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Showing posts with label Cameroon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cameroon. Show all posts

AFCON DRAWS: Nigeria in group D with Egypt, Sudan and Guinea Bissau

AFCON DRAWS: Nigeria in group D with Egypt, Sudan and Guinea Bissau


NIGERIA'S Supper Eagles have been drawn in group D of the competition along Egypt, Sudan and Guinea Bissau.

As no team can be underrated any longer in football competitions, Egypt, the seven times champions and Nigeria, the three times winners are still the favorites in the group.

The AFCON 2022 draw takes place Tuesday evening in Yaoundé.

Cameroon will host the COVID-19 pandemic-postponed tournament from January 9 to February 6, 2022. The 33rd edition of the Cup of Nations will be played in Cameroon (five cities, six venues)

Cameroon's Indomitable Lions are in group A with Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cape Verde.
Cameroon were selected to stage the 2019 tournament, but fell behind with their preparation and Egypt had to take over at short notice.

Below is the full draw of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations

Group A

Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cape Verde

Group B

Senegal, Guinea Zimbabwe, Malawi

Group C

Morocco, Ghana, Comoros, Gabon

Group D

Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Guinea Bissau

Group E

Algeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea

Group F

Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Gambia

NIGERIA'S Supper Eagles have been drawn in group D of the competition along Egypt, Sudan and Guinea Bissau.

As no team can be underrated any longer in football competitions, Egypt, the seven times champions and Nigeria, the three times winners are still the favorites in the group.

The AFCON 2022 draw takes place Tuesday evening in Yaoundé.

Cameroon will host the COVID-19 pandemic-postponed tournament from January 9 to February 6, 2022. The 33rd edition of the Cup of Nations will be played in Cameroon (five cities, six venues)

Cameroon's Indomitable Lions are in group A with Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cape Verde.
Cameroon were selected to stage the 2019 tournament, but fell behind with their preparation and Egypt had to take over at short notice.

Below is the full draw of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations

Group A

Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Cape Verde

Group B

Senegal, Guinea Zimbabwe, Malawi

Group C

Morocco, Ghana, Comoros, Gabon

Group D

Nigeria, Egypt, Sudan, Guinea Bissau

Group E

Algeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea

Group F

Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Gambia

COVID-19 infection cases in Africa top 23,000, WHO reports

COVID-19 infection cases in Africa top 23,000, WHO reports

As of Tuesday, the number of coronavirus cases in Africa has reached 23,029, while 1,142 people have died, the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa branch said yesterday.

While South Africa accounts for the biggest number of infections (3,300) and 58 deaths, Algeria has the biggest COVID-19 death toll (384) and 2,718 infections.

Egypt has so far reported 239 fatalities and 3,144 cases, while Morocco identified 2,990 and 143 deaths.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, Cameroon is ranked second after South Africa with 1,163 coronavirus infections and 43 fatalities, followed by Ghana (1,042 and 9) and Ivory Coast (879 and 9).


Nigeria has also reported more that 700 cases and 25 death toll with the virus spreading to more than 24 sates and Abuja which is the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) out of the 36 states of the federation.

On Monday, Ghana became the first African country to partially lift lockdown restrictions on two biggest cities of the country, including the capital Accra.

Factories and shops are cleared to resume operation, people movement restrictions are lifted so that they can go back to work. When announcing the easing of lockdown, President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo underlined that there is not a single blueprint to resolve all problems.

In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe.

Globally, over 2,484,000 people have been infected and more than 170,000 deaths have been reported with United states leading in both numbers of infected persons and death toll followed by the deaths in Europe, Italy, Spain, France and the UK accounted for more casualties and deaths after the US.

Since Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) in late December 2019 about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe.
As of Tuesday, the number of coronavirus cases in Africa has reached 23,029, while 1,142 people have died, the World Health Organization (WHO) Africa branch said yesterday.

While South Africa accounts for the biggest number of infections (3,300) and 58 deaths, Algeria has the biggest COVID-19 death toll (384) and 2,718 infections.

Egypt has so far reported 239 fatalities and 3,144 cases, while Morocco identified 2,990 and 143 deaths.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, Cameroon is ranked second after South Africa with 1,163 coronavirus infections and 43 fatalities, followed by Ghana (1,042 and 9) and Ivory Coast (879 and 9).


Nigeria has also reported more that 700 cases and 25 death toll with the virus spreading to more than 24 sates and Abuja which is the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) out of the 36 states of the federation.

On Monday, Ghana became the first African country to partially lift lockdown restrictions on two biggest cities of the country, including the capital Accra.

Factories and shops are cleared to resume operation, people movement restrictions are lifted so that they can go back to work. When announcing the easing of lockdown, President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo underlined that there is not a single blueprint to resolve all problems.

In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe.

Globally, over 2,484,000 people have been infected and more than 170,000 deaths have been reported with United states leading in both numbers of infected persons and death toll followed by the deaths in Europe, Italy, Spain, France and the UK accounted for more casualties and deaths after the US.

Since Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) in late December 2019 about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe.

How Four African countries, including Nigeria are ‘particularly vulnerable’ to COVID-19 - Report

How Four African countries, including Nigeria are ‘particularly vulnerable’ to COVID-19 - Report

Cape Town — South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Sudan are particularly vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19, says a new survey of factors contributing to the risks which the pandemic poses to African nations.

The seven countries of Cameroon, Ethiopia, Chad, Somalia, Uganda, Egypt and the Central African Republic are the next most vulnerable, according to research done by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, DC, a research institution within the United States Department of Defense.

It is worth noting that the top four countries named by the survey as most vulnerable to COVID-19 are all dealing with intransigent conflicts, as are most of the next seven most vulnerable. For years, African scholars and peace advocates have been calling attention to the link between violent conflict and social inequities, and the same combination of factors favors the spread of diseases.

Paralleling the conclusions of African peacebuilding researchers, the survey says that one of nine risk factors – conflict magnitude – magnifies the other risks:

Armed conflict disrupts public health systems in affected areas and limits access to basic goods like food, water, and medical supplies.

The degree of intensity and geographic spread of conflict shapes the level of disruption caused for a society.

Conflict-affected populations are also often starting from higher levels of vulnerability with fewer resource buffers than other populations, making the impact of exposure to an infectious disease all the more severe.

The center’s study evaluates the vulnerability of each of the continent’s nations in nine risk categories: international exposure, the strength of their public health systems, the density of their urban areas, the total population in urban areas, the age of the population, the transparency of their governments, the press freedom they enjoy, levels of conflict and the numbers of displaced people.The other eight risks identified are international exposures, health system weaknesses, urban density, size of urban populations, population age, transparency of governance, press freedom and numbers of displaced peoples.

The risks which the most vulnerable countries face highlights “the importance of trying to identify and limit the spread of the SARS-CoV2 (corona) virus at the early stages, before it becomes entrenched in the high density urban or displaced person areas”, the center says.

Three of the most vulnerable countries – Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and South Sudan – have made potentially significant progress at conflict resolution, or have had successes despite ongoing conflict. The victory against an Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo this year, despite militia activity that killed both United Nations peacekeepers and health workers, was regarded as remarkable among both political and medical analysts. South Sudan negotiated peace between competing armies for control of the government, and ‘people power’ in Sudan toppled a long-lived despotic ruler who had been convicted of war crimes by the International Criminal Court.

The survey says that the limited exposure of the three countries to international travellers gives them “a brief window to ramp up containment measures”. The hope of reformers and peace activists is that the same popular determination and courageous actions by Africans in each of those nations can be brought to the efforts against COVID-19. Only Nigeria – of the most at-risk countries – has had high rates of international travel. The majority of Nigeria’s identified cases so far were brought across borders by international travelers or Nigerians returning from abroad, or were among people who were exposed to them, who were found through contact tracing.

Key to efforts at containment, says the survey, “will be enhanced and transparent public communications regarding COVID-19, public health guidance, and candid information about what the government is doing and what individuals should do if they exhibit symptoms. For some of these countries, given their constricted space for sharing information, this will require significantly improved levels of transparency and space for independent media.”

Turning to the seven countries next most vulnerable, the center says they, also, among the African countries with less international exposure. But they need to mitigate areas of risk and draw on areas of strength.

The study says that, initially, international exposure, the size of urban populations and a nation’s capacity to test for the virus will determine the number of cases which are reported. It adds that “subsequent stages [in the spread of the virus] are likely to also exploit other vulnerabilities such as weak health systems, densities of urban populations, conflict, size of displaced populations, trust in government, and openness of communications channels”.

The center points to the fact that the number of cases reported, as opposed to the actual numbers of people infected, will depend on the strength of a country’s public health system. “In fact,” it says, “cases of the coronavirus may be widespread elsewhere, though they are not identified and reported.”

Looking beyond nations with relatively higher numbers of reported cases, it says that despite not having Africa’s largest urban populations, countries in the Sahel and Great Lakes regions “appear to be at high risk for severe outbreaks”. It urges that attention be given in those countries to densely- populated cities and towns, to supporting public health systems and being transparent with the public.

” However, each country faces a unique mix of vulnerabilities that will require a customized response.”

” Much remains unknown about the trajectory of the transmission of COVID-19 in Africa. Many fear that with its high levels of poverty, weak health systems, and crowded urban areas, the virus could be particularly devastating. Others hope that with its warmer climate, youthful population, and experience fighting infectious disease, that Africa will be able to avoid the worst of the pandemic.”

” African urban areas are often remarkably densely populated, creating conditions where viruses can spread quickly and undetected in crowded informal settlements. Urban density is characteristic even of relatively sparsely populated countries in the Sahel, where the concentration of human settlements in capital cities creates high levels of vulnerability. A similar pattern is seen in South Sudan, where inhabited areas average 8,730 people per square kilometer. Urban layouts and architectures in these locations are similar to the compacted towns of Spain and Italy, where the virus has hit Europe the hardest to date.”

” Built-up areas across much of Africa have higher population densities than those in Europe and the United States. Influenza transmission rates in India have been found to increase above a population density of 282 people per square kilometer. The density of many built-up areas in Africa is over five times this threshold.”

” Stay-at-home orders will be particularly difficult to maintain in African cities where many residents lack adequate shelter, sanitation, and the monetary means to stock up on supplies and to stop work.”

” Approximately 80 percent of COVID-19 fatalities have been among people over the age of 60. With 70 percent of Africa’s population under the age of 30, Africa’s youth bulge may be a buffer against the most devastating human costs of the disease on the continent.”
” The benefits of a more youthful population, however, will need to be balanced against other underlying health factors facing many African populations such as malaria, malnutrition, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.”

” Refugees and internally displaced populations may be congregated in large camps with inadequate access to water, soap, or sanitation. Health services are often overstretched and inaccessible. The close quarters typical of such settlements greatly facilitates the spread of any infection once it is introduced. Eighty-five percent of Africa’s 25 million forcibly displaced persons are concentrated in 8 countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria, the Central African Republic (CAR), and Cameroon.”

Cape Town — South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria and Sudan are particularly vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19, says a new survey of factors contributing to the risks which the pandemic poses to African nations.

The seven countries of Cameroon, Ethiopia, Chad, Somalia, Uganda, Egypt and the Central African Republic are the next most vulnerable, according to research done by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, DC, a research institution within the United States Department of Defense.

It is worth noting that the top four countries named by the survey as most vulnerable to COVID-19 are all dealing with intransigent conflicts, as are most of the next seven most vulnerable. For years, African scholars and peace advocates have been calling attention to the link between violent conflict and social inequities, and the same combination of factors favors the spread of diseases.

Paralleling the conclusions of African peacebuilding researchers, the survey says that one of nine risk factors – conflict magnitude – magnifies the other risks:

Armed conflict disrupts public health systems in affected areas and limits access to basic goods like food, water, and medical supplies.

The degree of intensity and geographic spread of conflict shapes the level of disruption caused for a society.

Conflict-affected populations are also often starting from higher levels of vulnerability with fewer resource buffers than other populations, making the impact of exposure to an infectious disease all the more severe.

The center’s study evaluates the vulnerability of each of the continent’s nations in nine risk categories: international exposure, the strength of their public health systems, the density of their urban areas, the total population in urban areas, the age of the population, the transparency of their governments, the press freedom they enjoy, levels of conflict and the numbers of displaced people.The other eight risks identified are international exposures, health system weaknesses, urban density, size of urban populations, population age, transparency of governance, press freedom and numbers of displaced peoples.

The risks which the most vulnerable countries face highlights “the importance of trying to identify and limit the spread of the SARS-CoV2 (corona) virus at the early stages, before it becomes entrenched in the high density urban or displaced person areas”, the center says.

Three of the most vulnerable countries – Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and South Sudan – have made potentially significant progress at conflict resolution, or have had successes despite ongoing conflict. The victory against an Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo this year, despite militia activity that killed both United Nations peacekeepers and health workers, was regarded as remarkable among both political and medical analysts. South Sudan negotiated peace between competing armies for control of the government, and ‘people power’ in Sudan toppled a long-lived despotic ruler who had been convicted of war crimes by the International Criminal Court.

The survey says that the limited exposure of the three countries to international travellers gives them “a brief window to ramp up containment measures”. The hope of reformers and peace activists is that the same popular determination and courageous actions by Africans in each of those nations can be brought to the efforts against COVID-19. Only Nigeria – of the most at-risk countries – has had high rates of international travel. The majority of Nigeria’s identified cases so far were brought across borders by international travelers or Nigerians returning from abroad, or were among people who were exposed to them, who were found through contact tracing.

Key to efforts at containment, says the survey, “will be enhanced and transparent public communications regarding COVID-19, public health guidance, and candid information about what the government is doing and what individuals should do if they exhibit symptoms. For some of these countries, given their constricted space for sharing information, this will require significantly improved levels of transparency and space for independent media.”

Turning to the seven countries next most vulnerable, the center says they, also, among the African countries with less international exposure. But they need to mitigate areas of risk and draw on areas of strength.

The study says that, initially, international exposure, the size of urban populations and a nation’s capacity to test for the virus will determine the number of cases which are reported. It adds that “subsequent stages [in the spread of the virus] are likely to also exploit other vulnerabilities such as weak health systems, densities of urban populations, conflict, size of displaced populations, trust in government, and openness of communications channels”.

The center points to the fact that the number of cases reported, as opposed to the actual numbers of people infected, will depend on the strength of a country’s public health system. “In fact,” it says, “cases of the coronavirus may be widespread elsewhere, though they are not identified and reported.”

Looking beyond nations with relatively higher numbers of reported cases, it says that despite not having Africa’s largest urban populations, countries in the Sahel and Great Lakes regions “appear to be at high risk for severe outbreaks”. It urges that attention be given in those countries to densely- populated cities and towns, to supporting public health systems and being transparent with the public.

” However, each country faces a unique mix of vulnerabilities that will require a customized response.”

” Much remains unknown about the trajectory of the transmission of COVID-19 in Africa. Many fear that with its high levels of poverty, weak health systems, and crowded urban areas, the virus could be particularly devastating. Others hope that with its warmer climate, youthful population, and experience fighting infectious disease, that Africa will be able to avoid the worst of the pandemic.”

” African urban areas are often remarkably densely populated, creating conditions where viruses can spread quickly and undetected in crowded informal settlements. Urban density is characteristic even of relatively sparsely populated countries in the Sahel, where the concentration of human settlements in capital cities creates high levels of vulnerability. A similar pattern is seen in South Sudan, where inhabited areas average 8,730 people per square kilometer. Urban layouts and architectures in these locations are similar to the compacted towns of Spain and Italy, where the virus has hit Europe the hardest to date.”

” Built-up areas across much of Africa have higher population densities than those in Europe and the United States. Influenza transmission rates in India have been found to increase above a population density of 282 people per square kilometer. The density of many built-up areas in Africa is over five times this threshold.”

” Stay-at-home orders will be particularly difficult to maintain in African cities where many residents lack adequate shelter, sanitation, and the monetary means to stock up on supplies and to stop work.”

” Approximately 80 percent of COVID-19 fatalities have been among people over the age of 60. With 70 percent of Africa’s population under the age of 30, Africa’s youth bulge may be a buffer against the most devastating human costs of the disease on the continent.”
” The benefits of a more youthful population, however, will need to be balanced against other underlying health factors facing many African populations such as malaria, malnutrition, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.”

” Refugees and internally displaced populations may be congregated in large camps with inadequate access to water, soap, or sanitation. Health services are often overstretched and inaccessible. The close quarters typical of such settlements greatly facilitates the spread of any infection once it is introduced. Eighty-five percent of Africa’s 25 million forcibly displaced persons are concentrated in 8 countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria, the Central African Republic (CAR), and Cameroon.”

COVID-19: Forget about Russian meddling, jointly combat coronavirus pandemic - Russian Embassy tells US politicians

COVID-19: Forget about Russian meddling, jointly combat coronavirus pandemic - Russian Embassy tells US politicians

US Senate
WASHINGTON, /TASS/. The Russian Embassy has called on US politicians to fight together against the novel coronavirus pandemic instead of exacerbating bilateral relations.

"A number of politicians in Washington stop at nothing to exacerbate bilateral Russian-American relations," the embassy said in a statement commenting on fresh meddling accusations against Russia.

By putting forward accusations against Russia and our people, they pursue their own vested interests amid another election campaign. We consider their attempts to drag EU member-states into another reckless gamble unacceptable."

"We urge US politicians to show common sense and pool efforts in the fight against a common misfortune, the coronavirus pandemic," the Russian embassy stressed.

On Thursday, Senate minority leader Charles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer and four other senators called on the EU to slap sanctions on Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin whom Washington accuses of meddling in electoral process in the US.

US secret services suspect Russia’s involvement in the US election process in 2016. Special Counsel Robert Mueller spent nearly two years investigating the alleged meddling attempts.

On April 18, 2019, the US Department of Justice published the final report. Mueller recognized that the probe had identified no collusion between the election winner Trump and Russia. At the same time, he claimed that Moscow had tried to influence the election campaign.

President Trump has repeatedly dismissed the suspicion of any unlawful contacts with Russian officials. Moscow, too, more than once denied attempts to influence the outcome of the US presidential election.

US Senate
WASHINGTON, /TASS/. The Russian Embassy has called on US politicians to fight together against the novel coronavirus pandemic instead of exacerbating bilateral relations.

"A number of politicians in Washington stop at nothing to exacerbate bilateral Russian-American relations," the embassy said in a statement commenting on fresh meddling accusations against Russia.

By putting forward accusations against Russia and our people, they pursue their own vested interests amid another election campaign. We consider their attempts to drag EU member-states into another reckless gamble unacceptable."

"We urge US politicians to show common sense and pool efforts in the fight against a common misfortune, the coronavirus pandemic," the Russian embassy stressed.

On Thursday, Senate minority leader Charles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer and four other senators called on the EU to slap sanctions on Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin whom Washington accuses of meddling in electoral process in the US.

US secret services suspect Russia’s involvement in the US election process in 2016. Special Counsel Robert Mueller spent nearly two years investigating the alleged meddling attempts.

On April 18, 2019, the US Department of Justice published the final report. Mueller recognized that the probe had identified no collusion between the election winner Trump and Russia. At the same time, he claimed that Moscow had tried to influence the election campaign.

President Trump has repeatedly dismissed the suspicion of any unlawful contacts with Russian officials. Moscow, too, more than once denied attempts to influence the outcome of the US presidential election.

COVID-19: Vatican, Cameroon, Serbia record first cases

COVID-19: Vatican, Cameroon, Serbia record first cases

India coronavirus cases jump to 31

Philippines reports two new infections, while South Korea reports 518 new cases

Vatican, Cameroon and Serbia are the latest to confirmed first cases of  COVID-19 in their respective domains as the confirmed cases in India jumped to thirty one.

Cameroon confirmed its first case of coronavirus after a 58-year-old French citizen tested positive to the virus, thus becoming the 7th country in African sub-region to confirm the presence of the deadly virus after Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, Nigeria, Tunisia and South Africa..

The health ministry said the man, who arrived in the capital Yaounde on February 24, has been quarantined in the city's central hospital.

In Serbia, health minister Zlatibor Loncar reported on Friday that a 43-year-old man became the first person in Serbia to reported as having been infected with the coronavirus.

Meanwhile the Vatican has reported its first coronavirus case, saying it had suspended outpatient services at its health clinic after a patient tested positive.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told journalists on Friday that the clinic, which has some 1,000 residents, will be deep cleaned.

However, the number of coronavirus cases in India has increased sharply from six to 31 this week, the health ministry announced on Friday. Authorities in the capital, New Delhi, have also ordered the closure of primary schools until March 31 to prevent local transmission.

Philippines reports two new infections

Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque III announced two new coronavirus infections, bringing the total confirmed cases to five.

One of the patients had reportedly traveled to Japan, while the other person "has no known history of travel outside the country". The second patient reported on Friday reportedly frequented a mosque in Metro Manila before the infection was confirmed.

While there are only five confirmed cases in the Philippines, more than 80 Filipinos working abroad have contracted the disease, most of whom were working on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

South Korean health authorities reported 518 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, bringing to 6,284 the total number of infections nationwide, according to Yonhap news agency.

Yonhap also quoted the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as saying that 42 people, mostly elderly with underlying illnesses, have died.

Most of the cases of infections were from the southeastern city of Daegu, a city of 2.5 million people.

Globally, more than 95,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease, the vast majority in China, with 3,015 deaths in China and 267 deaths across the globe, many in Italy and Iran.


 

India coronavirus cases jump to 31

Philippines reports two new infections, while South Korea reports 518 new cases

Vatican, Cameroon and Serbia are the latest to confirmed first cases of  COVID-19 in their respective domains as the confirmed cases in India jumped to thirty one.

Cameroon confirmed its first case of coronavirus after a 58-year-old French citizen tested positive to the virus, thus becoming the 7th country in African sub-region to confirm the presence of the deadly virus after Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, Nigeria, Tunisia and South Africa..

The health ministry said the man, who arrived in the capital Yaounde on February 24, has been quarantined in the city's central hospital.

In Serbia, health minister Zlatibor Loncar reported on Friday that a 43-year-old man became the first person in Serbia to reported as having been infected with the coronavirus.

Meanwhile the Vatican has reported its first coronavirus case, saying it had suspended outpatient services at its health clinic after a patient tested positive.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told journalists on Friday that the clinic, which has some 1,000 residents, will be deep cleaned.

However, the number of coronavirus cases in India has increased sharply from six to 31 this week, the health ministry announced on Friday. Authorities in the capital, New Delhi, have also ordered the closure of primary schools until March 31 to prevent local transmission.

Philippines reports two new infections

Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque III announced two new coronavirus infections, bringing the total confirmed cases to five.

One of the patients had reportedly traveled to Japan, while the other person "has no known history of travel outside the country". The second patient reported on Friday reportedly frequented a mosque in Metro Manila before the infection was confirmed.

While there are only five confirmed cases in the Philippines, more than 80 Filipinos working abroad have contracted the disease, most of whom were working on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

South Korean health authorities reported 518 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, bringing to 6,284 the total number of infections nationwide, according to Yonhap news agency.

Yonhap also quoted the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as saying that 42 people, mostly elderly with underlying illnesses, have died.

Most of the cases of infections were from the southeastern city of Daegu, a city of 2.5 million people.

Globally, more than 95,000 people have been diagnosed with the disease, the vast majority in China, with 3,015 deaths in China and 267 deaths across the globe, many in Italy and Iran.


 

Cameroon annuls February 9 polls in part of anglophone regions, according to state TV

Cameroon annuls February 9 polls in part of anglophone regions, according to state TV

Watchdog HRW accuses army in massacre in anglophone Cameroon

Human Rights Watch on Tuesday accused Cameroon's armed forces of taking part in the killing of at least 21 civilians this month in a region where troops are battling anglophone separatists.

"Government forces and armed ethnic Fulani" carried out the slaughter in Ngarbuh, whose victims included 13 children and a pregnant woman, HRW said.

In its statement, HRW said: "Government forces and armed ethnic Fulani" carried out the slaughter in Ngarbuh, whose victims included 13 children and a pregnant woman.

The Fulani are an ethnic group also called Peuls.

"The gruesome killings of civilians, including children, are egregious crimes that should be effectively and independently investigated, and those responsible should be brought to justice," said Ilaria Allegrozzi, HRW's senior Africa researcher.

"Denying that these crimes have occurred adds another layer of trauma to survivors and will only embolden government troops to commit more atrocities."

The army says there were only five civilian deaths, which it said happened when fuel containers exploded in a firefight.

The incident occurred on February 14 in a remote part of the Northwest Region -- one of two English-speaking regions gripped by conflict sparked by demands for independence from majority French-speaking Cameroon.

In a separate development on Tuesday, Cameroon's constitutional council announced it had annulled the results legislative elections held on February 9 in parts of the two separatist regions.

- 'Looting, beating, killing' -

HRW on Tuesday said it drew its conclusions after interviewing 25 people, including three witnesses to killings and seven relatives of victims. It also reviewed satellite imagery taken before and after the attack.

Between 10 and 15 soldiers, including members of the elite Rapid Intervention Battalion, along with at least 30 armed Fulani, entered Ngarbuh, a district of the Ntumbo village, at around 11:00 pm (2200 GMT) on February 13, it said in a statement.

After hours of looting homes and beating civilians, some of these men attacked the so-called Ngarbuh 3 district, "killing 21 civilians in four homes, then burning the houses", it said.

The military told the residents "the attack was to punish civilians suspected of harbouring separatist fighters", HRW said, quoting 12 witnesses.

Opposition figures in Cameroon swiftly accused the armed forces of having played a role.

But on February 17, army spokesman Colonel Cyrille Atonfack Guemo said the deaths had resulted from an "unfortunate accident" when fuel was set ablaze during a gunfight between troops and separatists after a patrol came under heavy fire.

Five civilians -- a woman and four children -- had died, and "seven terrorists" were "neutralised," Atonfack told AFP.

The following day, the UN rights office in Geneva said 23 had died in the "shocking episode" and urged Cameroon to carry out an "independent, impartial and thorough" inquiry.

- Colonial-era legacy -

The violence came less than a week after the February 9 legislative election.

On Tuesday, Cameroon's constitutional council announced it was annulling that election in the South West region's Lebialem constituency and in 10 constituencies in the North West region.

The council said the elections would have to be rerun, state television reported.

The authorities have so far released no figures on either the election results or the turnout, but the African Union has said that turnout was low across the country, particularly in the two English-speaking regions.

English-speakers account for nearly a fifth of Cameroon's population of 24 million, who are majority French-speaking.

Years of grievances at perceived discrimination against English-speakers snowballed into a declaration of independence in the anglophone regions in October 2017, which was followed by a government crackdown.

The declaration has not been recognised internationally and President Paul Biya, in power for 37 of his 87 years, has refused demands to return to a federal system.

However, the government has lately decentralised some of its powers after a "national dialogue" on the anglophone crisis which was boycotted by the separatists.

More than 3,000 people have died and at least 700,000 have fled their homes in the nearly 29-month-old unrest. Rights monitors say abuses have been committed by both sides.

Two regions that are home to Cameroon's anglophone minority are in the grip of 29-month-old conflict between the armed forces and separatists. Rights watchdogs say atrocities and other abuses have been committed by both sides

Source

Watchdog HRW accuses army in massacre in anglophone Cameroon

Human Rights Watch on Tuesday accused Cameroon's armed forces of taking part in the killing of at least 21 civilians this month in a region where troops are battling anglophone separatists.

"Government forces and armed ethnic Fulani" carried out the slaughter in Ngarbuh, whose victims included 13 children and a pregnant woman, HRW said.

In its statement, HRW said: "Government forces and armed ethnic Fulani" carried out the slaughter in Ngarbuh, whose victims included 13 children and a pregnant woman.

The Fulani are an ethnic group also called Peuls.

"The gruesome killings of civilians, including children, are egregious crimes that should be effectively and independently investigated, and those responsible should be brought to justice," said Ilaria Allegrozzi, HRW's senior Africa researcher.

"Denying that these crimes have occurred adds another layer of trauma to survivors and will only embolden government troops to commit more atrocities."

The army says there were only five civilian deaths, which it said happened when fuel containers exploded in a firefight.

The incident occurred on February 14 in a remote part of the Northwest Region -- one of two English-speaking regions gripped by conflict sparked by demands for independence from majority French-speaking Cameroon.

In a separate development on Tuesday, Cameroon's constitutional council announced it had annulled the results legislative elections held on February 9 in parts of the two separatist regions.

- 'Looting, beating, killing' -

HRW on Tuesday said it drew its conclusions after interviewing 25 people, including three witnesses to killings and seven relatives of victims. It also reviewed satellite imagery taken before and after the attack.

Between 10 and 15 soldiers, including members of the elite Rapid Intervention Battalion, along with at least 30 armed Fulani, entered Ngarbuh, a district of the Ntumbo village, at around 11:00 pm (2200 GMT) on February 13, it said in a statement.

After hours of looting homes and beating civilians, some of these men attacked the so-called Ngarbuh 3 district, "killing 21 civilians in four homes, then burning the houses", it said.

The military told the residents "the attack was to punish civilians suspected of harbouring separatist fighters", HRW said, quoting 12 witnesses.

Opposition figures in Cameroon swiftly accused the armed forces of having played a role.

But on February 17, army spokesman Colonel Cyrille Atonfack Guemo said the deaths had resulted from an "unfortunate accident" when fuel was set ablaze during a gunfight between troops and separatists after a patrol came under heavy fire.

Five civilians -- a woman and four children -- had died, and "seven terrorists" were "neutralised," Atonfack told AFP.

The following day, the UN rights office in Geneva said 23 had died in the "shocking episode" and urged Cameroon to carry out an "independent, impartial and thorough" inquiry.

- Colonial-era legacy -

The violence came less than a week after the February 9 legislative election.

On Tuesday, Cameroon's constitutional council announced it was annulling that election in the South West region's Lebialem constituency and in 10 constituencies in the North West region.

The council said the elections would have to be rerun, state television reported.

The authorities have so far released no figures on either the election results or the turnout, but the African Union has said that turnout was low across the country, particularly in the two English-speaking regions.

English-speakers account for nearly a fifth of Cameroon's population of 24 million, who are majority French-speaking.

Years of grievances at perceived discrimination against English-speakers snowballed into a declaration of independence in the anglophone regions in October 2017, which was followed by a government crackdown.

The declaration has not been recognised internationally and President Paul Biya, in power for 37 of his 87 years, has refused demands to return to a federal system.

However, the government has lately decentralised some of its powers after a "national dialogue" on the anglophone crisis which was boycotted by the separatists.

More than 3,000 people have died and at least 700,000 have fled their homes in the nearly 29-month-old unrest. Rights monitors say abuses have been committed by both sides.

Two regions that are home to Cameroon's anglophone minority are in the grip of 29-month-old conflict between the armed forces and separatists. Rights watchdogs say atrocities and other abuses have been committed by both sides

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Cameroon villagers killed in 'unfortunate accident', army says

Cameroon villagers killed in 'unfortunate accident', army says

Yaoundé (AFP) – Villagers in a restive anglophone region of Cameroon who the UN says were massacred died in an “unfortunate accident,” the army told AFP on Monday.
The bloodshed, which occurred on Friday, killed 22 civilians, 14 of them children, according to part of the opposition, which blames members of the armed forces.

But army spokesman Colonel Cyrille Atonfack Guemo said the deaths were an “unfortunate accident,” which happened when fuel exploded in an exchange of gunfire with separatists.

Armed men carried out the bloodshed on Friday in the village of Ntumbo in the Northwest region, James Nunan, a local official of humanitarian coordination agency OCHA, told AFP.

"Up to 22 civilians were killed, including a pregnant woman and several children," Nunan said, adding that 14 children -- including nine under age five -- were among the dead.

Eleven of the children were girls, said Nunan, head of OCHA's office for the Northwest and Southwest regions, which are home to the West African country's large English-speaking minority.

Separatists in the regions have been fighting the central government for three years.

The Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon, one of the country's two main opposition parties, issued a statement saying: "The dictatorial regime (and) the supreme head of the security and defence forces are chiefly responsible for these crimes."

A key figure in the separatist movement, lawyer Agbor Mballa, in a Facebook post also accused "state defence forces" of carrying out the killings.

An army official contacted by AFP early Sunday denied the allegations, saying simply: "False". No other official response was immediately available.

The three-year conflict between anglophone forces seeking to break away from French-speaking Cameroon has claimed more than 3,000 lives and forced more than 700,000 people to flee their homes.

Friday's killings followed elections on February 9 that were marred by violence in the regions blamed both on separatists and security forces.

Armed separatists prevented people from voting, threatening reprisals, while government soldiers were a heavy presence.

Separatists kidnapped more than 100 people and torched property in the run-up to the elections, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday.

The government has not yet announced the results of the elections or turnout figures.

(AFP)
Yaoundé (AFP) – Villagers in a restive anglophone region of Cameroon who the UN says were massacred died in an “unfortunate accident,” the army told AFP on Monday.
The bloodshed, which occurred on Friday, killed 22 civilians, 14 of them children, according to part of the opposition, which blames members of the armed forces.

But army spokesman Colonel Cyrille Atonfack Guemo said the deaths were an “unfortunate accident,” which happened when fuel exploded in an exchange of gunfire with separatists.

Armed men carried out the bloodshed on Friday in the village of Ntumbo in the Northwest region, James Nunan, a local official of humanitarian coordination agency OCHA, told AFP.

"Up to 22 civilians were killed, including a pregnant woman and several children," Nunan said, adding that 14 children -- including nine under age five -- were among the dead.

Eleven of the children were girls, said Nunan, head of OCHA's office for the Northwest and Southwest regions, which are home to the West African country's large English-speaking minority.

Separatists in the regions have been fighting the central government for three years.

The Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon, one of the country's two main opposition parties, issued a statement saying: "The dictatorial regime (and) the supreme head of the security and defence forces are chiefly responsible for these crimes."

A key figure in the separatist movement, lawyer Agbor Mballa, in a Facebook post also accused "state defence forces" of carrying out the killings.

An army official contacted by AFP early Sunday denied the allegations, saying simply: "False". No other official response was immediately available.

The three-year conflict between anglophone forces seeking to break away from French-speaking Cameroon has claimed more than 3,000 lives and forced more than 700,000 people to flee their homes.

Friday's killings followed elections on February 9 that were marred by violence in the regions blamed both on separatists and security forces.

Armed separatists prevented people from voting, threatening reprisals, while government soldiers were a heavy presence.

Separatists kidnapped more than 100 people and torched property in the run-up to the elections, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday.

The government has not yet announced the results of the elections or turnout figures.

(AFP)

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