National and international news roundup – 13th April, 2020

The government of Cameroon says the module used in treating COVID-19 is proving positive and very effective. According to the Ministry of Public Health, 130 persons have recovered from the disease across the Country, with a more than double the number of treated cases recorded. About 12 deaths have also been recorded across the country and the number of positive cases stands at 183.

Some health workers in rural areas in the North West and South West regions have left the areas citing fear for their lives. This comes after a colleague of theirs was jailed a month ago on grounds of treating separatist fighters. There are fears the absence of these health workers will be disastrous in case of a coronavirus outbreak in the rural areas.

Some five workers of Tradex have been quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19. The action was taken by management after the death of the Tradex Littoral/South West boss who passed away from the virus. The deceased was a father of five.

Inmates at the Kondengui prison in Yaounde are in a state of confusion after losing four others. Several other inmates were also evacuated to hospitals, raising more suspicions and fears within the facility. While they fear their colleagues may be coronavirus patients, inmates say the silence of prison authorities is not making things any better.

Many have expressed dissatisfaction with government decision compelling everyone to wear face masks in public, with some citing the cost of using disposable ones. In addition to the hikes in prices, many say other adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic make it hard for them to even afford a daily meal.

The social and economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic worsen in Cameroon as COVID-19 cases multiply. The Limbe wild life center has closed its doors for visitors due to advancing Coronavirus virus threats. According to the director, the measure is to protect humans, and also animals which are also at risk with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Goverment’s compulsary wearing of face masks, has not been fully embraced by some inhabitants of Buea Sub Division in the South West Region. Across the streets of Buea, few persons could be seen with face masks, with many advancing the lack of money to purchase. In Mundemba, the SDO for Ndian Division was on the field to supervise the effectiveness of the measures.

Cameroon has embarked on another phase of the fight against COVID-19, official sources from the Ministry of Public Health says focus is directed to combat the community transmission of the disease . The Ministry of Public Health says 14, 8% of the over 83,166 families visited in Douala recently proved resistant to the measures of the government and therefore remain a challenge to the national effort.

Following the announcement of two new Coronavirus related deaths by the Ministry of Public Health in Cameroon,
some Cameroonians think the government has been hiding the number of deaths related to COVID-19 across the Country.
To these Cameroonians, five persons died of the disease in Douala on April 12th 2020 contrary to the two deaths announced by the Minister of Public Health.

A COVID-19 positive woman gives birth to a baby in Yaounde today. That has been announced by the Minister of Public Health. This brings the number to two kids delivered by coronavirus patients in Cameroon. The Minister has appreciated health workers placing their lives on the line to safe the lives of patients.

Seven persons arrested in Dschang- West Region of Cameroon for not wearing face masks in public places. Elements of the gendarmerie carried out the arrest with the motive that the persons violated a Prime ministerial measure calling on people to wear masks in public places.

The Governor of the Littoral Region has been criticised for failing to publicly declare hisstatus when he was tested positive of COVID-19. To some inhabitants of Douala, Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboa as a leading administrator in the Littoral region would have used his status to further sensitise the public as some still believe that coronavirus is not a reality. At the weekend, the Minister of Public Health said the governor was recovering from COVID-19.

Former National Assembly Vice President, Hon. Joseph Mbah Ndam passed away today. The frontline militant of the Social Democratic Front SDF party passed on this morning in Yaounde.

Eric Golf Kouachou, Canal 2 TV correspondent in France says he will comment on his arbitrary arrest later. He was released today after close to two weeks in detention. He was arrested in Douala for alleged links with Brigade Anti Sardinards (BAS) in France. Though his release has been saluted by his colleagues and others, the likes of Paul Chouta and Samual Wazizi still remain behind bars. The Committee to Protect Journalists, has called for their release several times.

Insecurity in Ako sub division in the North West Region of Cameroon. The SDO of Donga Mantung Division says one General Bazil who fled to Nigeria has been carrying out sporadic attacks in Ako sub division. SDO Simon Nkwenti Ndoh says they are collaborating with officials in Nigeria to stop the issue.

The Cameroon Embassy in China wants to identify and assist Cameroonian citizens who have been victims of the recent ostensible maltreatment of Africans in Guangzhou. In a letter addressed to the President of the Cameroonian Community of Guangzhou China, the Cameroon Embassy in Beijing said victims should forward their Biometric visas and the number of abuses endured.

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization says about a million people in Ethiopia are in need of food aid after swarms of locusts destroyed vast areas of farmland. Working with the Ethiopian government, the UN found that desert locusts had damaged about 200,000 hectares of mostly sorghum and maize fields. Kenya and Somalia have also been badly affected this year and have used planes spraying pesticides in an effort to protect crops and pasture from the swarms.

The UN-backed government in Libya says it has gained significant territory in fighting west of the capital, Tripoli. A government spokesman said its forces had re-taken the coastal towns of Sabratha and Sorman from forces loyal to Gen Khalifa Haftar. His fighters have been trying to capture Tripoli and its surrounding areas for more than a year.

There are reports of another attack by Islamist militants in northern Mozambique’s gas-rich Cabo Delgado province. The jihadists took small boats from the mainland to attack one of the Quirimbas islands. Some of the victims drowned in the sea as they tried to get away from the gunmen who then destroyed homes, schools and health centres.

In a sign that some restrictions on businesses in South Africa could soon be eased, the world’s biggest platinum producer, Sibanye-Stillwater says the government has given it approval to start a limited amount of mining and processing from Tuesday. Last month, when President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a strict lockdown in an effort to stop coronavirus spreading, mines in South Africa stopped production. Mining is a key sector of the country’s economy which had already been in a crisis prior to the lockdown.

The African Union has appointed a team of special envoys to try to mobilise international support to help the continent respond to the coronavirus pandemic. AU chairman Cyril Ramaphosa insisted it was time to marshal resources to ensure the pandemic did not cause the collapse of the continent’s faltering economies. “These institutions need to support African economies that are facing serious economic challenges with a comprehensive stimulus package for Africa, including deferred debt and interest payments,” Mr Ramaphosa is reported to have said.

It is the first working day in Ethiopia after restrictions put in place by a state of emergency declared to combat the coronavirus pandemic were announced over the weekend. It is not clear if the restrictions have had much of an impact yet. Large gatherings had already been banned and schools had been closed in early measures to combat the spread of Covid-19, the diseased cause by the virus. The state of emergency was announced last week but details of its implementation were released on Saturday.

Just two days before the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo was to be declared over, the World Health Organization (WHO) says a new case has been confirmed. More than 3,400 people have been infected and 2,200 have died since the outbreak was announced in eastern DR Congo nearly two years ago. The authorities were preparing to declare the epidemic over on Sunday. But it now has to continue fighting Ebola as well as Covid-19 and measles.
(Foreign news source: BBC)