Western Diplomats must Review their attitude toward the Biya Regime!

Source;The Herald Cameroon

Western diplomats in Yaounde surely disagree with the manoeuvring of the regime. They once issued a strong statement indicting the government. What is surprising is how they could so easily and comfortably resume business as usual with the same regime. This is a contradiction difficult to explain. Far from criticising our western friends, this essay is an appeal to them to review their posture. If they find they cannot summon the bravery it takes to challenge the regime, let them give up all talk about good governance and focus on giving Cameroon more economic
aid. China and Japan are good examples for them to follow.

In the long and troubled quest for democracy in Cameroon there once was a time when opposition leaders sincerely believed that powerful western governments could simply descend upon Yaounde and literally dethrone Paul Biya.

To keep that hope alive opposition leaders courted Yaounde diplomats desperately. There was such high traffic to western chancelleries that government spokesmen referred cynically to as “opposition embassies.”

It since came home rather painfully disappointingly that the opposition had been naïve. They made many more mistakes and squandered their huge early advantage.

Paul Biya has grown from strength to strength. Now his appetite for power is seemingly insatiable. To feed and sustain it, Biya is now poised to drag Cameroon to ruin.

Cameroonians are in shock, and their political heart is bleeding. Alvin Toffler, the sociological futurist, and author of the 1970 best-seller Future Shock, predicted the coming shock of humanity due to the many unexpected social changes he foresaw. That book could easily have referred to Cameroon, seeing the horrible man-made changes taking place here since some time.

This shock is partly due to the absence of any force that can stop Biya in his steps. The opposition is irretrievably compromised; the civil society is weak, and the intellectual class is non-existent. The church that once spoke up for the people is now more of an ally of the government.

Foreign partners

This is the context in which, in their helplessness, Cameroonians often count on the support of their foreign partners, who they believe have the lever to influence things for the better.

Diplomats are their accredited liaison officials. Imbued with first hand knowledge of developments in Cameroon, diplomats can be powerful instruments of good responsible government, especially so if their countries give themselves that objective, as we know western countries do.

We beg to observe, regrettably, that western embassies in Yaounde have not always played that role well enough. Once a long, long while there emerges a man or woman of character who rattles the Yaounde establishment or a statement is issued that causes the government to tremble in self-doubt.

But occasional threats, powerful though, have not gone far enough to discourage the Yaounde autocrats. In the meantime the country is gathering momentum on its descent into the abyss.

Would western diplomats rather wait until the damage is all done? How would they explain it to their consciences, their home governments and peoples that they watched it all happen, and lacked the guts to challenge it?

These thoughts are not, of course, addressed to non-western diplomats. The Chinese, everyone knows, are unconcerned with good governance issues in their relations with African countries which they keep strictly to economic matters. The Japanese also limit themselves to socioeconomic aid. Africans are totally out of consideration - for obvious reasons.

In their ongoing concern for good governance in Cameroon, three western missions jointly issued a strong statement last year dismissing the July legislative election as a missed opportunity for
democratic advance. The statement was a devastating indictment of the regime that put the government on the defensive.

It received much public applause and instantly raised expectation of a follow-up. Then there was a let-down. The assembly for which the electoral farce was organised has since been constituted, and also since voted the constitutional amendment authorizing Biya to reverse the course of democracy in Cameroon.

Business as usual

What is surprising is the ease and comfort with which the same western chancelleries since returned to business as usual with the same government as if nothing had happened at all.

However it is explained, this posture of contradiction is profoundly disturbing to Cameroonians, to say the very least. And, with due respect to our western friends, that sermonising on corruption, human rights or press freedom which is, ab initio, of no consequence to the government, only highlights this contradiction.

Let us admit, none of that can ever make up for diplomats’ inability to face up to the regime. What it takes is a sense of purpose and character.

Where are the Cooks and the Marquardts? Where are the Edwin Snows, the British diplomat who in recent years put the Kenyan government on the defensive over corruption? Must we conclude that Yaounde is short of diplomats of enterprise to rise up to the situation that Yaounde presents?

Yet, apart from the military, diplomacy is that other public career with vast opportunities for initiative and bravery in service to humanity since the diplomat in his different assignment faces ever new, unforeseen and constantly changing challenges.

Two years ago a ceremony took place in Washington to mark the release of postage stamps honouring six extraordinary diplomats. In her citation, Condoleezza Rice said the six diplomats “made their mark on history as trailblazers, as strategic thinkers, as peacemakers and humanitarians.”

One remarkable case was Hiram Bingham who served as vice-consul at the US consulate in Marseilles, France, during World War II. Bingham did the unusual. He violated US policy by issuing visas that saved the lives of more than 2000 Jews and other refugees. He was honoured for “constructive dissent.”

Many diplomats have shaped their government’s policies by advising different, more adapted approaches to the problems they encounter.

Marshall Plan

Isn’t it a great credit to diplomats that the huge and very influential post-war European Recovery Programme is better known as the Marshall Plan after its originator, George Marshall?

Henry Kissinger, the man who raised shuttle diplomacy to its height, formulated and implemented US policy in-between flights. A recent book has drawn attention to the terrible conflicts and mutual suspicions that existed between him and Richard Nixon because of the diplomat’s unilateral policy initiatives.

Nixon enjoyed a strong foreign policy much of which was the work of Kissinger. So he couldn’t afford to send off the creative and enterprising diplomat.

Going by these standards it is difficult to understand the indifference of the diplomats of Yaounde before the challenge they live with. Yes, there are risks; but what truly worthy endeavour is risk-free.

After the well-known position of Washington, the EU, Britain and France, on Cameroon, would the queen of the fortress of Rosa Parks Avenue still consider it so dangerous a risk to face up to the arrogance of Yaounde?

Is that what also explains the timidity of the men of Churchill Avenue, and others? Don’t they know that the Yaounde regime also acts in fear? The cowardliness of its adversaries only strengthens and furthers it!

We sincerely urge our western friends to review their attitude. But if after a sincere review they cannot bring themselves to challenge the regime in a more meaningful way, we would understand them. In that case we suggest two things.

There should be no more reason for western diplomats to make advocacy speeches for good governance, human rights, corruption and the rest which is all hogwash anyway.

Secondly, if politics is too risky and life-threatening, our western friends must then consider giving us a lot more bilateral economic aid which so far comes in trickles. Cameroon is awfully
wanting in socioeconomic infrastructure.

China and Japan are good examples to follow. They give big, meaningfully, and with surprisingly less noise to go with all that. Journalism and other seminars by our western friends are welcome but they are better quieter.

Again, this essay must not be taken in the spirit of criticism, but rather as an expression of the bleeding political soul of Cameroonians calling out to western diplomats to break free of their lethargy and help. And, we know they can.