Elimbi newspaper, Cameroon's first openly ethno-regionalist supremacist newspaper

The mid 90s was the period, when the Cameroon government was not hiding her admiration for the genocidal regime in Rwanda and at the same time, similar tribal militia groups were germinating in Cameroon. Esingan was one of such diabolic hate groups. Esingan was a pro-government tribal militia group, headed by Professor Joseph Owona. She was created and sponsored by the regime and its sponsors and ideologues did not hide the fact that, they had order containers full with machetes for their militia, in preparation of the final day, when they will decide to exterminate the Anglo-Bamileke axis in Cameroon. Even though John Epee Mandengue was aware of the macabre preparation of the ruling party that he was member, and also that, if the genocidal plans of his friends started, he won’t be spared, he decided nonetheless to jump into the fray of hate mongers with the zeal of a new convert. John Epee Mandengue in a bid to show that he was neck deep in support of Paul Biya, started via his newspaper to express the xenophobic tribal views of the regime to a point that, it is claimed that, he even once bragged that, within his news paper, a non ethnic SAWA won’t have a place. The SAWAS are the name of natives or nationals of the coastal regions of both Anglophone and Francophone Cameroons. But it is in fact, a generic name that is full of confusion. At one point it was considered or marketed by the government as an engine or sense of belongingness of coastal people.

But on other the other hand, the Sawa movement was a vector of divisions hatched out by the ethno-regionalists and supremacists elements within the government of Paul Biya. Ironically, the editor of the English version of Elimbi newspaper was not an ethnic SAWA. He was called Hilary Kebila Fokum, an English-speaking Cameroonian from the north of Anglophone Cameroon otherwise known as the North West province. Why did John Epee Mandengue handover the post of editor of his Newspaper to Mr Fokum? Perhaps he over looked the national or tribal belonging of Mr Fokum, because he was an Anglophone and it is well known in Cameroon that, Anglophones seem to be less incline to tribal subjectivity as Francophones are. It might also be that, because, he (Fokum) even though, he was an Anglophone from the North West province, he was nonetheless, a native of Bali and Balis, are known to have an ancestral condescension for ethnic Mettas. For the Balis do consider the Mettas as their slaves and since the opposition was led by an ethnic Metta, it was best to bring at the helm of an ethno-regionalist supremacist newspaper, a man with supercilious views toward other nationals or tribes of the country. The aim of such a strategy was to destroy and also defame the opposition and its leader, John Fru Ndi. I also think that, John Epee Mandengue did not even think of both details latter mentioned. What was what was important to John Epee Mandengue was that, his editor was Anglophone.

As for the French version, if he had on hand, an Anglophone who was bilingual and who also accepted to handle the post of editor of French version, he would have preferred an Anglophone. But above else, what motivated John Mandengue was his desire to make monies in Cameroon. Hence he was zealous and in his zeal, he felt, he was shielded from suspicions or he won’t generate any apprehensions amongst the ideologues of the Biya regime who were mostly ethnic Betis from the South province. The post of editor of the French version of Elimbi newspaper was the only managerial post in John Epee Mandengue’s business empire that was handled by a French-speaking Cameroonian. And to measure the mixture of condescension and cynicism that he harboured, he usually said: he gave the post of editor of the French version of his paper to a French-speaking Cameroonian because they a stupid fight dogs with no clear loyalty but are loyal to money and desire to keep their power and privileges. However, I can’t help repeating hereon that, Elimbi newspaper which means Drum in English was a paper that propagated national or tribal hatred. It propagated all sorts of prejudice and falsehood against the Bamilekes.