Uncomfortable violence rocks Cameroon: Foreign missions worry over faith of nationals

Courtesy - Harry Ndienla Yemti

Cameroon generally considered by some to be an Island of peace in the continent of Africa, and particularly the central Africa sub-region, is today experiencing an uncomfortable state of violence. For over three days running, there has been looting, and violent destructions of both private and state properties in some major towns around the country including several people reported dead by state and local media. The situation is getting worse especially in the economic capital of Douala,as well as Yaounde, the nation’s capital where angry populations are constantly in violent confrontations with forces of law and order.

Accordingly, movements have been limited if not impossible in some areas making the country look like a state of emergency. The state of affairs which started by a taxi drivers’ strike against increase in the price of fuel since last Monday 25th February, is almost going out of hands
at this point in time. Other groups of people in country have joined with an assortment of grievances raging from; increase in the prices goods of basic commodities, massive unemployment, lack of social amenities and the much talk about amending the
constitution of the country.

Meanwhile, some foreign missions here have expressed worry over the state of their nationals. The first of which is the U S Embassy in Yaoundé. A recent warden message from the Embassy called on all U S citizens in the country to stay cool and avoid traveling within the country especially in Douala and Yaounde. The message also schooled them on the need to
be ready in case of evacuation.

In an extraordinary manner, the head of state Paul Biya made a firm statement to the people of
Cameroon on 28th February 2008. The said statement carried by local media and now widely available online was neither a message nor an address to the nation. It was a declaration giving his position as to the present crisis in the country. It was thus void of the usual national anthem both at the beginning and the end as well as long live Cameroon which usually characterize his speeches to the nations. Also absent were the traditional fellow country men.

In strict tones, the president warned those who are involved in what he described as the
instrumentalisation of the youths in their manipulation to get what they want. But was however
confident when he said “They are doom to fail” indicating that he was prepared to take some action on whatever he is talking about.

Finally, the president made it clear that legal means available to Government will be put in place to ensure the rule of law. While presenting the message, which was broadcast over state radio and TV, the president was spotting a frown on his face indicating the seriousness of the issue at hand. The declaration by President Paul Biya to the people of Cameroon was equally void of please, or pampering, let alone negotiations. It was firm and full of authority reason why some schools of thought believe the president has declared war. War which the demonstrators will not be able to stand, because as is customary, he always uses every tool at his disposal to fight public unrest.

Kenya: How Close to the brink we all are

By Prof. Tazoacha Asonganyi

Following the ill-fated general elections in Kenya, the people went on the rampage and left over 1000 dead! The politicians had pushed the people to the brink so often that when they got over the brink, they did not pay attention to the complete and angry rupture that had resulted! Contempt of death became the order of the day for the people, and rendered the unjust regime helpless.

This happens to be the collective fate that lays in wait for Cameroonians. Fuzziness usually percolates reporting on Africa related to such ruptures: a particular pattern of behavior is taken to demonstrate the existence of a particular political culture, and is then explained by that political culture. Ethnicity is assumed to be the source of all evil and used to explain all failures. Wrong conclusions are reached using a faulty methodology based on the false premise that certain values are foreign to Africa and therefore their mere practice is always a giant step on the road to democracy. And so the biased reporting, that Africans are much comfortable with chief-like leadership, ethnic tensions and divisions, and such thrash.



This was the fate of the Kenyan debacle. Journalists from countries where millions of souls have been sacrificed to defend human dignity (the rule of law, freedom, liberty, justice ...) suddenly turn around and report angry reactions in Africa to the violation of these values with disdain that smacks of racism and arrogance. Yet, most of them have a long experience of life in multi-ethnic nations where people of many heritages and faiths live and prosper in peace, because they live in freedom, liberty and justice. History has never been kind to nations that flouted the rights and aspirations of their people. Such nations may present a calm and tranquil landscape, but it is rife with subterranean discontent. They are littered with governments that are not committed to the most deeply rooted popular aspirations.

In spite of repeated calls for identifying and institutionalizing values that enable democracy to withstand the onslaught of usurpers and tyrants, they prefer to fabricate false majorities to manipulate the daily lives of the people. In the process, a material basis for complete rupture with the regime in our country has been provided, whether knowingly or not.

Revolutions, it is usually said, always have a material basis. The call to change the constitution of our country to allow a single individual to perpetuate his reign has emerged as the basis for its advent! It has emerged to channel the discontent that many Cameroonians feel against the regime into civic activism. The call has not only disillusioned people of good faith, but has alienated members of the regime that were preparing to take over in 2011. They will support this civic activism, not because they like it but because they want to take advantage of it to push their sit-tight man out to create the space they are longing for.

It is certain that getting over the brink may lead to some terrible evils, but there are worse things, including the permanent refusal of all that makes life relevant. Freedom, justice and democracy cannot be bargained away at any cost because no people can afford to be exempt from them in our fast changing world. The impending debacle engineered by the regime may be made
worse by appeals to ethnic, religious and traditional bonds to confuse and dampen the people’s anger and revulsion. But revolutionaries are never political virgins: they are aware that the rights they fight for serve to preserve both diversity and unity.

When there is total rupture, everyone will invoke peace as if it is an absolute that is not conditioned by some contracts. Peace is not enough without freedom and justice... History has repeatedly demonstrated that in some circumstances, it is necessary to sacrifice peace if freedom and justice are to prevail. There will also be efforts to prevent people from letting out their steam through peaceful democratic actions, but this will be in ignorance of human nature, which is not quite that simple!

The carnage in Kenya started slowly, with ruthless repression by the regime. But it is the regime that ended up on its knees, not the people. If the ideas being totted around as justification for a
constitutional amendment were so good, the regime would have introduced them long before. Their only intention is to permit Paul Biya to hang on after2011. They will succeed only at the risk of pushing us over the brink.