Paul Biya-Fru Ndi Alliance, Epervier, Albatross, Fotso, Mebara, Inoni, Kah Walla, Hon. Ayah Paul, - the saga continues...

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The presidential aircraft whose botched acquisition has sent many top ranking government officials behind bars in Cameroon has disappeared from the public view in the country. But what became of this infamous aircraft. Here is a quick photo presentation of a brief history and where it is today.


Please note the copyrights belong to the respective holders and are visible at the bottom of each photograph.


Enjoy....

 April 24 2004, with Cameroon's Presidential couple Paul Biya and Chantal Biya on board. This is the fateful flight when the 'Albatross", the newly acquired presidential jet almost crashed en-route to Paris - ORLY. This historic shot was immortalized by aviation enthusiast Stephane Gimard. It is such an unlikely shot that may never have happened. The aircraft returned empty to Yaounde and was hastily sent back to the owner. President Paul Biya and Chantal Biya left France on a leased aircraft to return to Yaounde, Cameroon.

 The two shots above show what the cockpit of the "Albatross" looks like. It had just landed. At the time it belonged to the airline TRANSBRAZIL

Just before acquisition by the Cameroon government, the aircraft belonged to Air Madagascar. It is possible it suffered a fire to the left engine, and in this photo, you can see the engine is missing. It is at a repair facility in California, USA

 This 2005 Photograph taken in Atlanta, USA, shows the aircraft after it had been returned by the government f the republic of Cameroon to its owners. Notice the tail registration has been changed to a US FAA number.

 Another view of the "ALBATROSS" after rejection by the government of Cameroon

View of the cockpit of the "ALBATROSS". Notice the yellow light indicating failure of the Transponder.

 Work in progress before sale to the government of Cameroon. Notice missing left engine.

 A view of the instrument panel of the "ALBATROSS"

Notice left engine fire system has been acticated in this shot. Picture was taken while the aircraft was being refurbished in the USA for sale to Paul Biya of Cameroon.

 View of the interior of the "ALBATROSS"

 After it was returned by the Cameroon government, it flew for a while as a Charter aircraft. Here, it is seen in England flying for FLYJET. Photograph was taken in 2006

January 2010, it is seen in long term storage in the California sun, USA. Notice the engines have been removed and the windows sealed to protect both the interior of the aircraft and the exterior finish. This was after a stint with budget carrier SILVERJET.

And here is what the "ALBATROSS" looks like today. Flying for the government of Djibouti. It would have been doing the same duty for the Republic of Cameroon, instead, its story brings sad memories to the Fotsos, the Mebaras, the Mendoungas, and many others who have been disgraced by their sheer graft and outright corruption that almost cost the lives of the first family of Cameroon.

Who is using Cameroon's Presidential JET - The Swallow ( TJ-AAW)

More pictures and dates of TJ-AAW can be seen here...

 

 

Cameroon's president has of late been using chartered jets to travel, yet, the country has two perfectly functional long range jets for official use.

 

 

Both jets were acquired brand new, under the former Ahidjo regime. They are a Boeing 727 with call name TJ-AAM (Tango Juliet Alpha Alpha Mike) and a Gulfstream Aerospace G-III, call name TJ-AAW (Tango Juliet Alpha Alpha Whiskey).

These jets are no longer seen in public, and most Cameroonians think they are too old or broken down. Reality could not be any stranger. Come to think of it. Both jets are alive and have been cruising the skies. Their new home seems to be - GENEVA in Switzerland. For those who may not be up to speed, this is where the president of Cameroon has elected residence and most likely will retire, in total luxury while the people whose taxpayer money goes to fund his lavish jet-setting lifestyle languish in abject poverty.

 

Also note that most of the dates the jets are in Switzerland do not correspond to any official trips of the Head of State Paul Biya, or his new best friend, Ni Fru Ndi.

So now to the question no one seems to want to ask, what in the world is the Presidential jet of the Republic of Cameroon doing all the time in Switzerland, while close collaborators of the president languish in jail because of a purported botched jet deal.

That question is up for debate.

Herewith are some choice shots of where the petrodollars from KRIBI and BAKASSI are going, while the people cry for roads, schools and Health Centers.

Photos belong to the respective copyright holders.

October 1, 2010 Geneva, Switzerland

More pictures here....

Kah Walla, Hon. Ayah Paul Abine: Getting heard after Biya - Fru Ndi Alliance

The sudden overt friendship between Fru Ndi and Paul Biya, erstwhile at both ends of the political spectrum in Cameroon, seems to have stunned many observers.

So while the potential voters soak in the images coming out of Bamenda, Yaounde, and now Ebolowa, it seems the voice of other opposition to the Biya regime has been drowned out.

So, what can leading opposition figures like the Hon. Paul Ayah and Kah Walla do to take back the thunder from the Fru Ndi-Biya Alliance.

For one, they have to keep communicating with their base. Kah Walla made a recent visit to many European countries and the USA. But just like Alassane Ouattara in Cote d'Ivoire, being the darling of foreign powers does not necessarily an election winner make.

So, her reach within her key constituents - the Buyam Sellams and Bend Skin Riders is still weak, and not far reaching enough to put a dent in a Fru Ndi-Biya Alliance. She also needs some showmanship to spice up her road show, and make up for her lack of charisma. Riding a bike in the midst of Bendskinners in Rond Point Deido, Douala or dancing Makossa with Nanga Mbokos will do wonders for her credibility amongst these key groups.

For the Hon. Paul Ayah, he has a very loyal and dedicated constituency. To bring his philosophy to the grassroots and steal some of the thunder from the Fru Ndi-Biya Alliance, he will need to organize more outreach events so that he can mingle with his constituents and directly tell them his plans for the nation.

Then next few days will be very interesting in presidential politics, as South Westerners wait in anticipation of one of their own filling the seat of Prime minister and head of government, and the SDF awaits on its first entry into government since the party was created some two decades ago.
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President Laurent Gbagbo of Cote d'Ivoire: In God he trusts

Cote d'Ivoire's embattled president Laurent Gbagbo, continues to rule the country, despite international calls for him to hand over power to Alassane Ouattara, proclaimed by the independent electoral council as winner of the recent presidential elections.

So Cote d'Ivoire plods on, with two presidents, and rival governments, the imcumbent in the presidential palace and Alassane Ouattara in a luxury hotel in the capital city of Abidjan.

With a stalemate that has dragged on for more than a month now, it seems the one who makes the most noise will end up running the country.

Posturing, by the two (Gbagbo and Ouattara) or their proxies is taking place in Paris, Brussels, Addis Ababa, New York, and other capitals all over the world. Messages are put out as to why each candidate is better than the other for the people of Cote d'Ivoire.

A new twist to this unfolding drama has been the use of God, chiefly by the Gbagbo camp to legitimize his claim to power. The reasoning backing this claim is that power is sacred, and God-given. As such, only God can take away power, not voters through the ballot box or otherwise.

The one spearheading this campaign for the Gbagbos is none other than Simone Gbagbo, wife of the embattled Laurent Gbagbo who is incumbent president.

This self-proclaimed preacher tells whoever may listen that her husband has been chosen by God to lead Cote d'Ivoire.

Her antics smack of a certain Charles Taylor from Liberia, now undergoing trial at the special tribunal for war crimes for the Sierra Leone in The Hague Netherlands.

In the waning days of his rule, Charles Taylor invoked the word of God every chance he got. It held the people at bay. Whole swaths of the countryside was mesmerized by equating the word of Charles Taylor with those culled from the Holy Scripture. He adopted a "Holier than Thou Attitude".

Another habit that these self-proclaimed men of God love is to dress in all-white garb. As if to prove to the whole world the purity of their hearts or intentions, they insist on wearing all white clothes. It was the case with Charles Taylor in the last days of his regime. Gbagbo is not on his way out yet, but his dressing suggests he has taken a page from the playbook of Charles Taylor.

Now, are these tactics useful? Do they work? To put this question in context, we have to recall that West Africa is chocked full of many unemployed youth. These are the same who take to the streets when it is time for protests. It matters to channel the energy and focus of these young people into something abstract, such as religion. That way, any ill that befall them or their loved ones can be blamed on the hand of the devil - or in the case of Mssrs Taylor and Gbagbo, the opposition and International community.

Religious activism is the new frontier of crowd control of sub Saharan strongmen. It won't be too long before we see some of them facing reelection become self-proclaimed evangelical Pastors.

Watch Paul Biya and Ni Fru Ndi of Cameroon closely. They may soon ditch the Catholic Church, to connect more in an organic fashion with the masses in one large evangelical party, a sort of political campaign- cum -religious experience, and at the end of the sermon, the man in white who will be the master of the people's palace, will still be the same old African dictator, but in sheep's clothing.
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