The Ramon Cotta Affair: Sangmelima Resident Ask DO For Authorization To Stage A Protest March Against Arrest Of Social Media Activist

Debate sparks off on whether Weubassi  Pierre Raould is serious or just wants to make a buzz.

A Cameroonian citizen, Weubassi Pierre Raould, based in Sangmelima, South Region, is making waves following a declaration he deposited at the office of the DO of Sangmelima, saying that he wants to embark on a peaceful protest march in the town, in honour of the social media activist, Steve Akam aka Ramon Cotta, who was arrested in neighbouring Gabon and extradited to Cameroon, and whose whereabouts is not known. Weubassi has cited the 1990 Law on public manifestations, which he asserts gives him the right as a Cameroonian citizen to stage a peaceful protest march.

It should first of all be noted that Sangmelima is the divisional headquarters of President Paul Biya’s Dja   and Lobo Division in the South Region. Thus in the Cameroonian context, it is a serious issue, or even a ‘taboo’ or an ‘abomination’ for a native or resident of that Sangmelima, to talk of wanting to stage a protest march against the Biya regime. It should also be noted that the name, Weubassi Pierre Raould, is real and not fake, and the bearer of the name has been recognized as a resident of Sangmelima. Also, Weubassi continues to stand firm on the demand for authorization to stage a protest march against the arrest and extradition of Steve Akam aka Ramon Cotta.

Violation Of International Treaties

Below is an Except of the correspondence or declaration that Weubassi Pierre Raould addressed to the DO of Sangmelima:

‘Moi, Weubassi Pierre Raould, citoyen Camerounais vivant a Sangmelima et domicilie a 2eme rue au quartier Akon, Je ferai une marche pacifique dans l’arrondisement de Sangmelima en l’honour de concitoyen Steve Akam alias Ramon Cotta, donc nous sommes depuis plus de 02 semaines sans nouvelle après son arrestation au Gabon par les authorites du Gouvenement de la transition de ce pays frère , plus livre aux authorites Camerounais, en violation des traites Internationaux. Cette marche pacifique a pour but: exiger du gouvenement Camerounais toute la lumiere sur la situation de Steve Akam alias Ramon Cotta dans les plus brefs delais, et le respect de tous ses droits lui permattant de jouir d’un process juste et equitable”.

The except is roughly translated as: “I, Weubassi Pierre Raould, Cameroonian citizen living in Sangmelima, and resident at the second street of Akon quarter, will embark on a peaceful march in Sangmelima Sub –division, in honour of fellow citizen Steve Akam alias Ramon Cotta, that we have been for over two weeks without information, after his arrest in Gabon by authorities of the Government of transition in this sisterly country, and handed over to  Cameroonian authorities, in violation of international treaties. This peaceful march has as objective: to oblige the Cameroon Government to shed light on the situation of Steve Akam alias Steve Cotta as soon as possible, and the respect of all his rights to permit him have a fee and fair trial”.

Weubassi Pierre Raould also said in his correspondence to the Sangmelima DO, that his peaceful protest march is expected to take place under the escort of the Forces of Law and Order, and that the march will hold each Thursday of the week from 9am to 12 noon, until when the government meets with his demand. That is, the goal or objective that he gave as reason for his protest march.

Debate On What Weubassi Is Up To

Meanwhile the DO of Sangmelima has probably in line with the attitude adopted by the Cameroonian authorities on the Ramon Cotta Affair, so far not officially or publicly reacted to the correspondence that was addressed to him by Weubassi Pierre Raould.  But nobody doubts the fact that Weubassi should have been silently placed under security surveillance. On Thursday, August 15, Weubassi did not start his peaceful protest march as initially planned, probably because the DO did not issue him the authorization.

But a debate has sparked off, on what Weubassi Pierre Raould is really up to. Some people hold that Weubassi is not serous, on the declaration that he wants to stage a peaceful protest march against the arrest and extradition of the social media activist, Steve Akam alias Ramon Cotta. This category of people argue that if Weubassi was serious with the protest march, he would have just gone ahead to do it with the risk of being arrested. For this category of people, Weubassi is just out to make a buzz. They hold that Weubassi in writing to the DO of Sangmelima to demand for an authorization to stage the protest march against an act committed by the Biya regime definitely knew that the administrative authority cannot grant him such an authorization. More so, he even experts security forces to escort him during the march. No right thinking person can in his widest of imagination, think that what Weubassi wants, can in today’s Cameroon under the Biya regime, be allowed to happen in Sangmelina of all.

However some other people are arguing that protest march or not,  the resident of Sangmelima, Weubassi Pierre Raould, has in another way contributed to help draw  public attention, especially in the South Region, to what has become known as the Ramon Cotta Affair.