Conflict Sparks Off In France Between Valsero And Longue Longue, Over Latter’s Friendship With Military Officers He Claims Want To Kill Him

Longue Longue criticized by several artists for being inconsistent and unreliable, and that he is somebody who eats from “both sides”

Many Cameroonians had expected to see musicians heavily mobilized and be at the forefront of the condemnation of the torture by elements of SEMIL of one of theirs, Longkana Agno Simon alias Longue Longue, who is indisputably one of the big or popular Cameroonian artists today.

Cameroonian artists were expected to form a bloc and take the lead in mounting pressure for a rapid investigation of the dastardly act that was committed against Longue Longue, and also see that those found guilty should be severely sanction, and that the victim should be compensated.

But curiously enough, that has not been the case.  Even at the individual level, only a few big names like Lady Ponce, Kareyce Fotso, and Marechal Papillon and a handful of others have come out to publicly condemn the torture to which Longue Longue was subjected to by elements of SEMIL in 2019, as seen in the video that he posted on the social media on October 23, 2024.  Many artists have instead been criticizing the character of Longue Longue, whom they say had become arrogant, and had become notorious as somebody who eats from both sides, even in politics, and sees himself as being smart. But the artists say what he does instead portray him as somebody who lacks credibility, and thus somebody not to be trusted or respected.

Longue Longue will come out in video today blasting the Biya regime. Tomorrow, a member of Government, especially the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mme Celestine Ketcha Courtes, who is also the CPDM Section President in her native Bangante, will organize a CPDM event in Bangante and invites Longue Longue. The artist will go there grab money, and start shouting Papa Paul Biya, Oye.

“When You Accept To Work For The Devil, You Should Assume The Consequences”, Fingon Tralala

A popular Cameroonian comedian, Fingon Tralala, in his reaction contained in a video to the torture of Longue Longue, instead strongly criticized the artist.  He told Longue Longue to tell Cameroonians the truth, Fingon said all those senior military personalities like Bernard Mbu Tabala and Emile Joel Bamkoui  that Longue Longue today says want to kill him, have all along been his friends, and that he was always with them. “Bamkoui could not organised an event without inviting you. You were with Tabala morning, afternoon and evening”, Fingon bluntly told Longue Longue.

Fingon also told Longue Longue to stop trying to deceive Cameroonians that he detest the Biya regime because he is today in France, whereas while in he was in Cameroon, he was eating all the time from members of Government. “You ate with Courtes. In fact you were with all members of Government. Today perhaps you want to get asylum papers in France, you are now saying all sorts of negative things about the regime”, Fingon said.  He even suggested that the torture which Longue Longue claims he was subjected to by elements of SEMIL, was allegedly an arranged deal for which he was supposed to get money. Fingon said if it happened that the deal did not work out as planned, that was Longue Longue’s problem. ”When you accept to work for the devil, you should assume the consequences”, Fingon said.

Following public criticisms of his reaction, Fingon Tralala came out with another video in which he apologized to members of the public that he might have offended in the previous video. Fingon who is known to have had problems with Longue Longue, condemned the torture he suffered, saying that nothing can justify the torture of a human being. But it should be noted that Fingon in his apology did not withdraw the accusations he made against Longue Longue. He rather said that the timing of his message was what was wrong, meaning that he made the declarations at the wrong time, not that what he said were not true.

There is no doubt that there are many Cameroonian artists who though silent, agree with Fingon in what he said about Longue Longue.   Many have been making off the record criticisms of Longue Longue.

Money, Women And Champagne 

It is fact many Cameroonian musicians over the years found fault with Longue Longue considered to be a controversial character. Longue Longue likes friendship with ‘big and rich people’, and was so much infatuated with such relationship that he boasted about his big friends to his colleagues. He was known to always say that he likes three things in life – Money, Women and Champagne. Of course somebody who has an unlimited appetite for women and champagne must have an unbridled appetite for money, and that was Longue Longue’s problem. He was known to have been making much money from his big friends to take care of his high life style, and so kept singing their praises.

Some artists are also arguing that according to Longue Longue himself, he was tortured in 2019 by SEMIL, because he declared in a video that Kamto won the 2018 presidential election and Biya stole the victory. If that be the case, they argue that Longue Longue’s problem thus came from his involvement in politics, and not because he is a musician. They say Longue Longue in 2018 declared support for the candidature of Maurice Kamto because he saw money.

Valsero And Longue Longue Clash In France

There is no doubt that the criticism that has touched Longue Longue so much, is that made by the France based Cameroonian artist, Valsero.  It should be noted that Longue Longue as well as Valsero both publicly supported the candidature of Prof Maurice Kamto, National President of MRC, at the 2018 presidential election. The two artists thus became friends of the group of Anti – Biya regime activists in Europe known as ‘Brigade Anti – Sardinard”, BAS, which strongly supports Maurice Kamto and his MRC.  Bur the problem is that while Valsero had since that 2018 remained consistent in his opposition to the Biya regime, Longue Longue has been playing games, chopping from both sides.

Valsero Says Longue Longue Is Commandant Tabala’s Friend  

Meanwhile following the posting on social media of the video of the torture of Longue Longue by some elements of SEMIL, one would normally have expected Valsero, whom Longue Longue refers to as a fellow Combatant, to stand in solidarity with Longue Longue. But Valsero instead came out last week with two videos, in which he raised serious doubts about Longue Longue’s credibility as a combatant for change.

Valsero stated that Longue Longue has for years been close to Lieutenant Bernard Mbu Tabala, who was Head of the Littoral Branch of SEMIL in Douala that tortured him in 2019, and the friendship continued even after the artist was tortured. Valsero noted that last year, Tabala was promoted to Commander of the Navy Base in Kribi, South Region.  But Valsero said shockingly enough, Longue Longue travelled to Kribi to perform at the installation ceremony of Commandant Tabala last year, and the Commandant was even seen in a video, spraying money on Longue Longue.  It should be noted that while Longue Longue was on stage, he showered praises on Commandant Tabala, and even called him Papa.

Meanwhile Valsero also noted that when Longue Longue arrived in Paris, France last August, he visited a snack bar – restaurant known as Restaurant Sanaga, where Tabala has closed connection.   Valsero questioned how Longue Longue could continue to be a friend, wining and dining, with somebody he says tortured him and wants to kill him. Valsero in the videos he put out late last week, inserted some portions of the videos that showed Longue Longue on stage at the installation ceremony of Commandant Tabala in Kribi in 2023, and also showed him drinking champagne at Restaurant Sanaga in Paris last August, on the bill of Commandant Tabala.

It is said that when Longue Longue got to ‘Restaurant Sanaga’ in Paris  which he refers to as a ‘cabaret’, Commandant Talaba was back in Cameroon was informed that his friend was around,  and  he said that  Longiue Longue should be served whatever he wanted to drink, on his (Tabala’s) bill. That was done.   Commandant Tabala is said to be close to the proprietor of “Restaurant Sanaga” in Paris, Mme Ewole Marie Noelle.

Longue Longue React To Valsero’s Videos

Meanwhile, on Sunday, October 28, 2024, Longue Longue reacted to the two videos that were put out by Valsero, expressing his disappointment. He said he did not expect such a negative reaction from Valsero, considering that both of them are Combatants. Longue Longue in the video, gave a funny or very unconvincing reason for his continuous friendship with Commandant Tabala, despite the barbaric treatment he suffered in 2019.

. Longue Longue, said when Commandant Tabala invited him to Kribi last year, to perform at his installation as the new Commandant of the Kribi Naval Base, he was forced to go because he was afraid that if he refused, the Commandant might send his men to pick him up and torture. “I have all these years become like his prisoner”, Longue Longue said.  He gave the same reason for accepting the drinks that Commandant Tabala called and said he should be served at the cabaret in Paris last August. He said by then he had not yet received the video of his torture, and had plans that he would return to Cameroon in December. Longue Longue said he was afraid that if he refused the drinks offered by Commandant Tabala, when he returned to Cameroon, the Commandant might send his men to mess him up.  This really gives the impression as many people think, that there is probably something secret between Longue Longue and Commandant Tabala.

Meanwhile, Longue Longue in the video he put last Sunday also tried to hit back at Valsero. He said Valsero had a show on September 14, 2024 in Paris, and did not invite him who is a fellow combatant, but instead invited another Cameroonian artist, Belka Tobie, whom he said is a ‘Sardinard’, that is, Pro – Biya regime.  Longue Longue in calling   Belka Tobie a ‘Sardinard’, only creates more problems for himself with colleagues.