GEF's Outlook

China in Africa: Invasion or the New Face of Globalisation?

By George Esunge Fominyen

I was perusing Cameroonian papers on the web when I fell on this story in “Eden newspaper” of 2 June 2008: “Two Chinese fishermen have been seriously injured following clashes with local fishmongers the Chinese are alleged to have been using twin trawlers to fish along the Atlantic coast of Limbe. The incident occurred on Thursday 29 May 2008 in Kange Fishing Port, along the Limbe- Tiko creeks.”

According to the report, “six unidentified boats, allegedly owned by local fishermen attacked the Chinese in their twin trawler at sea, subjected them to torture, severely wounded two and carted away about 300 bags of fish, estimated to be five tons in scientific terms. The radio communication equipment, mobile phones and other valuables belonging to the Chinese fishermen were also seized.”

Football: Is Cameroon Using a Hammer to Kill a Fly?

By George Esunge Fominyen

Cameroon’s national football team is currently cruising through the initial stage of the two-phase qualifiers to the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations to be hosted in 2010 by South Africa and Angola respectively.


Looking at the Lions’ group that includes football minnows like Tanzania, Cape Verde and Mauritius some observers contend that Cameroon would emerge overall group winners even if they were to use a third rate side. So why are the Indomitable Lions playing their strongest men?

Up Mount Kupe with British Sailors

By George Esunge Fominyen (Originally published on the website of the British High Commission in Cameroon)

The crew of the HMS Enterprise, one of the UK's most modern hydrographic and oceanographic vessels is used to stopping over at ports on the West African coastline and visiting places around. During a visit (in 2007) of the HMS Enterprise to Cameroon, some of the ship’s company took time off to discover the beautiful natural landscape of the country. While some attempted to reach the top of the 2400 m high mount Kupe, others toured villages around Mount Cameroon in Buea. George Esunge Fominyen accompanied the seven of them who went up Mount Kupe, in the South West Province of Cameroon. It was a breath-taking experience that also demonstrated the lack touristic infrastructure in Cameroon.

Eto’o, the Indomitable Lions, Cameroonian Journalists and Journalism

By George Esunge Fominyen

  The African qualifiers to the 2010 World Cup have started. In their opening match, Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions beat the Cape Verde national team 2-0. This victory was over-shadowed by the row between the Cameroonian players and sports reporters. The height of which saw Samuel Eto’o physically assault Bony Phillipe (a reporter working for RTS radio) at a bungled press conference in Yaounde. There are two ways of analyzing this fracas between the star “Lion” and the press. Route 1: Eto’o was wrong and should be punished. Route 2: Cameroonian journalists merit such disrespect because they brought this upon themselves.

Man from Somewhere in-between

By George Esunge Fominyen

During the violent two weeks in May 2008 when Black South Africans attacked Black African migrants in South Africa, a friend of mine sent me a number of pictures depicting men being hacked or charred to death by other men.  Under shock, she wrote to me saying, “Happiness is not always where you think you would find it.” She went on, “how could our brothers do this to us? How could blacks do this to blacks? How could South Africans do this other Africans?”

Contact

Contact:

George Esunge Fominyen

PANOS Institute West Africa

6, Rue Calmette Dakar, Senegal

Email: esungeft@gmail.com

Who’s GEF?

GEF is short for George Esunge Fominyen.

I am currently Coordinator (Manager) of the Multi-Media Editorial Unit of the PANOS Institute West Africa (PIWA) in Dakar, Senegal. PIWA is a regional organization whose mission is to contribute to the construction of a democratic space of communication for change and social justice in Africa. Before joining PIWA, I was Press, Public Diplomacy and Political Officer at the British High Commission (Embassy) in Yaounde (2005-2008).