Day: June 18, 2023

The Esu Cultural and Development Association caretaker committee organized a press conference in Douala on Saturday, June 17, in reaction to a communique alleged to be from the Menchum SDO, calling for applications from persons wishing to occupy the throne after the passing of Fon Kum-a-Chuo II over a year a go.

The Esu Association members spoke bitterly, noting that they chose to respond through a press outing because the Senior Divisional Officer, Abdoullahi Alliou, had turned down their requests to hold talks with him in person.

Doubts were even raised on the authenticity of the communique circulating online “It seems like someone else wrote that communique using the SDO’s stamp and signature”. The chairman of the Esu Cultural and Development Association, Rev. Dr. Mih Clement Kum, said it did not look normal for the document to be written in the third-person narration “The Senior Divisional Officer for Menchum […] he calls on the members of the Royal Family…” an excerpt of the communique read.

Rev Dr. Mih Clement said if the SDO was the author, the pronoun “I” would have been used and not “He”.

The decree quoted in the document in an attempt to justify the SDO’s move, was equally deemed inappropriately used. The Association’s legal counsel Barrister Kum Charles argued that it was not in the SDO’s place to intervene in matters concerning enthronement in their village. He said as a second-class Fondom, it was within the powers of the Minister of Territorial Administration to intervene. Thus articles 08, 09, and 10 of decree No.77/245 of 15 July 1977, were wrongly interpreted according to the lawyer.

The fact that the notables in charge were not consulted by the SDO, also violated Article 11 of the same law, Barrister Kum Charles pointed out.

The Esu Association gave the Senior Divisional Officer two months to react to their outing, either taking their grievances into consideration or rejecting it. “If he rejects, the Governor will be consulted, and if it persists, we will take it to court” the chairman of the Esu Cultural Association declared.

Fon of Esu Kum-a-Chuo II and his wife were brutally assassinated on March 9, 2022, while returning from Weh, where they had gone to enthrone a new chief. The Esu people say they have never witnessed such a “sacrilegious” incident in their kingdom.

The community has been in mourning till today, as they wait for the right moment to enthrone a new ruler.

The Kingdom of Esu is found in the Fungon subdivision, Menchum division of the North West region. It is located some 89km from Bamenda.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

At least 14 persons are said to have been summarily executed by government forces in Big Babnki village in the North West region, an informant has noted, adding that they are progressively interred.

“These guys were just suspected to be working with amba boys ( Cameroon separatists) since the presence of government forces all the amba boys disappeared,” someone updating CNA on the incident noted.

On Friday, June 16, 2023, government forces on the invitation of the traditional leader of the village, invaded the area, going after people suspected of working with separatists. But pictures shared of the victims, sent a narrative that the victims were separatists.

Some of the victims had Dane guns placed on them after the carnage.

The village is still in shock and consternation as more corpses are being discovered in the bushes. Some of the victims identified by a CNA informant are; popular bike riders called Promise and Ezekiel.

The quarter head of Mughu, Tih Emmanuel,( in traditional attire) was also killed, and the Kingmaker, Viyof, who lived in the Chubali quarter, was arrested and later found dead.

There is an exodus in the village as many fear they may be the next targets, “there is a massive migration of youths from the village because everyone is worried they don’t know who is next,” a source said.

On Monday, June 12, 2023, one person was shot dead by the Cameroon military, and his house was set on fire. This was the first gunshot heard in the village since the invitation.

The traditional ruler of Big Babanki, also known as Kedjom Keku, said the reason for inviting the government forces and pleading for the creation of a military post, is because the activities of the separatists have caused untold suffering.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Addis Ababa City Mayor Adanech Abiebie has launched today the fifth-round tree plantation program where 17 million seedlings will be planted as part of the Green Legacy.

Addis Ababa City Mayor Adanech Abiebie on the occasion said the intensive plantation will continue and 17 million saplings will be planted in this round.

The mayor recalled that in the first phase of the Green Legacy Initiative, 41 million saplings were planted in the city administration and 25 billion nationwide over the past four consecutive years.

Besides increasing Ethiopia’s forest cover, the mayor noted that multipurpose seedlings have been planted for the beauty of the city and ensure food security.

According to her, tree plantation will be indispensable to respond to sever drought and flooding consequences arising from the impacts of climate change and affect the country and the world.

Therefore, the mayor called on every citizen to actively participate in the second phase of the green legacy intiative as usual.

Agriculture Minister, Girma Amente noted that Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative has taken the economic viability, social responsibility and environmental friedliness into consideration.

Noting that the country’s forest coverage dwindled from 40 to 3 percent at some period in the past, he said that everyone has to give attention to tree plantation and participate in it to further increase the forest cover.

Some 6.5 billion tree seedlings are expected to be planted nationwide in the second phase of the Green Legacy initiative.

It is to be remembered that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched the second phase of the Green Legacy plantation program in the Afar region on June 8, 2023.

Similar to the first phase of green legacy initiative, additional 25 billion saplings are expected to be planted nationwide in the second phase of the initiative.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency