Political Moseses and Liberation of Cameroon in 2011

The children of Israel had been in slavery in Egypt for many years. Then their creator gave them Moses as the one to take them to the Promised Land. He gave them a covenant and laws to guide them in their long arduous walk to freedom. Many a time did the slaves see no wisdom in this uncharted journey to an unknown Promised Land. Not even the commandment on Mount Sinai kept them together. For forty years they were punished in the wilderness for their disobedience to Moses. Finally, they reached the Promised Land without Moses.
By Christopher Fon Achobang

Cameroon has been walking along a long tortuous road to its freedom from the snares of the ruling destroyers for 20 years. This started with the launching of the Social Democratic Front, SDF on 25 May 1990. Many Cameroonians have lost their existence and life in the process of walking behind Ni John Fru Ndi to the change the SDF preached. Yet every time supporters of the SDF have stood up to ask for change from within, they have been shown the now infamous article 8.2.

Many opponents of the main opposition party in Cameroon have been dismissed with article 8.2 even as they believed they were trying to salvage the party from derailing. Dr. Siga Asanga, pioneer Secretary General of the SDF was shown the door with Article 8.2. His death followed after. Many other dissenting members of the SDF have met the same fate. But Ni John Fru Ndi remains stubborn to his dream that he was the Moses to free the peoples of Cameroon from slavery. He came very close to liberating Cameroon in 1992 when he won the Presidential election but his victory was denied because the hands of the President of the Supreme Court were tied.

Forty years wandering in the wilderness during the times of Moses, the Biblical times, was quite long. Twenty years wandering in a political wilderness today is exceptionally long. Understandably, Cameroonians, sympathizers and detractors of the opposition are fed up with the prolonged political bickering amongst its self-ordained Moseses.

As in the days of Israel, Moses was not the one that finally reached the Promised Land with the children of Israel. It will seem Cameroonians are getting to understand that they all have to walk the extra-miles alone without their disappointing Moseses.

The opposition parties are flying into shambles like broken China, wounding and bleeding the morale of their followers. Today, there is no single opposition party in Cameroon which can claim to be representing the various shades of opinion of its followers and sympathizers. Resignations from the opposition parties have become an everyday occurrence and nonevent. Those who cross the carpet to the Cameroon Peoples Demolition Movement, CPDM, do so, not because they see any hope from that angle. They are just tired with the long bruising walk to freedom. Mandela did the walk for over 27 years, unscathed, should Cameroonians persevere and endure the privations of bread and butter that characterize the opposition of a ruling junta? Some Cameroonians are still ready to go the extra mile but not within the ranks of partisan politicking.

Quite a horde of political observers will accuse me of exaggeration, if I stated that no single opposition party in Cameroon enjoyed unity. They will cite the UDC (Cameroon Democratic Union) of Adamou Ndam Njoya as a symbol of partisan unity. Of course, they will realize that the UDC is cemented by a tribal bond, which some observers do not hesitate to name family bond. Most Cameroonians have surely forgotten that the UDC is a national party preferring to call it a Bamoun party. By the true sense of nationalism, the Bamoun are the only nation in Cameroon as they share the same history, language and aspirations. Therefore, embracing the party created by a descendant of their ruling dynasty is an expression of Bamoum national unity.

The other side of the opposition silver platter is quite attractive, as a majority of Cameroonians are seen to be steadily breaking from the traditional yoke of tribal political trappings. 2011 will see an offset in the political landscape of Cameroon. As the wandering flock of Moses strayed in the wilderness and finally reached the Promised Land without Moses, Cameroonians, disenchanted with the unsure strides of their Moseses are ready to walk the remaining miles to their freedom without unreliable leaders. As the whole country is posturing to ride even on a ‘snake’ to cross the biblical Red Sea, even those rejected by their Anglophone constituency like Ben Muna, will become the sure transition bridge over the hurdle. For the defined transition period, Cameroonians will be challenged to blacksmith a special cream of leadership for this robust Promised Land.

Revelations point to the liberation of Cameroon which had started since 2004. The schism between PM Inoni Ephraim and President Paul Biya on a burning Mountain solemnized this breaking away from the feuding Pharaohs. The people of Cameroon are about to enter their Promised Land fleeing away from the Biya Honourable Crooks. Their saviour has already caused confusion among the Biya men, who like crabs are all fighting to jump out of the burning can in which they have been trapped.

Cameroon will be freed in 2011 by the collective will of all to free themselves from 29 years of slavery under Biya. Ni John Fru Ndi, Adamou Ndam Njoya, Bello Bouba Maigari, etc have lost the way to the Promised Land. 20 million Cameroonians, each in his commitment will march to freedom, by registering themselves for the elections, so as to be counted on the D-day. Not even tying the hands of the Supreme Court President will rob them of popular victory. Whoever is going the same direction with them will have quite a nation behind him. This nameless savior will not be followed because of tribe or party but because he stands the best chance to deliver the people from the wilderness and the claws of the lion and its cubs.