Cameroon: Paul Biya, the Ghadafi of black Africa

23 February 2011
By Juliette Abandokwe

Douala, at all times the craddle of protest in Cameroon

Commemorating the massive upheaval of February 2008, where hundreds of young Cameroonians died in the shootings by Biya's security forces, today was the first day of the protest march proclaimed by Mboua Massok, the well-known and most courageous protester against Biya's regime for several decades. 

Logistically and militarily supported by France, that has extensive business "partnerships" with the regime, Biya has until now never been officially accused of crimes against humanity, although several heavily documented reports have been published on the mass human rights violations that took place in 2008. 

Since Monday, armed forces have been flooding the city of Douala, terrorizing and beating up people in the streets, attempting to paralyze any attempt of protest. 

However determined and convinced, most people felt forced to stay inside their homes today, because of the overwhelming deterrence efforts by Biya's troops. Terror has been the number one method for the regime since he came into power in 1982.

Nevertheless a few courageous ones attempted a potentially deadly outing. And more will doubtlessly do so in the next days. 

The "security forces" we see in the video below have been trained to kill and to torture. 

Like ferocious animals they can only be content by sheding the blood of their own people.

Human life has absolutely not value in their eyes. 

They are the best and most obvious symbol of Biya's 29 year old bloodthirsty regime. 

Several party leaders have been wounded by bat beatings, and some were arrested. In all, about 30 people have been arrested today, and are kept in a completely overcrowded and inhumanely insalubrious New-Bell prison with absolutely no prospect of legal support or a fair trial.

As the people of Douala are resting for the night, it is hard to say how the situation will evolve. Nevertheless the Cameroonians are totally fed up with the social and economic situation, rotten by extrem corruption, impunity and poverty. Biya has made no attempts towards the welfare of his people, and millions of Cameroonians are exiled all over the world. Cameroon is one of the potentially richest countries in Africa.

It is also a well-known fact that Biya & Co dwell in the Intercontinental Hotel in Geneva no less than ten months out of twelve, at the expenses of Cameroonian public funds. In fact nobody ever knows exactly where he is between Switzerland and Cameroon. 

France is covering him, Switzerland is covering him, as well as others within the international community. They are therefore accomplices to gross human rights violations, as well as crime against humanity in Cameroon.