Resisting Paul Biya's Dictatorship in Cameroon

By all means necessary . . . including a giant catapult

The Year of Shock Elections!

First there was Brexit, then there was Donald Trump, and now there is Adama Barrow, president-elect of the Gambia. The incumbent dictator, Yahya Jammeh, had promised that he would rule until the world ends. Little did he know that 2016 would be the end of his misrule. In the Gambia, the magnitude of the defeat of Jammeh is similar to combining Brexit and Donald Trump, without the xenophobia and racism, of course.

Africa Has One Less Dictator

Gambia's dictator for 22 years, Yahya Jammeh, has been defeated in a recent election, leading Africa to have one less dictator, assuming that the guy who is replacing him will not replicate his exploits. The new president of Gambia is Adama Barrow.

Voting Method In The Gambia: Marbles

A unique and cost effective method of voting in the Gambia.

1800 Days of Protesting Paul Biya's 33-Year Dictatorship in Cameroon

Paul Biya, the dictator of Cameroon, came to power November 6, 33 years ago. He is currently one of the longest serving dictators anywhere in the world. FlourishingAfrica has been protesting the misrule of Paul Biya in Cameroon since the machinations of the last election that returned him to power. The was over 1800 days ago. Each day we send out a tweet as protest against this continued misrule in the country. His years at the helm of the state in the country has not brought the medical system to a level he could entrust with his own health, that is why he keeps spending more time in Europe for medical purposes. For most Cameroonians, however, this is not an option. Whenever they suffer from a serious ailment, the option left open for them is to pray for a miracle or die. Paul Biya currently remains in power not because he has a vision for the country (in fact, he is becoming senile) but just because he could not envision  himself doing anything else. As one of the longest serving dictators in the continent, he loves maintaining a low international profile that would keep the country off the map rather than call attention to his plunder.

Even as the country  is currently fighting Boko Haram in the north of the country, with many Cameroonian soldiers losing their lives there, Paul Biya has hardly been engaged in the issue. The country apparently does not even have money to engage in the fight as citizens are being asked to donate money towards the fight. All the while, the dictator spends more time out of the country, minding his own business in Europe. There is no good reason why he should continue to remain the head of state in Cameroon, given that he is hardly present there.

This week has been especially bloody in Cameroon with violent eruption of protest, specifically in Bamenda, the nerve of the opposition in Cameroon. With all this going on, Paul Biya has characteristically been silent.

Witchcraft Discourse Comes to American Politics

When it comes to the study of witchcraft in contemporary social science, one may be forgiven for thinking that the main go-to place is Africa. All kinds of studies have been done on the role of witchcraft in African politics, religion and even economics. However, little has been heard about the applicability of the language of witchcraft in contemporary American politics - until now. This piece in The New York Times, connected to a study by the same author, shows that the language of witchcraft applies to America. If we pay attention, we are also going to see it in Europe with the rise of the ultra-right and Brexit. Anthropologists and political scientists need to get busy.

A New Slave Ship?

Who is responsible for this and why do Africans endure and tolerate it?

Credit Aris Messinis/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images