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

The Media and the Democratic Process in Cameroon

109 The Media and the Democratic Process in Cameroon I s there a “democratic process” in Cameroon? This straightforward and innocent looking question is very difficult to answer. The “New Deal” regime of Dr. Paul Biya would have the world believe that there is a democratization process in Cameroon, initiated by the author (not necessarily the writer) of Communal Liberalism. Recently they have even been announcing the payment of “compensation” to “victims” of “democratization.” Recently again, the dynamic and young Director of the Friedrich-Ebert Foundation here in Yaounde organized a two-day seminar at Hilton Hotel (June 23-24, 1993) under the theme: “The Role of the Media in the Democratic Process in Cameroon.” Mr. Michael Hackenbruch, the said Director of the said Foundation, deserves a red feather for merely performing the feat of bringing together around a discussion table such very strange be-fellows as Albert Mbida, Tjade Eone, Charles Ndongo, Pius Njawe, Gregoire Owona, Charly Gabriel Mbock, Eric Chinje, Severin Tchounkeu etc. You can always trust the Germans for their bold and firm ventures and for their readiness to put their money where their mouth is. I remember our last presidential “elections” which were marred by massive fraud, irregularities, controversies and violence. It was clear to anyone with the interest of this country at heart that the only right thing to have done within those circumstances was to repeat the elections more carefully. While the other 110 Godfrey B. Tangwa (Rotcod Gobata) “friendly nations” were merely and vaguely calling for “reconciliation and dialogue,” the Germans loudly and clearly declared that they were willing and ready to finance a repeat of the presidential elections. The son of Gobata was also invited to the above seminar and was surprised to find everybody talking rather glibly about the “democratic process” in Cameroon, as if it is very obvious that there is a democratic process in Cameroon. If there is a democratic process in Cameroon, when did it begin and who initiated it? As recently as March 1990, militants of the monolithic CPDM party and supporters of the Biya dynasty were out on the streets demonstrating against democracy. A pontifical high mass was even offered and celebrated in Yaounde against democracy. Human beings, from time immemorial, have always mistaken appearances for reality, form for content. This is what has happened with democracy with reference to Cameroon. We have all mistaken talk about democracy for democracy itself. Like children who may mistake a doll for a baby. Faithful readers of NO TRIFLING MATTER know very well that the son of Gobata believes that there is a DEMOCRATIC STRUGGLE but, as yet, no democratic process in Cameroon. The struggle was publicly launched at Ntarikon Park, Bamenda, on May 26th 1990, by the simple but charismatic bookseller, Ni John Fru Ndi. Ever since, the struggle has had many a set-back and registered countless martyrs. Regarding the media, has there been any positive change since 1990? Let us leave aside the private media and consider only the public media, funded by the common tax payer. Private individuals could establish media of mass communication for all sorts of reasons. As long as it is their money they have put into it, they would always want to manipulate it to the best of their own personal advantage. But one thing is clear: any medium of communication whose 111 I Spit on their Graves: Testimony Relevant to the Democratization Struggle chief aim is partisan propaganda without respect for truth would neither be credible nor convincing. Just take a newspaper like Le Patriote for example. As far back as October 1990, I remarked that Le Patriote (Then Le Democrate) seemed to be gunning for the unenviable title of “defender of public thieves.” Today, the orchestrated “refutations” of Le Patriote are the best index of the blunders and attempted cover-ups of the tribalized regime. Within the private media, let propaganda struggle against propaganda for our credibility. The public media is a different cup of tea altogether. The general public is or ought to be the proprietor of the public media. The ethos of practice here must be different from what obtains within the privately-owned media. When the public media is hijacked for the propaganda of a handful of crooks, this is neither justifiable nor should it be accepted with resignation. On May 26th 1990, the regime gunned down six innocent citizens and the public media...