Story, Louvier Kindo Tombe
It began with a video, filmed in a hall somewhere in Haut-Nkam. The Senator, Françoise Puene, aka Mamy Nyanga stood at the center of attention, her voice rising above the chatter of party militants. Later, that same clip was tearing through social media timelines, igniting anger and fear in equal measure.
In the recording, the CPDM Senator is heard declaring that citizens from other regions of Cameroon would be chased out of Haut-Nkam if her party’s candidate, Paul Biya, lost the presidential vote on October 12.
The words, short and sharp, landed like sparks in dry grass. They were quickly condemned as a dangerous call to communal hatred.
Among those to officially react was opposition leader Maurice Kamto. In a statement issued in Yaoundé on September 16, he described the Senator’s remarks as unacceptable political intimidation that undermines peaceful coexistence.
He urged the ruling CPDM, along with parliamentary and judicial authorities, to distance themselves from Puene’s comments and take firm measures against her.
But Senator Puene is not taking the storm quietly. Facing a barrage of criticism, she insists her words have been twisted.
Speaking to reporters, she explained that she was not voicing her own stance but rather recounting heated exchanges that had come up during a political meeting in her constituency.
The viral video, she says, was cut, edited, and stripped of context—an intentional move to tarnish her reputation.
“I remain committed to unity and peace,” she said, stressing that she has no intention of sowing division. What is being circulated online, she argued, “is not a true reflection of my message”.
Still, the timing of the video’s appearance could not be worse. With barely weeks to the October 12 presidential election, tensions are already running high, and the clip has struck a nerve.
Beyond Kamto’s voice, public opinion has also joined in the chorus of condemnation, with citizens on social media platforms warning that such rhetoric—whether misinterpreted or not—risks inflaming dangerous divisions.
For now, the controversy lingers, hovering over both the Senator and her party. Cameroonians are left waiting to see whether the CPDM leadership and state institutions will take a stand, or let the storm pass on its own.
