Minister Of Defense, Political Parties / Leaders React To The Savage Torture Inflicted On Artist, LONGKANA AGNO SIMON Aka LONGUE LONGUE

Minister of Defence orders specialized services to immediately open investigation, and says the results will establish responsibilities for the violence   

 Hon Osih’s SDF Outraged by shocking video, and insists that, “It is imperative that those responsible for this atrocity be held accountable”

MRC President, Prof Maurice Kamto, condemns State barbarism and demands urgent opening of investigation to bring to justice the perpetrators of the inhuman act.

 The leader of PCRN, Hon Cabral Libii, says the incident exposes how a few “commanders of the Republic” portray themselves as strong against the weak

  FCC President, Hon Nintcheu, says the incident is irrefutable proof that Cameroon has become a rogue State under Biya. 

Dr Patrick Rifoe, a CPDM Communication Officer, criticizes the reactions of opposition reactions, especially Maurice Kamto, as “political hypocrisy” or “double Standard” .

On Tuesday, October 22, 2024, a popular Cameroonian artist LONGKANA AGNO Simon aka LONGUE LONGUE, posted a video on social media, in which he recalled how he narrowly missed death in 2019 through savage torture in the hands of elements  of the military security service in Douala commonly known as SEMIL. He said he had received the video of the horrible torture, and announced that he was to post it the next day on social media.

No Cameroonian, except of course for those who committed the atrocious act, could have imagined that what happened was so horrible, so inhumane. So bestially an act committed on a human being, more so a civilian. The high level of cruelty or callousness exhibited in the torture that was inflicted on Longue Longue, as was seen in video that he posted on Wednesday, October 23, sent shock waves through the country. It is believed that  Longue Longue’s arrest and cruel torture, was linked to a video he posted  on social media in that 2019, accusing President Paul Biya to have stolen the victory of Maurice Kamto, at the 2018 presidential election. Longue Longue who supported Kamto at the 2018 presidential election, insisted that Kamto won the election and Biya stole the victory, and that if the election was repeated, Kamto will still beat Biya even by 500 % (five hundred percent)

Meanwhile some major opposition parties or some opposition leaders, wasted no time in reacting to the very inhuman violence that was inflicted on Longue Longue. The reactions came on the same day the video appeared.  But the ruling CPDM party is so far not known to have reacted.  However some CPDM Communication Officers have reacted.

Meanwhile the much awaited reaction of the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Joseph Beti Assomo, came early enough, on Thursday, October 24, 2024, in a bilingual press release of the Ministry of Defence that was signed by the Director of Communication, Navy Captain ATONFACK GUEMO Cyrille. Contrary to a an allegation (fake news) that appeared  earlier 0on social media, and was even quoted by some newspapers, the Defence Minister in his reaction did not give a time limit of 72 hours, to investigators to  do their work and hand him the results.

Defence Minister Orders The Opening Of Investigation  

The press release by the Ministry of Defence signed by Navy Captain Atonfack Guemo Cyrille, Head of Communication Division, noted that in the morning of Wednesday, October 23, 2024, a video that appeared on social media and immediately went viral, showed acts of violence inflicted on the musician Longkana Agno Simon aka Longue Longue.  The press release as well noted that the victims of the violence accused some service members of the Littoral Military Security Branch, Douala Garrison of the Joint Military Region, for having perpetrated the violence. It should be noted that the real appellation of the military service concerned is that of the Defence Ministry, as Longue Longue like most Cameroonians simply know it as SEMIL.

Meanwhile the press release of the Ministry of Defence further stated that: “Informed of these acts of violence against a citizen, the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence immediately instructed his specialised services to open an investigation. More light will be shed on the unfortunate incident. Responsibilities shall be established and conclusions drawn based on the results of the investigation, in accordance with Laws and regulations in force”.

 Reaction Of The Social Democratic Front, SDF

Unlike with other parties or opposition leaders, the reaction of one of the SDF was in line with the spirit of Cameroon being a bilingual country. The SDF release in its entirety, reads:

“The Social Democratic Front is deeply outraged by the shocking video that has emerged, showing the torture of popular Cameroonian artist, Simon Longkana Agno aka Longue Longue. This horrific act which reportedly took place in 2019 highlights grave concerns over the continuous use of torture in Cameroon. We condemn this act in the strongest terms and urge the government to take immediate action against perpetrators of torture and other human rights violations.

“As a signatory to the UN Convention Against Torture, Cameroon has a responsibility to protect every citizen against torture and ensure justice for all citizens. It is imperative that those responsible for this atrocity be held accountable, and that robust measures be put in place to prevent such heinous incidents from occurring in the future. We stand in solidarity with Longue Longue and all victims of torture in our country”.  End of the SDF reaction.

Reactions Of National Presidents Of MRC And PCRN

The National President of MRC, Prof Maurice Kamto, who issued a statement in reaction to the torture that Longue Longue, said what the famous musician suffered in the hands of what appears to be officers of the Cameroon Security Service, was unimaginable. “Through my voice, the MRC condemns this State barbarism and demands the urgent opening of an investigation to immediately arrest and bring to justice, the perpetrators of these acts that demonstrate inhumanity, Kamto declared.

The MRC leader stated that the savage torture that was inflicted on Longue Longue as seen in the video, reminds them of the horrific crackdowns that were carryout on a large scale on MRC militants and sympathizers, that were arbitrary arrested in 2019 and 2020. “These documented tortures, whose perpetrators are all known and listed, have never interested both civilian and military magistrates”, Kamto regretted.

The National President of PCRN, Hon Cabral Libii Ngue, in his reaction referred to the images in the video on the horrible torture of Longue Longue, as unbearable. The PCRN leader said the unbearable images are a reflection of the cruelty of a handful of those he termed as commanders of the Republic, whom he said portray or project themselves as strongmen against the weak. There is no doubt that the  PCRN leader, Cabral Libii,  just like  the leader of MRC, Maurice Kamto, was  making reference to the problems that his party has been facing in the hands of some members of the regime, especially the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji.

Reaction Of The National President Of FCC, Hon Nintcheu

Meanwhile the National President of FCC, Hon Jean Michel Nintcheu, issued a communiqué containing his reaction to the torture that was inflicted on Longue Longue. Without any surprise, Nintchue saw the incident as another opportunity to attack President Biya and his Government or regime.  While stating that the torture to which Longue Longue was subjected was inadmissible and unacceptable, Hon Nintcheu said the incident was an irrefutable proof that Cameroon under President Biya has become what he termed, “un Etat voyou”, that is, a rogue State.

The FCC leader said the Cameroon Penal Code sanctions acts of torture. But he said the irony or contradiction is that instead of the sanctioning the actors, co –actors and accomplices in the torture of Longue Longue, as well as those that gave the orders for his torture, the then boss of SEMIL in Douala,  instead benefitted from a presidential promotion to  the post of Commander of the Naval Base in Kribi.

Hon Nintcheu said nobody should disturbs people’s ears with the story that President Biya has never been informed of the incident that happened, regarding the torture of Longue Longue five year ago. He argued that military intelligence keeps the President constantly informed, and that if President Biya was truly not informed of the horrible incident, then it shows that he is no longer the head of the Cameroon military, which is the Constitutional right of the President of the Republic. Nintcheu said from all what is happening in the country, it is difficult to consider wrong those who think that President Biya has since lost control of governing the country.

“Don’t Attribute The Act Of  A few Bad Apples To The Military Institution”

Meanwhile, a well – known CPDM Communication Officer based in Douala, Dr Patrick Rifoe, in his analysis on the incident, that is the torture of Longue Longue, contained in an article he wrote, lashed out at the reactions of opposition leaders, especially that of Prof Maurice Kamto of MRC, accusing them of what he termed, political hypocrisy and double standards.

Dr Rifoe started by attacking Prof Kamto for referring to the torture that Longue Longue underwent, as State terrorism or State barbarism. He said was a victim of a more severe torture that he faced in the hands of some security officers in Yaounde, some 25 years ago, He said he was subjected to a horrible torture throughout the night, which included beating him with machetes while soaking him with cold water, among other forms of torture. But he said he realized that the hierarchy of that security station was not aware of the torture that was inflicted on him, not to talk of the State being aware.  He thus qualify as reckless, declarations made by some opposition leaders like Kamto who referred to the incident that happened in Douala in 2019, as State barbarism. Rifoe also frowned at the criticism heaped on the military in relation to the torture of Longue Longue. “Don’t attribute the act of a few bad apples to the military institution or to the Government”, the CPDM Communication Officer insisted.

  “Either We Condemn All Violence Against Artists, Or We Condemn Non” 

Dr Patrick Rifoe, CPDM Communication Officer, recalled what he referred to as “cultural Terrorism”, that was inflicted on some Cameroonian artists by the group of anti – Biya regime’s activists in Europe known as “Brigade Anti – Sardinard’. After the 2018 presidential election, the group barred all Cameroonian artists they considered as being Pro– Biya regime from staging in any European country. Members of ‘Brigard   Anti –Sardiinard’, that from all indications are supporters of Maurice Kamto or are Pro-MRC, violently disrupted the shows of any Cameroonian artist  considered to be Pro- Biya ,  who tried to stage a show in any European country, like happened to the diva, Grace Decca, in Britain . At the same time,  the’ Brigade Anti Sardinard’ did not only  allow Cameroonian artists that were considered  Pro – Kamto  or Pro – MRC to stage in Europe, but even mobilized to ensure heavy attendances at the shows.

It should be noted that Patrick Rifoe did not mention the group, ‘Brigade Anti – Sardianrd’, by name in his article. But he referred to the banning order and violence that were carried out against some Cameroonian artists in the last couple of years by ‘Brigade Anti –Sardianard’, and which even continue to happen in some cases today,  as Cultural terrorism. He repeatedly pointed out that opposition leaders, especially Maurice Kamto, have never condemned it. “For several years, many artists have been victims of cultural terrorism in the West, simply for not distancing themselves from Paul Biya, or for not supporting Maurice Kamto. Activists, some of whom today struggle to hide their proximity to the MRC, have claimed responsibility for sabotaging their shows. While we denounce as unacceptable attacks on freedom of thought, have those who today demand that everyone should condemn what Longue Longue suffered, ever condemned the other abuses?  Of course not!”, the CPDM official stated. He said those who are outraged today by the  violence that Longue Longue suffered, are the same persons  that justify cultural  terrorism against pro – Biya artists. “This political hypocrisy raises the question of consistency in condemning violence”, he said.

Hear DR Rifoe again::”But on what grounds, if not double standard, condemn what Longue Longue suffered, while showing leniency towards the cultural terrorism exercised by MRC galaxy against Cameroonian artists, during the period when Longkana Simon was in the hands of SEMIL? Either we condemn all violence against artists, wherever it comes from, or we condemn non.  I prefer not to associate with those who choose their battles. The condemnation of violence against artists must be global, or not at all”.