BREAKING NEWS: Documented Human Rights Abuse in Cameroon

Yesterday, Amnesty International released a report (Cameroon: Impunity Underpins Persistent Abuse) asserting that Cameroon has used violent means to suppress anti-government protesters and cited large-scale protests against the constitutional amendment extending the presidents term of office as an example of wide spread human rights abuse.

Please note that my blog title is extremely sarcastic in the sense that Cameroonians have suffered from human rights abuse as long as President Paul Biya has been in power. Besides the fact that he is a dictator and has used corruption to eliminate any possibility for democracy, police officers shameless harass citizens on a daily basis and government abuse and corruption has become second nature and expected by most citizens. Biya has even shut down tv and radio stations that criticize him and expose his abuse of civilians.

I am happy, however, that Amnesty International has finally brought attention to what has been happening in Cameroon for decades and incidents that took place in February 2008 when President Biya amended the constitution, extending his presidential term limit. I remember when this happened my mother had planned to visit Cameroon that month, but she had to postpone her trip because major cities across the country were extremely chaotic. For days there were protests and rioting. Cars and business were looted and burned and the police killed over 100 civilians.



All of this went virtually ignored by the international press and President Biya has not been aggressively criticized by international leaders for his blatant abuse of power.

Biya will be 76 in two weeks and this is his 27th year in power. He has successfully stolen multiple elections. His amendment of the consitution to remove term limits will allow him to run again in 2011 for another 7 year term.


I won't go into the hypocrisy that the international community has shown throughout President Biya's regime, but I am happy that finally the violence that took place last February is being acknowledged by a group large enough to bring attention to and possibly discourage such rampant human rights abuse in Cameroon. What is even more despicable, as you should read in Amnesty's report is that they have been trying to legally research the incidents that have been reported to them in Cameroon, but the authorities will not give them consent! One can only hope that this report will shame the regime and authorities and they will put an end to this protracted abuses, especially with elections being held in the near future.

Hypocrisy at Its Peak

I have tried to avoid posting news about the sham elections in Zimbabwe because I prefer to highlight more novel events related to Africa. And by now, if you aren't aware of how Mugabe stole the Zimbabwean presidential election, then you don't care.

Bush recently, Bush has become very vocal about the whole situation and even attempting to convince other world leaders to impose sanctions against Zimbabwe.

I definitely think that international pressure is needed in order to mediate the situation (though I feel it should come from the SADC and not the West.) However, President Bush's vocalness on this matter is completely hypocritical. In 2003, on the eve of the Iraq invasion, President Bush invited President Baul Biya to the White House in order to court his support. This is a man who has also been in power since 1984 and has maintained it through the repression of the opposition party and gross human rights violations and has even amended the constitution to inevitably make him President for Life. Sound familiar? But today, after Mugabe publicly embarassed President Bush and all of his Western cronies, President Bush "cares about the people of Zimbabwe"? Right.... Let's end the hypocrisy. All of Bush's actions and statements have been influenced by personal gain and interest. Seeing as though this is a blog about Africa, I won't even get into the invasion and occupation of Iraq, but his hypocrisy shines bright and quite frankly hurts my eyes...

A Sad Day for Democracy

This Friday Zimbabwe will hold its run-off election for the presidency. However, due to the overwhelming amount of violence, corruption, and repression that has marked the presidential run-off campaign, the results will be a complete sham. Yesterday, Morgan Tsvangirai, the opposition party's leader and winner of the initial election, pulled out of the election, asserting that contesting Mugabe's rule was not worth the number of lives that had been and would continue to be lost as a result of challenge of his rule. Here are his comments, as well as responses to the decision he made.



Mugabe definitely wins the bully of the year award. Unfortunately, he has always been a bully. Upon taking power in the 80s, he stripped White Zimbabweans of their land and redistributed it to his supporters. Only, at that time, it was considered cool and payback for the centuries of oppression Blacks had suffered under Whites. Mugabe grew a large support base because of his radical and uncompromising stand. However, today, 28 years later he continues to use force and radical and uncompromisable approaches to control the country and his people.



It is time the international community stop ignoring grave acts of human rights abuse in Africa. For the sake of human lives, please put our selfish interests to the side and call and spade a spade. We all laughed when Mugabe chastised Bush for calling the kettle black:



But he has taken his authoritarianism too far and needs to be stopped!

I respect Tsvangirai for fighting until now and wish he could continue, considering at this point, if Mugabe is going to assassinate him, he will regardless of whether he wins or not. But it is definitely time for someone to put at end to dictatorships and complete disregards for democracy that are plaguing us.

Union Government for Africa

In a quest to accelerate political and economic integration in Africa, 12 countries are meeting in Arusha to deliberate on a proposed Union Government for Africa. Member states set to attend are Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Libya, Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda, South Africa and Tanzania.
A union of this kind excites me for several reason. I hope that African leaders can begin to hold themselves accountable for democratic issues and human rights violations occurring in their countries, as there would be a direct effect on their economic stability and that of others in the union. I can only see such a union making countries stronger and making other African countries (especially those not in the union) less dependent on Western aid. I also hope that it would encourage a more communal spirit between nations. Though, I notice the only countries represented in the union that have a a bit of conflict are Cameroon and Nigeria (though it has been moderated through the ICC and has been fairly small scale), I would hope that a union such as this would help to reduce, if not obliterate violent conflict between states, especially members and those who seek to join. Ghana, being named the most peaceful country in Africa serves as a great leader for the continent and I hope to see the union succeed and flourish.