Opponents of Cameroon President Paul Biya will gather Friday at the U.S. Embassy in Washington, D.C. to stage a peaceful demonstration against the government just weeks after riots and demonstrations rocked the western African country, leading to the worst violence in Cameroon in the last 15 years.
The demonstration comes as government and opposition leaders begin the cleanup process in which human rights activists estimate led to the death of more than 100 people. The Cameroon government initially placed the death toll at 15, but has since raised the number killed to 40. Government officials blame the riots and protests on a group of youths who carried out the "execution of a diabolic plan."
Property damage from the riots — which began February 25 — was estimated at 10 billion CFA francs (15.2 million euros/23.4 million dollars). An estimated 1,500 to 1,700 people have been arrested so far. Many have been sentenced to active prison terms without due process, according to the House of Human Rights.
Taxi drivers parked their vehicles and many cities resembled "ghost towns" as protesters burned tires, tossed stones at vehicles and destroyed some gasoline stations. The riots were a response to a rise in fuel and living costs. The government has since cut fuel prices marginally and said it plans to raise civil service pay.
But protesters who plan to take part in Friday's demonstrations say the government's actions don't go far enough.
"The government here is beginning to react to the demands by strikers here," a source, who declined to be identified. The Mount Airy News has agreed not to identify the individual who could face retaliation from the government or their employer, they said. "They have increased civil servant salaries by 15 percent, but they constitute only 1 percent of the population. Most people think they are not addressing the real issues."
The government's steps, the source said, won't be enough to satisfy opposition forces such as the Social Democratic Front in Bamenda.
"They are not going to fool anybody with that," the source said. "But there is a lot of propaganda now that they are doing to improve living conditions."
Also at the top of the protester's agenda at Friday's march in Washington is President Paul Biya's proposal to amend the constitution so he can run for another term in 2011. He's been in office since 1982. Biya made a rare television appearance on February 27, blaming the protests on "apprentice sorcerers in the shadows" and accusing his opponents of trying to remove him from office.
Demonstrators say they will "plead with the government of Cameroon to consider no alternative to true peace and freedom" and to refrain from amending the country's constitution to allow Biya to extend his 26-year tenure in office.
"Despite the fact that such plans have been condemned by opposition parties and the U.S. Ambassador to Cameroon, Janet E. Garvey, the government has downplayed and openly shunned any such attempts and is putting for a strong agenda to carry on with its plans," Amin Tazifor, one of the protesters organizers, said in a press release.
Tazifor said that taking to the streets is the only way for government opponents to speak out. In the midst of the civil unrest, the Cameroon government closed some media outlets, including radio stations and newspapers who oppose Biya.
"It is very trite for the government to employ armed forces to shoot at unarmed citizens whenever there is a protest against malpractices in government undertakings," Tazifor says in his statement. "It is . . . sad to note that there is no other means for the people to express themselves as the parliament is almost a one party congress."
Tazifor says that opposition leaders worry that Cameroon, unless the government takes drastic reforms, could experience violence and disruption similar to nearby Kenya and Chad.
"Several African countries have been taking turns in showing to the world how good they are at causing and managing civil wars," Tazifor says. "If we don't try to stop the government of Cameroon, then Cameroon might be next on the international scenes."
Billy Mukoi, head of For the Cameroonian Community, emphasized that Friday's gathering would be a peaceful protest. Flyers and posters are permitted as are loud speakers, however drums are not allowed.
"We need to be organized as we have enough time to make the world know of our problems," Mukoi said.
For more information about Friday's demonstration, contact Linda Vakunta at 608-692-5405, Mukoi at 815-557-9244, or Hilary Njkoya at 718-666-2745.

By Andy Matthews
Editor
The Mount Airy News