To Mimi Mefo et al. in the Cameroons:
To those so angry that Southern Cameroonians were blocked from voting —
Asking Southern Cameroonians to vote massively in the just-ended October 12th elections and then to defend that vote means one thing: protest until the “right” choice is declared. That is exactly what “defending votes” means. All those saying “defend your votes” are simply trying to be politically correct — avoiding saying outright that Cameroonians should go out and protest. They hide behind the phrase “defend your votes” because they don’t want to take the blame if things go wrong. They don’t want to be seen as inciting violence, because for many in Cameroon, protest is synonymous with violence, largely due to the known military response. So they shy away from calling it what it is.
These loud voices, led by the likes of Mimi Mefo, are furious that Mark Bareta and the separatists declared a lockdown and stopped Southern Cameroonians from voting. But let’s be clear here: we all know what would have happened if Southern Cameroonians had voted massively and then tried to “defend” that vote.
Those in Cameroun who have sparingly defended their votes — can you tell us what has happened to them? If people in the so-called Anglophone regions had voted and then defended their votes, do you know what would have happened to them by now? Do you think the response would have been the same? Aren’t you tired of the bloodshed already in Ambazonia? Are you aware that two gendarmes were murdered in Garoua last week? Did you hear any reaction?
If Mark Bareta and others had called on people in Southern Cameroons to take part in the vote and then defend that vote, knowing how politically active and sensitive our people are, imagine what would have happened if they had poured into the streets. We all know the military’s response. Because there’s already a war in our land, it would have been a perfect justification for them to use force — and when deaths occurred, the same people now blaming Mark Bareta and Ambazonia for the lockdown would have turned around to blame him again for calling people to defend their votes while sitting comfortably in the diaspora. They would have forgotten to blame Biya and the military. It would have been, “Mark Bareta engineered the people.”
The truth is, people forget too quickly. When things go bad, they look for the weakest link.
Now, let me prophesy to you: as soon as Tchiroma calls for a national protest and all eight regions join in, once Biya responds with brute force and killings follow, within a month the same people shouting “defend your votes” will start blaming Tchiroma. They’ll say, “Why not wait until Biya dies? Why call for protests while sitting at home? Where are your own children?”
Unfortunately, that’s how it always goes — the people eventually turn against their defenders when a protest or revolution drags on and becomes painful.
Mimi Mefo and all those clamouring for change in Cameroon know very well that Biya will be declared the winner. I challenge them to use their platforms now and call on Cameroonians to go out massively and protest. Are you afraid to call it what it is? You’re quick to call for people to vote massively and cleverly hide behind the phrase defend your votes. But what does that really mean?
Mimi et al., be bold and call it by its name — PROTEST — until all hell breaks loose. If you cannot call it openly, then show some respect to Ambazonian activists, and prepare to live through another seven years of Biya’s rule.
Mark Bareta
October, 19 2025.
