Cameroon: Kamto’s residence remains under police watch as rumours of MRC ban intensify

It’s been six days now since the famous September 22, nationwide protest, and yet Maurice Kamto’s residence is still heavily surrounded by forces of law and order.

The September 22 protests were called for by the President of the MRC party as a means of demanding that the President of the Republic, Paul Biya steps down from power.

Along with other leaders of the of political parties and civil society organisations which had publicly backed the September 22 protests, Kamto was placed under house arrest on the eve of the manifestations. That however did not deter some of his militants in Douala especially from staging a protest to show their discontent with the current regime.

Despite other leaders being given back their freedom, the MRC president’s house has continuously been guarded for the 7th straight day without any signs of relaxing the security soon.

Amidst Kamto’s continuous house arrest, there are rumours that the government maybe putting up plans to ban the MRC from Cameroon’s political landscape anytime soon.

Many neutrals however believe if that were to happen, then it would likely be the worst political blunder to have been committed by the Cameroon government in decades.

Within the circle of the party, it has been made increasingly very clear by them that they were not going to stop with their calls for protests until the reforms which they have demanded are met. The MRC’s top demand is for the crisis in the Northwest and the Southwest regions to be unconditionally solved, as well as a complete revision of the Cameroon electoral code.

The party has vowed to disrupt the upcoming regional elections unless these demands are fulfilled by the regime in power.

The government’s response to Kamto’s threats has been ruthless. Deploying armed riot police officers to intercept any form of protests, while keeping their leaders under house arrest.

With a potential MRC ban by the government, Cameroonians are curious why the party’s president is still under house arrest. With his spokesperson Olivier Bibou Nissack arrested on September 22, will Maurice Kamto join his collaborator in jail?