Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Mimi Mefo Info (Editor)
Published on 2024-03-12 17:45:11
The Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, has issued a ban on two political associations led by the main opposition leader Maurice Kamto and former SDF parliamentarian Jean Michel Nintcheu.
In a release today, March 12, he directed the 10 regional governors to take action against activities carried out under the names of the Political Alliance for Change and the Alliance for a Political Transition in Cameroon.
Atanga Nji stated that these two associations are illegal and are led by certain political leaders who are seeking notoriety and defying the current law. He prohibited them from organizing public meetings, press conferences, and recruitment activities.
The reason behind this ban may be linked to a recent visit by the Kamto-Nintcheu coalition to the Kondengui Central Prison, where they met with Anglophone separatist leaders, including Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, the President of the Ambazonia separatist movement, who is currently serving a life sentence.
While Kamto and Nintcheu have not officially commented on their meeting at Kondengui, it has been reported that they were attempting to gain the support of separatist leaders for their coalition, which the government sees as a challenge to their efforts to suppress the separatist movement.
In his release, Atanga Nji emphasized that the movements called ‘Political Alliance for Change’ and ‘Alliance for a Political Transition in Cameroon’ are not recognized political parties, as per the law. Only legalized political parties have the right to request authorization for political activities in the country.
Although the Minister did not explicitly name the political leaders involved in these movements, it is understood that Maurice Kamto and Jean Michel Nintcheu are among them. Kamto, who contested the presidential election in 2018, has been promoting the Political Alliance for Change.
Nintcheu, a dismissed SDF party member, has also been involved in a coalition with Kamto’s PAC. The government’s decision to declare this coalition illegal has dampened hopes for their political collaboration.
As Cameroon heads into a pre-election year, the opposition remains divided. Attempts to bring influential politicians into their coalition, such as Cabral Libii and Joshua Osih, have been unsuccessful.
The outcome of the next election remains uncertain, with President Paul Biya’s party members pushing for his candidacy despite his long tenure in power. The ban on these two political associations adds another layer of complexity to the political landscape in Cameroon.
Read the original article(French) on Mimi Mefo Info
