“Today is the most significant day in the struggle for democracy in Cameroon,” Fru Ndi declared. “You are here in your numbers because you do not only have faith in democracy but more so because you are determined to ensure that it works in Cameroon.”
By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, Cameroon – In the dusty grounds of Ntarinkon Motor Park, Bamenda, a moment of Cameroonian political history was born. (Late) Ni John Fru Ndi, flanked by early believers in democratic reform, stood before thousands of citizens and delivered a bold, defiant speech that would echo across decades. That day marked the official launching of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) – an opposition party forged in the fire of resistance and driven by the dream of freedom.
Fru Ndi’s address was more than a political manifesto; it was a call for a democratic awakening in a nation tightly gripped by one-party rule. “Today is the most significant day in the struggle for democracy in Cameroon,” he declared. “You are here in your numbers because you do not only have faith in democracy but more so because you are determined to ensure that it works in Cameroon.”
His words, delivered under heavy security tension and political pressure, rejected fear and called on Cameroonians to stand firm. Fru Ndi reminded the crowd that democracy is not handed down – it must be fought for. “Make no mistake and do not allow yourself to be misled or misguided by anyone, no matter his station in life. Democracy has never been handed over to a people on a platter of gold,” he said.
Drawing inspiration from thinkers across time and space – from Aristotle to Abraham Lincoln and Archbishop Abel Muzorewa – Fru Ndi condemned the stifling of political dissent across Africa. “It is a heinous crime in black Africa to open your mouth freely and talk about the doings of the government or head of state. You will get thrown into prison, accused of treason, or simply disappear in such states. Political leaders do not trust their people. They are tyrannical in the sense that they will not allow criticism.”
The founding of the SDF was not only an act of political rebellion but a radical redefinition of what Cameroonians deserved. Fru Ndi outlined a vision of governance rooted in freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, association, and peaceful assembly – rights often denied under the prevailing regime.
“We say that democracy is about people because we believe that failure to respect the fundamental freedoms, namely, freedom of conscience and religion, freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including the freedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of association, deprive the people of their basic rights, which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as human beings,” Fru Ndi added.
His speech struck at the heart of what he described as the “vocabulary of democracy used to conceal modern forms of dictatorship.” Fru Ndi warned of a system that breeds not just oppression and servility but “stupidity” – quoting Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges.
The rally, attended by supporters at great personal risk, signalled the beginning of the end for Cameroon’s one-party rule. Fru Ndi closed his speech with a message that would become a mantra for democratic movements across the continent: “We call upon you to stand up and be counted among those who share our democratic ideal. You have nothing to lose but the straight jacket in which, you, as freeborn citizens, have been cast.”
Thirty-five years later, Fru Ndi’s words remain a benchmark for the struggle for political freedom in Cameroon. The courage of May 26, 1990, lives on in the memories of those who were there and in the continued fight for the democracy Fru Ndi imagined.
