In order to understand the current historical situation that Cameroon and all African countries are going through, L'Afrique en Eveil interviewed Mamadou Mota, vice-president of the MRC, one of the main opposition parties in Cameroon. It takes a fresh look at the recent outbreak of Coups d’Etat that Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, and even more recently Gabon have just experienced. He suggests and makes proposals with a view to reducing the conflicts besetting Africa. |
Question: Mr. Vice-President of the MRC, what reading do you make of the various events that our continent is going through at the moment, manifested by an avalanche of Coups d'Etat, in many countries?
Answer: The current political context in Africa is very marked by unconstitutional power grabs and confiscations of any democratic outcome in most countries, especially in West Africa and Central Africa. This situation has as its basis, the dictatorship implemented by products resulting directly from colonialism which were for a long time supported by these same colonists. 60 years after our independence, our leaders have opted for protection by foreign forces to the detriment of our well-being and our sovereignty.
In the wake of awakenings of conscience, I want to say that we have targeted the wrong target and a feeling of rejection of yesterday's allies and even the UN has been born. It is regrettable and it is galling to see countries which existed thanks to the principles which underlie the UN, chasing it away today and proudly brandishing alliances with countries with unsavory governance, which poison the opponents, and attack other nations. This situation harkens back exactly to the dark hours of imperialism. Diplomacy is guerrilla warfare, it is up to us to establish ourselves on the international scene as a power and not submit to the power of other nations.
Question: What is your assessment of the Coup d’Etat that took place in Gabon on August 30?
Answer: A Coup d’Etat is a Coup d’état. For me, I cannot give a human face to everything that takes away sovereignty from the people. The context is no different from the Coups d’Etat in West Africa, which some commentators are trying to justify. What they have in common is a foundation marked by the confiscation of power by the politicians in power and their families. An oligarchy that has sidelined the people, for whom it should work. These oligarchies no longer felt indebted for anything.
Ali Bongo has not won an election in Gabon for 10 years. He was kept in power initially with the support of France and a violent repression perpetrated by the same army that wants to play Robin Hood. To be Republican, let the army hand over power to the one who legitimately won. Central Africa is the laboratory of global dictatorship with the successful experimentation of the monarchical transmission of power and it is up to the younger generations to stand up against these counter-values in a civilized world.
Question: In your opinion, is there a relationship between this avalanche of Coups d'Etat and human rights in the different countries concerned?
Answer: Obviously yes, none of the countries where the Coup d’Etat was perpetrated respects the basic rights that underlie human freedoms. All these countries are starving their people and it is the human right that is most massively and cynically violated.
Question: Are governance issues also at issue?
Answer: Governance issues are paramount. The management of our States refers to the management of family grocery stores without traceability, without accountability and a confusion of roles is present everywhere; confusion between public and private goods. You hear in Cameroon: “gift from the head of state”. This is communication on purpose, to hinder good governance.
Question: What lesson should the Cameroonian authorities be able to draw from the recent Coup d’Etat in Gabon?
Answer: Power in Cameroon is unfortunately blinded by excessive pride, which makes it deaf to the current excitement of our time. If in 40 years they have not been able to free Cameroonians from hunger, is it a matter of separating themselves from a power that they arbitrarily confiscate and which feeds their princely lifestyle that they will consider giving up? No !! No oligarchy has ceded power and its privileges without struggle and without pressure from the people. It is rather up to the Cameroonian people to capitalize on the experiences of the Gabonese
Looking at the latest recruitment to the police with a very regionalist accent and in contempt of the values which founded the Republic. It is for a single objective: to prepare repression in case... But the people have faced tanks with their bare hands in the history of humanity; thus exposing the vulnerability of this killing machine.
Question: What actions should governments in power in Africa take to avoid cascading Coups?
Answer: Avoiding Coups d’Etat means promoting institutional freedoms and promoting human freedoms, including those of having access to well-being and a balanced diet.
Question: Do you think that sub-regional organizations such as ECOWAS, ECCAS, AU are sufficiently competent to deal with Coups d’Etat in Africa?
Answer: They have become the red crosses of dictators. We must reform these institutions in depth and create parliaments which must include not only politicians but men from civil society. It's urgent !
Question: How can we strengthen these sub-regional organizations in the management of crises in general and Coups d’Etat in particular?
Answer: Avoid external financing of these institutions as well as the interventionism of foreign powers in its actions;
- Strengthen the institutional power of these organizations because they are under the wings of sometimes unfriendly heads of state who have been in power for 40 years;
- Have crisis prevention mechanisms as well as post-crisis management mechanisms with substantial resources,
- Promote democracy;
Question: Ultimately, in the current conditions of the historical process in Africa, are the populations and their leaders obliged to resolve the differences likely to arise between them through Coups d'Etat?
Answer: No. There is no bloodshed at the negotiating table.
Mamadou Yacouba Mota is a Cameroonian politician and vice-president of the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon
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