Editorial

More aggressive tactics by authoritarian regimes and an upsurge in terrorist attacks contributed to a disturbing decline in global freedom in 2014, according to the Freedom in the World 2015 report, compiled by Freedom House on the condition of political rights and civil liberties. “Acceptance of democracy as the world’s dominant form of government—and of an international system built on democratic ideals—is under greater threat than at any other point in the last 25 years,” said Arch Puddington, vice president for research. “Until recently, most authoritarian regimes claimed to respect international agreements and paid lip service to the norms of competitive elections and human rights. Today they argue for the superiority of what amounts to one-party rule, and seek to throw off the constraints of fundamental diplomatic principles.”

Nearly twice as many countries suffered declines as registered gains—61 to 33—and the number of countries with improvements hit its lowest point since the nine-year erosion began.  The report cites Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a rollback of democratic gains by Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s intensified campaign against press freedom and civil society, and further centralisation of authority in China as evidence of a growing disdain for democratic standards that was found in nearly all regions of the world. The report also singled out terrorism for its impact on freedom in 2014. From West Africa through the Middle East to South Asia, radical jihadist forces plagued local governments and populations. Their impact on countries such as Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, and Nigeria was devastating, as they massacred security forces and civilians alike, took foreigners hostage, and killed or enslaved religious minorities, including Muslims they deemed apostates.

Of the 195 countries assessed, 89 (46%) were rated Free, 55 (28%) Partly Free, and 51 (26%) Not Free. According to Freedom House, a troubling number of large, economically powerful, or regionally influential countries moved backward: Azerbaijan, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, and Venezuela. Continuing a recent trend, the worst reversals affected freedom of expression, civil society, and the rule of law. In a new and disquieting development, a number of countries lost ground due to state surveillance, restrictions on internet communications, and curbs on personal autonomy. Ratings for the Middle East and North Africa region were the worst in the world, followed by Eurasia. Syria, a dictatorship mired in civil war and ethnic division and facing uncontrolled terrorism, received the lowest Freedom in the World score of any country in over a decade. A notable exception to the negative trend was Tunisia, which became the first Arab country to hold the status of Free since Lebanon was gripped by civil war 40 years ago.

Of the 51 countries and territories designated as Not Free, 12 have been given the worst-possible rating of 7 for both political rights and civil liberties. The Worst of the Worst countries are the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The Worst of the Worst territories are Tibet and Western Sahara. For the Middle East and North Africa, Freedom House found that Tunisia became the Arab world’s only Free country and the sole success story of the Arab Spring after holding democratic elections under a new constitution. The rest of the Middle East and North Africa was racked by violence and tragedy, including the Syrian civil war, the expansion of the Islamic State and other extremist militant factions, and new internal conflict in Libya. Egypt solidified its return to autocracy with sham elections, summary mass trials, and a crackdown on all forms of dissent.

News from sub-Saharan Africa was dominated by the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, and a sharp rise in violence by Islamist militants in Nigeria and Kenya. Uganda fell from Partly Free to Not Free after a series of recent laws targeting the opposition, civil society, the LGBT community and women led to serious rights abuses and increased suppression of dissent. In South Sudan, civil conflict fuelled widespread ethnic violence and displacement, and the rival factions failed to agree on a peace deal that would allow the country to hold elections. In Burkina Faso, President Blaise Compaoré was forced to resign amid popular protests, leading the military to dissolve the parliament and take charge of the country. Improvements were seen in Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, which held their first elections during late 2013 and 2014 following coups in previous years.

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Ngwa Bertrand

30.Jan.2015

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The 24th session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the African Union which held in Addis Ababa and whose big issue was the fight against the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram has come, passed and gone with the Cameroonian dictator President Paul Biya not in attendance. Interestingly, not even an announcement on state radio and television indicating the participation of a member of the Cameroon government in the summit was made. You cannot be leading a people and you do not represent them where it matters.

This summit was not like any other!! It was indeed a Cameroonian summit for our chief executive to make his case as concerns Boko Haram incursion into our territory. It provided an international platform for President Biya to have told the world the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform and above all, it was an opportunity for Biya to have demonstrated to the world that diplomacy works and to make his vision and determination to combat Boko Haram a global issue. Biya and Cameroon lost it!! It is indeed difficult to tell what manner of a leader is President Paul Biya?

For a man who has worked extra-ordinarily hard towards keeping the homeland safe, Biya successfully brought the Republic of Chad with its dubious leadership to join the war on terror. He had a very intensive and productive meeting with Nikolay Ratsiborinski the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Cameroon with Russia promising to help our military. The African Union Summit in Addis Ababa provided the best forum for President Biya to have said a goodbye blessing and informed the world that his score sheet was not staggering as his detractors have claimed. This is not to say President Biya has been attending African Union Heads of State Summits! But his absence from this edition was one final coup-de-grace.

Cameroon Concord has gathered intelligence that Biya drives regularly from Mvomeka’a to Yaoundé these days-a journey historically made by air using an helicopter. It is abundantly clear that at 82, you are medically advised to keep away from flying. This was also true with the Holy Father Pope Benedict. Our intelligence officers in Yaoundé have also hinted that leadership fatigue and boring French politics has prompted Biya not to meet with Pierre Lellouche and Philip Baumel, the two French deputies who rushed to Yaoundé in midweek to speak of "development and profitable growth."

President Biya’s recent anti French moves is preventing him from travelling out of Yaoundé and even from the country. His insistence that only Cameroonian army Generals loyal to him: Rene Meka and Tumenta should head the coalition troops in the Far North fighting against Boko Haram and the UN forces in Central African Republic, indicates that Biya and the French are no longer an item. However, an 82 year old man who has seen and done it all should not be sleeping with his eyes open! We of this publication feel President Biya should think and rethink things and go ahead and do the right thing by handing over to the new generation. A stitch in time saves nine

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Ngwa Bertrand

30.Jan.2015

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More aggressive tactics by authoritarian regimes and an upsurge in terrorist attacks contributed to a disturbing decline in global freedom in 2014, according to the Freedom in the World 2015 report, compiled by Freedom House on the condition of political rights and civil liberties. “Acceptance of democracy as the world’s dominant form of government—and of an international system built on democratic ideals—is under greater threat than at any other point in the last 25 years,” said Arch Puddington, vice president for research. “Until recently, most authoritarian regimes claimed to respect international agreements and paid lip service to the norms of competitive elections and human rights. Today they argue for the superiority of what amounts to one-party rule, and seek to throw off the constraints of fundamental diplomatic principles.”

Nearly twice as many countries suffered declines as registered gains—61 to 33—and the number of countries with improvements hit its lowest point since the nine-year erosion began.  The report cites Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a rollback of democratic gains by Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s intensified campaign against press freedom and civil society, and further centralisation of authority in China as evidence of a growing disdain for democratic standards that was found in nearly all regions of the world. The report also singled out terrorism for its impact on freedom in 2014. From West Africa through the Middle East to South Asia, radical jihadist forces plagued local governments and populations. Their impact on countries such as Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, and Nigeria was devastating, as they massacred security forces and civilians alike, took foreigners hostage, and killed or enslaved religious minorities, including Muslims they deemed apostates.

Of the 195 countries assessed, 89 (46%) were rated Free, 55 (28%) Partly Free, and 51 (26%) Not Free. According to Freedom House, a troubling number of large, economically powerful, or regionally influential countries moved backward: Azerbaijan, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, and Venezuela. Continuing a recent trend, the worst reversals affected freedom of expression, civil society, and the rule of law. In a new and disquieting development, a number of countries lost ground due to state surveillance, restrictions on internet communications, and curbs on personal autonomy. Ratings for the Middle East and North Africa region were the worst in the world, followed by Eurasia. Syria, a dictatorship mired in civil war and ethnic division and facing uncontrolled terrorism, received the lowest Freedom in the World score of any country in over a decade. A notable exception to the negative trend was Tunisia, which became the first Arab country to hold the status of Free since Lebanon was gripped by civil war 40 years ago.

Of the 51 countries and territories designated as Not Free, 12 have been given the worst-possible rating of 7 for both political rights and civil liberties. The Worst of the Worst countries are the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The Worst of the Worst territories are Tibet and Western Sahara. For the Middle East and North Africa, Freedom House found that Tunisia became the Arab world’s only Free country and the sole success story of the Arab Spring after holding democratic elections under a new constitution. The rest of the Middle East and North Africa was racked by violence and tragedy, including the Syrian civil war, the expansion of the Islamic State and other extremist militant factions, and new internal conflict in Libya. Egypt solidified its return to autocracy with sham elections, summary mass trials, and a crackdown on all forms of dissent.

News from sub-Saharan Africa was dominated by the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, and a sharp rise in violence by Islamist militants in Nigeria and Kenya. Uganda fell from Partly Free to Not Free after a series of recent laws targeting the opposition, civil society, the LGBT community and women led to serious rights abuses and increased suppression of dissent. In South Sudan, civil conflict fuelled widespread ethnic violence and displacement, and the rival factions failed to agree on a peace deal that would allow the country to hold elections. In Burkina Faso, President Blaise Compaoré was forced to resign amid popular protests, leading the military to dissolve the parliament and take charge of the country. Improvements were seen in Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, which held their first elections during late 2013 and 2014 following coups in previous years.

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Ngwa Bertrand

30.Jan.2015

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The 24th session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the African Union which held in Addis Ababa and whose big issue was the fight against the Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram has come, passed and gone with the Cameroonian dictator President Paul Biya not in attendance. Interestingly, not even an announcement on state radio and television indicating the participation of a member of the Cameroon government in the summit was made. You cannot be leading a people and you do not represent them where it matters.

This summit was not like any other!! It was indeed a Cameroonian summit for our chief executive to make his case as concerns Boko Haram incursion into our territory. It provided an international platform for President Biya to have told the world the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform and above all, it was an opportunity for Biya to have demonstrated to the world that diplomacy works and to make his vision and determination to combat Boko Haram a global issue. Biya and Cameroon lost it!! It is indeed difficult to tell what manner of a leader is President Paul Biya?

For a man who has worked extra-ordinarily hard towards keeping the homeland safe, Biya successfully brought the Republic of Chad with its dubious leadership to join the war on terror. He had a very intensive and productive meeting with Nikolay Ratsiborinski the Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Cameroon with Russia promising to help our military. The African Union Summit in Addis Ababa provided the best forum for President Biya to have said a goodbye blessing and informed the world that his score sheet was not staggering as his detractors have claimed. This is not to say President Biya has been attending African Union Heads of State Summits! But his absence from this edition was one final coup-de-grace.

Cameroon Concord has gathered intelligence that Biya drives regularly from Mvomeka’a to Yaoundé these days-a journey historically made by air using an helicopter. It is abundantly clear that at 82, you are medically advised to keep away from flying. This was also true with the Holy Father Pope Benedict. Our intelligence officers in Yaoundé have also hinted that leadership fatigue and boring French politics has prompted Biya not to meet with Pierre Lellouche and Philip Baumel, the two French deputies who rushed to Yaoundé in midweek to speak of "development and profitable growth."

President Biya’s recent anti French moves is preventing him from travelling out of Yaoundé and even from the country. His insistence that only Cameroonian army Generals loyal to him: Rene Meka and Tumenta should head the coalition troops in the Far North fighting against Boko Haram and the UN forces in Central African Republic, indicates that Biya and the French are no longer an item. However, an 82 year old man who has seen and done it all should not be sleeping with his eyes open! We of this publication feel President Biya should think and rethink things and go ahead and do the right thing by handing over to the new generation. A stitch in time saves nine

Details

Ngwa Bertrand

30.Jan.2015

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A new study shows oil-rich countries are a hundred times more likely to face foreign intervention and conflicts. The research by academics from the universities of Warwick, Portsmouth and Essex in the UK indicates that foreign governments are 100 times more likely to intervene in internal conflicts of other states, if the troubled countries are home to hydrocarbon reserves. The study examined 69 civil wars between 1945 and 1999. It said civil wars amount to 90% of all militarized conflicts since the close of World War II, and almost 67% of these have been characterized by foreign intervention.

It depicts oil as a dominant motivating factor in conflicts, and argues that hydrocarbons heavily influenced the West’s military intervention in Libya in North Africa. It also suggests oil plays a noteworthy factor in the so-called US-led coalition against the ISIL in the Middle East. Factors which played a part in influencing a foreign government’s decision to intervene included the military might and strength of insurgents on the ground, and the extent to which they sought to control valuable resources such as oil, RT reported Wednesday.

The report said foreign governments’ decision to intervene was largely dominated by their desire to control oil supplies in conflict-ridden states, while historical, geographic and cultural or ethnic ties were far less important. The researchers further noted that the United States maintains military presence in countries that produce oil, and have a long history of backing despotic regimes despite America’s supposed agenda of democratization. The study suggests the world can expect a cycle of low intervention in years to come because plunging oil prices make it a less valuable resource to protect.

 

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Ngwa Bertrand

29.Jan.2015

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A new study shows oil-rich countries are a hundred times more likely to face foreign intervention and conflicts. The research by academics from the universities of Warwick, Portsmouth and Essex in the UK indicates that foreign governments are 100 times more likely to intervene in internal conflicts of other states, if the troubled countries are home to hydrocarbon reserves. The study examined 69 civil wars between 1945 and 1999. It said civil wars amount to 90% of all militarized conflicts since the close of World War II, and almost 67% of these have been characterized by foreign intervention.

It depicts oil as a dominant motivating factor in conflicts, and argues that hydrocarbons heavily influenced the West’s military intervention in Libya in North Africa. It also suggests oil plays a noteworthy factor in the so-called US-led coalition against the ISIL in the Middle East. Factors which played a part in influencing a foreign government’s decision to intervene included the military might and strength of insurgents on the ground, and the extent to which they sought to control valuable resources such as oil, RT reported Wednesday.

The report said foreign governments’ decision to intervene was largely dominated by their desire to control oil supplies in conflict-ridden states, while historical, geographic and cultural or ethnic ties were far less important. The researchers further noted that the United States maintains military presence in countries that produce oil, and have a long history of backing despotic regimes despite America’s supposed agenda of democratization. The study suggests the world can expect a cycle of low intervention in years to come because plunging oil prices make it a less valuable resource to protect.

 

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Ngwa Bertrand

29.Jan.2015

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