Through a personal account, a Cameroonian journalist in Italy exposes the deep-rooted tribalism shaping his country.

A prominent Cameroonian journalist based in Italy has sparked national debate with a candid account of tribalism in Cameroon. His essay dismantles the myth of meritocracy while highlighting how privilege is concentrated in the hands of a few.

The writer shares how a recent conversation revealed the stark reality of tribalism in Cameroon. A well-connected acquaintance from the Far North, educated at prestigious institutions like ESSTIC and IRIC, and daughter of a high-ranking customs officer, dismissed the country’s challenges by blaming everything on the Beti ethnic group.

“The country is tough, except for the Betis who control everything and only succeed among themselves,” she stated cynically. Her remarks reached their peak when she suggested the journalist’s 20-year exile was due to “pride” and could have been avoided by “asking for forgiveness” from his Beti “brothers.”

“Pardon for what crime? What fault?” the journalist responded. He questioned whether Martinez Zogo, the murdered journalist, received any mercy from his Beti tormentors—or if any ethnic group was spared in the crime and corruption that defines the system.

Despite pointing out how she benefited from the very system she criticized, the acquaintance dismissed 20 years of exile as insignificant. This reaction led the journalist to cut ties, declaring zero tolerance for tribalism—especially among the privileged.

In his view, Cameroon is divided not by ethnicity but by class:

• Those who hold the keys to the system: Elites who secure spots at top institutions like IRIC, ESSTIC, ENAM, or EMIA for their children through influential networks.
• Everyone else: Children of resourceful mothers who hustle to survive, selling water or working informal jobs just to get by.

The real divide, he argues, is not regional but social. Cameroonians should reject the distraction tactics of those who benefit from the system while complaining about marginalization.

“I blocked her because tribalism among the privileged is the most dangerous of all,” he concluded.

Jean Claude Mbede Fouda