Ever since the U.S. Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, spoke of visa bans for people working hard to ensure that the war in the two English regions of the country does not get resolved, key political figures in Yaoundé have been wondering whether their names will be among. Many Yaoundé government officials have their children in the United States and any visa ban might affect those children as well as their investments in the United States.

It is also rumored that the United States might work with its European allies to expand the scope of the sanctions. This implies Europeans might also collaborate with the U.S. Administration to impose sanctions on people stalling efforts at solving the Anglophone crisis. 

According to a source close to the U.S. State Department, there is a list and it is just a matter of time for those involved to know their fate. The State Department has already drawn up a long list and it is closely watching any Yaoundé government authorities who are stampeding any efforts at finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Southern Cameroons. 

The Source, who elected anonymity, said the list was long and rapidly provided some names to the Cameroon Concord News Group correspondent in Washington. The list is very likely to bring a lot of sorrow to many Cameroon government officials and their families as they own assets in the United States.

The visa ban is just the first step in the right direction, the source said, adding that there would surely be collective and individual economic and financial consequences if the government did not act promptly. 

“Anthony Blinken is serious about the Cameroon situation. He has appointed a collaborator of his to focus on this case and he is monitoring news out of Cameroon. He understands that there are some regime hawks making fast cash from the bloody situation in the Anglophone regions of the country. He also understands that some separatist leaders have been working hard to stall any efforts to resolve the conflict,” the source said.

“Those whose names will make the short list will be hit hard as a means of sending a strong message. Cameroon occupies a strategic position in the Gulf of Guinea and if peace and stability do not return, the entire sub-region might be dragged into a long conflict,” the source added. 

“The days ahead are critical and if the government does not take the resolution of the conflict seriously, the first sanctions will be in place in a couple of weeks. Washington is frustrated by the government’s refusal to hold talks with separatist leaders and this might result in the Yaoundé government dealing with severe political and military sanctions that might affect its ability to even deal with Boko Haram in the North,” the source said.    

Here below is the list under consideration by U.S. State Department Officials as provided by the Cameroon Concord News Group

Mr. Dion Ngute: Prime Minister and Head of Government

Mr. Joseph Beti Assomo: Minister for Defense

General Rene Meka Claude: Joint Chief of Staff

General Nka Valere: Commander of Operations in the North West Region

Mr. Lele l”Afrique Adolphe: Governor of the North West Region

Mr. Issa Chiroma Bakary: Minister of Employment

Prof. Elvis Ngolle Ngolle: Former Minister and current board chairman of L’hopital Central Douala

Governor Okalia Bilai: Governor of the South West Region

Mr. Sadi Rene: Minister of Communications

Mr. Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh: Minister Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic

General Elokobi Daniel Njock: Commander of the National Gendarmerie

Prof. Fame Ndongo: Minister of Higher Education and Press Secretary of the CPDM Political Bureau

Commissioner Mbarga Nguele: Delegate General for National Security and Ambassador to Spain

Mr. Paul Atanga Nji: Minister of Territorial Administration and creator of death squads

Mr. Philemon Yang: Former Prime Minister and current Chancellor of the National Order

Mr. Amougou Belinga: CPDM Business tycoon and owner of television channel Vision 4

Mr. Ghislain Samou Nguewo: President Biya’s closest collaborator

Mr. Bonaventure Mvondo Assam: a former CPDM MP

Mr. Paul Elung Che: Deputy Secretary-general of the presidency

Mr. Modeste Mopa Fatoing: Director-general of the tax department

Mr. Robert Nkili: Former Minister of Labour and transport between 2002 and 2015

Mr. Louis-Paul Motaze: Minister of Finance

Mr. Alamine Ousmane Mey: Minister of the Economy

Mr. Samuel Mvondo Ayolo: Director of the head of state’s civil cabinet

Mr. Christian Mataga: The son of a former ambassador and ex-director of Biya’s civil cabinet

Mr. Laurent Esso: Minister of Justice

Dr. Owona Nguni: Lecturer University of Yaoundé

Mr. Mengot Victor: Minister of Special Duties at the Presidency

Paul Tasong: Minister Delegate in charge of planning

Chief George Tabetando: Senator and traditional ruler of Bachuo Ntai

Mr. Peter Mafany Musonge: Senator and head of the Bilingual Commission

Mr. Oum II Joseph: Senior Divisional Officer for Manyu

Mr. Cavayé Yéguié Djibril: Speaker of the National Assembly

By Soter Tarh Agbaw-Ebai