Metro

Scores killed as Ambazonian separatists attack Cameroonian city of Douala

Published

2 years ago

May 2, 2023

Cameroonian authorities say Ambazonian separatists from the English speaking region of the country killed six people and injured several others when they staged audacious attacks on military posts near the country’s port city of Douala on Monday.

In a statement by the country’s military, about 15 heavily armed fighters attacked a military post in Matouke, a farming village less than 40 kilometers west of Douala where six people were killed while many others were wounded.

In another attack on another military formation, five soldiers and a civilian were reportedly killed by the rebels, the military statement said.

Governor of Cameroon’s Littoral region which includes Matouke and Douala, Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, who also confirmed the attacks, said the separatists carried out the attacks as part of their campaign for self- determination for the English speaking parts of the Central African country.

Diboua said both the military and civilians would not accept separatists extending attacks and disorder to Douala, which is an economic hub in the country.

He added that military presence had been increased on the border between Cameroon’s Littoral region and the English-speaking Southwest region where the fighters came from, while civilians had been mobilized to denounce suspected fighters in their towns and villages.

Local media reports that the attack was the first time the rebels had struck close to Douala, a seaport of about four million people that supplies 80% of imported goods for the landlocked Central African Republic and Chad.

A clearing agent at the Douala seaport, Francis Mbah told journalists that any attacks on the economic hub would impact all of Cameroon and central Africa.

“This attack close to the economic capital of Cameroon is a sign that the government still has a lot to do to reinforce security permanently,” Mbah said.

“It is a bad signal given that there are many citizens, Cameroonian citizens, living in the economic capital. This is a call for the government to step in and say this crisis must be stopped.”

The Ambazonia region, an English-speaking part of Cameroon, has been fighting since 2017 to break out of the country and carve out an independent state from the French-speaking-majority nation, citing marginalisation.

On numerous occasions, the Ambazonia rebels have vowed to attack military posts along the borders with Cameroon’s Francophone regions, and have been credited with over 40 attacks on military formations and bases across the country, killing around 6,000 people and displacing more than half-a-million, according to the International Crisis Group.

Related Topics:Ambazonia Attacks Cameroon Featured Separatists

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Metro

Zambia: Expert warns of food security threat due to climate change

Published

9 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A prominent Zambian climate-smart agriculture expert, Oliver Bulaya, has warned of a collapse of the county’s agricultural sector with a potential threat to food security due to the worsening impact of climate change.

Bulaya, who bared his mind in an interview with Zambia Monitor on Friday, warned that ignoring the crisis could lead to severe disruptions in the country’s food supply and economy.

“Unless concerted efforts are made, the country will continue facing dire consequences from climate change,” the expert noted.

He lamented a growing trend of farmers relocating to regions experiencing above-normal rainfall, such as the northern block, as they struggle with losses caused by climate variability.

Bulaya emphasized that the once-reliable rainfall areas like North-Western Zambia are now experiencing lower precipitation, as seen during the 2023/2024 farming season and cautioned that poor farming practices, which had already strained the Southern region, could lead to similar challenges in other parts of the country if proactive measures were not implemented.

Metro

Outrage over murder of Nigerian beaten to death by South Africans inside estate security office

Published

14 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Isaac Dachen

The Nigerian community, under the auspices of Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa (NICASA), has raised the alarm over the murder of a 37-year-old Nigerian, Julius Chukwunta, who was beaten to death by four South Africans inside an estate.

According to the association, Chukwunta, a native of Aninri Local Government Area in Enugu State, was reportedly attacked on Saturday, December 7, while driving to his residence in Midrand Protea Estate.

In a statement issued on Saturday by the President-General of NICASA, Dr Frank Onyekwelu, Chukwunta was blocked by the four men while approaching his residence.

Onyekwelu stated that information available to the association noted that after attempting to pass through, Chukwunta was met with resistance by the assailants, prompting him to seek help at the security office of the estate.

“At that moment, the four men allegedly attacked him, leaving him severely injured with a head wound,” the PG said.

“His female companion, who was sitting in the car, rushed to the security office and discovered him bleeding on the ground.

“In spite of attempts to call for help, the security office and residents did not assist in calling the police or an ambulance.

“After an hour, Chukwunta’s partner contacted her father, who, along with other family members, took him to Tembisa General Hospital.

“Chukwunta was placed on life support but later succumbed to his injuries and died at the Tembisa General Hospital on December 10, 2024.”

Onyekwelu also confirmed that the case was reported to the police by Chukwunta’s partner at the Midrand Police Station and was registered under file number 262/12/2024.

The NICASA President said the four suspects, aged 20, 24, 27, and 28, were arrested, and the case was presented in Alexandra Magistrate Court on December 13, 2024, where they were charged with murder.

“The court proceedings on December 18, 2024, saw three of the suspects granted bail of R10,000 each, while the fourth had not yet applied for bail. The case was adjourned to February 3, 2025.”

Onyekwelu however, expressed disappointment at the proceedings, wondering why three of the suspects were released on bail and vowed that the Nigerian community would continue to demand justice for Chukwunta and support his family.

He emphasised that the community would not rest until justice was served and the value of Nigerian lives was upheld in South Africa.