Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Mimi Mefo Info
Published on 2024-04-03 12:47:41
In recent months, the former candidate in the 2018 presidential election and first secretary of the United People for Social Renewal (PURS) has been multiplying initiatives with certain Pan-African leaders in order to adjust his ideological positioning in favor of Pan-Africanism, which is gaining popularity in Africa.
Serge Espoir Matomba is already sharpening his weapons for the next presidential election scheduled for 2025. His new philosophy: anti-Western Pan-Africanism. To manifest this, the former challenger to Paul Biya in the last presidential election has approached some prominent figures in Pan-Africanism, seeking to make himself better known.
It is in this context that he will receive Charles Blé Goudé in Cameroon from April 3 to 9. Blé Goudé is an Ivorian politician and leader of the Pan-African Congress for Justice and People’s Equality (Cojep). According to the schedule of the Ivorian politician’s stay, as unveiled by the PURS communication team, his program includes thanking the Cameroonian people, sharing experiences, exchanging ideas, and holding debate conferences.
“For the debate conferences, there are still adjustments to be made. That is why we are not yet communicating enough about it,” indicates a close collaborator of Serge Espoir Matomba. He further explains that these adjustments are of an administrative nature, as they are waiting for authorization to hold the conferences before launching a more detailed communication about them.
Both Charles Blé Goudé and Serge Espoir Matomba are deeply invested in the Pan-African cause. The Cameroonian had in fact participated in a mini-summit organized by Cojeb on Pan-Africanism in Abidjan in November last year. The African leaders attending this mini-summit pledged to pool their resources to obtain Africa’s sovereignty. This initiative is set to be sustained, with the second edition planned for this year in the Central African Republic (CAR), where the plan is to transition from a mini-summit to a full summit.
Prior to Blé Goudé’s visit, Kemi Seba had also stayed in Cameroon. The founder of the Pan-Africanist NGO Urgences Panafricanistes, described as one of the leading figures of contemporary Pan-Africanism, had also been invited by Serge Espoir Matomba. Even though the arrival of the Franco-Beninese activist was disguised under the promotion of the For You Media Africa project, a press group founded in 2022 by Serge Espoir Matomba positioning itself as Pan-Africanist, it was evident that the mere presence of this heavyweight in contemporary Pan-Africanism was part of Serge Espoir Matomba’s campaign strategy.
Franco-Cameroonian activist Nathalie Yamb also participated in this promotion. Like Kemi Seba, she became known for her outspoken criticism of France on social media.
While Matomba had not yet been a critic of the CFA franc in 2018, his party now advocates for the self-determination of peoples as promoted by Pan-Africanists. On December 16, Matomba held a grand meeting with Ivorian scholar Nicolas Agbohou, one of the staunch opponents of the CFA franc. Following this meeting, Serge Espoir Matomba revealed that his party is preparing to engage in the fight for the end of the CFA franc in Cameroon and Africa.
The multitude of activities and especially the timing of these activities suggest that Serge Espoir Matomba wants to be part of the fight of many young Africans today. The fight against Western influences attracts crowds and paves the way for recognition.
Albert Atangana
Read the original article(French) on Mimi Mefo Info
