Cameroon’s Diaspora-driven Cyberspace: A Platform for Civic Engagement or a Threat to the Biya Regime?

By Dibussi Tande

Simply put, the Biya regime has never viewed Cameroonian cyberspace as a viable space for civic engagement and public discourse, instead, it sees it as a threat to the regime – a space that must either be controlled, co-opted, contained, or simply coerced into submission.

Why and how the Biya Regime is obsessed with controlling online speech and muzzling Diaspora political activism.

On February 22, 2011, Issa Tchiroma, Cameroon’s Minister of Communications and the Government Spokesperson organized a press conference in which he lashed out at Cameroonians in the Diaspora for using Facebook and Twitter to try and launch Egypt-type protests in Cameroon:

"They are quietly living abroad and it is easy to send messages through the Internet or Facebook, instigating people to demonstrate. If they are sincere, let them come back to the country and compete within the ambit of the law for political positions. Government is aware of the intoxication, and these same Cameroonians in the Diaspora have been disenfranchised because of their treacherous behavior... Cameroonian families would not allow their children to go to the streets to be massacred."

The Minister did not explain why citizens exercising their constitutionally-protected right of freedom of assembly and free speech would be “massacred” and by whom…

Barely three weeks later on March 8 2011, mobile phone operator, MTN, announced that it was suspending its Twitter via SMS service in Cameroon after the government demanded it to do so for reasons of “state security” [the service was restored 10 days later after widespread international outcry].

Although observers with only a passing interest in Cameroon were stunned by the virulence of the Minister’s declarations against the Cameroonian Diaspora and by the regime’s brazen attempt to stifle online speech with the Twitter ban, these were just the latest in a series of actions and statements targeting the Diaspora and the Internet going back nearly a decade. In fact, demonizing the Diaspora is a longstanding tradition of Cameroonian authorities beginning with the Ahidjo regime which made it a national hobby of lashing out at "anti- nationalists" and "subversives" abroad.

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Comments

[Peter Vakunta]

There is not an iota of doubt that the Cameroonian Diaspora is the Achille's Heel of Biya's regime. No one in their right minds is taken aback by the fact that the ludicrous contraptions called "Communications Centers" created with the help of the demented minister of Communications are monumental flops. How can people whose brains are filled with bubbles of alchohol muster the cognitive steel that is needed to keep abreast of events in cyberspace and to counter well-reasoned write-ups posted by Cameroonian intellectuals living abroad? Biya and cohorts are frauds that excel in double-speak. They condemn Cameroonian Diasporans who have recourse to cyberspace to air their grievances against a rotten regime. At the same time, Biya and his spin doctors do not hesitate to resort to cyberspace to throw dust into the eyes of France and the rest of the international community about the true state of affairs in Cameroon. I read with shock an article published on www.rfi.fr written by Biya's regime. This is purported to be a New Year's Eve message sent by Biya and Chantal sent to all owners of cellphones sold by MTN and Orange Cameoon. Here is an excerpt: "Monsieur le président de la République et Madame Chantal Biya vous présentent leurs vœux de santé et de bonheur pour l’année 2011 ». C’est le message qu’ont reçu à leur grande surprise les abonnés des trois compagnies de téléphonie mobile exerçant au Cameroun au soir de la Saint-Sylvestre. Certains SMS continuent d’arriver en début de semaine, en raison de l’ampleur de l’opération qui concernerait à terme sept millions d’abonnés, selon un responsable de l’opérateur privé Orange Cameroun." To read the entire article, please visit:
http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20110106-cameroun-voeux-president-biya-sms

Jacques Fame Ndongo and his lame duck president should desist from making a fool of themselves. We are not in the Diaspora because we are any less patriotic than Mr. biya and his ilk who all have dual citizenships (Cameroonian and French). Crooks like these lack the moral high on which to stand and preach patriotism to us.
Dr. Vakunta

[Pryde]

Docta don vex!!!:-)

[njimaforboy]

Na thing for vex. De bandit called Paul Biya e own don too much. Time don reach for cut e blankos put am for e mouth.

[Mallam Shehu]

Life in California must be pretty traumatising! @Njimaforchild, are you tired of being a homo escort? More than 20yrs of unsuccessful asylum seeking is really not healthy for any human brain!

[Osana Mbing Laughin]

Mallam Shehu, Berlin, Germany
njimaforboy, LA California
what on earth is the difference. Shehu, you are also a damm bushfallr, stop pretendin;

[Felix]

When a Might government like the USA is caught up in Cyber technology, who are these tyrants in Cameroon to write those laws limiting the freedom to use the internet?.
It is high time some of these leader goes back to school to learn.By writing this law and trying to limit freedom of information I belief they are calling for a Battle they will ford to loose.
It is now time to dig on the information of all those ministers together with their private life and put here on the internet.
I hope a call to the Group Anon can be made to teach these people a lesson that the internet was not made to people like them.

[Gan Charles]

Diaspora does not have the organization to effect change in Cameroon.
It is one thing to expose facts but entirely erroneous to spread unfounded rumours. Rumours hurt the credibility of the perpetrator. Yes the Government, as well as anyone defamed by unsubstansiated romours, has the right to defend itself.
The problem with the so-called Diaspora elements is that they are so fragmented with different agendas, some being outright vandetta against the Government more for personal, selfish reasons and less for the interest of the Cameroon people. I am no defender of the Government, in fact I am one of its harshest criticts. But, for heavens sake get your fact straight before making it public or you end up looking follish.
On the other hand, due to the lack of credibility and unity amongst those claiming to be leaders in Diaspora, there has not been a united front that has been able to bring the force to bear on the administration and demand the necessary accountability and change.
What you are left with is a hodge podge of egocentric individuals dissiminating unfounded roumours as fact. Wonder why the government is still in power.
Cameroonians abroad have organized mostly on tribal rather than ideological lines. This feeds to the ethnic divde that is prevalent in Cameroon and plays right into the hands of the Goverment. You would think that living overseas and experiencing democracies that have succeeded on ideological grounds would make Cameroonians change thier behaviour and come together as one committed to influencing the direction of Cameroon on common grounds. Not so. Cameroonians have carried their tribal divisions, distrust and dismissal without verification of anyone with a new idea and a lack of committment and support that is required for the success of all movements for change, especially the ones that seek to change entrenched currupt societies.
Cameroonians can maintain thier tribal afflilations for cultural and ethnic reasons but need to remove tribal barriers when it comes to nation building.

[Osana Mbing Laughin]

Gan Charles you are full of sht. There is no country on earth where the internet is not a raucous place, full of wide varieties of opinions ranging from wild conspiracy theories to serious journalism and science. Discerning people learn to tell the difference. Fools swallow everything. Cameroon's misrulers panic. See: http://bit.ly/kJrYP7

[Gan Charles]

Osana Mbing Laughin - Calling me names will not change the facts as I have outlined them. It is mentality like yours that has blinded the Cameroonians that propose change from conducting their leadership in a manner that rises above that of the present government.
You seem to think that the movements for change is not succeeding because the government in putting restrictions on the internet. The question I have for you is what messages do you or all the other change agents have that will rally the majority of Cameroonians to come out en masse to protest? You and all those that want change have no credibility - zero. That's why you have nothing to show for it, internet or otherwise.
You can challenge me all you want - the results speak for themselves.
My advise to you - I assume you are in Diaspora -is to get organized and raise funds , plenty of it. When that happens you will be in a position to influence affairs in Cameroon. Until Cameroonians are willing to put their money, energy and committment to change we will continue to be frustrated. I think that is what you are experiencing. I am not the enemy.

[Osana Mbing Laughin]

General Gan, sir, there is no such monolith as a "diaspora". It is as complex and as diverse as can be and there is a cacophony of voices. It is not an army. The internet has created the possibility of these voices being heard. Perhaps somewhere there, the army that you envisage could emerge, or perhaps a singular voice. Sorry to disappoint you sir, but there are many people who just relish the opportunity to say their piece, and are thankful for the opportunity to be able to say screw you, screw Paul Biya, screw Philo Yang. Wow, that feels good.

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