Cameroonians have widely criticised the over 1 billion Francs CFA reserved for the end of year festivities at the presidency of the Republic. In a document from the ministry of finance leaked on social media, 1.4 billion France CFA is placed at the disposition of a French-based company AMBACAM, for the purchase of wine and other items needed by the presidency of the Republic for the end of year festivities.
The UPC party says it will boycott the upcoming municipal and legislative elections if the government fails to reinstate its lists disqualified in constituencies across Cameroon. They also want minister Atanga Nji and collaborators sacked, for causing disorder within the party.
Several persons are feared dead in an armed robbery attack in New Bell Douala II subdivision. Reports say armed robbers attacked a local mobile financial transfer kiosk at Ancient Etage, in broad daylight, but the rapid police intervention unit intervened, neutralising the bandits.
The death toll following the Yaoundé Collapsed building now stands at four, with twelve persons severely injured. This is according to Colonel Jackson Kamgeng, commander of the military engineering corps in Cameroon.
The sum of about 300 thousand Francs CFA is said to have been seized from inhabitants of Idenau, West Coast subdivision of the Fako Division, South West Region of Cameroon. Local sources alleged that the money was confiscated by unidentified armed men who stormed Idenau at about 2 am Sunday, December 22, 2019.
In a bid to ameliorate their living conditions which have been exacerbated by the socio-political crisis in the North West and South West Regions, some persons with special abilities grouped in an association have benefited from financial aid. They were aided during the weekend in Guneku village in Momo, by a group of well-wishers.
Hundreds of people have flooded travel agencies in Douala moving to various destinations to celebrate Christmas with relatives. The passengers complain of insufficient buses during this period while managers of agencies say they are taking measures to successfully transport their passengers.
Last-minute purchases of food, drinks and other materials items for the celebration of the birth of Christ on December 25th have taken centre stage in Douala. Mboppi market, Douala central Market, Nkouloulou, Sandagar and many others are full to capacity. Buyers complain of high prices charged by sellers as the D day draws near.
Inhabitants of Bamkikaay and Kitiwum in Bui Division in the North West region of Cameroon say fear of the unknown will not permit them to prepare for Christmas. They say activities of separatists and the military are their source of fear.
Persons internally displaced as a consequence of the anglophone crisis, living in Douala have been lamenting about how they will celebrate Christmas given their precarious situation. Many have been pleading with well-wishers to assist with food items most especially for their kids.
The Cameroon Minister of commerce has been inspecting the prices of products in some markets in Yaoundé. Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana encouraged the consumption of ‘Made in Cameroon’ products.
Hon. Jean Jacques Ekindi has lauded the bill on decentralisation and special status for the North West and South West regions of Cameroon. In a press conference in Douala, Ekindi said it is a step towards federalism that has been his stance all this while.
The publisher of a Cameroonian legal journal has been fined and given a two-year suspended sentence after one of his journalists secretly recorded a barrister plotting how to shape a case for a high-profile client. Barrister Fostine Fotso was representing Ama Tutu Muna, who is the sister of former presidential candidate Akere Muna. The siblings had been clashing in a dispute over real estate.
Eight West African countries have agreed to cut some of their financial links with France in a move which will see the end of the currency known as the CFA franc. Under the deal, a new currency called the Eco is to be launched. It will still to be linked to the Euro. The decision was announced on Saturday during the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to the region.
There have been contradictory reactions following the decision of eight West African states to quit the Franc CFA zone by 2020. According to Nyulserver killian a Douala based economist, adopting ECO as a legal tender is a courageous step that will boost the economy of these West African countries, a stand other politicians say is not guaranteed as they fear the value of ECO will not withstand competition in the world market.
Opposition politicians in Zambia have condemned the arrest of a prominent musician and anti-corruption campaigner. Police say Chama Fumba, who performs under the name Pilato, was arrested on Saturday for addressing an unauthorised rally in the southern city of Livingstone.
The French military says an attack it launched against Islamist militants in Mali over the weekend was the first time it had used an armed drone during the conflict. On Saturday, President Emmanuel Macron said French forces had killed 33 jihadists in the central Malian region of Mopti. The area is controlled by the Islamist group Katiba Macina.
Rather than celebrating, Liberians seem to be in mourning this Christmas – thanks to the fact that the financial crisis in this former colony of freed slaves has been worsening since former international football star George Weah was elected president two years ago. “Honestly, in my entire life this is the first time that I am not able to give my children anything [at Christmas],” a mother-of-five who works in the office of a lawmaker told the BBC.
Saudi Arabia has sentenced five men to death and three further to prison in relation to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi was killed at the Audi consulate in Turkey last year. However, the public prosecutor said Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Saud al-Qahtani will not be punished, despite being sanctioned by the US for his role in the killing.
Seven players from the Eritrean football team have gone missing after playing in the East African regional championship in Uganda. The rest of the squad have returned home following the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup, where they finished runners-up. It’s the second time this year footballers from Eritrea have disappeared while on international duty after Back in October, five players fled from their hotel in the middle of October’s Cecafa Under-20 Challenge Cup.
A warrant of arrest has been issued against Guillaume Soro, former speaker of Ivory Coast’s National assembly. He is being accused of attempting to destabilise Ivory Coast and for financial mismanagement. Guillaume Soro was set to land in Ivory Coast this afternoon after spending days abroad. He was forced to land in Accra, Ghana after he received news of his arrest warrant.
(Foreign News Source: BBC Africa)
