Gov’t intensifies crackdown on MRC militants

By   Chinje Hopeson in Yaounde

The Yaounde authorities have intensified their crackdown on the militants of the fast- growing opposition party, the Cameroon Renaissance Movement; better known by its French acronym the MRC. Not only militants of the party are being victimized, harassed, intimidated, arrested and tortured. Even the MRC national chairman, Maurice Kamto, who resigned from government in 2011 and created his own political party, is facing more or the same victimization.

Sotsinkou Jean-Marie seriously brutalised

 Just recently, Kamto was summoned by the delegate general for national security, Martin Mbarga Nguele and questioned for hours on comments he made about the September 30, 2013 polls. The move, political observers said, was intended to intimidate the MRC national chairman so he could remain silent on the injustices, intimidation, arrest and torture of his militants and sympathizers.

It should be mentioned that ever since Kamto created the MRC, scores of his mass followers have suffered victimization of various kinds. Take the case of the MRC die-hard militant called Sotsinkou Jean-Marie who militates in the Mimboman branch in Yaounde. The influential business man who joined the MRC in February 2013 also owns a printing press.

Ever since Sotsinkou joined the MRC, government institutions and top ruling party officials have not only stopped giving him printing jobs but are suspected to be behind the many anonymous death threats he has been receiving. Sotsinkou is viewed by CPDM partisans as being one of the key promoters of the MRC because as they say, he is using his printing press to print MRC literature for free.

Sotsinkou might have pushed his die-hard militancy for the opposition party so far when during activities marking this year’s 20th May celebrations in Yaounde, he led an intimidating MRC march-past in front of President Paul Biya and members of the diplomatic mission in Yaounde.

It came therefore as no surprise that unidentified men visited his home on the night of August 25 breaking 26, 2013 and seriously assaulted him, his wife and two children. The men who said they did not come to steal promised they would be coming back to inflict more injuries on Sotsinkou’s family if he continued to militate in the MRC.

Meanwhile Sotsinkou and wife who sustained injuries as a result of the attack were rushed to the hospital. While still on treatment, Sotsinkou was hinted that an arrest warrant had been issued for him on grounds that he had destroyed a CPDM banner. Sensing danger, the man has reportedly gone underground to avoid the wrath of President Biya’s repressive forces.

It should be mentioned that scores of MRC militants were after the September 30, 2013 twin polls arrested and are currently awaiting trial in prisons in Douala, Yaounde and Bafoussam. Sotsinkou’s family members who spoke to The Guardian Post on condition of anonymity because they fear for their dear lives said they very much fear for his safety if eventually, he is arrested.

 For his part, the MRC national chairman, Maurice Kamto who has already announced his intention to run for the next presidential election has issued a warning to the Yaounde authorities to stop victimizing his militants and sympathizers.