Gendarmes Sack SCNC Headquarters, Free Australian Journalist

By Peterkins Manyong

Ten gendarmes Monday, November 14, ransacked the Bamenda headquarters of the Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC, and carted away documents believed to be valuable.he gendarmes, led by the interim Company Commander for the Northwest Gendarmerie, surrounded the building housing the SCNC office situated on Cow Street, Nkwen, at about 9 pm.

Then they invaded it. They tore all pictures from the parlour walls before proceeding to break into two of the inner rooms, using hammers. The gendarmes are said to have come with a search warrant. But SCNC officials, whom The Post spoke with, denied seeing any.

Journalists, including this reporter, were prevented from entering the office while the operation was going on. Chief Ayamba Ette Otun, SCNC National Chairman, was present when the gendarmes entered. He, however, left the office unmolested.

Some of the activists, who said he was in bathing slippers, are convinced the gendarmes would have arrested him if they recognized him as the leader of one of the SCNC factions.

Priscilla Khan, SCNC Bureau Secretary, and Zaccheus Ndimangoro, Chairman of the "Bamenda local Government Area, LGA", were arrested and detained alongside Nfor Ngala Nfor, SCNC Vice Chairman at the Northwest Gendarmerie.

Australian Journalist Released

Prior to the invasion of the SCNC headquarters, Andrew Mueller, the Australian journalist arrested with Nfor Ngala Nfor was released. He was set free on Sunday. Contrary to rumours that Mueller was deported immediately after release, Hitler Mbinglo, SCNC Northern Zone Chairman, said the journalist spent another day in Bamenda after his release and left on Monday morning on his own volition.

"He was actually driven to Douala International Airport by my driver, using my car," Mbinglo told The Post. He said two gendarmes, for purely safety reasons, accompanied Mueller.

Concerning the arrest of the journalist, Mbinglo said Mueller was picked together with Nfor Nfor and Stephen Kongnso during a rally in the latter's compound. Kongnso is SCNC Coordinator for Bui.

"The crowd, which numbered up to a thousand Southern Cameroonians, wanted to demonstrate, but Nfor advised them to stay calm. Mueller was pleased with the self-restraint shown by southern Cameroonians as it averted bloodshed," Mbinglo said.

Before leaving Cameroon, The Post was further told that the Australian journalist is quoted as saying this about his arrest: "This is the worst thing that ever happened to me, but the best for Southern Cameroonians." All his travel documents and other personal effects, are said to have been returned to him before his departure.

Why The Arrest?

Explaining why Mueller was arrested, Mbinglo said the intention was clearly to intimidate him and discourage any other foreign journalist from contemplating any investigations on the Southern Cameroons issue.

The fact that another Australian, Jeffrey Hughes, had been associated with an attempt several years back to ship ammunition to Southern Cameroons is another possible reason for La République to dread any visitor from that part of the world.

Mbinglo saw the fact that Mueller was working on a book titled "Unrecognized States" which has the same meaning as "Suffering People" as a sufficient provocation to the Biya regime, which is unwilling to admit that Southern Cameroonians have a problem.

He confirmed an earlier report that Mueller came to Cameroon on the solicitation of the Unrepresented Nations and People's Organization, UNPO, which needs a report on the Southern Cameroons, but written by a neutral person.

He said the Biya regime, by arresting him with some SCNC leaders, has   confirmed the fact that Southern Cameroons is being treated as a conquered territory, whose citizens lack the right to sit and discuss, even in private premises. He said that more than six embassies, including that of Australia, put pressure on the Biya regime before Mueller was released.

Comments

[Willie T]

Another bullshit. The strong hole of southern Cameroonians are not just in Cameroon but abroad so are many documents. Intimidation of the population will never deter them to fight for what belongs to them. I just want to remind Biya that his old school mate who found refuge in the late 80s Hissen Habre whom I believe they must have learnt their old tricks together is languishing behind the bars awaiting his faith. No crime goes unpunished, even if it takes donkey years.You should learn from the likes of former Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia etc.

[Dr Grace Odine]

The incarceration of an Aussie journalist and members of the SCNC made headlines in the Western Press last week.

This is a slap on the face of Don McKinnon - the Commonwealth Secretary General, who by now understands the reality of life in Southern Cameroons under occupation. The SCNC has been telling him all along.

This brutal action emboldens our resolve to work towards restoring the sovereignty of Southern Cameroons and provides independently verifiable evidence of the oppression and rapacious exploitation of our country by a Gaullist and lawless neocolony of France (Cameroun) in central Africa.

Long live the Southern Cameroons National Council and the People of Southern Cameroons.

Dr Odine Epie

[Shey Mapri]

This is a reaction I sent to the Messager Newspaper to educate our ignorant francofools on the anglophone problem. They are still to publish it.

A propos du Problème Anglophone

‘J’imagine que la plus grosse injure que l’on puisse faire à un francophone moyen c’est de le traiter “d’anglophone” ou de “Bamenda”. C’est devenu une stigmatisation au Cameroun et la dignité des anglophones en souffre. Le plus éduqué des anglophones est offusqué même par le plus sot des francophones’
Cette citation résume le problème ou le mal anglophone et je tir mon chapeau a Mr Fonka (Messager Numéro 1999 du 3/11/2005) pour son objectivité.
Le problème anglophone est un problème d’identité culturelle avant d’être un problème politique. Je suis anglophone et je me sentais camerounais jusqu'à mon arrive à l’Université de Yaoundé dans les années 80. C’est ici qu’un collègue francophone m’a rappelé que les anglophones avaient été acceptés au Cameroun par pitié et que nous n’étions là que pour le soutien national. Ce point de vue était et est toujours observable dans les restaurants universitaires, dans les amphis et même dans les salles des cours. Les bureaux des Ministères ne sont épargnes. Ici tout comportement jugé anormal vient d’un anglofou ou biafrais que nous sommes. L’apothéose a été le fameux ‘ennemi dans la maison’ d’Emah Basile en 1990 après le lancement du SDF
Beaucoup de mes compatriotes francophones ne savent même pas pourquoi une partie du Cameroun est anglophone. La preuve, demandez aux francophones la signification historique du 1 octobre ou du 11 février. Peu d’entre eux le savent, pourquoi ? Parce que ce fait historique ne pas enseigné. Il y même eu une volonté de le caché par le pouvoir francophone de Yaoundé. Nous sommes un peuple marginalisé et maltraité. C’est pourquoi un bon anglo ne peut être qu’un adjoint et en plus un anglo ne sera jamais bon pour devenir ministre de l’éducation, des finances, de l’administration etc. Comme des esclaves, les rares anglophones évolués dans un pays à 99.99 francophones, ne veulent plus s’identifier aux autres. Ils ont honte et même peur d’être identifié comme tel. Plus pire, les anglophones ont été réduits en tribu. Ce normal au Cameroun de parler des Bassas, des Bamilikes, des Douala et subitement….des anglophones. Ce comme aux USA ou ont peut parler des Italiens américains, des Irlandais américains, des Grecs américains et subitement des … Noirs américains. Message : Ne pensez pas de la ou vous venez mais de la couleur de votre peau. En ce qui nous concerne, le message est le même. Ne pensez pas de la ou vous venez mais de votre statut de citoyens de deuxième zone…
Certains francophones acceptent l’existence de ce problème et maîtrisent même les contours comme Mr Fonka mais il y a toujours cette tendance à dire oui, le problème est la mais la solution n’est pas approprie. On dit souvent que c’est ne que celui qui porte la chaussure qui peut dire là où ça fait mal. Les anglophones ou plus précisément les Southern Cameroonians ont été condamnés à mort en 1961 par les Nations Unies. Nous parents n’avaient que deux options, mourir calcinés ou noyés. Il avait choisi la noyade mais nous avons pu garder la tête au-dessus de l’eau.
Est-ce que je me sens vraiment Camerounais aujourd’hui ? Ma réponse est comme celle de plusieurs anglophones ; je ne sais plus !

shey mapri

[Tyong]

Dear Mr Shey
Your article merits publishing in my media thus with your permission I have put it on CIN with due respect given to you a the author.
Please let's educate our french brothers on what the anglophone problem is. They can by so knowing join us to have a calm solution to this problem from the regime in place.
Thanks

[Tayong]

Dear Mr Shey
Your article merits publishing in my media thus with your permission I have put it on CIN with due respect given to you a the author.
Please let's educate our french brothers on what the anglophone problem is. They can by so knowing join us to have a calm solution to this problem from the regime in place.
Thanks

[andre fokam]

Hi to you all my Cameroonian brothers and sister from the ANGLOPHONE part of the country. I feel disheartened when i read all the SCNC fanatics comment on this forum. i cry for Africa because it shows that our way out of misery is still very long. it is a serious mistake to think that all your problems come from the francophone and by the time you get rid of them all will be wonderful in your part of the country.
i am a FRANCOPHONE by your definition. I am of Bamileke origins, born in Ebolowa, grew up in Yaoundé, and went to university in Nigeria and now in USA.
i was lucky to travel a lot in Africa. Beside Nigeria, I visited Benin, Togo, Ghana, cote-d'ivoire. Do you know what? ALL these country, ANGLOPHONE AND FRANCOPHONE ARE the SAME!!! YES, THE SAME. They have the same problems.
you the SCNC fanatics are so proud of calling yourself ANGLOPHONE, proud of your ANGLOSAXON culture. It is a SHAME to our African race. What about your own culture? Why don't you take pride in identifying yourself with your African culture which in fact is similar to that of your francophone brothers? What is the real difference between a Bamenda man and a Bafoussam man? a Limbe man and a Douala man. if you want to create division based on the language that your colonial masters imposed on your ancestors (who by the way fought them) we have no future. Please name any other group in the world out of Africa who is fighting
for independence based on foreign imposed languages. Eritrea, East-Timor, and all others are people who identify themselves with a common ethnic origin. if you have lived in Cameroon you will know that a Bakweri man is closer to a Douala man than to a Batibo man. a Bamileke is closer to a Bamenda than to a Bulu!!! Stop that useless fight of ANGLOPHONE and FRANCOPHONE. Chirac doesn’t give a damn about me; the queen of England doesn't consider you more than ants in her garage! they are all similar in that all they want is our riches. in Nigeria and Ghana they complain about the British as i do about the French. in fact they believe the French are better because they still appear to help (which i disapprove) their former colonies while the British only care about the gold in Ghana and the oil in Nigeria. But all that debate is just useless African stupidity.
You say francophone are corrupted. Have you visited Nigeria? or Zimbabwe or Kenya. read the transparency international report again and count the number of Anglophone and francophone countries in the last 20 and tell me. read the united nation latest report on human development and do the same and tell me.
So please my brothers. DO NOT FIGHT THE WRONG BATTLE! we need to be UNITED to fight the tyrants that are supported by foreign powers to ruin our beloved continent. we need to unite to fight the CORRUPTED who rule our country and who come from all corners (north, south, east, west, Anglophone, francophone). Do you know that there are more road in the northwest than south province? That there are more Anglophones in government position than Bamileke (i challenge you to prove me wrong). our clever forefathers who fought for our independence and our unity had a great vision of a UNITED and FEDERAL CAMEROON. Let fight for that vision to come true. THAT IS THE USEFUL FIGHT.( to be continued)

Andre Fokam
Minneapolis, USA

[Ma Mary]

An Article by the Australian journalist:

http://www.opendemocracy.net/democracy-africa_democracy/cameroon_3052.jsp

[Ma Mary]

It is interesting when francophones start talking about a federation. We had this discussion over a decade ago. We were subjected to similar lectures about how federation was a threat to national unity. Andre, we have lived with you guys for over 4 decades. You give us no reason to trust you. What have you to offer except being reactive to the initiatives of the Southern Cameroons movement. FYI Southern Cameroons is not a tribe. It is not Bamileke, Bassa or Bakweri. It is an international entity with well circumscribed borders. Your people "republique du Cameroun" reneged on the federation and annexed us. That is the issue. We have no interest in the internal politics of republique du cameroun that victimizes the Bamileke.

[Ma Mary]

Sorry, the link to the Aussie's article did not work. CLICK CLICK