Over 72 hours after the announcement of the death of journalist Samuel Wazizi, the government of Cameroon has maintained sealed lips. Cameroonians are questioning why government should remain silent when it’s military has been accused of torturing and finally killing the journalist.
Standup for Cameroon and the Cameroon Peoples’ Party (CPP) are weighing in on calls for justice for Wazizi. The movement and political party are dedicating Black Friday to seek justice for the pressman.
Governor Bernard Okalia Bilai of the South West Region of Cameroon is pointing accusing fingers at the Yaounde administration to explain what happened to journalist Samuel Wazizi. Speaking to journalists in Buea today, the Governor said Wazizi was taken to Yaounde alive barely two days after his arrest in Muea-Buea.
Journalists nationwide await instructions from journalism associations and syndicate. This is after the 6:00 PM June 4th 2020 deadline given for the government of President Paul Biya to issue an official statement on the whereabouts of Samuel Wazizi has expired. Jude Viban, President of CAMASEJ and Denis Nkwebo of SNJC in a joint release signed yesterday called on the government to issue an official statement else further actions will be taken.
Many more social media users have joined the Wazizi campaign. Thousands took to different social media platforms today using the hastag #JusticeforWazizi to ask the authorities to account for his whereabouts.
Another Anglophone Journalist has been arrested and is nowhere to be found 3 weeks later. Freelance journalist by name Njoka Kingsley Fomonyuy who was kidnapped from his home at Carrefour Mutzig Douala by unidentified gunmen on May 15, 2020 and has not been seen or heard from since then. The men whom his wife Vebatia Fai Vivian say vaguely identified themselves as “Surété Nationale” entered his house during the very early hours of the day and took him.
At a time when over 6500 persons are officially known to be carrying the coronavirus in Cameroon, the Minister of post and telecommunications Minette Libom Liken has revealed that she contracted the virus. On her social media page, the Minister said she has recovered from after treatment in Cameroon.
Students of form five and troisième in the French sub system of education have resumed classes in Cameroon today. This comes three days after other examination classes started studies. In a video conference chaired by the PM Dion Ngute, ministers of the three ministries in charge of education gave an evaluation of the process so far.
Polyclinique Marie O in Douala has been reopened. The health facility was closed down in April by the health Minister Manaouda Malachie for violating COVID-19 treatment rules. A new letter from the Minister to the Wouri SDO says the decision to reopen the clinic comes from the Prime Minister’s office in Yaounde.
The 2020 finance law in Cameroon drops by 542.7 billions francs cfa. This follows a presidential ordinance signed June 3rd 2020. The drop represents 5% of the 2020 state budget. The reduction has taken into consideration economic hardship as a result of coronavirus pandemic.
Barely five days after school resumption in Cameroon, some teachers in the West Region have downed their tools in protest. Thursday June 4, 2020, teachers of emergence bilingual college halted teaching and learning, demanding the payment of their salaries. They say management has been unable to pay their salaries since March 2020, and they have exhausted their patience.
Cameroonians continue to question the integrity of Cameroonian military men. After a TV report from Togo last week showing two military men among a gang of bandits, pictures of two other persons dressed in military uniforms have emerged from Mbam and Inoubou believed to have stolen four goats from a villager.
The UN and Human Rights Watch have intensified calls for the rights of humanitarian workers to be respected. The calls come after reports of the kidnap of some workers of the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services this past weekend in the North West region. They add that blockades by separatist fighters have not made the transportation of supplies any easier.
The United Nations High Commission for refugees in Cameroon has denied accusations of swindling funds meant for refugees. In a press conference in Yaounde after the protest manifestation staged by refugees in Douala, the UNHCR says the UN assistant funds for refugees in Cameroon will be paid duly.
A human skull, locally made canons and dane guns have been presented to the Brigade Commander of the Bamenda airport in the North West Region. The items according to security sources, were ceased from armed separatists during a confrontation in Bafut Sub Division. Same sources hold that two girls, supposedly of an armed separatist leader general Aladji of Bafut are in their hands.
Senegal has announced it will ease a curfew and lift restrictions on inter-city travel following two nights of protests. More than 200 people have been detained for questioning by police following spontaneous demonstrations in towns across the country overnight. The protesters had been demanding an end to the curfew introduced in March to fight the pandemic. Interior Minister Aly Ngouille Ndiaye said that the start of the curfew would be pushed back by two hours and now run from 23:00 to 05:00 local time.
There has been a spike in child abuse in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, apparently caused by the restrictions introduced in mid-March to slow the spread of coronavirus. Data from hospitals suggest more than 100 children have been raped – including some by family members. In addition, 50 women reported being assaulted.
The government in Zimbabwe says its investigations into claims of state torture and abduction of three opposition officials have thrown up “glaring inconsistencies”, although authorities are not yet conclusively dismissing the trio’s allegation of torture. The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has called for an independent investigation into the alleged abduction and abuse of MP Joana Mamombe, and youth leaders Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova – a reflection of its deep mistrust of state institutions and the police’s ability to investigate itself. Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe told journalists that the actual injuries were inconsistent with the women’s account.
The African Union (AU) has started an ambitious initiative to increase testing for coronavirus across the continent. The aim is to take the total number of tests done up to 10 million over the next two to three months. To date, more than 160,000 cases have been confirmed in Africa with 4,600 deaths. But experts fear many cases could be going undetected because of low testing rates, which are some of the lowest globally.
Hundreds of people in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, have been left stranded on the first day of the resumption of public transport since coronavirus restrictions were lifted. There appears to be a shortage of buses and mini-bus taxis following new regulations introduced by the government. Passengers started arriving at public transport terminals at the crack of dawn. Some were carrying mattresses, bags and other belongings hoping to leave the city after two months of a strict lockdown.
The Zambian government has said it does not intend to take over the Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC), after declaring the firm’s power lines as a “common carrier” which any entity could use at an agreed fee. The company said the government’s decision amounted to expropriation of its infrastructure and “inhibiting it from making viable business decisions”. “CEC is now on the brink of defaulting on all its loans borrowed from international lenders,” said company spokesperson, Chama Nsabika in a statement.
Police in Nigeria are investigating the rape and murder of 18-year-old student, Barakat Bello. She was killed on Tuesday in the south-western state of Oyo. The case is just one in a string of violent sexual attacks and murders of women in Nigeria in the space of a week. Ms Bello, who was a student at the Federal College of Animal Health, had returned to her parents’ house because of restrictions put in place to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Zambian musician Brian Bwembya and popular photographer Tukuta Chellah have refused to apologise for condemning President Edgar Lungu and his government on social media. The pair, alongside musician Kings Malembe, were on Wednesday given a 24-hour ultimatum by a government minister to say sorry to the president for their criticism. Kings has since apologised for “not using the right platform” to address the issues. Dancehall singer Bwembya, also known as B-Flow, has been critical of alleged mistreatment of Zambian workers by Chinese managers, while photographer Chellah has been complaining about alleged corruption in the government.
