Cameroon: Countdown to women AFCON amidst calls for boycott

In two days from now, the Continent and the world will switch focus to Cameroon as the country host the biggest women soccer competition on the continent. Reports say everything has been put in place to ensure successful hosting of the tournament in a country considered by many as African football heavyweights though Cameroon is yet to be crown Africa women champion and will be desperate to put that negative record behind them when the November rendezvous kicks off in Yaoundé and seaside resort city of Limbe.

The government has set up the AFCON village at the sports complex in Yaoundé as the edifice is embellish with the colors of the nation, glamorously waiting for soccer fans around the continent and beyond, fire fighters have been redeployed and the nation’s leading national broadcaster has sorted out the services of experts abroad to help ensure the competition is a success and on his part, minister Bidoung Mpkatt of sports and physical education has promised the girls od Enow carl Ngatchu of 24million francs will be given to each of the players if they were to keep the trophy home, a figure though comparatively smaller than amounts usually handed out to the male players just for participating in similar tournaments, is however seen by many as a great boost give the way the government has been treating the female squad over the years 

But admits all these preparations, social media has been buzzing by some activists who are calling for total boycott of the events to protest government brutal crackdown of common law lawyers during peaceful protests held in Bamenda and Buea in the last two weeks.

Prominent amongst them is Belgian based Cameroonian activist Mark bareta who wrote on his Facebook time that ‘The people of Anglophone Cameroon must understand that boycotting AFCON and leaving the stadium empty is a force of unity which will tell the regime we are fade up. Listen, when lawyers are beaten like children by the security forces, they have succeeded in taking away the pride and dignity of the lawyers and directly rubbishes the law. This means even the common man on the street is not safe. If lawyers could be molested, who then defends you?”

While other prominent figures have also join their voices on social media to denounce the brutal treatment given to lawyers by members of the police forces in a country which is supposed to be a democracy where the right to peaceful protest is enshrine in the constitution of the land.

Tebopost