Respecting State Sovereignty

Over the years, the democratisation process in Cameroon has continued to reveal several lessons for both citizens and the various political actors. One of such disclosures in the year 2019 was the attempt by some Cameroonians both at home and abroad to give the impression that the real foundation of the country’s democratic ethos is abroad. With the help of the social media and hanging on dissatisfaction resulting from the outcome of the 7 October, 2018 presidential poll, those who had issues with the election sought to tarnish the image of Cameroon and hoping to gain some foreign sympathy.     
Of course, such ambitions had to be short-lived as they were not only nipped in the bud, but the expected support from abroad has never come. That was a normal conclusion because the decision as to who governs a country lies in the hands of citizens of that country and not elsewhere. Any person interested in politics obviously need to recall that a country is made up of the people who hold the power to decide in an election over who can rule them, the territory and the institutions that function within the said nation. Cameroon happens to be one such example where State institutions do not only exist, but the people have the ability to take their destiny in their own hands no matter the odds.     
However, the idea of taking issues of national concern to the outside world cannot be ignored by the Head of State who is guarantor of the stability in the country. Thus, in his New Year’s message on 31 December, 2019, President Paul Biya felt compelled to set the records straight about the misunderstandings which some people have tried to create concerning the democratic system in Cameroon. Like in every human endeavour, there are bound to be challenges and Mr Biya underlined them by recalling that; “When the conditions were right and, together, we laid the foundations of democracy in our country, I was aware that the road would be strewn with obstacles. This actually happened, but we have been able to make remarkable progress.” The clear message has consequently been to those who try to conjure a utopic system instead of working to ensure that what exist should be made better, they only struggle to cry wolf because they want to be in power.    
In making certain claims, those involved seem to forget that only the people alone can guarantee State sovereignty and no one else. The strong message that the President had for them in the State-of-the-Nation‘s address was therefore that they do not only constitute a minority, but their actions fall short of  meeting best practices in the game of politics. That is certainly why President Paul Biya noted that; “Needless to recall that the sole arbiter in a democracy is the sovereign people. When the sovereign people make a choice through free and fair elections and the results are proclaimed after review of petitions, such results must be recognized and accepted by all.”    
It is true that the social media has had a tremendous impact throughout the world within the last few years, but virtual reality may never be able to replace the real facts on the ground. In the face of discontent over ...