Message-ID: <A1F93237A172D4118B1C00D0B71892541504E9@NTSERVER>
From: IRIN <IRIN-WA@irin.ci>
To: english@ocha.unon.org
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 18:36:44 -0000
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Subject: CAMEROON: Security forces block opposition march  [2001114]
Precedence: bulk
Sender: IRIN Africa English Service <africa-english@ocha.unon.org>


CAMEROON: Security forces block opposition march 

ABIDJAN, 13 November 2000 (IRIN) - Security forces in Cameroon's capital,
Yaounde, on Monday prevented the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF)
from marching to press its demand for an independent electoral commission, a
media source told IRIN.

The source said SDF legislators staged a sit-in outside parliament after
their march was blocked. They were surrounded by a cordon of police,
gendarmes and soldiers.

Elections in Cameroon have often been marred by allegations of fraud and the
SDF wants polls organised by an independent body. It gave the authorities
notice last week of its intention to hold its protest and distributed tracts
calling on the population to support the march. The protest was to have
started at the national assembly. It would have ended at the 'Palais de
l'Unite' (presidential palace), where the parliamentarians intended to
deliver to President Paul Biya a bill on the proposed commission.

However, the governor of Central Province, Siegfried Etame Masoma, announced
on Sunday that the march was unlawful since the SDF had not observed the
required legal procedures. Masoma, whose province includes Yaounde, also
said the legislators should submit their bill to parliament, not to Biya.

A journalist from the independent 'Le Messager' newspaper was beaten up when
he tried to cover the protest. Richard Touma and a colleague arrived after
the security forces ordered the media not to go within 300 metres of the
parliamentarians. As they approached the legislators, they were intercepted
and Touma was beaten, the media source said. According to Agence France
presse (AFP), some SDF activists were also beaten. 

AFP said police also snatched a camera from a photographer of the official
'Cameroun Tribune' and confiscated the tape recorders of other journalists.

[ENDS]

[IRIN-WA: Tel: +225 22-40-4440; Fax (Admin): +225 22-40-4435; Fax (Editorial
Desk): +225-22-41-9339; e-mail: irin-wa@irin.ci]  


[This item is delivered in the "africa-english" service of the UN's IRIN
humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views
of the United Nations. For further information, free subscriptions, or
to change your keywords, contact e-mail: irin@ocha.unon.org or Web:
http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN . If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post
this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Reposting by commercial
sites requires written IRIN permission.]

Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2000
 

Subscriber: zdwf-@t-online.de
Keyword: IRIN-WA