Henry Atem Oben

Executive Director @USICES1, Sr. Political Affairs Consultant @UNDPPA, President @Atem_Foundation Ph.D. @WaldenU, Alum. @Georgetown @HHHSchool.

[Akere Muna @AkereMuna]

EKANE Anicet Georges (1951-2025)

Déclaration publique d’Akere Muna, Avocat au Barreau

Le communiqué officiel du ministère de la Défense est tombé avec la lourdeur définitive d’une pierre tombale. Il annonce la nouvelle profondément affligeante du décès de EKANE Anicet Georges, figure politique éminente et inébranlable. Il est mort dans un hôpital militaire, après près de huit semaines de détention pour de prétendus « infractions graves » relevant de la compétence du tribunal militaire.

Ce n’est pas seulement la perte d’un homme ; c’est l’extinction d’une flamme ardente et passionnée qui brûlait pour le multipartisme et pour l’émancipation démocratique et politique de notre pays. Son engagement était sans limites.

Ma première rencontre avec Anicet Ekane remonte au début des années 1990, entre les murs austères du Tribunal militaire de Yaoundé. Il se tenait aux côtés de Djeukam Tchameni, du Batonnier Yondo Black et de sept autres, tous en attente de procès sous l’accusation menaçante de « subversion ». Anicet portait l’accusation supplémentaire et glaçante d’« outrage au Président ». Nous étions plus jeunes alors, remplis d’un espoir tendu que la loi et la raison prévaudraient.

Aujourd’hui, alors que le Barreau du Cameroun se mobilise pour enterrer notre vénéré Batonnier YondoBlack, et que notre nation titube encore, cherchant son équilibre après l’élection la plus controversée de son histoire, nous recevons ce second coup, brutal. La nouvelle du départ d’Anicet dans ces conditions est une blessure sur une blessure. Et tandis que nous pleurons, Djeukam Tchameni reste en détention, un nom parmi une liste tragique et grandissante, estimée aujourd’hui à plus de 3 000 citoyens.

Le communiqué du ministère de la défense reconnaît lui-même un fait accablant : Anicet Ekane était gravement malade même avant sa détention. Un fait qu’il m’avait lui-même réaffirmé, avec la résilience qui le caractérisait, la dernière fois que nous nous sommes parlé. Une fausse alerte concernant son décès avait déjà retenti il y a trois semaines — une secousse prémonitoire du tremblement de terre à venir.

On aurait pu penser que l’humanité la plus basique, la présomption d’innocence fondamentale et l’évidence indiscutable de sa santé défaillante auraient exigé sa libération auprès de sa famille et des soins des experts médicaux qui connaissaient son état. Au lieu de cela, dans une posture de mépris total pour la dignité humaine, on lui a refusé le droit simple et sacré de passer ses derniers moments sur cette terre entouré des siens. Quel monstre impitoyable notre pays devient-il, pour emprisonner ses malades et leur refuser une dernière étreinte ? Tout patriote camerounais doit regarder cet abîme en face et poser cette question avec un courage inflexible.

Ainsi, comme Martin Luther King Jr., dont le rêve fut différé, Anicet Ekane, en rendant son dernier souffle, aurait pu légitimement affirmer : « Non, non, nous ne sommes pas satisfaits, et nous ne serons pas satisfaits tant que la justice ne ruissellera pas comme les eaux et la droiture comme un torrent puissant. »

Comme Moïse, et comme Martin Luther King, Anicet Ekane a gravi une montagne ardue. Il est arrivé au sommet et a vu la terre promise d’un Cameroun libre, démocratique et juste. Il n’a pas pu y entrer avec nous, mais son combat, sa passion et sa foi indéfectible en ont tracé le chemin. Sa contribution fait que notre peuple, guidé par sa vision, y parviendra un jour.

Va donc, Anicet. Ta longue et harassante lutte est terminée. Repose maintenant en éternité, dans la paix qui t’a été refusée de ton vivant, et sache ceci : ton peuple sera libre.

[MMI News @MimiMefoInfo]

“A corpse does not fear a coffin…” Anicet Ekane boldly declared in an interview with Afrik-Inform, a chilling statement that now sounds like a premonition. From the beginning, Ekane had vowed to fight relentlessly for truth and justice.

He died after being denied essential medical care while in detention, punished not for any crime, but merely for endorsing Issa Tchiroma Bakary in the October presidential election and daring to demand transparency in the vote, and for the truth of the ballot.

His death is a stark reminder of the price paid by those who refuse to surrender their voice. Ekane stood for what was right, even when the consequences became fatal.

[Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh @ChrisFomunyoh]

Dr Chris Fomunyoh: Les élections d’octobre 2025 marqueront un tournant significatif pour notre pays, – Icicemac ⁦@africatechie⁩ https://t.co/AONQNkLhrr

[Judd Devermont @JDevermont]

My latest Substack post: why U.S. officials lost faith in many of Africa's regional bodies -- and why it has been a costly mistake. https://t.co/aTWCjt0sKz

[JT @tomozeus]

Chairman @SenateForeign Risch condemns the Biya regime for its sham election, unlawful detention of U.S. citizens (including Idahoans), enabling Wagner’s illicit activities, hunting political opponents, & letting the Anglophone crisis persist. Warns the regime threatens U.S. interests & calls for a review of the bilateral relationship.

[Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman @SenateForeign]

The corrupt Biya regime in Cameroon hunts its political opponents, enables Wagner’s illicit activities, and has created conditions for jihadist groups like Boko Haram and ISIS to thrive and fuel the Anglophone crisis. The regime has staged a sham re-election, and unlawfully detained Americans citizens, including those from Idaho. Cameroon is not a U.S. partner, and poses economic and security risks to the American people. It’s time to reassess this relationship before the blowback gets worse.

[Henry Atem Oben @AtemOben]

Recipe for post election #Violence in #Cameroon
1. Open and verifiable fraud.
2. Lack of trust in the process and its outcome.
3. Intimidation & the use of force to suppress protests.

Participating in an election is also accepting to lose, not using elections to stay in power.

[The Atem Foundation @Atem_Foundation]

Infrastructure that empowers.

The journey from training to transformation is rarely possible without one thing: space.

We’re proud to announce the completion of 3 poultry pens and 3 brooding pens in Ukende refugee settlement, built under the “Food Security, Nutrition, and Livelihood Development through Sustainable Agriculture” project funded by Scmitz Stiftungen (@schmitz_ngo) and supported by African Women for Empowerment, AWE e.V. (@awe_ev).

These structures will house not just chickens, but potential—offering the women and youth we serve a chance to raise birds, grow businesses, and feed their families in dignity.

At the Atem Foundation for the less privileged, we don’t just build projects.
We build capacity. And we build it to last.

#SustainableAgriculture #FoodSecurity #AtemFoundation
For more info on the work we do, visit: https://t.co/QDzofpnXPh

[The Atem Foundation @Atem_Foundation]

ANOVTECH Launches in Adagom 3

Today, for the very first time, refugee children in Adagom 3 opened Chromebooks and explored a world previously out of reach.

We didn’t start with coding.
We started with confidence.

With patience and joy, our team introduced them to the basics, identifying Chromebook parts, understanding utility icons, and navigating the home screen.

Some were nervous. Some were thrilled.
All were engaged.

This is more than digital access.
It’s digital inclusion, starting at square one, with care.

ANOVTECH is not just a project.
It’s a bridge. From left behind to brought along.

#ANOVTECH #DigitalInclusion #AtemFoundation

For more info on the work we do and how you can support our work, visit:
🔗 https://t.co/QDzofpovEP

[The Atem Foundation @Atem_Foundation]

ANOVTECH Continues in Adagom 1 refugee settlement, Ogoja, Nigeria.

No first-day jitters. No wide-eyed hesitation.
Just familiar faces, tapping keys with purpose.
This isn’t the start; it’s the becoming.

Today in Adagom 1 refugee settlement, our ANOVTECH sessions resumed, not with introduction, but with immersion. Children who once asked, “What is this?” now ask, “What next?”

They opened Chromebooks like doors, searching, navigating, learning. They’re not visitors in the digital world anymore. They’re citizens.

ANOVTECH isn’t a one-day splash. It’s steady. It’s consistent. It’s showing up until knowledge becomes second nature.

Because access without continuity is a missed opportunity.

#ANOVTECH #DigitalAccessMatters #AtemFoundation
👉 For more info on the work we do, visit: https://t.co/QDzofpnXPh

[Henry Atem Oben @AtemOben]

#HappyIndependenceDay2025

[The Atem Foundation @Atem_Foundation]

ANOVTECH Reaches Ukende

No loud speeches. No staged celebrations.
Just children…
gathered under a shelter, eyes wide, hands steady on a Chromebook for the first time.

Today, ATEM Foundation brought ANOVTECH to Ukende refugee settlement the second of three in Ogoja.
Here, education is often stripped to the bare minimum. But today, something changed.

We didn’t come to donate gadgets.
We came to unlock access.
To turn empty corners into digital classrooms where learning feels possible again.

This is what it means to challenge digital exclusion not in theory, but in practice.
One settlement at a time.

#ANOVTECH #DigitalAccessMatters #AtemFoundation

[The Atem Foundation @Atem_Foundation]

Today, we launched ANOVTECH.

In a corner of the world where digital access is nearly nonexistent, hope just got powered on—one Chromebook at a time.

ANOVTECH (Access to Innovative Tech Solutions) officially kicked off today in Ogoja, Cross River State.
Led by @Atem_Foundation , this project is designed to equip displaced and underserved children with one-to-one access to Chromebooks, and supported by digital literacy education.

From makeshift tents to digital classrooms—ANOVTECH is not just about technology.
It’s about giving forgotten children a future where they’re no longer left behind.

Today, we didn’t just open a project—we opened a door.

#ANOVTECH #DigitalAccessMatters #AtemFoundation

[UNDP Careers @UNDPCareers]

📢 UNDP is hiring!
➡️ UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBAP) is seeking a Governance and Peace Specialist (IPSA-10), in Buka - Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.
📆June 23th, 2025 (Midnight, New York, United States)
✅#JoinALifeChangingMission: https://t.co/JvaSYvAaeC

[Forbes @Forbes]

7 Jobs Vanishing Fast—And The $100,000 Roles Replacing Them https://t.co/oTX5GKY9c4 https://t.co/oTX5GKY9c4

[UN Political and Peacebuilding Affairs @UNDPPA]

📢 Applications are now open for the 2026 Standby Team of Senior Mediation Advisers. The Team provides support to the good offices, preventive diplomacy and #mediation efforts of @UN senior envoys and representatives and partners.

Learn more and apply: https://t.co/ONI9oBI4m7

[UN Political and Peacebuilding Affairs @UNDPPA]

This morning, Special Representative @UNOCA_NEWS Abdou Abarry will brief the Security Council on developments in the Central Africa region and the UN’s regional strategy to combat the Lord’s Resistance Army.

Follow the meeting live from 10 AM EST: https://t.co/2ghvQVHLVy

[UN Political and Peacebuilding Affairs @UNDPPA]

The Secretary-General strongly condemns the attempt on the life of the Colombian presidential precandidate on 7 June. This deplorable act of political violence must be fully investigated and those responsible brought to justice. Full statement: https://t.co/Slp2eeEkuv

[Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh @ChrisFomunyoh]

@Atem_Foundation @unhcr @unhcrnigeria @UNICEF_Nigeria @savechildrenNG @Rhema_Care @CCFNigeria @nrcs_ng @USAinUK @embassyhaitiuk @ncfrmi_ng Highly appreciate your efforts and compassion towards our brothers & sisters now refugees in #Nigeria. #EndAnglophoneCrisis

[The Atem Foundation @Atem_Foundation]

During his maiden trip to Nigeria, the founder and president of the @Atem_Foundation hosted @UNHCR partners and CBOs in Cross River State, Nigeria, to share insights, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration and strengthening of humanitarian support to displaced persons & host communities.
#AtemFoundation #RefugeeSupport