Last week in the city of Douala, Cameroon , a peaceful March initiated by the Taxi Drivers Union turned into nationwide unrest in at least 10 cities. The Union demanded a substantial decrease in gas prices that were not affordable anymore by taxi drivers.( At the time , gas price was $1.41 per liter which correspond to $5.31 per gallon. Just for comparison the average gas price in the US in less than $4 per gallon) A couple of days later, the march was overtaken by a variety of people who manifested for their own motives and their own ambition. First, you have those manifesting against the amendment to the constitution the actual president , Paul Biya in office for 25 years now ,is trying to make to stay head of state for another term. Then, you have those marching against the hiking prices of perishable foods ( meat , pasta , rice). Food prices doubled in the past decade in the Central African country as salary were cut in half and unemployment tripled. Finally, and I regret to say it , they were looters. Young people , mostly unemployed took advantage of the chaos to burn cars and buses , loot grocery stores, and gas stations. The police , the army and a few special armed forces were unleashed to bring the peace. The media talks about 100 deaths but the toll is way higher than that, from 200-300 actually.
What the Cameroonian we actually trying to say is that: WE ARE TIRED. We are tired of corruption.We are tired of neo-colonialism. We are tired of foreigners taking our resources. We are tired of not profiting from our resources. We are tired that a small numbers of corrupted bureaucrats brings poverty to our families. We want a new Africa. We want to be able to use our resources , to produce our own oil, build our own industries, to use what we produce and produce what we need.
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