Is The (Social Democratic) Front Becoming Fun?

By Neba-Fuh (Originally published on Voice of the Oppressed)

The role of any opposition party in an established democracy is to be an unsolicited watchdog of the ruling party, while constantly aspiring to take over power through democratic means, if possible. A front is a movement aimed at achieving a specified political objective.

The launching of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) on the 26th of May 1990 revealed the mindset of the majority of Cameroonians( Both from La Republique du Cameroun and Southern Cameroons) through the midwifery of a few awakened Southern Cameroonians, who took the unprecedented decision to establish a front in an era when multipartyism had been eclipsed for over a quarter of a century.

The launching of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) on the 26th of May 1990 revealed the mindset of the majority of Cameroonians( Both from La Republique du Cameroun and Southern Cameroons) through the midwifery of a few awakened Southern Cameroonians, who took the unprecedented decision to establish a front in an era when multipartyism had been eclipsed for over a quarter of a century.

'The first formal arrangements to form the SDF were made in a meeting summoned by Ni John Fru Ndi at the Presbyterian Church Centre in Bamenda on November 11, 1989, thanks to the courage and collaboration of the late Rev. Dr . D.S. Gana, in charge of the Centre at the time. Those involved -- the founding fathers of the SDF were: Ni John Fru Ndi, Dr Siga Asanga (late), Dr Gemuh Akuchu, Justice Nyo’ Wakai, Professor Clement Ngwasiri, Mr. Vincent Feko, Mr. Albert Mukong, Dr. Carlson Anyangwe, Mr Banga James (late), Mr Aloys Tebo and Dr. Alfred Azefor (late). Dr. Tah Zacharias left the group at the early stages because the group refused his suggestion of consulting Mr S.T. Muna. During the early stages of the group meetings it was about writing a memo to UN on the marginalisation of the anglophone minority'.

(Aspects of the  History of the SDF-published in www.sdfparty.org)

 It would take the courage of Mr Ni John Fru Ndi to stage the launching of the Front on the 26th May 1990 at Ntarikon Park- Bamenda despite threats from the regime in Yaounde and even advice from well-wishers to call off the program.

At that time the 'wind of change' was blowing across Africa and arm-chair dictators like Biya were restless, expecting the worst, and ready to crush any 'out-of-the normal' school of thought that was aimed at awakening the people from their slumber. Maitre Yondo Black and Co were arrested for attempting to create a political party, and later on indicted under fabricated charges.

Amidst the heavy military presence in grassland upcountry of Bamenda,  Ni John Fru Ndi still mustered courage and went on to launch the Front. In his launching speech on that historic day, he said:

'Thank you for that faith and determination. Make no mistake and don't allow your self to be misled or misguided by anyone, no matter his station(status) in life. Democracy has never been handed over to a people on a platter of gold!..'

'...We have set as one of our goals to rid the Cameroonian society of a system that deprives it from being free men or otherwise punishing them for daring to think freely, associate freely, assemble peacefully and freely. Let us assure everyone here present that our own view of democracy is one where the people will retain their power to speak, to decide and act in the overall interest of their own society. We are searching ways and means to secure the future for the generations that will follow us. And therefore "to be democratic is to disagree about what democracy is."...'
 ( SDF Launching Speech- published in www.sdfparty.org)

Today, can we say confidently that the vision and wisdom of the men who conceived and launched the Social Democratic Front is being upheld? Has the catalyst that moved their inspiration to perspiration been sidelined? Has the Front been hijacked by individuals who are making fun of it, downplaying the sacrifices many Cameroonians have made during these years?

It will be unfair to answer these questions without putting in context the people, places and events that have made or mar the initial vision of the Front. In this case, the political arena, the regime in power, other opposition parties as well as the internal policies of the Front as well as its executives, come into play.

Without mincing words, the failures of the Front  have outshone its successes. Its continuous internal squabbles coupled with perpetual decline in popularity have caused political pundits to ponder on what have become of the energy and zeal that the Front ushered in during the nineties. Have the people's hopes been dashed or is the regime responsible for the disarray that is going on in the opposition in general,and the Front in particular?

The simple fact that the Front flip flopped on its initial vision to amplify and front the so called 'Anglophone Problem' , and instead opted to tackle a more generalized problem involving the two Cameroons, was the beginning of its shortcomings. The Mukongs, the Anyangwes, the Asangas, the Wakais, the Fekos, the Ngwasiris,the Azefors, the Bangas, the Tahs, the Akuchus and the  Fru Ndis did not congregate several times because they thought they had the solutions to the problems plaguing the Baka pigmies in the East, or the Fulbe people of the North or any other tribal minority cultural group in La Republique du Cameroun. These gentlemen met because they had a vision and a mission to take a cause by storm, and all their brainstorming was to trace a course for that cause.

This cause could  not be equated to any in-house minority squabbles which is not uncommon even in my own small village. This cause involved the deprivation of the dignity and  sovereignty of a people who have for many years occupy a second class status in a system they never bargained to join.

'The Group met at the Bastos (Yaounde) residence of (the late) Dr Siga Asanga on December 1, 1989. The anglophone problem in Cameroon was the main topic of discussion during this meeting.

However, the decisive meeting took place at the residence of Ni John Fru Ndi, in Bamenda on February 17, 1990. Present at this meeting were: Ni John Fru Ndi, Dr Gemuh Akuchu, Dr Carlson Anyangwe, Mr Vincent Feko, Dr Alfred Azefor, Dr Siga Asanga, Dr Tah Zacharias, Mr Albert Mukong and Justice Nyo’ Wakai. During this meeting the Group reviewed their plan to write a memo to the UN and instead decided to form a political party to tackle all the issues facing Cameroon'. 

(Aspects of the  History of the SDF-published in www.sdfparty.org)

Mukong and others didnot carry bags of La Republique du Cameroun's problems to table in these meetings.  Mukong's  deplorable torture experience in Ahidjo's  Tchollire political prison  was a motivation for his participation in these preparatory meetings to launch the Front. 

'Albert Mukong can be said to be the founder of the SDF and even then his original      idea was not to create a political party. Mukong was contacting these people to write a petition to the United Nations on the constant violations of his rights and the rights of other Cameroonians especially the Anglophones. It was only later and on the advice of several foreign embassies in Cameroon who were monitoring this process that the idea came to turn the Mukong protest into a full political party. Even then the original idea was not to take over power in Yaounde; the idea was to resolve the Anglophone problem, one way or another.' (SDF: Sixteen Wasted Years Under Fru Ndi- Interview- Ntemmfac A.N Ofege) - originally published in Chronicle Newspaper No. 101 of May 24-31 2006

Therefore, the 'decisive meeting' in Bamenda on the 17th of February 1990 was the first betrayal of a cause whose importance was sidelined and its vision deterred for reasons History wishes to know. The Front lost its focus on the 17th of February 1990, and what was delivered on the 26th of May that same year was an outcome of a stillbirth.

Today, nineteen years after the launch of the Front, it is survived by 'adopted children' who have grown to know their true 'identities' ushering in the aspect of divided attention, aggravated by self interest.

Today, the Front's leader Ni John Fru Ndi , still  has that ugly monster staring at him -the marginalization of the Southern Cameroonian people-or the  so called Anglophone problem-

that same monster Mukong, Akuchu, Wakai, Anyangwe and Co. set out  to chase when they met to brainstorm on the creation of a front.

The dilution of the vision during the embryonic phase of the Front, was not the only cause that weakened its propensity. There are other causes. Though the significance of the vision derailed has always been overlooked because it was just an ideological distortion, which many analysts  prefer to describe as a 'political strategy', many vehemently believe that the derailment of the focus of the 'Anglophone problem' by the Front in favour of the generalized Cameroonian approach(La Republique du Cameroun and Southern Cameroons), was like building a house on sand. It was doomed  to crumble.

Stephen Neba-Fuh is a political and social critic, human rights activist and poet who lives in Norway. He blogs at http://www.nebafuh.com/

Comments

[John Maszka]

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[TEKO NOTA GILBERT]

i constitute part of the multitude of embittered Cameroonians in the diaspora who wants real positive and meaningful change for this beloved fatherland that has been taken hostage by a few ruthless and selfish individuals. My main concern is, how do we change things from outside when every one is fleeing the country? You are writing from NORWAY while i am posting my comment from the U.S. Who then is going to take the bull by the horns?