From: osele@acsu.buffalo.edu (Itiakorit J. Osele)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Re: CAMEROON: Bill Clinton's "coup d'etat"?????????
Keywords: Cameroon, Elections aftermath, US Presidential Inauguration
Date: 12 Jan 93 19:53:12 GMT
Organization: UB

In article <Jan.7.12.29.08.1993.11043@occlusal.rutgers.edu> shemlon@occlusal.rutgers.edu (Shiyghan Shemlon) writes:
>I GOT THIS REPLY TO MY POSTING ON THE ABOVE SUBJECT. FROM THE LANGUAGE
>I CAN GUESS IT WAS INTENDED FOR POSTING, BUT WAS INADVERTENTLY
>FORWARDED TO ME INSTEAD. I HAVE ASKED FOR PERMISSION TO POST IT, BUT
>THE LANGUAGE OF THE FIRST PARAGRAGH SUGGESTS TO ME THAT IT WAS
>INTENDED FOR POSTING.
>
>********************************************************************* 
>********************************************************************* 
>
>From JEMBEI@gallua.gallaudet.edu Wed Jan  6 10:21:51 1993
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>From: JEMBEI@gallua.gallaudet.edu
>Subject: CAMEROON: Bill Clinton's "coup d'etat"?????????
>To: shemlon@occlusal.rutgers.edu
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>>From: shemlon@occlusal.rutgers.edu (Shiyghan Shemlon)
>>Subject:CAMEROON: Bill Clinton's "coup d'etat"?????????
>>Date: 4 Jan 93 22:08:41 GMT
>>Message-ID:<Jan.4.17.08.41.1993.8376@occlusal.rutgers.edu>
>
>>
>>Biya's political machinery has literally been swept off the ground by
>>a decisiion of US President elect Bill Clinton to invite John Fru Ndi,
>>Biya's main political rival whom many consider to be the legitimate
>>president of Cameroon to his January 20th inauguration in Washington
>>DC. 
>>
>
>In his recent article CAMEROON: Bill Clinton's "coup d'Etat"?????????
>my fellow citizen (I guess he is from Cameroon) and brother has provided our
>respected readers with creditable information. However, I would like to ask
>some questions, and of course, try to comment on some of his assertions. I have
>no sympathy for, and am far from being an unconditional supporter of either
>Biya or Ahijo's government. For your information, my cousin (he is my brother
>in our tradition) has been in political asylum for more than 30 years.
>
>One of my questions is where have you gotten yor statistics about the
>North-West and South-West provinces population, and their GNP contribution ?
>
>I guess when one deal with the two provinces GNP, what first come in mind is
>OIL. 1987 statistics--I am unsure whether they are accurate or not state that
>petroleum contributed about 50% of Cameroon export earnings (in 1987).
>
>My second question is: what is the purpose of specifying that "the two 
>Anglophone provinces contribute close to 70% of the GNP ?"
>
>Also, I am tempted to question the appropriateness of labelling the US
>President-elect's decision a "Coup d'Etat." A warning to Biya ? YES, it is. 
>
>Now, here is how I view Cameroon's situation:
>
>Whoever becomes Cameroon's President at this time will be more likely to
>continue the old-fashioned policy, if that person is a member of the actual
>government team, or has served in any of Ahijo's administration. It is possible
>that some members of the actual administration are very good people, who could
>bring concrete democratic changes in Cameroon. But with those who served in
>Ahijo's administration, I doubt. Cameroon certainly needs someone who will
>bring new ideas, put in place a new team, devoted to changes.
>
>We shall be very careful whenever we deal with political realities. This is not
>only true for Cameroon. It is true for Africa in general. Our major weakness is
>our addiction-like desire to operate behind clans, tribes, etc. We can't blame
>Europeans for having divided our continent into micro states--I won't say
>nations, for there is no genuine nation in Africa ! whereas we continue to

I beg to disagree with you here, for there is a country I believe is an African
nation and that is Tanzania. This is not a rich country, but the sense of nationhood pervades every aspect of its life, more like any country you perceive to bea nation. 

More to the point why I responded to this article. It is high time we (Africans)start to appreciate what efforts have/are being made in Africa, rather this rhetorical denigration which serves others peoples interests. Quite honestly it is not all gloom and doom, to the extent that there is no African nation !

Itiakorit