Since its launch in 2012, our party, the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM), has been the object of all kinds of provocations and recurrent attacks by the regime in power in Cameroon. Already common before 2018, these attacks, based on crude montages, have intensified after the historic presidential election of October 2018.
In addition to arbitrary arrests, systematic torture, both physical and moral, of our militants and supporters, their illegal detention that has become political hostage-taking, the CRM faces all kinds of criminal attacks orchestrated by the regime. Among these attacks are false accusations, particularly those relating to the purchase of arms to destabilize the country.
You will recall that in order to implement its criminal and unpatriotic plan to prevent me from assisting, through the humanitarian programme Survie Cameroon Survival Initiative (SCSI), the populations left to fend for themselves as the Covid-19 raged, the government had shamelessly spread and maintained that the money collected for this program was intended for the purchase of arms for the CRM. Many representatives of the government, both in the traditional media and on social networks, had abundantly relayed this state lie.
It should also be remembered that an initiative of some Cameroonian activists meeting in Germany in 2019 and openly expressing their support for the secessionists were imputed to the CRM by the regime.
The public should know that for more than two years, a case involving the purchase of arms via the Internet has been pending before the Yaoundé Military Court. In this case, the government is trying to get people to admit that they were in contact with the CRM for an alleged arms purchase operation. On the other hand, even though we had duly informed the security apparatus of the State that individuals identified and handed over to the competent security services had contacted us with the aim of associating us with a seizure of power by arms in the aftermath of the October 2018 presidential election, not only has this anti-republican and anti-patriotic initiative never been made public by the authorities, but the individuals in question have never been tried and convicted, to my knowledge! It is thus a terrible trap that was set for us. Although we did not fall into it, thanks to our visceral republican convictions and our deep attachment to peaceful change through the ballot box, the authorities were not discouraged. It continues its evil plan to persuade Cameroonians and the world that we want to take power by violence or by arms. He will never succeed, because we love our country and are deeply democratic.
Indeed, several times, citizens have been forced, in vain, despite the atrocious torture in various police and gendarmerie departments, to declare that they are involved in such matters of alleged arms purchases in connection with the CRM and myself.
It is for the same obsessive purpose that a video is currently circulating in which an individual, speaking in the Fulfulde language, claims to have been contacted by “KAMTO’s people” to acquire arms via the CAR in order to destabilize the northern part of our country, starting from Garoua Boulaï and going up to Meiganga and continuing to Ngaoundéré, Garoua and Maroua (below the transcript).
Having failed in its plan to drive the CRM underground, as the colonial power did to the UPC in the 1950s, and in its attempt to break the formidable determination of the National Resistance, the black cabinet set up within the state apparatus is not resigned.
Also, I would like to condemn with the greatest firmness these practices of another age which look like thuggery, a practice unworthy of our country. I solemnly warn those who, wishing to be in the good graces of the power in place, clumsily try to repeat operations conducted in the past on other targets with the failure that we know.
I formally request that the sad character who, by staging himself in the video in question, has lent himself to this game both burlesque and sinister orchestrated by the power, be arrested immediately and brought to justice.
24 September 2021
Maurice Kamto
National President of the CRM
Transcript of the author’s words in Fulfulde
“In truth, there are people who want to destabilize Cameroon, and the Far North in particular. They went through me to bring in arms from the CAR and through Bamenda. And that rebels should also be brought in from the CAR and through Bamenda to join and form an armed base in Garoua-Boulaï. [Their first actions] consisted of destroying the customs offices, the sub-division office and the town hall of Garoua-Boulaï; then they would carry out attacks to destroy the towns of Meiganga, Ngaoundéré, Maroua and Garoua. But I told them that I did not want to be associated with their project. They are not extraordinary people, by God, they are Maurice Kamto’s people, they are the ones who wanted to associate with me to bring arms and rebels into Garoua-Boulaï from the CAR and from Bamenda to make it a base (of operations) with the aim of destabilizing the Far North.
By God, this is their project. What I am saying has been confirmed and consolidated by the Cameroonian government. Because [military?] equipment has been intercepted that was intended to be used to destabilize Garoua-Boulaï, Meiganga and the cities beyond. I swear by God, it will not be with my help. That is why I stopped this fight, not because I received money, by God.
I stopped this fight because I understood the project of Maurice Kamto’s people to destabilize Cameroon and the Far North [especially] where we are even fighting for roads, electricity, water and infrastructure… and I am being asked to participate in a project to destroy our achievements? By God it will never be with me. I am fully sensible.
I will never associate with individuals to destroy Cameroon, I will never do it. I will never associate with people who want to destroy the Far North that I have defended for years. I will never associate with people to come and destroy the Customs offices, the sub-division office, the services of the Governor, the Customs offices of Ngaoundéré, Garoua and Maroua; by God I will not do it. Maurice Kamto’s people, they are the ungodly ones [vile villains], I swear by God.
I thought Paul Biya was the bad guy, that’s what they put in my head, so they are the real bad guys. The damage they want us to join hands to orchestrate, Paul Biya has never done so much. I never realized that Paul Biya was a great president; it is only these days that I knew that he is a great man, a blessed man. He is making great plans for Cameroon. Ask yourself why the French do not want Paul Biya now? Why are they making plans to depose Paul Biya? Because when the agreements that [the French] had signed with Cameroon in order to squander our wealth expired, Paul Biya refused to renew [those agreements]. Paul Biya decided not to sign any more contracts with the whites. That’s why the French made a pact with Maurice Kamto to destabilize Cameroon. And they wanted to use people like me to destroy the Far North.
Previously, they asked me to make videos so that in the next elections, Biya would not be re-elected; that’s what I thought. But now they have changed their plan, asking me to participate in the destruction of the Great North. If I let this happen, God will not let me. What I am telling you now has been verified, and the high officials [in this country] know it. If you don’t know it, the top people know it. I thank God for allowing me to foil the plans of Maurice Kamto’s people to destroy the Great North. I am grateful to you my Lord. Nothing will ever go through me, I swear it.
I thank all those who support me in this fight. But the [initial] fight has been stopped; let those who love Cameroon and the Far North support Paul Biya. Let those who love Cameroon and peace in the country and in the Far North support Paul Biya. Because Paul Biya has plans to build the Far North and Cameroon in general. And because Paul Biya has refused to renew the agreements signed with the French, the French are doing everything to remove Paul Biya from power and to install their [military?] base in Cameroon in order to destroy the Far North.
I swear that it will never be with my participation. “We are God’s and it is to Him that we turn back” (Koranic verse): I made a serious mistake in associating myself with such abject people as the Bamileke, with the aim of destroying the Far North; but I did not know, and I swear it, that this was their project… and if I had known, I would never have accepted. But I beg you, Paul Biya and the government, to forgive me, because I did not know. I made a mistake and I will never make a similar one until I die. I really had a wrong understanding of Paul Biya. But he is not like that. I ask Paul Biya to forgive me, by the grace of God and the Prophet, also to the government and all the ministers that I slandered, forgive me because I did not know that you are the true patriots in this country. And from now on, I firmly support Paul Biya and the CPDM. Whatever the circumstances, I will support them, I swear it. If God Almighty wills it. Because Paul Biya loves us, and I have been confirmed, he loves us, I swear by God.”
