Gordon Brown takes a pot shot at opposition leaders in Cameroon....

Gordon Brown, makes his first appearance before the International Development Select committee yesterday, Tuesday 9 November , since stepping down as Prime Minister in May.

The International Development Committee questioned him about international efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and his ideas for nurturing growth in Africa.

And when asked about African leaders, like Paul Biya in Cameroon and Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe and others who serve more terms in power than they promise, <  I think it is very difficult for us to impose rule on African countries that we do not apply ourselves...>  the ex-prime minister told the International Development Select Committee.

The ex-prime minister answer here could and would spark major debate back in Cameroon and in Zimbabwe and Egypt and elsewhere where leaders in  power have changed or amended the constitution in order to stay longer in power and reduce efforts that opposition can use to take over the power.

By saying that it is very difficult for the British government to impose a rule on Africa countries, Gordon Brown open here a door for dictatorial government as the one in Cameroon to continue to torture and reduce efforts that the people has built after  long fights against those corrupt governments.

Even they cannot impose rules on then, there is another way those old empire could help for example with the use of economic sanctions. British officials and diplomats have appeared more focused on the potential economic gains between both countries rather than looking at the politics. It is a matter of strategical choice.

But the ex-prime minister did not mentioned a word sanction during his appearance at the select committee. Now Paul Biya and others could now have a real peace of mind that they do not have to be afraid as they  will not receive or expect any reaction or intimidation coming from Britain after the presidential election that obviously will be rigged anyway.

Brown answer could be viewed as an indication that foreign countries in a democratic African countries should not have to  interfere any more in internal political affairs and should let the people decide who they really want to rule their country. 

 And will opposition leaders in Cameroon and Zimbabwe learn from Barack Obama quote when he said < I think all of us have to fundamentally reject the notion that violence is a way to mediate our differences...>

But where there will be an outstanding and clear violation of human rights or even a rise on human rights abuses, then Britain will  react in his full capacity.

Opposition battle starts to find the leader who can take on Biya

John Fru Ndi, leader of the social democratic front ( SDF) and other leaders are now facing a battle over who should lead the fight against President Biya at the next presidential election in 2011. There are persistent quotes that the leader of the SDF will call in the next coming weeks an informal meeting that will be held at  his official residence in Ntarikon.

This will be the first time according to one insider that, the chairman will host a meeting at  his residential-palace with others leaders that himself,  after consultation with cabinet members, has selected. Fru Ndi has been under growing pressure over the past weeks by the resignation of members of the party, which critics say are inappropriate at a time that the party needs strength and solidarity ahead of the presidential elections.

 The image of the party has been damaged since  by the resignation of some key members who have decided to leave the party with mutual consent and to join another political movement conducted by Bernard Muna, one of the sons of the late former National Assembly president Salomon Tandem Muna.

He is now viewed as one of John Fru`s contender in the anglophone region even some political advisers in Cameroon do not think the same at the moment. Bernard Muna, from the North-West is regarded as better able to attack the President Biya and John Fru Ndi political ideology.

 There are also some reports saying that John Fru Ndi`s longest standing ally last week presented him with an ultimatum that could herald the beginning of the end of the fake-real face of the opposition in Cameroon. The man who for 20 years stood at John Fru Ndi`s side delivered his ultimatum in the course of a wide-ranging speech in which he criticised and even ridiculed the administration`s performance of the party by John Fru Ndi. He is being accused of neglect and mismanagement of the 20 years old political party.

As the chairman is pretending that everything is going well, his former ally speaks of moral decay and lost of confidence. Fru Ndi`s insider man think that the man who has refused to be named for legal reason,  might have receive hundreds of million francs cfa it is believed  from Etoudi to influence Fru Ndi decision and stand down.

 This is not the first time Etoudi has done this in order to weakness in some how the stronghold of the Sdf. Meanwhile this  intention of calling that meeting with some leaders of political parties outside of Yaounde, the political and administrative capital of Cameroon, has heightened the chances of the Sdf leader, president candidate, to stand against Biya and who personally endorsed several of leaders of small political parties who at the moment have no representatives in the Parliament.

 But according to some reports, the Unity Palace observers warned that John Fru Ndi`s polarising personality, which has made him deeply unpopular in most of the European countries and in the Us with some swing voters and the recent resignation of some key members of the party would lead the socialist-democrat to a more flyweight ideological figure.....

Fru Ndi initiative is being supported by Britain and the Us and also other European countries according to insiders and it is viewed as an opportunity for the opposition leaders to unite and form  something that will help them to challenge Biya. That something has not got a name yet. 

Adamou Ndam Njoya, for the Cameroon Democratic Union who attended the previous conference in Us called and organized by the Cameroon Diaspora Coalition on the future of Cameroon and Celestin Bedzigui who has sold his former political party to the Undp and lost faith in fighting  against Biya have all rejected the idea of joining Fru Ndi meeting, while Chief Mila Assoute from Paris is still unsure whether or not to join or not the meeting. 

Biya sets his spies on reporters

Paul Biya regularly orders spy chiefs to investigate, control and monitor  journalists, its was claimed  last week.

The president approves what can be see as illegal activities such as conversation tapping, following journalists movement, tracking them wherever they go, destruction of materials, setting fire and arbitrary arrest according to a revoked police officer.

Ebene, former commissioner who worked as a member of a selective team of domestic spy service in Cameroon from the CENER,( Centre National des Etudes et des Recherches...a french institution that train spies in Cameroon)  was revoked for gross misconduct by a presidential decree and now running for the presidency.

These are some of departments that the government use to monitor journalist activities and tract down leaders of the opposition movement as well.

DGRE, ( Direction General des Renseignements Exterieur , another French institution that not only train spies inside and abroad, monitor potential activists in Cameroon and abroad and they have unconstitutional right to kill when its necessary, members there have the obligation to inform the government of any activities conducted by some opposition leaders or their member`s activity's abroad, basically they work with Cameroon High Commission wherever they are in the world, 

DGSN,( Direction Generale a la Surete Nationale,) BRQ,  Bulletin du Renseignement Quotidien, another French machine that update the head of state and his assistant on daily basis on what is going on in the country regarding what would be considered as illegal activities or subversive, made the announcement while presenting his presidential candidature in Paris after being revoked by Paul Biya.

From his communication its appears that, the newly communication department at the presidency in Cameroon chaired by a formal political editor and presidential reporter Joseph Le, that the head of state has instructed the general secretary of the presidency to set up a unit dedicated to tracking journalists and their sources, it alleged.

Spies acting as journalists always work closely with journalists and police officers. Leading independent newspapers as Le Messager and his rival La Nouvelle Expression have been targeted and visited many times by government spies.

Mutations, a daily newspaper that officially is an independent newspaper but receive public funding through government adverts and others benefits  before the split that saw the birth of Le Jour has receiveded visits from spies during the night at the print..

In Cameroon as the media law does not permit journalist to sue  this kind of activities makes things very difficult for journalists. while in French for example Le Monde is preparing to sue the French government for wire-tapping a source.

Journalists who write critical articles against the government and Paul Biya are listed and known by spies and police officers. They can be invited at any police or military police office to respond to some interrogation and question about their articles and journalism work.

Most of the time without having their lawyer with them. The law is not working for journalists but against them in Cameroon and that would explain  why journalists always end-up in jails or prison without a fair trial. As the presidential election is looming, spies will now back on the streets to monitor closely journalist`s work....in a so called democratic state of cameroon?

Will this new Anglo-French military accord boost the change of management in cameroon ?

On Tuesday, November 2 in Lancaster House, President Sarkozy and David Cameron signed an agreement under which France and Britain will pool their military capabilities.

From the political view, this new alliance is presented by both governments as a signal of the strength of the bilateral relationship. It is true that this agreement will have its immediate military impact in Cameroon also ahead of the next presidential election as both countries have huge economic and military interests.

 France has a military base in the Northern region of Cameroon and Britain has his military strategic advisors working closely under the supervision of  Israelis military advisors who especially monitor presidential security. This Anglo-French military co-operation can be read in a different way.

Cameroon might receive new military materials and equipment that will increase  the country military capacity security. But for what by this time of the year as the country is not engaged in any war with any country at the moment even there are news about an organized plot coming from the Northern region where France has his military base. With Nigeria there is no real movement at the moment.

 New contracts to be signed and renewal of old ones will be on the agenda of the next joint committee France-Cameroon. If the economy is partially stabilised in Cameroon for the moment according to new reports from the International Monetary Funds and the World Bank and needed some improvement, the military agreement between France and Britain could be interpreted as an attempt by old powers to prop each up in straitened times and diffuse their differences of view and interests in Cameroon and also boost the political environment and affairs.

 Both countries have huge impact on political affairs and how the actual government is conducting business in Cameroon. Interested in a different way in Cameroon, Washington is also being closely monitored the Anglo-French alliance as a sign of the hard economic choices.

The two countries have massive interests in Cameroon with different view on how the country deals with its internal affairs. Where Britain is watching closely the monitoring of efforts to fight corruption and reduce abuses on Human Rights issue, governance and accountability, France will focus only on business and exploitation of natural resources.

Both countries have different approach on political issues for an independent state in Cameroon and also act in what they see as their strategic interests. Britain is in favor of a real power sharing that suits people aspiration while, France is for the arrival of a new deal in Cameroon with new people to take over the old regime without losing their interests and destroy what they have achieved after a long period of struggle for democracy .

Could this new Anglo-French military treaty bring the change that is needed in Cameroon where the military totally is in support of Biya`s regime ? At this time it is not easy to speculate on how the new defence deal signed between France and Britain will have a direct impact on political affairs in Cameroon and how effectively both countries will act to boost that change of management so needed by those who love to see Cameroon becoming an emergent economic country in the region and around Africa and the world.

Progress on political reform in Cameroon still slower

The progress on political reform in Cameroon since the amendment of the constitution in mid 2008 has been slower said her majesty`s government while assessing the political and economic situation in Cameroon, on Tuesday 2 November 2010 in the House of Lords.

Lord Howell of Guilford

The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford), responding to a question put forward by Lord Luce in the House of Lords, regarding the situation in Cameroon ahead of the next crucial presidential election in 2011, said,  the little  power-sharing inclusive Government have made some progress since their formation  by the beginning of 1992-1994 and until today, most notably on the stabilisation of the economy.

One thing is real and scrutiny is the stabilisation of the economy with some slower progress on political reform and also a huge deficit and lack of political system of fighting against corruption in Cameroon.

There has been a considerable increase  in the severity and frequency of human rights abuses since the amendment of the constitution by the president Paul Biya in order to be able by the constitution to run for another presidential mandate next year. From different reports and press released, there has been some improvement .

Despite this, we remain concerned about ongoing abuses, particularly around the rule of law and the hardliners' continued exploitation of their control of the security apparatus and judiciary for political ends.

 The recent constitutional reform process has shown that state actors still have a capacity for violence and intimidation with no real intention of power-sharing in the government.


 The main opposition party, the Social Democratic Front has been out off the power-sharing government since 1994 while his members of the parliament or parliamentary group still acting in the parliament.

Persistent intransigence from hardliners, including the recent unilateral appointments made by President Paul Biya , led John Fru Ndi, leader of the Sdf,  to declare  unconstitutional crisis earlier last month the job previously  done by the Elecam, the government body that will organise, and monitor  the next presidential election.

We share opposition leader's frustration in Cameroon with the lack of a real political and ambitious reforms and support them in their  determination to remain in, for those who are at the moment in  the power-sharing Government and also encourage the Sdf, now  to seek advice on ways to start a new political life on power-sharing in the government.

In the absence of a road map to credible and properly monitored elections, Biya administration continue to offer the only credible means of transforming Cameroon  and delivering basic services to its people.

But to succeed, it needs a clear commitment from all parties to work together to implement the reforms set out in the global political agreement.

We will continue to work with our international partners in considering how best to work with reformers in Cameroon  and the region, to improve prospects of reform in Cameroon and to prepare for credible and properly monitored elections. A message to them will, Cameroon, the world is watching you.

NUJ - National Union of Journalists

NUJ - National Union of Journalists

Ou sont passes les opposants a Biya?

Les opposants camerounais, et plus majoritairement les aigris, la bande de hauts fonctionnaire releves de leur fonction, les revoques de la police et autres mecontents des decisions prises par Paul Biya depuis 2007 n`arrivent meme pas a tirer le moindre benefice politique et sociale de la situation d`incertitude dans laquelle le pays y est plonge.

Face a une lutte acharnee contre la corruption engagee par Paul Biya sous la pression permanente de la France, la Grande Bretagne, l`Italie et les Usa, qui n`est autre qu`une campagne de nettoyage de la culture de l`exuberance irrationnelle et parfois meme economiquement spontanee de certains membres du gouvernement.

.< une bonne partie, etant devenu pensionnaire a la prison centrale de Kondengui a Yaounde-Cameroun..> les opposants a Biya ou ceux qui aujourd`hui se considerent comme l`etant devraient donc avoir eu le vent en poupe pour remettre officiellement et de maniere publique la gestion catastrophique et chaotique de la conduite des affaires au cameroun par la bande a Biya.

 Yaounde, Douala,  Bamenda, Garoua, Maroua, Nkongsamba, Bafoussam et etc...ces opposants apparaisent comme des defenseurs d`un cameroun devenu de plus en plus obsolete et peu credibles eux-memes face a une image d`un autre cameroun revigorant que fait miroiter Biya avec son administration.

Quel est le plan de redecollage economique que peuvent proposer ces opposants a Biya? Alors que les conflits de leadership, de controle des depenses et de representativite au sein de l`opposition s`intensifient, qu`en face la bande a Biya semble quant a elle se la tourner douce, bien qu`il existe avec persistance une certaine grogne au sein du parti proche du pouvoir.

Depuis pratiquement plus de 2 ans, les militants des partis de l`opposition a Biya manifestent et protestent sans se lasser contre les methodes et techniques arbitraires de conservation du pouvoir au sein du parti. Aucun des leaders  de l`opposition n`a jamais ose remettre en cause son leadership ni meme user le systeme de vote comme barometre pour jauger son degre de popularite au sein du parti. Tous aujourd`hui sans exception egalent des records d`impopularite.

 L`avenir aujourd`hui inquiete plus les jeunes que ces leaders politique de l`opposition. A la lecture de l`environnement socio-economique et politique au cameroun, aucun mouvement ne se dessine aujourd`hui.

Mila Asoute, president et opposant a Biya

 Une certaine opinion pense que les opposants a Biya ne feraient pas mieux aux affaires et qu`ils restent impuissants face a la montee de la fronde au sein du parti ayant la majorite au pouvoir et apparaissent impuissants a incarner un reel projet de societe pour le cameroun.

Que se soit Adamou Ndam Njoya de l`UDC, Hameni Mbieleu, Dakole du MDR, Fru Ndi du SDF, Bernard Muna, Bello Bouba de l`Undp, et les autres ne proposent encore rien a la populatiuon. Tout se passe comme si pour l`heure y a plus rien a faire. Et le suppose leader des sondages est deja donne favori par une certaine presse dite tres proche du pouvoir bien quelle porte sur elle le caractere de presse independante. Allignement? Affirmatif.

 Face a cette attitude d`inertie naissent de tous les cotes de pseudo candidats declares a l`election presidentielle de 2011.  A moins de 12 mois de la prochaine presidentielle au cameroun, seuls moins de 10 candidats se sont deja signales, et certains sans ambitieux programme de societe. Et pendant ce temps, le president sortant est deja rentre en campagne permanente pour une eventuelle controverse reelection.