Anglo -American and Breton wood institutions activisms in Cameroon

Souleymane was waiting for another sign and he got it, when he got news that, even though the government had rigged the1997 presidential elections, they were worried. For the fact that, the opposition was challenging the results, might put them in an erroneous position with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. But in other to appease these institutions and also the US and British governments, the government of Cameroon wanted to form a government of “national union”, in which, the opposition, especially the most representative, will be offered ministerial posts. That way, they (the government) thought, they will calm Bretton wood institutions and the Anglo-Americans, who were also agitating against them (government). Souleymane saw all those indices as signs that his time has come. But the Anglo-Americans and the Breton Wood institutions had an ambiguous rapport with the government of Cameroon and also with the opposition, in chief the SDF. They were ready or claimed that, they wanted to help Cameroon on her path to genuine democracy. But they gave conditions that were very difficult for the government to accept.

And as far as the masses that were already on a dire strait were concern, they never wanted to hear the mention of the name: Bretton Wood institutions. For in the the general opinion, they had killer pills or remedies called structural adjustment programmes. These institutions claimed that, their financial aid to any country was conditioned to good governance and the instauration and implementation of multiparty democracy. Perhaps according to them, good governance and multiparty democracy, which were never effective on the ground, were magic wands to stability and riches. The incongruity with Bretton woods institutions are that, they never cared whether their recommendations were put into practice or not. Bretton Wood institutions were the ones who advised the government of Cameroon to create a government of “national union” after the dubious October 1997 presidential elections. For they knew it will placate the masses and above all, remove some steam from the opposition, that was agitating against the re-election of Paul Biya. Bretton woods strategists in Cameroon knew that, the stratagem that they provided to the government of Paul Biya had a powerful PR effect on honest western NGOs fighting against poverty and corruption in Africa.

The Bretton Wood institutions tutored the government of Cameroon on how to hoodwink her own people and Western NGOs. Bretton Wood institutions also provided funding to the same government to equip and train anti-riot police and other specialised militarised groups to fight against protesters. The Breton Wood institutions were helping the government of Cameroon to put into practice the adage which says: “he who is ready or preparing for peace, must also be ready or must be preparing for war”. For they knew that, their proposal for a government of national union which might appease the masses and also help realised their goal of massive privatisation might backfire. Hence they had a large amount of funds for law and order in their financial packages to governments. In fact, the Breton Wood institutions are professional thieves or rogues with frightening immoral hearts. Their strategy after the dubious October 1997 was almost functioning. However their plans ran into problem. The problem that Bretton woods institution had was that, those who accepted to join the doubtful government of “national union”, were the wrong guys or underrepresentative political parties of the opposition.

Cameroon: profile of Soulaymane Mahamat and the Malian witchdoctor ( part 8)

They did not recruit Soulaymane Mahamat because of the political capital that they were to gain from him. But the truth is that, Soulaymane was recruited more because of the symbol that he stood for or represented and held within the geostrategic plans of the SDF. This is evident in the national metamophoses that the SDF went through, immediately Souleymane openly made up his decision to join the largest intra and extra parliamentary opposition. The SDF escaped the position of a regionalist, secessionist or purely English-speaking Cameroonian party and became a broad base political formation. Regionalist and secessionist political formation is the name tag, that the government had placed on the SDF, in it frantic attempt to turn away many French-speaking Cameroonians from joining it. Like most Cameroonians, Souleymane never knew or expected that, 14 years later, the SDF will still be in the political Sinai desert of Cameroon, in search of an apparently elusive promise land. Life as an opposition leader in Cameroon is difficult and strewn with temptations and humiliations. Souleymane had his fair share of humiliations. Nonetheless he resisted and stood in the shadows of his charismatic boss, John Fru Ndi. While John was hugely charismatic, Souleymane was the opposite and a tad distant.

He survived only by the largesse of his boss and generous members of the SDF. His life in the opposition was different from what he used to enjoy when he was working at SONARA. He had no chauffeur driven car and had no advantages. To be simple and claear, life was too difficult for Souleymane. His children were no longer living with him. His childern were living with his younger brother, because Soulaymane Mahamat could no longer afford anything for them. Concerning Soulaymane’s wife, respect requires that, I don’t mentioned how she became. What I am about to mention is very important. For it may help to understand or show that the rapport between John Fru Ndi and his deputy was a sane one. John Fru Ndi observing with pity how Souleymane was suffering, but resisted to make people know about his travails, he (John Fru Ndi) suggested to the executive organ of his party otherwise known as the National Executive Council (NEC), that, his number two be given a monthly salary. But as a proud man, he refused the assistance. Souleymane rejected the proposition that he become a salaried member of the SDF.

In 1997, at the peak of his difficulties, Souleymane Mahamat, during a trip to Yaoundé, came across a fortune-teller of Malian nationality. The Malian fortune-teller told him that, he had a bright future. But what Souleymane did not know was that, the Malian was more of a speculator than the witchdoctor or fortune-teller that he pretended to be. In spite the fact that the Malian was a fake fortune-teller, he was nevertheless the guru of several members of government. Furthermore, what he always told politicians in Cameroon, were what he knew, they wanted to hear. The Malian fortune-teller knew that most Cameroonian politicians and elites were always in search for ministerial positions. The Malian became famous because he once speculated on one little known politician and he was eventually appointed minister. Since then, he has becomes the one witchdoctor in Yaoundé, that every burgeoning politician runs to. It explained why, when the arch-architect of the plot to divide and destroy the SDF, Dr Takoudjou approached Souleymane to join them as their leader in the 1997 plot, Souleymane saw it also a sign that, the prediction of the Malian witchdoctor, who lives in the cosy Bastos neighbourhood in Yaoundé was correct.

Cameroon:profile of Soulaymane Mahamat and brief Bernard Eding (part 7)

Souleymane truly liked his job and also knew that, as long as Ahidjo was president of the Republic, he was like the rock of Gibraltar in his post of finance director. Souleymane was the bright promising and constantly rising star of Northern Cameroonians. In 1981, he was sent again to France by the government of Cameroon, for a training course, that was aimed at preparing him to take over the mantle of general manger of SONARA. The post of general manager was held since the inauguration of SONARA on the 16^th of May 1981 by a White French man. The post of director general of SONARA would have been the coronation of the meteoric rise of Souleymane Mahamat, the cow Fulani, from the town of Maroua, located in the far north province. Unfortunately for him, when he returned from training, in France in October 1982, on the 4th of November of the same year, his mentor or protégé, late Ahmadou Ahidjo decided to quit the post of president of the Republic. But it was not entirely bad for Souleymane, for he still retained his initial post of financial director. However, the new president of Cameroon, Paul Biya, decided to appoint late Bernard Eding, who was serving since 1978 as deputy Director General, as the new head of SONARA.

Paul Biya, a Christian from the greater south, wanted to end the project of his predecessor, who wanted to appoint only Muslim of the greater northern region of the country, as head of strategic companies at the detriment of southerners. Bernard Eding the new boss of SONARA was a national or native of Bassaland and a Christian. Late Mr Bernard Eding, who became the Director General of SONARA from 1982 till his death, was born on the 5th of March 1940 in Edea, Sanaga Maritime division of the Littoral province. He was a graduate of the Ecole Nationale des Industries Chimiques (ENSIC) of Nancy and the Ecole Supérieure du Petrole et des Moteurs (ENSPM) of Reuil-Malmaison, located in the Greater Paris region, France. He has worked with the Gabonese National Oil Refining Company SOGARA or Societe Gabonaise de Rafinage from 1967-1970 and with the French state owned oil exploration and exploitation company Elf-Serepca-Cameroon from 1976-1977[1]. But Souleymane Mahamat, who thinks and believes that he, was born to rule and not to be ruled, did not appreciate the appointment of Bernard Eding as the new Director General of SONARA. Hence he decided in1990 or 1991 to join the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF).

It must be made clear that, Soulaymane Mahamat did not join the SDF because he admired the courage and project or manifesto of the SDF. He joined the SDF because of two things. First he was disappointed that, he was not offered the post of Director General of SONARA and secondly, those who recruited him on behalf of the SDF promised him that, should they win the 1992 presidential elections, he will be given the post of finance minister. Like most Cameroonians in the 90s, Souleymane was convinced that the government of Paul Biya will fall and will be replaced democratically by the SDF. The decision of Souleymane to adhere to the opposition SDF did not go down well with the government. It was considered as a treasonable felony. He was immediately sacked from SONARA. Paradoxically for the government, her decision to dismiss Souleymane from SONARA instead had a boomerang effect. All of a sudden, a man who was known only within government circles and elites of the far north became a national hero. He even stole for while, the position of star political figure of the country that was enjoyed then by John Fru Ndi. Souleymane Mahamat might after reflections, be accused today of opportunism, but the SDF that recruited him was equally opportunistic.

Cameroon: profile of Soulaymane Mahamat and the objective that Ahmadou Ahidjo had for Cameroon (part 6)

However when news reached late Amadou Ahidjo that, the father of Souleymane was preparing his son for a trip to Saudi Arabia, in order for junior Soulaymane to become an Imam, he (Ahidjo) is claimed to have cried: “what a waste!” He ordered for senior Souleymane to be brought to Yaoundé along with junior Souleymane, immediately they were back from their tour of northern Nigeria. When the Souleymanes came back from their Nigerian trip, they were directly flown to Yaoundé, where they met with the late former head of state. But when Ahidjo proposed to senior Souleymane that, the state wanted to send Souleymane to France for further education instead of Saudi Arabia, he (senior Soulaymane) refused. But when Ahidjo persuaded him in Fulani language that, his was to study first to Yaoundé and later on to France, where he will be groomed or trained and upon completion, he will come back to Cameroon to rule over the Christians, senior Soulaymane accepted Ahidjo’s offer. But senior Souleymane still wanted an imam in his family, for it was a hallmark of a noble family to have an imam in their fold, hence Souleymane’s younger brother was send to Saudi Arabia. The deal proposed by late president Amadou Ahidjo to the father of Souleymane shows how the trajectory of Souleymane Mahamat changed.

He came to Yaoundé and registered at the School administration and Magistracy, better known in it French acronym as ENAM and upon graduation, he continued his education in France. Thereafter, he came back to Cameroon and was given the strategic post of director of finance at the National Oil refining Company in Victoria. Although he was the financial director, he was being groomed to replace the White French man who was the director general. It is an understatement to stress hereon that, Souleymane Mahamat was the eyes and ears of Ahmadou Ahidjo at SONARA. As soon as Souleymane Mahamat began working at SONARA, in Victoria, he abandoned the virtuous religious track in which he was brought up. Others will refer or identify him as a moderate muslem, but for a person groomed within strict Islamic tradition and was programmed to become a Muslim cleric quickly, his transformation was tantamount to blasphemy. But moderate Islam or Muslim is a euphemism used to refer to all those who are not practising the Mohammedan faith as required. I really can’t tell or write the following with authority, but I have heard that, practising Muslims can marry Christians or Jews provided they practice their faith as indicated by their religion. But Souleymane was married to a Roman catholic who was a Roman Catholic only by name.

Furthermore, it appears as though, Islam also prohibits the consumption or abusive consumption of alcohol. But Souleymane who claimed to be a devout Muslim was an inveterate alcoholic. And finally, while Islam condones polygamy but prefers monogamy and faithfulness, Souleymane was married to one wife, but he was a monumental womaniser. However, the fact that Souleymane Mahamat was no longer a practising Muslim, but bagged the enviable secular tag of a moderate, a tag that was nevertheless abhorred by theocracy and theocrats. In spite the excesses of Soulaymane, it was of no concern to Ahmadou Ahidjo and it was of no danger to his post provided he (Souleymane) drew the necessary line between his job and his private life. Souleymane truly liked his job and also knew that, as long as Ahidjo was president of the republic, he was like the rock of Gibraltar in his post of finance director. Souleymane was the bright promising and constantly rising star of Northern Cameroonians. In 1981, he was sent again to France by the government of Cameroon for a training course that was aimed to prepare him to take over the mantle of general manger of SONARA.

Cameroon: profile of Soulaymane Mahamat and the doubtful ancentries of Ahmadou Ahidjo and Paul Biya

And these children, whose parents were humiliated by the former ruling class, were the ones who took over the mantle of leadership after independence. For they understood modern ere governance and also had western education and this change of status, created conflicts in most countries in Africa, wherein the former ruling class, lost their privileges to people they used to despise or rule. Concerning the ancestry of Ahmadou Ahidjo and other leaders of Cameroon or even the current president Paul Biya, whose ancestry is also put in doubt by the usual people, it has to mentioned that, prior to 1960, when borders where confirmed, there existed mass migration of African people from one part of the continent or region to the other. Furthermore, colonially drawn boundries have never posed any problems to African people. That might explain why, the parents of late president Ahidjo or current President Biya, may have either come from current Nigeria, Mali, Mauritania or Niger as claimed by people who are floating such information. Or in the case of Biya, it is claimed that, he is from Equatorial Guinea.

Such claims are basless and unfounded. For the questions that have to be asked to people floating the idea or information on the origins of people governing Cameroon are these: what is the native tongue of Biya and Ahidjo? Was the area that they are currently located in, configured in the same way before colonialism? Did Nigeria or Equatorial Guinea exist before the advent of colonialsm and the borders that they created? Concerning Ahidjo’s education, I don’t think he (Ahidjo) went to school more than most people of his generation and more so, who had the luck to be educated. While there is a strong controversy about the ancestry of late Ahmadou Ahidjo and also the rank that he may have had within his family and tribe, Souleymane Mahamat never had to confront such problems. He was from a well known Muslim aristocratic family and whose father wanted him to be educated in a western style. For his father foresaw the preponderant part that western education will play in modern French-speaking Cameroon. Hence Souleymane and his brothers and sisters were all educated. With all the divine privileges that Souleymane had, he never experienced difficulties when he was growing up.

He grew up with servants and was groomed by his father to be a leader. Souleymane was lucky that his father, although a noble and rich minority, who are proud of their glorious past and thus despises Europeans, he nevertheless made an effort to send his children amongst which was Souleymane, to attend the school of White men, this in order to achieve western education. It was not the case with other rich nobles of the greater north, which preferred sending their children to Koranic schools, where they are thought elementary Arabic. When Souleymane went to school, it turns out that, he was very brilliant and upon graduation from primary and secondary schools, he was trilingual. He spoke fluent French, English and Arabic. Not forgetting that, he also spoke Fulani and Hausa languages. His father sensing that his son was brilliant, he developed reflects that was thought to have left him long ago. He decided that such a brilliant son would not serve the government of Cameroon but God. Senior Soulaymane wanted Junior Souleymane to become an imam. But it was not easy for a child who had had the experience of Souleymane to be attracted to a theocratic service as his father wanted.