Serge Espoir Matomba: a Presidential Candidate for the Youth

Serge Espoir Matomba believes a better Cameroon can be achieved by empowering youths and creating jobs. As one of the youngest candidates in the presidential race in Cameroon, he has promised to involve youths in the decision making circles.

The Flag Bearer of PURS Party

Serge Espoir Matomba, born on September 30, 1979 in Douala, is a Cameroonian politician nominated on June 10, 2018 as the presidential candidate of his party, the United People for Social Renewal (PURS).

Son of police officer Emmanuel Didier Baboulek and Naomie Mondj a stay-at-home mother, Serge was raised in modest circumstances and received education Christian strictly based on values such as love of neighbour, the sense of sharing and responsibility. He is married.

He was only three years old when Paul Biya came to the presidency of the Cameroonian Republic. Thirty-five years later, Serge Espoir Matomba is determined to challenge his eldest in the next presidential election (unless the head of state does not finally appear).

In 1996, after an internship at the Cameroonian company Okoyo, he set up his own company Espoir LDA, which was a research and development firm for import and export. In early 2000, he travelled several countries before settling in Portugal where he created Ton Super, a consulting company in the hydrocarbons sector.

He met Daniel Proença, one of the leaders of Galp Energie, a Portuguese oil multinational. They entered a partnership that lasted for several years, hence, sprouting the business prowess of Mr Matomba. It is therefore in the shoes of a successful entrepreneurship that he returned to Cameroon in 2008 and founded Ton Super Cameroon.

Political Career

In 2010, Serge Matomba founded, with other personalities, the United People for Social Renewal (PURS) and became the first secretary. PURS was created on the basis of relying on youth to offer a political alternation focused on good governance. PURS was active during the 2011 presidential campaign and the 2013 Legislative and Municipal elections.

Serge Espoir Matomba was elected a Councillor for Douala IV, during the September 30, 2013 2013 Legislative and Municipal elections. In July 2014, he and PURS executives went on a hunger strike, following the increase in the price of hydrocarbons by the Cameroonian government, and the adoption of the bill ratifying the Economic Partnership Agreements.

The strike would be suspended after 3 days after that they be notified to draft a memorandum to the President of the Republic . Serge Espoir Matomba thinks that the ratification of the EPAs is a suicidal decision of the Cameroonian government, because the economic fabric of Cameroon is still embryonic. He believes that the signing of these agreements with the European Union slows the economic flight of Cameroon.

Stance on the Anglophone Crisis

Since the beginning of the anglophone crisis in October 2016, Serge Matomba has made several proposals.

1. Inclusive Dialogue

At the beginning of the crisis in the North West and the South West regions, Serge Espoir Matomba called for the unconditional release of all prisoners associated with the crisis. He also urged the government to open up on dialogue.

In September 2017, he condemned the escalation of violence, desecration of the flag and emblems of the republic by the secessionist. To prevent Cameroon from becoming a state of exception, he proposed an inclusive dialogue on bad governance, with actors such as traditional leaders, religious leaders, civil society, political actors.

2. Buffer Force

Following the tensions observed on 1 October 2017, he proposed the establishment of a buffer force, made up of politicians and civil society actors. This buffer strength is presented as a body of mediation between the State and the leaders of the anglophone crisis.

3. Call for the resignation of Paul Biya

Even before the advent of the anglophone crisis, Serge Matomba had already called for the resignation of President Paul Biya. From the war against Boko Haram, to the Economic Partnership Agreements, everything is a pretext to proclaim Paul Biya’s resignation.