Horror on the Land:

Entire Family Feared Wiped Out in Bali Shootings

An entire family is feared killed in Bali Nyonga, Mezam Division of the North West Region following confrontations between security forces and separatist fighters on Saturday May 25th.

                Locals told The Median that members of a family had surfaced to retrieve the corpse of their relative who was killed in a crossfire but gunmen opened fire at them indiscriminately. It is yet unclear who opened fire on the individuals as no group has claimed responsibility for the killings.

                Reports hold that the persons killed are mostly members of the Baya family. An indigene of Bali Nyonga identified some of those killed to be Vincent Dinka’a Baya, peter Baya, Gabriel Baya, Grace Feh Sadnyonga Baya and Lavert Foncham George.

Despite PM’s Peace Visit:

Killings, Kidnappings, Burnings Galore in NW

By Njodzefe Nestor in B’da

Military and “Amba fighters” atrocities in the North West region have unfortunately increased despite Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute’s peace mission to the region in which he promised that President Biya had accepted to dialogue.

                Not only has the number of those who have been killed by military and separatist fighters soared, but the rate of kidnapping for ransom has increased and the burning of houses and property has skyrocketed. While this continues unabated, the population continues to suffer the consequences.

                On Wednesday May 15, soldiers stormed the Ntambeng, Alachu, Mile 8, Muwatsu airport road areas and burned down houses of individuals including shops as well as a hospital.

                Reports say they came when suspected Ambazonia fighters killed two soldiers around that area. When the soldiers arrived there while the suspected Ambazonia fighters had gone, in their anger, they allegedly turned on the local population who were reportedly uncooperative, destroying and burning down almost everything found on their way.

Amba Boys Beat Up Passengers on K’ba-Buea Road

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

Stranded Vehicles along Kumba-Buea highway

Some passengers travelling across the Kumba-Buea highway axis recently suffered severe flogging in the hands of suspected separatist fighters after mounting road blocks on certain portions of the road. The incident occurred during the early hours of Tuesday May 21, 2019.

                Some of the stranded passengers who spoke to this reporter after been ordered to return to Kumba revealed they were beaten for violating a separatist imposed ghost town on Tuesday, a day incarcerated separatist leaders were expected to appear at the Yaoundé military court.

                Vehicles were also feared destroyed in the course of the road block. Many other vehicles were forced to make a U-turn to their towns of origin without completing the journey. Several busses loaded with passengers headed for Buea were ordered back into the Kumba. The passengers were left stranded at the Buea Road motor park.

Audience at Unity Palace:

Cameroon’s Instability Preoccupying to La Francophonie

President Paul Biya and the SG of the International Organisaition of  La Francophonie, IOL, Louise Mushikiwabo

The Secretary General of the International Organisaition of La Francophonie, IOL, Louise Mushikiwabo, has said that her institution is concerned with Cameroon’s political and security challenges.  She made the assertion Friday 24 May shortly after an audience with president Biya at the Unity palace.

                Mushikiwabo told reporters that La Francophonie remains ready to support Cameroon. She cited politics and security as areas of interest for collaboration for Cameroon to regain her stability.

                The former Rwandan Foreign minister said she came to Cameroon on the heels of her taking office in January this year. Mushikiwabo said it was a delight chatting with president Biya and other state authorities.

                She shared a vision of contributing in Cameroon’s political processes and programs for youths  and the entire nation. She said the IOL wants Cameroon to regain the peace it once enjoyed before the recent crises.

Nalova Lyonga Modifies GCE, BAC Timetables Again

Secondary Education Minister, Pauline Egbe Nalova Lyonga has again modified the timetables of the written part of the General Certificate of Education (GCE) of the English subsystem of education and the Baccalaureate of the French subsystem of education.

               

Nalova Lyonga Modifies GCE timetables

According to the Minister’s release, the written part of the GCE which was supposed to start on May 27 has been carried forward by a day ensuring that it ends on June 14 rather than June 13.

                A similar adjustment has been done to examinations organised by the BAC Board which have been moved from May 30 to May 31st.

                The major reason advanced is that of the celebration of Ascension Day on Thursday, May 30 which is generally a public holiday in Cameroon.

                In the past three years since the Anglophone conflict started, the GCE timetable has been modified several times. Registration datelines are always modified and sometimes written timetables as well.

Form Five Students Kidnapped in K’ba Days to GCE Exams

-Fcfa 5m demanded as ransom

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

Form Five Students Kidnapped

Gunmen with doubtful identity have kidnapped a form five student in Kumba, Chief Town of Meme Division in the restive Southwest Region.

                The incident occurred at about 3:30pm on Friday 4 May. The student whose only name we got as Benita was taken to an unknown destination on board a motorbike. She was seized and taken away as she was returning from school in the company of her mates.

                The unfortunate incident occurred as the written part of the 2019 GCE exams were to start on Monday throughout the country.

                The Kidnappers have demanded FCFA 5 million as ransom, we learned.

                Family sources said the young girl is tall and light in complexion.

                Her father whose only name we got as Chinedu is a businessman of Nigerian nationality. Chinedu was on a business trip to Nigeria at the time of the child’s kidnap.

                The kidnappers have promised to kill the child if the ransom is not paid by Tuesday May 28.

NGO Advocates Creation of HIV Treatment Centers in Rural Areas

By Njodzefe Nestor in B’da

NGO Advocates Creation of HIV treatment

Rural Women Center for Education and Development, RuWCED, a Non-Governmental Organization based in the North West region of Cameroon has amongst other things recommended that the government of Cameroon and other health partners should create more HIV treatment centers in rurals areas.

                The recommendation was made after a Participatory Action Research for Strengthening Adolescent led engagement in HIV/AIDS prevention education, testing, treatment and anti-stigma behaviors in Ngoketunjia Division, North West region undertaken by RuWCED. 

                The research findings were presented on May 23, 2019 in Bamenda in a “dissemination meeting” attended amongst others by the coordinator of the NW Regional Technical Group for the fight against HIV and AIDS, Dr. Tayong Gladys, District Coordinator of the Ndop HIV treatment center, Dr Darlene Nchutong, the Regional Delegate of Secondary education, represenatives of religious instittions, HIV peer educators etc

                According to LoveesAhfembombi, Finance and Project coordinator of RuWCED, the research which whose target area was the 13 villages that make up Ngoketunjia and has as target population 2600 adolescents was aimed amongst other things at training 26 community leaders act as information points in providing HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, care, treatment and anti-stigma education, encourage 1300 adolescents to do voluntary HIV/AIDS test and to reduce stigma for adolescence already living with HIV.