Cameroon Supreme Court Justice Richard Wanki, an iconic champion of common law, has died of cancer in Yaoundé.

Wanki died on Thursday surrounded by his family.

Earlier this year, family sources close to Justice Wanki, head of the Common Law Division of the Supreme Court said he was fighting a recurrence of cancer.

Wanki was one of the few Anglophone legal minds to sit on the Francophone dominated Supreme Court.

As one of few English speaking justices on the Supreme Court, his health was watched closely after the passing of Justice Ayah Paul Abine.

His family is expected to issue a statement on the passing of a man described by many as the titan of the common law and a brilliant mind.

By Soter Agbaw-Ebai with files

Armed men have kidnapped a magistrate in Cameroon’s English-speaking north, a human rights group said on Tuesday, in the latest abduction reported in the region hit by separatist violence.

Nchang Augustin Amongwa was taken by unknown armed men from his home in the city of Bamenda late on Sunday and “his whereabouts remain unknown,” Amadu Tarnteh, head of Cameroon-based Conscience Africaine, said in a statement.

“Similarly, many other civilians were kidnapped on the same day… and taken to unknown destinations by armed men,” it added.

The NGO said that three people were kidnapped and killed this month because their families were unable to pay a ransom.

In October, the deputy mayor of Bamenda, the capital of the anglophone Northwest Region, was killed after being abducted by armed assailants.

A few days later, a journalist was also abducted in the same city before being released.

Bamenda and the wider, primarily English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions have seen a slew of kidnappings and killings since the outbreak of separatist violence.

Separatists have repeatedly killed or kidnapped civil servants, including teachers, or elected officials, whom they accuse of “collaborating” with the central government of predominantly French-speaking Cameroon.

The conflict erupted in late 2016 after President Paul Biya, who has ruled Cameroon for 42 years, violently put down peaceful protests in its two anglophone regions.

At least 6,000 civilians have been killed by government forces and separatist fighters since the beginning of the conflict, according to Human Rights Watch.

Source: AFP

Tributes from public figures have poured in following the announcement of the death of Paul Ayah Abine, a magistrate and politician, on December 24, 2024. He passed away after a prolonged illness at the regional hospital in Buea.

“The African Peoples Union (UPA), a party dedicated to authentic Pan-Africanism, pays a vibrant tribute to a patriot resolutely committed to an unrelenting quest for social justice, freedom, and dignity for the Cameroonian people,” wrote barrister Jean Guy Zogo, the party’s president.

In a statement on his Facebook account, Maurice Kamto, leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), hailed Ayah Abine as a “fearless fighter for freedom and human rights, a man of deep convictions firmly attached to democracy, which he believed in to the very end.” Kamto described him as a direct victim of the civil conflict that has engulfed Cameroon’s Anglophone regions for the past eight years. He added that the late Ayah Abine “was a moderate voice advocating for an inclusive national dialogue to resolve the civil war imposed on our country.”

Professor Edouard Bokagne, Historian and head of the history department at the University of Yaoundé 1, remarked: “The death of Justice Paul Ayah Abine prompts reflection on the untapped potential of a man who could have significantly contributed to Cameroon had his talents been fully utilized.” Bokagne noted that Ayah Abine had a deep understanding of the crisis affecting the Anglophone regions of Northwest and Southwest Cameroon, with “a profound insight into these societies and a clear vision for addressing their challenges.”

Born in 1950 in Akwaya (Southwest region), Ayah Abine led a dynamic professional and political life. A graduate of the National School of Administration and Magistracy (Enam), he rose to the position of Advocate General at the Supreme Court. Alongside his judicial career, he pursued politics as a member of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM). He resigned from the CPDM in 2008 after opposing a constitutional amendment that removed presidential term limits, enabling President Paul Biya to seek re-election in 2011. That same year, he ran for president under his newly formed People’s Action Party (PAP), securing 1.26% of the vote.

Portrayed by authorities as a significant figure in the Anglophone crisis that has affected the Northwest and Southwest regions since 2016, Ayah Abine was a strong advocate for federalism. He was arrested in 2017 and spent eight months in Yaoundé Central Prison. Although he stepped back from active politics in 2019, he continued to engage in humanitarian work through his NGO. However, his efforts were met with challenges, as his accounts were frozen for 29 months and his pension benefits were suspended for over 69 months, according to his associates.

Source: Sbbc

Known for his outspoken nature, Lord Justice Ayah Paul Abine, a renowned Supreme Court Judge and human rights activist died on Christmas day at the age of 74. The news was confirmed by his family in Buea the chief city in the South West region.

Ayah Paul was a strong critic of the Cameroon’s powerful Francophone dominated political establishment. Ayah complained of pains around his chest and was rushed to the Buea Regional Hospital where he breathed his last.

Born in 1950 in Ngali, Akwaya Subdivision in Manyu, Lord Justice Ayah was among the few English speaking Cameroonians who served at the Supreme Court. His life was dedicated towards his career and he went on to defend the rights of millions of Cameroonians, children and other minorities.

Lord Justice Ayah started his career after he graduated from the National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM) in Yaoundé in 1976.  He was Vice-President of the Court of Appeal in Buea in the South-West region, before becoming a member of the National Assembly in 2002. In August 2007, he was elected Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly.

Lord Justice Paul Abine left the ruling CPDM crime syndicate and founded the People’s Action Party (PAP). He was arrested on 21 January 2017 for advocating a return to federalism which was against the rule of Cameroon’s longest-serving dictator Paul Biya. He was tried before the military court in Yaoundé and was released from prison by presidential decree on 30 August 2017 after spending more than 8 months in detention at the Kondengui Maximum Security Prison.

Ayah Paul Abine became a champion for democracy, human rights and remains the only Cameroonian Supreme Court judge ever detained by the blood thirty regime in Yaoundé.

In 2023 he told this reporter that his life was in danger from the country’s top spy agency General Directorate of External Research, Cameroon’s intelligence agency.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

The scheduled hearing at the Yaoundé military tribunal in the case of slain journalist Martinez Zogo is unlikely to yield significant progress. Defense lawyers have appealed the presiding judge’s November 11 rejection of their objections to the detention of their clients.

The appeal, filed with the Centre Region Court of Appeal, seeks to overturn Colonel Missé Njoné’s decision. Defense attorneys aim to compel the judge to reconsider procedural aspects of the preliminary investigation and judicial inquiry. If successful, the appeal could lead to the release of several of the 17 accused, including prominent businessman Jean-Pierre Amougou Belinga and former Directorate General for External Research (DGRE) head Léopold Maxime Eko Eko.

At the December 3 hearing, defense attorneys highlighted the unavailability of the contested decision. The tribunal assured them it would be forwarded to the court registry soon. However, the appeal court cannot proceed until it formally receives the case file, leaving the trial in limbo pending a ruling on the appeal.

This marks the second appeal filed by the defense since the trial began in March. In July, defense lawyers sought to compel Judge Missé Njoné to provide them with a copy of the case file. The court denied the request, ruling that Cameroonian law does not mandate the judge to share the document. Some lawyers have since appealed this decision to the Supreme Court.

In January 2023, Zogo’s mutilated body was discovered in the northeastern outskirts of Yaoundé. As director of Amplitude FM, a radio station in the capital, Zogo was known for his popular program exposing corruption among high-profile figures.

Investigations revealed that a DGRE commando kidnapped, tortured, and murdered the journalist. The revelations led to the arrest of 17 individuals, including 12 DGRE agents.

Source: Sbbc

The University of Magdeburg in the Federal Republic of Germany was the first renowned German academic establishment to offer management courses in English and this attracted hundreds of English speaking Cameroonians to the city of Magdeburg.

In the late 90s, the city of Magdeburg provided a rare opportunity for several Southern Cameroons freedom fighters who were asylum seekers in the small town of Halberstadt to blend with the English speaking student community in the University of Magdeburg. Magdeburg became the home of the new Anglophone Cameroon nationalism.

Today, Magdeburg’s Christmas market is a sad sight. This should have been the busiest weekend of the season, but the whole area has been cordoned off and all the stands are shut.

Police are the only people walking around the boarded-up mulled wine and gingerbread stalls.

On the pavement, red candles flicker, tributes laid for the victims.

Lukas, a truck driver, told me he felt compelled to come to pay his respects. “I wasn’t there when it happened,” he told me.

“But I work here in Magdeburg. I’m here every day. I’ve driven by here a thousand times.”

“It’s a tragedy for everyone here in Magdeburg. The perpetrator should be punished.”

“We can only hope that the victims and their families find the strength to deal with it.”

There is sorrow here – but there is anger too.

Many people here see this attack as a terrible lapse in security. That is a claim the authorities reject, although they have admitted the attacker entered the market using a route planned for emergency responders.

Michael, who also came to pay tributes to the victims, said “there should’ve been better security”.

“We should have been prepared better but that was not done properly.”

Many people here see this attack as a terrible lapse in security. That is a claim the authorities reject, although they have admitted the attacker entered the market using a route planned for emergency responders.

Michael, who also came to pay tributes to the victims, said “there should’ve been better security”.

“We should have been prepared better but that was not done properly.”

Standing at the security cordon, I heard a group of locals complaining loudly about Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz and regional politicians.

“They are wasting our tax money, they are just looking out for themselves. They are not interested in us. We just hear empty promises,” one man said.

“They are turning what happened here around and want to put the blame on the opposition and use it for their election campaign,” he said.

On Saturday evening, around the same time as the square in front of Magdeburg’s Gothic cathedral was filled with mourners watching a memorial service, a demonstration took place nearby.

Protesters held a banner that read “Remigration now!” – a concept popular among the far-right – and shouted “those who do not love Germany should leave Germany”.

It is not clear yet what impact this attack may have on Germany’s upcoming election.

Germany has been hit by a number of deadly Islamist attacks in the past, but investigators said the evidence they have gathered so far suggests a different picture in this case.

Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the suspect appears to have been “Islamophobic”.

The suspect, Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen, is from Saudi Arabia, and his social media posts suggest he had been critical of Islam.

He also expressed sympathy on social media for Germany’s far-right political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), re-tweeting posts from the party’s leader and a far-right activist.

Reported by Cameroon Concord News and the BBC

Lawmakers on the Finance Committee of Cameroon’s National Assembly recently questioned the Minister of Economy, Planning, and Regional Development, Alamine Ousmane Mey, about government support for Common Initiative Groups (GICs), which are rural cooperatives.

According to the committee’s report, the minister revealed that “amounts ranging between 300 and 400 million CFA francs” have been budgeted for GICs in 2025.

“To support GICs, approximately 100 million CFA francs is earmarked for acquiring agricultural equipment, while an additional sum of between 250 million and 300 million CFA francs will go toward assisting specific structures,” Mey explained.

However, the minister acknowledged the limitations of these allocations, stating that they are “modest compared to the numerous needs expressed by these associations and cooperatives, which operate in critical sectors and often in the most remote areas.”

He also emphasized that the process for obtaining these subsidies is governed by clear and transparent criteria, ensuring a fair selection of the associations or organizations eligible for support from the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Regional Development.

Common Initiative Groups (GICs) are socio-economic organizations formed by individuals with shared interests. They are governed by Law No. 92/006 of August 14, 1992, which outlines regulations for cooperatives and common initiative groups in Cameroon.

Source: Business in Cameroon

The Manyu Women International Association (Nyenè Mawn) has suspended seven of its front line leaders indefinitely for sowing intolerance and disunity by misappropriating the association’s funds. The action announced today by the leadership of Nyenè Mawn’s governing body against the seven was unexpectedly severe.

Nyenè Mawn stated that “recent acts of financial misconduct by Bessem Bayen, Nancy Tarkang, Evelyn Ashu, Frida Enow, Emilia Ntoh, Florence Bessong and Baphe Lurke for which all 7 have been found guilty are very serious, and have damaged the integrity of Nyenè Mawn and Nyenè Mawn’s international reputation.”

The Nyenè Mawn press release also suggested that the suspended seven members have been intimidated by the verdict.

The sanction deprives the seven members, who have been active in Nyenè Mawn ever since the association was created in Belgium from participating in any Nyenè Mawn activity. The Nyenè Mawn statement furthered that the memberships of the seven have all been frozen.

“This decision has been communicated to the concerned parties and we have been told that the 7, intimidated by this action, are planning to release on social media a statement saying they have passed a vote of no-confidence on the President-General Dr Mrs Patience Abangma. We hereby call on all Nyenè Mawn queens, all over the world not to treat as serious any vote of no-confidence statement on social media against Dr. Patience Abangma,”

“We again are asking all our members to remain vigilant and to bear in mind that only the general assembly meeting coming up in August in Paris, France will implement changes as regards to leadership positions in Nyenè Mawn.”

At the time of filing this report a statement from the seven suspended members was sent to our editorial chat forum.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Alice Nkom, the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Central Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (Redhac), has been summoned to appear before the Wouri Department’s senior divisional officer, Sylyac Marie Mvogo, in Douala on December 19. This follows an administrative summons initially scheduled for December 16 but postponed due to “major scheduling constraints,” as outlined in a new notice sent to the prominent lawyer.

The notice explains that Nkom’s presence is requested to provide “explanations regarding highly reprehensible acts” allegedly committed. It emphasizes that the summons is a personal matter, warning against any mass gatherings or attempts at “pernicious exploitation” of the situation.

Despite these warnings, Redhac members have announced plans to demonstrate on the esplanade of the prefecture in Douala on December 19 to denounce what they view as an unjustified summons. A similar protest, dubbed “Black Monday,” was scheduled for December 16 but was banned by local authorities.

The summons relates to an incident on December 9, when Alice Nkom reportedly broke seals placed on Redhac’s headquarters after its activities were suspended. On December 6, Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji ordered the suspension of the NGO for three months, citing “illicit and exorbitant funding inconsistent with its operational profile” and “activities likely to undermine the integrity of the national financial system.”

Source: Sbbc