Only last June, I posted an article on this blog (Man from Somewhere in-between) in which I suggested that the black South African on Black African violence that rocked South Africa in in April and May 2008, was merely hate generated by who we define ourselves to be and it had happened elsewhere and could happen anywhere.
Well, it happened on 15, 16, 17 and 18 July in my dear Cameroon. The “indigenous” inhabitants of Akonolinga (a small town situated 180 Km from the capital Yaounde), attacked the homes and businesses of “strangers” mainly ethnic Bamiléké living in “their town”, leading to the death of at least one person and the displacement of many “Bami” strangers. The spark that generated the outburst happens to be football, supposedly the rallying force of Cameroonians.
Background
On the last day of play of the 2007/8 MTN Elite 1 football (soccer) league in Cameroon, Lion Ngoma football club of Ebolowa (South province) failed to show up for its final game against Aigle of Menoua (West province). Lion Ngoma was already condemned to play in division two. However, their failure to show up meant that Aigle Menoua that was threatened by relegation won by forfeiture, thus saving its season. By that same token Foudre of Akonolinga (Centre province) could no longer overtake Aigle and thus dropped to division two. In the minds of most Foudre fans Lion Ngoma’s absence was a corrupt arrangement by Aigle.
Incidentally, Aigle and Foudre had been drawn to face each other in the semi finals of the CUP of Cameroon. In the first leg encounter played in Akonolinga, Foudre beat Aigle 3-1. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Foudre fans reportedly molested Aigle Menoua officials, players and supporters whom they blamed for their team’s return to the inferior league. On 15 July 2008 during the return game in Dschang, Aigle Menoua beat Foudre Akonolinga by two goals to naught and qualified for the final on the basis of the away goals rule. According different newspaper sources, rumour via word of mouth, mobile phones and more importantly a broadcast on CRTV Centre Provincial Station in Yaounde, elites from Akonolinga were reportedly rough-handled by the Dschang population. Among those who were supposedly attacked and who propounded the information was Pierre Lebon Elanga, a CRTV sports reporter who hails from Akonolinga. This did not go down well in Akonolinga. Issues of Identity In “retaliation”, according to Le Jour newspaper and Camfoot.com website, bands of indigenous (Beti) youths armed with clubs, rods, machetes and other destructive utensils identified and attacked shops in the local market belonging to strangers (generally Bamiléké who hail from the West province). Some of their homes were torched and the town entered a tumultuous riot with scores Bamilékés in particular fleeing for their lives. One of them, Louis-Bruno Tientcheu was not lucky enough. He died on 16 July 2008 from the heavy wounds and concussions inflicted on him by other Cameroonians. It required the intervention of specialized police units from Yaounde for a precarious calm to return to the town. According to members of Akonolinga’s dominant Beti ethnic group, this was merely reaction against the Bamilékés who had assaulted their kin and kith. They also hold that the economic power of the Bamilékés gave them the means to bribe teams like Lion Ngoma thus causing their club to be relegated in an insidious manner. There have been varied reactions to these events. The Senior Divisional Officer ( Prefet) for Menoua, Awana Ateba (himself an ethnic Beti) denied that there was any fracas in Dschang during the game. The local communication chief blamed Pierre Lebon Elanga of CRTV of being at the behest of this ethnic issue and promised to take him to court. On the web, comments (mainly in French) abound with Bamilékés and Betis having a go at each other. The “comments” raised depict how some Beti Cameroonians feel threatened by the economic strength of the Bamiléké and how the latter are unhappy that Beti maintain a stranglehold on executive power. I simply perceived an absence of realization that we are just people in-between life and death. (I have collated some of these comments in the pdf attachment). Football and Nationhood For many years, Cameroon leadership has extolled football as the example of Cameroon’s nationhood. Their proof of a one and indivisible Cameroon has always been about how citizens of this multi-ethnic mosaic come together to support football and in particular the Indomitable Lions. Unfortunately, Louis-Bruno Tientcheu’s death at the hands of people who probably used to embrace him with warmth at every goal scored by Samuel Eto’o fils for Cameroon proves that demagogic speeches do not make nationhood. These Akonolinga/Dschang events are another reminder that it is a whole education of respect for difference that leaders must plan. Civic education that allows people to learn about themselves, their tribes and all the other ethnic groups that make up the Cameroonians nation, acknowledging their differences but not defining interactions on who they are and where they come from. Football could prove helpful. As a team sport it shows that we need to rely on each other to survive. But it cannot breed nationhood on the mere fact that it is football! Download comments_and_discussions_on_foudre_versus_aigle_palavar.pdf
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