DRay INFOS

Family Photo  By Raymond Dingana "Peace is priceless," says an old adage, encouraging individuals to prioritize harmony, tranquility, and understanding over selfish interests. However, peace has become a rare commodity in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon due to the Anglophone Crisis, which has persisted for eight years. While actors in the crisis preach the gospel of peace, they often fail to act, resulting in the emergence of other peace building initiatives that involve Faith Officials.  On Thursday December 19, at the Men's Work Secretariate at Presbyterian Church Hill, Ntamulung Bamenda, Community Initiative For Sustainable Development (COMINSUD) organized a come together with Faith Officials on peace building. Chambi Julie, Chairperson of the Community Initiative for Sustainable Development (COMINSUD)  The topic was: "What 10,000 Christians led by 100 Pastors Can Do For Peace,and Justice in the North West Region." "They can transform 1...

Family Photo  By Raymond Dingana It's been two years since the once vibrant community, peace journalism, and conflict transformation network, the Cameroon Community Media Network (CCMN), went into hibernation. However, the spirit of peace journalism and conflict transformation hasn't left the network. This explains why members felt the need to revive and reenergize the organization. On Tuesday, December 10, 2024, members met in Bamenda for a strategic workshop focused on revitalizing the Cameroon Community Media Network. The gathering aimed to chart a way forward for the association. CCMN Members At The Meeting With resources from Brot für die Welt, the workshop concentrated on reorganizing the governance structure and developing a regional action plan, among other objectives. According to Pedmia Shatu Tita, the acting North West Regional Coordinator of CCMN, the goal is to make CCMN great again. "CCMN has always been 90% community and 10% media, and we felt it was importa...

Taxis On Fire At Che Street Bamenda By Mokum Thomas Levi, a physically challenged taxi driver in the city of Bamenda, has seen his only source of livelihood taken away from him in a twinkle of an eye. On November 20, 2024, armed men set his taxi, alongside another at the Ntarinkon neighborhood in Bamenda II, North West Region Of Cameroon. Speaking to drayinfos.com Levi recounted his ordeal:  “An owner of an ice cream machine hired me to transport his machine from Bambili to Ntarinkon. I accepted his offer, but he informed me that he didn’t have enough money to pay for the fare. Instead, he suggested that I carry a passenger to help cover the costs." Levi futhers that: "When we arrived at his shop and parked the motorcycle in front to unload the ice cream machine, I suddenly heard gunshots from behind. The bullets penetrated the rear window and came out through the front. I told the girl sitting in front of me to lie down so I could attempt to escape. Unfortunately, as I drove...

Lt. Sama Hilda  By Raymond Dingana Sama Hilda, business woman, and a mother of two was kidnapped near her Mile 6 residence on Tuesday, September 24, just one day after a two-week lockdown imposed by non-state armed groups seeking to reclaim what they claim is the lost sovereignty of a country they call Ambazonia. According to investigations conducted by a team of Drayinfos reporters, Sama Hilda maintained communication with her husband and other family members while in captivity. The armed men opened these communication channels, demanding a ransom of over 2 million FCFA. Sources revealed that raising such an amount was a daunting task, given the hardships faced by the population in this crisis battered region. According to Michael, (not his real name), Hilda was in constant communication with her husband not knowing the conversation they had was going to be their last. "The last time her husband spoke with her was Wednesday morning. She assured him everything was going to be okay...

School Attacked In Bali Kumbat  Learners In Bamenda Return to Classrooms After Lockdown After a prolonged wait, learners have finally returned to the four walls of their classrooms following a two-week lockdown imposed by armed groups in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon. On this first day of the 2024/2025 academic year for many students in Bamenda and it's environs, many were seen heading to school on Tuesday September 24. The transport sector was bustling, with overloaded bikes and taxis visible throughout the area. Transport operators have been urged to adhere to speed limits for safety. Admissions are still ongoing in some schools, but a noticeable absence was the sight of students in their school uniforms, particularly in downtown Bamenda. We await further updates from other parts of the region regarding the back-to-school situation for 2024. Severe Floods Hit Bamenda After Heavy Rains  Nature has continued to challenge the local population, with heavy rains...

Scene Of The Explosion, Food Stuff Scattered On The Tar By Raymond Dingana In Bamenda and other parts of the crisis battered North West Region of Cameroon, unpleasant news is a daily occurrence. Whether it’s a shooting, a kidnapping for ransom, or civilians being harassed and extorted by men in uniform, the community is often left in despair. If these horrors are absent for a moment, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) is likely to detonate, causing injury and loss of life among innocent civilians. On Thursday, September 19, 2024, at about 10:Am, an explosive device went off at the Cow Street entrance of Nkwen Market in the Bamenda III council area.  One person, 30-year-old Chung Juliet,an internally displaced person IDP from Oku died from her wounds. Six others including an 11 months old baby were injured as indicated by a press release signed by Simone Emile Mooh, Senior Divisional Officer SDO for Mezam who have been admitted at the Regional Hospital in Bamenda. "I was at the M...