National and International News Roundup – February 28th 2020

The government of Cameroon has described a recent report on the February 14^th 2020 Ngarbuh massacre published by Human Rights Watch as unfounded and baseless. In a press briefing in Yaounde, the Minister of Communication, Rene Emmanuel Sadi said the rights group published misleading information without investigation. Minister Sadi claims names of people who are still alive and are seeking refuge in French-speaking towns were published by the rights group.

Some Cameroonians say they expect little at the end of an inquiry on Ngarbuh killings launched by the government of Cameroon. To them, this is because government had earlier issued concluding statements and figures on the killings before opening investigations. “How can a criminal investigate itself,” some have questioned. Government holds that five civilians were killed as opposed to 21 dead as stated by Human Rights Watch. Mimi Mefo Info documented the killing of over 35 civilians during the massacre.

Residents of some towns in the North West and South West regions today remained indoors, as they observed a day of mourning for victims of the February 14 massacre in Ngarbuh in the North West region. Over 35 were killed in the unfortunate incident including children and pregnant women.

Ambazonian fighters are said to have killed two soldiers in Bamendakwen in Mezam Division, North West Region of Cameroon. Weapons of the three soldiers were equally seized by the separatists. An online video shows how heads of some of the soldiers were shattered by bullets. “There is no way we can let you set up an army camp in our village,” the separatists said in the video reportedly filmed on February 26, on the scene of the incident. Government has not reacted.  The war between both camps has been going on for over three years now. Separatists took up arms in 2017 after Anglophones were killed for protesting peacefully and their leaders arrested.

An unidentified corpse was discovered today at Mafanja junction on the Tiko-Douala road, around the Banana plantations. Locals say the man was killed somewhere and his lifeless body brought to the area.

Eight political parties will make up Cameroon’s National Assembly. This follows release of February 9 legislative election results by the constitutional council. The CPDM harvested the lion’s share of the parliamentary seats. It emerged with 139 seats, UNDP 7 seats, SDF 5 seats, PCRN 5, FNSC 3, CDU 4, MDR 2 and UMS 2 seats. The lower house will be complete after the rerun in 11 constituencies where votes were annulled.

Cameroon’s February 9th municipal and legislative witnessed a 45.89% participation rate, going by figures stated by the Constitutional Council. The President of the Council says the elections were free and fair in the entire country. The same court has cancelled elections in the restive North West and South West regions citing irregularities and insecurity.

Tributes have been paid in honour of late barrister Sylvain Souop of the MRC buried yesterday. Conspicuously present at the burial were MRC leader, Maurice Kamto and Minister Gregoire Owona of Labour and Social Security.

The trial of activists accused of partaking in last year’s attack on the Cameroonian embassy in Paris has been postponed to November 30. Among those present at the first hearing in the Paris Criminal Court, reports say was activist Abdoulaye Thiam commonly called Calibri Calibro who had an encounter with French president Emmanuel Macron on the Anglophone crisis. Calibri has attracted national and international attention since the move which has been described as “an act of courage”.

Cameroon’s Posts and Telecommunications Minister, Minette Libom Li Likeng chaired a meeting of Ministers in charge of telecommunications services in the CEMAC region today. This was during a working visit this Friday in Douala, the economic capital of the country.

The governor of the South Region of Cameroon has suspended a handover ceremony from the former mayor and the mayor-elect of Sangmelima council. Felix Ngele Ngele signed the release without stating a reason for his decision.

The SDF district chairman for the Douala III electoral district who doubles as 6th deputy mayor in the area has been suspended from the SDF party. Justin Youmssi was suspended by Honourable Jean Michel Nintcheu, SDF littoral regional coordinator who accused him of betrayal and gross disrespect to the party’s Chairman, Ni John Fru Ndi. Youmssi reportedly violated party instructions and challenged the candidate invested by the party, for the post of 6th deputy mayor of Douala III.

There is infighting among CPDM Barons in the Bamboutos Division of the West region of Cameroon. The outing mayor of Mbouda Dr Ngoula has taken other CPDM elites in the Division and the mayor-elect of Mbouda Wanji to court, for what he qualifies as a fraud during the elections process of the mayor of Mbouda on February 25th. Dr Ngoula says his CPDM comrades used money to buy consciences of municipal councillors

US officials in Cameroon say Cameroon is ready to handle an eventual coronavirus outbreak, following the assistance received from US health officials. During a press conference in Yaounde Friday, February 26th 2020 in Yaounde, officials of the US embassy said they have aided Cameroon with kits, technical and logistical elements to prevent the entry of Coronavirus. They have also helped to set up quarantine centres and diagnostic expertise.

Cavaye Yeguie Djibril has been reelected MP for Mayo Sava after over 28 years at the National Assembly. The SDF’s fire Band MP, Jean Michel Nintcheu was reelected in Douala, Wouri East constituency and Cabral Libii voted MP for the Nyong and Kelle.

Fire has consumed a residence at Isokolo village in Limbe, Fako Division of the South West region. Local sources say the incident was caused by a poor electric connection. No human life was lost but material damage is enormous.

A Kenyan judge has suspended flights between Kenya and China and ordered the state to prepare a plan to prevent the spread of coronavirus. China Southern Airlines flights on the Guangzhou-Changsha-Nairobi route had been suspended since 11 February but that suspension was lifted on Wednesday when 239 passengers arrived in Kenya. The Law Society of Kenya then filed a case asking the court to suspend flights again.

More than 60 doctors have been sent to the international airport in Lagos to boost screening efforts, Nigerian authorities told the BBC. The first positive case of coronavirus was confirmed in Nigeria’s commercial capital on Friday morning. According to authorities, the patient who tested positive for the virus was screened at the international airport upon arrival in Lagos, but the virus was not detected because of the delay it takes for symptoms to appear.

At least 11 people have been killed in heavy fighting in central Somalia between government troops and a Sufi Muslim militia, Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama’a. Eyewitnesses in the regional capital Dhusamareb said both sides were using mortars and anti-aircraft guns.

A Kenya Airways employee has been suspended for filming the arrival of a plane from China at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in the capital, Nairobi. The video was widely circulated across Kenya and sparked outrage over the government’s refusal to halt direct flights from China in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak. While many Kenyans are calling him a “whistleblower”, the national carrier has defended its decision to suspend Gire Ali, citing company policy.

Two online petitions have been created asking the Kenyan government to suspend direct flights from China over coronavirus fears. Thousands have signed the petitions within hours as criticism grows after the government allowed a China Southern Airlines flight into the country on Wednesday and asked passengers to self-isolate.

Officials in Ethiopia say 12 people have been killed and 7,000 displaced in ethnic clashes in the western state of Gambella. More than 400 houses were burned down and at least 300 heads of livestock taken.

Two South African nationals working aboard a cruise ship quarantined at sea have contracted coronavirus, according to the country’s health ministry. It quoted Japanese officials as saying the two patients were not outwardly displaying symptoms of the virus but were being treated in Japan. The vessel had at least 3,700 people on board, South Africa’s authorities said in a statement.

A Ugandan court will on 20 May rule on a case in which a student has sued the president for blocking him on Twitter. The Harvard University student, who is Ugandan, wants the court to compel President Yoweri Museveni and other senior government officials to unblock him on Twitter.

Guineans will head to the polls on Sunday to vote on a controversial constitutional referendum. It could extend the president’s rule for at least another decade. They will also vote for deputies in parliament, but the vote is being boycotted by opposition parties. Over 36 people have died in demonstrations against the referendum since October. (Source Foreign News: BBC Africa).

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