By Yerima Kini Nsom The Constitutional Council on Monday October 22, declared the incumbent President Paul Biya of the ruling CPDM party, winner of the October 7 Presidential poll. The solemn ceremony at the Yaounde Conference Centre came under very heavy deployment of troops. Besides the fact that the Conference Centre was cordoned off by heavily armed combined squad of the gendarmerie and police elements, soldiers of the Rapid Intervention Battalion, BIR, constantly combed the streets of the nation’s capital in combat gear. As the Constitutional Council presented the results, the troops were almost omnipresent, making sure that nobody raised a finger of protest against the results of the election. The deployment of troops came on the heels of widespread claims that opposition militants, especially those of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, CRM, would take to the streets to protest against the stolen victory of their candidate, Prof. Maurice Kamto. The Council had paved the way for the incumbent’s victory when it rejected all the 18 electoral petitions that painted the ubiquitous nature to the fraud that characterised the election. The atmosphere that enveloped the proclamation of the results was tense and ominous as allegations that Cameroonians would pour out to the streets to protest Biya’s victory, was rife. According to the results, the Constitutional Council presented, President Paul Biya emerged the overall winner with 71.28 percent score. From the statistics presented, President Biya won in nine of the ten regions, keeping his closest challenger, Prof. Maurice Kamto, at a very safe distance with just 14.23 percent score. The performance of the other candidates in order of merit stood ad follows: Libii Li Ngue Ngue Cabral 6.28 percent; Osih Joshua Nambangi 3.35 percent; Ndam Njoya Adamou 1.73 percent; Garga Haman Adji 1.55 percent; Ndifor Afanwi Franklin 0.67 percent; Serge Espoir Matomba 0.56 percent and Muna Akere Tabeng 0.35 percent.

The World Health Organisation, WHO, is calling on Governments to step up the fight against poor sanitary conditions across the globe, at large, and the third world countries, in particular. A recent report published by the international body revealed that more than 2.3 billion human beings across the globe live in environments that threaten their health and life due to poor sanitation. According to the world body, all governments, businesses, community groups and elites must step up the fight against squalor, so as to save many from contracting preventable diseases. It also requires people to settle their homes in places where they can have easy access to potable water, toilette facilities and other basic necessities of life. The organisation regretted that such a huge number of people lack these basic requirements and are forced to defecate in the open air. Officials indicated that about 2.3 billion people live without proper toilet facilities; meanwhile, over 2 billion others use local pit and traditional toilets. “Actually, there are more than 4.5 billion people in the world who do not have water system toilets,’’ officials revealed. In cases where there are water system toilets, the surveyors stated that septic tanks are allowed to overflow, turning back to pollute the environment, increase the filth and further endanger human life. Experts observed that, in countries like Cameroon, septic tanks are emptied into streams and rivers, which is a big threat to marine live and the general environment. Coupled with this is the fact that, in most third world countries like Cameroon, waste is transported in open air, which is a major pollutant to the air people inhale causing a greater treat to their health. More reports from the WHO revealed that the high degree of poverty does not permit many to afford paying to use the few public toilets available in urban areas. The WHO with the United Nations outlined one of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDG’s, which is the endeavor by Governments to ensure that the target of providing basic conveniences to citizens is met by 2030. The WHO holds that if Governments around the world fail to attain this expectation, many people will continue suffering from preventable diseases of dirtiness which threaten their lives. By Saurelle Ninguem (SIANTOU Journalism Student on Internship)

By Maxcel Fokwen The once busy Kumba-Tombel Road axis is yet to regain its traffic verve months after it went dead owing to deadly separatists and military clashes that paralysed human movement. Bikers and other business persons who used the road daily are yet to return to the said axis despite relative calm in the area. The road is a major electricity route into Kumba and a business corridor for food and cash crops. Deadly clashes on the axis affected the supply of electricity into Kumba. Before the gun battles of the Anglophone Crisis, Kumba enjoyed the supply of current from two ends. Since the Tombel end went dead, Kumba has been powered with electricity from the Buea-Muea axis. The consequence has been a mixture of intermittent blackout and low voltage lasting some times for a week. Beyond this, bikers who earned a living plying the road axis daily quickly fused themselves among those who circulate on the streets of metropolitan Kumba. These reclined as the road axis became more of a dead corridor for travellers usually caught in crossfire. Famers with estates that produce huge quantity of food crops and cocoa have bore the brunt of losing their source of livelihood. Food crops such as plantains have been abandoned to rot in the bushes, while cocoa farms besides the road are left unattended to. Villages such as Teke, Etam and Ebonji spread across this road corridor have suffered the consequence of separatists’ presence which often times end in security raids on homes and neighbourhoods. Families have lost loved ones, houses and property. Kidnappings and killings have occurred along this road corridor on an unacceptable scale. Traditional rulers in most of these villages have seen their powers eroded to extinction. Though a rough road axis riddled with muddy spots and gullies, people were however defiant in the days before the current social pressures erupted. The deadly twist of the Anglophone Crisis is what suppressed human activity across this road corridor. It is unlikely that the road corridor will open any time soon.

EDITION NO 01949 By A Correspondent The Anglophone crisis has taken a different twist with an upsurge in kidnappings,killings, rampant arrests on daily basis, young people targeted most. Over 700 young people have been killed since 2016 that this struggle for the State of Ambazonian began. The teachers and lawyers strike, it should be recalled triggered what is known today as the Anglophone crisis rocking the two regions Northwest and Southwest. There is a pathetic story of , a certain Pingpoh Clive , a Secondary School Teacher, who was kidnapped by Separatists on June 13, for going to school and teaching, a thing Amba Defense Fighters had banned. He was tortured physically and mentally. The separatists allegedly collected 1 million FRS, from Pingpoh,s wife as ransom . About two months after the set incident,he was being called to report to the police station for questioning..After doing some inquiries to know why they needed him,it was said that some persons from the separatist movement where arrested and they had seen monetary transactions pointing to him and his wife,implying they where financial sponsors to the group. He escaped to an unknown destination for safety, given the fact that Government had threatened suspending salaries of civil servants who don’t go to work and kill those siting with the secessionist movement. Either way, teachers like Pingpoh Clive, Nfor Nicolas, Che Asumpta are not safe, from the hands of separatists or government. It should also be recalled that Cameroon Protestant College has between two years lost two senior teachers, Government High School Wum three teachers killed by Amba and elite Forces, Govt Secondary School Chumba, two teachers. The list is endless.

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By Basil K Mbuye Cameroonian born striker, Lewis Enoh, made his debut in the Romanian Liga 1 for Polintehnica Lasi in their 3-2 defeat of Voluntari. Playing away from home, the forward came into the game at the 60th minute and put on a wonderful performance that gave his side the winning goal during the additional four minutes after regular playing time. Enoh provided the assist that saw M. Mihaescu making it 3-2 for the visiting side. It was the first game for the Cameroonian forward since his move from Belgian side, Lokeren, in the summer transfer. Polintehnica will face Dinamo Bucuresti at home on Friday, September 21.

By Basil K Mbuye Newly signed FC Polintehnica Lasi and Cameroonian born forward Lewis Enoh enjoyed his first home victory since joining the Romanian Liga 1 side in summer. Polintehnica Lasi’s home game against Dinamo Bucaresti was the first game for the Cameroonian at home since joining the club. The Cameroonian made his first appearance in front of the home crowd at the Stadionul Emi Alexandrescu when he came in at the 71st minute replacing Andrei Cristea. Despite many attempts on goal, the striker failed to get his first goal for the club in his second game. Enoh is gradually breaking his way into the The lone goal in the encounter came in at the 38th minute after D. Flores beat the goalkeeper to give his side the lone goal in the game. The game ended 1-0 with Polintehnica Lasi beating their visitors Dinamo Bucaresti. It has been two games and two victories for Lewis Enoh since joining the Romanian side. Polintehnica Lasi is now ranked in the 6th position with 14 points after nine games.

The Fons of Menka and Buchi Villages in Santa Subdivision, as at Sunday May 27, were of the firm conviction that the killed 30 people in Menka, Pinyin, by soldiers were armed bandits and not Ambazonian Forces. They said, for three days (Wednesday May 24 to Friday May 26), hoodlums terrorised the population of Pinyin as they went round the villages stealing goats, pigs, fowls; collecting local guns from homes; abducting young boys and girls and demanding ransom or raping girls. The gang is said to have finally settled at the defunct Star Hotel on the outskirts of Menka, about one kilometre from the Central town. Star Hotel Proprietor Recounts Ordeal Talking to The Post in Pinyin on Saturday, May 26, the Proprietor of Star Hotel, Cletus Cheo, 30, married to two wives and a father of several children, said he was confronted on Wednesday, May 23, at about midday on his farm, while he was spraying crops, by five boys who told him they are out on a serious mission and it would be good for them to go and talk with him in his hotel. “When we got here, I discovered that there were more than 15 of them. They were not masked. I told them that, since the hotel business was no longer doing well, I decided to transform it into my family home, though I have a comfortable home I constructed before the hotel. “I then asked them about the serious issue they wanted us to discuss. One of them said they are Ambazonian fighters and were here to fight for us and that they think this hotel will serve as an operational base. They said, from here, they will engage in the fight for liberation. I became so frightened. The one who spoke pulled out FCFA 49,000 and handed to me to go and buy drinks so that, as we are discussing, we should be drinking. I refused. He threatened me, brandishing a gun and a knife. I had no choice, so, I took the money and went for the drinks. That is how I got out of the house and that gave me the opportunity to narrate this story to my mother, wife and children. “My mother came and we all pleaded with them to leave my house. They were adamant. Instead, they started beating my mother in front of me and warning me not to tell anybody that they are here, else I will be a corpse the next minute. As they were drinking and installing themselves, news started circulating round the villages. “At 11.00pm, my mother and I were released on conditions that we were separating on an oath that nobody will hear of this story. We went home trembling and I immediately took my mother to the hospital for treatment. “Since then, I have not been here, until Friday, at about 5.00am when someone told me that information is circulating that the police will storm the hotel. The shooting here started at 6.00 am when the fellows were still inside with girls they brought along. Many were killed. Some, who were fleeing the area, were shot. My house is completely damaged. Khan Patrick Awa On The Run As Troops, Gunmen Demand His Head Meanwhile, the greatest victim of the Menka-Pinyin massacre is Khan Patrick Awa, head of the Khan family in Pinyin. The health worker is currently on the run as both Government security officers and the armed men are looking for him. If caught by any of the parties, Khan Patrick Awa will be slaughtered for what both parties have termed “betrayal.” The Post learnt that when the armed youths first stormed Pinyin on May 22, 2018, they forcefully took over the Khan’s family house at gun point. However, when the gunmen discovered that the news has leaked to the security forces, they stormed out of the house and sought refuge in Star Hotel before meeting their waterloo as they were all neutralised by Government security forces. After the incident, the security forces opened a manhunt for Khan Patrick Awa; accusing him of housing those they termed “terrorists and secessionists.” Meanwhile, on their part, the gunmen are demanding the head of Khan Patrick Awa, for selling them out to Government security forces and causing the death of almost 30 of their members. Speaking to this reporter, one of the relatives of Khan Patrick Awa said they fear for the life of their child because after the incident, both Government troops and the gunmen have been visiting their house, asking for his whereabouts. “We pray that God will protect our son wherever he is,” our source said. Santa Deputy Mayor, Gideon Muluh, Counts The Dead “It has been an unfortunate incident and since I was born and bred here, I have never witnessed such a scenario where people have been slain. We are here to count the dead. So far, some Bali women who came here have identified eight corpses and they have been carried to Bali for burial; Buchi, a neighbouring village, identified and collected five corpses; Bamendankwe, one corpse; Njong Santa one; the others are from Menka where we are standing. As at now, we can say 27 corpses have been found, but there may still be more in the bush. Of these 27, families have claimed 25 and if the rest of the corpses are not collected, the […]

By Chris MBUNWE Some unidentified gunmen are reported to have kidnapped the President of the High Court of Wum, Justice Ntali Mukete Itoe, in the early hours of Wednesday, August 23 and whisked-off to an unknown destination. Massive arrests and torture has been the order of the day since the incident happened. When re-enforcement was drafted in from Nkambe and Bamenda, most of the boys had escaped into the bushes, abandoning their homes and leaving behind their mothers and ground parents at the mercy of Gendarmes and elements of the Rapid Intervention Battalion, known by its French acronym as BIR. Meanwhile, three weeks back, some four gendarmes were killed in Esu Wum. The President of the Wum High Court, Justice Ntali Mukete Itoe, was abducted on his way to Wum where he works. According to information The Post gnarled, Justice Mukete Itoe was identified and pulled out of a public transport vehicle plying the Bamenda-Wum Road. Before we went to press, information was also emerging that the office of the DO’s office in the same area was set on fire.

By Andrew Nsoseka 16-year old, Christian Kemssu, a naturally gifted soccer player, is likely going to be Lions Striker, Samuel Eto’o’s replacement in the Lions’ den and beyond. The tall, gangling, left-footed ball juggler, is one of the most promising strikers in Cameroon’s domestic league, and has broken another record as the youngest Elite One champion in the history of Cameroon football. The 16-year-old striker, now plying his trade with legendary Coton Sport FC, has gone into history books as the youngest player to have emerged as champion in Cameroon’s top flight championship, Elite One. The striker, currently on a four-year contract with Coton Sport, has had a trail of successes in his young football career. On his own, the brilliant left-footed attacking midfielder and striker, has proven to be of exceptional talent, given a track record of his exploits in the different teams he has played with. Prior to his joining Coton Sport, he played for Poumié FC, where, before his departure, he was crowned best player in the Divisional League. He also received the trophy for the highest goal scorer in the Mfoundi Divisional League, all in 2017. Soccer pundits are already predicting that, Kemssu, if harnessed well, will be a perfect replacement of Samuel Eto’o. His exploits attracted a lot of attention and bids from a wide range of clubs in and out of the country. Among the various teams who vied for the young striker, Cameroon’s most prestigious team, Coton Sport succeeded and awarded him a four-year contract, where he now plays. Born on November 04,2001 in Yaounde, Christian Kemssu, 1m.94 in height, happens to be the son of the ex-professional player, Fernand Taninche. Kemssu was trained by Poumié FC of Yaoundé where he did spectacularly well and left the side when the applause was highest. According to his father, Taninche, So many European clubs are scrambling for his son to pen down a contract with them. Taninche Fernand, also expresses gratitude to the entire management of Poumie FC and Coton Sport of Garoua for projecting his son’s soccer prowess to the lime light. Kemssu, can be reached for more details and deals, through his public relations officer, PRO, mbunocent@yahoo.co.uk, and on phone through +237 675190446

Yang Says He Isn’t Ready To Ransom For Any Kidnapped Militants By Joe Dinga Pefok The deteriorating security situation in the Northwest Region and numerous threats from the Ambazonia Defence Forces, ADF, have forced Northwest CPDM elite to ban campaign rallies in the Region ahead of the October 7 Presidential election. The decision was adopted at a CPDM meeting at Ayaba Hotel in Bamenda on Saturday, August 18, 2018, chaired by the CPDM Northwest Regional Coordinator, who is also the Prime Minister, Philemon Yang. The meeting was attended by external and internal Northwest CPDM elites, including CPDM Divisional Coordinators and Section Presidents. The meeting held within the backdrop of scaring reports of surging cases of kidnapping in the Region by unknown persons claiming to be Amba fighters. One of the recent cases that was still very fresh in the minds of the Northwest CPDM elite was the kidnapping of Mbonifor, the CPDM Section President of Mezam 1V (Bafut). Meanwhile, a source at the August 18 meeting presided at by the PM, told The Post that after evaluating the deteriorating security situation in the Region as well as the warnings and threats by Amba fighters and activists against the holding of the October 7 Presidential election, the Northwest CPDM officials and elite agreed that it will be too risky for them to organise public rallies during the Presidential election campaigns. They expressed fear that militants, especially the elite, can be shot at or kidnapped by Amba fighters. It was thus resolved that the CPDM will avoid organising public rallies during the campaigns. Faced with such situation, the Northwest CPDM elite adopted the door-to-door and telephone contacts campaigns strategies to meet potential voters. They also resolved to campaign through the social media. I Will Not Pay Ransom, Yang Warns Subordinates Meanwhile, The Post learnt that the Prime Minister was so scared of the Amba boys and warned members of his entourage not to ‘stray’ out of the gate of the heavily guarded Ayaba Hotel, throughout their stay in Bamenda. He reportedly warned that if any person moves out of the gate and is kidnapped by Amba, he will not pay any ransom for the person’s release. The Post also learnt that from Friday, August 18 that the Prime Minister Yang arrived Bamenda, till the Wednesday, August 22, when he left back to Yaounde, he did not leave Ayana Hotel. Meanwhile, the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, told reporters in Bamenda on Monday, August 20 that the Northwest Region is calm. Yet, Atanga Nji, who is also the Mezam Divisional Coordinator of the CPDM, was one of the key participants at the CPDM meeting that Prime Minister Yang chaired on August 18.

By Andrew Nsoseka& Derrick Wambo Woteva The people of Bakweri Town, Sandpit area in Buea, on Monday, July 30, experienced one of their greatest horrors in memory, when masked elements of the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) moved into Bakweri Town and massacred youths, took some away and executed them in neighbouring Muea, leaving communities behind wailing and mourning their children and friends. Following the incident, a team from The Post set out tovisit the scene of the killings andget the details from those who witnessed what they described as summary executions. Most of those who witnessed the killings, sought for anonymity, scared of being identified with the story, for fear of being subsequent targets. Account Of A Close Friend One of those who was with the victims, minutes before the soldiers swooped in narrates: “At about 1:45pm on Monday, we stood around the road, nine of us, discussing. One of my friends made a call, and someone was to send him money via mobile money and my phone was used for the transaction. We separated. I went into my house and he crossed the road moving down to where the BIR later came. About five minutes later, those who were still outside called me and I came out. After about five minutes, two BIR Hilux vehicles arrived and branched off at the Executive Hotel Junction. The first BIR vehicle carried BIR soldiers all in black attire. The second vehicle came with soldiers in their normal BIR attire with inscriptions on it. They got into the quarters and we had no idea of where they were going to or what they were going to do. About 10 minutes later, we heard gunshots coming from the direction where some of our friends were, at LalaWotoye. Everyone who heard the shots ran into their houses. We didn’t know what was happening. Some of us thought the soldiers were firing into the air to scare people. After about 15 minutes of sustained gunshots, the guns went silent.Peoplethen came out of their homes. I also came out and we stood by the road, confused about what was going on.The very BIR pick-up trucks came out of the quarters. They drove down towards Sandpit, although they came in from a different direction. As they drove past us, we heard cries from the direction they were coming from. They had shot some boys who were caught smoking. We rushed to the scene and upon reaching there; we saw those who were killed.One of them was my younger brother here in the quarter. He is not an Amba fighter. They are not Amba boys. All they did was smoke. And when you listen to the radio and watch these journalists who have not even come to the scene, you hear them saying, “Amba boys have been killed.” All lies. Let the truth be told, innocent people were massacred.” This account was corroborated by many other eyewitnesses. Another eyewitness narrates how a corpse was later taken away: “Mayor Ekema came in after we had carried the dead bodies from the gutter where they were killed, up to the road, the T-shirt I wore is completely stained with blood. Thank God we got there earlier and even took pictures of the corpse else they would have displayed guns on them and then claimed that they were armed, whereas they had nothing, not even sticks. “I recognised two military officers there, one called Joel, and the Company Commander of the Brigade here in Buea. There was a small captain there, he is of the 21st Motorised Battalion, and he had his own crew. They came here. They all cocked their guns, the Mayor holding his own gun, said he is giving us five minutes to bring the corpses outside. About three boys from the crowd asked him who he expects to remove the corpses and hand to them, and where they are taking the corpses to. The Mayor lifted his gun and trained it on us – a people he calls his own. Finally, they carried the corpses away. Former Quarter-head Who Witnessed Shooting Scene At the area where the boys were surrounded and shot dead, we met an elderly man who has lived there since the 80s and also served for seven years as the Quarter-head. He said the area, under a mango tree, opposite his residence, where the boys were massacredis a smoking joint where many of the youths, about 30 of them, usually come to smoke. He said, sometimes, “even the military officers come there and smoke and we all see them”. “I have advised them like an elder to stop smoking, but they usually come there, it is not new.” Asked what he witnessed on that fateful day, Mola Sam narrated: “I stood outside here, in front of my house, discussing with one of my neighbours who is a Lecturer at the National Advance School of Public Works in Buea. We were discussing what is going on, this Chiefs matter,all of a sudden, we heard: ‘gham, kakakakakaka!’ deafening gunshots, just in front of us. My neighbour, a man, ran down and even missed the road to his house. He just went down straight, instead of crossing the bridge and going to his house. He was confused. I also ran into my house and locked the door with my family and all of us were lying down on […]

The Bishop of Buea, His Lordship Immanuel Bushu, Friday, August 10, shocked the over 2000 mourners, who had converged on the Regina Pacis Cathedral Small Soppo, Buea to pay homage to Rev. Fr Alexander Nougi Sob. Mgr Bushu left the tongues of mourners wagging hysterically when he openly debunked the widespread allegations that were being peddled around that the fallen Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Parish Bomaka was killed by a stray bullet. According to the Chief Shepherd of Buea, the erstwhile Catholic Education Secretary of Buea Diocese was brutally murdered and assassinated using a silencer. “Fr. Sob was brutally killed, assassinated…. Why on earth he went to Muyuka, I, myself, do not know and the people who know do not want to tell us the truth…Those who said it was a cross-fire are liars and those that killed him are right here with us and their consciences will not let them free,” the Bishop thundered. The Prelate described the fallen Priest as a good teacher, great speaker and a dynamic preacher. Mgr. Bushu denied the stories of Fr. Sob going to see his mother in Muyuka, because, according to the Bishop, the Priest’s mother had already been in Yaounde before his demise. The Bishop said the late Reverend Father was in the company of two other persons at the time he was assassinated. Talking to The Post, Mgr. Bushu emphasised that people should learn to tell the truth and that mourners should forgive those who carried out the heinous act. The more than 2,000 mourners who attended the Requiem Mass comprised of Priests, Seminarians, Religious, Political and Traditional Authorities from all over the country. Presenting the autopsy report to mourners, the Vicar General of Buea Diocese, Fr Bernard Asek Tambe, said the report revealed that Fr Sob was shot by two bullets, one on the left and another on right side of the chest, all at the same level. “The poisoned bullet on the left bore a hole to his heart causing instant death, while the bullet on the right passed through his body to his back.” With the help of the autopsy, it was determined that the shots were carried out by a professional, who used a silencer gun. The shot was taken from the windscreen; from a distance of between 50cm to 70cm away. A Ballistic Expert will be needed to determine whether the two bullets are of the same kind. This is to ascertain whether it was one person or two people of the same height, who fired the shots. Meanwhile, the Head of the Sob family frowned at some media reports alleging that their brother was killed by a stray bullet. She reiterated that Fr Sob was assassinated and prayed the Church to launch an investigation and bring the culprits to face the long arm of the law. It should be stressed here that before his demise, the 45-year-old Priest was a Lecturer at the Catholic University Institute of Brea, CUIB, and a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education in the University of Buea. The “Wonder Boy” as he was fondly called by listeners of his radio programme, Bless Line over CRTV Mount Cameroon FM and “Soppi” by students of the Catholic Educational family, will generally been missed by his fans, students and the Christian family of Buea Diocese. By Ernest Ekema, Barbara Epey, Minerva Molinge & Njamilatou Tontang (UB Journalism Students on Internship)

By Maxcel Fokwen Two youngsters guilty of impersonating elements of the Ambazonia Defense Forces, ADF, have been slammed a 40-months- jail term for harassing the population and extorting money. Judges at the Kumba Magistrate Court passed the ruling on August 9 as the matter was heard in court. The Post gleaned that the duo pleaded guilty of acts of impersonation, harassment and extortion. Besides the sentences, the duo was equally slammed fines in different amounts. It is reported that the duet were arrested around the Kumba Town neighbourhood recently, attempting to extort money from people under the guise of being Ambazonian fighters. Thursday’s ruling at the Magistrate’s Court comes at a time when unknown youths are harassing city dwellers in Kumba. Reports have emerged daily of unknown individuals requesting for huge amounts of money and other materials as support to the separatists. In the face of the development, security forces have gone on an offensive to unearth such ‘gangs’. On July 18 this year, the Meme administration presented to the public two persons caught in the same practice. The pair, Mark Tebeck, 20 and Thomas Agbor Junior, 38; father of two, moved around Kumba extorting money from a number of individuals. They call and threaten targets through telephone to give money. Tebeck and Agbor admitted having made over FCFA 400.000 from the business which they claim started in the month of May. Tebeck and Agbor are still being detained and are expected to stand trial for their actions in the days ahead. Police arrested them after a tipoff from one of their potential victims. The Senior Divisional Officer, SDO for Meme Chamberlin Ntou’ou Ndong, has repeatedly challenged the population to denounce such persons at the appropriate quarters for actions to be initiated.

By Nformi Sonde Kinsai The Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, has tasked recently freed Fako Chiefs to lure their subjects out of the bushes. This was during a reception of four out of the seven freed Fako Chiefs in Yaounde on August 3. Minister Atanga Nji instructed them: “while back in your communities, ask the young people to come out of the bushes.” The Chiefs received included: Johnson Njoke of Wokaka village; Philip Ikome of Wokeka; Thomas Elinge Ndotoh of Ewili and Herman Njombi of Wokwai. A Councillor of the Buea Council, Edward Wokama Ngangue, who was also abducted and later freed, was also part of the delegation that was headed by Mayor Patrick Ekema. Expressing the compassion of the Head of State to the Chiefs, Atanga Nji said President Paul Biya was very touched upon hearing of their kidnapping. “Cameroon is a peaceful country and the President, since 1982, has been working tirelessly to ensure that peace is maintained. But unfortunately, the situation in the Northwest and Southwest Regions is now threatening that peace,” he stated. He thanked and described the Mayor of Buea as “a courageous and an example of a patriotic citizen. Cameroon needs more courageous people like the Mayor in these challenging times,” Atanga Nji noted. He told the Chiefs that as custodians of tradition and President Biya being the Fon of Fons, he (Biya) is supportive of them to guarantee the protection of tradition. According to him, President Biya keenly listened to the demands of the lawyers and the teachers and has thus made tremendous efforts in resolving them. He argued that Biya has given to the Anglophones more than what they expected, pointing to the recent cabinet reshuffle which, according to him, saw Anglophones occupying key positions. “Nothing can justify the terrorism occurring in the country. Government rejects violence in its totality. Cameroon is a State of law and the rule of law must be respected. Statistics show that terrorists have raped 1,280 girls between the ages of 11 and 14…People cannot be asking for development and at the same time burning down public and private properties,” he thundered. He said Government is ready to discuss, but only within the ambit of the institutional reforms of the State. Speaking on behalf of the Chiefs who, The Post gathered were advised not to make any public declarations, Patrick Ekema, told reporters that the rising insecurity in the municipality must end for Buea to regain its status of legendary hospitality. He said following the release of the Chiefs, they were negotiating the last bend. He talked of how the Council stood its grounds to ensure that there was school resumption despite the distortion that was orchestrated by the lawyers’ and teachers’ strikes. He said extra catch up lessons in the form of holiday classes were organised with some 7000 pupils and students attending. Ekema said in the face of such efforts, “Presbyterian and Catholic school Proprietors unanimously decided to side with the ‘terrorists’ to enforce non-resumption of schools. And of course, we stood our grounds and addressed a memo to the Head of State indicating the role of the clergy in the non-resumption of classes,” he disclosed. He recalled that at the beginning of the school year, some parents got angry and took the PCC Moderator and the Archbishop to court. “Somewhere along the line, there was a lot of pressure, they succumbed and opened the doors of their schools. “That notwithstanding, we have been of course ensuring that we animate the city with life. One of the primordial roles of a Council in our country is to ensure the social welfare of our people. Being a Mayor, I could not be indifferent. I have been pushing this course to the latter. “What triggered the last move was the abduction of traditional rulers in my municipality and I could not stay silent. I issued an ultimatum and we are happy it was respected, reason why we are having the chiefs here. I am not going to end at this. We have a wide and an elaborate plan. You heard me say we are negotiating the last bend and I am sure we are going to certainly have a good time to negotiate that last bend,” Ekema stated. Wokama Testifies Meanwhile, Wokama who exhibited wounds resulting from torture said he was kidnapped alone while on his way back from the farm. He narrated that he was accused of being an informant to the Buea Mayor and was thus tortured for 11 hours. He said all plead of his innocence fell on hard rock as he eventually gave a bag of rice. He stated that those who kidnapped him were not mask but unfortunately, he cannot recognise them. He noted that he was set free only when the abductors discovered that his situation was getting very bad as he bled profusely. The Ekema-led delegation of Chiefs and the Councillor were thereafter received in audience that same day by the Prime Minister, Philemon Yang.

By Maxcel Fokwen The Kombone Bafaw Palace of Cameroon’s eldest Senator, Nfon V.E Mukete, in Konye Sub-division, Southwest Region has been attacked by unknown men and some royal properties reportedly looted in the process. The incident unfolded in the night of Wednesday, August 1, breaking Thursday, August 2. A source in Konye Sub-division, confirmed to The Post that the gunmen stormed the Palace, shattering the windows and making away with valuable material. Our source said the gunmen are suspected to be members of the separatists’ Ambazonia Defence Forces. The Kombone Bafaw Palace of the revered traditional ruler and Statesman is often used for occasional purposes when Mukete sojourns to Konye Sub-division. It is undoubtedly the most expensive house existing in the village located along the Kumba-Mamfe Road axis. A few years back, Kombone Bafaw received a facelift as it hosted the annual cultural festival of the Bafaw tribe tagged ‘Mbum Bafaw’. However, the main Palace of the Paramount Ruler of the Bafaw tribe is found in Kumba. The attack on the palace is not the first in the Northwest and Southwest Regions, since the current social pressures assumed a deadly posture. Across Konye Sub-division, most traditional rulers have escaped their villages citing threats to life. The first arson on palaces was recorded in Etam, Tombel Sub-division. Gunmen attacked the locality early this year setting it ablaze and brandishing a coffin. Months after, similar attacks on secret traditional establishments were recorded in Nguti and across Lebialem Division .As at press time; attempts to get reaction from the Kumba Palace on the incident were unsuccessful.

By Bouddih Adams A delegation of members of Government sent abroad on an offensive to counter Ambazonia claims that have exposed and sullied the image of the Government of Cameroon, especially its military, has submitted its report, which The Post procured. The mission was charged with: meeting the UN Secretary General, Antonio Gutteres, Permanent Representatives of member countries of the UN Security Council, Non-Permanent Members of the Security Council, the US Government and Legislators (Senators and Congressmen), Non Governmental Organisations among others. The mission was assigned to give Cameroon’s version of the situation in the country; brief them on the exact situation on the field; arrange for some diasporans to work with the Government, form pressure groups in Washington and New York, et cetera. It comprised Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute, Minister in charge of Missions at the Presidency; Paul Ghogomu Mingo, Director of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet; Felix Mbayu, Minister Delegate to Ministry of External Relations (MINREX) in charge of the Commonwealth; Oumarou Chinmoun, Director of American and Caribbean Affairs at the MINREX; and Susan Eyema Elinge epse Ewusi, Research Officer at the Presidency. Resource Documents were: talking points on the special mission to the USA; briefing notes on the situation in the Northwest and Southwest Regions; Government’s response to the 2017 State Department’s report on the situation of Human Rights in Cameroon; comments on the written statement by Felix Agbor Nkongho to the US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, by Prof. Victor Julius Ngoh; Government emergency humanitarian assistance plan in the Northwest and Southwest Regions 2018 – 2019; 2016 Report on the situation of Human Rights in Cameroon by the Ministry of Justice; compilation of the actions carried out by Government since the onset of the crisis in the Northwest and Southwest Regions; Compendium of US Government Reports, by Squire Patton Boggs Firm; Cameroon Government’s response to the Amnesty International report titled “Cameroon: credible evidence that army personnel responsible for shocking extrajudicial executions caught on video.” The mission, in its report, stated that, at each audience, it briefed its hosts on: the evolution of the socio-political situation of the country; the atrocities committed by the secessionists on the civilian populations, government officials, traditional rulers and security forces; the violence perpetrated on public edifices and infrastructure as well as on private property. It stated that it was helped in the organisation of audiences by the Cameroon Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Tommo Monthe. The mission presented in the reports as remarks and recommendations: “Maintain a direct link between our Government and the UN by constant high-level missions; adopt and adapt an aggressive communication strategy, especially with the Anglo-Saxon press; get our Permanent Mission all documentation to distribute on a permanent basis.” Noting that: “We feel that the US Government is better informed now,” following the mission abroad, the delegation gave as recommendations: “Reinforce our relations with some influential members of the Congress; Promote productive cooperation with the USA [such information missions should be multiplied; Our partners of Squire Patton Boggs should be more proactive; The Ambassador should be more present at the US Congress; We should send to them up-to-date information.” They stated that at the end of the mission, following instructions from the Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic: “We invited Dr. Ekema, retired from the Pennsylvania State University, to start working on creating a coalition of Cameroonians of the Diaspora who are ready to engage in positive and productive relationships with the American authorities, especially on pertinent issues concerning Cameroon.”

By Isidore Abah Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has lambasted the Government of Cameroon over numerous reports of gross human rights violations and abuses, especially in the Northwest, Southwest and Far North Regions of the country. The UN Human Rights Chief lashed out on the Government of Cameroon on Wednesday, July 25. According to him, despite repeated appeals made by his office to the Government to grant its staff access to internally and externally displaced persons, especially those of the English-speaking Regions of the country to investigate allegations of human rights abuses, their requests have repeatedly fallen on death ears. “Given the seriousness of violence reports against Cameroonians in the Western part of the country, we have asked for access to these persons to be able to verify allegations made against both security forces and armed elements… We will now need to explore other options, including remote monitoring…,” Zeid asserted. Since the escalation of the Anglophone Crisis in 2016, and the resultant military onslaught, which the Government used to clamp down on peaceful demonstrators, there have been numerous reports about human rights abuses such as: arbitrary arrests, kidnappings, extra-judicial killings, looting, extortion, torture and excessive use of force. As reports of the above-mentioned vices surged in the heat of the Crisis, over 21,000 Cameroonians fled to neighbouring Nigeria, and over 160,000 sought safe sanctuaries in other Regions of the country with some taking refuge in the forests under deplorable conditions. Meanwhile, after close to two years of untold suffering and the loss of human lives, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights thinks that the time to bury the hatchet is now in order to prevent more bloodshed. “To prevent the situation from deteriorating further, I urge the Government to launch independent investigations into the reports of human rights violations by State security forces as well as abuses by armed elements… I condemn the attacks by Cameroonian armed elements, including the ambush on 13 July near the town of Kumba in the Southwest Region on the Minister of Defence convoy. But the heavy-handed security response that the Government appears to have employed since October last year will only make matters worse for the women, children and men caught in the middle.” Zeid further said he was “utterly appalled” by a horrific video reportedly showing members of the armed forces executing a woman, a child and a baby accused of being members of Boko Haram. “The Government of Cameroon has an obligation to investigate this atrocious crime urgently. I am deeply worried that these killings captured on camera may not be isolated cases,” he said.

By Yerima Kini Nsom The CPDM Section President for the Nyong and Mfoumou North-East in the Centre Region, Hon. Roger Nkodo Ndang, says President Biya has already won the October 7 Presidential Election. “By virtue of the mobilisation of our militants, and by dint of the fact that the Nyong and Mfoumou North-East Section is voting 100 per cent for their National Chairman, I can say that President Paul Biya has already won the election,” Hon. Nkodo Ndang, who is also the President of the Pan-African Parliament told the press. He was speaking during a rally in Gombo in Nyako Kombo Sub-division in the Nyong and Mfoumou Division on Saturday, July 22. According to the politician, the unflinching support the local militants have for Biya makes the upcoming presidential election a mere formality. To Nkodo, mobilising militants to give a 100 per cent vote to President Biya was not a difficult thing for them because they are constantly in touch with the masses in the field. The MP expressed appreciation to President Biya for supporting his candidacy and blessing him to emerge as the President of the Pan-African Parliament for the second time. He said he has beaten South Africa and North Africa in elections at the Pan-African Parliament four times in 12 years. Nkodo Ndang lauded the presence of the Dean of African Diplomats in Yaounde, H.E. Beti Marace Martial, who is the Ambassador of the Central African Republic and Algerian Ambassador to Cameroon, saying they were true friends. He said militants were overwhelmed with joy that the incumbent Biya heeded the people’s call by declaring his candidacy. He said as far as the upcoming election is concerned, “President Paul Biya is Nyong and Mfoumou North- East, Nyong and Mfoumou North-East is President Paul Biya.” The MP said despite a smear campaign against him, he is waxing strong as President of the Pan-African Parliament. For his part, the Section President of the Mfoumou North, Francis Zibi Samba, said despite the fact that President Biya is 85 years old and has been in office for 35 years, they were going to vote him 100 per cent because he is the voice of the people. He condemned the on-going violence in the two Anglophone Regions, calling on all militants to stand behind President Biya because he is a man of peace. The CPDM Central Committee Permanent Delegate to the Nyong and Mfoumou Constituency, Robert Nkili, lauded the militants for always standing behind President Biya. To him, the militants even ought to show more loyalty to the President for supporting one of theirs, Nkodo Ndong to emerge as President of the Pan-African Parliament. He said the setting of the love affair between CPDM National Chair and the people of Nyong and Mfoumou projects to 100 per cent vote people in the area will give President Biya in the upcoming October 7 election. Taking the floor, the WCPDM President, Regine Mekono Aboudou, the Mayor of Kobdombo, Colin Ze Biwole Mimbama, all praised President Biya for projecting Nkodo Ndong. They equally promised to express their gratitude by voting overwhelmingly for him on October 7. The Youth President called on his peers to stand against the destabilisation of Cameroon and support Biya to fight terrorism that is gradually plunging the country into chaos. The meeting sounded very much like a campaign rally, even though campaigns for the upcoming Presidential poll will be launched officially on September 24. Hon. Nkodo Ndong who organised the meeting was not in that political ruse alone. The Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Promotion of the Family also organised a rally in her native Mefou and Akono Division. Various speakers at the occasion called for an overwhelming vote for President Biya.

Conference To Seek Lasting Solution To Anglophone Crisis Give 2 Tough Conditions For Participation Appeal To Restoration Forces To Down Arms Tells Gov’t To End Military Hostilities, Bring Back Fleeing Population By Nformi Sonde Kinsai & Sylvester Atemnkeng Archbishop Emeritus of Douala Archdiocese, His Eminence Christian Cardinal Tumi; the Synod Clerk of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, PCC, Rev. George Babila Fochang, the Imam of the Bamenda Central Mosque, Tukur Mohammed Adamu and the Chief Imam of the Buea Central Mosque, Alhadji Mohammed Aboubakar; have convened an Anglophone General Conference for August 29 and 30 in Buea. The information is contained in an announcement signed by the above servants of God after a meeting in Douala on July 25 on the invitation of Cardinal Tumi. The objective of the conference, it is stated, is to promote peace in Cameroon. Below is the full content of the announcement. “In the name of the Almighty God, the Father and Creator of all of us, we His undersigned servants, met today, July 25, 2018, in Douala at the invitation of His Eminence Christian Cardinal Tumi, to reflect and pray over the political, social, economic and security situation prevailing in Anglophone Cameroon (Northwest and Southwest Regions). “As we all know, the people of these two regions have suffered enough hardship in the nearly two years since the present crisis erupted in October 2016. We believe that the moment has come to put an end to the conflict through a frank, inclusive and comprehensive national dialogue on the Anglophone Problem. We therefore, fervently appeal to the President of the Republic, Head of State, to organise such a dialogue as soon as possible. “We recognise that absolute necessity for the people of the Southwest and Northwest Regions to hold a preparatory general conference in order to agree on the issues to be examined at the national dialogue on the Anglophone Problem and to freely designate their representatives at that dialogue. “Accepting our moral responsibility to promote peace and harmony among all God’s children, we hereby freely take the initiative to constitute ourselves into a college of conveners for the purpose of summoning the required General Conference of the people of the Southwest and Northwest Regions. To this end, we hereby convene an Anglophone General Conference (AGC) to be held in Buea on Wednesday 29 and Thursday 30, August 2018. “The Anglophone General Conference will be organised by a broad-based conference organising committee comprising representatives of traditional and religious authorities, civil society leaders, professional associations, women and youth groups, trade union organisations, etc. Participation in the conference will be open, and limited to all Cameroonian citizens living in Cameroon or abroad who fall in one of the following two categories: i) Those whose ancestral origins are within one of the 13 Divisions of the territory that today constitute the Northwest and Southwest Regions of Cameroon; or ii) Those whose parents or grandparents, not having their ancestral origins in one of the 13 Divisions of the Southwest and Northwest Regions, settled permanently in this territory as at 1st October 1961. “The Governors of the Northwest and Southwest Regions shall be invited to attend the Anglophone General Conference in person or through their designated representatives. “We hereby designate Dr. Simon Munzu, a well-known Civil Society personality and the Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations, as spokesperson, Adviser to the Conveners and Coordinator of the Conference Organising Committee. “We call upon the Government of Cameroon and the various armed groups that now operate throughout the territory of the Northwest and Southwest Regions, to declare an immediate end to military hostilities in these two regions and thus create favourable conditions for finding a peaceful and lasting solution to the Anglophone Problem and to ending the Anglophone Crisis in our country through dialogue. “We pray the Government of Cameroon to create favourable conditions for the participation of all qualified individuals in the Anglophone General Conference by discontinuing all criminal proceedings and ordering the release of all persons currently detained in connection with the Anglophone Crisis as well as facilitating the return of persons who have been internally or externally displaced as a result of the Anglophone Crisis since October 2016, including those on exile and refugees. “We call upon all the people of the Northwest and Southwest Regions living at home and abroad to make the sacrifices necessary, even in these difficult circumstances, to attend the Anglophone General Conference massively, and thus contribute directly to collectively search for a final, lasting and satisfactory solution to the Anglophone Problem and Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon. “We request public authorities at local, sub-divisional, divisional, regional and national levels as well as the friends of Cameroon in the international community to support our initiative and thus contribute to the success of the Anglophone General Conference as a necessary first step towards a national dialogue on the Anglophone Problem. “Finally, we urge all Cameroonians to continue to pray for peace and harmony in our land.” Done in Douala this 25th Day of July, 2018. Signed: His Eminence Christian Cardinal Tumi; Rev. Babila George Fochang – Synod Clerk, Presbyterian Church in Cameroon; Imam Tukur Mohammed Adamu – Bamenda Central Mosque, Northwest Region; Imam Alhadji Mohammed Aboubakar – Chief Imam, Central Mosque, Buea, Southwest Region.

By Sylvester Atemnkeng& * Isaac NgongKum A Human Right Defender, Barrister Michael Techoukwi Lekelefac, says peace, love and reconciliation are a panaceato the Cameroon’s fraternity. The legal mind was speaking during a press conference at the Catholic University Centre in Yaounde, on Monday, July 16. During the press conference, the Advocate called on all Cameroonians to correct the mistakes of the past and forge ahead as a one and indivisible country. The Anglophone Crisis, according to him, is a resultant effect of the mistakes made by Cameroon’s former President, Amadou Ahidjo, who he said, unilaterally changed the National Day celebrations date from October 1 to May 20. “This was a grave mistake as it made the English speaking Cameroonians to feel like strangers to what we now celebrate as National Day. The original date of October 1 should be brought back to mark the day Cameroonians West of the Mungo happily rejoined their brothers East of the Mungo after years of painful separation by their colonial masters,” he said. He described May 20th celebrations today as mere idol worship, during which, Cameroonians blindly chant the praises of President Paul Biya, who cares very little about the plight of citizens slaughtered in the North West and South West Regions of the country. In the midst of this oblique crisis, the human rights advocate still believes that there is hope for the country to come out stronger and more united than ever before. “If Cameroonians, irrespective of their linguistic origins turn to God, have respect for human life and restrain from hate speeches and pride with the full understanding that God alone gives life and no one has the right to take it away from another, then we can overcome this evil.” He called on all Cameroonians to choose “the path of peace, love and reconciliation against hatred, division and arms barbarism.” He equally urged all the Fons and Chiefs of Lebialem , who have taken refuge in different lands, to return home. “Senatorial seats, Parliament and other juicy positions are not meant for traditional rulers. Their place is in the palace and I am sure things are escalating in the Lebialem due to their absence,” he explained. The Barrister also prayed for the fighters in the Anglophone Regions, both military and separatists to see one another as brothers and sisters instead of seeing each other as animals only good to kill. To him, mistakes are human but the evolution of every human society lies in the correction of the mistakes committed by the predecessors. “We must correct the mistakes committed by our forefathers today or else, our children will inherit these same mistakes with their grave consequences.” *(ASMACJournalism Student On Internship )

By Joe Dinga Pefok The Social Democratic Front, SDF, candidate for this year’s Presidential election, Joshua Nambangi Osih, accompanied by the party’s National Chairman, Ni John Fru Ndi, deposited his file at the ELECAM Littoral Regional headquarters in Douala, on July 18. The deposition of the file of the candidate of the frontline opposition party has brought relief to its supporters who had been worried, because, the election was called while he was abroad. Osih returned to the country and thus deposited the file more than 24 hours before the deadline of July 19. Candidates battling for the Etoudi Palace had begun depositing their files with the election managing body, Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, as the July 19 deadline drew near. The file of the incumbent Paul Biya, was deposited at the ELECAM Headquarters in Yaounde on Friday, July 13, by a delegation led by the CPDM Secretary General, Jean Nkuete. This came barely a few hours after President Biya announced his candidature on twitter rather than the traditional State-owned CRTV. After the CPDM deposited Biya’s file, Dr Alain Fegue of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, CRM, also deposited the file of the party’s flag bearer, Prof Maurice Kamto. The Post leant that Paul Biya’s file was the third file to be deposited at the ELECAM’s headquarters in Yaounde. The first candidate to deposit his file at the election management body was Beboro Kekomo, a strange name on the Cameroon political scene. He reportedly deposited his file as an independent candidate. It remains to be seen when ELECAM would have examined the file, whether the said Kekomo fulfilled the conditions to be an independent candidate. The second candidate to deposit his file at ELECAMwasBertinKisob, of ‘Parti de la Justice Sociale’. Meanwhile,most of the Presidential aspirants are all expected to deposit their files this week, before midnight on Thursday, July 19 at the National or Regional headquarters of ELECAM. Before President Biya convened the electorate on October 7, over a dozen candidates had declared their intention to challenge him at the poll. The candidates include:Hon Joshua NambangiOsih of the SDF, Barrister AkereTabengMuna of the NOW platform, Cabral Libii of PartiUniverse, Serge EspoireMatombaof PURS, FranklineAfanwiNdifor of NPPC, Paul Eric Kingue, Bernard Njonga, HilaireKamga of ‘Offre Orange and Barrister Emmanuel AshuAgbor, of the Reform Party. More Candidates Meanwhile, following the convening of the electorate, more candidates are coming out. For example, the Douala based former MP of Wouri Centre Constituency, Jean Jacques Ekindi, who has been the National President of ‘Mouvement Progresssistes’ since its creation has announced his candidature. This, will however, not be his first participation in a presidential election. Ekindi aka Lion Chaser, ran in the 2011 presidential election,scoring 0.381 percent of votes. However, observers are waiting to see if Dr Adamou Ndam Njoya of the CDU and Fritz Ngo of MEC will compete in the 2018 presidential election or if they will rather emulate the example of Ni John Fru Ndi and handover the baton to a younger comrade. Political scientists, meanwhile, are also closely watching the likes of Albert Dzongang of ‘Dynamique’, Garga Haman Adji of ADD, OlivierBilé of UFP among others. It would be recalledthat 23 candidates participated in the 2011 presidential election, after ELECAM had rejected some aspirants. No Foreign Funding Of Candidates According to ELECAM officials, the file each presidential candidate must contain a declaration of his candidature, a letter of investiture by a legalised political party or proofs of required 300 signatures for an independent candidate, certificate of national to prove that a candidate is of Cameroonian nationality, and proof that the candidate has been resident in the country in the last 12 months. The candidate must be at least 30 years of age, while there is no maximum age limit. Also, a candidate for the presidential election in Cameroon must not be funded by any foreign country or foreign interest. This was a pretext that the regime recently tried to cause to disqualifythree opposition candidates: Joshua Osih, Maurice Kamto and AkereMuna, when some pro-regime media organs reported that the US Embassy has given the three candidates over FCFA 2 billion to fund their election campaigns. After the news was published, Hon Robert BapoohLipot of the UPC, called for the disqualification of the candidatures of the trio.

By Joe Dinga Pefok The Pioneer National President and former Presidential flag bearer of MANIDEM, Anicet Ekane, says his faction will not be investing a candidate in the 2018 Presidential election. He made the declaration to the media in Douala on Tuesday, July 17, as political parties battled to meet ELECAM’s July 19 deadline for the submission of the files of all Presidential hopefuls. During the July 17 press conference, Ekane bemoaned that the opposition parties are going into the 2018 Presidential poll in splinters, instead of forming a coalition to challenge the incumbent. He also asserted that the escalating Anglophone Crisis necessitates the postponement of such an election. However, political observers in Douala were quick to brush aside Ekane’s reasons for not partaking in the 2018 presidential race. According to them, Ekane shouldn’t use the absence of an opposition coalition or the escalating Anglophone Crisis to back out of the poll. They said the erstwhile MANIDEM National President has never bothered about the aforementioned issues. According to the political scientists, Ekane, has over the years, been against MANIDEM joining any political alliance with any opposition party in Cameroon under the pretext that they have ‘neo-colonial ties. This, they said, explains why MANIDEM has never been part of any opposition coalition in Cameroon since its legalisation in 1995. As regard the Anglophone Crisis, it is an open secret that Ekane is one of the few politicians who has persistently refused to accept that there is an Anglophone Problem in Cameroon. He said as a ‘UPCist’, there is nothing like Anglophone or Francophone in Cameroon. Investiture Problem Meanwhile, to the political observers, the real reason why Ekane has hesitated to compete in the 2018 Presidential election is the fear that the Constitutional Council will reject his candidature, over the issue of investiture in MANIDEM. This is because the legal National President of MANIDEM, Dieudonné Yebga, had vowed to challenge Ekane’s candidature at the Constitutional Council, if he sends in his file as MANIDEM’s candidate. This is further compounded by the fact that one of the important documents that a Presidential candidate of a political party is supposed to include in his file is a letter of investiture by the party, signed by its National President. Ekane knows that if he signs his own investiture letter as National President, Yebga will petition ELECAM and the Constitutional Council. Yebga, who like Ekane is one of the founding fathers of MANIDEM, was elected at the party’s congress in May 2015, as the new National President of the party. The Ministry of Territorial Administration was formally notified of the change of leadership in MANIDEM. In February 2016, the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, René Emmanuel Sadi, officially took note of the change of leadership in MANIDEM and Yebga’s mandate as National President has not yet ended. Meanwhile, the MANIDEM faction led by Yebga is also not sending in a candidate for the presidential election. A few months ago, Yegba declared that it makes no sense for MANIDEM, which has never won a Council or Parliamentary seat since 1995, to continue sending in a candidate in the presidential election. Rather, he said MANIDEM should get into an alliance to support the candidate of an opposition party or group, with the understanding that the group will support MANIDEM at Legislative and Municipal elections in some localities. It is alleged that Yebga’s faction of MANIDEM will join the NOW Movement to support the candidature of Akere Muna.

By Yerima Kini Nsom The Chair of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has asserted that dialogue is the best way to settle the differences that are fuelling the ongoing Anglophone Crisis rocking the country. He made the remark at the Unity Palace, on Friday, July 13, shortly after an audience with President Paul Biya. The AU boss, who was on an three-day official visit in Cameroon, condemned violence in all its ramifications. While stating that the Anglophone Crisis is one of the key issues he discussed with President Paul Biya, Faki Mahamat, a Chadian national, said dialogue is the best way through which both parties can settle the problem peacefully. He expressed solidarity with the population of the affected areas, promising to transform his solidarity into concrete actions as soon as he goes back. Faki Mahamat reiterated his organisation’s commitment to promote unity, stability and the protection of the territorial integrity of member States. He lauded Cameroon for its uniqueness, saying the country is a symbol for socio-cultural and linguistic diversity. He called for the promotion of appropriate policies in the national life of the AU member countries so that differences can be better managed to avert the upsurge of socio-political crisis. The AU Chairperson promised to send observers to monitor the upcoming Presidential election in Cameroon. He called on all actors participating in the election to combine their efforts to make the election to be free, fair and peaceful. Faki Mahamat expressed appreciation for Cameroon for contributing enormously to the smooth functioning of the institutions of the AU. He thanked President Biya for Prof. Pierre Mukoko Mbonjo, a Cameroonian resource person responsible for the implementation of the AU reforms. Speaking earlier, President Biya underlined the major role Cameroon has been playing in ensuring that peace reigns in the Lake Chad Basin. He stressed the need for the mobilisation of resources at the continental level to arrest major challenges like Socio-political crisis and terrorism. Such security issues, he went on, have been slowing down economic and social activities and pushing many people to flee their countries. He pledged his country’s support for the implementation of AU institutional reforms. President Biya congratulated Faki Mahamat for his election to steer the destiny of the continental organisation. While fighting terrorist groups, Biya said, Cameroon has remained faithful to international norms, notably; the respect of human rights. “Our principal worry is to bring back peace that will enable the populations to go back to their normal situation,” Biya stated. It is the second time that the AU Chairman was visiting Cameroon. Just after getting to the helm of the organisation in 2017, he was in Cameroon to thank President Biya for his election. During his three-day visit to the country that began on Thursday, July 12, and ended on Saturday, July 14, the AU boss paid a courtesy call to some members of Government, including Prime Minister Philemon Yang.

By Andrew Nsoseka Traditional rulers in Buea and environs have reportedly gone into hiding, following the abduction of Chief Johnson Njombe Njoke of Wokaka Village, as well as the alleged abduction of other Chiefs in Buea. Information of Chief Njombe’s abduction filtered to the public on Wednesday, July 11. The news led to fear among traditional rulers, who panicked not knowing which of them could be targeted next. A meeting was reportedly called, following the Buea Chiefs Conference President’s abduction, for the Chiefs to meet at the Southwest Chiefs’ Secretariat in Buea, after which they were going to forward their deliberations to the Governor of the Southwest Region, and then hold other talks with him. On the day of the said meeting, July 13, Southern Cameroons pro-independence activists issued warnings and threats, hinting that they were going to attack and abduct any Chief either on their way to the meeting, during the meeting, or after the meeting. At the planned time, 9.00am, on July 13, the venue of the meeting remained locked and no Chief could be spotted around. At the end of the day, the meeting reportedly did not take place as the traditional rulers allegedly did not want risk their troubled chiefdoms. Though the reason for Chief Njombe’s abduction still remains unclear, Separatist activists accuse the Chief of working alongside the administration to cripple their activities, especially in the Southwest Regional headquarters, Buea. Chief Njombe, who has served as the President of Buea Chiefs, was among those who vied for the post of the President of the Southwest Chiefs Conference, SWECC. His decision to run for the coveted office attracted backlash from other chiefs who challenged him on grounds that a 2nd Class Chief cannot lord over first Class Chiefs, and also that he was morally unfit to stand as their leader. Though faced with a lot of setbacks, Chief Njombe apparently had the backing of the administration, which he had strategically worked with. After several postponements of the SWECC elective general assembly, the acting SWECC executive meeting in Buea in a gathering that was boycotted by Fako chiefs, decided to withdraw Fako Division’s right to host the elective general assembly. This made Chief Njombe and his supporters to declare Njombe as the President of Southwest Chiefs. Though not made official, Chief Njombe of Wokaka has carried himself around as the President of SWECC, until his recent abduction by gunmen. Chief Njombe has also faced resistance from a section of his village that challenged his being Chief. His claims to the throne have been challenged with some villagers purporting that Njombe is not from the royal family, and that his father, who is alive in another village, isn’t of the royal family blood. Land squabbles have also pitted the Chief against his fellow villagers, with a plethora of cases filed against him, accusing him of grabbing and selling their land in complicity with some administrative and judicial officials. At one instance, Chief Njombe, with the help of some administrators, arrested the villagers en mass and detained them for challenging his claim to certain plots and farm lands in Wokaka Village. Following his abduction, some Chiefs in Buea allegedly went into hiding while others have temporally taken up residence in Douala and other towns where they feel safe. Others, who have chosen to hide within the community, have reportedly done away with their traditional paraphernalia and elected to appear unsuspectingly as common men, and going about their daily activities.

By Yerima Kini Nsom The French Ambassador to Cameroon, H.E Gilles Thibault, has reiterated that the solution to the Anglophone Crisis rocking Cameroon now is pacified, open and visible dialogue. “I keep saying that a lasting solution to the so called Anglophone crisis can only be reached through a pacified, open and visible dialogue between Cameroonians,” the Ambassador stated. He was addressing guests at his residence in Yaounde during a party organised to mark the commemoration of the French National Day on Saturday, July 14. The event marks the storming of the Bastille (prison) which was the turning point of the French Revolution of 1789. The Ambassador seized the opportunity to reiterate France’s position on the Anglophone Crisis. He said peace can only be brought back to the Northwest and Southwest Regions with the support of elite, traditional chiefs, civil society, religious leaders and all willing men and women of the country. He said the crisis was posing serious security and unity challenges to Cameroon. Said he: “France is, and will remain by their side (Cameroonians), wherever they come from, whatever their religion and, of course, their language. Since I started travelling across this “Africa in miniature” I keep saying that we will spare no effort to ensure that the isolated or peripheral regions which suffer from an insufficient development find loyal support”. Such an endeavour, he went on, is the reason why the French Secretary of State, Jean-Baptist Lemoyne, insisted on going to Douala and Buea after meeting the country’s highest authorities in Yaounde. The diplomat underlined France’s stand as far as the ongoing crisis is concerned. Hear him: “But, let there be no mistake. Whereas our commitment to the rule of law and to the respect of human rights is as strong as it can be, France cannot interfere in the internal affairs of an independent and sovereign nation. However, non-interference does not mean indifference. As I have said numerous times, we cannot accept the violence perpetrated by illegal armed groups, which has already taken a toll on the population. I would like to offer my sincere condolences to all the victims of attack and their families. The security and defense forces, for their part, should commit to humanity and have constantly in mind the wellbeing of the population.” Given the various crisis rocking many countries of the world, he said, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, will organise a security forum in Paris from November 11-13. While harping on cooperation ties between the two countries, he presented an inventory of the many projects that France was carrying out in Cameroon. He highlighted France’s sponsorship of agricultural projects in many areas. He revealed that his country has participated in the construction of youth training centres in Ndop, Bandjoun, Ebebda, Maroua, Douala and Edea. France has equally assisted the Bamenda, Baffoussam, Douala, Bertoua, Garoua and Maroua Urban Councils in their drainage and sanitation programmes. He enumerated other projects that France was carrying out in the domain of health, energy and security. As far as development aid is concerned, the Ambassador said France has offered Cameroon more than one billion Euros in the past 10 years. He lauded Cameroon for showing so much hospitality by receiving refugees from many different countries. He expressed joy that the French national team was going to play the finals of the world cup and highlighted the important role the Cameroonian-born French players, Kilian M’Bappe and Samuel Umtiti, were playing in the team.

By Maxcel Fokwen Security and legal authorities in Kumba, Southwest Region, have reportedly questioned Barrister Henry Njeck Teboh and two others, as part of on-going investigations on the assassination of a Police Superintendent in Kumba on July 8. The Police Superintendent, whose names The Post got only as Tsimi, was reportedly shot dead in the Buea Road neighbourhood around CCAS Junction. Reports hold that the incident happened around 9.00pm that Sunday. Unknown men are reported to have stormed the neighbourhood and attacked the Superintendent. He was reportedly returning home from duty when the assailants struck. Another report holds that the Police Chief was relaxing with friends in the said neighbourhood where he resides, when the attackers surfaced. Barrister Njeck is said to be a friend of the deceased. Both are said to be members of a veteran football club in Kumba. Accounts which The Post could not independently confirm, hold that the man-of-law was in the company of the Police Superintendent when the attack took place. Same is said of the two other persons who have also been questioned over the same issue. As at the evening hours of July 10, the trio was reportedly still giving their statements at the appropriate quarters. Meme lawyers were reportedly fronting to see if their colleague could be allowed to go home. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the lawyer was remanded into custody alongside those questioned. A cross-section of city dwellers has condemned the attack on the police officer. Some have even cursed the assassins for reportedly killing the officer. Some city dwellers argue that no one has the right to take away the life of another human being, no matter the issue at hand. In the face of investigations to uncover the attack on the Police Superintendent, the Meme administration is yet to issue any public statement. Tsimi was attached to the Kumba Central Police Station. The four-star officer was known to socialise with people across the metropolis. As at press time, the lawyer and the other two persons questioned by the forces of law and order, were still in police custody.

-Venue To Move From Buea To Douala For Security Reasons By Joe Dinga Pefok The Elective Ordinary General Assembly, GA, of the Cameroon Bar Association has finally been scheduled to hold next November. The President of the General Assembly of the Cameroon Bar Association, Ntumfor Barrister Nico Halle, disclosed this during a telephone conversation withThe Post in Douala on Wednesday, July 11. Ntumfor Halle disclosed that, everything being equal, he will, toward the end of next month, announcethe date, after which candidates interested in running for the different positions at the elections will submit their application files. He, however, explained that he will not be the one to scrutinise the files, for that will be done at the level of the Secretariat of the Bar Council. The outgoing Bar GA President maintained that he will not run for re-election. Halle who is a former member of the National Elections Observatory and a renowned international election observer, asserted that the Bar elections, which he will oversee, will be free, fair and transparent. “Everybody knows me for transparent elections. There will be no room for any foul play or corruption,” he warned. At the last Elective GA in Yaounde from January 30 – February 1, 2015, Barrister Nico Halle was elected GA President, while Barrister Jackson Ngnie Kamga emerged as President of the Bar Council. They were, in accordance with the Constitution of the Bar, elected for a two-year mandate, renewable once. However, immediately after his landslide victory in the election to the post of GA President, Halle surprised hiscolleagues by announcing that he would serve only for one term. Earlier Decision To Hold GA In Buea The two-year mandate of the leadership of the GA and that of the Bar Council, was supposed to end in early February 2017, with the holding of an Elective Ordinary General Assembly. The GA President decided that the event should hold in Buea, the Southwest regional headquarters. Halle’s choice of Buea was based on the fact that the Southwest has never hosted an Elective Ordinary General Assembly of the Bar. He explained that it was fair that the Region,which has many lawyers, should have the opportunity to host the GA. He then wrote to the President of the Bar Council, and formally informed him of the decision. In the light of the decision, Halle also asked his Representative in the Southwest Region, Barrister John Kameni, to look for an appropriate venue in Buea that would host the General Assembly. Barrister Kameni opted for Chariot Hotel, Buea. In December 2016, Halle travelled to Buea, visited the hotel with Barrister Kameni and gave his visa that Chariot Hotel was the venue. Escalation Of Anglophone Crisis Unfortunately, the Anglophone Crisis, which erupted in October 2016, beginning with a strike by Common Law lawyers and followed by a strike by Anglophone teachers in November, began escalating by mid-January 2017 with the arrests of leaders of the Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium. The President of the Consortium, Barrister Felix Nkongho Agbor Balla, who was one of those arrested and taken to Yaounde, was also the President of the Fako Lawyers Association, FAKLA. Then came the threats of arrest of several other vocal Common Law lawyers.The President of Northwest Lawyers Association, NOWELA, Barrister Harmony Bobga Mbuton; the President of Meme Lawyers Association, MELA, Barrister Elias Eyambe; and quite a number of other Anglophone lawyers fled from the country. In such a situation, coupled with the increasing state of insecurity in the two Anglophone Regions, it became impossible for the GA to hold at the end of January 2017 in Buea. Due to this ‘Force Majeur’, the GA President was forced to suspend the holding of the General Assembly. He had, however,hoped that the situation would soon ameliorate to make it possible for it to hold. But the Anglophone Crisis instead kept escalating with a steady upsurge in insecurity, thus making it very risky to holdthe General Assembly in the Southwest. A large majority of lawyers showed much understanding why it was continuously delayed. Significantly, no complaint came from any Francophone lawyer. With the escalation of the Anglophone Crisis, Ntumfor Halle, who is also a reputed peace crusader, made a number of trips to the Northwest and Southwest Regions, including to a volatile area like Mamfe, to pray for peace. His trips were appreciated by the people, including several personalities that he met on the ground in the different places. Change Of Venue In the face of the upsurge in the Anglophone Crisis, Nico Halle, while continuing in hispeace crusading mission by praying for peace to return to the Northwest and Southwest Regions, toldThe Post that he finally decided to move the venue of the GA from Buea, due to the continuous security concerns, to Douala. Hesaid, as someone who likes consulting with colleagues before taking a decision, he consulted his Vice President, Barrister Yves Kless Kouanou, and many other colleagues. Halle regretted that the venue had to be moved from Buea, or the Southwest Region, but explained that he could not continue to delay the holding of the GA, especially as it is an occasion to renew the organs of the Bar. He disclosed that he has officially written to the Secretary General of the Bar Council and to the Representative of the President of the Bar Council in the Littoral Region, to officially inform them of the decision to organise […]

• Allegedly Escapes With Concubine To Nigeria • Fails To Sell, Drive On Ghost Town Day As Promised • Deaths Registered On Civilian And Military Sides By Andrew Nsoseka The Mayor of Buea, Patrick Ekema Esunge, after beating war drums and assuring people that they will be safe in respecting his calls and dictates, was nowhere to be found on Monday, as he allegedly slipped out of town and out of the country with a concubine. In the days leading up to the Monday, July 9 ghost town, Mayor Ekema had made pronouncements and promised that he was going to take over control of his municipality from the ‘handful’ of separatist fighters who are pushing to implant their own rule and influence over the town. During his meeting with traders, transporters and other stakeholders in Buea, the Mayor had boasted that he will be at the Buea Town Market, in person, where he will sell and later on take to the road where he will be driving one of the over 20 taxi cabs which he purchased on behalf of the Council, to fight the ghost town phenomenon that saw fertile ground of adherence with the business and transport sectors of Buea, like in most towns of Anglophone Cameroon. “All council structures must be open, the Buea Market will be operational…. If you want to take me, come to Buea Town Market. I will be there,” he had promised. Though various participants told the Mayor and other officials that their security and that of their properties is at stake, he assured them that the forces of law and order, working alongside Council Police, will ward off any intruders and business will run like on normal days However, when the time came to lead the fight and beat the ghost town, the Mayor was nowhere to be found, he had broken his promise and failed to lead the fight against the ghost town that crippled his town into a near graveyard. Council Taxi Cabs Sold? Meanwhile, none of the over 20 taxi cabs that belong to the Council could be seen plying the roads and picking up commuters who had no means of transport. Some time ago, rumour mills had it that the Mayor sold the cabs after a couple of weeks, when he thought he had successfully won the battle against the ghost town phenomenon. The Mayor reportedly gave out the taxis on a balance-and-take arrangement with the various persons who were employed to drive the cabs. Bloody Ghost Town In Buea On Monday, July 9, the ghost town, unlike in previous cases, was characterised by heavy gun battles between pro-independence Amabazonia fighters and Government troops, resulting in the death of at least one civilian recorded in Muea and a handful on the side of the Government forces. Separatist fighters had promised a showdown if their calls were not respected. Muea residents claim that the boy killed by Government troops, was not one of the ‘Amba fighters’ but a local resident who went out to buy bread. They narrate that the boy was shot in the foot by Government forces and when he fell down and tried to run as he came under fire, he was followed by two BIR officers who drilled a bullet into his head, sending his brains and blood oozing out. He was left in his own pool of blood for the day as the military reportedly idled around, waiting to see who will come for the corpse. Meantime, from the roadside, military pick-ups could be seen speeding past with injured and killed soldiers. However, no official statement has been made on the Monday incident. It is also unclear whether a Separatist fighter was killed or wounded. Unlike in previous cases, no pictures of neutralised gunmen were splashed on social media. At the Mile 17 Motor Park, six buses were burnt down as the fighting raged on. It is unclear who burnt the parked buses. While some people say it was done by Separatist fighters, others point a finger at the military but, so far, none has claimed responsibility. Bilingual Grammar School, BGS, Molyko that served as GCE marking centre also came under heavy gunfire and examiners took cover under school benches. Pro-independence fighters had posted several warnings and messages on social media promising hell on those who won’t respect the ghost town. They maintained that they were also out to prove to the Mayor and other Government officials that they, Separatists, control the town and its activities. Clashes Extend To Tuesday July 10 Clashes resulting from the Monday ghost town spilled over to the next day. Gunshots fired somewhere around Mile 16 and Mile 17 caused commotion in town as, in less than five minutes, the whole town was on a forced lockdown. Business premises in Mile 16, Molyko and Muea, as well as other parts of the town, were completely shut down. As all these was happening, the Mayor whose declarations and press outing had irked separatist fighters, was already out of town, and reportedly scampering in to secure location in Nigeria with a supposed concubine. Social media was awash with a picture of the mayor, flanged by two ladies with one carrying a child, while Ekema himself, clad in a suit he had on during the press conference stood by, concentrating on his phone screen. It has been alleged he is in Abuja […]

• Troops Should Face Separatists Forces, Stop Threatening The Population • Mayor Threatens To Ban Bikes In Buea If… • Hints He May Drive Taxi On Ghost Town Day .Mayor Ekema Told: People Are Afraid Of Military, Not Amba Boys By Andrew Nsoseka The Mayor of Buea, Patrick Ekema Esunge, on Thursday July 5, organised a meeting and press conference to address the ghost town adherence that has resurfaced. At the meeting that brought together Buea inhabitants of all walks of life, the Mayor was told that the population is afraid of the military and not the Ambazonia Defence Forces alias Amba Boys. The Mayor was also told that if military are serious, the people can show them the camps of the Amba Boys to confront them, rather than intimidating and threatening the population that if going on with its daily activities. In his address, Mayor Ekema had hinted that he may ban bikes in the municipality and cancel contracts of shop owners operating in Buea Council structures, if they don’t do as they are told, by operating on Mondays. The Mayor also intimated that he will bring back the over 20 taxi cabs he purchased for the Council sometime earlier for the sole purpose of fighting ghost towns. Mayor Ekema was bitter that bike riders in the municipality are respecting ghost towns and that it is their sector that has been infiltrated by Separatist fighters who mostly use bikes in carrying out their activities. A bike riders’ representative from Sandpit told the Mayor that they cannot begin to run around with their bikes on Mondays, especially when they are no passengers. He equally questioned why the military came and arrested their President on Monday and accused him of orchestrating ghost towns. “If motorbikes don’t respect guides, we are left with no option than to suspend their activities for the time being… In times of crisis, such hard-line measures must be taken to safeguard people and their property.” Ekema said. The Mayor also warned and instructed that all businesses operating in Council structures must be operational on Mondays. He regretted that he could not use the same sweeping authority to oblige those operating in private structures to do as he says. “All Council structures must be open, the Buea Town Market will be operational… I will be there,” he said. People Are Afraid Of The Military, Not Amba Boys! On the issue of collaborating with the military and military relations with the population, a certain transporter, who gave his name only as Mr. Steven, residing in Mile 16, Bolifamba, told Ekema that the people in Mile 16 are afraid of the military and not the Separatist fighters. “People are afraid of the military, not the Amba boys. The boys instead tell people ‘we are not coming for you’. But on the part of the military; they come and target everybody, indiscriminately. The other day, they (military) shot a woman. The boys came the other day after the military had moved their control point to where people live, and told people that they cannot shoot or fight the military [at that point] because stray bullets will kill the people selling and living beside the new control point.” Responding to pronouncements that the people do not face danger from the Separatist fighters, Ekema snapped; “If they say they don’t want you, and they want Ekema, and you want me to get to them… are they more Anglophone than me? Am I a francophone? They say they want to secede from Francophones; Am I a Francophone?” he questioned. On the issue of security forces causing more chaos than arresting the situation when faced with threats or when they are under attack, Mayor Ekema said he will liaise with the authorities so that the Council Police would work alongside the regular military to identify those who don’t pose a threat, so that they don’t suffer from the collective punishment meted by the military. One of the participants, a taxi driver, lambasted the military for causing havoc and even accidents in town and often leaving victims with no compensation. He blasted that when there is an attack, the military take to the road on high speed, during which they stop other vehicles and all commercial activities, “just to rush down and park their trucks at Mile 17, and point machine guns on the people who are going about their daily activities, while avoiding the people they are out to fight.” He went further to say that, if they military is serious, the people can show the camps of the Separatist fighters so that the military can face them, and stop threatening population. The intervention received a long applause which was also saluted with laughter.

By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo The Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge Defence, Joseph Beti Assomo, has repeatedly avoided giving statistics of soldiers and civilians killed in the ongoing Anglophone Crisis in the Northwest and Southwest. During a plenary sitting on July 6 that was dedicated to question and answer sessions at the National Assembly, Joseph Beti Assomo said it is not of prime importance stating the numbers, given that the country is in front of a difficult situation. According to the Minister Delegate, who was answering questions from Hon. Simon Forbi Nchinda, MP of the Social Democratic Movement, SDF, he can’t be precise with the numbers, given that some are in bushes. However, the Minister indicated that four persons have, so far, died in prison. He said two have died at the Yaounde Central Prison and one each in Buea and Mamfe. Concerning those who have been arrested, Beti Assomo stated that a total of 975 persons have been detained with 114 already tried. The Minister Delegate further said that the conditions of arrested persons are good, given that they are treated in accordance with the Penal Code. The Minister Delegate upon answering the question why the military operating in the Northwest and Southwest Regions only speak only French, he said the military constitutes both English and French-speaking Cameroonians and urged the MP not to use such language of differentiation which is intolerable in the military. Hon. Forbi’s worries came after both national and international bodies had condemned the military highhandedness with which the Government is trying to quell the Anglophone Crisis. But Beti Assomo told the lawmakers that whatever is happening in the Northwest and Southwest Regions, both French and English-speaking security forces must take responsibility. In relation to other worries of the SDF MP that more than 2,000 civilians have been killed with 180 villages burnt, more than 120,000 refugees living in nine camps in Nigeria and more than 200,000 internally displaced, the presence of French military as well as the threatening of doctors not to treat patients, the Minister also denied clarifying the situation, arguing that he had only four questions to answer. He added that such claims are the work of social media. Forbi said, in his capacity as the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Beti Assomo is supposed to advise the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as the military because, among other things, the military is not only burning down villages but arresting citizens unjustly and demanding ransom. For humanitarian action to yield fruits, Hon. Forbi said there must be a ceasefire, because, the population is afraid of the military, given that it is alleged that missiles, helicopters, drones are being used to fight Cameroonians. While Forbi and his colleagues looked astonished and embarrassed as to the response from the Minister Delegate, other MPs in the house rather clapped and appreciated the Minister Delegate for ‘wisely’ and courageously answering the questions.

By Basil K Mbuye Separatist forces commonly known as the “Amba Boys” have reportedly embarked on a mission around the Buea Municipality trying to cleanse their reputation which they say has been tarnished by some impostors claiming to be Amba Boys and extorting money from the public. The Separatist forces have reportedly been visiting some localities in the municipality on supposed mission which they allege is to cleanse their reputation which they say has been tarnished by some rogues who have been posing as the Separatist forces. On Tuesday, July 3, in Mile 16, the Amba Boys caught close to 25 impostors who have been terrorising the neighbourhood and giving them a bad name in front of the public. The 25 impostors were given the beatings of their life in front of the population. The impostors had been reportedly going around tying red pieces of cloth on their hands and heads and also extorting money from the population in the name of being Amba Boys. The leader of the impostors succeeded to escape the wrath of the Amba Boys as his other members faced the music. In Muea, some individuals allegedly went around as Amba Boys asking the population to give money to support the struggle. Unfortunately for them, the news got to the Amba Boys who had to react in order to cleanse their image. An impostor whose name we got as Franklin aka Agogo was caught around the Catholic Church in Muea and given the beating of his life by the Amba Boys, for extorting money from the public. Still in Muea, another impostor’s three fingers were reportedly chopped off by the Amba Boys around Black Field in Muea. In Bokwango, an impostor was caught while moving from house to house in the neighbourhood asking the people for money in the name of supporting the struggle. According to observers, these impostors have been going around extorting money from the public and also giving fake threats. The impostors are said to receive money directly from the population with their hands, unlike the Amba Boys who always ask money offered them to be put on the ground before they pick it.

By Joe DingaPefok The President and Secretary General of the legalised faction of the UPC have, since last week, bitterly disagreed over whether the party should support the candidature of President Paul Biya, or have its own candidate for the 2018 Presidential election. The Secretary General of the UPC, Pierre Beleguel Nkot last week, sparked the open conflict with the President, HabibaIssa, when he publicly declared that the UPC will not send in a candidate for the 2018 Presidential election and that the party will instead support the candidature of President Biya. The next day, the National President of this faction of the UPC, which used to be commonly known as Kodock’s faction, and now officially known as “President de Comité de Directeurs,” went public with a declaration that contradicted that of the Secretary General, by stating that party will have its own flag-bearer at the 2018 Presidential. These contradictory public declarations created both confusion and tension in the party throughout the week. By the close of the week, a former President of the UPC, Victor Onana, who is a member of the current ‘Comité de Directeurs’, disclosed that the committee will have to meet on a date yet to be fixed, to resolve the conflict between the President and the Secretary General. He said the committee will, as well, have to take a definite decision on the 2018 Presidential election. According to the former President, the committee has not yet taken a definite position on the issue of whether the party should support the candidature of President Biya or put up its own candidate at the elections. This also raised questions about the contradictory declarations when the party had not yet adopted a definite position. The former President asserted that the Secretary General of the party does not have the authority to make the declaration he made last week. Onana explained that when the ‘Comité de Directeurs’ of UPC adopts an important decision which the public needs to know, or whenever there is an important announcement to be made by the party, it is the President and not the Secretary General to make it public. Legalised Faction Also In Factions There are over 10 UPC factions in the country and that even the legalised faction is itself today in two factions. One of the factions has as President of the ‘Comité de Directeurs’, HabibaIssa, and as the Secretary General Pierre BelenguelNkot. The other faction of the legalised faction has as President of the ‘Comité de Directeurs’, Baba Garba, while the Secretary General is Hon Robert BapoohLipot. It is not clear as to which of the two factions the Biya regime will choose to recognise when elections come. For now, administrative authorities have allowed the two factions to operate unperturbed. Both have all held their different congresses, and each claims to be the legalised UPC. Meanwhile, political observers hold that it is part of the strategy of the Biya regime to keep all the different factions of the UPC, and even the legalised faction, divided and thus weak; just like in the late 1990s when Kodock started considering himself as the only UPC leader with whom the regime could negotiate any deal. Then, Prof Henri HogbeNlend, apparently with the complicity of the Biya regime, moved into the country from France and caused a split of the legalised faction of the UPC. The then Minister of Territorial Administration, André Tsoungui, amplified the scandal when he recognised the two factions of the UPC faction as UPC ‘K’ (Kodock) and UPC ‘N’ (Nlend). Kodock turned to Biya to cry for help to crush the HogbeNlend faction, but before he realised what was happening, HogbeNlend was appointed into Government while Kodock was kept out. After a few years, HogbeNlend was dropped and Kodock returned to Government and, of course, became very submissive to Biya. The Hunt For Ministerial Posts Political observers hold that the one major issue that regularly creates lots of friction in the leadership of that legalised UPC faction since the passing of Kodock a couple of years ago, is the relentless hunt for ministerial posts by the different personalities. The legalised faction of the UPC formally entered into an alliance with the Biya Government after the 1992 Parliamentary elections. Kodock entered the Biya Government twice. He was last dropped from Government in the cabinet reshuffle of September 7, 2007. Since then, Biya has not appointed any UPC person into Government, despite the fact that the alliance between the legalised UPC and the Government remains. Some officials of the faction are asking whether it makes sense for the party to continue the alliance with the Biya regime when the party has been out of Government for close to 11 years. However, the recent appointment of a Senator from the UPC seems to be regenerating much hope that President Biya has not forgotten the UPC. The declaration last week, by the SG of one of the ‘sub factions’ of the legalised UPC, BelenguelNkot, that the party will support Biya’s candidature, is seen by many political observers as a strategy by him to take credit for it and likely project him for appointment into the Government, if Biya is re-elected. Meantime, the Secretary General of the other faction of the legalised UPC, Hon BapoohLipot, has made a controversial pronouncement, accusing three Presidential candidates of the opposition, Joshua Osih, Maurice Kamto and AkereMuna, of allegedly […]