Cameroon Elections: Rev Bertin Kisob, when madmen take up arms...

Custom Search 

The recent attack on the Wouri bridge in Cameroon's economic capital, Douala, has left many wondering where the country is headed. How can an armed group hold up the single most important road in the country in broad daylight and the armed forces have no clue who they are, where they came from and where they are presently hiding.


But thanks to a sketchy and very childishly constructed blog,  we have come to learn that a certain so called Mr "rev" Bertin Kisob may have some knowledge of the perpetrators of the armed attack in Douala. Democracy is a godsend, but by all means, unmetered armed struggle by a delusional individual is a danger to the whole nation. Mr Kisob who styles himself as the Cameroonian version of US president Barack Obama obviously has some serious personality issues.

The attack on the Wouri bridge which occured on Thursday, the 29th of September 2011 failed yet again to stir the population of the restive city into action. Acts aimed at destabilizing the country through popular revolt have failed in recent years. An armed struggle will not help anyone, and may even give more reason for Mr Biya to legitimize his dictatorship.


His amateurish online manifesto reads more like a rant and he comes across as someone who is intolerant and believes Cameroon may become a modern day utopia where he will reign supreme. The security services better get their act together and stop this lunatic before someone gets hurt.

Eto'o Samuel Fils Mad at Dynamo Moscow Player Leandro Fernandez...

Custom Search

 Cameroonian born Samuel Eto, currently one of the highest paid athletes in the world had a brief scuffle with a player from Dynamo  Moscow during a soccer match on September 22nd 2011.

After numerous close calls by Samuel Eto'o and his teammates from the club Anzhi Makhachkala, the match went into overtime. Then Dynamo of Moscow scored a goal. 

Eto'o was in line to score with a clean header when a defense line player from Dynamo, Argentine-born Leandro Fernandez, pulled him back, fouling the goal scoring opportunity.

The infuriated Samuel Eto'o briefly held Leandro Fernandez by the neck, but displayed a lot of restraint, discipline and sportsmanship.

Here is a video clip of the incident from the match.

Presidential Election Campaign underway in Cameroon

Custom Search 

It is once more campaign season in Cameroon. A field of about 23 presidential hopefuls have from today, Saturday the 24th of September until midnight on the 8th of October to get their message across to voters.


Leading candidate Paul Biya who modified the constitution of the country so that he may remain in power will as usual delegate the running of his campaign to his henchmen and thugs. Other campaigns with less human and financial resources will target certain areas of the country to  make a showing. Of note is Hon. Ayah Paul Abine, the lone "David" who stood up against this move by Biya's "Goliath" machinery.


It will be one noisy and festive fortnight in Cameroon as cheap Chinese-made T-shirts and cloned motorcycles will be acquired and dumped in the country by the campaigns.


There will be some violence, which will be toned down because of inadequate coverage by the local media. To them who have ears and those who have eyes, beware, and don't get carried by the campaign fever.


For the real winners in this process are the minor candidates who stand to pocket not less than $100.000 each, no questions asked, all from the government treasury.

Western governments have taken a rather dim view of autocrats like Mr Paul Biya who want to stay eternally in power. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has repeatedly called on despots to leave so that the people they rule can be free to engage in an open democratic  process. Apparently that message is not getting to some quarters in Yaounde (or Switzerland).

Whoever the winner will be,  there is going to be a lot of major issues to be addressed, such as the crumbling infrastructure of the country, what to do with political prisoners like Titus Edzoa, Polycarpe Abah Abah, and others, the rights of same sex couples, and more engagement in regional and continental issues (like recognizing the NTC in Libya).

Cameroon Presidential Elections: Handicaping the main candidates.

Custom Search

Presidential elections will be held on the 9th of October 2011 in Cameroon. The electoral process in this impoverished West African nation is designed to befuddle even the most astute electoral observer, and this is for a reason. There is an intense horse trading that takes place during the campaign and the incumbent, Paul Biya uses the fluid electoral laws to his own advantage. Here is a short presentation of the notable candidates and their strengths and/or flaws.

Paul Biya

Aged 78, and essentially ruling the country since 1975 when he was appointed Prime Minister, he has held steadfastly unto power and uses all means at his disposal to eliminate any rivals. With time, some ambitious young cabinet members found ways of outsmarting Biya, and came pretty close to effecting a bloodless regime change. But to forestall any danger to his iron grip on power, he just threw them in jail and tossed away the keys.

Atangana Mebara, Polycarpe Abah Abah, Titus Edzoa and others who remain jailed without judgment are a testament to Mr Biya's tactics. Recently re-elected chairman of the CPDM (Cameroon People's Democratic Movement) party that he founded on the ashes of the CNU (Cameroon National Union), he is by far the favorite to win the elections. He has the sprawling government apparatus that will descend on the countryside to campaign for him, and anyone who has a post of responsibility and intends to keep their employment simply has to bring in the votes.

His electoral campaign war chest is as deep as the Cameroon treasury, and has been outsourced to French companies (he does not like anything Cameroonian, his children are all born and educated outside Cameroon), who in turn did a cheap and shameless copy of US President Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign logo.

He is not a favorite of the International community and most Cameroonians, who feel he is not in touch with reality, for example, neglecting infrastructural development and still keeping in touch with former Libyan leader, Muammar Khadaffi. An envoy from the deposed Libyan leader, Joma Ibrahim Amer was received with all honors at the Presidency just on the heels of the American Ambassador to Cameroon, His excellency Robert P. Jackson.

Still unsure of his popularity, he undertook a timid ride around town in a fancy Bentley last weekend, and sure enough, the proles lined the streets and cheered. It is unclear whether they were cheering for Mr Biya....or the Bentley.

John Fru Ndi

Erstwhile leader of the Cameroon opposition, Mr John Fru Ndi has seen the number of seats his party has in parliament dwindle to the point that he is now irrelevant in Cameroonian political discourse. His heavy handed techniques, and lack of direction and focus in party affairs made some of his more capable lieutenants to jump camp. The latest cases reported in the local media are of senior SDF (Social Democratic Front) militants being poached by the CPDM. Kum Henry Ichu, regional head of the SDF stronghold of the North West region, and certainly a key player in the upcoming presidential elections, jumped ship at the eleventh hour, and is now a CPDM member. Many believe this to be the work of an ex-convict, and now minister in Biya's government, Nji Atanga who heads the national Security Council of Cameroon.

Having valiantly fought to remain head of the SDF since it was founded in 1990, Mr Fru Ndi has been accused of showing the same anti-democratic tendencies Cameroonians despise in Biya. For that reason, he will come a very distant second, with the majority of his votes coming from the capital of the North West region, Bamenda, and some dispersed votes will originate from minor stakeholders who have carved tiny fiefdoms for themselves in Douala in the Littoral region and the West region. He is no longer a credible politician, and if ever elected, will be a worse dictator than Biya.

 Kah Walla Edith

With a Western education, and the community organization chops to prove her competence, she is certainly going to be injecting a lot of excitement into this years' presidential race in Cameroon. Kah Walla is in her mid-forties, and at the prime to serve her nation. Unfortunately, her constituency is rather narrow, mainly made up of petty traders known as "buyam-sellam", and geographically limited to the Douala metropolitan area in the Littoral region in Cameroon. She is running under the banner of her newly created Cameroon People's Party (CPP).

She is running a very strong online campaign. Maybe she will need to tone down on her campaign homepage because it has the fault of being too media rich for the intended audience in Cameroon where internet connections are generally slow. Her design team should have light pages that load fast, and contain only critical information, while avoiding the fancy colors that bog down her website...and ideas.

When she tested her heft in February this year in the restive city of Douala, she drew no traction, and was left drenched and with a lasting image as an outsider. However, she has been able to spread her word on mass media, such as radio and using internet sites like Facebook and Tweeter. She is the darling of the International Community, but lacks the fire in the belly to pull one against older cats like Biya and Fru Ndi. Her candidacy is nonetheless refreshing and maybe she could get an appointment on a few moribund boards after the election as a consolation prize.

 Adamou Ndam Njoya

A perennial also-ran in Cameroonian politics, Mr Adamu Ndam Njoya of the CDU (Cameroon Democratic Union) had the double misfortune of being appointed to government in the waning days of the Ahmadou Ahidjo regime, and also at a tender age. When he left government in 1980, he found himself in the wilderness and since then, has been unable to have any influence beyond his native Foumban in the Western region of the country, where he is mayor. This will be his umpteenth attempt at a comeback. Mr Biya has nothing to fear from the CDU, and since Mr Adamou Ndam Njoya has been shown to be a political lightweight, he may not even be given a consolation prize after all is said and done.

Except for a major disaster which may befall the very old and tired Mr Biya (unlikely since he is always in on vacation in Switzerland and not working), the CPDM candidate that he is will win an overwhelming majority in the upcoming presidential elections in Cameroon. The SDF will come a very distant second and the rest of the field will come in with a few votes from close friends and family members. They will have the dubious honor some day in the distant future to tell anyone who would care to listen to them that once upon a time, they almost became president of Cameroon but for...

CAMEROON: Fight on live Radio Program - Anger Management

Custom Search

Two stars in Cameroon, one, the lady-who goes by the "nom de guerre" Tatiana from the broadcast media (see her studio) and the other, a recording artist, Ledoux Marcellin, had a misunderstanding.

Here is how they sought to resolve their differences and all the others in the room are "seasoned" broadcasters who fill the airwaves in Cameroon. Presidential elections are less than a month away in this country. Don't believe what you see or hear. This is what it looks like when the rubber meets the road. Please let me know in the comment page below if you need a translation and some context.

Enjoy....!

CAMGATE: WIKILEAKS' effect on Biya's departure.

Custom Search 


 Wikileaks made a major dump of confidential US government diplomatic cables on Cameroon on August 30th 2011 - roughly five weeks before presidential elections in this African nation. The effect has been immediate.


Members of government who enjoyed the prestige of access to Western  embassy staff stationed in Yaounde now find themselves open to ridicule as the public pores over what transpired in private meetings. As it turns out, CAMGATE has revealed that government officials in Cameroon are distrustful of each other and prefer to make complaints to the US embassy staff, who in turn can push the right buttons to get the wheels turning. It is a strange arrangement but it worked. 
Now, everyone would be mum, wary to find their private conversations in print. The lack of an effective middleman to whom pent up rage can be vented is not the ideal outcome.

Watch for a systematic purge of the most unrepentant offenders in the coming days, and a major reconfiguration of the ruling CPDM machinery goes into effect in the coming days. With so little time left before the presidential elections, it is unlikely there will be a cabinet reshuffle. However, the people to watch for are the members of the regional campaign delegations, as these will harbor those who will emerge as frontrunners in a post electoral CPDM.


CAMGATE makes for compelling reading as the discreet characters who lurk in the shadows of Cameroonian politics are brought to live by the insightful analysis and prose of the helpful but puzzled US embassy staff in Yaounde. Grab a copy if you can!

Cameroon: WIKILEAKS reveals possible robbery targets.

Custom Search 


 Famed whistleblower website WIKILEAKS has revealed damning confidential from the United States embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon. According to Wikileaks, the diplomatic cables cache it has is carefully parsed and sensitive information removed. That may not be the case in the highly confidential cables leaked from the US embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon. Thinking Cameroon is a backwater nation and the names mentioned in the diplomatic cables is not only naive of Wikileaks, but now places the lives of some well meaning officials and even some corrupt ones in real and immediate danger.

When foreigners like Dooh Collins are paid more than a million dollars for dubious purposes, and are allowed to do business and even represent the government of Cameroon in dealings with foreign governments, wheras, according to the minister of communication Issa Tchirma, he should not be eligible to even vote in Cameroon, we know that trouble is headed the way of many in power in Yaounde. Personal details of the said M. Dooh are made public by the cable.

Furthermore, the aforementioned M Dooh rightly predicted that Philemon Yang would become the next Prime Minister. This protege of Ahmadou Ali, the Vice-Prime minister of Justcie and Keeper of the Seals may have spilled the beans on who is actually running Cameroon. It looks like Ahmadou Ali is the one who is running the show behind the scenes, makes ministerial appointments and other high level decisions. Paul Biya who is supposed to be president of the republic is out of touch with the country he purportedly rules. Truly a sad state of affairs. The verbose M Ali will surely have his day of reckoning soon.

Remy Ze Meka, a former minister of defense turns up many times in the radar as a thieving bureaucrat who would not hesitate to eliminate the president Paul Biya. You could almost hear the fear in officials' voices as they speak of Ze Meka. He is depicted by Paul Biya as having amassed a fortune running arms in Central Africa.


By far the worst case is that of Polycarpe Abah Abah, former minister of economy and finance. He is know to have more than $100million in cash stashed in foreign accounts. Why they kept him in government for much longer is a mystery. Such people, even in jail could become the targets of robbers. Thieves know how much he weighs in dollars and in a country where more than 90% of the population survives on less than a dollar a day, these crooks exposed by wikileaks suddenly look so appealing to their fellow bandits. 

WIKILEAKS releases more cables on CAMEROON and PAUL BIYA

Custom Search

Julian Assange: Founder, WIKILEAKS.

Whistle blower website WIKILEAKS on the 26th of August 2011 released a major number of confidential and secret memos from the State Department pertaining to Cameroon. Most of these have to do with daily diplomatic business and documenting major societal and economic dynamics in the country.

But given the rare access to the CPDM leadership that US embassy staff had and which is not available to most Cameroonians, these memos offer a glimpse of what makes M Paul Biya and his cronies tick, and potentially, what keeps them awake at night, which may serve as the foundation for a robust opposition strategy to eject the worn-out Mr Biya.

For example, we learn from the cables that the government of Cameroon headed by Paul Biya is not willing to put up the money for Anti Retrovirals for HIV patients, but is spending many millions of dollars to buy fuel for government officials.

Major projects like the Lom Pangar Hydroelectricity dam don't have any socio-ecological impact studies and when pressed by lenders such as the IMF to conduct such studies, government functionaries would rather look for another lending source than carry out the said studies.

These cables show that the US State Department takes a rather dim view of the secessionist SCNC, and its activities in the USA which it considers mostly fraudulent. Cameroonians' blind passion for soccer even when the whole world was shocked and riveted to the unfolding tragedy during the earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010 appalled the US consular staff.

During a visit with Biya, the sense one makes of the US ambassador's assessment was one of a person eager to say the right things to remain in the good graces of his interlocutor. But the rest of the cables are damning. They detail the state of anarchy where government officials would rather run to the US diplomatic staff to seek help, and explain at length why there is no progress in their respective departments. The US is vindicated here as a trusted and impartial party, and the last bastion that can guarantee freedom and justice for all, be it in the sands of Tripoli, or as hopefully will soon be the case, the streets of Yaounde or Douala. We hope that this commitment remains true on the 9th of October 2011.