By Sylvanus Ezieh Acha’ana in Yaounde
President Biya’s early return to the
country shortly after last week’s US-Africa summit in Washington has given
wings to speculations that he might have opted to cut short his stay abroad to
avoid any further embarrassment by some Diaspora Cameroonians. Sources say some
Diaspora Cameroonians had vowed to stage a demonstration against him in Geneva
had the president set foot there after the Washington summit.
 |
| President Biya and wife return to Cameroon |
The planned Geneva demonstration was
intended to be part of the protests that were led by members of some
Cameroonian Diaspora groups who had earlier demonstrated against the president
last week in front of the White House in Washington D.C.
The protesting fronts, Cameroon United Diaspora Front for Alternation - Le CODE and Conscience
of Cameroon are claiming that the president has over prolonged his stay at the
helm of the nation, sustaining that it was high time he quits. They are also
tagging Biya’s regime of inhuman activities, corruption and manipulation of the
constitution to suit his whims and caprices.
Unofficial information had been
making the rounds that the president would leave US where he had taken part in
the US – African leaders’ summit to Geneva where he usually takes rest with his
spouse. Owing to the rumour, the dissenting groups had issued a release
immediately after their Washington demonstration to announce another
manifestation at the Continental Hotel in Geneva should the president step foot
there.
It is however not established if
President Biya who arrived the country last Saturday morning was avoiding the
planned demonstration against him. An unnamed source at the presidency of the
republic told this reporter that the civil cabinet did not issue any release to
state that the president was to take-off for Geneva after his US trip, “how
then can someone claim that he was avoiding those who have planned a strike
action against him?”
Our source however watered down the
activities of the Diaspora protesters, claiming that they represent nothing to
the head of state and the economy of Cameroon in general. “Personally, I have
not yet heard of what you are saying. But I assure you that those who are
passing for demonstrators are a few frustrated individuals whose only intention
is to tarnish the image of our celebrated leader who has achieved so much for
our nation. Their activities are limited to empty noise and deliberate insults
on the head of state. I see them as lazy jobless fellows who are serving the
antics of some disgruntled individuals to paint the image of the head of state
black.” He averred.
It should be recalled that the
demonstrators had besieged US’ White House, carrying tracks and flyers bearing
varied messages like “Paul Biya is a cancer to Cameroon”, “Paul Biya is a
criminal...” They accused Biya of violation of the constitution and the rights
of Cameroonian citizens, corruption and embezzlement of public funds.
The president of Conscience of
Cameroon and coordinator of the United Front in US, said the manifestations
were also partly intended to denounce the “hypocrisy” of the US – African
leaders’ summit which according to them was aimed at transferring African raw
materials to US after China and France had initiated similar summits.
In another vein, they claimed that
Cameroon has become a state where violation of human rights multiply on a daily
bases, thereby generating conflicts which compromise rapid development in the
country. Such was the view held by the president of Cameroon Action Movement,
CAM, Essoh Aristide.
No comments:
Post a Comment