Frankly Speaking

By Franklin Sone Bayen


I have cause to wonder if President Paul Biya has given up on Anglophones, seeing his 27th anniversary letter to Cameroonians and CPDM militants published only in French language newspapers. It looks like Biya has given up trying to market himself to Anglophone masses, unsure of finding any sympathetic ear there. Else, why would a head of state, so desperate for every bit of sympathy – if not support – in the face of mounting challenge from within his own ranks, afford to limit, in such blatant manner, his SOS to only a part of his people?

The president’s letter, a well-paid commercial announcement, I’m informed, was published on Thursday, 5 November only in the four French language dailies and two nominal bilingual papers – Cameroon Tribune and L’Action – both of which are read mainly by Francophones, plus a few regime Anglophones who for the most part are already Biya stalwarts. Even the French language papers published both the English and French versions.

English language newspapers that tried to obtain the insertion were rudely turned away and later offered it at ridiculously cheap rate. Some turned down the offer. Most of those now printing it are doing so on “patriotic grounds”.

L’Action (the CPDM paper) No. 688 du 5 Novembre 2009, in a page 11 article titled “INEDIT” (UNPRECEDENTED or first of its kind) explains that Biya’s letter would later be published in other weeklies (obviously including those in English). But, seeing there are no dailies in English yet, won’t they have been the wiser to have placed the president’s letter in the English language weeklies (and bi-weeklies) at the same time as the French language dailies, even if only to show some equity?

Brutus

Now to the substance of the president’s letter.
It all looks like Biya’s manifesto for a third “septenat”. But he comes across more desperate than passionate. Like in the 1992 presidential election when he saw red, Biya is once more resorting to the Lion analogy (“the fighting Lions spirit”, just like Rigobert Song’s “Hemle Nje”), though this time around, the threat seems to be coming more from disgruntled regime men than from the opposition. As if to warn his young friends scheming against him that they won’t have their way without seeing the incisors and claws of a vexed lion.

If any iota of doubt remained whether Biya would seek another term, here is proof that at nearly 90 minutes of fulltime play, exhausted though he may appear, Biya is asking for extra time and demanding a vital pass to net in.

The president’s letter came as La Nouvelle (No. 043 du Lundi 9 Novembre 2009), the French language weekly often proven right in its inside regime stories, reported the emergence of a new group, “Brutus”, supposed to be scheming to knock out Biya (remember Brutus’ fatal trick on Cesar?). After G11 or Generation 2011 who came to light in 2006, this “new group” is supposed to be a click including Marafa, Laurent Esso, Fame Ndongo, Gregoire Owona, Fai Yengo, Suzanne Mbomback, Charles Metouck, etc, some of them former G11.

Football politics

If that were true, the poor man should now find himself in the crossfire of a succession fight within his own walls that shows even his most loyal lieutenants are already in battle gear. Having G11 in his prisons and Brutus in his ministries, plus the Banjul Verdict to grapple with, might have pushed Biya to resort to the masses. His choice of words, evoking peace and unity, is telling.

His own government and CPDM party no longer trustworthy, and knowing how much passion football victories generate in Cameroonian masses, especially with World Cup qualification in view, Biya is, by alluding to the fighting Lions spirit, showing the Indomitable Lions are now his most trusted “political party” and Lions fans, the only “militants” he now counts on; his last resort.

With Cameroon’s World Cup qualification, you can’t deny Biya staked on the Lions and won the bet, can you?

BESIDES POSTING A COMMENT HERE, TO REACT TO THIS ARTICLE WRITE TO:
sbayern@yahoo.com
or call +237 33 12 91 97