Paul Biya Since 1982,has ruled Cameroon with a velvet fist wrapped in French silk
By The Editorial Desk – The Independentist
When Cameroon gained independence in 1960, many hoped it would chart a new path—free from the shadows of colonialism. But as the decades passed, it became clear that the grip of French control had not been loosened; it had merely changed form. In the heart of Yaoundé, a regime was built that borrowed heavily from France’s darkest chapter—the Vichy era.
Just as Marshal Pétain’s regime ruled France with authoritarian control, collaborationist elites, and fear, so too has Paul Biya’s regime governed Cameroon for more than 40 years. And like the Vichy state, this system has thrived on foreign protection, internal repression, and a cult of obedience disguised as national unity.
But in the west of the country, in the land once known as the British Southern Cameroons, a new chapter is being written. It is the story of Ambazonia—a people fighting not just for independence, but for freedom from an entire neocolonial architecture that was never meant to serve them.
France’s Postcolonial Playbook: Authoritarianism by Proxy
After World War II, French colonial administrators returned to Africa with a new playbook. Their model? The Vichy regime, which had taught them how to maintain control through propaganda, elite collaboration, secret policing, and militarized centralism. These tools were repurposed in the colonies under a new name: Françafrique.
In this system, France withdrew its flags but kept its grip. African states remained “independent” on paper, but their currencies, armies, and presidents often remained tethered to Paris. It was a quieter kind of empire—run not by governors, but by “partners.” In reality, it was empire by other means.
Nowhere has this model thrived more than in Cameroon.
Paul Biya’s Fortress State
Since 1982, Paul Biya has ruled Cameroon with a velvet fist wrapped in French silk. Elections are held, but always won. Parliament exists, but rarely resists. The judiciary operates under the shadow of presidential power. All the while, French corporations dominate oil, banking, and infrastructure, and the CFA franc—printed in Paris—controls the country’s monetary system.
To enforce this fragile order, Biya relies heavily on French-trained military units, particularly the feared Bataillon d’Intervention Rapide (BIR). These forces have been accused of torture, extrajudicial killings, and operating as a private army for the regime.
But Biya’s rule is not only enforced with guns—it is fortified with ideology.
Communal Liberalism: Biya’s “Mein Kampf”
In 1987, Paul Biya published a book titled Communal Liberalism, which many Cameroonian scholars have described as his personal “Mein Kampf.” In it, Biya lays out his vision of a state where democracy is carefully controlled, where dissent is seen as disorder, and where the president acts as the moral guide of the nation.
Though dressed in developmental language, the book serves as a justification for one-party control, state paternalism, and lifelong rule. It rejects pluralism in favor of “unity” and encourages blind loyalty over informed citizenship. Like Vichy’s propaganda, it promotes submission as patriotism.
The Essingan Cult: Mysticism and Power
Behind the scenes, Biya’s rule is reinforced by an informal but powerful network known as the Essingan cult. Named after a mythological forest spirit in the Beti tradition, Essingan symbolizes conquest, dominance, and unshakable control. In political terms, it represents a shadowy cabal of loyalists—mostly from Biya’s Beti-Bulu ethnic group—who dominate the state’s institutions, intelligence networks, and security forces.
The cult mixes ethnic loyalty, mysticism, and political elitism to create an inner circle that views Cameroon not as a republic, but as a royal court—where Biya is king, and all others are subjects. For those outside this circle—especially the Anglophone population—there is no seat at the table, only the barrel of the gun.
Ambazonia: The People Who Said No
Nowhere has the impact of this system been more devastating than in Ambazonia—formerly the British Southern Cameroons. In 1961, this territory was tricked into joining a union with French Cameroon. No treaty was signed. No terms were honored. Over time, its legal system, language, and educational framework were systematically dismantled.
By 2016, the breaking point had come. Anglophone lawyers and teachers led peaceful protests demanding respect for their identity and autonomy. The regime responded with violence—arrests, torture, and live bullets. What followed was not a civil dispute. It was a resistance movement.
The Ambazonian uprising is not simply about secession. It is about survival. It is about ending the decades-long experiment of cultural extermination, military occupation, and political silencing.
Ambazonians are not asking for inclusion in the Biya regime—they are rejecting the regime altogether. Their dream is not to reform Yaoundé. Their dream is to bury the Vichy-Françafrique system once and for all.
The Silence of the International Community
Despite overwhelming evidence of human rights violations in Ambazonia, the international community has remained disturbingly quiet. Why?
Because France still sees Biya as a guarantor of stability. French companies benefit from the current order. French diplomacy defends it in international forums. And global powers, fearing instability, often choose silence over justice.
But for the people of Ambazonia, silence means death. Villages continue to be razed. Children live in the bush. Thousands have died. And yet, the resistance lives on.
Dr. Sako and the End of the Tunnel
In the darkness of war and exile, a new light is rising—the leadership of Dr. Samuel Ikome Sako.
Unlike many African revolutionaries who sought glory through arms alone, Dr. Sako has grounded the Ambazonian struggle in popular education, civic awakening, and moral clarity. Under his guidance, Ambazonians are learning not just how to resist—but why they must never again be ruled by deception.
His strategy is not just political. It is philosophical. Dr. Sako has emphasized that the true revolution is in the mind—that when every Ambazonian understands their history, their rights, and their dignity, no force on earth can stop them.
Across refugee camps, diaspora communities, and liberated zones, a new consciousness is forming—one rooted in truth, discipline, and national pride. This is the long road to liberation. And under Dr. Sako, that road has become clearer, brighter, and more resolute.
Conclusion:
The Revolution of the Mind
France may have abandoned its colonies, but it did not abandon control. Through regimes like Biya’s, it has maintained its grip—not with chains, but with ideas, elites, and borrowed guns. But that system is cracking.
Ambazonia’s resistance is exposing the cracks—not just in Cameroon, but in the entire Françafrique architecture.
This is not merely a war for territory. It is a battle between two visions: one of domination, secrecy, and fear—and another of freedom, truth, and enlightenment.
In this battle, the gun may win a skirmish. But the educated mind will win the war.
And in Ambazonia, that mind is waking up.
The Editorial Desk – The Independentist
