Guard Fires at Presidential Convoy?

The past two weeks have been extremely traumatizing within President Biya’s elite forces. An atmosphere of uncertainty reigns in Yaounde following rumours and allegations that a group of Presidential guards issued an open letter to the President of Republic denouncing some issues. Had the dust settled on the alleged open letter to President Biya that on December 23, 2012 at about 7:30 p.m, one of the Presidential guards allegedly opened fire at the President Biya’s convoy when he was returning from presiding at the final of the Cameroon Cup?

Yet, allegations are rife that all what has been said about the incident is bare rumour. But it goes again that some members of the elite force who were assigned to ensure the President’s security have been arrested and are being interrogated. Furthermore, it is aired that a certain Corporal Donald Abena Meba Klam, T09/1189-4 of the Presidential guard has been arrested after a burst of gunfire at the moment the head of state’s convoy arrived Elig-Edzoa on December 23. Another saying goes that he attempted opening fire at the President’s convoy, rumours claim. However, the same allegations say Donald Abena Mba Klam who "opened fire" was immediately overpowered by his comrades of the Presidential guard and was immediately transferred for detention at the headquarters of the Presidential guards before being moved to SED and is presently at the DGRE to help investigators in their investigations.

A few days before the incident of 23 December 2012, another school of thought holds that several arrests and detentions were carried out within the elite force. According to newspaper reports the incident took place before the visiting Equatorial Guinea President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo. They were accused of spreading messages of a plan participant to attempt on the President's life. The reason we gathered is that Presidential guards have long complained of their ill-treatment by the military. This is the meaning given elsewhere in pamphlet written in the form of an open letter addressed to the Head of State about their living conditions, their bonuses and other benefits that (according to them) are diverted by senior officers. This is the same irreverent tone, unusual in military circles, according to another anonymous letter posted on the Internet. Classified sources also hinted that the head of the Presidential also received embarrassing messages from anonymous numbers. It is rumoured that some members of the elite force were identified as authors and have been arrested as well. More so, it is alleged that for sometimes, some Presidential guards went for months without potable water.

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Nigerian Journalists Freed, but Equipment Still Held

The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Nigeria's State Security Service (SSS) to return laptops and cell phones confiscated from two journalists who were illegally detained for more than a week without charge. Editor Musa Muhammad Awwal and reporter Aliyu Saleh of Hausa-language weekly newspaper Al-Mizan were released from the custody of the SSS in the capital, Abuja, early Tuesday morning, defense lawyer Sadiq Marafa told CPJ. "They are in good health. They were treated very well," Marafa said, but added that the SSS warned the journalists that they could be summoned again as investigations continue. "Throughout our detention we were not told our offense, but they still have our mobile phones and laptops, which they said would be returned to us as soon as they are done with their investigation," Awwal told Agence France-Presse. Soldiers arrested the journalists and searched their homes and office in the northern state of Kaduna without warrants on December 24, Marafa told CPJ. Their wives were also detained briefly, he said. The journalists were held incommunicado and were not taken to court despite a legal limit of 48 hours of detention without a court appearance, he said. Their release came after Marafa threatened to sue the government over illegal arrest and detention if the journalists were not let go within 24 hours, according to news reports.  Local journalists have said they believe Awwal and Saleh were arrested over a front-page story alleging extrajudicial detentions of 84 civilians suspected of affiliation with the Islamist militant sect Boko Haram, which has been fighting Nigeria's federal government in a bid to impose Shariah law in the country's northern, predominantly Muslim states. "After alleging that the government was engaging in widespread extrajudicial imprisonment, Musa Muhammad Awwal and Aliyu Saleh were themselves subjected to unlawful detention at the hands of state security forces," said CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita. "While we welcome the release of the journalists, we call on Nigerian authorities to immediately return all confiscated equipment and to ensure that all journalists are able to report on matters of public security without intimidation." Security agents also raided the home of and launched a hunt for Al-Mizan Editor-in-Chief Ibrahim Musa, who went into hiding, according to news reports. Nigeria's National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, and prominent public figures condemned the journalists' detention, according to news reports. The Commission also urged the government to probe the allegations of extrajudicial detentions. Al-Mizan is run by the Shiite organization Islamic Movement of Nigeria, according to news reports.

### CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide.

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DR Congo M23 Rebels Placed under UN Sanctions

 Source (BBC)

The UN Security Council has imposed sanctions on leaders of the M23 rebel movement in DR Congo.

Under the measures, those linked to the group will have their assets frozen and be barred from travel. Similar measures were taken against Rwandan FDLR rebels.

Made up of deserters from the army, the M23 captured Goma - on DRC's eastern border with Rwanda - from government and UN troops last month.

It later withdrew from the city, following international condemnation.

The New Year's Eve sanctions come the day before Rwanda joins the Security Council for a two-year term.

The UN and DR Congo government accuse Rwanda and Uganda of backing the rebels, an allegation they strongly deny.

Rwanda is widely seen as having backed armed groups in the east of DR Congo as a way to fight Hutu rebels who fled there after the genocide of the 1990s.

It has been accused of using militias as proxies in an on-going battle for the region, which is rich in minerals. The Rwandan government strenuously denies the accusations.

The M23 rebellion started when a militia that had been absorbed into the Congolese army mutinied and went on the rampage in the eastern part of the country.

Since then nearly half a million people have been displaced by fighting between the M23 and the army.
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Horoscope: See What Your Stars Have for You in 2013

By Barrie Dolnick
Feeling starry-eyed about love? Find your astrological sign in our list below to get your romantic forecast for 2013 — including a one-word description of your dating personality over the next 12 months:

Aries: Winning
You’re a flirty socializer on a mission during the first half of 2013. Uranus may toss you a few sudden, impractical relationships here and there, but you’re more likely to settle into your sofa with a romantic companion after Jupiter plops itself into Cancer in July. Contrary to your natural impulses, Saturn will make you very well-behaved — yes, you’re going to be nice this year!

Taurus: Charismatic
Absorbed as you are by money, work and living the good life, matters of partnership insist on grabbing your attention this year. You can’t buy your way out of trouble, either — and your old, reliable methods of distraction simply won’t work. Step up and embrace your feelings by trading stubborn habits for romantic impulses. With Jupiter’s move into Cancer during the second half of the year, your light touch will melt just about any heart you encounter.

Gemini: Captivating
A sluggish January will give way to a race toward glory — if you’re prepared to claim your prizes, that is. The final lap of expansion ends in July as Jupiter jumps from Gemini into Cancer, which is when your attention-deficit dating pattern transforms into a series of cozy, tactile flirtations fraught with meaning. Saturn in your house of discipline and routine will keep you in line, so remember: The word is honor, and the prize is love!

Cancer: Thrilling
Since you’re always one to bide your time, 2013 begins with premonitions of fulfillment and ends with a very real possibility of finding The One. Jupiter glides from your house of intuition into your house of new realities right around your birthday this year. The best presents to come include opening yourself up to new love and light. Saturn’s seat in Scorpio gives you the steady, capable energy needed to manifest a dream come true. Give up your mothering/smothering ways and take up romance instead — after all, it’s way more fun for everyone.

Leo: Profound
The deeper side of life beckons in 2013. Early in the year you toy with your love interests, basking in their attention and semi-earnest bids for your heart. As the year progresses, however, Saturn will move more insistently into Scorpio and Jupiter will get cozied up in Cancer, making your appetite for variety fade. The desire to find The One will be a new sensation for you — and you’ll find it to be a journey that you really enjoy, you lucky Leo! There’s a real possibility for big love to come into your life this year — the only question is: Are you ready?

Virgo: Intriguing
With an answer for every problem, you’re usually very busy sorting out everyone else’s life. But being preoccupied like this is no excuse for lacking a love life of your own, and this is the main lesson you need to learn in 2013. While work demands far too much of your brain power, Jupiter’s move into Cancer this summer places the needs of the heart above your intellectual demands. Date for pleasure in the first half of the year (let’s face it, you need it!), and then consider serious romantic options as they crop up closer to your birthday. With Jupiter in your house of hopes and wishes this year, you’ll have no choice but to explore love and joy. Yes, that means you!

Libra: Magnetic
If you could be paid to develop love interests, you’d be very rich indeed. But Saturn in Scorpio is stomping around money matters this year, and that means work, responsibility, and sharp-shooting problems will take priority. Jupiter in Gemini provides ample opportunity for adventure during the first six months of the year, so you won’t be without admirers. Jupiter’s shift into Cancer this summer makes you a very high-profile person of interest. This all means that you don’t have to actually work at finding love in 2013 — rather, it’ll come to you. Do your best, be kind, and enjoy life’s surprises as they appear one by one.

Scorpio: Undeniable
Feeling intense, passionate — and maybe a little bit worried? The universe is working on an upgrade for your life, and it isn’t possible for you to opt out this time. Saturn’s in your sign this year, urging you to be productive in all aspects of your life. For love, it’s doing the right thing: No shortcuts, no fibs, and no sneaking around (if you’ve been guilty of doing so in the past) — it’s serious stuff. Luckily, Jupiter in Gemini gives you lots of opportunities to flirt and experiment with what works best for you, and it will be clear when things don’t work. New adventures beckon in the second half of the year, so date with an open mind and love with an open heart.

Sagittarius: Nimble
Saturn in your house of whispers might make you a bit paranoid — possibly due to the untamed energy of your ruler, Jupiter, in your house of partnership, which encourages many romantic prospects to pursue you at once. Feeling guilty about juggling dates or not following through on your affections? That short attention span of yours should settle down this summer when Jupiter moves into Cancer. By then, you’ll be craving someone to explore the world with and more serious love interests will come into focus. Until then, be good — that way, you won’t be guilty.

Capricorn: Motivated
Getting what you want is normal for you, and working hard, taking on more responsibilities, and getting things done have usually paid off. Love, though, hasn’t always been so easy for you. You’ve been driven to work even harder as Jupiter has rested in Gemini, but when it arrives in Cancer mid-summer, your partnership prospects and romantic escapades will be rejuvenated. Saturn in your house of wish fulfilment takes itself very seriously, so stop working 24/7. It’s time for you to play, flirt, date and interview your potential mates — that’s what 2013 is all about.

Aquarius: Energetic
Career issues are vying for your attention, but Cupid’s sending haphazard, unpredictable arrows that are impossible for you to dodge. Give in to Jupiter’s lucky sprint through your house of romance during the first half of the year. You’re likely to discover significant love interests just as the planets shift back into a more serious work focus for your life overall. The challenge is finding the right work-love balance — it’s a fun game for you to play, as long as love comes first on your list.

Pisces: Dynamic
As the most romantic sign of all, you’re prone to having extreme expectations when it comes to love. The first half of this year is about you getting serious — what do you really want for yourself? Date as much as you can to find out, because this summer will bring on a one-year wave of ardent love interests. Be prepared to consider some serious relationship prospects — but your rose-colored glasses must stay in your pocket, not on your nose, if you want to be successful. For you, clarity is key in 2013.

* Executive Mystic Barrie Dolnick helps people find love and abundance by understanding their stars and their karmic energy. She is the author of twelve books, including Simple Spells for Success and The Executive Mystic: Psychic Power Tools for Success. Find out more at barriedolnick.com.
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Ivory Coast in Shock as 61 Die at New Year’s Fireworks

Source (AP)

A crowd stampeded after leaving a New Year's fireworks show early Tuesday in Ivory Coast's commercial center, killing 61 people - many of them youths - and injuring more than 200, rescue workers said.

The death toll was expected to rise, the officials said.

Thousands had gathered at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan's Plateau district to see the fireworks. After the show, the crowds poured onto the Boulevard de la Republic by the Hotel Tiama at about 1 a.m., said Col. Issa Sako of the fire department rescue team.

"The flood of people leaving the stadium became a stampede which led to the deaths of more than 60 and injured more than 200," Sako told Ivory Coast state TV.

Most of those killed were between 8 and 15 years old, he said.

Desperate parents went to the city morgue, the hospital and to the stadium to try to find children who are still missing.

Mamadou Sanogo was searching for his 9-year-old son, Sayed.

"I have just seen all the bodies, but I cannot find my son," said a tearful Sanogo. "I don't know what to do."

President Alassane Ouattara and his wife visited some of those hospitalized and he pledged that the government would pay for their treatment, his office said.

The government organized the fireworks to celebrate Ivory Coast's peace, after several months of political violence in early 2011 following disputed elections. It was the second year that Abidjan had a New Year's fireworks display.

Hours after the stampede, soldiers patrolled the site, where victims' clothes, shoes and other debris littered the street.

State TV showed traumatic scenes: a woman sobbed in the back of an ambulance; another was bent over on the side of the street, apparently in pain; and another, barely conscious and wearing only a bra on her upper body, was hoisted up by rescuers.

There were also scenes of small children being treated in a hospital; one boy grimaced in pain and a girl with colored braids in her hair lay under a blanket, with one hand bandaged.

This is not Ivory Coast's first stadium tragedy. In 2009, 22 people died and over 130 were injured in a stampede at a World Cup qualifying match at the Houphouet Boigny stadium, prompting FIFA, soccer's global governing body, to impose a fine of tens of thousands of dollars on Ivory Coast's soccer federation. The stadium, which officially holds 35,000, was overcrowded at the time of the disaster.

A year later, two people were killed and 30 wounded in a stampede at a municipal stadium during a reggae concert in Bouake, the country's second-largest city. The concert was organized in the city, held by rebels at the time, to promote peace and reconciliation.

Ivory Coast is the world's largest cocoa producer, growing more than 37 percent of the world's annual crop of cocoa beans, which are used to make chocolate.

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Nollywood Actress, Bisi Komolafe is No more

The Nigerian film industry has received another deadly blow. This morning, we were reliably informed that another tragedy has just hit Nollywood. We learnt with a lot of sadness that one of Nollywood’s finest actresses, Bisi Komolafe is said to have died yesterday night at UCH, Ibadan. According to reports the cause of her death is linked to the complications she had with her four months pregnancy which resulted to miscarriage. In fact, the year 2012 has not been a glorious one at Nollywood. I remember the passing away of Sam Loco, and many others who left this world unceremoniously.

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Biya Announces Senatorial Elections for this Year

President Paul Biya

President Paul Biya has declared that Senatorial Elections will take place this year 2013. He made the declaration in his traditional end of year message to the nation on December 31, 2012. In urging Cameroonians to register massively in the electoral list he said that measured will be taken for Cameroonians to continue to swim in the sea of an advanced democracy. In introducing some of the measures he has personally taken to guarantee that there is massively registration, he said that "  I take this opportunity to urge Cameroonians to register massively on electoral registers. To facilitate this process, I have decided that, as from 1 January 2013, national identity cards should be issued free of charge.

The recent adoption of a single electoral code is also geared towards modernizing our democratic process. It was also necessary to harmonize some provisions relating to the Constitutional Council with the Constitution in order to set up this superior court, after the senatorial elections slated for 2013". A critical judgment analysis of this statement, clearly indicates that the Constitutional Council will certainly go functional this year. He also added that " Government’s focus on reviving growth did not prevent politics from claiming its place. In a bid to modernize our democratic process and enhance the transparency and credibility of our elections, a decision was taken to recompile electoral registers and introduce biometrics in the production of electoral documents. It is absolutely necessary to carry through this operation on schedule". By implication, 2013 is a year of elections in Cameroon. Certainly, municipal and legislative elections as well as Senatorial Elections will take place this year.

On the fight against corruption and embezzlement of public funds, President Biya noted that " I am fully aware that we still have to deal with the inertia, incompetence or malice of some people, which all constitute constraints on our recovery. In addition, there is corruption in various forms and public procurement fraud. In this regard, the latest NACC report is extremely revealing. Obviously, the embezzlement of public funds will not go unpunished. I count very much on the Minister of Public Contracts to put an end to such abuses in his sphere of competence.

The said failings are all the more reprehensible as a substantial segment of our population continues to languish in harsh living conditions. Obviously, the huge sums of money embezzled should have contributed to improving their situation in the domains of education and health. How many schools, health centres, and water supply schemes could have been built with the sums embezzled!
Such criminal behaviour on the part of a minority clearly tarnishes our country’s image. It is used by critics in and outside the country who are unwilling to acknowledge the progress we have achieved in recent years. They claim that we are “stagnant” and our very stability is doubtful. Such lack of objectivity can only be due to some kind of political myopia that prevents them from seeing things as they are, and to failing memory which prevents them from having any recollection of the hardships that our people have suffered to overcome unfair terms of trade, structural adjustment constraints and the damage caused by the recent economic and financial crisis".

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Pope Marks End of Difficult Near, Notes God's Good

 (Source AP)
 Pope Benedict XVI marked the end of a difficult year Monday by saying that despite all the death and injustice in the world, goodness prevails.
Benedict celebrated New Year's Eve with a vespers service in St. Peter's Basilica to give thanks for 2012 and look ahead to 2013. He appeared tired during the service and used a cane afterward - an indication that the busy Christmas season may be taking a toll on the 85-year-old Benedict.
In his homily, Benedict said it's tough to remember that goodness prevails when bad news - death, violence and injustice - "makes more noise than good." He said taking time to meditate in prolonged reflection and prayer can help "find healing from the inevitable wounds of daily life."
This past year was full of highs and lows for the pope, including a successful trip to Mexico and Cuba but also the betrayal of his butler, convicted in October of stealing Benedict's personal papers and leaking them to a journalist.
After the service, Benedict was brought out in a covered car to pray before the Vatican's main nativity scene in St. Peter's Square. Walking with a cane in the chilly piazza, Benedict chatted animatedly with the artist who crafted the scene, which recreated an entire village from the poor, southern Italian region of Basilicata which donated this year's crèche.
The Vatican gladly accepted Basilicata's donation after the €550,000 price tag the Vatican paid for the 2009 nativity scene was revealed in the documentation leaked by Benedict's ex-butler Paolo Gabriele.
Gabriele was convicted of aggravated theft by a Vatican tribunal and sentenced to 18 months in prison. He received a pre-Christmas papal pardon and is expected to soon leave his Vatican City apartment for a new home and job elsewhere.
On Tuesday morning, Benedict celebrates a New Year's Day Mass, which the Catholic Church celebrates as its world day of peace.
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