OPENING OF THE CAMEROON-FRANCE ARCHIVES: CAMEROON’S SILENCE FROM GUILT!

7 years between the declarations of the two French presidents on the Cameroon-France Historical Litigation, on a hypothetical opening of archives, on Cameroonian side: no official reaction yet from Mr. Paul Biya, who has been in power for 40 years.

Indeed, we cannot understand the astonishing silence of the Cameroonian government, following these two declarations spread over 7 years. Totally opaque, mind-boggling, mind-blowing silence!!! Disgusting silence from guilt, when we know that thousands of Cameroonians were torn from the affection of their families, massacred for the selfish interests of a treacherous French republic, yet calling itself a republic of Human Rights. Voices were raised against these abuses, voices savagely exterminated by some Cameroonians themselves, who had become a complete sell out to this corrupt and guilty France.

We can say, without fear of being mistaken, that a pact was signed between the successive French heads of state and President Paul Biya, whose silence in the face of abuses and abominations against his people is incomprehensible and unbearable. This silent and guilty reluctance of President Paul Biya demonstrates, without a doubt, that he could never have been in power for 40 years, without the supreme anointment by France, whose Machiavellian methods we know, have been to draw and to leach on the wealth of so-called French-speaking African countries with villainy, and in particular Cameroon.

Even more spectacular and bewildering is the casualness, the calm and the feeling of impunity that were displayed by the two French presidents Hollande and Macron, when they sent us back to the opening of the archives for the resolution of this Dispute. Cameroon-France history. These gentlemen, whose rivers of blood from Cameroonian patriots hardly perturb their sleep at night, are convinced that they are in control of the situation and are still in conquered territory. These gentlemen, with stifling remorse, claim they are somewhat ‘surprised’, even ‘shocked’ by the ‘anti-French sentiment’ which is beginning to be displayed by Africa and Africans, when in fact, is simply a question of a legitimate demand, in the face of a systematic spoliation that has lasted too long.

What about the regime of the late President Ahmadou Ahidjo, who himself was a bloodthirsty leader, even dubbed as ‘wise’, and who never ceased to listen to the ‘voice of his master’, France. This servile posture has allowed France to infuse its veins with the blood of Cameroonian martyrs whose sole cause was predicated only on the quest and love for freedom and justice.

The Cameroon of the 1960s is now a thing of the past, but the perverse effects of the political choices of that time continue to have a resounding and violent influence on the day to day lives of Cameroonians. Corruption, plunder, the impoverishment of populations and tribalism now characterize our country at even the international arena. These criminal actions have even doubled down by the total confiscation of our national sovereignty, with a currency whose acronym alone says it all.

Meanwhile, when one scrutinizes the “France Diplomatie” website on Cameroon – France relations, everything seems to be going for the best in the best of all possible worlds. France continues to present itself as a friendly and the ultimate savior nation:

“Franco-Cameroonian relations are old and dense. Our civil cooperation is important and multifaceted (governance, health, education, infrastructure, rural development, environment, higher education, research and culture):

• Cameroon is France’s leading trading partner in Central Africa (excluding hydrocarbons).
• France is Cameroon’s second largest trading partner.
• French exports to Cameroon in 2021 reached EUR 541.6 million,
• French imports from Cameroon amounted to EUR 2595.5 million…
• There are about a hundred French economic subsidiaries in Cameroon
• About 200 companies belong to French nationals (oil exploitation, agro-industry, wood, construction, banking, insurance, transport services, logistics, distribution, etc.)
• With a total of €1.1 billion in 2020, the stock of French FDI in Cameroon is the second in Central Africa, behind Congo (€2.8 billion).
• French investments have remained above €1bn since 2017.
• France maintains security and defense cooperation with Cameroon which essentially encompasses training, within the framework of national schools with a regional vocational reach such as the International War College (ESIG) in Yaoundé and the International Security Forces (EIFORCES).
• France’s commitment to civilian populations in Cameroon, to the tune of EUR 3.9 million in 2021, (support for humanitarian assistance and stabilization projects in the Far North, to support vulnerable populations victims of the Insecurity linked to Boko Haram, as well as in the North-West and South-West regions. Etc.)

Still on the “France Diplomatie” website:

…. in terms of cultural, scientific and technical cooperation, Cameroon is one of the first beneficiaries of funding from the French Development Agency:

• Since 2006, our cooperation has been based in particular on the debt reduction and development contract (C2D), a mechanism for refinancing by donations of maturities due in the context of the debt.
• The third C2D was signed on June 30, 2016 for an amount of EUR 611 million over 8 years and is divided into the following themes:
• agriculture and rural development (EUR 182 million),
• infrastructure and urban development (EUR 156.5 million),
• budget support (EUR 185 million, part of which will be devoted to the education sector),
• reserve whose allocation will be decided during the mid-term review (EUR 61.8 million),
• governance support (EUR 9.8 million),
• transversal support and partnerships (EUR 16.38 million). ETC.

Here is a ‘magnificent’ display of cooperation, as described by France, but which, in fact, hides a much more sinister situation: an odious hegemony, which continues to this day in the form of rigged contracts, conventions, manipulations, schemes, embezzlement, undue privileges in all its forms, to the great despair of a large part of the Cameroonian population.

Even much worse, is the fact that while the President of the Republic is about to turn 90, the country has been taken hostage by a band of mercenaries and kleptomaniacs void of any national stature, let alone international. Indeed, it is totally absurd to want the population to swallow the fact that Mr. Paul Biya still holds the reins of power. The country is going down the drain, even its autopilot is starting to show signs of failure. Just like the young age of President Macron, the very advanced age, too, of the ‘patriarch’ Paul Biya, who has ruled for 40 years, has made him chose the law of omerta in order not to denounce French hegemony, and all that, for the security of his ‘presidential throne’; the same hegemony of this same France over a Cameroon which, by the way, was never ‘its’ colony. This predatory France, for which every fundamental decision concerning our country depends on its goodwill.

Times change, and we cannot keep on repeating that enough. It is more than ever time to burst this purulent gangrene, which will have allowed France to exploit without shame, and for its sole profit, the natural wealth of Cameroon for more than a century. Indeed, before talking about the so-called current debt of Cameroon vis-à-vis France, we are within our legitimate rights to affirm that it is time for Cameroon to quantify the debt estimated at  several billions of dollars, owed by France for Cameroon’s decisive contribution during the 2nd World War, its participation in the Indochina war, the destruction, the expropriations, the massacres of the period of independence and the ensuing and long looting when it comes to the CFA franc.

Dr Daniel YAGNYE TOM

UPC Special Representative in Central and Southern Africa

President of the Patriotic Alliance.