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Cameroon |
DRUGS
There’s more and more drugs entering Cameroon. Everywhere, from Yaounde and Douala, to the mountains of the west and the north-west
Drug-trafficking seems to be more and more an illegal way of getting rich quick. Many traffickers are on the «go» without ever being caught — but sometimes the day of reckoning does arrive. At the end of January 2002, Monkoue Lawrence (a Cameroonian) was arrested at Roissy (France) International Airport, with 30 kilos of cannabis. Questioned by the police regarding the drugs, he said he was a Member of Parliament (MP) in Cameroon’s parliament, and a lawyer, and hence couldn’t be arrested. Because of France’s agreement with Cameroon, he was released by the French police. But once the international and Cameroonian media got hold of the story, there was an outcry about the behaviour of MPs, many of whom are hiding behind parliamentary immunity to get away with their nefarious deeds.
Among those taken aback by Lawrence’s «activities» was the main opposition party, the Social Democratic Front (SDF) — and Lawrence happens to belong to this particular party. Party president Ni John Fru Ndi, was clear where he stood on this issue: «I don’t know what to say. I’m doing all I can to fight against drug trafficking, and here we have someone who is supposed to be the people’s representative, involving himself in drugs. It’s scandalous. Lawrence has not only brought Parliament’s reputation into disrepute, he’s also sullied the good name of lawyers and indeed, the entire nation». Which did not, however, prevent the Honourable Monkoué Lawrence from taking his seat in Parliament. So much for the integrity of Members and for Cameroon’s justice system.
Cannabis
Within Cameroon, the cultivation of traditional crops such as cocoa, coffee and cotton production has decreased. This means that many farmers have taken to growing Indian Hemp. The Police say that the small town of Kumbo, in the North-West province, is fast becoming a hub for trafficking in cannabis. There’s some strange people going the rounds in this more or less isolated area. They’re on the lookout for cheap bargains when ordering and buying quantities of Indian Hemp. By making on-the-spot deliveries, villagers can save on transport costs and there’s no risk of falling into police traps.
The police do manage to stop some drug trafficking convoys. In March 2002, the Bafoussam police seized 500 kilos of cannabis in the mountains of Bamboutos (Monkoué Lawrence comes from here!) Souop Bougoun is in his 60s. He comes from Bouhan village in the same province, and he fell into a police trap. He had a one-hectare Indian Hemp plantation, and it was destroyed in 1998 by the police. He’d been «shopped» by a vigilante group operating against illegal cannabis cultivation. The Anti-Drug Trafficking Bulletin covering central Africa, published this story, adding that Bougoun was known to be the ring-leader of six former coffee farmers, who’d switched to Indian Hemp. His colleagues’ plantations met the same fate.
Agronomists say that Cameroon is ideal for cannabis cultivation. It’s a plant which can easily adapt to changing climatic conditions and grows well in tropical zones, in the Sahel, as well as on plateaux higher than 1000 metres. Indian Hemp needs less water than other plants, even growing in poor soil.
Drug-trafficking really came into its own in the 1980s and should be seen within the economic context of the time. The prices of cotton, groundnuts, cocoa and coffee, tumbled. The farmers’ purchasing power decreased and this was followed by an increase in the cost of buying products necessary to maintain the plantations. Other factors included a reduction in availability of land suitable for cultivation. In certain areas, the soil was extremely poor for cultivation — much of it because of the practice of burning the bush. Because of this, farmers could no longer support their families so they started to look for alternatives to loss-making crops. A specialist in the study of the influence of physical geography on politics says that the apparition of cannabis seemed to be «manna from heaven» at least for the farmers. At the same time it seemed to respond to the country’s new situation — the economic and social crisis.
Drug-addiction
According to a study carried out by the researcher, Emmanuel Wansi, 60% of drug addicts live in medium-sized towns; whereas 40% live in the capital (Yaounde) and the economic capital (Douala). Maroua is the provincial capital of the Far North Province. Studies made in this area show that a number of seven-year-olds are already addicted, using solvents used in repairing motor-cycle tires. Wansi says that the penchant for drug-addiction is acquired at a very low age. Thus, nearly 25% of 15-year-olds use drugs. Among adults, nearly 33% of women in their forties have experimented with drugs, as against 15% of men in the same age range. Moreover, there are clear-cut disparities among addicts. Only 8% of people having received a higher education took drugs before 16, as against 22% of those who could not continue their education. There’s heavy use of drugs in the prisons.
Drug abuse in Cameroon, of which the most widespread is Indian Hemp, does not depend solely on its availability in particular areas. Several addicts say they got going because of their friends’ influence. Other reasons for starting are unemployment, the economic crisis, and difficulties in daily life. 80% of drug addicts are also heavy alcohol consumers. Then there’s popular ideas which convince some people to consume drugs. «You’ll feel great; your love-life will benefit from it; your sexual potential will multiply ten-fold»; and especially for women — «You’ll have more charm and influence over your men contacts». And, let it be said, the greatest number of rapists and hoodlums are drug addicts.
Sociologist Valentine Nga Ndongo says that drug addiction is a form of escapism. «People seek refuge in drugs so as to perform better...However, those “under the influence” are people like you and me. Drug abuse in Cameroon is as serious a problem as AIDS. If not more. You can see the bad effects of drugs in a person’s physique. There’s also a security problem caused by drugs in the urban areas which is very likely to soon spread into the countryside».
Because of the drug-abuse problem, the government has taken a number of initiatives. A National Committee For Fighting Against Drugs» was established by government decree (from the Office of the Prime Minister) in 1992. The Committee aims to coordinate and examine all problems relating to the illegal use of narcotics and the misuse of drugs. This Committee must take part in the fight against any form of drug-taking, and the over-use of any substance likely to harm one’s health. But at the moment, the Committee functions with great difficulty because of lack of means. For example, it lacks reliable statistics. Dr. Flore Ndembiyembe is the Committee’s permanent secretary, and explains: «We can’t provide the general public with exact figures, but it’s clear that drug consumption is increasing». The Committee hasn’t yet managed to work closely with the medical authorities and the government ministries dealing with social issues. The same goes for the judiciary and senior police officers».
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