The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the signatory organisations, members of the SOS-Torture Network and partners have submitted an alternative report to the United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) on the situation of torture and ill-treatment in Cameroon, in the context of the 81st session of the CAT, which will take place on 13 and 14 November 2024.

Since the Boko Haram insurgency in 2014, Cameroon has faced a violent security crisis during which massive human rights violations have been committed by both government security forces and non-state armed groups.

Moreover, the outbreak of the Anglophone crisis in 2016 has made the use of torture by the security forces and armed separatists an instrument that benefits from extenuating circumstances. Torture is now practised and tolerated by the state in so-called exceptional circumstances: that of the fight against terrorism, whose broad definition allows special intelligence services, special forces and units of the police, gendarmerie and army to implement a punitive strategy against entire communities accused of hiding or collaborating with separatist groups. Thus, the use of Law No. 2014/028 of 23 December 2014 on the repression of acts of terrorism undermines the efforts made by Cameroon to establish a legislative and institutional framework that formally prohibits torture and grants important legal guarantees to people deprived of their liberty. This systematic use of violence, including against human rights defenders and journalists who denounce the abuses committed by the State, is of concern to civil society organisations in the context of the 2025 elections.

In prisons, the use of pre-trial detention has increased, leading to overcrowding in dilapidated prisons, some of which have occupancy rates of over 600%. The limited access of civil society to places of deprivation of liberty, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic, is a major obstacle to regular and independent monitoring of conditions of detention and the treatment of detainees.

This report identifies the challenges and proposes recommendations for the implementation of the State’s obligations under the Convention against Torture. In particular, it describes the following concerns:

Tolerance and practice of torture in the name of the fight against terrorism

Inadequacy of Cameroon’s legislative framework to criminalise torture

Failure to respect legal safeguards and the dignity of people deprived of their liberty

Lack of judicial proceedings against perpetrators of torture

Lack of access to reparation and rehabilitation for victims of torture

Lack of independence and resources of the Cameroon Human Rights Commission and the National Mechanism for the Prevention of Torture

Source: omct

Paul Biya’s faithful supporters celebrated his 42 years in power in Cameroon this week. An official statement praised both his record and his discreet style of leadership, while also hinting at a potential candidacy for the 2025 presidential election.

With 91 years on this planet, 42 of which have now been spent in Etoudi Palace, the world’s oldest sitting elected leader continues to celebrate the anniversary of the day he took office – on 6 November 1982 – after the resignation of Ahmadou Ahidjo.

Born Paul Barthélemy Biya’a bi Mvondo, Cameroon‘s head of state is both elusive and anything but elusive.

In terms of longevity, he has certainly built a lengthy tenure that almost rivals that of his Equatorial Guinean counterpart, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, whose reign has lasted over 45 years. But unlike Obiang, Paul Biya operates under the radar, like a stealth aircraft, hard to track and difficult to find.

This political trademark may well explain Biya’s long political life. According to an editorial in Cameroon Tribune on 4 November, the “Biya Code” is defined by “absence, distance and silence.” While the lack of images of the president – between the China-Africa summit in early September and 21 October – had sparked much speculation, Paul Biya’s return has been as well publicised as the anniversary of his reign.

A low-profile workaholic?

While international media often refer to the president as the “lazy king”, the deputy secretary of the Rassemblement Démocratique du Peuple Camerounais (RDPC) interviewed this past weekend instead described him as a leader who “works tirelessly for his country” and “knows the issues well”.

It is a narrative that continues to unfold during this anniversary period. A letter from the ruling party praises a “fantastic record” as a guarantee of “stability and progress”; a documentary screened in the provinces is titled “Paul Biya, a great statesman with a remarkable destiny”; and the latest edition of Temps des Opportunités, the magazine published by the presidential civil cabinet, speaks of “intense” diplomatic activity with “Paul Biya as a metronome”.

Even the most robust cannot escape the wear and tear of time, and the burning question is: What happens next? Although the name of his son Franck was at one point circulating as a potential successor to the presidency, the issue remains taboo. Meanwhile the symphony of praise is not without calls urging Biya to run for an eighth term in the 2025 presidential election.

A motion signed by dozens of activists and supporters invites “all Cameroonians, regardless of their political views, to join us in our call for the candidacy of the President of the Republic, Paul Biya.”

When mentioning the President’s 92nd birthday in 2025, the RDPC letter responds that the Cameroonian people are “a people of respect for age and elders” and that they must “continue under the leadership” of the head of state. If he were to stand as a candidate and be re-elected, Paul Biya would be expected to complete his next term in his 100th year.

Culled from  The Africa Report

Scamming did not start today. It is as old as man. In the Bible (Genesis 25: 19-34), Jacob scammed his brother, Esau, out of his blessings, of course, with the connivance of their mother. Jacob ended up in another town when his mother told him to skip town because his brother, Esau, was planning to kill him.

The scammer left town, holding that he had found happiness. Unfortunately for him, he too would be scammed by Leah’s father who tricked Jacob into marrying Leah instead of Rachel, the woman he genuinely loved. He served as a worker to Leah’s father for seven years before he could marry, Rachel, the love of his life.

Since then, scamming has been part of human existence and Paul Biya, the Cameroonian president who prefers to live out of his country, has been scamming Cameroonians who are unfortunately gullible.

Yesterday, he scammed Cameroonians into believing that he was healthy and could still run the show even after having spent 49 days in a Swiss hospital.

Yesterday, Paul Biya was a bundle of steroids. He had been given high doses of steroids over the last week just for him to look good. A single dose of steroids can deliver over 5,000 calories and if 10 doses are taken by an old man who is not physically active, you get what Cameroonians got yesterday. He looked good but could not walk. He could not even move his legs. Does that not explain something to Cameroonians?

The lengthy empty speech to the Secretary General at the Presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, was Biya’s way of despising Cameroonians who in their overwhelming majority want Biya out of power. In their thinking, Biya is a wet blanket, a joy killer who has inflicted a lot of pain on his people.

Spending a long time saying nothing to Ngoh Ngoh was a huge concern to the first lady and the director of cabinet. Biya was not script-bound. Even coming down from the airplane was a whole drama. It took an hour for Biya to come out of the plane as make-up artists had to do their job, protocol officers had to ensure that things went on smoothly; the presidential motorcade had to go very close to the plane to avoid any embarrassment. Luckily for Biya, it is easy to deceive Cameroonians and that game plan of his worked well yesterday like a charm.

Chantal Biya and Ayolo were aware that Biya was acting on steroids and standing for a long time could expose their game plan to the public which was still trying to figure out why a 91-year-old man could look that strong. When he ended his empty speech, the relief on Chantal’s face was visible.

But Biya is not off the hook. He cannot take steroids for a long time. Steroids have the nasty habit of blowing up the hearts of those who abuse them. Biya is fragile and he cannot stay in the steroids zone for a long time. No one has ever succeeded to cheat nature.

The Biya drama is not new in Africa. This film has already been seen in the DRC, former Zaire, when Mobutu, the country’s dictator, died shortly after his own triumphant return to Kinshasa.

Like Mobutu, Biya returned to Yaoundé yesterday after an exceptionally long stay abroad due to health concerns. Mobutu, like Biya, was welcomed by chanting crowds which saw him as their savior. But shortly after, he was overwhelmed by events and illnesses, and had to die miserably in exile in Morocco after a prostate cancer treatment in France.

There are parallels between Mobutu and Biya. Both despised their people. Like Mobutu, Biya sees Cameroonians as stupid and not worthy of respect. Like Mobutu, Biya has ruined his country’s economy and holds that he is eternal. Unfortunately, with age, he knows his days are numbered and with health issues, he knows that anything can happen.

The fear of losing power has transformed Biya into a monster, killing and imprisoning his collaborators who have any ambitions of succeeding him.

Biya might be back, but he knows the fear of death inhabits his mind. Though he is the ultimate scammer who has scammed the country out of its resources, he lives in fear, scared of the military he has created and the diseases he has manufactured for himself due to his excessive love of power.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

The expected return of Cameroon’s president Paul Biya to Yaoundé has not occurred. Financial markets are reacting to growing concerns about his health, while several key government figures have been called to Geneva.

What happened on 13 October? In Yaoundé, Cameroon, while supporters of the Rassemblement Démocratique du Peuple Camerounais (RDPC, the ruling party) and members of youth organisations had been discreetly mobilised to welcome President Paul Biya at the airport, the arrangements were scrapped a few hours later, with the same discretion. And with good reason: the Cameroonian president did not return to the country and is still in Europe. But where?

Imaginary homecoming

No announcement has been made about Biya’s aborted return or the reasons. But this latest development has heightened doubts about the president’s condition, after September and October saw him cancel his participation in the United Nations General Assembly, the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) summit and the meeting on sustainable development in Hamburg, Germany.

Faced with rumours of the president’s death spread by a television channel close to the Ambazonian separatists and widely reported on social networks, the Cameroonian presidency and government were forced to make a public statement on 8 October, explaining that the head of state was continuing his stay in Switzerland, was in perfect health and would return to Cameroon “in the very near future”. That was a week ago.

“The head of state had never planned to return this Sunday [13 October],” said a source close to the presidency, who confirmed that no members of the presidential guard or the presidential security directorate responsible for accompanying the head of state on his travels had been mobilised for this trip. According to our sources, airport authorities were not alerted to any movement of CM-001, the code reserved for President Biya.

Budgetary emergencies

As a result, public suspicions have returned with a vengeance. According to one of the most persistent rumours, Biya has been hospitalised for at least two weeks in an ultra-secure VIP wing of the Percy military hospital in Clamart, near Paris. Cameroon’s ambassador to France, André Magnus Ekoumou, denied this to Jeune Afrique. “Paul Biya has never been hospitalised in Paris or anywhere else. He is in Geneva and in good health,” he said.

Then the influential territorial administration minister Paul Atanga Nji provoked more tension by declaring a ban on debates about the president’s condition in the Cameroonian media. In the same vein, land and property minister Henri Eyebe Ayissi announced that he would organise a day of prayer for Biya at Yaoundé’s Palais des Sports on 17 October. This was subsequently cancelled on the orders of Biya’s private office, led by Samuel Mvondo Ayolo.

These initiatives have annoyed some members of the presidential entourage, since they contribute to the climate of mistrust surrounding their boss. On 13 October, Finance Minister Louis-Paul Motaze, who is also expected in Brussels in the next few days, and Senate Vice-President Aboubakary Abdoulaye were summoned to Geneva. On 14 October, they were joined by Senate President Marcel Niat Njifenji, who had just been discharged from the American Hospital in Paris, accompanied by a delegation of three officials from the upper house.

According to our sources, these summonses correspond to a working meeting officially organised to draw up the budget, which was due to be signed by the president in early August. To make up for the delay, it must be finalised before the plenary session of the National Assembly and Senate, scheduled for November. For his part, Njifenji will have to work with his Senate colleagues from Geneva to manage some of the tensions that are threatening the upper house with implosion.

The uncertainty surrounding the drafting of the state budget is also worrying international agencies. Uncertainty about Biya’s health is affecting Cameroon’s ability to borrow as well as increasing the perceived risk of political instability.

With foreign debt repayments imminent and economic operators awaiting clarification, it looks as though the head of state preferred organising the summit meeting in Switzerland over not holding it at all. To date, Biya has no concrete plans to return to Yaoundé.

Culled from The Africa Report

It appears there is no limit to the odium Cameroonians will endure in the hands of their government, because just when the regime seems to have hit rock bottom in governance capacity, it somehow manages to find a further depth in ignominy. Cameroonians have been agonizing over the health and whereabouts of President Paul Biya, the 91-year-old nonagenarian, tottering on the borders of senile decay, who has not been seen publicly since attending the Sino-Africa forum in Beijing on September 8. He was missing at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, last month, despite elaborate preparations, including a team of reporters from state-owned CRTV and Cameroon Tribune dispatched to New York. Biya also cancelled an appearance at the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) summit this October, stoking speculations about his health. Following awkward denials of rumors that Biya had died either in a Paris hospital or in Geneva, by civil cabinet director, Samuel Mvondo Ayolo, and Communications Minister and Government spokesman, René Sadi; Territorial Administration Minister, Paul Atanga Nji, in a streak of authoritarian madness, announced that Biya’s health was a national security issue and “any debate in the media about the president’s condition is therefore strictly prohibited.”

Atanga Nji has instructed regional governors to set up units to monitor broadcasts on private media channels and social media platforms, warning that offenders will be prosecuted. That’s bunkum and utterly ridiculous. The right to free speech is protected by the constitution, so Cameroonians have the right to question the health and whereabouts of their president. Atanga Nji’s illegal edict, ornamented with harmful grandiloquence amounts to high-level official rascality and a reckless and imprudent display of statecraft. It’s the kind of arrant nonsense that is emblematic of a broader problem when you put an empty suit with no education or requisite temperament for governance in a position of authority, far above his intellectual capacity.

The unequivocal, dispiriting truth is that Atanga Nji has proved himself temperamentally unfit for high public office. He’s dangerous in word, deed and action. This is not simply an opinion of a critic; it is a judgment based on his character. Atanga Nji has no moral compass; he lies blatantly and maliciously embraces petty gossips with a juvenile bully’s instinct to target critics. He is animated by a thirst for power: to use the levers of government to advance his parochial interests, satisfy his most insidious impulses and exact retribution against those he thinks are opposed to Biya and his Beti benefactors from whom he craves validation and vindication. He delights in poisoning the public discourse with vile and incendiary language. His sycophancy is matched by his ignorance as he lacks the intellectual capacity to understand the difference between the presidency as an institution, and the person occupying the office (president), who incarnates national sovereignty as head of state. The fact is the presidency, embodies state authority, regardless of who occupies the office at any given time. Atanga Nji must be told in whatever language he understands that the office is bigger than the person, hence, Biya’s health status cannot be a matter of national security! Such a convoluted view promotes dangerous personality cults, and an utter lack of respect for the constitution, the rule of law and the Cameroonian people.

The degree of travesty to which Atanga Nji has descended to reveal his ignorance and fundamental misunderstanding of how modern societies operate is indeed pathetic! This pig-headed ban is not just misguided; it is buffoonery of the highest order. The stupidity is simply mind-boggling and inexcusable and betrays a lack of political sophistication from a minister renowned for his hubris, arrogance and public gaffes. It is senseless, moronic, pedestrian and devoid of any perfunctory exaggeration. Banning discussions on Biya’s health does not make the issue disappear; it amplifies it. But even more absurd is the sheer impracticality of the ban’s implementation. In the age of the internet, where information flows freely across borders, it is naïve and laughable for Atanga Nji to think he can ban discussions about Biya’s health with a press release. The president’s health is not a national security issue; it is a question of public interest and a matter of international significance. Cameroonians will continue to talk about Biya’s health, online and offline, in hushed tones or in loud protests, and there is nothing Atanga Nji can do about it. Censorship in today’s world is not just ineffective; it is counterproductive, and attempts to stifle discussions will lead to a backlash against the regime, and reinforce Cameroon’s international image as a banana republic with highly dysfunctional institutions where bizarre things can happen.

Besides, the illegal and unconstitutional ban reflects a dangerous disregard for the core principles of free speech. In any functioning democracy, the people have a right to scrutinize their leaders, especially when their health could impact national decision-making. In fact, the demand for health disclosure is serious enough that in the USA, presidential candidates are obliged to disclose their health reports before they can even run for office. When governments clamp down on free speech, they inadvertently confirm suspicions. In Cameroon where a culture of secrecy already shrouds political leadership, this ban adds fuel to the fire, making the government seem more interested in preserving power than in fostering an informed, engaged citizenry. It is the behavior of a regime terrified of transparency, not one confident in governance. By this act of civic callousness, Atanga Nji is essentially telling Cameroonians that their opinions are inconsequential, thus undermining the very notion of government of the people, for the people and by the people. Cameroonians deserve to know if their president is still capable of leading, especially when it is visibly obvious to anyone not blinded by hypocrisy that Biya is showing more wear and tear mostly in the deterioration in his husky voice, the wrinkles on his face; the advancing baldness, the frailty and declining swagger of his gait (Biya can barely walk), the diapers and alleged uncontrollable flatulence and protracted anal blasts during public and private events.

Regrettably, the quest for credible information about Biya’s health is taboo as no one has officially confirmed what’s ailing the President beyond the subterfuge amongst the President’s men that all is fine. The veteran Le Messager journalist, Pius Njawe (RIP) was jailed simply for insinuating that Biya might have suffered a malaise during the 1997 Cameroon cup finals. These speculations intensified after Biya; for the first time in 26 years as president skipped the 2008 challenge cup finals which was presided at by then Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni. Presently, it hardly matters if the rumors about Biya’s health are true or not; official silence implies there’s no smoke without fire. The latest rumors about Biya’s health underscore growing public concerns about his ability to govern effectively, given his age and prolonged absences from the country. But the pedestrian and amateurish manner in which speculations about the president’s health and whereabouts was handled is a textbook failure of crisis management and damage control that is neither edifying to the country, nor to Biya’s image.

At age 91, Biya has been in power for 42 years and counting, making him one of the world’s oldest and longest-serving leaders. For any nation, especially one facing numerous political, economic, and security challenges, the health of the president is a matter of public interest. The fact that Biya spends significant periods outside Cameroon for health reasons only vindicates the public’s right to know whether he is still fit to lead. The president’s health is a matter of national interest because it directly affects his ability to lead and make crucial decisions impacting millions. The president’s capacity to fulfill his duties, especially in times of crisis, is vital for national stability and governance. Presidents, like all people, are human; they can fall ill or as reluctant mortals, die unexpectedly. Hiding their health issues risks creating power vacuums, undermining public trust, and engendering power struggles and instability.

As Biya advances in age, and continues to abdicate his presidential responsibilities, concealing his health status can no longer be said to be in the public interest. The secrecy around Biya’s health, which for far too long, has been the currency in official circles has had its day. Cameroonians need to know whether or not their President is healthy enough to live up to the exalting responsibilities of his high office. Instead of gagging people, the government should embrace transparency, open communication, and accountability. Better communication over what the president Biya is suffering from, what the prognosis is and perhaps some comments from Biya himself would go a long way to ending all these speculations. Cameroonians deserve better, and it is time their voices were heard.

Ekinneh Agbaw-Ebai is a public intellectual and graduate from Harvard University John F Kennedy and Harvard Business School. He writes from Boston, USA. Talk back at ekinneh@yahoo.com

The world has been focusing on Cameroon recently following news that Paul Biya, Cameroon’s second president, had died in Europe. The news, which was first broadcast on ABS, an American-based media outlet, sent shivers down the spines of many Cameroonians, with many asking questions about the country’s future. Mr. Biya has been in office for over four decades and during this time in power, people across the globe see him as a symbol of stability, though over the last seven years, Cameroon has been dealing with an insurgency in the country’s two English-speaking regions. News about his death caused Cameroon dollar bonds to take a nosedive, causing many investors to put off their investment plans in Cameroon. To again a better understanding of the situation in Cameroon, the Cameroon Concord News Group editor-in-chief, Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai, had to turn to Dr. Joachim Arrey of the Global Think Tank for Africa, an experienced and erudite political analyst, for an insightful analysis and he had the following to say.

Cameroon Concord News: Over the last few days, Cameroon has been in the news for all the wrong reasons following the announcement of the death of the country’s president. Many Cameroonians are concerned and the country’s dollar bonds have taking a nosedive, making it hard for Cameroon to borrow from global capital markets. What do you make of this situation?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: Thank you for inviting me to share my perspective on the unfortunate news which has been spreading online. Allow me to point out that it is wrong for anybody to announce the death of a man who is still living. Regardless of our political differences, it is immoral and unethical for anybody to spread such bad news. I have heard that many people around the world celebrated when they heard the news. Permit me to add that none of us has the power to decide when another person has to die. Death is not something we should even wish on our worst enemy. That said, I would like to caution that all humans are mortal including Mr. Biya who is almost 92 years old. When we get to such an age, we should celebrate but at the same time, it is only logical that we do the right things. At Mr. Biya’s age, he should be thinking of passing on the torch to the next generation of politicians. He has done his best, though many hold that his best is not good enough. Succession planning should be the focus of all Cameroonian political institutions. Nobody is immortal, including Mr. Biya and if he loves his country he should be thinking about quitting the political arena for a well-deserved retirement.

Mr. Biya has been the face of that country for a long time and his health and even death should be a call for concern for the entire country. When a public figure like him is not seen in public or is suspected of having health issues, it becomes a subject of discussion because much rides on his health or life. The unfortunate news about his death has affected the country’s economy and the country’s dollar bonds have taken a hit. Cameroon is now a high risk environment and many investors who are looking for where to invest their money will now walk away from Cameroon. Our country’s economy is already suffering and if it has to deal with other external shocks then we are in for tough times.

I would also like to point out that Cameroonians should stop blaming all the issues in Cameroon on Mr. Biya. Of course, he is the president and should be responsible for many things which have gone wrong, but it takes more than one person to destroy an entire country. As individuals, we must understand that there is what we call personal responsibility. If every Cameroonian decides to do the right thing regardless of the pain which comes with that, our country will not be falling apart as it is doing now. We have to change our atomic habits if we must see significant changes in our country. We must be the change we desire. As individuals, we have a lot to do if Cameroon must rise from its ashes like the proverbial phoenix. It is not Mr. Biya’s fault that we all urinate on our streets. It is not Mr. Biya’s fault that we all spend more time in bars instead of sitting at home with our children. It is not Mr. Biya’s fault that we cannot engage in community labour to make our neighborhoods clean. We need to address the little things which we have control over to reduce the decay that has become a millstone around our necks.

Cameroon Concord News: You talk about the next generation of politicians, who do you think will be part of the next generation of politicians when many young Cameroonians are pouring out of the country?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: For more than four decades, we have seen the same faces in our political landscape and many of those people are old and should yield the floor to young politicians who can drive the country into a new era. If Cameroonians in their immense majority think that Mr. Biya has overstayed his welcome in our political space, then most of those who are also there should be ready to leave. The president of the country’s senate is not a young person and most of his vice presidents clearly belong to the past. These people need to be replaced if Cameroon has to be part of the progressive political world. The new generation of politicians I am talking about should comprise courageous people who hold that Cameroon deserves better and they are determined to make their modest contribution to the building of a better Cameroon. In this effort, the Diaspora has a significant role to play. I hold that people who are nearing retirement in Western countries can take off some time to run as members of parliament, mayors or senators in Cameroon to bring in fresh ideas into the system. It does not only suffice to identify the problems. The Diaspora must bring its experience and knowledge to bear. At 60, there is no reason to be scared of returning home. If Cameroon is broken as we all say, then we all must roll up our sleeves to shore up any development efforts in our country. We have to do it. Nobody will do it for us. If the citizens of the countries in which many of us send our children to had escaped from their countries, we would not have had a place to send our children. We must seek to rebuild Cameroon. The onus is on all of us. Like many Cameroonians, I have lived out for almost three decades and I think I can bring something to the table in Cameroon. I want to help and I think the best place to start is at the grassroots.

Cameroon Concord News: Are you saying you will soon be part of the country’s political landscape?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: That is on the table. I have extensive political experience and I have a deep understanding of some of those issues which are hurting our people. Like I have always said, I have come to the ripe age where I can make some sacrifices for my country. Like many Cameroonians I have talked to, I hold that if meaningful change has to take place in Cameroon, young people with innovative ideas must be part of the political landscape. I am staring down the barrel of retirement and I have nothing to lose if I serve my country for a few years. I strongly believe that I can influence things at the grassroots level and I am willing to even settle in my native Ossing just to make a difference. Our people need to see a different model and I am willing to deliver that model to them after having lived in many parts of the world. 

Cameroon Concord News: Don’t you think running as a senator or an MP will be the right place for you to start?

 Dr. Joachim Arrey: Like I have said, everything is still on the table. If my people trust me, they will place me where they think I should be. I have a good relationship with the people of Manyu and I have always been there for them. I will never abandon them regardless of the situation. I will continue to send many kids to school, grant scholarships to those who want to further their studies and support development efforts in the Division. I have already endeared myself to my people. For over 25 years, I have placed the people of Manyu at the centre of my actions and I think if they give me the opportunity, I will like to do more for the Division. Manyu needs erudite, courageous and development-oriented politicians. They need politicians who will point them in the right direction. I want to point the people of Manyu in the right direction. I have learned and I am willing to learn from those who have been in that landscape before me. Life is a journey of learning and I have undertaken that journey. Manyu needs to change. I have a massive dream for my people. It hurts when I see them crying. There is a better way of doing things and I am prepared to take them down that beautiful route. There is no reason for any Cameroonian to die in the desert or on the high seas. We need to breathe faith in our youths. We need to orientate them so that they can see the opportunities in their natural environment. We can build their capacities at home and let them operate at the international level. Currently, I am moulding some Manyu youths and directing them on how to get jobs at the international level. I would like to extend that program to all sons and daughters of Manyu who have the right certificates. I want to open their eyes to the realities of their time. I want to teach them how to make money and keep it. I want to let them understand that no initiative succeeds without discipline. I do not need to be a senator or a Member of Parliament to help my people but if the opportunity is there and the people trust me, I will use it to deliver more scholarships and educate many youths.  There is still time to reflect on senatorial, mayoral and parliamentary elections. I can serve my people in any capacity and I have already triggered that process by organizing online clinics for those who have the right certificates.

Cameroon Concord News:  Any last word?

Dr. Joachim Arrey: Thank you Mr. Chairman for giving me the opportunity to share my perspective. I would like to urge Cameroonians to focus more on the post-Biya period instead of waiting for announcements of his death. None of us can determine when someone will die but because of his age and declining health, we should be working towards avoiding any confusion or bloodshed in our country when and if Mr. Biya quits power. We do not need to kill each other. We need to correct the errors of the past so that our country can be the envy of the continent. The country’s political opposition should be calling for that. Opposition political parties should be working together to ensure that the transition will be smooth whenever that time comes. Once more, thank you for your confidence in my ability to provide great political analysis.

Cameroon Concord News: Thank you, Dr. Joachim Arrey, for you time.

For some time now, news about Paul Biya’s death has been trending and most discussions among the country’s Diaspora focus on Paul Biya, a man who has ruled his country for almost 42 years.

To gain a better understanding of how Cameroonians think about their president, the Cameroon Concord News Group North American editor, Alain Agbor Ebot interviewed some members of the country’s Diaspora who did not spare any punches. Read below!

Elad (Canada): We have been hearing of Mr. Biya’s death for some time now and this is not helping us. I am a Cameroonian who has been living in Canada for over two decades and I have been thinking of returning to my native Southwest region where I intend to undertake some agricultural projects to create jobs in the country, but my return is impossible for as long as Biya is in power. Lots of things have fallen apart in the country due to the lack of proper infrastructure. The country has not got good road infrastructure.  The existing roads are not motorable. It is hard doing business in an environment which does not have good roads. There is also the issue of electricity. It is hard to operate in a country where there is no electricity. Cameroon needs an extreme makeover and this can only be engineered by a new regime.

Eyong (Germany): I have been in Germany for almost twenty-five years and I am sick and tired of living abroad. I want to return to my native Mamfe where I can have a more relaxed life. But returning now is almost impossible. Biya has to go for things to improve in Cameroon. His death will be a welcome relief as it may even cause separatist fighters to down their weapons. Biya is the main reason why many of us are living abroad. We love Cameroon but Biya and his gang have messed up the place. He should even resign. He hasn’t got the capacity to rule. I am happy that he hasn’t got much time to be on this planet. If he is not dead now, he will surely die in a few years’ time. He is a very wicked man. He wants to take down the country with him. This is indeed unfortunate!

Nfor Nji (America): That is the news we have been waiting for. Biya is better dead than alive. He is a massive liability to that country. I live in the United States, but I always think of returning to my native Cameroon. I am over 63 years and I would be happy to return to my native Bamenda to help with any reconstruction work. I am a professional engineer and I know a lot about post-war reconstruction. There are many other Cameroonians who hold that retirement will be better back home but how do we return there when nothing works. No good hospitals poorly regulated medical environment. Bad roads, lawlessness, insecurity and no electricity! Cameroon has been run aground by Mr. Biya who was expected to lead Cameroonians to the Promised Land. Biya is a sadist. He is happy inflicting pain on his people. Talk to many Cameroonians in the USA and you will find out that they are not happy living out of their country.

Folefack (America): When I heard of his death, I immediately went online to see if it was true. I even called family members back home who said they were waiting for confirmation. Biya is a millstone around our necks. He has killed Cameroon, triggering a wave of migration. Today, Cameroonians even migrate to places like the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam and other countries which are even economically worse than Cameroon. Our youths want to leave the country. They hold that salvation will never come from the ballot boxes. Biya’s rigging machinery is well-oiled. Biya is a monster. He does not care about the country. He only wants to die in power. We need a new government comprising dedicated and honest people. Cameroon has a huge Diaspora and there should be a ministry dedicated to the Diaspora. We want to return but what are we returning to. I am tired of living abroad. I left Cameroon in 1985. At that time, things were already falling apart but Biya and his men who are snake oil salesmen kept on telling Cameroonians that they would steer the ship to safer shores. None of that has happened. Today, they are instead making the waters murkier. Corruption, embezzlement, intimidation, violence and chaos have made Cameroon unattractive to investors. It is indeed unfortunate. We need a new leader who will come up with a brand new vision. Our towns are unplanned. Our people are starving. The food grown in rural areas cannot be brought to urban areas due to poor roads. We are indeed in a quagmire. My mind bleeds for that country.

This is a Cameroon Concord News Group Production

The government in Yaoundé has said that rumours of all kinds circulating through conventional media and social networks about President Biya’s condition are pure fantasy.

Biya has not been seen in public since attending a China-Africa forum in Beijing in early September. His failure to appear as scheduled at a summit in France last weekend stoked speculation that the dictator was unwell.

Cameroonians love their president and they want to see him. Biya has won every election since 1982 because he is the only popular candidate in the Francophone dominated country.

The country is well-managed. Can we see Biya? Can he talk to Cameroonians now at a time when Cameroonians are frustrated?

Escalating cost of living is killing Cameroonians. Where is the president? He is the only man with a magic wand.

What does it cost to see Biya, the only man who can rule Cameroon? Cameroonians are worried. Without Biya, Cameroon will dissolve. Please let Cameroonians see him. Seeing is believing!

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Barely a month after journalist Amadou Vamoulké was sentenced to 20 years in prison, freelance reporter Kingsley Fumunyuy Njoka, who has been in pre-trial detention for over four years, was sentenced to ten years in prison for “secession and complicity with armed gangs”. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the conviction and outrageous charges, which testify to the ongoing persecution of journalists in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions.

On 24 September, Cameroon suffered yet another attack on press freedom: freelance journalist Kingsley Fumunyuy Njoka was sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment by the Yaoundé military court for “secession and complicity with armed gangs”. His crime? Authoring reports published in 2020 on the armed conflict raging in the northwest of the country.

Arrested without a warrant on 15 May 2020 at his home in Douala, the country’s economic capital, by three members of the Bonabéri research brigade, Njoka has been held in pre-trial detention at the Kondengui Central Prison in the Yaoundé region ever since. Before his arrest, Njoka regularly published reports critical of the authorities, notably working for the English-language media outlet Canal 2 English on the “Anglophone crisis”, an armed conflict in the English-speaking zones of western Cameroon between the military and separatists that has claimed 6,000 lives since 2017.

One of Njoka’s lawyers, Amungwa Tanyi Nicodemus, a former journalist who worked with Njoka, told RSF this was an “unfair trial, in violation of Cameroonian laws and international law,” stressing that “the time limit for detention without trial, 18 months maximum in this kind of case, was not respected at all.” Nicodemus appealed against this conviction on 27 September.

“This is the second prison sentence for a journalist in less than a month — following that of Amadou Vamoulké — and illustrates how Cameroon is sinking deeper into its crackdown against the right to inform, which has been underway for several years. The case of Kingsley Njoka, who was illegally held in pre-trial detention for four years before being arbitrarily sentenced, reveals the fate awaiting journalists reporting on the Anglophone crisis. His situation is not unlike that of his colleague Samuel Wazizi, who was also arrested for covering the crisis and died in custody in 2019. Kingsley Njoka’s wrongful conviction on baseless charges must be overturned and he must be released immediately.”

Barely a month earlier, the former Director General of the Cameroon Radio and Television (CRTV), Amadou Vamoulké, was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment for “embezzlement of public funds”, after 178 successive postponements of his trial. He had already been condemned to 12 years’ imprisonment for a similar case in December 2022, after more than seven years in pre-trial detention. He will therefore have to serve a total of 32 years in prison, which is inexcusable treatment of a journalist renowned for his professionalism and integrity.

Anglophone journalist Samuel Wazizi was also arrested and accused of complicity with secessionists in 2019. He died in custody under troubling conditions. According to the official statement, which was not given until ten months later, the journalist died due to illness a mere fifteen days after his arrest, despite being in perfect health – a story that is difficult to believe.

To date, four journalists have been unjustly convicted in Cameroon: Dimitri Wassouom Tchatchoua was sentenced to two years in prison in April 2023 for “publishing false information” electronically, and Thomas Awah Junior, correspondent in Cameroon’s northwest region for Afrik 2 Radio, was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2018 for multiple charges, including “secession”, “insurrection”, “spreading false news”.

Cameroon ranks 130th out of 180 countries in the RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index.

Culled from RSF