Cameroon: Maurice Kamto’s former special adviser creats own party, after being kicked out of party WhatsApp group

Sosthène Médard Lipot, one of the founding members of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) and former special adviser to the president of the party Prof Maurice Kamto announced the creation of his political party a month after resigning from the CRM.

The former ally of the CRM President unceremoniously resigned from the party on May 16, 2023, after claiming that “…the party has been taken hostage by a group of extremists.”

The announcement was made on the evening of June 18, 2023, on Cameroonian private Television channel Canal 2 International. According to him, the party should be created before 2025, as he targets the Presidential elections.

He was received by Rodrigue TONGUE after his resignation. Sosthène Médard however decided to withhold the name of the political party while making the said announcement.

“The political anchorage will be on the left… But more central. We will insist on education, ” Sosthène Médard stated.

According to the explanations of Sosthène Médard Lipot who was questioned by journalists Kevin Fotso and Thierry Nyope, the political party will be launched before 2025. And will take part “in all the elections” promises the academician and journalist by training.

“I was excluded from the WhatsApp group on the instructions of Maurice Kamto,” he revealed while explaining the circumstances leading to his expulsion from his former political party.

As one of the founding fathers of the CRM, Sosthene Medard has not failed to express his dissatisfaction at the CRM since he resigned. “Maurice Kamto has never called me since I resigned… my mission in the CRM was to bring change within a peaceful environment.” He criticized in an interview with STV.

Just like Sosthene Medard Lipot, the CRM party has also witnessed several important figures who have walked out of it because of differing political stands. It was the case with the late Paul Erik Kingue, who asked for the dissolution of the CRM party after falling out with Professor Maurice Kamto.

Celestine Djamen also decided to quit the party in 2020 and created his own APAR Party. He claimed Professor Kamto was a novice in politics and criticized his decision to boycott the February 2020 Municipal and legislative elections without consulting key party members.

Currently, as well, Barrister Michele Ndoki, a long-time ally of Professor Maurice Kamto is under a lot of vile attacks both within the party and even on the media after she announced her decision to challenge Kamto as chairman of the CRM.

Her ability to lead the party is being questioned by pro-Kamto militants, who have also accused her of being an absentee party militant.

By Amina Hilda and Mike Klaus