The leader of United People for Social Renovation party, PURS, Serge Espoir Matomba has criticized the ongoing visit of the Director General of the French Gendarmerie, Hubert Bonneau, to Cameroon. Bonneau arrived Cameroon last Sunday. He has since then been visiting defense and security institutions in Cameroon.
Among the structures he has visited includes the International School for Security Forces in Awae in the Mefou and Afamba Division of the Center Region, the Multipurpose Intervention Regiment of the National Gendarmerie, the Central Services of the National Gendarmerie and the Higher Training Center for Criminal Investigation. Yesterday, he met with the Secretary of State to the Minister of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, Galax Yves Etoga. He is expected to have an audience with the Minister of Defense, Joseph Beti Assomo this Tuesday in the final lap of the visit.
PURS boss, Espoir Matomba in a statement yesterday, criticized the visit. He said the timing of the visit is suspicious as it comes months before the forthcoming presidential election in Cameroon. He further noted that the visit raised questions about Cameroon’s independence defense wise. “At a time when our nation is preparing for crucial elections, we believe that such visits and collaboration, which are part of an outdated logic of security dependence, are no longer acceptable.
For more than 60 years, these interactions have continued without any real strengthening of our national sovereignty,” Espoir Matomba stated. “In keeping with our line of thinking and our commitment to the absolute independence of Cameroonian institutions, we denounce this foreign presence and call on the competent authorities to ensure that security decisions are taken exclusively by Cameroonians, for Cameroonians,”. The PURS leader urged Cameroonians to “remain vigilant” and “defend the values of our sovereignty and autonomy.” “We call on all citizens to remain vigilant and to defend the values of sovereignty and autonomy which are the foundations of our political commitment,” Espoir Matomba who ran for the presidency during the 2018 presidential election in Cameroon, stated. Espoir Matomba is expected to contest in the forthcoming 2025 presidential election.
In April this year, the PURS party selected him as its flagbearer for the exercise where the business mogul is expected to challenge long-time leader, President Paul of Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM party. Espoir Matomba, 45, has since his endorsement as PURS’ representative in the forthcoming exercise, stated that Cameroon’s full sovereignty will be top on his agenda if he is elected president during the forthcoming poll. Recently, he criticized a pact that Cameroon’s elections management body, ELECAM signed with the United Nations. Per the pact, the two bodies will work together in ensuring a smooth delivery of the forthcoming 2025 presidential poll and other elections that are set to take place in Cameroon between 2025 to 2027, including the municipal and legislative elections.
