The Call To Arms of the Mfoundi Elite (English Translation)

No chaos will happen again in Mfoundi... From now hence; an eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth... We are strongly requesting those forces of destruction from wherever, to immediately leave our land because it is no longer secure for them... the living forces of Mfoundi have donned the war gear of their ancestors who fought against the Europeans.

It was not as brazen as the "ennemis dans la maison" declaration of May 1990 by the former mayor of Yaounde, Emah Basile, which was directed against Anglophone Cameroonians. Neither was it as incendiary as the anti-“Anglo-Bami” tracts distributed by Beti militia groups at the height of the “war of tracts” of 1991 such as the one below from the «Front National de la Libération du Peuple Beti» : 

"We will no longer accept the cynicism of a permanent war imposed upon us by the  brutal vandals and illiterates (Bamileke and assimilated groups) from the West… Beti people, proud warriors of the equatorial forest, let us rise up together to annihilate the imperialist onslaught of the Bamileke… this is our land” (Cited in Le Cameroun éclaté: une anthologie commentée des revendications ethniques, 1992, p. 486)

But it was definitely a thinly-veiled call to arms to the indigenous population of Yaounde / Mfoundi division reminiscent of the kind of ethno-fascist rhetoric that nearly plunged Cameroon into an ethnic civil war in 1991, and that led to the Rwandan genocide three years later.

Here is a translation of the controversial statement by certain elites of Mfoundi division of Friday February 29, 2008 which caused widespread outrage and disquiet this week, and even led to an unprecedented public disavowal by the ruling CPDM. (Translation courtesy of The Post newspaper):

Declaration By Mfoundi Elite

"We, the sons, daughters, elite, notables, traditional rulers, leaders and all living forces of Mfoundi, of all social statutes and classes, all political shades of opinion and religious backgrounds, meeting in the CPDM party house on Friday, February 29, 2008:

- After an in-depth analysis of the serious events that have taken place in our country in the past week since February 24, 2008; 
- After listening keenly to the declaration in strong terms of the Head of State to the nation in the evening of February 27, 2008;

- Thank the population of Mfoundi for their respectable and responsible behaviour;
- Recalling the nevertheless famous phrase: "When Yaounde is breathing, Cameroon is alive," made by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya himself under similar circumstances;
Declare as follows:

- Yaounde, the seat of national institutions, has a tradition of reverential hospitality and good will towards all those living, resident or in transit there. This enables them to carry on their activities freely and in total security;

- Yaounde and its population traditionally pay unalloyed loyalty to public authority, especially when such authority is vested with powers and was democratically and freely chosen like in the case of President Paul Biya;

- Hence, we are, without reservation, supporting the strong terms and serious tone in which the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, condemned those unscrupulous actors and manipulators behind the scenes, who deliberately sent children of other people- not theirs - to their death;

- We express our deep condolence to the families hit by this absurd and unjustified loss
- We are strongly opposed to those fomenting trouble and authors of all forms of vandalism on people and their property in our city, which we refuse from being transformed into a place for the practice of criminal activities and unreasonable acts.

- In line with the Head of State, we strongly and forthrightly warn those who would attempt to repeat these acts of vandalism witnessed during the past week to beware. The evil was too much! Those behind this should stop it! No chaos will happen again in Mfoundi, wherever it is coming from. We will, without hesitating and by all means, bar the way as our forefathers did in similar circumstances.

- Let it be known that we will return act for act. From now hence; an eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth.
- Neither we, nor our children, will again be compelled to trek, after sacrificing so much to acquire the means of movement in relative comfort.

- We will not accept to be hungry or thirsty, as our markets are overflowing with foodstuff and our sisters have bountiful harvests from their labour, but lack the means to transport them or for fear of looters.

- We will never accept the destruction of our roads, tarred with enormous expenditure by the national community.
- We are strongly requesting those forces of destruction from wherever, to immediately leave our land because it is no longer secure for them. That they should tell those who sent them that all the living forces of Mfoundi have donned the war gear of their ancestors who fought against the Europeans.

- We exhort our families to be vigilant to forestall all eventual acts that may breach the peace and stability in the seat of our institutions.
- Finally, we are stating and proclaiming that, the collective of the Yaounde elite, having been annoyed, Yaounde will continue to breathe with all its lungs at full function. And Cameroon will live, under the courageous and foresighted leadership of President Paul Biya.

- President Paul Biya, Mfoundi unflinchingly and in one voice, supports you.
Done in Yaounde this 29th Day of February, 2008

Thirty signatories among which are:

Andre Mama Fouda, Ze Boniface, Charles Etoundi, Messi Atangana, Olinga Ondoa Jean Paul, Tsimi Evouna Gilbert, Rose Zang Nguele, Cecile Bomba Nkolo, Martin Okouda, Onambele Zibi, Belebi Onana Francois, Eyebe Locas Emanbo, Mare Aurele Mfoukou, Oloa Zambo Anicet, Ottou Jeanne, Mbongo Anastasie, Okeng Sylvie, Fouda Marie Madaleine, Essomba Beaufort.

Comments

[Neba Funiba]

The Mfoundi elites callously and arrongantly posted their declarations on Cameroon Tribune meaning that the lion man gave the go-ahead. Well, thanks to these elites for seeing the obvious. Please, get the hell out of Southern Cameroon and make sure you cancel all Bakassi oil-sucking arrangements you have made because they shall not be honored.

SCameroonianians don't be fooled. See the story below and ask yourself when the roads from Limbe to Mamfe to Bamenda to Nkambe to Kumbo shall be tarred. How shall this AfDB loan be paid? Of course with oil money from Bakassi even though there are no roads from Cameroon to Bakassi. Visit the train Station in Kumba and you will see for yourself why this divorce is inevitable.

******************

AfDB and Cameroon Sign US $ 76.6 Million Transport Facilitation Project Loan
African Development Bank (Tunis)
February 22, 2008
http://allafrica.com/stories/200802221201.html

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group and Cameroon signed an agreement for a loan of 48 million Units of Account (UA*), equivalent to US$ 76.57 million (FCFA 36 billion) to finance the Douala-Bangui and Douala Ndjamena road corridor, linking Cameroon, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Chad. The agreement was signed on Friday in Tunis by the Bank Group's Vice President in charge of Infrastructure, Private Sector and Regional Integration, Mandla Gantsho, and Cameroon's Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Louis Paul Motaze. The two main objectives of the loan from the African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional arm of the Bank Group, are to contribute to the growth of intra- and inter-regional trade in the Economic and Monetary Union of Central African States (CEMAC) zone as well as enhance the efficiency of the transport chain, including road infrastructure, railways and access along the Douala-Ndjamena and Douala-Bangui Corridors. "The Multinational Programme falls within NEPAD's framework that is aimed at creating commercially and economically viable corridors devoid of barriers, formalities and unnecessary road blocks that are the only principal causes of undue delays and high transaction costs along these corridors," Mr. Gantsho explained after the signing ceremony. He noted that the Bank is contributing US$ 174 million in loans and grants from its multinational window under the ADF-X for the road facilitation project estimated at US$ 410 million. The other agreements for loans and grants of UA 19 million to Chad, UA 27.8 million to the Central African Republic and UA 19 Million for CEMAC, will be signed in due course, he explained. For his part, the Minister commended the "crucial role played by the AfDB in the success of this heartwarming and important operation". "The Transport Facilitation and Transit Programme of the Douala-Bangui and Douala-Ndjamena corridor is part of a sub-regional strategic investment which will enable the Republic of Cameroun, a transit country in particular, and CEMAC member states to promote and facilitate regional integration by improving free movement of people and goods," Mr. Motaze explained. He also expressed the gratitude of his government to the European Union, the French Development Agency (ADF) and the World Bank for their contribution to the project. The project is expected to improve access to the port of Douala for Chad and CAR. It will also help reduce poverty and improve the population's living environment and conditions, especially women.

Neba Funiba, MSc, MA, MA/PhD, EDFP

[Enow]

Thanks Dibussi for putting this document in context. I missed the nuances the first time I read it in one of the French language newspapers.

[Judy]

The above declaration of the Nfoundi elite is a sad reminder of the entitlement which certain ethnic groups have to the detriment of others in Cameroon. It's clear from the ton of the letter that Cameroon is composed of the Nfoundi people and whatever is good for them is good for the rest of us.

Well in case the Nfoundi people have forgotten, there are 9 other provinces. Two or more of such letters may be an eye opener for non Nfoundi Cameroonians and finally rally them against the beti/Bulu/Fong/Eton etc and then we may have a repeat of what happened in Rhwanda. The letter makes it clear that whatever grievances Cameroonians have against thier incompetent government extends to the Nfoundi elite. However the last time I checked Cameroon has about 258(or more) ethnic groups and everyone has a legitimate and equal claim.

Its amazing that despite the political unrest in Cameroon and the civil war in Chad the ADB can still sign an agreement to release funds to the current leaders in these countries. Biya is extremely unpopular and does not represent the voice of the Cameroonian people. Therefore he has no legitimacy and should not further indebt Cameroonians. Upon his departure the new government should refuse to pay back these loans. There is a lot of data out there that shows how corrupt, poverty stricken and desperate Cameroonians are. There is evidence that illuminates the blatant abuse of human rights and disregard for the rule of law. Moreover, the democracy deficit is obvious. Y does the ADB and most of the Bretton Woods institutions turn a blind eye to the suffereing of the African population and continue loaning money to their corrupt and unpopular leaders? Shame on them.

[paulo laurent]

fact is cameroun as a nation doesnt exist
is only an imagination based ona fraud.

how can two countries who had 2 seperate independence days, who came to getther not as ONE NATION, but as a con-federation, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE ARROGANCE
OF ONE MANS , PRONOUNCEMENT( AHIJO AHMADU
OF THE ANNEXATIONA OF THE OTHER COUNTRY
IT BECAMES KNOWN AS ONE COUNTRY,
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE WISH AND WILL OF THE OTHER? OF COURSE THEY HAVE TO BE SILENCE BY WAY OF FORCE, AND THATS WHAT CAMEROUNS IS ALL ABOUT. NOT A COUNTRY BUT A COUNTRIES OF COUNTRY.

BRITISH SOUTHERN CAMEROONS AND FRENCH CAMEROUN. WHOSE DESTINY IS TO SEPEPRATE
EACH APART

[Ma Mary]

DID YOU KNOW that Ahidjo, De Gaulle, Biya and friends killed more Africans than Saddam Hussein killed Arabs and Persians?

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