MRC: Réunion Privée Interrompue Bertoua, Officials Arrested

• A private meeting of the MRC's Eastern regional federation was interrupted by gendarmes in Bertoua on August 30, 2026.
• The sub-prefect of Bertoua 2e, Orfeo Benasconi Nkomo Mimbo'o, ordered the intervention.
• Two MRC officials were arrested without warrant or procedure, then released after being placed "sous garant."
• Authorities cited an "undeclared public meeting" as the reason, which the MRC disputes, arguing it was a private gathering.
• The MRC denounces the incident as an "act of state barbarism" and part of an "orchestrated escalation" against the party.

The MRC views this incident in Bertoua not as an isolated event, but as part of a broader "orchestrated escalation" of pressure against the party and its leadership.

A private gathering of the Mouvement pour la renaissance du Cameroun (MRC) in Bertoua, specifically for its Eastern regional federation, was forcibly halted on Sunday, August 30, 2026. The incident, which the opposition party asserts took place within a private residence, was carried out by approximately ten gendarmes acting under the directive of Orfeo Benasconi Nkomo Mimbo'o, the sub-prefect of Bertoua 2e.

During the interruption of this MRC réunion privée interrompue Bertoua, two key party officials were apprehended: the secretary of the regional federation and the secretary of the Lom et Djerem departmental federation. The MRC reported that these individuals were forcibly taken into custody without a warrant, without adherence to proper procedure, and in the absence of any declared state of emergency. They were subsequently placed "sous garant" before being released.

The official reason provided for the intervention was that the gathering constituted an "undeclared public meeting." However, the MRC vehemently disputes this justification, emphasizing that a public meeting, by definition, occurs in a public space or one open to the general public. The party contends that a meeting held within a private domicile does not fall under this classification, rendering the intervention unlawful.

Twenty-four hours after the disruption, the MRC issued a statement denouncing the actions as maneuvers orchestrated by the "Biya-RDPC regime." The opposition party characterized the forceful dispersion of its members from a private setting as an "act of state barbarism" directly commanded by the ruling power.

The MRC views this incident in Bertoua not as an isolated event, but as part of a broader "orchestrated escalation" of pressure against the party and its leadership. They link the interruption of their private meeting to a series of other actions perceived as politically motivated.

Among the examples cited by the MRC are the rejection of Maurice Kamto's candidacy for the 2025 presidential election and the prohibition of the party's first extraordinary national convention, which had been scheduled for November 2025. Additionally, the party referenced the transmission of a document to its offices on the 20th of the month, further contributing to their narrative of sustained governmental pressure against the opposition.

Source: Original reporting via {source}