National and International News Roundup: Friday 06 December 2019

Cameroon Minister of territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, has relieved His Majesty Biloa Efa of his duties as a traditional ruler. The minister in a communique accused the traditional ruler, member of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement Political Party of incitation and instigation to insurgence – Characterised insubordination towards administrative authorities, and active participation in a forbidden public manifestation.

The Fako Lawyers Association (FAKLA) has vowed to stand against the law on the promotion of Cameroon’s two official languages. In a release signed today, the president of FAKLA, Benjamin Enow Agbor condemns the bill he says that seeks to relegate English to the background in Cameroon.

Douala is dark and insecure at night. Inhabitants and commercial motorcycle riders say most streetlights are no longer working, providing a fertile ground for bandits. Besides this, security cameras seem not to be working as bandits attack people and go scot-free. As the end of year festivities gather momentum, insecurity is steadily on the rise, residents say.

Some traders at the Youpwe fish market in Douala say they have recorded enormous material damages following a fire incident last evening. Flames broke out in an area where local fuel is stored in the market. The president of the fish market has called on the traders to stop the storage of fuel in places close to shops.

The remains of a man identified as Kouamo originating from the West Region of Cameroon have been deposited in a mortuary in Yaoundé. The body of the truck pusher was found at Ngoabang market this morning without any traces of physical assault.

There are threats of food shortage in some Regions of Cameroon according to the minister of Agriculture. According to minister Gabriel Mbairobe, the North West and South West Regions are the most likely to risk severe food shortage due to the ongoing crisis. Since the beginning of the crisis, affected communities in the Anglophone regions have not carried out farming activities normally, a situation that does not only affect these communities but other urban areas that depend on farmers for food items.

The government of Cameroon is to increase export taxes on maize and rice. This is contained in the 2020 finance bill. The intention is to discourage the exportation of food items and boost domestic production.

Local inhabitants of the Dja and Lobo Division, South Region of Cameroon have blocked circulation between Sangmelima and Mengong.  They are demanding the payment of indemnities from a construction company, which according to them has failed to respect promises for several months now.

Commercial Bike riders went Protesting in Yaoundé today. They say security officials have blocked them from circulating in the heart of the city of Yaoundé.

Inhabitants of the North West Region are worried that many children trapped in bushes in that part of Anglophone Cameroon as violence mounts on, may be left out of the vaccination against the deadly Measles and Rubella. They say mobile vaccination teams find it difficult getting to some areas where children within the target age could be found, and that requires special security measures.

A new structure has been created by the Douala port authority to temporarily manage the container terminal of the Douala-Bonaberi port. The structure known in French as REGIE DU TERMINAL À CONTENEURS and abbreviated as RTC has been placed under the coordination of the director of the Douala seaport. The structure has administrative and financial autonomy and has been given a one-year renewable mandate.

Gender activists say violence, especially gender-based ones, within the school milieu remains a major problem in Cameroon. They say both the male and female genders suffer gender-based violence in schools in Cameroon, which should be fought against. Today, they engaged in a sensitisation campaign to educate stakeholders in education on ways to fight gender-based violence.

The founder of the news site Sahara Reporters and former Nigerian presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has been detained again, a day after his bail was upheld by a High Court. Mr Sowore was first detained in August 2019 after he called for revolution. Images which appeared on social media this Friday show Mr Sowore pinned to the ground during scuffles with state security agents at a court hearing. His initial bail was granted in October, but Nigerian authorities have continued to hold him, triggering outcry from his supporters and press freedom advocates.

As part of the ongoing anti-graft initiative being trumpeted by the Kenyan government, police have today Friday, arrested Nairobi County governor, famous for his chunky gold jewellery, on corruption charges. The arrest of Mike Mbuvi Sonko is among one of the high-profile moves in the government ongoing anti-graft campaign. Chief public prosecutor Noordin Haji addressing a news conference explained that Mike Mbuvi Sonko and his associates were accused of conspiracy to commit corruption, failure to comply with laws related to procurement, unlawful acquisition of public property and laundering the proceeds of crime.

At least four people have been confirmed dead and 29 others injured following the collapse of a six-story residential building in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi this Friday. This comes after weeks of heavy rains, which a government official has said is responsible for the collapse of the building. Rescuers were still searching for any further survivors as the night fell over the site of the disaster. According to the Nairobi regional commissioner Wilson Njenga, the rescue efforts will continue until it is certain there are no more survivors.

Mimi Mefo Info