Dibussi Tande: Scribbles from the Den

Hidden Treasure: Blog on Cameroon Literature in English

The Cameroonian blogosphere has grown considerably since I wrote an article in 2006 titled "Where are the Cameroonian bloggers?" Today, there are numerous online diaries, political, general interest and specialized blogs created by Cameroonians. Unfortunately, most of these very interesting blogs remain largely unknown to the general public.

One of these is the blog on Cameroon Literature in English which showcases literary works by English-speaking Cameroonian writers.

Call for Papers: International Conference on New Perspectives in Cameroon Literature?

Yaounde, 15-17 April 2009

Co-organised by the Faculty of Arts of the University of Buea, the Department of African Literature of the University of Yaoundé I and the Research Group on African & Diaspora Consciousness (GRIAD) of the University of Buea.

In collaboration with the Réseau Discours d'Afrique & LASELDI (Laboratory), Université de Franche-Comté, France.

New Issue of Success Story E-Magazine

From the Editor-in-Chief

In this Issue, we showcase more talented Cameroonians whose dynamism, creativity and courage are worth admiring. We start from Cameroon, with NDABODO TOWO who is determined to introduce innovations in the advertising landscape in Cameroon. His efforts could be seen on taxicab roofs around the city of Yaounde.

We fly to the States to read the success story of a very Cameroonian-born Scholar, Dr. JEM SPECTAR who has been inaugurated as the President of a major University in the USA. This is a true story! No Cameroonian had gone that far.

Coming back to Cameroon, we stop at the Ministry of Communication to praise the efforts of Dr. ALOBWEDE ESAMBE CHARLES, a hardworking Cameroonian who is putting his talent at the service of the State.

Citizenship in the Age of Globalization

During the African Athletics Championship which took place earlier this month in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, one of the star attractions was Cameroon’s hammer throw representative, Georgina Toth. Georgina attracted lots of media attention because she is white. A 26-year old native of Hungary, Georgina moved to the United States in 2006 after she obtained a scholarship for the Northern Arizona University where she is a Business major.

Georgina’s story an intriguing one because she does not have any tangible connection to Cameroon; she is not married to a Cameroonian, does not have children of Cameroonian ancestry and has never lived in Cameroon.

(Video) CamFranglais in Cameroon

"Cameroon is a country divided by its colonial past. Once ruled by the United Kingdom [and] previously administered by France, most speak French. The country is striving towards bilingualism in a bid to promote national unity but the road is hard. The youngsters however have found a way -- speaking, and singing, both at the same time in a chaotic mix known as CamFranglais or francanglais." (Agence France Presse).

2007: A Year of Declining Press Freedom in Africa

Culled from Press Freedom in 2007: A Year of Global Decline (Freedom House)

Press freedom declined on a global scale in 2007, with particularly worrisome trends evident in the former Soviet Union, Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. This marked the sixth straight year of overall deterioration. Improvements in a small number of countries were overshadowed by a continued, relentless assault on independent news media by a wide range of actors, in both authoritarian states and countries with relatively open media environments…

Sub-Saharan Africa: Overall, 7 countries (15 percent) were rated Free, 18 (37 percent) were rated Partly Free, and 23 (48 percent) remained Not Free in sub-Saharan Africa. The average regionwide level of press freedom declined during the year, as did the average score in the legal and political categories.

Controversy over Ebenizer Folefack Sontsa’s death: Was His Alleged Suicide a Cover-up?

Was Folefack a victim of police brutality or did he really take his own life?

• Friends say Folefack was so beat-up after the first expulsion attempt that he could barely walk straight, let alone be able to hang himself
• Those who examined his corpse at the morgue claim that there was no sign of trauma around his neck
• Inmates at the detention center say it is virtually impossible to hang oneself in the bathrooms
• Authorities at the Merksplas refugee center insist it was suicide, and that Folefack left a couple of suicide notes
• An autopsy is ordered as lawyers file suit against X.

Two news reports from Belgian TV (in French):

Free Stuff For New & Expectant parents!

Macabre Turn in the Brussels Airlines / Serge Fosso Affair: Deportee Commits Suicide

Belgian Politicians Call for a Moratorium on Expulsions

32-year old Ebenizer Folefack Sontsa, the Cameroonian national whose violent repatriation caused a mini revolt last Saturday on a Brussels Airline flight to Douala and led to the arrest of Serge Fosso, a passenger on the flight, committed suicide yesterday at the Merksplas refugee center (picture) in Belgium.

According to news reports, Ebenizer, who was placed in isolation after Saturday’s failed expulsion attempt, used bedsheets to hang himself in a bathroom. Police had to be brought in to quell the ensuing riot by other detainees.

Lapiro de Mbanga: "Everybody to Kondengui Prison" (Music Video)

Listen to the lyrics of this song to understand why the Biya regime is determined to silence jailed protest singer Lapiro de Mbanga

In this fiery and no-holds-barred song released last year, Lapiro lashes out against the symbols of decay in today's Cameroon: A regime in power which has turned its back on all the nationalist slogans of the early years; generalized corruption that has effected every stratum of society ; an insolent and arrogant ruling elite brazenly parading symbols of ostentatious consumption (vulgar SUVs out of place on Cameroon's roads, huge castles amidst appalling squalor, some shown in the video);