In a searing public statement, acclaimed Cameroonian filmmaker Jean-Pierre Bekolo delivered a fierce critique of President Paul Biya’s entourage, condemning them for what he calls their betrayal of the nation and its people.
Speaking out with rare bluntness, Bekolo accused the political elite of stifling progress and dragging down a country brimming with talent.
“You promise death to anyone who tries to do better—for their children, for their people, for their country, for your country. If you’re not a curse… then what are you?” Bekolo demanded, highlighting the systemic failure he sees at the heart of Cameroon’s leadership.
Addressing ministers, directors, traditional chiefs, and senior officials surrounding Biya, Bekolo did not hold back: “You shame us.
You are a disgrace to your children, your families, your brothers and sisters, your friends, all of Africa, and all Black people in the world.” He warned that future generations will distance themselves from their legacy, unable to bear the weight of their association.
Bekolo’s indictment extended beyond mere political incompetence. He condemned the use of power to “forbid your own brothers and sisters from asking for water, light, roads, hospitals, schools,” urging Cameroonians to question the morality of those who “promise death to anyone who tries to want better.”
Reflecting on the corruption permeating both political and traditional institutions, he lamented how politics in Cameroon has become a vehicle for lies, theft, and violence—practices once unthinkable in African societies.
“What kind of Africans have we become? Beasts?” he asked, underscoring the depth of his frustration.
The filmmaker’s words also touched on a broader sense of loss and disillusionment, noting the exodus of young Cameroonians fleeing their ancestral land.
“Isn’t this the fate that has befallen us when our children are fleeing the country of their ancestors, are fleeing us, fleeing you?”
Bekolo concluded with a powerful plea for accountability and change: “After so many years, not a single one of you has had the courage to say, ‘This is beyond us. Someone else has to try.’”
His statement challenges the current regime’s grip on power and calls on all Cameroonians to demand a better future.
In a nation grappling with political stagnation and growing unrest, Bekolo’s words resonate as a clarion call for reform and renewal.
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