By Orock Eta
After a meeting between Government officials and some leaders of transporters syndicates in Yaounde, the government of Cameroon, Wednesday, February 27, reduced the prices of petroleum products
Petrol, which
sold at FCFA 600 saw a 6 franc reduction to FCFA 594, Gas oil from FCFA 600 to FCFA
545 and the price of kerosene came down from FCFA 400 to FCFA 375. Government
also promised to offer free training to some urban transporters and lifted an ordinance where drivers had to pay an FCFA 25.000 for being wrongly parked.
In another
development, the Government announced the construction of the Yaounde-Douala
high way by a South African company to begin in June, 2008. The government
called on Cameroonians to go back to work after a two-day economic slump.
Early
this Wednesday, a few students who struggled to attend classes were seen coming
back home since their lecturers couldn’t make it to school. One could also hear
the forces of law and order firing teargas canisters around Buea. Reports say
it is the same in most places all over the country.In Douala, activities at the airport have been paralysed. Many more people have been killed, especially in Douala.
In Kumba, it is said the Divisional offices of Basic Education, Town Planning, Lands, Welfare were looted and burnt down Yesterday. Two Total fueling stations were also completely looted and destroyed. A safe in the Treasury was also broken and money carried away by protesters.
Police were pushed right into their offices on the first floor as protesters burnt down the police canteen and another building used by the Special Branch and Territorial Surveillance services. Rioters also put part of the main police building on fire and released all persons from the cell. Police only fired in the air from their cover.
A pickup load of soldiers was drafted into town about 4.00pm and the opened fire at a maddening crowd that had surrounded the police station. Two persons received bullets are are being treated in the Presbyterian Health Centre in Kumba now.
Many others also sustained
serious injuries from the commotion. More forces drove into town at
about 8.00 pm. and are today stationed in front of governments offices
and courts and around the main market that remains closed today.
While it is calm today in one part of the town, Buea Road, with a
few commercial bikes and private cars moving around. Roads in Fiango
remain barricaded. All business places in town are still closed and the
streets are crowded with pedestrians moving up and down.
People lost
trust in the official media whom they say doesn’t give the real situation in the
field. With the emergence of private radio, TV stations and cell phones, people
where abreast with the tempo of affairs from the various provinces. In Buea,
there has been an exchange of teargas and stones between law officers and the
population.
They still mount barricades on the high way as they descend towards
Molyko, while a contingent of mixed forces clear them off. The Police also
forcely open stores along the road to get out protesters and to molest onlookers.
The streets of Buea are completely empty
and reports say one person was shot dead a few hours a go. The forces of law
and order seized this reporter’s camera, telling him to clear-off some of the
debris mounted by protesters.
He was also asked to delete all the pictures he
had taken in the course of the strike. However, after negotiations with one of
the top military officers the camera was handed to him.
The Crisis In Cameroon hosted by jimbimedia.
Chat about what's on your mind. More about public chats.
Deleting you pictures tells us how the Biya regime is bent on misleading Cameroonians. We will fight to our last breath.
Posted by: Abdou | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 06:56 AM
Government response to our strike is really a provocation. We will intensify this strike to show to them that we are not joking.
Posted by: Abdou | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 07:02 AM
So now the Douala- Yaounde is going to be reconstructed. What about Kumba- Mamfe- Bamenda?
Posted by: Fonngang | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 07:10 AM
And the work on the Douala Yaounde is supposed to begin in June 2008. Its only three months from now. They must be kidding.
Posted by: Fonngang | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 07:14 AM
Fonngang wrote:
"So now the Douala- Yaounde is going to be reconstructed. What about Kumba- Mamfe- Bamenda"?
The feasibility studies for the Kumba-Mamfe-Bamenda-Ring roads have not yet been finalized.You are reminded that they have been going for over 40 years today.It could also be that the CPDM elites, the Fons/Chiefs of these Southern Cameroons counties have not yet sent enough motions of deferment to the King in Yaounde.
Posted by: Mburlih | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 08:07 AM
Man!! in just three months they say work is going to begin when did they do all the feasibility studies? These guys are high level 419ners.
Like you rightly asked my brother Fongang, what about the Buea-Kumba-Mamfe-Bamenda road?
Seriously this nonsense must come to stop.
Posted by: Zabas | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 08:41 AM
the insignificant decrease in fuel prices is just one in a million of the solutions as to why the cameroonians are in the street demanding for the restoration of their rights.my follow brethrens,we have been silent for too long,is high time we make the regime in power to understand that we are not cawards.accepting the minor decrease in the price of fuel as a solution to our problems will be a turning point for more deceipt,manipulation and the destruction of our beloved nation(Kamerun)we the cameroonians in the diaspora are solidly be you.the biggest tboy
Posted by: the biggest tboy | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 09:46 AM
the biya government know how to manupulate with cameroonians went everthe people on te street biya and his government will give them fake promise.the insignificnt decrease in the prices of fuel is not a solution to cameroonian problems.selling fuel in a poventy stricken cameroon at the same price like in some rich european states like spain is a mockery.let biya go he has wrong us alot
Posted by: bultixon | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 10:35 AM
Where is Paul Biya in all this? He claims to be the leader of the country but now that the country is going up in flames he has taken cover as usual. And to hear him address the youth just this February gave the impression that he knew what he was talking about. Now that the young people are violently manifesting their distrust of him, he is instead delegating people to stand for him. Is the situation in Cameroon not dire enough to warrant his appeal to the people?
And now his bandaging act, as is usually the case, is to reduce fuel prices and promise constructing roads. How does that address the real problem which is that of the uncemployed youth? How does that address the real problem which is that of the youth's distrust of Biya who has indicated that he does not care about them?
Probably his French advisers are now asking him to stay quiet and politically manipulate the situation as he did in the past. Paul Biya fails to notice that what these foreign advisers ask him to do to his own people is what they cannot do to their own people in France. See how the blatant disregard for human life is perpetrated by the killing of young people by the very forces that was supposed to be protecting them? The western governments that are teleguiding Biya to kill his own people cannot kill their own people like that. And yet, Biya and his cohorts, in their characteristic stupidity, listen to these westtern advisers who do not even have the well being of Cameroonians at heart. The sooner we start having respect for our own people and treat them as if they mattered, the better for all of us. Paul Biya cannot expect Cameroonians to respect each other when he is teaching them such contempt for human life.
The deaths that have resulted from the violence have not even been addressed; people have simply been asked to return to work because the price for fuel has been lowered. What a strange sense leadership!
Posted by: Clear | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 11:23 AM
Where is Paul Biya in all this? He claims to be the leader of the country but now that the country is going up in flames he has taken cover as usual. And to hear him address the youth just this February gave the impression that he knew what he was talking about. Now that the young people are violently manifesting their distrust of him, he is instead delegating people to stand for him. Is the situation in Cameroon not dire enough to warrant his appeal to the people?
And now his bandaging act, as is usually the case, is to reduce fuel prices and promise constructing roads. How does that address the real problem which is that of the uncemployed youth? How does that address the real problem which is that of the youth's distrust of Biya who has indicated that he does not care about them?
Probably his French advisers are now asking him to stay quiet and politically manipulate the situation as he did in the past. Paul Biya fails to notice that what these foreign advisers ask him to do to his own people is what they cannot do to their own people in France. See how the blatant disregard for human life is perpetrated by the killing of young people by the very forces that was supposed to be protecting them? The western governments that are teleguiding Biya to kill his own people cannot kill their own people like that. And yet, Biya and his cohorts, in their characteristic stupidity, listen to these westtern advisers who do not even have the well being of Cameroonians at heart. The sooner we start having respect for our own people and treat them as if they mattered, the better for all of us. Paul Biya cannot expect Cameroonians to respect each other when he is teaching them such contempt for human life.
The deaths that have resulted from the violence have not even been addressed; people have simply been asked to return to work because the price for fuel has been lowered. What a strange sense leadership!
Posted by: Clear | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 11:24 AM
It is very frustrating, we are tired of this sinking ship called cameroon and now is the time that we must express our hearts to those buffoons in Yaounde called 'our representatives,' who are only concerned about their fat bellies thinking that those who they claim to represent are worth nothing. this time no cheap promises should change our stand, Biya is long over due with all his cronies and they must go, please we should watch carefully to know those parliamentarians who are canvasing for constitution amendment to keep Biya in power so that we will handle them unorthodoxly. No going back this time. Remember that the ideal situation is that no parliamentarian is suppose to vote against the wish of the people he/she represents.
Posted by: fosta007 | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 11:29 AM
hey fuel is even cheaper in spain than in cameroon,
that is not even the point,biya should pack his bag and leave cameroon in peace or he will be forced to leave in pieces.
Posted by: gimpokpok | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 12:57 PM
hey fuel is even cheaper in spain than in cameroon,
that is not even the point,biya should pack his bag and leave cameroon in peace or he will be forced to leave in pieces.
Posted by: gimpokpok | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 01:00 PM
I thing our country is caught up in the web created by financial institutions such as IMF and World Bank.They are destroying African nations and making them poorer with their HIPIC initiative.We're better off without them.Biya has to notice this first other wise prices of good and services will continue to rise.
God chooses leaders and he will surely set us free from the hands of the devil.Let's put all in prayers
Posted by: Marce | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 01:01 PM
I would first of all thank all cameroonians who have decided to stand up this time and I hope we will continue come the constitutional change. Members of parliament vote for the change and buy your coffins thereafter. You guys know you represent nobody (rdpc parliamentarians)with the hyper majority. Paul Biya has promised constructing the Yaounde/Douala highway and we hear this only when cameroonians stand up against fuel prices. What has the construction of this road got to do with the frustrations of the cameroonian people. Mr. Biya once told the people of Northwest how he was personally going to supervise the construction of the Ring Road. 26 years after.... May be Achidi, Abety, Angwafor, Nji Fedelis, tyrant doh and a host of other northwest fools have an answer to this.
To the so called South African company coming to construct the Yaounde/Douala high if at all, be very careful for cameroon problem now is not that road but the suffering of cameroonian people. Mandela ruled for 4 years and gave way to the next person but that is not the same thing in Cameroon. We want Biya to go. Do not risk your equipment for Cameroon is at its breaking point and we all are prepared to die
Posted by: Delors | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 01:03 PM
O boy, i think say your time done pass.We done over hear you. We done dier you. I beg, live that place make other man come be there make we see as yi go be.
I`m very happy that we have all come to understand what we really want in this country Cameroon. It has been long we have been in silent pains and suffering. We cannot continue like this. We need change and the change most come.We will continue the strike because the amount reduced is very insignificant and all the problems have not been addressed or solved. We have been told many fake promises and none of it has been furfiled. Now they said they want to reconstruct Douala- Yaounde, what about Kumba- Mamfe- Bamenda, Tombel, mbonge ect.
If we don`t continue the strik, nothing will be done.Cameroonians should wakeup, the time is now. The evil one is there and has many ways to manipulate Cameroonians. This is what he and his big belles in y`de have been doing for over the years. Even Juses christ is not happy with the manipulation of his poeple. Only GOD can help us. Let`s keep on praying over these calamities. One day yi go better.
Posted by: mcmix | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 04:59 PM
Mr Biya reduced the salaries of civil servants of the country to more than 60 percent, but can only reduce the price of petrol by 6 francs. This man should go, now and now.
Posted by: rexon | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 05:15 PM
Like Nero before him, Biya fiddles on the constitution, whilst around him, his towns are burning. Beware of the ides of March, Mr. President.
Trouble is we do not have any Brutus within his ranks! Maybe tis the time for the Game Goat et al to flex their muscle and wrest from La Camerounese what is rightfully theirs.
Have not read anything from them yet, may be they are already at the fore-front of battle. Good luck chaps.
Posted by: Danny Boy | Wednesday, 27 February 2008 at 06:25 PM