Virtual Activism on Cameroon: The CamNet Files

VII. On General Information about Cameroon

159 Chapter VII On General Information about Cameroon On General Information about Cameroon Introduction The e-mail messages contained in this section of the book deal with a variety of topics that do not fall neatly into any of the other categories discussed in the previous chapters. These range from topics such as the names of Cameroonian cities to the country’s educational system or football. As one who strongly believes in the philosophy of sharing information freely through the Internet and other channels, I endeavoured throughout my participation in the Camnet forum to transmit as much information as possible to others. I enjoyed conducting research and, relative to others, I had easy access to huge volumes of information. That is largely what explains my regular involvement in these exchanges. I am pleased to observe that despite the passage of time, a lot of this fact-based information continues to be relevant. Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 23:34:27 -0400 Sender: CAMNET From: Isaac Endeley Subject: Re: Name Change On May 12, 1998, Elias K. Bongmba wrote: Can someone help me? When was the name Victoria changed to Limbe, and who was President at the time, Ahidjo or Paul Biya? 160 Hello, Elias: The name change occurred pursuant to a presidential decree signed by Mr. Ahidjo in 1980 or 1981. (I’m afraid Thierry “Le Bantou” Ngoufan got it wrong.) As soon as I can find the time, I will comb through old magazines (e.g. ‘Jeune Afrique’, ‘West Africa’) to dig up the precise date and decree number. Rest assured, however, that it was President Ahmadou Ahidjo and not Paul Biya who ordered the name change. I recall distinctly that the decree came on the eve of Ahidjo’s last state visit to the United Kingdom. “Informed sources” in the Fako area stated at the time that the President had decided to implement the change before, rather than after, the visit in order not to give the impression that Cameroon’s relations with the UK had deteriorated in the aftermath. Incidentally, about two years ago there was a heated debate on this forum regarding that name change (Re: “Victoria or Limbe”, Camnet, 1996) with some insightful contributions by Pa Fru Ndeh, Dibussi Tande, Pierre Kamguia, Ambe Njoh, Steve Andoseh, and yours truly, among others. I don’t think the date of the change was at issue then, but the exchanges certainly made interesting reading. I have bet a cup of coffee over this. As one virtually addicted to instant coffee (of the Muyuka variety), I fully sympathise with you. By the way, which way did you bet? Best regards, Mola Njoh Endeley. **** 161 Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 23:01:14 -0400 Sender: CAMNET From: Isaac Endeley Subject: Re: Name Change Dear Elias Bongmba, Thierry Ngoufan and Augustine Kange: As per my promise last week, I have managed to comb through the archives and to do some background research. You will recall that I stated that President Ahidjo ordered the name change just before embarking on his last state visit to the United Kingdom. Here is what I was able to find in support of that claim: 1) ‘West Africa’ No. 3377, 26 April 1982, page 1165 Cameroon: Victoria renamed “After the renaming of Zimbabwe’s capital, Cameroon has broken a similar tie.” The port city of Victoria has been renamed Nimbe [sic], after a nearby river, by order of a decree signed by President Ahmadou Ahidjo. The Zimbabwe authorities announced recently that Salisbury had become Harare. Victoria was given its name in 1858 by the Reverend Alfred Saker, in honour of Britain’s Queen Victoria, when he founded a Baptist mission there. During British colonial rule, Victoria was a major port for both West Cameroon and Nigeria. But after independence and unification with French Cameroon, it lost its role to Douala and now handles just one per cent of the country’s trade.” 162 2) ‘West Africa’ No. 3377, 26 April 1982, pages 1117-1118 Cameroonian ties with Britain, by David Ndifang “Cameroon’s President Ahmadou Ahidjo’s visit to Britain from April 20-24 was the second visit to the United Kingdom since his country became independent in 1960 and reunified in 1961. The visit highlights the long-standing ties between Cameroon and Great Britain. The United Republic of Cameroon, which came into being a decade ago next May 20, with 58-year-old...