Anglo -American and Breton wood institutions activisms in Cameroon ( part 2)

The absence or out right refusal of major political parties to join the proposed government of “national union” was a quandary to Paul Biya and also to the Breton Wood Institutions. After the 1997 presidential elections, the Bretton Wood institutions and their protégé Paul Biya were in a dilemma. As for the radical opposition political parties, albeit the most representative and which was headed by the SDF, they were alone and unaided by her traditional Anglo-American supporters. For the Americans whose activism in the 90s, helped push and implement real democracy in Cameroon, had their minds elsewhere by 1997. Remember, I had early mentioned how startled I was, when the former US ambassador to Cameroon, Mr Charles H. Twining, told me in an interview that: “democracy in Cameroon, had taken a great leap forward”. The US government never wanted to chaperon the opposition any more, for they had their mind elsewhere. It was at a time, when China was making her presence felt on the African continent, and the Americans had to rethink and retool their strategy, especially that which concerns oil and other strategic minerals. Beside China, the other American competitor in Africa was France.

Even though France has a lot of influence in French-speaking Africa, she can’t compete with the Americans in any part of the continent, even in her former French colonies. The Americans are therefore not impressed about the French. For the French, besides nosing around, they don’t have any clearly define strategy in their former African colonies and former area of influence. However, before the 90s, France had a clear cut strategy in Africa, in particular in her former colonies. But currently, France doesn’t have any clearly defined African strategy. Furthermore, even if they had, they don’t have the economic means, spirit of sacrifice and not to mention the needed military capabilities. Any sustained military campaign that France would want to take, must have the support of the US and that of Great Britain. An example of how feeble the French presently are, in their former zone of influence, which is French-speaking Africa, they were almost thrown out of the exploitation of Chadian oil and also in the construction of the pipeline that passes through Cameroon. As for the US, their main preoccupation in Africa these days, is China and China’s activism in the vital and none vital parts of the continent. It might explain why, in 1997, the American government looked the other and allowed Paul Biya to embezzle the elections again.

For in the calculations of the Americans, with Biya in power, they will be able to develop a new strategic agreement and partnership in the West African sub region, especially within the Gulf of Guinea, which will be beneficial to them. This is so because, Nigeria, which the third largest economy in Africa and second largest in sub Saharan Africa, was entering a democratic phase, which has facilitated the emergence of a new crop of leaders. These new breed of politicians, were not ready to be American puppets as their older peers who were generally corrupt. Nigeria, it is well known to be the largest oil producer on the continent and also an ally of the Americans. But as mentioned earlier, there is a changing dynamics in Nigeria. The West African state was beginning to develop closer economic ties with China, aided by the new democratic dispensation. But it was a developement that was not appreciated in Washington DC. For in spite all the calls for good governance and democracy, Washington prefers governments that puts US interest first than governments that put the interest their local population as the fulcrum of their policy. But in spite all the sweeteners meant to hoodwink the opposition that were proposed by the Anglo-Americans, they could not ignore the deteriorating situation in the country.

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.