Errance Mentale: when we believe it, we'll see it.

MECA-USA: the painful path to unity. The following was written for a restricted audience: Manyu people. It may also apply to cultural groups that have suffered crises that led to break ups. You will read this once in a while on Manyunet and other fora, hear it almost at every gathering: “die-house”, fundraising, birthday... : “let us unite”. These calls, as laudable as they may sound have sometimes missed (or I have failed to see) the fundamental: it is a … process. Some sound divinely inspired, others are seemingly pedantic, some are condescending while others are downright simple honest and practical. Regardless of its type, calls for reconciliation have fallen on deaf ears, dumb mouths and stiff legs. Why? The answer is within each individual. I have heard people on both sides come up with arguments that range from “they left us, let them come back”, “we are the real MECA-USA”, “we now have peace, let us stay like this”, “we are brothers and sisters and we can achieve more wh...

Reading between the lines: Marafa's letter to Biya. Comments are italicized and bold. Monsieur le président de la République, Le lundi 16 avril 2012, j’ai été convoqué par le juge d’instruction du Tribunal de grande instance du Mfoundi et écroué à la prison centrale de Kondengui, sans autre forme de procès. Vous avez certainement dû apprendre que j’ai demandé la récusation de ce juge d’instruction qui était venu me voir de son propre chef et qui, avec instance, m’a sollicité pour que nous nous « arrangions » afin qu’il instruise le dossier dans un sens qui me serait favorable ! J’ai tout naturellement refusé sa proposition. Je vous en avais rendu compte en son temps, pensant que le président du Conseil supérieur de la magistrature s’en serait ému. Marafa attempts here to descredit the state prosecutor in this paragraph and even more significantly makes the point that Mr. Biya did not act on his (Marafa) suspicions of the prosecutor being corrupt. Est-il bes...

 Biya, Marafat, Inoni, Mendoze, ... who is really guilty? News of former Cameroon premier Chief Ephraim Inoni's arraignment has caused mixed reactions from the Cameroonian citizenry. It is very normal for pathos to be the keynote for those who have benefited from the former Prime Minister's largesse. I am here referring to people who eased themselves into positions of significant influence thanks to their relationships with Mr. Inoni. I do not know for sure but the list of his proteges should reflect a broad spectrum of the Cameroon civil service: teachers, judges, fiscal administrators, directors, medical doctors, military, gendarmerie, police force, etc. These people must have been trained through our "grandes ecoles" viz, ENS, ENAM, EMIA, ENPT, ENPURI, etc. The list of beneficiaries also includes business men and women fictive or real who make up the horde of private contractor supplying various materials to the Cameroonian civil service at exorbitant prices....

The place once called Pays The child was condemned to a life of servitude and slavery, All the protests against the chains clattered in vain The oppressor got good at the game so well that The child's parents became the surrogate rebukers Stopping any sign of waywardness with stern reprimand. The fallacy had been so strong: reward benefits hard work. As the children played around the yard, they believed it all. They will change their world and make it better for posterity. The sweetness of innocence veiling the promise of doom That shines on the other side of the dark tunnel of Pays. Poor children caged in the sweetness and bliss of now The boys will grow up with no manhood and the girls, Will be sent off to satisfy the old men's caprices and desires While their parents will bask in the glory of the crumbs That the Diner's bloated overflowing greed could not contain. And the clan says we all should be quiet and toe the line, There's nothing you can do they say, everyon...

T hose of us born in Cameroon of "Anglo" heritage have never really belonged in the French dominated system. Our education is different, our way of thinking is different, the way we carry oursleves is different. There is a certain complacency in the francophone demeanor that just disgusts some anglophones or maybe I should say disgusts me, as much as our way of dressing is mocked by francophones . I grew up in Yaounde and thought I could blend in. It was easy when you spoke french and had friends who came from everywhere. We grew up not knwing who came from where and we were not conscious of who our parents were. My best friend, the one who cried with me when we were bullied turned out to be a Bamileke. I say turned out because I knew nothing about tribes even as a university student. It never really mattered. When I met my friends, girls or boys, it never really was a question of where they were from. I knew everyone on first name basis and that was it. The current year is 2...

The election process in Washington DC was quite smooth, but the atmosphere was very intimidating. I arrived at the Chancery on Wisconsin avenue at about 9:30 AM. I was accompanied by my cousin who was voting for the first time in his life. We were stopped at the gate and asked why we were there. Once our purpose was stated and our names were verified on the electoral lists we were shepherded into the parking lot of the embassy. By habit, we immediately went to the waiting area outside the embassy for us to be called. There were at least 8 people outside: 3 gentlemen sitted on two of the 5 seats available, 2 others at the gate, the ambassador's driver, the big receptionist and a few other embassy personnel. Inside, behind the reception counter, 2 gentlemen were standing, with an ELECAM badge hanging from their necks. The ambassador was standing and watching a repeat of the latest football game of the indomitable lions on CRTV by internet connection. Some embassy staff were stand...

The following message was broadcast over Cameroon radio on April 6, 1984, 17 years ago. I am happy they didn't succeed. Could things have been different today? Camerounaises, Camerounais, L’armée nationale vient de libérer le peuple camerounais de la bande à Biya, de leur tyrannie, de leur escroquerie, et de leur rapine incalculable. Oui, l’armée a décidé de mettre fin à la politique criminelle de cet individu contre l’unité nationale de notre cher pays. En effet, le Cameroun vient de vivre au cours de ces quinze derniers mois qu’a duré le régime Biya les heures les plus noires de son histoire. Son unité mise en péril, la paix interne troublée, sa prospérité économique compromise, la réputation nationale ternie. Chers compatriotes, Vous avez tous été témoins de l’horrible comédie jouée par le pouvoir défunt qui se permettait de parler de libéralisme, de démocratie, d’intégration nationale, alors que, chaque jour, son action bafouait de façon scandaleuse ces hautes valeurs....