1 It was an unusual calm that reigned today Tuesday, August 27, 2019 in the restive North West and South West regions of Cameroon. While commercial and transport activities were paralysed in some parts of the North West Region, business premises in Buea, Limbe, Kumba were operational.
In areas like Mile Four and Mile Two Nkwen, Bamenda, few people could be spotted on streets early today. It was a similar scenario at the Commercial Avenue. Residents said they were “sceptical about this day as they could barely tell whether there will be lockdown or not.” “At Mobile nkwen…Nkwen market was operational but later closed by afternoon…It is terrible…we got up thinking we could go to our normal activities.
But was shocked by another ghost town,” another source said.
2 Cameroon Government soldiers are reported to have fired gunshots in the air at Meta quarters today. Gunshots were also heard in some parts of Momo Division and Bali Nyonga. No casualties have been reported from the incidents.
3 In Bangem, Kupe Manengouba Division, locals were indoors. Vehicles and motorbikes could not be spotted on streets. However, streets in Kumba was deserted in the morning. But activities gradually returned to normalcy in the course of the day.
4 While a faction of IG led by Dr. Sako has called for a three weeks lockdown between August 26, to September 16, 2019, another camp led by Sisiku controlled by his Vice, Yerima, said the lockdown will begin September 2-6 and September 9-13, 2019. Tomorrow remains uncertain.
5 Cameroon’s Minister of Communication has said 27 schools came under attack in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon between January to August 2019. Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi said the attacks were perpetrated by what he described as terrorists.
He added that 58 students and 19 university lecturers were kidnapped in both regions during the 2018/2019 school year.
While assuring a hitch free back to school in the troubled regions, Minister Sadi accused pro independence fighters of burning infrastructure in Batoke and Buea and for raping two girls who were returning from sitting in for their First School Leaving Certificate Examination in Mudemba. Present at the press conference were Ministers of Basic, Higher and secondary Education in Cameroon.
6 International Human rights organization has insisted that soldiers arrested in connection with the shooting of women and babies in the Far North Region of Cameroon should be prosecuted.
“No army responsible for atrocities against civilians should not escape prosecution and reparations for victims and their love ones.”
The soldiers today appeared in Court on charges of joint participation in murder, breach of regulations and conspiracy.
7 Security officials have said, out of the 117 people who were onboard the Yacht ship that capsized off the shore of West Coast in Bakassi, South West Region, 107 were rescued ( 83 men, 13 women, 11 children). 3 dead bodies have been retrieved and 7 person still missing. The incident occurred Sunday August 25.
8 A road accident this morning along the Yaounde/Soa road in the Centre region of Cameroon left close to eight people dead. A car collided with a mini bus transporting students. Injured victims are receiving treatment in hospital.
9 Multi award winning human right lawyer, Felix Agbor Balla has urged the Biya government of Cameroon to withdraw its troops to their barracks and stop acts of violence in the restive North West and South West regions. “This could be followed by declaring a ceasefire and urging separatist fighters to stop attacks on military positions in Anglophone regions. The government should also release all people it has detained,” Agbor Balla said while responding to questions from a renowned news site, “The Conversarion”. The human right defender called on international players to mount pressure on the Biya government and to create an environment for dialogue through diplomatic channels. “If this fails, economic and other sanctions should be imposed against the government,” he said. “..the UN needs to set up a political mission in Cameroon with a mandate to resolve the Anglophone crisis,” he said.
10 Chad has jailed 243 rebels who had made a failed incursion in the northeast from Libya in February.
The heavily armed militants had managed to travel hundreds of kilometres into the Ennedi region, in a convoy consisting of dozens of vehicles, before being halted by French airstrikes.
Those sentenced today received prison terms ranging from 10-20 years. ( BBC)
11 The United Nations’ refugee agency says it fears a large number of people may have drowned in the Mediterranean, after their boat sunk off the coast of Libya. At least 40 people are thought to be missing, according to Charlie Yaxley UN spokesman. He said about 60 people had been rescued.
12 An Ethiopian man in Kenya was sentenced to four months in prison on Thursday for joking about a bomb after boarding a Kenya Airways flight.
Magistrate Christine Njagi found him guilty of “imperilling the safety of aircraft and persons on board”.
