate, will bring them bad luck throughout the day.These conspiracy mysteries about albinos are false but are still being upheld in some African societies. However, the previous believe that albinos belong to the evil world has dramatically been reversed. It has moved from bad to worse. If you want fame, influence, power or money, just get the body parts of albino to a witchdoctor and you get what you want. African witchdoctors have made albinos living in the continent very vulnerable. There is a mad rush for them. Whereas some are kidnapped and later killed, others are hunted for like bush meat. Some are cruelly hacked to death with machete and those who are lucky enough to survive these ordeals live a miserable life. 

Tanzania is said to have the largest population of albinos in Africa. Birth records show that albinos represent one in every 1429 births, a much higher rate than in any other nation in Africa. And it is here that they are persecuted than any other place. In the last three years, over 70 albinos have been killed in Tanzania but only ten convictions have been made. In other parts of Africa, a total of 136 killings and 211 attacks across 25 countries have been reported since 2010. In Burundi, 33 killings have been reported and 29 cases recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In West Africa where, cases have been recorded in the Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Ghana; while there have also been attacks in southern countries like South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique.

The first person to bring this horrendous crime to the attention of various governments in Africa was the Ghanaian investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas. In an undercover work he undertook in Tanzania, he exposed how the killings of Albinos have become like the drug trade in South America and Mexico. How they are hunted and traded like commodities. But since his exposé, little is being done by the governments in Africa to ensure that Albinos are safe to go about their daily routines like everyone else on the continent. The point we of Cameroon Concord are making here is that Albinos are human beings. It is no fault of theirs that they are born that way. Hence, they have the right to live just like any of us. And that is why we are calling on international human rights campaigners to put pressure on African governments to ensure the safety of this community.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

27.Feb.2015

Hits: 1469

Russia has supplied arms and equipment to Cameroon to help in the fight against the Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram. Unlike the American “Greek gift” to the Cameroonian military, the Russians have provided Cameroon with latest armaments including air protection equipment, anti-aircraft missiles and armoured trucks.

The Russian gesture is the aftermath of a meeting between the Russian Ambassador to Cameroon, Nikolay Ratsiborinskiy and President Paul Biya. It is vital to include in this report that the Economic Community of Central African States created on February 16th an emergency fund of 50 billion CFA francs for Cameroon and the Chadian army fighting Boko Haram.

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Ngwa Bertrand

27.Feb.2015

Hits: 2092

Minority groups are always vulnerable everywhere they are in the world. This is because of the possible persecution they face from the majority. The most common ones that we often hear are race, religion and tribes. Cameroon Concord things that if activists and human rights campaigners fail to do more for the Albinos, an entire community in Africa will be wiped out. This is the sad story of albinos in Africa. According to experts, albinos or albinism occurs when one of the several genetic defects makes the body unable to produce or distribute melanin (a natural substance that gives color to your hair, skin, and iris of the eye). This health defect therefore makes the person skin white with pink hair and iris color, as well as vision problems. It is said defect may be passed down through families. From this small health education, we can see that science has provided an empirical evidence to refute any mythology about albinos. It is a purely health problem. 

But people in many parts of Africa hold a different view of this category of people. In some parts of Africa, kids are told never to greet an albino in the morning which if I violate, will bring them bad luck throughout the day.These conspiracy mysteries about albinos are false but are still being upheld in some African societies. However, the previous believe that albinos belong to the evil world has dramatically been reversed. It has moved from bad to worse. If you want fame, influence, power or money, just get the body parts of albino to a witchdoctor and you get what you want. African witchdoctors have made albinos living in the continent very vulnerable. There is a mad rush for them. Whereas some are kidnapped and later killed, others are hunted for like bush meat. Some are cruelly hacked to death with machete and those who are lucky enough to survive these ordeals live a miserable life. 

Tanzania is said to have the largest population of albinos in Africa. Birth records show that albinos represent one in every 1429 births, a much higher rate than in any other nation in Africa. And it is here that they are persecuted than any other place. In the last three years, over 70 albinos have been killed in Tanzania but only ten convictions have been made. In other parts of Africa, a total of 136 killings and 211 attacks across 25 countries have been reported since 2010. In Burundi, 33 killings have been reported and 29 cases recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In West Africa where, cases have been recorded in the Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Ghana; while there have also been attacks in southern countries like South Africa, Namibia and Mozambique.

The first person to bring this horrendous crime to the attention of various governments in Africa was the Ghanaian investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas. In an undercover work he undertook in Tanzania, he exposed how the killings of Albinos have become like the drug trade in South America and Mexico. How they are hunted and traded like commodities. But since his exposé, little is being done by the governments in Africa to ensure that Albinos are safe to go about their daily routines like everyone else on the continent. The point we of Cameroon Concord are making here is that Albinos are human beings. It is no fault of theirs that they are born that way. Hence, they have the right to live just like any of us. And that is why we are calling on international human rights campaigners to put pressure on African governments to ensure the safety of this community.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

27.Feb.2015

Hits: 1714

The head of the Nigerian Army, Lieutenant General Kenneth Minimah, says the war against Takfiri Boko Haram militants will soon end. He made the comments on Thursday as he visited soldiers in the town of Baga, a fishing hub located on the shore of Lake Chad in the far north of Borno State in northeast Nigeria. This is good news for Nigerian incumbent president, Jonathan Goodluck the man widely believe will emerge winner in the upcoming general elections in Nigeria. Nigeria’s military said on February 21 that it regained control of Baga from the Boko Haram extremist group, which had overrun the town on January 3 after two days of clashes. “The war is almost ended. We will liberate Dikwa, Bama, Gwoza, Marte and other places in a few days’ time,” Minimah told the troops. The comments come amid efforts by Nigeria and regional countries to secure and stabilize the volatile region ahead of Nigeria’s general elections on March 28. The vote was initially scheduled to take place on February 14 but was postponed by six weeks due to concerns over security on the polling day. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and his ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have been accused of buying time to revitalize their election campaign. Minimah, meanwhile, described the six-week deadline as “achievable,” adding, “We are still within the timeframe.” Boko Haram in Nigeria is a child of Nigerian history and the impunity of Northern Nigeria’s Military establishment. Armed conflict is part of Nigeria history. It is also a business which has enriched many.  People including generations unborn learn from history. The savaged brutality meted on civilians and civilian objects in Nigeria pre-exist Boko Haram. These acts of impunity were some of the methods deployed by successive military regimes, most of them from Northern Generals to accede and sustain power. The ongoing slaughter by Boko Haram follows the same pattern which in 1966 led to the Nigeria/Biafra War. The underlying cause of the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of Southerners, mainly of the Ibo ethnic groups in the North was never comprehensively investigated, if at all.  There is no gainsaying that had the crimes been investigated, the result would have pointed to some powerful individuals within the Nigerian Military structure of Northern origin. For these, political power and control of the economy could only be attained through scapegoating communities whom they perceived as serious competitors.

 The Nigerian/Biafra War was a curse on the conscience of the nation but a blessing to the Northern Military establishment. Many of these Generals made fortunes from the war and took the opportunity to entrench themselves in power. Olusegun Obasanjo like Good luck Jonathan came to power during that period as a beneficiary of the sad spoils of death. They were considered outsiders or trespassers to their god ordained power. For this reason, the country had to be made ungovernable to prove them and any person outside the North unfit to defend the constitutional order, national cohesion and republican values.  Under these dire circumstances, the Northern Military establishment, their feudal and religious confederacy would step in and take back power through democratic or other means. This is the rationale of the unfolding drama in the election coming up in March. The culture of impunity and unchecked state supervised criminality against civilians during military rule under the Northern Military establishment in Nigeria was unprecedented.  This is the culture of impunity that gave birth to claims for Sharia States in some Northern states and coordinated attacks against Christians in Northern Nigeria.  The sharia claims emerged only when Olusegun Obasanjo a Christian from the West was elected as the first democratic President of Nigeria after Military rule. The political motivation for this move using religion a lethal weapon was not lost on keen observers of Nigerian politics nor to the Southern Military establishment and politicians or even Obasanjo. The hidden hand of his military peers from the North behind these acts of destabilization was obvious. This did not happen during the military rule dominated by the Northern Military establishment so also the so-called Fulani herdsmen slaughter of Christians and burning of Christian Churches in the North and the Middle Belt.

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Ngwa Bertrand

26.Feb.2015

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Cameroon Concord's intelligence officer in Maroua has identified the Cameroonian Captain killed earlier today as Captain Metute Elvis Mbene. The late captain met his day alongside his driver following a mine explosion under their car on the highway linking Mora and Limani. The attack has been blamed on the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram. Join Cameroon Concord People to say a BIG THANK YOU to the Late Captain Metute Elvis. 

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Ngwa Bertrand

25.Feb.2015

Hits: 5586