Prominent female opposition figures, Barrister Michele Ndoki and Edith Kah Walla, have hailed supporters of Prof Maurice Kamto for bravely standing their grounds and not surrendering to police intimidation during Sunday’s drama in Douala.
Thousands of Maurice Kamto’s supporters, who turned out at Deido on Sunday to welcome him back from France, did not panic despite armed police officers surrounding and barricading them from meeting with the opposition leader.
The reactions of Michel Ndoki and Kah Walla to the incident broke the silence of opposition figures in Cameroon, who remained mute in the face of the recent repression of civil and political rights.
Praise for Youth Courage
Michele Ndoki, a lawyer, political activist, and former member of Kamto’s CRM party, praised the youth in Douala for standing their ground, despite the heavy deployment of security forces to block Kamto’s meeting with them.
“No sardine, bread; no two thousand francs and yet they showed up,” Michele Ndoki wrote on her Facebook.
Known for her bold advocacy for democratic reform, she continued with a message aimed at critics who often portray Cameroonians as passive or fearful.
“My salutations to those who call Cameroonians cowards who can’t rise together to defend what they believe in. Believe it or not, I’m proud of the children of my land today. That courage is something else.”
Ndoki’s comments appear to praise the spontaneous turnout and bravery of citizens at the CRM site amid a growing climate of political tension and repression.
Meanwhile, Edith Kah Walla, former presidential candidate and leader of the Cameroon People’s Party (CPP), issued a strongly worded statement on Facebook condemning the violence and calling for genuine political dialogue
“Regarding the serious events of Sunday, June 8, 2025, at the headquarters of the MRC in Douala-Deido, we must understand that Cameroon cannot move forward in fear,” she stated.
“Respect for freedoms is not a favour; it is an obligation. Our country needs peace, sincere dialogue, and a real commitment to political transition that restores meaning to citizenship and the rule of law,” she added.
Need for Reform
Kah Walla’s intervention shows growing concern about rising repression and the urgency for democratic reform ahead of the anticipated 2025 presidential elections.
On Sunday, June 8, authorities placed Maurice Kamto under house arrest in Douala, hours after he returned from Paris, France, where he held a mega political rally.
The police surrounded his house for over 24 hours and barred him from meeting his supporters, who had camped at his party’s headquarters in Deido, Douala, for several hours.
Kamto was only freed from the house confinement on Monday afternoon, after agreeing to the government’s order to leave Douala.
Security forces however, escorted him to Yaounde, where a number of supporters warmly welcomed him.
Who Are Michele Ndoki and Kah Walla?
A lawyer by profession, Michèle Ndoki rose to national prominence as a key legal advisor and activist within the CRM party.
She also gained international recognition after her arrest in 2019 for participating in peaceful protests.
Outspoken and fearless, she is regarded as one of the faces of female political resistance in Cameroon.
Edith Kah Walla, on the other hand, is a long-standing figure in Cameroon’s opposition landscape.
A businesswoman, human rights advocate, and former presidential candidate, the former Social Democratic Front party militant now leads the Cameroon People’s Party (CPP).
Known for her clarity of vision and advocacy for women’s leadership, she consistently champions good governance, inclusive dialogue, and nonviolent political reform.
A Climate of Unrest
The statements from Ndoki and Kah Walla come amid rising tensions between state authorities and opposition groups, particularly the CRM, which has faced repeated restrictions on assembly and political expression.
Sunday’s incident at the party’s Douala headquarters has further reignited national conversations about freedom of assembly, political pluralism, and the right to dissent.
As Cameroon prepares for a presidential election, voices like theirs are shaping both local and international discussions around democratic accountability and civil liberties in Cameroon.
