After Paris rally: Gov't frustrates Kamto’s meeting with MRC supporters in Douala.

News of his return had thrown authorities, especially those in the economic capital, Douala, into panic. 

At dawn yesterday, the city of Douala, where Kamto spent the night, was inundated with anti-riot police and gendarmerie squads. 

Tactical moves were taken by security officers to keep the thousands of MRC supporters who had stormed major streets at bay. The MRC supporters brandished the country’s flag, praising Kamto. 

In a bid to frustrate the meeting, the MRC Littoral Regional headquarters was cordoned. Reports also emerged that a mixed team of officers surrounded the venue where Kamto spent the night in Douala, preventing him from meeting with supporters.

The town assumed a partial ghost town-like nature in key neighbourhoods. 

This was thanks to an earlier order, which the Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, for Wouri, Mvogo Sylac Marie, had signed proscribing commercial motorbikes on Saturday and Sunday.

The Guardian Post gathered that officers later partially opened the road around the meeting venue, allowing circulation to resume and supporters to access the party’s headquarters. 

A majority of those who flooded the deserted roads were spotted trudging towards the meeting venue. The atmosphere of yesterday slowed down life across Douala. Everyone was on edge as security forces maintained a strong presence across the city.

A majority of the thousands spotted across the cordoned areas yesterday had poured to the streets early, even before the arrival of the security teams. 

Eyewitnesses said before 8 a.m. yesterday, most of those who were hoping to meet Kamto were already on the road.

There were also unconfirmed reports that authorities yesterday dispatched a reinforcement of gendarme and police officers from Yaounde to Douala, to help maintain public peace and order.

Kamto ally fails to convince crowd to return home

In the course of yesterday’s security and administrative ping pong, an ally of Prof Kamto, Albert Dzongang, arrived the Deido neighbourhood. He had a brief exchange with security officers on duty before moving on to address the crowd.

Dzongang’s appeal for people to return home fell on deaf ears. A majority of those around the party’s regional headquarters where Kamto was expected to address the crowd was unmoved. 

The crowd maintained its distance while security officers patrolled and made calls, monitoring the situation.

Kamto says needless creating tension

In the wake of yesterday’s tension, Kamto released a short video clip from an unknown location in Douala, calling for calm. He insisted that there is no need creating tension among Cameroonians. 

“We are telling the authorities of Douala and the Littoral Region that it is needless to create tension among Cameroonians. Cameroonians simply want to meet the leader of their political party. Nobody can stop any Cameroonian from showing affection for any political leader of their choice,” Kamto declared.

The MRC leader disclosed that even before he returned to the country, his collaborators on ground had notified competent security authorities of his itinerary in Douala until when he was supposed to leave for Yaounde.

He said no one should claim they were unaware of the date of his return and the brief meeting at the party’s headquarters in Douala.

“There is no iota of surprise for the forces of law and order in Douala. We have been transparent and wanted this to be Republican with their support,” Kamto declared. 

He said authorities cannot be claiming there is a threat to public peace and order when in 13 years since the MRC was created, there has never been any rowdiness anywhere. 

Kamto said in all his political meetings and visits across the country, people flood to meet him but no incident has ever been recorded.

Fires back at Governor for asking him to leave

Kamto disclosed in his video message that the Governor of the Littoral Region, Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, had asked him to leave his administrative unit. He said the Governor faulted him for not declaring the abortive Sunday meeting.

The MRC leader said such was the information at his disposal but explained that he had fired back, asking the administrator to produce any law banning him from Douala. 

According to Kamto, there is nothing to declare at the level of the administration. He argued that there is no law that mandates a political leader to do so before holding an internal meeting in its premises or having a brief chat with supporters as he had planned to do yesterday. 

He recalled that what was happened yesterday was similar to an incident a few years back when he was “expelled like a demonic citizen” from Douala. 

Kamto said those creating tension should take responsibility for whatever happens. Meanwhile, an officer on duty is reported to have slumped. 

At press time, we gathered that Kamto, through a phone call, asked his supporters to return to their homes. He is also said to have postponed the rally to today at 10a.m. 

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3468 of Monday June 09, 2025