An unexpected ‘ghost town’ was observed in Bamenda today. Most of the streets remained deserted as many stayed in their houses as few taxis circulated in the city to transport people. The city council banned commercial and private motorcycles from circulating in some parts of the town. Taxi drivers have been threatened by amba boys to stay at home. In the Bamenda briefs, say that most bikers are either students or school dropouts. They are now frustrated saying their lone means of survival has been snatched from them.
General Nkah Valere, commander of the 5th military legion in Bamenda has launched an operation called “Bamenda Clean”. Aimed at fishing out all those that have been committing atrocities in the North West and Bamenda in particular, he has called on the population to collaborate with the military.
Cameroonians are divided over a call by Cameroon Renaissance Movement party to protest against the reign of Paul Biya on the 22nd of September 2020. To some, the regime has plunged Cameroon to chaos for close to 40 years and cannot been defeated through the ballot boxes. On the other hand, many are accusing the CRM of trying to incite violence.
The CRM party has issued instructions for all her militants to stay off media debate. A decision taken by party hierarchy shortly after President Paul Biya announced the convocation of regional elections.
The Social Democratic Front (SDF) is facing criticisms from the public for threatening to boycott regional elections. After participating in municipal, legislative and presidential elections in the course of Anglophone crisis, the party headed by Ni John Fru Ndi is standing against regional election.
Inhabitants of PK-13, Lendi and Mbangue in Douala V say movement of vehicles and people remain difficult in the area following the collapse of a local bridge. They regret that Douala City council had earlier demolished houses to construct good drainage to no avail.
Government has established a new checkpoint of the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) in Mayo Tsanaga in the Far North region. This comes after repeated incursions made by the Boko Haram terrorist sect. The action also comes after another checkpoint was set up on the border with the Central African Republic, in the East region to boost security.
The corpse of a University of Dschang student has been discoveredd. Dalaks as he was known among his peers was killed by bandits who robbed him of his bike last night. He was an English Modern Letters and a pre Level 2 student.
Authorities in Kousseri, Far North region are still seeking information on a lifeless baby found in a trash can yesterday. The remains of the baby were handed to security agents after nearby inhabitants could not identify the baby nor its parents.
Artist and CPDM activist, Romeo Dika has withdrawn his allegiance to president Paul Biya. In an outburst on a local radio station, he said the head of state owes him for his years of loyal service to the ruling party. He made the declaration in the presence of his fellow party bigwig, Messanga Nyamding.
Floods in north-eastern Ghana have killed seven people and made many others homeless. The country’s National Disaster Management Organisation (Nadmo) has dispatched a rescue team to assist residents of affected communities. The flooding was caused by torrential rains and the overspill of excess water from the Bagre dam in neighbouring Burkina Faso.
The UN children’s agency, Unicef, says some 535,000 children in Burkina Faso are suffering from acute malnutrition. Unicef says many of those affected have been displaced by jihadist and ethnic conflicts. The coronavirus pandemic had made the situation worse, it adds, restricting access to food and healthcare. More than 150,000 of the affected children have been classed as severely malnourished, which means they are nine times more likely to die than well-nourished children.
The media regulator in Chad has closed down 12 publications, accusing them of breaking the law. Five French-language weekly newspapers and seven Arab dailies have been suspended for at least three months. The authorities said the publications had failed to meet requirements that senior staff were trained in journalism and had at least three years’ higher education.
A new survey of an active volcano in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo suggests there may be an eruption in the next four to seven years. More than two million people live around Mount Nyiragongo, and the cities of Goma and Gisenyi sit between the volcano and Lake Kivu. Rapid expansion in Goma means many people now live right next to fissures in the flank of the volcano through which any eruption would likely occur, says Goma Volcano Observatory Director Katcho Karume.
South Africa’s economy has shrunk by 51% in the second quarter of 2020.From March, the continent’s most industrialised economy implemented one of the strictest lockdowns in the world as it battled Covid-19, but it has taken a heavy toll. A contraction was expected, but these numbers are staggering. With the exception of agriculture, all sectors of the economy saw big declines, with industries such as aviation, tourism and hospitality coming to a virtual standstill.
Foreign news; BBC
