National And International News Briefs – 6th November 2020

Today, 6th November 2020, marks 38 years since President Paul Biya was handed power by former President Ahmadou Ahidjo. Biya’s 38th anniversary in power has however been marred by the recent atrocity that was committed at the Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy in Kumba South West Region. The massacre of the school kids has been one of the lowest points of the Biya’s regime which have been largely bloated by the Anglophone crisis.

The achievements of thirty-eight years of president Paul Biya in power have divided Cameroonians. While some have rated his close to four decades of leadership as a curse others think he has promoted democracy by reintroducing multi-party politics.

Cardinal Tumi is breathing the air of freedom. After spending a night under Amba captivity, Archbishop Emeritus for the Douala Arch Diocese, Cardinal Christian Tumi has been released by the separatist fighters. He was set free this afternoon by suspected separatists. The fighters blame the cardinal for taking part in the national dialogue. However, the Fon of Nso, HRM Sehm Mbinglo I who was arrested together with the Cardinal, has not yet been released. Natives of Baba from where have denounced the actions and demanded the release of the Fon of Nso from their land.

The people of Baba village in the North West region of Cameroon marched with peace plants today denouncing the kidnapping of people in their village yesterday. They called for the release of all those believed to have been detained in Amba camps.

Cameroon National Episcopal Conference has condemned the kidnapping of Cardinal Tumi. To them, the Cardinal is a national icon and should not be handled carelessly. The meeting of the National Episcopal Conference ends today in Yaoundé.

Dr Nick Ngwanyam has stated that Cameroonians have fallen short of the glory of God, the reason why evil has befallen the land. The educationist insists that both leaders and the citizens need to seek the face of the Almighty God for peace to reign. To him, guns, bullets and all sorts of weapons have failed to solve the crisis.

Former Ambazonian fighter and General, Nanje Leonard Nakeri Nambere has complained of the lack of ID cards for former Ambazonian fighters in DDR camps. He argues that the lack of these identification documents has limited these former fighters’ ability to travel around their country like every other citizen.

After launching his school in Douala, former Indomitable Lion, Alexander Song has started a water project in his local neighbourhood in Yaoundé, Essos. The former player is offering the residents of his neighbourhood 80-metre drilling of portable water.

One woman today has lost her life in a traffic accident in the town of Mbouda. The woman was killed by a truck whose brakes reportedly failed before crashing into the woman. The incident has raised questions over the role of local authorities and forces of law and order as urban disorder continues to claim multiple lives.

The lifeless body of a Cameroonian, Ghislain Messomo was fished out from a river in Saôna, Lyon in France. He was reported missing for 10 days and his phone was found in a trashcan. Since then nothing was found about his mysterious disappearance and murder. Investigations are currently going on.

Nigeria’s Minister of Transport, Chibuike Amaechi, has dismissed allegations that the country offered its sovereignty as collateral when signing a $400m (£300m) loan with China. The loan agreement – signed in 2014 with China’s Export-Import Bank – contained a clause about Nigeria waiving its immunity on sovereignty if it defaults on repayment. Lawmakers had questioned the intent of the clause and many in the country speculated that it had conceded the country’s sovereignty to China, but Mr Amacehi has told the BBC that is not the case.

People in The Gambia have been complaining of a shortage of fish, which is the primary source of protein for many in the country. The finger of blame has been pointed at Chinese trawlers accused of over-fishing in Gambian waters, with allegations of bribery of officials to look the other way.

A Kenyan lawyer has appeared in front of judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) five years after it issued a warrant for his arrest. The prosecutor charged Paul Gicheru and two others with obstructing the course of justice and interfering with the prosecutors’ witnesses. He surrendered to the court on Monday, five years after an arrest warrant was issued against him.

The UN-backed government in Libya says at least 10 more bodies have been found in mass graves in the town of Tarhouna, south of the capital, Tripoli. The area used to be a stronghold of forces allied with the eastern-based commander, General Khalifa Haftar. Dozens of corpses have been discovered in mass burial sites and elsewhere since the town was captured by pro-government fighters earlier this year.

Nigeria’s immigration service says it has confiscated the passport of a prominent member of the recent protest campaign against police brutality. It says Modupe Odele’s passport was seized as she was about to go on holiday because she was under investigation. Ms Odele provided legal services to hundreds of protesters and mobilised 800 volunteer lawyers to help secure bail for those who had been detained.

Reign news: BBC