By Fonju Ndemesah
The Cameroon political barograph seems to be controlled by the sporadic and, most often, handpicked arrest of senior government officials. The spotlight arrests seem to put under the carpet the fogeyish and namby-pamby attitude of the present chiliarchy.
Even though many citizens have understood that only a wrench from the present way of governance could produce a tangible result, another large number yearning for scapegoats seem to be carried by the emotional aura produced by the frequent arrests and detentions. Yves Michel Fotso, former director of Camair, is the latest big catch. However, can we say “Operation Epervier” marks the end to impunity in Cameroon?
It’s of no doubt to any keen observer of the Cameroonian socio-political atmosphere that the country needs to fight corruption and other hurdles on the way to development. This notwithstanding, a critical look at the successive governments, from the colonial years to the present era of “advanced democracy”, seem to portray impunity as the rule in the management of the public good. History teaches us to be very prudent! In fact, those who forget their history most often repeat their mistakes. To speak like Chinua Achebe, ‘A fly that has not learnt follows the corpse into the grave’.
The kakistocracy left by the colonial masters has continued. Scholars and keen readers of African argue that the fundamental elements and institutional foundations governing the postcolony are not different from those of the colonial period. President Ahidjo’s more than two decades of rule started and ended in an exceptional legislation characterized by violence. Some of the organizers and perpetrators of the violence are still moving around - some even boasting of their (mis)deeds.
The 2nd Republic's rigor and moralization immediately gave way to impunity. Presently, accountability seems a remote concept to any keen observer of the political landscape in Cameroon.
We still, for example, have to know the whereabouts of « les 9 disparus de Douala » . In November 2006, at least two Buea students , Ivo Obia Ngemba and Moma Bennet were shot by security forces, the perpetrators still have to answer for their crimes. In February 2008, thousand of Cameroonians went to the streets to protest against the modification of the constitution to abolish the limitation of mandate, and to say no to the rising prices of basic commodities. Government sources reported that about 40 people lost their lives. For The National Observatory of Human Rights, over 139 people were killed in the February 2008 nationwide protests. In this tense atmosphere, when everyone was looking for a voice to bring peace and help to track the criminals who shot the innocent youths, a schizophrenic speech was bestowed upon the citizens. If not of the peaceful attitude showed by the demonstrators, more innocent people would have lost their lives.
In March 2010, Germain Cyrille Ngota Ngota, alias Bibi Ngota, managing editor of the newspaper Cameroon Express was arrested by the police. He died few months later in prison; we were shamelessly informed that he died of AIDS. Till date, parents, friends, brothers and sisters of the victims are still waiting for justice to be made.
The lack of accountability and impunity have become endemic. To put it like Celestin Monga, the growing misery in the country is slowly but smoothly democratizing acts at the limit of decency. Feymania, corruption, illegal drugs and alcohol, voting without choosing, taking public goods for private goods, overseeing killings, jungle justice seem to be normal activities nowadays. Since it is not the rule of law that counts, but the rule of clans, the present elites, small or big, organized or disorganized, have come to believe that they can kick against the law as they wish - insofar as they can ascertain that they are part of hegemomic clan.
Hence, let us not follow the corpse into the grave like the stupid fly. A backward look makes us understand that impunity has been part of governance of Cameroon from the colonial to the present postcolonial period. One can thus read operation sparrow hawk as a disorganized organization, very far from promoting good governance. The many arrests and the frequent investigations opened and, oftentimes, never closed, seem more geared toward blindfolding and deceiving the people - massaging the victims, while sweeping the crimes under the carpet.
The Cameroon political barograph seems to be controlled by the sporadic and, most often, handpicked arrest of senior government officials. The spotlight arrests seem to put under the carpet the fogeyish and namby-pamby attitude of the present chiliarchy.
Even though many citizens have understood that only a wrench from the present way of governance could produce a tangible result, another large number yearning for scapegoats seem to be carried by the emotional aura produced by the frequent arrests and detentions. Yves Michel Fotso, former director of Camair, is the latest big catch. However, can we say “Operation Epervier” marks the end to impunity in Cameroon?
It’s of no doubt to any keen observer of the Cameroonian socio-political atmosphere that the country needs to fight corruption and other hurdles on the way to development. This notwithstanding, a critical look at the successive governments, from the colonial years to the present era of “advanced democracy”, seem to portray impunity as the rule in the management of the public good. History teaches us to be very prudent! In fact, those who forget their history most often repeat their mistakes. To speak like Chinua Achebe, ‘A fly that has not learnt follows the corpse into the grave’.
The kakistocracy left by the colonial masters has continued. Scholars and keen readers of African argue that the fundamental elements and institutional foundations governing the postcolony are not different from those of the colonial period. President Ahidjo’s more than two decades of rule started and ended in an exceptional legislation characterized by violence. Some of the organizers and perpetrators of the violence are still moving around - some even boasting of their (mis)deeds.
The 2nd Republic's rigor and moralization immediately gave way to impunity. Presently, accountability seems a remote concept to any keen observer of the political landscape in Cameroon.
We still, for example, have to know the whereabouts of « les 9 disparus de Douala » . In November 2006, at least two Buea students , Ivo Obia Ngemba and Moma Bennet were shot by security forces, the perpetrators still have to answer for their crimes. In February 2008, thousand of Cameroonians went to the streets to protest against the modification of the constitution to abolish the limitation of mandate, and to say no to the rising prices of basic commodities. Government sources reported that about 40 people lost their lives. For The National Observatory of Human Rights, over 139 people were killed in the February 2008 nationwide protests. In this tense atmosphere, when everyone was looking for a voice to bring peace and help to track the criminals who shot the innocent youths, a schizophrenic speech was bestowed upon the citizens. If not of the peaceful attitude showed by the demonstrators, more innocent people would have lost their lives.
In March 2010, Germain Cyrille Ngota Ngota, alias Bibi Ngota, managing editor of the newspaper Cameroon Express was arrested by the police. He died few months later in prison; we were shamelessly informed that he died of AIDS. Till date, parents, friends, brothers and sisters of the victims are still waiting for justice to be made.
The lack of accountability and impunity have become endemic. To put it like Celestin Monga, the growing misery in the country is slowly but smoothly democratizing acts at the limit of decency. Feymania, corruption, illegal drugs and alcohol, voting without choosing, taking public goods for private goods, overseeing killings, jungle justice seem to be normal activities nowadays. Since it is not the rule of law that counts, but the rule of clans, the present elites, small or big, organized or disorganized, have come to believe that they can kick against the law as they wish - insofar as they can ascertain that they are part of hegemomic clan.
Hence, let us not follow the corpse into the grave like the stupid fly. A backward look makes us understand that impunity has been part of governance of Cameroon from the colonial to the present postcolonial period. One can thus read operation sparrow hawk as a disorganized organization, very far from promoting good governance. The many arrests and the frequent investigations opened and, oftentimes, never closed, seem more geared toward blindfolding and deceiving the people - massaging the victims, while sweeping the crimes under the carpet.
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