Cameroonian Escapes Jail Term in Congo

Who benefits from non-dissuasive court decisions?

Abdou Mahamad

‘No dissuasion’ is the decision rendered by the Ouesso High Court in Congo in a wildlife trafficking case against Abdou Mahamad, a Cameroonian suspect and a big time trafficker who was arrested with nine ivory tusks. On August 23, he received a suspended sentence of two years meaning no jail term for him and shattering efforts to hit the illicit international trade in ivory.

            Ivory trafficking in the Central African sub region has gone international through a strengthening of international criminal networks, especially by the Chinese, according to a study recently published by WWF. Three factors seriously jeopardize the fight against ivory trafficking in Central Africa: weak governance, corruption and changing trade patterns. The report reveals that in Central Africa, open domestic ivory markets are disappearing mainly because of law enforcement efforts and competition with underground criminal networks. In their place, a sophisticated international trade is taking over and this is facilitated by   high level of corruption.

            The study reveals that organized criminal networks operate, particularly by Chinese citizens, in the sub-region and become key players in the international ivory trade. Criminal networks and criminal associations are developing, often with impunity across the sub-region. Other countries and the Republic of Congo show their willingness to fight the trade but the reality on the ground is sometimes different because some traffickers manage to use their influence to circumvent the law. Six traffickers were recently arrested in Douala with over 700kg of pangolin scales. Three did not show up in court for the first hearing of the case, following an unusual release on bail of the traffickers and fears are that they may have escaped. Two of them were from the Central African Republic.

Court Slams Peter Essoka for Sanctioning Xenophobic TV House

Peter Essoka, NCC Boss

The President of the National Communication Council (NCC) and ace Journalist, Peter Essoka, has been slammed a suspended six months sentence and fined FCFA 17 million by the Court of First Instance in Ngoumou, Mefou and Akono Division of the Centre Region for penalising a xenophobic journalist.

            The Journalist was sanctioned for allegedly propagating hate speech and anti-Anglophone information on a Yaoundé-based television channel.

            In the heat of the Anglophone Crisis, the Journalist cast stigma on Anglophones in Yaoundé, when he said every Anglophone is suspected terrorist.

            While condemning such hate speech as Chair of the National Communication Council, Peter Essoka in a media outing, told Radio France International (RFI) that such utterances are dangerous, given that, they were made during trying moments in Cameroon.

            He cautioned journalists to be careful with what they say on air at this moment to avoid playing the ugly role Radio Milles Collines played in the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

            The NCC boss sanctioned the journalist, as a move to deter others from making similar hate speech and propaganda that could further widen the gap between citizens in a country in which a problem of identity has become a national issue.

            In retaliation, the authorities of the television station, known to be close to the Justice Minister Laurent Esso, immediately accused the NCC boss of referring to them as Radio Milles Collines and dragged him to Court for defamation.

            The case dragged on in Ngoumou for eight months until on Tuesday, August 28, 2018, that the Court handed down its verdict.

            The Court slammed a suspended sentence on the NCC boss in absentia. The Court also asked Essoka to pay FCFA 15 million as damage to the media house and FCFA 2 million to the Court as expenses.

            Commentators have criticised the media house which they say went to seek equity with dirty hands because it had never respected any of the sanctions of the NCC.

            The NCC was created by Presidential decree in 2012.

Anglophone Crisis:

SW Women Lament the Future of Their Kids

Decry rape perpetrated on women and girls

Advocate effective resumption of schools

By Boris Esono in Buea

SW women mobilize for back to school

Women from some 60 NGOs and women groups in the SW region have called for peace to return in the region and for schools to effectively come 3 September 2018..

            Gathered at the Bongo’s Square in Buea, on Wednesday 29 August 2018, under the umbrella of the SW/NW Women Task Force, SNWOT, the women in their numbers, wept openly, urging the security forces to stop the ‘unnecessary killings’ ongoing in the Anglophone regions.

            They marched with banners and placards calling for schools to be protected; for children and husbands to come back home and for an end to rape of women and young girls.

            The women, whose unannounced demonstration virtually took the administration and the population by surprise, said peace is inevitable for meaningful development. They called for a halt to gun battles and for dialogue to be given a chance.

Commentators have hailed the initiative of the women, saying it was expedient and well thought out.

            Rev. Perpetua Fonki, Coordinator for women and peace in Cameroon, applauded the women for their courage to have come out en masse to call for an end to the crisis.

Pangolin Scales Trafficking Network Dismantled

Pangolin Scales Trafficking Network

An international network of pangolin scales traffickers has been dismantled with the arrest on August 18 of six suspected traffickers in Douala with over 700kg of pangolin scales. The arrest was carried out by the Wouri Divisional Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife in collaboration with judicial police and the judiciary.

            The operation that was technically assisted by an NGO called LAGA, was carried out during attempts by the traffickers to sell the pangolin scales. The first hearing of the case took place on Friday August 24 and three of the arrested traffickers who had earlier been freed on bail did not show up in court raising fears that they may have escaped. Two of the three fugitives are from the Central African Republic.

            A couple of days to the operation, one of the traffickers sent a truck with from Bangui and it arrived Douala shortly after he had flown to the port city. The pangolin scales were then driven to a neighborhood in the town, where an illegal transaction was about to take place but police arrived at the scene of transaction and all 6 traffickers were arrested. One of them attempted to escape but was quickly stopped.

            The network that is spread in three central African countries including Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Central Africa and also Nigeria has connections to Vietnam. One of the 6 arrested is from the Central African Republic while the rest are Cameroonians.

            The exposed modus operandi of the syndicate consisted of buying the scales from smaller traffickers in Cameroon,  the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and exporting to Nigeria via Cameroon. Most of the 700kg of giant pangolin scales originated from the DRC where they have strong cover from members of the ruling elite. When the scales arrive Nigeria, they are assembled for illegal export.

Eto’o Survives Former Lions Captain with 500.000cfa

By Boris Esono in Buea

Samuel Eto'o and ex-Cameroon captain Norbert Owona

Former FC Barcelona forward and captain of Qatari club side Qatar SC Samuel Eto’o has made available the sum of five hundred thousand (500,000) Francs CFA to ex-skipper of the indomitable lions of Cameroon Norbert Owona who lost everything he had in life.

            Reports say Owona lost his family in an accident, felt sick and is currently homeless. He appealed to the government of Cameroon for assistance but his request was not granted.

FECAFOOT:

Normalization Committee’s Mandate to be Extended

As the second mandate of the caretaker committee of the Cameroon Football Federation ends this 31st August 2018, it is likely the mandate will be extended for another six months by FIFA. The Normalization committee’s first mandate had in February this year been extended by six months.

            Dieudonne Happi and the other members of the committee were tasked to draft new statutes for the federation and also organize elections to put in place new executive bureaux to man the affairs of the federation. But, while the statutes are ready, the elections to put in place the new bureaux could not be organized. This was perhaps because the committee had to wait for the laws governing sports in the country to be reviewed to tie with FIFA laws, as was ordered by FIFA.

            So, the elections that were initially billed for June 23 to August 31, 2018, at the divisional, Regional and National levels, did not take place. They were postponed to a later date.

Limbe City Inter-Quarter Football Tourney:

Ngeme & Limbe Camp Emerge As Champions

By Ticha Melanis in Limbe

Minister Mounouna handing trophy to Ngeme captain

The 10th and 7th edition of the Limbe city council inter quarter football tournament in the male and female categories respectively came to an end on Saturday, 1st September 2018, with the boys from Ngeme New-Layout defeating their counterparts of Bota Port FC 5-4 after post match penalties to emerge as the champions in the male category. In the female category, Limbe Camp girls beat the Queens from Bimbia 4-3, also after post match penalties, to lift the girls’ trophy. Both matches had ended on a goalless draw, after regular playing time.

            Added to the coveted trophy, the Ngeme new layout boys received the sum of fcfa 1 million and an extra fcfa 150,000 offered by les Brasseries du Cameroon. The runners up, Bota Port FC went home with fcfa 750,000, while the third placed team, Crystal Gardens, got fcfa 350,000.

            For the female category, the winners bagged a sum of fcfa 650,000 apart from the trophy. The runners up, Queen of Bimbia, got fcfa 350,000.

            The man of the match award went to Ewane Stephen of Ngeme new layout, while the highest goal scorer was Amouda Mara also from Ngeme new layout.

            The finals were presided over by the minister of youth affairs and civic education, Mounouna Foutsou, at the Limbe Centenary Stadium.