Society

The Nigerian High Commissioner to Cameroon her Excellency Hadiza Mustapha has said that her country has plans to revamp Cameroon's railway sector. It may sound like a joke coming from the representative of a country with little or nothing to offer in railway transport, Ambassador Hadiza Mustapha made the pronouncement during her recent audience with Cameroon's Minister of Transport Edgar Allain Mebe Ngo’o.

The close to one hour audience was centred on bilateral relations between both countries in the transport sector. In the air transportation system, it was revealed that both Cameroon and Nigeria have signed a basal agreement to ease the operation of their airlines. While congratulating the minister for the completion of works at the Kribi deep seaport, Madame Hadiza Mustapha unveiled her country’s willingness to revamp the rail way sector in Cameroon.

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Ngwa Bertrand

16.Dec.2015

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Some 400 vigilante groups will be created in Mfoundi division of the centre region. The decision was made public by the Senior Division officer for Mfoundi, Jean Claude Tsila shortly after the governors’ conference in Yaoundé that focused on security measures ahead of end of year festivities. A move that has been condemned by the Cameroon Concord Group of newspapers. 

Prior to the announcement, some groups of Yaoundé volunteers had organised themselves to keep watch over their communities in line with a funny and dangerous CPDM concept, '"security for the population, by the population, with the population"". In Yaoundé’s Briketerie neighbourhood, about 30 volunteers mostly school dropouts are closely supervised by the third class chief of Ekoudou III, Aboubakar Elhadj Nabaniau. He said the Divisional officer for Yaoundé II encourages their effort in ensuring security in their community.

At night fall, the coordinator of the vigilante group, Mahaman Ngambou, a notable of Ekoudou III hands out instructions to his troop, armed with whistles. He reminds them to keep watch and report any suspicious moves to the police. Some of the youths are in uniform while others are not. The coordinator noted that it is intended to facilitated surveillance especially at night. He said the boys have been organised to work in three groups, morning afternoon and night in order to keep watch over business and homes in the locality. The third class chief of Ekoudou III, Aboubakar Elhadj Nabaniau said the youths have been educated to understand that the exercise is first a foremost to secure their own homes and relatives.

A few kilometres away, in Madagascar another neighbourhood of Yaoundé, the tradition ruler of Mesakwaba in Mvog Tsungui Mballa Clan said the vigilante committee is not yet fully operational on the field but they have put in place a strategy of intelligence gathering. Government sources have revealed that the 400 vigilante groups to be set up in Mfoundi division will boost the actions of our security force that are already keeping watch over Yaoundé.

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Ngwa Bertrand

16.Dec.2015

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Security forces armed with guns and arrows killed two young women wearing explosive vests in a north Cameroon town on Monday, the second raid there in days by suspected Boko Haram militants from neighboring Nigeria, witnesses said. The would-be suicide bombers, described as adolescent girls, entered Kolofata just before dawn, residents and officials told Reuters. "The first kamikaze (suicide bomber) exploded near my house ... When she entered, the local vigilance committee fired an arrow at her head and she set off her bomb," said resident Bahoua, who declined to give his full name.

Self-defense groups have sprung up across north Cameroon and are overseen by the army. The other young woman was shot by special forces, known by their French initials BIR, one of the sources said. There were no reports of anyone else being killed or wounded in the town about 10 km (6 miles) from the Nigerian border, said locals. Suicide attacks have become an almost daily occurrence in Cameroon's Far North Region despite a military operation late last month to flush out the militants who are seeking to cave out an Islamist state in Nigeria. No one claimed responsibility for the attempted bomb attack but officials blamed Boko Haram for an assault that killed 10 people in the same town on Friday.

Boko Haram fighters are mostly based in northeast Nigeria but have expanded their campaign, setting up camps and launching attacks in neighboring Chad, Niger and Cameroon. These countries along with Nigeria and Benin have formed a 8,700-strong regional task force to combat the group, although joint operations have yet to begin and national armies are increasingly tackling the militants alone. Cameroon's army says it killed 100 Boko Haram members and rescued 900 hostages late November, although some security sources have questioned the scale of the operation. The United States has sent troops to Cameroon to help with intelligence and other operations against Boko Haram.

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Ngwa Bertrand

15.Dec.2015

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The Ngwele Civil Status Centre in Bonaberi, Douala, was filled on December 12, 2015, during the celebration of the ninth mass marriages involving 65 couples. The couples, joined together by the Civil Status Officer, Ndafeut Robert, were advised to love and respect each other and above all, resort to dialogue as the best way of resolving misunderstanding. Diane Mo’o-Nga, a representative of the Littoral Regional Delegate for Women’s Empowerment and the Family, said a successful marriage is built on love, trust, tolerance and perseverance. The Assistant Divisional Officer for Douala IV, Boukar Mallum, enjoined the couples to shun jealousy, lies-telling and egoistic attitudes.

Ndafeut Robert, who has married 659 couples since December 19, 2008, said it was his way of reducing and discouraging “come we stay” unions. “Some people have been living as concubines for over 30 years. This is not good for them and their progenies, especially after the death of the man. Some shy away from legalising their marriages because of lack of finances. Others are ignorant while some care little about it.

With this initiative, the number of people living as concubines in the Douala IV municipality has drastically reduced,” he explained. The mass marriages are expected to foster family unity and pave the way for parents to recognise children born out of wedlock. Bernard Dougoare, 69, who has been living with 68-year-old Essebe Rachael for 25 years, expressed his joy saying, “It is better to be late than never.” The Civil Status Centre Officer also offered gifts to a set of twins born after the 2014 mass marriages.

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Ngwa Bertrand

15.Dec.2015

Hits: 1088

Security forces armed with guns and arrows killed two young women wearing explosive vests in a north Cameroon town on Monday, the second raid there in days by suspected Boko Haram militants from neighboring Nigeria, witnesses said. The would-be suicide bombers, described as adolescent girls, entered Kolofata just before dawn, residents and officials told Reuters. "The first kamikaze (suicide bomber) exploded near my house ... When she entered, the local vigilance committee fired an arrow at her head and she set off her bomb," said resident Bahoua, who declined to give his full name.

Self-defense groups have sprung up across north Cameroon and are overseen by the army. The other young woman was shot by special forces, known by their French initials BIR, one of the sources said. There were no reports of anyone else being killed or wounded in the town about 10 km (6 miles) from the Nigerian border, said locals. Suicide attacks have become an almost daily occurrence in Cameroon's Far North Region despite a military operation late last month to flush out the militants who are seeking to cave out an Islamist state in Nigeria. No one claimed responsibility for the attempted bomb attack but officials blamed Boko Haram for an assault that killed 10 people in the same town on Friday.

Boko Haram fighters are mostly based in northeast Nigeria but have expanded their campaign, setting up camps and launching attacks in neighboring Chad, Niger and Cameroon. These countries along with Nigeria and Benin have formed a 8,700-strong regional task force to combat the group, although joint operations have yet to begin and national armies are increasingly tackling the militants alone. Cameroon's army says it killed 100 Boko Haram members and rescued 900 hostages late November, although some security sources have questioned the scale of the operation. The United States has sent troops to Cameroon to help with intelligence and other operations against Boko Haram.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

15.Dec.2015

Hits: 1134

The Ngwele Civil Status Centre in Bonaberi, Douala, was filled on December 12, 2015, during the celebration of the ninth mass marriages involving 65 couples. The couples, joined together by the Civil Status Officer, Ndafeut Robert, were advised to love and respect each other and above all, resort to dialogue as the best way of resolving misunderstanding. Diane Mo’o-Nga, a representative of the Littoral Regional Delegate for Women’s Empowerment and the Family, said a successful marriage is built on love, trust, tolerance and perseverance. The Assistant Divisional Officer for Douala IV, Boukar Mallum, enjoined the couples to shun jealousy, lies-telling and egoistic attitudes.

Ndafeut Robert, who has married 659 couples since December 19, 2008, said it was his way of reducing and discouraging “come we stay” unions. “Some people have been living as concubines for over 30 years. This is not good for them and their progenies, especially after the death of the man. Some shy away from legalising their marriages because of lack of finances. Others are ignorant while some care little about it.

With this initiative, the number of people living as concubines in the Douala IV municipality has drastically reduced,” he explained. The mass marriages are expected to foster family unity and pave the way for parents to recognise children born out of wedlock. Bernard Dougoare, 69, who has been living with 68-year-old Essebe Rachael for 25 years, expressed his joy saying, “It is better to be late than never.” The Civil Status Centre Officer also offered gifts to a set of twins born after the 2014 mass marriages.

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

15.Dec.2015

Hits: 874