1 There has been widespread social media condemnation of a video showing a woman buried alive by gunmen in Guzang Batibo in the North West Region of Cameroon. The Ambazonia Governing Council in a release signed by the spokesperson has condemned the act. Similarly, the mayor of Batibo locality where the act is reported to have taken place, condemned the act on their Facebook page. In the video, gunmen accuse their victim of being a traitor or what is popularly called ‘blackleg’.
2 Secondary schools are gradually witnessing a decrease in school attendances in Nkambe, Donga Mantung Division in the North West Region of Cameroon. Parents from Ako Subdivision who had earlier sent their kids to Nkambe to attend school, are withdrawing them on the request of Ambazonia fighters in the area. The fighters have been threatening to attack parents that fail to keep their children away from school.
3 Lawyers in Cameroon have observed day one of their five-day strike action. Lawyers stayed away from courts to show discontent over human rights violations in Cameroon by the government. Most of the lawyers stayed in their houses while others carried out consultations with their clients in their chambers. The strike goes operational following a breakdown in negotiations between officials of the Ministry of Justice and members of the bar.
4 In the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon, the observation of the first day of the strike by lawyers was more effective than other parts of the country. This is coupled with the fact that Monday is a traditional ghost town day which ordinarily would have seen a boycott of all public activities in the two Regions. Both courts and private chambers were deserted.
5 What role can the national assembly play in the dialogue process due to start in Cameroon in the days ahead? This was the question being asked as the Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute held talks with the Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Cavaye Yeguie Djibril. To the PM, the meeting is part of consultation talks ahead of the national dialogue. Many think the national assembly has nothing to offer after refusing to discuss the anglophone crisis since 2016. The PM equally discussed with Ayang Luc, president of the Economic and Social Council.
6 Questions have been asked as to how neutral Prime Minister Dion Ngute can be as a chair of the national dialogue. The choice of Dion Ngute by president Paul Biya to preside over talks has divided public opinion with critics saying besides being PM of Cameroon Dion Ngute is first and foremost a front seat militant of the ruling CPDM party and thus will not be objective.
7 Lawyers, medical doctors, pilots and other professionals staged a protest march today in Paris France. The protest was against the national social insurance policy. They say the policy cannot guarantee a satisfactory retirement benefit for the people. They want a universal insurance policy. The protesters abandoned their job sites and took to the streets to denounce the insurance policy.
8 There has been a thaw in tensions between South Africa and Nigeria. This came after a South African envoy to President Cyril Ramaphosa apologised “profusely” to the Nigerian government. The apology was for the deadly xenophobic attacks that rocked Johannesburg and Pretoria and left many foreigners, including Nigerians, dead. Jeff Radebe made the apology in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, today while attending a meeting. He conveyed the “sincerest apologies about the incident that has recently transpired in South Africa”. “The incident does not represent what we stand for,” Radebe said, adding South African forces of law and order were going to “leave no stone unturned, that those involved must be brought to book”.
9 Cocoa production in Ghana is still under threat despite announcements by the government of plans to increase the incomes of cocoa farmers. The threat has been heightened following cocoa farms being destroyed, with or without the permission of the farmers. The cocoa farmers are largely helpless about the situation given that they rent the land. The landowners are ending their leases prematurely to develop other crops.
Mimi Mefo Info MMI
