A fantastic scene occurred on Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at the crossroads of Bonakouamouang in Douala, the economic capital.

It all began when popular anti French activist André Blaise Essama appeared at the main round about and implanted a statue of the late Dr. John Ngu Foncha, an emblematic figure of the struggle for the Anglophone cause and the father of reunification who died on April 10, 1999 at the age of 82 . Immediately, a large crowd gathered on both sides to admire the sculpture.

Alerted, the police disembarked on the spot and destroyed the monument. A resistance put up by André Blaise Essama seriously disrupted traffic. After a scuffle, the activist was forced to abandon the sculpture to the police. The men in uniform, however, had a hard time to transport the monument which was so heavy. André Blaisse Essama went away Scot-free and promised his numerous fans who chanted his name at the top of their voices to return with another statue.

The nationalist activist who has the reputation of destroying monuments dedicated to French settlers was released from prison only three months ago. He had spent six months in the New-Bell penitentiary in Douala for vandalizing General Leclerc’s monument in the Bonanjo neighborhood.

By Rita Akana with files from CIN

Cameroon Common Law Lawyers have announced that direct dialogue with the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime has failed after two days of negotiations in Yaoundé. Cameroon Intelligence Report understands the Anglophone teachers also staged a walk out yesterday in Bamenda as the CPDM negotiators attempted to play the North West/South West divide game. Our senior political correspondent in Buea opined that “the resistance has taken full swing and the Biya regime seems to be playing with fire at a petrol station.”

After two days of a marathon deliberation inside La Republique du Cameroun, the deadlock came following the refusal by the Francophone government to grant the preliminary issues demanded by our Anglophone lawyers. A spokesperson for the Common Law Lawyers was quoted as saying the group found out that the Biya Francophone government is still maintaining bad faith towards the crisis and therefore had no reason to continue with the talks.  The President of the consortium, Barrister Agbor Nkongho Balla posted on his face book page that the preliminary demands from the Anglophone lawyers included but not limited to:

1. The unconditional release of all Southern Cameroon citizens arrested/ abducted from Southern Cameroons and taken to Yaounde.
2. Reviewing the composition of the committee.
3. Uplifting the ban and/or suspension imposed on North West Lawyers Association-NOWELA, Meme Lawyers Association-MELA, Fako Lawyers Association-FAKLA.

All roads from Nkambe in Donga Mantung Division and Jakiri in Bui Division into Bamenda town have been blocked by the Francophone soldiers from Yaounde and Douala. The soldiers are reportedly controlling all major roads into the city of Bamenda.

Travelers from Nkambe and Jakiri were forced to make a U-turn early Tuesday December 27, 2016. A passenger from Ndu, Tata Sharick WEYI who was denied entry into Kumbo said, “I just witnessed it, I’m on my way back home as the men in uniform will not let us access. I’m going back to Ndu, was blocked and told roads will only open by 6pm. Even patients on their way to the hospital were stopped and sent back.”

The road block according to a lawyer based in Bamenda is due to fears that youths from Nkambe and Jakiri, stronghold of famous Hon. Wirba Joseph could invade Bamenda to disrupt the meeting previewed for today between Anglophone teachers’ trade unions and the government. The youths had earlier vowed that there would be no meeting if those arrested last November 21 and December 8 are not released.

The governor of the North West region, Adolphe LELE L’Afrique is said to have given the orders. Military vehicles from Yaoundé also accompanied the delegation coming for dialogue. Bamenda town is heavily militarized. Members of the mobile intervention unit of the army, BIR are seen parading the town with heavy arms ready for any showdown.

Cameroun info.net

Common Law Lawyers in the North West region have rejected an ad hoc committee created by Prime Ministerial decree to look into problems faced by Common law Lawyers in Cameroon. Meeting in Bamenda last Saturday December 24, 2016 the Lawyers outlined certain points which to them must be looked into before they sit on the negotiation table.

Among others, they are demanding the immediate inclusion of Barristers Agbor Felix Nkongho and Eyambe, Presidents of Fako and Meme Lawyers Associations respectively in the Committee, regret governments nonchalant attitude towards lawyers and the fact that the government is yet to condemn Police brutality on them, the lawyers also reject Yaoundé as Venue and propose Buea or Bamenda as the venue for discussion.

Read Full Communiqué

Mindful of the commission created by the PM and members therein, the Executives observe as follows:

1) The composition of the commission is not balanced, that there are many Francophones than Anglophones in the commission. That some Anglophone lawyers such as Manka Rosaline and Amaazee Amah Anthony who happens to be husband and wife, do not share in the same plight of the Common law lawyers as they had taken their stand against the course which was presented to the media.

2) That the commission has left out some instrumental leaders from the South West Region namely Barrister BALLA Nkongho and Barrister EYAMBE as well as our Bar Council representative from the South West Region which is a deliberate act of the government to divide us

3) That notwithstanding, it is with regret that till date, the government has not made any official statement condemning the acts of brutality on lawyers carried out by the forces of law and order including the confiscation of their wigs and gowns and the violation of lawyers offices. Such condemnations should precede any dialogue if the government is sincere for meaningful dialogue and lasting solutions to all the issues raised.

4) Yaoundé is not an appropriate venue for the holding of such meeting. That the commission must hold in BAMENDA or BUEA.

5) From the above, the EXCO recommends that these issues must be addressed to warrant our attendance.

6) We have also resolved that the BIG four together with the other members in one document should issue a communiqué to the fact that until the above issues are sorted out, we can’t be a party to any meeting of the PM’s commission.

7) The EXCO also recommends that the consortium should urgently meet on Monday 26/12/2016 and take a position on these recent developments.

Signed by NOWELA Vice President Barrister Umenjoh Hiram

Culled from Cameroun Info.Net

Two people have been killed and several seriously wounded following a suicide attack this Sunday morning in Mora. Cameroon Intelligence Report learnt that the attack was carried out by a suspected Boko Haram militant in Mora in the Mayo-Sava division in the Far North region.

The attack was staged by a bicycle kamikaze that exploded his load some few meters from the main market. The deflagration killed the Kamikaze and a young boy and caused several injuries. A security cordon has been put in place in the town.

By Sama Ernest

Cameroon state radio and television including many CPDM sponsored news outlets have reported that calm seems to have returned to Bamenda, Buea and Kumba. These three main Southern Cameroon cities were between the 28^th of November and the 15^th of December 2016, shaken by murderous riots.

However, the strike action orchestrated by teachers and lawyers, the starting point of the popular insurrection is still on. Tension seems to be mounting following the continue arrest and detention of British Southern Cameroonians in Francophone jails.

Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the so-called minister of communications and government spokesman announced on December the 10th that Anglophone protesters arrested would be prosecuted. But he did not revealed the list of people in the hands of the police and the army. The identity of these Southern Cameroon citizens has now been made public through an investigation of the National Commission on Human Rights.

Cameroon Intelligence Report understands the commission revealed the identities of Anglophones arrested as a sign of good faith in order facilitate the work of the adhoc committee created by the Prime Minister and Head of Government. The report indicated that many Anglophone citizens are now been detained in military facilities in Yaounde. The National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms released a list which some sources say is not exhaustive as several families are still searching for their loved ones whose names do not appear in the list attached to this report.

By Rita Akana with files from CIN

First Lady, Chantal BIYA, has distributed Christmas gifts to over 1,000 vulnerable and underprivileged children in Yaounde. This was during a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at the Chantal BIYA Foundation (FCB) on Thursday 22 December 2016.

Nearly 100 beneficiaries stood at the main entrance of the foundation, and waved mini flags of the FCB upon the arrival of their benefactor, who was welcomed by Cameroon’s Minister of Public Health, Mr Andre Mama Fouda. This was combined with uniform dance steps in the sweet melodies of a budding artist called Ben Martins.

Mrs. Chantal BIYA, Founding President of the FCB, proceeded with the distribution of the gifts. Sick children, orphans and selected pupils received two packages each from Mrs Chantal BIYA,. This was delivered in four phases. Pupils received their presents in two groups. They were placed at the main entrance of the FCB and at the esplanade of the newly constructed Centre for Paediatric Cardiac Surgery. Sick children in each ward and orphans of the Children First Centre equally benefitted from the foundation’s benevolence.

The donation was made simultaneously with a guided tour of the principal units of the FCB, coupled with musical interludes. Traditional dance groups; popular bikutsi artist, Amah Pierrot; the “Chorale Spirit Songs de Meyomessala” choir; and the “Voix du Cénacle” choir, animated at the event.

Mrs. Chantal BIYA chaired a closed-door meeting with the Minister of Public Health. She later took group photographs, with the staff of the FCB and some CERAC members, to close the event.

Lawyers in the South West region whose Wigs and gowns were seized by security forces last November during a peaceful protest in Buea have vowed to take court action against the Divisional Officer of Buea, KUOAM Wokam Paul and the police who brutalized the lawyers, seized their wigs and arrested some.

Responding to a letter earlier written in December 2,2016 by t he DO for Buea to the Lawyers through the Attorney General for South West, demanding them to come to the office to collect their wigs and gowns, Barrister Ebah Ntoko write sthat by affirming that the wigs were in the possession of the DIO  was an indication that he ,Wokam Paul took poart in what he described as “prime suspect in the gruesome crimes committed on lawyers and other citizens in Buea”.

The lawyers have accused the DO and ‘His Anti Riot’ Police  of carrying out crimes of torture, assault, deprivation of property rights, violation of the Chambers of lawyers, rape and other issues. The lawyers maintained that one of the principal evidence that will be used against the DO and his anti riot Police will be the wigs and gowns.

The Common Law Lawyers who are still on strike say the issue of wigs and gowns is not at stake now but that once investigations into brutal beatings on lawyers must have been completed, they will each collect their belongings. The sole condition now is the bringing to book the culprits who treated lawyers like second class citizens.

Culled from Cameroun Info.net