By Elvis Tah
The Chairman of the Southern Cameroons National Council, SCNC, Chief Ayamba Ette Otun, 82, and 23 other activists were Monday, October 6, arrested and detained in Tiko.
A few of them were reportedly badly beaten, including a cameraman who sustained a broken leg.The activists, 23 men and a woman were reportedly whisked off from one Mbisah Anthony Tawie residence in Mutengene by heavily armed soldiers comprised of a special squad from Tiko, while the activists were welcoming their Chairman from the United Nations, UN.
One of the activists, Joseph Ayuk, Precinct Chairman of Tiko Central, told The Post that the meeting was convened to welcome their Chairman and to take stock of the council's activities at the UN, 10 Downing Street, London and Brussels in Belgium.
He said their Chairman was presenting a memorandum from the UN and pictures of the October 1 celebrations in London and Brussels and the state of their struggle."While we were deliberating in Fofang's residence, a contingent of policemen led by Police Commissioner, Pascal Andi, who must have been tipped off, stepped in and seized a video camera from our cameraman.
The Commissioner also barricaded the entrance to the house and called for reinforcement from a special military base in Tiko that came in a truck. They seized all of their documents, tortured, bundled the old men into the truck and drove away," said Ayuk.
The Post also gathered that when the Commissioner seized the camera, he went out and brought in two other policemen including a photographer, to shoot their pictures, but the activists stopped him. A quarrel ensued between the old men and the policemen, during which a policeman spanked one of the old men.The youngest of the activists Ngwa Ambe Cyprian is said to have insulted the men in uniform, for this reason, he was seriously beaten and handcuffed.
The Commissioner reportedly refused one of the activists from going out to relieve himself. Frustrated by the Commissioner's firmness, The Post learnt, the activist decided to piss in front of the policeman with some of the urine splashing on his (Commissioner's) trousers.
The Commissioner is said to have became furious and ordered one of his cohorts to arrest the man.
The activists said their meeting was going on just at the time when the new DO for Tiko, Augustine Awa Fonka, was being installed.They said the DO, the Brigade Commander, whose only name we got as Jean, and the Mayor of Tiko, Richard Tita Fombon, came to the scene and asked Ayamba if he had obtained permission to hold the meeting, but the Chairman told him that their meeting was not illegal and that he was simply giving the UN instructions to his militants.
Ayamba is quoted to have told the Mayor and the DO that it is rather the authorities of "La République's" government who are supposed to request for permission from the Southern Cameroons government before carrying out their activities in the Southern Cameroons region, which, according to him, is their country.
Those arrested together with Ayamba were James Sabum, 64, (National Organiser) Mathias Arrey, 59, (National Secretary) Emmanuel Fongoh, 62, (County Chairman, Victoria), Laurence Nwellem, 31, (Assistant Youth President) Sylvester Taku, 68, (Zonal Chairman) Mary Bati, Aluis Ngoe, 62, Lucas Ngoye, 59, Linus Ndikum, 70, John Babila, 62, Joseph Ndifor, 68, Wilson Fokum, 60, Fothung Agbor, 81, Jacob Sama, 70, Freeboy Acho, 62, Stephen Mbah, 56, George Tambo, 40, Moses Tindati, 36, Andrew Fokum, 45, Bless Tamfu, 55, Christian Nji, 62, Jaspa Ofon, Peter Yume 64, and Ngwa Ambe Cyprian, 28, who is the youngest and a stunch member.
Same too in March 2008, Ayuk Valerie Etta, a taxi driver and SDF member in Tiko suffered from the hands of the regime.Like wise popular musician Thomas Pierre Lambo alias Lapiro has since be languishing in jail on grounds that he incited the population during the February nation wide strike, while those guilty of the grusome killings are moving freely in the streets.
The Post learnt from a police source that some government officials monitored Ayamba's movement from the airport when he arrived, right to Mutengene, a day before the raid.
The source also said the activists are going to be charged with organising an illegal meeting, non-procession of national identification cards and insolence to government officials.
He said the activists had but foreign ID cards (Southern Cameroons ID), instead of the Republic of Cameroon national IDs.All attempts to get to Chief Ayamba failed as this Reporter was not allowed to get into the police detention facility.
Meanwhile, a "Motion on Notice" filed at the Magistrate Court, Tiko by Barrister Stanislaus Anu Ajong of the Security Law Firm, sought to move the court on Thursday, October 9, at 9am.
Anu was due then, to be seeking an order admitting the Applicants bail, pending any charges that could be preferred against them.Anu also argued that the Applicants were arrested without any warrants or document stating the reason for their arrest.That among the Applicants are 14 persons who are aged 60 and above; that they are law abiding citizens who would not jump bail and that no injustice would be caused by the grant of the application for bail.
The forces of lawlessness and disorder continue to brutalize the patriots of our motherland.They continue to occupy the land and mistreat its people by showing blatant disrespect for the lives of the youths and the elders.When the youths partake in peaceful strikes,they are shot at with teargas shells and live bullets.When the patriots exercise their right of gathering, they are arrested without warrant , are treated disdainfully even without regard to their ages.I am giving a clarion call on the occupational regime to release these patriots and heroes of our motherland with immediate effect.They are law abiding and peace loving compatriots who are unmarred by the corruption and injustice of la republique.It is idiotic to say the lack identification documents when clearly they possess ID documents of the Southern Cameroons which is their legitimate nation.They are not of La Republique's.The charge of non possession of ID card is illegal because they possess their true ID cards,their meeting was peaceful and in line with right of association and they are not insolent to the forces of la republique.Instead these forces are blatantly insolent to the Southern Cameroons and its compatriots by standing on the way of their legitimate and just course for liberation.It is shocking for Mr Richard Fombon to be the one to go and ask idiotic questions to these heroes.You as a son of the Southern Cameroons standing against the liberation activities is absolute betrayal of your motherland because of a DO job from La Republique.
The UN, the UK,the US and the rest of Europe,the whole world should know how Chief Ayamba Ette and the activists have been treated upon the return of Chief Ayamba from the UN, the UK and Belgium.This is gross violation of their human rights as la Republique has always done.I warn these forces to leave our motherland.I warn all the sell outs of our motherland to beware and to recant or to consider themselves enemies of our motherland and to await the retribution.We know what the forces of la republique are.A most unfit military force in the entire world who are only best at battling unarmed peacefully demonstrating students,unarmed patriotic elderly freedom fighters ,a force that cannot stand the sound of real bullet from thieves.We have always advocated for peace but before the circumstances push us to the wall to plunge into fierce and forceful response to this mistreatment,we send our signals of warning time and time again.The world does not want a worse than Rwanda genocide neither is it ready for it.So that is my warning to La Republique, the UN, the UK, the French government, the US, the ICJ and humanity.How on earth are Southern Cameroonians considered criminals for not possessing la Republique du Cameroon ID.On the other hand why would the Southern Cameroon not also criminalize la Republique du cameroun people for not possessing Southern Cameroon ID cards if these two are one as the fact is distorted and claimed?We want to have our identity unmitigated .
To the Do, you are just new to the scene.The commissioner should know that Pa Sabum and the rest had been held in Kondengui for 2years and did not succumb to the huge sum of money that Mr Biya proposed to them to stop the liberation movement.They were under the ill treatment of colonels and generals who could do nothing but let them free after the UN pertitioned and pressured Biya to release them without preconditions.So you commissioner you are a mister nobody to try to deter their activism likewise you DO and the governor because your president himself could not stop them.You keep waisting your time.I remember the gendermerie commander in Tiko was sacked when the ScNc hoisted their flag in front of his office and was seen by the commissioner early in the morning.Mr Commissioner,yours will surely be even in your compound and then Biya will not only sack you but will also send you to jail.So to stay away from problem, keep away from intervening with the issues of the Southern Cameroons.These people are far beyond the ambits of your power.
May God take charge of our great heroes in the hands of our enemies.Our struggle is based on the truth,God is true,therefore our struggle is based on God,therefore our struggle is in God and God is with our people in the struggle.
Legima Doh,
ScNc,Empire State
Posted by: Legima Doh | Thursday, 09 October 2008 at 07:28 PM
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6467466/I-Beg-Your-Pardon-AgainVincent-Feko
Please, report complete information about the torturers here:
http://afpheonix.typepad.com/trackandtrace/report-a-criminal-or-a-cr.html
No information is trivial. Name, address, family information. If you have the slightest information, please provide.
Posted by: Ma Mary | Thursday, 09 October 2008 at 09:10 PM
Biya and his band of thieves and killers will be visiting canada from the 16th -19 of this month. To highlight the plight of our people under this brutal regime, those of you in the US and canada should turn out en masse with placards and other symbols, and demonstrate similar to the one which took place in New York earlier this month.
Those of us who cannot make it physically can do same by sending mails en-mass to the below links. Sorry I didn´t translate them all:
HON. Stephen Joseph Harper, Premier ministre
Courriel : pm@pm.gc.ca or Harper.S@parl.gc.ca
Head of Quebec bloc :Duceppe.G@parl.gc.ca or ducepg1@parl.gc.ca
Head of canada opposition:
Dion.S@parl.gc.ca or dions1@parl.gc.ca
Head of New Democratic party: Layton.J@parl.gc.ca
Hon. David Emerson,Ministre of foreing affairs Emerson.D@parl.gc.ca
Hon. Josée Verner,Minister of women affairs and Francophonie : Verner.J@parl.gc.ca
Agence canadienne de développement international : info@acdi-cida.gc.ca
Provincial level :
La chef du Parti Québecois Pauline Marois
Pour la joindre : pmarois-chlv@assnat.qc.ca
Le premier ministre Jean Charest
Pour le joindre :
https://www.premier.gouv.qc.ca/premier-ministre/nous-joindre/courriel-formulaire.asp
Le chef de l'opposition officielle Mario Dumont
Pour le joindre : mdumont@assnat.qc.ca
La ministre : Monique GAGNON-TREMBLAY : Ministre responsable de la
Francophonie et relations internationales
Courriel : cabinet@mri.gouv.qc.
Please Be there to tell the international community, what Cameroon is like under this wife killer, or flood these mail addresses with pictures and conditions in Cameroon.
Posted by: Akume | Friday, 10 October 2008 at 05:22 AM
Once again I am amazed how this southern Cameroon issue has been greedily and selfishly used since 1961 to achieve personal aims rather than the people’s aspirations.
In the events leading up to the 1961 Plebiscite, the British and the UNO played an arbitration rule for British Cameroon independence on the proposals from the West Cameroonian leaders and the civil society. Mbile’s proposal of gaining independence as an entity was quickly rejected both by E. M. L. Endeley and J. N. Foncha and his cohorts such as S. T. Muna.
Endeley being the renown member in the Nigeria eastern house of Assembly and especially married to a his Yuruba Nigerian wife and having Nigerian Children including the late Herbert Endeley was bent to dissolve Southern Cameroon into Nigeria.
Foncha being originally from Babajoun in the West province of the French Speaking Independent Cameroon by then and hence cut off from his family was bent to dump the English speaking Cameroon to the eastern neighbours so as to be able to re-unit his family. Muna saw a political opportunity to exploit in the French Cameroon.
With the out come of the 1962 plebiscite, followed by the Foumban conference, the 1972 referendum till the 1994 Biya rebaptism of the Cameroon Nation, these individuals were still in the top jobs in Cameroon from Ahidjo to Biya regimes and have never complained. When they were out of government, they started talking of SCNC and going to the UN. They should have returned to the UNO with their greivenaces when they were still active in the government. They knew very well that the terms of the plebiscite were not like in Southern Sudan with an option for self rule in any time in future.
This simply shows the greed and selfishness of these individuals. Any body talking of this SCNC is doing that for his personal gains, not for the public interests of the individuals affected in these territories. The real problem of Anglophones in Cameroon are Anglophones in leadership position not Francophones. Today this attitude persists and this is even why the SCNC is like a multi-head snake today.
Mr. Muna and Foncha when they were out of government started talking of Anglophone marginalization. Muna was the speaker of national Assembly for more than 15 years and had a track record of blocking all the bills aimed at development especially for his constituency (Mbengwi). The only Bill that he helped passed for Mbengwe under his rule was to construct a prison. Mbengwi is today the only divisional headquarter in the NW Province not linked with a tarred road. Maybe the only small good section of road on the way is the half kilometer stretch to his Home. Was it the Francophone that Stifled process of disenclavement of Mbngwi?
Both Foncha and Muna accumulated vast land areas in Bamenda town. Now these areas between Mullang and Tassin is not anything comparable to the central park of Manhattan but a den of thieves that simply serves as a curfew between the two parts of the town. Even children are scared to fetch Firewood or pick up rotting guavas, avogados and mangoes in these vast wild areas because guards maintained by Mrs Foncha make sure nobody benefits from anything there, even school childern. Was it the francophones to develop these vast land or even redistribute them for the benefit of the lay man?
I am afraid my brothers and sisters, we have more problems with the NW-SW divides, the evil regime in power in Yaounde, tribalism etc adversely affecting our developemnt to take care of rather than allowing greedy fellows to frustrate our hopes and aspirations.
May God Bless Cameroon
Posted by: Francis Nche | Friday, 10 October 2008 at 12:07 PM
Thank your Francis.Now I could get something to take home from this comment.You have truly addressed and analyzed the issue of our fathers who had maliciously derailed from the part of truth and turned to egocentric aspirations.As much as you articulated on some serious problems to be considered, bear in mind that no such arguments can annul the raison d'etre, the legitimacy and validity of the Southern Cameroons struggle.Foncha, Muna and so on had been enmeshed in the la republique politics for their personal benefits and had reverted to the ScNc only when things became shoddy for them.This may be true and paints them black in that light but it did not and hitherto does not make the ScNc struggle illegitimate.I hope I explicated it well to you that a good lot of those named above witnessed all these give and take practices with la republique,prostitution with la republique but remained steadfast on the just course as soon as they started.We have many fellows who have committed treasonable acts against the Southern Cameroons no doubt but then we ought to give credit to those who have endured.The greatest hope and aspiration of every Southern Cameroonians is for the reinstatement and restoration of the complete independence,statehood and sovereignty of the Southern Cameroons and anything out of that is deception and futility.The kind of hope and aspiration you talk about within the confines or ambit of La Republique for Southern Cameroonians is what I call hopeless hope and vain aspiration.
God bless the Southern Cameroons,
Legima Doh,
ScNc,Empire State
Posted by: Legima Doh | Friday, 10 October 2008 at 02:09 PM
If it is to arrest old men, that is when the forces of police are prompt to answer.
When the city of Limbe is under seige by thieves, the police all crawl into their fox holes.
Toothless bull dogs!
I hate Cameroon because of this.
Posted by: MassaYo | Friday, 10 October 2008 at 04:13 PM
Francis Nche,
As a slave, what you should be fighting for is your liberation. Your words seems like you are sanctioning the colonisation of the Southern Cameroons. Our struggle is grounded on the truth and until this truth is addressed, no amount of talking here would bring peace to Cameroon. What we need is that we address all our problems as they are, be it tribalism, NW/SW divide, the colonisation of the Southern Cameroons, etc. I do not have any problem with a Bakweri man, and i also hope they do not cheat the Bayangi's and others from the South West. SW as i know is a big province, so is NW. No one will develop our country for us. Except we take our destiny into our own hands, such problems will instead multiply.
Posted by: rexon | Friday, 10 October 2008 at 05:23 PM
Southern Cameroons -The Way forward
By Neba-Fuh
The Southern Cameroons issue is one of the most important minority rights problems in the 21st century, but also the least activated as well. It is like a laboring woman who is not giving birth. We have all been caught up in the cozy confines of rhetoric, thinking that the solution will solely spring up from without.
The notion that, someone should do something about everything everyone thought anyone could do anything anytime about it, is stagnating the cause. The recent reaction by the declared Head of the Restoration Government of Southern Cameroons-Prof Carlson Anyangwe is an insightfully inciting piece intended to bridge inspiration to perspiration . How many are ready to cross that bridge, is the crux of the matter?
Without much consideration of the Prof Anyangwe's present portfolio as the declared Head of the Restoration Government,there is no gainsaying that this don has the moral authority to galvanize the Southern Cameroons populace to action. He has been steadfast in his convictions and beliefs concerning the Southern Cameroons struggle, even against all odds.
Without belaboring the course which this cause has undertaken, starting from the 1961 plebiscite fiasco through the Federation and Unitary era with La Repulique, concluding with 1984 decree by Mr Biya annulling the unitary status, Southern Cameroonians have been slaves in their own homeland. A people's identity erased,rights subdued, heritage hijacked, commonwealth exploited, values degraded. A people considered aliens in their own land.
It is out of these frustrations that the common struggle of the Southern Cameroons emerged and which has even been championed at some point by the very champions who were involved in the initial 1961 fiasco-Dr Foncha and Mr Muna before their passing on, just to name this two.
It should also be noted that it's not just mere coincidence that key players to the launching of the Social Democratic Front(SDF) in the 90s were advocates of the Southern Cameroons struggle. It wasn't also an act of naivety that most of those 'Founding Fathers' left the Front when they realized that the intents and goals set out initially were being thwarted. The All Anglophone Conference (AAC I &II) took its turn, with many of its then advocates and organizers backsliding at a later stage. The creating of SCNC, SCYL,SCAPO etc are all outfits that the Southern Cameroons struggle has put on or is putting on. Most recently and not the least are weblogs dedicated to the struggle.
Therefore it is an act of self denial for any person born of Southern Cameroons decent to deny the existence of the problem. Even for those who cannot accept the problem publicly, let them not also denounce or condemn it publicly.
The call by the Head of the Restoration Government to move from inspiration to perspiration is an opportunity for us to reflect on the undiscussed problems that have generated a lot of apathy in some Southern Cameroonians to engage fully in the struggle.
1) The problem of numbers: Citizens of the Northern zones have always outnumbered those of the Southern zones numerically(in terms of population), and the fear is that any election held in the future state of Southern Cameroons will tend to tilt to the North, since most citizens have still not minimized their tribal stereotype. This could lead to a political dominance- a problem that citizens of the resource- rich Southern zones are not overlooking.
2) The influence of the Oligarchy of La Republique by using quislings of Southern Cameroonian origin to always manipulate the poverty stricken citizens of Southern Cameroons not to yield to any liberation call is a problem, not to underestimate.
3) The problem of Anglophones who are not of Southern Cameroonian origin who have invested a great deal in Southern Cameroons should be looked into.
4) The issue of Southern Cameroonians who have invested heavily in La Republique and who are lukewarm to the struggle because of fear that they may lose their investments or businesses on the other side of the Moungo.
5) The problem of information, communication -media coverage, and sensitization on the cause at home and abroad.
6) The multiplicity of factions in the Southern Cameroons cause, is a serious setback. We can't stand divided. A unified force should be the prerequisite for an effective struggle.
7) Clearly defined plans of action: Is it boycott or engagement? If we choose boycott of issues and businesses involving La Republique, then we must study the possibility of success using this approach, the effects and how sustainable the struggle can go on with such an option.
If we choose to engage head-to -head with La Republique, then we should be involved in any struggle geared towards regime change in Yaounde and how an annihilation of the unpopular personality cult that Biya inherited from the Ahidjo era can pave a way for the Southern Cameroons issue be put on the table. To imagine that La Republique has constantly despised the Southern Cameroons cause is exacerbating and leaves room for extreme options.
What about passive resistance? What actions will be carried out to make it effective. How often? How do we drag along 'fence-sitters'? How to avoid violence when it is not intended.
8) Where to carry out demonstrations? At home and Abroad? What about choosing a week each year when Southern Cameroons in the diaspora will mobilize, come home and take part in peaceful demonstrations? A Southern Cameroons week- preferably during holidays when most of them can take their leaves. Asylum seekers can troop in through neighbouring countries-Nigeria , Gabon, Chad etc especially those who cannot arrive directly in La Republique's airports because of Asylum restrictions . That will be real sacrifice and an opportunity to commune with citizens at home for a common struggle. How much fulfilling can it be if it is for a higher cause, like the Southern Cameroons struggle.
9)Funds: No struggle or revolution comes to fruition easily without money. This is where citizens from the diaspora should be of great help.
10)Diplomacy: Any struggle for self determination becomes easily acceptable and draws more sympathy from friendly nations of Southern Cameroons if much diplomacy takes place, especially as the struggle has never taken a relatively continuous violent turn which could have drawn unsolicited attention from the international community . The UN role has not been preemptive to forestall a potential violent scenario even though the Southern Cameroons issue is no news to this body.
It is my fervent wish that the call by the declared leader of the Restoration Government of Southern Cameroons, Prof Carlson Anyangwe to all citizens ''...to hold themselves ready to execute the commands of the Restoration'' is not just one of those vocal jerks that has perpetually kept this cause in a state of coma. When decisions on actions and the constitution are drafted, the above points and many others which have not been mentioned, should be meticulously studied.
Any call to citizens will yield fruits if these petty interests and worries are taken care of. One can not over emphasize the sacrifices many devoted citizens from both the Northern zones and the Southern zones have undertaken this far with regards to the Southern Cameroons struggle.
Let's keep folding up our sleeves for there is still much work to do.
Posted by: Enongene | Saturday, 11 October 2008 at 05:58 PM
"What we need is that we address all our problems as they are, be it tribalism, NW/SW divide, the colonisation of the Southern Cameroons, etc. " - Rexon
Rexon and co., how are you going to achieve the goals of the SCNC then if the anglophones themselves are divided? or do you want Southern Cameroons to break away from La Republique and then have the SW break away from the NW to form their own union? let's be realistic. As a Northwesterner living in the SW, I can tell that your utopian vision is a farce. My relative was openly insulted in church by "sons of the soil" because he accepted to run a construction project. The "Natives" were outraged that a land project on their "soil" will be run by a "graffi" man. My family, cousins and NW friends go through this persecution everyday. I've been called "graffi" in a derogatory fashion by SWesterners ever since I could remember.
The SW to me is the same as La Republique, so when the SCNC is talking about a united Southern Cameroons I cannot help but to mock your naivety.
If the NW is ever breaking off to form its own united and independent state, sign me up. I would die for such a cause....but with SW or La Republique, I refuse to choose the lesser of two evils. NEVER!
SCNC keep wasting your time.
Posted by: UnitedstatesofAfrica | Monday, 13 October 2008 at 10:04 AM
That was great Enongene.You are greatly welcomed.
The heroes of the ScNc who were arrested were released on bail on friday the 10th of this month after spending four days in jail and are due to appear in court on the 8th of December according to sources from the Southern Cameroons.
USAfrica you could not deny the facts posed by Enongene.As a usual derailment of attention,you shifted from the main undeniable facts about the struggle to you everlasting negative attitude towards everything that is said by the comrades.It beats my imagination to hear u say,Southern Cameroons separates from La Republique, and then Southwest from the Northwest.Ha!How the hell can SW cut itself from SW?Did you mean from the Southern Cameroons?We have made it crystal clear to you that the divide and rule policy that Biya is using is the source of hatred that has been planted deep in the mindset of some southwest people and Northwest people like you.The agenda of the ScNc has no ploy of hatred between the peoples of the SW and the NW.The problem is known and understood to have been one of the weapon Mr Biya has been using to consolidate his colonization objective.True comrades and patriots of the Southern Cameroons must see it in this light and move beyond such shackles.We should be educating our fellow brethren on this rather that pouring such macabre declarations like yours.So the naivety is yours here.Both peoples from the NW and the SW have their shortcomings after been made to find themselves in such a divide and hatred by the La Republique regime.You sound like the NW people have no shortcomings in this light but the SW people have all the fault.That is not true.I am from the NW and was born and raised in Mutengene.I understand this NW SW issue so well.It is a secondary issue though not minimised by the ScNc.
You very last statement is a treasonable reasoning from the raison d'etre of the ScNc and even from Enongene's posting.Something might be dangerously wrong with you.Rethink your ideas.
God bless the Southern Cameroons.
Legima Doh,
ScNc,New York
Posted by: Legima Doh | Monday, 13 October 2008 at 02:46 PM
SW from NW
Posted by: Legima Doh | Monday, 13 October 2008 at 02:47 PM
"The problem is known and understood to have been one of the weapon Mr Biya has been using to consolidate his colonization objective.True comrades and patriots of the Southern Cameroons must see it in this light and move beyond such shackles" - Legima Goat
Mr. Legima, yES! we all know that the NW/SW divide was a tactic used by Biya. We all know that and you know what, it doesn't really matter. Why doesn't it matter? because it still exists and the divide is as strong as ever. Just because we know it's a political tactic used by La Republique doesn't mean that the problem has been "fixed". I know the root of the problem but that hasn't prevented the unwarranted persecution of North Westerners in South West. So all this your Southern Cameroonians talk is crap, crap to my ears and crap to the million of North Westerners who have been trampled upon my South Westerners.
Crap, I tell you. Nothing by Crap. Keep wasting your time. The people of Southern Cameroons are singing to a different tune.
Posted by: UnitedstatesofAfrica | Monday, 13 October 2008 at 07:03 PM