Biya is considered as a reformer but he must stop repression and intimidation, says The Foreign Office

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A Foreign Office source yesterday claimed President Paul Biya of Cameroon has been a reformer for overs years despite his regime brutal attacks on pro-regime change protesters.

The Foreign Office insider suggested President Biya`s aims were being thwarted by other members of his long standing regime.

The Foreign Office believes that for Cameroonians authorities it is not too late to abandon totally the brutal repression and follow through on promised democratic institutions reforms.

The violent regime repression must stop and president Biya  should order his authorities around the country to show restraint and to respond to the legitimate demands of his own people with immediate and genuine reform not with brutal repression.

For the moment it is impossible to scrutinise the future and even to know what will happen next after the presidential elections that will be held next October 9 or 10 or 11 in Cameroon, the source added. The Foreign Secretary close`s advisor said  Britain " utterly" condemned the brutal repression and disappearances of people in Cameroon.

 President Biya`s power depends on a wider group of people in his own family and relatives and of course other members of his government and for that, we " Britain" are not sure how free will be the next crucial presidential elections and how free the president he is or will be to pursue a reform agenda.

Opposition figures in Cameroon strongly believe that, they will be ready to break the corrupted regime unless real democracy is introduced. A group called, Cameroon O Boso, said change and only a real change of regime would safeguard the nation from failing into a period of violence, chaos after the election results will be published.

Cameroon on a path which may lead to Biya-free governance

Cameroonians who long ago lost faith that anything will ever change may have cause to reconsider as the ruling party will host in the next coming weeks  a joint ordinary and extra-ordinary congress since the last presidential election in 2007, with a harsh scolding from their leader Paul Biya that the sclerotic habits of a geriatric government and fake decentralised planned economy, impunity and corruption must end.

 As the Cameroon People Democratic Movement ( CPDM) will debate the future and the vision of the country, Paul Biya and his close advisors point to a brave new system. 

According to an insider, the long awaited congress is expected to bring new faces into the top positions of the regime and approve a set of risky reforms first outlined in these informal meetings that the general secretary of the  central committee, Rene Sadi has been organizing around the country.

 Rene Sadi`s difficult and impossible mission is to save the communitarianism revolution brought by Paul Biya and his allies without destroying it. Rene Sadi needs to overcome the inertia of a top heavy bureaucracy not comfortable with the reforms he seeks. The left wing of the ruling party that its considered as reformist group encouraged by the leader himself will propose a system of term limits under which no one could serve in top positions for more than two successive five year term.

 This motion that will be moved by the reformist group during the next congress needs to be approved by the majority of the party member before even been adopted by the congress and endorsed by the leader, Paul Biya.

 The term-limit proposal if agreed implies that Cameroon is approaching a time when Paul Biya will not longer be at the helm. But from what it is been said and taught around members of the party, there are mixed messages.

 What it is true it is that this last congress will be opened on a sad known news about members of the party and ex-government ministers been in prison accused of corruption and embezzlement..

.During the congress it is said that during his speech, Paul Biya will say declare that the changes will come without hurry and fear, but without a pause.

 The promise of change after so many years of stagnation may give Cameroonians hope, but will also unnerve them.

As a reason for his failure, Paul Biya will announce that the government does not have a reserved of well trained replacement with sufficient experience and maturity to replace the current acting members, nearly all of whom are now in their 60s and 70s.

 Laurent Esso, the acting general secretary of the presidency in Cameroon and former justice minister is one of those who are now nearly on retirement age after been shifted in many government positions.

The time had come to instigate systematic rejuvenation of the whole chain of party and administrative posts.

Raid on Douala, Bamenda and Buea protesters raises fear army ready to hijack revolution in Cameroon

Underground demonstrators turn their anger against Cameroon`s heavily armed general and commanders after attack by security forces accusing them protecting a failed regime that doesn't care about his own people aspiration.

Cameroon`s deepening political and social crisis, which has followed the attack by security forces on streets where demonstrators were expressing their anger against Biya regime, took a dangerous new turn last week as unidentified soldiers armed with clubs and rifles stormed protesters` homes. Douala, Bamenda and Buea are considered as strong hold for opposition leaders and also protesters against Biya regime.

 At least it emerged that dozen of February 23 call of public anger demonstrators`leaders has been arrested in a pre-dawn raid and family member injured during the coordinated military operation. Cameroonians securities forces fired live ammunition to disperse hundreds of protesters in Douala, the main economic capital city of Cameroon as the country is facing an increasing underground anger against the ruling elite.

Unidentified organizers are calling from their bunker an organised monthly protests that could be a serious escalation in the protest movement. But the country has already been there in the earlier 1990 and 1992 and today a large majority are not longer kind to follow the same road for a call for regime changed said an identified source.

The demonstrators, angry at the slow progress of reform since the last presidential election where the winner Paul Biya promised to fight against corruption and poverty and push the country forward sustainable development policies by creating more jobs for young people and nothing has been done, had been demanding a total change or regime and also some demanding the trial of Biya and his close associates and an immediate transition from Biya regime to a total new regime with new faces in the country.

everywhere around the country there are reports about a growing number of underground protesters. They are underground because most of them work as civil servant and are not really happy by the way their own government that they work for doesn't do enough for them to relieve the poverty and also to fight against corruption.

 There are a growing and an increasing number angry people and also the intention revealed the increasing impatience and mistrust that many Cameroonians feel today and even since the last presidential election in 2007. Some protesters today are accusing the top army general commanders of protecting Biya and his close associates.

The military issued a statement covered by the government afterward blaming " outlaws" for rioting and violating the country law about street protests and also they stress that they will not tolerate any acts of rioting or any act that harms the interest of the country and the people. 

Camair-co, the business is ready for take-off

Camair-co is on the edge of some tremendous opportunities. It`s time to put some growth back into this business, said, Alex Van Helk, the Cameroon Airways boss. But for the moment Camair-co is not yet a member of the International Air Transport Association ( IATA).

For that, the firm needs to fill the application form that costs US$15.000 and also will have to decide which category they will like to be, because active members have to pay US$15.000 and associate will only pay US$12.000. IATA. represents globally some 230 airlines.

Reports that recruitment across the Camair-co human resources department and other services will pick up in coming months are particularly welcome given that unemployment is still rising in Cameroon and the economic capital city of Cameroon, Douala  has been hit very hard and high.


With the B767 now back home, it is a sign of increasing confidence between the management and authorities.

Alex and his team have worked very hard in the last several weeks to put back on the sky the Cameroon flagship airways.

But there is still much work to be done.

The airline industry is on the cusp of great things. Camair-co chief executive officer is fully aware that, the company has not grown for some considerable period of time and it is now time to put some growth back into this business. The new boss is in a good position to take the long view.

He has been chosen  by the government to do everything possible he can to send back into the sky the dying national airlines company.

The launch on the 28 March this year of the first connection flight to Europe will be another challenge between the government and  Alex`s team. 

There are no financial details available at the moment and no indication about the company financial and economic intention. The business will now start and they are all ready and determine to grow the airline.

The firm according to some reports is revamping all of its first, and economic cabins and the business ones will be done after a certain period of time.

Alex `s role since on permanent residence in Cameroon will be to run the airline day-to-day with his deputy and the entire team in order to improve its premium products. To avoid any disruption and problems the new boss will have to establish a working relationship with all of the trade unions. The last TJ-CAD ceased operations in March 2008 and now will resume with a new name.

Cadiz to welcome persecuted journalists.

Legend has it that Cadiz was founded as a result of the mythical 12 labours of Hercules which included separating Europe from Africa. The first settlers came here after their oracle advised them to construct a city overlooking the Atlantic between the Pillars of Hercules.

Santiago and his colleague

What we know as historical fact is that this is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe. The Phoenicians established a trading post here in 1,100 BC and called the town Gadir (meaning enclosure), a name which later transmuted to Gades under the Romans..

Journalists in this particular city have decided to offer a refuge to colleagues fleeing persecution and torture from their own homeland due to the exercise of their profession.

The Cadiz Press Association ( http://www.prensacadiz.org/) with the help of the ( http://www.ifj.org/) has decided to build a house that will host journalists seeking refuge and asylum in Spain and the (http://www.nuj.org/) will provide some technical and referral support to the project. This cooperation has been materialised on Wednesday 16 March by the signing agreement between the Cadiz Press Association ( APC) and the International Federation of Journalists. 

Fernando Santiago Munoz, the acting president of APC and Jim Boumelha for the Ifj have both signed the cooperation agreement in the presence of the general Secretary of the Nuj, Jeremy Dear and his deputy Michelle Stanistreet.

Jim and Santiago signing agreement

Pete Murray and Donnacha Delong, president and deputy were also present at the ceremony that took place in the conference room situated at the fifth floor at the Headland House in London.

Jeremy explained to the spanish colleagues how the Nuj has been involved in campagnings in order to avoid one of his member been removed from the UK and also highlighted the support that asylum seeker members are receiving from the union...

On the agreement it is said that the APC undertakes to promote the construction and complete fitting-out of the journalists`house and also to provide sufficient staff for its operation and security.

 Journalists will be admitted in that house on condition that their asylum application has been approved by Spanish authorities and that they have the status of refugee. They will receive necessary services to pursue their journalistic work and also will have to learn the language that will be a criteria to integrate the community.

There are 16 rooms that are going to be funded by media groups in Spain in a scale of 50% of the management and the other 50% will be donated and collected through the European fund for refugee and other International federation of journalists. Funds will help the maintenance and the complete function of the House.  

The Ifj will put forward names and specific cases of journalists needing or requesting protection to the Journalists`House. The Spanish initiative comes after French and German and the Ifj hopes that other European countries will follow these examples of housing persecuted journalists.

Henriette to dismantle Biya`s authoritarian regime in US

The prestigious Secretary of State’s Award for International Women of Courage annually that Henriette has received from the secretary of state, recognizes women around the globe who have shown exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for women's rights and empowerment, often at great personal risk.

Henriette Ekwe  like many others have also traveled a long distance to be in Washington, and in the next three weeks they are going to be sent across the United States as the real ambassador from their country. They  are going to have to meet business leaders who have confronted challenges and succeeded.

And also they  are going to have to  meet government officials and those who are trying to make Obama government at the local, state, and federal level work better. While in US they are going  to have to talk with women entrepreneurs who have learned how to set their own businesses up and make them as successful as possible.

For the next three weeks they  will be going to cities such as Des Moines, Iowa; New York, New Orleans, San Francisco, and others.

Secretary Clinton said "  we want you to meet Americans and talk with them about what they’re doing; we want you to talk about your own experiences, your own cultures, and what America and Americans can do to be better friends and partners to you in what you do at home.

We think Americans will learn a lot from you, and we hope that these next three weeks will be a valuable opportunity not only during the time you’re here, but as you go home we want to stay in touch with you through the Internet, through every other means of communication. "

As a promise to them, the secretary of state added that " We want to be there for you if you have questions or you have other problems that maybe we can offer some suggestions about."


This would then be an opportunity for Henriette as a publisher and editor to explain difficulties that face the media enterprise and journalists in Cameroon ahead of the presidential election and the political harassment and unfair and unlawful pressure and arrest from authorities, and also the help needed by the entire press in Cameroon and specially women in the media.

The award is just  one of the ways that  the State Department and in the Obama Administration are elevating the role of women and girls in our foreign policy.

Obama administration is working with the private sector to provide grants to NGOs in many countries in order to help women and girls and  encouraging  governments around the world and your own business sector to invest more in women and bring women into the financial system...

How Biya from Cameroon and others dictators still salt away their oil cash

As dictators are toppled and teeter, anyone could be forgiven for thinking we`ve been here before. It`s discovered they and their families have been billions stashed away in bank accounts in the west. And we thought money laundering controls had been tightened..

In the US, for example, the banks disclose the foreign assets they hold to Washington. But according to that official tally, the entire wealth held by US banks of the African oil producers, Algeria, Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, Libya and Nigeria, amounts to over $13.5 billion ( £8.3 billion), when so far $32 billion has been identified as belonging to Colonel Gaddafi and his associates alone.

How do they do it?  By using asset managers in Europe and giving a European address for the account holder.

When the cash eventually reaches a US bank it shows up as being of European origin. It`s a bit more complicated than that but effectively that is what occurs.

This is how Biya and others operate around the world.

From Cameroon they use state oil company money to send abroad in France, Belgium, Morocco and Switzerland for instance where family members are based time to time and live for sometimes and then they use local address to siphon the sovereign cash into the normal financial  system.

It is very difficult for someone apart from the local government and the law to trace that money into the country. They have been so wise for the moment and now the world is changing and we will not be surprised when a government will decide to tell the truth about this awful system where only few people use the sovereign oil cash for their own good.

On his private or official holidays abroad, you cannot understand and even explain or justify the spending of a huge amount of money. But Biya and his relatives do understand that they are loyal to him and will stand for him when difficult times come.

For over 28 years of reign, diversification of sovereign oil money from Cameroon to abroad has helped Biya to keep grip on the power without sharing it with others..