Affrontement dObala, ce qui sest rellement pass!. On 3 February, on the government-controlled CRTV television channel, a deputy minister of justice accused Kamto of displaying ethnic bias and thereby, the minister claimed, inviting hatred of the Bamileke. The court handed him a six-month suspended sentence for abuse of office. Cameroun: les rseaux sociaux, nouvelle tribune dexpression des violences, Camer.be, 7 July 2019. WebRegion Governor Director for an estimate of their personal expense. Au Cameroun, des marches de lopposition rprimes par les forces de lordre. of plagiarism: Russian governors, plagiarized PhD Inbound portfolio investments in the form of a shareholding must be declared to the BEAC and the relevant ministry responsible for money and credit at least 30 days prior to their completion. See also Emeutes Sangmelima: Le LAAKAM ragit aux meutes de Sangmelima, Cameroun 24, 17 October 2019; Violences de Sangmlima: la vrit quon a cach au peuple, CamerounWeb, 17 October 2019. Cameroun Emeutes Sangmelima: Alors quun calme prcaire rgne dans la ville, le chroniqueur David Eboutou relate une suite de scnes effroyables, Cameroun-Info.Net, 12 October 2019;Sangmlima: la ville retrouve son calme, CRTV, 14 October 2019. Appel au gnocide: Grgoire Owona recadre Nganang, Le Bled Parle, 4 July 2019. One glance at the slips reveals which one is missing, and thus whom the voter chose. They could thereby tally verified votes within three days of voting, as is the case with municipal elections. [fn]Crisis Group interviews, election observers and journalists, Yaound, July and September 2019. It seems far-fetched to expect filters designed for the worlds main official languages to interpret the nuances of informal communication in Cameroon. [fn]Police prevented the MRC from holding rallies in Ebolowa and Yaoundon 1 and 2 November 2019, respectively, after government officials banned the gatherings. Crisis Group interviews, opposition officials, Yaound, October 2019. Crisis Group interview, opposition politician, Yaound, November 2019. Cameroon Overview The transfer, for amounts exceeding 100 million CFA Francs, of the proceeds of sales of foreign portfolio investments within the CEMAC, as well as the transfer of such proceeds by a non-resident outside the CEMAC, must be declared to the BEAC and to the Ministry responsible for money and credit, 30 days prior to their completion. [fn]The government refused to authorise the Anglophone General Conference despite pleas from prominent Cardinal Christian Tumi, who has long tried to find a solution to the Anglophone crisis. In Cameroon, Facebook uses AFP and PesaCheck to review and rate potentially false content, which the company then labels with a warning on its platform. PDF On 24 December 2019, President Biya signedlaw No. WebCountry classification 145 2005 in national currencies were converted into dollars (with selected adjustments) and extended forwards and backwards in time using changes in real GDP for each country. [fn]Cameroun: Paul Biya rlu prsident dans un pays morcel,Le Point, 22 October 2018.Hide Footnote, The election outcome sparked immediate controversy. Crisis Group interviews, promoters of the Anglophone General Conference, Yaound, August-November 2019; Douala, December 2020; Yaound, February 2020. In a speech delivered at the combined military academys graduation ceremony in Yaound on 18 January 2019, President Biya declared that the cultural, linguistic and sociological diversity of Cameroon, far from being a flaw, is in fact one of the countrys most precious gifts. governors It was the first time since the country returned to multiparty politics in 1990 that an SDF presidential candidate had failed to finish second.Hide Footnote In the run-up to the 2018 election, Kamto won the backing of several small parties and politicians, including Akere Muna, a prominent Biya challenger, who withdrew from the race and endorsed the MRC leader. Crisis Group interviews, national dialogue participants, Yaound, October-November 2019. Inflammatory content online pitting Bulu and Beti against Bamileke has stoked tensions. cit.Hide Footnote During these incidents, local Beti clashed with Hausa immigrants from the North, whom locals perceive as opposition sympathisers. The girl was released three days later following a ransom payment. SeeNational Communication Council slams new sanctions on media organs. In September, an appeal court in Yaound upheld a life sentence on 10 leaders of the separatist group Ambazonia Interim Government on charges including terrorism, rebellion, and secession, failing to address the violations of fair trial standards that occurred during their prosecution and conviction before a military court. We have a range of family categories to help partners, dependent children and parents of New Zealand citizens or residents to come to live in New Zealand. However, the BEAC can allow a resident legal entity to open a foreign currency account outside the CEMAC in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in a BEAC directive issued in June 2019. On February 14, government forces and armed ethnic Fulani killed 21 civilians, including 13 children and 1 pregnant woman, in Ngarbuh in North-West region. [fn]Cameroun: Lusage des rseaux sociaux par les gendarmes dsormais soumis lautorisation de la hirarchie, op. The system thus creates pressure on voters to cast ballots for the ruling-party candidate. See also Cameroun: 300 militants du MRC en garde vue aprs des interpellations de masse. The government took further measures to address COVID-19 even as it impeded Kamtos initiative. Crisis Group observations of online media activity, July to October 2019. The video was shared on social media and the fighters killed the woman they accused of collaborating with the government. [fn]Cameroun: MTN sexplique sur la diffusion des SMS du Minpostel, Digital Business Africa, 17 January 2017.Hide Footnote It is unlikely that this measure will stem the problem, however, and many Cameroonians doubt that it will be applied in a politically neutral fashion. Crisis Group interview, internet campaigner, Douala, February 2020. But the government manages the accreditation of domestic observers through its ministry of territorial administration, and of foreign observers through that same ministry and the foreign affairs ministry. WebThe appellation "regions" came with the Amendment of the Constitution of 1996. One danger is that of the government politicising measures aimed at curbing hate speech. The Rapid Intervention Battalion, an elite unit of the Cameroonian army, patrols the abandoned village of Ekona near Buea in the anglophone South-West region. Political and ethnic tensions in Cameroon have risen in tandem since the countrys contested 2018 presidential election, sowing further division in a country reeling from fighting between separatist insurgents and a heavy-handed military in its Anglophone regions. Littoral: In response, the government and its supporters have also upped their presence online. The SDF slumped to five seats, lodging nineteen of the 40 petitions for parliamentary vote cancellation at the Constitutional Council. Political tensions could heighten further as a result. Each member receives votes consisting of share votes (one vote for each share of MIGA's capital stock held by the member) plus parity votes, calculated so that the aggregate number of votes of category 1 and category 2 members is the same. Government supporters, in part using their control of public and some private media, consistently underline the MRC leaders Bamileke origin, insinuating that his party has an inherent ethnic bias. The government initially denied soldiers were involved in the attack, but in March, following international pressure, President Biya established a commission of inquiry into the killings. Paul Choutas page, Le TGV de lInfo, remains active on the platform despite the owner being in detention. TheNational Union for Democracy and Progress, a ruling-party ally, is now the second biggest at the local council level, with a majority in sixteen councils. Within the same period, the percentage of womens representation in these councils rose from 8.3 to 15.5. [fn]Cameroun: les rseaux sociaux, nouvelle tribune dexpression des violences, Camer.be, 7 July 2019. Security forces damaged a health facility in the North-West region on June 30 and arbitrarily arrested seven health workers, accused of collaborating with separatists, in the South-West region on July 6. Police and gendarmes intervened forcefully, using tear gas, water cannons and, in Douala, rubber bullets, injuring at least six demonstrators and arresting over 100. August 19, 2023. Share this via Facebook It is the countrys internet security watchdog, looking out for elements of cyber-crime including false identity, data safety, impersonation, fraud, fake domain namesand online scams. He identified threats, intimidation, insults and calls for violence as some of those acts. Communication en temps de crise: le recadrage du CNC. In January 2012, the government expanded its remit to encompass internet communication. It remains unclear if either is actually genuine. [fn]For example, in the public Facebook group calledParle que beti, members regularly attack the Bamileke, Beti and/or Bulu, calling for violence, misrepresenting images and spreading fake news to discredit others.Hide Footnote Government supporters sometimes express the false view that the Brigade Anti-Sardinards, a group of anti-government protesters in the diaspora, is acting as an armed wing of the MRC. [fn]Crisis Group interviews, politicians and community leaders, Yaound and South region, September-November 2019. Policies to reduce inflammatory content and misinformation have special relevance for the Silicon Valley giant, given its large number of users in Cameroon, which is set to grow substantially as a younger tech-savvy generation emerges and politicians continue to use the medium to push their messages. Their methods include vocal protests at hotels and other venues during the presidents visits to foreign capitals. Semi-Autonomous Region government. The Skilled Migrant Category is a points system based on factors such as age, work experience, your qualifications, and an offer of skilled employment. Incomes arising from exports of services must be repatriated, but the CEMAC Regulation does not state a maximum time period to do so, unlike what is provided for the exports of goods. As it stands, however, neither the legal arsenal nor the commission is equal to the task. IsDB Member Countries Some of themisinformationand altered images, although not directly related to the Biya-Kamto dispute, are used by government critics to attack its credibility and incite the public against it. PDF | On Oct 15, 2020, Laura-Stella E. Enonchong published The Constitution and Governance in Cameroon | Find, read and cite all the research you These included other means of voter intimidation, such as the role of the army and traditional elites, as noted above, and the governments determination to manage parts of the process, including registering all observers rather than ceding that task to the electoral body. Departments of Cameroon - Wikipedia Guidelines should specify the form, nature, frequency and other modalities for the communication of such information. ),Social Media and Elections in Africa, vol. In 2018, the head of the journalists union asked members to disregard an NCC request for media to suspend political reporting. The body was created in the early 1990s, partly to curtail inflammatory discourse as the country embraced free speech with the return to multi-party politics. In many towns, separatist militias fired shots in the air on election day and clashed with soldiers guarding ruling-party campaign convoys. It should also forge partnerships with Cameroonian civil society, NGOs and academics to solicit independent views as to whether particular content constitutes hate speech (though having a volunteer network should not free the company from developing its own resources dedicated to content moderation). [fn]Au Cameroun, la brigade cyberntique secrte des pro-Biya,Jeune Afrique, 16 June 2020. First arrested for protesting the election result on 1 June 2018, on 9 September of that year, Mota was sentenced to two years in jail for taking part in a 22 July protest by Anglophone prisoners for improvement of conditions at Kondengui Central Prison in Yaound. In the South region, officials refused to authorise opposition parties campaign rallies, according to a 16 November 2018 report from the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms. It seems far-fetched to expect filters designed for the worlds main official languages to interpret the nuances of informal communication in Cameroon.Hide Footnote, Even more worrying, it appears that, at least until recently, the companys algorithms for determining what material is given prominence in users newsfeeds may have given undue weight to incendiary content. For more information, please contact Bertrand Montembault, Louis de Longeaux and Erwann Nicot or your usual Herbert Smith Freehills contact: Your email address will not be published. [fn]A Constitutional Council member chairs the National Vote Counting Commission, a body which includes officials from Elections Cameroon and the ministry of territorial administration, as well as judges appointed by the Supreme Court and representatives of political parties. Secondly, agreeing upon broad principles now, thereby allowing Elections Cameroon time to apply lessons it has identified from previous polls before the next electoral cycle, could lay the groundwork for better elections later and ensure opposition buy-in. Facebook should ramp up its capacity including through hiring more content moderators familiar with Cameroonian political culture to sift through online content and identify inflammatory posts, with the aim of more proactively censoring such material. But since the law against contempt of tribe came into effect in December 2019, the government has barely used Facebook to collect evidence for prosecution despite permissive hate speech posts on the platform. Inbound direct investments from outside the CEMAC are declared to the relevant ministry responsible for money and credit and the BEAC at least 30 days in advance. They released him in December of that year. Clashes pitted opposition protesters against security forces in early 2019. While they should stay in the background, as the government would react poorly to perceived attempts to internationalise election reform, diplomats in Yaound could nevertheless nudge the parties toward talks and impress upon them a sense of urgency. QUALIFICATIONS, EXPECTATIONS, AND TRAINING OF But its powers are merely consultative. For example, the city of Douala is made up of six subdivisional councils, each headed by a mayor. WebCameroon National Union was later renamed the Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM) in 1985 under president Biya. [fn]Crisis Group interviews, politicians, civil society activists, Yaound, June-September 2019.Hide Footnote Detractors associate thetontinewith greed, a characteristic that some government supporters are keen to attribute to the Bamileke, many of whom are prominent in Cameroons business world. It is used to denote the illegitimate use of public resources to buy political support. The state-owned CRTV Facebook page had 527,881 followers, while Equinoxe TV had 535,327 and Canal 2 had 489,819.Hide Footnote Three political bloggers on Facebook, Mimi Mefo, Paul Chouta and Boris Bertolt (two of whom are abroad and one in jail in Cameroon), have over 100,000 followers each. An Anglophone, John Fru Ndi was the SDFs chairman from its founding in 1990. Mimi Mefo, who publishes at Mimi Mefo Info, had 256,101 followers as of 6 November 2020; Paul Tchouta, who publishes at Le TGV de lInfo, had 185,054 followers; and Boris Bertolt has pages that, combined, exceeded 100,000 followers as of November 2020. Abstract: Decentralization can be a driving force for development, democracy, and better government in Cameroon; but the Crisis Group Briefing. The indigenous eligibility requirement only concerns cities. Two teenage suicide bombers detonated their explosives in the center of the town, killing nine men and injuring 10 others. 2020/193 du 15 avril 2020 portant commutation et remise de peines, Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon, 15 April 2020. Survie Cameroun Survival Initiative trois accusations retenues contre Alain Fogue, trsorier du Mrc. East: Grgroire Mvogo. Some managed to enter the embassy grounds and ransack its offices. [fn]Under a regional balance policy fixed by presidential decree since 1982, Cameroon recruits for its civil service through regional quotas. CRTV (radio and television) and theCameroon Tribune(newspaper) are tightly controlled state-owned media. U.S.-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral Meeting on Womens Economic Empowerment. August 19, 2023. Armed groups and government forces committed widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial or summary executions and mass killings across Cameroons Anglophone regions throughout 2020. Social Media, Inflammatory Content and Misinformation. Crisis Group Briefing,Cameroon: Divisions Widen ahead of Presidential Vote, op. Cameroon has a number of laws aimed at redressing ethnic discrimination, as well as the National Commission for the Promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism. Journalists argue that they have an obligation to protect their sources. [fn]Crisis Group interviews, internet company representatives, Yaound and via telephone, February 2020. Figure 1: Cameroons population projections, 2015-2030 (thousands) The population projection up to 2030 is depicted in The 22 March reruns took place under the same conditions of violence and boycott. [fn]Crisis Group interviews, Anglophone separatist leaders, United States, November 2019. The conflict in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon is deadlocked. Political and ethnic tensions unleashed by the disputed 2018 presidential election still roil Cameroon, already facing a separatist insurgency in its Anglophone regions. In December 2019, Cameroons Catholic bishops warned that political elites were sowing divisions that could lead to ethnic conflict. Twitter has fewer than 150,000 users in Cameroon.Hide Footnote Likewise, Facebook, Cameroons most popularsocial media site, has adopted policies aimed at achieving the same. At least two people died of gunshot wounds in Bamenda on voting day. Eight of these regions have French as their national language, and two (the Southern Cameroons) have English. This paper attempts to describe the plight of these two English speaking regions in their [fn]Over 70 per cent of Facebook users in Cameroon are between 18 and 34 years of age. See also Cameroons Presidential Election Results, press release, U.S. Department of State, 22 October 2018; Cameroon Result of the Presidential Election, press release, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, 23 October 2018.Hide Footnote At the same time, important figures such as the head of the countrys Catholic bishops conference, Bishop Samuel Kleda, expressed doubt about the presidents wide victory margin. In December 2018, the NCC suspended a Yaound-based television journalist working for a pro-government media organ for inciting ethnic hatred and warned the channels owner not to allow such material on his broadcasts. In the South, an area long dominated by the ruling party, mounting ethnic tension appears to have contributed to riots in 2019 by groupsof indigenous Bulu targeting Bamoun and Bamileke, who originate in the West. Alaska Gov. Crisis Group interviews, Facebook officials, by telephone and correspondence, February and October 2020. 3.2.1 FOREIGN CURRENCY BANK ACCOUNTS OF NON-RESIDENTS. Applying it to thousands of social media posts would present a significant challenge for a government with low capacity for regulating social media. Why does it matter? 2006/004 of 14 July 2006 lays down the conditions governing the election of regional councillors. Crisis Group interviews, senior ruling-party official, Yaound, August 2019; opposition party official, Yaound, November 2019.Hide Footnote Indeed, since 2017, the government has used similar tactics to silence Anglophone militants. Having failed to release any information about Wazizi for 10 months, or the fact that he died in detention, at time of writing authorities had not said whether anyone will be prosecuted for his death. Parliament could pass new or revise existing legislation to outlaw ethnic discrimination, allowing watchdogs to take firmer action against practices favouring one group over another, notably in public-sector employment. See also Prsidentielle au Cameroun: plusieurs partis dopposition dnoncent des fraudes. WebThe senates represent the 10 regions of the country with the first senatorial elections conducted in April 14 2013 with the appointment taking place on two face with the electoral college of 9,887 councilors who elect 70% senators and 30% appointed by the president with five years term of office. [fn]Cameroun: Aller aux lections locales acterait la partition du pays,Le Monde, 6 December 2019.Hide Footnote Fresh out of jail, Kamto criticised the government-scripted dialogue and argued that talks with hardline Anglophone leaders were still necessary to stem the violence, a position firmly rejected by the government. Thegovernment took measures to curb the spread of the Covid-19 virus, including closing schools and banning mass gatherings at the onset of the pandemic. The government should fund the commission so it can hire new staff, expand its monitoring and set up offices outside the capital. The main recommendation was special status for the Anglophone regions under the constitutions decentralisation provisions, which provide for regional councils, increased local responsibility and dedicated budgets for local development. Press Statement. Electoral Reform to Build Political Consensus. At 475,440 km 2 (183,570 sq mi), Cameroon is the world's 53rd largest country. Non-resident is defined, in the CEMAC Regulation, as a natural or legal person having its main residence or its prevailing centre of economic interest outside the CEMAC, including among others, companies and undertakings carrying out specific temporary activities within the CEMAC, except if they are registered at the trade register (registre du commerce et du crdit mobilier) of one of the CEMAC member States, even on a temporary basis. The current governors head the 10 regions of Cameroon. The central government of Cameroon is located in the francophone part of the country. The agency sent out millions of SMS messages, placed notices in print media and identified many social media accounts impersonating government officials. This rule deprives politicians of a vital tool for collecting evidence of electoral fraud and other irregularities, which impedes due consideration of appeals. He denies the charges.Hide Footnote MRC militants welcomed their leaders release, as did the UN, France, the U.S. and the African Union. Regions Member States are afforded some discretion, as they made place additional restrictions on imports of goods on humanitarian, health, security or environmental grounds. With very low turnout in its core supporters districts in Anglophone regions, the SDF fared particularly badly; its candidate Osih got just 3 per cent of the vote. The most used social media website is Facebook, with 3.6 million users. Governors of the ten regions of Cameroon are expected in Yaounde, this Monday and Tuesday, January 13-14, 2020 for their first biannual conference of the year. CEMAC residents shall sell all revenues received in foreign currency abroad or paid by a non-resident2 pursuant to external transactions (i.e. Muna withdrew two days before the vote. WebThe United States of America is a country made up of 50 States and 1 Federal District. They do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Later, under pressure, President Biya launched an inquiry, leading to the arrest of seven Cameroonian soldiers, some of whom were seen in the video. Pressure, which should take the form of private conversations among partners, including the U.S., the African Union, European countries especially France which retains strong influence in Cameroon and senior government figures in Yaound, could help tip the balance in the direction of talks, and eventually, reform. We provide the highest quality of service and utmost personalized level of support to our clients. The government continued restricting freedom of expression and association and has become increasingly intolerant of political dissent. These are responsible for implementing the presidents policies in their regions. The law on freedom of association governs relations between the government and religious groups. 6th of 10. Twitter has fewer than 150,000 users in Cameroon. Doing more to reduce inflammatory online content and misinformation. Below such a threshold, outbound portfolio investments must be declared 30 days before their completion. The electoral body, Elections Cameroon, rejected his request to withhold his name from balloting, arguing that the law did not provide for withdrawal of candidates. Ruling-party insiders and other informed observers judge that the decision to arrest Kamto was also motivated by fear among some in Biyas camp that, if unchecked, the opposition leader could disrupt the ruling partys plans to retain power when the president finally leaves office. IV. Despite ethnic strife during the civil war from the 1950s to the early 1970s, many Cameroonians regard the countrys diversity it has approximately 250 ethnic groups, of which none dominates nationally as a safeguard against communal violence. They should at least apply fairly and transparently. 9 as of 31 July 2019, UN Office of the Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs, 31 July 2019.Hide Footnote The conflict had crippled the regions once vibrant economy. The government at first denied any responsibility. They also reported missing opposition ballots in some places, ballot stuffing and disputes over tallies. But Cameroonians accused him of ethnic discrimination, nonetheless.Hide Footnote As a result, many Cameroonians believe that the law serves to circumvent the principles of meritocracy in recruitment. Separatists have killed at least six civilians since mid-May, including on May 17 a teacher working at the University of Bameda in the North-West region. Offering novel insights on new institutions such as the Senate and the Constitutional Council and their contribution to the democratic advancement of Cameroon, the book also provides the first critical assessment of the legislative provisions carving out a special autonomy status for the two Anglophone regions of Cameroon and considers
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