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.
 

Launch of Africa Amnesty Month: Gov’t Commits to Fight Illicit Flow of Small Arms

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde
The Minister of External Relations has said government is more than ever before committed to wage a war against the flow of small arms and light weapons across the national territory.
    Lejeune Mbella Mbella made the revelation Monday 19 October 2020 while presiding over the official launch of the African Amnesty Month in Cameroon (SEPTAMM2020). The event at the Yaounde Hilton Hotel was under the theme “Silencing the Guns: a pledge to our future generations on the continent.”
    

Gov’t officials & other participants at the launching ceremony

He disclosed an estimated 100 million arms is in circulation in Africa with over 40 million owned by civilians with very few having the licence to own them. This poses a major problem for governments as weapons that elude control continue to flow in the continent, leading to conflicts and wars.
    Mbelle Mbella said in addition to participating in the AU-UN initiative to silence guns on the continent, the Cameroon government has also created specialised demobilisation and disarmament centres to encourage citizens bearing arms to voluntarily hand them over.
    He said the support from AU and UN to African States through the project is a great opportunity to work in a coherent and sustainable way towards the reduction of illicit possession of small arms and light weapons.
    Mbella Mbella said the initiative is an opportunity to promote peace and carry out awareness programs to educate the public on the dangers of illicit weapons and to reinforce the capacity of national actors fighting the illicit flow of small arms.
He said government will soon launch a nationwide capacity building workshop to refresh key actors charged with control of weapons, sensitise women on their role in the fight as well as launch a media sensitisation campaign on the dangers of owning illicit weapons.
    Ngalim Eugene, Executive Director of Cameroon Youths and Students Forum for Peace (CAMYOSFOP) who doubles as Cameroon’s Representative to the Africa Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC) – an organ task with implementing AU policies through submission of advisory opinions, used the event to underscore the role played by civil societies in the adoption of the Amnesty Month by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the Assembly of Heads of States of the AU.
    “The relevance of the civil society stems from the fact that she is the intermediary between the grassroots and the government but most importantly because she is directly in touch with the grassroots, serving as their mouth piece and in a position to transmit the reality on the ground to policy makers,” Ngalim said.
    He said the CAMYOSFOP has been at the fore, mobilising the public through activities including capacity buildings on arms control alongside the Cameroon Action Network on Small Arms, CANSA.
    Other speakers including General Bardeldin Elamin Abdelgadir Mohamed, Executive Secretary of the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA), and Dr. Ivor Richard Fung, Representative of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) took turns to highlight the importance of the programme and dangers pose by the illicit flow of weapons.
    Dr. Fung said UNODA is assisting the AU in four key areas including; an enlarge sensitisation on the illicit flow of weapons, the dangers it has to progress and other social aspects, collection of the illicit weapons, destroying them and promoting community policing with hope that security officers can create a symbiotic relationship with the population in the community which they are called upon to secure and check flow of arms.

Combating Illicit Flow of Arms: Police Officers Urged to Partner with Civilians

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

Police officers who took part in the training

Police officers and other law enforcement elements have been schooled on how to cooperate with the civilian population in the fight to check the illicit flow of small and light weapons in the country.
    This was during a one day workshop on community policing at the National Advanced Police School in Yaounde, on Tuesday 20 October 2020. It was part of activities to commemorate the Africa Amnesty Month, SEPTAMM2020.
    The workshop was organized by the NGO, Cameroon Youths and Students Forum for Peace, CAMYOSFOP, an expert civil society organisation on the promotion of peace and arms control and an implementing partner of the SEPTAMM2020 project on “Silencing the Guns”.
    In his introductory remarks on the Amnesty Month during the training, the Executive Secretary of the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA), General Bardeldin Elamin Abdelgadir Mohamed, said the training will empower the Cameroonian police corps and other security agencies on how to engage civilians in a friendly approach to voluntarily hand over illegally acquired weapons in their keeping. 
    He underscored the importance of involving citizens in the “Silencing the Guns” programme, assuring that the community policing approach if adopted will bring about order, reduce crime, enable police and civilians work hand in gloves to find common solutions to community problems and reduce deaths.
    In his keynote address, Dr. Ivor Richard Fung, Representative of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) said the community policing training in checking the circulation of small arms will help participants and experts propose recommendations that will be adopted to ensure its implementation.
    He said participants will be drilled on four key areas including the prevention of conflicts, proximity to civilians, partnership cooperation with local authorities and participation in resolution of community conflicts.
    On his part, Police Commissioner, Assiga Toma, Director of Training and Interim Director of the Police College who represented the Delegate General of National Security hailed the initiative and said it will be of great use to their elements in their fight to control illegal possession of weapons.
    The representative of the Minister of External Relations, Mouandjo Moundjo Ebenezer who doubles as Director of the Department of United Nations and Decentralised Cooperation said the training will also equipped officers with the knowledge and skills on how to apply simple and effective measures to store, manage ammunitions, reduce accidental or unintentional deaths.

Sensitisation Campaign: Y’de Residents Schooled on Breast Cancer Prevention

 By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde
Inhabitants of Yaounde in the Centre region in particular and Cameroonians in general have been advised to regularly engage in sporting activities and conduct self-examination on their breast in order to avoid been affected by breast cancer.
  

Participants of the breast cancer prevention campaign

 The advice was given by Dr. Sinctieh Ngek, a medic practicing at the CBC health Centre in Ekoudoum, on Saturday, 24 October 2020. He was speaking at the end of a breast cancer awareness sports walk and sensitisation campaign.
    The event which took place at the Yaounde Parcours Vita was organised by the ‘Welisane Foundation’ in partnership with ‘Dare to Live Foundation’, ‘Rural Warrior’ and the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Centre.
    Welisane Mokwe Nkeng, founder of the foundation, explained that the awareness campaign was organised to round-up a month-long sensitisation that was launched by the foundation on 1 October 2020.
    “This is October and we call it pink October. It is the month to sensitise men, women, boys, girls on the prevalence of breast cancer in our community especially in Yaoundé. Statistics show one in eight women are going to have breast cancer in their life and this is a cause for concern. So, we are here to raise awareness, to support those who are battling with the disease, to encourage survivors and to form a coalition against breast cancer,” Welisane explained.
    She disclosed that prior to the sports walk and talk, the foundation had earlier launch sensitisation campaigns on online and traditional media. “We began with online sensitisation since 1 October 2020 with hashtags; pink cancer, punch cancer and early detection saves lives. We also have been on mass media – radio and TV, to talk about our activities and to talk about breast cancer and to sensitise the population about treatment, prevention and care of the disease, Welisane said. 
    She explained that the campaign ended with a sports walk which took the close to 45 participants to the summit of the Febe mountain and back alongside sporting exercises at the Parcours Vita to draw the attention of the population on the importance of sports in fighting the disease.
    “…We want other people to see that one of the causes of breast cancer is obesity. It is important for us to keep active, keep fit to be able to fight breast cancer and also we want other people to show awareness, support survivors and bring more people on board,” she stated. 
    Dr. Sinctieh Ngek in his sensitisation to participants on technics to individually prevent the disease equally underscored the importance of sports in fighting cancer in general and breast cancer in particular. 
    “Sport is a healthy living lifestyle and it helps to break down fat in the body. When this happens, it helps the person to shade down fat which is associated as a risk factor for developing breast cancer,” he explained, adding that breaking down excess cholesterol in the blood system is a strong factor that contributes to preventing the disease.
    Aside sports, the medic advised particularly females of reproductive age to carryout breast self-examination at least two weeks from the first day of menstruation in order to detect if there is a lump in their breast. Checking breast at least once a month he stressed will help in early detection, diagnosis and proper treatment. 
    He disclosed that there have been limited studies in the country on the disease in other to determine prevalence rate but stated that approximately, one in every eight women will develop the disease in their life while four out of every ten women in Sub-Saharan Africa will develop the disease in their lifetime.
    While responding to questions from participants, the medic encouraged all and sundry to ensure regular checks in hospitals. He said the free screenings that were carried out in the hospital as part of the month-long campaign as well as free scans for women with suspicious lumps led to the identification of some cases that would permit recommendation for appropriate care.
    Participants at the end of the campaign hailed the initiative, stating that the knowledge gathered from the campaign and health talk of the medic would be used to educate other people in their families, job sites and neighbourhoods.

Act of Protest?

Limbe City Bulldozers Set on Fire Amid ‘Unpopular’ Demolitions

By Ticha Melanis in Limbe

Three bulldozers were set ablaze Thursday by yet unidentified men, at a garage in Mile two Limbe, where the City council parks its heavy duty equipment. Two of the bulldozers were in good condition while one was bad and grounded.
   

Limbe City bulldozers set on fire

Reports said the control boards of the bulldozers were damaged leading observers to conclude that the perpetrators of the criminal act targeted mostly the very indispensable parts of the heavy duty machines.   
    The city mayor, Andrew Motanga, visited the site alongside the Fako SDO, the Limbe 1 DO and some city council staff.
    It is believed the bulldozers were burned as a way of protesting against ongoing demolitions in the sea-side city. The demolitions by the city council authorities had sparked massive criticism and outrage by the affected populations, mostly the less-privilege and down-trodden masses.
    But the City Mayor has vowed the demolitions would be pursued, the destruction of the bulldozers notwithstanding.
    Investigations have been opened to track down the criminals. Meanwhile, the night watchman of the garage has been kept in police custody to help the police in investigations.
    As at press time on Sunday, it was not known if the bulldozers were damaged irretrievably by the fire or if they can be fixed.
 

Untouchable Press Baron:

Amougou Belinga Defies Peter Essoka Again
-The proprietor of Vision4 TV and some of his ‘boys’ have continued broadcasting in defiance of a suspension by the National Communication Council
By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

Cameroon’s National Communication Council, NCC on Tuesday 4 August 2020 suspended Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga, CEO of Groupe l’Anecdote and two other journalists of Vision 4 TV for a period ranging one to three months for media offences.
    Their suspension follows decisions made during the 27th ordinary session of the council that held 30 July 2020. Five cases relating to media regulation were examined during the session.
    The suspended journalists of Vision 4, Jean Jacques Ze and Parfait Ayissi have however snubbed the decision, and have continued presenting programmes on the organ.
    The NCC decision suspended Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga, owner of Vision 4 TV cum CEO of Groupe l’Anecdote from his duties as publisher together with two journalists working for the channel, Jean Jacques Ze and Parfait Ayissi for a period of one month.
    The Peter Essoka led council stated that the channel disseminated abusive and stigmatising remarks that jeopardize the honour of persons and the dignity of a community during three of its programmes; “Tour d’Horizon” of June 25, “Club d’elites” of July 5 and the Midday news of July 2, 2020, adding that they were served a summon which they never respected to appear before the council.
    Two other journalists, one from La Meteo newspaper, Michel Tafou and Jean Marie Anaba of Royal FM were slammed a three-month and one-month suspensions respectively.
    On the case involving the Minister of Scientific Research and Innovation, Dr. Madeleine Tchuente and the French daily tabloid, Mutation, concerning the publication of what the NCC termed an “almost imaginary” interview, the publisher, Georges Alain Boyomo was warned for the genre that attributed the Minister unfounded declarations. Other French newspapers, Le Soir and La Météo were warned on issues related to professionalism.

Clean City Contest:

MINDHU Boosts Preparation of Limbe Councils
By Ticha Melanis in Limbe

The ministry of Housing and Urban Development on Wednesday August 5, 2020 donated some cleaning materials to councils in Limbe to assist them clean their cities ahead of the national cleanest city competition organized by the ministry. 
   

MINDHU boosts clean city contest in Limbe

legate of MINDHU, Ngangsi Regina.
    Speaking to the recipients, Ngangsi said: “on the occasion of the launching of the cleanest city competition launched by the minister of housing and urban development, and because Limbe councils are competing, the minister taught it wise to hand over some materials to the councils.”
    The materials consist of wheel barrows, cutlasses, spades, nose masks amongst others. Each council went home with ten of the items.
    The competition which started on 5 August 2020 will run till 25 of September. The presentation of the awards will be on the occasion of the World Habitat Day to be celebrated on 5 October in Douala.
    The clean cities competition is open to all the sub divisional councils of the city councils of Yaounde, Douala and Limbe.
    The selection will be done in two steps viz selection of the cleanest council of each city by a local jury and the selection of the cleanest council from each of the cities to be done by a national jury which will comprise personnel from MINDHU.
    Consistency of operations and cleanliness assessment criteria include cleaning of streets, maintenance of road system and various networks, waste management, maintenance of water supply points, political vision of municipal executives and many more. 
    Quizzed on what the ministry is doing as LCC go about demolishing ‘carabot’ buildings just so the city can be clean, the SDO said plank buildings are temporal structures; they don’t have building permits.
    The clean city competition is aimed to strengthen involvement of stakeholders in the cleaning of the urban environment. It is also aimed to encourage people to adopt best practices in waste management, hygiene and sanitation.

Anglophone Crisis:

Gov’t Suspends Salaries of Absentee Workers
The government of Cameroon has suspended the salaries of at least 100 civil servants in the restive North West Region who have been absent from the duty post, Governor Adolphe Lele Lafrique has revealed.
The Governor made the announcement in Bamenda on Thursday, July 30 as he chaired the first regional Coordination and security meeting.
   

Cameroon gov’t has suspended the salaries of at least 100 civil servants in the North West Region

 

He said the salaries of the workers were suspended after a regional disciplinary board meeting which found them guilty of abandoning their duty posts.
    The salaries would only be reinstated when they return following the due government procedures, Mr Lele added.
    According to UN statistics, about 600.000 persons have been internally displaced as a result of a long drawn conflict in the restive Anglophone regions that started with a strike by teachers and lawyers  at the end of 2016.
    Last week, scenes of violence were recorded in the region a civilian killed during a shoot out between the army and separatist fighters on Thursday.  The next day, three  armed separatist fighters were killed by soldiers during a clash in Santa, a locality at the gateway to the region.
    A blast also occurred around a motorpark in Bamenda, though no human casualty was recorded.
    Despite these,  the Governor gave assurances that Cameroon defene and security forces have put the situation “under control” and called on all public servants to return to their duty posts.
    “We know some of (the civil servants) are facing challenges and even the common man is facing challenges but the security forces are doing all to restore peace. We ask all those facing difficulties to report them to the appropriate quarters rather than running away,” Adolphe Lele said.

Accounts Session:

K’ba II Mayor Accuses Ghost Towns for Falling Revenue
-Charges residents to form vigilantes groups and fight ghost town
By Ekoko Willies in Kumba

 

K’ba II Mayor, Mbachu Jacob Kay

 

The population of Kumba II municipality have been challenged to form vigilante groups in their neighbourhoods to fight separatist-imposed ghost town and lockdown that is dealing a heavy blow on the council’s revenue realization.

    Mayor Mbachu Jacob Kay made the appeal 29 July 2020 during a session to examine and adopt the council’s Administrative and management stores accounts.  "…let's create vigilante groups in all the quarters for our goals…we have to fight the ghost town and lockdown phenomenon," Mbachu implored councilors, adding that the rate at which the civil disobedience calls is respected in the municipality is crippling the council’s revenue avenues and project execution.

    Mbachu pointed out that in 2019 the council budgeted the sum of FCFA 633 000 230 million out of which only a meagre sum of FCFA 183 970 072 million was collected.  This he aid represented just 29.9% of the revenue realized, the worst realization rate recorded in the history of the council. He opined that the council’s declining fortune has further been made worst with the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.
    Cognizant of much needed development expected of the council by the population, the Mayor disclosed that despite the challenges, he and his team remain optimistic if given the necessary supported by the population and administration to boost the economic and social standards of the municipality.
    "We have to break our new grounds, explore new territories expand our vision and remain focused," Mbachu said. The session was under the watchful eyes of Meme Second Assistant SDO, Hermia Njonje, who, urged the councilors to remain focus and ensure to handle the difficulties left by the previous team intact to ensure the reutilization of the dream for the municipality.

Dirge for Ako Kingsley

By Franklin Sone Bayen

King, go you to sleep

Going could be a leap

Lay thy head, sleep to rest

Upon the Saviour's breast

Late Cameroon Herald Publisher, Ako Kingsley Tanyi

Dying is not losing

Though not our choosing

It's a matter of time

Dying is not a crime

Somehow for you

Confinement had to be true

Now finally confined

Even if not fined

I write thee farewell

I'm still well

Yet whatever may be

They'll write about me

Man can't hide

So, you died!

Dying is no crime

Just a matter of time

Funeral Ceremony:

Thousands Celebrate the Life of Dr. Chuwanga

By Walter Wilson Nana

A mammoth crowd of family members, friends, well wishers, colleagues in the medical and para-medical corps, former patients and admirers of the late Dr John Ndengue Chuwanga from across Cameroon and abroad came out on Saturday,  June 20 2020 to celebrate the iconic medic during his funeral and burial in Buea.

              

Late Dr. John Ndengue Chuwanga

  In a funeral mass in honour and for the repose of the gentle soul of the fine-quality Surgeon at the St. Anthony of Padua Church, Buea-Station, the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Buea, Mgr. Micheal Bibi in his homily, thanked God for the great life given to Dr. John Chuwanga, while praying God to open the gates of Heaven for him. To him, Dr Chuwanga is blessed because he died in the Lord, urging Christians not to take their lives for granted. “We’ve to prepare ourselves for death, for life is vanity,” the Prelate noted.

                According to Mgr. Bibi in order to rise with Christ, humanity has to do that via death, indicating that through Christ’s resurrection, he has transformed death. He mentioned that death is the end of man’s earthly journey.

                The flurry of eulogies that followed all described Dr Chuwanga as a fine-quality medic, passionate and selfless in his work, ever-ready-to-help and be at the service of his patients and community, a generous man, God-fearing, very prayerful and a loving father.

Dr. John Chuwanga was born on December 27 1956 in Tiko to Papa Lawrence Chuwanga from Bassap, Bafang and Mama Cecilia Chouomu from Babone, Bafang all of blessed memory.

                After a rich academic career that took him through primary school, from 1963 in Catholic School, Malende to Secondary School in 1968 in St. Joseph College, Sasse, Buea, high school in CCAS Kumba and thereafter the University of Calabar in Nigeria, where he settled for Medicine and subsequently specialized in Surgery, the young and energetic Dr Chuwanga returned to Cameroon to begin a fabulous career in the health sector. His multiple work stations included; Nkongsamba, Batcham, Wum, Limbe, Yaounde and Buea, where he retired. While a medical student in Nigeria, he had professional stints at the General Hospital in Bauchi State and at the Murtala Mohamed General Hospital in Kano State.

Anglophone Conflict:

Cameroonian Runs for His Life, Seeks Asylum Abroad

According to sources, Mr. Wokomia Mokonde Paul has fled from his native Munyenge-Muyuka in the SW region and is now living at the mercy of friends and the Church, in Italy, where he is seeking protection from the Italian government

By Maurice Mbutaka in Muyuka

Over one million people have been displaced by the conflict in Southern Cameroon

Muyuka-based civil society activist and businessman, Wokomia Mokonde Paul, aged about 50, is presently seeking asylum in Italy, where he is said to have sought safe sanctuary, after fleeing the conflict in Cameroon.

                According to sources, the father of one was left with no option than to abandon his business and escape. He first escaped to safer areas in Cameroon, but was forced to leave the country when Anglophone separatist fighters threatened to come after him.

                The fighters had since 2017, engaged a war of secession against the majority Francophone government in Yaounde, in what they say is a determined effort to create a separate state from Cameroon which they call Ambazonia. They wanted Mokonde Paul, who was a prominent figure in the area, to join their ranks and give needed support to the secessionist struggle. They put a price on his head when Paul would not heed their request.

Confirmed reports say Mokonde Paul was kidnapped several times by the fighters and was only released after paying huge sums as ransom. When he could no longer bear the persecution and threats to his life and that of his family, Mokonde Paul was left with no option than to flee, abandoning his business and other activities.

                His wife who stayed behind when Paul fled, also later escaped, and this was after the separatists fighters kept persecuting and torturing her, asking her to indicate where her husband was hiding. Today, she is living as an internally displaced person, IDP, with their lone child, in a yet unknown destination in Cameroon. Sources say she might have escaped into the bushes to join thousands others who have also fled their homes, as the conflict in NW and SW Cameroon rages on.

                As for Wokomia Mokonde Paul, he fears that if he returns home with the conflict still ongoing, he might be killed like the over 5.000 persons who have lost their lives since the start of the conflict in 2017.

Hon. Atinda Is New Principal of CCAS Kumba

-The institution was without a principal after its former Principal Fonge Julius won the election to Parliament in February 2020.

By Ekoko Willies in Kumba

Hon. Atinda

A History teacher by training, Hon Atinda Martin Mboni was formerly the Member of Parliament for Meme West Constituency (Konye and Mbonge). Reports say his appointment to CCAS Kumba was received with excitement by the staff and students of the institution.

                 Hon. Atinda’s appointment has put an end to speculations about who would replace Fonge Julius as principal of the once prestigious high school. CCAS Kumba is the biggest secondary/high school in Meme division. Occupation of its top seat is the dream of many in the secondary education milieu.

                  Hon Atinda Martin takes over C.C.A.S Kumba at a time when activities in most schools in the NW and SW regions have been grounded due to the Anglophone crisis.

                He therefore has the arduous task to make sure that optimum activity resumes in the school especially with the GCE exams at the corner.

Fighting Covid-19:

Hon. Ekolle Peters Donates Preventive Kits in Mbonge, Konye

By Ekoko Willies in Kumba

Hon. Ekolle Peters

The Honourable Member of Parliament for the Meme West Constituency (Konye and Mbonge), Hon Ekolle Peters, has put smiles on the faces of Mbonge people by providing them with food stuffs and sanitary kits to help them fight against the dreaded Covid-19.

                   The gifts which comprised of hand Washing Taps, Rice, Soaps, Face masks, Salt and other Detergents were handed to the population of Mbonge through their Mayor and the Administration.

                   Addressing the population during the event to hand the gifts over the weekend at the Kumba City Council hall, Hon Ekolle Peters prayed the beneficiaries to respect all measures put in place by the Government and the world Health Organisation, WHO in order to protect themselves, their love ones and the community at large against Coronavirus which is real.

Wildlife Trafficking:

Two Soldiers Arrested with 400kg of Pangolin Scales

Two soldiers and an alleged wildlife trafficker have been arrested in Yaounde for pangolin scales trafficking. The two soldiers, a sergeant, formerly working with the Presidential Guard and a navy second class soldier were arrested by elements of the Odza Gendarmerie Brigade and the Mimboman Gendarmerie Company. They were arrested in collaboration with the Centre Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife as they attempted to sell pangolin scales.

               

Wildlife trafficker nabbed by gendarmes

Close to 400kg of pangolin scales were recovered during the arrest that took place on June 7, 2020. The operation was carried out with the technical assistance of LAGA, a Non-Governmental Organisation specialized in the fight against wildlife criminality.

                The two soldiers were caught at the Odza neighbourhood and taken to the Mimboman Gendarmerie Company. On arrival at the Company, the sergeant claimed the scales were given to him to sell by one woman. The gendarmerie elements immediately carried out a swift raid at her premises and she was apprehended at the Ekounou neighbourhood. She had sent the son, the second class soldier with the Cameroon Navy who was also arrested, to represent her at the transaction to sell the scales. She is a well-known bushmeat trader at the Nkolndongo wildlife market in Yaounde.

                According to investigation reports, the sergeant is a regular bushmeat customer to the suspected trafficker. He deployed and depended on his military status to sell the close to 400kg of pangolin scales.  Several conservationists have been decrying the dubious role some law enforcement officials play in the trafficking of wildlife products in the country. In 2017, 216 elephant tusks and 81 elephant tails were seized from the car of a gendarmerie colonel and two were arrested in Djoum.

Incompartibility:

Parliament Welcomes Three New MPs

Three MPs have resigned due to incompatibility of functions

Three members of Cameroon’s National Assembly have given up on their office of Member of Parliament to take up the post of Mayors in their localities.

Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya of the CDU, Ousmanou SA’ALY and Boubakary Djidda of the FSNC all resigned this Wednesday during the opening session of the June 2020 proceedings of the National Assembly which took place at the Yaounde Conference Centre under the chairmanship of the Rt Hon Cavaye Yeguie Djibril.

                They preferred to take up the post of Mayors of in their localities, a situation which obliged them to resign giving that the law in Cameroon states that the office of Member of Parliament shall be incompatible with that of member of Government and any office ranking.

Wildlife Protection:

Notorious Ivory Trafficker Nabbed

Ivory seized from trafficker

A notorious wildlife trafficker has been arrested for unlawful possession of ivory tusks in Bertoua. He  was arrested alongside another trafficker during an operation  carried out by wildlife officials of the East Regional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife following investigations into wildlife trafficking spanning the North and East Regions and the Central African Republic. The operation was also carried out in collaboration with the gendarmerie and with technical assistance from LAGA, a wildlife law enforcement organization.

                The two men were arrested at the ‘Camp sic CRTV road in possession of 3.7 kg of ivory tusks partitioned into 6 pieces concealed in a bag. According to a source close to the matter that spoke on condition of anonymity, one of the traffickers travelled from Kentzou to Bertoua with the ivory tusks where he met the other and they both attempted to sell the illicit product, A military bag was used to conceal the tusks and they believed it would facilitate the transportation without him being intercepted on the way. The same source reported that the notorious trafficker, a former accountant with a money transfer agency at Kentzou, has been in the dragnet of wildlife officials of the East Region for a while now. He had been at the center of many illegal wildlife activities in the region.

NGO to Assist Female Victims of Anglophone Crisis

                                                    

By Ticha Melanis in Limbe

ACF president with Limbe Journalists

The ongoing Anglophone crisis has forced many girls and women to flee their homes and take residence in bushes or in safer areas of the country. In their new abodes most of these girls and women have no access to basic hygiene needs. This has forced many to engage in commercial sex work just in a bid to cater for themselves and their families.

                It is for these reasons that the president for the NGO, African Concept Foundation, ACF, Tracy Kwaleh, has embarked on a project code-named: “Raising the voices of young girls in the bushes in the Anglophone crisis inflicted regions, through story telling.”

                 At a press briefing on Saturday, 30 May in Limbe, Tracey Kwaleh said they intend to heal the girls by raising their voices to the plight they suffer.

The promoter of the Cameroon Association of Media Professionals, Taryang Tabe, whose organization partners with ACF, noted that through the story the girls will tell, they hope to attract empathy from the two conflicting camps and also use it as a means to manage the conflict and its gender impact.

The project will run for one year and will target 50 girls from 4 communities in Fako Division including Bakingili, Mile Four, Bokwango and Great Soppo.