Statement on the serious incidents in KOURBI in the MAYO KANI division and the call for the withdrawal of the decree creating the ma mbed mbed park

STATEMENT ON THE SERIOUS INCIDENTS IN KOURBI IN THE MAYO KANI DIVISION AND THE CALL FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE DECREE CREATING THE MA MBED MBED PARK

On February 7, the populations of Kourbi in the Far North Region, sequestered the Governor, the Division Officer of Mayo Kani and their respective staffs in an act of popular revolt.

The Prime Minister’s decree establishing the national park « Ma Mbed Mbed « , whose claim for cancellation is at the heart of this serious incident, is a consequence of the poor governance of the regime in place.

Indeed, the methodology which led to the adoption of this decree and the approach adopted for its implementation did not respect the local populations.

The disputed decree did not first identify all the issues surrounding the creation of this national park, which fundamentally poses the problem of access to arable land and other natural resources, in a densely populated area where, traditionally, there are land rivalries between breeders and farmers.

In addition to these very sensitive issues, which were poorly addressed by the Prime Minister’s decree, there is the issue of the choice of the name of the park, raised by the population.

According to an uncertified interpretation, « Ma Mbe Mbe  » would mean « uncircumcised » in the local language. This baptismal name does not go down well with the protesters, who find it stigmatizing, and therefore provocative. The CRM denounces this contempt and this regrettable attempt to devalue a community, unacceptable in the Republic, which must promote inclusion and cultural diversity.

While fully sharing the concern for environmental protection and species preservation, we believe that this must be done taking into account human realities on the ground.

In order to preserve peace in this area concerned and more generally in this region of the Far North so often prey to security crises and violent conflicts between communities, we invite the Prime Minister to be attentive to the demands and anger of the populations, and to reconsider his decree creating the national park of « Ma Mbed Mbed « . It seems to us that we would gain, in the name of social peace in this very sensitive period, from reopening, in a calm climate, the dialogue with all the stakeholders in order to find a concerted solution which preserves as much the interests of all the populations concerned in their diversity as the threatened elephant population.

To this end, it would be wise to issue a replacement decree for the one that is at the origin of the current tensions, following an inclusive and frank consultation with the various stakeholders; such a decree should integrate the concerns taken into account in Logone Birni where the populations have already accommodated the passage of elephants in a corridor. Concretely, priority could be given to the creation of a corridor for the pachyderms. This would make it possible to preserve biodiversity while taking into account the needs and concerns of the local populations. An interministerial team could be set up for this purpose. These measures would certainly contribute to creating the confidence of the populations with regard to that natural park project.

The CRM welcomes the bloodless outcome. We must salute the control of the administrative authorities surrounded by angry populations, whose composure made it possible to avoid the worst, which unfortunately occurred in the English-speaking regions of the country 8 years ago. This is how public order crises should be managed in a civilized state, and we would like to see this as a new approach to maintaining order by the security forces in our country.

Yaoundé, February 9, 2025,

Maurice KAMTO, National President of the CRM,

CRM and PAC candidate in the presidential election.