Up Close and into the Den of Dibussi Tande - Part II

By Innocent Chia

The Chiareport: There is no denying that many have tried to pigeonhole you: there are those who have regarded your writings to be in favor of a unitary state as Cameroon currently is; there are those who believe you are a middle-of-the-road guy; and there are those who believe you a cautious supporter of the Southern Cameroons secessionists’ movement…. Who are you not?

Dibussi Tande: (Laughs). It was only a couple of weeks ago that someone asked me if I was a “silent supporter” of the Biya regime. When I asked why, the person responded that to the best of his knowledge, I have never insulted either the President or the ruling CPDM, even though I have criticized both. My response was that the facts about the president Biya’s rule in Cameroon are so compelling that giving in to emotion while analyzing the Cameroon situation only obscures those obvious facts.

The same applies to the Southern Cameroons situation, or the “Anglophone problem” to which I dedicate an entire section of my book. Whether one is a unitarist, a federalist or a “secessionist”, the facts about the union between the former British Southern Cameroons and the French Cameroons are so compelling that injecting oneself into the debate simply obscures those salient facts. There are writers who cannot write without putting themselves in the middle of whatever they write. That is not my style; I always strive to make myself invisible even when I write about something that I was actively involved in.

So my advice to those trying to pigeonhole me is that they should instead focus on the quality, depth and relevance (or lack thereof) of my analyses of the Southern Cameroons issue. The same with the broader Cameroonian politics. 

The Chiareport: What has been most rewarding about your experience as a blogger, a leading, award winning blogger? 

Tande Dibussi: My most rewarding experience has been knowing that I have established an interactive forum where alternative and usually marginalized voices can be heard, that I am reaching a truly global audience, and that my contributions are being recognized for their quality. 

The Chiareport: Who is your favorite Anglophone Cameroonian author and why? 

Tande Dibussi: I am part of a generation which was surprisingly not very exposed to Anglophone  Cameroon literature even during our secondary school days. In fact, the only novel by an Anglophone author which I can remember back then was The Good Foot by Nsanda Eba. So my exposure to Anglophone authors was minimal. However, I was greatly influenced by Bate Besong, although I must confess that I was initially attracted to his essays in local newspapers and only much later in his drama and poetry. 

That said, my favorite Anglophone author at this time is novelist Francis Nyamnjoh, not only because of his prolific output but also because of the quality and diversity of his works. There is also a group of Young Turks of the third generation whose writings are very exciting; Kangsen Wakai, Lloney Monono, Rosemary Ekosso, Wirndzerem Barfee, Oscar Chenyi Labang, Bernice Angoh, Dipita Kwa, just to name a few. 

The Chiareport: Because of my personal knowledge of who you are, and your beautiful family, I know that it will not be long before you feed the appetite of readers with another title… 

Tande Dibussi: You’re correct. In fact, regular readers of my blog are aware that I am currently working on what I consider my most significant work on Cameroonian politics; a book that attempts to answer the question which I raised in the previous answer. The book is tentatively titled Reform and Repression in Cameroon and should be available next year, just in time to commemorate the 20th anniversary for the return of multiparty politics. 

The Chiareport: Since the storied campaign and election of President Obama, it has almost become cliché to talk about improbable stories. Did you ever imagine the map of your life the way it has turned out as a prolific writer? 

Tande Dibussi: My writing career is really not that improbable. I can state that it is a story foretold! (laughs). In fact, when my former classmates who have not seen or heard about me in a quarter of a century find out that I write books and have a blog, none of them bats an eyelid because that is what they expected of me. My first newspaper article was published when I was in Form Three. And at the age of 22, I became I regular contributor to major Cameroonian newspapers. It is around this same time that I started writing poetry. In fact, my first poetry collection, No Turning Back, which was published by Langaa in 2007, is made up of poems that were all written in my early 20s. So mine is not an improbable story. It is simply a response to the call of destiny… 

The Chiareport: Our readers may not care to know that The Chiareport, which is my little corner, sprang to life because of your nagging and support. What does your crystal ball say about spaces such as mine, and the plethora of others that JimbiMedia has created, in the new world media order? 

Tande Dibussi: The term citizen journalism has become a cliché used in the most inappropriate of instances, but I think that it is still relevant to understand the role of blogs such as www.chiareport.com which provide analyses and commentary not available in the mainstream media. Traditional methods of disseminating information (newspaper, radio, TV) have changed irrevocably with citizen-generated media increasingly playing a key role and providing fresh new perspectives on issues, events, and people. Blogs such as yours will continue to play a pivotal role in that regard, especially at a time when we are witnessing an increasing blurring of the divide between blogging/citizen journalism and traditional journalism. So online spaces such as those created by JimbiMedia are here to stay and thrive. 

The Chiareport: Thank you so very much for taking the time to talk with The Chiareport today. I hope we can do this soon again. 

Tande Dibussi: Definitely! I look forward to another interesting discussion with you. Hopefully the next time around I will be the one asking the questions.

Dibussi Tande is a journalist, poet, author and an award winning blogger. He was born in 1968, under the foot of Mount Fako in Buea, Cameroon. He obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Law in Public Law (1989), and continued in 1990 to earn a Masters in Political Science from the University of Yaounde. He doubled up with another Masters in Political Science and Instructional Technology from North Eastern University and Northern Illinois University respectively. He is married to his wife Therese Tande, and they are blessed with a son, Mokali. He scribbles from the headquaters of the Den in Naperville, Illinois.

Comments

[Hins]

simply brilliant.