The Secretary General of the Vatican says justice and truth are inevitable for total peace to reign in Cameroon. Cardinal Pietro Parolin was speaking today in Yaoundé in a discourse at the Catholic University of Central Africa.
What role can the Catholic Church play to end the Anglophone crisis? That is the question Cameroonians are asking following the visit of the Secretary General of the Vatican. To some obersvers, Catholic priests are divided over what should be a lasting solution, reason why they can not speak with a voice to end the crisis.
Activities of 2021 National Youth Day have been launched today in the Far North Region of Cameroon. The Minister of Youth and Civic Education, Monouna Foutso presided over activities stressing that celebrations will take into consideration COVID-19 preventive measures.
Cameroon Intermediate Lions have trained in Limbe ahead of their semi-final match against Morocco. The boys of coach Martin Ndtougho Mpile are laying emphasis on scoring tactics.
Irate Ambazonia ex-fighters have returned to the Disarmament, Demobilisation & Reinsertion Centre in Buea after a strike today. The Government has promised to listen to their demands. These former fighters had mounted roadblocks and turned away passers-by at Bokwango, telling them it was a ghost town and that they had to respect it. Security forces were also deployed to the site of the protest in order to contain the riot and to ensure it did not turn violent. The boys are denouncing poor living conditions and unfulfilled promises from the government.
The Anglophone struggle today had another victim as inter-regional travel agency – Golden Travel Agency was attacked by separatist fighters between Muyuka and Kumba. It is reported that the driver of the bus was shot on his thigh and several other passengers got injured.
The Minister of Territorial Administration has called on road users to be more prudent to reduce the number of accidents. Paul Atanga Nji was speaking today at the Dschang hills where 55 perished following a road accident.
The Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe is on a working visit to the West Region. On his way, he visited the cliff where the accident which claimed 55 lives happened. The main objective of the Minister’s visit to the region is to seek for lasting solutions to the accidents in the region of recent, that have claimed scores of lives.
One person has died of a local explosive today in Bepanda, Douala. The victim is said to be one of three who are believed to have manufactured these explosive devices in the town. After his demise, security forces retrieved instruments which they use to manufacture these devices from their residents.
The head of the UN refugee agency has described the situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray region as extremely grave and has urged the government to stop restricting access for humanitarian agencies. Filippo Grandi was speaking after visiting a camp where he said Eritrean refugees were complaining about incidents of rape. There’s mounting evidence that all sides in the conflict have been committing human rights abuses against civilians.
South Africa has received its first batch of Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines. The one million doses will be given to healthcare workers who have been battling the virus in the continent’s worst-hit country but no date has been set for the start of the roll-out. President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Monday evening give a national address in which he is expected to give an update on the fight against the pandemic.
The British government has announced sanctions against four Zimbabwean security officials, accusing them of human rights abuses, including killing protesters. State Security Minister Owen Ncube, as well as the heads of the police, the intelligence agency and the former chief of the presidential guard, will have any assets in the UK frozen. They’ll also be banned from visiting. The UK referred to the killing of protesters during post-election violence in 2018, and unrest in January the following year.
A leading humanitarian aid official has criticised the Ethiopian authorities for restricting access to victims of the conflict in the northern Tigray region. Jan Egeland, now head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said aid agencies hadn’t been able to reach central and western parts of the region, as well as two refugee camps. He said he’d rarely seen an aid response impeded so much.
Ugandan opposition politician Bobi Wine has filed a legal challenge against the outcome of last month’s presidential election, which he says was rigged. A lawyer for the musician-turned-MP’s party – the National Unity Platform – said they wanted the poll to be re-run. Incumbent Yoweri Museveni – who came to power in 1986 – won with 58% of the votes.
Foreign news: BBC
