03/04/2025
Updates on artistes protest in Yaounde
Press release
The Chairman of the Board of Directors (PCA) of the Civil Society of the Audiovisual and Photographic Arts (SCAAP), once again informs the public in general, the Government of the Republic, and the artistic community in particular that on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, a radio-press press release on letterhead bearing the SCAAP logo, alongside those of SOCILADRA, SOCADAP, and the defunct CMC, once again signed by Ms. Elise MBALLA MEKA, claiming to be the general supervisor of the operation completed since December 31, 2022, called "ORSAR," was broadcast on social media and on the 8:30 p.m. newscast on CRTV
Reveals that CRTV made payments of 318,750,000 FCFA and 212,500,000 FCFA for the second tranche and the remainder of its debt to the OGCs for the period 2015-2017 respectively, or 531,250,000 FCFA in total, in ex*****on of the memorandum of understanding signed on September 4, 2024, between the former OGCs and CRTV. This money was transferred to the ORSAR bank account opened at SCB CAMEROUN, the closure of which had been approved by the Prime Minister since July 26, 2023
The same Press Release indicates that following a consultation held on March 27, 2025, under the supervision of the Collective Management Organizations Control Commission (CCOGC), minutes were signed between the parties and sent to the Minister of Arts and Culture, who initiated this meeting.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors (CBO) wishes to once again clarify that the SCAAP logo was improperly used on this document without the agreement of its directors, notwithstanding the related notice sent in February 2025 by bailiff to Ms. MBALLA MEKA Elise, to terminate the use of the SCAAP logo without the favorable opinion of its Board of Directors. Furthermore, he reiterates that SCAAP never gave Sicur SAM MBENDE a mandate to sign the memorandum of understanding of September 4, 2024, in his place
He also emphasizes that during the aforementioned meeting of March 27, 2025, during which he was personally attacked by around ten musicians who had not been invited to the meeting by the CCOGC, the SCAAP leaders did not sign the minutes mentioned above, given that the resolutions contained therein do not fit with their position in this matter
He insists that this position remains and remains constant, in favor of the transfer of the sum of 850,000,000 FCFA owed by CRTV in copyright and related rights royalties for the period 2015-2017, into the Special Deposit Account housed at Commercial Bank-Cameroon, in accordance with the Very High Directives of the Head of State communicated on four occasions to the Director General of CRTV by the Minister of State, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic, on December 22, 2023, February 26, 2024, January 27, and February 6, 2025, as provided for in Memorandum of Understanding No. 00089 of August 22, 2022, signed between the OGCs represented by SCAAP and CRTV
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SCAAP calls on republican artists to remain calm and collected, and to continue to trust the High Authorities of the Republic, who will undoubtedly prescribe new directions to resolve this issue in the general interest, in line with the commitment made to this effect by the Prime Minister, Head of Government, this same Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
Done in Yaoundé, April 3, 2025 THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS