Cameroon, Senegal: Miserable old buggers won't quit

Its not ageism. It is just that I have had it with some of these miserable old farts at the helm of some African countries. Merde!. Why do we have to suffer these old fools who continue to cling to power despite decades of spectacular failures as  leaders.

Take the case of Abdoulaye Wade in Senegal, legally about 84-years-old, but rumoured to be on the wrong side of 90. Yes he came to power late in his political life, but has had 11 years to at least lay the foundation for what ever vision he had for Senegal. Instead what does he do? He engages in the old game of tinkering with the constitution to try and prolong is stay in power.

This has served as a catalyst for pent-up anger and anti-government sentiments to explode. We've had a series of riots in the past week alone. First over the proposed constitution change, then over excessive load-shedding that had left some neighbourhood without electricity for over 48 hours. It is clear Wade is not longer energetic to be able to stay on top of the burning issues of poverty, unemployment, corruption etc., that is plaguing the country, but he is insisting only he can bring salvation to the country, pissing off a whole section of the population that can't wait to get him out come presidential elections billed for February next year.

Caricature of Biya saying we are unshakable.  Author unknown

 Another is Cameroon's 78-years-old Paul Biya. This is a guy who is been in power for over 29 years Yes 29, one of Africa's longest-serving presidents. But Cameroon remains one of the world's worst governed country. Corruption is rife in every sector of the country. The economy, albeit with great potentials, has stagnated for decades due to mismanagement, lack of vision, heavy state bureaucracy, and downright theft orchestrated by the ruling class.

Biya himself as an absentee landlord who spends more of his time outside the country. It has been recorded that in a given year, Biya spends over 150 days or more out of the country, particularly in Switzerland where his young children from a second marriage attend school. Early in his regime, he was asked about his prolonged absences from the seat of power and his answer was..."Cameroon was on auto-pilot". Go figure.

In 2008, aided by the sycophants in parliament, he removed presidential term limits from the constitution and is expected run again in elections planned for October this year, meanwhile the country continues its long decay while tensions continues to simmer. It will one day get to the point where it would explode just like in Senegal now and as it started in north Africa early in the year.

Painful dune walkabout

So, I went to check out the scenic Lac Rose. I decided not to book any of the guided tours on quad bike, camel or 4X4. The plan was take couple of pictures around the lake then walk the suppose less-than-800 meters across sand dunes separating the lake from the Atlantic seaboard.
Firstly don't believe guide books. When they said less-than-800 meters, they forgot to precise that that distance was as the crow flies between two shortest point. If you are going to hike up and down dunes, zigzag through a smallish pine forest, the distance is more like 1.5km. Oh! and it is scorching hot.

                    Hiking on dunes is a pain                                   Photo - BF

I yielded to pressure from local guides and hired one of them to go with me after they told me it was dangerous to go walking about the sand alone. So we set off with Diop, my guide, after he reassured me that the coastline was just beyond the sand, he said, pointing towards the dunes the eye could see.
After the first hundred meters, I realised walking on sand with flip-flops was uncomfortable and slow, so I took them off. Big mistake. It was hot, very hot and it felt as if my soles were roasting. Back to the uncomfortable flip-flops. It was impossible trying to get any kind of traction walking. I was more like plodding along and after 200 meters, I felt a sharp pain on my lower back. 

Diop had to halt several time to wait while I catch my breath    Photo - BF 

 "Je vois que vous n'est pas en forme," Diop said as I bent double, holding my waist to catch my breath and rub my lower back. The nerve!  But I was not going to admit that I was out of shape. Turning back was out of questions so we continued. But after another hundred meters I was ready to surrender. I needed to sit or lie flat on my back to ease the pain. 
I should have hired a quad bike, a 4X4 or a camel at the nearby camp I thought. At this point I really didn't think I'll make it back. I was thirsty and somehow had manage to forget my water in the car. I asked Diop if it would be possible to hitch a ride back with one of the cars or quad bike on our way back. He said not a chance. You are suppose to register first, they are all booked out, he said. Oh merde!

Diop advances while I plod along                    Photo - BF                            

The sea is just beyond the pine trees            Photo - BF

We finally made it out of the plastic-littered pine woods, up the last dune to the Atlantic seaboard.

Voila! je vous avez dit que c'est n'est pas loin, Diop said, totally zen like he just did a stroll across the park while I finally succumbed and crumble on the sand, clutching by sides. 

Tu parles!.

I was no longer interested in the vista the greeted us. All I wanted to do was lie there and never stand up again, but I had to think of the return journey. Why didn't I just sit by the lake and drink cocktails or go float on the salty waters of the lake. Eish!

Band of brothers from a nearby village take a stroll   photo - BF

Football: Could the Lions put an end to this Senegalese smugness

Senegal vs Cameroon AFCN Qualifier in Dakar

I have had it. Since Senegal manage to earn a die-minute 1-0 victory over Cameroon back in March, every Senegalese I come across put on an air of smugness whenever they find out that I am Cameroonian, like they won the World Cup or something. 

The other day, it was a traffic cup. While doing a routine check I handed over my drivers licence, he had one look and smirked. 

"Tu est Camerounais,?" he asked. "Oui," I replied. 

"Oh je suis désolé pour vous," he said, handing back my licence and then called over a colleague.

"Eh! Diop, hahahah, il est Camerounais, un supporteur des Lions Indomptables," and they both continue to laugh as I drove off.

The same scenario has played out countless of times since the March victory.

The nerve!

You see, to Senegalese fans, beating Cameroon was like winning the World Cup and at the same time delivering them from a long-suffering they have endured for nearly 20 years.

Cameroon has been very mean to Senegal when it comes to football. Back in the 90s when Senegal had good crop of talents, they hosted the African Cup of Nations in 1992, hoping to win it or at at least make it to the semis or the final. Only one team stood in their way, those terrifying Cameroonians.

Before the quarter-final game, some Senegalese players such as legend Jules Bocande, went about boasting that they'll trash Cameroon, that the Cameroonian squad was made up of old players living in past glories and were still in the dream of their epic exploit at the World Cup in Italy, two years before.

Now for those who know the Cameroonian team of the late 80s, 90s and early 2000, that kind of trash-talking enrages the Lions. Go ask the Moroccans, Ivorians, Nigerians and Malians. On the day of the quarter-finale game in front of a packed home crowd against them, the Cameroonians did what they do best in such circumstances; break the heart of a whole nation with a one-nil win.  

The Senegalese were inconsolable. From Bocande bawling on the pitch, to the agonising fans, threatening to throw themselves from the rafters of the stadium.   

Then in 2002, a new generation of Senegalese talents emerged. The team that included El Hadji Diouf, Khalilou Fadiga, Papa Bouba Diop, Ferdinand Coly etc, went to do great things at the World Cup that year, beating France and going on to play the World Cup quarter-final. But before that, they had an old score to settle, they had to beat Cameroon in the African cup of nations that year. 

After disposing the host nation Mali, in display of football master-class in front of a hostile home crowd, Cameroon met Senegal in the final. The talented Senegalese did everything they could but Cameroon held its ground and the final was decided on penalties. Of course Senegal went home heartbroken again. 

So when they finally beat their "bête noire" in March, it is understandable that they should be happy. But I think rubbing it on every opportunity they get on every Cameroonian, and being smug all the time, I think they are asking for it again. We have done it before and we'll start all over just to make it clear that Cameroon is the Indomitable Lion. On this June 4 day in Yaounde, could the Lions please put an end to this smugness.