By Aloysius AGENDIA
The current wave of events in North Africa indicates that true freedom can only come through a genuine popular revolt and not tele-guided by some external forces who claim to love us more than we love ourselves. The streets spoke and the Tunisian dictator, Ben Ali, a hitherto darling of those who claim to speak for the international community fell. The streets again are speaking in Egypt and another dictator who has oppressed his people and supported by the same group of external forces is about falling. These two events if totally successful in bringing about radical changes in the most facets of the Egyptian and Tunisian society according to the wishes of the people, would be in no way different from the Iranian 1979 Revolution that brought down the “international community” backed dictator or again the revolts could be likened to the 1879 French Revolution that transformed France.
In view of the popular unrest in Tunisia and Egypt some leaders/rulers of other Middle Eastern /Arab countries like Jordan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Algeria and Quatar are making some cosmetic changes to please the population. Which country could then follow after Tunisia and Egypt?
My stand on
the events in the North Africa is that for any meaningful change to take place
in my own country Cameroon or any other country in Africa, South of the Sahara,
it must be genuinely led by compatriots who will count only on fellow compatriots.
It must not be compatriots conniving with external forces to bring down the
current dictators. Such moves will only postpone the greater bulk of our worries.
Against that background, and in relation
to seemingly disorganised civil society in Cameroon, I would urge that
Cameroonians hold their peace and wait for the next polls.
My take is that we encourage those in Cameroon to massively register and
vote. I strongly believe that elections have been continuously easily rigged
because participation has been very poor. When people massively register and
vote, then in occasions where they feel that their votes have been tempered
with, they can then take measures to defend their votes.
So far, Mr Biya has refused to create an Independent Electoral Commission. But
should we just fold our hands because he has not done so? I don't think
so. The pressure will continue. Meantime.....
I would have suggested that the largest opposition party campaigns with other
parties and organisations for mass civil actions/disobedience and a total boycott
of all government activities and institutions. Such a popular move would have
been the best strategy to bring about genuine change. However, a similar spontaneous
but disorganised move was tried in February 2008 and the reaction from the
government was swift. It repressed it and killed about 200 Cameroonians within
3 days of unrest.
It therefore seems that a popular uprising led
by the opposition and civil society seems difficult, unlikely but not
impossible. This principally because the opposition and most civil societies in
Cameroon operate in very dispersed ranks. For such a move to succeed in Cameroon, it must
be well planned and taking into consideration the religious, party and most of
all, ethnic divides that are killing the country. This again adds reason to why
I urge Cameroonians at home to massively register, vote and defend their votes
if they feel cheated.
The wave of events in Tunisia and Egypt is also an eye opener for those who
think that they will continue rigging elections or oppressing their own people
with or without external support. Unconfirmed and highly suspicious reports say
in reaction to the events in Tunisia and Egypt, President Paul Biya of Cameroon
is suggesting to his entourage that he may not take part in the next election.
However, most people fail to understand that even if Biya does not take part in
the elections and ELecam ( electoral body) fails to organised transparent election, pre
Biya would just be as post Biya, ie, suffering, corruption, injustice, impunity
etc.
Impact of the Situation in Cote D Ivoire on
Cameroon and Africa.
The outcome of the current situation in Cote D Ivoire may likely shape sub Saharan
African politics either in the right or wrong direction for the next decades. There is incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo
whose support overwhelmingly lies with Ivoirians and a few nations. On the
other hand is Alasane Ouatara whose diplomatic connections and offensive has
lined a great number of organisations and foreign countries on his side.
Both men claim to have won the November 28. 2010 polls after which the Electoral Commission declared disputed result which showed that Alasane Ouatara won by 54 percent against t 46 for Gbagbo. However, the Constitutional Council which has the final say on electoral matters in the country said Alasane Ouatara‘s supposed victory was shrouded in fraud and with a cancellation of the fraud, he lost his to Gbagbo by 48 to 51 percent of votes cast. Since then, the battle for final victory is no longer played in Cote D Ivoire given that Africans vote but do not decide.
Linking the Ivorian situation to Cameroon, my
take is that any candidate who wants change in Cameroon must prioritise working
with Cameroonians and not certainly with USA, Britain, France, UN, EU, IMF,
World Bank etc. I am not saying that the latter are not important.
However, this is because supposed future president or leader is not going to
lead these institutions but Cameroonians.
If the above mention institutions propel you to glory, it is not because they
support democracy or want the development of your country. It is because
they think you may represent their interest. So, real change must be in
Cameroon and with Cameroonians. When we propel ourselves to power through
popular vote or popular and genuine uprising, we could then look for our
partners which may include the institutions i mentioned above.
Most of us had been rightly or wrongly thinking that it was far better in
Tunisia or Egypt. But Tunisians themselves were in hell and they decided to start
their liberation from hell without any direct external order or influence. They
could not bear it any longer.
Against that background, i say that the change we want is in Cameroon and it
belongs first to those in the country. Those of us out of the country can
contribute in ideas on how to effect the change. I will not support someone who
thinks that because Biya has rigged elections, France, Nigeria, Cemac, UN
etc should bring troops to remove Biya and in the process kill Cameroonians and
again, worst of all, if our "victory" over Biya is said to have been
overshadowed by fraud. That is certainly not the way out for us.
I count on the ability of that person be in political party of candidate
to mobilise Cameroonians themselves to bring about the change they want. If
that person is not able or, if Cameroonians are not able, it implies
that they (Cameroonians) are not ready for change or that they have not yet
developed the best strategies to bring about the change they want.
Change/freedom taken by ourselves is different from change/freedom brought to
us by our oppressors or those who have been covertly and overtly supporting our
oppressors.
It is said that people can be fooled sometimes but not all the time. Most Africans continue to be fooled all the time up till now because they believed so much in those who claimed to be fighting for their human rights, economic development, political empowerment etc. On the contrary, these people are the ones conniving and abusing the continent directly and indirectly. I strongly believe that if we are allowed in the hands of the dictators, it will come a time when the people will be fed up and revolt themselves. At that juncture, it will be true freedom. What i am saying is that any country should mine it business. Africa does not need hypocrites. So, Africa must count on themselves and no one else.