Up Station Mountain Club

Memory Lane (1972): Cameroun Beer Ads Illustrate Erosion Of English Language

Originally published in Winnipeg Free Press Wednesday, September 27, 1972

Stanley [illegible] YAOUNDE, Cameroun (Special-TPNS)

Eight years ago, when I first visited Cameroun, black Africa's only official bilingual state, the local brewery advertised in both English and French. Some placards read, "Beaufort is Your Beer", others, "Beaufort est votre biere." Now, all the Beaufort ads are in French. It is not always safe to base a political judgment on a bottle of beer, but, in this case, the brewery's advertising is a good reflection of what has happened in Camcroun. In a continent obsessed with rhetoric about African unity, Cameroun has long been hailed as a great experiment It is the only country in Africa made up of former British and French territories. In fact, Cameroon is by African standards, a reasonably united place. But much of the unity has come from French language and culture eroding English language and culture.

Washington DC: An Evening Conversation with the US Ambassador to Cameroon

Dear Members of the Cameroonian Community & Friends of Cameroon
Please join us in an Evening Conversation With
H. E. Janet Garvey
United States Ambassador to Cameroon

Date: Thursday October 8, 2009
Time: 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Venue:
The Hilton Hotel
8727 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910 

Up Station Mountain Club is Now Africa's No. 1 Blog!

According to the mostt recent rankings of African blogs by Afrigator, the leading African blog aggregator, Up Station Mountain Club is the #1 African blog (ranking determined by traffic). Thumbs up to all the bloggers and commentators who have made this the most visited corner on the African blogosphere.

Here is the list of top 20 African blogs. More on the Afrigator website.

Gabon's President Elect Visits Cameroon

Gabon's President-elect, Ali Ben Bongo, visits Cameroon on Friday 11 September in his first trip abroad since his election at the helm of the oil-rich central African state, Cameroon state media announced.

He will meet President Paul Biya of Cameroon who is widely seen as the new lynchpin of the so-called "France-Afrique" relationship between France and its former colonies on the African continent. That role was played by late Omar Bongo Ondimba, the president-elect's father, who was President of Gabon for over 40 years until his death in June.

Paul Biya was quick to congratulate Ali Bongo for his election, although the opposition in Gabon continues to profess that the results were not genuine. Libya's Muhammar Ghadaffi and France's Nicolas Sarkozy  are the other Heads of State to have sent congratulatory messages to Ali Bongo.

In a rare show of mediation, Paul Biya was seen in the sidelines of the late Omar Bongo's funeral interceding with various protagonists of the succession crisis in Gabon. There is speculation that Biya might have weighed in favour of Ali as the candidate of the Bongo clan and the Parti Democratic Gabonais (PDG).

Ali Bongo's trip to Cameroon could thus be viewed as either an act of good neighbourliness or a show of deference to a political god-father.

Gabon: Ali Bongo wins presidential poll, official results released

Ali Ben Bongo has won Gabon's presidential election according to results released Thursday by the Ministry of Interior.

Ali Ben, who is the son of the late President Omar Bongo, won the poll with 41.73% of the vote, ahead of Pierre Mamboundou (25.22%) and Mba Obame (21.5%).

There were conflicting reports about demonstrations and tension in the capital city Libreville and other towns in the country. 

The presidential election in oil-rich Gabon follows the death of Omar Bongo who was in power for over 40 years.

The transition process has stirred interest among people in neighbouring countries like Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Congo Brazzaville that also have ageing and long-serving presidents.

Eleven Dead in Cameroon after two train accidents in two days

At least eleven people have been killed in two separate train accidents on Friday and Saturday in Cameroon's capital Yaounde, the country's minister of communication has confirmed.

In the latest and most devastating incident, a passenger train from Ngaoundere derailed at the northern entrance to Yaoundé (at the Abbatoire neighbourhood) killing 9 people and leaving at least 275 others injured.

Pictures broadcast on state television (CRTV) on Saturday 29 August showed overturned wagons, some with people still trapped inside as rescue workers struggled to save them, while other survivors looked concussed.  

Nigeria on the brink

From The Times Online (UK)

Four days of violence in Nigeria have left hundreds dead, destroyed towns and villages across the north, brought the cold-blooded police shooting of an Islamist rabble-rouser and left the outside world horrified. Nigeria, with 140 million people, is Africa’s largest country. It is also one of the most corrupt, unstable, unequal and fissiparous: in half a century of independence it has seen civil wars, separatist rebellions, military coups, ethnic vendettas and a terrible descent into virtual ungovernability. What happens in Nigeria matters not only to Africa: it affects the huge diaspora in Britain, distorts the oil market, drives international criminality and opens the gates to extremism and terrorism.

'Dot-cm': A New Target for Cybersquatters

By Tresa Baldas (Law.com)

It's typosquatting waiting to happen.

Trademark attorneys are warning companies about a new target for cybersquatters known as ".cm," which is the country code -- or top level domain -- for the West African nation of Cameroon. The dot-cm domain is a hot target for scammers, they say, due to "cm" being a common typographical error for "com" in the popular dot-com domain.

Attorneys say this is significant to brand owners because Internet users searching for brand owners' Web sites frequently mistype dot-com as dot-cm and wind up on a bogus site. Not only is Web traffic lost, they say, but a brand name can get diluted or tainted along the way.

France: President Biya to face difficult questions on official visit

Originally published on France 24

Cameroonian leader Paul Biya has arrived in France for a four-day official visit, however, his visit looks certain to be overshadowed by corruption allegations and tough questions on Laurence Vergne.

The president of Cameroon, Paul Biya, who arrived on Tuesday, will have to wait until Friday before meeting with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy. Before being received at the Elysée Palace, the Cameroonian leader will meet former prime minister and current Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppé, then dine with Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, before finally meeting with Sarkozy on Friday, the last day of his tour.

His four day wait before the official meeting with Sarkozy is being viewed in certain quarters as a sign of cooling relations between the two countries.

In Cameroon, pattern of press freedom abuses

Committee to Protect Journalists
H.E. Paul Biya President of the Republic of Cameroon
c/o The Embassy of the Republic of Cameroon to the United States
2349 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20008

Dear President Biya,

We are very concerned about an ongoing pattern of abuses against press freedom in Cameroon. In particular, we are alarmed by recent death threats against an editor, the recent prosecution of two others by a military tribunal, and the lengthy imprisonments of another two on libel charges. We call on you to use your influence to end practices that are undermining the free flow of information.

Text of Obama's Speech to the Ghanaian Parliament in Accra, Ghana.

As I said in Cairo, each nation gives life to democracy in its own way, and in line with its own traditions. But history offers a clear verdict: Governments that respect the will of their own people, that govern by consent and not coercion, are more prosperous, they are more stable and more successful than governments that do not.

Good afternoon, everybody. It is a great honor for me to be in Accra and to speak to the representatives of the people of Ghana. I am deeply grateful for the welcome that I've received, as are Michelle and Malia and Sasha Obama. Ghana's history is rich, the ties between our two countries are strong, and I am proud that this is my first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as president of the United States of America.

NACACON Statement on the Gruesome Murder of 2 Cameroonians in Nigeria

NACACON mourns the murder of two Cameroonian nationals - FOTSING JOSEPH  and THOMAS NCHOTU TANJONG in Ba'issa Town of Taraba State, Nigeria; 23/06/09.

Fellow Contrymen and women, our Community has once again be shocked by the gruesome  murder of the above named Cameroonian nationals  at about 11am  on Tuesday 23rd June,2009 at Mararaba Village in Ba’Isa area of Taraba State Nigeria; some 45km away from the Cameroon/Nigeria Border in the Abong-She area of Cameroon in Donga Mantung Division; North West Region.

On the morning of Tuesday 23rd June, 2009 at about 10am, we put a telephone call through to Mr Joseph Fotsing’s Zain telephone no. 08028365876,  to the above named persons, who left Lagos Sunday Morning on their way home just to find out how their trip was progressing.These men, who were driving their own  newly bought Car, TOYOTA SEQOAUA JEEP; REGISTRATION NO. LAGOS, BV 802 AGL surprisingly inform us that:

Cameroon Relaunches .cm-domains

Priced at 500 EURO ($700/ 328,000 FCFA) per cm-domain/2 years.

(Pressebox) Koeln, 05.07.2009 - The sunrise period of cm-domains, the country code Top Level Domain for Cameroon, has begun. The sunrise period of cm-domains ends at July 14, 2009.

Applicants for the sunrise period must hold a valid and issued trademark at the time of application.

If there is more than one valid Sunrise application for the same domain name, names will be awarded to the registrant with the oldest registered trademark.

President Paul Biya: "We have not been dynamic..."

COUNCIL OF MINISTERS MEETING OF 3 JULY 2009 STATEMENT BY THE HEAD OF STATE

Mr Prime Minister,
Honourable Ministers (Secretaries of State),

I would like first of all to congratulate those of you who have been maintained in Government, in their old functions or in new ones. I also wish to welcome those who are joining them to make their contribution to our common endeavour to achieve democracy and progress.

My objective remains the same, namely to ensure the development of our country and improve the living conditions of our population through the policy of “greater achievements” as defined at the start of my seven-year term.

Rich nations snaffle 30 million hectares of Third World farmland

John Vidal in London (Originally published in Sydney Morning Herald)

THE ACQUISITION of farmland from the world's poor by rich countries and international corporations is accelerating at an alarming rate, with an area half the size of Europe's farmland targeted in the past six months, say reports from United Nations officials and agriculture experts.

New reports from the UN and analysts in India, Washington and London estimate that at least 30 million hectares is being acquired to grow food for countries such as China and the Gulf states, who cannot produce enough for their populations.

Cameroon: The New Government

Prime Minister Head of Government
Mr. Yang Philemon

Minister of State in charge of Transport –Mr Bello Bouba Maigari

Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defense – Mr Mebe Ngo’o Edgard Alain

Minister of Post and Telecommunication – Mr Biyiti Bi Essam Jean Pierre

Minster of State Property and Land Tenure - Mr Beleoken Jean-Baptist

Minister of Communication -Mr Isa Tchiroma Bakary

Cameroon president names new prime minister

* New prime minister was former diplomat

* Outgoing premier had sought money from IMF

* President Biya under pressure from discontent over prices

By Tansa Musa

YAOUNDE, June 30 (Reuters) - Cameroon's President Paul Biya appointed Philemon Yang, a former diplomat and senior official in the presidency, as prime minister in a government reshuffle on Tuesday, state media said.

Nigeria: Two Cameroonians Lynched after Genital Theft Claim

(Originally published in The Guardian, Nigeria)

TRAGEDY struck yesterday in Kurmi Local Government Council of Taraba State when two foreigners from the neighbouring Republic of Cameroun and a Nigerian were lynched to death by an angry mob for an alleged disappearance of a man's private organ.

The three persons were said to have been traveling in a jeep with registration number BV802AGL to Cameroun, a stone thrown from Baissa, the administrative headquarters of the council, when death came calling.

Cameroon seeks $144 million from IMF - PM

Originally posted on Interactive Investor

YAOUNDE, June 29 (Reuters) - Cameroon wants rapid access to 92.85 million in Special Drawing Rights ($144 million) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to help cushion the impact of the financial crisis, the Central African country's Prime Minister said in a letter to the IMF seen by Reuters on Monday.

Cameroon's economy, which is struggling to dampen the impact of the global downturn, will grow by 2.5 percent this year, Ephraim Inoni said, down from a previous estimate of 3 percent, itself a reduction from 4 percent when the budget was prepared late last year.
"The effects of the international crisis will result in a need for greater financing for the budget," Inoni said in the letter.

Cameroon Infrastructure Report Q2 2009 (Report Summary)

By Business Monitor International

Cameroon, despite its numerous economic problems, manages to appeal to investors looking for opportunities in its key infrastructure sectors. In the latest quarter, several new projects were proposed and key participants already operating in the country reaffirmed their commitment to the sector, despite their need to pare back investment spending elsewhere because of the economic crisis.

In Cameroon, Fighting Corruption, Building Integrity

By Lane Hartill (Originally published by Catholic Relief Services)

Nobody usually asks for a bribe in Cameroon. But they have code words for it. A policeman will tell you he can't eat your driver's license and registration. A little choko or dammé—that's what Cameroonians call bribes here—would help clear things up. Officials will make you sit. And wait. And wait. Until the sweat and lateness force you to hand something over. It's so open now that some police will even give you change.

Families accuse Boeing of cover-up over crash in Cameroon jungle

Ben Webster (Originally published in Times Online)

Catherine Fitzgibbon told her two small children that their daddy had died after getting lost in the jungle. She did not tell them the truth, because she feared that they would be left with a lifelong terror of boarding an aircraft. Living in Kenya but with all their relatives in Britain, flying was already a regular part of life for Tom and Rose, aged 3 and 1. Anthony Mitchell, their father, was one of 114 people who died on May 5, 2007, when a new Boeing 737, operated by Kenya Airways, nosedived into a swamp 30 seconds after taking off during a storm from Douala in Cameroon. Four other Britons were among the dead.

Fitch Blames "Weak Public Governance" For Cameroon's Low Investment Rate

(RTTNews) -  Thursday, Fitch Ratings affirmed Cameroon's long-term foreign currency Issuer Default Rating at 'B' and the long-term local currency IDR at 'B minus', with stable outlooks. The firm also confirmed the short-term foreign currency IDR at 'B' and the country ceiling at ' BBB minus'.

Fitch said Cameroon's long-term foreign currency IDR was constrained by weak economic fundamentals, significant governance issues and political risks associated with the succession of the current administration.

"The country's low investment rate and insufficient absorption capacity are mostly attributable to weak public governance. The government's efforts to fight corruption have not yet been effective, and the poor business climate is one of the main causes of sluggish bank lending and slow growth", Eric Paget-Blanc, Senior Director at Fitch's Sovereigns team said. Moreover, the country also faced significant infrastructure constraints, especially power shortages.
 
However, poverty in the country was lower than in most countries that were eligible for debt relief. Cameroon's per capita GDP stood at US$1,226, which compares favorably well peers in the sub-Sahara Africa region, Fitch said.

The firm forecast's Cameroon's GDP growth to slow to 2.5% this year, after the country averaged a growth rate of 3.4% in the years between 2003 and 2008.

Source: RTTNews

India: Cameroonian "Doki" Man Arrested and Facing Deportation

Originally published in The Times of India
 
PUNE: The Foreigners Registration Office (FRO) here has initiated deportation procedure against Cameroon national Zomo Onguene Yannick, who had been allegedly cheating foreign students by providing' them admissions in city colleges on the basis of forged documents of University of Pune (UoP).

Bhanupratap Barge, senior police inspector, FRO, said the office had initiated an inquiry against Yannick after receiving complaints that he had allegedly duped nearly 10 foreign students to the tune of Rs 40,000 each on the pretext of giving them admissions in city colleges. 

Summit Magazine #08: A Conversation with Prof. Anomah Ngu

Issue #08 of Summit Magazine is now available in newsstands in Cameroon. This issue includes an exclusive interview with Prof. Anomah Ngu, the one-time Professor of Surgery at the School of Medicine in Ibadan, winner of the prestigious Lasker Award for his groundbreaking research on cancer, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Yaounde, and former Cameroonian Minister of Public Health, who is now under a cloud of controversy, and even ridicule, over his claims that he has found a vaccine for AIDS. 

In what is his most extensive interview ever, Prof. Ngu outlines the scientific basis for his Vanhivax vaccine which he claims is both preventive and curative, takes on his critics who now refer to the once venerated medical doctor as a charlatan, and also walks down memory lane, revisiting his role in the (re)unification of the two Cameroons, his University of Ibadan days, his relationships with presidents Ahidjo and Biya, among other issues.