Kumbo Council Wins REDD+ Project

By Njodzefe Nestor

Group pix after validation of project note

Kumbo council has been selected amongst six other councils in Cameroon to partake in the REDD+ Project according to a letter signed by the Minister of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development S.E HELE Pierre on Nov 20, 2015.

                This comes at a time when more than 190 nations are gathering in Paris to discuss a possible new global agreement on climate change, aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and thus avoiding the threat of dangerous climate change.

                The project promoted by the Government of Cameroon supported by the French Development Agency, AFD, and the German Development Agency, GIZ and worth over FCFA 2 billion is expected to promote reforestation, mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and also to bring meaning development to Kumbo judging from the financial package that goes along with it.

                Kumbo council was amongst ten lucky councils pre-selected from the 360 councils in Cameroon who were requested to manifest the interest to participate in this project and submit a file expressing their ability to implement REDD+.

                The journey to this success all started in May 2015 with a 5 day workshop with the 10 shortlisted councils in Bana, West Region of Cameroon. Kumbo Council and Positive Vision Cameroon, a consultancy firm that was selected to design the project then plunged into fied work and elaboration of the Project Idea Note and Terms Of Reference for the feasibility studies

                Councilors of Kumbo Council sitting in an extra ordinary session on August 20, 2015 validated the draft project idea note and terms of reference for the REDD+ Kumbo Council pilot project aimed at reducing the poverty level from the current 48 percent in the municipality to below 10 percent through their effective participation in the management of the Council’s forest.

Limbe market women stand up against administrative excesses

By NwoFuanya in Limbe

Limbe market women

Against all expectations and to the chagrin of government officials, women in Limbe, Fako division of the south west region have stood u against what they term excesses of the Fako administration in the fight against Boko Haram. This was during a one day campaign to end administrative detention and torture that took place on Wednesday 2 December 2015.

                The campaign that brought together women from different background, especially market women popularly called buy’amsellam’ as well as men who sympathize with women when it comes to issues of rights was organized as part of the annual 16 days to of activism to end violence against women. This year some civil society organizations in Limnbe notably the Community Initiative For Development Communication, CODEC, the Association for the Protection of Women and Children’s Rights, Pro-People and other organization s came together to campaign against what they call the excessive abuse of authority by the administration and the abuse of women’s rights.

Ebola vaccine trial:

“B’da people are not guinea pigs”

  - Researcher tells gov’t 

Ebola is very scary, and so what we need on this issue is a properly convened press conference, where Cameroonian biomedical researchers in the areas of immunology, molecular biochemistry and microbiology or other relevant fields from many institutions in the country (for transparency; and not just simple clinicians from the ministry or scientists from few places) are duly invited to be present, ask questions and help educate the population appropriately. We shouldn't be in a hurry to start testing, without appropriate sensitization and education. People usually believe their brothers and sisters more.

                A vaccine trial in itself is not a bad thing. In fact, it is an essential step in getting the final product to populations at risk (Cameroon was at risk, just as the USA was also at risk and could still be at risk tomorrow) and so trials need to be encouraged, whenever they are properly and transparently and publicly done.

                But what is frightening and needs to be further checked in this Cameroon Daily Journal newspaper report is the mention of an experimental "non-replicative" challenge infection later on in humans.

                To quote the journal: "The minister of public health, Andre Mama Fouda announced on October 30 that in carrying out the clinical tests, volunteers will be injected with a dose of the Ebola virus after getting a dose of the vaccine. There are no guarantees that the vaccine will prevent them from getting infected by the killer virus but the minister pointed out that the experimental vaccine does not contain any virus capable of reproducing itself in the human body and so cannot lead to infection."

China pledges $60bn to develop Africa

China has announced $60bn (£40bn) of assistance and loans for Africa to help with the development of the continent.

                President Xi Jinping said the package would include zero-interest loans as well as scholarships and training for thousands of Africans.

                The Chinese leader made the announcement at a major summit between China and Africa in Johannesburg.

                South Africa's President Jacob Zuma welcomed the deepening partnership with Africa's biggest trading partner.

                He said that China and the African continent each made up a third of the world's population, bringing with it the possibility of new markets and production possibilities.

                The two-day Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac) is the second time China has brought together African leaders since the forum was launched in Beijing in 2000.

Marc Kabore is new Burkina Faso strongman

Roch Marc Kabore was proclaimed the winner of the presidential election in Burkina Faso and will become the country's first new leader in decades, the Independent National Electoral Commission said on Tuesday.

                The election of the former prime minister represents a pivotal moment for the West African nation, which has been ruled by leaders who came to power in coups for most of its history since independence from France in 1960.

                Kabore served as prime minister and head of the National Assembly under President BlaiseCompaore, who was toppled by an uprising in October 2014 after 27 years in power. Kabore split with Compaore early last year and formed an opposition party.

                "My first thought is to recognize the honor of this high office and to feel the weight of its great responsibility," Kabore said in a speech to thousands of his supporters after being declared winner.

                Provisional results from Sunday's election showed Kabore won 53.5 percent of the vote to defeat former Finance Minister ZephirinDiabre, who scored 29.7 percent, and 12 other candidates, the electoral commission said. Turnout was about 60 percent. The outright majority means there will be no run-off.

                "This election went off in calm and serenity, which shows the maturity of the people of Burkina Faso," BarthelemyKere, president of the electoral commission, told a news conference.

Cameroon Pro-League Kicks-off January 9

The 2015/2016 Cameroon Professional Football League would commence on January 9, 2016.

                The League, which was initially scheduled to begin in November 2015, was postponed after an extraordinary General Assembly, of the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT. During the General Assembly, it was resolved that League I will start on January 9, 2016, and League II a week after.

                The prolongation of the commencement date was to enable teams to better prepare and also for the National Interpools Championship to take place. The National Interpools Championship that was initially scheduled for November 25, 2015, failed to take place.

Fifa:

FBI probing SeppBlatter role in $100m bribery scandal

The FBI is investigating the role played by Fifa president SeppBlatterin a $100m (£66.2m) bribes scandal, a BBC investigation has discovered.

Sports marketing company ISL paid a total of $100m to officials including former Fifa president Joao Havelange and ex-Fifa executive Ricardo Teixeira. In return, ISL was granted lucrative television and marketing rights throughout the 1990s.

                Blatter denied knowing about the bribes and took no action.

                He even allowed Teixeira to take part in the notorious vote for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

                Panorama reporter Andrew Jennings has seen a letter obtained by America's Federal Bureau of Investigation which casts doubt on Blatter's denial.

                The letter, apparently written by Havelange, talks about the payments he received from ISL. It says Blatter had "full knowledge of all activities" and was "always apprised" of them.

                The letter is included in an FBI request to the Swiss authorities for help with their investigation. They ask for the file of an earlier Swiss investigation into the ISL bribes and they say "among other things, the prosecutor is investigating Havelange's statements implicating Blatter".

                In 2010, Blatter suppressed a Swiss legal finding that both Havelange and Teixeria had received bribes from ISL. In 2013, Blatter told a Fifa ethics committee inquiry he was unaware of the bribery. He was cleared of any wrongdoing.

                Blatter, who says he will stand down as head of football's world governing body in February 2016, declined to respond to any allegations put to him.