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Cameroon's government says at least 500 teachers in the north have not reported for duty this school year amid safety concerns.

The Nigeria-based terrorist group Boko Haram has targeted schools since its insurgency began in 2009. The nickname of the group roughly translates as "Western education is sinful."

General Jacob Kodji, one of the commanders of Cameroonian troops fighting Boko Haram, has sought to reassure teachers and coax them back into the classrooms.

He told VOA the commanders have been working in collaboration with the administration and education officials to prevent any attacks. He says they are asking the population, including parents, teachers and students, to report suspicious people and share information to keep everyone safe.

Dire straits

Officials of the Cameroon Teachers Trade Union, including Secretary General Tassang Wilfred, say children are paying the price.

“We send out a clarion call for teachers to teach the children the nation has put at their disposal with all their energy in spite of the very harsh conditions in which most of us have to work,” Wilfred said. “We look at the plight of children. Their future seems bleak.”

Cameroon, featuring the cities of Douala, Yaounde, Garoua, Kousseri, Bamenda, Maroua, Bafoussam, Mokolo, Ngaoundere, and Bertoua

Midjiyawa Bakari, governor of Cameroon's Far North region, also has called on teachers to resume their duty. The governor says better security measures have been put in place.

But teachers are still afraid.

Two years ago, Boko Haram attacked a school in Tourou, setting it on fire. Several children were killed or wounded, officials said.

The government reopened the school this year. But only two of its eight teachers were present when VOA visited.

Vicious attacks

Teacher Ngeunang Timothy said they were traumatized by the attack.

“When they came that day, we were so sad because we ran from Tourou to Mokolo on foot,” he said. “We are now back in Tourou again and I think the government has taken a serious measure so as to keep our school safe and to enable us do our work smoothly.”

In the north, teachers have refused to go back to school.

As the school year opened last month, the government said 100,000 children displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency do not have access to education. Officials now say the teacher shortage in the north has put the education of an additional 100,000 students in jeopardy.

Boko Haram is blamed for about 20,000 deaths since beginning its insurgency in northern Nigeria in 2009. The Islamist extremist group says it wants to create a strict Islamic state in Muslim-majority northern Nigeria.

VOA

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Rita Akana

06.Oct.2016

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The head of the Central African Republic armed forces has been killed and his teenage son injured in an attack in the capital, Bangui.

Marcel Mombeka was reportedly shot twice in his car while travelling in the restive PK5 neighbourhood, in Bangui.

The United Nations peacekeeping force in the country says it's assisting with investigations into Mombeka's death. The country's army has faced increased pressure in recent months following resurgence in sectarian tensions.

The country has been in crisis since the coup that ousted President Francois Bozize. The government has condemned the latest killing - blaming it on elements bent on destabilizing the nation.

CCTV

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Rita Akana

05.Oct.2016

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Cameroon's Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang has received in audience the visiting British Foreign and Commonwealth Office Director for Africa, Neil Wigan.During the audience Prime Minister Philemon Yang and his British guest reviewed relations between Cameroon and the Commonwealth.

Neil Wigan used the tete-a-tete to reassure Cameroon of Britain's support to the country, in spite of her exit from the European Union.

The British diplomat who is on a working visit to Cameroon is expected to launch the expansion of the business coalition against corruption. This is in support of the Cameroon Government’s fight against the ill.

Neil Wigan was one time British Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo and later Somalia.

He is holder of a BA in History, MSc in Economics and PGDip in International Studies. He is married and a father.

CRTV

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Rita Akana

05.Oct.2016

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MAGUFULI IS SETTING NEW STANDARDS OF INTEGRITY FOR AFRICAN PRESIDENTS

Tanzanian President John Magufuli is fast becoming Africa's new model for good leadership. The president flew to Zimbabwe on Teusday, October 4 2016 for an official visit in the economy section of a normal passenger plane.

Magufuli has reportedly made only two foreign trips since he was elected last November- one to Rwanda by road and another to Uganda using Air Tanzania. Magufuli usually delegates to his ambassadors abroad most foreign functions that make African presidents travel a lot. His cost-saving and modest behavior is attracting attention across the African continent like a bushfire in the harmattan.

For example, neighbouring Kenyans have started comparing his leadership with his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta who has at some point been described as a tourist president.

In Cameroon, the extravagant strongman Paul Biya relies on luxury private charter jets to ferry him back and forth from Cameroon to Europe. This happens alarmingly often at the cost of Cameroonian taxpayers .The octogenarian leader spends extended periods living in Intercontinental  hotel in Switzerland.

In 2010, Biya's holiday in southern France was the subject of articles in the Cameroonian and French press which alleged he was spending $40,000 a day on 43 hotel rooms for him and his 40 man delegation. Officials at the time defended the president's right to spend the money allotted to him the way he wished.Because of his lengthy absences - sometimes two or three months at a time - he is known by his critics as the "absentee landlord".

 

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Mbi James

04.Oct.2016

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The Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC is asking Southern Cameroonians whether they have sign the referendum petition. In a statement issued on October 3 ,2016 the SCNC Chairman Nfor Ngala Nfor said it was the legitimate right for compatriots to sign and that they violate no law by doing so. The release further states how between late September and early October 2016, activists were arrested in different parts of Cameroon West of the Mongo amid heavy troop deployment. He also denounced attempts at sabotaging the collection of the signatures . Nfor Nfor said the signing of the referendum petition was to defend inherent rights to freedom, justice and sovereign independence adding that nothing will stop the restoration of the sovereign statehood of BRITISH SOUTHERN CAMEROONS under a federal system of government.

 

SCNC NATIONAL SECRETARIAT,
BAMENDA
3: 10: 2016

DELIBERATE EFFORTS OF INTIMIDATION AND SABOTAGE BY THE ANNEXATIONIST REGIME

Since the launching of the signature referendum, the occupation forces of la Republique du Cameroun have ignited their diabolic tactics of intimidation, harassment, arbitrary arrests and detention of patriotic and law abiding Southern Cameroonians.

This started in Njinikom, Boyo County with the arrest and detention of Mme Mary Ankiambom and Samuel Chia. In the Southern Zone the situation is proving to be worse. On Thursday September 29, 2016 Mr. Simon Ngwa, the National Youth Officer was arrested in a Taxi on his way from Mbalangi to Kumba, Meme County. His phone was seized by the la Republique Police Officer as he tried to inform me of his arrest.
 I heard him shouting and intimidating in French, the language of the masters. From Thursday afternoon to Sunday October 2, no one knew the where about of Simon Ngwa.

It was evening of Sunday after frantic search in all police and gendarmerie cells and Prison detention that Simon Ngwa was located at the Kumba Central Police cell. A huge quantity of referendum documents were confiscated from Simon Ngwa.

In Fako County, Friday morning witnessed the invasion of the private residence of Pa Andrew Kang, the LGA Chair for Buea by the occupation forces. After a thorough search and finding nothing incriminating, they still arrested Pa Kang and the daughter, Vivian Kang Iwi, a student in spite her ill health. They were released Sunday morning. Though Vivian’s laptop and other personal documents were given back her smart phone is still in the keeping of the forces. In Mutengene, Tiko LGA, Pa James Sabum, a regular customer of Police and Gendarme cells was visited by the stationed crack down force. After ransacking his house the occupation forces looted all the referendum documents in his keeping. He was at the Mutengene Police cell from Friday Sept. 30th to Monday Oct. 3rd 2016 noon.


Diligent efforts have succeeded in procuring the release of Mr. Simon Ngwa in Kumba and Pa Sabum in Mutengene. They were back in their respective homes enjoying partial freedom under annexation and colonial occupation by afternoon Oct. 3rd 2016. As people who have had this baptism several times, their vow is clear; this only re-enforces their determination to work harder for the liberation and independence of their Fatherland, in which the people will be their own masters. On Saturday 1st October, 2016, troops were all over in the major towns and County headquarters, of British Southern Cameroons, Buea, Victoria, Tiko, Mutengene, Kumba, Kumbo, Ndu, Nkambe, Mbengwi, Bamenda, where military truck loads of battle-ready aggressively looking forces took special interest near the SCNC National Secretariat.

As usual arrests were made in many towns, with Okada riders and hawkers being the main targets, purposely to extort money from the victims. For how long will these agents of imperial la Republique continue to suck you dry of your hard earned money? But they did not get their targets. They failed in their own traps.

All these are acts of desperation. The annexationist regime and agents must not have a free ride through intimidation. We must wisely defend our inherent rights to freedom, justice and sovereign independence. We must courageously resist intimidation. Arbitrary arrests and detention must not make us chicken out of the historic mission we have committed ourselves to. The colonialist is always on the wrong side of history. Self-determination, an eternal will of the people, is an unstoppable phenomenon of this dispensation of human history. We are wining that is why the annexationist regime is desperate. He who is on the side of TRUTH and LEGALITY has never failed in his drive for human freedom and justice.

And the LORD who ordained this land our eternal heritage is leading us to victory. No more FEAR!

Have You Signed The Signature REFERENDUM?

In self confidence and exercise of your legitimate and legal rights go NOW AND SIGN. It is a mark of your commitment to peaceful separation. You violate no law of la Republique du Cameroun. No one was arrested and detained in Scotland for voting in the Scottish referendum. No one was arrested and detained for voting in the Catalonian referendum.  It is our inherent right to do what is right, legal and in defense of our identity. We are not stepping on the toes of la Republique and they should not step on our own. Time has come for President Paul Biya to learn from the Velvet Revolution of Czechoslovakia.

And that TIME IS NOW! Nothing under heavens will stop the restoration of the sovereign statehood of BRITISH SOUTHERN CAMEROONS under a federal system of government with effective devolution of powers to empower the people and answer to the urgent needs of fast and equitable development.

British Southern Cameroons will be FREE!
Nfor N. Nfor

National Chairman (SCNC)

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Solomon Amabo

04.Oct.2016

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Prince Nfor Hanson

04.Oct.2016

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