I Spit on their Graves: Testimony Relevant to the Democratization Struggle in Cameroon

The French Connection

117 The French Connection A ll neo-colonial nations - Britain, France, Germany, the USA etc., share the same ultimate aim, namely, exploitation of the unexploited parts of the physical universe for their benefit. In pursuing this common aim, they sometimes find themselves in bitter rivalry with each other but, more often, in mutually beneficial co-operation. It is in the light of such mutually beneficial co-operation that they have divided the so-called third world, especially Africa, among themselves into exclusive “spheres of influence.” You would realize that robbers are never so fair and honest as when it comes to sharing some common booty among themselves. But even though all neo-colonialists have the same ultimate aim, they differ markedly in their respective modus operandi – the method, style and manner used to achieve that aim. For some reason that I have never really had the time to try to fathom, English people have more moral scruples than their other comrades in neo-colonialism. The French, by contrast, are the most shamelessly qualmless, or if you prefer, qualmlessly shameless. Both the Germans and the Americans would seem to have struck a workable compromise between qualmlessness and a certain measure of moral sensitivity. The English have always been obsessed with the idea of being a “gentleman.” The only thing needed to secure the British Prime Minister’s resignation is for some scruffylooking damsel to show up and claim that he once “made a pass” at her. But in France, sex scandals involving politicians are virtually unknown. As someone has explained, “the 118 Godfrey B. Tangwa (Rotcod Gobata) reason is that having a mistress in France is rather like running a second car or joining the golf club. It is a status symbol, it is expected. If a photograph of Mitterrand’s mistress were splashed over the front pages of the newspapers there would be a national yawn. If she was pretty he might go up a couple of points in the polls.” But before this line takes us too far afield, let us get back to our French connection. Among the world powers presiding over human destiny, it is accepted that Cameroon falls under the sphere of influence of the French. The present socio-politico-economic mess in which Cameroon finds itself can neither be understood nor explained without reference to the French factor in Cameroonian affairs. And, in considering the French connection, we must be careful not to confuse description with prescription. Whether we like it or not, whether justifiable or not, the fact is that Cameroon is under the strangle iron-grip of French neo-colonialism. A little more than three decades ago, they exterminated whole villages here to further their politico-economic interests. Today they would be willing and ready to do same for the same reason. Unless, of course, Cameroonians were to stand up like one man to say “No more! Enough is enough!!” But this is not possible because Cameroon is overwhelmingly composed of little Frenchmen, pupils of French mentors, called Francophones who believe that without the French they are “finished.” Our last presidential elections were a bumper scandal which shocked everybody including all the super powers, excluding only France which in its ruthless qualmlessness had decided the outcome before hand and asked the incumbent, in line with the logic of that decision, to present himself as a lion. We are in the mess in which we find ourselves today for three principal reasons, viz: the French connection, the policy of non-interference in the exclusive sphere of influence among the neo-colonial powers and the Francophone factor in the Cameroonian situation. 119 I Spit on their Graves: Testimony Relevant to the Democratization Struggle Geo-politically and economically Cameroon is evidently very important to the French. Nevertheless, in trying to protect their immediate and short-term interests by sustaining the incumbent ruinous regime, they may, without realizing the fact, be subverting their long-term interests. It would also be myopic for those of us struggling for positive change in Cameroon to think that we could, even with a change of regime, simply say shege and get rid of the French.. As a nation, our involvement with the French is so long and so deep that any abrupt severance of ties would be mutually harmful. If this were realized on both sides, it would be quite possible to strike an acceptable compromise between the French...