UPC congress prohibited and evacuated in Douala

The police recently interrupted the Congress of an opposition party, the Union of the peoples of Cameroon (UPC) on Thursday.

On Thursday, August 14, a squad of policemen evacuated UPC members at a hotel in Douala during the UPC rally that had been banned two days previously by the Sub-Prefecture.

UPC, the historic party in Cameroon, has been spitted into two: a UPC attached to the ruling party and a UPC which still belong to the opposition. The sub-prefect of Douala however does not recognize the second. Tuesday, August 12, he decided to halt its planned Congress from 14 to 16 August. For him, this UPC opposition causes confusion.

But "UPC of the faithful" as they like to be called, bypassed the ban and met Thursday morning at the hotel Beau sejour in Douala. The morning section took place without a hitch despite police surveillance but around 1 o’clock, the sub-prefect, accompanied by 20 police officials burst into the hotel, and ordered the evacuation of the members.

The 200 members of the UPC however complied. Contacted by RFI, Alexis Ndema, president of UPC, denounced such abuse by the authority. He declared that he is ready to sue the administrative officials of the city. Asked about this case, the authorities did not wish to respond to any questions.