National And International News Roundup – 24th February 2021

Cameroon’s parliament has lashed out at the US Congress in its recent communication to President Joe Biden. In a scathing letter today, some MPs said the move to increase protection for Cameroonian asylum seekers in the USA, was a distraction and an attempt to tarnish Cameroon’s image.

The Cameroon Government has signed a 55 billion FCFA agreement with the London Standard Bank for the completion of the 60,000-capacity Olembe Football Stadium. The stadium is expected to be completed by November 2021 latest. Prior to the agreement, the project was initially supposed to be completed in December 2020 but has experienced delays.

An Ivorian billionaire, Bernard Kome Dossongui has revealed plans to establish a 60 billion cement factory in the Cameroon seaside town of Kribi. The megafirm will provide adequate competition to other established cement manufacturers in Cameroon such as CIMENCAM, Dangote Cement, MEDCEM Cameroon, Cimaf, among others. This provides a better opportunity for Cameroonians to enjoy variety and get cement at competitive rates.

Four internet fraudsters who have been using the name of Samuel Eto’o Fils to extort money from people on social media have been arrested in Douala by forces of law and order. Their arrest came after an investigation coordinated by Commissioner Francis Lateh upon the instruction of the Littoral Regional Delegate for National Security.

Four men aged between 25-40 years were today arrested in Yaoundé in the Melen neighbourhood for alleged drug trafficking activities. They were arrested by the forces of law and order in possession of some illicit drugs. The police have vowed to continue on such operations.

Final preparations are being made ahead of this year’s Mount Cameroon Race of Hope in Buea. The competition, locals say, is witnessing a relatively low preparation rate as compared to previous editions.

Cameroon’s Sports Minister has given the country’s football federation access to recently constructed stadia for the professional football league. The move comes after the African Nations Championship CHAN which saw the facilities renovated.

South Africa’s Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has delivered what has been described as the toughest budget speech since the fall of apartheid in 1994. Faced with record unemployment, a shrinking economy coupled with the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Mboweni sought to allay fears about the prospects of Africa’s most industrialised economy. “We owe a lot of money to a lot of people,” Mr Mboweni said, highlighting the country’s escalating debt burden – which is set to rise to 90% of GDP by 2025.

More than 40 people are feared to have drowned when a boat loaded with migrants ran into trouble after setting out from Libya. UN officials said that after 15 hours at sea the vessel started taking on water. A merchant ship rescued nearly 80 of the passengers, but dozens lost their lives during what was described as a difficult and delicate operation. Among the missing is the mother of a baby who was brought ashore on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

Five African-born designers have opened the Milan Fashion Week, a first for Italy’s most prestigious couture show. The co-founder of the collective “Made in Italy”, Michelle Ngonmo, called the event, which was pre-recorded because of the coronavirus pandemic, a first step towards a more equal society.

One of the 15 Ethiopian UN peacekeepers who on Monday refused to board a flight home after their tour in South Sudan ended, has told the BBC that they are afraid for their lives. The soldier, who asked to remain anonymous, is from the Tigrayan ethnic group. He said that since war broke out last November in Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray, Tigrayan soldiers have been discriminated against and targeted. “They disarmed us, announced a curfew after 10pm, and we were being watched over by our colleagues from the Amhara and Oromo ethnic group,” he said.

The prime minister of the Central African Republic says its forces have recaptured Bossangoa, the stronghold of the former president, François Bozizé, who’s accused of leading an uprising that has seized more than half the country. Mr Bozize, who denies controlling the rebels, fled CAR in 2013 after being overthrown by mainly Muslim rebels. He returned just over a year ago to stand as a candidate in December’s presidential election but was disbarred because of allegations of murder and torture.