The announced arrest of the estwhile General Manager of CRTV breaks no new grounds. The timing of the arrest is intended to change the focus from the ongoing debate and ramifications from the Burkinabe revolution.
The revolution, coming so close to Paul Biya's 32 years in power evoked sad memories. It reminded the citizenry and Paul Biya himself that this latest celebration was possible due to a bloody constitutional coup that claimed the lives of hundreds of armless civilians.
It reminded Paul Biya in particular, about his own potential ouster from power. It reminded him of the illusions of absolute power and its consequential unpredictability.
The so-called war against corruption and now the war against Boko Haram are tolls available to Paul Biya to instill fear, focus and refocus the national debate and to consolidate power which seems to be slipping away due to consequences and factors beyond his control.
The arrest of Mendo Ze surprises only those who may not be paying attention to Paul Biya's politics of personal power. Like many supposedly corrupt members of the crime syndicate in jail, Mendo Ze was an overseer over an important tool of blackmail, misinformation and Paul Biya's image laundering.
CRTV under Mendo Ze and presently, like SOPECAM are used to perpetrate crimes against the people far worse than misappropriation of public funds. They are instruments of mass mobilization through falsehood, corruption of the popular conscience and the deification of Alibaba. CRTV was and is the conduit through which egregious violations and crimes of unimaginable magnitude are perpetrated against the citizenry.
It is the conduit through which fraud is celebrated and citizens incited to take up arms against their neighbours. It is the voice of hate, sycophancy and intimidation. The question one may ask, is, who benefitted from these crimes? The answer points to Paul Biya.
This does not absolve Mendo Ze for the crimes he perpetrated or for accepting to perpetrated or oversee the use of CRTV to perpetrate crimes against humanity in which alleged "enemies dans la maisons" "biafrais" "anglobami" "Opposants" and now are blackmailed and targeted on account of their ethnicity or valid claims for self determination.
Mendo Ze should have his day in court if there is enough evidence to proceed against him. On a matter of principle and legality, however, the problem is not with the arrest of Mendo Ze but with the political calculation surrounding this arrest.
Additionally, the problem lies with the legitimacy of the so-called special court before which this case as the previous ones are brought. This is a political court in many respects. It inhibits appellate process for accused in favour of the Prosecutor.
However, if the arrest of Mendo Ze will lead to Paul Biya finally realizing that his 32 years in power were mired in systemic corruption and unprecedented criminality, and peacefully step down without being forced to do so, then it is significant development.
