I'm on an indefinite hunger strike! - Serge Espoir Matomba

The first Secretary of the political party, People United for Social Renovation (PURS) and municipal councilor in the Douala council, entered into a hunger strike on Monday at carrefour Agip in Douala.

He came out to issue a clear statement: That expressed a "NO" to the increase in the prices of fuel in Cameroon and the economic partnership agreements by the Head of State. To this effect he has hanged three large banners on a tent that serves as his shelter around carrefour Agip neighbourhood.

One of the banners read: "Hunger strike against rising fuel prices, NO to the destabilization of the country, NO to the ratification of the EPA '. It is therefore based on these that Serge Espoir Matomba has decided to deprive himself of food, for an indefinite period, so that the State of Cameroon would not only contemplate measures regarding the rise in the prices of fuel, but also its consideration of the ratification of the EPAs."

"A Head of State cannot take measures suicidal to his people, as this agreement will surely kill us all so I've decided to sacrifice myself, if he is unwilling to find a rapid solution to this problem" says the very first Secretary of PURS.

He considers it inappropriate to sign the EPA when the economic fabric is still embryonic: "How and why ratify the EPA? What will Cameroonians do? I have the impression that those who govern us do not like this country. These economic partnership agreements are totally unbalanced, it aims to accelerate the excess exploitation of the natural resources of Cameroon and delay the economic take-off Dynamics initiated by our nation, “he explained.

Furthermore, Serge Espoir Matomba said he decided to conduct this hunger strike, as a last resort, after having addressed two open letters to the president of the Republic concerning the increase in the price of fuel and the ratification of the EPAs. After endless wait for the reply which never came, he has decided to do it the alternative way.

With a Bible in his hand, the man asserts that, "as Jesus sacrificed himself for his people, I will do likewise, with my Bible in my hand, I will sacrifice myself for Cameroonians..." he added. Along the way, he was joined by President BRUNO FOSSO and Secretary Éboule Hervé both members of MODECNA a political party in Cameroon created since 1998.

The Government of Cameroon had decided unilaterally to proceed with an increase in the price of oil, a few days after the National Assembly adopted the Bill on the ratification of the economic partnership agreements, since then, several voices have risen to counter those measures designed to exterminate the people of Cameroon.