‘LAMENTATIONS PATRIOTIQUES’: WRITERS, CENSORS AND POLITICS IN CAMEROON

Pres Paul Biya's administration has erected a facade of political stability and economic well-being that has hidden the realities of Cameroon politics. The country is treated like the personal property of the president and anybody who voices dissatisfaction is censored and ill-treated. The experiences of Rene Philombe, Albert Mukong and Mongo Beti serve as examples. Dramatist Bole Butake's strategy of criticizing the government through allegories has given him relative freedom. Recent incidents suggest a change in social attitude which will make censorship and domination ineffective.