Cameroon: Government Bans Hon.Ayah’s Party Meeting in Bangem

   But partisans defy ban and successfully meet.

At the Menji monthly meeting of People’s Action Party on March 9, 2013, it was resolved that the next monthly meeting of the party would hold at Bangem on April 6, 2013. The meeting was duly declared as required by the law. The Divisional Officer (DO) for Bangem even went the extra mile to issue an “authorization” (in superfluity in that the requirement to grant a permit to hold a public meeting in Cameroun was abolished in 1990).

All had therefore gone well until a certain Ngwese Ngole, said to be the Camerounese Minister of Forestry and Wild Life, got to Bangem and prevailed on the DO to ban the meeting. According to the DO, the ban was dictated by orders from the minister, Yaounde, the SW Governor and the Senior Divisinal Officer for Kupe-Manenguba Division. Interestingly, the ban was kept from PAP till the last minute. In actual fact, the PAP delegates for the meeting had already assembled at the venue on the appointed day when the very DO for Bangem sent a lengthy letter purporting to ban the meeting.

Aware that the civilized world could not expect anything otherwise than wildness from a minister of WILD LIFE, the PAP delegates kept their equanimity even when the Commissioner of Police for Bangem nearly shouted out his lungs, claiming that the meeting was illegal and ordering the delegates to quit the premises. He was accompanied in his ruthless crusade against PAP by a policeman, and the Gendarmerie Brigade Commander for Bangem. The PAP delegates ignored them with astounding temperateness and the meeting held as planned in the Catholic Hall, Bangem, till darkness fell.

In the absence of power in the hall, the delegates now moved peacefully to the private premises of the party’s Divisional Coordinator where the meeting continued far into the night. All these episodes happened in the absence of the PAP Secretary General whose vehicle had broken down on the way to Bangem.

The public may wish to know that even as we are very much still in the dry season, the best road to Bangem from Melong (in a different region than the one in which Bangem is situated) is impassable except by four-wheel-driven pickups. Such a deplorable state of the road should not be the preoccupation of Ngwese Ngolle as minister of wild life since plants do not move, and animals that move do not need roads!

Regrettable and fortunately, PAP has left no stone unturned in sensitizing the people about the need to stand up to deception and to work relentlessly for development. Mr. Minister and the stooges passing for administrators will soon learn regrettably belatedly that the era of “motions of support” is long deceased! The people now know that PAP is the answer, the victor and their future!

Dirty no de catch nylon! God bless PAP!

Source:PAP COMMUNICATION TEAM

Cameroon:AU Chairperson Approves the African Union Election Observation Mission to the 14 April, 2013 Senatorial Elections in Cameroon

Addis Ababa, 5 April, 2013: The Chairperson of the African Union Commission has approved the deployment of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AU-EOM) to the scheduled 14 April 2013 Senatorial Elections in the Republic of Cameroon. The Mission would be led by H.E Edem Kodjo, former OAU Secretary General and former Prime Minister of the Republic of Togo.

The Mission draws its mandate from various African Union Instruments and most importantly the:

• AU Guidelines on African Union Election Observation and Monitoring Missions, 2002

• The OUA/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa, 2002

• African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, 1981 and

• African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), 2007

The Democracy and Electoral Assistance Unit of the Department of Political Affairs, African Union Commission, has in effect concluded plans for the deployment of the Observers to the 14 April Senatorial Elections in the Republic of Cameroon on 6th until 19th April 2013.

The AU-EOM Mission comprises of selected and fully trained Observers from the African Union Observers database including, former Heads of States, Ambassadors, members of Election Management Bodies and other selected and trained Observers from Civil Society Organisations in Africa. 

The composition of each Mission draws from the different regions in African and comprises of thirty five (35) Observers.

The Mission will remain in constant interaction with the Commission and present a final report on the Elections to the Chairperson.

For more information please contact:

Karine Kakasi Siaba

Political Officer (Elections)

Woman Deserts Parents in Protest of “Forced” Marriage

By Jones Fugwang

An orphan, Rosalie Kemgang, now 25 years, has reportedly deserted her foster parents, in Limbe, protesting against their insistence that she should get married to an old man, as his third wife.

 Her whereabouts is not known, but she is said to have escaped with her boyfriend, whom she prefers to marry. 

In Cameroon, according to Article 65(I) of its Civil Status Ordinance, “Marriage shall not be celebrated if consent was obtained by force”. 

But many cases have been reported how parents make marriage choices for their children against their will, a situation that often leads to unhappiness in such matrimony.

This reporter gathered that, Rosalie’s worry is not only the advanced age of the proposed groom by her guardians, but also the fact that the man is not her choice and is a polygamist.

According to reports, Rosalie’s foster father, a certain Mr.Pehuia Innocent, had already collected a huge sum of money from the old man Mr. Akwa Usman, as her bride price without her consent.

Rosalie Kemgang has been an orphan since the age of three and was brought up by her late mother’s friend Mrs.Noumbi Emilienne, married to Mr.Pehuia. 

Living with her foster parents, Rosalie is said to have complained of repeated sexual harassment from their son whose name we only got as Pascal.

And to free Rosalie from their son’s molestation, her foster father thought the way out was for her to accept suitor Usman’s hand in marriage. 

The father persuaded her and took her to Mr. Usman’s house, last January, where she reportedly and hesitantly stayed there for some days before running away.

Preferring her boyfriend for marriage rather than the father’s choice, Rosalie started having problems with her foster parents. The supposed husband too was now threatening to have his so-called wife or refund of his money.

But as tension grew, Rosalie, uncertain about her safety, is said to have left them last March, escaping to an unknown destination with her boyfriend.

Many rights activists have questioned, time and again-why some parents, in this 21^st century, still think that they must take decisions for their educated and mature children, especially concerning a sensitive issues like marriage?

(Originally published in The HORIZON, Cameroon, April 3, 2013)

Green Schools: Giving Children an Appreciation of Their Environment and How to Manage It

*By Marie-Dominique

Green Cameroon launched its Green Media Campaign in February 2012, with the ultimate goal of increasing awareness on environmental issues and appreciation of the value and need to protect Cameroon’s natural assets. The Campaign has four major themes: Forest Management, Water Management, Agriculture and Waste Management. 

Within the Green Media Campaign, one of the key target groups are the schools, as we believe that it is really important to ensure the next generation are well equipped to reverse environmental damage and understand the sustainable practices that will ensure that their children and grandchildren can also enjoy the natural wealth that Cameroon is so blessed with. 

We have two programmes running in several high schools spread throughout Buea. The first is a long running Environmental Clubs Programme, to which we have welcomed a couple of new schools in recent times. In these clubs the children are encouraged to learn about their environment in a hands on way, getting out to collect and sort waste, plant trees and other plants, learn about the weather seasons, filtering water, the effects of the sun and the moon, and ways in which they can save their environment. They are also encouraged to be creative and extend their intellect, coming up with drama, poems, and convincing arguments for debates. When possible, they go on excursions to experience and see the parts of the environment that they may not have been exposed to in their usual lives. During Green Week we are looking forward to having many of the dedicated environmental club students presenting their creative inspirations, giving workshops on relevant and life changing technologies, and showing off the beautiful gardens they have helped to create within their school grounds. We hope that all of Buea will come to support and encourage these outstanding youths, and get some great tips on how they can look after themselves and their environment at the same time!

The second programme we are running is an intensive programme to allow as many students as possible to learn about our four main themes – forests, water, agriculture and waste management. This programme is running in three high schools after school hours, and we have had a fantastic response, with more than 200 students signing up! The programme involves both theory and practical aspects, and is taught by university graduates from the University of Buea, who are volunteering their time and effort to this valuable project. The programme will culminate in a gripping inter-school quiz during Green Week, where the schools will compete for a prize.  The event will no doubt be tense and entertaining and we welcome as many people as possible to come and support these brilliant students as they tap the depths of their memories to come out on top!

The slogan of the Green Media Campaign is BE PART OF THE CHANGE, and we hope that the people of Cameroon will join us in making the behavioural shifts needed to secure a brighter and cleaner future in this beautiful area! 

*Marie-Dominique is a volunteer from Belgium, working in Buea-Cameroon,for an environmental NGO called GREEN CAMEROON