In an exclusive interview with Jeune Afrique, Marafa Hamidou Yaya, former Minister of State and Secretary-General of the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon, denounces his detention conditions, and declining health, and calls for radical change in his country.
Incarcerated since 2012 for “intellectual complicity” in embezzlement of public funds, Marafa Hamidou Yaya sounds the alarm about his health. “I am losing my sight,” he confides, stating that specialists recommend a “last-chance operation” abroad, an operation he has been unable to obtain despite his repeated requests to President Paul Biya. “If this evacuation does not take place quickly, the only remedy will inevitably be to eventually remove my eyeballs,” he warns.
Marafa Hamidou Yaya believes that his detention is political. “Out of the six convicted in this case, how many are still in prison today? Only one, myself,” he points out. He also denounces the use of torture in Cameroon, as illustrated by the assassination of his former collaborator Christiane Soppo in 2014 and the death of journalist Martinez Zogo in 2023. “If the authorities perceive you as a threat, you will pay with your freedom or your life,” he asserts.
The former minister also criticises the handling of President Paul Biya, whom he accuses of plunging Cameroon into “true barbarism and savagery.” He regrets his past trust in the Cameroonian justice system and calls for the establishment of a “Truth, Reconciliation, and Refoundation Commission” to shed light on the regime’s crimes.
In the face of the rise of coups d’état in Africa, Marafa Hamidou Yaya warns against the dangers of populism, which he considers “sterile” and “unrealistic.” He calls for a national dialogue to find solutions to Cameroon’s problems and prevent the country from “irreversibly self-destructing.”
Despite his fragile health and difficult detention conditions, Marafa Hamidou Yaya remains hopeful for Cameroon’s future. “I believe I can still help my country,” he asserts. He is determined to continue his fight for democracy and respect for human rights, even though his future remains uncertain.
Marafa Hamidou Yaya’s interview further sheds light on the political and human rights situation in Cameroon, which has been a cause of concern over the last decade. His words should prompt the international community to take action and urge the regime of Paul Biya to take concrete measures to improve the situation in the country, starting with the ongoing Anglophone crisis.
