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War Against Terrorism in SW: Beti Assomo Marshals Troops for Full-Scale Offensive

-The Minister led a joint military and security command mission to Buea and Kumba on Monday 9 November.

By Ayukogem Steven Ojong in Buea & K’ba

Mindef addressing defense, security & administrative heads

“This is not the moment for speech making; it is the time for action.” It was with these poignant notes that the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defense, Beti Assomo, hammered his point, as he gave instructions to heads of defense and security services in Kumba in the South West region on Monday, 9 November.
    “The defense and security forces will continue to do their job, all their job, and nothing but their job,” Beti Assomo said, in a firm and reassuring tone. He noted that the political will is there and nothing will stand on the road of the army getting the expected result against the terrorists in the SW region.
    The Mindef said the perpetrators of the massacre of school children in Fiango, Kumba must be arrested and made to answer to their heinous crimes.
    Wearing a countenance that spoke volumes of the determination of the government to crackdown on the separatist terrorists, Beti Assomo prescribed a speedy and energetic onslaught on the camps and hideouts of the terrorists.
    “I exhort you to speedily and energetically pursue the terrorists and dismantle their camps in the bushes,” Beti Assomo instructed, noting that as the head of the commission to investigate the Saturday 24 October massacre that took place at the Mother Francisca International Bilingual College in Fiango Kumba, he can state with authority that three (3) of the nine (9) terrorists who orchestrated the horrific crime have already been apprehended or neutralized.
  

Representatives of bereaved families comforted by the Mindef

 The Mindef said the six others must be fished out, wherever they are hiding. He said the manhunt for the ‘hit-and-run amba boys, and the bandits who have infiltrated their ranks, has already been intensified.
    He said more troops would be deployed to protect school campuses, as well as teachers and students. This he said is with the view to rekindle the back-to-school momentum that was already gathering steam, until the separatists hoodlums struck in Fiango.
    Beti Assomo used the occasion to once more present the condolences of the head of state to the families of the slain ‘Angels and Heroes’.
    The personalities that accompanied the defense minister for the joint mission spoke volumes of the importance of the mission. They included among others the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Rene Claude Meka; the Director of Central Coordination at the National Gendarmerie, Brig. Gen. Elokobi Daniel Njock; the Director of Public Security at the National Police Force, Commissioner Ewu Ngeme; the Director General of External Research at the Presidency, Commissioner Maxime Eko’o Eko’o, apart from the administrative and defense and security hierarchy of the SW region.
    The Mindef led the joint mission to Kumba not before he had stopped in Buea where he also had a closed door meeting at the SW Governor’s Office with security and defense chiefs of the SW region.
    It should be noted that the joint mission of the Mindef, the high military command and chiefs of security staffs, was on the instructions of the head of state, commander-in-chief of the armed forces. It had as objective to review the operations to restore peace and security, and protect people and property in the SW region.      
 

Douala Military Hospital: Beti Assomo Comforts Soldiers Wounded in Battle

 The Minister of Defence Tuesday visited the Military Hospital in Douala to express his compassion and encourage soldiers wounded in battle in the NW & SW. Minister Beti Assomo was accompanied by a high-powered delegation comprising the Director of Public Security at the DGSN, and the Director General of External Research at the Presidency, DGRE, among several other personalities.

By ASO in Douala

Mindef, Beti Assomo encouraging a wounded soldier

“The Army never abandons its men.” It was on this reassuring note that the Minister of Defense, Joseph Beti Assomo, garnished his message of gratitude and encouragement to soldiers wounded in the line of duty in the NW and SW regions and who are receiving treatment at the Military Hospital in Douala.
    Relaying the comforting words from the head of state, commander-in-chief of the armed forces to the brave soldiers, Beti Assomo congratulated them for their sense of sacrifice and devotion to the service of the nation.
    He reassured the soldiers that all measures would be put in place to ensure their speedy and proper recovery, also stating that serious cases would be referred to better suited medical outfits or evacuated abroad to partner countries for adequate attention.
    It should be noted that the Douala Military Hospital has become a hub for the treatment of soldiers wounded in battle in the ongoing conflict in the NW and SW regions.
    Of the soldiers presently admitted at the hospital, three may be invalid for life, reason why the three were given special attention by Minister Beti Assomo.
    Of the three special cases, one’s situation was most preoccupying especially as he lost his two legs after a military vehicle carrying soldiers stumbled on a land mine in Tinto in Manyu Division of the SW region. Minister Beti Assomo however assured the three men that they would be given the attention they deserve, both in the country or abroad if need be.
    The Mindef used the occasion to extend the congratulations of President Biya to the medical and para-medical personnel of the hospital, noting that they are staking their lives to save other lives. He said the acceptable standard of services offered at the hospital has merited the trust of the wider public who avail themselves there for treatment.
    The Minister’s visit to the hospital marked the end of a two-day joint mission of the military and security command that he led to Buea, Kumba and Douala. The MINDEF’s delegation had among others the Director of Public Security at the DGSN, Commissioner Mrs Ewu Ngeme, and The DGRE, Commissioner Maxime Eko’o Eko’o.
    The joint mission was on the instructions of the head of state, commander-in-chief of the defense and security forces, Paul Biya.

Jubilation in Nso as Sehm Mbinglo Is Freed

 The paramount ruler of Nso in Bui Division of the North West region has been released after spending 6 days in captivity. HRH Sehm Mbinglo II was set free on Tuesday, 10 November 2020, shortly before midday.
    

HRH Sehm Mbinglo II

No ransom was paid to secure the fon’s release, according to the SDO for Ngoketunjia, Haddison Quetong, who said he spoke with the Fon shortly after his release.
    “The Fon was released between 10 and 11 am at the periphery where he was captured alongside Cardinal Tumi. He told me his release was normal and not based on any condition,” the SDO told CRTV.
    “The initial plan was for the Fon to go to Bamenda and have some rest and also do his medical checks, but when news came from Kumbo that hundreds of people had gathered in front of the Palace waiting to welcome the fon, we asked him to first head to Kumba and even greet and reassure his people before returning to Bamenda. But the Fon’s advisers insisted that he goes to Bamenda and spend some during which preparations could be made towards his eventual return to his Palace in Kumbo,” Haddison Quetong said further.
    Uncertainty had gripped the air in Nso when the Fon was not forth coming 5 days after his capture.
    Reports on social media said a serious lockdown was to begin if the Fon was not released by the end of Tuesday.  
    The message accused the ‘Ngwerong’, the higest traditional society in Nso, of collaborating with the separatists to kidnap the Fon.
    Disappointed that the government could not secure the Fon’s release, the people of Nso promised to engage a fierce battle with the separatist fighters if just to get Sehm Mbinglo’s freedom.
    Given that the abduction took place in Baba II, Ngoketunjia division, the people of Nso accused the Baba community of working with separatist fighters to humiliate their Fon and the people of Nso.
    Yet, while performing cleansing rites to prepare the palace for the fon’s return last month, the ‘Nwerong’ denounced Sehm Mbinglo’s involvement in politics. They reckoned that the Fon’s involvement in politics only undermines his role as the custodian of the culture and tradition of the Nso people.
    Fon Sehm Mbinglo II, Christian Cardinal Tumi and others were kidnapped in Baba village on 5 November on their way to Kumbo from Bamenda. Cardinal Tumi was released the following day but the Fon remained in captivity.
    In a video released at the weekend by separatists, the Fon was shown undergoing grilling by the separatists. In an answer to one of the questions, Sehm Mbinglo stood his grounds that he stands for a one and united Cameroon. He however opined that government should first do everything to restore peace before asking children to go to school.

Separatists Set Conditions for Sehm Mbinglo’s Palace Return

 After his kidnapping on Thursday November 5, 2020, the abductors fighting to restore the State of Southern Cameroons, preferred by them as Ambazonia, have set out some rules for the traditional ruler to follow before he returns to his Palace. Cameroon News Agency has obtained an 8 minutes 23 seconds audio from the Bui Warriors Communication department, where a voice declares that the Bui Warriors and Ngoketundjia Restoration Forces have decided to release the Fon of Nso, under certain conditions agreed by the two parties.

Separatists say Sehm Mbinglo cannot return to 

 

 

A source has told CNA that they have released the Fon and asked him to return to Yaoundé.
    The voice read, “After due interrogation, examination, re-examination and cross examination, His Majesty Fon Mbinglo was found guilty as charged…He had been induced into error by some Elites residing in French Cameroon…He agreed to meet the following conditions.”
    That he is going to hands off completely from anything that has to do with politics and French Cameroun. In this regard, the Fon of Nso is going to send a resignation letter to Ambazonians. Resigning from been a candidate in the said Regional elections.
his palace until he meets their conditions

    The Fon will only return to Nso upon fulfilment of this agreement else he might return to Yaoundé or anywhere else in French Cameroon where he could promote French Cameroon interests.
    Upon reoffending the people of Ambazonia, the Fon will be rearrested and penalized by the restoration forces accordingly.
    The Fon agreed to work as untainted, uncorrupted traditional authority for the Nso people, following the footsteps of his own father to regain the lost glory for the Nso people and repair his own damaged integrity.             The integrity damaged by his mingling with French Cameroon politics. Here, he reiterated his position never again to be a politician.
     The Fon has also agreed to on his release, to send a direct message to Mr Paul Biya the President of French Cameroun, to release all our people held as Prisoners in French Cameroon dungeons beginning with President Sisiku Ayuktabe and members of his cabinet abducted by French Cameroon terrorist forces in Nera hotel Abuja Nigeria and all the other Ambazonians held in Cameroon prisons and cells.
     The Fon equally agreed to urge Mr Paul Biya to get into the negotiation table with Ambazonia and end this senseless war declared by him on the Ambazonia people.
 And lastly the Fon of Nso agreed to tell or urge Mr. Paul Biya to stop all colonial activities in Ambazonia starting with the withdrawal of army and administration of occupation.
    “In the light of these, the Bui Warriors working hand in gloves with Ngoketundjia defense council, wish to announce to the Nso people, to national and international opinion as follows. His Royal Highness, Sehm Mbinglo, paramount Fon of Nso has been released by the Ngoketundjia Restoration Forces, he shall be making his triumphant home coming to Nso when the moment shall have been ripped. The Bui Warriors shall be joining the Nso population with open hands to receive his Majesty back home come this appropriate moment.”
    “Finally the Bui Warriors and the Ngoketundjia Restoration Forces hereby sound a loud warning to whosoever and all traditional rulers who venture to do French Cameroon politics on Ambazonia territory or who in anyway try to promote French Cameroon politics of any such on Ambazonia territory…Contrary to legislation and contrary to exigencies of the Ambazonia people…”

 

As Imminent Deportation Looms: Long Nights for Asylum Seekers in USA

 A second group of Cameroonian asylum-seekers are expected to be deported from the U.S. Tuesday, sparking condemnation from rights groups. Activists fear the mostly English-speaking Cameroonians will be prosecuted for alleged involvement in the country's separatist conflict. There are also growing concerns over the fate of the first group of Cameroonian asylum-seekers deported from the U.S. last month.
   

Asylum seekers in USA

 Cameroon media reports say 36 citizens will arrive in Douala from Texas on Tuesday after failed asylum bids in the United States.   
     Rights groups condemned the deportations, the second group of Cameroonian asylum-seekers sent back by the U.S. since October, when 86 were sent back.    
     Ignatius Njowir, secretary general of the Cameroon Center for Peace and the Protection of Human Rights, says the U.S. is putting the mainly anglophone Cameroonians at risk of torture for their alleged links to a rebellion in the country’s west.   
     "It is a pity to see a country like America that the world looks up to as far as democracy is concerned, to see them deporting Cameroonians, Africans knowing fully well what is happening in their countries and what those people have been going through before escaping to America," Njowir said.
     Forty-year-old Cameroonian merchant Yaya Claudine’s younger brother was among the group deported in October.   
     She says he was released but has since gone into hiding, along with others who were freed, for fear of prosecution.   
     "When these people came back, they were held for two weeks.  The government freed some of them on conditions that they were still going to investigate if they (asylum seekers) were in support of separatist fighters.  Then, those that were not free are still there (detained) and then the ones that were freed are living in hiding because they do not know the outcome of the investigation.  We do not even know where some of them are hiding," Claudine said.
     The last time the asylum seekers were seen in public was on October 14, when armed police escorted them from Douala International Airport.  
     A government statement read on state Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) said some of those deported were freed after being given medical treatment.   
     The statement said others were held for investigation, including three military deserters who would face charges in court.   
     Authorities did not say how many of the asylum-seekers were released, how many were being investigated or for what crimes.   
     Cameroon’s minister delegate to the minister of justice Jean de Dieu Momo denies that any of those deported by the U.S. faced torture.  But he said any Cameroonians who broke the law would face justice.   
     Momo said some Cameroonians in the diaspora, and some who are escaping from their country, have been very hostile and unfair to their nation of origin.  He said while the government is listening to legitimate grievances, it is good for those who commit crimes to face the law.
     Cameroon’s government accuses the diaspora in the U.S. of sponsoring anglophone rebels in the French-speaking-majority-nation’s western regions.   
     The United Nations says more than 3,000 people have been killed in Cameroon’s four-year separatist conflict and half-a-million others displaced.
     The Cameroonians deported in October and on Tuesday entered the U.S last year through South America and Mexico to seek asylum.
     The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has been tightening restrictions on immigrants and asylum seekers.
     U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says as a policy does not comment on deportations until after they have occurred.

Burial of Slain Kumba School Children: PM Dion Ngute, Others Pay Last Respect to "Fallen Angels"

 By Boris Esono in Kumba
The seven school children killed by armed men in Kumba have been buried. The deceased was interred after a State funeral ceremony presided at by President Biya's special representative to Kumba, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute November 5, 2020, at the Kumba Amusement Park.
    

PM Dion Ngute, others pay last respect to "Fallen Angels

The seven children shot dead by unidentified attackers included Victory Ngameny 11 years; Telma Che Nchangnwi 15 years; Princess Momene Nguemene 11 years; Jenifer Anangim Nju 11 years; Cindy Shienya 14 years; Rhema Nzakame 9 years; and Remmy Monge 11 years.
    The killing of school children at Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy in Kumba drew wide International attention on the crisis which had been ranked by the International Crisis Group among the three most neglected crises in the world.
    My heart bleeds a lot because her death was so tragic,” said Rhema’s weeping mother, Manyi Tita. “My daughter never committed any crime. The only thing she did was go to school for a better future and ... to be a better lady.”
    The outdoor ceremony represented an outpouring of grief but also anger that a conflict between separatist insurgents and the Cameroonian army had spiralled so far that a group of men with rifles could walk into a school and open fire indiscriminately.
    During the state funeral in which the caskets of the fallen school children were draped in the flags of the country, Prime Minister Dion Ngute placed a funeral wreathe sent by the President and wife. Before the official funeral got underway, the PM visited survivors of the attack at the District hospital in Kumba.
    Speaking to the press Prime Minister Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute said: “… to console with the parents of the young students who were killed and also to visit those who were injured in the hospital. The President is extremely saddened by what happened here, and we are as parents also touched by it. The president asked me to come and give solidarity with the people of Kumba and the people of the North West and South West regions who have been going through a lot of adversities throughout this year. We are hopeful that things will come to an end very soon, and the perpetrators will be apprehended. 
    The inter-ministerial delegation featured some six Ministers amongst them the Minister of Health Mamaouda Malachie, Minister of Secondary Education Prof Nalova Lyonga, Minister of Basic Education, Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji, members of both houses of parliament.
    Speaking on behalf of the bereaved families Che Francis Ambe said there is no development in any particular country without education. This as the children were killed simply for going to school. He went on to condemn the killings while praying for peace to return to Kumba.
    In a striking sermon drawn from the book of Luke 16:22, an Apostolic Pastor, whose only name we got as Pastor Ekang, said the Cameroon Government knows how to end the crisis, but has refused to do so. The Pastor emphasised that death is the meeting point for everyone regardless of status.
    The Apostolic Minister, alongside Christian leaders from the Presbyterian, Baptist, Full Gospel and the Islamic faith said it is time for Government to dialogue with her citizens and find solutions to end the crisis.
    "To all the authorities present, we know the solution to our problem. Therefore, it is incumbent on us to sit down and solve the problem in the house… The people suffering more in this crisis are the poor people. They are the ones who are in the bushes. It is the poor who are hiding under the rocks in the forest… and the rich know all that it takes to go to Douala, to go to Yaounde, to go to Bafoussam and sponsor their children,” Pastor Ekang said.
    The emotions were riding high amongst those in attendance. Many were visibly shaken while others could be seen crying, indicative of the fact that the killings of those school children have touched not just the bereaved families but the entire Kumba populace.
    The new City Mayor of Kumba Gregory Mewanu has tagged the killings as Kumba's "September 11". According to him, it is time to give peace a chance. "Our future, our economy, is all dying, and our livelihood is at stake. The perpetrators should give peace a chance. Kumba should be the light others should follow," the Kumba City Mayor Gregory Mewanu said.
    He went on to add that it is time for reconciliation, looking at the fact that the Region has and continues to suffer due to the ongoing crisis. "Kumba stands for love, peace and development," He said. "Kumba stand for Children to go to school."

After Four Consecutive Kidnaps of Their Fon: Can Nso Pick the Pieces?

 Founded in 1396 and fully constituted in 1411, the over 600 years old Nso dynasty has stood tall, holding close to its nucleus, its long standing culture and pride; the throne.  It has a well-organized system of government often described as an ideal democracy for its participatory nature. It’s designated 25+ sub fondoms, traditional cults, notables and the common people have specialized roles that culminate into the central strength of its paramount throne seated in Kimbo (Kumbo).
  

Fon of Nso, Sehm Mbinglo I

 Its might has not been known by its age alone, lest about its is formidable culture, but much so for the great minds it produced to the world in the likes of Cameroon’s Socrates, Bernard Fonlon, West Cameroon’s first priest Fr. Aloysius Wankuy, first bishop, Mgr Paul Verdzekov, the lone cardinal for central Africa, Christian Cardinal Tumi, and a host of intellectuals and upright men who raise its flag high.   
    Since the start of the impasse ravaging the Anglophone part of Cameroon, Nso has suffered many losses in life and material including the first ever death recorded due to the crisis. Whereas its paramount ruler, fon Sehm Mbinglo I had echoed in November of 2017, that he needs his people safe from all forms of violence and oppression, and opted for pacific solutions to the crisis, violence finally got the best of his land and Nso finally becoming one of the most affected zones of Anglophone Cameroon due to the close to four years conflict.
    Like most villages in this war-thorn-zone, the Nso experienced a cultural recess, a huge blow to a people known to hold strong to their ways. This was heightened over the months leading to the abduction of the fon on three different events, feebly denounced by Nso sons, and especially the royal folk, leading to the assassination of two princes and the subsequent evacuation of the fon for medical attention in Bamenda, then Foumban and Yaounde.
    All of these, seen to be the worst that could be, were only a start, as the dreaded monarch, accompanied by his “eldest son,” Cardinal Tumi, met with Separatist Fighters in Baba, Ngoketuna Division in the North West region, after a triumphant reception in Bamenda town, which drew much attention from onlookers in the conflict hit town. While he was awaited by several other crowds at several villages along the Bamenda – Kumbo corridor, he was, on that November 5th, at about 5.30pm, abducted alongside Christian Cardinal Tumi and several others within his entourage. While the cardinal got released the following day, the fon regained his freedom on November 11, exactly six days later.
    This has come as a surprise to many, after Nso’s major cult, called “nwerong,” had on October 14th,  decreed after offering various appeasement sacrifices, that all enemies should take their hands off the throne and that Nso should stay united behind their leader to ensure a return normal life even within the war rid of hatred.
    The videos released by separatist fighters portraying the fon allegedly interviewed by some of theirs during the period of the abduction were received with mixed feelings and huge condemnation as the interviewers bypassed several elements of royal protocol upheld by the longstanding tradition and also, the respect for royalty, central to the values borne in the heritage of the British Southern Cameroons, purportedly thought to be protected by the fighters.
    Having had their fon stay in captivity for over 144 hours has been the most traumatizing event for Nso sons and daughters across the globe much so for their fear of the unknown given the eerie context characterizing the Anglophone regions.
    The close to ten thousand people who had left Kumbo on November 6th and several hundreds of others from Bamenda in search of the fon in Baba village, demonstrated that after all, the people stand with their supreme leader. In the wake of it all, albeit the frustrations and abuse of a longstanding culture and desecration of the sacred throne of Nso, coupled with the conditional release of the monarch, there seems to be great hope.
    Judging from the mobilization offline and on ground; one could not, but tell that the Nso people still have a uniting factor, the throne. It has no doubt been echoed on social media that the recent abduction, claimed to have been caused by the appearance of the fon’s name on an electoral list, was largely influenced by some Nso indigenes who hold differences with the throne.
    Whereas the humiliating turn of events frustrated most Nso sons and daughters thereby raising tensions and suspicion, it now seems to be a great opportunity for Nso to grow stronger based on two observed indicators:
First, the millions of people from its kin and beyond who came out to condemn the abduction of the fon, and their resilience through difficult topography in search of their fon tells of deep hearted regard and love they have for their throne.
    Second, the social media hype which brought about the spread of controversial and largely unfounded claims, unhelpful to the short impasse, were successfully controlled by the tribe's social front, Nso Development Association and Nso's most respected secret cult, the6 Nwerong, bringing Nso to one voice.
    The biggest challenge however, remains the question of keeping politics away from the throne. Whereas the separatist fighters mentioned that the throne must be seen to be clear of state politics, the Nso man has generally expressed the desire to be its fons eyes and shields.
In an interview with a Nso notable in Yaoundé who opted for anonymity, he said "we are more resolved to be our fon's 800 eyes as well as his 800 shields. We desire neither state protection nor cover from the separatist fighters." He further mentioned that "the fon of Nso must be allowed to his people, and not tossed about just like anyone."
    This position has been expressed by many others who think politicians from both sides of the warring camps should stay off the throne. In fact, in its outing of October 14th 2020, the Nwerong had decreed that the palace is for everyone, however, that everyone coming  close to the throne must do so as natural persons, keeping away their political affiliations or ideologies.
    The current dispensation puts the fon on a hot seat as leader, to cement the unity amongst his people, a thing he was seen to initiate when he spoke to his people on 5 November. “let us forge on as one, in a true covenant of love.” True collaboration from all sons of Nso could well put this through. And like Bernard Fonlon questioned: “Shall Nso MAKE of MAR?

Kidnapped By Separatist Gunmen: What Cardinal Tumi Told His Captors

 -A video of a defiant Cardinal Tumi when he was in captivity is making the rounds on social media.

By a correspondent in Bamenda
Armed separatists in the restive northwest region abducted Christian Wiyghan Cardinal Tumi as he made his way from Bamenda to Kumbo on 5 November. He was eventually released the following day.
  

Cardinal Tumi

 A short 05.47 minutes video, seen by Vatican News, is currently circulating on social media. The video shows the ninety-year-old Cardinal Tumi, who is the Archbishop Emeritus of Douala, being interrogated by his captors while in captivity. Below are excerpts from the video.

Ambazonia Fighters Speaks to Cardinal:
    We have an allegation about you that you are the one that is creating problems in our territory first, the fighters who are on the ground, the Ambozonia Restoration Forces, you have the routine (habit) of telling them to lay down their arms ...

    Cardinal Tumi: All of us are fighting for peace. Even you!

    VA: You are now free to go and let the Republic (Government of Cameroon) know that we will never lay down our arms until our freedom comes ... because we are fighting for our rights. We are not Rebels; we are not barbaric as the Republic says, we are fighting for our rights as a people ...

    Cardinal Tumi: I am a Cameroonian citizen like you. I am not part of the government. I am totally independent of what I say. I am not the mouthpiece of the government because I am not employed by the government. When I speak, I speak like a pastor and that I can never stop. If I stop doing that, I will not be faithful to God the almighty. If you have done wrong, I will tell you that you have done wrong; if the government has done wrong, I will say they have done wrong!

    VA: Another allegation against you is about federation. That is the allegation that we have heard that you are fighting for federation ... We are not fighting for federation … we believe that we are a country (Ambazonia) from 1961…according to the allegation, you have made our boys lay down their arms and many of them have been killed.

    Cardinal Tumi: Point of correction. I will preach what is true and (based on) pastoral conviction, biblical conviction. Nobody has the right to tell me to preach the contrary, because I was called by God.

No ransom paid for the release of Cardinal Tumi
    The separatists, who obviously filmed the video, are keen to emphasise that Cardinal Tumi confirm, on record, that they had not mistreated him. The Cardinal affirms that he had not been mistreated but tongue-in-cheek, reminds his captor that he had not eaten anything from the time they seized him, the previous day. His interlocutor forges ahead. He wants the Cardinal to confirm, on video, that no money had been paid for his release nor had they robbed him of any personal belongings.

Traditional ruler finally released as well
    Cardinal Tumi was abducted together with the paramount traditional ruler of the Nso people, Fon Sehm Mbinglo II, of Bui Division in the North West region of Cameroon. Their convoy of cars was, on the 5 November, intercepted between Bamenda and Kumbo. While Cardinal Tumi was released a day after the abduction, the separatist fighters held on to the traditional ruler. The separatists only released the traditional ruler on Tuesday, 10 November..
Pope Francis’ closeness to Cameroon
    Pope Francis has expressed his closeness to Cameroon. At the weekly General Audience on 28 October, he prayed that “the tormented regions of the North West and South West of the country would find peace.”

Human Rights Watch has condemned the violence in Cameroon
    According to Human Rights Watch, Cameroon's military and the armed separatists are both guilty of atrocities and human rights violations in the four-year conflict. Over 3 000 civilians and hundreds of security personnel have been killed. The unrest in the regions has also forced more than 700 000 people from their homes. Many are now living as Internally Displaced Persons while thousands have fled across the border into Nigeria, as refugees.
 

Celebrating Greater Achievements: Y’de III Mayor Tours Projects Sites, Donates To Schools & Social Centres

 As part of activities to commemorate the 38th anniversary of President Biya’s ascension to power, the Yaounde III Mayor, Lucas Owona, Friday 6 November, undertook an inspection tour of projects sites in his municipality. He also distributed ‘minimum packages’ and COVID-19 prevention kits to schools and social centres. 

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde
In keeping with his election promises, and as part of activities to commemorate the 38th anniversary of President Biya’s ascension to power, the Mayor of Yaounde III municipality in Mfoundi Division of the Centre region, undertook a tour of development projects in his municipality.  
  

Mayor Lucas Owona speaks to the press, as the SG of the council, Mrs Eposi Lingondo Ashu-Mbeng looks on

 Mayor Lucas Owona who is barely eight months in office after his election in the 9 February 2020 municipal election was on the field on Friday 6 October to size up the level of execution of ongoing projects in his municipality.
    Accompanied by the DO and assistant DO of Yaounde III, the Senator, deputy mayors, the SG of the council and members of the council’s infrastructure committee among other officials, Mayor Owona, explained that the outing was aimed to also keep the population abreast of what the new executive of the council has been doing, its projects in perspective and to listen to them about their priority needs.
    The Mayor and his delegation inspected a classrooms construction site at GS Etoa; construction sites for solar-powered boreholes at Ezala; road construction and extension project at Terre Rouge-Pont Oyack to link Efoulan Pont to Nsimeyong II.
    Mayor Owona also inspected rehabilitation works at the Nsam Market that will soon be transformed into a giant shopping centre with shops, cold stores, slaughterhouses and modern sheds, as well as ongoing works at the Y’de III council annex building.
    He noted that the council has vigorously fought the spread of the covid-19 as well as created a communication unit to inform the public of its actions. .
    Lucas Owona also announced projects in perspective, citing ongoing studies to modernize the Efoulan Lac quarters with assistance from FEICOM; building of roadside stalls; construction of the Nsam modern market; digging of more boreholes and building of more classrooms among others.
    Expressing satisfaction at the evolution of the projects visited, the Mayor assured the population of Etoa that the road leading to the primary school would be made passable in the short run, while its eventual tarring will be imputed in the 2021 budget of the council. 
    The Mayor proceeded to donate the council’s ‘minimum package’ as well as anti covid-19 kits to primary and secondary schools in the area, to ensure a safe school environment.
    What’s more, food items were also distributed to over 12 social centres, orphanages and associations in the municipality.
    The Mayor urged heads of beneficiary schools and social centres to make judicious use of the donations, saying that the donations translate the president’s love and determination to alleviate the plight of the underprivileged, especially the youth and women. 
    The ‘minimum package’ comprised packets of chalk, pens, books, toilet tissue, wash hand buckets, gallons, facemasks, hydro-alcoholic gels, wheelbarrows, bags of rice and other food items for social centres.
    Senator Elie Victor Essomba appreciated the Mayor’s people-centred and community-driven vision. He lauded his open-door policy and team spirit, saying he has no doubt the municipality will be completely transformed during his mandate. 
    The event unfolded under the watchful eyes of the DO of Yaounde III, Biwele Herve Sal who appreciated the Mayor’s output and challenged all and sundry to continue respecting the anti-covid-19 barriers measures prescribed by government.

Humanitarian Action: SHUMAS Succors Vulnerable IDPs in Bafoussam

 By Njodzefe Nestor
The town of Bafoussam in the West region of Cameroon by dint of it's proximity to the crisis stricken North West and West regions is host to a good number of the most vulnerable Internally displaced persons.
    

SHUMAS Boss distributing goodies to IDPs in Bafoussam

It is within backdrop that Strategic Humanitarian Services, SHUMAS and her partners Future in Our Hands, Uk and Building Schools for Africa, UK decided to improve the livelihoods of the IDPs in this town, especially those whose situations are precarious.
    The donation consists of over 900 bags of rice likewise soap and mattresses. About 1000 IDPs applied to be included but only 316 of the very vulnerable especially persons with disabilities, pregnant and lactating mothers, those with a big family sizes and those with no means of survival were finally chosen to benefit.
    The initiative which has been described by the beneficiaries as a stitch in time to help them in their trying moments will last for three months with the beneficiaries given the food items once a month.
     “I live in a two room house and have 3 kids and 5 other relatives who lost their parents in the ongoing crisis in the North West and South West to cater and its really been challenging providing meals to them daily” noted Mbaku Lovet from Batibo in the North west region.
    “This food and soap will really be helpful and above all, today these my little ones will have the opportunity to sleep on a mattress after over three years with the mattress SHUMAS has given me” she added.
    Like Mbaku Lovet, other beneficiaries expressed gratitude to SHUMAS and her partners for coming to their aid just when they needed it most.
    “I really want to thank SHUMAS for this timely intervention which comes at a very trying moment in my life. Its been about five months since I left Bafut in the North West region to Bafoussam and have been sleeping on cartoons with my 4 months old child. This mattress,  just like the food items will really be of help” revealed Ntoh Everdine.
    This was corroborated by Salimatou, a physically challenged mother of 4 from Lebialem in the South West region who added the donations will be of help to them for the time being adding that whenever the means permit, SHUMAS and her partners should continue to come to their help. 
    In his remarks, the Director General of SHUMAS, Ndzerem Steven encouraged the beneficiaries to make use of the items while calling for their cooperation and assuring them that the frequency of distribution given them will be respected.

Grand Northern Regions: Customs Impound 2000 Fraudulently Imported Mobile Phones

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

At least 2000 mobile phones fraudulently imported into the country have been confiscated by a special unit of customs officials operating across the three northern regions.
    

DG of Customs, Edwin Fongod

The items were impounded by customs officials in Adamawa region under the special customs unit set to fight illicit in the three Northern regions, dubbed HALCOMI. The operation was instituted by the Director General of Customs, Edwin Fongod, following the alarming rate of illicit trade in the three regions.
    According to Jude Mofor, Commander of the operation whose aim is to put a halt to illicit trade in the Northern regions, the phones were discovered by his elements during routine checks undertaken in the town of Ngaoundere.
    “Every day our elements are being deployed in the field to search. We control everything that is entering the country and everything that is going out. It I a routine control that enable us see the telephones entering the country illegally,” Mofor said. He revealed that they have drafted two strategies to handle the confiscated devices. 
    “If it is something that is accepted to enter the country, we are going to calculate the taxes and fix penalties. For instance, if there were supposed to pay FCFA 100 000, they will pay 200 000 and if they were supposed to pay FCFA 1 million they will pay two, Mofor said.
    He added that if the devices will be destroyed it is discovered that they are not authorised to enter the country. He used the opportunity to call on all business operators to ensure to follow the legal procedures before importing their goods into the country.
 

Journalists Decry Gov’t’s Attack on the Press

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

The president of the Cameroon Association of English-Speaking Journalists (CAMSEJ) has disclosed that government’s attack on the press undermines the country’s opportunity to grow its “fragile democracy”.
  

Camasej President, Viban Jude

 Viban Jude made the statement in message he addressed to journalists ahead of the commemoration of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, Monday November 2, 2020.
    The UN General Assembly proclaimed November 2 of every year as International Day to End Impunity Against Journalists in General Assembly Resolution A/RES/68/163 in commemoration of the assassination of two French journalists in Mali on November 2, 2013.
    He criticised government’s incessant attack on journalists while citing the case of journalist Samuel Ajiekah Abuwe aka Samuel Wazizi of Buea-based Chillen Muzik Television who is said to have died August 17, 2019 while in military custody.
“…such attacks on the press undermine Cameroon’s opportunity to grow its fragile democracy. When journalists are not safe, reporting meaningful stories is shelved and citizens do not have the information to make evidence-based decisions. Attacks on journalists work towards covering up the truth. This creates a breathing ground for misinformation, abuse of power and public mistrust,” partly read the CAMASEJ statement which also raised serious concerns over the safety of journalists in the country.  
    “The safety of journalists in Cameroon is at risk. Journalists covering the September 22 protests of the opposition in Douala, Yaounde and Bafoussam were brutalized, arbitrarily detained and their equipment reportedly vandalized by security operatives. No perpetrator has so far been held accountable,” the statement added.  
    Viban urged government to immediately order an independent probe into the death of Wazizi for justice to take its course as well as investigate other targeted attacks against journalists and ensure that such do not happen again.
    “The Wazizi impunity case is one of many for journalists in Cameroon, especially those living in the troubled regions of the North West and South West and covering the Anglophone Crisis which is stretching into its fourth year. The belligerent sides have been unleashing untold terror on journalists. Media workers are also arbitrarily arrested and detained or abducted, as well as tortured in detention facilities,” he stated, while urging “conflicting parties” in the troubled regions to refrain from crimes against media workers.
    Viban who will this November 30, 2020 clock a year as CAMASEJ president also challenged journalists to play their fundamental role of informing citizens without fear or favour.
 

Heavily Indebted Country: CAA Estimates Public Debt at Fcfa 10,164 bn

 Cameroon’s Sinking Fund (CAA) informs that on September 30, 2020, the country’s public debt was XAF10,164 billion, representing 45.8% of GDP.
    According to the sinking fund, the debt is up by 1.3% year-over-year but down by 0.1% quarter-over-quarter. Meanwhile, compared with its December 2019 level, it is up by 5.7%.
    It explains that since July 2020, the scope of public debt has gradually expanded to include the entire public sector (including the debt of public companies and institutions) when the information is available.
    In detail, the public sector’s external debt is estimated at XAF7,110 billion (including XAF6,681 billion for the central government and XAF429 billion of direct external debt not endorsed by the state). As for the domestic debt, it is estimated at XAF3,019 billion, including XAF208 billion of over 3 months old outstanding debts.  
    Overall, 61.3% of Cameroon’s bilateral public debt is owed to China (which is its main bilateral partner) and 28.5% to France. As for the multilateral debt, 30.1% is owed to the AfDB, 30% to the World Bank, and 17.1% to the IMF.  

Gov’t Companies in Distress: Sonara & Camair-Co’s Debt Estimated at FCFA 826bn

Sonara is the most indebted public company in Cameroon

 Camair Co and Sonara are the most indebted public companies in Cameroon, according to the recent note on public debt published by the National Sinking Fund (CAA).
    The note explains that out of the XAF833 billions of public companies’ provisional debt, XAF826 billion is owed by the two companies. With XAF704 billions of provisional debt, Sonara owes the majority (as it has been doing for years now) while Camair-Co owes XAF122 billion.
    The CAA indicates that the provisional estimate is not complete yet, since it is still collecting information to evaluate the real extent of public companies' and institutions’ debts.
    This means that the final estimate of public companies’ debts on September 30, 2020, would be higher than the current estimate given the problems they encountered lately and given their history of underperformance. For instance, the Technical Commission for the Rehabilitation of Enterprises in the Public and Para-public sectors recently revealed that in 90% of the public companies, employment costs exceed 30% of yearly turnovers and sometimes go as high as 70%.
    In 2017, the Ministry of Finance estimated the 37 public companies’ debts at XAF2,624.4 billion. At the time, Sonara, Camtel, Camwater, Electricity Development Corporation, and Sodecoton were the five most indebted public companies. Sonara’s debt was XAF763.2 billion, XAF554.5 billion for Camtel, XAF352.4 billion for Camwater, XAF140.4 billion for Electricity Development Corporation, and XAF113.1 billion for Sodecoton.
    On October 11, 2019, U.S. rating agency Moody's published a report on Cameroon’s economy. In its report, the rating agency estimated that public companies’ debts were weakening the government’s efforts to consolidate public finances.

National Assembly: PANCEC Adopts Economic Transformation Road Map

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

The President of the Parliamentary Network for Circular Economy, PANCEC, has revealed that an implementation of the adopted road map of the network will fast-track Cameroon’s 2035 emergence vision and help transform the country like it did for China.
  

PANCEC adopts economic transformation road map

 Hon. Ngala Gerard Ndombang made the revelation Wednesday 4 October 2020 at the Yaounde Conference Centre. He was speaking during the annual General Assembly of PANCEC.
    The meeting focused on putting in place the governing body of the network, adopting its action plan and laying proper foundation for effective implementation of the circular economy at both micro and macroeconomic levels.
    “We are going on an aggressive industrialisation process in this country. Circular economy will transform Cameroon like it has done for China; that is the intension we have behind this network…we want to create industries at the level of all councils so that they can be financially autonomous,” Ngala said, adding, that it would help in wealth generation, jobs creation and development in municipalities.
    The adopted action plan he explained will focus on rallying stakeholders nationwide, creating win-win partnerships with most of them and explaining to them the importance of recycling, engage them in training workshops on insights of how they can contribute to the emergence of the country through circular economy.
    Aside this, Ngala, said the network will sensitise the public on importance of recycling waste, help councils to encourage waste collection, clear streets of waste, associate national and international partners in the advocacy and bring on board resource persons, organisations and international partners.
    He pledged that PANCEC will accompany government institutions in policy formulation and implementation while advising stakeholders on their compliance to all international conventions ratified by government including; The Basel Convention, The Paris Agreement, The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2015 and The Stockholm Convention alongside locally enacted instruments regulating the production, importation and commercialisation of non-biodegradable plastic bags, management of pharmaceutical waste and conditions fixing environmental permits on waste management.
    PANCEC president disclosed that the aforesaid legal instruments are most often disregarded and not effectively enforced, consequently injuring the environment, exposing communities to pandemics as well as retarding the state’s ability to meet up with international commitments.
    Ngala Gerard appealed to all adopt new sustainable consumption habits that will help transform the country, impact change and help usher government to emergence by 2035.
    In a presentation titled “The Circular Economy: A Pathway to Sustainability in the Decentralisation Context on Cameroon”, Achu Maxwell Ngu, PANCEC’s Consultant in charge of Cooperation schooled members on the importance of circular economy within the decentralisation context.
    He said decentralisation is the platform on which circular economy thrives and ensures that councils collect their own waste and turn into wealth and green jobs and thereby boost their economy.
    Achu expounded on the 3-R approach of reduce, reuse and recycle process which he said relaxes pressure on products already in the environment by ensuring all economic operators become compliant to national legislation and those stratified by international conventions.
 

Samuel Eto'o: Ex-footballer Unhurt After Car Crash in Cameroon

 

Samuel Eto'o was travelling in a 4x4 vehicle in Cameroon when it was involved in a collision

Former Cameroon captain Samuel Eto'o has escaped uninjured from a car crash on Sunday.
    The 39-year-old was travelling between Douala and Bafoussam in Cameroon when the 4x4 he was travelling in was involved in a head-on collision with a bus.
    The front end of the 4x4 was badly damaged but fortunately no-one was injured.
    A spokesman for Eto'o, Frank Happi, told BBC Sport Africa that the former Barcelona star had no injuries after visiting a hospital for a check-up.
    Eto'o decided against pressing charges against the driver, who had initially tried absconding from the scene before being apprehended and taken to a police station.
Instead of taking legal action, there is video footage of Eto'o talking to the driver and urging him to drive more carefully.

Alex Song: Ex-Arsenal & Barcelona Star Lands in Djibouti

Former Cameroon international Alex Song has played in France, England, Spain, Russia and Switzerland

 Former Cameroon international Alex Song has completed a surprise move to little known Djibouti club Arta Solar 7.
    "I have signed a two year contract with Arta. This is an opportunity to promote Djibouti football", the former Barcelona and Arsenal midfielder announced on twitter.
    The 33-year-old has been a free agent since March when he and eight other players were dismissed by Swiss club FC Sion for refusing a pay-cut amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
    Arta won last season's Djibouti Cup as they finished fourth in country's top flight.
The cup victory means Song's new club qualified for the Confederation Cup, the second-tier African club competition, where they will face Egyptian side Arab Contractors in the preliminary round.
    The club have confirmed he will be unveiled officially on Thursday.
    Local media have also reported that Song will also oversee the club's youth development, a decision made after he met with the club's president.
    The move has come as a surprise to many with Djibouti ranked at 185 out of the 210 nations on Fifa's latest rankings while they are 51 in Africa, with only Somalia, Seychelles and Eritrea ranked lower in the continent.
    It seems in stark contrast to his earlier career that saw him move from French side Bastia to English club Arsenal before joining Spanish giants Barcelona for a fee of $20 million.
    He played more than 100 times for Arsenal and won La Liga with Barcelona in 2013 while at international he was part of Cameroon's squad at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and four years later in Brazil.
    In 2016 Song left Barcelona to join Russian side Rubin Kazan on a free transfer where he played for two years then joined FC Sion.
    During his time at Barcelona he also spent two seasons on loan at English club West Ham
    Last month Song announced completion of an international school in his home town Douala, Cameroon, which comprises of a day care, nursery, primary and secondary school.

AFCON Qualifiers: Spectators Barred from Cameroon - Mozambique Match

 The match between Cameroon and Mozambique Thursday, November 12, 2020, in Douala will not be opened to spectators, authorities have said.
    In a release issued Tuesday, November 10, by Cameroon’s minister of sports and physical education, only officials and players with access badges and authorized accreditations shall be permitted to enter the Douala Reunification Stadium.
    Narcisse Mouelle Kombi says the decision was taken at a meeting with officials of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and in conformity with COVID-19 preventive measures put in place by FIFA.
    The minister of sports and physical education however has called on Cameroonians to follow the encounter on CRTV.
    The match between Cameroon and Mozambique will count for the third day of play of qualification matches for “AFCON TOTAL CAMEROON 2021”. Cameroon will play the return leg match on Monday, November 16, 2020, in Mozambique.
    Despite the postponement of the competition from 2021 to 2022, CAF says the name remains AFCON TOTAL 2021.
    Cameroon’s minister of public health Dr. Manaouda Malachie has earlier mentioned that the number of COVID-19 positive cases are on the rise in Cameroon.

Front page

 

After Successful Mission:

 6th Cameroon Battalion to MINUSCA Return Flag
-Mindef, Beti Assomo hails troops for gallantry, professionalism
By Ayukogem Steven Ojong in Yaounde
Some over 1000 soldiers who formed the 6th Cameroon contingent to the Integrated Multi-dimensional UN Mission for the Stabilization of CAR – MINUSCA, have been hailed by the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, MINDEF, Joseph Beti Assomo, for their show of exemplary bravery and professionalism.

Commander of 6th Minusca batallion hands flag to Mindef

The MINDEF made the remark while receiving the national flag (standard) from the commander of the returning battalion, on Friday, 23 October, at the esplanade of the military headquarters brigade in Yaounde.
    The Battalion was returning after a successful one-year mission to the CAR.
    “It is an honour and a pleasant duty for me to preside over the handing over of the standard, which is directly in line with that of 3 September 2020 in Mouchiboum for the departure of the 7th battalion,” Beti assomo said, noting that the country was making the remarkable sacrifice of sending the soldiers on the delicate mission in spite of the covid-19 menace.
    “One year ago the 6th contingent left for the CAR, after successfully completing a training on UN Peace-Keeping Missions,” the MINDEF recalled, noting that the soldiers accomplished their mission with honour and loyalty. He hailed them for doing honour to Cameroon.
    The MINDEF however regretted that 4 soldiers fell on the field of battle.
    He noted that President has since taken a commitment to help friendly countries in security distress, and the 6th contingent gallantly defended the qualities and the image of the country’s defence forces, reason he ordered the renewal of the mission.
    He said the professionalism of our forces was appreciated both by the CAR authorities, as well as the authorities of MINUSCA, even though a few recriminations were made.
    The Mindef said all those who were involved in unprofessional acts would be punished accordingly

United Councils & Cities of Cameroon:

 Wum Mayor Reveals Quest for Presidency
-Unveils ambitious manifesto, road map ahead of 3 November EGA
By Essan-Ekoninyam in Yaounde
The mayor of the Wum council, Dighambong Anthony Mvo has rolled out a strategic plan for the United Councils and Cities of Cameroon, UCCC. The plan was unveiled Saturday in Yaounde during a press conference.
  

Mayor Dighambong declaring his candidature to the press on Saturday

 Mayor Dighambong’s ambitious strategic document for the said association is the content of an attractive and development-oriented manifesto issued ahead of the November 3 elective general assembly of the body.
    The document which was made available to newsmen during the press conference contains both short and long term projects he intends to realize if elected president of the outfit.
    Mayor Dighambong said Saturday that he is amongst candidates vying for the top job of the organization.
    He will be challenged by at least four other candidates but he has so far been tipped favourite.
    He is the lone Anglophone gunning for the presidency of the UCCC and if voted, he will be the first ever mayor from the English-speaking regions of the country to have occupied the position.

What he has in offing for the UCCC
    Mayor Dighambong Anthony who currently serves as the president of all CPDM mayors in the North West region says his intention is to transform the UCCC into a veritable organization which plays a key role in influencing policy.
    Amongst other things, the Mayor Dighambong has pledged that if voted, he will organize General Assemblies every year to improve the visibility and governance of the association by, inter alia, giving their regional and Divisional representatives the opportunity to share their worries and needs directly to the National Bureau.
    He has also promised to construct or lay the foundation of a multipurpose complex for the "Mayor's Hotel" which would permit local elected officials and other municipal authorities to have access to affordable accommodation and modern work facilities on preferential conditions while in the capital city of Yaounde.
    Mayor Dighambong says his team will facilitate the construction of a Headquarters for the National Office of the UCCC and support all regional offices to do the same as well as establish a health insurance and social assistance scheme for local elected officials.
    He has promised to revive the process of recognition of Mayors as a constituted corps by the state during official ceremonies as well as re-launch the process of recognition of UCCC as an important arm of the state.
    The mayor says if elected, he will prioritize the best practices in social and economic development and stimulate healthy competition between municipalities by creating a Municipal yearly award within councils of each Division.
    He has also committed to strengthen and enhance the participation of UCCC in the activities of the pan-African and international municipal movements.
    He has said the United Councils and Cities of Cameroon ,UCCC, under his leader will be given new impetus, to continue to advance the process of decentralization and local development in the Country as per the instructions and directives of President Paul Biya.
    To do this, he continued “We will have to bank on our achievements over the past few years, putting in mind that the process of decentralization is irreversible…”.
    “Our Association should, more than ever before, strive to improve on governance and strengthen capacities by way of dialogue, negotiation as well as trainings, involving all local actors in the preparation and monitoring of these policies that have a great impact on our different municipalities” he stated in the manifesto.
    He said 17 years after its creation by merging two former associations of Cameroon municipalities, the UCCC has gradually become part and parcel of the institutional landscape of decentralization, thanks in particular to the rich road map portfolio of the state and other partners, both national and international.
    However, he regretted “this recognition has hardly given our Association the influential and imposing position it deserves, allowing the Mayors show case their expertise and practical experience on various important issues of the decentralization process and local development. In a bid to fast track Decentralisation as prescribed by the Head of state and marked by the ongoing zeal, determination and reinforcement of its prescription, the effective implementation of the new legal instrument must necessarily be influenced by the practical experience of Mayors in the domain of local governance”.
    The stuff mayor Dighambong is made of Dighambong Anthony MVO is a native of Aghem-Wum in Menchum Division of the North West region, where he has served as Mayor of the Wum Council since the municipal elections of September 2013.
    He is therefore a municipal magistrate, experienced with many achievements, notably in the domain of infrastructure and health that has improved the living conditions of the people of his municipality.
    After a successful first mandate, in a context marked by the effective transfer of certain competences to the Municipalities, Mayor Dighambong was able to appraise and evaluate the difficulties and challenges faced by mayors in order to better and commonly seek for sustainable solutions to the needs of the populations, especially in an area which is hard hit by the socio-political crises.
    His commitment and believe for a strong and united municipal movement is motivated by the conviction that the significant increase in council resources (Financial and Human) especially the effective transfer of those provided for by the Law, and the improvement of local governance are the pillars on which the acceleration of successful decentralization will be built.

Election of City Mayor: Greg Mewanu Is New Poster Boy of K-Town

 -Hysteric denizens dance in triumph, parade new ‘Super Mayor’ along the streets of Kumba

By Ekoko Willies in Kumba

The suspense as to who becomes the pioneer City Mayor of Kumba has finally ended. Councillors of Kumba on Thursday 22 October 2020 gave their votes overwhelmingly to Greg Mewanu Ntemoyock to become the pioneer City Mayor.
Mewanu emerged the winner in a tension-packed election that sanctioned the re-run first session as of right of the Kumba City Council holding at the City Hall on Thursday.
 

Super Mayor, Greg Mewanu, celebrates his hard-won victory

   He first grabbed 43 votes against 33 for Nkelle, in primaries conducted by CPDM representatives from Yaounde. He would later collect 65 of the total 75 votes cast, in the election proper, conducted by the eldest and youngest councillors of Kumba. There were 11 blank votes.
    Mewanu’s victory though hard-won, was not surprising to many. It was no secret to anyone that Victor Nkelle Ngoh, who had served the City for 11 years as Government Delegate, and seven months as City Mayor, had lost face with the inhabitants of Kumba, who reckoned that his performance at the council was anything but impressive.
    He inherited the City Council from the legendary Cavin Nnoko Mbelle, who had put Kumba among the fast growing cities in Cameroon, thanks to his development vision and drive. But Nkelle failed to live up to the standards his predecessor, Nnoko, had set for the City. Some Kumba denizens said maybe Nnoko raised the bar of achievements too high for Nkelle to measure up.
    Even though Nkelle’s admirers rushed to his defence, blaming his poor performance on a weak treasury at the council, informed observers dismissed him as lacking in vision and drive. They said he was at a loss of solutions to the many problems that are stalling Kumba’s development. Many did not conceal their desire to see a change at the helm of the city council.
    Greg Mewanu thus presented himself as that change that was badly-needed at the Council.
    Born and bred in Kumba, Mewanu did his early education in Kumba before travelling for further studies in Germany. He would later return to Kumba to embrace business and politics.
    An active militant of the CPDM party, he was elected as councillor of the Kumba 1 council during the 9 February 2020 Municipal election.
    Mewanu would then put forth his candidature for the post of city mayor of Kumba. But he lost the vote to Nkele Ngoh, in the election on 28 February 2020. Dissatisfied with the outcome of the vote, Mewanu petitioned the administrative court, arguing that the election was marred by irregularities.
    Though the SW administrative court dismissed the petition as invalid in substance, the Supreme Court upheld it at last and final instance, ordering a re-run election.
    During a pre-election meeting on Wednesday 21 October, a two-man team from the CPDM headquarters in Yaounde led by Minister Paul Tasong, urged councillors to concert and come up with a unique candidate for the post of City Mayor. It turned out that Nkelle and Mewanu could not come to a compromise.
Tasong later called for a vote to get a consensus candidate, but later revisited his decision, maintaining that a unique candidate must be found through compromise. This hesitancy and ‘Bafia dance’ by Tasong created suspicion among the councillors, many of whom accused him of wanting to impose Nkelle as City Mayor. The councillors said they must go to voting to get the unique candidate.
    “We must vote; we must vote,” chanted the councillors at the top of their voices.  
    As tension mounted, Tasong postponed the proceedings to the following morning at 8 am. He invited all the councillors for dinner at a popular hotel in town.
    But, suspecting the motive and the venue, many councillors, mostly Mewanu’s supporters, boycotted the dinner, saying the hotel was Nkelle’s campaign headquarters.
    Mewanu and his supporters said that Nkelle’s political masters from Yaounde, notably Senator Otte Andrew and Hon. Tabot Njalla, had asked for the postponement to give them time enough to buy over councillors to support their protégé – Nkelle Ngoh.

The Ultimate Victory
    The events on Thursday proceeded very fast. The party primaries in-house saw Mewanu collecting 42 votes, with just 33 for Nkelle. Greg’s victory drove the hundreds of anxious denizens who had crowded the precincts of the city council, into hysteria. Kumba denizens literally went wild in celebration. Bike riders packed their bikes; shop owners closed their shops; market women abandoned their merchandize, with all rushing to the City Hall to join the crowd in the celebration.
    Before long the information was all over on social media networks that Greg Mewanu is the new City Mayor of Kumba.
    But the celebration was not to last for long. It turned out that Mewanu had only won the primaries, but not the rerun election proper, which still had to take place, in the presence of the Meme SDO.
    But no sooner did the SDO arrive at the City Hall and the proceedings began than Nkelle Ngoh got up and introduced a point of order. He said Mewanu is an ex-convict and cannot be eligible for election as city mayor. However, the motion by Nkelle was overruled by the presiding eldest councillor, and this was not before Minister Paul Tasong and the SDO evoked a lack of jurisdiction, competence and relevance.
A lawyer, who was on stand-by, edified the sitting that Mewanu was convicted for a land matter and not a criminal offence. Besides, the lawyer said a convicted person can be rehabilitated after three years of the end of his conviction. He said Mewanu had been rehabilitated reason he has a non-conviction certificate.
    Having failed to get his motion through, Nkelle threw in the towel, allowing Mewanu to run unopposed. Mewanu got 64 of the 75 votes cast, with 11 blank votes.

A Victory of Hope
    Commentators say Mewanu’s victory sets a new dawn for K-Town. They said 12 years of Nkelle Ngoh has taken Kumba far behind in terms of development and Mewanu’s coming brings joy and hope that K-Town may regain its hustle and bustle of yore.
    Speaking to reporters shortly after his election, Mewanu said: “It is not a victory for Mewanu, but a victory for Kumba and all those who have been yearning for a new era of development in Kumba.”
    He beckoned the councillors and the populations to join him so that together they can implement his vision for K-Town, the difficult context of the Anglophone conflict and the covid-19 pandemic notwithstanding. He said brighter days lie ahead for Kumba.
    Mewanu thanked his predecessor, Nkelle Ngoh, whom he calls ‘grand frere’, for his selfless service to Kumba.
    Meanwhile, the two deputy city mayors from the 28 February election, Balike Esuka Victorine espe Ebanja and Sako Umana Mcmillan, were retained by the councillors.

Unprecedented Euphoria
    The euphoria that gripped the city following Mewanu’s election was uncontrollable. Many said it was unheard of in Kumba in the last three decades. A reporter likened the celebrations to the fever that gripped Cameroon when the Indomitable Lions defeated Argentina in the 1990 World Cup.
    Reports said Okada riders packed their bikes and waited outside to be sure that the result of the vote was not doctored. Market vendors abandoned their shops and crowded the arena. Others trooped into the bars to celebrate over a drink.
    Literally lifting their new ‘Super Mayor’ to the skies, the crowds paraded Mewanu from the city hall to his Alaska Street, Buea Road residence, with hundreds of bikes displaying in front.
    The Police were helpless in the face of the over 10.000-man crowd. But it was a peaceful and happy parade after all.
    Commentators said at long last the will of the masses has prevailed over selfish interests in Kumba. They said for several decades now candidates for political office were selected only on tribal and/or self-seeking interests.  
    Yet, for Mewanu as City Mayor, there is no time for celebration especially giving the circumstances of his victory and the context of the times.
    Perhaps the point should be made, that, Kumba is the economic capital of the SW region. It is also the largest city and has a typically business-inclined population that needs to be reassured and re-galvanized to action once again. Of course, the expectations are very high. 
    Getting the populations to ignore the separatists’ calls for ghost town will be a veritable litmus test for Mewanu. Let’s wait and see!
 
 

Kumba School Shooting: Ambazonia IG, Gov’t Trade Accusations

 -At least eight school children were murdered in Kumba at Mother Francisca Bilingual College by armed men, described by the Senior Divisional Officer of Meme, Ntou’ou Ndong Chamberlin, as Ambazonia Separatist fighters. But the Separatists have said the perpetrators are Government forces. 

A statement from the Ambazonia Defense Council, reads that the Ambazonia Governing Council holds Government forces for carrying out the attack. The Interim Government adds that while they are carrying out investigations, they are not ruling out Government forces’ involvement in the massacre.
    “Let me also seize this opportunity to talk to all the parents, because I cannot understand that during the day Amba boys are attacking innocent children and the surrounding population are there without doing anything, all of them should be arrested, who do not support the affected children.” Ntou’ou Ndong Chamberlin, SDO Meme Division, told reporters.
  

Volunteers transporting wounded victims to the hospital

 The Ambazonia Defense Council has also said their investigations have been launched but that as they go further to examine what happened, they have already been reliably informed that Government forces carried out the attack.
    The Communication Secretary of the Ambazonia Interim Government, Chris Anu, in a live broadcast said that previous events like the 14 February 2020 Ngarbuh massacre by government forces are indication that they are responsible
    “At the Interim Government we condemn this massacre and pay our sympathy to the families of the bereaved. We condemn this massacre that continues to be perpetrated by French Cameroun regime. We are urging the UN and international community to consider an investigation in Kumba.”
    The Divisional Officer for Kumba 1, Ali Anougu, on his part urged the people of Kumba to carry out their weapons and stand firm against the Separatists.
    “Please everybody must come out today. Please, everybody, come out and defend your children. What kind of independence do they want? Please I am telling you, my brothers and sisters…I am crying for the first time in my life, allow children to go to school,” he said to a wailing crowd.

UN Coordinator Condemns Shooting
    

Meanwhile, the UN Resident Coordinator, Matthias Naab, has condemned the Kumba school shooting that left at least eight schoolchildren dead and twelve wounded on Saturday afternoon.
    “I am shocked and outraged by the killing of innocent school children which were attending school to get an education. On behalf of the United Nations and the wider humanitarian community in Cameroon, I extend our deepest condolences to the families of the children killed and our support to the wounded and their families and to all the community”, said Mr Naab.
    On 24 October, a group of armed men attacked Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy in Kumba. At least eight children were killed as a result of gunshots and attack with machetes. Another twelve were wounded and taken to local hospitals.
    The World Health Organization has provided medical supplies to the district hospital and Médecins sans Frontières is supporting the hospital with medical supplies and personnel. The United Nations will continue to support efforts by the Government and non-Governmental organizations to provide necessary medical assistance to the wounded.
    The attack against school children is the worst atrocity since the resumption of the school year on 5 October 2020 in which more students enrolled in the North-West and South-West regions than in recent years.
     “Children have a right to education. Violence against schools and innocent school children is not acceptable under any circumstances and can constitute a crime against humanity if proven in a court of law. I call on the competent authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into this tragedy”, reiterated Mr. Naab.
    Mr Naab reiterated the United Nations’ call for all armed actors to refrain from any attacks against children and other civilians, and ensure that schools, medical facilities and their personnel are not subjected to violence or threats in any way.

Agbor Balla: Unacceptable
    

The Founder of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, CHRDA, Barrister Agbor Felix Nkongho, has condemned the Mother Francisca school shooting in Kumba, calling on thorough investigations that will lead to arrest and trial of perpetrators,
    “I strongly condemn the killing of school children at Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy in Kumba. These gruesome and barbaric killings are gross violations of the right to life of these kids. It is unacceptable for anyone or groups of persons to harass, attack, and or kill children. It is a fundamental right for children to be educated. Hence, the perpetrators of these heinous crimes should be held accountable. My sincere and heartfelt condolences to their families,” Barrister Nkongho said.