National And International News Roundup – 7th January 2021

Cameroonian Journalist, Paul Chouta was arrested on May 28th 2019, (nearly 18 months ago) – but the plaintiff in the case has never appeared in court. This January 7, 2020 was another court hearing day, but as usual, the whistleblower’s hearing was adjourned to February 4th. Paul Chouta is being held on speech-related charges. He was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by French-Cameroonian author Calixthe Beyala — who alleged that Mr. Chouta had posted inaccurate and offensive information about her personal life on social media. Chouta has denied all the charges and his arrest has been widely condemned.

Residents of Kumba were plunged into fear as explosive devices were discovered around a newspaper kiosk in the city. Locals discovered the device as it was attached to an electric meter and dropped by the container. The population alerted security forces who came and diffused the device then carried it away.

Two individuals known to be involved in fraudulent activities through a microfinance known as Global Credit have been arrested today in Nlongkack-Yaoundé. They were allegedly on the run after collecting more than 10 million FCFA from their clients and made away with the funds. This equally comes barely some few days after the Mekit Invest boss was equally arrested for similar crimes. He was transferred to the Kondengui Central Prison.

What will change at the Cameroon Airline Company – CAMAIR-CO following the appointment of a new management team? Cameroonians over the years see the airline company as an avenue where billions of tax payers’ monies are mismanaged without a veritable take-off of the company.

Achobong Paul, Mayor of Bamenda City Council says he is sourcing a means to provide transportation to traders in Bamenda every Monday. To him, traders are respecting ghost town on Mondays because they lack the necessary transportation means to get to their businesses. It remains unclear if traders will welcome the move aimed at putting an end to ghost towns.

Separatist leaders have sent a letter of warning to the Confederation of African Football, CAF to tell them about the consequences of organising the CHAN competition in Anglophone regions. According to them, they would do everything within their powers to foil the organisation of the tournament in Limbe. They have insisted CAF would be solely responsible for what the outcome will be.

There is a massive deployment of security forces in civilian attire in Douala ahead of the start of the African Football Championship on the 16th of January. Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboa says the media has a veritable role to play for a successful organisation of the championship games.

Carréfour Tradex Yassa has been rated as a danger zone inhabited by hardened criminals and bandits. The area located along the road to Japoma Stadium, inhabitants say, will be a threat to football lovers most especially at night. Though there is a police station around that area, inhabitants say the absence of street lights in the vicinity encourages banditry.

Zambia has defeated the Intermediate Lions of Cameroon 2 goals to zero at the pre-CHAN tournament. After playing three matches, Cameroon lost two and drew one. The performance has been rated poor by those who think the team headed by Martin Ntougho Mpile is not well-prepared for the African Football Championship that starts on the 16th of January.

In Football, Eding Sport of Lekie has sought to reclaim its glory on the national stage by recruiting a new French coach. Bruno Ferry, the French coach has been tasked with bringing back the club at the pinnacle of Cameroon’s football like was the case in 2017. They believe that his vast coaching experience in France will aid in their ambitions.

Uganda has defeated Niger 3 goals to zero at the ongoing four-nation tournament that is taking place in Yaoundé.

The UK has imposed a ban on travellers coming in from six African nations over concerns about the importation of a new strain of Covid-19. People who want to travel from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana as well as island nations Mauritius and Seychelles will be barred from entering the UK, an advisory said. The countries are seen as having a high number of travel connections with South Africa.

Police in Uganda say they have rescued dozens of people from a church in the capital, Kampala, where the pastor said they were being treated for their mental illnesses through prayer. The police found nine of them in chains tied to metal poles. Correspondents say evangelical churches have proliferated in Uganda over the last few decades – many of them promising miracles and prosperity.

Two years ago the Ugandan parliament passed a law to create five special seats – representing each region of the country – for its senior citizens. The representatives will be elected for the first time next week, with the aim of focusing on issues that affect older people. But will this have an impact? Some argue that many of Uganda’s lawmakers are already overwhelmingly senior citizens.

A Zambian MP has compared a nationwide distribution of condoms and sterile gloves despite the products failing safety tests as “genocide”. “What the ministry of health is doing is genocide,” lawmaker Mwansa Mbulakulima told the BBC. “When you put water in those gloves and condoms, they’re leaking. How many people have died from September as a result of this negligence.”

Nigeria has recorded another daily record of more than 1,600 new cases of Covid-19 infections. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said it was concerned about the rate of transmission in the country. More than 94,000 cases have now been confirmed with at least 100 deaths recorded in the last two weeks.

Some 115 illegal firearms have been seized in the past two months, Mozambique’s police and the National Criminal Investigation Service announced on Wednesday. It comes at a time when the country is experiencing an uptick in militancy, gun attacks, robbery and kidnapping. The models seized include AK-47s, pistols, SKS, and shotguns, police said.

Foreign news: BBC