The government of Cameroon has strongly condemned an attack on the Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, Mounouna Foutsou, and Cameroon’s Ambassador to Belgium, Daniel Evina Abe’e, promising to take legal action.
The attack, which took place in Brussels, was reportedly carried out by members of the Brigade Anti-Sardinards (BAS), a diaspora group known for its opposition to the Cameroonian government.
They poured powder on the Minister and members of his delegation, painting them white.
In a press release on Tuesday, March 4, the Minister of Communication, Emmanuel Sadi, described the incident as an “intolerable” act of aggression against state representatives.
The attack occurred in two separate incidents. First on February 28, 2025, during a youth event at the Claridge Hotel, and again on March 3, when Minister Foutsou and Ambassador Abe’e were leaving for Cameroon.
The government accused the BAS of acting like “terrorists” and denounced their actions as an attack on the entire nation.
It reaffirmed its commitment to democracy and the rule of law, urging all Cameroonians, especially those in the diaspora, to respect state institutions and pursue grievances through legal means.
“The government reminds everyone that Cameroon is a democracy and a state of law where institutional changes take place through the ballot box, not violence,” the statement read.
Minister Foutsou Not Angry
While Minister Foutsou had earlier stated that he was not personally angry with the protesters and urged them to express their concerns through dialogue, the government’s tone was much harsher.
Authorities vowed to track down and prosecute those responsible for the attack, calling on foreign governments to uphold international conventions protecting diplomats.
Long History of Diaspora Attacks on Officials
This is not the first time diaspora cameroonians are humiliating Ministers and officials in President Paul Biya’s long-serving regime.
The Head of State had faced attacks abroad as well. Members of the BAS has repeatedly stormed President Biya’s usual residence in Switzerland, the Intercontinental Hotel. They did so in 2019 and asked him to leave and stop squandering Cameroonian taxpayers’ money on lengthy stays abroad.
Cameroonian activists abroad also targeted the Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella in 2019 during a diplomatic meeting.
They accused the government of overseeing human rights abuses in Cameroon.
In 2021, Cameroonian activists confronted the Minister of Public Works, Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi, at his hotel in Paris, France.
They accused him of corruption and poor governance. The protesters disrupted his meeting before security intervened.
The BAS harassed the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji and other officials at their hotel in 2019, when President Paul Biya visited Geneva.
They again stormed President Biya’s hotel in France in 2023 in a protest that attracted French police’s intervention.
These attacks have been repeated since 2019 when calls came from every direction for Mr. Biya to step down or make Cameroon better.
According to the BAS, Cameroon is in a deplorable state while its leaders make unproductive trips abroad, further impoverishing the nation.
