...And Simon, the compatriot, Says..

In the midst of all this turmoil, the greatest dictator on earth announced to Cameroonians that he shall employ all "legal means necessary" to see that order reigns in Cameroon. His address follows, then my commentary.

Cameroon: Declaration of The Head of State on the Ongoing Crisis in Cameroon
The President has denounced the manipulation of Youths and promised to ensure that law and order prevailed.

Our country is witnessing a situation which brings back unpleasant memories of a period we thought was long gone.

While it may be understandable that when negotiations fail, the demands of a group are sometimes expressed through strike action, it is unacceptable that such action should serve as a pretext for outpourings of violence against people and property. Besides, it is now established that any industrial dispute can always be resolved through negotiation.

In actual fact, that is not the problem. What is at issue is the use, not to say exploitation of the transporters’ strike for political ends. For some people, who by the way, did not hide their intentions, the objective is to obtain through violence what they were unable to obtain through the ballot box, that is to say, through the normal functioning of democracy.

They therefore did not hesitate to throw into the streets bands of youths who were joined by delinquents lured by the possibility of looting. The results are there: public buildings destroyed or burnt down, shops and businesses looted or devastated.

Be it State property, I mean our common heritage, or private premises, these are years of efforts thus reduced to nothing.

The demons who manipulated these youths behind the scenes, were not bothered about the risk that they made them to run by exposing them to confrontations with the forces of law and order. As a result, several of them lost their lives, which, of course, cannot but be deplored.

When the human and material toll of these dark days will be taken, it will probably be very heavy. Those behind these manipulations definitely did not have the good of our people in their mind. A country cannot be built through destruction.

It should therefore be made absolutely clear that Cameroon is a Constitutional State and intends to remain so.

It has democratic institutions which are functioning normally. It is within this framework that the nation’s problems are addressed. It is not in the street that they are resolved.

The vast majority of our people long for peace and stability. The last elections proved this. Cameroonians know that disorder can only bring about calamity and misery. We cannot allow that to happen.

To those who are responsible for manipulating the youth to achieve their aims, I want to tell them that their attempts are doomed to failure. All legal means available to Government will be brought into play to ensure the rule of law.

Source: Presidency of the Republic




....COMMENTARY

To start off, I don't think I can think of one instance in which Bi Mvondo Afam Paul Biya has never greeted Cameroonians at the beginning of his speech...Funny don't you think? I think I miss the familiar "Camerounais, Camerounaises, mes chers compatriots..." which he usually croaked.

That aside, Paul Biya basically declared war on Cameroonians by first insulting them when he called them amateur sorcerers, and then denying to talk about the issue at hand, which is the frustration of the common man with the way the economy of the country was going. After calling his opponents demons, he decidedly ranted musings and irreverent insults to his political opponents accusing them of exploiting the transporters workers' union strikes for their political ends declaring that his opponents were trying "to obtain through violence, what they were unable to obtain through the ballot box,that is to say the normal functioning of democracy."

Such paradoxical affirmations are unheard of especially when someone like him has fraudulently won two consecutive presidential elections with an overwhelming 90+% votes. "Normal functioning of democracy," he so fervently calls it. In the 25 years he has led Cameroon, normal functioning of democracy is evident in the constant intimidation and harassment and killing of his political opponents or anyone with a patriotic conscience for that matter, scrapping the National Assembly when they wanted to limit his powers in 1989, imprisoning any journalists in Cameroon who seek to report any news not written for them by government officials, pocketing 80% of the nation's wealth,...the list is long.

Calling his 25 year old dictatorship a normal functioning democracy really grinds my gears as I think he basically spanked all Cameroonians on their bottom after having slapped snot out of their noses with his bashful and near manic assertions. Maybe he wasn't living in Cameroon all these years to realise that his people were suffering. Oh yeah! He has been in Europe touring his vineyards, chateaux(s) and spending Cameroon's money instead of trying to alleviate poverty in his own country, which is what is being decried in these demonstrations.

He tactfully avoided the issue at hand and resorted to levy accusations on everyone else but himself. Even going as far as saying that people were taking advantage of Cameroonian youth for their personal ends. Does anyone smell a repeat of the Mombutu Sesseseko Kuku Pwendu Wazambangah debacle and downfall of a dictator?

Bi Mvondo Paul Afam Biya didn't hesitate to make it known that he would kill more of his opponents if the need arose. He so eloquently prepared us for the outcome of it all. "When the human and material toll of these dark days will be taken, it will probably be very heavy," he accusingly explains. This, he plans to do by using "all legal means available to the government ... to ensure the rule of law" He sternly warned his opponents.

Bi Mvondo mockingly states that "Cameroon is a constitutional State and intends to remain one." Can someone bring this contradictory announcement to his attention? If it is a constitutional state why not just leave in 2011 as the Constitution says rather than try to employ Cameroonian 'democracie avancee' to instigate people to elect for constitutional amendment so he can serve another term? After 25years in power, one would think he would have found whatever solace it is he is looking for and amassed enough wealth by now to be able to take care of his kids 10 generations from today. So why else does he want the constitution amended? Do not get me wrong, a constitution can always be amended but the majority has already spoken on this issue and Bi Mvondo is not welcome anymore. He wasn't welcome in 1992 and hasn't been since so what is the problem?

My dear Bi Mvondo, the time has come and the youth have realised you have put enough sand in their gari. The young people of Cameroon are tired of having to leave school with degrees and not be able to work. They are afraid of the type of Cameroon, we are building in the face of globalization and they are tired of your constant evasive and senseless promises. The time has come to make good on your promises. Why not start by reducing the prices of petrol? Why not start by increasing civil servant salaries, why not just for once spend a tenth of your ill-gotten loot on Cameroon, rather than open up bank accounts in Switzerland and France? You are 73 and we want you to leave now!

Cameroonians in the US, I hear there is a protest march planned on Wednesday March 5th, 2008 in Washington DC in front of the Cameroonian Embassy at 10:30am.

Please come out and let's remind Paul Biya and his accomplices that after 25yrs of tyranny, subjection, poverty and intimidation, we are tired and want him to leave peacefully in 2011. He should park out of Etoudi heading straight to his palace in Mvomekak. Let us come out and remember the 17 people already killed. Let us come out and pray for Cameroonians the world over. Let us pray for out children and remind the Cameroonian government that Democracy means: government of the people, by the people and for the people. We don't want any forms of this democracy be it 'avancee' or 'moderne'. We just want democracy; the simple type. The type of democracy that would mean there is some form of sustainable economic development ahead for Cameroon and it's people!

Long Live Cameroon, Long Live Freedom!