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22, July 2019

Ambazonia Interim Gov’t urges ICC probe into French Cameroun crimes ⁰

Ambazonia Secretary for Communications, Hon. Milton Taka has called upon the International Criminal Court (ICC) to launch an investigation into French Cameroun crimes in the Federal Republic of Ambazonia.

The Southern Cameroons Communications new strongman, in a statement released on Sunday to Cameroon Concord News Group said Vice President Dabney Yerima will be meeting senior officials of The Hague-based tribunal to push for an official investigation into the genocide in Southern Cameroons.

The statement also condemned the continues detention of the Ambazonia leader President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe and his top aides in the Kondengui High Security Prison in Yaoundé including hundreds of Ambazonian in other French Cameroun detention centers.

Meanwhile, scores of Southern Cameroons civilians were killed over the week end in Bui, Ndop, Bekora, Weh and Bali by French Cameroun troops.

By Rita Akana

22, July 2019

French Cameroun soldiers are setting houses on fire in Southern Cameroons ⁰

Troops loyal to the Biya Francophone Beti Ewondo regime have reportedly been destroying villages in both Menchum and Manyu Counties in Southern Cameroons despite claims by the Swiss government that it was seeking ways to end the Ambazonia conflict.

There has not been any strong international condemnation and protests from the AU, EU including the UN. Elements of the French Cameroun Rapid Intervention Battalion, BIR deployed in Wum in Menchum and Akwaya in Manyu recently stormed villages in the outskirts of the chief towns and set several houses on fire. These constituencies have been declared a military zone and news reporters have also been banned from entering the areas.

In Agborkem German and Dadi in Akwaya sub constituency including Weh in Menchum, French Cameroun soldiers have been forcing Southern Cameroons civilians to leave their villages and the army soldiers are using explosives in destroying buildings.

A Roman Catholic priest, who confirmed the news to us late last night but sued for anonymity, criticized the French Cameroun army actions as a war crime.

Cameroon Concord News Group understands that the Southern Cameroons Interim Government will be drawing the attention of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to launch an investigation into the genocide presently going on in Southern Cameroons.

A senior adviser to the Ambazonia Vice President Dabney Yerima explained that the so-called Swiss mediation talks were simply providing cover and protection to the occupier’s crimes and violations. “Biya regime’s continuation of this policy undermines prospect for a lasting peace between French and Southern Cameroons” he added.

By Sama Ernest

21, July 2019

Ambazonia Interim Gov’t Hails Leader’s Decision To Evacuate Muyuka Family ⁰

Ambazonia Vice President Dabney Yerima and members of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government have thrown their weight behind President Sisiku Ayuk Tabe’s decision to move the Muyuka family whose baby was killed recently into an undisclosed neighboring country.

As of Friday noon, Vice President Dabney Yerima including the Secretary for Communications, Milton Taka had signed up on a declaration of support for the leader’s decision.

Our Yaoundé city reporter observed that the declaration of support has also been acclaimed by senior commanders in Ground Zero.

The office of the Ambazonia Vice President said in a statement issued to Cameroon Concord News Group that recent weeks had witnessed suspicious acts of sabotage of the Southern Cameroons Interim Government by a gang of shameless Ambazonia activists residing in the USA.

By Chi Prundence Asong in London

21, July 2019

Medical plane evacuating Biya to Luxemburg ⁰

A medical plane from Luxemburg has landed in Yaounde to airlift an important authority. It is rumored that the plane has been brought into the country by the Presidency of the Republic.

Sources at the presidency have hinted that the ‘Monarch’ may be down again, but cannot head to Switzerland where he is no longer welcome.

Our senior international correspondent Kingsley Betek is monitoring the situation and will be providing a complete report.

Be the first to know!! Stay with Cameroon Concord News Group

21, July 2019

Real Madrid ready to offload Gareth Bale ⁰

Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane says the La Liga giants are poised to offload Welsh star Gareth Bale in the coming days.

Bale was left off Real Madrid’s roster for Saturday’s 3-1 exhibition loss to Bayern Munich at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

“He wasn’t included in the squad because the club is working on his departure and that’s why he didn’t play,” Zidane said. “We’ll have to see what happens in the coming days.

“We’ll have to see if it goes through tomorrow, if it does then all the better. Let’s hope, for everyone’s sake, that it happens soon.”

Zidane insists the 30-year-old forward is not a good fit for his squad. While Bale would be welcome at a host of marquee clubs, his big salary may prove to be an obstacle for all but the richest teams.

“It’s nothing personal,” Zidane added. “There comes a time when things are done because they need to be done. I’ve not got anything against him. We have to make decisions and change things, that’s all there is to it.

“I don’t know if this will happen in 24 or 48 hours’ time. The situation will change and it’s for the best for everyone.”

Bale joined Real Madrid six seasons ago, arriving to much fanfare and a blockbuster transfer fee. He has three seasons left on his deal and has been linked to Tottenham, Manchester United and Bayern.

AFP

21, July 2019

South Africa: President Ramaphosa accused of misleading Parliament ⁰

A South African watchdog on Friday said President Cyril Ramaphosa “deliberately misled” Parliament about a campaign contribution, a setback for a leader who has vowed to address sprawling graft allegations that forced his predecessor from office.

The report was released as that former president, Jacob Zuma, abandoned his testimony to a high-profile state commission probing wide-ranging allegations of graft in government and state-owned companies. Zuma, who denies the allegations against him, asserted he was being treated unfairly. But a deal was quickly reached for him to return at some point in the future.

The outcry over years of alleged corruption during Zuma’s stay in office has shaken both the economy of South Africa, the most developed in sub-Saharan Africa, and public support for the ruling African National Congress. The party has been in power since the end of the harsh system of racial segregation known as apartheid 25 years ago.

Now the ANC faces an internal struggle between allies of Ramaphosa and Zuma, who led South Africa from 2009 to 2018 when he resigned under party pressure and was replaced by former deputy Ramaphosa.

The current president has repeatedly vowed to fight corruption and win back public confidence.

Friday’s report by South Africa’s public protector, a constitutionally created office that probes alleged misconduct in state affairs, said Ramaphosa “deliberately misled” lawmakers late last year about a 500,000-rand ($34,000) campaign contribution from the CEO of a local company, Africa Global Operations, formerly Bosasa. The report called on the national director of public prosecutions to investigate further.

In response, a statement posted by Ramaphosa’s office asserted that he was not guilty of the accusations and calls on the public protector to allow the president a hearing.

A political analyst and researcher at the University of the Western Cape, Ralph Mathekga, said Ramaphosa should be careful about how he handles the watchdog’s report, saying it might hurt the president further if he loses at court.

“This report gives a lot of ammunition not only to his detractors within the ANC but to the Economic Freedom Fighters as well, as they will exploit it to take him on,” Mathekga said, referring to a populist opposition party that along with the leading opposition Democratic Alliance had filed complaints alleging wrongdoing.

Separately on Friday, Zuma abruptly cut short his appearance at the state inquiry and his lawyers said the former president would no longer participate. But soon afterward the commission chair, deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo, said an agreement had been reached to allow Zuma to return at a later stage.

The commission has no power to prosecute but other authorities could follow up on its findings.

Zuma began his nationally televised testimony this week by calling the graft allegations part of an international intelligence conspiracy that began more than 25 years ago to assassinate his character. On Friday he threatened to expose “spies” if the pressure on him went too far.

Zuma has been questioned about his close relationship with the wealthy Gupta family and allegations that they exerted influence over cabinet appointments and the awarding of lucrative state contracts.

A defiant Zuma told supporters on Friday that he had been the target of many assassination attempts because he has a lot of information about spies who infiltrated the ANC during apartheid. He was once the ANC’s intelligence chief.

“I know a lot about spies, that was my job,” he said. “I have never played around with that information. But if people now want me to uproot them, I will.”

(AP)

20, July 2019

Algeria claim second Afcon title after Bounedjah’s lucky strike sinks Senegal ⁰

The record books may not show exactly how Algeria won their first Africa Cup of Nations since 1990 and, in any case, it is probably best left to the imagination. Their performances over the past month merit the accolade and that much cannot be denied; the pity was that they dropped any pretensions towards making this final a footballing spectacle after going ahead through Baghdad Bounedjah’s heavily deflected early goal, the result being a tedious encounter that grabbed the attention only during those few episodes when it seemed Senegal might punish their voracious lust for attrition.

It all amounted to a colossal riding of their luck but also a personal triumph for Djamel Belmadi, their impressive coach, who took the job only last August but has delivered a continental title where none was expected. He celebrated with his players, who raced towards a delirious 15,000-strong travelling support at full-time, while his childhood friend Aliou Cissé held a lengthy on-pitch debrief after narrowly failing to deliver Senegal a first title of their own.

Senegal 0-1 Algeria: Africa Cup of Nations 2019 final – as it happened

Cissé might have had better fortune if the referee, Neant Alioum, had not reversed a second-half penalty award, given when the ball struck Adlene Guedioura’s right arm, after a VAR consultation. Spot kicks have certainly been awarded for less in major finals this year. But ultimately Senegal ran into too many of the traps Algeria set for them and the moments when Sadio Mané, as well as the rest of a vaunted front line, could influence proceedings were vanishingly rare.

“I’m so happy for my people, who have waited for such a long time,” Belmadi said. “We have won the cup outside our country for the first time. If you look at where we came from, I took a team that faced difficulties. To achieve what we have achieved, to finish on top of Africa, I have to say it is excellent.”

Despite the deeply frustrating fare they produced, this was indisputably a meeting of the tournament’s two best teams. In the end Algeria capitalised on the slight edge they held.

They had beaten Senegal by a single goal in the group stage and repeated the trick through their one attempt of the game, a moment that briefly confused the stadium into silence.

Cameroonian referee Neant Alioum waves away protests after reversing his decision to give Senegal a penalty.

Boundejah’s burst down the inside-left channel past Lamine Gassama oozed menace but the shot he produced after cutting inside, which looped high into the air off Salif Sané, seemed destined for the athletics track behind the goal. But it spun downwards sharply, eventually dropping into the far corner, and the dawning realisation took a few moments to morph into unbridled delight.

Sané, injured earlier in the tournament, had returned to the starting lineup in place of the suspended Kalidou Koulibaly and Senegal’s weakness had been highlighted in the unluckiest fashion.

It did not take a doctorate in Algerian football ethics to divine that, from there, Belmadi’s side might seek to niggle this all the way out. They have played some fine attacking football in Egypt and such a grim final does not erase any of that. But few have quite as firm a handle on the dark arts and they successfully squeezed the air out of what followed.

“They say you don’t play finals, you win them,” Belmadi said. “I don’t really believe that. We prepared and wanted to play against this talented team, Senegal. It wasn’t our best match. We didn’t have ball possession nor impose our play.”

Algeria deserved their Afcon triumph but a shame they decided to win ugly

In fairness it made some sense to cede the initiative to Senegal, for whom guile has long been an achilles heel. If their opponents began to get too clever, Algeria simply stuck spokes in the works. Aissa Mandi felled Mané with a crude challenge led from the knee and Ismaïla Sarr found himself on the end of a hack from Ramy Bensebaini. Sofiane Feghouli collapsed near the goalline before dusting himself down when sympathy proved in short supply. When tempers briefly flared on the half-time whistle, their substitute goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja took a dramatic tumble while Cissé and Mandi argued their way down the tunnel.

The break felt like a relief from the sheer cynicism of it all but the game did open up enough for Senegal to believe they had found a way back. Sarr, their best attacker on the day, made excellent ground down the right before seeing his cross hit Guedioura inside the area. It recalled Mané’s slice of fortune for Liverpool in Madrid two months previously but this time, after a delay of around a minute, Alioum opted to restart with a drop ball.

“We played well and had our chances over the course of the match but against this aggressive bloc we couldn’t find a solution,” Cissé said. Mbaye Niang, from a tight angle after rounding Rais Mbolhi, and Sarr did spurn opportunities to make Algeria regret stalling to such an extreme degree. By the conclusion, though, their dirty work had been done to a strange, unsatisfactory perfection.

Source: The Guardian

20, July 2019

‘HIV isn’t over’: The world’s waning response to the AIDS crisis ⁰

As France prepares to host the Global Fund Replenishment Conference on fighting AIDS, experts warn against complacency in the global fight against HIV. France leads in some areas of the battle but has some catching up to do in others.

The United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS released its 2019 Global Update on Tuesday, reporting that of the nearly 38 million people known to have the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 14.6 million are still without access to antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Though the report focuses primarily on eastern and southern Africa, the regions most seriously affected, acting executive director of UNAIDS Gunilla Carlsson emphasised that even high-income, more developed nations must continue to be vigilant in their defence against the spread of HIV.

“HIV is not over. The so-called Western world still needs to keep an eye on the key populations: gay men, sex workers, drug users and transgender people,” Carlsson told FRANCE 24. “There is still a need to make sure that these people are not marginalised.”

Peter Ghys, one of the researchers who worked on the UN’s report, echoed Carlsson’s appeal to address certain populations very specifically. He offered the example of the increasingly popular preventative measure Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. Known by its acronym PrEP, the strategy involves taking daily HIV-fighting medicines that, when used correctly, are proven to be 100 percent effective at preventing infection.

“Overall, our approach to tackling HIV is similar worldwide, but there are certain differences,” Ghys told FRANCE 24. “Much of the transmission in Western Europe is between gay men, which is much less of a concern in southern Africa. So in Europe, increasing access to PrEP is key.”

Awareness isn’t enough

While France is considered one of the leaders in HIV awareness in Europe, alongside the UK, the 2019 Global Update reports that France has yet to reach the top tier of countries who have taken initiatives against HIV. Those countries that have achieved 90 percent awareness of, treatment for and suppression of HIV – known as the 90/90/90 – include both “high-income” countries such as the UK and lower income nations like Namibia.

Though significant efforts have been made in France, co-coordinator of Collectif Sida 33, Maryse Tourne, is unsurprised that France has yet to achieve 90/90/90 status.

“We are always behind Anglo-Saxon countries when it comes to identifying and treating people with HIV,” she told FRANCE 24. The Bordeaux-based collective (AIDS 33) seeks to promote disease prevention and treatment in the city and nationwide.

“General doctors, specialists, all public health workers should be encouraging patients to get tested,” Tourne added. “We need everyone.”

As France looks to boost the percentage of people living with AIDS who are receiving treatment from 83 to 90 percent, according to UN estimates, Ghys noted that Western Europe should be following the same basic strategies promoted by the UN for reducing mortality rates worldwide.

“The most important thing is for all people who have been diagnosed with HIV to start treatment immediately, instead of waiting for their bodily systems to degrade and deteriorate,” he said. “What is true in France and in Western Europe is also the case in Africa. Both populations are dealing with similar issues.”

In terms of practical responses, Ghys underscores that awareness can only be the start of the solution.

“In part it’s awareness, but it’s also condom use, harm reduction for drug users, circumcision and PreP,” he said. “Stopping the spread of AIDS is related to scaling up all those programmes.”

‘But what about women?‘

The UN estimates that approximately 170,000 adults and children are living with HIV in France, with an estimated 30,000 of whom (17.6 percent) are not on the lifesaving ART treatment.

One French study conducted in 2006 estimated the population of MSM, or men who have sex with men, in France to be 330,000. Less than half of those men (44.5 percent) regularly use condoms, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which likely contributes to the 14 percent of MSM with HIV, compared to 0.3 percent of the general population.

“There has been a drastic decrease in government funding for contraceptives … it’s concerning,” said Tourne. “PrEP is effective, but it’s not a substitute for contraception.”

The EU estimates that 86 percent of French MSM are aware that they carry HIV, and 78 percent are receiving antiretroviral therapy. However, there is far less data available on the 45,000 women (age 15 and over) living with the virus in France.

“Females are always forgotten when we talk about HIV,” Tourne said, emphasising that more attention should be paid to sex workers, a high-risk population that is predominantly female. “PrEP is very effective at preventing infection in men, but what about women?”

With her organisation, Tourne often does testing “in the field”, seeking out people at high risk for infection and offering them free screenings. However, she notes that France needs to go further if it wants to become HIV-free.

“There are too many people with HIV in France who remain undiagnosed, who are carrying viruses or diseases and don’t even know it,” Tourne insisted. “We have to establish more testing and consultation centres – ones located in high-risk areas, that stay open late, and that can respond appropriately to the needs of those at risk.”

‘The last mile’

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria announced last May that France would host the sixth annual Replenishment Conference in Lyon this October. The goal of the conference is to raise money to fund projects that are part of the United Nations political declaration on ending AIDS, made by the UN General Assembly in 2016.

“We are extremely grateful to President [Emmanuel] Macron for leading efforts to renew and expand our impact, to the benefit of millions of people,” said Peter Sands, executive director of the Global Fund, in a statement.

As one of the founding partners of the Global Fund and its second-largest donor, France has been called a “pioneer” in its efforts to combat the AIDS epidemic worldwide, but UNAIDS workers are clear that the financial gap remains significant.

“The gap between the resources available and the resources estimated to be needed is slightly over $7 billion (€6.2 billion),” explained Ghys. “In 2017, it was around $6 billion, so the amount of available resources is decreasing. That is not the direction that the world should be going when it comes to support for AIDS. It is an issue of global solidarity.”

UNAIDS Director Carlsson is adamant that the UN Sustainable Development goal of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 is still achievable, but says that people have to remain dedicated to the cause.

“It is possible to control AIDS. We know what works, but we need to walk the last mile together,” she said. “We all have to galvanise and make sure that we don’t stop supporting low-income countries too early. We committed to ending AIDS worldwide, and we owe it to them to keep that promise.”

Source: France 24

20, July 2019

Americans say US political debate has grown more toxic ⁰

Large majorities of Americans believe the tone of political debate in the United States has become more negative in recent years and the inflammatory political rhetoric could encourage acts of violence, and President Donald Trump is a major factor in this growing problem, according to a new poll.

Some 85 percent of US adults say that political debate in the country has become more negative and less respectful, according to a survey conducted this spring by the Pew Research Center, a fact tank based in Washington, DC.

The poll found that 55 percent of Americans believe Trump has changed the tone and nature of US political debate for the worse, while just 24 percent say he has changed it for the better.

Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents overwhelmingly say the Republican president has changed political discourse for the worse. Eight-in-ten or more Democrats say Trump’s comments often or sometimes make them feel concerned, confused, embarrassed, exhausted, angry, insulted and frightened.

Republicans are considerably less likely than Democrats to report these negative reactions to Trump’s rhetoric.

Additionally, nearly three-quarters of Americans, or 73 percent, say that elected officials should avoid using heated language because it could encourage violence. Just a quarter believe that elected officials “should be able to use heated language to express themselves.

Trump’s recent attacks on four female lawmakers in the US House of Representatives has triggered widespread backlash in the country.

The four legislators are all women of color and members of the Democratic Party, serving in their first term in office.

Trump triggered a firestorm this week after he tweeted that the four progressive lawmakers, known as “the squad,” should “go back” where they came from, even though all are US citizens and three are US-born.

The so-called squad are Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.

Omar was born in Somalia and immigrated to the US as a refugee in 1995 when she was a child. She became a US citizen in 2000 at age 17.

PressTV-US Congresswoman Omar vows to keep criticizing Trump

Trump stepped up his vilification of four liberal female lawmakers as “un-American” at a raucous rally on Wednesday, in Greenville, North Carolina. As Trump recounted past comments by Omar, the crowd began chanting: “Send her back!”

Omar told reporters at the US Capitol on Wednesday that Trump is “spewing his fascist ideology.”

“As much as he’s spewing his fascist ideology on stage, telling US citizens to go back because they don’t agree with his detrimental policies for our country, we tell people that here in the United States: dissent is patriotic,” Omar said.

Source: Presstv

20, July 2019

People Power in Algeria & Sudan – Lessons for Cameroonians ⁰

The downfall of Sudan’s military leader, Omar al-Bashir follows the same trajectory with that of Algeria’s 82-year-old Abdelaziz Bouteflika who was forced to resign, following mass protests against his regime. It was a popular and principled uprising, which shook the Algerian and Sudanese political establishment to their foundations. The denouement also sent a strong message to other African despots who promote the ignominious narrative that government should be at the whims and caprices of selfish and deluded individuals. The era of sit-tight leadership is over. Truly, sit-tightism has lost traction because it adds no value to good governance. Africa has only a few left, tired old men with a messianic complex who believe the nation would end without them. Presidents Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea (in power since 1979); Paul Barthelemy Biya’a bi Mvondo of Cameroon (since 1982), and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda (since 1986) are chronic cases of Africa’s leadership tragedy. Hopefully, these holdout dictators can hear the fire engines and begin charting ways for a smooth change of leadership.

The initial demand of the Algerian protesters was that Bouteflika should not stand for another five-year term after a 20-year rule. His first reaction was to resist this demand. But when the pressure became overwhelming with the army high command speaking in favor of resignation due to poor health, the beleaguered president caved in to the peoples’ demand. For all intents and purposes, this was the height of peoples’ power and a quintessential demonstration of the capacity of the people to have their way in a democracy. After his resignation, the people did not stop there: they specifically called for a purge of the Augean stable by ridding the state of all vestiges of the old brigade, including all those who served with Bouteflika and entrenched corruption.

After Bouteflika, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was ousted in a military coup and he became the second African president to fall in the wake of a tsunami of protests. Tens of thousands of Sudanese took to the streets in the center of Khartoum in jubilation, dancing and chanting anti-Bashir slogans.

Currently the wind of change is blowing in Cameroon where an 86-year-old octogenarian; in power for 37 years and counting is facing an armed insurgency in the Anglophone regions where pro-independence Ambazonia fighters have all but rendered the two Anglophone regions ungovernable. The regime seems to have run out of ideas on how to handle the crisis and its resort to a scorched-earth policy of collective punishment and genocide against innocent civilians has further alienated the local population and put the government on the defensive.

Biya thinks he is running down the clock but time is no longer on his side. The grotesque campaign of human savagery and barbarism in which soldiers burn down whole villages and kill innocent civilians like game, has reached the point of no return and the so-called national unity is now held at the barrel of the gun. It is just a matter of time for the situation to explode as the country sits on a keg of gunpowder after the regime arrested and detained Prof. Maurice Kamto, presumed winner of the last presidential election, which the Biya-controlled election machinery declared him winner.

It can only be expected that the wind of time will blow in the direction of sit-tight African leaders who should learn the hard way like Bouteflika and Bashir. Bouteflika had come to power in 1999 when the political fortunes and structures of the country were unstable. He quickly stabilized the situation and embarked on projects, which gave the country the platform for growth and development. But he got bitten by the African disease of self-perpetuation in office. In 2013 he suffered a massive stroke and virtually disappeared from public view because he was wheelchair-bound. In spite of his poor health, he wanted to contest a record fifth term in office and the people said enough is enough!

Bashir, a former paratrooper who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1989, has been a divisive figure, who has managed his way through several internal crises while withstanding attempts by the West to weaken him. Sudan has suffered prolonged periods of isolation since 1993, when the US added Bashir’s government to its list of terrorism sponsors for harboring Islamist militants. Washington followed up with sanctions four years later. Bashir has also been indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague over genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region during an insurgency that began in 2003.

It is instructive that neither the Algerian nor Sudanese people waited for the ballot box to rid their countries of deluded and self-perpetuating leaders. They knew Bouteflika and Bashir have the power and machinery to manipulate the system by rigging election results. They then decided to prevent that familiar scenario recurring. Thousands of persons from different backgrounds and professions came together in one spirit to put an end to official impunity and corruption by taking to the streets. The spirit of revolution, as demonstrated in Algeria and Sudan, subsumed ethnic or religious differences. The unifying factor, a common denominator in the struggle was resistance to oppression and impunity.

The drama is yet unfolding in Cameroon. After 37 years, Biya; aka the “Sphinx” the ailing octogenarian is frail, weak and tottering on the borders of senile decay, but insists on leading Cameroon to his grave. At this juncture, it is therefore relevant to ask: Where has courage, conscience and character gone? Why have long-suffering Cameroonians, especially Francophones not shown sufficient anger to rise up in protest and topple the vampire regime?

Doubtless, the Algerian model has shown that when governance fails, the people react. Some dictators often react to protests with violent clampdown, arresting leaders and killing citizens. One of the legacies of Bouteflika is that he never ordered his security forces to mow down innocent protesters though some were injured and a few killed. Behold, the people are crucial and central in any democracy. Elected leaders in Cameroon invariably treat the people with great contempt. They seem to think the citizens are mere tools to be discarded after rigging and winning elections.

The truth is that democratic ideals are not alien to the people of Cameroon, nay Africa. Cameroonians must understand that docility is antithetical to the tenets and development of democracy. Apathy is worse. It allows mediocrity to thrive. If Cameroonians decide to remain aloof and believe that the fortunes of the country will change, then they are not ready for change. Finally, Bouteflika and Bashir are at long last, out of power. Like Biya, both men started well and indeed meant well for their people. But like Biya, they became victims of self-perpetuation. If they had taken a bow and quit the stage when the ovation was loudest, they would not have become victims of the anger and power of the people. This is the object lesson for all leaders, elected and appointed.

At 86, it leaves much to the imagination, what Biya still desires, by his tenacious hold on power. Biya belongs in the class of self-serving leaders who changed their countries’ constitution to remove term limits mostly against the will of helpless citizens. By their action or inaction, leaders like Biya are under-developing Africa and their countries in particular. It is an ugly trend, and the African Union has a duty to arrest the rape on democracy in member states in order to lift the continent’s image.

Biya should walk the path of honor and make way for a younger generation to take on the reins of power. He should think Cameroon; not himself. The country will outlive him. He should not sow seeds that will create permanent instability as the experience in Zaire has shown. Biya must reassess his obsession with power and stop the mockery of democracy and embarrassment to the country. His advanced age and sit-tight disposition is a constraint for fresh impetus for Cameroon’s progress.

Personalizing government has been detrimental to the growth of Africa. We should build institutions that can survive the test of time and stimulate economic prosperity. Even in the advanced nations that have stable institutions there are presidential term limits. This is basic common sense. Institutional governance should not be centered on one person: It should center on the rule of law and respect for the constitution. So, Cameroonians should wake up, freeze their complacency and take back their country from the rubble of the years of locusts that Biya has nurtured. At 86 years, Biya is officially sub-Saharan Africa’s oldest leader and has joined the league of sit-tight leaders who in spite of age and infirmity continues to cling to power. This indeed, is a scandalous development that diminishes Cameroon’s prestige in the comity of nations.

In perspective, Biya is an anachronism, an ugly image from the ugly past of Africa that people would rather forget. History, it has been said, first comes as a teacher; when it comes again it is in form of a rebuke. No dictator who saw himself as indispensable has lived to tell a good story. Biya is therefore advised to take urgent steps to avert the ignominy which befell characters like the Mobutus, the Mugabes, and the Bouteflikas and Bashirs in recent African history.

By Valerian Ekinneh Agbaw-Ebai