National and International News Roundup
President Paul Biya has announced arrangements to put in place a ‘Special Status’ in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon. In a roundtable debate chaired by Mo Ibrahim today in France, the president said the special status will take into consideration specificities of the two Regions of Cameroon. This is the first official comment made by the president since the end of the national dialogue last month
Fifty academics, intellectuals and human rights defenders in Europe, America Africa….urge French president, Emmanuel Macron to encourage his Cameroonian counterpart Paul Biya to openly participate in Swiss-led peace talks in an attempt to end the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon. The letter was published today. President Paul Biya is currently attending a peace conference in Paris.
Chief Dr Mofor has challenged president Paul Biya to visit the North West and South West regions of Cameroon as a proof of a genuine will to end the Anglophone crisis. Speaking on equinox television the traditional ruler says the announced special status cannot solve the anglophone crisis if the anglophone in their vast majority are not allowed to decide the content.
The Social Democratic Front (SDF) has boycotted the opening session of parliament in Cameroon today. The communication department of the party says their decision to boycott parliamentary sessions and elections until the socio-political tension in Cameroon is resolved, has not changed. Many have questioned how that can affect the process of decision-making at the parliament and the Senate.
February 9, 2020, local elections: SDF out! The Social Democratic Front, (SDF), has said it will boycott the February 9, 2020, Municipal and Legislative Elections. Members of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party have reiterated their decision to withdraw from the National Assembly, Senate and Councils in Cameroon. In a closed-door meeting Monday, November 11, 2019, in Yaoundé, the party headed by Chairman Ni John Fru Ndi opted to maintain their earlier stand taken in Douala during a NEC meeting that took place last August 10, 2019.
Some traders at the Mboppi market in Douala have been calling for financial assistance from the government to restart business activities. This follows enormous material damages recorded as a result of a fire incident last night. Several shops were burnt down before the arrival of elements of the firefighting unit. This is the third fire incident in Douala since the beginning of this week.
An uneasy calm has returned in Cameroon’s political capital, Yaoundé. A violent confrontation between security forces and commercial motorcycle riders this afternoon paralysed movement in some parts of the town. Commercial motorcycle riders staged a protest denouncing the delimitation of their area of activity by the administration. A decision from the SDO says commercial motorcycles should only operate at the Yaoundé 6 subdivision.
At least 10 houses have been destroyed in a landslide in Njinka, Noun Division in the West Region of Cameroon. The incident that happened on Sunday has rendered many families homeless. No death has however been recorded so far. This is happening less than a month after the Gouache landslide that led to the death of 43 persons.
The new DO for Nguti subdivision has been called upon to bring back the displaced population of his new administrative unit. Highly that the anglophone crisis has badly affected Nguti subdivision, the SDO for Kupe Manenguba challenged him to bring back life in the area. Tchakui Noundie Jean Marie was speaking at Nguti ceremonial Grandstand while commissioning Etengenen Kelvin Oben as the new DO. Locals reports say the Nguti population did not come out for the ceremony
In the Fako Division, the Newly installed divisional officers of Limbe 1,2 and 3 have been instructed to ensure the security and safety of persons and their properties in their respective subdivisions. The instructions came from the Fako DO in separate installation ceremonies in Limbe.
Several schools within Limbe were forced to close their doors prematurely today due to high floods that followed a heavy downpour this morning. Apart from schools several Neighbourhood and markets were equally flooded.
The indomitable lionesses of Cameroon have qualified for the 5th round of the qualification race for 2020 Tokyo Japan, Olympic games. The lionesses defeated Ivory Coast 2 goals to 1 this afternoon in Yaoundé. The match was played at the Amadou Ahidjo stadium in Yaoundé. Cameroon now has Zimbabwe to play with to determine their final qualification
The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon will tomorrow Wednesday take on Cape Verde. The match is part of the qualification for African Cup of National 2021.
Queues were today formed outside banks in Zimbabwe as people hope to get hold of the country’s first Zimbabwe dollar notes to be issued since 2009. The currency was scrapped a decade ago because of hyperinflation when prices were almost doubling every day.
Tanzanian children aged 15 and over will soon be able to get tested for HIV without needing parental consent. It is hoped that dropping the minimum age requirement from 18 to 15 will help reduce HIV rates among young people – who currently account for 40% of new infections.
Guinea’s President Alpha Condé has replaced his security minister in a cabinet reshuffle that has also seen the fall of his health and justice ministers. The reshuffle comes a day after parliamentary elections were slated for next February
Extra police officers have been deployed to Mozambique’s western border to prevent growing numbers of people entering illegally from Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Tete province’s police spokesman Feliciano de Camara said, “foreigners should use official border crossing points”.
Nigeria’s state security service has fired live rounds to disperse protesters in the capital, Abuja, demanding the release of detained activist Omoyele Sowore. The journalist, and founder of New York-based website Sahara Reporters website has been held in prison for more than three months, following accusations of treason and “cyberstalking” the president.
Popular Nigerian evangelist TB Joshua has led prayers for peace in the capital, Juba, in a mission backed by President Salva Kiir. The self-proclaimed prophet said he had accepted President Kiir’s invitation to come and pray for peace and deliver a prophetic message to the nation.
Two budget airlines in Kenya have had their licences removed for one week following a spate of accidents. Safe Air and Adventure Aloft are to be inspected by Kenya’s Civil Aviation Authority to ensure they are fit for flying. The last two months have seen at least half a dozen accidents involving small carriers operating local routes in Kenya.
Former Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) president Jamal Malinzi has been banned for 10 years by FIFA for misappropriation of funds and falsifying documents. Along with the ban from all football-related activities, which comes into immediate effect, Malinzi was also fined 500,000 Swiss francs (US$503,000). FIFA said in a statement that he had been found “guilty of having misappropriated FIFA funds and falsified an official document, in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics.”
(Foreign News Source: BBC Africa)
