CPDM, Jeune Afrique, Disagree With Longue Longue’s Version Of Story On Why He Was Tortured By SEMIL In Douala in 2019

If what Jeune Afrique has reported is true, then the Gov’t will never tell Cameroonians the truth as to why the artist was tortured.

One of the major questions that the investigators on the torture of the popular but controversial Cameroonian artist,  Longkana Agno Simon aka Longue Longue, are definitely looking at, is why he was arrested and tortured in 2019 by some elements of the Military Security Service, SEMIL, in Douala. The artist himself says he was arrested and tortured, because of a video which he did and posted on the social media, in which he said that Maurice Kamto won the 2018 presidential election, and Paul Biya stole the victory. The civil society and the opposition have taken Longue Longue for his words, and thus think that he was arrested and tortured because of what he said about the 2018 presidential election.

But the ruling CPDM does not agree. The  party Communication Officers do not only strongly reject the allegation that Kamto won the 2018 presidential election as rubbish, but  they also argue that Longue Longue was likely arrested and tortured in 2019 for something else, and not because of what he said in the video about the 2018 presidential election result.

 MRC Officials And Militants Also Talked About Stolen Victory

One of the Communication Officers of the ruling CPDM, Yves Bienvenue Abama, for example,  a few days ago strongly argue on the social media, that Longue Longue was not arrested and tortured because he said that Kamto won the 2018 presidential election and Paul Biya stole the victory.  Abama pointed out that many MRC officials and sympathizers have several times made that declaration even on TV; claiming that Kamto won the 2018 presidential election and his victory was stolen. But Abama pointed out that nothing has ever happened to them.

The CPDM official said, though the claim that Maurice Kamto won the 2018 presidential election is fallacious, no person has ever been arrested because he declared on TV or wherever, that Kamto won the presidential election.  He questioned why Longue Longue then should have been arrested and tortured, for saying what others have been saying on TV, without being arrested.  The CPDM Communication Officer repeatedly pointed that Longue Longue reportedly maintained a close relationship with his torturers. He says it is curious that Longue Longue has been wining and dining with the people he says are his friends, and now say the same people have been out to kill him.

“Longue Longue Should Tell Cameroonians The Truth”

The CPDM Communication Officer, Yves Bienvenue Abama said though he did not know the real reason why Longue Longue was  arrested and tortured, he however thought that  the artist  has not told the Cameroonian people the truth as to why his friends did what they did to him in 2019. “Rien ne justifie la torture. C’est un principe. Mais cela n’empechera pas qu’on fasse une analyse froide de la situation. Se limiter a condemner sans aller au fond des choses, c’est etre hypocrites. Que les tortionnaires soit punis conformement a la loi. Mais que Longue Longue aussi vienne explique  aux Camerounais cette trop grande proximite entre ses bourreaux et lui”,Abama wrote in one of his pieces.

It is approximately translated as: “Nothing can justify torture. It is a principle. But it does not stop us from making an unemotional analysis of the situation. To limit ourselves to condemning, without getting to the bottom of things, is being hypocritical.  The torturers should be punished in conformity with the law.  But Longue Longue should also come and explain to Cameroonians this big proximity between his torturers and himself”. Abama was of the view that there are things that are been hidden by Longue Longue in this affair.

The CPDM Communication Officer has continued to insist that: “Longue Longue doit dire au Cameroounais pourquoi i est devenue si proche des ses bourreaux. Pouuquoi tous ceux qui dissent tous les jours sur les plateau que Kamto a gagne le presidentielle de 2018, ne sont pas traites comme lui”. That is: “Longue Longue has to tell Cameroonians why he has become very close to his torturers. Why is it that all those that said on TV that Kamto won the 2018 presidential election, have not been treated like him”.

Jeune Afrique’s Report

Meanwhile a report just published by the France based international magazine, Jeune Afrique, that often reports on Cameroon, also holds that the Cameroonian artist, Longkana Agno Simon alias Longue Longue, was not arrested and tortured by SEMIL in 2019, because of the video in which he claimed that opposition leader, Maurice Kamto, won the 2018 presidential election and the victory was stolen.  According to Jeune Afrique, SEMIL tortured Longue Longue on the demand of a prominent member of the President’s family, who was furious with a rather reckless pronouncement that artist made, which suggested that the personality could after Biya or besides Biya, ‘serve’ other men. An insinuation which made the personality red with anger, and demanded that the ‘ungrateful’ Longue Longue who had in the past benefitted from the personality’s largesse, be taught a lesson that he would never forget in his life.

Still according to Jeune Afrique, the incident or the torture of Longue Longue, took place when the Boss of SEMIL in Cameroon, Colonel Joel Bamkoui, was out of the country, or to be precise, he was on a mission to China. He reportedly later called Longue Longue and told him that he was the one that ordered for his release. As for Captain Barnard Mbu Tabala, who then was head of the Littoral Branch of SEMIL that tortured Longue Longue, he simply acted on the instruction that came from Yaounde. The Juene Afrique’s report shows that the prominent personality in the President’s family, who demanded that Longue Longue should be dealt with, did not contact SEMIL directly. It is even not clear whether the personality had SEMIL in mind when the order was given.  Jeune Afrique says the personality gave the instruction to a top military officer at the Presidency, who then got to the Littoral Branch of SEMIL in Douala, since Longue Longue was based in the city. He was in fact arrested by some elements of SEMIL at Sawa Hotel in Bonanjo, Douala.   President Biya himself was not aware of what happened.

How The Video Was Allegedly Leaked

Meanwhile as for the video of the torture, Jeune Afrique confirmed that it was Captain Tabala who filmed the torture of Longue Longue, as he had to send it to the top military officer at the Presidency, as evidence that the demand was effectively executed. Thus according to the Jeune Afrique’s report, that video was not kept at SEMIL, as many people thought when Longue Longue posted it on the social media on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. Also, Captain Tabala according to Jeune Afrique, did not send the video directly to the top military officer at the Presidency, for the senior military officer sent an envoy. It was through that envoy that the video got to the top military officer. The envoy secretly kept a copy of the video.

Jeune Afrique says the said the envoy who was somebody very close to the top military officer at the Presidency, had a serious problem with the military officer a few months ago,, and was arrested and detained. It was in the course of the investigation in to the problem, that investigators that made a thorough search of all the communication tools, of the man, stumbled on the video of the torture of Longue Longue. According to Jeune Afrique, it was later at that level that the video on the torture of Longue Longue, leaked.

Video Sent To Patrice Nouma In The United States

Jeune Afrique says last month (October 2024), some security officers who were involved in the team that discovered the video, secretly decided to leak it. The video was sent to a Cameroonian on self – exile in the United States, Patrice Nouma, to look for a way to get it to Longue Longue who is in France. Apparently they avoided getting straight to Longue Lomgue because he is somebody that runs his month, and so feared that he could unconsciously exposed them.

When Patrice Nouma received the video, he contacted William de Jesus, a Cameroonian living in the United States, who is a friend of Longue Longue.  That was how Longue Longue finally got the video, though Patrice Nouma did not tell him the truth as regard how he got the video, just as Captain Tabala too seemingly never told Longue Longue the truth  as to why he was tortured, because the artist is known to be too flippant. As was seen in the interview with TV 5 after he posted the video of his torture on the social media, Longkana Agno Simon alias Longue Longue, wasted no time to say that the video was with Patrice Nouma and that it was his friend, William de Jesus that informed him.