Forced Marriage & Genital Mutilation: Kareen Bosung’s Predicament

 By Nana John Besong    

 Stories about forced marriages and female genital mutilation (FGM) are common in some parts of Cameroon in particular and Africa in general.

    Female children, who get to maturity and young women, have tales to tell about decisions taken on their behalf by family members. Some of these decisions have to do with forced marriage, in some cases even to the unborn female child by an ‘agreement’ of two independent families whose heads have their parochial interests to protect.

    In Cameroon, an estimated 47% of girls under 18 reportedly get married - usually against their will - because they are seen as an economic burden to their families. These girls often remain in poverty because they leave school to marry and have no access to income-generating opportunities. They are more likely to be victims of domestic and sexual violence; highly vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections including HIV; and they face a high risk of complications, even death, during pregnancy and childbirth.  

   Cameron’s Civil Status Registration (Ordinance No. 81-02 of June 29, 1981), in its Article 52 states: “No marriage may take place: 1) If the girl is younger than 15 years…unless for serious reasons and a waiver has been granted by the president of the Republic”

  This law appears to be largely disregarded in rural settings as village custodians insist on the respect of their traditions and customs.

  On a recent outburst on the dehumanizing effects of FGM, Dr. Joseph Tabi Tabi, a medical doctor practicing in Douala, Cameroon made the following remark about FGM:

 “This is a situation whereby the clitoris of a female is taken off in the village setting during the process of circumcision. This is the removal of the clitoris in the vagina.”

   He regretted the negative effects of FGM.“There are several complications that come in thereafter.  The issue of HIV/AIDS comes in as one blade is used for many persons in the process. There is civilization and increasing awareness of things happening around us. The youths of today say no to FGM and forced marriage and it should be abolished.

     A lot of young girls in Manyu Division in Cameroon are fleeing the area. Grace Ngwai Agbor, now in Europe reportedly fled form Cameroon because every time she went to her village in Manyu Division, she is said to have been reminded by her family there that, she had to undergo the process of FGM, a practice she detested and publicly condemned

   Found in this dilemma, she reportedly decided to leave the country.  And that is how Cameroon lost one of her upcoming and resourceful youths to another country.

   Another lady, Kareen Nyasa Bosung, a University of Buea law graduate, has her own story to tell. A native of  Akwaya,one of the most enclaved regions of Cameroon, Nyasa Bosung has been  battling with her family members over cultural practices she thinks are old-fashioned .

 “I heard this story before and it is now very clear to me that the practice of forced marriage and genital mutilation has a stronghold in Akwaya villages,” Bosung regretted. She is said to be on the run after her life was made unbearable by a ceratin Mr. Tabi of of same village when she refused to respect a forced marriage arrangement. He stalked her even after she ran away from the village.

  Haunted by the scare and members of her villagers who wished to see Bosung succumb to these traditional practices, this young woman is not only psychologically traumatized, but has reportedly lost her marriage to her husband.

  Hear her: “They called me a prostitute who ran away to marry another man even though I was already married.  They cursed me several times, shouted and swore I will never prosper nor succeed in my life.”

  The educational system in rural areas is a great push factor for early marriages in Cameroon. Gender based violence(GBV), poor infrastructure, gender bias teaching material(text books), cultural practices which discourage parents from fully investing on the education of women, and a non-conducive learning environment are all motivating factors for girls to drop out of school.

   Hailing from a rural community, I have observed that most girls who drop out of school have marriage as a main option. Thus, education in rural communities should be made not only more accessible and efficient but also more welcoming to girls. Girls should be encouraged to finish their schooling because education can give them more opportunities and independence. Legal measures which render education compulsory and free for all should be implemented by all African Governments so that women and girls will be able to depend on themselves for a livelihood and not turn to men and early marriage to sustain them. Family Life Education should also be introduced into schools so that boys and girls will be educated about the dangers of premature sexuality which lead to unwanted pregnancies. If a girl should become pregnant prematurely, she should be given the opportunity to continue with her education before and after childbirth. Adult literacy rates need to be improved to encourage a change of mentality which will consequently favour the promotion of girls’ education. Education is fundamental to establish gender equality. Laws should be translated into simple formats and local languages for everyone to understand so that they can see the importance of gender equality and development. Perpetrators who force this responsibility on women should be punished by law whether it is in a context of conflict or not. The imposed status of marriage has chronic long-term consequences for women, while the men who force the marriages lose nothing. Forced marriage should be a codified crime prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

   Forced marriage and the resulting early pregnancy, and other traditional practices, are harmful to girls but because they are deeply rooted in mentalities and cultures, combating them is a real challenge. Some practitioners, some of whom are women, understand how damaging these traditions are to girls’ health but because of fear of being discriminated against by their communities, they hold on to them and socialise the girls to accept them as normal. These negative customs cannot be eradicated unless the harmful mentalities of the practitioners are eradicated. Those fighting for change should also understand the reasons for those beliefs and practices so that they know where and how to open the communication channels to change these mentalities and behaviors. Mentalities need to be changed if legal actions against these traditions are going to be accepted and gender equality promoted.

CAMEROUN’S CURSED PRESIDENCY

BY AYAH Paul ABINE

 As Christ cursed the fig tree for tantalizing him, there are palpable reasons to suppose that Ahidjo cursed the Presidency for treating him similarly. If only the stories of the Secretaries General of that edifice in the past two decades give cogent corroboration. Historians will vindicate me in respect of the President of the Republic himself. Not without reason! Those are patients while he is the actor. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt till his exit. No-one I prevent from drawing the curtain, or even the dagger! None should urge me so to do either!

 Few are unaware that on the advent of multi-party system in Cameroun, the former Secretary General at the Presidency, Samuel Ebua, was arrested and given a snake beating by the forces of oppression. One could say he was tortured without infringing the decorum of using mild terms in artificial decency. His advanced age meant little to the advanced democracy Cameroun is purported to epitomize.

 Secretary General, Owona Rene, died in active service. I regret that my memory fails me on how many in ministerial positions have similarly died since Mr. President took over from Ahidjo. If by your refusal, failure or neglect to refresh my memory I should persist in my erroneous (erroneous?) conclusion, this singular exception would I count as a second curse.

 A former secretary general, Dr Titus Edjoa, Mr. President’s personal physician, has been languishing in Kondengui for over a decade now, methinks. His arrest and imprisonment coincided with his declaration to run for the Presidency of Cameroun.

 Then came some four years ago the turn of another former secretary general, Atangana Megara. His being remanded in prison custody that long coincided with his giving lavishly to the needed virtually on a daily basis – paying an expensive price for his rising popularity that was feared could eclipse that of the master.

 aIn the 5th place now comes the arrest and remand in prison custody of yet another of Mr. President’s former secretary general, Marafa Hamidou Yaya. His own ordeal has coincided with newspaper publications of late that France favoured his succeeding Mr. President. His tsunami has swept along another former secretary general, Chief Inoni Ephraim. This one was seen as being too close to the heels of the brother who is championing one of Mr. President’s ostentatious outings christened “50th anniversary of Reunification”. Who wants to dismiss the Bakweri Land Claim?

 Obviously, the clarion is loud enough to put on their enquiry those still entertaining wild dreams in similar positions to soar to dreamlands. The coincidences are too many, too varied, to pass the test of coincidence. Once a coincidence loses its accidental character, it ceases to be a coincidence. And the veil becomes outrageously threadbare where a coincidence becomes a colossal buffer zone between the people’s fury over the rape of democracy in a palace coup, and the twin arrests of former secretaries general. The most ignorant villager would cry out: “de sick whe kill cacca na ye go kill coffee”! The “electoral” code palaver is too important to be hidden in a net!

Cameroon: Former Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni & Ex-SG at the Presidency Marafa Hamidou Arrested.

By Christopher Ambe

Former Prime Minister and Chief of Bakingili, Ephraim Inoni, and ex- Secretary-general at the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon Marafa Hamidou Yaya, today were arrested and detained in security cells in Yaoundé.The two,formerly believed to be untouchables, are implicated in shady financial transactions in the purchase in 2003 of a faulty presidential plane, named Albatross, for Cameroon.

Marafa Hamidou Yaya

Chief Ephraim Inoni

The plane developed a technical fault at its inaugural flight in 2004 and almost crashed with the presidential couple, Biya and Chantal on board.

Upon investigations, it emerged that it was instead a second-hand plane that was bought as those in charge of the purchase allegedly embezzled a good chunk of the huge amount the State of Cameroon had disbursed for the purchase of a new plane.

 Chief Inoni was then assistant Secretary-General at the Presidency while Marafa Hamidou Yaya was the Secretary-General.

 Both, who are now in pre-trial detention, were said to be actors in the purchase transaction. Atangana Mebera, who succeeded Marafa as Secretary-General had since 2008 been in pre-trial detention still in connection with the Albatross affair.

 The arrests are within the frame work of President Paul Biya’s on-going war against corruption and embezzlement of public funds. Biya‘s war against embezzlement is dubbed Operation Sparrow hawk, has sent several senior officials of the Biya regime in prison.

Cameroon:George Washington University in Partnership with University of Buea

Both to begin Master’s Degree Program in Security & Safety Leadership at UB

By Christopher Ambe

Professor Lemieux (right) hands over partnership document to UB VC Prof  Vincent PK.Titan

The University of Buea (UB) has signed an important partnership agreement with the George Washington University, USA, that will see the introduction of a master’s degree program in Security and Safety Leadership as one of UB’s degree programs.

The master’s degree program, which will begin July this year at the University of Buea, is offered by the College of Professional Studies in George Washington University, in partnership with UB, considered as Cameroon’s most prestigious state-owned varsity.

The first batch of students, it emerged, will total twenty-five (25) and George Washington University will teach eight (8) out of the eleven (11) program courses to be offered, while UB dons will handle three.

“Classes will be taught by experts in homeland security policy, law enforcement cooperation, public safety leadership, emergency management and cyber security”, according to an official document The Recorder obtained. “Courses are offered at the University of Buea (one weeklong; once a month)”.

Completion of the master’s degree could take approximately 16-24 months, it emerged.

The master’s degree (program) in security and safety leadership was launched last April 3 at UB by officials of both universities.

Professor Federic Lemieux, Director of the College of Professional Studies, George Washington University signed the partnership on behalf of GW while Professor Vincent Pk.Titanji,Vice-chancellor of University of Buea,did same for UB.

The signing of the partnership and the launch of the degree program was preceded by a public lecture on “Security and Safety in Changing world: Theories, Best Practices and emerging issues”, given by Professor Federic Lemieux, earlier mentioned.

Cross-section of people who attended the  lecture at UB

Professor Lemieux, in his lecture stressed that, if security and safety concerns are given the needed attention in time, the world will know more peace, which is a prerequisite for development.

Earlier in his welcome speech, UB Vice-chancellor Professor Titanji said the introduction of the master’s degree program on security and safety leadership was necessary and timely. He noted that since the introduction of university reforms in Cameroon several years ago, much emphasis was now being laid professionalism

Before Professor Lemieux’s public lecture, Mrs. Joan Wacka, Head of e-Learning and Computerization at UB, gave a foreword on security and safety in Cameroon. She disclosed that Cameroon is ranked 9^th in cyber criminality in the world and 3^rd in Africa.

It is hoped that security and judicial officials and companies would particularly take advantage of the course, so to gain adequate knowledge on Security and safety matters.

The ceremony was attended among others by Legal and judicial authorities, security chiefs, University dons and journalists

For more information about the program please contact: Tel +237 77 16 07 29 (Mr.Bapooh Lipot) or +237 33 32 21 34(Dr.Lyonga)