NATIONAL NEWS
Cameroonian Journalist Wins African Climate Change Reporting Award
The Eden Newspaper (issue No. 789 of Monday June 3, 2013) opens its door to environmental news for the month of June with an article on how one of theirs, Elias Ngalame emerged amongst the 10 best African Journalist for the 2013 African Climate Change and Environmental Reporting Award. Elias Ngalamen won this award from an article he wrote titled; “Community Radio Helps Cameroonian Track Climate Change”. The award according to the newspaper has earned Mr. Ngalame a short scholarship to London to advance his skills on Climate Change issues.
Ammunition Seized from Suspected Elephant Poacher in East Cameroon
The post (Issue No 01439 of Monaday June 17, 2013) again told the story of how forest rangers near the Boumba-bek National Park in the East Region of Cameroon last May 2013 seized a K 47 (Kalashnikov) war gun, including 70 bullets from a suspected elephant poacher, who escaped abandoning his weapons. This edition of the paper noted that at least five of such guns have been seized suspected poachers and 30 elephants killed in this area since the start of 2013.
The Birth of Cameroon’s Pioneer Environmental Newspaper; The Green Vision
One of the most talked about events that spiced the news content of both the audio-visual and print media in Cameroon was the launch of one of the pioneer environmental medium-The Green Vision Newspaper. The paper was launched by one of the country’s leading conservation NGO, the Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF). Launched on June 17, 2013, The Star Newspaper (Issue No: 245 of June 24, 2013) citing the CEO/President of ERuDeF, Louis Nkembi, who doubles as the Executive Editor of the Newspaper, said the birth of this newspaper is to draw public attention to the dangers of human action on the environment most especially deforestation. One of Cameroon’s leading private television, the Spectrum Television (STV) just like other community radio stations in Southwest Cameroon, quoted Louis Nkembi saying that the newspaper will aid in investigating issues on poor environmental governance, tracking environmental budget and ensuring that irresponsible officers are brought to book. The paper is charged with bringing timely information about the country’s mountain, floods, eruption and Cameroon’s compliance to international treaties. This maiden edition of the paper carried headlines like; “Post-mortem of CDC’s Use of Toxic Chemicals”, “Cross River Gorillas at Cross road”, “Government Deserts Wabane Landslide Victims”, “The Death of Bakundu Forest Reserve”, “Restoring Mt Bamboutos Through Access and Benefit Sharing” and many others
Flood Feared In Far North Cameroon
The Post Newspaper (Issue No 01441 of Monday, June 24, 2013) took us to the far North Region of Cameroon where the Minister of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development, Pierre Hele, enjoined the technical services of the Regional Delegations of Forestry and Wildlife, in charge of preserving the forest ecosystem, to stop the abusive felling of trees for firewood in the region. He made this call while presiding over celebrations to mark the 19th edition of the World Day to Combat Desertification in that part of the region, noted for its extreme climatic conditions of drought in the dry season and floods in the rainy season. The minister expressed fear that the water from the river that separates Chad from Cameroon, has shifted more to Cameroonian territory and may have devastating effect on the population with the advent of the rains.
African Heads of States Pledge Fight Piracy in the Rich-Biodiversity Gulf of Guinea
The first ever African Summit on maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea, which took place at Cameroon’s administrative head quarter, Yaounde (June 24-25, 2013), is what rounded off the environmental news column of many if not all media houses in the country for the month of June. Cameroon Tribue (issue No: 10369/6570 of Tuesday June 25, 2013), disclosed that the 13 African Head of States for the summit, reaffirmed their commitments to fight against arm rubbery, piracy and other illicit practices at sea. This according to the newspaper, came against the back drop of the fact that the International Maritime Organization recorded197 attacks in the Gulf of Guinea between 2009 and 2013. Meanwhile the state media, the Cameroon Radio and Television (CRTV) just like The Post, Eden and others, beside the recommendations arrived at during the Summit, highlighted the richness of the Gulf of Guinea in term of natural resources like forest resources, fish, gas and crude oil amongst others.
COMPILED BY NDIMUH B. SHANCHO
