National and International News Briefs – December 30th, 2019

1 Obtaining a Cameroonian passport is becoming challenging to many. Citizens in urgent need of the document say it entails a lot of costs and delays to produce them, even after full payments are made. “Since the US DV Lottery was played this year… you know it requires a passport before doing so , it has been practical difficult to obtain a passport now either express or what so ever. The pretext is that booklet are finished,” a source told MMI.

2 UN disproves false statements, statistics from government Minister, Atanga Nji. The office of the coordination of Humanitarian Assistance of the United Nations has said 922 thousand persons have been internally displaced as a result of the armed conflict in the Northwest and Southwest regions. The figures are a sharp contrast with those advanced by Cameroon’s Territorial Administration Minister who said Saturday, that not more than 150 thousand people were displaced.

3 The leader of the Cameroon People’s Party has termed the Paul Biya’s regime as a big joke. “Demostrating ignorance on the number of internally displaced persons in Cameroon is a joke… a normal government ought to seek lasting solutions of the problem while the distribution of gifts should be the business of humanitarian bodies and other civil society organisations,’’ Edith Kah Wallah said on Equinoxe TV.

4 The massive arrest in Buea Monday has confirmed government’s continues rights violations on English Speaking Cameroonians whose communities have been hit by conflict since 2016. Over 100 youths were apprehended today in Buea. Their arrest is said to have come after security forces got a tip off of impending attack by Ambazonian fighters. But some sources are suspicious about the move. “I don’t really understand why. This is not the first time this is happening, Every time when we have election in Cameroon youths are always arrested for no reason.I am really worried about those guys,” a source recounted. Some of those arrested were released hours after.

5 Journalist Lambert Kehven has spent his first night in detention at Tobin gendarmerie brigade in Kumbo. The journalist and correspondent of Sweet FM radio and Canal 2 English Television was arrested Sunday, on accusation of collaborating with restoration forces in Bui division. Press freedom organizations have called for his immediate release.

6 President Paul Biya will deliver his new year’s speech for the fourth time since the Anglophone crisis escalated. Resident in the restive regions are not expecting much from his address. They say Biya’s speeches since 2016 on the crisis have not been able to tackle the root cause of the conflict.

7 Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration centres in Bamenda and Buea are in the phase of reintegrating the first batch of ex-Ambazonian fighters, government officials said Monday. Ceremonies to that effect took place in centers of both cities. Critics maintain creating a disarmament committee before the end of gun violence in Anglophone Cameroon is waste of time and resources.

8 IDPs in the North West region will receive government’s end of year gifts Tuesday. Trucks of the goods from president Paul Biya arrived Bamenda Monday and were received by the governor of the North West region, Adolph Lele L’Afrique.

9 Renowned Bishop, Andrew Nkea is the new archbishop of Bamenda Metropolitan archdiocese and at the same time apostolic administrator of Mamfe diocese.  Before his appointment Monday December 30^th, 2019, he was the bishop of Mamfe in the South West. Bishop Andrew Nkea replaces Archbishop Cornilius Esua who is on retirement.

10 Several churches in Douala have been mobilising for what they call “a crossover night” into the new year 2020. They have been encouraging Christians to get to a new year In God’s presence.

11 Board members of elections Cameroon Elecam have not stated how they will organise election in the anglophone regions in 2020 with prevailing security situation. Opposition party like CRM and CPP said a hitch free election in the regions is impossible. In a fourth ordinary meeting of the board Monday, the president of ELECAM, Enow Abrams Egbe praised members for the organ’s achievements so far. Elecam is accused of irregularities and election rigging in favour of the ruling party.

12 Taps are running dry in Buea, South West region of Cameroon. The Paramount Chief of the town, Chief Robert Esuka Endeley says “he buys water even to brush his teeth there is no water in Buea.” A community water Project has just been launched amid cholera cases detected in some parts of the South West Region.

13 The people of Tombel in the Kupe Manenguba Division, South west region of Cameroon say their lone health district, the Tombel district hospital has been abandoned in ruins. The health unit lacks medical equipments, beds, surgical equipments. Government officials travel abroad for treatment.

14 The 58th ordinary session of the board of directors of the Maritime Fisheries Development Fund was held today in Douala. The session was held in the presence of the Minister of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries Dr. Taiga.

15 The Minister of Sports and Physical Education who doubles as President of the local organizing committee of the African Football Nations Championship (CHAN 2020) today presided over a working session with the heads of the different technical commissions. Professor Narcisse Mouelle Kombi last Saturday started inspection of CHAN 2020 infrastructures prior to the arrival before the arrival of the last CAF inspection mission in the country.

16 The World Food Program says more than half of Zimbabwe’s population is threatened by food insecurity. Deputy Director Niel Balzer said that it is due to drought and decades of mismanagement under previous leader Robert Mugabe, who died in September.

17 A Sudanese court has sentenced 29 intelligence officers to death for the torture and killing of a teacher. They were sentenced for torturing and killing a protester during the uprising against longtime leader Omar Al-Bashir earlier this year. Ahmad al-Khair, 36, died in custody in February following his arrest for taking part in protests against then President Omar al-Bashir’s government. The Sudanese Professionals Association, a group of unions that led protests against Al-Bashir.

18 Guinea-Bissau presidential candidate Umaro Cissoko Embalo is on course to win the seat after Sunday’s run-off election, citing the campaign’s tallies on preliminary vote counts. `we have won the elections with 55% of the votes. In all the regions Madem G-15 is ahead and we won’t accept unfavourable results,´ he said.

19 At least 76 people have been killed by a vehicle bomb detonated during morning rush hour in Somalia’s capital. The blast took place at a checkpoint at a busy intersection in Mogadishu. More than 90 people were also injured. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bomb but al-Shabab militants have often carried out attacks there.

20 A local official has said that eighteen people were killed in a militia attack in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Beni administrator Donat Kibwana told the AFP news agency that there was an insurrection by the Allied Democratic Forces in Apetina-Sana.

21 As 2019 comes to a close, former Chelsea and Ghana star Michael Essien has chosen his best 11 African players of the decade. The last 10 years saw significant moments for African football, commencing with the World Cup being hosted on the continent for the first time in its history, in South Africa in 2010.