The House of Representatives on Tuesday at plenary rejected a motion urging the Federal Government to grant full protection to Cameroonian refugees and asylum seekers crossing into Nigeria. The motion by Hon. Sani Zorro also urged states and federal authorities to allow for the construction of refugee camps.

Zorro noted that there had been an influx of tens of thousands of asylum seekers and refugees fleeing Cameroon into Nigeria since the last quarter of 2017. He said that the refugees had continued to cross the Nigerian borders through Rivers, Benue and Taraba states, due to the crisis in Cameroon.

He urged the Federal Government and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees to extend full protection and assistance to the asylum seekers and refugees through timely provision of shelter, food and non-food items as well as security in their various camps.

The lawmaker further called for the prevention of alleged cross-border raids by the Cameroonian armed forces, which, he said, was inconsistent with humanitarian principles and best practices. He said in line with Section 33 of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Refugees, security personnel should not arrest and deport the refugees and asylum seekers.

Contributing to the motion, Hon. Nnenna Ukeje urged the house to take a critical look at the implications of granting full protection to the asylum seekers, considering relations between both countries.

She noted that Nigeria already had several security challenges and had entered into treaties with neighbouring countries to address insecurity in the country. Ukeje said that if caution was not taken in granting full protection to the fleeing secessionist Cameroonians, Nigeria could be seen to be supporting the division of Cameroon.

According to the lawmaker, Cameroon could pull out of the fight against Boko Haram in the region, adding that any action in favour of the secessionists, could sour the long standing relations between both countries.

In his remarks, Speaker Yakubu Dogara said that the security agencies, in line with the Geneva Convention, would profile the asylum seekers for proper identification. However, the legislators in the lower chamber unanimously voted against the motion when the speaker put it to a voice vote.

www.theeagleonline.com

While the majority of Americans disapprove of the way US President Donald Trump is handling his job, the majority of Republicans are satisfied with the direction of their country, according to a new poll.

A Gallup poll released on Monday found that 61 percent of Republicans — roughly six in 10 — say they are satisfied when asked, “In general, are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the way things are going in the United States at this time?”

Republicans’ satisfaction with the direction of the US is at its highest point since 2007.

One in four Republicans say they are “very satisfied” with the nation’s course, and 36 percent say they are “somewhat satisfied.” Twenty-three percent describe themselves as “somewhat dissatisfied,” while 15 percent still say they are “very dissatisfied.”

“Now that 2017 has been capped off with a major legislative victory and an improved economy, Trump’s base is clearly pleased with what it is seeing from the GOP-controlled government,” said Gallup’s Justin McCarthy. “As long as nothing reverses that momentum, Trump will be addressing a particularly energized Republican rank and file in his State of the Union address after a rocky year when they weren’t so satisfied with the nation’s direction.”

As for Democrats, less than 1 percent say they are “very satisfied” and almost 7 in 10 say they are “very dissatisfied.”

Trump’s approval rating among Americans in general dipped to 37 percent this month following a week of controversial allegations detailed in a new book about the New York billionaire.

Days after he took office last January, Trump’s Gallup approval rating stood at 45 percent. It declined throughout 2017, save for a few instances when it rose, and closed the year at 39 percent.

The majority of recent polls have pegged Trump’s approval rating in the 30s and low 40s.

Source: Presstv

Russian President Vladimir Putin says opposition figure Alexei Navalny is the United States’ choice for presidency in Russia, criticizing Washington for interfering in Russian internal affairs by backing Navalny.

Last month, the US protested after Navalny was barred from running for office by the central election commission due to his criminal record, including a suspended prison sentence on fraud charges, which Navalny has dismissed.

President Putin, who enjoys huge popularity in Russia and is reportedly on course for a fourth term in office, said on Thursday that Navalny was Washington’s pick for the Russian presidency, adding that that was why the United States had complained about Navalny not being allowed to run for office.

Putin described US criticism of the Russian central election commission’s decision as crude interference in Russia’s internal affairs.

“The person you mentioned (Navalny) is not the only one who hasn’t been allowed to run (in the election), but for some reason, they are not talking about the other people,” Putin told Russian newspaper editors in a meeting broadcast on state TV.

“That obviously shows the US administration’s preferences when it comes to who they want to lead other countries, who they want to move forward in Russian politics, and who they’d like to see in the country’s leadership.”

Putin’s comments come following many months of accusations by US authorities that the Kremlin interfered in the 2016 US presidential election, influencing voters’ opinion and helping Donald Trump get the post.

Putin said the allegations that Russia meddled in the US presidential election were nonsense.

The Russian leader expressed hope that Washington would realize that the allegations against Russia had had a negative impact on bilateral ties and were harming US interests.

The Russian president said the onus was on Washington — not Moscow — to change its viewpoint on matters in order and take positive steps to ameliorate broken ties.

Source: Presstv

French President Emmanuel Macron pleaded on Wednesday for European unity in the face of China’s growing economic power as he wrapped up a visit to Beijing with several business deals.

Macron, who has become the leading voice of the European Union, endorsed President Xi Jinping’s massive $1 trillion program to revive ancient Silk Road trading routes during his three-day trip.

But the French leader also warned Europeans to stay on guard to protect strategic sectors as China makes inroads through the project, known in Beijing as One Belt One Road, which seeks to build rail, maritime and road links from Asia to Europe and Africa.

“We must come up with a common position at the European level” regarding the Silk Road, Macron told a press conference.

“We can’t disregard this initiative. It would mean dealing with its consequences and would be a profound strategic mistake,” he said, while noting that Europeans are divided about the Silk Road revival.

“Some countries are much more open to Chinese interests, sometimes at the cost of a European interest. We can’t blame them for that because we have forced very tough privatizations on them,” Macron said.

Greece, for example, has sold the port of Piraeus to China and is a major recipient of Chinese largesse. In June, Athens blocked an EU declaration condemning Chinese human rights abuses.

But “China cannot respect a continent where some member states open every door, where it is easy to buy essential infrastructure. So when France or Europe defends its strategic sectors, it’s good for us and for dialogue,” Macron said.

The French leader has staked a claim as the EU’s most prominent leader as Britain prepares to exit the bloc next year and German Chancellor Angela Merkel is embroiled in post-election coalition talks.

While he pressed France’s concerns about its trade deficit with China, Macron came away with the last minute announcement of a Chinese commitment to buy 184 single-aisle A320 planes from European aviation giant Airbus.

The value of the deal was not immediately disclosed, but at list prices for the single-aisle planes it could total at least $18 billion.

Airbus had already announced on Tuesday an agreement to increase production of the A320 in China.

Other business deals were made during the visit, including one for French state energy giant Areva to help build a nuclear spent fuel reprocessing plant in China.

In another breakthrough, China agreed to lift an embargo on French beef within six months.

Macron and Xi also saw eye-to-eye on the battle against climate change, with both voicing their commitment to the Paris accord in the face of US President Donald Trump’s pledge to withdraw from the pact.

But the French leader defended his decision to avoid condemning China’s human rights record in public, adding he and his Chinese counterpart had discussed the issue behind closed doors.

(Source: AFP)

The United Nations refugee agency has called on Israeli authorities to scrap a new program that forces thousands of African refugees out of the occupied territories.

William Spindler, spokesman for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said in a press briefing on Tuesday in the Swiss city of Geneva that the program was not “coherent” and “has been implemented not in a very transparent manner.”

“We are again appealing to Israel to halt its policy of relocating Eritreans and Sudanese to sub-Saharan Africa,” Spindler said.

“Official statements that the plans may eventually target families and those with pending asylum claims, or that asylum seekers might be taken to the airport in handcuffs, are particularly alarming.”

Spindler said some 27,000 Eritreans and 7,700 Sudanese lived in Israel, but authorities there had only granted refugee status to 11 since 2009.

In Europe, Eritreans have a very high rate of recognition as refugees fleeing war or persecution, the UNHCR spokesman said. “So we would expect that among them, many would qualify for refugee status.”

“What we would like to see in Israel, and we are willing to help in that respect, is to find legal alternatives for these people, through resettlement in other countries.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Spindler said over the past two years, the UNHCR had interviewed 80 Eritrean refugees in Rome who arrived in Italy after a hazardous journey across Africa following their departure from Israel to Rwanda. “Along the way, they suffered abuse, torture and extortion before risking their lives once again by crossing the Mediterranean to Italy.”

Israel made arrangements to send the Sudanese and Eritrean migrants to Rwanda and Uganda over concerns that they may face danger if they return home.

The plan was widely criticized when it was first unveiled last year. Last week, Israel started the implementation of its plan to force thousands of African migrants out of the occupied territories, threatening to detain those who refuse to leave.

Large numbers of African refugees started coming to Israel though Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in 2007. Those arrested at the Egyptian border were jailed in the Negev desert in southern Israel.

On release, the refugees settled in an area south of Tel Aviv, but their presence caused harsh criticism among Israeli residents in southern Tel Aviv and right-wing politicians.

Culled from Presstv

I’d like to draw attention to the plight of political prisoners in Cameroon (Cameroon split as anglophones call for creation of ‘Ambazonia’, 3 January). I am in touch with some of those enduring horrible conditions in the notorious, severely overcrowded prison of Kondengui, many of whom have been there for over a year. Every few weeks they are brought before a military tribunal (which can impose the death penalty) but each time they appear, no witnesses are present and no case is brought. Some of them will appear again on 19 January and they are appealing for journalists and human rights organisations to be present to witness this cruel charade. They would like pressure to be brought on the government of Paul Biya to end this inhumane treatment of protesters. While there are so many in prison, and others unaccounted for, there can’t even be any thoughts of dialogue, nor can the thousands of people forced to flee to Nigeria come back while they have no assurance of safety.

Since decolonisation there have been two plebiscites: the first when the ex-British Southern Cameroons were offered only the choice of joining La République du Cameroun in a federation or of becoming part of Nigeria, then a second vote 10 years later when they were asked if they would like to become part of a unitary state (thus losing the federated status and their star on the flag), and were apparently offered the choice of oui or yes (ie no choice).

France, Britain and the UN must bear some responsibility for this unfortunate marriage which has failed so disastrously. Promises of fair and equal treatment have not been kept and Cameroon is a state that is bilingual only in name. Any activity seen as threatening the power of Paul Biya is punished with detention (usually without trial) and brutal treatment, as witnessed by the numbers of Southern Cameroonians who come to claim asylum here and are accepted as clients by Freedom from Torture.

It is high time that the Southern Cameroonians, who have been recognised as a people by the UN, were rescued from injustice, social and economic marginalisation, persecution and the misappropriation of their resources and at long last given a voice. Instead of standing helplessly by and watching the escalation of a genocide, perhaps a helpful step would be if Great Britain could initiate a resolution for a referendum to be conducted through the good offices of the UN with questions to ascertain how many anglophones from NW and SW Cameroon would like to remain in this union, how many would like a true federation (of respected equals) and how many would like complete independence. Another relevant action might be to make it known that Cameroon risks being expelled from the Commonwealth for failing to respect the rule of law, observation of which is a basic requirement for membership.

Jackie Fearnley
York

Culled from www.the guardian.com

The author of a recently published tell-all book on US President Donald Trump’s first year in office says the revelations about the Trump White House are likely to bring an end to his presidency.

Michael Wolff, the author of  the bool titled “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House” told BBC Radio 4 on Friday night that the book will  “will bring down the president.”

The first details of the book, which sheds lights on concerns among top White House aides over the president’s psychological fitness, were published by The Guardian on Wednesday morning.

The expose on Trump’s presidency, which immediately became Amazon bestseller on Friday– the day it went on sale–depicted Trump as a “child,” and alleged that Trump has “less credibility than perhaps anybody who has ever walked on Earth at this point.

“The story that I have told seems to present this presidency in such a way that it says he can’t do his job,” Wolff told the radio. “Suddenly everywhere people are going ‘oh my God, it’s true, he has no clothes’. That’s the background to the perception and the understanding that will finally end … this presidency.”

Wolff (pictured above), who claimed he has interviewed about 200 people for writing the book, further told the radio that “this is what’s called reporting.”

“You ask people, you get as close as you can to the event, you interview the people who were privy to the event, you interview other people who were privy to the event, you come to know the circumstance as well as anybody and then you report it,” he explained.

He apparently made the remarks in response to Trump, who repeatedly dismissed the book as “full of lies”.

Trump took to Twitter on Friday, writing, “Michael Wolff is a total loser who made up stories in order to sell this really boring and untruthful book.”

Source: Presstv

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said that he has been invited by the new Liberia president George Weah to his inauguration later this month.

Wenger was Weah’s manager at French side Monaco between 1988 and 1992 but he is not sure he will able to attend.

“I have been invited by George to come to the day where he will be the President,” he said. “I believe I will be busy but if I am suspended (for his comments on referees) I will have time to go.”

Wenger is facing a Football Association disciplinary hearing for various comments he made about referees in recent weeks.

The Arsenal boss admits he still finds it hard to believe what Weah has achieved. “The life of this guy is a real film. It is unbelievable. It can make a fantastic film,” said an excited Wenger.

“I remember when I saw him the first time at Monaco, coming in a bit lost, not knowing anybody, not being rated by anybody as a player and becoming the best player in the world in 1995 and today becoming the president of his country.

Wenger also recalled the passion and love Weah had for Liberia. “I went with George during the period when there was war in Liberia and I have seen how much he suffered for his country,” Wenger added.

“That was the thing which was continuous in his country, the love for his country and for his people. “Today when I look back I see him crying when war was on in Liberia so it’s a happy story.

“I wish he has a happy presidency and I would like to say this guy is an example for everybody who plays football today.” Weah won a presidential run off poll last month beating Joseph Boakai with more than 60% of the vote. He will succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first elected female president.

Source: BBC