By Emmanuel Konde
I read Dibussi Tande’s “France’s Dirty War in Cameroon: The Assassination of Félix-Roland Moumié (I)” and felt compelled to explore the narrative from a different perspective.
Introduction
The assassination of Cameroon’s UPC leaders Ruben Um Nyobé and Félix-Roland Moumié could not have been executed successfully without the complicity of trusted comrades within their party. We are reminded of the suspicious work of Théodore May Matip in the assassination of Um Nyobé and, in the case of Moumié, the shadowy figure of Tchaptchet looms large in the horizon. Granted, we cannot know with any degree of certainty the roles that Mayi Matip and Tchaptchet played in the assassination of Um and Moumié, respectively; for, in matters of this nature, those who know are invariably silent or tell tales intended to mislead; and those who do not know are always speculating.
Actors and Instruments
The French Secret Service (SDECE) was much like the ocean, covering areas of the world in which nationalist leaders opposed to France (the fish) it sought to eliminate inhabited. SDECE’s agents were the fishermen. The bait came in a variety of sorts, some willful, and others involuntary, accomplices. Lillian F. and Tchaptchet, respectively, fit in this category. Then, there was the fishing rod and hook, which represent the Thallium poison used to kill Moumié. Here below is a table showing the actors and instruments that were employed in the assassination of Moumié.
THE ACTORS |
THE INSTRUMENTS |
French Secret Service (SDECE) |
Ocean (Africa and the Middle East) |
William Bechtel |
Fisherman (Agent of SDECE) |
Roland-Félix Moumié |
Fish (UPC Leader) |
Jean Martin Tchaptchet |
Bait (UPC Leader in France) |
Lillian F. |
Bait (White woman used to seduce Moumie?) |
Thallium poison |
Fishing Rod and Hook |
SDECE was a spy network that monitored the activities of the Cameroon nationalists everywhere in the world. William Bechtel had earlier made contact with Moumié in Accra, Ghana in July 1961, barely three months before extending the invitation for a dinner meeting at the Plat d’argent in Geneva. The July meeting was obviously intended to win the confidence of Moumié, the young firebrand revolutionary who was about half the age of the man who would poison him. To sweeten the deal, Lillian F. was planted as an escort, and Jean Martin Tchaptchet, President of the UPC in FRANCE, was brought into the fray to provide some degree of assurance TO Moumié. Both Lillian F. and Tchaptchet were instrumental to the smooth execution of the assassination plot.
In the destruction of the Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC), much has been written about the role of the French and little attention has be directed to the failings of some, and complicity of other, Cameroonians. It is about time that scholars, journalists, and other interested researchers began a thorough and rigorous investigation of the contributions of Cameroonians to the demise of the most promising nationalist movement in colonial Africa. For my part, I begin here by examining the contributions of Moumié and Tchaptchet, leaving aside Bechtel and Lillian F.
The Failings of Moumié and Tchaptchet
What manner of fish was Moumié? What manner of bait was Tchaptchet? Let’s consider, Moumié first as fish, and Tchaptchet as bait later. Growing up in the coastal township of Victoria, we used to go fishing in the Atlantic Ocean. Frankly, I was never good at fishing. Although I seldom caught fish, on those rare occasions of good-luck, I would catch a particular kind of fish we called mutôtô. Mutôtô was an easy catch for each and every one of us because it would eat any- and every- thing attached to the hook of the fishing rod. Whether worm, snail, or a piece of fish, mutôtô would eat and mutôtô would be caught. Mutôtô was either always hungry or it was stupid. But we felt that mutôtô was actuated by gluttony, and so we made a three word short song about mutôtô that ran as follows: “Mutôtô langa fish, Mutôtô langa fish…”
We are told that Moumé was well aware of himself as a target of France’s assassination program. Even so, he opened himself to the warm embrace of a white woman and accepted to dine with a man he knew very little about in the company of a comrade who lived in France. What carelessness for a man who had a whole nation waiting for him to rule! Why? Moumié, in my conceptual framework, neatly fits the fishing metaphor of mutôtô. He was easy prey perhaps owing to his youth and inexperience; perhaps because he loved women, and thus at 34 his virility inspired him with the kind of confidence that only wisdom can hold in check. Not surprisingly, like mutôtô, Moumié fell for the bait that was dangled before him.
Tchaptchet was either complicit in the assassination of Moumié or he was damned bloody fool. He was complicit because it takes for an extraordinary fool, honored to dine with the leader of the UPC, not to have watched what a complete stranger was doing to the drink of his boss. The complicity thesis is supported by the fact that Tchaptchet was President of the French Section of the UPC. He lived in France, and had probably been prevailed upon by the French Secret Service, if not bought outright. Consequently, Tachaptchet’s invitation to Plat d’argent by Moumié had long been set up as a decoy. His role was that of a facilitator of the assassination plot, and a giver of false assurance to the targeted Moumié. Both Moumié and Tchaptchet played their roles well as designed by SDECE.
©Emmanuel Konde, November 5, 2010
It is not funny, Mr Spammer. This spammer who goes by all kinds of names is blocking discussionon this blog with his inane comments.
Posted by: Salaman | Monday, 15 November 2010 at 09:53 AM
Emmanuel Konde, although for the first time in this forum you have written an article which is not boring, I would reassure you and other Cameroonians that, Comrade Felix Moumie was not poisoned. He died of cardiovascular collapse.Today in Cameroon most people call that heart attack. Although this explanation would be viewed with suspicion, that is the truth of the matter.
Felix Moumie's autopsy revealed, he had no foreign matters in his bowels. He was quite conscious of the danger lurking him and he never ate nor drank anything he did not prepare himself. Felix Moumie went to that invitation for a conversation and not for dinner or lunch. Unlike other potentially hazardous poisons today which are difficult to trace in the bowels like arsenic acid, Thallium is traceable. The trademark of Thallium to its victim is that it renders the victims organs bluish.
Posted by: Ngon Bassa, Ph.D( Internal Medicine) | Monday, 15 November 2010 at 10:23 AM
So if this story is to be believed, what have Cameroonians learned from it? Does it make sense multiplying the number of Cameroonian parties and their branches in France and elsewhere, given this type of risk?
Posted by: John Dinga | Monday, 15 November 2010 at 11:42 AM
Ngon Bassa, while you might have a PhD in internal medicine, your information is incorrect. Thallium was found in Felix Moumie body at least 10 days BEFORE he died and the Swiss papers were full of reports about his ever worsening situation. And the autopsy reports which were also made public by the UPC confirm the Thallium poisoning version.
And regarding the improbability that Moumie could allow himself to be poisoned, recall the account of the other UPC member, Jean Martin Tchaptchet who was present at the dinner. In Frank Garbely's 2008 documentary "Mort à Genève - l'empoisonnement de Félix Moumié", Tchaptchet says that Brechtel distracted him with pictures when Moumie walked away from the table: "Je ne sais pas à quel moment cela est arrivé. On regardait les photos qu'il présentait. C'était des photos de lui avec le président Moumié à Accra. Il y avait une atmosphère de confiance. "
Yes, the UPC folks, Moumie included, were careless and too trusting of Brechtel. These are well documented facts and no amount of revisionism will change that today.
Posted by: Ngok Lituba | Monday, 15 November 2010 at 01:08 PM
Blue is the color of Thallium's antidote, a dye called Prussian Blue. Thus, if someone receives the antidote and still dies of Thallium poisoning, the organs would have assumed the color of the dye.
Ngok Lituba, your sound very confident, and I would like to know your sources. Garbely, the Swiss movie maker, who thoroughly researched Moumie's death to make the movie, subscribes to the Thallium theory.
I can understand your need to protect Dr Moumie's reputation, but he was something of a womanizer. He even had some girlfriends in the Southern Cameroons where he spent some time to escape the French. They shall remain unnamed. The French conducted some assassinations even in the Southern Cameroons. Those who are are old enough would remember some of those. In his defense, the external representative of a liberation organization has to meet with people, and cannot be totally shielded.
Posted by: femme la | Monday, 15 November 2010 at 01:34 PM
Dr Moumie at 34 died through assasination(check link) prompted by the differences in his ideological and political reasoning to that of the colonial master (France).
http://www.ina.fr/video/VDD10013067/mort-a-geneve-l-empoisonnement-de-felix-moumie.fr.html
During this time the culture of political assasination was a widely used strategy against black and african liberation movement worldwide (check Lumuba, Malcom X, Dr King etc..).
Posted by: kavava | Monday, 15 November 2010 at 03:35 PM
Docta, I no know plenty book, but wetin be difference between "explain" and "explicate"?
Posted by: Ole boy | Wednesday, 17 November 2010 at 07:47 PM