Cameroon: opponent Cabral Libii excluded from May 20 festivities

In Cameroon, Cabral Libii, a political opponent, denounces “relentlessness” authorities towards him.

For six months, difficulties have been accumulating for the PCRN candidate, who placed third in the 2018 presidential election and aspires to run again in 2025. Latest setback: the exclusion of his party from the parades on May 20, celebrating National Unity Day.

Last Friday, during the dress rehearsal of the parade on the Boulevard du 20 Mai in Yaoundé, the PCRN activists were absent. The prefect of Mfoundi had informed the departmental head of the party two days earlier. In a letter dated May 15, he stipulated that the PCRN could no longer participate due to internal dissensions within the party, which could disrupt the festivities.

However, five days before, on May 10, the same prefect had invited the PCRN to participate in the civil parade alongside eight other political groups. This instruction was relayed nationally. The dissensions mentioned refer to a legal procedure initiated at the end of last year by the founder of the party, Robert Kona, who seeks to cancel the Guidiguis congress of 2019, where Cabral Libii was appointed president of the PCRN, recalls Amélie Tulet of Africa service.

Since then, Cabral Libii has accused the authorities, notably the Minister of Territorial Administration, of maneuvering against him. He's talking about “persecution” aimed at preventing him from running in 2025 by depriving him of his political base.

This week, a letter attributed to Atanga Nji, the Minister of Territorial Administration, is circulating on the internet. Addressed to Elecam, the electoral body of Cameroon, it affirms the status of Robert Kona as founding president of the PCRN.

Scheduled for June, the procedure launched by Robert Kona to cancel the 2019 Guidiguis congress is in its fifth hearing, before the Kaele Court of First Instance in the Far North of the country.