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The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), met in Bamenda on 28 August 2004, under the chairmanship of NI John FRU NDI, National Chairman of the SDF. It examined the national political situation, especially the murder of the District Chairperson of the SDF for Balikumbat, Mr. John Kohtem on 20 August 2004, and took the following resolution.

• Considering the murder of Mr. John Kohtem on 20 August 2004, following a political meeting with the Governor of the North West Province, at which Mr. Kohtem had death threats from Fon Doh Gah Gwanyin III, MP for Ngoketunjia South Constituency, Mayor of Balikumbat and Member of the Central Committee of the CPDM;
• Considering that these death threats were a result of the accusations leveled on Fon Doh Gah Gwanyin by Mr. Kohtem, for undertaking parallel registration of voters in Balikumbat, for his tyranny and for his stifling of the democratic process;
• Considering the protest demonstrations that have been held in Bamenda and elsewhere to demand that justice be done to the murderers of Mr. Kohtem;
• Considering the condolence visit paid to the family of Mr. Kohtem in Balikumbat on 24 August 2004 by the Leaders of the Coalition for National Reconciliation and Reconstruction;
• Considering the indignation, solidarity and compassion shown at the national and international levels.

THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

• Vehemently condemns this other heinous crime of murder perpetrated on a member of the opposition in Cameroon;
• Vehemently condemns the culture of impunity nurtured and promoted by the CPDM regime in Cameroon, as manifested by the unpunished assassinations of many Cameroonians, including: • Hon. Haman Adama in Mayo Rey; • Hon. Martin Esseme in Kumba; and • Mr. John Kohtem in Balikumbat;
• Notes that this murder further highlights the serious problems that bedevil the electoral process in Cameroon, especially the registration of voters where Fons, “chefs des quartiers” and other barons of the CPDM, who are not members of the commissions for the revision of electoral registers, carry out parallel registration in the field;
• Warmly congratulates the people of the North West province in general, and of Bamenda in particular, for their spontaneous and massive demonstration to demand the arrest and punishment of the perpetrators of this odious crime;
• Warmly congratulates the leaders of the Coalition and the populations of Douala, Ndop and other localities, for their acts of solidarity in the condemnation of the crime;
• Fixes the removal of the corpse at the Bamenda mortuary and the burial of the remains of the Mr. John Kohtem at Balikumbat on Friday, 3 September 2004;
• Consequently, calls on the Bamenda population to suspend the protest marches in Bamenda after the one of Monday, 30 August 2004, to allow for the preparations for the burial ceremonies;
• Invites all lovers of democracy in Cameroon, all the active forces and advocates of human rights and freedoms, to join the SDF in these ceremonies marking the solemn burial of the remains of Mr. John Kohtem on Friday, 3 September 2004;
• Calls on the entire population of the North West Province, especially of Bamenda and Ngoketungia Division, to turn out in their numbers to give the occasion, the dignity and pomp it deserves;
• Calls on the administrative, political and judicial authorities concerned to take all measures to ensure that the murderers are all promptly arrested and punished according to the law;
• Notes that the refusal of the CPDM regime to let the law have its say in previous such murder cases, especially those perpetrated by traditional rulers, points a finger at the regime as accomplices of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes.

The end

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