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On Saturday September 19th, 2020, Douala-based civil renowned society activist Andre Blaise ESSAMA was allegedly arrested by government security forces in Douala, littoral Region of Cameroon.
Many have attributed the arrest to the nationwide protest called by the opposition leader, Prof Maurice Kamto of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) against the Biya Regime and the upcoming Regional Elections.
“Probably, the government fears the show Blaise may put up if he’s left loose on that day,” a citizen commented on a social media platform.
An activist on a mission to erase all traces of colonial figures in Cameroon, Blaise has been detained on several occasions for destroying statues of colonial masters (French) in Douala.
In 2016, he stationed John Ngu Foncha’s statue at the roundabout in Bonakouamouang, Akwa which was immediately removed by the military and he was taken in detained.
His primary aim has been battling to eject Cameroon off monuments celebrating its French colonial past and to replace them with local heroes which he thinks are given little or no priority compared to their sacrifice in the history of the country.
This has been the reasons for some of his arrests but this time, there was no justification of such. Sources say “his brand new motor bike was confiscated, likewise his telephone and other gadgets.”
It is also said that this is not the first time activist ESSAMA is arrested days before any announced demonstration against the ruling regime just to be released after failure of such planned events.
In this case, the reason for his arrest is not known. “The more they keep arresting people for no crime, the more their friends and family will seek for justice and for their release, and if care not taken it will cause more harm than they expected,” a commentator wrote on Facebook.
