September 22 is fast approaching and the population is watching to see how it will look like. However the government of Cameroon is repeatedly echoing the consequences of any protest to protesters and organizers of this protest. As a result of this, government officials are adding their voices to what Cameroon’s interior minister Paul Atanga Nji has been saying to the Cameroon Renaissance Movement leader Prof. Maurice Kamto.

On Tuesday September 15, the country’s spokesman Rene Emmanuel Sadi in a press release maintained that, the government is aware of “peaceful” protest meant to oust the Incumbent president Paul Biya by leaders of political parties whose name is not mentioned. In the release, the minister states that no protest is considered peaceful if its intentions are already made known which is to take over the “democratically elected republican institutions”. The minister further adds in the press release that, such acts are punishable by law no 2014/48 of 23 December 2014 on the suppression of terrorists acts with death penalty converted to life imprisonment. “ those who will go against the tenets of the republic”, according to the release “will face fierce resistance from the forces of law and other”.

Despite all the threats the Cameroon Renaissance Movement’s leader Professor Maurice Kamto has been holding consultative talks with other political parties.  He calls on those who will partake in the protest to make sure they each have a face mask and a scarf or handkerchief with vinegar or lime juice to counter the negative effects of tear gas among others. Maurice Kamto also encourages those who will take part in the protest to remain determined, not to give in to provocations and denounce any suspicious person in their midst.

In a bid to frustrate this protest, the Governors of both Littoral and Centre regions have banned all protest from taking place in the regions till further notice meanwhile deploying security forces at strategic points of the towns owing to the fact that Yaoundé and Douala, were the epicenters of February 2019 protest, organized by Maurice Kamto which saw the arrest of many .

The political showdown has got onlookers perplexed especially as motion of support for Maurice Kamto keeps coming. In Maroua,  CRM militants have declared their support to the protest and intentions of partaking in the CRM protest. While writing to the authorities they mentioned that the protest on September 22 will begin from 8:00am to 6:00pm and will take place at “Carrefour Monts Mandara”. They also added that protests will take place every Saturday at the same venue until the regime of the incumbent is sent packing. A release signed by Boutche Jean Pierre, Ousmoula Dawai states that the president should go on an early retirement.

Adding to the numerous releases from the government of Cameroon, the Governor of the East region also prohibits protests; more administrators are expected to follow this trend. Also, social media plateforms  are flooded with anti-protest messages warning defaulters and informing them on the consequences involved.

With the occurrence of events leading to the September protest, the situation is still not clear but one thing is certain and that is the fact that civilians will bear the brunt of what will happen.