Cameroon’s Minister of Communication, René Emmanuel Sadi, has once again stepped into his now-familiar role as the chief defender of a regime long detached from the realities faced by its citizens. In a statement meant to justify the controversial outcome of the October 12 presidential election and denounce the nationwide protests that followed, the Minister’s words did more to expose the government’s arrogance and moral bankruptcy than to reassure a wounded nation.
While Sadi paints a picture of a “smooth” and “transparent” election, Cameroonians on the ground know otherwise. From the mass disenfranchisement of voters and intimidation at polling stations to blatant irregularities in vote counting, the so-called victory of President Paul Biya now in power for over 43 years, is seen by many as yet another theft of the people’s will. The Minister’s insistence that the Constitutional Council’s proclamation is “final and legitimate” only highlights the capture of every institution meant to safeguard democracy.
Instead of acknowledging the legitimate grievances of a population exhausted by decades of stagnation, corruption, and repression, Sadi resorts to the usual tactic, criminalizing dissent. His condemnation of opposition figures and protesters, coupled with threats of 10 to 20 years imprisonment under Section 116 of the Penal Code, reflects a government that fears its people more than it serves them. The calls for “patriotism” and “national unity” ring hollow when citizens are met not with dialogue but with bullets and batons for daring to demand justice.
Equally disturbing is Sadi’s attempt to shift blame to “foreign influences” and “biased international partners.” Such rhetoric has become a convenient shield for a government unwilling to confront its own failures, failures that have plunged Cameroon into economic decay, political distrust, and social division. For decades, the Biya regime has squandered opportunities, silenced reformists, and allowed corruption to rot the nation from within.
The truth is stark: the protests are not the cause of Cameroon’s crisis, they are a symptom of it. They represent a generation’s frustration with a regime that has monopolized power, crushed dreams, and stolen futures.
If the Minister truly seeks peace and stability, he should start by acknowledging the injustices that have pushed Cameroonians to the edge, not by lecturing them about patriotism from the comfort of power. Peace cannot be decreed; it must be earned through truth, accountability, and respect for the people’s voice.
