National and International News Roundup: Thursday, January 2nd 2020

A building hosting two government offices has been razed by fire in Momo Division, in the restive North West Region of Cameroon. Both offices are the delegations of housing and urban development and that of environment and the protection of nature. The incident happened early 1st January 2020.  No one has claimed responsibility, but separatist fighters have set several public offices in the regions on fire, as they battle for control of the Anglophone regions.

The body of 17-year-old, Charlie Kameni murdered on new year day has been deposited in at the Bonasama Mortuary in Douala while his suspected killers have been arrested. The boy was stabbed to death following accusations of mobile phone theft.

Civil servants and private business owners in Bertoua East region of Cameroon have timidly resumed work after the festive period. Some streets remained empty and a greater number of shops closed. Many simply opted to stay at home. It was a similar scenario at the Douala central market, Littoral region of Cameroon.

Cameroonians have raised questions on how dozens of asylum seekers in Nigeria finally got to Cameroon. “Did the United Nations High Commission for Refugees actually accept the repatriation of refugees from Nigeria to Cameroon this week,” some have questioned. According to them, the government of Cameroon is playing in a “suspicious game”.

Cameroon is no longer a beneficiary of the US AGOA trade deal given countries in Saharan Africa. The sanction placed on Cameroon went into effect on January 1st, 2020. Economists say Cameroon will lose the sum of 200 billion dollars annually at the macro level while at the micro level it will affect businesses.

The Board Chair of the Douala Port Authority, (PAD) Shey Jones Yembe says the container Terminal of the Port and the entire port are functioning effectively, even after the contract with Bollere Group was terminated. He was speaking at the end of a visit to the port today

Journalist Aldabert Hiol of ADES info has been sentenced to 18 months in jail by the court in Yaoundé Cameroon. The court also charged him a 2 million FCFA fine.

A popular businessman and president of the Nkambe Drivers Union, Ndi Baba, has been abducted and assassinated by suspected Ambazonian fighters. He was abducted in Njap Village on December 31st, 2019 and taken to an undisclosed destination where he was allegedly killed. His body was discovered Thursday, January 2nd, 2019.

At least 4 people have been killed and over 6 injured following a clash between Cameroonian soldiers, and separatist fighters in Taku village, Ndu subdivision of the Donga and Mantung Division. Reports say fighting began early Wednesday, January 1st, 2019 and lasted several hours. Taku inhabitants commemorated the New Year in bushes.

Inhabitants of Balikumbat in the Mezam Division, North West Region of Cameroon staged a protest today against some activities of Ambazonian fighters. They were opposed to wanton financial contributions imposed on them by the pro-independence fighters.

The office of the Divisional officer for Muyuka Subdivision in the Fako Division, South West Region of Cameroon has been torched. The building was burned Wednesday night after an intense gun battle, between Cameroonian soldiers and armed separatists. Separatists have been blamed for the burning.

Nigerians on Twitter have been mocking a former state governor who had gone abroad for medical treatment but was then filmed dancing with a woman during New Year celebrations, according to news site Sahara Reporters. Peter Ayodele Fayose, who was the governor of the South-West state of Ekiti, had been granted permission by a court in early December to go abroad for treatment. He is facing charges of alleged misappropriation of funds. He has denied all wrongdoings.

President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a New Year’s message to Nigerians saying, he will leave the office in 2023 and not participate in future elections. ´I will resign in 2023 and will not be available in future elections. But I am determined to help strengthen the electoral process, both in Nigeria and in the region, where various ECOWAS members are going to the polls this year, ` he wrote on his twitter page.

Three people have been killed after a bus was attacked in Kenya close to the Somali border, local officials say. Two others were injured and are being treated at local clinics. Turkey’s parliament has passed a bill that will allow the government to deploy troops to Libya to intervene in the civil conflict. Turkey is allied with Libya’s UN-backed government, which is based in the capital, Tripoli. Egypt has condemned the move