For many months now, there has been speculation about the health of Cameroon’s President, Paul Biya, who is hardly seen in public these days. There was even rumour that Mr. Biya, also known as the “monarch”, had died.

But Monday’s celebration of the country’s national day did not only confirm that Mr. Biya was still alive, it also proved that the monarch was in bad shape and was rapidly losing his mind.

Though a source at the Presidency had informed the Cameroon Concord News Group that he was gradually losing his mind, there were doubts as to the authenticity of that information.

However, a short video of the “monarch’s” wife forcing him to wave at the crowd during Monday’s event clearly confirmed that the man who once thought he was only second to God was clearly suffering from Alzheimer- a progressive mental deterioration that occurs in middle or old age, due to generalised degeneration of the brain. It is the commonest cause of premature senility and it is without a cure.

On the surface, Mr. Biya looked radiant, but underneath the foundation that had been applied to his face, is a huge story of agony, sorrow and pity. Mr. Biya who is also battling prostrate cancer and a failing heart is going through the toughest moments of his life. His failing health is affecting those around him and this has hit his wife like a ton of bricks.

She too is rapidly going down the hill. Over the last six months, she has lost more than 50kg and her hair has been falling off at a breath-taking speed. There are speculations that she could be suffering from a more dangerous form of cancer and her rapid weight loss seems to buttress this allegation.

Many of Mr. Biya’s close collaborators hold that the Southern Cameroons crisis that has resulted in the death of some 3,000 civilians has had a huge impact on Mr. Biya’s declining health.

A source close to the Yaounde strong man alleges that he regrets lots of things and he holds that the issue could have been handled differently if he had not listened to hawks in his government. The regrets are made all the more challenging by the increasing pressure from the United States, Canada and UK who are working behind the scenes to ensure that the monarch yields to their demand for the creation of a federal system in Cameroon.

Also, another source at the Presidency that elected anonymity has also said that Mr. Biya’s health is a major concern not only to his relatives, but also to his collaborators.

He added that the ailing monarch was supposed to go to Switzerland for proper treatment last month, but the information was leaked to the Diaspora and the plan was sabotaged, as members of the country’s Diaspora had announced that they would be disrupting things in Switzerland if he showed up in any of the Swiss hospitals.

“Mr. Biya is down. His health is failing him very fast. He does not even recognize those around him and this is causing many members of his government to be concerned. They know the end is near,” he said.

“All tweets you have been reading from Mr. Biya are written by his wife. She thinks Mr. Biya needs some inner peace and that could come from Cameroonians whom he has hurt so badly. The Biya family knows that the President will leave the country in a mess and this will be his legacy. Many Cameroonians will only remember him for the corruption, inefficiency and chaos that have become the hallmark of his government,” the source added.

“Mr. Biya knows that many Cameroonians have lost their lives in a war that is not even necessary. He understands that the solution to the Southern Cameroons crisis can only be found at the negotiating table and not in a battlefield, but he does not know how to come back to his words. He had declared that the form of the state was non-negotiable and that was what caused the situation to escalate. This is his greatest undoing and this is destroying him internally,” the source stressed.

“Cameroonians were right when they suspected that there was something cooking when Mr. Biya signed a presidential decree granting the Secretary-General at the presidency, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, the right to sign any documents on his behalf but they simply did not know that the president’s health was fast deteriorating,” he pointed out.

“These days, it is hard to even see the president. He now lives like a recluse and his wife is the one issuing instructions on his behalf. Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh is simply the president and this has been decided by the president’s wife who is the face behind the mask. The choice of Ngoh Ngoh is not in error. He is Mrs. Biya’s relative and he is prepared to bend over backwards just to please her,” the source said.

“The president’s wife is keeping an eye on everything and she is ensuring that those she does not trust are elbowed out of the president’s inner circle. There are internal fights among those close to the president. It is obvious that a power struggle is in the offing in Cameroon. The Betis are scared of losing power. They are aware of the mess they have created in Cameroon and their fear is that the next president will not be from their ethnic group and he might come after them. This, to them, is very unsettling,” our source concluded.

Cameroon is at the crossroads. The multiple conflicts that are tearing the country apart might only get worse over the next couple of months. Boko Haram is intensifying its attacks in the north, Central African rebels are keeping the country’s army soldiers in the east of the country awake all night while Southern Cameroonians are not buying anything the country’s Prime Minister, Dion Ngute, is selling.

They argue that the government can never be trusted and that though Mr. Ngute is from Southern Cameroons, he has lost his credibility, as he has neither acknowledged the killing of fellow Southern Cameroonians nor even expressed regret for the government’s irresponsible actions.

His trip to the two English-speaking regions has not borne any real fruits, as the killing has continued and the burning of houses by government troops has intensified.

Besides, his call for dialogue and peace is clearly falling on deaf ears and he had announced that the government could discuss with all factions in the conflict except separatists. This has offended many and from the look of things, many Southern Cameroonians hold that any dialogue that does include separatists will be a total waste of time.

The Prime Minister’s trip does not seem to receive much support from outside. The Prime Minister did not offer much in terms of how the dialogue would be conducted and where it would be held. The Diaspora will be excluded from any dialogue if it will take place in Cameroon. The country’s Diaspora, especially Southern Cameroonians living abroad, does not trust the government. The arrest of some members of the country’s Diaspora at international airports in the country has given the government a very bad name.

Besides, the repatriation of many Cameroonians with dual nationality to countries whose passports they hold has upset many and made it hard for the government to be forgiven.

The government simply has a bad relationship with its Diaspora and if the Prime Minister is serious about holding a dialogue, his government must first release those in jail and then grant a general amnesty to all those who have played a rule in the crisis that has given the government a bloodshot eye.

While the Prime Minister is giving the impression that the Southern Cameroons crisis can be addressed, members of Mr. Biya’s inner circle are more concerned with a power struggle that is hurting the country’s economy and spreading corruption and intimidation.

For now, the “monarch” is more concerned about his health than that of the country. He has had many opportunities to exit the scene with pump and pageantry, but he has squandered every single opportunity and today, he is viewed by most Cameroonians as the villain that has brought untold hardship to his compatriots.

His war against Southern Cameroons is not popular with many East Cameroonians and this is gradually breaking the country along tribal and ethnic lines. If the transition is not properly handled, the country may implode when Mr. Biya exits the scene.

The world must keep and eye on Cameroon. A brutal inter-ethnic war is simmering underneath the surface. If Cameroon goes down that path, the entire sub-region will be brought down and the world will be left with a sticky situation on its hands. The time to arrest things is now. Postponing or pretending not to see what is happening in Cameroon is simply endorsing chaos that could be very expensive.

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai

Chairman and Editor-in-Chief

Cameroon Concord News Group with files from Bamba Gaoussou in Yaounde

Fellow Ambazonians,
My dear brothers and Sisters,

Today, May 20th, the French neo-colonial regime of La Republique du Cameroun celebrated their National day. The day before Yesterday, talking to someone on ground zero, I was told the luck down was already activated. I sat back and closely watched what will happen today and you did it. 20th May is no more.

What I deduce from that is;
You are telling the world that Restoration of our statehood is the dearest thing in your hearts.
You are telling the world that it’s independence or resist forever.
You are telling the world that we know who we are and we cannot be cheated once more.
We have our International boundaries;
We have our flag.
We have our anthem.
We have enough resources to do business on our own.
We got our independence on the 21st April 1961 to take effect on the 1st of October 1961.

Now, we are asking the world that, what happened that we are where we are today? The UN, France and the United Kingdom should give us answers.
Fellow Ambazonians, We have seen our loved ones killed or torched, our homes, churches burned down.

My heart goes to you people of mile 8 Mankon and many who have lost loved ones and everything. Stay resilient because what the LRC military are doing can be summed up as the last kick of a dying horse. My team and I are willing to give any support we can at this time of crisis and will want to assure you that your homes will be rebuilt when this is over.

I want to commend the courage of the Christians of Ramah Church in mile 8, who despite the fact that their church building was burnt down, they held an open service yesterday and sang the song, higher we dey go. A song of hope for a better tomorrow May God bless you all.

My heart goes to that lady with 5 children that her late husband left her with. Their compound which was the only source of revenue for their sustenance was burned down completed. My fellow brothers and sisters, if you can offer her shelter or any kind of help, please do. I want to extend our gratitude to the gallant men and women of our self-defense forces, whom less than 3 years ago were mere students, teachers, farmers, bike rides and simple citizens, but today you are risking everything to protect the homeland.

On behalf of the people of Ambazonian, I want to say thank you for your dedication to the struggle and your effort to completely put 20th May in the graveyard. It was buried today. You have shown the world you have total control of homeland. My team and I pledge our total support to you and will make sure that you have what is needed to defend homeland responsibly.

My heart goes to the family of the baby who was shot today in Muyuka while Paul Biya celebrates. Take heart. His blood hasn’t been spilled in vain. I will work hard to make Buea a reality. I pray the Lord comfort you and all the bereaved in our land. To our chiefs, I say, you must not take any of the humiliation from this regime anymore. We are almost there and when we are there you will take your seats in our house of chiefs.

To our refugees in Nigeria especially Ogaga where there is a food problem, you shall be getting some support soon.

Fellow Ambazonians, I want to caution you not be carried away by distractions but rest assured, we are working very hard for you. Hard work means prosperity.
We have work to do not blackmailing others.
We have work to do, not to slandering others and putting us in hate groups.
We have work to do, not leading with lies and half-truths to bring fear or worry about the state of our revolution. This revolution is sound and safe in our hands and my team and I will stop at nothing to deliver.

Our revolution is repositioning in the right direction. A direction full of hope and with a resolve to bring us together for this last push to Buea. I count on your support to help my team and I push through. Ambazonia is first.

This revolution is all about you, less about me, we are in this together, Ambazonia first.
Long live the FRA,
Short live the struggle.