André-Marie Mbida
Encyclopedia
Andre-Marie Mbida was a Cameroonian State man, pragmatic nationalist, first Cameroonian to be elected Member of Parliament at the French National Assembly, Prime Minister of Cameroon, second African-born Prime Minister in the dark continent (Sub-Saharan Africa
), first Head of State of French speaking autonomous Cameroon from 12 May to 16 February 1958 and first political prisoner of independent Cameroon from 29 June 1962 to 29 June 1965.
) and died on 2 May 1980 in Paris
(France
). He hailed from Nyong and Sanaga region of Cameroon, André Marie MBIDA went to the rural primary school of Efok (Lekié
division) and was a brilliant student. He then continued his secondary education at the Minor Seminary Akono
from 1929 to 1935, where he became a mathematics and Latin teacher, and later on at the Major Seminary Mvolyé
from 1935 to 1943. While in this institution, he studied philosophy and theology. He was for a while tempted by the idea of becoming a priest, but after he left the Seminary, he became Head Teacher of the Balessing rural school in 1943. He was very intelligent so he completed his studies and at least graduated as a lawyer in 1945. After completing his training in Law, he worked at the treasury in Yaoundé
for a year in 1945, and then became a business representative in Yaoundé
and Ebolowa
till 1954. As business representative, his monthly income varies between approximately 500,000 CFA francs and 800,000 CFA francs, or even a million !
(CPD) ), Simon Pierre Omgba Mbida, Cameroonian diplomat, Alphonse Massi Mbida, Company Head in Ile de France, Paul Etoga Mbida, a mathematics and physics student who died in France in 1985.
party, an active political French party in the UN Trust Territory of the Cameroons under French administration. He is a Cameroonian Democratic Bloc militant, a party affiliated with the SFIO
. In 1952, he was elected to the Territorial Assembly and after that he is appointed Adviser to the French Union
on October 10, 1953.
The following year he resigned from the Cameroonian Democratic Bloc then he founded the COCOCAM (Coordinating Committee of Cameroon) . The reasons for his departure are interpreted differently, depending on whether one is in favor of André-Marie Mbida or Louis-Paul Aujoulat
. According Ateba Yene (son), André-Marie Mbida was just the spokesperson of COCOCAM. Its founders would be Manga Mado Ngoa Constantine Ombgwa Onésimus, Master Joseph Ateba and Ateba Yené (father).
According to an anonymous and unsigned note (the author of this epistle chose not to sign his name but offered his observation about Ajoulat-Mbida affair) dated May 17, 1954, the break between the Bloc (i.e. Cameroonian Democratic Bloc) and Mbida would come from the fact that the chairman of Bloc, Louis-Paul Aujoulat was convinced that Mbida has been informing his political opponents. Aujoulat
let him know about his thoughts and in reaction to this, Mbida decided to leave the Cameroonian Democratic Bloc and create his own movement, the Coordinating Committee of Cameroon. However, Germain Tsala Mekongo, former comrade-in-arms of Mbida, believes that this break is due to the jealousy of the other Cameroonian Democratic Bloc members who were excessively concerned about the growing influence of André-Marie Mbida within the Bloc. Abel Eyinga rather thinks that it is the opposition of Louis-Paul Aujoulat
and the Steering Committee of Cameroonian Democratic Bloc to see Mbida run for the post of Adviser of the Assembly of French Union which is the true cause of the break between the main protagonists. Mbida did not agree with this directive of Louis-Paul Aujoulat and Bloc. Thus, he ran for election and gained seat, then he became Adviser of the Assembly of French Union on October 16, 1953. Moreover, one can read in the Abel Eyinga book “Elected in spite of himself, Mbida draws conclusions from the attitude of layman missionary by breaking definitively with him, with the organization Aujoulat oriented also : “the BDC’’ ’’.
Following the bloody events of May 1955, repressed by the colonial administrator Roland Pré then by the dissolution of Cameroonian nationalist movements and the incarceration of several nationalist militants, Mbida led an active campaign for the amnesty for political prisoners. He also builts on a small mimeographed bulletin, “NKU, Le Tam-Tam’’.
on January 2, 1956 in the third electoral district of the UN Trust Territory of the Cameroons under French administration. Like socialists, he acts as an advocate of poors, small-scale farmers, supports minorities and he includes short-term amelioratory measures and long-term structural solutions for the little people and the oppressed. Economically, he proposes the increasing the price of key export commodities, cocoa and coffee, and the elimination of intermediaries that disadvantage the small-scale farmers. He still defends the officials, the autochthonous or traditional chiefs that he proposes to renumerate. He claims an evolving institutions.
He demands a purge of managerial staff in the French Union
. He claims “a progressive advance from Cameroon to its autonomy, and later to its independence’’ . In addition, he defends Catholic values. Thus, he advocates the fight “against secularism in general’’ . He wrote : “I will defend private education and I shall always support that the territory administration covers the teaching personnel salaries of this one’’ . He still intends to encourage monogamy and for him, divorce is not an option for religious marriages. He proposes a “formal opposition to the divorce of religious marriages’’.
During the campaign trail, one can read on a leaflet distributed to voters : “Voting for Matin Abega, André Fouda, Charles Awono-Onana, Benoît Bindzi, Marc Etende, Philippe Mbarga - It's giving one's vote to Aujoulat
- It's giving one's vote to Roland Pré - It's voting for the Cameroonian Democratic Bloc - The incorporation of Cameroon into France, the return to the Indigenousness Code (The Code de l'indigénat
), the tax increases. Martin Abega and André Fouda are the candidates of the [French colonial] administration. Voters, be careful, avoid all this list. Give one's vote only for the list of André-Marie Mbida - the list of the watchful and brave cock’’. .
In his profession of faith to voters, Mbida wrote : “Dear voters, if you approve, if you feel that the third electoral district should be represented in the French National Assembly
by a native, not by a very harmful intruders, all vote for André-Marie Mbida on January 2, 1956’’ .
Mbida gained seat with 66,354 votes against 47,001 votes for Charles Assalé and against 20,517 votes for Louis-Paul Aujoulat. The latter held the seat since the Liberation of France
and was involved in several government departments from 1949 to 1955. Mbida became the first native Cameroonian to be elected Member of Parliament at the French National Assembly
by the College of personal Status .
. He also belonged to the Commission mandated to reform the Title VIII of the French Constitution, on the French Union
dated October 27, 1947. In addition, he is designated to serve on the Supreme Labour Council and the Steering Committee of the Investment Fund for Economic and Social Development , that is a former government agency of colonial-area France, which was established to finance and coordinate the provision of facilities for the French colonial territories. His election was confirmed on February 14, 1956 and he immediately joined the SFIO
Socialist Group at the French National Assembly
and worked alongside Gaston Defferre
, Gérard Jaquet and Pierre Messmer
who draft the Loi Cadre
(1956 Overseas Reform Act) on the autonomy of French colonial territories and the UN trust territories under French administration in Sub-Saharan Africa
.
NKU, le Tam-Tam in its edition of March 1956 to justify his membership to the SFIO
Socialist Group by saying that he could not stand alone at the French National Assembly
and that the group's policy SFIO
seemed to be the lesser evil among all those existing at that moments at French Parliament. He spoke rarely to the French National Assembly
. He mainly took part in two major debates : the Loi Cadre
in March 1956 and the status of Cameroon in March 1957.
On December 23, 1956, the Territorial Assembly of Cameroon was replaced by the Legislative Assembly of Cameroon and parliamentary elections were scheduled. Candidates were authorized to present themselves in their own name. Mbida and his team (Cococam et affiliated memberships) ) stood for election. At ALCAM, they created the Parliamentary Group of Cameroonian Democrats composed of 21 members with Mbida as leader. Mbida set up the internal autonomy of the UN Trust Territory of the Cameroons under French administration. On April 16, 1957, the latter became an autonomous State. On May 12, 1957, by 56 votes against 10 votes and 4 abstentions, he was appointed first President of the Council of Ministers
, first head of government and the facto Head of State of French speaking Cameroon. This designation was very symbolic because he was the second African-born Prime Minister
in the Sub-Saharan Africa
and the first Head of State of Cameroon
.
While in Paris in September 1957, he presented Cameroon as a pilot State in Africa. Moreover, he justified the UN trust to French administration until the complete independence and a seat (of Cameroon) at the UN, then he announced that this development strengthens the Franco-Cameroonian friendship.
Mbida also confronted openly and directly the French, this greatly pleased the Cameroonian people. He has accordingly decided to end racial segregation that occurred in neighborhoods where white men used to live and in their pubs. He ordered the settlers to remove from their pubs, all offensive posters that they put and which were labelled “No dogs and no Blacks’’. Any settler accused of racism was immediately expelled by his order of Cameroonian territory, once he was notified. Thus, in a few months of power, André-Marie Mbida expelled more French than what has been done in 50 years of independence.
He also crossed swords with the Catholic clergy of Cameroon which was controlled by the Frenchs. As a former seminarian, he confronted the white priests on the Cameroonization the clergy. He therefore became the initiator of the movement promoting the designation of Cameroonian priests in parishes. This activism earned him the hatred of Bishop René Graffin, Bishop of Yaoundé. These actions greatly increased the popularity of André-Marie Mbida.
With 15 members of his caucus, the cameroonian democrats, he effectively created the Cameroonian Party of Democrats
with the election of the executive committee - the adoption of a political platform - a motto: “God - Patrie - Justice - Equality’’ - an emblem : “the watchful and brave cock’’ (used since his election to the Palais Bourbon
) at Abong-Mbang
, on January 12, 1958.
Mbida knew that Cameroon was a relatively young country with no infrastructure nor skilled political elite, and he proposed a project to train a qualified (efficient) elite in a period of ten years. French officials saw that Mbida was an intelligent politician and as he also wanted to end racial segregation
, then the French settlers began to criticize him.
Indeed, while the Elysée asked him to support the idea of granting, in a short term, a somewhat of independence (i.e. an incomplete independence or a puppet independence) of Cameroon, he took deeply offense by saying : “(...) what does that mean a somewhat of independence ? either there is an independence or there is not ... It can not be a semi-independence or a semblance of independence (...) ’’ . He was opposed to this French policy consisting of fudging commitments, he said : “for 51 years, you did train cameroonian people, now you want to go : this is unacceptable’’ . On February 27, 1959, André-Marie MBIDA confirmed these manoeuvrings at the United Nations Fourth Committee
of the UN General Assembly, he said that : “I was flatly opposed to these proposals, because I considered them illegal, and also because I saw in them as the beginnings of integration of Cameroon within the French Union
’’ .
On October 24, 1957, he introduced to the Legislative Assembly of Cameroon, a bill establishing an emblem of the State of Cameroon. On October 26, 1957, he filled the bill on the adoption of the national anthem “The Rallying Song’’, the motto of Cameroon "Peace – Work – Fatherland’’ and National Day “on May 10, date of the first session of the Legislative Assembly of Cameroon’’ instead of July 14, the National day of France.
Nevertheless, the autonomous State of Cameroun under French mandate did not have right to choose an anthem, a motto or a flag that could be different from those in use in France. In addition, the status of 16 April 1957 on the autonomy of the State of Cameroon should have this right.
Furthermore, according to the Trusteeship Agreements for the Territory of the Cameroons under French administration of December 13, 1946, the French administration should have let floating the flag of the United Nations on the administration building in Cameroon. The French colonial administration did not respect this principle by floating only the French flag. This was not consistent with the trusteeship agreements which provided that in any such territory, only the administration was entrusted to the trustee State, in that case France
and the UK.
Also, he was confronted to turmoils, to a crisis of confidence due to difficulties in establishing a minimum of order in the department of Nyong-et-Kellé
, while France still perform the essential of the repression to the rise of the anti-imperialism.
, Minister of the Interior Ahmadou Ahidjo
. Jean Ramadier became High Commissioner
of the French Republic in Cameroon, he replaced Pierre Messmer
. He arrived in Cameroon on February 3, 1958 without his family and only a small suitcase as a personnal baggage. On February 4, he informed Mbida that he had a solution to solve the problem of Cameroon : breaking the interest of the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon
by applying its program without it. Mbida went indignant that French High Commissioner may have had such a thought. Ramadier decided acting and interfering in the internal politics of the autonomous State of Cameroon.
On February 10, 1958, Jean Ramadier delivered a speech at the Legislative Assembly of Cameroon. In his speech, he stated that France
is prepared to grant independence to Cameroon in the near future. The next day, on February 11, 1958, Mbida, who has previously refused the idea of somewhat of independence (i.e. a pupped independence), raised his voice during the Council of Ministers. Mbida informed Ramadier that the French High Commissioner has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the autonomous State of Cameroon and to talk about the independence of Cameroon. Ramadier retorted by saying that the independence does not fall within the competencies of government of Cameroon but of the High Commissioner of the French Republic in Cameroon. This was the beginning of hostility to the top of the State.
After leaving the Council of Ministers, Jean Ramadier conversed again with Ahmadou Ahidjo
. On the evening of February 11, 1958, dramatic turn of events, the parliamentary group Cameroonian Union
of Ahmadou Ahidjo
dissociated from Mbida and resigns from the government coalition. To this end, he published a press release. As soon as the press release issued, the parliamentary group of Independent Peasants showed solidarity with the group of Cameroonian Union
and also resigned from the Mdida's government coalition. The press in Cameroon has as a headline “the Bamiléké
(with the exception of Mathias Djoumessi) show solidarity with the North's elected members’’. Also on February 11, Ramadier met Daniel Kemajou, president of ALCAM and asked him to provide his efforts to convince Mbida to resign or to push out Mbida.
Pursuant to his mandate and powers conferred upon him, strictly speaking in the texts of the State of Cameroon, Mbida formed a new government and Ramadier refused to ratify the government reshuffle. In accordance with Article 19 of the Status of Cameroon on 16 April 1957, it was not the responsibility of the high commissioner to appreciate, to evaluate, to express an opinion on the names of ministers selected by the Prime minister
or to refuse to ratify a government reshuffle. In addition, it may remove the Prime Minister from office.
The ministers who have resigned refused to leave their ministry and let pass of the new ministers. Mbida ask to that Ramadier to take the appropriate actions. Ramadier informed him that Ahmadou Ahidjo
, Djoya Arouna, Adama Haman and Ndjiné Talba Malla asked him (via a letter signed by latters which he showed) not to yield to the injunctions of the Prime Minister. Mbida decided to inform supervisors of the High Commissioner of the French Republic in Cameroon. He travelled by plane on the evening of February 13 and arrived Friday, February 14 in the morning. On February 12, 1958, at 06 PM, it is unanimously adopted the immediate recall of Ramadier by the Cabinet of French Prime Minister. Mbida was informed of this good news as soon as he went out of his plane : the High Commissioner, Jean Ramadier, was summoned to Paris
of extreme urgency, by Gérard Jaquet, the Minister of Overseas France
. Ramadier is expected Saturday, February 15.
Jean Ramadier, refused to go to Paris
and he sent several telegrams stating that the French government asked him to accomplish a mission in Cameroon. He said that it is neither the day nor the time to retreat from this position by making him wearing the hat. He says that he is ready to complete his mission, to fulfill his mandate, at all costs. One can read in his telegrams : “As I have indicated, the operation was conducted very quickly because Mbida at the head of the government became impossible. The opposition to his person and more even to his methods grew stronger every day’’ . “The situation became worse by the hour and the press releases and the untimely telegrams of Mbida have overexcited public opinion to such an extent that it was difficult to predict. (...) We got to the point where things must be said clearly, even sharply. I never asked coming to Cameroon, you have named me because others have not been approved. (...) Everyone must now take his responsibility, I took mine. I intend to assume all the consequences. (...)’’ .
Throughout the day of Friday, February 14, André-Marie Mbida and Mathias Djoumessi who accompanied him, are received at the Ministry of Overseas France, at the Prime Ministry and then at the Presidency of the Republic of France by Rene Coty
. The French press is boiling. Everywhere Mbida is said to be right. The French Right-wing and especially the Popular Republican Movement
, was all to his cause. Jean Ramadier exceeded its powers. Saturday, February 15 evening, Mbida resigned from the Socialist SFIO
parliamentary group and came back to Yaounde
. His resignation from SFIO
parliamentary group took effect on February 20, 1958.
While Mbida was in Paris, Jean Ramadier donated 200,000 CFA francs to any cameroonian deputy who is ganging up on Mbida. He instigated a vote of no confidence against the Mbida’s government and wrote the speech of Ahmadou Ahidjo. When Mbida returned to Cameroon, he addressed by telegram his resignation to the President of the French Republic, René Coty
, at Prime Minister, Felix Gaillard
and at Minister of Overseas France, Gérard Jaquet. In his telegram, he wrote: “I decided not lend nor subject myself to these illegal manoeuvrings, and I present today my resignation at the High Commissioner as Prime Minister, Head of the Cameroonian government’’ . He succeeded in having Ramadier transferred to another post. He replaced by Ahmadou Ahidjo who became Cameroon's first président on, May 5, 1960. Ahidjo who was at the beginning his friend, wanted to integrate Mbida in his first government but Mbida disagreed with Ahidjo's extremely pro-French politics and he refused and went into exile in Conakry
.
On September 16, 1958, when he was passing through Paris, André-Marie Mbida pronounced himself in favour of the immediate independence. On October 3, 1958, his political party published a press release where it demanded “the immediate independence of Cameroon - the total amnesty - the lifting of French mandate’’. His party, the Cameroonian Party of Democrats
, will demand even the independence for January 1, 1959.
In Conakry, he drafted, jointly with Félix-Roland Moumié
and Ernest Ouandié, a political minimum platform for Cameroon. Mbida came back to Cameroon in 1960 and he regained in a very short time period a national political audience that thirteen months of exile in Conakry (Guinea) had somewhat withered. On April 10, 1960, he was elected as deputy in his district. He obtained 23,770 votes against 0. Following these elections, the audience and even the popularity of Mbida were well established in Cameroon with a predominance in the region of Nyong and Sanaga. Nevertheless, the final battle that he would deliver against the Ahidjo's Government, the battle against the single-party state, the one-party system, would sound the knell of his political life.
in the National Assembly in 1962.
Following the dispersal by the Ahidjo's soldiers of the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon
during its first conference on January, 1962 since their rehabilitation, André-Marie Mbida and other opposition leaders, that are, Marcel Bebey Eyidi (General Secretary of the Labor Party of Cameroon), Okala Rene Charles Guy (General Secretary of the Socialist Party of Cameroon) and Théodore Mayi Matip (deputy and Caucus Chair of The Union of the Peoples of Cameroon) founded the joint committee called National United Front
with Mbida as leader. On June 23, 1962, FNU published a manifesto, signed by Mbida, Okala, Eyidi and Matip where they affirm their refusal to join the single-party state. They add that a single-party state lead inevitably to dictatorship. After this, they were arrested and imprisoned in North Cameroun. This incarceration caused significant deterioration of the physical appearance of Mbida : he fell ill and became almost blind. After his release from prison in 1965, he was placed under house arrest. He obtained permission to seek treatment in France at des Quinze-Vingts Hospital in 1966. On returning to Cameroon two years later, he was again placed under house arrest in Yaounde from August 3, 1968 to May 30, 1972.
André-Marie Mbida refused to suscribe to the idea of single-state-party until his death, the Cameroonian Party of Democrats
refused to merge with the Cameroon National Union
(CNU) . Mbida almost gave up politics. The last moments of his life were made difficult because of loneliness. In 1980, he experienced a new medical evacuation, but died blind in his 63rd year as a result of all this abuse, at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital
May 2, 1980 where he was admitted two weeks ago.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
), first Head of State of French speaking autonomous Cameroon from 12 May to 16 February 1958 and first political prisoner of independent Cameroon from 29 June 1962 to 29 June 1965.
Early life and education
Andre-Marie Mbida was born on 1 January 1917 in Edinding (CameroonCameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
) and died on 2 May 1980 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
). He hailed from Nyong and Sanaga region of Cameroon, André Marie MBIDA went to the rural primary school of Efok (Lekié
Lekié
Lekié is a department of Centre Province in Cameroon.The department covers an area of 2,989 km² and had a total population of 354,864...
division) and was a brilliant student. He then continued his secondary education at the Minor Seminary Akono
Akono
-References:* * - Thèse de Donation Avele, Université Montesquieu Bordeaux IV * Charles Nanga, , Mémoire ENA....
from 1929 to 1935, where he became a mathematics and Latin teacher, and later on at the Major Seminary Mvolyé
Mvolyé
Mvolyé or Mvolye is a neighbourhood of Yaoundé, Cameroon. Around 1900, during Cameroon's colonial period, the site was part of the lands ruled by Karl Atangana. He then donated part of the area to the German Pallottine Fathers, a Roman Catholic missionary group. The Ewondo people had previously...
from 1935 to 1943. While in this institution, he studied philosophy and theology. He was for a while tempted by the idea of becoming a priest, but after he left the Seminary, he became Head Teacher of the Balessing rural school in 1943. He was very intelligent so he completed his studies and at least graduated as a lawyer in 1945. After completing his training in Law, he worked at the treasury in Yaoundé
Yaoundé
-Transportation:Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport is a major civilian hub, while nearby Yaoundé Airport is used by the military. Railway lines run west to the port city of Douala and north to N'Gaoundéré. Many bus companies operate from the city; particularly in the Nsam and Mvan neighborhoods...
for a year in 1945, and then became a business representative in Yaoundé
Yaoundé
-Transportation:Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport is a major civilian hub, while nearby Yaoundé Airport is used by the military. Railway lines run west to the port city of Douala and north to N'Gaoundéré. Many bus companies operate from the city; particularly in the Nsam and Mvan neighborhoods...
and Ebolowa
Ebolowa
Ebolowa is the capital of Cameroon's South Province. It has a population of 79,500 . It is a colonial town and a notable agricultural centre.- Overview :The main crop is cocoa...
till 1954. As business representative, his monthly income varies between approximately 500,000 CFA francs and 800,000 CFA francs, or even a million !
Family Life
On 14 August 1946, he got married to Marguerite Embolo, daughter of Assiguena Fabien, chief of the Eton tribe and owner of plantations (one of the most prosperous cocoa farmers in the Lekié division) and of Mbono Marie, former midwife at Mvog-Betsi an Ewondo tribe in Yaoundé Mbankolo. They had six children, four sons and two daughters, among them, Louis Tobie Mbida, the present Chairman of the Cameroonian Party of DemocratsCameroonian Party of Democrats
The Cameroonian Party of Democrats is a political party in Cameroon....
(CPD) ), Simon Pierre Omgba Mbida, Cameroonian diplomat, Alphonse Massi Mbida, Company Head in Ile de France, Paul Etoga Mbida, a mathematics and physics student who died in France in 1985.
Break with Aujoulat and foundation of COCOCAM
He devoted himself to the cause of workers and peasants of Cameroon. In his region of origin, he promoted cultural values in the traditional movement named Anacsama. Known as a devout Catholic, very close ties continue to unite him with the Catholic hierarchy, nevertheless he became closer to the SFIOSfio
Sfio, or Safe/Fast String/File I/O, is a C programming language I/O library developed by David Korn and Kiem-Phong Vo AT&T Labs Research, intended as a replacement for the standard C standard I/O library....
party, an active political French party in the UN Trust Territory of the Cameroons under French administration. He is a Cameroonian Democratic Bloc militant, a party affiliated with the SFIO
Sfio
Sfio, or Safe/Fast String/File I/O, is a C programming language I/O library developed by David Korn and Kiem-Phong Vo AT&T Labs Research, intended as a replacement for the standard C standard I/O library....
. In 1952, he was elected to the Territorial Assembly and after that he is appointed Adviser to the French Union
French Union
The French Union was a political entity created by the French Fourth Republic to replace the old French colonial system, the "French Empire" and to abolish its "indigenous" status.-History:...
on October 10, 1953.
The following year he resigned from the Cameroonian Democratic Bloc then he founded the COCOCAM (Coordinating Committee of Cameroon) . The reasons for his departure are interpreted differently, depending on whether one is in favor of André-Marie Mbida or Louis-Paul Aujoulat
Louis-Paul Aujoulat
Louis-Paul Aujoulat was a Cameroonian politician and missionary doctor. Following his long and illustrious political career he served as France's representative to the World Health Organization.-Early life:...
. According Ateba Yene (son), André-Marie Mbida was just the spokesperson of COCOCAM. Its founders would be Manga Mado Ngoa Constantine Ombgwa Onésimus, Master Joseph Ateba and Ateba Yené (father).
According to an anonymous and unsigned note (the author of this epistle chose not to sign his name but offered his observation about Ajoulat-Mbida affair) dated May 17, 1954, the break between the Bloc (i.e. Cameroonian Democratic Bloc) and Mbida would come from the fact that the chairman of Bloc, Louis-Paul Aujoulat was convinced that Mbida has been informing his political opponents. Aujoulat
Louis-Paul Aujoulat
Louis-Paul Aujoulat was a Cameroonian politician and missionary doctor. Following his long and illustrious political career he served as France's representative to the World Health Organization.-Early life:...
let him know about his thoughts and in reaction to this, Mbida decided to leave the Cameroonian Democratic Bloc and create his own movement, the Coordinating Committee of Cameroon. However, Germain Tsala Mekongo, former comrade-in-arms of Mbida, believes that this break is due to the jealousy of the other Cameroonian Democratic Bloc members who were excessively concerned about the growing influence of André-Marie Mbida within the Bloc. Abel Eyinga rather thinks that it is the opposition of Louis-Paul Aujoulat
Louis-Paul Aujoulat
Louis-Paul Aujoulat was a Cameroonian politician and missionary doctor. Following his long and illustrious political career he served as France's representative to the World Health Organization.-Early life:...
and the Steering Committee of Cameroonian Democratic Bloc to see Mbida run for the post of Adviser of the Assembly of French Union which is the true cause of the break between the main protagonists. Mbida did not agree with this directive of Louis-Paul Aujoulat and Bloc. Thus, he ran for election and gained seat, then he became Adviser of the Assembly of French Union on October 16, 1953. Moreover, one can read in the Abel Eyinga book “Elected in spite of himself, Mbida draws conclusions from the attitude of layman missionary by breaking definitively with him, with the organization Aujoulat oriented also : “the BDC’’ ’’.
Following the bloody events of May 1955, repressed by the colonial administrator Roland Pré then by the dissolution of Cameroonian nationalist movements and the incarceration of several nationalist militants, Mbida led an active campaign for the amnesty for political prisoners. He also builts on a small mimeographed bulletin, “NKU, Le Tam-Tam’’.
Conquest of the Palais Bourbon
André-Marie Mbida stands for election to Parliament at the French National AssemblyFrench National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
on January 2, 1956 in the third electoral district of the UN Trust Territory of the Cameroons under French administration. Like socialists, he acts as an advocate of poors, small-scale farmers, supports minorities and he includes short-term amelioratory measures and long-term structural solutions for the little people and the oppressed. Economically, he proposes the increasing the price of key export commodities, cocoa and coffee, and the elimination of intermediaries that disadvantage the small-scale farmers. He still defends the officials, the autochthonous or traditional chiefs that he proposes to renumerate. He claims an evolving institutions.
He demands a purge of managerial staff in the French Union
French Union
The French Union was a political entity created by the French Fourth Republic to replace the old French colonial system, the "French Empire" and to abolish its "indigenous" status.-History:...
. He claims “a progressive advance from Cameroon to its autonomy, and later to its independence’’ . In addition, he defends Catholic values. Thus, he advocates the fight “against secularism in general’’ . He wrote : “I will defend private education and I shall always support that the territory administration covers the teaching personnel salaries of this one’’ . He still intends to encourage monogamy and for him, divorce is not an option for religious marriages. He proposes a “formal opposition to the divorce of religious marriages’’.
During the campaign trail, one can read on a leaflet distributed to voters : “Voting for Matin Abega, André Fouda, Charles Awono-Onana, Benoît Bindzi, Marc Etende, Philippe Mbarga - It's giving one's vote to Aujoulat
Louis-Paul Aujoulat
Louis-Paul Aujoulat was a Cameroonian politician and missionary doctor. Following his long and illustrious political career he served as France's representative to the World Health Organization.-Early life:...
- It's giving one's vote to Roland Pré - It's voting for the Cameroonian Democratic Bloc - The incorporation of Cameroon into France, the return to the Indigenousness Code (The Code de l'indigénat
Indigénat
The Code de l'indigénat was a set of laws creating, in practice, an inferior legal status for natives of French Colonies from 1887 until 1944–1947. First put in place in Algeria, it was applied across the French Colonial Empire in 1887–1889...
), the tax increases. Martin Abega and André Fouda are the candidates of the [French colonial] administration. Voters, be careful, avoid all this list. Give one's vote only for the list of André-Marie Mbida - the list of the watchful and brave cock’’. .
In his profession of faith to voters, Mbida wrote : “Dear voters, if you approve, if you feel that the third electoral district should be represented in the French National Assembly
National Assembly
National Assembly is either a legislature, or the lower house of a bicameral legislature in some countries. The best known National Assembly, and the first legislature to be known by this title, was that established during the French Revolution in 1789, known as the Assemblée nationale...
by a native, not by a very harmful intruders, all vote for André-Marie Mbida on January 2, 1956’’ .
Mbida gained seat with 66,354 votes against 47,001 votes for Charles Assalé and against 20,517 votes for Louis-Paul Aujoulat. The latter held the seat since the Liberation of France
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
and was involved in several government departments from 1949 to 1955. Mbida became the first native Cameroonian to be elected Member of Parliament at the French National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
by the College of personal Status .
Head of autonomous State of Cameroon
On January 31, 1956, Mbida was both appointed to the Law and Justice Commission and to the Commission of overseas territories of the French National AssemblyFrench National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
. He also belonged to the Commission mandated to reform the Title VIII of the French Constitution, on the French Union
French Union
The French Union was a political entity created by the French Fourth Republic to replace the old French colonial system, the "French Empire" and to abolish its "indigenous" status.-History:...
dated October 27, 1947. In addition, he is designated to serve on the Supreme Labour Council and the Steering Committee of the Investment Fund for Economic and Social Development , that is a former government agency of colonial-area France, which was established to finance and coordinate the provision of facilities for the French colonial territories. His election was confirmed on February 14, 1956 and he immediately joined the SFIO
Sfio
Sfio, or Safe/Fast String/File I/O, is a C programming language I/O library developed by David Korn and Kiem-Phong Vo AT&T Labs Research, intended as a replacement for the standard C standard I/O library....
Socialist Group at the French National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
and worked alongside Gaston Defferre
Gaston Defferre
Gaston Defferre was a French socialist politician.-Biography:Lawyer and member of the French Section of the Workers' International political party, he was a member of the Brutus Network, a Resistance Socialist group during World War II...
, Gérard Jaquet and Pierre Messmer
Pierre Messmer
Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Minister of Armies under Charles de Gaulle from 1960 to 1969 – the longest serving since Étienne François, duc de Choiseul under Louis XV – and then as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1972 to 1974...
who draft the Loi Cadre
Loi Cadre
The loi-cadre was a French legal reform passed by the French National Assembly on 23 June 1956. It marked a turning point in relations between France and its overseas empire...
(1956 Overseas Reform Act) on the autonomy of French colonial territories and the UN trust territories under French administration in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
.
NKU, le Tam-Tam in its edition of March 1956 to justify his membership to the SFIO
Sfio
Sfio, or Safe/Fast String/File I/O, is a C programming language I/O library developed by David Korn and Kiem-Phong Vo AT&T Labs Research, intended as a replacement for the standard C standard I/O library....
Socialist Group by saying that he could not stand alone at the French National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
and that the group's policy SFIO
Sfio
Sfio, or Safe/Fast String/File I/O, is a C programming language I/O library developed by David Korn and Kiem-Phong Vo AT&T Labs Research, intended as a replacement for the standard C standard I/O library....
seemed to be the lesser evil among all those existing at that moments at French Parliament. He spoke rarely to the French National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
. He mainly took part in two major debates : the Loi Cadre
Loi Cadre
The loi-cadre was a French legal reform passed by the French National Assembly on 23 June 1956. It marked a turning point in relations between France and its overseas empire...
in March 1956 and the status of Cameroon in March 1957.
On December 23, 1956, the Territorial Assembly of Cameroon was replaced by the Legislative Assembly of Cameroon and parliamentary elections were scheduled. Candidates were authorized to present themselves in their own name. Mbida and his team (Cococam et affiliated memberships) ) stood for election. At ALCAM, they created the Parliamentary Group of Cameroonian Democrats composed of 21 members with Mbida as leader. Mbida set up the internal autonomy of the UN Trust Territory of the Cameroons under French administration. On April 16, 1957, the latter became an autonomous State. On May 12, 1957, by 56 votes against 10 votes and 4 abstentions, he was appointed first President of the Council of Ministers
President of the Council of Ministers
The official title President of the Council of Ministers, or Chairman of the Council of Ministers is used to describe the head of government of the states of Italy and Poland, and formerly in the Soviet Union, Portugal, France , Spain , Brazil , and Luxembourg...
, first head of government and the facto Head of State of French speaking Cameroon. This designation was very symbolic because he was the second African-born Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
in the Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
and the first Head of State of Cameroon
Head of State of Cameroon
The Head of state of The republic of Cameroon are André-Marie Mbida Prime Minister of eastern Cameroon between 1957 and 1958 Ahmadou Ahidjo President of the federal Republic of Cameroon 1960-1972 and Paul Biya 1982-present President of the Republic of Cameroon. Western Cameroon has alsopre...
.
While in Paris in September 1957, he presented Cameroon as a pilot State in Africa. Moreover, he justified the UN trust to French administration until the complete independence and a seat (of Cameroon) at the UN, then he announced that this development strengthens the Franco-Cameroonian friendship.
Mbida also confronted openly and directly the French, this greatly pleased the Cameroonian people. He has accordingly decided to end racial segregation that occurred in neighborhoods where white men used to live and in their pubs. He ordered the settlers to remove from their pubs, all offensive posters that they put and which were labelled “No dogs and no Blacks’’. Any settler accused of racism was immediately expelled by his order of Cameroonian territory, once he was notified. Thus, in a few months of power, André-Marie Mbida expelled more French than what has been done in 50 years of independence.
He also crossed swords with the Catholic clergy of Cameroon which was controlled by the Frenchs. As a former seminarian, he confronted the white priests on the Cameroonization the clergy. He therefore became the initiator of the movement promoting the designation of Cameroonian priests in parishes. This activism earned him the hatred of Bishop René Graffin, Bishop of Yaoundé. These actions greatly increased the popularity of André-Marie Mbida.
With 15 members of his caucus, the cameroonian democrats, he effectively created the Cameroonian Party of Democrats
Cameroonian Party of Democrats
The Cameroonian Party of Democrats is a political party in Cameroon....
with the election of the executive committee - the adoption of a political platform - a motto: “God - Patrie - Justice - Equality’’ - an emblem : “the watchful and brave cock’’ (used since his election to the Palais Bourbon
Palais Bourbon
The Palais Bourbon, , a palace located on the left bank of the Seine, across from the Place de la Concorde, Paris , is the seat of the French National Assembly, the lower legislative chamber of the French government.-History:...
) at Abong-Mbang
Abong-Mbang
Abong-Mbang is a town and commune in the East Province of Cameroon. Abong-Mbang is located at a crossroads of National Route 10 and the road that leads south to Lomié. Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, is 311 km to the west, and Bertoua, the capital of the East Province, lies 27 km to...
, on January 12, 1958.
Mbida knew that Cameroon was a relatively young country with no infrastructure nor skilled political elite, and he proposed a project to train a qualified (efficient) elite in a period of ten years. French officials saw that Mbida was an intelligent politician and as he also wanted to end racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
, then the French settlers began to criticize him.
Indeed, while the Elysée asked him to support the idea of granting, in a short term, a somewhat of independence (i.e. an incomplete independence or a puppet independence) of Cameroon, he took deeply offense by saying : “(...) what does that mean a somewhat of independence ? either there is an independence or there is not ... It can not be a semi-independence or a semblance of independence (...) ’’ . He was opposed to this French policy consisting of fudging commitments, he said : “for 51 years, you did train cameroonian people, now you want to go : this is unacceptable’’ . On February 27, 1959, André-Marie MBIDA confirmed these manoeuvrings at the United Nations Fourth Committee
United Nations Fourth Committee
The United Nations Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly is one of six committees of the United Nations . It was initially given jurisdiction over trusteeship and non-self-governing territories...
of the UN General Assembly, he said that : “I was flatly opposed to these proposals, because I considered them illegal, and also because I saw in them as the beginnings of integration of Cameroon within the French Union
French Union
The French Union was a political entity created by the French Fourth Republic to replace the old French colonial system, the "French Empire" and to abolish its "indigenous" status.-History:...
’’ .
On October 24, 1957, he introduced to the Legislative Assembly of Cameroon, a bill establishing an emblem of the State of Cameroon. On October 26, 1957, he filled the bill on the adoption of the national anthem “The Rallying Song’’, the motto of Cameroon "Peace – Work – Fatherland’’ and National Day “on May 10, date of the first session of the Legislative Assembly of Cameroon’’ instead of July 14, the National day of France.
Nevertheless, the autonomous State of Cameroun under French mandate did not have right to choose an anthem, a motto or a flag that could be different from those in use in France. In addition, the status of 16 April 1957 on the autonomy of the State of Cameroon should have this right.
Furthermore, according to the Trusteeship Agreements for the Territory of the Cameroons under French administration of December 13, 1946, the French administration should have let floating the flag of the United Nations on the administration building in Cameroon. The French colonial administration did not respect this principle by floating only the French flag. This was not consistent with the trusteeship agreements which provided that in any such territory, only the administration was entrusted to the trustee State, in that case France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the UK.
Also, he was confronted to turmoils, to a crisis of confidence due to difficulties in establishing a minimum of order in the department of Nyong-et-Kellé
Nyong-et-Kéllé
Nyong-et-Kéllé is a department of Centre Province in Cameroon.The department covers an area of 6,362 km² and as of 2001 had a total population of 145,181.The capital of the department lies at Éséka.-Subdivisions:...
, while France still perform the essential of the repression to the rise of the anti-imperialism.
The Coup d'État of Jean Ramadier
On January 25, Jean Ramadier was in Paris, where he met with the Deputy Prime MinisterDeputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some counties, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...
, Minister of the Interior Ahmadou Ahidjo
Ahmadou Ahidjo
Ahmadou Babatoura Ahidjo was the first President of Cameroon from 1960 until 1982.-Early life:Ahidjo was born in Garoua, a major river port along the Benue River in northern Cameroun, which was at the time a French mandate territory...
. Jean Ramadier became High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
of the French Republic in Cameroon, he replaced Pierre Messmer
Pierre Messmer
Pierre Joseph Auguste Messmer was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Minister of Armies under Charles de Gaulle from 1960 to 1969 – the longest serving since Étienne François, duc de Choiseul under Louis XV – and then as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1972 to 1974...
. He arrived in Cameroon on February 3, 1958 without his family and only a small suitcase as a personnal baggage. On February 4, he informed Mbida that he had a solution to solve the problem of Cameroon : breaking the interest of the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon
Union of the Peoples of Cameroon
The Union of the Peoples of Cameroon is a political party in Cameroon.-History:UPC was founded on April 10, 1948, at a meeting in the bar Chez Sierra in Bassa. 12 men assisted the founding meeting, including Charles Assalé, Léonard Bouli, and Guillaume Bagal. The majority of the participants were...
by applying its program without it. Mbida went indignant that French High Commissioner may have had such a thought. Ramadier decided acting and interfering in the internal politics of the autonomous State of Cameroon.
On February 10, 1958, Jean Ramadier delivered a speech at the Legislative Assembly of Cameroon. In his speech, he stated that France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
is prepared to grant independence to Cameroon in the near future. The next day, on February 11, 1958, Mbida, who has previously refused the idea of somewhat of independence (i.e. a pupped independence), raised his voice during the Council of Ministers. Mbida informed Ramadier that the French High Commissioner has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the autonomous State of Cameroon and to talk about the independence of Cameroon. Ramadier retorted by saying that the independence does not fall within the competencies of government of Cameroon but of the High Commissioner of the French Republic in Cameroon. This was the beginning of hostility to the top of the State.
After leaving the Council of Ministers, Jean Ramadier conversed again with Ahmadou Ahidjo
Ahmadou Ahidjo
Ahmadou Babatoura Ahidjo was the first President of Cameroon from 1960 until 1982.-Early life:Ahidjo was born in Garoua, a major river port along the Benue River in northern Cameroun, which was at the time a French mandate territory...
. On the evening of February 11, 1958, dramatic turn of events, the parliamentary group Cameroonian Union
Cameroonian Union
The Cameroon Union was a Cameroonian pro-independence party active in the French territory of Cameroun.The UC was formed by Ahmadou Ahidjo in 1958 when he broke from André-Marie Mbida and the Bloc Démocratique Camerounaise...
of Ahmadou Ahidjo
Ahmadou Ahidjo
Ahmadou Babatoura Ahidjo was the first President of Cameroon from 1960 until 1982.-Early life:Ahidjo was born in Garoua, a major river port along the Benue River in northern Cameroun, which was at the time a French mandate territory...
dissociated from Mbida and resigns from the government coalition. To this end, he published a press release. As soon as the press release issued, the parliamentary group of Independent Peasants showed solidarity with the group of Cameroonian Union
Cameroonian Union
The Cameroon Union was a Cameroonian pro-independence party active in the French territory of Cameroun.The UC was formed by Ahmadou Ahidjo in 1958 when he broke from André-Marie Mbida and the Bloc Démocratique Camerounaise...
and also resigned from the Mdida's government coalition. The press in Cameroon has as a headline “the Bamiléké
Bamileke
The Bamileke is a folk whose native ancestral area is in the western highlands of Cameroon's West Province, west of the Noun River and southeast of the Bamboutos Mountains and in the Moungo region of the Littoral, Southwest, and Centre Provinces. They are a part of the Semi-Bantu ethnic groups...
(with the exception of Mathias Djoumessi) show solidarity with the North's elected members’’. Also on February 11, Ramadier met Daniel Kemajou, president of ALCAM and asked him to provide his efforts to convince Mbida to resign or to push out Mbida.
Pursuant to his mandate and powers conferred upon him, strictly speaking in the texts of the State of Cameroon, Mbida formed a new government and Ramadier refused to ratify the government reshuffle. In accordance with Article 19 of the Status of Cameroon on 16 April 1957, it was not the responsibility of the high commissioner to appreciate, to evaluate, to express an opinion on the names of ministers selected by the Prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
or to refuse to ratify a government reshuffle. In addition, it may remove the Prime Minister from office.
The ministers who have resigned refused to leave their ministry and let pass of the new ministers. Mbida ask to that Ramadier to take the appropriate actions. Ramadier informed him that Ahmadou Ahidjo
Ahmadou Ahidjo
Ahmadou Babatoura Ahidjo was the first President of Cameroon from 1960 until 1982.-Early life:Ahidjo was born in Garoua, a major river port along the Benue River in northern Cameroun, which was at the time a French mandate territory...
, Djoya Arouna, Adama Haman and Ndjiné Talba Malla asked him (via a letter signed by latters which he showed) not to yield to the injunctions of the Prime Minister. Mbida decided to inform supervisors of the High Commissioner of the French Republic in Cameroon. He travelled by plane on the evening of February 13 and arrived Friday, February 14 in the morning. On February 12, 1958, at 06 PM, it is unanimously adopted the immediate recall of Ramadier by the Cabinet of French Prime Minister. Mbida was informed of this good news as soon as he went out of his plane : the High Commissioner, Jean Ramadier, was summoned to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
of extreme urgency, by Gérard Jaquet, the Minister of Overseas France
Minister of Overseas France
The Minister of Overseas France is a cabinet member in the Government of France responsible for overseeing French overseas departments and territories .The position is currently held by Brice Hortefeux, who is also the Minister of the Interior...
. Ramadier is expected Saturday, February 15.
Jean Ramadier, refused to go to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and he sent several telegrams stating that the French government asked him to accomplish a mission in Cameroon. He said that it is neither the day nor the time to retreat from this position by making him wearing the hat. He says that he is ready to complete his mission, to fulfill his mandate, at all costs. One can read in his telegrams : “As I have indicated, the operation was conducted very quickly because Mbida at the head of the government became impossible. The opposition to his person and more even to his methods grew stronger every day’’ . “The situation became worse by the hour and the press releases and the untimely telegrams of Mbida have overexcited public opinion to such an extent that it was difficult to predict. (...) We got to the point where things must be said clearly, even sharply. I never asked coming to Cameroon, you have named me because others have not been approved. (...) Everyone must now take his responsibility, I took mine. I intend to assume all the consequences. (...)’’ .
Throughout the day of Friday, February 14, André-Marie Mbida and Mathias Djoumessi who accompanied him, are received at the Ministry of Overseas France, at the Prime Ministry and then at the Presidency of the Republic of France by Rene Coty
René Coty
René Jules Gustave Coty was President of France from 1954 to 1959. He was the second and last president under the French Fourth Republic.-Early life and politics:...
. The French press is boiling. Everywhere Mbida is said to be right. The French Right-wing and especially the Popular Republican Movement
Popular Republican Movement
The Popular Republican Movement was a French Christian democratic party of the Fourth Republic...
, was all to his cause. Jean Ramadier exceeded its powers. Saturday, February 15 evening, Mbida resigned from the Socialist SFIO
Sfio
Sfio, or Safe/Fast String/File I/O, is a C programming language I/O library developed by David Korn and Kiem-Phong Vo AT&T Labs Research, intended as a replacement for the standard C standard I/O library....
parliamentary group and came back to Yaounde
Yaoundé
-Transportation:Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport is a major civilian hub, while nearby Yaoundé Airport is used by the military. Railway lines run west to the port city of Douala and north to N'Gaoundéré. Many bus companies operate from the city; particularly in the Nsam and Mvan neighborhoods...
. His resignation from SFIO
Sfio
Sfio, or Safe/Fast String/File I/O, is a C programming language I/O library developed by David Korn and Kiem-Phong Vo AT&T Labs Research, intended as a replacement for the standard C standard I/O library....
parliamentary group took effect on February 20, 1958.
While Mbida was in Paris, Jean Ramadier donated 200,000 CFA francs to any cameroonian deputy who is ganging up on Mbida. He instigated a vote of no confidence against the Mbida’s government and wrote the speech of Ahmadou Ahidjo. When Mbida returned to Cameroon, he addressed by telegram his resignation to the President of the French Republic, René Coty
René Coty
René Jules Gustave Coty was President of France from 1954 to 1959. He was the second and last president under the French Fourth Republic.-Early life and politics:...
, at Prime Minister, Felix Gaillard
Félix Gaillard
Félix Gaillard d'Aimé was a French Radical politician who served as Prime Minister under the Fourth Republic from 1957 to 1958. He was the youngest head of a French government since Napoleon.-Career:...
and at Minister of Overseas France, Gérard Jaquet. In his telegram, he wrote: “I decided not lend nor subject myself to these illegal manoeuvrings, and I present today my resignation at the High Commissioner as Prime Minister, Head of the Cameroonian government’’ . He succeeded in having Ramadier transferred to another post. He replaced by Ahmadou Ahidjo who became Cameroon's first président on, May 5, 1960. Ahidjo who was at the beginning his friend, wanted to integrate Mbida in his first government but Mbida disagreed with Ahidjo's extremely pro-French politics and he refused and went into exile in Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
.
On September 16, 1958, when he was passing through Paris, André-Marie Mbida pronounced himself in favour of the immediate independence. On October 3, 1958, his political party published a press release where it demanded “the immediate independence of Cameroon - the total amnesty - the lifting of French mandate’’. His party, the Cameroonian Party of Democrats
Cameroonian Party of Democrats
The Cameroonian Party of Democrats is a political party in Cameroon....
, will demand even the independence for January 1, 1959.
In Conakry, he drafted, jointly with Félix-Roland Moumié
Félix-Roland Moumié
Félix-Roland Moumié was a Cameroonian leader, assassinated in Geneva on 3 November 1960 by the SDECE with thallium. Félix-Roland Moumié succeeded Ruben Um Nyobe, who was killed in September 1958, as leader of the Union des Populations du Cameroun .- See also :*Colonialism and...
and Ernest Ouandié, a political minimum platform for Cameroon. Mbida came back to Cameroon in 1960 and he regained in a very short time period a national political audience that thirteen months of exile in Conakry (Guinea) had somewhat withered. On April 10, 1960, he was elected as deputy in his district. He obtained 23,770 votes against 0. Following these elections, the audience and even the popularity of Mbida were well established in Cameroon with a predominance in the region of Nyong and Sanaga. Nevertheless, the final battle that he would deliver against the Ahidjo's Government, the battle against the single-party state, the one-party system, would sound the knell of his political life.
The final battle against the single-party state
After he denounced the continued presence of French troops and French military bases in Cameroon while accusing the north of being dominated by the Lamibe in a obsolete feudalism, Ahidjo dismissed the Democrats from their ministerial duties. In the years 1961-1962, the wave of rallying, dissolutions and merging of other parties with the Cameroon Union of Ahidjo considerably weakened the Cameroonian Party of DemocratsCameroonian Party of Democrats
The Cameroonian Party of Democrats is a political party in Cameroon....
in the National Assembly in 1962.
Following the dispersal by the Ahidjo's soldiers of the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon
Union of the Peoples of Cameroon
The Union of the Peoples of Cameroon is a political party in Cameroon.-History:UPC was founded on April 10, 1948, at a meeting in the bar Chez Sierra in Bassa. 12 men assisted the founding meeting, including Charles Assalé, Léonard Bouli, and Guillaume Bagal. The majority of the participants were...
during its first conference on January, 1962 since their rehabilitation, André-Marie Mbida and other opposition leaders, that are, Marcel Bebey Eyidi (General Secretary of the Labor Party of Cameroon), Okala Rene Charles Guy (General Secretary of the Socialist Party of Cameroon) and Théodore Mayi Matip (deputy and Caucus Chair of The Union of the Peoples of Cameroon) founded the joint committee called National United Front
National United Front
The National United Front was a political coalition in Burma, formed ahead of the April 1956 general election. NUF consisted of the Burma Workers and Peasants Party, the Justice Party led by Dr. E Maung, the People's Unity Party led by Thein Pe Myint, the People's Peace Front and other sectors. NUF...
with Mbida as leader. On June 23, 1962, FNU published a manifesto, signed by Mbida, Okala, Eyidi and Matip where they affirm their refusal to join the single-party state. They add that a single-party state lead inevitably to dictatorship. After this, they were arrested and imprisoned in North Cameroun. This incarceration caused significant deterioration of the physical appearance of Mbida : he fell ill and became almost blind. After his release from prison in 1965, he was placed under house arrest. He obtained permission to seek treatment in France at des Quinze-Vingts Hospital in 1966. On returning to Cameroon two years later, he was again placed under house arrest in Yaounde from August 3, 1968 to May 30, 1972.
André-Marie Mbida refused to suscribe to the idea of single-state-party until his death, the Cameroonian Party of Democrats
Cameroonian Party of Democrats
The Cameroonian Party of Democrats is a political party in Cameroon....
refused to merge with the Cameroon National Union
National Union
National Union may refer to one of many political parties:* Liberia National Union* National Union * National Union * National Union Party * National Union , Nasser's party in the United Arab Republic, 1957 - 1962...
(CNU) . Mbida almost gave up politics. The last moments of his life were made difficult because of loneliness. In 1980, he experienced a new medical evacuation, but died blind in his 63rd year as a result of all this abuse, at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital
Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital
The Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital is a teaching hospital located in Paris, France. Part of the Assistance publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, it is one of Europe's largest hospitals...
May 2, 1980 where he was admitted two weeks ago.