Movie Review: Cameroun - Autopsy of a Bungled Independence

Gaëlle Le Roy et Valérie Osouf Cameroun. Autopsie d’une Indépendance. France 5, 2008.

Early this week, the French TV network, France 5, broadcast a fascinating documentary on France’s macabre role in the violent decolonization of the French Cameroons. Using archival footage, most of which is being made public for the first time, the documentary shows how the French crushed the UPC armed insurgency. More extensive than Frank Garbely's equally compelling documentary on the assassination of Felix Moumie, autopsie covers the period from the 1944 Brazzaville conference to the 1971 execution of Ernest Ouandie, the last historic leader of the UPC.

The documentary includes revealing interviews with some of key actors from that period such as the infamous Governor of Cameroun, Pierre Messmer, who died last year. Defiant to the end, Messmer, insists that the UPC was a terrorist organization and its leader, Ruben Um Nyobe, an outlaw who deserved to die. The filmmakers also achieve the improbable feat of finally getting General Pierre Semengue to talk about his role in crushing of the UPC insurgency.

Other interviewees include veteran UPC members such as Abel Eyinga whom Ahidjo condemned to death in absentia in the 1970s, Woungly Massaga aka Commandant Kissamba, who led the ill-fated UPC “Eastern Front” rebellion in the late 1960s, and the widows of Um Nyobe and Felix Moumie.

Another highlight of the documentary is an excerpt of the only existing audio recording of Ruben UM Nyobe addressing the UN General Assembly in 1952.

The documentary by Gaëlle Le Roy and Valérie Osouf is indeed a “manifesto against amensia” as Le Jour described it. However, because it is only 52 minutes long, it glosses over some key events and issues from the period in question. But as the authors have rightly pointed out, most of the information about the "pacification" of Cameroon by the French Expeditionary Force is still classified in France, so researchers are severely limited. 

In my 2006 series on the decolonization of the French Cameroons titled "France's Dirty war” which appeared on this blog (See The Decolonization papers) I had stated that:

"Far from the glare of the international community which was distracted at the time by the liberation war in Algeria, literarily given a free pass by Western governments obsessed with the “Red Menace” on Africa; and egged on by a Western media which saw terrorism in every UPC declaration and action, France unleashed a bloody reign of terror in the French Cameroons from 1956 to 1964 which many have not hesitated to label genocide.

Between 1956 and 1964, the French army led by “Frenchmen with European and Indo-China honours” (The Daily Gleaner, Monday, July 31, 1961), sought to “pacify” rebellious UPC strongholds (first the Sanaga Maritime region in the South, then the Mungo and Bamileke regions in the West). According to The Daily Gleaner, the French used “tough some say brutal methods” to deal with the UPC rebellion. Today, available evidence shows that these methods were so brutal that they amounted to war crimes in many cases."

Autopsie d’une indépendance is the perfect postscript to the 2006 series as it gives provides audio-visual evidence of the so-called “tough some say brutal methods” of the French army in Cameroun.

If you have a broadband connection, you can download the entire documentary in AVI format from here (top right hand corner of the Home Page). It is also available here (397.5 megabytes).

Comments

[Ma Mary]

France committed serious crimes in la Republique and those psychopaths like Messmer kept justifying it into death.

Crimes against humanity investigations are still in order.

Semengue a mass murderer and torturer?

[DANGO TUMMA]

problem is the above movie is an except for the history of la republique du cameroun ad not british southern cameroons, which in 2008 still is illegally occupied by cameroun military and administration

[The Southwesterner]

Dango Tumma, how comfortable are you with that stuff you guys keep referring to as "BRITISH + SOUTHERN Cameroon. A cameroonian from the Southern,on top of that British, wow. Wonders shall never end. Emancipate yourself brother. Get over that nostalgia and come back home. Work for a new-new Cameroons and above all we are Africans if you need to be reminded again.If dont want anything to do with British. They did abandone u and i sometime again. They dont give a damn about u. Why do you want to add British to your Cameroon identity.

[Homo Sapiens]

I agree with The Southerner. I do get amused when I read comments from staunch SCNC sympathizers. Don't get me wrong, I am not oblivious to the discrimination and maltreatment of the English-speaking Cameroonians by the French-speaking Cameroonians rather I am aware because I have witnessed these issues myself.

However, either the secessionists are either idealistic or naive in their line of thought. For example they cling to colonial titles and sometimes think the "British Culture" is their culture. This does not differentiate them from the francophones in Cameroon who once called France "Home". This is a critical problem because it shows a total dependence on European identities and inability to take pride of being Cameroonian or African. Furthermore, the basic idea of secession is contradictory because before European colonization of Africa, the present-day national territories were all merged and no formal boundaries existed. Everything was carved out from the continent and silly enough, Africans happen to fight for a division that was imposed on them.

If the true form of the "secession" was to be represented, it will mean breaking grip from that foreign control, not in-fighting or separation. For such unity to take place, it ought be dissipated to the lowest level. That is, from infancy to adulthood through home education and academic institutes, the consciousness has to be set. It will not be the UN,EU or the United States to organize seminars and workshops to teach Africans about democracy and human rights, that will solve the problem. Morality stems from home training and other factors (Religion, society, etc)

Look at the example of South America, where there is a level of growing consciousness, which sorts of frightens the West. Their form of unity is exemplary. We, Africans or Cameroonians in particular exert a lot of energy fighting over the branches of a problem, without attacking the roots. It is even a common fact that in the diaspora, Cameroonians alienate themselves from one another more than any other African community.

Back to the point of naivety in the secessionist idea:
If a secession rightly takes place and the english-speaking part is a self-governing autonomy, what would be the structure for the new government. For example what form of jurisprudence shall be used: British or a self-developed traditional African system? I guess the British would be used...LOL

In addition, any autonomous self-endowed country with plenty of precious materials, is subject to some amount of bullying and threats from powerful countries, such that it either leads to a compromise or a conflict or control by the bigger power. Do "Southern" Cameroonians think the entire world will be blind to the potentials they have and not take interests? If that was the case, then France would have left Africa a long time ago. I will leave this question to Dango Tumma, Ma Mary and Co. to answer.

Africa needs unity and this will come after development of a strong mentality, that appreciates the African culture more than any culture. Mind you I am not being racist here. If we think and like foreign cultures more than ours, we are doomed to fail. If we do not learn to control our greed, such that we rely less on Western assistance and build our own structures, then all our plans will be achievable only in dreams. Quoting from Thomas Sankara: "...When people ask me about imperialism, I say to them, don't search for it faraway. It is found in the grains of rice you eat, imported rice from the West..."

Teach this to your children, friends and relations. No more unhealthy competitions amongst us, trying to portray ourselves as the favorite overseers in front of European masters...A global world where South America, Asia and Africa are self-aware will create independences in the world and equal opportunities for members of these regions

thanks for reading...

[DANGO TUMMA]

africa needs unity as free and independent nations

not as a new colonising nation over another
ie LA REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN COLONISING
SOUTHERN CAMEROONS IS NOT UNITY IS CALLED
DISUNITY.

[Samka]

Dango Tumma,

Africa can never be united if every "village" is arrogating to itself the rite to independence.These are unnecessary setbacks and distractions to the African Union(AU) ideal.African nations gained their independence from colonial rule,now is the time to unite like one African people if we have to meet the challenges of this century.Bc no peoples will advance in this era if they go about in dispersed ranks.Europeans have forged their unity,South Americans are more than ever united,Asians etc.We cannot afford to trail behind.Come out from that small thinking box of yours called the "Southern Cams" and broaden ur horizons by looking at the world from African perspective.If every African now living can become conscious just for one second that our real enemies are not Africans but Western Imperialism,I would have no shed of doubt in my mind that by the first half of this century,our continent will be back on its feet.

And Dango Tumma,note that I know u: 212-412-4905

[Ma Mary]

You have a point, Samka, about African unity but African unity that is not built on a foundation of free peoples is an error. European unity has a long, long history. Attempts at European unity go right back to the Romans, who sought to forge unity by forcing people under one roof called Pax Romana. All other attempts at European unity failed because they all followed the Roman play book of forcible unity. Charlemagne, the Hapsburgs, the popes, Napoleon and even Hitler all failed. European unity only came to be when it was not forced. Norway split from the Sweden; in our time Czechs split from Slovaks etc; Soviet Union split into its component republics and so on. Then, it was possible to forge unity based on Freedom. Unity sounds good to the ear, and Ahidjo preached that siren song, but you have got to wrap your thoughts around it, especially when it is used to seduce you to give up sovereignty and personal freedoms. My freedom means more than African unity.

THERE CAN BE NO REAL AFRICAN UNITY WITH A COLONIZED SOUTHERN CAMEROONS

[Samka]

Ma Mary,

I like ur balanced judgment in debates not like the ultra-radical Dango Tumma,who argues with the emotional naivity of a paranoiac.And I shall take on him at anytime,anywhere.

That aside and first of all,E'pe's history can't be compared with ours.Infact,our histories are diametrically opposed.E'pe wasn't colonised by powerful alien states like Africa was.The conquerors u named above were all E'peans.Africa has been under alien colonisation for centuries.And this has been the tragedy and the bane of our lovely continent.

You talked about the Romans(probably refering to the military conquests of the Caesars) but u omit to point out that E'pe as it is today has its foundation in the Roman Civilisation which was persued by the Charlemagnes and the Napoleons.This civilisation laid the basis for the E'pean societies today.Travel around E'pe and u will see how fundamentally E'pe is built on the Roman and Greek Civilisations.From religion,through socio-cultural aspects of life to the politics of the E'pean peoples are all heritages of these civilisations.

So,somehow these conquests helped to forge the spirit of E'pean unity.Though Hitler's attempt to create the Aryan race was the worst form of conquest,E'peans realised that if they came together and understand each other,this will prevent horrendous Wars like the the 2WWars.Bc most wars come about bc people donot know each other or understand each other.

[DANGO TUMMA]

samaka is anther simpleton, the bamilekon man. afraid to o back to his grand fathers hometown of DSCHANG, IN FRENCH CAMERUN. BUT WE ARE NOT SAVAGE AS THE SAMKAS, COMRADES, IN OUR INDEPENDENT SOUTHERN CAMEROONS, EQUAL RIGHTS AND
PERMANENT RESIDENCY WILL BE GIVEN TO THOSE ALIENS AS SAMKA WHOSE PARENTS IMMIGRATED TO OUR COUNTRY. JUST AS WE HAD OUR COMMON LAWS AND GOVERNMENT IN 1958, SOO, NO ONE WHO SHARE SAMKA, CONCERN, TO BE FEARFUL OF US BECAMING INDEPENDENT, AFTER ALL WE HAD BEEN INDEPENDENT BEFORE, AND WE WERE DOING JUST FINE WITH FREEDOM, PRIDE AD OUR DIGNITY IN PLACE.

[Samka]

The only solution to Africa's problems and to our individual growth is to abandon this blind micro-nationalisms that are setbacks to our onward march to African Unity.And move with lightening speed as one African people to resist the shocks from 21st century globalisation.

A STRONG,FEDERAL CAMEROON,FOR A UNITED AFRICA.

[John Kondy]

I'm just amazed that the same people that enjoy leaving in some United countries start preaching secession when they talk about they own people. We all know what is the cost of secession, and it's not you the preacher here that will pay for it, but the blood of my poor brother and sister who have no choice but to stay in Cameroon. If you are so strong here on the net, why dont you set-up a policital parti in Cameroon, why don't you spend time on the ground fighting with your brother and sister?

[John Kondy]

I personaly beleive that every people in Cameroon have the right to self determination but the secession is not the solution. I beleive at some level of federalisation or region with autonomies like in UK is the long term solution for most african countries. this will enforce development of region, increase exchange and force investment in such infrastructures.

But the road to such state seems to be full of bolldy milestones considering the extremist here and there that all think about the little village instead of considering their own people.

Amyway, it's really discusting!!!

[Ma Mary]

Unity at the macro level is only possible among free peoples.

John Kondy, you are either very young or a citizen of la republique who has no idea what Southern Cameroonians have lost, and how repugnant "unification" with la republique is. It is like forced marriage to a fellow who does not wash his armpits and burns your clothes so you cannot escape. It is like being in prison. It is disgusting and intolerable for a once free person.

Freedom is ALWAYS a superior value to UNITY. Unity without freedom is a farce.

[Samka]

How can we ever be free when we donot even know our real identities and naively identify ourselves according to the whiteman's standard?When we identify ourselves as Southern Cams,British Southern Cams,La République,Cameroonians etc etc like a dog whose master chooses to use a million sobriquets for his pet to suit his whims and caprices.

How can we ever be free when we're incapable of identifying our real enemies;the enemy who has waged an eternal war against our collective welfare and who has vowed to keep us in perpetual divorce and who rightly knows that 2gether we as an African people can become an unstoppable force.

How can we ever be free when we entrust our freedom in the hands of the very people who share a greater responsiblity for our plight?How can we be so naive as to imagine that it is the pen of some far way judge in some far off land that will usher us our freedom?True freedom shall only come from the Africans themselves and NEVER,NEVER,NEVER from the West.

How can we ever be free when we fail to realise that the history of Cameroon didn't begin in 1918 nor in 1945.And that the tribes and ethnic groups that make up this c'ntry had always co-existed centuries bef4 hanno the Carthaginian set sail on his "civilising mission"

How can we ever be free when we're blind to realise that Imperialism was conceived at the Berlin Conference in 1884 by the consolidated conspiracy of the European not against Cameroon,Nigeria,Egypt,Ghana,Kenya,Namibia,Congo,Ethiopia ete etc but against the entire Africa.How can we be so blind more than 2 centuries away to understand that the only solution to a conspiracy that was hatched by a people acting in unity in their self-interest can only be overcome and resisted by a similar unified mass of the African peoples.

How can we ever be free when we fail to realise that what separates us is too small and too inconsequential as to what unites us.That the problem in Cameroon isn't those on the other side of the Mungo but that our real problem is the criminal cabal at Etoudi propped up by France and entangled in the race of the Imperialists to dominate the world.

How can we ever be free when we fail to realise that we are first and foremost Africans before being Southern Cameroonians,La République citizens,Cameroonians or what God forsaken name we choose to label ourselves.

How can we ever be free when we consider ourselves Southern Cameroonians but fail to realise that the peoples of the grasslands are brothers,sisters,cousins etc to the Bamilekes,Bamums etc.When peoples of the coastlands of the Littoral have aunts,uncles,nephews,nieces living around the restless Mount Fako right to gentle shores of Victoria.

How can we ever be free when we who are supposedly living in a more enlightened age(with great technological advancements etc) are more myopic and naive than our forebears like the Garveys,NKrumah's etc who had thrown their vision beyond their age and warned of the impending dangers for our African peoples if we donot unite.And who strongly believed that our micro-nationalisms were meaningless until Africa is truely united and free.

[The Southwesterner]

Ma Mary,
i second the motion:Unity of free people.
The day the People West of the Mungo will have the chance to choose their true leaders. The day the men and women of the South West would be able to freely choose their genuine leaders. The day the peoples of the Cameroons as a whole can freely hire and fire their leaders, i guess we will surely be chanced to have the right folks that would help us re-invent the foundation on which the Cameroons stand.
Freedoms is that thing that folks holding us hostage are just afraid of. They cant stand it because it steps on their toes.
Ma Mary, we have not lost it all yet West of the Mungo. We were the leaders and foot soldiers in that quest for a Free Cameroons. In case we missed it, the mother of all battles ahead of us all is how to regain that ability to freely hire and fire bigots,those "nouveau riche",those men and women i would love to exterminate alongside their offsprings. With freedoms at our disposal everything is possible name it, a con-federation, the rule of Law,Rebuilding trust again amongst us etc.
How we regain our Freedoms is the issue i am most interested in.