Indomitable Loins Captain Benjamin Moukandjo shows Empathy, Wished for an End to the Ongoing Crisis in West Cameroon.

The African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2017 has come and gone, and Indomitable lions of La Republique emerged champions. For the first time in the history of football in the Cameroons, there was not so much enthusiasm from the people amidst the ongoing crisis in West Cameroon. A majority of people who lost interest in the tournament could not bear watching the Lions play while their leaders, and others are in detention. Some who were interested and glued their eyes on TV screens considered watching as a form of pleasure, however, they did not lose focus towards the struggle.

BaretaNews gathered that during the pre-match preparations for the AFCON finals with the Pharoahs of Egypt, Benjamin Moukandjo who is the acting captain of Indomitable Lions in a press conference expressed concerns towards the ongoing crisis. The press conference was aimed at clamoring for support of the Lions by the people of Cameroon. However, Moukandjo used the opportunity to call on the government as well as the people to maintain restraint and find possible ways to reduce the ongoing tensions in Cameroon. Following information gathered from BaretaNews correspondents, Moukandjo had this to say:

“It is true that at the moment our country is experiencing some disturbances, but we, as footballers, try to give pleasure to people and I think that throughout this campaign, our people have enjoyed it. Strongly, we wish that these tensions subside, that everything returns to normal.” The statement by Benjamin Moukandjo sends a strong signal to the Biya government and the people of West Cameroon that genuine dialogue is the ultimate solution.

The AFCON finals added a significant mark in La Republique Du Cameroun history of football. Their encounter with the Pharaohs of Egypt was a repeat of the 1986 and 2008 AFCON editions. The match ended with Lions-2 vs Pharoahs-1. In response to the win, many West Cameroonians posed an indifference attitude. Based on random inquiries by BaretaNews, the following anonymous analyst had this to say: “Moukandjo’s statement was the best thing I got from this year’s AFCON competition. That was thoughtful of him…”

In response to the aforementioned statement, a patriotic West Cameroonian had this to say: “the truth is we have enjoyed nothing about it because football gives just temporal pleasure, our future is more important. Moreover, what have we ever benefited from all the trophies as a people…let’s be realistic. I am a football lover but a country that does not love her citizens does not deserve my support because I don’t find pleasure in watching them play. Don’t they know that some people in Cameroon can’t afford daily meal not to talk about energy or owning a television so how can they enjoy it.”

Meanwhile, others found the tournament as a big distraction to the ongoing struggle and wished for it to finally come to an end. It was common place to find people doubting whether this week’s Ghost Town Operations will be effective considering the win by the Lions, the broadcast over CRTV about school resumption, and the purported signing of documents by some Teacher’s Trade Unions for schools to resume. However, the interim leaders of the Consortium had issued a counter statement in which they noted that no schools will resume until all arrested and detained are released. Also, they emphasized that Ghost Town Operations must continue until government creates conditions for constructive dialogue. Reports from the interim leaders of the Consortium indicates that today’s Ghost Town Operations across West Cameroon is very effective.

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