Category: Foreign

The Buea-based Consul General of Nigeria to the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon, Ambassador Lawal Bappah, has urged the Nigerian population to respect the laws of Cameroon and live in harmony with their hosts.

He was on a Consular tour of communities in Bakassi with a delegation of prominent Nigerians in Cameroon. 

It was the first time the new Consul General was officially visiting the localities of Bakassi since taking over the office in Buea, the capital of the South West Region.

The communities visited are Kombo Itindi, Idabato and Bekumu with over 30,000 Nigerians.

Thousands of Nigerians came out to welcome the diplomat.

Bappah urged the Cameroonian authorities to provide more protection for Nigerians.

“This is a tour that gives the opportunity to interact with our compatriots, to see their worries and concerns.

“I am personally impressed, particularly by the reception of the community officers, we are highly grateful,” he said.

Bappah promised to work with Cameroon authorities towards resolving any issues.

He advised the Nigerians to be law-abiding to the host country.

Bappah inaugurated the newly-elected executive members of the Union of Nigerian Residents in Bakassi as an intermediary between the Nigerian Consul General and Cameroon authorities.

During the Consular visit in Kombo, Bappah was received by Walaq Ishaq, the divisional officer for Bamosur Subdivision in a rousing reception.

Mayor of Bamuso principality Samuel Mememe said: “For us to have a harmonious breakthrough in our administration, we need to accommodate the Nigeria population for us to succeed because they are the economic backbone.”

FRANCE came to a standstill yesterday when protesters marched nationwide during the latest round of strikes against a planned rise in the retirement age to 64.

Unions described the protests as their biggest show of force against the deeply unpopular proposal from President Emmanuel Macron’s government.

According to the AEF news agency, 63 per cent of French people oppose the government proposal.

Refuse collectors, utility workers, train drivers and others took action to show their anger at the attack on their pension rights.

More than 250 protests took place across France.

In Paris, tens of thousands of people took to the streets and massive demonstrations were also reported in other major cities, including Marseille, Nice, Nantes and Lyon.

French Democratic Confederation general secretary Laurent Berger said that the numbers of demonstrators nationwide was the greatest since the beginning of the protest movement in January.

Philippe Martinez, who heads the left-wing General Confederation of Labour (CGT) union centre, told FranceInfo: “The goal is that the government withdraw its draft reform. Full stop.”

Some unions have called for open-ended strikes in sectors such as refineries, oil depots and transport.

Workers at Paris’s Gare de Nord railway station have already voted to continue the strike into on Wednesday.

The CGT reported that all oil shipments in France were halted by strikes at the refineries of TotalEnergies, Esso-ExxonMobil and Petroineos groups.

Lorry drivers have sporadically blocked major highways in go-slow actions.

In Paris, refuse collectors have started an open-ended strike and blocked access to an incineration plant at Ivry-sur-Seine, near Paris, which is Europe’s biggest such facility.

A fifth of flights were cancelled at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport and about a third of flights were scrapped at Orly airport.

Trains to Germany and Spain came to a halt and those to and from Britain and Belgium were reduced by a third.

Most high-speed and regional rail services were cancelled as well.

Public transport and other services were disrupted in most French cities. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower was closed, as was the Palace of Versailles, west of the capital.

Paris train driver Xavier Bregail said: “We held strong demonstrations earlier, but it’s time to take the movement one step further.”

Bregail voiced hope that the protests would turn into a broader movement against economic injustice.

France’s eight main union confederation and five youth organisations were set to meet last night to decide on their next steps in defence of pension rights.

The Buea-based Consul General of Nigeria to the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon, Ambassador Lawal Bappah, was on a Consular tour along with delegation as well as prominent Nigerians in Cameroon to visit communities in Bakassi.

It was the first time the new Nigerian Consul General was officially visiting the localities of Bakassi since taking over the office in Buea, capital of the South West Region, and the Communities visited are Kombo Itindi, Idabato and Bekumu where we have over 30,000 Nigerians.

Thousands of Nigerians came out to welcome the Nigeria diplomat with celebrations in the communities seeking opportunities to express their feelings, while the CG urges the Cameroonian authorities for more protections.

During the Consular visit in Kombo, Consul General Bappah was received by Walaq Ishaq, the divisional officer for Bamosur Subdivision in a rousing reception.

During sessions with the local leaders, the Consul General sought for major issues that the populace would like the authorities to address. One of the local leaders, Samuel Mememe, the Mayor of Bamuso principality who was also present briefed the diplomat. “For us to have harmonious breakthrough in our administration we need to accommodate the Nigeria population for us to succeed because they are the economic backbone.”

The Nigeria Consul General expressed satisfaction while calling on Nigeria population to live in peace and harmony and respect the law of the host country, Cameroon.

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“This is a tour that gives the opportunity to interact with our compatriots, to see their worries and concerns. I am personally impressed, particularly by the reception of the community officers, we are high grateful,” he said

The CG promised to work with Cameroon authorities towards resolving some highlighted challenges. He further advised the Nigerians to be law abiding to the host country.

Prior to the tour, Consul General Bappah inaugurated the newly-elected executive members of the Union of Nigerian residents in Bakassi as intermediary between the Nigerian Consul General and Cameroon authorities for facilitation of requests.

Nigerians based in Cameroon have congratulated the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating his triumph was ordained by diligence, commitment, focus and patriotism.

Nigerian publisher, Ismaila Adegbola, who has lived in Cameroon for over 15 years, said there was no disparity among Nigerians living in Cameroon over the outcome of the presidential election.

“In Cameroon, we Nigerians are United, we live like a family and we always assist one another other. We have already congratulated Bola Tinubu as the unprecedented winner. And we believe that his government would ease lots of suffering in Nigeria and beyond.

“On behalf of my fellow compatriots in Cameroon, I want to believe the new government will give Diaspora more benefits,” he said.

Adegbola expressed confidence in Tinubu’s administration and urged the former Lagos Governor to build a united nation that will accommodate every Nigerian in the government irrespective of tribal, religion and ethnicity.

“The best way to move Nigeria forward is to be United, and I am sending this to the President-elect to run an inclusive government of Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba for a better nation,” he said.

For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas, a move aimed at countering threats to marine biodiversity.

“The ship has reached the shore,” conference chairwoman Rena Lee announced at UN headquarters in New York – marking the possible end to 15 years of negations.

On Saturday, delegates finalised the text that will be formally adopted at a later date after it has been legally vetted and translated.

The exact content of the treaty has not been released but campaigners have already hailed it as a landmark move to protect biodiversity.

“We only really have two major global commons — the atmosphere and the oceans,” said Georgetown marine biologist Rebecca Helm.

While the oceans may draw less attention, “protecting this half of earth’s surface is absolutely critical to the health of our planet.”

Now that the long-awaited treaty text has been finalized, Nichola Clark, an oceans expert at the Pew Charitable Trusts who observed the talks in New York, said: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect the oceans — a major win for biodiversity.”

The treaty aims to protect the high seas, which begin at a maximum of 200 nautical miles, or 370 kilometres, from the coastline and are not under the jurisdiction of any state.

Those waters, which represent more than 60% of oceans, have long been ignored in environmental regulations. And only around 1% of the high seas are currently subject to conservation measures.

Once enacted, the new agreement will create a new body to manage the conservation of ocean life and establish marine protected areas on the high seas. And Clark said that’s critical to achieve the UN Biodiversity Conference’s recent pledge to protect 30% of the planet’s waters, as well as its land, for conservation.

The treaty also establishes ground rules for conducting environmental impact assessments for commercial activities in the oceans.

“It means all activities planned for the high seas need to be looked at, though not all will go through a full assessment,” said Jessica Battle, an oceans governance expert at the Worldwide Fund for Nature.

Agreement knits together different regional treaties

Many marine species — including dolphins, whales, sea turtles and many fish — make long annual migrations, crossing national borders and the high seas.

Efforts to protect them have previously been hampered by a confusing patchwork of laws.

“This treaty will help to knit together the different regional treaties to be able to address threats and concerns across species’ ranges,” said Battle.

That protection also helps coastal biodiversity and economies, said Gladys Martínez de Lemos, executive director of the non-profit Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense focusing on environmental issues across Latin America.

“Governments have taken an important step that strengthens the legal protection of two-thirds of the ocean and with it marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of coastal communities,” she said.

The high seas have long suffered exploitation due to commercial fishing and mining, as well as pollution from chemicals and plastics.

The new agreement is about “acknowledging that the ocean is not a limitless resource, and it requires global cooperation to use the ocean sustainably,” said Malin Pinsky, a biologist at Rutgers University.

During the conference, global powers also pledged billions of euros worth of funds to help protect the world’s oceans.

The European Union promised €40 million euros to facilitate the ratification of the treaty and to help with its implementation.

Beyond that, it has also pledged more than €800 million for ocean protection in general by 2023.

In total, there were “341 new commitments” worth nearly €18 billion made at the conference, including nearly €5 billion from the United States.

China will boost defence spending by 7.2% this year, slightly outpacing last year’s increase and faster than the government’s modest economic growth forecast, as Premier Li Keqiang called for the armed forces to boost combat preparedness.

The national budget released yesterday showed 1.55 trillion yuan ($224 billion) allocated to military spending.

The defence budget will be closely watched by China’s neighbours and the United States, who are concerned by Beijing’s strategic intentions and development of its military, especially as tensions have spiked in recent years over Taiwan.

In his work report to the annual session of parliament, Li said military operations, capacity building and combat preparedness should be “well-coordinated in fulfilling major tasks”.

“Our armed forces, with a focus on the goals for the centenary of the People’s Liberation Army in 2027, should work to carry out military operations, boost combat preparedness and enhance military capabilities,” he said in the state-of-the-nation address to the largely rubber-stamp congress.

This year’s hike in defense spending marks the eighth consecutive single-digit increase. As in previous years, no breakdown of the spending was given, only the overall amount and the rate of increase.

The spending increase outpaces targeted economic growth of around 5%, which is slightly below last year’s target as the world’s second-largest economy faces domestic headwinds.

Beijing is nervous about challenges on fronts ranging from Chinese-claimed Taiwan to U.S. naval and air missions in the disputed South China Sea near Chinese-occupied islands.

China staged war games near Taiwan last August to express anger at the visit to Taipei of then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Li Mingjiang, associate professor at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, said defense spending outpacing the economic growth forecast showed China anticipates facing greater pressures in its external security environment, especially from the United States and on the Taiwan issue.

“Chinese leaders are clearly intensifying efforts to prepare the country militarily to meet all potential security challenges, including unexpected situations,” he said.

China, with the world’s largest military in terms of personnel, is busy adding a slew of new hardware, including aircraft carriers and stealth fighters.

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Beijing says its military spending for defensive purposes is a comparatively low percentage of its GDP and that critics want to demonize it as a threat to world peace.

“The armed forces should intensify military training and preparedness across the board, develop new military strategic guidance, devote greater energy to training under combat conditions and make well-coordinated efforts to strengthen military work in all directions and domains,” Premier Li said.

Takashi Kawakami, a professor of Takushoku University in Tokyo, said China would probably give priority to its nuclear capability.

“As China strengthens the new area of cognitive warfare over Taiwan, I think it will also use the budget to build up its cyber and space capabilities, as well as its submarine forces to target undersea cables,” he said.

China accuses U.S. of ‘creating factors of tension’ with Taiwan arms sale.

China’s reported defence budget in 2023 is around one quarter of proposed U.S. spending, though many diplomats and foreign experts believe Beijing under-reports the real number.

The fiscal 2023 U.S. defence budget authorizes $858 billion in military spending and includes funding for purchases of weapons, ships and aircraft, and support for Taiwan and for Ukraine as it fights an invasion by Russia.

China has long argued that it needs to close the gap with the United States. China, for example, has three aircraft carriers, compared with 11 in active service for the United States.

The Ukraine war has prompted some elements in China’s military-industrial complex to call for an increase in the defence budget.

An article published last October in the official journal of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, a central government ministry responsible for wartime logistics, recommended an increase in the military budget given surges in defense spending from NATO member-states besides the United States.

“This matter is not about participating in the international arms race, but defending our national security,” it said.

• ‘You will not be able to stay’

UNITED Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned illegal immigrants entering the country that they would be deported and “will not be able to stay”.

Sunak made the vow yesterday in an interview as the UK faces a steady flow of migrants crossing its borders from Europe. 

Sunak’s government is expected to push legislation cracking down on illegal immigration later this week, with a special emphasis on illegal immigrants arriving in boats across the English Channel.

“Make no mistake, if you come here illegally, you will not be able to stay,” Sunak told UK media.

Much like the U.S., Britain currently has laws allowing illegal immigrants to claim asylum after crossing the border. The migrants are typically allowed to stay while their case is being litigated, but the new legislation would prevent such migrants from claiming asylum in the first place, the BBC reported.

The UK saw tens of thousands of migrants cross its borders via the English Channel last year.

“Illegal migration is not fair on British taxpayers, it is not fair on those who come here legally and it is not right that criminal gangs should be allowed to continue their immoral trade. I am determined to deliver on my promise to stop the boats,”

The illegal immigration crackdown from America’s closest ally comes as the U.S. itself faces an unprecedented crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has tracked more than 230,000 migrant encounters each month since October, up from 100,000 per month when President Biden took office.

In comparison, the U.K. tracked just 45,000 migrants crossing the English Channel in 2022, according to Reuters.

U.S. immigration authorities are tracking more than 230,000 migrant encounters each month, far more than the U.K.

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday day urged the various factions in the Chadian political crisis to be patriotic and protect their homeland by joining the country’s transition government to see the ongoing process through.

President Buhari made the call in Doha, Qatar, in a meeting with Chad’s transition President and Head of Government, General Mehmet Idris Deby-Itno, on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries.

Speaking about the developments in Chad, according to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the President said: “I watch developments in your country from a safe distance. As a close neighbour, I go to sleep and wake up with the issue on my mind.

“I sympathise with you, not only as a youth, but due to the position of some of the groups operating outside the country, including Libya, even though this is a problem you inherited from your father.

“I am really reduced to praying on this matter. Other groups who think they are strong should be patriotic, settle down and secure their own country”, he said.

President Buhari thanked the Chadian leader for the visit, giving assurances that, “as a good neighbour, I am prepared at any time to listen to your representations, political, security or any other matter.”

President Deby-Itno said he had come to say thank you to the President for the support he provides to him and his country as they undertake the ongoing transition to democracy, which he said is going well.

He wished President Buhari long life and congratulated him on the ongoing democratic process in Nigeria, adding that “we hope we will continue to see you even after your departure from office.”

At least 29 people were killed as a freight train collided with a passenger train in central Greece on Tuesday night, state broadcaster ERT has reported.

The report cited a fire brigade spokesperson, with many people still believed to be trapped under the debris.

At least 85 people were injured, some of them seriously, the spokesperson said, adding that the search for further victims continued.

Several hospitals in the region were put on high alert.

The cause of the accident was initially unclear.

A passenger train coming from Athens en route to the northern port city of Thessaloniki, collided head-on with a commercial train travelling in the opposite direction, according to initial reports from railway officials.

The passenger train, the Inter City 62, departed from the Greek capital at 7:22 pm (1722 GMT) on Tuesday evening.

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In total, some 350 passengers and 20 railway employees were said to have been on board the two trains.

Videos broadcast on local television showed several wrecked train cars at the crash site near the municipality of Tempi, near the city of Larissa.

Firefighters and rescue teams were searching the debris for survivors, according to reporters at the scene.

“Most of the injured have head injuries as well as broken pelvises, arms and legs.

“Unfortunately, there are still many people under the rubble,’’ a rescue worker told reporters.

A fire broke out in the passenger train following the collision, a survivor told ERT.

“There was chaos and incredible noise,’’ he added.

The crash occurred on a line connecting Athens with Thessaloniki that was modernised over the past years.

Greece’s railway, Hellenic Train, is operated by Italy’s state-owned railway company Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane.

Railway employees told Greek Broadcaster, Real FM that there were still significant problems with the electric coordination of traffic control in spite modernisation.

(Dpa/NAN)