Revolutionary Crisis in Cameroon

By Innocent Chia
Ever since life was squeezed out of protest marches several days ago on February 23rd in Cameroon, perpetual sideliners have gone on the offensive second guessing Kah Walla and co-organizers. While critics have, for the most part, focused on the failing strategy or lack thereof, a few other things have caught my attention as an avid observer and analyst of the political, particularly what is happening in Cameroon.

 

This piece will not focus exclusively on obvious questions that deserve to be asked: How could a woman take a beating for Cameroonian men? This piece will also be focusing on the strategic miscalculation by the government; the victory that Kah Walla scored; and how the failed protests magnify the strength of the people known as Southern Cameroonians.

Where are the Men?
“Where were the emasculated men and what were were they doing when Kah Walla was water-hosed like a horse and beaten like a snake for the freedom of Cameroonians from Biya’s 29 year old authoritarian regime” asked a friend? He was dead serious. I let him air out what he had on his chest. It was plenty he had, but disappointment was predominant – unlike the resistant people in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and Libya, Cameroonians had cowered and were giving up at another chance of effecting meaningful change in a country whose gas tank is blinking on empty. When he was done, he looked in my direction expecting for me to say something smart – but I was in the mood to goof around.

“Did you not see men watching by the sidelines as Kah Walla lifted up her arms in victory against the Biya Special Forces?” I asked. “Or did you not see that they were men who were kicking Kah Walla like a soccer ball?” I had gained my friend’s attention by now and by the look on his face, he was not amused. But I had only started. It did not matter to me whether he was amused or not. He has always known me to speak my piece. I had only one last point to make.

“Did you not call them emasculated men?” I inquired.  “You seem to forget that these days in Cameroon wives have sex with the bosses of their husbands as a means to get promotions. Why would it surprise you that Kah Walla – a single woman in her mid forties and motherless – is carrying the balls for Cameroonian men who may be wearing pants with nothing in-between them?

The men are sleazy conmen, spending inordinate amounts of time drinking and scheming away. What do you want them to fight for if Biya promises to raise them from the dead? Why do you want to see the men fighting when Biya is making his water carrier, Prime Minister Philemon Yang, look like an ass with silly promises to create 25,000 new jobs? Does the Prime Minister have a company?

Does Biya not have a company? Or can his much touted pienapple farm not recruit 25,000 Cameroonians? Would you not think that the President of the World’s largest economy, Barack Obama, not create 25,000 jobs in the US overnight if he could decree it? Yet, Cameroonian men applaud President Biya for his visionary leadership when he makes as hollow a promise as one could ever make. But these are the promises that African rulers have made for years and created the pockets of youth unemployment that have steadily grown into Tsunamis at sea.
 
Strategic Blunder by the Government:
It is neither the first nor second time that the Biya Special Intervention Brigade thugs or the police have beaten an opposition leader senseless. The rationale of it is something I can only guess. But it does seem to me that the technique not only humiliates the candidate, it demeans and victimizes the victim – putting him or her at the same level as a common criminal and stripping them of their leadership persona. Think of the picture of Christ hanging on the Cross by two theives...

What is unfortunate about water-hosing and brutalizing Kah Walla is not only that she is a serious candidate at the upcoming presidential elections. She is a woman who has been defiled in the public square by Biya’s thugs. She is also an activist who travels the world around. She has been meeting with some of the most powerful and influential leaders of our time in conferences and seminars the likes of which Biya and the best of his circumcised men cannot make presentations at. Yet, these are spaces that Ms. Kah Walla shares with the shakers and movers outside Cameroon.

In Cameroon, Kah Walla was still feeling her way post-SDF scuffles. She was, whether you agree with me or not, still looking for some kind of legitimacy. She had no political organization, an unquestionable fact in light of the numbers that showed up for the February 23rd protest march. Cameroon O’bosso is not the SDF, and this may be a quick tutorial that Kah Walla will share when she confronts the truth.

The SDF had built a ready-to-go-organization that rocked during the ghost town operations of the early 90’s. It is one of the facts that may be flying over the heads of Cameroonians who are eyeing at the "spontaneity" of protests in the Middle East. People are wondering why it sparked so easily there and why Cameroonians are blowing away boxes of lighters and the coals are not warming up. What is true is that Cameroon O’bosso still has a few light years to build that kind of loyalty in width and breadth. But time is the one thing Ms Kah Walla will not negotiate with because she wants Biya out of power now.

In the meantime, without a solid political organization, Ms Kah Walla was stuck in one place. Even her US trip to woo support met with a lukewarm reception in terms of the money she was able to raise. Her team was virtually running out of steam when Tunis and Egypt erupted. She saw a chance and grabbed at it with all the might she could. She placed bait and Biya’s non-skulls broke a jaw bone or two swallowing it.

From Aljazeera, to CNN, BBC, and Youtube, Kah Walla has become the embodiment of the revolution in Cameroon – it does not matter that it failed. She has sympathies world over and scars to show for the inhumanity. She, more than anything else that she has done prior to the brutality on her, has gained legitimacy in the eyes of many Cameroonians desperately looking for a genuine opposition leader. Does she still have a lot of work to do? Yes, but Biya has done more for her credibility than he has for his new best and Kah nemesis, John Fru Ndi.

The Power of Southern Cameroons People
Wherever the blame is placed on for the failed protest, I credit the multiple calls by various Southern Cameroonian groups for Southern Cameroonians not to get caught in the crossfire of La Republique du Cameroon, a country from which Southern Cameroonians are seeking independence.

Politicians always want to be measured by their accomplishments - some even stretching it to the extent of wanting to be judged on their intentions. They are loathe on facing the reality of their failures. In the face-off against military boots, batons, and water-hoses, Kah water certainly scored an A++. She stood her grounds even when her volunteer force was depleted from 300 strong to 40 and counting. She was not daunted by the threats to her person.

In truth however, Kah Walla suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Southern Cameroons organizations that had largely called for a boycott of any protest rallies. There was, for once, convergence from the dysfunctional leadership of Southern Cameroonian groups that this was not their battle to fight. There was consensus across the board that started with a real identification of a common opponent - La Republique du Cameroon. It was a fight for interested sons and daughters of La Republique du Cameroon to die for or put up with their chosen leader - Paul Biya.

The effectiveness of that rallying call is palpable. There were no meaningful protest marches anywhere in the North West or South West Regions. No casualties. Even more important, the outcome in Douala is testimony enough on the real source of kerosine /fuel for protest marches in Cameroon. But even as this truth percolates through and becomes more evident to the open minded, it is reinforced by the fact that it is yet another Southern Cameroonian that was at the forefront of the Douala events.

Kah Walla put country before herself while her opponents pressed forward with press releases and communiques written days before the protest. Cameroonians are noting Hon. Paul Ayah's pre-emptive appraoch and are getting a glimpse at how dismissive he will be of protest marches should he get the office; but the candidate is one that The Chia Report will royally follow up on.

Another interesting reaction was from candidate Susungi Nfor. After applauding Kah Walla and impressing it on readers that he rubbed shoulders with Kah Walla's father in Cote d'Ivoire some donkey years ago, Susungi called her a "young lady". Now, what that basically implies is that he considers Kah Walla inexperienced and unprepared for the leadership position, mindless that she is the one ready to sacrifice her life while Susungio pontificates on his experience and is waxed dry by Southern Cameroonians as an opportunistic sellout and traitor.

As for Fru Ndi's reaction, the whole world knows by now that the closeted lover is finally out in the open singing love songs about his soulmate, Paul Biya. If facts are stubborn, truths are divine. It is inconveivable that Fru Ndi is a recent turncoat. From his interviews in Bamenda post-Biya's visit, to the Agric Pastoral Show in Ebolowa, to his invitation at the Unity Palace and comments from the North following the Douala protests; it is obvious that Fru Ndi has acknowledged that if he cannot win Biya, then no one within the SDF will.

Let me end with an insider story to make my point: before Kah Walla went rogue on the SDF, she actually visited with the chairman and humbly told him about her desires and plans to be the party candidate in 2011 if Fru Ndi would bless it. Herewith the chairman's response: "Me too, I will run."

Facts are said to be stubborn, but truths are divine.

Comments

[Felix]

It is a mistake to be born a Cameroonian......
I wish, can travel back in time?

[Nsom Joseph]

Let us not quickly say that Fru Ndi is gone the other way. He may be on another strategy. He says, if ELECAM is not reformed, there will be no elections in Cameroon in 2011. This is a serious declaration that we can follow up.

[Coach Small Bags]

There should be a better way to start a day than waking up every morning.

[Bob Bristol]

A quick campaign should be launched to castigate the actions of the military in Cameroon. We have scores of radio and televions stations there.If we have just a quarter of the military on our side, Biya will have to go.

[jackson umenjoh]

the protest against biya to go is not yet over that was just a warm up call by some cameroonians and courageuos politicians such as kah walla. biya most go he already no it.
jackson 1 march 2011

[Polycarp Ndikvu]

The hand writing is on the wall and the government is making sporadic promises. The other day the Minister of small and medium size industries said his ministry needs 850 people and he has already recruited 250. the fun in it is that the prime minister is stilling claiming to be putting committees to come up with modalities. Franciose Foning is collecting document in Douala to dispatch to Yaounde. On who or. Last orders ? Last year the minister of communication said before the end of 2010 two more telephone companies will start operating in Cameroon. None yet!
Why all this confusion and lies
This is a recipe for an uprising. Cameroonian do not forget in a haste.

[alpha2omega]

To label Fru Ndi a soulmate to Paul Biya shows a distinct lack of understanding of Cameroon politics. Fru Ndi in my views has quietly learnt that peripheral fighting and countless protests yields no political fruit in so far as Paul Biya and the CPDM are concerned. Fru Ndi seems to be employing the policy of appeasement, hoping Paul Biya will eventually surrender his powers to him. Biya is only aware that he is too long in the tooth to carry on as the CPDM candidate comes next election. He is also too proud and greedy to allow anyone among his ranks to succeed him thus elevating themself to his level. The unfortunate thing is the choice will not be Biya's to make comes election time. Fru Ndi just might get lucky this time round. Only just

[Willem]

It sickens me to read from people who stand here to defend Fru Ndi. Oh my God. Cameroon is this bad because of blind heartless people like you. Fru Ndi is the most deceitful, arrogant, cheat of a politician Cameroon has ever had.

What has been noticed by Southern Cameroonians from the South West Region is that many Northwesterners have been silent or refusing to see the evil in Fru Ndi's person and his style because he is one of them. This is a glaring example of hypocrisy by some North Westerners. They can condemn Biya but when it comes to Fru Ndi, they pretend not to see. Waow. Many people including Innocent Chia have pointing out the 8 faces of John Fru Ndi but some are still trying to think he has a "strategy". What? Strategy my anus. He is a sell-out, power hungry ass hole and a great pretender period. When u keep speaking this way, many South Westerners tend to see things differently.
There is a growing move to fight against independence because of this blatant hypocrisy. If u cannot see the truth about Fru Ndi, then it is not worth it calling me your friend or brother. You are just as well a bad and evil seed.

[Willem]

Nsom Joseph and alpha2omega. It is said a first fool is not a fool but a second fool is a fool. I don't mean to call you guys fools but if Biya decieved you and us...we can say Ok, we understand, but if Fru Ndi deceives you and you are falling for it, then you are not worth my trouble. After 29 years people still believe what Biya promises. What do u think of such people? Then come to think of it. You believe Fru Ndi and think he has a strategy? In all fairness, u should not be commenting on this forum. Why? Because u are not worth commenting on Cameroonian politics because you still don't understand shit about it. It is like the experts are in 2011 and you are still in 1911. We are where we are because of people like u. It is like a prostitute who is excited by being told lies as opposed to truths. Promise them an aeroplane in a village without even an airport and they fuck u fro free without even analysis how impossible that promise is. Sorry if I am straight forward but I get sad when Cameroonians fail to see deceits and lies. You dissapointed me. There is no strategy my brothers, just greed.

[Rooney]

Cameroonians are not in bondage, they are free and to not need some egocentric people working for their own interest and seeking for notice to free them. Cameroonians could only response poorly to calls for protest against President Paul Biya. If fraction people think they can come from nowhere and manipulate Cameroonians in an attempt to destabilize state institutions and the President who incarnates them, then the battle is a lost one beforehand.